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dogoodwithbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
3.5
Closed Door Mod: Chapter 15 (some parts)
Canadian Boyfriend is a hockey-adjacent romance about a woman who accidently runs into the man she made up to be her boyfriend in high school and agrees to nanny his tween daughter.
With more emotional depth and complex themes compared to some hockey romances currently on the market, I felt that Holiday was able to capture those themes into Rory and Mike’s respective backstories. Adding a core group of supporting characters to round out the two MCs, Holiday’s writing style was alright (other than inconsistent pacing when you get to the second half of the book) and the plot in it of itself was a bit more than decent. However, I felt that this book was just okay, plain and simple. There was nothing there for me to cherish this book and make it a new favorite. Do I think this book could wow some reader out there? Yes, I do. I just don’t think this book was for me, but I didn’t had a terrible time with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Grief
Moderate: Car accident and Eating disorder
Minor: Abandonment and Pregnancy
bibliomania_express's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
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? It's complicated
4.0
Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday is a slow-burn romance between an ex-ballerina and a pro hockey player with a young daughter.
This book is about grief and healing and being kind to yourself. It's also about looking beneath the surface to understand people's motivations when they hurt you, and to acknowledge when you hurt other people. Rory has dealt with a lot of negativity. She battles disordered eating and anxiety, and she's never felt like anyone truly sees her. Mike is dealing with a secret he discovered about his wife after she died, but also trying to support his daughter, Olivia, through her grief.
While this book deals with heavy themes, I do love how much emphasis Holiday puts on therapy and having a good support system. For most of the book Aurora and Mike become a part of each other's support system. They leave space for talking through difficult things, but also don't push past each other's boundaries. There were lots of small moments that showed how much they cared about each other even before anything physical or romantic happens. This book also spans a lot of time, over a year of it, which I think suited their journey.
If I have one thing that annoyed me, it was that Holiday uses Mike's full name all the time in Rory's POV. It's always "Mike Martin" and rarely just "Mike". Which felt odd in conjunction with the fact that she was seeing him as a person and not "Mike Martin, hockey star". I would have liked if the narrative started using just his first name more the further into their relationship we got. It just felt clunky and my brain tripped over it again and again.
One final note: if you like your sports romance to have descriptions of games, this book isn't for you. Hockey itself is so rarely mention. I do think that suits the book, with Mike not liking to be called a star and seeing hockey more as his job. But it’s just something to note.
This book is about grief and healing and being kind to yourself. It's also about looking beneath the surface to understand people's motivations when they hurt you, and to acknowledge when you hurt other people. Rory has dealt with a lot of negativity. She battles disordered eating and anxiety, and she's never felt like anyone truly sees her. Mike is dealing with a secret he discovered about his wife after she died, but also trying to support his daughter, Olivia, through her grief.
While this book deals with heavy themes, I do love how much emphasis Holiday puts on therapy and having a good support system. For most of the book Aurora and Mike become a part of each other's support system. They leave space for talking through difficult things, but also don't push past each other's boundaries. There were lots of small moments that showed how much they cared about each other even before anything physical or romantic happens. This book also spans a lot of time, over a year of it, which I think suited their journey.
If I have one thing that annoyed me, it was that Holiday uses Mike's full name all the time in Rory's POV. It's always "Mike Martin" and rarely just "Mike". Which felt odd in conjunction with the fact that she was seeing him as a person and not "Mike Martin, hockey star". I would have liked if the narrative started using just his first name more the further into their relationship we got. It just felt clunky and my brain tripped over it again and again.
One final note: if you like your sports romance to have descriptions of games, this book isn't for you. Hockey itself is so rarely mention. I do think that suits the book, with Mike not liking to be called a star and seeing hockey more as his job. But it’s just something to note.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Grief
Minor: Car accident, Pregnancy, and Death of parent
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: Pregnancy, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
rahanahava's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4 1/2 stars
I don't want to say this is an "adorable" or "whimsical" or "cute" love story because I feel like that'd be doing the story a disservice. This is a heavy-duty, hard work love story.
Both Mike and Rory have A LOT of baggage to unpack from their previous relationships and lives before they officially meet (again) as adults. However, they both do the hard work and start to turn themselves into the people they want to be and into people who have processed their trauma. This book really made me feel like I myself was in therapy and I highlighted so many passages that were helpful to my personal life at the moment.
I'm not normally one to tear up in a book, but this one gave me lump in my throat for sure. I can say this is a full-circle, beautiful, well-deserved love story. I'm a little sad that Jenny said that this is going to be her only sports romance, because she's good at it. I honestly can't wait to read Gretchen's book next.
"It's funny how sometimes things that seem like they're bad at the time end up making the best memories."
"I guess the thing is to remember that while it might be true that you weren't good enough, it's not a moral statement."
"When you're having doubts...about behaviors or desires...it can be useful to ask what the source of those feelings is. Is it you, or is it an idea you have about how society, or people in your life, are going to react."
I docked it 1/2 a star for the below reasons.
1. I get the reasoning behind it, but I couldn't get over the fact that in her head, whenever talking about him to herself, Rory referred to Mike as "Mike Martin." The whole name thing really started to get to me by the end of the book. It makes sense and I figured it'd stop after they declared their love for each other, but it kept going the entire book.
2. I don't think the whole "lying about meeting him in passing once 13 years ago and pretended he was her boyfriend and wrote to her like he was her diary" is really THAT big of a deal. Like I get he had to over react about something. I get that with Mike specifically this is something that he would think is a big deal. This is something Rory would know he would think is a big deal. However, I (personally and as a reader) don't think it's a big deal, so it made the ending just a little on the sillier side for me. Also, did she even have to tell him? How is it he would even find out? Like that's how not a bit deal it is to me. I think it's not something she even needed to tell him, but, again, that's just me.
Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an Advanced e-copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I don't want to say this is an "adorable" or "whimsical" or "cute" love story because I feel like that'd be doing the story a disservice. This is a heavy-duty, hard work love story.
Both Mike and Rory have A LOT of baggage to unpack from their previous relationships and lives before they officially meet (again) as adults. However, they both do the hard work and start to turn themselves into the people they want to be and into people who have processed their trauma. This book really made me feel like I myself was in therapy and I highlighted so many passages that were helpful to my personal life at the moment.
I'm not normally one to tear up in a book, but this one gave me lump in my throat for sure. I can say this is a full-circle, beautiful, well-deserved love story. I'm a little sad that Jenny said that this is going to be her only sports romance, because she's good at it. I honestly can't wait to read Gretchen's book next.
"It's funny how sometimes things that seem like they're bad at the time end up making the best memories."
"I guess the thing is to remember that while it might be true that you weren't good enough, it's not a moral statement."
"When you're having doubts...about behaviors or desires...it can be useful to ask what the source of those feelings is. Is it you, or is it an idea you have about how society, or people in your life, are going to react."
I docked it 1/2 a star for the below reasons.
1. I get the reasoning behind it, but I couldn't get over the fact that in her head, whenever talking about him to herself, Rory referred to Mike as "Mike Martin." The whole name thing really started to get to me by the end of the book. It makes sense and I figured it'd stop after they declared their love for each other, but it kept going the entire book.
2. I don't think the whole "lying about meeting him in passing once 13 years ago and pretended he was her boyfriend and wrote to her like he was her diary" is really THAT big of a deal. Like I get he had to over react about something. I get that with Mike specifically this is something that he would think is a big deal. This is something Rory would know he would think is a big deal. However, I (personally and as a reader) don't think it's a big deal, so it made the ending just a little on the sillier side for me. Also, did she even have to tell him? How is it he would even find out? Like that's how not a bit deal it is to me. I think it's not something she even needed to tell him, but, again, that's just me.
Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an Advanced e-copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death of parent and Body shaming
Minor: Car accident and Pregnancy
btwnprintedpgs's review
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
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