Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and what better way to spend it than with your Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday?

Aurora Evans was 16 when she met Canadian hockey player Mike Martin while working at a coffee shop at the Mall of America. She didn’t have any friends, her classmates thought she was a snob because all her free time was spent training to become a ballerina. Then she comes up with the idea to use Mike Martin as a fake boyfriend, he lives in Canada after all. So, he becomes someone she can pretend to write to at lunch and someone to use as an excuse to get out of attending school activities, such as Prom—a convenient explanation for missing events and avoiding socially awkward situations.

Then she comes up with the idea to use Mike Martin as a fake boyfriend, he lives in Canada after all.

Thirteen years later, after dropping out of Newberg Ballet School in New York, Aurora is a dance instructor at Miss Miller’s of Minnetonka, teaching children tap and dance. She is struggling with anxiety attacks and is battling an eating disorder caused by the pressures of her failed dance career and her mother.

One of her students is Olivia, whose mom, Sarah, had been killed in a car crash nine months ago. Olivia’s dad plays hockey for the Minnesota Lumberjacks as a defenseman. When grieving dad Mike Martin, drops Olivia off at the dance studio for the first time they come face to face. Is this Mike Martin the same Mike Martin she met 13 years ago? He can’t be, this Mike Martin is older and has a beard, but he just might be. So, she keeps the fact that she has met him before a secret.

Mike Martin is struggling with the adjustment of being a single parent and returning to work. His angry and heartbroken daughter forms a connection with Aurora and Aurora, who was recently dumped, is living in an apartment that she cannot afford on her own. She is trying to pay off a bunch of student debt, her car recently died and she takes the bus or walks to her destinations. So, Mike Martin comes up with the idea that Aurora could move in with them and be a nanny of sorts to Olivia, loaning Aurora a car to take Olivia to dance classes and school when he is at away games.

Canadian Boyfriend is a contemporary, sports friends-to-lovers romance that effectively deals with the very real issues of grief, and eating and anxiety disorders. Both Mike Martin and Aurora are battling demons, and going to therapy; even Olivia is seeing a therapist. Real methods of dealing with anxiety and panic attacks are explored such as the Emotional Freedom Technique.

Real methods of dealing with anxiety and panic attacks are explored such as the Emotional Freedom Technique.

I like that not everyone is perfect in this novel which sometimes happens in romances. Mike Martin, who is always referred to as Mike Martin throughout the story, although he is described as being “extremely good-looking” is missing 2 teeth in the front. When Aurora leaves ballet school she is malnourished, and underweight with unhealthy eating habits. She has been working on healthy eating habits since leaving and continues to do so throughout this story. They are seeking therapy for mental/emotional health, which is not often found in romances.

Canadian Boyfriend is a sweet romance, that is perfect for reading this Valentine’s with several funny Canadian references and idioms.

Jenny Holiday is a USA Today-bestselling and RITA®-nominated author whose books have been featured in The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, and Buzzfeed. She grew up in Minnesota and started writing at age nine when her fourth-grade teacher gave her a notebook to fill with stories. When she’s not working on her next book, she likes to hang out with her family, watch other people sing karaoke, and throw theme parties. Jenny lives in London, Ontario, Canada.

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (January 30, 2024)
Paperback 8″ x 6″ | 384 pages
ISBN: 9781538724927

Sue Slade

Sue Slade has a Bachelor of Child Study from Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax. After working with children and adults with special needs, she now has her midlife dream job of working with books. Sue manages an independent, locally owned bookstore, Dartmouth Book Exchange. Through her charismatic sharing centred around books and community, Sue has created an engaging cornerstone for authors, customers, and book lovers of all ages. Sue is an avid reader and her reviews cross over many genres.