REVIEW: The Good Boy by Stella Hayward

The Good Boy by Stella Hayward: All of her life Genie has been told that her grandmother is more than just a cute little old lady but that she has actual magic. So when on the eve of her thirtieth birthday her grandmother gifts her one wish at the stroke of midnight, Genie really doesn’t take it all to seriously, after all surely her darling grandma cant be magical…right? But after spending another boring night, fending of intrusive questions about her nonexistent dating life, Genie is ready to jump into bed and cuddle up with Rory, her loyal golden retriever. She just didn’t think her silent wish to herself wishing for a boyfriend like Rory would in fact turn her darling dog into a very real man the next morning! The only problem with human Rory is the fact that he really doesn’t like being human or conforming to wearing clothes! Now Genie needs to act fast and get Rory back to being his dog self before anything can go wrong, which is how she finds herself enlisting the help of her oldest friend Miles. Soon Miles and Genie find themselves getting closer and uncovering some hidden feelings as they try to figure out the Rory dilemma… maybe her wish for the perfect man wasn’t so of the mark after all…

I really didn’t know what to expect going into The Good Boy after all the premise is pretty wild, a woman’s dog turning into a man?! But gosh did I just wind up just adoring this book! What I got was something much deeper than a quirky romcom this book surprised me in the best way possible, it was full of warmth, giggles and a touch of magic that I just loved, but underneath all of this was a quiet story about healing and learning to open your heart again. Hayward did a brilliant job in crafting this sweet, funny and touching story with characters that I instantly loved.

I just adored these three characters and how relatable and loveable them came across. Genie was one of those characters who just feels instantly familiar, while she was far from prefect there was just something so relatable and enduring about her character. We get to see her struggle to handle her grief but also see her bounce back and truly move on and embrace life with a renewed sense of purpose. For all of her sharp edges Genie was actually just trying to protect her soft heart from giving into the hope of dreaming. Whereas our darling Rory was a total ball of sunshine and happiness. Which brings us to our hero Miles, the silent constant, whose acts of love are more quiet but just as powerful and deep. As much as I loved Rory, it was truly Miles that just melted my heart, he was the kind of guy that doesn’t need huge showy acts to show his love but instead he showed them in the small moments. I loved the way he always showed up for Genie regardless of the situation. He was the strong constant that she so desperately needed and I loved getting to see him give her that space to slowly open her heart again. I have to say I wasn’t to sure how I would feel about Rory and his magical role, but gosh did this golden retriever just melt my heart. His transformation is the driving force that makes Genie faces her grief and fears and pushes her to reconnect. Rory really was the heart of this story and I found myself loving him to bits!

If you know me, then you know that I love a good slow burn build up and that is exactly what we get in The Good Boy. Now I will be honest at first I wasn’t to sure if Rory would be the love interest for Genie and as much as I came to love the big goofball, I am so glad that we got to see Miles and Genie build this beautiful relationship. The fact that they shared so much of history with this silent back and forth only added to their already simmering connection. Normally I’m always singing about how I love the electric chemistry but with this book we got something a bit different, there were no big bangs or loud displays, instead we got a softer more quiet kind of love and I actually found myself rather liking this change. There was something very soft and tender about the way Miles made sure to give Genie her space but also made sure that she knew that he was there for her. He was that constant, strong steadiness that she needed to allow her walls to slowly come down and I loved getting to see this happen.

The Good Boy was so much more than a cute, lighthearted romcom, this book was filled with heart and highlights the beauty of unconditional love. Definitely one that I would recommend!

Book Info:

Publication: July 8, 2025 | Avon |

On the eve of Genie’s thirtieth birthday, her grandmother gives her an unexpected gift: a wish at midnight. Genie, forever the family skeptic, laughs it off and, after an evening fending off invasive questions about her nonexistent love life, returns home to her empty house and her golden retriever, Rory. Who needs a boyfriend when she has a loyal friend like Rory? As she hugs him and gets ready for bed, she wishes to herself that he were human… at least then their conversations wouldn’t be so one-sided.

She really should’ve listened to her grandmother.

To her surprise, Rory is now a human with big Golden Retriever Energy—like a goofy, adoring Hemsworth. But he doesn’t like being a human. He doesn’t like wearing clothes or human manners, and he most definitely can’t manage a human job.

Genie needs to turn him back before it’s too late and enlists her oldest friend and boy next door, Miles, to help. Their quest brings them closer than they’ve ever been—and maybe, just maybe, her messed up wish is the key to granting her heart’s desire after all…