I'll admit it: the marketing sold me on this one, and the writing just didn't live up to the promise. That fun, vibrant cover and catchy title definitely caught my eye, and I was looking forward to a sexual tension-filled romance, likely a slow burn. Because that's what you expect from a romance where the heroine is on a man ban... right? Wrong. It's instalust for these two, complete with one of the more awkward meet cutes I've read, a sleazy hero, and chemistry that is mentioned (but wasn't there for me). While I liked elements of our hero, it was difficult to forget that he's slept with all of his co-workers, is married to his job, and is aggressively flirtatious. Plus... a few other things that would be spoilers to mention. Every time I started to get into the story, something off-putting would happen. So, while I liked some of the unique elements of this book, it really wasn't successful for me overall.

The story follows Harper and Manny, two people who meet at a wedding. After a bad breakup, Harper is on a self-imposed "man ban," but she can't seem to resist the handsome and flirtatious doctor she spars with at the wedding. Manny won't take no for an answer, because he's immediately smitten with Harper. This outgoing playboy has never wanted a relationship, but something about Harper makes him feel differently. What starts as simple flirtation quickly evolves into more, and it's not long before the two are falling hard and fast for one another.

I was really looking forward to the man ban part of the story, and it just... never happened. These two share their first kiss within minutes of meeting each other - though I'm still not sure if it was consensual. Manny is very aggressive in his pursuit, and some of his actions didn't sit right with me. Paired with the CONSTANT reminders of what a playboy he is, and I just couldn't find him compelling. Maybe that's why the "chemistry" was non-existent for me; I cringed a few times when it was mentioned. I also cringed at a few phrasings that felt problematic. That's disappointing, because I DID like the storyline involving Harper's autoimmune disease and her original reason for the man ban. Had this relationship developed at a more natural pace (with a more likable hero), I think that part of the story would've been the star. It's certainly unique and the most interesting part of the book. As it stands, this one just wasn't a win for me. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this sexy romance.

The best thing about a man ban: resetting life and expectations for yourself. The worst thing about a man ban: falling off the wagon. It’s inevitable, unless you’re heading for a life of abstinence, that following any dating ban you’re going to have to get back in the game at some point. How you go about it is what really counts.

In The Man Ban, Nicola Marsh lays out a solid plan for navigating a dating hiatus that’s full of puns and charm. Harper Ryland is mid-pivot in life when she meets Manny Gomes at her best friend Nishi’s elaborate Indian wedding in Melbourne. She’s strongly of the opinion that since he’s overly handsome and confident, he’s a player. She’s extra catty because launching her new food-stylist career with the event’s beautiful, elaborate food is making her anxious. Plus, Manny’s sex appeal battering her raw nerves is hitting all her worst insecurities.

But the more they get to know each other, the more Harper discovers her initial assumptions about Manny were wrong. He’s an ER doctor who works with her friend’s new husband, and there’s something about Manny that penetrates her self-imposed man ban safety net.

Serendipity strikes when Harper and Manny are in the same hotel in Auckland - he for a medical conference, she as the new food stylist for the luxury hotel chain. All her carefully laid plans are dissolving after her assistant for the photo shoot calls in sick, until Manny steps up to save the day as a stand-in.

He had an inherent ability to make her smile when she felt like crawling into a corner, curling into a ball, and rocking.

Manny’s a good guy. A good doctor. He makes quick decisions in the emergency room and tries to get a good read on people he meets. He’s close with his eighty-six-year-old grandmother Isadora, who goes by Izzy, and while she’s fully Team Manny, she is not supportive of interracial marriages. But Manny is more evolved than Izzy and doesn’t think twice about Harper’s not being Anglo-Indian. But he does think of her, nonstop. And he does step out of his comfort zone to help her just because he can.

Appearances carry a lot of weight in this story. Harper was diagnosed with vitiligo thirteen months earlier, and her beautiful mother wasn’t crazy about her ex-boyfriend because of his slouchy laziness. Harper’s whole career is based on the appearance of the food she’s styling. Manny’s grandmother is worried about appearances should he marry a woman of a different racial background. But rather than letting appearances control the outcomes, they drift to the background and become part of the conversation. Manny and Harper are adults, making their own decisions and charting their own paths. I love that the focus is on the two main characters, who have equal skin in the game and share equitable expectations. The dialogue is natural, the pace crisp, the characters a delight to watch grow. These are two adults who develop a friendship that blooms into a romance at the right speed. The Man Ban is the perfect light-hearted read to wrap up the summer.

~ Dolly R. Sickles

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent retailer
Visit our Amazon Storefront

Quick, light read. Marsh is keen to include lots of cultural details for her readers. This is another example of her taking an Anglo-Indian character (hero, in this case) and pairing them with a person outside their 'group' (white heroine, here, but who is fairly familiar with Indian culture thanks to her BFF since high school). So, if your patrons are foodies or enjoy these kinds of pairings, this can be a fun, easy read.
Manny is a carryover side character from "The Boy Toy" (aka "Dr. Dickhead) and Marsh gives him a redeeming story arc here and a woman to chase. There is an age gap between him and Harper, but it's not the obstacle, I guess since she is female and he's a 'confirmed' bachelor.
There is a feisty granny side character and a whole gaggle of paired off couples from the previous book to keep your head swimming (I thought I might need a diagram to keep it straight at first). The pacing is easy and keeps the reader engaged. Fun read!
Thanks for the ARC!

I absolutely adore the depth with which Nicola Marsh creates her creates. Both Harper and Manny were so well developed that I couldn't wait to follow their story and see how it ended. This book had an endearing cast of side characters that really helped solidify the story and characters! Can't wait to see what Nicola Marsh does next!
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

The Man Ban • Nicola Marsh
•
•
Harper has initiated a man ban since her last relationship ended in a horrible breakup, when she reviled her vitiligo diagnosis brought on by the stress from her parents’ separation. She instead has decided to follow her passion with food styling. While styling her biggest event, her best friend Nishi’s wedding, she is hoping for new customers and praises, but Best Man Manny criticizes her efforts. When they both find themselves in New Zealand shortly after, and Harper is in need of an assistant Manny offers to help. Will Manny’s chivalry lift Harper’s man ban? And if it does will Manny’s Indian grandmother approve of their interracial relationship, even if her only wish is for Manny to be married.
•
I really liked that Nicola was able to bring light to the autoimmune disease vitiligo, it was nice to see how a person would live with it and I was glad to learn more about it.
Now I didn’t read Boy Toy which is the first book in the series, but it is a standalone.
Overall I thought the book was ok, I didn’t feel like there was much a man ban for Harper as it seems fairly quick that Manny and her got together pretty quickly. There was a bunch of banter and innuendos between the two but which I typically enjoy but this book rushed into the relationship.
One thing that really didn’t make sense to me is Harper says Nishi is her best friend but she is barely in the book. If they truly were she would be a lot more involved. 🤷🏻‍♀️


Thank you to @NetGalley & @berkleyromance for the eARC in exchange for an honest review
#TheManBan #NetGalley

This has been a fun series. I love seeing snippets of other characters featured in other books. This was sweet and cute. An fun afternoon read.

I'm not sure if this was part of a series including The Boy Toy, but the main male is first introduced in The Boy Toy. It can be read as a standalone.
A quick, fun, steamyyy read that doesn't keep you waiting with the steam;)

Harper is on a man ban after a terrible break up and Manny is an ER doctor focused only on his job and grandma. Manny and Harper immediately had chemistry they both couldn't deny. When I mentioned earlier about not waiting for the steam, no slow burn here!

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Harper Ryland has been on a man ban for the past 12 months after her ex-boyfriend broke her heart. To top that up, her parents’ marriage of 35 years was on shaky ground. Because this, she has placed all her time and focus on her food stylist career instead. But it seemed like the universe has other plans for Harper. During her best friend’s wedding, she came across Manny Gomes, an Anglo-Indian doctor; to say the least, their first meeting didn’t go smoothly. But little did Harper know that it won’t be the last time that she'll bump into Manny.

This book is super cute and engaging! I got so invested in the story, that I finished this one in less than 4 hours! Manny and Harper are both amazing and relatable characters. I love how Manny made an effort to know more about Harper without forcing her to do so. The development in their romance feels genuine despite the fast-paced story. Their personalities suit each other; you can see it in their teasing and humorous banters. I also love the diversity in the story and how the book dived in deeper on the struggles that both characters are facing, especially about Harper’s Vitiligo and how it affects her self-esteem.

Overall, this is a sweet and quick read. I was very much satisfied on how things turned out in the story. If you’re into opposite attraction, enemies-to-lovers, romcom books, then this one is for you!

This story brings us hate-love vibes, flawed characters, chronic illness representation, and rich cultural knowledge.

I really enjoy the opportunity to learn from other cultures and other parts of the world. When you read about people that are different than you, sometimes you discover we aren't that different after all.

Manny and Harper are humanly flawed and that's more than okay. There are some scenes where you wonder where are their heads. Manny had some growing up to do and Harper had to let her parents be adults. Some dynamics I did not enjoy that much, but that falls into personal preference and that does not detract from this book. This is a quick, summery read that most readers will enjoy.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Nicola Marsh for providing me with an eARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

This was a cute read, I loved the beginning and their instant chemistry, as well as Harper's immediate reaction to a certain moment. I really enjoyed watching Harper and Manny's relationship unfold, though Harper especially bothered me so badly at times.

Harper and Manny were so alike in their initial thinking, her being on her "Man Ban" and him already declaring himself a lifelong bachelor, much to the digress of his grandmother. It was a great storyline that had me wanting to know how it all played out for them.

With all the food talk, I mean right out the gate, this book definitely made me hungry, so reader beware. This book mentioned so many dishes I was nearly salivating at parts.

Overall, I thought this was a cute, quick rom-com sort of read that's perfect for a vacation read or when that fluffy, cute romance mood strikes.

Sweet book. I love the sassy gran, always my fave side character. I also liked that the MCs were a bit older (30 and 40).

The book does a good job with the emotional damage from life and recovering from it through this new relationship. Although, I grow tired of the self doubt and lack of confidence do to physical things.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the arc.

This was such a quick enjoyable read. I really loved both of the main characters and their development throughout the story was nice to see. The less than perfect, emotional baggage, flawed selves felt real and relatable and was refreshing to read. The nice amount of steaminess made this a fun read. I have already recommended this to my book club!

Big thanks to Berkley Publishing for an advance e-ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Overall 3.5/5 stars
Rounded up to 4 because I enjoyed this book and was very much excited for it and couldn't put it down at times.

I honestly loved the premise of the book more than the execution of it. Harper and Manny were a cute couple and I loved these characters equally but the overall plot had a few hiccups (in my opinion). Sometimes the pacing felt weird and other times certain issues were resolved very easily and a bit unrealistically.

The story itself was very good and I found myself enjoying the book the more I got into it. This book was a bit heavier on the emotions than I would usually read but Marsh's writing had me invested the whole time.

This was cute... a bit of insta love which isn't usually my favorite (love a slow burn) but the excellent banter and writing kept me interested. I struggled with the ages and behavior of the characters not meshing. I like the personal info that the author added to her characters. I would recommend this to romance fans!

After a horrible break-up last year, Harper Ryland has been in a self-imposed man ban. That breakup, coupled with her parents' surprising separation, brought on a terrible case of vitiligo due to all the stress. She's decided to focus on growing her Food Styling business. Her best friend's wedding presents a perfect opportunity to showcase her work (and hopefully gain a few clients), that is until the best man Manish Gomes makes some very disparaging remarks about the food placement. Harper isn't one to let that kind of thing slide and embarrasses Manny in a very fitting way.

When Harper and Manny run into each other at a hotel in Auckland (she on a job, he at a conference), they continue to butt heads. When Manny helps Harper out of a sticky situation, they both realize that they work well together and they begrudgingly admit they like each other. Neither of them is looking for anything serious or permanent, but how do you keep things casual when you connect with someone on another level?

Manny was a standout character from the first book. I loved his humor and his friendship with Samira in [book:The Boy Toy|51631162]. I was very happy when we learned that Manny would get his own story. I liked the depth we got to his character. There's more to him than being the carefree good-looking doctor. But I still felt like he kind of play second fiddle to Harper (whom I don't remember if we met her in the previous book or not).

I really loved Harper right from the start. The moments seeing her determination and how she would stand up for herself, were some of the best. Within the banter between Harper and Manny you could see their spark and connection. I wished we had gotten the same strong-willed Harper when she was dealing with her parents. They pull her into the middle of their separation, then tell her it's none of her business what is going on between them. I understand feeling that divide between parent and child, but Harper is a grown woman. I don't think it helps that she hides her vitiligo condition from them when the stress of their separation contributed to the flare up in the first place.

Manny is also dealing with difficult family. His in the form of his grandmother Izzy who would love to see Manny married before she dies to a nice Indian woman despite Manny's strong stance that he never intends to marry. Izzy was a complicated character for me. I know why she wants to see Manny settled, but there was just something about how much she pushed that did not endear her to me.

At the center of everything though is Manny and Harper and I loved them together. These seemingly different people who wind up having more in common than they thought. The person who just gets you and makes you rethink your plans. The fact that it's ok to change those plans.

Overall, another good read from Nicola Marsh. I wouldn't mind getting another story in this same bookworld. Samira and Harper's friend Pia would be an interesting choice. Although most of her story with her husband happens off page. I think a prequel book would work nicely (hint hint please!)

The Man Ban is a fast and appealing romance story about finding someone, how to deal with denials, and it leads on understanding every sides of an individual. Thus, this is such a good and a fun read with an absolute chef’s kiss vibes. I was really into the wondrous flirty world of Harper and Manny. 

The perfect balance of laugh and seriousness in this book is so endless. The meet cute that leads them to their journey of being together is what I enjoyed the most. The dialogues are also quirky and so funny at the same time. Harper and Manny had the craziest flirtatious situations to sum up their hot and steamy moments. 

As such, this book don’t also just focus on romance, hence, it goes all along in deep understanding on each of the characters. Harper’s story in dealing her situation with vitiligo and her experience of parent’s heartbreaking moment was certainly sad.

The short chapter entries were really captivating and a real exploration to love. Manny had also been dealing with her worries about his grandma’s condition and with her request to be married.

Overall, I was immersed with how fascinating this cute idea and how engaging the writing style is. This book is my first read from Nicola Marsh’s and I love the experience in immersing her witty writing style. Surely, The Man Ban is definitely straight in my new romance faves this year.   
 
The Man Ban is a perfect combination of cute and humorous.   

(Massive thanks to PRH International for providing an eARC edition of this book my way.)

If I had a dollar for every time I heard, “Mixed-race marriages aren’t for you” my library would be significantly bigger.

The Man Ban features Manny, an Anglo-Indian from Australia who is content with playing the field and Harper, a headstrong female protagonist with a self-imposed “Man Ban.” To say I associated with Manny is an understatement, being an East Indian from the Caribbean, I know intimately the pressures of the expectations put on us by our elders.

Manny could be a literal male version of myself, and I swear I kept checking behind my back to see if the author is taking notes because the meddlesome grandmother intent on marriage to a suitable and appropriate partner is too familiar.

Speaking of meddlesome, Izzy is the quintessential Indian grandmother from the gossip grape-vine, penchant for cooking with too much Ghee and drinking tea on every occasion to her obsession with Indian soap operas it really felt like home.

Harper may come across as a tightly strung female protagonist who is content to work on herself and her business instead of pursuing guys but deep down, she carries deep mental scarring. Growing up with a mother obsessed with perfection means that when the first sight of vitiligo appears, Harper immediately feels less than adequate, a failure, and her self-esteem plummets. I enjoyed Harper’s growth from associating her self-worth with her appearance to a deeper understanding that true beauty comes from within.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read however the plot felt a bit monotone and I kept wanting something to differentiate this from the typical contemporary romances.

Harper is under a self imposed 12 month man ban. She has a growing career as a food stylist and a great gig at her best friends wedding. When the handsome Best man, Manny criticizes her job she gets her revenge, but what she doesn’t expect is to be attracted to him.
.
After a work crisis the last thing Harper expects is Manny to appear after a medical conference and help her. It seems like fate and quite frankly it is.
.
I loved these two together. This was a fun read I read on the he plane yesterday. Perfect for vacation!
.
Thank you @berkleypub and @netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

The Man Ban cover is certainly eye catching. Super cute beach read. Some laugh out loud moments. I loved Harpers character she’s snarky and sweet. I found it to be a sweet rom-com and found it so touching in the authors end note she also suffers from vitiligo and that she truly left a little piece of herself in Harper.

The Man Ban by Nicola Marsh is a hilarious romantic comedy about a woman who self imposes a “man ban” after her last relationship went up in flames leaving her completely disillusioned with the opposite gender (totally relatable!).

But when Harper Ryland meets Dr. Manny Gomes sparks immediately fly.. when he insults her food styling job and ends up with a face full of whip cream courtesy of our hilarious female lead.

When Harper gets in a jam after receiving the opportunity of a lifetime in food styling for an exclusive hotelier… who comes in to save the day? The handsome doctor who just so happened to be staying at the same hotel for a medical conference. But can these two stay away from each other when the chemistry between them is so obvious? And will Harper say to hell with her man ban and go for Manny? Well, you’ll just have to read to find out!