thank you so much harperteen for this arc


5 stars 💗

I can’t express enough how much I absolutely adored the story. The story felt so close to me, so close to my heart I absolutely devoured it. And the relationship between Monique and her parents is one that’s pretty similar to mine so I related to her in that sense. As well as her medical diagnosis, I struggle with that as well and it was just really really nice to be seen especially in a black YA romance book. I feel it like this book is equally romance as well as it is coming of age. The story of Monique coming into herself, and realizing some situation that she was in was a little more toxic than she had initially noticed it was something that was very enjoyable for me to read. I absolutely love Reggie, he’s actually one of my favorite book boyfriends that I have read in a while. He was just so pure so full of life so excepting and go with the flow and I absolutely adored that! All in all I really really loved the story, and I would recommend it to anyone with a pulse!

I was eager to read Goffney's latest after loving her YA debut, last year's Summer Reading Guide pick Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry. Goffney's plot is perfectly constructed to engineer plenty of story-driving conflict: Monique is a Black preacher's daughter in a small Texas town, who desperately wants to have sex with her boyfriend (something her parents can NEVER find out about) but is physically unable to do so because of a medical condition she comes to learn is called vaginismus. After she gets her diagnosis, Monique resolves to "fix" her body so she can win back the boyfriend who dumped her because of her condition. She gets help from two unlikely sources: the seeming goody-goody girl who is a lot cooler than Monique ever guessed, and the bad boy her father is trying to rehabilitate. Along the way she learns surprising things about herself, her world, and the secrets her family's been keeping. In the author's note at the front of the book, Goffney explains that she wrote this book to bring awareness to vaginismus, and to inspire readers to reclaim their sexual identity without shame or fear. This sex-positive teen story is incredibly different from the stories I was raised with, so much so it made my head spin! This book will be exactly right for some readers (including me); I can see how it would be an excellent conversation starter should I pass it on to my own older teens. (I'm still debating.)

Seventeen year old Monique is a good girl. She goes to church, follows what her parents tell her, and doesn't get into trouble. As the daughter of a priest she is expected to wait until marriage to have sex, so when she discovers she physically can't have sex she feels alone. That is, until she strikes up a friendship with another churchgoer that has some secrets and the boy her parents despise.

I was a little nervous picking this book up. I am extremely unreligious so I didn't think I would enjoy this at all. It COMPLETELY surpassed all expectations, I loved this book so much! There were so many good lessons being taught here, and even the religious aspects of the book didn't feel weird at all to me. Even though I wasn't the target audience of this book, I felt connected to all the characters and found myself rooting for them the entire time.

One thing I liked a lot about this book is that it didn't denounce religion in any way, but rather some of the harsh expectations that come along with it. I bet there are many girls in Monique's exact position that will be comforted by her story. It is such an important story as well.

The characters' growth throughout the story is what ultimately sold it for me. You could see every single character (except Dom, f*ck Dom) grow in their own way, and it was absolutely lovely to see.

THE WAY REGGIE TREATS MONIQUE!! I love them together so much. From the moment they started being friends, to the very end. They are perfect for one another. Find someone who will love you for who you are and not someone who only wants your body. That's the best lesson in this entire book.

I would absolutely recommend this book to so many people. I feel like this is just a beautiful book through and through, and people need to see this story play out for themselves.

4.5 stars.

I really enjoyed this sex positive book. The struggles she had with her body are not discussed about--I had never heard of the condition until I was in my mid-20s. For many, this is too late. Purity culture is rampant in many faith communities and many readers will identify with Monique. The toxic relationship that Monique and her sister had with their parents, as well as the unhealthy relationship that Monique's father had with Dom is infuriating, but also sadly a reality for many teens.

"Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl" sheds light on a topic many people deign from mentioning. It's a refreshing exploration of romantic identity and self-love.

This YA book was a home run. I wish I had this book growing up because I would have learned sex isn’t something to be shameful of. This author does an excellent job writing a story that almost every female can relate to.

This book did not do it for me. I read halfway through and got bored with it. It was too long and wordy. The situation although real was so unrealistic. The book had too many characters and it was the same situation over and over. The main character just got on my nerves. I found myself reading this book and then stopping going to another book and then coming back to this book. This book did not do it for me.

This is a really great book, and it's going to be such an awesome resource for the kids who read it. I love that the author references specific content that exists out in the real world (Zane's books, Issa Ray's TV projects, etc) that a kid in Monique's situation can find and use. There's so much information in this book, but it isn't preachy or boring; it's a compelling story with interesting characters.

I will say that I'm getting to a saturation point with kids/YA content that ends with adults saying precisely the right thing or having a 180-degree shift toward empathetic or "modern" caregiving styles. It's great wish fulfillment, and I think it's important to model that kind of conversation for audiences, but I wonder what it says to kids who will never receive that kind of care.

Arc provided by netgalley
I fell in love with joya fresh and delightful writing style reading excuse me while i ugly cry that i also received as an e-arc!
Her new novel didn't disappoint! Even though it's still a young adult novel, i found it more mature with more intimate issues, such as discover their bodies, religion, sex and vaginismus. im really happy that joya wrote about it, I think this topic should be more discussed, especially for young girl questioning themselves!

Compulsively readable and very entertaining as well as having an important message about the importance of decreasing shame and being able to discuss health matters. And there's a cute love story, so what more could you want?

Monique’s journey leads to new and true friendships while she navigates family drama and broken relationships. Her boyfriend is pushing her down a path, her parents seem to have forgotten what life can be like at seventeen and the connection to her sister feels broken.
Each step means making choices and figuring out who Monique wants to be. Enjoying Monique’s journey is easy because we can see some parts of ourselves as she navigates her story.

This book was so cute and one of my fave YA Books now. I liked that it touched on the stigma around sex—especially from a church teen/Preacher’s Kid perspective—and informed the reader about Vaginismus. I also enjoyed the adventures Monique had with her newfound friends as well as the self love and acceptance she found.

I didn’t want this one to end! Thank you for this digital ARC!

4.5/5 ⭐️

This might be my favorite YA novel of all time. Seriously, where were sex-positive books like this when I was a teenager?

Although I can’t relate to being a preacher’s daughter or her condition, I think every young person (and specifically women) can relate to Monique’s struggles with her sex life and the shame she feels, as well as the desire to please her (*cough cough* asshole) boyfriend.

I absolutely loved this book - I think it tackles the questions that a lot of young people that grow up in religious households face. And it did a really good job of showing how your perception of your parents can change so easily when push comes to shove!

Sasha was an amazing side character (can we get a book about her going to Stanford pls?!), and Reggie was the CUTEST!

I highly recommend this book - so glad I stumbled upon it on NetGalley!

This book was messy in the most delightful way. The characters are so real and imperfect and such a great representation of teenagers that it’s crazy. I love sweet YA romances as much as the next gal, but this was a real treasure. I wanted to be in this group of friends so bad it’s not funny. Monique is who I want to be when I grow up (said as a 26 year old). Reggie’s was such a sweetheart and an angel. I was always a good girl growing up and this is something I would’ve loved to read when I was younger even more than I enjoyed it now.

I'm really struggling to rate this between 3 or 4 stars. I think that this novel definitely accomplished the message that it sought out to tell, but I do feel like things came together too well in the end. To have everything work out perfectly for Monique feels unrealistic to me. I also just personally struggle with some of the narratives, and while I understand their purpose, I don't necessarily agree.

Perhaps I'm getting too old for YA?

As always, thanks to HarperTeen and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book felt extremely niche. I'm hoping that it will serve as a story that can give the kids who need this story a mirror of themselves, but it also will give even more readers a peek inside the lives of these characters.

an absolute joy of a read. full of wonderful messages for teens and parents about growing up and sex education. i loved he characters so much — it was so fun to be surprised by them, to want to be friends with mo and reggie and sasha, to hate dom, and to learn so much alongside them. i will definitely be recommending this to anyone who will listen!

Monique is the pastor's daughter and feels that weight of being the perfect Christian teenager, at least to the public. Behind the scenes she's trying to make her boyfriend of two years happy, which includes having sex. But for some reason, no matter how many times they've tried, she can't get it to work. When said boyfriend breaks up with her, Monique goes on a journey to discover what's going on with her body so she can win him back and on the way meets new friends (the Holier-than-thou Good Girl and the Bad Boy) and discovers who she really is, beyond the expectations others have for her.

This was a wonderful novel. From page one we are thrown into crazy family dynamics and can see the sometimes toxic environment the church, unfortunately, can create. I appreciated the frankness with with the author spoke about Monique's difficulties with her body and felt that Monique's discomfort with sexual things (even just saying the word) was extremely realistic for someone in her situation. I saw a lot of my own life paralleled in Mo's.

I loved the characters and was cheering for them through the whole book. The family situations were hard to read sometimes because of their realness. but they were also beautiful.

This book is not only important for teens to read, I think parents - Christian parents especially - should read this as well.

Preacher's daughter Monique feels pressured by her parents to remain "pure"—and pressured by her boyfriend into an intimate relationship. Her body refuses to cooperate with her boyfriend's plans, and he breaks up with her. Desperate for answers, she discovers she has a medical condition, but she's too young to get treatment without a parent's permission. Friends Sasha and Reggie do what they can to help—and in the process, she comes to realize it's time to listen to her body and her heart.

This is a beautifully written coming of age story. Monique feels increasingly isolated by the choices other people make for her, and it's wonderful to watch how Sasha and Reggie help her break free. All three teens make typical teenage mistakes, but they're acting from a good place. This is a deeply emotional, empowering book—and I'm pleased that it's bringing attention to this particular medical condition.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

What was your sex education like? Abstinence only? Did you hear that gay sex is sinful and/or doesn't exist? Did your school even have sex ed?

If you're confused about the details, worried if your body is "normal", or just want to read a fun coming-of-age story, this book is for you.

Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl</em> by Joya Goffney is a delightful romp through a coming-of-age tale that’s relatable and educational without feeling preachy.

Monique is a preacher’s daughter living in Texas. She’s in a relationship with Dom, the popular jock at school. Luckily, her dad adores Dom, and they grew up together. Unluckily, their relationship isn’t picture perfect (or staying within the bounds dictated by  Monique’s purity ring). They want to have sex, and have tried 29 times. However, there’s a problem involving penetration, and Dom, ever the good guy, breaks up with Monique until she “fixes her problem”.

But…Monique doesn’t know what’s wrong. She’s ready and willing, but the act causes her extreme pain. With no sex-ed and a promise to do nothing more than hold hands until marriage. Desperate, Monique eventually visits a sexual health clinic, and that’s where the story really begins.

You see, Monique isn’t alone in her journey for sexual knowledge. There’s Sasha, someone whom Monique had always perceived as churchy and prudish, who works part-time at the clinic and wants to be a gynecologist. (She also likes girls, so yay for queer representation!) Surprisingly, Monique has another ally to back her up: Reggie. The preacher takes in “bad boys” to help straighten them out, and Reggie’s his latest project, meaning he’s usually at her house. Although initially suspicious, due to fortuitous events, Monique lets Reggie in on her secret, and he keeps the girls from being too serious by turning something as simple as a trip to Target into a madcap adventure.

Along the way, Monique’s ideas about the world are changed. Not in a way that feels jarring, rather, a slow understanding that “sex”, “vagina”, and “masturbation” are not bad words, nor are they anything to be ashamed of. She also gains the ability to take a closer look at the people around her, and questions her feelings about them. Is Dom really such a great guy, if he kicks her to the curb because she’s unable to have penetrative sex? Is her dad really the more reasonable of her parents?

Sexual health is not a topic often talked about in YA fiction. If characters do have sex, it’s usually talked about with euphemisms such as “doing it”. Furthermore, those books tend to follow tired gender roles where the boy is horny and wants sex, and the girl doesn’t want sex for her own pleasure. Not to mention the fact that these are usually heterosexual couples, as shown above.
Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl flips these stereotypes on their heads. Monique, as previously mentioned, wants to have sex for herself, not just to please Dom. Readers are shown that she actually has a sex drive. Although she is straight, Sasha, as well as her sister Myracle both have female partners, and, although it’s generally kept understated, there’s no outright homophobia shown.

The book also does a great job explaining Monique’s condition. Monique is diagnosed with vaginismus, something that she, and therefore readers, learns isn’t a reflection of her in any way. She didn’t do anything wrong, and it’s not something she can control. In fact, the condition often develops due to deeply internalized fear of sex causing damnation, even if it’s unconscious. It’s treatable, and can be treated at the patient’s own pace.

Goffney has crafted a story that will keep readers engaged while giving them crucial knowledge. Too many young people know very little about sex and their bodies. I hope that by reading this book, their worlds are expanded and curiosity is piqued. We need more stories like this.