The Man Ban by Nicola Marsh is an enjoyable read where our heroine navigates the challenges of food styling, sexy escapades, an autoimmune disease and a multicultural relationship.

Food Stylist Harper Ryland has had a firm man ban in place for the last twelve months while she focuses on her career and avoids dating disasters after a nasty breakup.

Harper will make no exceptions not even for the sexy Anglo-Indian ER doctor Manny Gomes attending her best friends wedding where she is maid of honour and has styled the wedding food! Manny is the 'eternal bachelor' and when she seeks revenge on something he says at the wedding it makes for a rather awkward encounter.

When Harper’s allocated food assistant doesn’t turn up and calls in sick for her latest job at a luxe New Zealand hotel chain she unexpectedly runs into Manny who is there for a medical conference. Manny offers to assist and help her out and then the flirtation begins!

Harper has an autoimmune disease she hides from everyone and finds this challenging at times, it was heartbreaking to see the lengths she goes to keep this a secret from Manny.

I loved the food styling aspects of the story it was so interesting and the fun banter and chemistry between the lead characters makes for some steamy scenes. The setting in New Zealand added a wonderful holiday vibe.

A fast-flowing, engaging storyline, loveable characters and witty dialogue.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I sum this one as horny teenagers disguised as 40/30 year olds. This book is filled with sexual banter/innuendos from beginning to end. Don't get me wrong, I love good steam and I especially love banter but I need a little more substance than that. Also, the title of this book is called The Man Ban but that doesn't really happen in the story since Harper and Manny get together pretty quickly. I do like the interracial relationship and that the author incorporated elements of her own life into the story.

Overall, it's a quick book that's perfect for an afternoon at the beach/pool.

Harper Ryland is an Australian food stylist on a self-imposed man-ban after a horrible breakup with her live-in boyfriend, Collin. Manish Gomes is an Anglo-Indian ER doctor and a self-proclaimed bachelor-for-life. The two main characters meet at a mutual friend's wedding, where Manny unknowingly criticizes Harper's food styling. The chemistry between Harper and Manny is undeniable and while they are both highly committed to their jobs and anti-relationship stances, they can't help but pursue the attraction they feel.

The characters' backstories of trauma and loss have you rooting for their happy-ever-after as they make their way through drama and steam. Their quick and witty banter engages the reader. This was my first book by this author and it will not be my last!

Thank you to Berkely and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be available 7.27.21.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

The Man Ban is a fast, breezy read, perfect for summer. It’s fairly low-angst and lighthearted, and while I can’t say it made a particularly strong impression, it’s an enjoyable read to pass the time, at least at surface level.

One of the things that did stand out to me was the fact that Harper deals with vitiligo, and according to the author’s note, this comes from personal experience. I don’t know what it’s like to deal with this condition, but I like how it was detailed here. I did also like the exploration of her issues with dating after a breakup, leading her to swearing off it…then making caveats for her own satisfaction. I love seeing a jaded, unlucky-in-love heroine open up again…even if it takes a little time and effort.

Manny…I don’t know what to think of him. I apparently missed that he appeared as a secondary character in Nicola Marsh’s prior book, which I dandy read, and while this book stands alone perfectly fine, I can’t help but wonder if there was something there that would have helped or hurt his case in my eyes. He comes on super strong in terms of his hitting on Harper in their initial interactions, and the way that progressed into a romance despite Harper’s best intentions and the all-too-quick-proposal felt more like red flags than romantic. It doesn’t help that a segment of Romance Twitter had a conversation that colored my impressions of the book a bit due to how recently it occurred, so I could not help but see the same patterns repeated, from the demonstrative “love bombing” to the early proposal, and the romantic arc put in crisis over a pointlessly dramatic Third Act Breakup.

This book isn’t awful…I think this was partially a case of wrong timing for me, and I have grown tired of some of those elements to begin with. But if you like that more “traditional” romance arc setup, but with a strong heroine with an underrepresented autoimmune disease, it may work better for you.

A huge thank you to PRH International, Berkley Pub & NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had such a fun time reading this! I flew through most of the first half because of how engaging the writing was and how entertaining the main leads were!

I immediately fell in love with Harper and Manny and their story! They had the funniest meet cute which even led to an enemies to lovers romance that I enjoyed! They had amazing chemistry from the get go and their banter was just the best! I loved their flirting, puns and inside jokes and how well they complemented each other. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud and swoon simultaneously! Their feelings for each other was so genuine so I wasn’t surprised when the steam came in hard and fast (pun was very much intended!)

I also love them individually just as much! Harper’s story with her struggle with vitiligo and her parent’s separation was so heartbreaking as well as Manny’s worries in regards to his grandma’s condition and wishes and his great fear. I loved that alongside their love story for the ages, this also explored the heavier topics they both dealth with which made for heartwrenching conflicts.

The fact that this was set in Australia and New Zealand already made it so interesting to me! Then top that with cultural references to Manny’s Anglo-Indian heritage, I was so invested all throughout!

Overall, this was a fun, heartfelt and fast-paced read! It had that perfect mix of laugh out loud and oh so swoony moments, cry worthy conflicts and an entertaining cast. I highly recommend to romcom lovers!

I'm really not sure how I feel about this book.

It's interesting, because I haven't read The Boy Toy, where we first meet Manny, but out of people who have, the reaction seems to be "OMG I LOVED Manny in The Boy Toy, I was rooting for him to end up with the heroine!" or "I found Manny kind of creepy." Despite not having this original dose of Manny, I can see how both of these responses were elicited, as I feel somewhat the same about Manny in this book. Manny seems like an extremely polarizing character. He's confident, if not cocky, which is an oft-appreciated trait in romance heroes, but he's extremely forward. There's a line with forwardness, where on one side of it, it's sexy and alluring and on the other it's creepy and pushy, and I'm not quite sure where Manny falls. With the first two kisses in this book, I found the level of consent questionable, and I couldn't really tell if the heroine was into it. This quickly shifts thereafter, and these two leads are all over each other, and I totally support mutual forwardness. But there was just something about the beginning of this book that rubbed me the wrong way. I can see readers loving or hating Manny, and ultimately, how you feel about Manny will likely determine how you feel about this book.

My other issue was the sudden and way too soon proposal in this book. It's a plot point, and it's vital to the story, but I just didn't like it. I don't like rushed proposals, even as a plot device and not a HEA epilogue bow.

But as a whole, this book is not bad. If you like Manny, you'll probably find this book full of great chemistry and heat, with a strong heroine showing what it's like to live with an autoimmune disease and a really cool job (food styling).

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3 stars - 7/10

This was such an amazing book! This is about Harper who has been on a man ban until Manny belittles her work which now Harper wants revenge and Manny wants to have a little fun. I was super happy I have approved this book on NetGalley because once I read the summary, I knew this book was for me. I just enjoyed the writing style of the book as it was so smooth and could make a perfect rom-com movie. I was surprised that this book was taken place in Australia and New Zealand as I wasn’t expecting that but I opted to visit those countries and to learn more about it in this book. With the writing, everything was perfect it like the setting, plot structure, pacing, etc.

I absolutely loved the characters Harper and Manny and the story is told from both of their POVs. I loved how the author included in the story that Harper has vitiligo as in the story you can see her develop from her illness while working on a new career and falling in love. She was amazingly written alongside Manny who both developed a lot throughout the story. Manny was a character that you will instantly fall in love with and I enjoyed how he is such a caring person but lives in his bad dating reputation. Though I wish this book had more main side characters involved as there weren’t many and was mostly focused on Harper and Manny. The romance in this book is an enemies-to-lovers romance that involved some steamy scenes. I wish it was a tad steamier where things were heading as they only lasted about 1/2 to 1 page.

The ending was well done but I have to ask where was the epilogue?! I needed one for this book just to see what happened to them next! This book was beautifully written with great characters and funny dialogue plus some steamy scenes. There were some super minor problems but overall this was an amazingly written book. I recommend this book to fans of Lily Menon and Emily Henry.

DNF at 20%

This book has several things going on that made it not work for me. First, I have zero connection to the main characters. They both act way younger than they are and their "meet cute" was just odd and didn't make sense. The writing of this feels to juvenile for a book that I'm told has some steam. This is a pass for me.

This book starts off really well and then steadily declined for me. It would be hard for me to think of a more unlikable male lead than Manny.

Manny is a smooth-talking playboy who gets less likable as the book progresses. He badly deceives and uses the female lead, won't stand up for himself or his fiancé, and is generally a very weak character. His constant over-the-top smooth-talking made him feel slimy and disingenuous to me.

RANDOM PERSONAL IRK: Manny repeatedly refers to himself having a "boner" which just makes him seem like an immature 11 year old boy.

The major conflicts in this book will have the reader screaming, "Geez! Just TALK to each other!!" and, by the end, I truly felt that Harper would be much better off without this guy.

I know I may be in the minority with this review, but every single character in this book, even the side characters, were unlikable. Her parents, his grandmother, both of the leads...I didn't like any of them. Even Harper blames her parents and their relationship troubles for her auto-immune disease diagnosis and then just never tells them about her diagnosis for an entire year.

Others have really liked THE MAN BAN so you might love it too, but it was a major miss for me.

Such a good romance! I loved this one! I loved seeing different characters that were represented it was a really nice touch.

I LOVED this book! First of all, I always enjoy stand alone ‘series’ when it comes to romance, because I love getting to see a whole family or friend group find their happily ever after. And this one was so exception!

First of all, the writer banter and sexual tension was PERFECT! I enjoy a good slow burn every now and then, but I also love when the romance starts off hot and heavy and that’s exactly how The Man Ban went! Despite it being a very fun, witty, and steamy read, it didn’t lack in the heartfelt moments, making it all the better. I highly recommend this book to any RomCom lover!

First of all, Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC of The Man Bun by Nicola Marsh in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing Date: July 27, 2021.

I loved the first romance in this series called the Boy Toy, where we first met Manny who is the star of The Man Ban romance. Sometimes romance books are just better with series because of how the world and the friend group develop as the books go on.

The Man Ban is an older age romance, between Harper who was on a man ban and Manny who is a ER doctor in love with just his job and his grandmother. The adorable romance dove right in, no slow burn and torture here. Manny and Harper hit it off right away and ended up on a crazy flirtatious ride.

If you like a snarky, steamy romance that doesn’t torture you with a slow burn then this is the romance for you. Such a quick and fun read I will be continuing my journey of reading all of Nicola’s books.

The Man Ban starts off as an antagonistic not-exactly-meet-cute when Harper's food styling at her best friend's wedding is belittled by one of the groomsmen, Manish. When the two run into each other on respective work trips in New Zealand, Manny steps in for Harper's no show assistant at an important photo shoot, and this act of chivalry fans the flames of a vacation romance. Their love story is a complete whirlwind but not any less heartfelt for the frenetic pace. This is a romance strong on banter and brimming with sexual tension. However, it's the mutual respect and emphasis on consent that wins this reader over.

In terms of the characters, I really related to Harper struggling under the social pressure to have perfect skin. Diagnosed with vitiligo a year ago, Harper doesn't let others see her without a perfect mask of foundation on. Her ex broke up with her after seeing her fresh-faced for the first time. This adds some challenges to the burgeoning relationship with Manny as Harper looks for ways to maneuver him to only see her with her makeup on. I love when authors tap into very real beauty standard insecurities, and this is the first romance I've read that confronts skin issues. The visibility is much appreciated as a person who spent a decade in and out of dermatologists' offices, never going to even the groccery store or the gym without a full face of makeup on (ok, I didn't go to the gym that often, but you get the picture).

The other aspect of the story I enjoyed most was the emphasis on family. We have Harper's estranged parents who have put their only daughter in the middle of their mysterious dispute. Then, there's Manny's love for his grandmother, his only surviving family. As her health deteriorates, her demands for him to settle down and give up his womanizing only get more pointed.

While I'm definitely more a slowburn aficionado, The Man Ban reminds me that a fast-paced approach isn't lacking in heart. I look forward to reading more from this author in future. Thanks to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, out 7/27.

Harper Ryland has sworn off men after a devastating and cruel break up. For the past year she has concentrated only on building her career as a food stylist hoping to turn her work at a friend’s big Indian wedding into new prospects. As the maid of honor, she is doing double duty while trading glances with the handsome best man, Dr. Manish “Manny” Gomes. After he unknowingly insults her work, she gets her revenge with a whipped cream to his smug face attack.

Imagine Harper’s surprise when on her first big assignment in New Zealand, she runs into the dreaded Manny who is there for a medical conference. Manny is attracted to Harper in a way that his player lifestyle eschews. When Harper is about to lose this very important job, Manny volunteers to help her out. As they work together and then spend time touring the country, both relationship adverse Harper and Manny find they do not want things to end after they return home.

Manny is forty years old; he is a handsome Anglo-Indian doctor whom many Indian mothers have set their sights on as marriage material. His grandmother, Izzy, has been pressuring Manny as well and when a crisis erupts, Manny makes some less than well thought out decisions that seriously effect Harper. A trauma in Manny’s past is the reason for his behavior when it comes to woman and serial dating lifestyle; however, Manny’s choices at this point and excuses for his actions do not seem quite justifiable after so long a time.

Harper has issues with a health problem that she has been hiding from everyone including her parents, who are at odds, making her very reluctant to reveal the situation to anyone. When Manny gains her trust, she thinks maybe he is the one that will take care of her vulnerable heart. Manny needs to “man up,” and cut the constricting and irritating apron strings of his manipulative grandmother. It was a challenge to like Manny especially with his playboy persona and immaturity when it came to relationships as well as the way he treats Harper. I can’t say I am a fan of his scheming grandmother either even though she thinks her efforts are in Manny's best interest. It is not surprising Manny and Harper do not enjoy a smooth ride. There are certain biographical components of this story that speak to the author’s own health issues.

This is the type of book that as soon as you start you are sure to be friends with the hero and heroine and that is exactly how I felt Manny and Harper are just two of the most fun people you could meet, I do hope you read this one and enjoy it as much as I did.
Harper Ryland has put herself on a man ban she has good reasons for that, she is now focusing on building up her business of food styling she loves it and is full of enthusiasm and energy, she is doing the food styling for her best friend Nishi’s wedding, when she meets the best man Manny Gomes, their first meeting is not a good one and Harper is feeling like she is ready to kill him and lets her temper take over and she does something that makes her feel a little ashamed of.
Manny is a doctor head of an ER department and is the forever bachelor marrying is not something he plans on doing, loving can be hard when you end up losing the ones you love, there is just him and his beloved grandmother Izzy and he is happy with one night stands. But when he meets Harper at his best friend’s wedding she affects him like no other especially after her act of revenge.
This is a fun, witty and sensual story that takes in emotional issues, Manny and Harper are so suited to each other with their sense of humour and the spark that happens when they are together, Harper is sassy and strong and Manny OMG he is gorgeous a true hero with such a case of chivalry and so much love to give. I smiled the whole way through this one and can’t recommend it enough, I need to read The Toy Boy now I really fell for these smart and fabulous Aussie, Indian and Indian-Anglo characters Nicola Marsh has bought them to life, they are awesome.
My thanks to Netgalley and the author for my copy to read and review

Harper and Manny are different in a lot of aspects but somehow they work perfectly well together. Their development from enemies who couldn't stand each other to being friends who can rely on each other and unequivocally to being romantic partners was a beautiful thing to read. I got to see their complexities and how they combat these in their separate ways while growing together. Their banters also made the story more alive. I kept laughing whenever they argue over the littlest things.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for giving me early access to this book.

Harper has sworn off men and Manny, despite his grandmother's fondest wishes, isn't interested in marriage but when these two meet- pow! She's a food stylist who isn't happy at all when he makes fun of her creations. Now, though, they're both in New Zealand and the switch from home seems to lighten their relationship. There's good repartee as they move from being antagonists to friends to, well, lovers. I liked the cross cultural aspects of this and appreciated that Harper has vitiglio. I missed the first book but I don't think that was a problem at all- this was perfectly fine as a standalone. It's light, it's fun, you'll root for the characters. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A good beach read.

I was not prepared for how much I liked Harper and Manny in this book. They were older than I expected, which I love to see, and therefore a little more settled in their life and they came together with their own insecurities. They made some mistakes together but ultimately were willing to hear each other out. My least favorite thing to read is when characters lie to each other because it's easier and everytime they didn't do that I was so thrilled. They definitely didn't tell each other everything, but their banter and quips were so fun and flirty.

When Harper meets Manny at her best friend’s wedding, she is the midst of a self-imposed man ban. It is easy for Harper to dismiss the handsome doctor because he accidentally belittles her work as a food stylist. A week later Harper runs into Manny in New Zealand (a whole country away from their home in Australia), and he steps in to be her assistant at an important job. Manny isn’t looking for anything serious (despite his grandmother Izzy pushing him to get married), so Harper’s rules about relationships don’t scare him. When he changes his mind and wants more, will Harper make an exception to her man ban?

I thought this was a fun read - I enjoyed The Boy Toy when I read it earlier this year. I love the nods to Manny’s Anglo-Indian heritage, and Harper’s family drama added to the story. Put this on your TBR.

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkley for my ARC! The Man Ban is out July 27, 2021! (I recommend the audiobook version because I’d be money the accents are super fun.)

It was a really cute story, with a few unpredictable parts. It was an easy read and I liked the setting and I really liked the vibes!