not even 10 seconds into the book and i was kicking and squealing. everything i love about romance! loved that the plot and the characters were never overshadowed by the romance. i laughed. i screamed. i blushed. i cried. this book is everything to me!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I wish I had something like this to read when I was a teen. It handled the topics of religion, sex, friendship, family, romance, race—so many things—in such a respectful and honest way while still being funny, entertaining, relatable, and believably from a teen perspective. It felt affirming to read, as if I could have a sense of closure and healing for my childhood wounds through Monique’s coming of age story. 

I enjoyed this book, One because it showed a lot of what some people go through in the heart of the south especially in bible country. Inadequate sex-ed leads to a whole different problem in itself. This book tackles a lot of different topics, and I believe it has done it well. 

This book was thoughtfully laid out and made the experience of reading it a lot less hard, but also super insightful into what felt like a similar teenage mind to many.

This was such a surprise. It did not go in the direction I thought it would at all, but it was excellent. 

It was fun, educational, funny and emotional all at once and I really enjoyed my time with this book. I loved the exploration of sexuality and vaginismus aimed towards high schoolers, particularly those ingrained in church life, and I think this will be an important book for a lot of teenagers.

I loved Monique, and this was really a story of her coming of age and exploration of self, as opposed to the romance that I expected, though there is a bit of a romance plot in here too. I really liked that the romance wasn't the main focus in the book and we got a lot about Monique and her journey.

A wonderful story that I would recommend for a lot of people to read, particularly teenagers but not only teenagers.

Growing up as a preacher’s daughter, 17 year old Monique, was taught absolutely nothing about sex other than that she should wait until she is married. If Dom, her boyfriend of 2 years, is the man she’s going to marry she feels like there no point in waiting. But after numerous failed attempts at completing the act, Dom breaks up with her. Heartbroken Monique tries to get to the bottom line of “what’s wrong with her” and maybe she’ll be able to win him back. With the help of 2 unlikely people, she finds about the reason why having sex with Dom had been so difficult for her. Will it be enough to win him back or will she even want to be with him anymore after her revelation?

I am so happy that the youth of today have so many diverse YA books that they can relate to. This story shows everything that can go wrong when you use religion to shield your children from the real world instead of being transparent and honest with them. This goes on in a lot of religious households including my own. Not as bad as Monique but I was still so uninformed all the same. As parents, we have to be open and honest with our children and trust that they hold onto the values we instill within them. Monique’s mother comes off as harsh and somewhat unloving in the beginning and all because she doesn’t want her daughter to make the same mistakes she did. But in the end, she realized that she’s failed her daughter by not talking to her about her past at all. <SPOILER>And let’s not get on them just up and ready to throw out their children over very petty and small disagreements. Like WTH! I wanted to throw my phone while listening to the audiobook lol. Parents have to stop trying to make their children live a certain life or live their life over through them. They are their own human beings and allowed to live their own life as they see fit. 

This is a heart-wrenching coming of age story filled with difficult family dynamics, sexual liberation, and an unexpected love triangle. I would recommend this book to all the young ladies in my life to allow them to go on the journey with Monique of finding out that you are more than just your body and that you are enough just as you are. 

I'm in love with the ease of how Joya Goffeny wrote this story. Every  character is  realistic  in certain traits they have . Not to mention  I read this knowing I was going to learn some things. But I mean even then, some of it was unexpected.  

So as the main teen character, Monique, Or Mo for short,  learned about her vaginismus I felt utter respect.  Even though its YA and there were moments  of lack of maturity on the MC and side characters, Reggie and Sasha decisions. In particular with  Reggie, the wild and funny reform teen project for Mo's dad. But I'm okay with him as things were often  hectic and upbeat.  A necessary personality for  a  character  in this type of setting to ease the things Mo faced. Also Sasha who if there was a next book I'd want to read from her point of view.  She is everything and mature for how things unpack. 

On to a more serious note since thats all my thought on the main characters trio.

Sometimes to firgure out sexual activity or concerns help comes in the most unexpected way. I mean the people in life who are seemingly  the most religious.  This storyline made it a reminder again that help comes in surprising moments. That and learning  that not everyone  can be trusted at first. 

Anyways my emotions are wrecked into pieces. Then have rebuilt with new hope  by the end of Mo's  story. It was relatable in certain  ways. But when it wasn't  I felt  genuine  eagerness for Mo's self-discovery  journey.