Aurora “Rory” Evans didn’t exactly have a normal childhood. With the amount of time she spent away from school for ballet practice, recitals, and other ballet-related activities, she didn’t really have the opportunity to join in on things like school dances. But teenagers are harsh so she felt like she needed a good reason for why she wasn’t more a part of the social scene.
Enter Mike Martin, a hockey player visiting from Canada that she meets while at the Mall of America. He’s the perfect excuse—a fake Canadian boyfriend is exactly what she needs to reason away her absences at social events. Rory doesn’t see the harm in creating this false narrative—until years later when she is teaching kids’ dance classes and in walks none other than her fake Canadian boyfriend himself.
The premise of this story is absolutely wild and strangely super believable in its wildness. The relationship that blossoms between Rory and Mike Martin feels incredibly natural despite the crazy circumstances and Holiday has a beautiful way of discussing the heavier topics while not dragging down the overall tone of the story. The presentation of panic attacks and anxiety was handle with care and consideration and, even though it was a little too real at times, it also felt so lovely to see that representation on the page. Holiday also managed to handle death of a spouse and disordered eating in a way that I was able to understand even having not gone through it myself.
As a single parent, I am an absolute sucker for romance novels that feature a single parent finding love. (If they can do, so can I, right?!) The reason for Mike Martin becoming a single parent breeds a lot of distrust and resentment, but Holiday finds a way to incorporate that into the story that allows the reader to really understand the nuances of the situation. It also allows space for people to grieve while still being upset or angry and I feel like that is something that isn't necessarily talked about or shown very often. Holiday's nuance in this situation shows readers that all their emotions are valid, even if they sometimes feel contradictory.
The book itself is worth a read, but if you’re an audiobook girlie like I am (and I use that as a gender neutral term!), you’re going to want to pick up the audiobook. Not only does Joshua Jackson aka Pacey Witter aka everyone’s teenage crush (or maybe just me?) do the narration for Mike Martin, but Emily Ellet absolutely crushes it as Rory. Both narrators embody the essence of the characters and really brought them to life.
CANADIAN BOYFRIEND by Jenny Holiday is available now and you can grab a copy for yourself here.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review. If you purchase a copy using my Bookshop affiliate link above, not only will I receive a small commission (which will fuel my coffee and tea addiction and help to keep me up all night reading more books to recommend to you), but you will be supporting indie bookstores as well! If you prefer Amazon, visit my Amazon storefront and click on the list titled "2024 Book Recommendations."
