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A review by kerosenelit
Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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
3.0
I picked this up primarily because the audiobook is narrated by Joshua Jackson (!!!) and Emily Ellet (whom I also love). And if you're planning to read this one, I highly suggest that format. The duet narration was wonderful.
I liked this overall, especially the tender unveiling of grief for a single dad, but I realized early on that I completely misunderstood the general premise of this story. Let me say, I really felt for Aurora and the immense pressure she experienced in ballet as a teenager. Her need to create an emotional escape in the form of letters to a fake boyfriend was so sad.
But when Aurora later crosses paths with Mike Martin—the actual man that initially inspired her fake boyfriend ruse—I thought it was a tad ridiculous that it served as a conflict within the romance. Why not just immediately tell him? The secrecy and overblown third-act drama as a result didn't make sense to me.
(heat level: a few open-door scenes, mild details)
I liked this overall, especially the tender unveiling of grief for a single dad, but I realized early on that I completely misunderstood the general premise of this story. Let me say, I really felt for Aurora and the immense pressure she experienced in ballet as a teenager. Her need to create an emotional escape in the form of letters to a fake boyfriend was so sad.
But when Aurora later crosses paths with Mike Martin—the actual man that initially inspired her fake boyfriend ruse—I thought it was a tad ridiculous that it served as a conflict within the romance. Why not just immediately tell him? The secrecy and overblown third-act drama as a result didn't make sense to me.
(heat level: a few open-door scenes, mild details)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Grief