Readers who are looking for a relationship novel with emotional intelligence will find themselves rewarded. This book has serious themes, but there’s also a serious reward in store.

Synopsis: Aurora is a professional ballerina who has always struggled to fit in and not be a “people pleaser.” She invented a fake boyfriend as a teenager, based on a hockey player she met at the coffee shop she worked. Mike, professional hockey player and dad who recently lost his wife to a tragic car accident. Mike’s daughter is in Auroras dance class and Mike is the hockey player Aurora based her fake boyfriend on years ago. They both have multiple issues to work through as they navigate their new situations in life. The book addresses eating disorders, bromances, default parenting, toxic families and so much more

The book exceeded my expectations. I was expecting a meet cute rom com novel but the book dives into so many issues that are often overlooked. The book is so much more than just a love story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It did seem at times that the underlying story was overshadowed because the author just had too many ideas. She wanted to tell so many aspects of her characters lives that it took away from the story. Also I wish that Aurora had slipped into conversation a few hints to Mike about their previous meeting. She struggled the whole book to tell him about their past but never really tried to trigger his memory of her. For example, when he comes back from his run in Canada and refers to himself in the 3rd person. She could have said the same joke from 13 years prior to see if it invoked any response.

Overall, I loved the story and look forward to more from the author.

Jenny Holiday is well-known as an author who excels at writing sweet and easy-to-read romance novels. So I was very excited to see that she has a new one releasing soon! "Canadian Boyfriend" is centered around Aurora ("Rory") and Mike. Rory is a former ballet dancer who now teaches dance to children at a small studio with her friend. Mike is a newly single dad (and famous hockey player) who is trying to recover after the tragic death of his wife. One day when Mike drops his daughter off at the dance studio, Rory is able to make him laugh for the first time in months. They tentatively develop a friendship which gets even deeper when Rory offers to help Mike with his daughter while he's on the road.

I enjoyed the slow burn between Mike and Rory and really enjoyed the side characters as well. However, the "obstacle" between the two was a little ridiculous and I don't understand why it was even a big deal. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Format: Ebook (ARC)
Pages: 384
Quotes added: 1
Total Reading Time: 6h 38m


Review:
This book is not what I expected it to be, and that is okay! It’s not that I didn’t like it, however it did feel like there was stuff missing as well as I just think that Mike really overreacted in the end. And I know his therapist helps him through it, but it was still really frustrating to watch him make such a colossal fuck up over what was going so well. I enjoyed the northern lights addition and loved that part of the story, however it just felt like the idea was great but it just didn’t live up to the hockey romances that I am used to.

There was a lot surrounding mental health in this story. Whether it’s the grief process of losing a loved one or an eating disorder and narcissistic mother. The characters in this book went to therapy and worked through the things they were going through in life. This books shows the characters working on themselves. And I really loved the portrayal of therapy and healing in this book!

There was one quote that I saved during the time it took to read this book and it was…
—— “Your suffering is your suffering and there’s no point in comparing it to anyone else’s.”

****
potential editorial things:
Location 1645 - Lauren’s name is spelled wrong!
Location 2849 - Two Ins in “in the moment”

NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing). I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Perfection!
OK, 99% perfection.

First, I don't know why Aurora kept referring to Mike using his first and last names. Mike Martin. Like he's Charlie Brown. In fact, there are a couple Charlie Brown references in the book, yet no explanation as to why she does that. Maybe it's an editing thing and will be fixed upon publication? Please? It happened throughout the entire book and got to be extremely annoying.

Second, there is a major....event, if you will?...between Mike and Olivia that is talked about just before she goes to visit her grandparents. And then it's dropped, never to be heard about again. I thought it was going to be a big deal, but nope, I guess not.

OK, other than those mini rants, perfection. Absolutely LOVED this story. Would give it more than 5 stars. The emotional growth that Olivia shows throughout the story is beautifully written. I loved the relationship between her and Olivia. And Mike? Add him to your book boyfriend list. "You already got me something. You got me everything." GAH. This guy! So many nuances to this character. I liked that you get to see his therapy sessions. It brought so much to the story.

I savored this book. I read fast and I read A LOT so it's unusual for me to go back and re-read a particular sentence or a paragraph or a page. But that happened many, many times here. I finished it with a big smile on my face, and your can't ask for more from a book than that. Do yourself a favor and grab this one.

I love Jenny holiday and as a Canadian I was so excited for this book, but what a let down. The story was cute but the execution was not there. It reads like an elementary student wrote it and I just could not overlook the simplicity of the vocabulary. Normally I enjoy easy reads but there was just something about this that irked me and didn’t have me wanting to continue.

I give this book 3.5 stars overall. It’s technically a rom com, but touches on lots of very serious themes that can take some emotional labor to get through. It could have been a touch shorter, but it was full of heartwarming moments and Canadian stereotypes that definitely kept me entertained.

TWs
Eating Disorders (ballet background)
Loss of spouse
Extensive discussions of birth control in a way that could definitely be triggering

Canadian Boyfriend might be my favorite book by Jenny Holiday ever. It is so good.

When Rory is a teenager and so very lonely, she meets Mike at a coffee shop for one minute. That encounter is enough for her to decide that he can be her imaginary Canadian Boyfriend. No date to a dance? Canadian Boyfriend. Don't want to go to something? Canadian Boyfriend. Her imaginary boyfriend helps her through some of the toughest times in her life and she gives up on writing letters to him when she makes some hard life choices. Until he is real....

This romance is so good. There's so much growth and honesty and swoony heat. I could not put this book down. I was hooked from the first chapter and am so thrilled that I got to read it early.

This book was such a unique story that it caught my interest right away! I wasn’t sure at first how I would like the fabricated boyfriend turned real guy showing up in real life years later concept but it was actually great! I liked that it wasn’t as crazy as it sounds, Jenny Holiday touches on some very real mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and experiencing grief. I think she handled each of these very sensitively and in a way that really opened the reader up to learning and also relating to these struggles.
The humour all throughout kept the book light and fun despite some of these really heavy topics. It was such a great balance and overall just a really unique and hilarious story!

I was gifted an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley and all opinions are my own,

Canadian Boyfriend is a really tender and heartfelt story about finding yourself and finding love amongst family trauma and the death of a loved one.

Aurora teaches pro-hockey player Mike Martin’s daughter Olivia dance classes. After driving Aurora home one day after teaching, Mike and Aurora start to form a friendship and ultimately a connection that is intertwined with the two of them being in Olivia’s life.

I want to be really clear that if you’re looking for a fluffy or steamy romance this book isn’t for you. It dives into a lot of heavy topics and discusses them at length.

I did like this book, but unfortunately I didn’t love this book. I found it dragged on too long in many parts and the largest conflict point fell flat for me.

If you’re a fan of Mariana Zapata but are looking for even more depth this book might be for you.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Forever for the arc! 3.5⭐️

This was my first Jenny Holiday read and it won’t be the last! The stars of the Canadian Boyfriend are a hotshot widowed dad and star hockey player and a ballerina. Highlighted throughout the book was mental health and a beautiful friends turned lovers story line. You won’t be able to put it down!

I love a good hockey romance and Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday did not disappoint! We meet Aurora when she is sixteen and working at a coffee shop in the Mall of America. She struggles with the pressure her mother puts on her to become a professional ballet dancer, and this leads her to be extremely lonely. When she meets Mike during one of her shifts at the coffee shop, she decides he’s the perfect person to use as an excuse to get out of future commitments. He’ll be her new “Canadian boyfriend”. The problem is…he doesn’t know it! There’s no harm in this little white lie because she’ll never see him again, right? Wrong! Thirteen years later, Aurora is working as a dance teacher and in walks Mike with his daughter. This is a big problem because Mike is the man she created a delusional relationship with all those years ago.

Canadian Boyfriend was truly an original romance that kept me on the edge of my seat. Aurora is a character I think a lot of young women can relate to. She may be unconventional, but we’ve all done crazy things, right? Mike is a new favorite MMC of mine! I loved everything about him and his relationship with his daughter. Aurora and Mike have chemistry from the very beginning, and it is sweet to watch him fall for Aurora. They help each other overcome their struggles and it is truly a beautiful, blossoming romance. If you’re looking for a hockey romance that’s so much more, I HIGHLY recommend Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday.

I enjoyed Canadian boyfriend, especially the characters. Aurora was learning to love ballet again and drawing boundaries. Mike was still grieving the death of his wife and figuring out how to move on without her. He was angry about something important his wife had lied about. Often in books this would have painted her as a bad woman, and formed the “excuse” of him falling in love with another woman who would be a “better” person. In this case, he slowly came to understand why she had lied. Similarly, when he found about a secret Aurora had kept from him, his initial reaction was anger and he cut her off completely. But when he started thinking about what things had been like for her, he began to understand her.
The story took place over the course of well over a year, which I really liked because it gave the characters time to grow and their romance to develop.

Canadian Boyfriend is a lovely contemporary romance and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

This book was okay. I enjoyed Olivia's character but hated how the fmc called the mmc by his entire name the whole book. It was irritating and made it difficult to read.

Single dad
Forced proximity
Found family
Soul mates



I wasn't expecting how much I'd enjoy this book. I couldn't put it down; the story had me hooked from the start.

Despite tackling some serious topics, it's a beautiful love story. I felt a rollercoaster of emotions while reading this book. I fell in love with the characters, and I have to say, I loved the positive therapy representation.

I totally recommend this book.

** "I'll post a more detailed review on my social media close to the release. **

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, for sending me this ARC

Adorably cute hockey romance. Reminded me a bit of Thin Ice and Icebreaker. I absolutely loveeeeeeeee the cover.

Very fun!

This was such a good read. Don't let the title fool or the cover fool you. Though this is a romance, it pulls some heavy, emotional punches. Both the FMC and the MMC are working through things that happened in their pasts. The best part was that they were working on it. There was no "and it magically got better or went away." The characters worked for it. The premise was a unique take on the "Canadian boyfriend/you wouldn't know him, he goes to a different school" idea.

Jenny Holiday always delivers a great book and this one was no exception. I plan to buy a paperback copy when this comes out.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this predictable, sweet romantic comedy novel.

This was such an unexpected surprise!

This was my first read by Jenny Holiday and it certainly won't be my last. First of all, I think that this book definitely leans more on the side of women's fiction rather than a romance. I loved the representation of ED's within the world of dance as well as anxiety and grief represented throughout the book.

As someone who has danced a majority of her life, I felt Aurora's journey as a past professional dancer was handled with grace and was highly relatable. I loved her journey of self acceptance and healing from her emotionally abusive mother.

The story started out kind of slow but definitely picked up as Aurora and Mike's friendship blossomed. The plot and third act breakup are pretty outlandish; however, it lends itself to a unique storyline.

The therapy representation and found family in this book truly make my heart so happy. It's incredibly normalized and really sets this book apart from others.

Overall, it's definitely an interesting read; however, make sure to check your trigger warnings and just know that it's a heavier women's fiction feel rather than a spicy romance.

Thank you Forever Publishing, Jenny Holiday, and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks for NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday covers a lot of intense, emotional topics and yet it was a lovely story. It deals with a lot of emotional situations but showed them with grace and kindness. I loved seeing Mike and Aurora heal themselves and support each other. The single dad trope has become a recent favorite and while the circumstances on this one was intense it was still an enjoyable story to read. I absolutely loved the emotional maturity of these two characters and loved Gretchen. I want her story ASAP!

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.