"If you liked Crazy Rich Asians, you're going to LOVE Crazy Apologetic Canadians!"
"Crazy Apologetic Canadians is the funniest book I've had the pleasure of reading." 5 Starts, Kay Daniels Romance
I take one look at the grumpy Brit and know I’m in trouble. Not because he’s in Nova Scotia to tear down our beloved amusement park. Or because he wants to build an elite school on the lush property.
No, I’m in trouble because Colin Parker is superlicious – despite the stick up his British bum.
You see, I’m a free-spirited girl who knows her way around a lobster boat. He’s a rule follower who knows his way around a boardroom. Can you say polar opposites?
Oh, did I mention his mother is back in England planning his marriage? The sexy Brit with a debutante makes sense, right?
You know what doesn’t make sense? The two of us between the sheets and a montage of fun activities that finally put a smile on his face. But when the montage ends, and life turns messy and complicated—yet we still manage to find common ground—it leads me to believe we’re not so different after all.
Until he does the one thing that proves me wrong and I’m forced to make a decision I thought I’d never have to make.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cathryn Fox is a wife, mom, sister, daughter, aunt and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything chocolate (she never says no to a brownie) pizza and red wine. Cathryn lives in beautiful Nova Scotia with her husband, who is convinced he can turn her into a mixed martial arts fan. When not writing, Cathryn can be found Skyping with her son living in Seattle (could he have moved any farther away?) shopping with her daughter in the city, watching a big action flick with her husband, or hanging out and laughing with friends.
I started this book and by page two, I was already giggling, and knew this was going to be awesome! The fun continued and it did not let me down even a smidge. I loved every second of Colin and Violet’s story. It isn’t just fun, though there is a lot of that, but these two have amazing chemistry, and when they act on it, scorching heat. This book just made me feel good, maybe it’s my maritime pride, or maybe it’s that it all seemed familiar. I think it’s really because this was a great story, with a grumpy-sunshine mix, and a lot of laughs, and steam, while our couple falls in love <3
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
A fun and light read with fantastic banter, likeable characters, a lot of sexual tension and rebellious animals.
This book follows Violet, a bubbly and unapologetically small-town Canadian girl and the owner of Annapolis Park and Colin, a British lawyer who is in town to oversee the transfer of the park to his own family. With unwanted attraction for each other in the mix and "some" town residents who feel repulsive to the presence of Colin, what could go wrong?
Violet couldn't be more likeable, really, a bubbly and fun-loving personality had me sold, and although I was unsure of Colin's nature at first, he grew up on me as well. The author did a fantastic job of including the side characters in the storyline and not just treating them as props. I never realized I would enjoy reading about rebellious animals until Lucky, Popcorn and Waffles.
For the things I didn't like, It was predictable and some things could have been handled a little better. The jokes felt funny at first but by the end, they felt repetitive and boring.
3.5* rounded up! Sweet, hilarious, and a little bit spicy!! A perfect light reading mix! I loved watching Violet and Colon's (ha!) story unfold and enjoyed every second of reading this.. I even giggled out loud a few times too!! "Bloody hell, a toonie is a two-dollar coin, and they can't even spell it properly? It should be twonie, not toonie."
Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I love reading a book where the female lead (in this case – Violet) is someone I would hang out with in real life! This book was just fun and being inside Violet’s head kept me in stitches. As I haven’t read anything by Cathryn Fox before, I wasn’t sure what to expect – especially when this book kept comparing itself to Crazy Rich Asians. I am so excited to say it did not disappoint!
Who punishes someone by sending them to Nova Scotia?! Colin’s grandfather, who else. As Colin disembarks the plane to endure his punishment for not being wed as family and tradition dictates, he is overcome with dread. While attempting to clear his mind and gather himself (as well as his luggage), a woman runs smack into him, nearly knocking him over! More frustrated than he thought was even possible at this point, Colin takes a deep breath and refocuses his thoughts on doing what is expected: get the paperwork signed so the foundation can build its precious school. Entering the airport bar, Colin awaits his ride from Bryant, the gentleman who also owns the bed and breakfast he reserved. When Bryant enters the bar to meet him, he quickly discovers he is a she. In fact, she is the woman that nearly knocked him off his feet (literally and physically) only a few moments prior. Physical attraction aside, he is here for one reason only and the sooner this deal is done, the better.
Violet is an open book, what you see is what you get. As the owner of the bed and breakfast and a plethora of other hats that she wears – she isn’t looking forward to the sell of the town’s beloved amusement park anymore than the residents; but, having sank everything she owns into it (and opening the bed and breakfast to help supplement expense) she knows it needs to be done and it is out her hands anyway. While she can’t stop the sell of the park, she can show Annapolis hospitality to the Brit coming over to sign the paperwork. What she didn’t imagine is the gorgeous gentleman with a stick up his bum and her B&B guest being one in the same. Despite the fact that he nearly made her heart stop, he is only here to do business and that’s it – leaving like everyone else has in her life. Doesn’t matter either way, they are from two different words so as long as she keeps the town people from grabbing the pitch forks and running him out of town, and keeps her distance – despite what her body is saying, her job is done.
What I like about it: I am still not 100% convinced Lucky is from this world but I loved that cat! I always enjoy a dual POV story but throw in a pet with an attitude and I am sold. While this story is your stereotypical romantic comedy, it was still a ton of fun! I was laughing hysterically before I finished the first two chapters of this book. Violet’s inner monologue is comedic gold. What is even better is when her best friend Emily verbalizes some of those internal thoughts and the reactions around them. I loved how Fox shifted the tone of each character as the story progressed. At the beginning, Violet’s chapters were hilarious, light, and fun. Colin’s were judgmental, arrogant, and prime and proper. As he started to loosen up a bit, his POV chapters started to flow easier with more humor and ease. Mimicking his evolution and growth with his POV is not something I have seen by a writer so it makes his transformation more evident.
What I love about it: I loved how two people who both speak English still had the hardest time understanding each other because of their backgrounds. I about fell over with some of the word confusion.
This book did a great job of delivering the scorching connections but also alluding to others so the steamy parts were not repetitive. As their connection moved beyond the hook up and to something more, Fox transitioned from hot and heavy pages to sensual and intimate recaps – giving some sense of privacy to these two people that unknown to themselves, were falling for one another.
A point that Fox approached from two different directions was expectations. Colin’s family had expectations for him – how he should live his life, who he should marry, what his future would be – whether he liked it or not. Violet had the same expectations as well – to be the protector, the caretaker, everything to everyone – giving but never receiving to ensure all of those around her were happy and supported. It was easy for Colin to look at Violet’s life and see that she gave far too much of herself and needed someone to take care of her, even if she didn’t believe it or take issue with it. Violet was able to do the same with Colin, poking holes in honor, tradition, and following the rules – letting the possibility of controlling his happiness and life seep in versus only ever doing what he was told.
All in all this book lived up to the hype. Sweet, funny, thoughtful, and insightful – I would read it all over again for the animals alone! I plan on seeing what else Fox has to offer and will be keeping my fingers crossed on Nick’s story.
Crazy Apologetic Canadians is the funniest book I've had the pleasure of reading. It was exactly the book I needed for the reading slump I'd fallen into as it lifted my spirits, made my day feel brighter, and all of the fun inside spilled out to make my day feel soooo much better.
Colin Parker arrives in Canada a stuffy, grumpy Brit who is literally the complete opposite of the snarky, happy-go-lucky Canadian, Violet. Colin is there to complete a job for his family's foundation, but the small town of Annapolis does everything they can to keep him from completing his task. Violet plays the peacekeeper, for the most part, between the town's people and Colin, since she understands Colin is only there to do his job, even if she doesn't particularly like it herself.
While Colin is stuck in a holding pattern and Violet plays hostess, Colin gets to know Canada a little better and it also seems to loosen the stick from his behind that he arrived with. It probably helps that his hostess is the vibrant Violet, even when Canadian phases throw him, but are delightfully funny. The time away from his stuffy life and his castle...that's right Colin lives in a drafty castle, however, don't call him a prince, he is anything but charming, it all seems a little crazy, but in the end it really does a man good.
The entire book is great fun, full of witty banter, quirky characters, and page turning plot. Colin and Violet made my cheeks hurt with all of the chuckling and giggling I did throughout the entire book. Reading their story was like watching my favorite sitcom, except it was a million times better! I chuckled from start to finish and my love for Colin and Violet only grew as the story progressed. This is one romcom not to be missed!!
Violet Bryant wears many hats living in Annapolis, NS, she's a "jack of all trades" and loved beyond measure by almost everyone in town. When Colin Parker arrives in town from Britain, he thinks he’ll only be in town for a short time. He’s in town to finalize the deal regarding the Annapolis Park and his family’s foundation. Little does he know, small towns aren’t as fast paced or welcoming as he’s used to, luckily for him, Violet is pretty cool BnB owner.
Crazy Apologetic Canadians is a fun, fast paced and easy to read, predictable hallmark style romantic comedy with spice. I went in blind, @for_the_thrill_of_books and I were discussing a buddy read and when she mentioned the title, I immediately requested only knowing the title, and what a great title it is. This story was hilarious, I lost track of the amount of times I laughed, my stomach hurt from constant laughter. The story is set in Nova Scotia and it was familiar in the best way possible, I lived in Nova Scotia for a year and it’s so nice to read an upbeat story set there. With our sense of humor, this was the best book for the two of us to read. Although I loved the story, I was starting to get a little tired of the Canadian terminology. I can speak for myself when I say we don’t talk like that all that often/ if at all. It didn’t take anything away from the story by any means though.
Book is Set to be released March 6, 2023.
Thank you netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-opfor this ARC.
Crazy Apologetic Canadians is a contemporary romance by Cathryn Fox and what a fantastically funny read it is. If you like romantic comedies and want to read something that gives an insight into Canadian humour, then you'll definitely want to pick this one up.
Colin Parker is an uptight, grumpy Brit, who has been sent to a small town in Nova Scotia on the pretext of completing a deal for his family's foundation, but he sees it as a punishment for not toeing the family line. Violet Bryant is the owner (among other things) of the bed and breakfast where he's staying while completing his assignment.
From the very beginning this couple gets off on the wrong foot, and it only gets funnier as the story roles along. This is a bit of a fish out of water story, with a lot of Canadianisms that just tickled my funny-bone and had me laughing out loud from page one. As a bonus there are also quirky townspeople, and scene-stealing critters which always make things fun.
If you're anything like me, this book will have you giggling from beginning to (almost) end. I highly recommend reading it, especially if you're feeling a bit down.
This is my first (but not the last) Cathryn Fox book. I loved how she pieces the story together in a way that leaves the reader wondering what is going to happen next. This book had it all; It made me laugh, tugged at my heartstrings, and left me turning the pages to the next steamy scene! When I first read the description of the book, I really didn't think it would have that much heat but boy was I wrong!
As a fellow Nova Scotian who has not only spent time at 'Annapolis Park' and the town of Annapolis, I was happy that other readers would be able to experience the quaint town through the eyes of Violet and Colin. Yes, there are some typical Canadian sayings throughout the book, but don't worry there is a description at the beginning to let non-Canadian readers in on the lingo!
My favorite quote: "Who makes roller coasters out of wood anyway? Can you even call it a roller coaster? If you ask me, the only thing keeping it together is the termites holding hands." Oh you and me both Colin!
Overall, 4.5/5
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC!
Thank you to Net Galley and author Cathryn Fox for passing along this ARC for an honest review.
Crazy Apologetic Canadians was a sweet book with a little spice and a lot of heartwarming moments.
The book stars a Canadian Jane-of-all-Trades Violet working against/alongside proper British gentleman Colin (who may or may not have a stick firmly implanted in his buttocks). I use the term enemies to lovers loosely, but he is in Nova Scotia to create a bit of upheaval in this small town as he works out the paperwork to tear down a beloved theme park in order to put in a boarding school. However, as most books go, things don’t go according to plan.
From crotchety old townsfolk with hearts of gold, to slightly aggressive goats, to saving a Sphinx cat with a heart murmur, Violet and Colin have a bunch of shenanigans thrown at them in the span of a few weeks. It was so cute and like I mentioned, heartwarming.
I did feel like the pacing of the book was off, however, and there was quite a bit to be desired. However if you wanna read a cute book with little to think about, and some very nice 🌶️ scenes, definitely check it out.
Thanks to NetGalley, Victory Editing Co-op, and the author for providing an ARC for review.
3.5 Stars!
Okay... This book gave me a laugh. It truly was Unapologetically Canadian (See what I did there?). It's true, we do apologizer like our life depends on it... "Yeah, no, for sure"... Yup, have totally used that instead of just saying "Yes". This book really nailed how we talk, but the crazy thing is, I didn't even realize we act like this and say most of these things until I was reading the book! This book didn't make fun or insult Canadians in anyway like books (and movies) sometimes do, so that was refreshing.
I really liked the banter between Colin and Violet and that slow burn was worth it. The way Colin just wanted to look out for Violet even when the rest of the town didn't like him was so sweet. He made my heart melt on this cold Canadian winter day.
An absolutely adorable read. Perfect for a day at the beach or for a night in, curled up with a glass of wine!
So this was a Sweet little book with a hell of a lot of Sexual tension. Colin and Violet were a hot couple and you just couldn’t wait for them to finally get together and let the tension go. It was a nice quick read and the storyline was great.
My only issue personally with the book was I found it full of too many stereotypical Canadian puns. I’m sorry, but how many times did we have to hear a beaver joke or the sayings “yeah,no”,”I’m sorry’s” - and “eh”? This Canadian found it got old pretty quickly. I had to keep asking myself “is this really written by a Canadian?” And on the flip side, I felt that there wasn’t enough British phrases to convince me Colin was British. And, the repetitive use of “right and proper” did not do it. It was the last 20 pages that finally had me remembering that he was English without having them say it.
But beyond that, this book made me smile…and had me hoping there’s a follow up book about brother Nate’s romantic adventures in the future.
When I read the book description I expected a very funny, entertaining read. This book starts out with various clumsy moments like tripping, bumping heads and being attacked by goats and landing in the ditch, followed with Colin being surprised by Violet’s many jobs in this little town. The conversations are interspersed with numerous ambiguous comments, al of them referring to sex, and so many Canadian catch phrases in it, that it got distracting and a bit annoying. Colin is British and characterized as keeping a ‘stiff upper lip’ and Violet is the free spirit, so an opposites attract plot. Although I didn’t feel they had much chemistry. A very quick read with a predictable ending. I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I initially chose to read this book because the cover seemed interesting and maaan I’m so glad I did. I would have finished this in one sitting if you know, sleep and work weren't a thing.
Lets begin: I liked that the author gave a list of Canadian lingo because while I knew a decent amount, it definitely helped. This small town romance about a struggling amusement park being bought out by a corporation just screams disaster and love right? but Colin and Violet werent your typical couple. Violet was fierce and independent and Colin needed to learn how to cut loose but sickly became a total simp for violet and was the sweeting. Lucky, though, was the star of the show.
If you need a book to temporarily forget your struggles while laughing … choose this one.
I laugh reading Canadian terminologhy. Yeah, no: No. Yeah, no, for sure: Yes. Yeah, no, for sure we’re not doing that: Not doing that. Oh, yeah, no for sure you do: Yes, you do.
More cryptic than girl language!! Lol! It is sweet how Colin want to take care Violet, his protective side rise he dosnt want Violet get hurt or worry on anything. I like how grumpy stick to the rule Colin have fun and playful when in Annapolis. Small town life so peacfull, i can imagine jow beautiful the place and scenery.
Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.
When the uptight and formal Colin finds himself in small town Nova Scotia to finalize a transaction for his family he is in for the surprise of his life. All he wanted to do is return to the life he knows as quickly as possible but the town and the people in it have other ideas.
Violet and the rest of the town want to convince him to change his better and she is in the perfect position as not only does she own the place where he is staying but she is determined to show him the beauty of their town just the way it is.
The interactions and the situations that Colin and Violet find themselves in are humorous especially when you add in the eclectic personalities of the townspeople as they take us a fun and romantic ride.
I knew once I started reading this book I was going to be hooked. I was laughing by page 2 and it continued through the remainder of the book. I absolutely loved every part of the relationship between Colin and Violet. They were fun and had off the chart chemistry that kept me glued to the pages to see how it progressed. I was the type of book that made you feel happy while you read it. I look forward to reading more from this author. She was great at combing a grump character with one that radiated sunshine every where she went. Even though i received a free early version, i would have definitely paid to buy this book.
Crazy Apologetic Canadians was adorable and a sweet funny read! It wasn’t exactly what I thought I signed up for when I requested it but I enjoyed it all the same haha. As a Canadian I love seeing books about Canadians and by Canadian authors so I of course wanted to grab this one! It’s funny, even though the maritimes are a part of Canada, they are so far away from the prairies and SO different, it’s hard sometimes to believe we are all in the same country haha. I enjoyed being immersed in the maritime culture and soaked it up! The characters and writing were sweet and REALLY funny and I really enjoyed myself!
Thank you NetGalley, Cathryn Fox and Victoria editing NetGalley co-op.
I take one look at the grumpy Brit and know I’m in trouble. Not because he’s in Nova Scotia to tear down our beloved amusement park. Or because he wants to build an elite school on the lush property.
No, I’m in trouble because Colin Parker is superlicious – despite the stick up his British bum.
You see, I’m a free-spirited girl who knows her way around a lobster boat. He’s a rule follower who knows his way around a boardroom. Can you say polar opposites?
Oh, did I mention his mother is back in England planning his marriage? The sexy Brit with a debutante makes sense, right?
You know what doesn’t make sense? The two of us between the sheets and a montage of fun activities that finally put a smile on his face. But when the montage ends, and life turns messy and complicated—yet we still manage to find common ground—it leads me to believe we’re not so different after all.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Review:
When I started this book, I knew that i was going to enjoy it and loved how we got a glimpse into what immediate stereotypes people will come to when they meet someone. I got a real feel for what it would be like to go to another country without any knowledge of the culture and how a fellow Brit would be seen by them. I loved the immediate connection that the main characters have and that they 'tried' to ignore this and that love won out in the end. This is not my normal type of book and i think for a predominately Fantasy reader this was the ideal book for me. I will definitely be recommending this to friends and family - especially people for do not normally read this genre.
I haven't read or seen Crazy Rich Asians, so I can't comment on the parody aspect and probably missed some references. Also, while I was advised that this was not as steamy as other Fox books, and it's not, there's still no shortage of steaminess - the innuendo starts on page 2 and doesn't let up. There's a lot of fish-out-water humour involving the urbane British hero stuck in small town Nova Scotia, and aspects like a hairless cat and a prankster farmer add to the fun. The plot, seemingly inspired by stories concerning the fate of a former amusement park, is topical and local, adding depth to the rom-com aspects of the story.
This was a cute romcom. And I did laugh out loud several times. Definitely a grumpy sunshine and I did like both the main characters.
However, with there being so so many stereotypes of both Canadians and British, I felt like I was missing out on an inside joke half the time. At first they were cute, but there were so many. And to me, it distracted me from the actual storyline.
It was cute, but I wanted more storyline, less stereotype jokes.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Crazy Apologetic Canadians? That just about sums us up 🤣. So did I request this book for the title alone? Sure did.
🇨🇦 This book cracked me up and maybe more so because I found it pretty relatable. It was the perfect cute, sweet, funny and warm hug of a book with some nice steam! Colin was definitely NOT uptight in that department 😆. And did I love all the beaver jokes? Yes, I’m childish like that 🦫
What I want to know is why I haven't read anything by this author before now. I have definitely been missing out! From the third page of the book I was in fits of laughter and I did not stop until the last page. The snappy dialogue is witty and hilarious. I especially loved all the shenigans with the animals and the romance between Colin and Violet was so steamy I could see the fog on the mirror. A well written romantic comedy.
Cathryn Fox is a new-to-me author. I was drawn to this book as soon as I read the description - it's so rare to find a romance with significant Canadian content as this book has. I grew up in Nova Scotia as well, so it was easy to relate to many of the scenarios in the book. Crazy Apologetic Canadians had me laughing aloud at times - this book is highly enjoyable and I'll definitely be reading more by this author!
This was a great book. I was laughing so hard watching Colin navigate small towns, and Emily trying to teach him. He did not know what he was hetting into when he was sent there by his grandfather, for their business. Eventually small town life comes easy to him. Even his mother comes to try to manipulate him back to what she wants. Emiy realizes not all things are as they seem.
Cathryn is the master of romcoms. She keeps you in stitches as you read along. As a Canadian this humour was on point for me and just gave it such a wonderful feel. The dynamic of Violet and Colin was off the charts. The rough first meeting to all the incidents that follow has you cheering them on. The stuck up brit has no idea what he was in for when going to a rural town in NS! Loved it!
I always enjoy Cathryn's books, but this one is my current fave! Loved all the zany characters and hilarious situations the MCs get into. I especially loved the bald kitty and two mischievous goats. If you want a fun, laugh out loud, but still steamy read this one's for you!
I would like to thank Cathryn Fox for sending me an arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Crazy Apologetic Canadians is the second book I have read from relatively local - different province, but fellow Maritimer - author Cathryn Fox. The bright pink, and off-beat title drew me in - mostly because its a bit ... much. I won't lie, if I hadn't read her work before, I probably wouldn't have requested the arc on the cover alone - yes, I am one of those - but I liked Hooked on You, so I figured why not?
The first chapter had me snorting from laughter. It was a strong introduction to the story, had me actually laughing, and I immediately knew what our main characters personalities were right away. But after the first chapter, I was kind of bored. There are still humorous moments, but the constant stereotypes from both Canadians, and the English got tiresome. As a fellow Canadian, I totally appreciated the funny little mannerisms we have - especially on the east coast - and I loved seeing them highlighted in a novel. I just didn't love that it began to feel like beating a dead horse. Aside from that, its a lighthearted read. It's funny if not witty. The romance is nice. Predictable, but nice.
I think if you are a Canadian, and especially from the Maritimes, and you like lighthearted romantic comedies, you will like this. It's fun to poke fun at ourselves sometimes. And if you don't - I'm sorry!
Funny from the first page. This is a light, cute, easy read. I enjoyed Violet’s sense of humor and watching Colin lose the stick! A fun book from the first page to the last! Hoping that Nate will get his own book! Definitely recommend!