Thanks to NetGalley and Roxy Bourdillon for this ARC!

This was a really fun memoir to read! I enjoyed how many queer references were included and the way it almost felt quite blog-like in its friendliness and open heartedness. This would be such an incredible resource for younger queer people who are looking to feel seen in the books that they read. I personally found the tone of voice a little bit forced and because of that, there were points that felt a lot less earnest than others but that is definitely a personal preference thing, I can definitely see how it could be more easily accessible to other readers.

Thank you so much to the publishers & netgalley for this amazing read!

“From body image and mental health to love and loss, it's all in here and it's all straight from my heart.”

For lovers of Dolly Alderton’s Everything I Know About Love to anyone who is looking for a heart warming, funny, inspiring & touching read this ones for you.

I love this book with my whole heart. I laughed, I cried, i felt empowered and was hooked from the very beginning. It is an intriguing & relatable read no matter how you identify, I think any human can relate to Roxy Bourdillion’s wise words. As she states “Some lessons have to be lived to be learnt” and “most people are doing their best with their own limited experience of the world”.

I felt so empowered & inspired after reading this warm & welcoming memoir, that I was so sad when I had finished it. It was laugh out loud funny, easy to read, thought provoking and felt like I was just chatting to a friend over coffee. Lots of topics were discussed, some hard hitting but all done in a brilliant way, balancing the humour with the hurt beautifully, whilst all bringing so many issues to light and even though I don’t have the same life experiences and identify differently as the author, I felt heard & seen with the similarities we did share as a Woman but also felt compassion and anger for what she and others have had to deal with on top of everything else. I think this is a book everyone should read and it is relatable in some aspect, but whether you relate to it or not, there is something in it for everybody and maybe it will bring compassion for people to start being better humans to each other.

As the author says herself “It's a love letter to the defining women in my life, and most of them are not romances”, “The relationships I have had with remarkable women, whether a partner, friend or family member, have brought the most strength, meaning and beauty to my life”. It’s about self discovery, community, self acceptance, the importance of female friendships & love and how to be unapologetically you.

“However you identify, you deserve to feel seen, empowered and entertained” and this is exactly how Roxy Bourdillion made me feel reading this book and I cannot sum up it up any better.

“So, what does this girl want? Well, I want the world to be a kinder, safer place for me, my partner, for women and for every member of my glorious, diverse community.” I will be raving about this book to anyone that will listen

Roxy Bourdillon’s What a Girl Wants is an engaging and deeply relatable read that feels a lot like having a conversation with a close friend.

Written in a clear and accessible style, Bourdillon’s voice is warm, conversational, and inviting, while still tackling deeper and more nuanced topics with insight and sincerity.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its relatability.

Bourdillon’s experiences, though personal, resonate on a broader level, particularly for those who share similarities in age, upbringing, or life trajectory.

Her reflections on school life and feminism struck a particularly strong chord, painting a picture of experiences and struggles that feel familiar and validating.

Her journey into journalism, with all its challenges, was also particularly poignant - especially for readers from working-class backgrounds who have navigated similar barriers in breaking into the media industry.

Another compelling aspect of What a Girl Wants is how Bourdillon contextualises her personal experiences within wider cultural and political moments.

Her reflections on media milestones, such as the premiere of The L-Word, and political events, like the impact of Section 28, add layers of depth to her narrative.

These references provide a broader lens through which to understand her story, making it not just a personal memoir but also a reflection on cultural shifts and their effects on individual lives.

Overall, What a Girl Wants is an enjoyable, insightful, and highly relatable read.

For many queer millennials, I think it will strike an especially personal note, offering both nostalgia and validation.

Bourdillon’s ability to blend personal storytelling with cultural reflection makes this a book well worth picking up.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not being part of the LGBTQi community this was a real eye opener. I felt disappointed in myself for my ignorance of not realising how truly hard it can be. In my naive world, everyone is accepted no matter what so it's heartbreaking hear the prejudice that still happens.
I found the humour side of this biography a bit too much on occasions but it's a book I am glad to have read.
I loved all the 90's references, being just a little older than Roxy, it was very nostalgic. I particularly connected to her when it comes to grief, I have never read anything before that describes the raw overwhelming pain that true loss feels like at the time and for years after, I will remember how Roxy let her loved one pass with stories of happiness forever, and intend on doing the same myself when the awful inevitable happens again.
Thank you #NetGalley for this arc. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

What an absolute delight of a heartwarming, life affirming book. Roxy writes with such warmth, tenderness and humour, this book was like a big nostalgic hug. A truly beautiful and vulnerable exploration of sexuality and womanhood. Highly recommend!

A huge thank you to Roxy Bourdillon, Pan Macmillan | Bluebird & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.

Such a lovely memoir! It was funny and emotional, and I found myself relating to it a lot. I really enjoyed the writing style of this as it felt so personal while still discussing her experiences in a wider social and political context. Overall an enjoyable and moving read!

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy!

What A Girl Wants is best described as Dolly Alderton, but make it queer. The writing style is chatty, fast-paced and likely to appeal to Gen Z readers. For this Gen X-er who lived through many of the things Bourdillon discusses - Section 28, the absolute primacy of The L Word in earl 00s lesbian culture - it sometimes felt a bit basic, but I think would be absolutely perfect for younger readers who want to understand more about recent lesbian history.

What a Girl Wants: A (True) Story of Sexuality and Self-discovery by Roxy Bourdillon is an honest, hilarious and heartwarming journey through the twists and turns of self-identity, love, and growing up. Told with refreshing candour, Bourdillon’s memoir takes the reader from her teenage years in Leeds to her adventures in Sydney, London and beyond, all the while exploring the many layers of what it means to truly understand who you are.

From the innocent crushes of youth to navigating queer relationships and discovering sexual identity, What a Girl Wants is a celebration of joy, empowerment and freedom. With relatable reflections on body image, heartache, and the search for belonging, this book resonates with anyone who has ever struggled to find their place in the world. Bourdillon’s narrative is engaging and conversational, making it feel as though you’re chatting with a close friend. She tackles difficult topics with humour and grace, making even the most nuanced of experiences feel accessible and authentic.

A laugh-out-loud read that is as heartwarming as it is insightful, What a Girl Wants is perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton and Caitlin Moran—though with a vibrant, queer twist that adds a unique layer of joy to the narrative. Whether you're looking for a story of love, friendship or empowerment, this book is a true celebration of the messy, beautiful process of discovering who you are.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Early DNF

The writing style is very chatty and in-your-face jokes and references. I thought that it would work for me, however, it was a bit too much for my personal taste so I DNF'd. Would recommend if you love '90s/2000s references and a very chatty writing style.

This was a really engaging read, that felt a lot like chatting to a friend. Bourdillon writes in a really clear and accessible way, that was conversational while still being able to discuss deeper and more nuanced topics.

I found a lot of this book very relatable! Bourdillon is older than me, but we’re close enough in age, upbringing, and life experiences, that I saw a lot of myself in the things she discussed. Particularly the way she talked about her (then closeted) queerness influencing her teenage years, her time at school, and her approach to feminism, all rang very true.

I also really liked how she drew on wider cultural moments to retrospectively put her experiences in context. Some of them were media related, such as the premiere of The L-Word, and some of them were political, such as Section 28. I thought it was really interesting how she looked back at the different things that had impacted her life, and really added to the story she was telling.

Overall this was a very enjoyable and relatable read, that will hit very close to home for many queer millennials!

I received a free copy for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this memoir from Roxy Bourdillion. I related to the 90s nostalgia, the wonderful relationship with her granny and the woe of being cursed genetically with big boobs that men have always assumed they can comment upon. I was horrified but unsurprised sadly to learn that the Conservative government under Thatcher introduced Section 28 forbidding schools to teach the acceptability of homosexuality….. just WHAT?! I’m glad Roxy seems to have found her happy ending and I’m grateful to her and others like her who campaign for the rights of marginalised groups, as a mother of two it’s reassuring to feel like my children won’t grow up in quiet such an indoctrinated society.