Scan barcode
A review by loloreeds
Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
“Is it possible you overreacted?” … “I don’t think I overreacted.”
^^ These ten words sum up this whole book. And reader, let me assure you, he *definitely* overreacted.
Mike Martin (it’s important that his name is said this way, as the FMC will refer to him as such approximately 300 times in the next 362 pages), a Canadian hockey player, and Aurora, a not-Canadian dance teacher, find love and healing (up for debate) in a not-Canadian town accompanied by his half-Canadian daughter and they go to Canada once because, in case you missed it, Mike Martin is Canadian.
Aurora is described as quirky about as much as Mike Martin is described as Canadian, which I hate. Mike Martin’s wife died SEVEN MONTHS AGO and he’s putting moves on his kid’s ballet teacher, which I also hate.
Also: he compares her eyes to a mud pit, which might be accurate, but is a deeply unflattering comparison. Later he tries again and comes up with a comparison to a horse. But he does self-identify as a hoser, so maybe that’s just staying true to character.
The real conflict in this book (Mike Martin grieving and learning to love again after his wife tragically died, and, Aurora healing and recovering from a traumatic parent and eating disorder) takes a back seat to the completely juvenile and ridiculous conflict in this book, which is that Aurora — at SIXTEEN — wrote about Mike Martin in her DIARY as her fake, let’s-not-forget-Canadian boyfriend and she’s worried he’ll find out and be mad because he hates liars, even though he has no problem lying to her on multiple occasions. And he does find out, and he is mad, and he throws a wild tantrum that is sadly not unexpected for a thirty-five year old man, but disappointing nonetheless.
Mike Martin is not the amazing hero the author wants him to be and Aurora is such a pushover, she barely has a personality at all. And yet, I can’t say that I *hated* the book, even though it’s two people dancing (haha) around each other for 362 pages, which I historically have never liked. Just kiss already, damnit. But there was something so fluffy and low stakes about it that was comforting, and it was so predictable and clichéd which, coming off of HOFAS, was the calm, no stress, no substance book I needed to reset my adrenals. 🤪
2.5/5 🌶️
2.5/5 ⭐️
^^ These ten words sum up this whole book. And reader, let me assure you, he *definitely* overreacted.
Mike Martin (it’s important that his name is said this way, as the FMC will refer to him as such approximately 300 times in the next 362 pages), a Canadian hockey player, and Aurora, a not-Canadian dance teacher, find love and healing (up for debate) in a not-Canadian town accompanied by his half-Canadian daughter and they go to Canada once because, in case you missed it, Mike Martin is Canadian.
Aurora is described as quirky about as much as Mike Martin is described as Canadian, which I hate. Mike Martin’s wife died SEVEN MONTHS AGO and he’s putting moves on his kid’s ballet teacher, which I also hate.
Also: he compares her eyes to a mud pit, which might be accurate, but is a deeply unflattering comparison. Later he tries again and comes up with a comparison to a horse. But he does self-identify as a hoser, so maybe that’s just staying true to character.
The real conflict in this book (Mike Martin grieving and learning to love again after his wife tragically died, and, Aurora healing and recovering from a traumatic parent and eating disorder) takes a back seat to the completely juvenile and ridiculous conflict in this book, which is that Aurora — at SIXTEEN — wrote about Mike Martin in her DIARY as her fake, let’s-not-forget-Canadian boyfriend and she’s worried he’ll find out and be mad because he hates liars, even though he has no problem lying to her on multiple occasions. And he does find out, and he is mad, and he throws a wild tantrum that is sadly not unexpected for a thirty-five year old man, but disappointing nonetheless.
Mike Martin is not the amazing hero the author wants him to be and Aurora is such a pushover, she barely has a personality at all. And yet, I can’t say that I *hated* the book, even though it’s two people dancing (haha) around each other for 362 pages, which I historically have never liked. Just kiss already, damnit. But there was something so fluffy and low stakes about it that was comforting, and it was so predictable and clichéd which, coming off of HOFAS, was the calm, no stress, no substance book I needed to reset my adrenals. 🤪
2.5/5 🌶️
2.5/5 ⭐️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder and Death