A Toy Story

by Hannah Murray

Grace reviews sex toys for a living — arguably the best job in town. Ben is her college sweetheart, all grown up and fine enough to convince any girl to leave the vibrator in the drawer. Ten years after their passionate relationship ended, they're finally back to being friends. But the spark is still there, and they both wonder — what if? When Grace gets a new assignment — turn her column for single gals into a column for couples — Ben oh-so generously offers to give her a hand with the research. And the hottest job ever just got a lot hotter. AUTHOR’S This is a reprint of a previously published book of the same title. It has been slightly edited, but the story has not been significantly changed.

Genres: Romance, Short Stories, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Novella, Erotica, Second Chance Romance

86 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2006

About the author

Hannah has been reading romance novels since she was young enough to have to hide them from her mother, and decided to try her hand at writing one when she realized the book she really wanted to read lived in her head. That was a dozen years and as many manuscripts ago, and there are still more stories to be told.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband—former Special Forces and an OR nurse who writes fantasy fiction, and acts as In House Expert for his wife on matters pertaining to weapons, tactics, the military, medical conditions and How Dudes Think—and their daughter, who takes after her father.

Hannah loves to hear from readers, and will answer questions here on Goodreads.

Reviews

[Dina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a funny, sweet and quick read, with charming characters - I especially liked Lou, Ben's sloppy dog - and a simple and straightforward plot. The love scenes weren't as steamy as I had expected considering the title and the premise of the book, but the story was entertaining and I "discovered" a new toy, a tongue vibrator. And Ben's reaction when Grace presented him with it was priceless: "What is that? It looks like a tiny silver hammer. I hope you're not going to play xylophone on my balls."

[vxhexn reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told in the third person this story took a minute to get into but once I did I enjoyed the way the author narrated the events around her.

Grace Newman is an advice columnist for a popular women's magazine and she specializes in sex toy reviews - yup she tests out vibrators, dildos, and lube for a living. So when the magazine takes on new leadership and her single woman's column turns into a couples column she is at a loss on how to proceed. As a proud single woman she's not looking for a relationship. As a writer who's gained followers off of her personal experiences she doesn't want to ruin that trust by outsourcing reviews. That means the only solution is to find someone to help test couples toys.

Ben Kettleman left Grace's life when he went to the other side of the country to pursue this dream of becoming a major league baseball scout. Now he's back home, living nearby. While he didn't necessarily regret the decision there is that 'girl who got away' vibe with his college sweetheart that he's more than willing to explore.

The rekindling of their romance is hot and heavy while showing that sometimes growth is necessary to find the person of your dreams. And letting go of past events can serve to everyone benefit when it comes to finding a happy ending. These two don't dwell on the past, they learn about each other in the present and explore their new dynamic as adults in a relationship.

I have to say the cutest things within the story though has to be Ben's pup Lou. BE WARNED there is a scare that happens with Lou and if you are affected by animals in stories, this one will momentarily give you a panic attack and cause tears - in the end every is okay!!



𝓋𝓍𝒽𝑒𝓍𝓃 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓈
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[Heather ~*dread mushrooms*~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

For some reason I thought this was Christmas-themed, but it is not. I blame this on the present on the cover, and my black and white Kindle screen. Anyway, that's why I chose to read it at this time. Also, it was free!

Well, I didn't actually find this very sexy. The sex scenes were fine, but they moved a little fast, and they just weren't my thing, I guess. Maybe my view was colored by the hero saying things were "a girl thing" like a dimwit. I also didn't like his brand of dirty talk: "Lovely and delectable, like a banquet laid out for me to feast on." And at one point his penis was "drooling pre-come." That doesn't give me a great visual. The heroine was obsessed with putting condoms on him with her mouth, and this is referred to as "a sensual tango."

I could have done without the frequent and repetitive scenes of the heroine and her friend analyzing the relationship. This is erotica after all, and it kind of ruined the flow for me. Also!! I really could have done without the hero's dog getting hit by a car and needing to be rushed to the vet (he survives). And the heroine grabbing the receptionist by the shirt, calling her a daffy bitch, and demanding to know the dog's whereabouts. Wtf? Am I supposed to find that charming somehow?

The book ends with a wedding, because of course. Also the whole sex toy thing is basically forgotten in the last third, which, given that the story opens with a lengthy explanation of how the heroine got started writing about sex toys, leaves it feeling unbalanced.

So, this one wasn't for me.

1.5 stars

[Mary Kirkland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben and Grace broke up 10 years earlier and are now good friends so when Grace is telling Ben about the new owner of the paper she works for changing her column from reviewing sex toys to reviewing couples sex toys, Ben has a helpful thought. He'll help her out with her sex toy reviews and they can rekindle their relationship.

Grace isn't sure this is a good idea but her other alternatives are to let other couple test the sex toys out or find some random guy to help her test the toys out. Neither of those options seem good to Grace so she considers Ben's offer. She still has feelings for Ben and they always got along so giving him another chance isn't the worst idea.

This was such a fun quick read. First, what a fun job to have. *giggles* When Ben and Grace get down to business and she pulls out the box of sex toys she's supposed to test out, it was like the little kid in him came out. It was fun to watch. This was definitely a quick, fun, sexy read.

[Leigh Kramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Serviceable second chance romance. I was really thrown off by the low moment Ben’s dog being hit by a car (off-page) and needed intensive surgery at the animal hospital. It was completely different in tone from the rest of the story and didn’t feel necessary, regardless of the dog recovering just fine.

Characters: Grace is a 32 year old white sex toy columnist. Ben is a 32 year old white scout for my beloved Chicago White Sox; he wears glasses. He has a Bernese mountain dog named Lou. This is set in Chicago.

Content notes: MMC’s pet dog hit by a car (off-page) and needs intensive surgery (recovers), FMC physically accosts animal hospital clerk for something that wasn’t her fault, on page sex, bondage, blindfold, sensation play, sex toys, alcohol, inebriation, vomit, toxic masculinity, gendered insults, gender essentialism, ableist language

[Leah M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short, fun, sexy story that I really enjoyed reading. I'm not sure why I waited so long to read it, although the cover picture made me think of Christmas, despite the fact that it didn't actually have anything to do with Christmas.

The main character is likable and fun, and she quickly earned my respect when she refused to write about products, even for couples, that she hadn't tried out on her own with a partner.

While the presence of her ex felt suspiciously convenient, I loved the connection that they had and the way it had taken a long time for them to get to that point. As a second-chance romance starting as a convenience hook-up, I enjoyed them, and the presence of Lou the dog was a winning combination - he was hands down my favorite character and quickly earned a place in my heart. There was actually a part where I cried during the novella, and it was because of Lou.

There were some short but hot sex scenes, and it definitely made me more curious about the toys that are discussed. In fact, I wish I knew of a magazine article that discussed these toys like the one that Grace writes, and it sounds like the most amazing job ever, but overall, this was a fun and quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Murray has cemented her place as one of my favorite authors.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really hot and cute, a second chance romance between Grace and Ben, who broke up 10 years ago after graduating from college and decide to hook up to help Grace write sex toy reviews for her job.

CW: Ben’s dog is seriously injured after being hit by a car but pulls through after a lengthy emergency surgery.

[OutofContextRomance · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
A charming premise, but a book that suffers from a lack of conflict. I wonder if perhaps the couple should not know each other before, or maybe if they should have had a more tumultuous breakup. I’m as uninterested in angst as any romance reader could ever be, but plots do need propulsion points.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish this had more character development, especially on Ben's end. He's been back in Grace's life for a year without ever making a move. It's not hard to understand Grace's confusion in his interest in her again.

[Louisa Vincenza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first story I’ve read by this author and I will definitely be looking into other stories by her!

A Toy Story might be short, but it’s a lot of fun!
The storyline is fun, the characters are fun, the dialogue is fun, and the bedroom scenes are fun!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expected sexy and fun; was surprised to find heartfelt and sentimental too. All of it is woven artfully into a fun and satisfying story of second chance love. Also, a messy but loveable dog.

[Meaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute! Teeny tiny fun fast read.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a real nice read. Sweet trying to go kinky. I liked both characters, they had a good chemistry - not only in bed - and kept me entertained while I read.

[Julz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hot quick read cute storyline.

[nurmawati · Rating 4 out of 5]

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