New Release: THE BEGINNING OF FOREVER by Heidi McLaughlin

The Beginning of Forever

(The Beaumont Series: Next Generation, #6)

Author: Heidi McLaughlin

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 30th

Grab your copy

Amazon ➜ https://amzn.to/3KHDOaw 

Apple Books ➜ https://apple.co/3TpTl42

Nook  ➜ https://bit.ly/3yRHHr4

Kobo ➜ https://bit.ly/3TbOqCs

Google Play ➜ https://bit.ly/4cb3Z5i

About the book:

Peyton Westbury is determined to make her dreams of motherhood come true, even as she faces the physical and emotional toll of the IVF process. With hormonal ups and downs and the strain it places on her relationship with her husband Noah, Peyton must find the strength to persevere.

Meanwhile, Noah Westbury, a talented quarterback facing trade rumors and uncertainty about his future, grapples with the pressure of his growing family. As the offers from other teams pour in and the waiting game continues with his current team, Noah finds himself questioning his career and the impact it has on his marriage.

Amidst the difficulties, Peyton and Noah find solace in their close knit family, and their unwavering support, they discover the power of love and the importance of being there for one another.

About Heidi:

Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers.

Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband, two daughters, and their three dogs.

In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl.

Heidi's first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018, and is now available on DVD & Digital.

To stay connected with Heidi visit www.facebook.com/authorheidimclaughlin or heidimclaughlin.com

Social Media:

Website: http://heidimclaughlin.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHeidiMcLaughlin/ 

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebeaumontdaily

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeidiJoVT/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidimclaughlinauthor/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6568302.Heidi_McLaughlin 

Goodreads Group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/184432-heidi-s-hangout

Text GETHEIDISBOOKS to (833) 926-1009

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/HeidisNewsletter 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeidiMcLaughlin 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heidimclaughlinauthor 

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heidi-mclaughlin 

 

Review: CANADIAN BOYFRIEND by Jenny Holiday

CANADIAN BOYFRIEND by Jenny Holiday

Publication Date: January 30, 2024

Pages: 384

Source: Publisher | Purchased

Add to Goodreads

RATING

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis

A charming and heartfelt romance about a woman who comes face to face with the fake Canadian boyfriend she made up as a teenager.

The fake Canadian boyfriend. It's a thing. The get out of jail free card for all kinds of sticky social situations. “I can't go to prom; I'm going to be out of town visiting my boyfriend in Canada.” It's all over pop culture. But Aurora Evans did it first. Once upon a time she met a teenage hockey player at the Mall of America. He was from Canada. He was a boy. She may have fudged the “friend” part a little, but it wasn't like she was ever going to see him again. It wasn't like she hurt anyone. Until she did—years later—on both counts.
  
When pro hockey player and recent widower Mike Martin walks into the dance studio where Aurora Evans teaches, he's feeling overwhelmed with the fact that his wife may not have been exactly who he thought she was and the logistics of going back to work. As one of the few people his angry, heartbroken daughter connects with, Aurora agrees to be a pseudo nanny to help him navigate the upcoming school year and hockey season. To his surprise, she turns out to be the perfect balm for him as well. Aurora gets him. The real him underneath his pro jersey. And yet, he still finds himself holding back, unable to fully trust again—especially when he finds out the secret Aurora’s been hiding from him.

MY THOUGHTS

"He's not fake.
He's Canadian."

That tagline is all that it took for me to become desperate to read this book. Well, that and the fact that I LOVE Jenny Holiday's books. 

I've sat with my thoughts about CANADIAN BOYFRIEND for a while and I'm still not sure how I want to share them. I fear that I'll become too confessional and the book will come across as too sad and it may keep a reader from picking it up. Like Mike Martin, a recent widower, I am a widow. And every book that I read is now through that lens. It can't be helped. It can't be changed. And in books like CANADIAN BOYFRIEND, I usually relate to the saddest parts. That's what resonates with me. Don't let this review fool you. This isn't a sad book. It's fun and charming and it's my hope that readers will discover that for themselves. I'm very much looking forward to rereading the audiobook version where the humor will come through more. The intention will be more noticeable than what I brought into the story as I read it.

I straight up loved CANADIAN BOYFRIEND. As I began telling some family members about the book, I could feel the joy overcome me and felt the smile on my face and I could feel it throughout my body. And that was just from thinking about the book and how connected I felt to it. I even asked them if they could see how much I loved the book by how my demeanor changed and the happiness I exuded just talking about it. They could see it.

What I Liked:

• The love between Mike and his daughter, Olivia and how they interact with each other 
• Mikes flirty texts to Aurora
• That it is always Mike Martin and always Aurora, never Rory. Then Aurora Lake.
• The growth that Aurora experienced as she worked on healing herself and lived her life for herself. Especially when she recognized her self worth - setting boundaries and saying yes to the things she wanted and no to the things she didn't.
• On the page, in the office therapy - with real talk, real questions, real revelations 

Some Favorite Quotes:

"It's our depression car." - IYKYK

"But with Mike Martin, kissing felt like the whole point." - This gives all the yummy, fluttering feelings.

"Holy cow, therapy was a lot of work." - Yes. Yes, it is.

Jenny Holiday writes about grief with compassion and she honors the experience in a touching, humorous, and relatable way. Seeing the many ways grief shows up in characters like Mike Martin and Olivia and in books like CANADIAN BOYFRIEND is both comforting and validating. It makes a reader like me feel less alone. For that, I thank her. 

Disclaimer: I requested and received an ARC of this book from the publisher for review consideration. I've purchased a final version of the book for my personal library. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

BOOKS I READ IN 2023

The first book read in 2023 and the last book of 2023.

January

13: Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile

15: How to Win at The Challenge and Life by Sydney Bucksbaum

16: home is not a country by Safia Emillo

22: The Night of the Wedding by J. Broson

29: A Familiar Stranger by A.R. Torre

February

4: Fold in the Cheese by Parker Long

12: A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

13: Movie Star by Jessica Simpson

14: After the Blackout by J.R. Rogue

22: These Are My Big Girl Pants by Amber Vittoria

27: Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

March

3: Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

20: The Retreat by MArk Edwards

23: A Thousand Miles to Graceland by Kristen Mei Chase

April
2: Gloria by Sierra Simone

2: Oddball by Sarah Andersen

14: An Honest Lie by Tarryn Fisher

15: Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler

16: Behind Closed Doors by Brittainy Cherry and Kandi Steiner

29: The Reunion by Meghan Quinn

May

1: Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

7: Why Are You Like This by Meg Adams

10: Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson

13: Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese

14: It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

18: Stripped by Zoey Castile

24: Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

29: Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter

29: Better Than The Prom by Lynn Painter

31: Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon

31: Moist, Actually by Ash Dylan

June

4: The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

4: Sun of a Beach by Mia Sosa

6: Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

8: 7th Circle by Tate James

9: The Summer Melt by Emily March

9: Barbarian Lover by Ruby Dixon

14: Dirty Calls by Sade Rena

15: The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves

19: The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon

29: Barbarian Mine by Ruby Dixon

 

July

1: Sing Anyway by Anita Kelly

5: The Ro Bro by JA Huss and Jonathan McClain

8: We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

9: Ice Planet Honeymoon: Vektal & Georgie by Ruby Dixon

9: ICe Planet Holiday by Ruby Dixon

10: Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan

18: Truly Yours by Abby Jimenez

26: I Can Be a Better You by Tarryn Fisher

28: Layla by Colleen Hoover

28: Barbarian's Prize by Ruby Dixon

29: Barbarian's Mate by Ruby Dixon

31: Love Next Door by Helena Hunting

August

6: A Fatal Affair

6: These Walls Can Talk by Erin Mallon

11: Always Only You by Chloe Liese

12: Just A Girl by Alyssa Cole

13: The Heart of a Mother by Julie Clark

13: The Narwal Strikes Back by  Erin Mallon

14: Ice Planet Honeymoon: Raahosh & Liz by Ruby Dixon

17: Forever Mason by Heidi McLaughlin

20: Ice Planet Honeymoon: Aehako & Kira by Ruby Dixon

23: All Fired Up by Dylan Newton

26: A Walk in the Park by Rebekah Weatherspoon

28: Swipe for a Cosmo by Megan Wade

30: Office Hours by Katrina Jackson

September

3: Having the Barbarian's Baby by Ruby Dixon

3: Ice Ice Babies by Ruby Dixon

10: All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim

13: The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher

18: Dirty Red by Tarryn Fisher

21: Everything Is OK by Debbie Tung

22: Blind Date with a Book Boyfriend by Lucy Eden

October 

1: Life's Too Much by Anny Jimenez

7: Supper Club by Jackie Morrow

8: I'm a Wild Seed by Sharon Lee Dela Cruz

8: Forever is Now by Mariama J. Lockington

11: Crushing On You by Jen Trinh

15: The Hills of Estrella Roja by Ashley Robin Franklin

17: Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas

22: Coven by Jennifer Dugan

23: Butcher and Blakbird by Brynne Weaver

25: Ghost Book by Remi Lai

27: Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

29: Restless Waters by Jessica Park

November 

1: Ravenous by Jen Trinh

2: About Tomorrow . . .  by Abbi Glines

7: Rotten Fruit by D.W. Cole

11: Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

16: Family Style by Thien Pham

16: Batter Royale by Leisl Adams

18: A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

22: Snow Place Like L.A. by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

25: Amity by Micol Ostow

26: Best Friends by Francine Pascal

26: Boy Heaven by Laura Kasischke

December

3: Every Last Secret by A.R. Torre

4: Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Butler by Ibi Zoboi

6: A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

12: You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose

13: Dashing through the No by Tara Sivec

20: Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

22: Fangirl, Vol.3 by Rainbow Rowell and Gabi Nash

30: A Stormy and Sultry Sea by Katie McGarry

31: Forget Me Not by Julie Soto