I enjoyed this book, it was cute a bit whimsical. I look forward to listening to this when it’s released.

Let me start by saying this book has an absolute ridiculous premise, the storyline is silly, and the will they/won't they gets a little frustrating.. and I LOVED it! How many of us haven't wished that our dog was a human at some point?

I find a bit of a kindred spirit in Genie. Her running inner diatribe sounds like many a conversation I've had in my head. Her dog-man friend Rory is amazing and insightful, and makes me wonder how my own dogs would have sounded if able to talk. Would they be philosophical and profound, or would they be simple and silly? I found myself tearing up at several moments, including some of Rory's observations and comments, and again when finding out more about Genie's past. There were some serious topics discussed, which I didn't expect to find in a book like this, but it endeared it to me all the more for it.

I think any pet owner that enjoys fiction would have fun reading this, and it might give them a different perspective of their day-to-day interactions with their pet.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager/HarperCollins for an e-arc of this book!

I really enjoyed this book a lot! I loved that it mixed mental health struggles with growth and magical realism. Getting to watch Rory’s human journey unfold was a real treat. I found myself not wanting to finish it because I didn’t want the story to end. Thank you Nergalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

2.5 stars rounded up to 3. I’d say it was a cute, mindless read. A woman accidentally turns her dog into a human and then finds out what she has to do to get it reversed. Some parts were pretty funny and others made me cringe. I wasn’t a fan of the author talking to the readers randomly throughout the book. It felt misplaced. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rory, the good boy, was the best part of this book. Giving a voice to a dog's inner thoughts was HILARIOUS and this book gave me exactly what I imagine goes on inside a dog's head. Miles is such a genuinely sweet soul, and I loved his sense of humor. But I found Genie kind of annoying and didn't love the romantic relationship between the two of them; the chemistry was severely lacking and the move from friends to more than friends felt underdeveloped. I'm so sad I didn't enjoy this more because I think it had the potential to be a really great read. Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!

A fun little read. Magic elements in the book. At first I wasn’t so sure about it, but it was a cute story. Definitely gives life to the “man’s best friend” title.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Good Boy by Stella Hayward is a debut novel about how Eugenie "Genie," a 30-year-old woman who has lost her purpose after a few of life's setbacks, accidentally turns her dog Rory into a human man. With the help of childhood friend Miles, Genie embarks on a mission to get Rory back into his dog form and learns to find herself again along the way, along with discovering her magical family history.

I enjoyed this book. It was mostly a light read with a few threads of heart and soul woven in. This wasn't just a romance read, but a story of a woman falling back in love with her life again (and a cute side of romance). What I REALLY loved was the take on a dog in human form, because as a dog lover, it was on the nose. And how hilariously Miles' cat was portrayed (also coming from someone who isn't the number one fan of cats, but who also doesn't hate them!). Rory's character shone brightly as the ultimate golden retriever who loves his humans (and his toys) and hates the mail man and cats. I want someone to love me the way that Rory loves cheddar :)

There was a lot of lead up to Genie and her love interest, as well as the outcome of Rory's fate, but I did feel like the ending was rushed a bit. I also wish we had more of Nanna Maria and the magical realism more.

When I first saw it I was like no way!! It is for sure a dog is a girl's best friend type of vibe though. The main couple was so cute. Def recommend!! Especially if you like rom coms.

As a lover of magical realism in a romcom, this book was perfect!! I thought the concept was a bit silly at first but if I’m being honest, I would also want my bff in dog form to help me pick a man… this story felt like a breath of fresh air while also giving the reader a sweet and thoughtful love story!

Thank you to NetGalley, Stella Hayward, Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC!

If you are looking for a light-hearted romance with a dash of magic - this book is for you! Be warned that this is a dog-turned-human story BUT the dog is not the love interest. Trust me, that would have been really weird. Instead, the book follows the budding romance of Genie and Miles and trust me - they are adorable together!

**Book Review: *The Good Boy* by Stella Hayward (4 stars)**

A huge thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read *The Good Boy* early in exchange for my honest review!

This book was such a fun, charming rom-com! The characters are absolutely hilarious and downright adorable, with a premise that's refreshing and unique. While there were moments where the pacing felt a little slow, it didn’t detract too much from the overall enjoyment of the story. I have to admit, there was a moment where I was worried the dog might be the main love interest (spoiler alert: he's not 😂), so if you're worried about that too, rest assured!

Overall, *The Good Boy* is perfect for fans of rom-coms and dog lovers alike. It's one of those feel-good stories that certain readers will really enjoy. Highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good laugh and a heartwarming romance! Plus a dog best friend!

This book was an okay book. I struggled with wanting to continue reading because the pacing was a little too slow for my liking. I was nervous initially that the dog was going to be the romantic interest but thank god, he is not. Overall, I thought the concept was interesting, but I really struggled to connect with the characters, and I don't think this is a book for me.

Thank you Avon and netgalley for this earc in exchange for an honest review!

This is my new favorite book of all time ever. A dog becoming a human and still getting the zoomies? Yes. Please.

A silly, goofy time where everyone will be so glad that the dog turned human is not the romantic interest. That would certainly feel icky to be the least. Instead we have an adorkable next door neighbor who is incredibly supportive and generally lovely. All the characters were a bit whimsical, and I loved the connections they had with one another. Also, getting a dog's perspective on being human was a blast! I would certainly recommend this to just about anyone! Side note: there is essentially no spice, a positive or negative depending on preferences. I am certainly going to be making some videos to recommend this to my friends and followers!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to NetGalley, Stella Hayward, and Avon and Harper Vogayer for the ARC!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. After one month, I was only 26% in, and decided to call time of death. My biggest complaint with this book is the actual writing. I thought the premise was really cute, and the pacing was good, but the writing made me struggle enough to not finish it. There was more “tell” than “show” from the FMC, and there were a few too many cringey lines (namely, “Am I not a good boy anymore?”) that made the quirky plot seem childish at times. And while this is a personal preference, blatant miscommunication between the FMC and MMC is one of my least favorite tropes/conflicts and turned me off of this book. I see what the writer was intending and think Stella Hayward really put her heart into this book, and I think with further edits it could be really cute!!

Not going to lie this rom com was cute and weird at the same time. That's also sort of a "love triangle" because no one wants their dog turning into a human and he doesn't want to be human. And you can't tell anyone because of course they will think your weird. Enter your oldest friend and the boy next Miles. Hopefully he can help solve the problem without ruining your friendship. But what if it turns to more.

This book started out really strong, however at the 60% mark I was really bored and had to really push myself to finish.

Genie messes up everything including her wish bestowed by her grandmother on her 30th birthday. She accidentally turns her dog into a human. Because she does not need a man, she just needs her dog! This lighthearted rom-com was cute especially Rory (the man dog).

There are a few heavier parts in this story so please read the trigger warnings. I’m always a little taken aback when the reason a character is the way they are is pretty traumatic and held off until towards the end of the book.

The characters are cute, the grandma is sweet, the dog is great. It just sometimes felt on the slow side especially since miscommunication is thrown in there as well. Overall it is a light read (except when it isn’t)

Content warnings: Pregnancy loss (mentioned), animal abuse (mentioned), death of a parent (mentioned)

Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Stella Hayward for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Have you ever looked at your dog and wish they were a person you could actually have a conversation with? Well this book is definitely for you😂 I honestly don’t think I ever laughed so hard reading a book. This was the epitome of rom com to me. I honestly could have read another 500 pages of this story.

I loved Rory and Genie with my whole black heart. Their relationship with one another was so wholesome and special that now I envy this fictional relationship😭 you just know that if your boy dog became a human, this is how it would be 10000%. They would never give up on you and would follow you to the end of the end because you are their person.

Also, we must talk about sweet, sweet Miles. Oh our sweet summer nerd child. He was the leading man in Genies life and she had no idea of course until Rory was like, “Genie, you love him and he loves you so what exactly is there to figure out with you two?” I was honestly just waiting for Rory to push them into a room together and lock them in so they could get their shit together finally. But also I low key wanted Miles to step up and say something first you know? Like come on Miles!

Then the ending. Dear lord baby Jesus I don’t think I cried so much during a rom com book. You truly felt for Genie in that moment and my heart was ripped out from my body when I read chapter 29😭 This was the moment we were revealed why Genie had closed herself off for so long and was living in such a dark space, ugh it hit me in all the feels.

The only thing I wish is that we got more of Miles and Genie together! But then again I just didn’t want this book to end😭♥️ This book has definitely become one of my favs and I can not wait to see what is to come of the author and I hope she puts out more amazing books!

This romantic book was not what I was expecting. This story was heartwarming, heart wrenching at times, and so funny too! I wanted to read this book because of the description (and dog on the cover!). It did not disappoint in either way. I mean who hasn’t wished for their dog to be a human? 😆 The plot and story line were really well written, in my opinion. Be ready to have an adventure with Genie, Rory and the rest of the characters.