Eh. The use of his full name constantly was annoying. From Rory to Aurora. I had a hard time following along, relating to the characters and enjoyed the book.

I wanted too! I has high hopes and think it could be better for other readers. But it wasn’t for me

Sometimes, when things are rough in high school, you've just got to make up a Canadian boyfriend. Or Rory does at least. Based on the dreamboat hockey player who she serves coffee to at her mall job. But then, many years later, he shows up. All grown up and into her. Whoops.

She's a former-ballerina, current dance teacher and barista. He's a widower hockey star with a tween daughter who needs someone to help out. Things get complicated.

I liked a lot of things about this book. Jenny Holiday does a great job writing grief and complicated families. I liked the MCs and how they're both dealing with their issues, and growing as people. It's a serious book with a lot of serious themes - loss, anxiety, toxic family, eating disorders - but it's hopeful. It also takes place over many months (a year, maybe), so the characters have that chance to evolve in their relationship.

What I didn't really understand was the main conflict (Rory doesn't tell Mike Martin that she had a fake relationship with an imaginary version of teenage him for most of the book). It seems awkward, yeah, but not a super enormous deal? But it didn't put me off the story.

Definitely looking forward to the next book in this series!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a sweet romance between two people who are trying to heal. Aurora Evans (Rory) is a ballet teacher but growing up she was relentlessly pushed by her mother to excel leaving deep emotional ramifications. Mike is a professional hockey player and has become a single father after the death of his wife. When the two meet at Mike's daughter's ballet class, they form a tentative friendship. The story of these two as they support each other and heal is beautifully done. I liked their communication and openness about what their relationship was and what they wanted and needed from each other. I also appreciated the open discussion and use of therapy. The only part of the story that did not ring true was the conflict. It felt blown way out of proportion and it took me out of the story. Thankfully, this part of the story does not last long. Overall, this is a nice romance, with a lot of heart.

What a wonderful book! This was my first interaction with this author, and I will now read anything Jenny Holiday writes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 Stars!

I was excited for this story because I've been wanting to read more hockey romances. This story focuses on Aurora and Mike. While this is a romance, I would like to say that they truly had a friendship connection first. There are some deep obstacles they help each other with, and it was really nice to see the friendship side for it. Mike is struggling with the loss of his wife and Aurora struggles with dancing and an eating disorder. It was nice to see the representation of grief, anxiety, and a disorder in this story. However, I felt as though the third act breakup and miscommunication at the end came way too late and threw me off. While I really wanted a romance out of this, I felt it was minimal and I wanted to see more from Mike and Aurora. Overall, this was an okay read!

Canadian Boyfriend has:
- Single dad
- Anxiety rep
- Fake dating
- Sports romance
- Second chance

Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday is so much more than a hockey romance or rom-com with a ballerina. I so appreciated the content warnings at the beginning of the book which note the themes of spousal loss and eating disorders. I would add anxiety disorder/panic attacks as possibly triggering content as well.

This is a love story, yes, but it is also the story of three characters (Mike, Rory, and Olivia) who are dealing with the mental health fallout of their pasts. I absolutely loved how therapy was such a large part of the storyline, and especially for a "tough" male character. The character development in this book is top-notch. It was wonderful to see characters deal with issues that aren't easily or quickly solved and to illustrate how healing and recovery are in no way linear processes, nor do they occur in a vacuum. I will forever remember the term "emotional labor" and its definition within a marriage. Mike's complicated grief was well portrayed, as was Olivia's defiant behavior and the reasons behind it. Reading how these three characters helped each other navigate the conquering of their own personal demons was truly inspiring. On a much lighter note, I found Rory's use of Mike's first and last name every time she mentioned him to be completely endearing!

The plot premise of the fictional Canadian boyfriend was really clever, except...
(Spoiler alert:)
I found the reveal near the end to be frustrating; I found it unrealistic that Rory wouldn't offer even the simplest verbal or written preface when finally sharing with Mike. The letter format afterwards, however, was really beautiful and a very satisfying conclusion to that part of the storyline.

So excited to have gotten the opportunity to read this ARC by Jenny Holiday! If you like hockey player romance, single dad, or childhood crush tropes this is the book for you!

Jenny Holiday nailed the FMC, Aurora’s, inner dialogue in this book — it was witty and unique without being cringey.

Despite the flirty title and cover, though, this book eloquently explores serious topics such as grief, loss of a parent/spouse, and anxiety and eating disorders. While this book certainly has a swoon-worthy MMC in Mike Martin, if you’re looking for a lighthearted rom-com to comfort you, this may not be the right book or right time for you.

Favorite quote: “I’m not saying it was love at first sight, but I’m not saying it wasn’t” - Aurora Lake

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 teacher's Mike's daughter, Olivia.

The two meet when Mike has to pick his daughter up and strike up a slow friendship that eventually leads to Rory moving in with Mike and Olivia to help look after her while Mike is on the road. Where this book shines for me was 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 letters. It only really comes into play near the end when it becomes a big part of the third act break up.

Overall a solid read I enjoyed from start to finish. Highly recommended for fans of authors like Emily Henry, Elsie Silver or Abby Jimenez. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

Steam level: some open door scenes

This was a cute hockey romance that had main characters that were complex and dealt with a lot of their emotions and health throughout this book. I liked the relationship between Rory and Mike in the beginning. It was cute and you could tell they liked each other. Also who doesn’t like a hockey romance where she’s his kid’s ballet teacher. But then it felt like it took forever for them to admit their feelings and actually give it try. They had their reasons to not but I just wanted them to just give themselves a chance because obviously it would work. Beyond their relationship this book has had so much individual character growth. Both Rory and Mike are dealing with their own problems that they are able to work through and get better during this book. I loved seeing them each get better in their own ways.

Overall, this was a good hockey romance with great character growth!

Read if you like…
•hockey romance
•single dad
•ballet dancer fmc
•forced proximity

3.5 stars
This book started out strong. I was hooked and loving the former ballerina and hockey player. We have therapy, widowhood, daughter, nanny, a secret, and some fun heartfelt times. But as the book kept going I was wishing it would wrap up. Let's get them together already but I was only halfway. I forced myself to continue this book and endured to the end. *Phew Overall, a good romance but long.

This story was cute. I enjoyed the drawn-out time frame that allowed them both to heal and to help each other find their way through everything.

Good story, good characters, solid 4 star read.

Trigger warnings: death of spouse (prior to book, not on page), disordered eating, past emotional abuse by parent, discussions of bullying

3.5 stars

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It's a romance, that deals with some deeper issues. However, it seemed to leave some threads hanging loose, and the lack of resolution made it less enjoyable. How to put this without spoilers? Hmmm...well, there were some legal documents mentioned at one point, that were never discussed again. There were allusions to inlaw tensions, that also were left uncleared. And, in the end, the big reveal/complication seemed pretty uncomplicated. Much ado about nothing.

Would I read other books by this author? Sure! It was a perfect book for a relaxed weekend of reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever/Grand Central Publishing for this digital ARC in return for an honest review.

To be very honest, the main reason I picked this book up was because of the title… and the single dad trope 🤭 However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and these characters once I really got into the book!

First of all, what surprised me the most about this book was how deep it got and some of the subject matter that was discussed throughout the book! There’s so much trauma that both characters are going through, and I think the book does such a great job exploring their journeys, both with the struggles themselves and how it effects the way they act day to day! I also really appreciated the content warning at the beginning of the book as some of these topics, such as eating disorders and trauma caused by parents, which our FMC is overcoming, are very heavy and could be quite sensitive to some individuals.

Another big highlight of this book to me was Olivia. I loved watching her interact with our main characters and I found she really brought the whole story together. I loved seeing her relationship with both Aurora and Mike change, and I love how she played a central role in the book!

The romance in this was such a slow burn, which I absolutely loved and I thought it worked so well in the context of the book! The way these characters get to know each other and grow and learn to cope with their pasts together was amazing! The backstory for Aurora and her “Canadian boyfriend” was so much fun, and I loved when everything came together at the end of the book! There was a third act breakup, but I thought the resolution was quite sweet!

Overall, this was not a light and fluffy romance like I expected as it handled a lot of sensitive topics, but the way it was handle with the mix of the romance was perfect to me! This was such a great romance that I would highly recommend! There’s some areas where it felt a bit long, but overall, such a lovely book, and I loved all the little nods to Canada, such as Tim Hortons and hockey!

4⭐️

Thank you so much Jenny Holiday and Forever for an arc of this wonderful book! Out January 30th!

I originally picked this book because the main character is a dancer, which always catches my eye, since my daughter is a dancer and choreographer.

I was not disappointed. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised.

It's got a bit of the feeling of Sleepless in Seattle, with a hockey player dad and a ballet teacher love interest. I especially appreciated the second-hand embarrassment the writer drips into every moment of Rory's pov. Delightfully complicated.

And the dance teacher moments are spot on! (Thanks, daughter.)

"Dancing [is] a kind of freedom. It didn't matter if you were doing 'Waltz of the Flowers' in the corps de ballet of a professional company or over-the-top jumps with a roomful of tweens in suburban Minneapolis."

I loved watching Mike and Rory become friends! They both desperately needed a friend. They both had a lot of baggage that they were able to worth through with the help and encouragement of each other. Their individual story arcs were so good! The work and the growth they both showed was awesome!

Mike was heavily grieving his wife and the life he thought he was going to have. Even though he had found out things about his wife that changed things for him, he had still lost her, his daughter still lost her mother, it was still HEAVY and hard work. And Rory had a toxic relationship with her mother which created a disordered relationship with food and anxiety. She was also feeling very lost with her whole life. Rory was able to bridge the gap between Mike and Olivia a little bit which Olivia really needed! It was SO sweet watching Olivia flourish with Rory and then in turn with Mike.

I liked a lot about this book but somehow disliked or didn’t care about MORE of it. Like I hate that she KEPT calling him ‘Mike Martin’. It’s a really small thing, but it kept taking me out of the story because it was SILLY. And it does make her differentiate between the ‘current Mike’ and the ‘past Mike’ (but also is that EVEN WHY she does it even in the epilogue!?!?) even though literally we all know it’s the same Mike. Which brings to me to tha fact whole Canadian boyfriend thing felt out of place?? Even though that’s quite literally what the whole thing was based on?! And I didn’t actually care about the romance between Rory and Mike at all. I thought they were better as just friends??

I do kind of want to read the next book though??

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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.

Like most of the booktok girls, I've been in my hockey romance era. This one was cute but the main conflict was essentially that she invented a "fake" boyfriend in high school who was based on him? I don't know, I just feel like that was drawn out instead of the simple resolution of "haha we actually met once" and telling him a slightly less pathetic version of the story. It was painful to read the letters to her "boyfriend." The present day stuff, though, was sweet and cute. The love interest's daughter felt like more of a plot device than a character at times, but it didn't bother me much. If the characters weren't so likeable, I might be inclined to judge the book more harshly. Both characters were well rounded with robust backstories, which goes a long way these days.

It took me a couple of days to write this review. For most of the time I was reading Canadian Boyfriend, I was drawn in by the story and the characters. This is not a light romance. Rory, the FMC, quit her professional ballet career and is dealing with panic attacks and recovery from disordered eating. Her mother is a very toxic figure in her life with whom she is trying to forge new boundaries. Mike is a widower with his eleven year old stepdaughter, trying to move forward in building a life without the partner he expected to always be there. Mike is a professional hockey player who is originally from Canada. Our couple meet as Rory is Olivia’s tap teacher at the local dance school. However, they actually met many years before when Rory was in high school and working as a barista. Mike was nice and funny when she served him one day. She turned him into her fake “Canadian boyfriend” to deal with her anxiety with social relationships at school. She ended up writing him “letters” that were really more journal entries.

Rory does not tell Mike about this. He hires her as a part-time nanny for Olivia while he travels with his team. And the relationship grows from there. There is a lot of internal monologuing about anxiety, grief, loss, fear of loss and also of change. There is great mental health rep with both characters actively participating in therapy.

I was very touched by both of their stories, finding it hard at times to put down the book. I thought that this was going to be a five-star read for me, and then the late conflict hit. Mike’s reaction and actions felt so opposite to the evolution of his character. It felt manufactured in a way. They resolved it pretty quickly which led to a lovely ending. But that upset broke me out of the story and lessened the enjoyment. I still recommend Canadian Boyfriend for its kind and gentle handling of this story and these characters. The blip near the end is unfortunate.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), NetGalley and the author for the advance reader copy. All opinions are solely my own.

This book hooked me right from the start. Love the title, the cover, and the hook.

The book begins with a flashback to teenaged Aurora meeting a random guy in the coffee shop that she works at. She instantly has a crush and pretends that he is her new boyfriend. Flash forward to 29-year-old Aurora (or Rory) who may have just found her teenaged crush again.

The book started off strong. I liked the start of the character development and the backstory. I did feel that Mike was a little bit manipulative at the start for someone who apparently hates lying so much.

I lost interest about 40% in to the book. The on and off again hookups were frustrating and there was not a lot of growth. I also didn’t love that there was sooooooo much inner monologue. These two just needed to talk more and spend time together. I also didn’t love the widow storyline and honestly could have done without Olivia all together.

Overall, it was a good start but then it took on too many tropes and ideas. The conflict was juvenile and it didn’t completely give me the HEA that I wanted. 2.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for their ARC.

Overall super cute storyline! Loved their relationship and the single dad trope is one of my favorites :) Rory and Liv’s relationship was so sweet and I loved reading about it. Overall I enjoyed this book!

I had a few elements I didn’t love while reading, the main one being that Rory pretty much only refers to Mike as his full name and didn’t feel very natural to read.

I would recommend this book to a rom com loving friend!