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tamsterdam_reads's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Canadian Boyfriend was a lovely story about a struggling dance teacher and widowed hockey player who is trying to juggle a lot with his daughter and career. There were some deep important issues woven within the foundation of the story that I wasn’t expecting, however, the growing feelings between Aurora and Mike and Mike’s adorable daughter were raw and beautiful. It included the messy and complicated intricacies of life, but it also had love, support and growth. Overall, this story is for those looking for a little more depth to their romance novels.
Both Joshua Jackson and Emily Ellet did a great job with their narration.
Both Joshua Jackson and Emily Ellet did a great job with their narration.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
bookrecsbyjess's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
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!
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.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. It’s especially good if you like meaningful romances with wholesome friendships and character growth.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Death of parent
readingwithmeredith's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Characters: 4
Connection to the book/Enjoyment: 3
Setting: 4
Plot/Overall Story: 2
Writing: 2
Every point= 0.25 stars, max per category 4 points
This is my first book by this author and I really liked the emotional depth that the characters had and how this wasn’t your stereotypical romance. It felt creative but also handles hard topics like grief, eating disorders, anxiety, toxic parents, and self image/identity. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. My biggest issue was some of the plot points towards the end didn’t sit well and felt overly dramatic for what was happening and then the pacing and writing style wasn’t my favorite. I did appreciate that there was way more emotional connection over spice, even though there were two open door scenes. I prefer no spice in my books but I appreciated that there was only 6 pages total of spice but the dialogue and moments within it made it hard to skip, however I did notice she restate important moments from those scenes for those who want to skip spice. I would read more from this author.
Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Grief
Moderate: Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cursing, Death, and Car accident
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was intense, to put it simply. Though I went in thinking it'd be a light romance, I ended up staring mental health and self-reflection in the face. As someone who's walked away from emotional abuse, body image issues, and grief from a loss of someone close, this whole book was a lot.
Let's start with the strongest part of the story - the positive therapy rep. Holy heck, the therapy rep was perfect. I loved that both MCs were so open about their therapy journeys, and that they told each other stuff they've learned in order to help one another grow. While some books feel preachy, the conversations about therapy and sharing therapy-isms was organic and both characters were receptive to changing and growing. As Mike kept saying, they were both coachable and I loved both his and Rory's growth through the story.
The romance was also organic and cute. I appreciated that the story takes place basically over two years (three, if you count the kind of epilogue), so you really saw them growing and falling in love over time. Yes, there was an instant zing, but beyond that this story was definitely a friends-to-lovers.
I also liked how we got some insight into Rory when she was younger through her letters to her Canadian Boyfriend. I also liked how those letters came into play through the book and within her real relationship to Mike. While I wish there hadn't been a third-act breakup, I think they both needed it for different reasons, and I loved that those reasons are clearly drawn out for us. It wasn't a miscommunication, it was growth, and it was a breath of fresh air.
There were a couple things that did bother me a bit - I wish that they had more time with their friends doing their individual growth. I wanted to see them have fuller lives (though that was also part of the whole healing process for them). That being said, hopefully we'll see more of them in Gretchen's book living their best lives. I also found some of the vocabulary jarring. This is my first book by Holiday so I don't know what her vocab quirks are, but this is the first time I've seen a number of words used in such quantity. It might be the uniqueness of the terms (logjam, woo-woo, schmaltzy), but their repetition stood out and gave the story character but was also mildly distracting. Weird thing to be hung up on, I know, but it's still there.
All in all, this book is definitely a new favourite of mine. Canadian Boyfriend was soft, sentimental, and full of healing. I learned a lot from this book, and while it was heavier than I expected, I ended up adoring every part of it.
TW: grief, emotional abuse, eating disorder, body shaming, panic attack/anxiety (not full blown, not fully on page), death, death of a parent, sexual content (not super descriptive), cursing, alcohol; mentions car accident, pregnancy, injury detail
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall: 4.5/5
eARC gifted via NetGalley by Forever in exchange for an honest review.
Let's start with the strongest part of the story - the positive therapy rep. Holy heck, the therapy rep was perfect. I loved that both MCs were so open about their therapy journeys, and that they told each other stuff they've learned in order to help one another grow. While some books feel preachy, the conversations about therapy and sharing therapy-isms was organic and both characters were receptive to changing and growing. As Mike kept saying, they were both coachable and I loved both his and Rory's growth through the story.
The romance was also organic and cute. I appreciated that the story takes place basically over two years (three, if you count the kind of epilogue), so you really saw them growing and falling in love over time. Yes, there was an instant zing, but beyond that this story was definitely a friends-to-lovers.
I also liked how we got some insight into Rory when she was younger through her letters to her Canadian Boyfriend. I also liked how those letters came into play through the book and within her real relationship to Mike. While I wish there hadn't been a third-act breakup, I think they both needed it for different reasons, and I loved that those reasons are clearly drawn out for us. It wasn't a miscommunication, it was growth, and it was a breath of fresh air.
There were a couple things that did bother me a bit - I wish that they had more time with their friends doing their individual growth. I wanted to see them have fuller lives (though that was also part of the whole healing process for them). That being said, hopefully we'll see more of them in Gretchen's book living their best lives. I also found some of the vocabulary jarring. This is my first book by Holiday so I don't know what her vocab quirks are, but this is the first time I've seen a number of words used in such quantity. It might be the uniqueness of the terms (logjam, woo-woo, schmaltzy), but their repetition stood out and gave the story character but was also mildly distracting. Weird thing to be hung up on, I know, but it's still there.
All in all, this book is definitely a new favourite of mine. Canadian Boyfriend was soft, sentimental, and full of healing. I learned a lot from this book, and while it was heavier than I expected, I ended up adoring every part of it.
TW: grief, emotional abuse, eating disorder, body shaming, panic attack/anxiety (not full blown, not fully on page), death, death of a parent, sexual content (not super descriptive), cursing, alcohol; mentions car accident, pregnancy, injury detail
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall: 4.5/5
eARC gifted via NetGalley by Forever in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Grief
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Minor: Cursing, Car accident, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail