Ginny is a guy's girl through and through, living with 3 boys and rollerblading all over New York while secretly struggling with anorexia and bulimia. But what happens when she starts to fall in love?

I loved the main characters, Ginny and Adrian. They are authentic and very relatable. Both have their demons. Sweet Adrian has guardrails around his heart, and Ginny believes she's unloveable. At various points, I just wanted to give them hugs. I hoped for both of them to find the peace that eluded them. I was invested in them as individuals and as a couple.

The author addresses eating disorders in a real and raw way. It was tough to read about Ginny’s experience in the throes of anxiety and her eating disorders. However, the realistic portrayal of Ginny’s struggles (even the graphic details) puts you in Ginny’s shoes and allows you to fully understand her mindset.

Thankfully, Ginny and Adrian are surrounded by wonderful people. Adrian’s grandparents were incredible! Ginny’s sister and her college friends were so supportive. Collectively, they add so much to this story.

Guy’s Girl is a beautiful story about the unconditional love of yourself and others.

I received a gifted copy of this book. This voluntary review reflects my honest opinion.

A moving, deeply personal coming of age story about a young woman struggling with an eating disorder. This adult fiction debut was written from the author's own struggles with anorexia and bulimia and you can definitely tell from how well those aspects of the story are handled! I didn't love how slow the first half of the book felt or the way things felt kind of all over the place.

However, I did really enjoy her friendships with all the male friends/roommates (it felt very New Girl-esque), I liked all the time spent in Hungary and I appreciated the complex romantic relationships - nothing was cut and dried or simple and that felt way more relatable than easy HEAs often do.

Good on audio and a strong story that tackles tough topics (mental health, depression, disordered eating, recovery, etc). Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

What can I say about this book? It was a hard read. (The book focuses a lot on eating disorders, so if that's a trigger for you, please be careful). I saw myself a lot in Ginny..the anxiety, not feeling good about yourself, not feeling lovable, fighting with yourself...and I even had myself a Finch too. I don't want to say much on that part but IYKYK. I cried more than once in this book. At one point I was driving home with tears streaming down my face and just hoping if anyone drove past me they wouldn't see I was crying.

I liked the characters in this book. They each brought something to the story. Ginny was such a strong character, even when she didn't realize she was. And Adrian...he made my heart ache (but in a good way). I really liked his character.

I liked how the author was so raw in her writing. She navigated through such a hard subject, one she battled with herself. The talks about trauma really got to me too. I am glad I read this book. This is my first book of hers and it won't be the last. Thank you to Berkley for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This book destroyed me. Please read it with caution- if graphic descriptions of someone in the throes of their eating disorder are triggering to you, this is NOT the book to pick up. Reading Ginny's struggles was heartbreaking and incredibly challenging, but this story felt so personal and aching and true to the experience of so many people. It's partly a romance, and the way Adrian cares for Ginny and has his own struggles added to the story.

Emma Noyes does an excellent job of creating a world in her book that feels real. Her characters are deep and thought provoking. Guy's Girl follows Ginny a twenty four year old woman as as she moves to NYC for a new position at the company she works for. She moves in with her guy friends from college. Ginny has always had more guy friends. She shuns anything girly and does not feel she is very feminine. She is also hiding a secret - she is anorexic. And as the stress of life gets to her the disorder turns to bulimia. The other POV in this story is from Adrian. He is friends with the same guys, but is much quieter. He immigrated to America from Hungary as a child.

This is a hard book to review in my opinion. It tackles a lot of heavy subjects and can be graphic at times regarding Ginny's eating disorder. I wanted to stop reading it at several points. While I thought the writing was well done I didn't like that Adrian ended up being like a savior to Ginny. I felt in the end it was saying a guy needed to come in to fix the problem. I would have liked more of Ginny finding herself on her own and with help from her family.

I loved Adrian's grandparents. There could be another book centered just on them.

I hope Finch's girlfriend finds out about his emotional cheating with Ginny and leaves him.

I would love more about Ginny's family. Her sister, Heather, and all of her brothers need page time.

I look forward to reading more of Noyes' work!

**Many thanks to Catherine Barra at Berkley and Emma Noyes for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**

Being herself and being truly comfortable in her skin has been a lifelong struggle for Ginny, but she never feels more at home than when she's allowed to drop the pretense, kick back, and hang out with "the guys." Her group of friends make the perfect roommates: she can be authentic, have fun, and never have to worry about the awkward tension that comes being around potential boyfriends. Of course, one of her roommates is her ex Finch, but he's moved on to a new girlfriend Heather, and all of their tortured romantic push-and-pull is in the past...at least, Ginny THINKS so.

But when mysterious and handsome Adrian joins their circle of friends, and the two end up spending an evening together in Adrian's room after a night out clubbing, even though nothing seriously physical happens between the two...they both experience butterflies and an almost magnetic, magical pull they've never felt before. As much as they deny their feelings, they can't help but grow close to one another. But Adrian has been terrified to fall in love ever since he witnessed his mother's heartbreak when his father died...and he promised himself he would NEVER let himself get in that position. And Ginny is carrying an even darker secret...after a long battle with anorexia, she has now found herself grappling with bulimia...and desperate to keep this dark descent into her own personal hell from EVERYONE.

As time passes and feelings grow, Ginny finds it increasingly difficult to keep the monsters in her head at bay...and Adrian is still waging the war against his own feelings, trying to suppress them at all costs. But when Ginny's disorder reaches its highest peak, will she finally allow someone in and fight to take her power back from the beast ripping her apart? Can Adrian put aside his fear and simply let love in? Or will a bit of unfinished business from Ginny's romantic past tear these Ginny and Adrian apart...for good?

This book starts off with a VERY prescient trigger warning, one that gave me immediate pause but also was COMPLETELY warranted for the tale ahead. This book deals with anorexia and bulimia in an authentic, gritty, honest, and often disturbing way, and Noyes warns the reader from the off that reading this story could be triggering. She makes it clear she is not attempting to glamorize either disease, but I have to say after finishing this book, the word 'glamorous' will be the furthest thing from your mind after reading Ginny's experience.

Emma Noyes herself struggled with eating disorders, and as such, is able to take you into the mind of an anorexic/bulimic in a way I have NEVER experienced before. It is SO real, so tortured, and so gripping that at times, I actually felt like *I* was having some of the thoughts the character was experiencing. I felt sick to my stomach on some level more than once, but I also want to emphasize this was not necessarily off-putting...it's just a LOT. It takes an immeasurable amount of bravery to sort of expose your darkest and most private moments to a reading audience, but Noyes was up to the challenge, and completely delivered. I felt so heartbroken for Ginny, and above anything, as a reader I was BEGGING for her to reach out to those in her network, let them in, and just receive the help she needed (and deserved!) I can't tell you the last time I wanted to hug a fictional character so much, but Ginny was so clearly battling an invisible monster feeding her lie after lie, and I would have done anything to help her banish those negative thoughts, because there is oftentimes NOTHING more crippling than the harsh words we tell ourselves.

That's not to say this ENTIRE story revolves around the eating disorders, although it is a large component. There is also a beautifully told love story, and Adrian has his own demons to acknowledge and conquer. Like so many, he has become an expert in repression and keeping his heart safe just by burying emotions and pretending oftentimes that they don't exist...but it's also clear from the very beginning that he has a wealth of love to give. While it would have been easy for the two to engage in a one night stand at the beginning of the book after a fun, alcohol-fueled night out, Noyes makes you wait and get to KNOW the characters first. Adrian is a puzzle up until nearly the end of the book, and as a reader, I was completely committed to seeing the relationship through, no matter what the end result.

Noyes also uses Ginny's former boyfriend Finch to explore the sort of toxic mind games that men (particularly men in their younger 20s who believe themselves to be pretty charming) can play and how difficult it can be to leave the past in the past, ESPECIALLY when you are at your most vulnerable. Despite all of these plot lines going at once (including some emotional scenes between Ginny and sister), I never felt like there was too much happening at once, and though the book hopped forward in time multiple times, it gave me more of a "One Day" feel rather than a disjointed feeling, and I felt like I was watching the characters grow and evolve through real time. I would also classify this book as "New Adult" rather than adult. only because the characters are in their 20s and it feels appropriate...but unlike most New Adult books I've read, this one had a MUCH appreciated air of maturity to it. There are moments of fun and levity, but also a heartfelt, serious through line that will capture the hearts and minds of older AND younger readers alike.

And while I can't say whether or not Ginny ends up with Adrian, she DOES discover that one relationship in her life is more important, lasting, and fundamental than any other, and only through prioritizing THAT one does she have a chance at success in all others.

And no, it isn't with food, a friend, a parent, a sibling, or even a man.

It is in the beauty and power of her relationship with herself.

4 stars

First and foremost, I want to express my absolute awe towards the author, Emma Noyes. Her bravery and honesty created an authentically emotional and accurately detailed story, as only someone living with a disorder can write. As a counselor, I must admit her story was hard for me to read as it erased my well-developed, self-preservation line between professional and personal, but that only speaks to the authenticity.

Even the romance between Adrian and Ginny left so much to think about. It’s not a magical romance in any sense, nor are the sex scenes steamy. It’s just raw and honest. I spent most of the story not even wanting the relationship to work out because Adrian had serious issues he needed to work through before he could come close to being the support that Ginny needed. I’m not sure his arc was as well-developed as Ginny’s, but I was willing to take that leap.

Lastly, a shout out to Adrian’s Hungarian grandparents - they made me cry with their confidence, determination, and overwhelming love.

This is a must-read for everyone! Through the main character, Ginny, Noyes describes and explains anorexia and bulimia nervosa in heart-wrenching detail that’ll leave a lasting impression on all readers. Awareness of this disorder is essential for people to know what to look for with loved ones who may be suffering from it and get the needed help.

This is not a cute and fun romance. There is a romance but it’s more of a complicated, heavier read about eating disorders and death of a parent.

Ginny moves into an NYC apartment with her three guy friends. No one knows she’s anorexic.
Adrian recently moved out of that same NYC apartment. He has a stressful job and has never been in love because he’s seen the heartbreak it can bring from his past.

This is a raw, emotional and at times graphic book about having an eating disorder. It’s a story about the relationship of Ginny and Adrian and how their connection helps overcome both of their traumas. It’s such a compelling story. The author handled the difficult subject matter with care, and the ending was just perfect.

Read if you like:
🧠 Mental Health Rep
🏡 Forced Proximity
🥗 Disordered Eating as a Topic
🖤 Romances
😳 Anxiety

The authors note at the beginning of the book is so impactful. Especially as the story progresses and you hear the inner monologue of our Guy’s Girl Ginny. This truly felt like a story Emma needed to tell to get out information about her own ED she was in recovery for and a story so many need to feel seen with their own ED struggles.

The romance part of the book wasn’t my favorite and found the relationship harder to connect with and kinda just wish this was more of a story about Ginny and her need to address her ED and heal versus mixing in the romantic elements especially where the MMC had his own struggles so the romance didn’t give what I was hoping with so much focus on the mental health aspects. I wish this one had been written more in the vein of Adelaide from earlier in the year as I think that type of story telling would have been more impactful for Ginny’s story.

Thanks so much to the publisher for my ARC!

Y'all....this book was not at all what I was expecting. I went in thinking it was a romance, and while there are elements of a romance in this one, I think that really mischaracterizes this book. The story revolves around Ginny, a young woman who moves in with her three college guy friends. She's also recovering from anorexia and has a complicated relationship with one of her roommates, Finch. She meets Adrian and falls for him, but he doesn't believe in love at all, due to the death of his father on the day Adrian was born. Honestly, I almost gave up reading this- it delves deep into eating disorders, especially bulimia, and does not shy away from depicting it, sometimes graphically. It also deals with the death of a parent and the ramifications of not really dealing with it. I almost put this book down several times as it was really hard to read, but I stuck with it. I'm so glad I did. This is a book that I can't say I enjoyed but will stay with me for a very long time. I highly recommend it.

Guys Girl
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

First and foremost I would like to thank NetGally the publisher and Emma Noyes for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This one most definitely broke my heart and healed it in the best way possible. Thank you Emma for sharing Ginny’s battle with anorexia and bulimia in a true and honest light.

Synopsis:
Our FMC Ginny is without a doubt a guys girl. Her best friends from college are all dudes living under one roof in a cramped New York apartment. After escaping her mundane Midwest life for weekend getaway to the big city to meet up with her boys, Ginny finds that a new member has been added to the mix, Adrian. Adrian is Ginny’s complete opposite, or so she thinks, they can’t seem to stay away even though the two are drawn to each other. When Ginny finds herself in New York full time Adrian is still on her mind and for some reason that Adrian cannot understand Ginny is on his. While these two characters are facing their own internal battles will they be able to overcome their struggles and let each other in?

Thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed this one! Noyes did an amazing job at conveying what it’s like to truly struggle with an eating disorder. This book was completely raw and emotional but also had light hearted moments that made it feel like a bit of a rom com. Each character was well developed with purpose and the story felt completely relatable! Even though parts of this can be difficult to read *check triggers for eating disorders* it was overall a fantastic read! I highly recommend this one!

This isn’t just a story. This is a journey of self discovery. Definitely check your trigger warnings with this one.
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Ginny is a guy’s girl. Her best friends are her guy friends. She tries to keep her relationships drama free. As a new addition comes to their group she finds herself drawn to Adrian. He is dealing with his own issues and unfortunately she is dealing with her own issues as well. She is struggling with an eating disorder. This book is raw and open and loved the way the friendships were written. This book is out today!

They say don't judge a book by its cover and I feel like the cutesy floral cover does this book a real disservice. This book does feature a love story in the way that you could call Normal People a love story, but there is a lot more here. The subject matter is heavy, raw and emotional.

Ginny is a self-proclaimed "guy's girl" and Adrian is part of the friend group she hangs out with, though she knows him the least. They find themselves drawn together even though various factors in their life make it hard for them to have a relationship. I loved seeing Budapest through Adrian & Ginny's exploration of the city as well as NYC's SoHo which I know well. Though this was a book I couldn't put down, it was a tough read. There are a lot of trigger warnings for this book and though the subject matter is handled with care, it may be difficult for some readers.

Many thanks to Berkley & Netgalley for the ARC.

4.5
Guy's Girl gave me Romantic Comedy vibes which I loved. I liked how it was broken up into parts rather than chapters and I feel like it gave us a deep dive into the minds of the characters. The concept of one woman being friends with all the guys was so fun, but the story was much more emotional than that. Ginny, the FMC struggles with an eating disorder (that is loosely based on the author's own struggle) and readers saw her constantly grappling with anxiety as well as the ups and downs of the disease. Adrian, one of the MMC's was also flawed, thanks to ideas and moments from is childhood, and I think the two of them really brought out great aspects of the other. There was a heaviness to this book of course, but the pacing and storytelling made it feel somewhat lighter. This was intense love story with many tumultuous moments, but I really enjoyed it. Thanks to Berkley for providing the ARC to read and review!

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.