REVIEW: Guy’s Girl by Emma Noyes

Guy’s Girl by Emma Noyes: Preferring the company of males, Ginny has some fairly clear boundaries about not stretching things too far when it comes to romantic involvement. Until of course she meets Aidan who she is incredibly attracted to and yet deeper still, feels a genuine connection with. And of course, as all soul mate island love stories pan, there’s some background trauma that Aidan needs to navigate in order to feel secure and safe and likewise encourage Ginny to cross her own lines when she struggles to relinquish control of anything. Naturally, as is Noyes style, some hectic themes are unpacked and as far as emotional roller coasters go, this one is often not a comfortable ride.

Written from character POV, our two protagonist are forced to battle out their inner demons whilst coming to terms with the overwhelming reality of falling in love. Not shying away from any of the intensity that comes with unpacking mental illness as the underlying reality of an eating disorder, childhood trauma or patterned behaviours, we walk the romance journey every step of the way, willing Ginny and Aidan on and hoping like hell they can find what it takes to survive as a couple and individually. Given that Ginny is desperate for the validation and love that she can’t begin to give herself, it’s a rough ride at times as it is easy to take a Birds Eye-view and reflect unconsciously. Having said that, Noyes does a great job in shaping Ginny sympathetically and there is no room but to feel a bucket of compassion as both characters battle a war within themselves.

Dark, loving, tumultuous, this is definitely not a light romance or for those of feint heart, but certainly for readers who love meat on the romance bones and who like to delve into the gritty parts of reality that bind love together and help in shine.

Book Info:

Publication: 24th October 2023 | Berkley |

Ginny Murphy is a total guy’s girl. She’s always found friendships with boys easier to form and keep drama-free – as long as they don’t fall for her, and she doesn’t fall for them. She and her best guy friends have stuck to that. But then she meets Adrian Silvas, the only one who’s ever made her crave more, and Ginny begins to question her own rules.

Piece by piece, Ginny and Adrian begin to fall into something intoxicating, something dangerous. Ginny threatens to destroy the belief Adrian’s held ever since witnessing his own mother’s heartbreak: that love isn’t worth the risk. For Ginny, the stakes could be even higher. Letting Adrian get close could mean exposing a secret she’s long protected: her disordered eating.

Ginny isn’t looking to be saved by someone. But maybe she and Adrian can help each other – if they don’t destroy each other first.

Heartfelt and evocative, Guy’s Girl is a powerful story about true love, self-love, and growing up.