Hannah Grace takes us back to school in her adorable new romance, “Daydream”

Hannah Grace writes a college romance like no other. Her Maple Hills series, set at a fictional University of California, gives listeners a fun and flirty look inside campus life, full of classes, parties, and students trying to figure out who they really are. Daydream is the third title in the series and follows new hockey team captain Henry Turner, who is struggling both on and off the ice. Grace sweetly balances the soft, uncertain side of a college athlete who has a lot to prove with the relatable struggles of his cute and quirky tutor, Halle Jacobs. Performed by CJ Bloom and Emmanuel Ingram, Daydream celebrates the importance of self-discovery, chosen family, and putting one's own needs first.

Margaret Hargrove: Your debut, Icebreaker, was a huge hit and blew up on BookTok. Listeners loved this love story between an ice skater and a hockey star set at the fictional University of California, Maple Hills. What surprised you the most about your sudden surge of social media popularity?

Hannah Grace: The honest answer is absolutely everything! It’s flipped my entire world upside down and I’m still not used to it nearly two years later. I never for one second expected Icebreaker to take off the way it did, as I initially self-published the project and thought only my friends would buy it. Without the support and love online, the book wouldn’t have caught my now publisher’s attention, and I wouldn’t have my book deal. I’m very lucky the book community is so wonderful.

You are from the UK, but your books are set in America. How are you able to perfectly capture the realities of American college life in your novels?

Lots of American TV and films growing up! I definitely take some creative liberties and I know in reality everyone studies far more than I write in the books. American college life is so different to UK university life and it’s super fun to write the gang hanging out.

Daydream follows Henry, the hockey team’s new captain, and Halle, another Maple Hills student who offers to tutor him. Henry has been a fan favorite since he first appeared in Icebreaker. Why did now feel like the right time to tell his story?

I always knew Henry would be the third book, but it took me a long time to finally settle on a story for Henry that I wanted to tell (I had a lot of different nearly-plots). I also think if I’d written something else my readers might have started a riot. Everyone loves Henry and they’re pretty loud about it, which I love. There are so many different threads I could have followed, but the soft love between him and Halle through Daydream is my favorite.

Daydream is the third title in the Maple Hills series. Are you planning to expand the series further?

I’m undecided right now. I have so many ideas both in and out of Maple Hills, so I’m going to see where I’m pulled when I sit down at my computer to start something!

You’ve worked with an amazing cast of narrators so far, including Elizabeth Louise, Lauren Sweet, Tim Paige, and Teddy Hamilton. Do you intentionally choose different narrators for each title in the series?

I’ve been so unbelievably fortunate to have such incredible narrators work on my books! My Daydream narrators are equally as talented, and I can’t wait to hear the finished version. I like to have different narrators for each title because, to me, those narrators are the character they brought to life. It’s always been my preference as an audiobook listener when working through a series, so I knew I wanted to have that for my own books.

What are your favorite romance tropes to write or listen to?

My favorite romance trope is marriage of convenience! I’d love to write it one day. I’m currently listening to Butcher & Blackbird audio by Brynne Weaver, which is friends-to-lovers—another favorite of mine–with a kind of serial killer-y twist, and I’m having the best time.