Jenny Holiday (Duke, Actually; Mermaid Inn) presents a sweet, touching love story in Canadian Boyfriend. Years ago, teenager Aurora Evans met a cute Canadian hockey player at the Mall of America and turned him into her fake, long-distance boyfriend. He helped her through sticky social situations for years. In fact, Mike the hockey player even became the person Aurora addressed all her diary entries to. Now adult Aurora is back in Minnesota, teaching dance to children, and struggling with the trauma from her years in professional ballet in New York: an eating disorder and panic attacks.
Olivia, one of Aurora's students, recently lost her mom in a car accident, so Aurora starts helping her dad, Mike Martin, with getting Olivia to and from lessons. And when Aurora's lease is up, Mike asks her to move into their basement and act as Olivia's nanny and chauffeur when he's on the road. After all, he's gone a lot: he's a professional hockey player and also, to Aurora's shock, her fake Canadian boyfriend. Can Aurora separate her imaginary years of feelings from her real connection with the grieving widower? And as Mike and Aurora help each other overcome the tragedies of their pasts, will their friendship blossom into something more?
The poignant Canadian Boyfriend is perfect for fans of Abby Jimenez or Carley Fortune. Both Aurora and Mike have demons to face, but they find ways to laugh together and with Olivia. Readers are sure to enjoy this gentle love story. --Jessica Howard, freelance book reviewer