Series: Maple Hills #3
Author: Hannah Grace
Published August 27th 2024 by Simon & Schuster UK
Goodreads Synopsis
When 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 role as ice hockey captain – 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 when she hears about Henry’s problems with his class reading material, she offers to help. But being a private tutor isn’t exactly ideal given her own studies, job and the novel she’s trying to write. New experiences are the key to beating her writer’s block, though, and Henry’s promising to be the one to give them to her.
They just need to stick to their rulebook. Oh, and not fall in love.
Goodreads
Review
Henry Turner is starting his junior year of college, and somehow he's found himself the captain of the hockey team - a role he never wanted - and enrolled in a class he never wanted to do. His perfectionism means he will do everything he can to ensure he doesn't fail in any aspect of his life, but he can only take on so much. Meeting Halle Jacobs, a fellow junior, at the book club he accidentally stumbles into is kismet, especially when she hears of his academic struggles. Halle may not have much experience in love, but she knows her way around college, and offers to help Henry with his studying. She's taken on too much herself, but spending the time with Henry is opening doors and experiences she can't turn down, though her heart is screaming for more.
When I tell you I was desperate for this book, I mean it. I went to 3 different stores on publishing day until I found a copy, and read it in one sitting! Henry has been a favourite of mine ever since we met him in Icebreaker, when he stole the show as a pseudo baby brother to the rest of the team, and Ana and Aurora. He's definitely neurodivergent-coded, but I loved the author's note where Hannah stated why she never wanted to define this. He was such a people pleaser, but this was causing him to burnout, and overload. Halle was the perfect antidote, but she also brought out a side to him that we, and the rest of the Maple Hills gang, had never seen before. Halle also was such a strong character in her own right. Her love of books and school had left her a little sheltered, but she was ready for more, and Henry was the perfect person to explore new experiences with. The fact they became almost best friends before it turned really intimate was wonderful, and I really chuckled at times when Henry was so oblivious to his feelings of jealousy, that the MH gang had to enlighten him on. I'm devastated that the series is over, as these books will always have a place in my heart, but I'm super excited to see what Hannah comes out with next!
Dates Read:
August 27, 2024
Rating
5 Stars
