Jenny Holiday is one of my favorite authors, so I was thrilled to get approved for an ARC of Canadian Boyfriend. It’s a heavier read than I was expecting. The MMC, Mike, is a hockey player who’s a widower and single dad. His wife died in a car accident a year ago, and he and their 11-year-old daughter are still dealing with their grief. The FMC, Rory, is a dance instructor working on her recovery from an eating disorder. I was actually okay with the book not being as light as some of Holiday’s previous work. Where it fell apart for me was in the execution.

Canadian Boyfriend wasn’t bad, but since it’s by a favorite author, I think I held it to a higher standard. It just didn’t hit for me. It dragged in places, particularly with the romance plot, which seemed to take a backseat to everything else going on. This book felt less like a romance and more like a book about two people becoming friends, living together, and having sex sometimes while working through their issues. I wanted more lingering stares, more touches, more FEELINGS because that’s what I love in a romance novel. I felt like I only got a fraction of that here. We don’t even get a description of their first kiss because the scene ends abruptly as they lean in! A true “WTF” moment.

In addition to missing the chemistry and feelings I want in my romance, the book also doesn’t deliver on the premise of having a hockey player character. There really isn’t any hockey in it. I didn’t want or need a play-by-play of his games, but I would have enjoyed getting the same level of detail about his job that we get about the FMC’s job at a dance studio.

Also: what the heck is up with Rory constantly referring to Mike by his full name?! According to my Kindle, there are 281 instances of “Mike Martin” in this book. The repetition drove me out of my mind. It was weird that she never thought of him as just Mike. She even thinks of him as Mike Martin when they’re about to have sex for the first time.

Things I liked: the characters’ journeys in therapy; their backstories; Mike’s daughter, Olivia; and the Minnesota setting. I thought all of that was well done but didn’t make up for the issues I had. I wish I felt differently about this book, but unfortunately it was just okay for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Gosh, this one was so wonderful! I honestly can’t think of anything that I didn’t like about this one. One of the many things that I loved about this book was that the main characters were older. So they actually worked through their issues in an adult way. I really liked that there was an emphasis on mental health priorities. This really was such a great book!! I cannot wait for the follow up story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher (Grand Central Publishing), and Jenny Holiday for being able to read this one! I’ve loved past books by Ms. Holiday and this one was no exception!!

It's safe to say that "Canadian Boyfriend" might just be my favorite work by Jenny Holiday thus far. I devoured this book within 2 nights, and it aptly straddled the line between Women's Fiction and Romance. With a distinct blend of Literary Fiction, Romantic Drama, and Contemporary Romance, it offers a narrative that doesn't shy away from both lighter moments and weightier themes, which were handled with a delicacy that didn't compromise its romantic essence (check below for content warnings).

What truly resonated with me was the book's ability to strike a harmonious balance between personal character growth and the journey of love. The main characters, Mike and Aurora (not to forget Olivia), were instantly relatable, their emotions and responses feeling incredibly genuine. I found myself genuinely rooting for both of them, and the dual point of view allowed us to witness their individual struggles and personal journeys, as well as their path together.

I appreciated the insight into their process of working through life's challenges, traumas, and other issues. While these were integral to the story, the book managed to maintain a light-hearted quality, effectively portraying real-life issues and healthy coping mechanisms.

The book weaves together several enjoyable tropes and elements, such as sports romance, single parenting, forced proximity, and some delightful epistolary elements like journaling, texts, and letters.

In conclusion, I thoroughly relished this read, which not only entertained but also prompted deep contemplation. It's the kind of book that begs for discussion in a group setting due to the emotional yet realistic portrayal of certain events. The narrative unfolded in a way that left me both moved and content with its conclusion.

Ballet plus hockey equals MY FAVORITE. Mike and Aurora are adorable, I love their banter and the way they communicate. The mental rep is amazing and so well written!

Absolutely adored this book. So much in fact, that I found myself reading it again as soon as I had finished. The simple and sweet plot was deepened by the characters and their relationships (all kinds are represented - friendship, romance, family).

This book was a pretty fun read! I really liked how the grief, eating disorders, and mental health was talked about and handled. The characters were developed well and the romance was very cute!! It did move quickly towards the end but overall I had a good time reading this.

Slow burn romance? Check. Sports romance? Check. Canadian MC? Check check check!! As a Canadian myself, as soon as I seen 'Canadian boyfriend' in the blurb I knew I had to read and omggg am I ever glad I got an arc of this book because what a hidden gem!!

The plot, the characters, the complexities and emotions, all of it had my heart giddy. I was laughing out loud at parts and putting my hand over my heart at the sweetness of others. The growth in these characters both individually with their respective journeys, and together in their relationship was angsty and sweet and oh so good.

1000% recommend this book, and will be putting it up as a contender for a book club read with some fellow Canadian book besties who I know would absolutely love this book. Thank you so much NetGalley for the chance to read this early!!

I really struggled with Canadian Boyfriend; I wish the pacing had been a bit better, and that there was more hockey, but overall I think it was an easy read.

I hadn’t read a romance in quite awhile. This book was a welcome change from depressing novels I’d been reading recently. The main characters had more fully developed back stories than I usually see in romance novels. Congratulations to the author for incorporating main characters who saw therapists to help them overcome blocks to their happiness.

This book is not for me. It’s written in very simple and poor language. It’s often confusing, despite it being incredibly basic and boring. I appreciate the opportunity to review but this one just isn’t for me.

Teenage Aurora met a canadian hockey player at the mall of america and she uses him as an excuse to get out of anxiety inducing social situations.

Years later, while teaching a kids' dance class, she met the same hockey player again with his daughter. Mike has a lot of issues over his wife's death. They become friends and it becomes harder and harder for her to tell him about her lie.

A very romantic novel about two characters who have a lot of issues to overcome. They are very sweet together despite their tragic pasts. Love this book.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

** Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC **

The absolute speed at which I downloaded and devoured this book though…

Cute Canadian NHL player? Check
Twenty-something coming into her own and facing her demons? Check
Sweet HEA at the end? Check check!

The book was a sweet romance with some depth - tricky parental relationships, tricky food relationships, dealing with grief, and an awareness of the mental load that women balance every day. I loved the relationships between Rory and Mike and Olivia. And the back and forth narrative between Rory and Mike gave good insight into their thoughts/feelings throughout. I do wish that the bulk of the HEA didn’t feel so rushed at the end.

My only (minor) complaint is that Rory referred to Mike by his first and last name an annoying amount (and far more than he did the same for her).

#CanadianBoyfriend #NetGalley

I always love a good hockey romance! This story had a fun premise and I enjoyed the way it addressed more serious issues, like anxiety and ED. I’m a Minnesotan so I, of course, loved all the references. will definitely be ordering copies for my bookstore!

This book had me simultaneously holding my pearls and kicking my feet. It still has a chokehold on me and I can not believe that it does not come out until January because who am I supposed to talk about it with until then? I am going to be ordering it to my bookstore as well as making it one of our book club picks for February!

This romance novel, told in dual points of view, was an absolute delight. It was so freaking fun and cute, but was very much a slow-burn type of love story. Not only is it a sweet sorta second chance trope, but the characters are so vulnerable with plenty of heart that adds depth. It was definitely well-written, however, some of the storytelling felt clunky in parts and even like some context was missing in parts. Also, as adorable as the epilogue HEA was, it felt like it was moving a bit too fast for me.

CW: Eating disorder, Panic attacks/anxiety, Death of a spouse

This story checked so many boxes for me!
- slow burn
- rounded characters
- characters that evolve and grow during the story
- addresses serious issues (grief, eating disorders, abuse, fame)
This sports romance digs deep - and I love it! So much that this story will definitely be a reread!

Canadian Boyfriend is a cute and sexy romance about Aurora and Mike. Aurora is a ballet teacher. Mike is a hockey player.

Aurora's keeping a secret. She's met Mike before, as a teenager. She modeled her fake boyfriend after him!

I really enjoyed the story line and the characters!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a unique take on fake dating where Aurora creates a relationship with Mike in her mind, writing him letters, and telling people all about their "relationship" after meeting him while working in a coffee shop and having an instant attraction to him.
Fast forward a few years and they meet again. This time, Aurora is Mike's daughters dance teacher. The chemistry is still there but the timing isn't great as Mike's wife passed away 9 months ago.

There are quite a few heavy topics in this one: eating disorders, loss of a loved one (wife/mom) from a car accident

Overall I did enjoy this one and would recommend to others, however, a few parts did fall flat.

I love reading fake dating romance novels, but have never read one where part of the fake dating was a made-up boyfriend based. It was a really unique plot point to have Aurora make up a boyfriend based on someone she met as a teenager and then met later on in life again. I am also a huge fan of hockey romances, so the summary of this book was really intriguing to me.
I really enjoyed both characters in the main couple. They had me laughing when they would talk to each other, which made it a pleasant read. I also loved following along with Aurora's personal journey and see her being able to connect with ballet again in a way that was healthy for her. I can;t wait until this book is released so I can recommend it to my friends!

Canadian Boyfriend was a long read but a good one. Aurora is a professional ballet drop-out who is now teaching children's dance classes. She comes face to face with Mike Martin, the man she met as a teen and based a fake boyfriend on. Mike is reeling from the recent loss of his wife, and his daughter Olivia is struggling as well. Aurora is one of the only things that seems to make her happy, and Mike needs help with her care during his hectic professional hockey career, so Mike asks Aurora to be Olivia's nanny. Aurora reluctantly agrees, and the two form a friendship fairly quickly. Both of them have severe baggage, and Aurora is keeping a secret, but their attraction is undeniable.

This book deals with some heavy topics, like the death of a loved one, depression, and eating disorders, but it handles those topics with care; the emotions and plot points surrounding these topics seemed very believable. While this is a romance, the book isn't solely focused on that: there is a lot of healing from trauma that happens within the pages.