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Audible audiobook

Author: Jenny Holiday

Narrators: Emily Ellet and Joshua Jackson

“Canadian Boyfriend” – according to Urban Dictionary, expression derived from the popular practice of deflecting ridicule resulting from singlehood by referring to a fictional boy/girlfriend living “in Canada”. And that’s exactly what teenage Aurora Evans creates – a Canadian boyfriend modeled after Mike Martin, an actual Canadian teen, a hockey player, who she meets at the mall where she works. 

Fast forward 14 years and Aurora is back in Minnetonka after “failing” as a ballerina in NYC and where she now teaches dance at a friend’s studio. To her surprise, shock and horror, the recently widowed father of one of her students walks in and it’s … Mike Martin.

They hit it off, but both of them are carrying secrets. Secrets that are going to be very hard to explain…

Confession time: I picked this one because… PACEY! It’s brilliantly narrated in duet by Emily Ellet and Joshua Jackson. Emily (new to me) is amazing! Aurora is a broken young woman, who lived her life pursuing a dream that wasn’t even hers and that is now finding her footing. A lovely performance. Joshua Jackson puts all his acting talent into this, voicing the single father of a feisty 12-year-old, a grieving widower and a hockey player who’s reluctant to accept his fame. He does a kickass job as the Russian best friend too. 

I really enjoyed this one but let me forewarn you that it has a difference vibe. The pacing is more like that of a women’s fiction book, as it’s pretty much character driven. It does have great mental health rep as both MCs go through a lot of healing. 

Side note: I can’t figure out why Aurora calls Mike by his full name through the whole book….

Possible triggers: eating disorder, emotionally abusive parent, grief, anxiety, panic attack on page