3.75 ⭐️The Good Boy by Stella Hayward has as zany of a plot as the blurb describes-Eugenia (Genie) accidentally wishes her dog into a man, and hijinks ensue while she works with her childhood friend to try to turn him back. Overall, this was a fun read although I wish I had read trigger warnings as there is one plot point that really gutted me (I’ll note this in my StoryGraph review if you’re interested as it’s easier to tag trigger warnings). Generally, this is a pretty funny book that doesn’t take itself too seriously overall, although it does use its magical realism for the sake of many plot devices and developments. I recommend this for a beach read or a weekend retreat-I think many readers will enjoy it, although it may leave them wishing there was a bit more fleshing out of the plot. A solid read!

This was just so much fun!! Genie's lives in a small beach town in England where she helps her family owns a fortune teller shop. On her 30th birthday, grandma grants her a wish and in a drunken state, she wished her her dog was human.

We have Genie and her neighbor, Miles, go on a wild goose chase to find a cure to unwind the wish. Rory, the human dog, is just a ray of sunshine. Personality of a dog while being insightful.

The story is full of humor but also full of heart. The romance is a bit predictable but entertaining nonetheless.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book.

This book is a sweet, funny, and charming romp about love, friendship, and the unexpected magic that turns life upside down. When Genie accidentally wishes her loyal golden retriever Rory into a human with lovable, goofy dog energy, chaos (and plenty of laughs) ensues. With the help of Miles, her longtime friend and secret crush, Genie races to fix her wish before it’s too late—only to discover what her heart truly wants. Lighthearted and delightful, The Good Boy is perfect for anyone who enjoys a feel-good romantic comedy with a touch of whimsy.

3.5⭐️

Genie is granted a wish by her grandmother for her 30th birthday but she doesn’t take it seriously & accidentally ends up turning her dog into a human. He hates being human & so she tries to figure out how to turn him back into a dog.

This book had sooo much potential but I think it fell a little flat for me. The element of Genie having magic wasn’t explored enough & it was just like out of nowhere she had it? I wish the author would’ve gone more in depth with that aspect. The FMC also annoyed me a lot & was so stubborn!! So much could’ve been avoided if she just told Miles how she felt in the first place. I did like seeing Rory as a human & how he still acted & thought like a dog. I could see this being turned into an interesting movie.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC.

The Good Boy by Stella Hayward

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Good Boy is a super cute and enjoyable read! Even though this read is primarily lighthearted, there are also some deeper, more emotional moments as well. The magic and adventure make it an interesting story!

For Genie’s thirtieth birthday, her grandmother gives her a wish at midnight. Genie, who’s a skeptic, laughs it off. As she gets ready for bed with her golden retriever, Rory, she wishes to herself that he were human since then their conversations wouldn’t be one-sided. Genie soon discovers that Rory is now a human with big Golden Retriever Energy, but he doesn’t like being a human. Genie needs to turn him back before it’s too late. She enlists her oldest friend, Miles, to help. The adventure brings them closer and soon it seems that her wish is the key to granting her heart’s deepest hope after all.

Overall, The Good Boy is a whimsical, magical, quirky story. Right from the start, it becomes evident that this is a read that balances a variety of emotions well. From self-discovery to loss to love, the plot touches on a multitude of topics and emotions while still remaining true to the overarching theme. An original plot that’s full of heart!

The references to dark trauma that can’t be explained for some reason are such a buzzkill in books like these. Especially jarring when coupled with a literal human golden retriever. Let fluffy fun books be fluffy and fun.

The Good Boy was a cute and interesting read. Genie is given a wish for her birthday this year from her Nanna, thinking it was just a silly thing her family did, not that it was a real wish with real consequences. Knowing her family is tired of seeing her sad and alone, Genie wishes her dog was a real person. Rory wakes up after having lived as a dog for years, now suddenly in a human body and very confused. Miles, Genies next door neighbor is drug into the mess as Genie has no one else to turn to who will believe what has happened. Genie later goes on a quest with side-quests to get Rory back into his dog form. During this process, Genie finds herself and her voice, as does Rory. All in all I thought this story was very well written and enjoyable to read. I found myself kicking my feet giggling at a few moments and genuinely upset/emotional in others. Genie has been through so much and it brought joy to me to see her happy.

TW: talk of childloss

An enjoyable funny magical tale. A wish given. A wish made. A wish granted. And then the fun begins. The wisher receives the wish but doesn't pay much attention to the necessary explanation as to what making their wish involves. The wish once made foolishly is granted and then the fun begins. There's a leraning curve to be resolved. An attempt to find out if the wish can be revoked. And what living with the granted wish is like. The ending is sad but happy and upbeat as things return to normal and everyone is satisfied. Things in life don't happen like this but the tale was an easy read and not long and involved. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins/Avon books for the eARC of this book.

This book is definitely on the quirky side and may not be for everyone. I did enjoy it though.
I do believe some trigger warnings would be beneficial since this book deals with tough topics such as loss of a child and animal abuse and may not be suitable for everyone.

Genie gets a wish for her birthday and she doesn't quite believe it to be real and 'uses' it on making her dog her human companion. Her dog, Rory, is a golden retriever turned human and is better equipped at handling life than most humans. There were so many touching moments that Rory is able to recognize and articulate so beautifully that I struggled to keep my eyes dry. Rory was such a touching and unique character and really made this story. Genie drove me a little crazy with her unwillingness to see what was right in front of her. This was a whimsical story with magical aspects that will touch you and leave you happier and more full of life than when you started.

The Good Boy by Stella Hayward
Genre: Romance/Magical Realism
Length: 320 pages
Pub Date: July 8, 2025
My Rating: 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins/Avon books for the e-ARC of this book. The opinions stated here are solely my own.

Synopsis:
It is the night before Genie’s 30th birthday and her fortune-telling, magical grandmother tells her she has one wish at midnight. Dismissing her Nanna Maria, Genie makes a wish that her golden retriever dog, Rory, could be human. The next morning when she wakes up, there is a naked man in her bed… and it’s Human Rory. Now Genie is forced to enlist the help of her neighbor/best friend from childhood, Miles, to figure out how they can turn him back. The only probably is, Rory knows Genie better than she knows herself, and his true comments and advice turn out to be just what she needs to get her life back on track. Will Genie listen to Rory’s advice of life and love? But also, can she and Miles find a way to turn him back to his true form?

Review:
The premise of this book was absolutely adorable! I loved the way the author spoke as Human Rory, saying the things we all assume our dogs would say. This book had such a great insight into the relationship between a person and their fur companion, and it was so fun to watch how both Genie and Rory were always there for each other no matter what. As far the the romance plot between Genie and Miles, I loved the friends-to-lovers and slow burn of their story, and how it was obvious from the very start that the two of them were meant to be together. Miles was such an endearing, nerdy character, and the story had just the right amount of humor (lots of it!), magic, hope, and even touched on some very serious topics. One possible trigger warning is that the story did touch on loss of a child, so keep that in mind if this is a non-negotiable for you. All in all, I would recommend this book to all rom-com readers, especially if you love a dash of magic and a uniquely fun family vibe.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Stella Hayward, and publishers Avon, HarperCollins, and HarperVoyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

To begin, this book (and subsequent review) needs trigger warnings for topics discussed.

• Child loss/miscarriage (major)
• Animal abuse/dog fighting (alluded to)
• Fat shaming/weight discussion (brief)
• Severe animal injury

I admit, I almost DNF’d simply because I blindly requested this book and it isn’t exactly what I normally read but I am glad I stuck it out and finished it. This book was entirely a cutesy Hallmark movie in novel form, complete with magic, self (re)discovery, and a tinge of romance.

While the book did drag in some places, and sometimes I did end up questioning if Miles and Genie were even going to end up together (first kiss at 95% mind you), the overall story of rediscovering yourself after the lowest moments of your life and rediscovering your inner sparkle was fun to journey through despite the tough topics.

My biggest complaints would be the miscarriage plot line and the accident with Matilda both came out of left field, Matilda moreso especially right at the end of the book.

Overall? A very cute story, very hallmark inspired, and has its moments of “wow that’s depressing”. Not exactly a romance story but more of self-discovery with a romance side plot. 4⭐️

I decided to DNF around page 60. The idea is cute and different but the writing felt very juvenile and not for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Avon, and Harper for an ARC.

This book is as a cute and relatively light hearted read.

Genie doesn’t believe that her grandmother is really magic until she’s given a wish on her birthday that goes wrong. She accidentally wishes her to dog were a person and wakes up to a strange man in her home.

I’m so glad this book is sent a romance between Genie and her man dog. That would’ve felt odd, instead we get a different type of love story where Genie and Rory help each other through a lot and she realizes her true feelings about her neighbor Miles.

Rory was the shining star of this book. He was so sweet and exactly what I’d expect a human version of a golden retriever to be.

The book did drag at certain parts. It would get a bit heavy handed on the conversations where people tried to uplift Genie and let her know her light has dimmed but she’s still in there.

Overall an enjoyable and fun read.

This one was a did not finish for me. The characters seemed very immature and I couldn’t get over the writing in the first couple of chapters. No way could I make it through the entire book if the main characters annoyed me so much from the get go.

The Good Boy is a quirky, heartwarming read with a magical twist—Genie’s loyal golden retriever, Rory, turns into a man on her 30th birthday. The premise is delightfully absurd, and Rory’s human version brings sweet, silly moments that carry the first half of the book.

That said, the emotional depth took me by surprise. It touches on themes of grief and loss that felt a bit heavy for what I expected to be a lighthearted rom-com. The pacing also dragged in the middle, especially around the romance subplot.

Still, it’s an original concept with lots of heart. Fans of whimsical romance with a bit of bittersweet will enjoy the ride.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!

A great palette cleanser from heavier books that I read. This was fun, cute and I would recommend reading if you love romcoms!

3.75 ⭐️⭐️

I throughly enjoyed this books!!! Genie takes you on her journey of self rediscovery after turning her golden retriever into a human!!! I am not one that tends to go for the friends to lovers trope but this book does it well!!!

My only “negative” that knocked it down is that it did lull and get a little long in a few places, but other than that I loved it!!


“Maybe it’s only when something truly impossible happens to you that you will really start to believe that anything is possible.”

The premise was super fun, if you’re down for going on a wacky ride, which I often am. I liked the characters and the funny moments, but the pacing felt a little off. And I think the heavier topics didn’t really get their due in a book with such a “silly” premise as a dog becoming human. Still, it was a fun, quick read, very enjoyable for a summer vacation.

Thank you so much to Avon and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

This book was fun - it was cute, it was cringey (in a good way), and it was light. Will I remember it for long? Nope. But I sure did love it in the moment!! The characters are cute - the dog turning into a human thing was odd and made me laugh. There were some deeper elements - the FMC went on a journey to find meaning in her life. There was a few deeper topics touched on - not really explored, but for sure touched on so it's helpful to check trigger warnings! Also - the entire storyline with Claudia needs to simply be erased. Wasn't needed and was more cringe-worthy than anything else!

Overall this is a good light read perfect for summer!

I will admit that I got a little scared when I saw this book was a freaky Friday rendition involving a dog. When Rory turned into a human I was worried Genie and Rory were going to enter in a romantic relationship and I almost DNF’d a few chapters in. I was glad I kept going.
While I don’t think it’s the greatest rom com I’ve ever read, I did appreciate the author’s writing style and fleshing out the main characters. I found myself laughing out loud a few times(Especially when Rory was human but talking like a dog to Matilda, the cat) and appreciated the ending of the book.