Book Summary:

Ginna Murphy is what you might call a guy's girl. That is to say, she's more "one of the guys" than anything else. And she's totally fine with it. In fact, she loves it. She just has one rule, and it's very simple: She doesn't fall for her guy friends; in return, they're not allowed to fall for her.
Simple, right?

We all know what's going to happen next. Ginna meets a new friend, Adrian Silvas. At first, it is easy to keep this rule with him. But the more she gets to know him, the harder it is to keep her promises...

My Review:

So we've seen hundreds (if not thousands) of variations of "she's just one of the guys." That said, I think Guy's Girl has got to be one of the more delightful and fun versions I've seen. It's funny, it's cute, and it has great characters.

And really, isn't that enough? But really, what made me love Guy's Girl is that it is so real and relatable. The characters feel like real people you could meet on the streets; their predicament is likewise very ground. Fun, but grounded.

Guy's Girl takes a bit of time to get off the ground. This makes sense. We need time to get to know Ginna, her friendship policies, and everything that makes her, well, her! But once Adrian hits the scene, it feels like things start moving more rapidly.

Guy's Girl is the perfect fun and compelling friends-to-lover book. So go read it!

Highlights:
Contemporary Romance
Incredible Characters

Thanks to Berkley and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Engaging. Emotional. Riveting. Raw. Terrifying. Be prepared to go on a roller coaster ride when you pick this one up!

Short synopsis: Ginny has always been more of a “guys girl” and relates more to boys than girls. She lives in New York with her best guy friends, and starts to fall for Adrian. But Ginny has a secret, she’s fighting an inner battle with her body image and eating disorders.

My thoughts: This was not at all what I was expecting with this beautiful pink floral cover. This was so much more. This was raw, and painful, and heart breaking, and beautiful.

This definitely has some triggers with eating disorders, body dismorphia, and overall body image. It was very difficult to listen to at times, even for someone who hasn’t faced these issues to that depth. The authors note was so wonderfully said, and I could tell that these were things she struggled through based on her somewhat vivid descriptions.

I loved the guys (well most of them) but Adrian was so tender and broken. The way he was in Budapest was just so sweet, and the way they moved through their past hurts and insecurities was just everything.

Read if you love:
🌼 Working through trauma
🌼 Difficult topics told beautifully
🌼 Friends to lovers
🌼 New York City setting
🌼 Traveling
🌼 Emotional books

I loved this book. I cried at the end. It addresses the diseases of anorexia and bulimia in more depth and understanding than any other thing I’ve read. But at the core, it’s a love story - not just a sex or lust story, but a true soul baring love story. Absolutely excellent

This was such a powerful and compelling book. At times it was a little cringey for me, because I saw myself in my early 20s in so many of the challenges that Ginny faced. It was painful even though that time was 20 years ago for me.

I admire this author so much for the way she was able to show her own personal experience with mental illness (as described in her author’s note) and share it in what Ginny experienced.

I loved the settings in both New York and Budapest, and the sweet friend group Ginny had (although Finch can get lost, obviously.) I highly recommend this book, with the caveat that readers should heed the content warnings because there are graphic depictions of eating disorder behavior and thought processes.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about so many parts of being human all at once. It’s about brokenness, fear, grief, anxiety, isolation, and, most importantly, love. It’s not the Hallmark romance that glorifies the giddy feeling of love. It’s a profound story of pain and what it means to be loved despite that pain and in contrast with it.

I was a bit nervous at the story's onset because I didn’t immediately connect with any of the characters. That said, nearly twenty percent into the story, the characters become much more knowable. The two main characters, Ginny and Adrian, could not be more different. One is vibrant, and the other is reserved. One appears extroverted, while the other prefers solitude. Despite these differences, it is strikingly apparent that they both share a sense of brokenness. The main characters’ backstories are equally devastating and spellbinding, and the minor characters are such a welcome, lighthearted addition to a serious story.

Before reading Guy’s Girl it’s essential to know that the story is very detailed in describing eating disorders. At times, I felt like I was witnessing a trauma I wasn’t supposed to be privy to, which is just to say that the author, Emma Noyes, depicted Ginny’s war with anorexia and bulimia graphically and authentically. Guy’s Girl is a well-written novel, and worth the read. I recommend it to readers who love Jodi Picoult and Laurie Halse Anderson.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Guy's Girl is not a traditional romance read. Its an emotional story as Ginny secretly battles an eating disorder and longing for someone to pick her for once. Her best friends are three guys she met in college, and she decides to move to NYC to be with them. The drawback is one of the guys she's got history that toys with her emotionally further spiraling her eating habits.

Adrian, a friend to Ginny's roommates, is simply a great guy, but doesn't do relationships after experiencing his mother's trauma moving to the United States when he was nine. He struggles to convey feelings's and speak about his father passing. Nearly a year later, they come back together in Adrian's home country of Budapest. Ginny's health has deteriorated cracking his heart in half. He, along with his grandparents, provide her the comfort to confront her demons. These gentle moments of truths were haunting as both Adrian and Ginny learned about each other drawing them closer but further apart as Adrian can't see whats in front him, LOVE. Their happily ever after roadmap is like no other for a contemporary romance.

This is not an easy read, but its messaging is so important for women. Noyes has beautifully written a story that shows the power of friends and family support. Ginny and Adrian are everything as they traverse their struggles to open their hearts to healing and love.

Thank you Berkley Publishing for the complimentary copy.

Thanks to Berkley for the ebook. This was a rough read (check trigger warnings) but a powerful one. It felt very real and raw and you can't help but root for Ginny and want the beat for her even as she makes so many decisions that steer her in the wrong direction.

I was a little turned off by the title but I appreciated that that part of Ginny's personality was integral to the story and it made the family scenes with the women in her life that much more powerful.

This is definitely not a romance, though (and I'm not the biggest fan of Adrian so that might be skewing my opinion).

Short Synopsis:
Ginny is a guy’s girl. She grew up with mostly brothers. Her best friends are guys. But one day she meets Adrian and wants him in a way she’s never felt before.

My Thoughts:
This book was a hard one to listen to at times. Ginny struggles with eating disorders. She has an extreme case of body dysmorphia. Her insecurities are relatable and raw and just so real.

Adrian and Ginny are both flawed characters that have their own internal battles with life and love. But their love was so pure and heart wrenching. I wasn’t expecting to like this book so much but it truly captivated me.

Read if You Like:
💖 Messy romances
💖 Friends to lovers
💖 Raw honesty in books
💖 Fully developed characters
💖 Overcoming trauma

This is definitely a completely original romance. At the center of it, is an female MC with an eating disorder.

Because of the nature of this story, it won't be for everyone. It's graphic, intense, horrifying and gut wrenching all at once. But it is also hopeful and for me personally, it was cathartic

This book is deep and raw and at times I felt for every character in the book. The main character m Ginny, is truly struggling with mental health issues and doesn’t hold back in this story.
The story centers around two main characters and is told from their POV’s.
First there’s Ginny, who, at 24, moves in with the guys she’s known since college when she moves to NYC after a job transfer. Her friends have always tended to be boys since she was a kid-she doesn’t even get on well with her own sister because her sister is a girly girl and Ginny just isn’t. But Ginny is carrying a secret that none of them know about. Ginny is anorexic. And soon, when she can’t handle the stresses in her life anymore, she soon becomes bulimic.
Adrian, one of the guys’ friends, has a great job but it’s sucking the life out of him, and he is much more reserved and withdrawn than his other friends and his past keeps him from feeling love.
When they meet and become friends, they soon learn to understand more about each other but Adrian still holds his feelings distant from Ginny, which hurts her, and as someone who is already so insecure, it adds to her struggles. Then Finch, one of the guy friends, messes with her head and it absolutely destroys her and Adrian is there to pickup the pieces in an absolutely beautiful way.
I loved Adrian’s grandparents so much! They were sweet and so genuinely lovely and showed just where Adrian got his kindness from.
As someone who has struggled with exercise bulimia in my past, this book was definitely real and relatable and valuable for anyone who knows anyone with any eating disorder or anxiety.
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Wow, this one is heavy. It deals with some truly heavy topics like Bulimia, anorexia, body dysmorphia, as well mental illness and so much more.

It also spans over several years, and different relationships, there is also a love triangle storyline.

There is so much to unpack in this one but if you’re looking for something truly special and a little heartbreaking read this one.

The Author’s note at the beginning and end of the story really touched a heartstring with me, I think both are very important to the actual storyline, and I am thankful for the author for sharing her story.

I found Guy's Girl difficult to get through. I struggled with the graphic details of the FMC's eating disorder. Noye's writing and characters were honest and raw. I admire the author's bravery in sharing her personal experience with eating disorders. Although this book wasn't for me, I still think it's an important story for people to read. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

This was a fun bingeable read!! A great story about love that will keep you hooked until the end and wishing for only happiness with the two MCs

This book hit so close to my heart. Growing up I watched two friends struggle who were anorexic. One even committed suicide. All the memories were brought back, the struggles that Ginny goes through are real. I was brought to tears as my memories of friends was brought back to me. It's a secret so many have and we are not aware of it.
This is a definite read for everyone. It could be your friend or family member dealing with this issue.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for my e-ARC of Guy’s Girl!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🇭🇺 have ever wanted to travel to Hungary
🫥 ever struggled with body dysmorphia
♥️ wear your heart on your sleeve
👀 enjoy both male and female POVs

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Ginny Murphy is a total guy’s girl. She’s always found friendships with boys easier to form and keep drama-free – as long as they don’t fall for her, and she doesn’t fall for them. She and her best guy friends have stuck to that. But then she meets Adrian Silvas, the only one who’s ever made her crave more, and Ginny begins to question her own rules. 
 
Piece by piece, Ginny and Adrian begin to fall into something intoxicating, something dangerous. Ginny threatens to destroy the belief Adrian's held ever since witnessing his own mother’s heartbreak: that love isn’t worth the risk. For Ginny, the stakes could be even higher. Letting Adrian get close could mean exposing a secret she’s long protected: her disordered eating.
 
Ginny isn’t looking to be saved by someone. But maybe she and Adrian can help each other – if they don’t destroy each other first.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

I loved the writing style right from the first page. Emma does an amazing job of creating characters and writing in a way that feels familiar and comfortable. I immediately fell into her world and how real it all felt. Of course, I had no idea that the author herself also struggled with the issues she addresses in Guy’s Girl, but it made the story more real. Though I’ve never struggled with this particular issue, I’ve definitely felt that my appearance and people being capable of loving me go hand in hand, so in that sense I really related to Ginny’s character. I enjoyed watching Ginny and Adrian’s relationship flourish. They both needed to grow and change before finally coming together. I can’t wait to read more by Emma in the future.

TW: Anorexia, bulimia

Guys Girl was a hugely anticipated read for me and I devoured it within a day. It was so heart wrenching and I couldn’t put it down.
I wasn’t sure what it would be like to read a romance book with a main character suffering from an eating disorder, but the author did an amazing job creating lovable characters with flaws. I think I was a bit worried that Ginny falling in love would end up being an unhealthy replacement for therapy, but there was nothing to worry about. It was all very well handled.
I was invested in the characters, the romance, the health of Ginny.. all of it. Ginny’s time in Budapest just tugged at my heart.. I absolutely loved the way the story unfolded, even though she was obviously frustrating and unhealthy many times. I loved her growth and her support network.
I highly recommend it and think it will be a huge hit this fall. Definitely add this one to your TBR. It was so good.

4.25/5 ⭐️ ***putting TW at the bottom***

To start off, this was maybe a little different from what I read. I felt this was more fiction than romance, so it’s a different territory for me. We have Ginny who suffers from Bulimia and anxiety who is the FMC. Then we have Adrian who suffers from childhood trauma who is seemingly not aware of that. Ginny is one of the boys, the girl who wants out of drama and to let loose and have fun (on the outside). She’s a ‘guy’s girl’. Although, wanting out of drama is basically hard when you’re bound to have feelings for one of the guys in the group.

The chapters are pretty short and consistently switch from 3rd person Ginny to Adrian. You will get an overall view of what their life is like on a day to day basis. The book starts off with an introduction to their lives and trauma and dives into the friend group/roommates. It is a little confusing at first to understand who is who, BUT you will catch on quickly.

My heart just simply broke and shattered everywhere into little pieces at 3 am just to be put back together again. Author, Emma Noyes, is outspoken about bulimia and the disorder she experienced and got treatment for. The words she spilled into these pages can change you. You can see the way Emma poured her soul into this book. She handled this themes of mental health very carefully and delicately.

The characters are lovable (most of them are- I won’t tell you who isn’t), but you will find yourself frustrated at times. Frustrated with the friend group, frustrated with Adrian and even Ginny herself. You will feel the need to reach into the book and hug her. Hallelujah for her sister at the end.

My favorite characters were Adrian’s grandparents. They were always there when I cried the most. We are all a little broken. This story truly dables in everything. Sometimes we can’t have the person we love because they are not ready or we are not ready. Sometimes it takes a few tries to see you have a problem and need help.

if you want to read a book about what it’s like to be a woman in modern times, human connection, giving yourself and the people you love second chances (with a frustrating but entirely worth it beautifully devastating romance), this one is for you 💓💓

Thank you SO much to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. ‘Guy’s Girl’ is out on my birthday 10/24/2000!!!!

TW: Anorexia, bulimia, death of parent, anxiety, (sexual) coercion/trauma

This was such an emotional ride! Let me preface something before going into my review. This is a romance yes but this book is more about self discovery and love first and foremost. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book and it made it so different from other romances that I have read.

Look you all, I am in the medical field and I had no idea how eating disorders can be tied to anxiety or switch between different kinds of disorders so easily. I also had no idea that some bodies are able to purge subtly and not always out of the public eye. It actually makes me wonder how many are suffering that I don’t even know about.

I adored Adrian, his quiet self and his family. His love for his grandparents was so amazing. He was perfect and his relationship and support for Ginny was everything.

Ginny’s group of friends were so kind and unconditionally supportive. It was so great to read and I wish everyone struggling had that kind of support system.

I cried through much of this book but it was excellent so you should for sure check it out!

This book also makes me want to go back to Budapest! I went when I was in high school and we still have a blown up picture that I took of one of the views in our guest room!

Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

Read this if you like:
🇭🇺 A tight knit group of friends
🇭🇺 Learning to forgive yourself
🇭🇺 Unconditional love (friends and romantically)

Her whole life, Ginny has been just one of the guys. Growing up amongst her brothers (and one perfect older sister), Ginny has always found comfort in platonic male companionship. So when she finds her own set of “brothers” at college, everything feels Ike it’s falling into place.

Then she begins a quasi relationship with one of her friends, Finch. All in, Ginny pours everything into Finch, but doesn’t get the same in return. Heartbroken, Ginny secretly blames herself when things don’t work out, not only with Finch, but with everything in her life.

After graduating and moving away, Ginny has been able to fool herself into believing things are better. But one visit back with the guys and she’s still unable to be her true self. To cope with feeling unlovable, Ginny hides in anorexic tendencies, something the guys notice in passing, but never call her out on officially.

But Adrian, a peripheral addition to the boys group is different. Adrian hasn’t sworn off love as some grand gesture. Rather, he’s matter a fact about it- pragmatic in his belief that love her is not for him after witnessing its fallout firsthand. Then Adrian meets Ginny and he feels inexplicably different. While he’s drawn to Ginny, he knows he can’t be the man she wants. Little does he know, however, they both might hold the key to what each of them needs.

Guy’s Girl is a gorgeous book that I devoured in a day. An unflinching look into the life of someone with an eating disorder, it’s not a story for the faint of heart. It’s raw in its approach to not only disordered eating, but the terror of first love that makes this story so special. With Guy’s Girl there’s no overused tropes, no third act miscommunication. In its place is a simple story about complex situations that will no doubt, leave the reader savoring each page.