Scan barcode
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: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Eating disorder, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Car accident, Cursing, and Death
allingoodtime's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Although the blurb of this book clearly spells out what it’s about, I still found it to be unexpected. Maybe because the blurb often doesn’t match the book, in my experience. Maybe because the cutesy cover gives the idea this is going to be more of a comedy of errors rather than an emotional dive into the lives of these characters. Regardless, I got more than I expected and that’s a good thing.
While the subjects of a parent/spouse dying unexpectedly and being raised by a mother who demanded perfection in ways that have left deep scars are grave, there is still a lot of joy in this story. As Rory and Mike (and Mike’s daughter Olivia) find a rhythm to their new arrangement, they also start piecing their lives back together. Rory’s path has been long and hard-fought, but being around Mike and Olivia and their total acceptance of her helps her along that last lap. For Mike and Olivia, things are more fresh. Yet they both have to find a way to live again.
I appreciate that the author had this story span a year (other than the prologue and epilogue) due to the nature of Mike’s grief. I wouldn’t necessarily call this a slow burn because there isn’t a lot of heat this is going unanswered. Instead, there is a slow build for Rory and Mike and it’s lovely to see it slowly unfold. They have a beautiful relationship from the start; an intrinsic understanding of each other that nobody else has. Although Rory has a “big secret”, it doesn’t ever seem high stakes. It’s nothing cruel or even deceptive.
As well as the exquisite relationship that is built between Mike and Rory, there is a lot of other content in this story that is incorporated without being overbearing. Like Mike realizing the emotional labor his deceased wife took on in their relationship, the intricacies of disordered eating, and the heavy lifting that therapy can do to give us the tools we need to bolster ourselves when times get tough.
This is a new-to-me author and I was impressed. I’ll definitely be seeking out more of her work.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Emotional abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
lololovesthings's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
2.5 stars.
"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.
"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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Body shaming, Death, and Grief
titaniumtammy's review against another edition
4.0
Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday is a delightfully charming but simultaneously deeply emotional journey of a romance. A widowed single dad meets his daughter’s ballet teacher with a one of its kind history that will create an unforgettable present as their lives mix.
Canadian Boyfriend is great for fans of…
🏒 Hockey Romance
🏒 Widowed Single Dad
🏒 Ballerina Turned Ballet Teacher
🏒 Forced Proximity
🏒 Dual POV
Two struggling souls finding solace & strength along with an easy camaraderie & friendship. They became a judgment free zone for each other that encouraged each other. It got me in the feels. The premise may sound silly with the pretend boyfriend aspect but when things unfold, I thought it all turned out to be quite lovely.
I love that they each were going through difficult personal journeys but doing so by learning healthy coping & growth strategies bolstered by therapy. I always appreciate normalizing mental health & the use of therapy & I thought this book did a fantastic job of that.
I thought this book had a great cast of characters with his wonderful daughter, their pet dog & the electric best friend, Gretchen. I am so curious to see Gretchen’s story unfold & I will undoubtedly be putting this on my ‘Can’t Wait to Read’ list.
If you are looking for an emotional rollercoaster of healing journey mixed with a simmering slowburn of a forced proximity friends to more romance, I highly recommend Canadian Boyfriend.
Massive thanks to NetGalley & Forever Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.
Content Warnings: This book mentions &/or contains references to disordered eating & to the death of a spouse that happens prior to this novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Eating disorder
It’s about a widowed single dad that loss his wife, which means his daughter lost her mom. This all takes place before the book begins,pagesforsanity's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Death
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: Death, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Body shaming
Minor: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Cursing
More...