Member Reviews
I am not a fan of romance books however this one was different. I don't know how to explain the feelings that the characters made me feel, but I would be ready to recommend it to anyone who will listen!
I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT I GOT THIS ARC!
I'll be honest...I didn't LOVE Icebreaker, but I really enjoyed Wildfire! So I was a little bit skeptical going into this book.
It didn't disappoint! I do still think that Wildfire is my favorite, but this is a close second. I've been waiting for Henry's book and I LOVE his character.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Daydream by Hannah Grace
As the 3rd installment in the Icebreaker series, this one was a bit different than the other two.
This one is focused on new hockey captain Henry. He is a side character in the previous novels whom everyone just adored. He’s a campus playboy who feels inadequate to fill the role of hockey captain, and experiences episodes of overstimulation associated with his ADHD. He meets Halle, and they quickly become friends.
This book felt a bit rushed and unthorough, a bit messy and junky. It lacked detail and seemed a bit repetitive. Both characters weren’t completely vetted out and there was no chemistry between the two. This book lacked the spice that the previous ones had. Their conversations were monotonous and dry.
Although this one didn’t live up to the other two (which I adored), I still wanted to read it and didn’t have a problem finishing it. Maybe it’s because all of the side characters from the first two books made it enjoyable.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.
This might be my favorite book out of the Maple Hills series and not only because Halle is a Taylor Swift Fan but also because she and Henry are such great characters, that it was a joy to read their story.
Thank you Netgalley and Atria for the eGalley!
This was a cute story, and probably my favorite in the series! It did, however, lack in the angsty romance I was hoping for.
I absolutely adored this book! I have been waiting for Henry's book since the beginning, and it did not disappoint. I loved how being the eldest daughter was highlighted in Halle's life as well. It was an unexpected aspect of the book I was not expecting to relate to quite as hard as I did. The story was absolutely beautiful and it made me teary eyed on more than one occasion. I think Grace's decision not to pursue a diagnosis storyline for Henry was so important. There are so many ND folks out there for whom diagnosis is not a possibility, and they live their lives never fully understanding why they feel so different. This is especially true for women and people of color. Hannah Grace does not disappoint yet again.
Thank you Atria books for my arc!
“What would you do? If you wanted to charm me?”
“I’d tell you how beautiful you are. That when you laugh I want to listen to it forever. Id tell you that when I daydream, I think of us.”
This book! it stole my heart just as Henry did from when I read Icebreaker. I absolutely loved this book and the core storyline of these two souls who couldn't be any more perfect for each other. Halle is going to be one of the characters so many girlies (Especially the eldest daughter's) will resonate with, I felt so seen reading her perspective on everything. Henry and Halle has such an endearing chemistry, their comradery gave me life especially given that both of them are complex in their own ways with Henry being neurodivergent(unlabelled) and Halle dealing with lot of trauma
The author took a really deep dive into exploring what a healthy relationship should entail like having an open communication channel or being adamant about putting yourself first. You'd absolutely be rooting for the both of them, I thought this book was more than a typical romance. I also noticed it is not as steamy as prior books which I had no qualms about, It is a slow burn romance that takes it time to build but once again I had no qualms in that aspect at all. I loved seeing the other couples from previous books as well but I enjoyed this book more from this series, overall I thought it is a promising wholesome read that I'd definitely recommend.
"This might be my favorite romance book, but we’re my favorite love story."
4/5 stars
Thank you Atria Books for the advanced reading copy!
Sweet, sweet Henry... oh my gosh. This book was SO cute. I love, love, love Henry and Halle both. From the very start, I felt connected with Halle. As a bookish older sister, I can totally relate to her need to plan and prep for anything and everything, and to take care of those around you. Henry is so sweet and it was a joy to finally read his book... despite this being a teeny tiny let down for me overall. I think I went in with my expectations too high, and that's on me! This book lost a little bit of steam for me halfway through; it started to feel a little bit like they were having the same conversations over and over, and it just got old. However, despite that and this book being on the longer side, I would say that I really, really enjoyed it! I wanted more spice between them, but what was there was meaningful and well-written. Overall, a great read. I love the inclusion of the whole friend group and will definitely keep up with this series!
SYNOPSIS -- Henry has always struggled with procrastination, but this time it's hitting him even harder. As captain of the hockey team, expectations are high for him, and he's struggling to meet these. When he randomly befriends bookish and beautiful Halle Jacobs, all of his prayers are answered. She's ready and willing to help Henry with school, and, in turn, Henry is excited to help Halle have "experiences" that will help her in writing her new novel. Together they set goals and ground rules... if only they can stick to them.
I love this series! This particular book was so nice to experience. I felt like the relationship did not have frustrating issues and everything they experienced was completely "typical". I liked that Henry being neurotypical (though this is never actually stated outright in the books, but the authors note in the beginning of the book leads to a confirmation) but not diagnosing him in the books was refreshing and I hope other authors take note. I related to both characters a lot and loved their story. I feel like this could be read as a standalone but it is far more satisfying to read these books in "order".
I really wanted to like this - the whole reader, Taylor swift cardigan, Bookstagram vibes… how could I possibly resist? but I just couldn’t find it in me to.
I absolutely adored icebreaker (literally could not shut up about it, felt a little bored with wildfire but I was dragging my feet trying to finish this book. The author said to get comfortable because this book is a long one… I agree - you really need to because:
1. Plot wise, literally nothing much happened. I was 50% in and the progression was so slow - if we are going for a slow burn, the author definitely missed the mark on this.
2. There was also a very heavy reliance on side characters (characters that we’ve met in past books) as well as newly introduced characters; but there wasn’t enough interest on my end to learn everyone’s names so I’m just left with a feeling of “who is this?” every time a name is dropped.
3. It was really hard to immerse yourself into the story because the flow just wasn’t there.
I might be in the minority so I’d say give it a try. But if you’re feeling bored at 40%, trust me when I say it doesn’t get any better from there
5⭐️ | 3🌶️
What to expect:
• Sport romance (hockey)
• Friends to lovers
• Found family
• Fake dating (ish)
• Opposites attract
• Tutor x Jock
• FMC is the eldest daughter
• Slow burn
Review:
Hannah Grace has done it again, delivering a story that’s both a hug and a high-five to the soul. This time, it's Henry and Halle who steal the show! I didn't think anything could top the magic of ‘Wildfire’, but I stand corrected!
Henry is our beloved hockey player and artist, who, let's face it, has always been the cute side character. Well, guess what? He's stepping into the spotlight and absolutely nailing it. And Halle? She’s the relatable queen for every eldest daughter, people pleaser, and book lover out there. Her journey is a masterclass in learning to put yourself first, and watching her transformation is like watching a butterfly emerge from a cocoon.
This book is more than just a love story—it’s a celebration of all kinds of love: platonic, familial, and romantic. It’s a story about being seen and being accepted just as you are. If you're a fan of slow-burn romance with a side of deep feels, then ‘Daydream’ is your cup of tea.
Grab your favourite blanket, settle in, and prepare to fall in love all over again!
Loved!! I thought this book was really sweet and I enjoyed it. It was nice to see two people understand each other deeply and not expect the other to change. The relationship was moulded around their personalities rather than moulding their personalities to the relationship.
While I love hockey, I'm glad hockey wasn't the focus of this book. Hockey was an important part of Henry as a character, but it didn't dominate the entire plot.
I found the plot to be a bit clunky and I wished we didn't jump time so often, but I thought the overall length of the story was good and not too long.
Having not read any of Hannah Grace's other books, there were a few points where I felt like I was missing something, but that's entirely on me.
The ending of this book was so good! I felt seen and understood, and it was nice to see Halle's relationship with her parents improve without it being the entire plot of the story. It felt like there was a nice balance between the two individual character's stories and the overall book's plot.
It’s easy to call this a slow burn since the characters delay the physical aspect of their relationship. But the emotional intimacy develops very quickly in this sweet, friends with non-sexy benefits. Henry is struggling in classes that Halle is generous enough to help him with. So he agrees to be her muse/coach as she tries to write a romance with very little relationship experience.
She discovers that Henry is not the party-jock womanizer others claim. He feels a lot of responsibility to join is as the captain of their hockey team. He discovers that Halle is much more extroverted as she finally has the opportunity to make friends with the girls he knows.
The real complication in the story is their stress loads! Halle is the eldest daughter of a “normal” family. But IMO they were toxic as hell. Everyone kept calling her to take care of things for them despite her living alone and going to school. Henry is coping with different learning style and overwhelm. But he doesn’t have the official support of an ADHD diagnosis so his professors aren’t very understanding.
I adored how they navigated everything together. She took care of him. He took care of her. Their friends learned how to show up in the ways that they needed. They also have a lot of fun along the way between parties, dares and dates. So fun, so spicy, so dreamy!
i loved icebreaker but i did not love wildfire. so, i went into hannah grace’s third novel, daydream with a hint of trepidation. would it shake out like icebreaker or wildfire? the answer: somewhere in between.
this book is not about the plot. it’s about the vibes. and the vibes are sweet bookish girl and gentle jock fall in love. it’s the book equivalent of a really good vanilla cake (it’s dependable & enjoyable).
this book was written for the romance book girls & the taylor swift girls. it’s lover & folklore.
i love henry and i still love henry. this book def did him justice. he is the best lil cinnamon roll of a man. he cares so deeply for halle. and i loved how they’re relationship progressed from friendship to more and how truly invested he was in getting to know her.
overall, a worthwhile read! 3.75 stars!
Daydream by Hannah Grace is the highly anticipated third book in the Maple Hills series. As a fan of the previous books in this series, Wildfire and Icebreaker, I was very excited to pick up Daydream and learn more about our couple Henry and Halle. Henry and Halle end up fake dating after getting to know each other through Halle tutoring Henry and their connection is very tender and sweet! This felt like tonal shift from the previous books in this series to something a little more emotional/deep.
What I personally found lacking in Daydream was a real plot to keep the book moving along. As a book lover myself, I loved seeing Halle come into herself as a book lover/aspiring author but I don't feel like that in combination with the fake dating made the book feel engaging enough. I really struggled with the back and forth of scene transitions, whenever I would get invested in a scene, I felt like it was cut over to the next day/scene and often times those scenes felt repetitive. I think perhaps Daydream was a little too long and some of the redundant scenes being cut out would have kept my interest more. I also wasn't a huge fan of the 3rd act break up, it felt a little out of place and I think it could've been resolved in a more thoughtful, profound way.
I did love how Henry treated Halle and I think their connection felt very believable, I just wish I felt a little more invested. Not my favorite, but I would recommend and I am excited to see what Hannah Grace offers next!
HENRYYYYYYY. This book was fantastic and definitely my favorite in the series so far. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting for this book but Henry and Halle’s love surprised me in the best way. They are so soft and fierce and I love them so much
This book is pretty similar to the first two in the series. I was able to get the audio along with the e-book, so that made it pretty quick to get though. I didn't find Halle and Henry to be all that exciting, but they were fine. I think "fine" is the running theme for me in this series. Entertaining enough but not exactly good...
3⭐
I enjoyed the writing and the development of the characters. The setting felt real and well thought out.
Thank you to NetGalley for sending this to me. I really appreciated the book and getting to read about Henry and Halle. Hannah graces books are always enjoyable to read but the plot of the romance part of this story felt off sometimes. I loved the character development and it was an enjoyable read overall. Definitely going to make sure my library orders this .
While reading, I had been thinking that this book was a 3-star read for me. Then, I really enjoyed the last 50 or so pages enough to bump it up to 4 stars. I did really like the characters, and I felt that Halle was very relatable to me. But, I feel that the dialogue in this book, as well as in the other books in this anthology series, is too perfect. It seems impossible to imagine these characters actually having what I feel to be the perfect and emotionally mature and intelligent, well thought out, and polished conversations that they have. While their motivations and feelings are relatable they just don't seem real, or that they could be real. I was a little bored in the middle and I feel that it took Halle slightly too long to stop being repetitive in her actions. But, I really enjoyed her standing up to Will in the end. I enjoyed the gifts that Henry and Halle give each other throughout, they are very thoughtful and romantic, and I thought that the painting scene was really good.