This was just what I wanted in a hockey romance book. It was so cute and the banter was amazing. The narrators were amazing!

So amazing! the narrators were so emotional and really bounce well with each other for dual pov. their voice acting Brought the characters to life and they made the reading experience so enjoyable.

Canadian Boyfriend is a book I requested on a whim to fulfill a readathon bingo prompt. If not for that, this book never would have been on my radar. And I would have missed out. The story was charming, cute and fun, and I haven’t felt this giddy about a reading in a long time!

Aurora Evans and Mike Martin are both down on their luck. Mike is struggling with the loss of his wife and caring for their daughter, and Aurora is stuck in an apartment she can’t afford after a break up. As Aurora is Mike’s daughter, Olivia’s, dance teacher, Mike sees an opportunity for them to help each other out. She can help with Olivia while he’s on the road for his job (as a HOCKEY PLAYER,) and he can provide her with a live-in apartment, helping her save up some money for a new place. This is one of those adorable stories where the characters are in a relationship from the get go, they just don’t realize it. It’s obvious pretty early on that Mike and Rory are made for each other. Just not to them.

There was so much to like about both of these characters. They each spent a lot of time self-reflecting, and while I appreciated it from both of their points of view, I really loved it from Mike’s. After the death of his wife, he finds out his marriage wasn’t going in the direction he thought. Instead of marinating in bitterness, he takes the time to think about it and realizes the contribution he made in the way things were going. Rory spent a lot of time dealing with the impact her childhood had on her - specifically her mother’s unrealistic expectations and lack of support. And even more to appreciate was that this wasn’t tied up in a nice little bow at the end of the book. Mike and Rory challenged each other in ways that made them better people. They didn’t just ask themselves the tough questions. They extended those to each other, as well. With the way Rory and Mike are brought together, his daughter plays a prominent part of this story. A lot of scenes did center around her, but it fit the narrative, and it never felt like it was overwhelming other aspects of the story.

A few things to take note of - this book was quite time-jumpy. You would be in December, and then the next chapter might start with ‘By the time April rolled around…” This didn’t bother me. If anything it made the timeline of their relationship more believable and highlighted the fact that real life sometimes brings things to a standstill. My only criticism of this book would be the third act. I found the conflict to be predictable, contrived and weak. It had no place in Rory and Mike’s relationship, and I couldn’t figure out why Rory was so torn up about it. That part didn’t feel authentic to me. Having said that - I loved the rest of the story so much that I think it was worth the read. If you enjoy a good sports romance where the characters take the time to get to know each other and fall in love, I think you’ll enjoy Canadian Boyfriend.

| Narration |

Canadian Boyfriend was narrated by Joshua Jackson and Emily Ellet. For those who don't know, Joshua Jackson starred in The Mighty Ducks movie franchise about a hockey team, so it was easy to picture this as an extension of his life as a grown man. He did a fantastic job narration this, and I hope he does a lot more narration in the future. Emily Ellet did a wonderful job as well. She reminded me a lot of Virginia Rose, so if you like Virginia's narration, I think you'll like Emily's. They both had great intonation and seemed to really get the characters. I think they elevated an already wonderful story. If you have the opportunity to listen, I recommend you go that route.

This was an ARC from NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

When Aurora "Rory" Evans was a lonely teenager, she ran into a handsome Canadian hockey player while she was selling coffee at the Mall of America. She took his name and pretended to have an actual Canadian boyfriend, making her loneliness and ostracism seem more bearable, because even if she had been invited to things, she wouldn't have been able to come, since she was probably visiting her boyfriend, in Canada. And obviously, he couldn't come to school dances or her ballet recitals, living in Canada and all. To keep up the ruse, she also wrote her fictional boyfriend long letters, basically making them a sort of journal for some difficult years in her life.

Now an adult, having given up on ballet as it was making her sick, Aurora works as a dance teacher in a small town. She still struggles with her years of disordered eating, and occasionally gets panic attacks, but she's doing a lot better and enjoys teaching children the joys of dance. To her great surprise, the tragically widowed Mike Martin, whose daughter comes back to dance classes after some time away (what with the grief and the dead mum and soforth), is none other than the handsome young man she took as inspiration for her fake boyfriend. To her credit, it takes her a while to confirm to herself that the Mike she met as a teenager and this Mike are the same person, but even when she does, she doesn't tell him the truth about her teenage coping mechanism.

Mike loved his wife and is still dealing with a lot of emotions after her sudden death in a car accident. Olivia, Rory's dance student, is his step-daughter and while he's the only father she's ever known, he's had to fight his parents-in-law for custody, which hasn't exactly made the grieving process easier. It's clear that Olivia adores her father, but she's also a tween who lost her mother and is prone to tantrums and sudden outbursts. Dance classes with "Miss Rory" are one of her favourite things. Mike likes that Aurora doesn't fawn over him (unlike many of the dance mums) and he sees the easy rapport she has with Olivia, and when he discovers that Aurora is working multiple jobs to make ends meet, offers to hire her to be Olivia's sort-of nanny while he's off resuming his hockey career.

So the romance here takes a while to develop. Aurora is keeping the secret that she basically used Mike as a template for a fantasy boyfriend for a long time as a teenager, a truth that becomes more difficult to tell the longer she knows him and the closer they become. Mike is also Aurora's employer (she refuses to take a paycheck, but lives in his basement, has access to a car whenever she needs it, and gets health insurance) for a lot of the book, which certainly complicates the situation between them somewhat. Mike also feels like he can't date again until his daughter is older, possibly even until after she's old enough to move out. He doesn't feel like he can introduce a new woman into her life, in case they break up and she would have to deal with losing another person. When they do finally decide to become more than friends, they do address the employer/employee complication, so it's very much not a case of anyone being exploited or taken advantage of.

There's so much to like in this book. The close friendship between Aurora and her best friend (who owns the dance studio where she works). Mike has been in therapy since his wife died, and once Aurora gets health insurance, she can also afford to see a therapist. She has a long list of reasons as to why she needs to, beginning with the relationship with her very controlling mother, who still makes her feel guilty for giving up a career as a dancer, because of all the time and money her mother put into "supporting" her daughter. There's the disordered eating, which still creates problems for her occasionally, although I liked how she tried to get more comfortable with allowing herself sugary things and her anxiety. And after a while, it's actually her complicated feelings about her relationship with Mike.

By the way, notice how I keep calling the male protagonist simply Mike in my review? My major complaint about this book, the main reason I cannot give it five stars, even though I really enjoyed it and it did so many things well, is that consistently, throughout the entire book, up to and including the epilogue, Aurora calls Mike by his full name. He is Mike Martin EVERY single time she refers to him. I get it when they are still just acquaintances, and he's the father of one of the girls she teaches. But once she moves into his house to take care of his daughter? Once they actually start engaging in spicy recreational activities? Why? Who does that?

I do not call or think of my husband as Mark Patterson, he's just Mark. Possible exception if I have to fill out official paperwork or something, then I guess I'd use his full name. Why, Aurora? What is your deal? What is up with that? This strange quirk started bothering me about halfway through the book when I really started noticing it, and by the end of the book, I was annoyed enough that it made me want to scream. So no five stars for you, book.

It's been a while since I listened to an audio book with two narrators, but to me, this had an unusual audio format. I'm used to romance novels that have alternating POVs between the protagonists, and if the audiobook has two different narrators, they read the entire chapter from "their" character's POV. That is not the case here. Emily Ellet narrates the chapters where Aurora is the POV character and Joshua Jackson narrates Mike's. In all the chapters, Ellet does all the female voices and Jackson does all the male voices. So it becomes a sort of hybrid between a standard audio book and an audio drama. I really liked it. I've now come across another romance audio that did the same thing. If this is a new trend in dual-POV books in audio, whether romance or not, I'm a big fan. It makes the whole thing a lot more entertaining.

Both narrators for this are really good and make the story more engaging. Normally, I only listen to audiobooks when I'm going to and from work, or am out doing errands, or if I'm doing chores. Now, I kept finding excuses to listen more. I know there was a lot of excitement on social media because THE Joshua Jackson (of Dawson's Creek and Fringe fame) was doing the male part. Is this actually his first time doing audiobooks? If so, he did a good job. I enjoyed the audiobook enough that I used one of my precious Audible credits on it once I finished listening. So even if this was an ARC originally, Ms. Holiday got another sale.

Niggles about Aurora's weird name quirk aside, this was really good and I liked how Mike's character actually got the space and time to work through his many issues because of his wife's death. Neither Aurora nor Mike are magically healed by the love of another, and keep going to therapy because even once they work through the final act complications, both of them need mental health support. In so many books, one or both of the main characters should have intense and comprehensive therapy to deal with their MANY issues - that is not the case here.

I think the next book in the series is about Gretchen, Aurora's best friend. I can't wait. Hopefully, she'll not refer to her romantic partner with first and surname constantly.

Judging a book by its cover: By now, I can pretty much recognise a Leni Kaufmann-illustrated cover at a glance. I always love her covers, and this one is particularly cute. Not entirely sure why the guy (clearly Mike) looks like the twin of Andy Dwyer from Parks and Recreation, but the pink and the mint-green and Aurora's lovely ballet slippers - the playful way she sits and glances over at Mike. It works for me on every level.

This audiobook was one of my favorites. Joshua Jackson needs to narrate more romance books. He did a fabulous job. I loved the female narrator, she told the story well. I also enjoyed how during different POV each narrator read their portion of the dialogue.

The story was so cute. I figured out the third act conflict immediately and even though I found it silly, it didn’t ruin the book for me. Both characters and the daughter were so sweet and I loved it!

Read Completed 2/3/24 | 3.25 - 3.5 stars
When I first saw the title CANADIAN BOYFRIEND with a cartoon cover, I assumed we were in for a fun romcom. How could it not be? The story was good, but it definitely wasn't a romcom. Where I've read tons of light romances that still deal with heavy subjects, this just wasn't that lighter tone. I certainly don't hold that against the book, and I actually liked the feel of the story for the most part, but I definitely assumed it was going to be light and funny.

I liked the two main characters, the found family in so many ways, and the love story. It was a nice romance and I really appreciated the character growth. It was maybe a bit too tender for my personal tastes at times since they're both through some major things (Mike: loss of his wife, Aurora: coming to terms with her mother's abuse & recovering from an eating disorder), so while I definitely appreciated how much they grew apart and together, at times some of the interactions just felt a little too scripted.

Most of my issue came with the Canadian boyfriend concept and I felt like the author kind of dropped the ball? It didn't have to be a romcom, but the everyone always jokes about someone having a Canadian boyfriend and that they're made up and I wanted some cute fake dating -- or since that wasn't the point of the book, at least letting the characters have fun that they met all those years ago and Mike didn't even know it. I don't know, some part of it just felt like a missed opportunity to really use that as the plot point and it just got shoved into the background.

Mild spoilers for the third act break-up....
I also really hated the third act break-up where the reveal that Aurora had met Mike and pretended (to no one that mattered) that they were dating to be totally anticlimactic. She had built this up in her mind and Mike way overreacted, and it was literally a non-thing. He was so offended that she lied to him and was using him without even knowing him but like.... she wasn't. She met a person and made someone up. It's not like she was trying to stalk actual Mike or started dating him BECAUSE of that meeting all those years ago. Actually, she should have told him right away and they could have started dating because of that and it would have been CUTE. If I were Mike, I would have been weirded out that she didn't bring it up right away because why wouldn't you, and thought that it was so neat that they have a story where they met all those years ago. It was just weird that she withheld that info and the way she dumped it on him was just unnecessary drama. She could have talked to him and been like hey, funny story and he'd be like whoa no way! And then she could sheepishly admit that she used to pretend he was her Canadian boyfriend and wrote him all these letters, which was more of a diary than actually idealizing Mike.

Lastly, I couldn't stand the way the author kept having Aurora call him "Mike Martin" all the time. Why are we using his full name ALL the time? Once they got together, it was really weird that it kept being a thing.

My NetGalley audiobook copy disappeared mid-read and magically came back, so I actually had time to take a break from this, and in the end, I did want to come back and finish it. I liked it, the story was attractive and kept me wanting to read, but there were too many things that were a bit off-putting that just felt weird. There was a lot of good stuff here but some weird plot choices that I just didn't like.

This sweet romance between two people destined to be together with a spin on the second chance trope. This one hits dear to my heart as a Canadian throwing in a bunch of bits that feel like home.

Aurora and Mike are two really beautiful people together, and this dual POV with both narrators bouncing back and forth is fantastic! Both Joshua Jackson and Emily Ellet did a great job and meshed so well together.

I think I’ve read my very first single dad romance and I am all for it! I loved Joshua Jackson in Dawson’s Creek and still remember his voice to this day as I happily listened. 😋😍

Those who know me, know that I’m from the United States but currently living in Canada. So I was able to really connect with the Canadian vs American references & the Canadian stereotypes throughout the book, I found myself laughing a lot.

This book has mental health representation specifically anxiety which I have suffered from since I was 17. The way it was portrayed was done well and parts where both MCs had visits to their therapists was also done well. Some topics with Psychology are still considered off-topic due to potential sensitivities or misrepresentation. Mental health rep in books handled delicately and respectfully is always important and the author did just that.

Rory and Mike Martin are the cutest and I think I have a new book boyfriend. Canadian Boyfriend is charming, heart-warming, relatable, and has amazing character development. Reading this I felt like I knew them and nothing felt missing. With great pacing, solid plot, undeniable chemistry evident between the MCs, and hard topics handled gingerly - this was a 5 star read for me.

The only tiny thing I wish didn’t happen was Rory taking so long to reveal a secret to Mike. I don’t know if this falls under the miscommunication trope or not but maybe it could be. I understand why she took so long to come clean about a huge part of her life (that is connected to Mike) but wished she had said something a little sooner. Anyway now I’m rambling and I didn’t want to say anymore to avoid spoilers. If this book isn’t on your radar, take it from me, it should be.

Absolute perfection on audio! Joshua Jackson brought Mike to life and I'm here for all his narrating in the future.

I might be using "eh" at the end of my sentences for a bit! I adored the relationship between Aurora and Olivia, especially how they both have endured past hurt, but are always there to lift each other up. Aurora can also see how the loss can be triggered by certain events, and helps Mike navigate Liv through those situations.

What I loved:
**Mike helping Aurora confront and deal with her emotionally abusive mother.
**Olivia's mood shifts (while taxing on Mike), I loved seeing her personality shine.
**Realistic view of suffering with panic attacks.
**Hockey - enough said.

What I didn't like:
**Aurora using the MMC's full name in her internal dialogue/narrative 278 times. Yes I counted on my Kindle. It was probably my own fault since I listened to my Kindle read it to me, the name references stood out glaringly to the point that I had to stop and read with my eyes.
**Mike's reaction to Aurora's childhood truth, definitely took it too far (no spoilers)

Mike gave Aurora a lot of first experiences, all while encouraging her to stand up for what she deserves. He quickly worked his way into my heart as a reader, and I love that there was no question as to who would get custody of Olivia. The book has great characters that grow throughout the story, making you believe in love all over again.

I can't wait for Gretchen's story to come out in 2025!!!

TW: Spousal/Parental death (not on page)

Okay, I loved this book and it also completely took me by surprise!!! I’ve read Jenny Holiday’s past books and they’ve always been a steamy, romcom-y delight, which I loved! But Canadian Boyfriend is significantly less steamy, but full of depth and beauty and wonderful character development. This story grabbed me by the heart and never let go! Also, the audiobook narration of a hockey player done by Joshua Jackson fulfilled all my 90’s girl Mighty Ducks dreams, and Emily Ellet was perfection!!

What I thought would be a light funny romance filled with, “isn’t it funny” moment’s, instead was a wonderfully emotional story of hurt, growth and love. I’m not saying this book isn’t funny, it was, but this book was wonderfully complex. Both the FMC and MMC were working through their own hurt and trauma, helping each other without even knowing it. Rory’s parent woes were incredibly relatable even for this plus sized non-ballerina.

While this book was slightly slower paced in my opinion, I was just happy to listen.

The narration was a whole thing for me. I didn’t realise Joshua Jackson was a narrator until I started the book - I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t super weird to listen to Pacey Witter reading to me…sadly he wasn’t the narrator of my dreams. I guess it just goes to show that screen acting and voice acting are different skills. Emily Ellet - Super job I could listen to her all day.

Two things I love Jenny Holiday and hockey, This was the type of audiobook that makes me walk a few extra blocks so that I can keep reading- great narration and a story that is sweet but not lacking in emotional oomph. Both characters learn some hard lessons on their journey and I always love well done character growth. What I didn’t love was the blown out of proportion conflict. It was frustrating not necessary at all.

I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I requested the audio for this book because I loved reading it so much the first time! Joshua Jackson just makes your heart melt as Mike, and you can’t help but smile and enjoy listening along with him. Emily Elliot I thought was the perfect voice of Aurora, not sounding too young or too old and gave a wonderful performance! I enjoyed the audio just as much as reading it which was my hope! Thank you!

Every single second of this book was amazing.

I went through all of the emotions with this and I’m so obsessed with every single character 🤍

The audiobook narration was great too 🫶🏼

Unfortunately, I was not able to download this before it was archived. I didn't realize the archive date was just a day or so after I received the audiobook. The book looked fun!

Canadian Boyfriend is an adorable sports romance that is full of emotion and healing. I don't really read sports romances, but I am so glad I read this one. My favorite part of this book was the growth of each character. Mike Martin is a widower, learning to continue on with daily life with his daughter and his hockey career. It isn't until he meets Aurora, that he learns asking for help is okay. Aurora is a "failed" ballerina, learning to continue on with life after she quit school in New York. She is learning to trust herself with food after fighting with food disorders, panic attacks and the toxic relationship with her mother. Together, these two learn how to heal from their past.

Overall, this is solid romance that is full of emotion and a little bit of spice. However, please be aware of the trigger warnings that are stated at the beginning of this book.

Audiobook lovers:
This is a great book to listen to as an audiobook. The narrators are fantastic, and I didn't want to stop listening. If you are planning to buy Canadian Boyfriend, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook.

Canadian Boyfriend is out now.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review Canadian Boyfriend. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First thought: Loved it so much! The audiobook is binge worthy, you can feel the chemistry between Aurora and Mike. What happens when the fake boyfriend you created in high school, shows up in real life years later. Story about growing, doing your best, learning to love and being true to yourself.

14 years ago at a mall in Minnesota a Canadian hockey player orders coffee from a ballerina barista. That one interaction sparked a teenage diary of her fake Canadian boyfriend that would help get her through her tough ballerina days.

Aurora was a star ballerina and grew up with the best training after high school she got into an elite ballet school in NYC. But the pressure from her mom and the sport to be the perfect size and to sacrifice everything for a dream that wasn’t hers was too much, so she quit and left that world behind. She now teaches dance classes at a local dance studio and is learning to be happy.

Mike is starting to age out of the NHL his seasons are numbered. He recently lost his wife and is raising a pre-teen daughter on his own. He struggles to let people in and has major trust issues. Mike is about to start a new season and his daughter’s ballet teacher could be his nanny solution. She doesnt care about hockey, she has good references and his daughter loves her. Maybe he can put down his walls and let her into their lives.

So Mike asks Aurora to be his daughter’s nanny during his upcoming hockey season. She agrees but she soon realizes Mike might be the actual boy she based her fake Canadian hockey romance off of! And her feelings are definitely not fake this time. Mike hasn’t had feelings for anyone since his wife died this is weird and uncharted territory for him, to let someone in. They both have a lot of issues to work through and have to navigate the feelings they are feeling.

No spoilers but the absolute cutest epilogue ever!!!!

Literally Themes you’ll find:

* Friends to Lovers
* NHL Hockey Player MMC
* Ex Ballerina FMC
* Single Dad vs Nanny
* Second Chance
* Forced Proximity
* Dual POV
* Mildly Spicy 🌶️

🩷🩶🩵🩷🩶🩵🩷🩶🩵🩷🩶🩵🩷

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.

Of note, I did this via audiobook. It was incredible. I highly recommend ingesting this via audio. First off, Joshua Jackson - Pacey himself, narrates for Mike Martin. Second, this was my first romance book with duet narration. If you don't know, duet narration is where the two narrators voice their character regardless of the POV. I have since read two more romances with duet narration. I don't know if I can go back. Publishers take note duet narration is a must.

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.

The narration for this book was fantastic. Joshua Jackson voiced Mike so well. It really helped me fall in love with these characters. I definitely recommend listening to the audiobook!

The book was just so sweet and gave me all the feels. I really enjoyed the banter and chemistry between Aurora and Mike. They really balanced each other out so well. Mike helped support Aurora through her anxiety and disordered eating and Aurora helped Mike to deal with the loss of his wife. I also enjoyed Mike’s daughter, Olivia and the dog Earl Nine. They added an additional heartwarming element to the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this sweet sports romance. It’s definitely not your “typical” sports romance and I really liked that!

Aurora spent her whole life training to become a ballet dancer so when she quit ballet she had to turn somewhere. That somewhere was a dance school, training kids in anything but ballet. When her favourite student’s father shows up she realizes he’s none other than pro-hockey player Mike Martin and she’s freaking out. See Aurora’s not a hockey fan but unbeknownst to Mike, she met him when she was 15 at the Mall of America and spent many years pretending to her family and friends that he was her boyfriend. They had a whole relationship play out in her head and to complicate matters she’s attracted to him all over again.

It was the title that lured me in with the promise of Pacey Witter… errr, Joshua Jackson narrating that really just sold me. For the first few minutes of the book, I thought that Joshua’s narration was a gimmick I had obviously fallen for because he was just interjecting to say small lines of dialogue while Rory was thinking about the first time she ever met Mike. I gasped when I realized that we were also getting Mike’s perspective. I love it when audiobooks have different narrators for different perspectives but I often have to change the volume or adjust the reading speed as it switches between narrators. Not the case with this book! You just set it to play and forget it! By forget it, I mean real life because Mike and Rory's romance will just suck you in.

The two start off as friends and slowly move to something more. They have great chemistry, are great people just in general, and each act as supportive pillars to confront and work through their respective baggage.

Mike manages to reference many Canadianisms throughout this book explaining to Aurora either things she didn’t understand (i.e. ordering a double double at Tim Hortons) or why one would find a cactus in Manitoba. So well it was first and foremost a romance novel. It was also a learning experience because I learned from this novel that I am more Canadian than I thought. Despite the fact that I think Tim Hortons is really flavoured (see how I spelt that with a u) water, I hate winter, and I’d rather go to the dentist than watch a hockey game, I do not refer to a BBQ as a grill, I will fight you for a Nanaimo bar, and I will continue using the term washroom on my trips south to see the perplexed look on the face of any American.

All I know is that Joshua needs to narrate more audiobooks. Screw TV and movies, who even watches those anymore, anyways?