This book was a very cute (and way too long) contemporary romcom with some easter eggs/crossovers from some of Hannah Grace's other books. I really liked Henry and Halle as characters and they had a refreshingly healthy relationship, but I think this was also a problem for the book. Not much conflict happens, and as a result I wasn't feeling for them as deeply and I wasn't as invested, and also as a result, not much plot happens. It's basically them vibing and providing feel-good vibes for each other for 400 pages. They DID have conflict in their separate lives and with other characters, but I never felt that spill over into their relationship. Which is fine for many readers, but not exactly my cup of tea. I think I liked Hannah Grace's other books a bit more. But if you don't mind a vibey, feel good story without much conflict, then you'll enjoy this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria, and Hannah Grace for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own!

Liked this book enough, but wasn't an absolute favorite of mine. I loved the characters, but the it took me a bit to get into the story.

I am so obsessed with this series!
I love this book so much, it might be my favorite.
Henry is such a gem, and he really shines in this book.
So good!!

Release Date: August 27, 2024
POV: Dual POV
Genre and Sub-Genre: Romance, College, Sports Romance
Main Location(s): Maple Hills, CA
Tropes: fake dating, she tutors him, hockey captain/artist MMC x book lover/baker FMC, dating lessons, slow burn, strangers to friends to lovers, he’s obsessed with her, mental health/neurodivergent rep, found family, virgin FMC, opposites attract
Microtropes: communication/consent king, fake dating rules, you’re not allowed to fall in love with me, baking together
TW/CWs: drug use + drugging, alcohol, death of a grandparent, past grief, toxic relationship (between FMC and her ex), panic attacks, body shaming, sexual assault
On KU?: No
HEA: Yes
Rating: 3.75/5 (rounded up)
Spice: 2.5/5 (some intimate scenes, but they aren’t overly explicit or frequent)

Summary:
The third installment in the New York Times bestselling Maple Hills series centers on fan-favorite Henry Turner, the newly appointed hockey captain, who is struggling to balance his academic and athletic responsibilities during a challenging junior year. After landing in a tough class with his least favorite professor, Henry knows he’s in trouble. Enter Halle Jacobs, a fellow junior, academic overachiever, and aspiring author, who meets Henry when he crashes her book club. With her own busy schedule of studies, work, and writing, Halle offers to tutor Henry in exchange for new experiences to fuel her writing inspiration. Together, they create a rule book to keep their partnership strictly platonic, but as they spend more time together—between study sessions and adventures—sticking to the rules proves harder than expected as they slowly fall for each other.

Review:
Daydream by Hannah Grace had a lot of potential, especially with the long-awaited story of fan-favorite Henry. The book certainly has its sweet and heartwarming moments, but I found myself wanting more from the romance itself. While the slow-burn, friends-to-lovers dynamic between Henry and Halle was cute, it never quite reached the level of tension or passion I was hoping for. Their relationship felt more friendly and comfortable than deeply romantic, and I often found myself waiting for a spark that never fully ignited. The book's focus seemed to shift more towards their personal growth and overcoming individual struggles, rather than the romance, which left me feeling like their love story took a backseat.

The characters are both incredibly relatable, with Halle's people-pleasing tendencies and Henry's neurodivergence adding depth to their personal challenges. I appreciated the way these issues were explored, but the constant focus on their problems made their conversations feel more like therapy sessions than romantic exchanges. The lack of romantic tension between them for a significant portion of the book, combined with repetitive dialogue, made the pacing drag in places. I expected more emotional depth from their interactions, but even after they got together, I didn’t feel particularly invested in their relationship.

Overall, Daydream is a sweet, feel-good romance that’s great for readers who prefer low-conflict relationships and enjoy watching characters navigate personal growth. However, if you’re looking for more tension, passion, or romantic chemistry, you might feel like something is missing. While it’s a charming addition to the Maple Hills series, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me compared to the previous books.

This was my favorite from the series. I love Henry! The storyline was more than expected and a lot of talking points hit home.

Jock + Tutor
Hockey romance
Spicy

Daydream is the third installment in the Maple Hills series. While I did enjoy it would probably rank 3/3 for me.
I am a Hannah Grace fan & look forward to what she writes next. 3.5 stars.

I usually love all of Hannah Grace's book, but I agree with other reviews that this read too young adult for me to get into.

This is my favorite Hannah Grace book and the reason for that is the lack of spice and heat in this book. A lot of people said they didn’t like the lack of “romance” in the book. I feel the opposite. I loved that it was toned down compared to her previous books. I think it was a much more mature type of love. It wasn’t a lust that was filled with lots of sex. It was love that developed. And it was a love between two people struggling socially in their lives. And finding that person was so important to them, and that type of representation is so needed in books, especially romance books. Bravo Hannah Grace!

Thank you to Atria Books for a gifted copy and the book box!

HENRY IS EVERYTHING!!! This book😭 I loved it so much!! I love the subtle nods to his nuerodivergence. I have never felt so seen or understood through a characters eyes. The writing was so fun and fluid and made the book easy to fly through. I’m obsessed and will continue to recommend this series. In my opinion each book has been better than the last!

This was probably my favorite of the Maple Hills books! I thought the characters were lovable and fun to read. It's total brain candy for me, nothing is that serious and it reads a little like YA, but I enjoy reading it. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC!

Hannah Grace’s Daydream is a delightful escape into a world of vibrant characters and heartfelt moments. The writing is lyrical, painting vivid imagery that pulls you right into the story. I loved the way Grace explores themes of love, self-discovery, and the importance of chasing dreams.

The characters are well-developed and relatable, each with their own struggles and triumphs. I particularly enjoyed the dynamic between the main characters, which felt authentic and engaging. While the pacing was a bit slow in parts, the emotional payoff was worth the wait.

Overall, Daydream is a charming read that will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet and introspective romance.

This one had a little bit less going on plot-wise than the other books in the series, and it does a lot of the Dating for Practice trope that I hate, but luckily that pretense goes away relatively quickly and it ends up being pretty straightforward. I liked Halle and Henry fine, but readers should know that this one has a LOT less sexual content than the other books in the series.

I hate how many FEELINGS Henry and Halle put me through. I HATE HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS.

Maybe it's the (diagnosed) ADHD and anxiety, maybe it's the (undiagnosed) autism, maybe it's the burnt out people pleasing fix everything so everyone else is fine even though I am definitely not fine eldest daughter, in me, but I damn near sobbed reading this one and I will throw this book at the head of everyone I know and love. Lovingly, of course. :)

liked not loved but that’s just me!!! this felt very mature and healthy which is wonderful but it just seemed a tad lacking in the intrigue with no real big dilemmas other than those in their separate personal lives - does this make me toxic?????

Something about Hannah Grace's books just really click with me! As an infrequent romance book reader, I eat the Maple Hills series right up.

I found Henry and Halle's story to be very cute, although it felt a bit unrelatable to me (not the same experience of ADHD or neurodivergence), but I did find it enjoyable and easy to read. I love that Hannah Grace doesn't feel this need to label and diagnose all her characters, and recognizes how many people on average live undiagnosed and spend their lives creating coping strategies and ways of living that work for them, so I found many things I could appreciate, in general.

One of the challenges that I find as this series continues is the amount of storylines there are to cover - they're trying to simultaneously introduce and flesh out this new relationship plot while catching you up with cameo after cameo of old characters and where they're at, while also hinting and developing future connections and main plots of future books. While I do think it accurately reflects the hustle and transient nature of college life, it's a little bit confusing for me to step foot into in the context of a book series.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and, of course, will continue to read the series as it's published! Thank you so much to the publisher for both the print and e-copies of this one. :) 3.5 stars!

Loved their relationship and how this book dealt with more sensitive subjects! I loved this whole series so far and this book did not disappoint. It is my favorite of the series now!

As always thank you net galley and publisher for a copy !

Daydream follows Halle, the eldest daughter with no experience and can never say no to anyone, and Henry, hockey team captain and his struggle with passing one class. The two meet at the introductory meeting for her book club, while he's trying to find good on leadership. The pair end up seeing each other again at a party and that when things take off.

Out of all three of the maple hills series I enjoyed this one the most. Both characters were so fleshed out, and it felt like their ends were made just for them. In the authors note it said that here wouldn't be a diagnosis for Henry and I feel like that was the best option. It was really nice to have representation that wasn't deeply rooted into find what the issue was. It was also really refreshing to have a female main character who was still aware of what she wanted and wasn't thrown into being a sex crazed person immediately.

The way the characters interacted with each other fully warmed my heart. They were so caring and compassionate to each other while also trying to keep control of themselves. There are slip ups and they start to learn more about who they want to be as time goes on, but the entire book was just so sweet and amazing.

Hannah Grace is quickly becoming the queen of college age rom-coms. This was a heartwarming story of two characters who come together, despite their own personal struggles. It’s also great reading about neurodivergent characters and seeing the world through their thoughts. If you’re looking for some feel good fluff, this is the book for you.

Absolutely adorable. This might be my favorite of the series. Henry and Halle follow a very similar storyline to Nate and Stasi. The opposites who mutually need each other to achieve a goal. These 2 just so perfectly fit and I'm sad we didn't get a down the road follow-up in the same way we did with Icebreaker or Wildfire.

I know it may seem like a small thing, but I am extremely thankful for Hannah Grace's foreword about Henry. As someone who also struggled without a diagnosis, seeing someone face many of the same issues without knowing why was gratifying.

This book was perfection, but what else could I expect of Hannah Grace and of a book about Henry!?
Although neither MC is diagnosed neurodivergent I felt extremely seen by both which made the story that much more dear to me. It was funny and sweet and emotional and I just want more!