I absolutely loved the premise of this book and after reading it I found it very mid and dull. I honestly wanted more of the side stories and less of the dog/human. At several points I wanted it to be shorter.

I really loved the authors writing style and it read easily. Conversations felt natural and I enjoyed the inner commentary of the FMC so I would definitely read another book by this author. I loved the magic family premise.

Mild spoiler in this paragraph. When the FMC was ready to share what her trauma was my heart broke for her. And then I felt like it was kind of over as fast as it started. She talked to two people about it and then it wasn’t brought up again. Like she was totally healed.

The end was heartwarming and just what I wanted.

I wanted to love this more? The idea is really fun one & pretty original. I loved Rory. Rory saved the book. There was just something off about the sentence structure & pacing of the book for me that made it hard for me to want to continue & finish it. Genie & Miles did make me laugh at times so that was nice & the cover art is pretty too. Not my fav but could be yours!

Thank you to NetGalley for an e arc in exchange for an honest review!

I had a hard time getting into this book. I like the idea of it, it is very creative and honestly who doesn’t wish their dog could be their actual best friend, but the story was too awkward for me to get into. I do not mean awkward writing, the writing was good and I can see other people liking this story, but I have a hard time engaging in awkward moments myself.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC for this book.
I was excited to read this book because of the rom com theme. I thought a good lighthearted rom com would be fun to read.
However, the plot and writing style were so cheesy to me. I like things that are a bit more serious and realistic. I’m rating a 3/5 because the plot is unique but it’s just not my style. Thanks again for letting me read!

First and foremost a HUGE thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Publishers and Stella Hayward for allowing me the opportunity to be able to read this arc!
Just from the description of the book I knew I wanted to read this. How is this going to go?
Well I wasn't exactly blown away by it at first. But, I knew by the end of the third chapter that:
1. Rory was going to be turned back in to a dog.
2. Eugenie had a lot of growth/healing to do.
3. Miles was going to be the "one"
And with that I continued on. I'm glad I did. The story made me laugh and almost cry at some points. I kept wandering how those 3 items was going to come around. The only way for a person to know is to read it.. so I did. And now I can't wait for it come out so that I can add it to my collection of books to enjoy it again.

Recommended for: cozy mystery people. I feel like you'd appreciate this one more than I did
Not for: the romance girlies

The cover hooked me, but that was it. The book wasn't bad, I just don't think it was for me. While there were several lines that made me lol, it was mostly because of the ridiculousness of the premise. I think my biggest hangup was that the development of the relationship between the fmc and her dog-turned-manfriend was more the focus than that with the mmc. I also just felt generally uncomfy with the byproduct of my beloved pups suddenly becoming awkward childlike men living in my house.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this arc.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I found the plot enjoyable and while it does hit heavy topics in the third act, I felt they were handled with a lot of grace for all of the characters involved.

I haven’t read a lot of books lately that make me actively laugh while reading them, but this one had me giggling at the dialogue and jokes in a few different places.

Rory’s character was what I would expect from a dog turned human, and I like that the book didn’t try to explain how everything happened to turn him human. It was just a wish and magic, Genie doesn’t know the rules so we don’t need to know them either.

All in all, this was a very enjoyable read. I would pick up more books from this author if I saw them in a bookstore.

Have you ever read a book and know it’s going to be amazing? That was this book. I was initially a little unsure when I read the premise of the book but boy, was I so happy I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. I feel blessed to have read such a sweet and moving book. I kept catching myself giggling and smiling throughout.

Eugenie realizes a bit too late that she has some magic in her bloodline and makes a wish at midnight on her 30th birthday. She wishes her dog, Rory, was a man. She wakes up to find her sweet golden retriever is now a tall handsome blonde man with a heart of gold. Her long-time friend Miles who lives next door along with a host of fun characters helps her figure out how to turn him back. Rory is the star of this book. He’s like the Jiminy Cricket and fairy godmother's presence Eugenie needs. Eugenie is hilarious and struggling with some serious depression. Her life was destroyed due to a tragic event and she is in a rut. Rory is the best boy ever as he continues to be her best friend and support.

The story is set in a small coastal town in England so there is a lot of English vocabulary and topics. I appreciated the Dalek mention and read the story in my mind with a British accent. It was such a fun read. So hilarious, sweet, and healing. Closed door spice but things are mentioned. Nothing crazy.

If you love dogs (and cats) and want to laugh and remember how magical life can be then read this book.

The Good Boy by Stella Hayward is such a fun, heartwarming read! Genie’s life gets turned upside down when her golden retriever, Rory, becomes human overnight. Rory’s hilarious attempts to be human and Genie’s journey to change him back—with help from her charming childhood friend, Miles—make this story both funny and sweet. Some parts between Genie and Miles felt a bit repetitive, but overall, this magical twist on romance is perfect for a cozy escape. This book sprung me out of my reading rut!

This was such a sweet story!
As a big dog-lover myself, i loooooved how accurately the dog turned human acted and just was a ray of sunshine through and through like any good boy would be.
When it came to the romance i was really fustrated at Gen and Miles most of the book, but i guess that’s what happens when you put two people who are bit shy or closed up with their emotions to share them openly.
Overall i think it was a cute book that was perfect palette cleanser for me as I have been reading many heavier books recently so it was just what i needed!

What a sweet story! I absolutely adored the main characters relationship and their journey to meeting each other. It was just darling!

This was cute but a stereotypical romance it was a cute quick read. Loved the character development and contemporary style of this book.

Honestly, I was not rooting for these two to be together. Genie and Miles were a little annoying each, and while I can appreciate that Genie was working through a lot of trauma, her relationship with Mikes didn’t feel healthy either. Miles just felt … wrong… and kind of judgey the entire time. Within the first few chapters, he kinda slut shames Genie when he thinks she had a one night stand. It felt like he thought she belonged to him, just because he loved her (even if he didn’t know she returned the feeling).

There was too much of the purposeful misunderstanding of each other to be entertaining. And then it just wraps up? Within basically a chapter?

I am glad that Rory got turned back into a dog, and this book definitely made me hug my dog a little tighter. I can’t count the amount of times I’ve told him he’s a good boy recently. Get ready for the Rory of it all to basically rip your heart out. The Rory character is what gives the book 3 stars, along with the careful handling of sensitive topics like miscarriage.

The sentence structure felt weird and it brought me out of the book a bit, the pacing was off through the novel, and Miles was a definite no for me. Rory was a big yes. I’d give 2.5 stars if I could, but I’ll be generous and round up to 3.

I was surprised to find out that Stella Hayward was a pseudonym and that the author has actually written a lot of books. This book had the feel of a "first book." It was a cute book but wasn't the most technically complex, it felt a bit like they had a fun idea and wanted to write a book but maybe didn't think through the whole thing. The idea of turning a dog into a man is fun but it felt a little like she was just making it up. Obviously its a work of fiction, so of course it is all made up, but there weren't really logical rules or consistency with the transformation. Rather than worry overly much about making sure it made sense, she wrote in a work around. "This whole dog-to-man deal is so lacking in consistency, it does my head it. (Chapter 10)"

It does contain some heartwarming themes of healing and being comfortable being yourself. A woman who has suffered a great tragedy, causing her to wall herself off from the world and her own feelings, is confronted with her dog-turned-man who sees the world like dogs do. Living in the present and being excited about every little thing, he helps her to heal.

I enjoyed the book but I wouldn't label it a "must-read."

Cute, definitely captured golden retriever energy in a person, lol. Magic structure not really explained, but the how wasn't really the point. I saved a few quotes about enjoying life and taking chances. Fun read overall! I received this as an ARC from Avon/Harper Voyager via Netgalley.

First off - thanks to NetGalley & Avon for the ARC!

Really more 3.5 stars, cause I did quite enjoy this book, despite figuring out how it would end almost as soon as it began.

Things I loved -
Rory ... no notes, exactly how I would expect a golden retriever who magically turned into a man to act and I loved every scene he was in. As a single dog mom, I won't pretend that I've never not wished I could understand what my dog was saying and that they knew how much I loved them, so seeing that portrayed in a speaking human delighted me to no end and made me cry appropriately. His disdain for mint chocolate did not go unnoticed either. I'm with you Rory.

Miles ... what a delightful geeky MMC.

Things I didn't love -
The breaking of the fourth wall by the narrator. It didn't bring anything to the table and took you out of the story. Not really a fan ever of being referred to as "The Reader" by the author and every time it happened it felt unnecessary.

The reveal of the FMC's major trauma. For something that so completely impacted her life, I felt like the discussion and the path to healing should have been more of a focus than just 10-15 pages of the overall novel. It also completely removed you from the overall tone of the rest of the book. This is a lighthearted book about a woman who wishes her dog to be a human and then tries to turn him back - that's all it needed to be. Adding this trauma felt like an afterthought and didn't really pay the trauma enough respect in doing so.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book, I laughed a lot and I cried a little and I'll recommend it to others when it is released next summer.

3.5 stars rounded up

First off, thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC in turn for a review.

I was SO excited to read this book because I love dogs, love the cover, and love the title of this book! I was expecting a fun, silly romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously and that’s exactly what I got.

On Genie’s 30th birthday, she receives a wish from her Nanna Maria to be made specifically at midnight and the wish is irreversible. Genie, not believing in her family’s alleged magical abilities, pays no attention to the rules of the wish. So after enough drinking, she cuddles her dog, Rory, on the couch and at midnight, says she wishes he was a human.

What I didn’t like about this book was that, while her dog turned into a human, he still had all his dog qualities, which in human form, can be a bit annoying. Examples are Rory talking about smelling butts, yelling at cats, etc.

Through a quest to turn Rory back into a dog and find her true self, we are drawn into a budding romance between Genie and her oldest friend and neighbor, Miles. We learn that finding your true self means standing up to your fears and confronting the people that hurt you in order to be truly free.

This book does have some very serious moments and I was brought to tears learning of Genie’s heartbreak. It did take me a bit longer to get into this book for reasons stated above, but as it progressed, it got better and I ended up really enjoying it.

It's the eve of Genie's 30th birthday and she's at dinner with her family. Her Nanna grants her a birthday wish, along with a warning that this wish is irreversible. Genie being 6 margaritas deep and forgetting Nanna's warnings wishes that her dog Rory was a human. When Genie wakes up on the morning of her 30th birthday, there is a naked Adonis asleep in her dog bed. Genie enlists her best friends Miles and Kelly and her family to try to reverse her wish because how could she live with an Adonis with golden retriever energy.

Calling anyone who has ever wondered what goes through their dog's brain. The Good Boy was a really cute story and a very easy and light read. We got to join Genie in her journey of self-reflection, forgiveness, and love. I loved Genie's eclectic but supportive family. Overall, a feel-good story!

3.75⭐️

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Avon or Harper Voyager for allowing me to arc read The Good Boy!

I really enjoyed this book, far more than I thought I was going to. If you like the movie Freaky Friday I think you’ll really enjoy The Good Boy, as it gives very much Freaky Friday vibes.

I went through all of the emotions in this book. There was so much I enjoyed, so much I could resonate with. So many things I didn’t see coming that came out of left field. The neighbor next door, the slow burn, the closed door romance, the character development, it was all done so well. I would love to see another book after this one 🤞🏻

This was such a cute story! Our main character Genie and her dog Rory end up in a freaky Friday situation where she accidentally wishes Rory to be human. As Genie struggles to undo her wish, she also has to uncover and work through trauma from her past and reveal her feelings for her best friend Miles.

Rory as a human is hilarious and so easily lovable- just like dogs are. I kept comparing things coming from Rory as things my own dogs would say or do if they were humans. I found myself giggling through the whole book as human Rory navigates his new life.

The romance in this book is small, which was honestly great. I loved the writing style of the author and how she really focused on helping her characters through some tough situations and facing real life human emotions. A very heart warming and cute book!