I enjoyed this rom-com, which has a bit more depth than some others I’ve read.

In some ways it’s a typical story. Samira’s mother desperately wants to get her 37-year-old daughter married off to a successful Indian man, with grandchildren hopefully soon to follow. Having already agreed to a match arranged by her mother that ended in divorce, Samira isn’t looking to settle down. She’s not opposed to a fling, though, so when she meets an incredibly attractive guy named Rory in a bar, she gladly spends a VERY hot night with him. What was supposed to be a one-off becomes more, though, when she and Rory cross paths again. Samira may not be interested in anything long term, but fate may have other plans . . .

So far, so rom-com, but both Samira and Rory have issues that made the book more interesting for me. Samira’s marriage fell apart when she had difficulty becoming pregnant due to her very infrequent periods, something that may put motherhood out of reach for her, whatever her own mother wants. Rory has a severe stutter and has had years of speech therapy to make it possible for him to speak without stammering. He holds himself back from relationships because he’s afraid of the reactions of other people if he becomes comfortable enough to speak freely around them, without constantly guarding his speech. Rory’s struggle with speaking feels very real, probably because the author is writing from her own personal experience as someone who stutters.

The plot goes off the rails a little towards the end of the book, though. Samira lies to Rory and hurts him deeply. She does it thinking that it’s for his own good, but her dishonesty felt over the top. It didn’t really feel like it matched her character as described elsewhere in the story either.

I liked the rest of the novel, though, and I’d recommend it to rom-com fans.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

The Boy Toy was a quick, fun, incredibly sexy read! But this is a case where I wish the author’s note was at the beginning. Knowing the author shared so much not only with the heroine, Samira, but also with hero Rory added a lot of my understanding and appreciation of the book.

Half Indian, half American, Samira is 37, divorced, and childless, but a successful physical therapist, and she has returned to Australia for the first time since her father’s death five years ago to help out her cousin’s expanding medical practice.

Her mother is intent on finding her a nice Indian man to settle down with, but Samira has other plans—and his name is Rory, a smoking hot 27 year old Aussie. What starts at as a one night stand turns into two, and then three…

I didn’t love every aspect of the book—honestly Samira sometimes acted younger and more immature than Rory—but I will say that while age gap romances can sometimes veer into awkward, uncomfortable territory, this one was handled really, really well. I loved Rory’s maturity throughout the story.

Samira is back in Melbourne after running from a painful divorce a decade ago. She's helping her cousin and best friend Pia set up a new medical practice for six months, but is determined to fly back to LA after. There are too many sore feelings in Australia, especially those between her and her mother. But then she meets Chris Hemsworth-lookalike Rory in a bar one night and the two fall into bed together. Again and again ... and again. He's ten years younger than her and works as a stuntman in the Aussie film industry. He's also hiding the fact that he has a stutter, which is at the root of his cold relationship with his father. Can Samira and Rory put their pasts behind them and make this relationship work?

Whew! This steamy book was fun and had me craving Indian food. Marsh is as comprehensive in describing the delicious dishes Samira's mother prepares for her as she is writing the sexy scenes between Samira and Rory. I look forward to more from Marsh, including the sequel featuring Manny!

After a failed marriage Samira Broderick left Australia and started a succussful new life in LA. When her cousin needs her help in her clinic, Samira offers to come back for six months and pitch in. Being back in Australia after years away, Samira is happy to re-connect with her mother, Kushi, but doesn’t miss the busy bodies in her Indian community. Her mom is always trying to marry her off to a traditional Indian man, but Samira doesn’t want that again. She connects with Rory, an Australian stunt man and starts a secret relationship that’s just supposed to be fun. When feelings start to develop she wonders if she’ll be able to leave after her six months is up.

What about the above sounded interesting? I’m not sure except that I have really found novels that include Indian culture very interesting. Samira is of mixed heritage with a caucasian father and traditional Indian mother. Despite her father being against setting up her first marriage, Samira went along with her mother and married a man that she thought she fell in love with, but it fell apart. Scared of committing to anyone Samira has focused on her career and pushed love aside. When Rory saves her from an unwelcome pickup in a bar, they connect and have a sizzling attraction to each other. Thinking she’d keep this just as light-hearted as her other relationships she is surprised when Rory sneaks under her skin.

Rory was a big surprise. His description sets him up to be a good looking Aussie and not much else, but the author spent a lot of time giving him a back story. He has stuttered since childhood and his self-consciousness is the reason for his insecurity. Like Samira, he’s not looking for a serious relationship either because he’s afraid to pass along her stutter to a child. I think this is the first time I’ve read where stuttering is hereditary and I thought that was really interesting!

I liked these two characters a lot. The author did a good job of making them feel real. I also loved (again) the peak into Indian culture and Samira’s family dynamic. I’m not sure if I was Indian in a past life or what, but I love reading about this culture even in a romance novel. This was a fun novel with a bit of serious undertones. A nice solid romantic drama that ended well and left me feeling good about these characters and their happily ever after. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

4/5 🌟

The Boy Toy by Nicola Marsh was a really enjoyable read! The book features an older woman-younger man romance, which I really enjoyed. 💗 I'm not a huge fan of age-gap romances to be honest, but I'm warming up to them since I've read some pretty good ones recently. The Boy Toy has definitely become a favorite from this trope. The romance between Samira and Rory was to die for! I loved seeing them navigate throughout all the obstacles that they faced for building up their relationship ~ which in turn helped them grow as a couple.

I loved the South-Asian representation in the book! Brown-girl problems were perfectly reflected through Samira's character, and I related with her throughout the story. 💙 The mother-daughter dynamic between Samira and her.mom was really well-written as well.

The plot had a realistic touch through and through, specially with how Rory expressed the struggles he faced in life due to his speech problem.

I highly recommend reading The Boy Toy if you're looking for a romance with a unique set of characters! 💕

My goodness, this book frustrated me. I was excited for the chance to read something from an author who hadn’t yet graced my shelves, but I had a lot of trouble with these characters. and the way the tropes that were used played out from beginning to end. I couldn’t connect to Samira, and Rory felt like the frivolous plot device thrown in just for the sake of writing a book about an older woman and a younger man. None of their relationship felt genuine at all, and the fact that these two kept avoiding talking to each other, and she kept accepting it because she was all ‘woe is me I’m divorced nobody else will love me’ didn’t sit well with me at all.

The Boy Toy was an easy, entertaining romance between a woman in her mid-thirties, Samira. Her father is white and American while her mother and her side of the family is Indian. She feels a bit of pressure from them to marry and find a nice Indian boy. However, after marrying and divorcing one of those "nice Indian boys" she doesn't want to do the same mistake twice and she just wants to have a bit of fun right now.

Now comes in Rory, a younger man (about ten years difference) who's clearly happy to have a one-night-stand with a beautiful older woman. The thing is, he's about to seek professional help for his speech problems and dun dun dun, of course, he has an appointment with Samira.

Overall, I really liked the different rep in this book and like I said, this was pretty quick and easy to read and I enjoyed it.

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

The Boy Toy is the first book I’ve read by Nicola Marsh. Overall, I had mixed feelings about this book. I really liked the premise of this book and that it didn’t fit the standard checklist of traditional romance novels. The immersion of cultures, balancing traditional and modern values, strained relationships with parents felt refreshing and real. I liked seeing the older woman/younger man troupe and mention of Rory’s stutter. The first half of the book was intriguing, but once the second half took an unexpected turn which I won’t spoil, it went downhill from there. I was disappointed that the author kept focusing on Samira’s age in a negative light. Other than that, you may want to check this out if you’re a fan of romance books.

This was cute! I think I would have enjoyed it better had I not read a similar Trope just a month ago - when that twist happened, I lost interest a little bit. I would still recommend this to romance readers. I loved how the characters had to navigate some personal struggles throughout, such as Rory's stutter. I liked both of the characters and I thought they had good chemistry most of the book. I would definitely read another book by this author.

Cute adult romance where the adults act like adults instead of large children. This book had the makings of a soap opera, but because the characters were so grown into themselves, it worked. I appreciated have a diverse set of romantic leads.

If The Trouble with Hating You and Ties That Tether had a baby - it would be this book. And this is saying a lot because they were both 5 star reads for me!!

This sweet, steamy, and funny romcom incorporates my two least favorite tropes, yet I still REALLY enjoyed it! Marsh’s writing flowed so flow and once I started reading, I flew through the story!

As always, I love an independent, smart, professional heroine. I thought Rory was a great hero who had accomplished so much despite the challenges thrown at him in his life. I appreciated learning about the cultural references and challenges throughout and I especially loved Samira’s Mom. Marsh managed to weave in tough topics like infertility and stutter so well while still maintaining a light feel.

I adored Manny’s character and cannot wait for his book!!

A very cute and enjoyable read! I love seeing diversity in main characters and this definitely checked that box! I highly recommend it to those wanting a feel good or romcom.
It’s light hearted but also tackles some heavy topics dealing with family. It doesn’t weigh the book down though.

Samira is a successful physical therapist in L.A. but comes back to Australia for a few months to help her cousin Pia with her new business. When she meets Rory, a sexy stuntman who looks like he could be a Hemsworth brother, sparks fly instantly. What does Samira have to lose? She’s only back for a few months and a fling with Rory sounds perfect. But is Rory the perfect Boy Toy? Or are they bound to catch feelings?

Of course they catch feelings! I would’ve been sorely disappointed if they didn’t. Samira was married before and it ended horribly. Her Ex cheated on her, but her Indian network blamed her because she couldn’t give him a baby. She ran off to America and made a name for herself and had a few relationships that didn’t last. When she came back to Australia to help her cousin with her new business she didn’t expect to find herself in a relationship with a man ten years her junior.

Rory doesn’t care that Samira is ten years older than him. He finds her beautiful and easy to just be himself with. He’s even willing to face all of Samira’s judgmental “aunties” to be with her. But his insecurities with his stutter cause him to shy away from relationships and this is very new to him.

I enjoyed the switching points of view. It’s always nice to know what’s going on in both partners’ heads. That way you can just yell at them to get their crap together because they’re worrying for nothing. Samira was great, but I particularly liked Rory. And not just because the author likened him to Chris Hemsworth, but that sure didn’t hurt. But I liked that he was aware of his insecurities and was trying to overcome them; for himself, his relationship, and for a project that was dear to him.

I also like Samira’s relationship with her mother. They had to overcome some cultural hurdles and her mom constantly trying to marry her off to a good Indian man. But their relationship came out really great in the end.

Overall, this was a fun read. Nothing to shocking and a predictable happily ever after. It was just what I needed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for releasing this ARC to me in exchange for an honest review.

A fun, fast romance with fully developed grown-up which was a refreshing change in the adult romance genre. The characters were diverse, their relationship was sizzling and their banter was fun. The book is a quick read and romance fans will enjoy it.

So much love for this book! I love an older woman trope and The Boy Toy just did it for me! Steamy, witty, great banter...this book had it all!

Title: The Boy Toy
Author: Nicola Marsh
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"The Boy Toy" by Nicola Marsh

My Speculation:

What a delightful and enjoyable read "The Boy Toy" was that featured Samira and Rory. It was interesting how this author presented these two together with Rory being 10 years younger than Samira. Rory was Australian, with Samira being a biracial Indian-Australian. Now just saying that lets you know this will be some romance story [a cougar love story]. Be ready for a little bit of it all from 'steamy sex, drama, strong female, Aussie stuntman, angst, humor, Indian culture, foods, death, infertility, emotional, divorce to romance.' The heroine really stood out where we find her strong, and knowing what she wanted for her now, and she was back in her hometown of Melbourne, where she was divorced and back home after spending five years of living in L.A. In contrast, we find Rory had been raised by a strict father where they didn't connect well that put a strain on his life, especially since he had grown up without a Mom and had a problem with stuttering. We find that Samira and Rory both processed in that they both shared in their loss and struggled to find their happiness. What a read that turns out to be quite intriguing as we find these two meet up randomly in a bar where sparks will fly. If you are a fan of romance, I would definitely recommend "The Boy Toy" to you as a good read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Boy Toy by Nicola Marsh was a fun and steamy read about a woman who is ready to give up on love when the unexpected happened. When Samira was younger, she married the man that was expected of her and that just blew up. Not divorced and in her late thirties, the last thing she wants is to have her mother meddling in her love life again. When Samira has a one-night stand with a younger man, it seemed like just what she needed.

Now she finds herself working with Rory, her one-night stand who needs her help. There are so many reasons she needs to stay away from Rory in anything but a professional relationship, but the attraction is still there. Does she follow her family’s expectations or her own needs and wants? The Boy Toy by Nicola Marsh was fun, quick and charming read.

Happy reading!

I loved this romance, The Boy Toy by Nicola Marsh. At first, I was skeptical about this romance because I don't usually love the age gap romances, but I fell in love. I loved how mature Rory was and how even though he suffered from a stutter he was so well articulated. The characters overall were so beautifully well done and diverse. I love reading about different cultures and the way families interact. It was very interesting reading about the Indian culture and how the Aunties are still very stuck in their ways, and how Samira and Kushi dealt with them. I also loved how the best friend character in the romance was originally meant to be Samira's husband, and I loved seeing that supportive relationship throughout. It is always sad to read about women with fertility issues, and I think this book touched on the importance of how sensitive but also intense this topic can be especially in a marriage. I think if you like a diverse romance with the age gap trope you will love this book!

That was a fun, fast read. I think I would have loved it more if it wasn’t so fast in parts, but all in all I’m a fan. Rory and Samira had excellent chemistry and I loved seeing their story unfold. I really enjoyed how they met and how quickly they connected. They had a fantastic dynamic and would have loved for it to be explored for even more pages. All in all a really great read!

I did really enjoy the characters. They had great chemistry and were adorable together.
But at one point something happened that felt completely unnecessary. Like it was just there for plot advancement so that took me out of the story a little.

Otherwise I enjoyed it!