Book Review: Daydream by Hannah Grace

‘Daydream’ by Hannah Grace was released in 2024. It is the third book in Grace’s Maple Hills series, which follows an ice hockey team and their respective love stories.

This book was highly anticipated by Grace’s readers. It follows Henry Turner, the delightful best friend from ‘Icebreaker’ and ‘Wildfire’, who found himself being appointed the captain of the Maple Hills ice hockey team at the end of the first book of the series.

Like all of Grace’s books, it delved deeply into the idea of mental health and self-love. It normalised and promoted a positive relationship with yourself, and encouraged self-advocacy in both academia and socially. I loved getting to get inside Henry’s head and learn what makes him tick after falling head over heels in love with him as a supporting character in the first two books.

After befriending Henry, and realising that he was struggling with his studies, particularly in a class with a teacher Halle loves, she realised that she could help him pass the class. Afraid of abusing her kindness, Henry proposes that he help her too, by giving her life experience to inspire her romance novel. But they’re just friends, of course.

I loved Halle. She was a beautiful addition to the love interests in the series; with Stassie being self-assured, sex-positive, confident, and ambitious, and Aurora being extroverted, put together, good-natured, and social. While both Stassie and Aurora have deep-rooted insecurities and issues, Halle’s are a completely different kettle of fish. Her insecurities span directly from rejection, isolation, and being a people-pleaser. When her long-distance boyfriend and former friend, Will dumped her before the start of her Sophomore year at Maple Hills, she decided to put herself first. Except, she quickly learns that that’s easier said than done.

Halle is a writer – like me, so I related to her struggles in putting her work first when all she wants to do is work on it, but life gets in the way. I’d argue Grace may have been projecting a bit, but I can’t blame her.

Henry, in the first two books has been a fan of non-committal, casual sex, and I was convinced that the mysterious Gen, whom he flirted with during ‘Icebreaker’ could have put a spanner in the works, but was glad that Grace went down a different route entirely and focused on toxic exes being put in their places, self-love and advocacy and kindness. I loved that method.

Halle’s character development was so empowering to read, becuase it wasn’t just about her falling in love with Henry and it magically curing her insecurities. Similarly, Henry falling for Halle didn’t magically fix all of his problems – and having a couple that were so proactively communicative was delightful! I loved how they were so focused on trying not to upset each other, and wanting to be respectful of boundaries, whilst also toying the line of what ‘The Board’ aka their pre-ordained rules for their arrangement of not having one person be responsible for financing everything, not acknowledging that in a drunken stupor at a hockey party, Halle crashed in Henry’s room and he saw her naked, not feeling embarrassed, not falling in love, and most importantly – not breaking hearts, had to say. After all, it’s hard not to fall in love with these characters. Especially when they have such distinctive voices, and charming personalities.

Though, I won’t lie – my favourite supporting character in the book was by far, Quack Efron. I loved getting to see people who were a bit more normal existing within the series too. That is the kind of character you can love.

There were so many aspects of this story that I adored, especially Grace’s fantastic control of character voice, from the way that Henry meets Halle, his love interest, at a bookstore, while both characters are doing things they probably would rather not be – Halle was running a local romance book club, while Henry was buying books about leadership to do his best in a role he really didn’t want to be in.

I loved this book so much, it normalised so many different ways of thinking and experiencing academia. I felt so validated by seeing a midsize love interest in the series, and Grace being able to go full-throttle with her references to Taylor Swift songs. I loved following two artists and the way they fell in love. There was so much humour and joy in their story, despite the harder-hitting topics it tackled.

I would have rated ‘Daydream’ six stars had I been able to. Had the first two books not already cemented my love of the series in my head, this would have. Even if sports romance isn’t your thing, I’d suggest giving it a go. I will not get off this parapet for a while, yet, and am waiting with bated breath and a preorder already set for the next book in the series.