I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I didn't love this storyline and didn't feel the love connection between these two characters. The age gap was OK, but the family matters a little too much. Overall, it was an okay read, but I was hoping for more.

I know... I'm sorry... but I finally got around to this one with that never-ending TBR all of us readers seem to be fighting with!

This was a solid read, but not something that I regret not reading it sooner. The main couple was "fine" but I almost wonder what it would have been like if she had gone with the "arranged" couple instead... maybe that's just my love of the arranged marriage/of convenience trope speaking though!

This book tacked a lot of issues and was not just your typical romcom. It was not very steamy in the romance department. Cute read.

An unexpected booty call will force Rory to face his fears, confront his family and discover that the one thing he has been running from isn't the scariest thing in the world. Continuing to run from those fears would mean not living the life he was meant to and if he doesn't admit it to Samira he'll lose the one thing he can't live without.

When Samira has a fling with a much younger man she'll need to face the one thing she never thought she'd have, will she embrace it or run away?

A vibrant, refreshing story of a woman looking for love without family meddling, interrogation, unwanted advice and defying family expectations. This spicy, tender, culturally colorful and exciting blending of food, family, and an infusion of cultures is full of emotion and heart.

I received and advance reader copy for an honest and fair review.

This one made me think of How Stella Got Her Groove Back or The Idea of You in that the 37-year-old main character Samira Broderick has a one-night-stand with the younger than her Rory Radcliffe. Samira is avoiding her Indian family who would like to arrange a marriage for her and Rory is hiding his stutter, which will keep him from landing the role as a reality-show host.

In all honesty, this one was pretty slow for me and I almost did not finish. I didn't feel any connection to the characters or their story. I did push through to the end and know there are many readers out there who would find a lot ot enjoy here. It just wasn't for me.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one at all. I found it largely unbelievable and couldn't stand the characters. I'm giving it 1 star because I actually finished the book, but should have probably marked it a DNF.

This book was disappointing. I didn't really enjoy any of the characters and I felt like the romance was more just about sex. I didn't see a real spark.

This was such a fun read. Sam is a wonderfully written female who is finding her new place in life. Her culture shines in this book but doesn’t shy away from the harsher aspects. Rory is lovely and sweet and goes on a learning journey of himself as well. Their chemistry is very well done and romantic. Would recommend.

I chose this book purely for the cover, and this definitely did not disappoint. Not quite sure if this is a first purchase, but definitely a backlist bump

This was OK.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for my advanced copy of The Boy Toy.

What I Enjoyed-

*The Audio- I listened to The Boy Toy on audio via Libro Fm. This book was narrated by Shiloh Gray & Nathaniel Black. I love when romances have alternating POV's. It's very satisfying to get inside both characters heads.

*The Setting- Australia. It's a place I've always wanted to go.

*The Female Relationships- I was more invested in the relationship dynamics between the women in this book than I was the romance between Samira and Rory. I loved Pia. I loved reading about Samira mending the strained relationship with her mom.

Why This Book Lost Stars-

*The Romance- I didn't feel the chemistry. I actually would have preferred Samira end up with the guy her mom was trying to set her up with. I wasn't as invested as I wanted to be.

Overall- Still glad I finally picked this up. I'm open to reading more by this author.

When I first saw the cover and read the blurb for The Boy Toy by Nicola Marsh I assumed it would be a fun and flirty romantic comedy but the plot dealt with some serious topics, such as infertility and speech impediment.

I loved the rich Indian culture in the story and the age gap between the h/H. I felt like Samira and Rory had sexy chemistry but the romance between the two did not match their chemsitry and came off as lacking–at least in my opinion.

Overall, it wasn't a favorite but I do recommend it as I said the culture is rich in this novel.

Fans of Hallmark movies will get a kick out of Marsh's novel. Was very cutesy and adorable.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley. My review is my own.

Read but was not terribly memorable. I am clearing out the books published in 2020 from my "to review" shelf!

The Boy Toy was a cute, quick read! I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. The Indian culture is one I am absolutely fascinated by so I loved reading about that. The mentions of the foods kept me hungry!! Rory and Samira’s relationship was steamy and sweet, but I was really frustrated with their lack of communication towards the end. Glad it all got resolved in the end. 3.5 stars

I love the idea of a reverse May/December romance but I didn’t connect with the writing. The rhythm was awkward and disjointed and, mostly, I found many of the characters annoying and unlikable.

There were too many forced moments and very little romance that wasn’t just sex. It was the climactic break-up moment that pushed me completely out of it, though. It was just painfully bad.

AND the horrible texting! The abbreviated text-speak was so ridiculous that I had to take an IG Story poll, which agreed with my thoughts, 97% said they don’t text that way or haven’t since 2003. It was cringey.

Overall, there wasn’t enough for me to like in Boy Toy.

My favorite thing to do for backlist titles, is grab a copy from the library. I love a good deadline. I will admit that The Boy Toy wastes NO time getting to the 🔥🔥. I loved the discussion of some harder subjects like infertility, insecurities, judgment of others. Lots of instant lust. I wanted more friction and all problems seems to fizzle and settle quickly. However, I really loved some parts like Samira's Indian culture, Rory's want to help under privileged kids.

This was a great book! I love that it takes place in Australia and I love that she's Indian and her mom would hate it if she even dated someone who isn't Indian. I also love that they had a one night stand and it ends up they have to work together. I found this wonderful all around.

What an emotional and entertaining love story! Truly, there's a lot to love about this book, from the heroine (a 35+ successful, mixed race heroine) to the hero (20-something Australian stunt man with a stutter) to the food porn (the heroine's mother is constantly cooking Indian dishes and you better believe I had to order some Indian takeout after finishing this book).

My one issue is that the couple goes from one steamy hook-up to the next and I don't know if they spent enough time together in between for me to see them actually fall in love... But if you can look beyond that, I think you're in for a fun, multicultural romance.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was such a fun and fast-paced rom-com! I also really appreciated that the heroine is in her late 30's; in most rom-coms I've read, the protagonist is usually in her 20's or early 30's. Hence, it was great to read about a more mature character who's still figuring her life out!