Member Reviews
This book was frustrating for a lot of reasons, but the most frustrating part was that I LOVED so much of it but the things I loved started to get on my nerves towards the end. This book is so loaded down with green flags it was almost too much. I feel like I needed a little bit of tension and there was none at all.
Henry was the kind of MC we all wanted him to be. He was so damn cute! His personality is so quirky and addictive and I couldn’t get enough of him. Halle was sweet too but at times she got on my nerves. And her coupled with the overwhelming sweetness and lack of tension brought the book down a star for me.
I really loved most of this though. If you’re looking for something totally sweet and not too spicy (this is less spicy than the other two in the series), something to read easily and not get worked up over then this is your book.
And let’s hear it for some amazing disability representation in this book! This is always a breath of fresh air when done right.
My favorite out of the Maple Hills series. Hallie and Henry are lovable from the start, and you can't help but root for them. Of course, we've been rooting for Henry for two whole books, so it was great to finally get his story! Hannah Grace is a master of cozy college romance with killer spicy scenes that's like eating candy with sour liquid centers. The cover is also just so adorable.
Welp, this one was well worth the wait. HENRY, you sweet, thoughtful, emotionally mature CAPTAIN of a man. It was an absolute pleasure watching him fall for Halle! These two lovebirds started off as friends, and their closeness, comfort, and compatibility slowly evolved into something deeper that neither really understood at first. Halle has only had off-putting dating and intimacy experiences, leading her to think she's broken or incapable of love. Henry has kept his dating life light and low-stakes, preferring to focus on his platonic relationships for love/closeness. These two are forced together in a tutoring arrangement, as Halle has experience helping her neurodivergent sister with her school work. They also agree to go on practice dates so Halle can increase her confidence and experience, and their friendship blossoms.
Hannah has perfectly written the 'first love' experience here; that longing and ache for someone because you just want/need/have to be with them for how they make you feel= safe, secure, cared for, and understood. Add into that perfect formula undeniable physical chemistry and you've got one steamy read here. There are still Hannah's fun group texts exchanges, hockey, and college bars/parties, but overall, this book is the sweetest of the series, with solid emotional depth. Light a candle, get your favorite snack, and sink into this romance read; I guarantee you will spend the bulk of your reading experience smiling and/or blushing!
Hannah Grace is an auto-buy author for me. I love the mental health representation and the focus on healthy relationships. This might be too long for some romance readers, but I think it's great for those that want a more developed story in their romance. Adding to my collection for sure!
I read this one a few weeks ago, and it's just such a delightful read. Thank you to Atria Books for giving me an ARC of this sweet story.
What I liked:
📑Henry and Halle had such a healthy relationship. The communication, the vulnerability, the acceptance was just 🤌
📑Halle finding a friend group of women who loved her for who she was
📑The development of Henry and Halle's relationship from friends to lovers was just so sweet
📑The inclusivity and healthy friend group
📑Halle being the eldest daughter character. I felt all her mixed emotions in my bones.
📑Very low angst
This is one of those books that you read with a smile on your face the entire time. It's like slipping into a bath at the end of a long day. Truthfully sometimes the characters felt almost a little *too* perfect. It felt like no college kid could be that well adjusted, but I'd say that's less of a problem and more just added to the sweetness of the story.
4⭐
🌶️🌶️
I have enjoyed all of Hannah Grace's books so far. Daydream is no exception. Following our new hockey captain, Henry. In his junior year, Henry finds himself taking a very difficult class. He stumbles upon Halle's book club. The two discover with their need for help, they are able to mutually assist each other.
I have been long awaiting Henry's book. He was always the 'supporting' character I rooted for in each of the previous books. Especially in Icebreaker as Anastasia's friend crush. I have wanted nothing more than Henry to find love, or at least someone he can relate to. Enter Halle. Their dynamic grew organically. I do think at times (especially middle of the book) it was a bit fluffy and could have been condensed but the story still stands.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC.
#Daydream #NetGalley
This book was a great addition to the Maple Hills series! loved Henry and his character development. This book was really great and a fun read while still covering tough subjects.
Thank you so much to Atria Books for an ARC of Daydream by Hannah Grace.
I've read Hannah Grace's other books (in the Maple Hill series) and honestly they weren't my favorite, especially the last one. But the cover for this book is what really enticed me (cause duh she's wearing THE cardigan lol) so I decided to pick this up. I was honestly surprised with how much I did like the book. I felt like we really do get a better understanding of Henry's character in this book and I do understand the hype surrounding him. It's hard to believe he's actually a fuckboy in the earlier books lol. But the star of the show is actually Halle. She is so lovely and kind and wonderful and I think she honestly did make the perfect main character interest for Henry. I also LOVED the female friendships in this book. The friend group was also a big winner for me.
All in all this was a good book and there actually wasn't a lot of smut which surprised me.
Daydream was an amazingly fast and enjoyable read. The funny thing about me reading this book is I also read wildfire, but never read icebreaker and everything still connected fine and I wasn’t incredibly lost. The story of Henry and Halle was something. I definitely connected to as the oldest daughter who is frequently in charge of scheduling things and making sure everybody’s doing OK. Same with Henry’s anxiety and being overwhelmed in situations. I feel like it’s an elder millennial trait that many readers can connect to.
Daydream follows a much beloved character Henry finally find love!
“Finally” might be a misnomer-Henry is happy with his no strings attached sex life but when he bumps into Halle at her book club he realizes that this people pleasing academic could solve his other problems…a tough class.
The two agree to help one another…Henry with his class and Halle with her failed romantic life.
Read this if you love a friends to lovers; dating lessons; and are an eldest daughter looking to be seen. The steam is steaming and it has that classic Hannah Grace charm.
This is a more mature version of Icebreaker and a great romance story. As Hannah's writing develops her characters are becoming more layered and deep.
I enjoyed that both of these characters have their own situations and issues which provide their reservations for the relationship but also a slow burn that develops. This isn't the "jump into bed" love story that I expected in comparison to the first two books but instead this one shows the build up.
I enjoyed this the most of all of the Hannah Graces stories because I am a slow burn person. This one is longer so hold on.
THIS IS HANNAH'S BEST BOOK AND I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL
5⭐️ 1.5🌶
"This may be my favorite romance book; but we are my favorite love story.
Yours always, Henry"
This is hands down one of the top books I have read with such good communication!! I mean, were we expecting anything different from the guy who had a basket of "girl stuff" under his bathroom sink in case someone stayed over and they needed something???? No, certainly I did not expect more and this book absolutely delivered on the magnificent man I knew Henry would be.
This entire series has been amazing, not going to lie, but I think everyone had the highest expectations for Henry and his book. We all wanted him to get the girl of his dreams, the one person who is deserving of his love and kindness and wow did Halle come in and completely stole his heart, and mine in the process. They were truly the perfect couple. SO HEALTHY, SO COMMUNICATIVE, SO LOVING, SO AMAZING, SO EVERYTHING!!!
This one will be disappointing to the people who are coming in expecting Icebreaker and Wildfire levels of spice but the book truly doesn't need more spice. Henry isn't like the other guys, I mean... he tells her he's going to fck her brains out *respectfully* and he is a complete gentleman. This book was more about the intimacy of the relationship and Hannah delivered it with such grace and passion. There is so much about mental health and neurodivergence in this story and I loved it! It was something I wish I had read when I was in college so I could understand healthy habits and how to actually communicate feelings properly.
I am so very sad to see this trilogy be finished; but I also cannot wait to see what Hannah does next because we know it's going to be completely amazing!
I am unfortunately disappointed in this one :( I feel like there was little plot and there was nothing drawing me to the characters.
Daydream is the third in the series and my favorite so far! I loved the characters and the character development in this one. Since there was less smut in this one it felt like there was a lot more plot. The characters brought up a lot of important issues, especially related to healthy relationships. One of my favorite parts was Henry's neurodivergence and the discussions about how to balance each others' needs in a relationship. If you read any book from this series, let it be this one! I loved it.
I'm so sad that I didn't like this. I loved the other two books in the Maple Hills series but this was not for me.
The pacing was off and the conflict felt very lackluster. I might give this another shot once the audiobook comes out but for now, all I can say is that I was a bit let down.
Edit:
I gave this book another shot by listening to the audiobook and I enjoyed it a lot more in that format. I don't think it's the best in the series and the romance felt a bit stilted at times but my rating has definitely gone up.
I see why so many readers are relating to Halle. She has major eldest daughter syndrom and I think that is represented really well in this book. I also enjoyed how much of a book lover she is.
Henry was an alright book boyfriend. I think he is a great fictional man with lots of promise I just didn't love him the way I loved Russ and Nate. I did, however, like how thoughtful and caring he is towards Halle.
Currently, my ranking for these books is: Wildfire, Ice Breaker, Daydream.
Previous rating: 2/5
Current rating: 3/5
This is my second book in this series, and this read cemented my feelings that this author just isn't for me. While I liked this book better than Icebreaker, it still suffers from being extremely juvenile. I don't feel like the characters act like adults at all. Yes, I realize they are college students, but I still have a hard time buying that any of them would be able to survive in the real world.
This was such a fun book and Henry is definitely one of Hannah’s best make love interests. This book is for all the swifties.
This was truly so adorable!!
I was lucky enough to listen to the audiobook of this and I truly had such a BLAST!! Henry and Halle are personally everything and I loved how pure and soft they were with each other.
This is definitely my favorite of Hannah Grace's so far. I loved how realistic this book and Henry and Halle's relationship was. I'm not normally a friends to lovers fan; however, I felt that their dynamic was so natural and they were so patient with each other while they grew into better versions of themselves. I personally NEED Henry. He is truly the sweetest and I was screaming at the spicier moments throughout the novel.
I loved the fan-girl/soft reader core that was Halle. She was so adorable and I really enjoyed her character growth and arc as the story progressed. I loved the moment when she was finally able to stand up for herself and let the burden of being the oldest daughter go.
It had been a while since I read Icebreaker, but I really enjoyed getting to see where those characters ended up within the last couple years. I loved the found family dynamic between Halle and her girls and vice versa Henry and the hockey boys.
Overall, I really fun time and I highly recommend the audiobook!
Thank you Hannah Grace, Atria, and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you Atria Books for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
Everyone is here for a hockey romance moment, right? I like Henry and Halle’s book. It was a great book to read during the transition between Summer and early Fall but I didn’t love their story. The pacing and length were really off for me as well as the stakes. Overall though, it was an enjoyable, easy read that was fun and made me nostalgic for college.
Synopsis:
“When his procrastination lands him in a difficult class with his least favorite professor, Henry Turner knows he’s going to have to work extra hard to survive his junior year of college. And now with his new title of captain for the hockey team—which he didn’t even want—Henry absolutely cannot fail. Enter Halle Jacobs, a fellow junior who finds herself befriended by Henry when he accidentally crashes her book club.Halle may not have the romantic pursuits of her favorite fictional leads, but she’s an academic superstar, and as soon as she hears about Henry’s problems with his class reading material, she offers to help. Too bad being a private tutor isn’t exactly ideal given her own studies, job, book club, and the novel she’s trying to write. But new experiences are the key to beating her writer’s block, and Henry’s promising to be the one to give them to her.They just need to stick to their rule book. Oh, and not fall in love.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
Returning to Maple Hills—I enjoyed the first book in this series cause the college setting felt so nostalgic for that time in my life. A college sports romance is perfect for back to school vibes!
The Friend Group—I love how supportive this group is of each other. It’s just a cozy set up and I grew to know Aurora and Russ more which was nice since I didn’t love their book (Wildfire).
The Tropes—Delicious and fun!
What Didn’t Work for Me:
The Pacing/Length—I really feel like these books can be edited by like 100 pages.
Character Felt Different from When We First Met—I recently reread Icebreaker and Henry felt so different in this book than he did in that one. It was odd and kind of hard to get to know him and root for him.
Lack of Stakes—There was supposed to be some kind of deal between Halle and Henry but the stakes didn’t feel high enough. I didn’t really understand what was keeping them apart.
Character Authenticity: 3/5 Spice Rating: 2.5/5 Overall Rating: 3/5
Content Warnings:
toxic relationship, body shaming, panic attacks/disorder, gaslighting, strained parent/child relationship
2 Stars
This is so much longer than it needs to be, it feels like nothing really happened and too much time passes off-page in between chapters for me to understand and believe the development of this relationship. Super slow burn but also a bit "insta-love" at the same time and I feel like these 2 needed to do more work on themselves first. I really liked Henry in the previous books so this was a bit disappointing as I didn't really feel invested in him or his love life in this. I actually don't love the way the author brought back characters from Icebreaker and Wildfire - I already loved Anastasia and Aurora in their own books but for some reason they seemed different in this one than how they were in their books. This was just okay, I definitely enjoyed Icebreaker and Wildfire a lot more though.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!