This book takes the "golden retriever" trope to a whole new level. A sweet wish-gone-awry story, The Good Boy is basically a Hallmark movie in book format. Perfect for modern romance fans.

A fun read. Genie's wish comes true and her dog Rory becomes human. How can she turn him back I again? Some fun side characters, especially Nanna!

For anyone worried (and this is not a spoiler since it's in the synopsis): she does not get with the man version of her dog. I repeat, this is not a dog-to-lovers romance. With that out of the way, I thought this was a really cute read. Rory (our man-dog) really brings the golden retriever energy, and it was fun to see his journey through learning to be a man and teaching Genie to be more like a dog. I also enjoyed the magic element with Genie's family. I didn't swoon after Miles as our MMC, but it was believable that Genie did. I would recommend this book for the beach-town setting, a ton of cute dogs, and a bit of magic. I would read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I found this story to be a fun, light-hearted and unique read. The main character's golden retreiver dog accidentally gets turned into a man because of a late night coming of age, family inherited wish. I've never read anything like this and took it with a grain of salt. Luckily I was in the mood for the silliness when I picked this book up. Rory the dog's words and actions are exactly that if a dog turned into a man. I loved the subtlety of Genie and her long time guy best friend Miles' relationship develop. This was an engaging read that to my knowledge has never been done before (dog turning into man). I also loved Genie's grandmother as the comedic relief.

Tropes:
- Friends to Lovers
- A Hint of Magic
- A Race Against Time

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute, quick read that I think many readers will truly enjoy. Magical realism is sprinkled throughout to add fun twists and turns. Our FMC unknowingly turns her golden retriever into a human. With the help of the boy next door, she attempts to turn him back. The problem, they have a long history and spending so much time together brings up feelings they thought they had buried.

Overall, the story was really fun and it is an easy read. There are a few tough topics later on in the story so be sure to check TWs. While I really enjoyed the story and the writing, I would have liked the plot to have been refined a bit more. I was left wanting more from the story though I did enjoy it.

Thank you to Stella, Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for this ARC in return for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

The Good Boy by Stella Hayward
Paranormal romantic comedy.
Genie has heard her entire life that her grandmother is not only a medium but she also has magic. Genie is told she’ll get a wish at midnight but there are rules she has to follow. And most important, this wish is irreversible. Since it’s her birthday, Genie has has a little too much to drink and when the reminder alarm rings, she doesn’t remember the rules. She’s happy to be greeted and loved by her dog Rory getting home. He’s the best good boy. She impulsively wishes Rory was human. And isn’t she surprised when she wakes up to a naked man curled up in her dog’s bed in the morning.

Rory as a human has some great quips and profound thoughts. As Genie tries to help Rory and get through the days, she’s also doing a lot of self reflection. She’s been happy. Hasn’t she?
A hilariously funny and poignant story of love, happiness, friendship and loyalty.

🎧 I highly recommend the audiobook version narrated by Mary Janet Wells who did a fantastic performance. I did have to slow down the playback because of the British accent but it was worth it to catch every sarcastic and amusing rant by Genie and Rory.
Nothing I love more than laughs in my romance.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

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This was a good time read. The lack of communication bothered me so much, but all in all, I did enjoy the book. Rory was adorable as a man, and honestly, his characterization is what made this book for me.

Who hasn't wondered what they would say if your dog could talk? I frequently play act their inner dialogue to my great amusement. So there's a part of me that would love to have them be human (for a set amount of time) and talk to them.

Rory kind of steals the show in this book. He's wonderful! His insights are spot-on and he comforts people so beautifully.

Genie is lovable and seemingly content, but the more we learn about her, the more we learn she's settled. And I suspected from the beginning that Miles might be more than the boy next door, and watching them interact was entertaining.

This book explored some deeper themes than I was anticipating but I still enjoyed it as an easy summer read.

Thank you to Avon for an early copy!

Genie’s journey through the book was very interesting. I liked the accidental “I turned my dog into a human” dilemma, but the story felt like it went on 17 different side quests and the resolution was just an afterthought to end the book. The romance itself was also lacking for me. I thought it had such great potential but Genie kept thwarting any chance of romance through 90% of the book which was rather annoying. For this being categorized as a romance novel, it felt significantly more like a lit fic work which is totally fine but not what I expected when I started reading. Great choice if you like more of these vibes and closed door romances!

This was a heartwarming story about a wish gone awry. Rory is Genie's dog, the OG "good boy", but he gets in the way and Genie accidentally uses her birthday wish to turn him into a handsome man. This was a cozy story about learning to love yourself and be true to your feelings. There really isn't anything bad that happens which would make this a great read for anyone looking for good feels. Overall, it was funny and cute.

I absolutely loved this. I wish there was a rating above 5 stars. Rory was the best character! He was so well written; it was exactly what I would imagine a golden retriever to talk like. I cannot talk about this book enough.

For her 30th birthday, Genie’s grandma gave her a surprising gift: a granted wish at midnight. Gene 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 lovable 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 resurface, and Genie starts to wonder if this accidental wish might lead to something real after all.

I really enjoyed this book! It was charming and silly in the best way, with some drama for added depth (be sure to check the trigger warnings before diving in).
I especially loved the human version of Rory, his blunt honesty mixed with surprising wisdom was such a highlight. He reminded me that some things don’t have to be so complicated, people just tend to make it harder than it needs to be.
The author did a fantastic job bringing Rory to life as a human, staying true to his unique personality treats.
I’d say this felt more like a contemporary fiction novel than a romance. While there is a romantic element, it’s a very slow burn, minimal, and closed door.
Overall, it was a fun, whimsical read with a heartwarming touch!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

This is a book unlike anything I have read before (I think). When a magical wish goes in a direction that seemed impossible, a dog is turned into a human. He is still the “dog” but has a physical form and can speak, walk, read, do all things humans can, but still feels like a dog on the inside.
So this is a fun and silly book that started out pretty funny, but I did get a little tired of it after a while.
Overall, this book is fine and if you need something light and not serious, you may like this book. If you’re not into over the top silly, you might not want to try this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an absolute delight! This book had me full-blown belly-laughing out loud, I had such a good time that it was unputdownable. The dialogue, the characters, the journey they go on — this book took “golden retriever energy” to a new level, and I just loved it. It DOES tackle surprisingly dark subject matter as the story goes on, so reader beware, TW: pregnancy loss, but I thought it’s handled very tastefully and with the right amount of sensitivity. Genie’s growth was everything I needed in this book, and I can’t wait to see where this author goes next.

My son is campaigning for a dog right now, and so this was the perfect time to read The Good Boy - which is, at its heart, a celebration of the importance of being the person that your dog thinks you are.
After a tragic loss, Genie has found herself in a bit of a rut, but her closest relationship is with her dog, Rory. But when she wishes for Rory to become a man, Genie has to take a good long look at her life.

I think in a lot of versions of this book, Rory would have been the love interest, but I really appreciated that Hayward let the relationship of love, appreciation and kindness echo the relationship between a dog and their human. Rory being able to voice his steady believe and unwavering love really does allow Genie to open herself up to true love. This book is one of the cosiest romances that I've read recently, and Hayward makes great use of the Scarborough location and culture. I'd recommend for fans of a cozy romance novel.

A fun story about a man, a woman and her golden retriever. Genie’s grandmother gives her the gift of a wish for her birthday. She doesn’t believe in this nonsense and before going to bed wishes her dog, Rory, was human. Lo and behold Rory is now human and much hilarity ensues trying to return him to a dog. She gets help from her oldest friend Miles. Their journey to return Rory to a dog brings them together and she may get her wish after all. Truly a fun story to read.

Thank you so much to Avon and NetGalley for the arc!!!

What an absolute JOY this was!!! The Good Boy follows Genie, who comes from a long line of magical/psychic women but has always remained skeptic of it all. On the eve of her thirtieth birthday, her grandmother grants her a wish that must be wished by midnight. Not thinking much of it, Genie ends up accidentally turning her golden retriever into a man. We follow Genie as she enlists the help of her best friend & neighbor, Miles, to help turn her dog back into a dog. A magical (literally) journey of healing, growth, love, and more.

Genie is an absolute delight & I loved her dearly. I was surprised by how much depth her character held and getting her backstory made my heart hurt & I just wanted to give her a big hug. I adored her growth & getting to see her find her way back to who she truly is!!! She's hilarious, caring, and so fun to get to know!!! Miles is a nerdy sweetheart who I loved so much. His own depth made me want to give him a hug & his personality is so inviting & wonderful!!!

While the romance in this was sweet, I would have loved to see just a little more of it! I loved Genie & Miles' connection, their little version of friends to lovers, and the countless sweet moments between them. I just ADORED them!!!!

I was so pleasantly surprised by this one and truly couldn't recommend it enough!!! It's fun, fast paced, hilarious, and so sweet. Quite literally a fun time in book form!!!

Is it folklore after all?

Genie is skeptical about her family's magical history. That is until she meets her perfect dog, Rory in the flesh... as in, her dog turned human. Yeah, you read that right. In a historically wrong way for a wish to go, Genie manages to turn her golden retriever companion into a real-life man.

Between her family, her best friend Miles, and Rory, Genie learns to believe in herself and the love that surrounds her because "What greater magic is there than the gift of love?"

The Good Boy by Stella Hayward is a light read full of antics only the best dog could get into, a romance that's painfully obvious to everyone except the two involved, and the best bit of justice I could have asked for in this scenario.

So, whether you believe it's a true story or not, this book will be available July 8 for you to decide.

Thanks to NetGalley and Stella Hayward for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

This was such a fun read and I’m so happy it made me laugh so many times. Genie was so refreshing and relatable. Something happened to her and trying to find a safe neutral. She breaks the fourth wall a lot so if you’re not into that, I feel like you should give it a try. The pining her and Miles had towards one another was so cute. I really liked their relationship, they just got each other so much like I can’t even remember a couple meant to be more than them. We all want a Miles. Rory was literal golden retriever energy written right. Even though he was like 35 in human years he was still an innocent baby who was scared but also loved to make people happy. His journey about learning how to be human was so fun and reflective. We got his dog take on life and how simple life can be if we all just thought like dogs, where we see the joy in the small things, listen, and express how we feel. The themes of moving on, forgiveness, change, love, and faith were very wholesome and these would usually make my eyes roll, but this book was so fun that it all just added to it’s charm.

The only thing that noticeably pulled me from the story was that some sentences were hard to understand and I’m not use if it was because wording or if it was just British. Genie’s healing from her trauma seemed way too quick. It was a short chapter and I just thought it should have been a start to her healing journey not that the heaviness would disappear completely. This was a trend as her friend had an issue with her husband and that was resolved so fast and forgotten. There were also some inconsistencies during some scenes that didn’t make sense. I also think that the multiple interruptions during when she would try to confess started to seem more like fate didn’t want her to confess at all.

Overall very happy about this book.

If you love quirky magical realism, you will adore this!

On her thirtieth birthday, Genie jokingly wishes her dog Rory were human and then wakes up to find he is. With the help of her childhood friend Miles, she scrambles to reverse the magic.

This lighthearted story doesn’t take itself too seriously! At its core, it’s about letting go of the past, and figuring out what really matters in life.

The friends to lovers element was so cute!! While the romance isn’t the main focus, i really enjoyed it.

I especially loved human Rory and all his comments!

I’ll never look at my dog the same way again 😆

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the gifted copy.