"That boy looks at you like you put the sun in the sky.”

For all the girls who grew up in a toxic environment with a toxic parent.

Shaniqua "Nikki" Williams, has grown up living in fear of her mother. Having never been told that she is loved, never held, and never told goodnight, she believes her mother hates her. Nikki believes shes found a way out of her toxic home, when she is contacted by an A&R looking for a lead vocalist for a hot new girl group. However, after being ratted out by her younger sister, Nikki misses her opportunity to audition, and ends up being homeless too. Nikki is determined to make it to the next round of auditions in a weeks time,  but the possibility of love is also on the horizon. Will Nikki fulfil her musical dreams?

I heard through the grapevine that Joya was quite nervous for how "My Week With Him" would be received. I totally understand why, it's a lot grittier than her previous work - a lot more swearing etc, but I found that it made it more believable. Having lived through a difficult mother/daughter relationship throughout my teens, I found "My Week With Him" so relatable & realistic. Nikki was forever in a state of limbo with her mother, never knowing where she stood with her.

The romance factor did not disappoint, Nikki's love interest, Malachi, was giving all the feels. He was just 🥰. In the beginning I definitely was not sure on him, but as time progressed he showed himself as a stand up guy, one who could be relied upon at any time.

Goffney excels in creating a protagonist that we gravitate towards. Nikki comes from a one parent family, who receives government support, "food stamps" etc, she never has the latest clothes/shoes, even though she lacks these "assets", she is a girl who is adored by her friends.

"My Week With Him" tackles issues such as poverty, toxic parent relationships, social care etc, but I am 1000% sure that fans of Goffney's previous work will be enamoured by "My Week With Him". I even shed a few tears towards the end.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you to @netgalley & @bonnierbooks_uk for my early copy.

Release date 11th July 2023

I absolutely loved this book. I am a fan of the authors previous works and was not disappointed with My Week With Him. In fact, I think it's become my new favourite. I loved how the romance between Nikki and Mal wasn't just the sole focus in the story as we had a focus on friends, trauma and family, as well as pursuing your dreams. I wish Joya Goffney was writing books when I was younger as she creates stories that are relevant and I believe they will help so many people with situations in their own lives. The only thing I did want from this book was an Epilogue to see exactly what happened in Nikki's future, we get a slight idea from the message she receives after her audition but I just wanted to know a little more, despite this I still rate it a five star read! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this! My review can also be found on Instagram: @thebraidedbibliophile

Joya Goffney does it again.

Last year I picked up Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry and finished it the same day, bleary eyed, dehydrated and completely obsessed. 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. To say I almost combusted when I got this advanced copy is an understatement.

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. After finding this out her best friend, Malachai, tries to convince her to stay and spend the rest of spring break with him. When her sister runs away, Nikki is forced to go back and work with her mother to find her. A whirlwind of mother – daughter problems, romance and learning to love and be loved ensues.

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. Nikki’s relationship with her mother is turbulent and heartbreaking but ultimately healing. I love the way it was handled, with a clear message on what’s normal and healthy, and with the mom having reasons but not excuses.

A big part of Mal’s and Nikki’s friendship happens before this story and that sort of already established relationship is always tricky to pull off, but I thought it was done well. Without spoiling, there were bumps in the road with the way some reveals were done but I can’t complain as everything got addressed and wrapped up nicely.

Nikki’s background is completely different from Quinn’s and Monique’s, the protagonists of the other 2 novels, and I really enjoyed being able to compare them and appreciate the way Nikki was written. Goffney has such a grasp on the teenage psyche that’s so fun to read while having really clear character development and lessons that I’m envious of the target audience for being able to these books young.

Thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion