| Title | : | Canadian Boyfriend |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1538724928 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781538724927 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 384 |
| Publication | : | First published January 30, 2024 |
The fake Canadian boyfriend. It's a thing. The get out of jail free card for all kinds of sticky social situations. “I can't go to prom; I'm going to be out of town visiting my boyfriend in Canada.” It's all over pop culture. But Aurora Evans did it first. Once upon a time she met a teenage hockey player at the Mall of America. He was from Canada. He was a boy. She may have fudged the “friend” part a little, but it wasn't like she was ever going to see him again. It wasn't like she hurt anyone. Until she did—years later—on both counts.
When pro hockey player and recent widower Mike Martin walks into the dance studio where Aurora Evans teaches, he's feeling overwhelmed with the fact that his wife may not have been exactly who he thought she was and the logistics of going back to work. As one of the few people his angry, heartbroken daughter connects with, Aurora agrees to be a pseudo nanny to help him navigate the upcoming school year and hockey season. To his surprise, she turns out to be the perfect balm for him as well. Aurora gets him. The real him underneath his pro jersey. And yet, he still finds himself holding back, unable to fully trust again—especially when he finds out the secret Aurora’s been hiding from him.
Canadian Boyfriend Reviews
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I think the best part about this book is not the fact that it's a contemporary or sports romance... What I like most about this book is that I connected with the heroine so much!! Rory is a lovely woman, and yet she doesn't have a ton of close friends just through life circumstances, and she learns to stand up for what she really wants in life!!
So often, we shape ourselves to what those around us want instead of what we really need, and that can be incredibly exhausting, leading us to feel lost. Canadian Boyfriend, although a really sweet, healthy-feeling romance.. didn't have that big third-act breakup feeling. It was just such an amazing exploration of mental health in the face of other's expectations.
**P.S. Our main man Mike? He's going to therapy and actually working through his major red flags in relationships.
↑↑ Update - Completed January 7th, 2024 ↑↑
I've been in a slump and will get back to reviewing/commenting ASAP! But this so far is really good, and I love the fact that I feel like they're genuinely friends!!
↑↑ Update - Started January 5th, 2024 ↑↑
**Thank you to Forever for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤
Find Me On Instagram 🦋 ||
More Bookish Thoughts & Reviews Here 🖤 -
4.5-5⭐️ When widower and pro hockey player Mike Martin brings his daughter to her dance class run by Aurora Evans, and sees his daughter’s connection to her, it sparks an idea. He offers her a quasi nanny roll in order to help soothe the stress his time on the road will cause. Soon, Mike realizes just how much of a balm Aurora is for him as well.
If ever I was guilty of judging a book by it’s cover and then getting it completely wrong, it was with this book. I have to admit, I saw the cover and thought cute smutty hockey book.
Then I heard Joshua Jackson co-narrated it, and immediately dropped everything to listen. And boy was I wrong with a capital W. This is the antithesis of the smutty hockey romance (not that I don’t enjoy those as well). This is the feel good book I didn’t realize I needed just at the moment I needed it. Minus two little issues I had (discussed below) this book is romcom perfection in every way. If there was a warm hug in book format, it’s this one.
I asked recently about what ingredients make a great book “recipe” and most of the elements can be found right here in Canadian Boyfriend. With the most adorable down-to-earth and lovably flawed MCs, found family vibes, an emotional component, therapy positivity, a ton of LOL moments and some steamy moments thrown in for good measure, Jenny Holiday has concocted the ideal romcom.
Let’s talk for a moment about what didn’t work as well. I am not the biggest fan of drama thrown in to create tension, and while I think it kind of works given the emotional baggage of these MC’s, I still could not fully understand why it created the impact it did. Thankfully it makes up such a small percentage of the story. There was also a repetition of the MMCs full name that drove me a little batty. I think though, if you can overlook those two elements like I did, you will find this to be a winner.
As I mentioned above, Joshua Jackson (with his glorious Canadian accent) co-narrates this duet, graphic style audio with Emily Ellet, and both add even more depth and emotion to this already emotionally rich story. I cannot recommend listening to the audio enough. Even better, grab the e-book or physical book to read with it. You know this is my favorite way to go for the best immersive experience.
Read if you like:
•hockey/ballet romance
•forced proximity
•friends to lovers
•overcoming grief
•therapy positivity
•found family
•feel good rom-coms
Thank you Hachette Audio for the gifted copy. -
This book was sweet, emotional, and full of so much healing. I adored both the leads as individuals, but together, they truly sparkled ✨
This book has:
• A sports romance with a ballerina heroine and a hockey player hero 🏒
• The hero is a single dad, and the heroine is his daughter's dance coach
• Forced proximity 👩❤️👨
• Found family trope 💕 (and yes, there is a dog included)
There were a few things that I did not enjoy about this book, starting with the heroine referring to the hero with his full name. It was cute at the start until she continued to use it even after they started their relationship, which felt odd to me. Beyond that, the whole conflict surrounding the letters felt forced. I didn’t think the letter reveal was a big deal, so the third-act breakup was unnecessary for me.
Thank you to Forever Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars -
Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday
Contemporary romance. Alternating first person POV.
Rory worked at a coffee shop as a teen in the Mall of America. One afternoon she met a boy. There was something in his eyes that sparked something within her. She didn’t see that boy again, but it was a pivotal moment for her. In her busy life, with too many rules and restrictions, she decided he was going to be her boyfriend if anyone at school asked and she was going to write him letters. They wouldn’t get mailed, of course. She only knew his name. And that he played hockey.
Many years later Mike Martin brings his daughter into her tap dance class and meets the teacher, Aurora Evans. His wife has passed away and the dance class was one of the things that Olivia wanted to continue. Rory thinks he may be the same person, but she needs to teach her class and help get him away from the other dance moms. After a ride home and shared ice cream with the three of them, their outings get to be a habit and soon Rory is acting as nanny. She needs to tell him they’ve met before but it’s not the right time yet. Cue the drama card.
Ok, sure there was some drama, and I hate that she didn’t tell him earlier. She had soooo many opportunities! But it’s a romance and we don’t want it to end before it gets going! The author handled the situation well with Mike’ Martin’s self analysis and I actually agreed in the end.
Family, children, and romance troupes, all favorites and this book was sweet, adorable and a pleasure to read. All the feels.
And not knowing much about dance, I learned a few new words such as Glissades.
A quirk I found interesting - she calls him Mike Martin through the entire book. Not Mike. Mike Martin. A Canadian thing? Or a Rory thing? I don’t know but it was kind of cute.
Reading guide included at the end
I received a copy of this from NetGalley. -
3.0 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and Forever( Grand Central Publishing) for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
TW: references to disordered eating and death of a spouse that happened in events before the start of this book.
I chose this book because it sounded like a fun rom-com premise. What if you make up an imaginary boyfriend and one day they really walk in? Add on to it the idea that it is a Canadian hockey boyfriend and ballet dancer type of romance and I was sold.
The chapters alternate as both protagonists, Aurora Evans and Mike Martin take the lead of telling us the story. It's a quirky coming together of two personalities. The romance was a bit so- so but I liked them as characters. I felt that the revealing of Aurora's "secret" came really late for it to be a big deal and Mike came across as immature in comparison to Aurora. This might be a couple that I would have to put on the short-time relationship status.
Publication Date 30/01/24
Goodreads Review 09/02/24
#CanadianBoyfriend #NetGalley -
probably one of the couples with the worst possible chemistry ever
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I really enjoyed this book. It's been a while since I read a sports (hockey) romance and probably wouldn't have picked it up for the hockey aspect only. I was intrigued by the ballet dancer heroine and hockey player hero couple.
This is not an easy romance, but it is hopeful. The hero recently lost his wife and is suddenly a single dad - the grief, OMG the grief was so deep and heart-breaking, especially from the point of view of his daughter.
With Aurora (Rory), we have the panic attacks, the eating disorder, the toxic parent - everything that nearly killed her physically and emotionally.
Their relationship started as tentative human contact, going through friendship and helping each other through tough times. I really appreciate the slow development of feelings, both Mike and Aurora were dealing with serious trauma and trying to rebuild their lives. So much emotion that I found relatable.
I liked the secondary characters, Mike's daughter who is 11, the same age as my own daughter, was brilliantly done.
There was just enough hockey and ballet/dancing without it taking the focus away from a very character-driven story. It is an inner-conflict type of romance despite the fact that she was working for him as a kind of nanny and living in his house.
What stood out for me in this story was the slow pace, allowing both Mike and Aurora time to heal (with the help of a lot of counselling), to move on with their lives. Their intimacy happened slowly, naturally, without grand proclamations and promises for forever. They both knew they had a lot of work ahead to try to be together as a couple and raise Mike's daughter together.
Now, on the second chance element of the romance. This really was the weakest element in the story for me. Without giving away too many spoilers, I would say I understand why she did what she did in the past and I think he overreacted. No lies is a fundamental element for any relationship, made even more sensitive if you have been lied to before but the situation with Aurora was different. And he already had come to understand better the actions of his dead wife. He was really too harsh, unnecessarily so.
They did clear things between them, and it was tender and romantic and the epilogue was just perfect. It would have been a 5-star read if not for Mike's reaction/harsh words in that particular situation.
CW: eating disorder, panic attacks, grief, loss of a wife/mother in a car accident,
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i wish her Canadian boyfriend WAS fake and the book just ended there
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Update, the next day:
[only slightly hysterical tongue in cheek confusion to follow]
EXCUSE YOU, Hachette Audio and Forever, how DARE you DECLINE my REQUEST on NETGALLEY. DID YOU NOT WANT MY GLOWING FIVE STAR REVIEW??? what part of Paceeeeeeyyyyyyy told you this would be a wasted ARC?? ALSO. You posted that ARC *FIVE* DAYS before the release date, and then you declined someone eager to read it???? WHAT IS HAPPENING.
Yesterday:
I'm sorry, Joshua Jackson narrates this audiobook WHAT.
Paceeeeeeeeeyyyyyyy. -
2 stars = it was okay!
It was indeed okay. I ended up skimming the last half as it was taking me forever to get through and I could not get myself interested in reading it daily.
I feel like it could have been edited down. I wasn't super interested in hearing about the specifics of the character's therapy sessions. Also, the fact Aurora called Mike 'Mike Martin' in her head, sort of got old. I guess I understand the reasoning – trying to separate him from the Mike she met in high school. But it just ended up getting old.
The story pacing was off for me, and the choices the author made in terms of what to detail and what not to. It spent time on things I think could have been summarized but then fast-forwarded through areas I think could have been fleshed out more.
Overall, an odd reading experience for me. I think this was a case of the book just not being a good fit for me.
I won a free early copy of this book. -
A ballerina fmc and a hockey player mmc?
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absolutely stellar audiobook narration couldn't save this lackluster romance that is heavy on the therapy, slowburn on the romance, and oddly paced. the "canadian boyfriend" plot contrivance naturally led to the "big misunderstanding" but mr. hockey man "i hate secrets" had plenty of his own? also, miss ballet is never called out on her "fake boyfriend" her entire life, even when she begins actually dating him? i dunno i dunno. this just wasn't for me.
i felt the grief from mr hockey and his daughter were nicely handled, but i just didn't buy the romance part, the inbalance in power between him paying for her entire life (car, rent, food, healthcare) but she's "not" the nanny didn't work.
not for b, sorry to the author.
joshua jackson and emily ellet could both read the phonebook to me though, great narrators. I still don't love the "duet" style of narration, especially when the female narrator does ALL of the female coded voices in the male narrator's POV chapter and vice versa. it hurts my head just typing all that out.
SPOILERS
(why skip the first kiss?! all that buildup, and it is skipped on page?! A weirdly fade to black first sex scene too that is then reminisced about?) -
I've always been a big Jenny Holiday fan and this latest book is by far one of my favorites! Set in Minnesota, this was a dual POV romance between Mike Martin, a Canadian pro hockey player, new widow and single dad and Aurora (Rory) Lake, a former professional ballerina turned dance instructor who teaches Mike's daughter, Olivia.
The two reconnect when Mike has to pick his daughter up not remembering they had met before. Slowly they become friends which eventually leads to Rory moving in with Mike and Olivia to help look after her while Mike is on the road.
Where this book really shines for me is the amazing mental health and therapy rep! Mike goes to therapy regularly to deal with depression and his grief and guilt over his wife's death and he also encourages (and helps pay) for Rory to start going. Rory for her part struggles with anxiety attacks and disordered eating, thanks to her emotionally abusive mother.
There's also a whole 'fake Canadian boyfriend' angle to the story that seemed more of a side plot than the main point wherein Rory first met Mike when she was in high school and he has no recollection of it in the present but she used him as her imaginary boyfriend and wrote him heartfelt dear diary-esque letters.
This back story really comes into play near the end when it becomes a big part of the third act break up (of which I wasn’t a huge fan but it definitely drove the plot forward).
Overall a solid read I enjoyed from start to finish and a definite MUST for audiobook fans as the narrators do a top notch job!! Jenny got sooo lucky having Joshua Jackson (aka Pacey) and Emily Ellet voice Mike and Rory!!
Highly recommended for fans of authors like Emily Henry, Elsie Silver or Abby Jimenez and especially those who loved or are looking forward to Tessa Bailey’s The au pair affair (another pro hockey single dad x nanny romance).
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!! I read this book in twice in both formats and it was just as good the second time around (if not better!!)
⚠️CW: disordered eating, toxic parental relationships, grief, depression, accidental death of a spouse
🔥Steam level: some open door scenes -
Fun Fact: My first love, a Canadian Boyfriend, was a hockey player. Cute right? :)
This book, where do I even begin? My first sports romance and it did not disappoint. Right off the get go I was a fan of Aurora, aka, Rory. There was a lot about her that I could relate to and felt a familiarity with. There were so many scenes where I wanted to reach into the book and hug her. I also thought Mike, the male MC was great. Extremely caring and selfless. A wonderful dad to his eleven year old daughter, Olivia.
Ultimately, the journey to self discovery and healing were beautiful. I really adored these characters. Extra points for the fact there was positive therapist representation and coping mechanisms. Love that!! Let's see more of that in books please.
Overall I recommend this book!
I look forward to reading Gretchen's story next year!
My thanks to Hachette Book Group Canada for this gifted copy.
Content Warnings: Eating Disorder/Grief/Anxiety/Panic Attacks, on page/Death Of Parent/Death Of Spouse/Strained Parental Relationship -
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
I enjoyed this book. Rory was a really great, complex, and relatable main character, and I really liked reading from her point of view. I also liked Mike's point of view, but I definitely liked hearing from Rory more to be honest. Rory's relationship with Liv was one of my favourite aspects of this book. I loved their dynamic, and I really just loved Olivia's character. The relationship between Rory and Mike was also well-written, and I really appreciated how this book was more than just a romance, with all that happened prior to where the book starts off.
There were some minor things that I didn't love about this book, like how the conflict at the end played out (I thought the MMC might have overreacted a bit, but I can see where he was coming from). I also thought it was a bit odd how Rory called Mike by his full name nearly every single time she referenced him ("Mike Martin" constantly, almost never just "Mike").
This book deals with some heavy themes, so definitely check trigger warnings before you read! The author does deal well with the heavier subjects, however, and I really enjoyed the mental illness representation in this book.
Overall, this book was pretty good, and I would for the most part recommend it :) -
A sweet romance between a new window/ professional hockey player and the dance instructor who teaches his daughter. I enjoyed the sports dynamics (ballet/hockey) and each characters individual growth. The audiobook is a MUST. Performed in a duet style narration with sound effects, I could not stop listening. The audio also bumped it a half star for me.
Read if you like:
-Single dad
-Friends to lovers
-Forced proximity
-Dancer FMC
-NHL player MMC
-MN references
-1 Last Shot Nikki Castle -
Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
I saw this cover and heard “ballerina + hockey player” and I was immediately sold. It was so much more than I could have imagined from the cute cover and tropes. I was particularly happy to read the therapy representation in this book and loved that it was a juicy, sexy, sweet romance paired with fully realized characters going through very real things in their life. I love a good frothy book but there’s just something a book that can give you both!
Synopsis:
“Once upon a time teenage Aurora Evans met a hockey player at the Mall of America. He was from Canada. And soon, he was the perfect fake boyfriend, a get-out-of-jail-free card for all kinds of sticky situations. I can't go to prom. I'm going to be visiting my boyfriend in Canada. He was just what she needed to cover her social awkwardness. He never had to know. It wasn't like she was ever going to see him again...Years later, Aurora is teaching kids’ dance classes and battling panic and eating disorders—souvenirs from her failed ballet career—when pro hockey player Mike Martin walks in with his daughter. Mike’s honesty about his struggles with widowhood helps Aurora confront some of her own demons, and the two forge an unlikely friendship. There’s just one problem: Mike is the boy she spent years pretending was her “Canadian boyfriend.”The longer she keeps her secret, the more she knows it will shatter the trust between them. But to have the life she wants, she needs to tackle the most important thing of all—believing in herself.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Internal Dialogue—I loved the individual journeys both Rory and Mike went on. The grief, dealing with parents, the self discovery, therapy representation, Rory’s disordered eating and relationship ballet were all so powerful in their quietness. It was a great example of two characters working through their own things and working through things together.
The Concept—I thought it was such a fun idea! I wish there had been a few more letters or maybe a few more flashbacks to young Rory and her letters.
The Setting—I’m a sucker for lakes! I don’t think I’ve read a lot of books set in Minnesota and I loved it. Plus I thought the Little House references were fun too. It made me want to watch the show!
What Didn’t Work For Me:
The 3rd Act Break Up—I kept looking at my reading percentage on my kindle, dreading when the 3rd act break up would happen. Now that I’m writing this, it’s not that I hated that it happened, it just felt like Mike’s reaction was really out of character. Still had a great time reading the book!
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Content Warnings:
Disordered eating, strained parent/child relationship, death of a spouse, grief, anxiety, panic attacks (on the page), death of a parent -
Whoever is in charge of getting Joshua Jackson to narrate this hockey romance novel is a genius.
A solid five stars for the audiobook production. Joshua Jackson narrates the male main character, Mike Martin, a recently widowed hockey player and does an excellent job. (While many of course love him as Pacey, Jackson will always be Charlie Conway to me, the Mighty Ducks hockey player I grew up with.) Emily Ellet is perfect as Aurora and I loved how this had both actors in conversation with one another instead of just performing their respective POV chapters. This format really had me hooked and worked to get me quite emotionally invested in this slow burn romance.
The story itself I would probably give somewhere between 4-4.5 stars. This was quite a heavy romance novel as it deals with a lot of challenging topics like death of a spouse, toxic maternal relationships, disordered eating, and grief. Overall, I really enjoyed the way the relationship developed between Mike Martin and Aurora and thought it felt realistic to the circumstances. Both characters go through a lot of personal growth over the course of over a year and I think Jenny Holiday, an author whose work I enjoy, excelled at depicting this. I do think that the inevitable “Canadian Boyfriend” reveal should have been handled differently based on how the characters understood each other but romance novels continue to need to throw that wrench into the third act. I also don’t know why he was always referred to as Mike Martin the whole time, but maybe that was to distinguish him from his fake counterpart?
I know that this complicated and challenging romance probably won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I really loved it and strongly recommend opting for the audio option.
Many thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for providing me with the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review. -
Canadian Boyfriend is the newest release from Jenny Holiday. I’ve read a handful of this author’s books in the past and thought this one would be a cute, romcom. But was surprised how this was more emotional/deeper and deals with grief and tough situations for the characters. She’s a former ballet dancer, he’s a hockey player, widower, and single father, she pretended he was her “Canadian boyfriend” for years as a teen, and now she’s his pseudo nanny/driver/caretaker for his daughter.
Aurora and Mike first meet when they’re teenagers, she works at the mall and he’s in town for hockey. He ends up making quite the impression on her, enough so for her to claim he’s her “Canadian boyfriend” for years to get out of social situations when she’s a teen. Cut to 13 years later and she sees her “Canadian boyfriend” again and starts working for him to help with his daughter, one of her dance students. Aurora is a former ballet dancer, who now works as a dance teacher and a barista. She’s his daughter’s dance teacher and he wants to hire her to drive his daughter to-and-from class since he’s about to start back up with hockey after losing his wife in a car accident.
I thought this one was just okay. It was heavier than I expected, which isn’t bad, it’s just worth noting since I feel like it was described more as a romcom beforehand. On top of the loss of a spouse/mother for his daughter, this also handles Aurora’s panic attacks, her eating disorder, and her complicated/toxic relationship with her mother. This book was just so long, and I didn’t think it needed to be. A lot of the plot felt dragged out and it was obvious what the conflict would be the whole time. I also couldn’t stand how she constantly refers to him as her “Canadian boyfriend” in the beginning and then uses his full name (first and last) over and over, anytime she thinks about him. Just felt odd. The conflict and letters leading to the 3rd act breakup wasn’t fun.
I received an audio ALC from Hachette Audio via NetGalley, all thoughts in this review are my own. This is a duet narration, which isn’t always my fav type of narration style (she reads all of the heroine’s parts, he reads all of the hero’s parts throughout the story). But it did grab my attention since actor Joshua Jackson was the hero’s narrator! Canadian Boyfriend is out January 30, 2024.
CW: disorder eating, death of a spouse, toxic mother-daughter relationship, panic attacks -
we should all be so lucky to find a single hockey dad to pleasure us under the northern lights. good for you, rory evans.
canadian boyfriend was a soulful tale overall, highlighting the journey that comes after loss and the healing time, and perhaps even a person, can offer. there was a lot of great therapy rep in this book, for each of the three main characters. that learning and discovery was vital, not only to the their own development but to mike and aurora's romance. while I was first skeptical of the time jumps included, the fact that the story took place over more than a year gave way to a strong foundation for a happy ending.
additionally, mike and olivia's dynamic added a nice complexity. now on the other side of their wife and mother's tragic death, there was a great struggle that occurred as they were tasked to redefine their family. eventually, thanks to valuable communication, their sweet bond was strengthened and enhanced by the addition of rory.
highly recommend the audiobook for this title. both narrators really nailed the emotion required as the late conflict evolved. all in all, canadian boyfriend made me smile and offered lots of warm feelings. -
An overall solid story about two people who become friends first and then lovers. It's nice but not my fave from Jenny holiday.
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2.5 stars (rounded up).
"Canadian Boyfriend" by Jenny Holiday is decent, but it solidifies that she is just not the author for me. I really wanted to enjoy this story, but a few things rubbed me the wrong way about it. First, I absolutely *loathed* that the main female character, Aurora, calls the main male character by his full name, Mike Martin, the entire book. God, it grated on my nerves so much!! I liked the backstories of these two characters, as well as the inclusion of mental health, healing, and therapy as running themes in the book. Unfortunately, I didn't really dig Aurora and Mike as a couple. The whole gist of Mike knowing Aurora has a hard time saying no to people and not wanting to owe people anything but then asking her to watch his kid for months at a time felt odd to me. Like, he knew she would be stuck in a position where she didn't feel like she could say no to him, and then he essentially transferred all of the "emotional labor" his dead wife was doing onto Aurora because "hockey is his blood" or some shit. I am unsure if anyone else will read this the same way, but Mike was really annoying to me. Yes, he/they both grow as people by the time the book is over, but for all his talk about therapy helping him, he does some things that are antithetical to anything therapy would teach you. Things get even more muddied between them when the physical part of their relationship begins. They are both clearly into one another and think that they can turn their s3xual attraction on and off, leading Aurora to, once again, be put at a disadvantage and at the crappy end of the stick where he wields all of the power over her. I *hated* the third-act break-up to the point where I almost didn't finish the book. *spoilers* Yes, Aurora should have mentioned the existence of her letters a long, long time before she does, basically when Mike said he hates liars she should have spoken up, but Mike blows the entire thing way out of proportion. His friends knew it, his daughter knew it, and his therapist knew it. I get that she lied, and I get that she should have told him, but his reaction was bonkers over-the-top! I do love how Aurora handles the awful situation with her mother. All in all, this was a mixed bag for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jenny Holiday, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review. -
DNF 19%
I think this book is cute and I appreciate how it tackles topics related to mental health, grief, and therapy. But I’m really uncomfortable with a few things related to the set up of the story and how the characters are acting in regards to those things. There’s nothing wrong with the plot it just feels a bit illogical and immature. I can see the third act conflict coming from a mile away. I probably could’ve enjoyed the romance and watching Rory form a close relationship with Olivia. But this already isn’t what I wanted it to be.
Also why does Rory refer to the love interest by his full name every. single. time? -
CBR16 Sweet Books: Exciting (Have wanted to read this since I heard about it)
4.5 stars (Will possibly be rounded up to five once I get a chance to think about it for a day or two). Full review to come.
This was an audio ARC from Netgalley. My opinions are my own.
When Aurora "Rory" Evans was a lonely teenager, she ran into a handsome Canadian hockey player while she was selling coffee at the Mall of America. She took his name and pretended to have an actual Canadian boyfriend, making her loneliness and ostracism seem more bearable, because even if she had been invited to things, she wouldn't have been able to come, since she was probably visiting her boyfriend, in Canada. And obviously, he couldn't come to school dances or her ballet recitals, living in Canada and all. To keep up the ruse, she also wrote her fictional boyfriend long letters, basically making them a sort of journal for some difficult years in her life.
Now an adult, having given up on ballet as it was making her sick, Aurora works as a dance teacher in a small town. She still struggles with her years of disordered eating, and occasionally gets panic attacks, but she's doing a lot better and enjoys teaching children the joys of dance. To her great surprise, the tragically widowed Mike Martin, whose daughter comes back to dance classes after some time away (what with the grief and the dead mum and soforth), is none other than the handsome young man she took as inspiration for her fake boyfriend. To her credit, it takes her a while to confirm to herself that the Mike she met as a teenager and this Mike are the same person, but even when she does, she doesn't tell him the truth about her teenage coping mechanism.
Mike loved his wife and is still dealing with a lot of emotions after her sudden death in a car accident. Olivia, Rory's dance student, is his step-daughter and while he's the only father she's ever known, he's had to fight his parents-in-law for custody, which hasn't exactly made the grieving process easier. It's clear that Olivia adores her father, but she's also a tween who lost her mother and is prone to tantrums and sudden outbursts. Dance classes with "Miss Rory" are one of her favourite things. Mike likes that Aurora doesn't fawn over him (unlike many of the dance mums) and he sees the easy rapport she has with Olivia, and when he discovers that Aurora is working multiple jobs to make ends meet, offers to hire her to be Olivia's sort-of nanny while he's off resuming his hockey career.
So the romance here takes a while to develop. Aurora is keeping the secret that she basically used Mike as a template for a fantasy boyfriend for a long time as a teenager, a truth that becomes more difficult to tell the longer she knows him and the closer they become. Mike is also Aurora's employer (she refuses to take a paycheck, but lives in his basement, has access to a car whenever she needs it, and gets health insurance) for a lot of the book, which certainly complicates the situation between them somewhat. Mike also feels like he can't date again until his daughter is older, possibly even until after she's old enough to move out. He doesn't feel like he can introduce a new woman into her life, in case they break up and she would have to deal with losing another person. When they do finally decide to become more than friends, they do address the employer/employee complication, so it's very much not a case of anyone being exploited or taken advantage of.
There's so much to like in this book. The close friendship between Aurora and her best friend (who owns the dance studio where she works). Mike has been in therapy since his wife died, and once Aurora gets health insurance, she can also afford to see a therapist. She has a long list of reasons as to why she needs to, beginning with the relationship with her very controlling mother, who still makes her feel guilty for giving up a career as a dancer, because of all the time and money her mother put into "supporting" her daughter. There's the disordered eating, which still creates problems for her occasionally, although I liked how she tried to get more comfortable with allowing herself sugary things and her anxiety. And after a while, it's actually her complicated feelings about her relationship with Mike.
By the way, notice how I keep calling the male protagonist simply Mike in my review? My major complaint about this book, the main reason I cannot give it five stars, even though I really enjoyed it and it did so many things well, is that consistently, throughout the entire book, up to and including the epilogue, Aurora calls Mike by his full name. He is Mike Martin EVERY single time she refers to him. I get it when they are still just acquaintances, and he's the father of one of the girls she teaches. But once she moves into his house to take care of his daughter? Once they actually start engaging in spicy recreational activities? Why? Who does that?
I do not call or think of my husband as Mark Patterson, he's just Mark. Possible exception if I have to fill out official paperwork or something, then I guess I'd use his full name. Why, Aurora? What is your deal? What is up with that? This strange quirk started bothering me about halfway through the book when I really started noticing it, and by the end of the book, I was annoyed enough that it made me want to scream. So no five stars for you, book.
It's been a while since I listened to an audio book with two narrators, but to me, this had an unusual audio format. I'm used to romance novels that have alternating POVs between the protagonists, and if the audiobook has two different narrators, they read the entire chapter from "their" character's POV. That is not the case here. Emily Ellet narrates the chapters where Aurora is the POV character and Joshua Jackson narrates Mike's. In all the chapters, Ellet does all the female voices and Jackson does all the male voices. So it becomes a sort of hybrid between a standard audio book and an audio drama. I really liked it. I've now come across another romance audio that did the same thing. If this is a new trend in dual-POV books in audio, whether romance or not, I'm a big fan. It makes the whole thing a lot more entertaining.
Both narrators for this are really good and make the story more engaging. Normally, I only listen to audiobooks when I'm going to and from work, or am out doing errands, or if I'm doing chores. Now, I kept finding excuses to listen more. I know there was a lot of excitement on social media because THE Joshua Jackson (of
Dawson's Creek and -
Only my second Jenny Holiday ever but won't be my last. This dived into darker topics than I expected it to and handled them wonderfully.
I had a lot of fun reading it and enjoyed seeing these two fall in love. Just a really cute and sweet story.
CN: grief, widower, eating disorders, parental abuse (verbal) -
było słodko i głupiutko, w przyjemny i lekki? podnoszący na duchu? sposób poruszono temat żałoby i zaburzeń odżywiania, co jest na plus. na minus: niektóre pomysły były bardzo naciągane, ale pchały fabule do przodu, najgorsza była „wielka” tajemnica, która mogłaby być zbyta lekkim żartem na samym początku książki. i końcówka BARDZO patetyczna.
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Rating: 4.5/5
Warnings: abusive parent, eating disorder, panic disorder, grief, death of a parent/spouse
Steam: 3/5
Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for access to this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Dear Aurora Lake and Mike Martin, I’m so glad you finally got your happy.
This book was such an amazing slow burn friends to lovers romance but really does lean into women’s fiction. This wasn’t a “quick and light” romance but a really beautiful story that feels hopeful.
I loved Aurora’s journey to self acceptance, navigating setting boundaries with her abusive mother and overcoming an ED. The author tackles these narratives with care.
There was so much amazing representation of therapy, grief, healing, found families and finding our sense of self.
Here’s my only negative take away: I don’t love how the conflict happens. Literally how it was written. I feel like it’s a wild conflict, but suits the story however it was written so abruptly and it felt like it was missing some lines. Did she lie? Yes but I think there was so much more nuance than that. Much like Mike’s therapist pointed out to him.
Anyways, very much suggest!! -
Thank you Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for this EARC in exchange for my honest review
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters and I love that it was a sports book. I really liked that it was ballet and hockey and you got to see both sides of different sports. It was a super easy read and I was wanting more. The only thing I didn't like was Aurora's "secret". I feel like there could have been more details to it. I feel like there needed to be more chapters about her childhood and how people reacted to this "fake boyfriend". Otherwise I really liked this book and would love to read more by this author -
eARC received for review from NetGalley
3.5/5 ⭐️ (rounded up to four)
*slight general plot spoiler warning*
I enjoyed the fact that Canadian Boyfriend was a quick and easy read but I do have to say that I was disappointed overall. Before I say more I do want to say that this was a well written book and being the second work I have read from Jenny Holiday I feel comfortable enough to say that, as an author, she is good at what she does.
What it comes down to is really that I did not feel like Aurora’s confession was that big of a deal. I wanted more backstory… maybe a few chapters where Young Aurora interacted with other youth so I could see how much impact on her life he had. I think if I had treated this like a lot of books I read and had just not read the synopsis, I would not have known how much Fake Boyfriend Mike meant to Young Aurora.
It is also my personal preference that the resolution does not happen in the last chapter because I do not like when epilogues feel thrown together like I am just being told “and they lived happily ever after”.
Thank you to Jenny Holiday, Forever, and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.
