My Week with Him

Product Information

Anyone who can tell a great romance story whilst ensuring it’s not cringe or overloaded with romance deserves to have a large fan base as it can be a difficult thing to do. HOWEVER, narratively, and appreciating the reason behind the pacing and repetitiveness of events, it's genius.

Joya Goffney somehow always manages to mix just the right amount of drama, difficult family relationships and young love and I just eat it up every time. Despite all of this, the constant push and pull of the narrative, in so many ways, keeps hooking you back into the story to know what happens next.At one point I was almost rooting against their relationship because I was worried she would give up the audition for him but I really shouldn't have worried because the way that was handled was flawless. I really wish I could perfectly articulate the way Joya Goffney makes me feel with her book but I literally can’t. Although this fiction novel is aimed at 14 years olds about new experiences for young adults I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book deals with Nikki struggling with her toxic mom and finding her way to a life of freedom, love, and happiness. The one thing I struggled with a little was the pacing - I thought I knew where it was going when they started the road trip but that quickly got complicated.

After a painful betrayal by her sister and a heated argument with their mother, Nikki is kicked out of her home. The author has a knack for capturing this raw and chaotic stage of life, and she did again with this novel. When her best friend, Malachai, discovers her plan to flee Texas, he begs her to spend the remainder of spring break with him. When her best friend, Malachai, discovers her plan, he begs her to spend the remainder of spring break with him, so he can show her all the reasons she should stay in Texas.The author has taken very real experiences that often breed hopelessness and resentment, and instead of ignoring the reality of that, which she could have for the sake of a cute romance, she used the romantic plot as a vehicle for gaining self-awareness, empathy, and giving the MC a safe-base to touch back whenever she needed a breather. From Joya Goffney of Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, comes a stirring YA coming-of-age, best friends-to-lovers romance about a girl named Nikki who plans to run away from small-town Texas, but ultimately finds that her oldest friend, Mal, just might be the one who’s been there for her all along. Taking a slightly darker tone than her previous books, the story centres around eighteen year old Nikki and the toxic relationship with her abusive mother. My Week With Him follows Nikki, a young Black girl who, after being thrown out by her mother, decides to flee to California to pursue her music career. It’s hard to put in words, I wasn’t as invested and sucked in to this story than I was into her first two books.

I absolutely adored the cover, and have looked at all the other books by this author and to my amazement they are all so joyful and colourful. After finding this out her best friend, Malachai, tries to convince her to stay and spend the rest of spring break with him.The book was centered around Nikki going to CA to pursue her dreams and then at the end she ends up going but then the story ends. Songs for the soundtrack: "The Worst" by Jhené Aiko, "Such A Thing" by Alex Isley and Jack Dine, "Promises" by Cleo Sol, "home with you" by FKA twigs, "Love.

She knew what would benefit her, even if she couldn't quite name it - she needed the audition because it gave her the independence, the confidence, the validation, the out, and she didn't let anyone take that away from her, while still maintaining caring for her sister and allowing herself the peace that Mal brought her. Joya Goffney is an absolute pro at writing YA contemporaries you pick up and find you’ve done nothing else with your day but devour the book whole. I would honestly love to see a sequel where we follow Nikki in her budding music career and to see her try to balance it with her relationship with Mal. Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl was right up there, and almost too relatable with the condition I also have and the strict religious parents. but when her best friend, malachai, begs her to spend just one week with him to see if he can convince her to stay, she gives in.

The romance was so cute between Malachi and Nikki, but as always, Joya’s books always have a message. With a passion for Black social psychology, she moved out of the countryside to attend the University of Texas in Austin, where she still resides. Until her best friend and long-time crush, Malachai, discovers her plan, and convinces her to spend spring break with him, so he can show her all the reasons she should stay in Texas.