A review by ashlightgrayson
Boy Toy by Sarina Bowen, Tanya Eby

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I don't usually gravitate towards age gap relationship romances in particular, but this one was a favorite. Love interests Liam and Sadie briefly know each other years before the story begins when she was his babysitter and he was a young teenager. The fact that Sadie knew him when he was underage would usually be a red flag for me if not for the fact that they haven't seen each other in 10+ years. It is clear based on their conversations about that time that Sadie only saw him as what he was at that time, a child. There clearly wasn't any inappropriate behavior on her part. Therefore, it's not as strange to me that they begin a sexual relationship now that he is almost 30 and their age gap is only about 5 years. Liam has always had a crush on Sadie, but a teenager having a crush on an adult isn't the most novel occurrence.  Additionally, Sadie and Liam are equals by the time they meet again, so the age gap itself is no longer problematic the way it definitely would have been when Liam was a child (that would indeed be pedophilia and grooming at that point). I think there is a lot of commentary within the story about the stigma within age gap relationships where a woman is older that I also appreciated. I think it's important to take context into consideration. Age gap relationships are not inherently bad, but it depends on the power dynamic, the age difference, the respective ages of both parties, etc.

Liam is also just immediately likeable. He's great with kids, selfless, and kind. He goes out of his way to support Sadie with her kids. Additionally, he is willing to sacrifice his time and energy for her without the expectation of a sexual or romantic relationship. Sadie and Liam also have similar priorities, such as putting the well-being of her children first. Liam is completely willing to go bat on Sadie's behalf. One of my favorite scenes in the book is Liam establishing boundaries with Sadie's ex-husband, Decker, in order to protect the well-being of her children. They are also both very good at respecting each other's boundaries within their romantic/sexual relationship. It makes sense that they would make such a great couple with how compatible they are. This has probably been my favorite out of the books in this series I have read so far. I'm looking forward to enjoying the next book in the series when I get a chance.
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