Overall, this was a light and fun read. I'd recommend it to people that are into the idea of a hockey romance and are searching for a soft MMCs.
Well. As a Canadian myself, I was pretty excited to read about Canadian characters since we aren't really represented in media all that much. However, in true American author fashion, the Canadian character ended up becoming a caricature of what it is to be Canadian. I mean there was the missues of the expression "eh" within the first two pages. We don't just throw eh around, it has a very specific use. Also, in all my life living all across Canada, I've never once heard someone call a couch a chesterfield. If it does happen, it's only the older generations (older than the boomers) that use it. Not really on par with a millennial Canadian.
I felt that Mike was quite bland overall. I appreciate that he was open and receptive to being told what he was doing wrong, and that he was open to going to therapy, but yeah... he was just a very bland man. I don't really have much to say about him.
I was a little apprehensive about a ballerina FMC after my first terrible experience with one *cough* The Cheat Sheet *cough*, and I'm still not fully sold. While Rory wasn't a raging misogynist (like Bree), she came across as shallow. The obsessing over a boy she met once at a mall as a teenager is a little creepy... the letters we sometimes got at the end of chapters rubbed me the wrong way. Also, from Mike's chapters, we are repeatedly told how quirky Rory is when she did pretty normal things, so, that was a little annoying. Also she's pissed that Mike has employed her and is offering her health insurance? Can Americans even afford to think like that??
I appreciate that there was a discussion about mental illness (anxiety, eating disorders, depression, PTSD), but it only really scratches the surface by briefly mentioning symptoms and going to therapy. I would have really appreciated it if Holiday delved a bit deeper.
And finally... a third-act break up? In 2024? Please.

What a cute, heartfelt romance. Now, this does deal with heavy topics, but reading this was like going to therapy and still left me with warm romance fuzzies.

Aurora, aka Rory, is a self proclaimed ‘failed’ ballerina who teaches classes at a studio where the toxic dance culture isn’t allowed in the door. After years of enduring that toxic culture and a mom who bought in to all of it, Aurora is starting to see the benefits of a different kind of life. While enduring those tough times, she created a fictional boyfriend based off of a short interaction with a real guy: Mike Martin.

Mike Martin is a recent widower (with a little of that Jude Law, widower in ‘The Holiday’ type energy) and he’s trying to navigate a new way of life with his daughter and his professional hockey career. He’s found it hard to trust others, especially after his wife’s death and the discovery of a secret she had been keeping. But he chooses to trust his daughter’s favorite dance teacher. Who just happens to be Aurora.

This was a beautiful story about overcoming obstacles and choosing the life you want instead of settling. Be ready for some feels though!

This wasn't my favourite. I wanted to love it - but it just fell a bit short for me, unfortunately. Thank you for the chance to read :)

I was in the mood for a rom-com and this book was perfect for my mood. I can honestly tell you I haven’t read a book with a hockey theme and in the past 6 months I’ve read 4! Who knew hockey romance was a thing? I’m not mad about it! Jenny Holiday books are a guaranteed read for me. They have great story lines, sizzling romance, lots of laughs, and picture perfect endings. If you’re looking for a light read I recommend any of Jenny’s books, but start with Canadian Boyfriend!

I really enjoyed this one but it’s definitely not a lighthearted romcom. It deals with some pretty heavy topics. Mike is a widow after his wife dies in a car accident, and Rory is dealing with anxiety and disorders from her upbringing as a dancer under the conditions her mother set upon her.
She was a loner in high school but made up a Canadian boyfriend to get out of things. The boyfriend was based off someone she actually met but never thought she would see again. However, fate had different plans.
Years later, he’s a professional hockey player and his daughter is one of her dance class students. Rory ends up pitching in to help with Olivia, leading up to her being a pseudo nanny. An organic relationship begins to bloom between Mike and Rory, but Mike doesn’t know how to deal with a relationship after the death of his wife. His excuse is Olivia, but really it’s also him. He’s lost someone too.
This story deals with overcoming grief, finding yourself, learning to be ok, cutting out toxic people, and understanding that people have different perceptions of you and not all are bad.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the read!

Fans of The Nanny by Laura Ferguson will adore Jenny Holiday's Canadian Boyfriend with a fake dating trope that is handled well, avoiding cliches and allowing the characters to create a genuine emotional connection. I love the realistic portrayal of single parenthood, humorous banter, and heartwarming moments. Jenny always hits it out of the park, and this one is no different. This might be my new favorite by her.

Tropes:
-Hockey Romance
-Friends to Lovers
-Single Dad
-Mental Health Rep

The publisher provided me an arc but purchased multiple copies for myself and my friends. I highly recommend this one.

A good book with good characters. This is definite fun read that is well written and has a well thought out plot.

Overall, this book had the potential to be a little more upbeat, positive, and energetic. But it just fell flat in a few areas. I did really enjoy both main characters as individuals but I struggled in the beginning to believe that they were both ready for romance or even a fling. I also felt like it was still so soon after Mike losing his wife to want to jump into something, even a fling. Even though he was in therapy and dealing with what he found out about his wife after she passed, parts of them getting together still felt emotionally immature. It was oddly too quick but combined with the extra slow pacing of the book, and I was just left waiting for more.
However, the balance of incorporating ballet and hockey into the story was great and incorporating the mental issues that can come with pressures of performing in life (sports or not) was interesting and something I think a lot of people deal with so I'm glad it was addressed. I could have done without the whole letter writing as a teenager storyline as a whole because I felt like it didn't really contribute much to the overall point of the story other than a weak third act breakup.
Average rating. The cover is cuter than the read for me, unfortunately.

This was a really cute and fun romance with a unique premise. Having a fake boyfriend in high school after meeting someone for one day and then them ending up in your life over a decade later? That is definitely the coincidences that fun romances are made of. I really enjoyed that this book not only dealt with love and it was super fun, but it also brought attention to mental health, grief and how important it is to take care of what you need and to not settle for less than that. I really saw a lot of character development in both Rory and Mike, and I appreciated how openly they both communicated with each other about their mental health struggles. I think this book really does a great job of highlighting what a healthy relationship should look like, and also how we can let our own insecurities or fears get in the way sometimes. I definitely recommend this to everyone who loves a fun romance, but also with some tackling of more complex issues like mental health and grief.

I received an advanced copy of Canadian Boyfriend for review. This is my opinion!

This review contains a VERY MILD spoiler after the ** below, so stop reading there if you are concerned!

I love this sort of romance where one of the characters is an athlete, but it falls just outside the realm of true sports romance. (This is perfect for readers who may not feel intimidated by the jargon and sheer volume of sports in a regular sports romance! A gateway, if you will.)

I love the premise of this, Rory having met Mike once as a teenager decides to make him her "Canadian Boyfriend" and as a former quiet, shy girl in high school, the "SO who lives far away" thing takes a little pressure off when all your friends are dating and you are not. SUPER relatable, for me anyway.

Seeing Rory and Mike progress from acquaintances to friends to more was a wonderful slow burn. Both of their backstories hurt my heart, and watching them grow through those and form their little family with Olivia and Earl9 was so sweet.


**Mild spoiler ahead - but if you read romance this will not be a surprise to you***

It's hard for me to wrap my head around Rory not telling Mike about the letters she wrote to "fake him" until they were in so deep. I know that if she had told him earlier, we wouldn't have the story we got, but I'm generally a blunt person, and like...I almost feel like it wouldn't have been that bad if she'd waited? Idk. Still, this was super cute, and I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley, Jenny Holiday, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the arc!

Having previously loved Jenny Holiday’s Matchmaker Bay Series, I was very excited to read Canadian Boyfriend. While there were some things I enjoyed, overall, it was just an okay read for me.

Trigger warnings: eating disorder (FMC past & in recovery), sudden death of a loved one, depression, panic attacks, verbal abuse from family member

The premise: While a teenager, competitive Ballet dancer Aurora Evans, invented an imaginary boyfriend to whom she wrote letters to. In her imagination, the boy she was writing to was a cute hockey player she met at work. Writing those letters helped her to navigate her difficult home life, undiagnosed eating disorder and lack of friends. Years later, she ends up meeting “the boy” she had been writing to as a widowed single dad of her student.

Things I liked:
• Chapter titles
• Dual POV
• Texting convos
• The beautiful cover
• Single Dad X Dance Teacher dynamic

Things I struggled with:
• The bulk of my problems are with the ending; it ended in a slow fizzle. The 3rd act break didn’t result in a grand gesture or sweet resolution.
• I would have liked to see an on-page conversation with Olivia at the end.
• The heaviness- while I enjoyed the mental health rep, it was a huge focus along with the sudden death of his wife and those complicated feelings, Rory’s eating disorder, panic attacks and the verbal abuse of her mother.
• Why did she never call him Mike? He was always Mike Martin. Towards the end, it started to drive me nuts.

Favorite quotes
“Kids aren’t responsibilities, or aren’t only responsibilities. They’re opportunities.”
“It’s funny how sometimes things that seem like they’re bad at the time end up making the best memories.”
“I’ve spent my whole life straining toward something without being able to really articulate what it is, only that I can never quite get there. But that night, I realized that it wasn’t a thing I was straining toward, it was a person. The person I’ve been straining toward is me.”

Thank you Forever Publishing for the early copy; all thoughts are my own.

In Jenny Holiday's poignant and uplifting novel, "Canadian Boyfriend," Aurora Evans, a former ballet dancer grappling with panic attacks and eating disorders, finds an unexpected connection with Mike Martin, a professional hockey player, who unknowingly played the role of her fake boyfriend during her teenage years. As they navigate their newfound friendship, Aurora must confront her past and insecurities to build a fulfilling life for herself. Aurora's journey begins with a chance encounter at a dance studio where she teaches children's classes. Mike, a widower, walks in with his young daughter, and their paths cross once again. Despite their initial hesitation, they form a bond based on shared vulnerability and resilience. Mike's honesty about his struggles with grief helps Aurora confront her own demons, and their friendship deepens. However, a secret looms over their connection. Aurora has been keeping the truth about their past acquaintance hidden from Mike. She fears that revealing her teenage deception will shatter the trust they have built. As Aurora grapples with her secret, she realizes that embracing her past and believing in herself are essential to achieving the life she desires. Throughout the story, Holiday delves into the complexities of human relationships, forgiveness, and self-acceptance. She portrays Aurora's struggles with mental health and eating disorders with sensitivity and empathy, highlighting the importance of seeking support and healing. Mike's character provides a counterpoint, demonstrating the power of vulnerability and the strength found in acknowledging one's pain. "Canadian Boyfriend" is a tale of transformation and self-discovery. It explores the themes of identity, self-worth, and the courage to face one's past. Through Aurora's journey, Holiday reminds readers that it is never too late to confront our demons and embrace the possibility of a fulfilling life. With its relatable characters and heartwarming narrative, "Canadian Boyfriend" is a compelling read that leaves readers uplifted and inspired.

I adored this book because it had all of the right components. I got this book as an ARC and I love the single dad vibe. This book was cute and sweet and made you fall in love with the characters and development of the story. I LOVE hockey romance so this was a sweet combination of all the things I like. For me, there were times where the book felt a little slow. Overall, it was a 4/5 read. Thank you for the opportunity and it's definitely worth a try!

Tropes:
SIngle Dad/ Daughter's coach
Sports Romance
Found Family

this was cute at first but it got old really quick. i officially hate the use of full names. i appreciated the heavier topics but it was not at all what i expected going into this. i eventually found myself skimming a lot due to boredom

This was such a cute book. I will say the only thing I didn’t like was the one looming question if it was him. Why didn’t she just ask once things got more comfortable. It seemed like there was more story than there needed to be

Once I heard Joshua Jackson was one of the narrators, I waited to grab the audiobook and he didn’t disappoint!

There were a few things I didn’t love but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this.

I really appreciated that we got both Mike and Aurora’s POVs. I wish she could’ve called him Mike instead of his full name every time. I thought the depiction of grief was well done. I love when books show characters in therapy and how it positively impacts them.

I liked how Aurora and Mike slowly developed a friendship through the care of his daughter Olivia. He mentioned her adoption papers at one point but it would’ve been nice to see that finalized.

I honestly thought the conflict could’ve been avoided. Yes she met him once and was writing a fictional version of him letters, but she had no idea who he really was or that he was a famous NHL player.

I did like how this was resolved and how they rebuilt their relationship. The proposal at the end was epic!

This was an interesting romance between a dance instructor and a hockey player. Aurora meets a Canadian hockey player briefly while working in a coffee shop. She immediately likes him and since she is so busy with dance and is a bit of a loner at school she devises a fake boyfriend. Everyone believes he is always too busy to attend any events with her and since he is only in her imagination this works perfectly for her. Years later she suddenly runs into the boy from the coffee shop. Now he is all grown up, playing in the NHL, and is a widower with a young daughter. They slowly embark on a tenuous romantic relationship. I enjoyed the writing and the Canadianisms. One term used repeatedly in the book was calling someone a hoser. This was a Canadian term used years ago but I haven’t really heard of anyone saying this in many years. The rest of the Canadian tidbits were humorous and fit well. The dialogue was good and the characters were likeable. I really wish the ending wouldn’t have been so rushed as I would have liked more details about their future etc. Overall a fun book! Looking forward to the next one!!

In this captivating read, the author masterfully weaves a narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking. Through a blend of richly developed characters and a meticulously crafted plot, the book offers a unique exploration of its central themes, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the story's depth and complexity. The narrative is paced perfectly, balancing moments of intense action with thoughtful reflection, ensuring that readers are hooked from the first page to the last. The author's ability to evoke emotion and create a vivid, immersive world is truly remarkable, making this book a must-read for anyone looking for an exceptional literary experience.

Beyond its compelling storyline, the book stands out for its insightful commentary on the human condition, weaving philosophical questions into the fabric of its narrative. The author's skillful use of language not only enriches the text but also elevates the reader's experience, offering new perspectives on familiar themes. Whether it's the intricate dynamics of relationships, the exploration of identity, or the confrontation with ethical dilemmas, this book tackles complex issues with sensitivity and intelligence. It's a testament to the power of storytelling to illuminate the nuances of life, making it a valuable addition to any book lover's collection. Regardless of genre, this is a work that resonates on multiple levels, affirming the enduring impact of well-crafted literature.

Growing up in the PNW means I know a few things about the Canadian Boyfriend. It might not have always been Canada; sometimes it was Oregon or Idaho, even California, but faking a boyfriend, for whatever reason, isn't new. So, when Aurora meets Mike Martin at the Mall of America, her Candian boyfriend is born. However, years later, and much to her surprise, her Candian boyfriend walks into her dance studio. What could go wrong?

I have always liked Jenny Holiday's writing. I don't know if I can pinpoint exactly why, but I always have a good time. I often find the characters relatable and real. I know it sounds horrible, but I like books where the characters work through upheaval, grief, or trauma, and trust me, Canadian Boyfriend is not without grief or trauma. These are the parts that I enjoyed most. The communication. The normalization of therapy. Honest discussions about grief. Meaningful discourse about emotional labor. The confrontation of those who hurt you. All of these things made me love this book.

However, two things stopped this from becoming a new favorite. One is a pet peeve of mine - authors who constantly refer to characters by their last names. I promise readers will remember who they are. If you are like me, be prepared because the phrase Mike Martin is constant. More so than any book I have ever read.

My other issue is one of the book world's most hated tropes. MISCOMMUNICATION! But, what I dislike even more is when the miscommunication, lies, or omissions are overblown. Or the character overreacts to said lie or omission, which is what happens here. I knew it was coming the whole time I was reading. It lowered my enjoyment of the book.

Trigger warnings: Off-page death of a spouse and emotional abuse by a parent.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Forever for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another case of “Don’t let the cartoonish cover fool you.” This is not just another smutty hockey romance, but a beautiful love story between two kind, thoughtful, and flawed characters, dance teacher Aurora (Rory) Evans and NHL defenseman Mike Martin. They first laid eyes on each other when Rory was a 16-year-old barista at Mall of America and Mike was a charming customer who caught her eye. Since her entire life was consumed with ballet (thanks to a pushy dance mom), she had no time to make friends and was ostracized in school. So, why not invent a Canadian boyfriend as an excuse to get out of school activities and to not feel so alone? She spends the remainder of her teens writing letters to Mike that serve as a diary of sorts. Little did she ever expect that, nine years later, he’d be the recently widowed father of one of her students.

Mike is struggling to adjust to new household routines and paternal commitments his late wife used to handle and to cope with his daughter Olivia’s grief and anger, so he turns to Rory as someone his daughter trusts to ask her to serve as a pseudo-nanny while he’s on the road. Since she’s in need of a new place to live (after a recent break-up), a car, and health insurance, she accepts his offer of the apartment in his basement. Over time and many honest and heartfelt conversations, their friendship evolves, especially since they support each other and see beyond the façades they present to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the emotional scars they both carry (her abusive Mom who has left her with an unhealthy obsession with food and a compulsive need to please others and him with the complicated grief over his wife and rocky relationship with his daughter) make their friends-with-benefits situation temporary and just for fun. When Rory finally confesses her teenage fantasy to Mike, will there be any hope of a future together?

There are so many aspects to Holiday’s lovely romance that I appreciate, including chosen family with Rory’s best friend and boss Gretchen and Mike’s teammate and wife, Ivan and Lauren, the main couple’s support and encouragement of each other, an enlightened book boyfriend, the positive portrayal of therapy, the perfect balance of humor and heartfelt conversations, just enough steam to keep it interesting, a dual POV, an epistolary element with her letters to her fake boyfriend and their texts when they first get to know each other as adults, and yes, hot hockey players! What can I say? I used to work for the NHL! Highly recommended!