Can’t express enough how funny and cute this book was. I knew it was going to be a cute ready but all the characters were so funny especially Rory. Won me over immediately being a golden retriever. Perfect for any dog/animal lover. Please turn this into a movie.

The Good Boy was cute. It started off a little slow and took a bit for me to get into, but it picked up at about 30%. It was funny while dealing with some deeper topics. It did feel like there was a lot going on, but it was entertaining!

First and foremost, thank you to Stella Hayward, Avon and Netgalley for an advanced copy of The Good Boy in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:
Genie’s life takes a magical—and hilarious—turn when she jokingly wishes her beloved golden retriever Rory could become human. By morning, he has—clothed in chaos, brimming with boundless affection, and yearning to return to his four-legged life. With help from her longtime friend Miles, Genie embarks on a quest to reverse the wish and, in the process, confronts her grief, rediscovers her joy, and realizes that love—whether from a man or a dog—isn’t always what you expect.

Short and Sweet Opinion:
Whimsical and warm-hearted with big laughs, a dash of serious, and a dog-human character that broke up the serious moments, though the cringe moments bubbled up more than I expected.

In-Depth Opinion:
Magical realism isn’t usually my lane, but The Good Boy intrigued me enough to give it a go—and while I appreciate what it aimed for, the execution didn’t fully fit for me. Hayward’s writing moves between playful and serious as Genie navigates a surreal wish, family sorrow, and the oddity of her dog-turned-human scenario. The switch in tone was clever, but at times the light-hearted banter went too far into cringe territory for me. Rory’s human version was certainly entertaining and brought welcome humor, but it occasionally pushed too far into cringe. It wasn’t a perfect fit for me, but it has its magic moments.

“Good Boy” by Stella Hayward is a whimsical, heartwarming rom-com where a woman’s birthday wish accidentally turns her golden retriever into a human—and teaches her about love, loss, and finding magic in everyday life.

This book had me laughing a lot. The story was touching, hilarious in parts and very much a mutual pining filled slow burn. This book is definitely a miscommunication/missed communication story about 2 friends who have always liked each other but one was a little dense in picking up on it and especially after she got hurt by a previous boyfriend. The sweet things the the MMC does for her just made my heart melt. The Grandma in this book is amazing, she is such a fun character that I instantly loved her. Overall I truly enjoyed this book and suggest it to those who like a little bit of chaotic energy and super sweet gestures.

Yep, I’m a good boy for this book. It handled coming to terms with your past so that you can move on in a wonderful way. And Rory, I loved Rory and his golden retriever turned human moments. Such a cute book!

This book is a great fun book. If you are looking to suspend reality and have always wondered what it would be like if your best furry friend were human, this book is for you!!

This book definitely allows the FMC to do a lot of soul searching and really learn who she is, what she wants, and how to heal from past trauma all while dealing with the ridiculous plot point of her dog having reluctantly become a human. But Rory was such a good boy. Even as a human I loved him.

Definitely an enjoyable feel good read.


Thank you Stella Hayward, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for this book. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one was fun and adorable. I almost died laughing at this dog turned into a man, so many hilarious scenarios. The man dog was not the love interest, it was a friends to more situation where they were waiting for the other to say something but took too long and the FMCs dog turned into a man via a wish and needs to turn him back before it’s too late with the help of her best friend.

The Good Boy is a heartwarming romantic comedy with a magical twist that brings new meaning to the phrase “man’s best friend.” On the night of her thirtieth birthday, Genie jokingly wishes that her golden retriever, Rory, could be human—only to wake up and find out that the universe (or perhaps her meddling grandmother) has taken her seriously.

What follows is a hilarious, tender, and surprisingly insightful journey as Rory—now a human with all the lovable, chaotic energy of a golden retriever—navigates the very strange world of adulthood. From struggling with pants to awkward job interviews, Rory’s transformation is both comical and oddly endearing. He’s a reminder of unconditional love, in its purest and most loyal form.

But at the heart of this story is Genie’s slow realization that the life she thought she wanted may not be the one she truly needs. With the help of her childhood friend and next-door neighbor, Miles, she sets out to reverse her wish—only to discover that maybe the magic was never in the wish at all, but in the relationships that ground her.

The dynamic between Genie and Rory will charm any pet owner—especially dog lovers who’ve often wished they could chat with their furry companions. And the evolving romance between Genie and Miles adds a layer of emotional depth that gives this whimsical tale a strong emotional core.

Verdict:
A delightful blend of romantic comedy, magical realism, and canine devotion, The Good Boy is a feel-good read perfect for fans of friends-to-lovers tropes, quirky humor, and stories that don’t take themselves too seriously—but still tug at the heart.

this was such a fun read. i loved the storyline and how rory was such a good sport about everything. i liked how genie and miles storyline played out as well and thought this was such a cute book. that ending was so amazing and i just can’t get over how much i loved this book. it made me laugh and cry and i just couldn’t put it down. i’m grateful for the arc i received and loved the book so much! highly recommend reading!

This sounded like such a great idea, but I couldn’t get into it. The author’s writing didn’t flow for me - it was simultaneously formal and super casual. Because the writing didn’t flow, I couldn’t get into the storyline, so it’s a DNF for me

This was such a cute book, obviously because of Rory, who was the goodest boy, but it dragged a little bit for my taste, Genie would go on and on about how she couldn’t tell Miles and how he should get with Claudia from work, it was exasperating at times.

Kooky fun plot but I did not love the romance story here unfortunately. I liked all the main characters, including the most important main character - RORY - but Genie and Miles were lackluster to me. Genie was very aggravating - and I just wanted to shake her. I'd be interested in checking out the authors future writing though, in hopes that the love story is between characters I resonate with.

This had the potential of being such a cute book, but it dragged along in so many places and was so predictable I decided to skip to the end after making it to 45% and didn’t feel like I missed anything.
I really loved all of the characters and i especially enjoyed the dialogue the author gave to Rory. It really seemed like how a dog with the sudden ability to communicate with his person would talk.
This is the kind of book I would have loved when I was in my early twenties and I’m sorry the current me isn’t as enthralled by it. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for an advanced copy. The Good Boy hit the shelves July 8th.

Fourth wall breakings are some of my favorite reads. Engaging the reader and making them apart of the story is one of the greatest draw ins.

This story is about Eugenie, who seems to have settled into her life and has accepted what life has given her, and after a crazy wish gone wrong Eugenie has to learn to how to love herself and get back to the woman she used to be. With the help of her best four legged friend Rory and Miles the best friend neighbor from next door, Genie works on finding her way back.

The characters in this story are so good, Rory needs a book of his own along with Kelly and Dave. The not so subtle hints from Miles that Genie constantly over looks made me want to bang my kindle against the wall and shake Genie, but it worked perfect with the character growth that Stella Hayward was trying to present.

for her 30th birthday, Genie’s grandma gives her a surprising gift: a granted wish at midnight. Genie, ever the skeptic, forgets all about it and jokingly wishes her dog Rory could be human…and wakes up to find her wish has come true. now Rory, with his loveable golden retriever energy, is a man who’s charming but hilariously unfit for human life. desperate to reverse the wish, Genie turns to her childhood friend Miles for help, but as they work together, buried feelings start to resurface.

this book had some really sweet moments! I loved human Rory’s blunt honesty and unexpected wisdom—he reminds us that things don’t have to be so complicated. Genie’s personal growth while dealing with grief was well done, and I appreciated how her slow burn with Miles felt more realistic. but honestly? the writing style made it hard for me to read at times, and Rory’s constant complaining got old fast.

Read if you like:
✨magical realism meets rom-com
🤪quirky humor
📝self-discovery journeys
💞friends to lovers
🔥slow burn romance

my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

while nothing stood out as remarkable for me personally, it’s a light and fluffy read that delivers on what it promises!

thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a sweet and quirky read! I enjoyed it so much.

This story is so different from what I’ve read recently and found it so entertaining. We have magic, a dog that gets turned into a human and lots of heartfelt moments of growth. There is some intense subjects such as stillbirth and depression but nothing graphic.

I really thought this was written well enough to enjoy but felt that the scenes were very much scattered and a bit chaotic. Nothing felt fleshed out and more on the surface level of things. I don’t think it made the book bad but just felt all over the place.

I really liked Genie and Miles friends to lovers storyline but Rory stole the show. It was so sweet and honestly made me wish my pups could turn human for at least a day.

This is closed door so perfect for anyone that doesn’t enjoy reading spicy scenes.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Avon, and Stella Hayward for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I wanted to love this book so much. The premise was very promising. However, the writing style and voice were not there. It felt very disjointed and juvenile which made it really difficult to finish reading. The plot was decent, but again, I could not get past the writing.

This made me laugh so hard I cried, and then cried so hard I needed a good laugh. This book is SO FUNNY with a friends-to-lovers storyline that's cute enough to give you cavities (even if I wanted to reach through the pages and gently shake the FMC a few times). Perfect for fans of Freaky Friday, dog people, and Bridget Jone’s Diary. (IDK why but, this is exactly the right mix to me!)

A HUGE, glowing MUST for this one is the audiobook! The narrator absolutely nailed Rory, bringing so much extra charm.

Heads up though: this book deals with a sensitive topic, and it's handled intensely. That part definitely pulled me up short and nudged it to a 4.5 from a full 5. Be sure to check trigger warnings before diving in. If you're ready for a mix of hilarious chaos and heartfelt moments, give this a go!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute, just not my favorite.
I couldn’t get into the writing style unfortunately.

I liked that the dog became human, fun aspect. but it just wasn’t for me.