Henry needs help with a class he’s taking in order to stay on the hockey team. After being dumped by her only boyfriend, Halle needs romantic experiences to write her first romance novel. Can these two help each other out with falling in love (rule #4)?

When this book landed on my NetGalley shelf, I actually screamed. Out of all the Maple Hills boys, I was looking forward to Henry’s story the most. And I definitely was not disappointed. Daydream is the third book in the Maple Hills series, and as of right now? It’s my favorite. I didn’t want to put it down at all.

While this book did have some hockey in it, seeing as Henry is the captain of the hockey team, it doesn’t have as much as Icebreaker, but does have more than Wildfire. I felt like this story focused more on the dynamics of relationships and how hockey fits into them instead of the actual hockey itself…and I am here for it.

This is the first Hannah Grace book where I truly felt that both of the main characters, Henry and Halle, were the stars of the show. We were able to dive deeply into both characters’ stories to truly see them for who they are and how they are affected by things going on around them and just by life in general.

Halle’s struggle being the oldest daughter and a people pleaser is something I feel deep in my soul. The way Henry helps her realize that “No.” is a full sentence and the people around her will still love her even if she uses it was a change Halle needed in her life. Halle became so much more confident and really became her own person throughout the story, not just a conglomeration of all the people who needed things from her.

Henry’s struggles living up to the responsibility of being captain and not letting anyone down was also very relatable. While he was confident in almost every other aspect of his life, losing his confidence in hockey shook him more than he realized until everything just crashed down around him.

I think my biggest take away from this book was that while both Henry and Halle supported each other and realized that it was ok to change the parts of their lives that were causing anxiety, they really made the changes to be their best selves on their own.

Overall, I loved this book. It made me giggle out loud one minute and wipe away tears the next. One of my favorite friends to lovers, hands down.

A very big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This may be Grace’s best book yet. Both the characters and the relationships felt so natural. The story and writing was so heartfelt, and the book was so engaging I stayed up way too late to read. There was never a dull moment, and the book was the perfect length.

Halle was the quintessential eldest daughter, and her struggles were painfully real and had me rooting for her to succeed. Henry’s mental battles throughout the book were exceptionally well-written and realistic. Their relationship was strong and their chemistry was undeniable from their first scene together. The side characters in the book carried over from previous books in the series, and they did not disappoint. All of the dynamics between characters were realistic and relatable.

All in all, reading this book was a (day)dream.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

Diving into my first Hannah Grace book, Daydream, I was drawn in by the buzz on BookTok about hockey romances and the captivating cover and premise. While the story had its charm, it was a bit of a mixed bag for me. A lot of the book's action, situations, and dialogue felt unrealistic, especially in the first half. However, there were some genuinely sweet moments between Henry and Halle that kept me turning pages.

The book felt overly long and could have benefitted from tighter editing to streamline the narrative. This would have helped maintain the pacing and kept the reader more invested throughout.

Overall, Daydream had its memorable moments and I’m glad I ventured into a new genre. While it lacked the polish and believability I was hoping for in a contemporary romance, it was an interesting read that added a new flavour to my bookshelf.

I was hesitantly excited about this one based on the summary and description of the main characters. I did not enjoy the author's first novel and didn't pick up her second, but "Daydream" was all I hoped it would be.

I really liked Halle and Henry as our main characters and the journey they went on was fun. I like how the author depicted the characters mental health struggles. This brought me back to college in the best and worst ways!

This read well as a stand-alone but would definitely be enjoyed by fans of the series. I will be checking out the author's future stories - I think her writing style has grown a lot since "Icebreaker".

Rated 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ebook ARC.

I LOVED this book! The author does a great job with equity/diversity inclusion. I will 100% be recommending this to my book club. I loved Icebreaker and Wildfire and I was so excited when I was approved to read this third installment of the Maple Hills novels. Sometimes authors tend to write similar stories when there is more than 1 book to the series, but this is not the case here. I was intrigued and invested in the character development throughout the book. And I of course loved when previous main characters were involved as well. One of my favorite parts is that many people can connect to the characters and that it was not a book about any specific disability but it treated characters as individuals who all dealt with situations differently while respecting and supporting one another’s differences. 5 stars for a cute romance novel with the best tropes. A great summer read.

THANK YOU for gracing me with a copy of this ARC.
My favorite of the series. It was also the least spicy so I feel more confident being able to stock this on my classroom library shelf in TX :)
I loved most of all the way Halle was written as a virgin and going through her complicated feelings about sex. Teaching seniors, many of my students are in this same boat as Halle where you feel sex should be special but aren’t tied to the construct of virgin-hood (?). Halle was written with such thoughtfulness and grace. She is my favorite FMC of the series. Low key bad ass. I love her.
Henry’s character tbh irritated me some, because I feel like this was not the same character or person we all fell in love with in the first two books. But I also feel that was the point. Did not like his MIA-ness in the third act for like weeks? And I felt he became co dependent on Halle for help in class instead of seeking help yes but also trying to find strategies to help him when he is faced with content that does not pique his interest in the future. He will not always have Halle to pre-read, chunk, and highlight things (not to say he won’t always have Halle herself, but the act of her helping so much on the work). Maybe that’s the teacher in me coming out? I do appreciate the struggle he faces though, being ADHD myself and teaching many students who face the same.
this was so well written and so much thought put into it. It was slightly to the point that I could tell the author was overthinking things because EVERYTHING was explained, it was over explained. But I see you and I admire you for all the heart and the heartache that was probably definitely put into this book. You did Henry justice and I absolutely adore Halle. This book is relatable on so many levels to so many students I have in my classroom.

Here is how I would describe Daydream: absolute comfort, tender care, being at its core about understanding, and DAMN good hot scenes.

As Hannah Grace has continued writting the Maple Hill series I have found that her writting has really developed when it comes to the growth and true character/human connection when it comes to her couples and the friendships around them. I truly loved Icebreaker, but just seeing that the couples have only gotten better and better needed a shoutout!

The dedication to elder daughters and Halle being a true representation of what it is to hold the burden of being the eldest daughter made me cry on THREE occasions while reading. I have never related to a character at my core more in my life, and I truly could not stop thinking of Taylor Swift lyrics. "Give me back my girlhood it was my first." Because it to be an elder daughter is to let go a little to early to an innocenmce/childhood, as we see with Halle as she deals with 'managing' her family as the deemed 'Family Manager'.
The growth of seeing her take a stand for her choices, experience, and life was therapeutic.
Move over, Aurora. I AM HALLE'S #1 Fan!

Halle & Henry were a couple that were so similar yet so different, but they just fit together so well because of their communication and understanding - even when it was a tad rocky.
Halle's patience to learn how Henry processed and Henry's gentle approach to helping Halle get experiences that she wanted as they navigated towards a relationship was euphoric. Honestly, it is fresh air in romance for me personally at the moment!

Daydream is an incredible read and such a refreshing romance! I just know it will be an instant favorite to many as it is now the favorite of the series for me.

Thank you to Netgally and the Publisher for allowing me a free E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book so much! Such realistic (at least for me) depictions of mental health and the struggles of having ADHD in a college stetting! I also love love love the relationship between Henry and Halle. Halle is so lovable and fun and realistic to read (as a chronically overworking book loving eldest daughter myself) and I really was rooting for her and loved her character growth! I also loved the inclusion of characters from past books, it was done well and did not take away from the love story that was happening! I absolutely tore through this book and cannot wait for the next one in the series! I loved the inclusion of the playlists both in the front and in the back of the book and I had to immediately make them and add it into my listening rotation!

Playlist : https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6U5rXWDZn6J0dp56QbJzXA?si=0d9ed5736ac54e0d

Secret Playlist (halle's version) : https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3HkYfcpZns937Iz3JRQvPZ?si=2210b922917244d8

If you've never read any Maple Hills books, don't be fooled by any preconceived notions that young adults going through college and romance at the same time equals juvenile (or immature) storylines. Grace consistently writes with, well, grace about complex family dynamics, pressures we put on ourselves to succeed (in life, school, and sports).

Henry is the quiet, funny, say-what-you-mean-and-mean-what-you-say roommate who stole every scene he entered in the previous Maple Hill books. Halle is an aspiring writer, the aforementioned eldest daughter whose family leans too hard on her to fix things. One of the most interesting pieces about this book is its emotional complexity. Even though Henry struggles with noise and people overwhelm, shutting down and needing space, he's also got complex clarity on calling Halle into conversations when emotions get challenging and she wants to avoid them. Also: with two moms' training, Henry defines the male so many women wish they could find, with deep understanding of the ways systems and the media tell women to make themselves small, literally and figuratively.

This is not, however, an issue book. It's a nuanced, honest, and realistic depiction of smart people with brains that work in different ways navigating the challenges of everyday life and new love.

While you can read this as a standalone, I recommend reading the books in order, because previous relationships come back into play. It's also my favorite Hannah Grace to date!

In short, if you are a fan of Maple Hills, a fan of Hannah Grace, a fan of emotionally complex characters, and/or are or have known anyone with elder daughter syndrome (fixer!), anyone who struggled with traditional classroom approaches, has neurodivergence or ADHD, or are just, well, a lover of books with thoughtful dialogue, emotionally-rich characters, and banter—oh, the boys' group texting banter!—this book is for you.

The meet-cute at the book club. "We are both quirky and fine with being quirky together." The author's note at the beginning on neurodiversity. The artist talent of both as well as the insecurities. Loving the whole knight in shining armor after being screwed over by a douchebag and losing friends who chose sides. This is a very real thing. This book had me kicking my feet and screaming into my pillow. @hannahgrace please keep writing these feel-good books!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @atriabooks for this ARC for an honest review. Loved!

I was SO HAPPY to be back in Maple Hills again. This book was just a simple, warm fuzzies all over feeling from cover to cover and it felt like hanging out with old friends. Henry's neurodivergence takes center stage, but he tries to acknowledge feelings and events to help those around him understand what's going on in his head. Halle, in that same vein, is the people-pleaser and helps recognize some of Henry's feelings before others can, giving him grace and space to explore emotions. The two are ultra-supportive of one another, and even their "bumps in the road" are just minor moments in the story that their happily ever after is never in question for even a second.

It's nice to see the cast of characters we know and love rally around these two. (I'd still love to read a JJ book.) It was a relatively straight-forward story. The "spice" was pretty turned down, especially compared to the previous installments. It was a little longer than maybe necessary, but no where near as long as Icebreaker felt.

Now... how long do we have to wait for book 4?!? ;0)

Overall: 5 stars (I loved it)

**Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

I don't read much new adult because it's often hard for me to related to characters who are just in such a different phase of life (I'm in my 40s, these characters are 20). But, I've read the first two books in the Maple Hills series and I definitely wanted to read Henry's book since he's been such an interesting character in the series, and when I saw that he was being paired with a cute nerd who loves reading and writing romance, I was like, "yeah, I have to." The author's note at the start of the book was really interesting - she explains that readers of the series really wanted a book in which Henry's assumed neurodiversity is acknowledged and/or officially diagnosed, but chose not to make this a book focused on a diagnosis. Henry definitely reads as neurodiverse, maybe with some combo of ADHD and ASD, but I respect the author's choice not to make the book about that. While he's certainly one of two leads in this novel, it actually felt more like Halle's book to me, maybe because I found her so relatable, and maybe because her growth over the course of the story is so significant. I think Hannah Grace is a great writer and I would love to see her do a non-new adult romance, because I feel like she could really knock it out of the park for me with a millennial main character.

I really enjoyed Halle and Henry’s story! It was a sweet budding romance, I liked the friends to lovers. I enjoyed Icebreaker more than Wildfire. But I liked Daydream more than both of those. I found both Halle and Henry to be relatable and loveable characters!

The way I genuinely shrieked when this book hit my kindle app was truly something. This book was one of the most anticipated books of the year for me and it truly did not disappoint. I loved returning to Maple Hill and being with the gang again. I loved how Henry, precious sweet Henry, finally got his own book. I loved Halle as well because I see a lot of myself in her especially with being an overthinker and severe people pleaser. This book was overall what I wanted from it and it never had a dull moment for me.

This book was so sweet and full of so much heart! I loved watching the progression of Henry's and Halle's relationship and how the entire time, they communicated with one another about their wants/needs. I loved the slight banter between the two and how Henry found comfort being around Halle and she knew exactly what he needed in certain scenarios.

This book touches a lot on neurodivergent tendencies and characteristics and even though Henry isn't officially diagnosed in this book (which Hannah Grace notes is intentional), it dives into the challenges that he faces when his brain process certain information and/or scenarios differently than those around him. It was great to see the support that he got from both Halle and his friends, even if at times his friends didn't always know how to support him.

I also really related to Halle's character in this story. Like Halle, I'm a people pleaser and while my people pleasing isn't as severe as Halle's, I get her tendency to want to put others before herself. It was great to see Henry and her friends encourage her to put herself first and also have them jump in to help when she over committed to doing things for others.

So, if you're looking for a fun, slower burn romance with amazing main characters and side characters, be sure to put this one up on release day!

Read if you like:
- Friends to Lovers
- Fake Dating
- Opposites Attract
- Inexperienced FMC
- Neurodivergent Rep

I have been waiting for this one! I absolutely adored getting to be in Henry’s head and learn more about Halle. I think they are such relatable characters and I loved them so so so much. I was wondering if there will be a epilogue, because Icebreaker and Wildfire had epilogue’s and honestly I just want more of Halle and Henry

this was... okay. I thoroughly enjoyed Henry's ADHD representation and thought that was done well. Halle was a people-pleaser and had an eldest-daughter curse so she said yes to everyone and everything and didn't know how to say no or put herself first. By the end, I loved seeing her yell and argue and stand up for herself.

➳Their relationship was cute. They were both there to support each other and they had really sweet moments. Was it worth the length of this book? No.

➳Side characters are there but everyone seems to be in distress. Nate is away, Stassie is stressing; Aurora is weird and Russ is a teddybear; Kris, Robbie, Bobbie and whoeevr the fuck else exist and I still don't even know who they are three books later (Robbie is in a wheelchair? I never knew this?)

➳The biggest downfall was how BORING this was. Oh my god. I was seventy percent through and the book should have finished then. I want you to be mindful of this: the book starts at the beginning of a fall semester. AND WE NEED TO GET THROUGH TO MARCH for Halle's character arc to be complete. When I read Icebreaker (5/5 stars for me), I didn't notice and/or mind how long it was. Wildfire was a bit of a slog, and I noticed it was unnecesarily long. But this one? Holy moly. SO unnecessarily long. And i love long books! I've read a 700-page fantasy in one day. But please. It took me a week to read this and this was the one release this year I was so looking forward to, and I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. I dreaded the fact that I had to pick this up and read it because I was so bored.

Since I really did love Icebreaker and even Wildfire, I was so esctatic to get this. But I think my tolerance for the way this author writes has worn thin, between the choppy sentences or weird paragraphs that have no place or rhyme or reason to be there. I kept thinking to myself as I was reading, "This paragraph could have been deleted and nothing would have changed" or "This could have been the leading chapter paragraph and we wouldn't have missed anything." Because why are you trying to waste my time with these unnecessary, dragging details? There are so many redundant conversations between EVERYBODY.
➳Russ and Henry—him essentially telling him over and over again that he doesn't need to stress about being a good captain, etc. There's at least forty pages covered on this.
➳Henry and Halle—I love good communication. not when they are communciating the same point over and over again and getting nowhere. I feel like they went in circles. I don't like labels? You don't either? Cool! You need space? I'll give you space, but I'll be sad about it. Pout pout. Like get a grip.
➳Halle couldn't stand up for herself to save her life. Like seriously grow a spine.

Going into this, you think it's going to be a jock x tutor dynamic and while that is true, it's not the way you think it will be. They essentially befriend each other first, then just spend all of their time together, and then they decide to help each other out. And henry is great—he has a care kit for girls, let's not forget!!—but I wish there was more tension. I felt no butterflies. No fuzzies. Nothing. Because they seamlessly just... fit.

Halle lives in her grandmother's house. Yes, you heard that right. Homegirl has a whole ass house to herself that her mother pays for. Unrealistic for a twenty year old, but okay. On the topic of unrealistic things, I truly do not believe Halle had time to do half of the things she always said she had to, nevertheless all of them. And adding onto more unrealistic things, Henry asks his friends (Russ, aurora, etc) to literally help Halle through her laundry list of never ending people-pleasing tasks by grocery shopping for her or buying christmas presents for her relatives. I dont care how good of a friend group you say you have—aint nobody doing all that.

Another trope is the virgin trope. Our heroine, Halle, is a virgin. I will reiterate since I think it's important that I do so that I LOVED ICEBREAKER AND WILDFIRE!!!—I thought their spice level was pretty good. The spice in this book is nearly nonexistent. It's also a slow burn, since halle is a virgin. Obviously. And it wasn't even good. Like... Henry. I thought you had more game than this babygirl. I was lowkey embarrassed for the both of them LMAO.

There's also this other subplot for Halle submitting a writing prompt for... whatever reason, hence why she needs Henry's help with getting "experience" to write something good. This is the backdrop for the whole book—her trying to get material for her own book (which the premise sucks, by the way, more secondhand embarrassment)—and by the end, it doesn't even get chosen. So all of that for what? Literally everyone dropped their entire lives to help her finish this and it didn't even get picked. Girl don't quit your day job!!! keep daydreaming!!!

Now listen. There were good parts. Halle found a group of girl friends which is hard as a girl in your 20s when you're introverted and had your entire life grown around a man. Her and henry's relationship really was sweet, even if emotionally codependent. But it was just so long, so boring, at parts icky and cringey. To say i'm not disappointed by this would be a lie. And it's a 3.5, which is not a horrible rating, but I was really expecting something spectacular. And sure, that can be on me, but when I rated both other books 4 stars and higher, excuse me for having expectations. It's possible I've outgrown this juvenile, college-life style of books. Maybe I don't care about twenty-year old's problems when they're this stupid. The writing is not the best (you don't "have a shower" you "take a shower") and I might just prefer something with a little more... intellect.


thank you netgalley for the arc!!!

--

Daydream was a cute follow up to Wildfire. I liked it but not as much as Hannah Graces other two novels. Henry was sweet and caring, Halle was incredibly relatable. However, there were times where the story felt drawn out and repetitive. 3.5 ⭐️

This book was everything I could have hoped for and more! Henry has always been my favorite character like many other people and so I was very excited when I saw that the next book was going to be about him, and it did not disappoint! I loved learning more about Henry and how he thinks and reacts to different scenarios. It was so refreshing to see everyone around him just wanting the best for him, "whatever that looks like". Seeing the relationship progress between Halle and Henry was so fun to see. They were so good for each other and I loved how the not pressuring each other went both ways, even if its not as apparent with Halle not pressuring Henry. She lets him work things out how he needs to without needing an answer right away.

I also LOVED Halle as a character. I saw so much of myself in her in her insecurities and experiences. I loved seeing her represented in a book and having the other characters around her validate her feelings and help her with moving on from what she felt and being more comfortable with where she is now. Another thing I was super grateful for is that Halle was a plus sized character and yet her entire personality did not revolve around her being insecure in her body. It was so nice to see a plus size character who was comfortable in their body and loved their body and wore whatever they wanted without mentioning that they are bigger every two lines.

The friendship relationships in this book were phenomenal. Everyone was so supportive of each other and validated their feelings and helped them when they needed help. They were constantly showing up for each other even when the characters didn't think they would. This book is about friendship as much as it is about relationships. And once again Hannah Grace kills it with the healthy communication and making sure to talk about the things that are bothering the characters instead of just hiding away from it.

Thank you Atria Books for approving my Netgalley request! (I was so excited when I saw the notification pop up that I dropped my phone on my face)

Before I started Daydream, I was a bit nervous to read this one. I loved the past two books, but I always get worried when a sequel comes out that it won’t live up to the previous books. Obviously I was incredibly wrong since I loved Henry and Halle so much that I couldn’t stand to put this book down.

Without spoiling anything, this book portrays what a healthy relationship can look like. It also depicts mental health in a way that could at times feel relatable, but never felt forced. Both of these things are something that I could appreciate. I loved the build up in this book as they worked towards things together, never making Halle OR the reader feel like things were rushed.

I have nothing but positive things to say about this book. If you liked Icebreaker and Wildfire, you’re going to love Daydream. Hannah Grace ate and left no crumbs with this one!