I’d been looking forward to this book since I saw it announced on Instagram. I thought the concept was really cute. The book played out a bit differently than I assumed it would, but that wasn’t a bad thing. Aurora and Mike were really cute together, and I loved her bond with Olivia as well. The book does delve into some heavy topics though, just as a small warning.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

ilove a good hockey romance. Mike and Rory are super cute. I feel like the first part of the book moved so fast and the last 130 pages are little slow.
Epilogue was perfect!
over all this was super cute!

"Canadian Boyfriend" by Jenny Holiday presents a heartwarming and relatable tale of second chances, personal growth, and the intricacies of human relationships. Aurora and Mike's story is poised to be a rollercoaster of emotions, making this novel an appealing read for those who enjoy contemporary romance with a touch of realism.

The story's foundation, a chance encounter with a Canadian boyfriend at the Mall of America, sets the stage for a unique premise. Aurora's reliance on a fabricated relationship to cope with her social awkwardness adds an intriguing layer of complexity to her character. Readers can expect to journey alongside her as she confronts her past and her insecurities.

The elements of dance, hockey, and the juxtaposition of their worlds offer a diverse backdrop that promises to add depth and authenticity to the characters and their interactions. The dance and hockey settings provide opportunities for growth, healing, and shared experiences that should make the story engaging.

Aurora's personal struggles with panic and eating disorders, combined with Mike's candidness about his widowhood, suggest that "Canadian Boyfriend" will delve into challenging, real-life issues. The portrayal of these sensitive topics, along with the characters' personal journeys, could create a poignant and thought-provoking narrative.

The premise of Aurora's secret past with Mike, coupled with the promise of a strong friendship and perhaps more, adds a layer of tension and anticipation. The revelation of her secret and the emotional impact it has on their relationship could be a pivotal moment in the story.

"Canadian Boyfriend" has the potential to be a touching, character-driven novel that explores the themes of self-discovery, healing, and the power of honesty and friendship. For readers seeking a romance that is not only sweet but also emotionally resonant, Jenny Holiday's book appears to be a promising choice.

Obsessed! I am completely and utterly obsessed with this one. I knew from the beginning this one would be a 5 star read for me. The characters and storyline was so perfectly executed I could not put this one down.

I thinking going in blind to this one is a great idea. It does deal with some heavy topics, including loss of spouse/parent, grief, eating disorders, and mental health, and I think it was all handled so well.

One of my favorite quirky things about this one was for both main characters, Rory and Mike, their internal dialogue would refer to the other by their first and last name. I love the connection and inevitable pull that Rory and Mike had with each other. And just made for a truly special story.

This one is not to be miss and will hit you in the feels for sure! 🤍

Thank you to the publisher for providing me the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book has a really funny premise, but it fell flat for me. I didn't really like the main character kept calling the mmc by his full name (maybe that's just a me thing). The dual POV was nice, but parts felt awkward and I couldn't really connect with the characters.

As someone who used to dance competitively for years, I thought I would relate to Aurora, but the way she described dance felt like it was coming from someone who had never danced before. (No dancer says stuff like "shit and a grande pile.")

It felt like the book dragged, and some scenes felt redundant. I wanted to DNF, but I felt dedicated to sticking it out.

This one was super cute! I loved Mike and Rory together and how they both supported each other with the past that life had thrown at them. It was fast paced with a great flow that kept me entertained throughout.

*spoilers ahead

Going into this story I was super excited as I spent 18 years of life dancing! It is not often that I see a FMC that has a history with dance so Aurora was a fun FMC to read about.

Aurora and Mike met once years ago and since then Aurora has built a whole canadian boyfriend around that one meeting. However, it has been some time since she wrote to this canadian boyfriend. When Mike shows up with his daughter to Aurora's dance class, she can't believe it is him. Obviously, she does not share this information with Mike with him struggling to hold his life together with the recent passing of his wife. However, Mike invites Aurora into his personal life when he asks Aurora to drive his daughter home from dance classes and eventually move into their house as a "nanny." Things are going great until they start to develop feelings for each other.

I enjoyed the quick pace of this novel and loved the relationship between Aurora and Liv. Mike's apprehension about starting a relationship with Aurora was very understandable. However, I was not a huge fan of how rushed their "breakup" was and how rash Mike was when he found out about Aurora creating a whole canadian boyfriend around him. I understand that them meeting ahead of time was apart of the appeal for Aurora helping Mike, but I do not truly feel it added much to the story. Overall, it was a fun and quick read and I would recommend it for anyone with a hx of dance or who enjoy a hockey player as the MMC.

Thank you to Estelle at Forever for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

10* stars. This was such beautiful, sweet, and emotional love story. It was so raw and honest. It was simply so wonderful to see these two characters find peace within themselves and their happily ever after together. I can't wait for the next book. This author never disappoints.

Once upon a time, a teenage ballet dancer met a Canadian hockey player at a coffee shop. Her dedication to dance isolated her from others in high school, so she fabricated a Canadian boyfriend to give her an out from feeling excluded. He was part fantasy, part journal for her. She would sit and write him letters that, of course, never got sent.

Fast forward to present day when a blast from Aurora’s past walks into the dance studio where she teaches. Surely Mike Martin, pro hockey player and widower father to one of her students, isn’t the same Mike Martin from that Caribou Coffee years ago. It can’t be, right???

Their connection starts with a simple save from the dance moms and a car ride home and grows into Aurora, or Rory, becoming integrated into Mike and Olivia’s lives. And, as it turns out, the real Mike Martin is so much better than her teenage fantasy version.

Holiday does a good job balancing the heavy and the light in this one. She handles mental health issues like navigating through grief, disordered eating, and anxiety with care. We see coping mechanisms in place, honest discussions, and even therapy sessions. We also see three people finding their joy again in ice cream, dancing, convertible rides, togetherness, and “ChapStick-tube smiles” that “[c]lick-click-click” into place.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It struck an excellent balance between inducing goofy grins and tugging on my heartstrings. I look forward to reading best friend Gretchen’s story in 2025.

I received an advance copy from Forever and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Aurora Evans' life used to be defined by ballet - heck, even her name is taken from a famous dance! However life now pirouettes at a much different pace. Rory works multiple jobs to cover her bills, but she was just in a breakup and now her car has died. She can't reach out to her old Canadian boyfriend - he isn't real, despite years of writing letters to him. She based him on a handsome hockey player she met when she was just a teen...

Mike Martin is a reliable stay-at-home defensemen, which means he plays hockey and plays it well! He lives to breathe the cold air on the ice, not bask in the spotlight. But black ice stole the life of his wife, and now, desperate to bring some joy to his daughter, he re-enrolls her in a dance class. But not just any dance class - Miss Rory's!

Is this Mike *the* Mike that Rory met when she worked at Caribou coffee? And if he is, how will that affect Rory and Mike's burgeoning friendship?

Canadian Boyfriend is a sweet step into the cool air of the north! I had never read anything by Holiday before, and I will have to go find her other works. I truly enjoyed this romance! I appreciated the thoughtful handling of mental health issues, particularly relating to grief, as well as anxiety and eating disorders. (I found a few of the notes from the therapist applicable to my own life!)

I found Aurora (Rory) a relatable character, and I loved reading her journey to truly find herself. Not just trying new things - which she does- but really finding out who she was, and what she wanted in life. Her growth into her own agency was lovely. I loved her friendship with Gretchen - it was so well written!

I did find the pacing a bit slower than I'm used to, but while I noticed it, it wasn't a detriment to the story. All in all a fabulous read!

My thanks to Forever and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions here are strictly my own.