Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday Book Review
Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday is a sweet, emotional romance with a wholesome friendship, found family, and positive mental health representation.
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Canadian Boyfriend
Author: Jenny Holiday
Narrators: Joshua Jackson & Emily Ellet
Pub. Date: Jan. 30, 2024
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Pages: 384 pages / 10 hours 52 minutes
Rating: 5 stars
Spice: 3 hearts
Content Warnings: grief, death of a spouse, eating disorder, explicit sex, swearing
Synopsis:
Once upon a time teenage Aurora Evans met a hockey player at the Mall of America. He was from Canada. And soon, he was the perfect fake boyfriend, a get-out-of-jail-free card for all kinds of sticky situations. I can’t go to prom. I’m going to be visiting my boyfriend in Canada. He was just what she needed to cover her social awkwardness. He never had to know. It wasn’t like she was ever going to see him again…
Years later, Aurora is teaching kids’ dance classes and battling panic and eating disorders–souvenirs from her failed ballet career–when pro hockey player Mike Martin walks in with his daughter. Mike’s honesty about his struggles with widowhood helps Aurora confront some of her own demons, and the two forge an unlikely friendship. There’s just one problem: Mike is the boy she spent years pretending was her “Canadian boyfriend.”
The longer she keeps her secret, the more she knows it will shatter the trust between them. But to have the life she wants, she needs to tackle the most important thing of all–believing in herself.
Book Review
Thank you to Hachette Audio, Forever Publishing, and NetGalley for an ALC of Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday. All opinions are my own.
This was my first Jenny Holiday book, but it definitely won’t be my last! I absolutely loved it!
Thoughts
There were so many enjoyable aspects to this story, but here are some of my favorites:
The characters were just so lovely. They felt real with their own personalities and faults, but I just adored each one (except for Aurora’s mother). Mike was so thoughtful, gentle, and not at all a stereotypical hockey player. I loved how good of a father he was to Olivia and how much he cared about Aurora and the other people in his life. Aurora was such a sweetheart, and I loved the relationships she formed with both Mike and Olivia. Also, Aurora’ best friend Gretchen was really fun.
Another aspect of this story that I appreciated was the mental health representation. Multiple characters had therapists to deal with trauma, and it was talked about in a positive light. Also, I thought that the author was delicate with the topic of eating disorders and parental abuse.
I listened to this book as an audiobook, and it was narrated by Joshua Jackson and Emily Ellet. This story was amazing as an audiobook. I loved how the production included sound effects like text message sounds. It really added to the story and made it feel real. The narrator voices also just fit the characters so well, and I appreciated how the narrators fit the tone of the story and added realistic touches such as the sound of yawning.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I highly recommend this book. It’s especially good if you like meaningful romances with wholesome friendships and character growth.
Where to Read & Purchase
You can purchase a copy of this book at the following retailers:
Bookshop.org (supports independent book stores) [affiliate]
Libro.fm (audiobooks that support independent book stores) [affiliate]
→ get a free audiobook when you start a membership
Amazon [affiliate]
Books a Million (BAM) [affiliate]
AbeBooks [affiliate]
Have you read Canadian Boyfriend or any other books by Jenny Holiday?
I would love to hear your thoughts! Comment down below.