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Daydreamers Anonymous
Clara has always lived in her head, occupying a secondary life while her own has fallen apart around her. At 35, she finds herself still temping in unsatisfying jobs while living in a shared house with five other girls. She knows her compulsive daydreaming is killing her chances to succeed in life so when an ad appears to join a support group, she pushes out of her comfort zone and signs up.
There she meets her people but she's not exactly sure she wants them to be her among them there's Jax, who lives a double life as a detective; Bob, who has an invisible family and Janice, who’s been married to Tom Cruise in her head for 30 years. Under the guidance of ex-daydreamer, Dr Hill, and his assistant Alice, they all attempt to free themselves from their fantasies and reconnect with the real world.
Clara is determined to cure herself from her addiction to relationships that only exist in her head but her recovery is threatened by her growing obsession with Dr Hill. Could he be the person to finally fix her?
There she meets her people but she's not exactly sure she wants them to be her among them there's Jax, who lives a double life as a detective; Bob, who has an invisible family and Janice, who’s been married to Tom Cruise in her head for 30 years. Under the guidance of ex-daydreamer, Dr Hill, and his assistant Alice, they all attempt to free themselves from their fantasies and reconnect with the real world.
Clara is determined to cure herself from her addiction to relationships that only exist in her head but her recovery is threatened by her growing obsession with Dr Hill. Could he be the person to finally fix her?
- GenresLiterary Fiction
235 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 12, 2025
2 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 25, 2026
First of all: Thank you to Samantha Rose Parker, the publisher, and Netgalley for the privilege of allowing me a digital copy of this book.
Nothing is going 35-year-old Clara’s way…well, in her daydreams, things do. Except these daydreams are taking over the reins of her real life and Clara does not know how to put a stop to it—until she joins a support group and meets a colorful cast of fellow daydreamers, who could be her people. But will Clara ever learn to be present, to be here, in the now? Or will she live a doomed life stuck in her head, as if on a London tube she cannot hop off of?
Right off the bat, I was entranced by the opening paragraph of Daydreamers Anonymous, the words pulling me into Clara’s lonely world. In this day and age where escapism has grown more and more common—vlogs bombarding us with “alternative lifestyle” tips, the perfect itinerary to some foreign country, or video shorts showcasing the “authentic life of” so-and-so as the viewer tries to ignore that everything is staged and carefully choreographed—this novel is as relevant as ever to our generation of escapists and daydreamers.
As Ada Limón wrote in her poem Lies About Sea Creatures: “Sometimes, you just want something so hard you have to lie about it, so you can hold it in your mouth for a minute, how real hunger has a real taste.”
Far from romanticizing daydreaming, Parker jolts us back into the present by never watering the truths dowm about the detriments of going so far off-shore, and how the joy we derive from it wears off as soon as we press on the pause button and return to reality. However, Parker executes it with such a loving and empathetic pen that people who have the same struggles as Clara will feel seen and understood by this book and the lovable cast of Clara’s support group within it.
Suffice to say, this is a certified page-turner. I found myself shaking my head and muttering, “No,” repeatedly as I realized the ending was only a few pages away. But like Clara, it was time for me to get some air and sunlight. To live in the moment.
What a lovely, warm, and comforting experience this gem of a book is.
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
𝗚𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴:
❊ Enjoyability — 🍇🍇🍇🍇
❊ Depth/Relevance — 🍉🍉🍉🍉
❊ Writing style — 🍎🍎🍎
❊ Pacing, structure, and dialogue — 🍊🍊🍊
❊ Characterization — 🍈🍈🍈
𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4.25
Nothing is going 35-year-old Clara’s way…well, in her daydreams, things do. Except these daydreams are taking over the reins of her real life and Clara does not know how to put a stop to it—until she joins a support group and meets a colorful cast of fellow daydreamers, who could be her people. But will Clara ever learn to be present, to be here, in the now? Or will she live a doomed life stuck in her head, as if on a London tube she cannot hop off of?
Right off the bat, I was entranced by the opening paragraph of Daydreamers Anonymous, the words pulling me into Clara’s lonely world. In this day and age where escapism has grown more and more common—vlogs bombarding us with “alternative lifestyle” tips, the perfect itinerary to some foreign country, or video shorts showcasing the “authentic life of” so-and-so as the viewer tries to ignore that everything is staged and carefully choreographed—this novel is as relevant as ever to our generation of escapists and daydreamers.
As Ada Limón wrote in her poem Lies About Sea Creatures: “Sometimes, you just want something so hard you have to lie about it, so you can hold it in your mouth for a minute, how real hunger has a real taste.”
Far from romanticizing daydreaming, Parker jolts us back into the present by never watering the truths dowm about the detriments of going so far off-shore, and how the joy we derive from it wears off as soon as we press on the pause button and return to reality. However, Parker executes it with such a loving and empathetic pen that people who have the same struggles as Clara will feel seen and understood by this book and the lovable cast of Clara’s support group within it.
Suffice to say, this is a certified page-turner. I found myself shaking my head and muttering, “No,” repeatedly as I realized the ending was only a few pages away. But like Clara, it was time for me to get some air and sunlight. To live in the moment.
What a lovely, warm, and comforting experience this gem of a book is.
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
𝗚𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴:
❊ Enjoyability — 🍇🍇🍇🍇
❊ Depth/Relevance — 🍉🍉🍉🍉
❊ Writing style — 🍎🍎🍎
❊ Pacing, structure, and dialogue — 🍊🍊🍊
❊ Characterization — 🍈🍈🍈
𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4.25
February 18, 2026
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher, as they gave me a free online ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm very grateful!
This book did a great job of showing what it feels like to be perpetually lonely, even when you aren't physically alone. As a girl who has lived a lot of my life in the depths of my imagination and mind, I deeply related to many aspects of this book. It's realistic and relatable while still being creative and dreamy, and I really enjoyed reading it. It felt a little drawn out, but it was overall a good read!
Again, thank you for the ARC!
This book did a great job of showing what it feels like to be perpetually lonely, even when you aren't physically alone. As a girl who has lived a lot of my life in the depths of my imagination and mind, I deeply related to many aspects of this book. It's realistic and relatable while still being creative and dreamy, and I really enjoyed reading it. It felt a little drawn out, but it was overall a good read!
Again, thank you for the ARC!
December 31, 2025
Clara is in her mid-30s. No friends, no partner. She is trapped in a house-share with girls she hates, and a dull office job with colleagues she barely knows. Life is passing Clara by, because the only place she ever feels truly alive is in her imagination. That is, until she joins a support group and meets others who find fantasy more captivating than reality.
This book is a realistic and relatable depiction of what it is like to live with maladaptive daydreaming. It will be an eye-opener for anyone who thinks you can't be addicted to your imagination or who thinks that maladaptive daydreaming isn't a real disorder. The glimpses into the lives of the members of the support group reveal the cost of years spent avoiding reality. Clara's journey also shows the quiet power of acceptance and connection, and will leave those struggling with maladaptive daydreaming wishing that support groups like Dr Hill's really existed.
This book is a realistic and relatable depiction of what it is like to live with maladaptive daydreaming. It will be an eye-opener for anyone who thinks you can't be addicted to your imagination or who thinks that maladaptive daydreaming isn't a real disorder. The glimpses into the lives of the members of the support group reveal the cost of years spent avoiding reality. Clara's journey also shows the quiet power of acceptance and connection, and will leave those struggling with maladaptive daydreaming wishing that support groups like Dr Hill's really existed.
March 24, 2026
“I spend the weekend, as I usually do, riding the buses and daydreaming. I like the motion, the sense of being neither here nor there but simply floating through the city like a ghost.”
This was quite simply an addictive read. What surprised me most was how quickly I grew attached to the characters. I found myself rooting for all of them, not to stop daydreaming but to actually keep going — to resist the pressure to be fixed or cured. The novel asks whether we should be trying to eliminate daydreaming or whether we should be questioning why our world has become so hostile to people who need it.
What stayed with me most was the quiet intimacy of the friendships that form. There's something almost sacred in the idea of finding people who can sit with you in your daydreams, who don't demand productivity or clarity, but simply companionship. These aren't relationships built on shared ambitions or activities, they're built on shared internal worlds, which feels rare and precious.
Beyond this, the novel reads as a subtle critique of corporate life. There's an undercurrent of exhaustion running through it. The pressure to be constantly alert, constantly performing and constantly on. In this context, daydreaming becomes almost subversive. The suggestion that "daydreamers cannot succeed" feels less like a statement of fact and more like an indictment of the systems that leave no room for interiority. Why is the capacity to disappear into your own mind considered a failure rather than a survival mechanism?
The London setting adds another layer of familiarity and warmth. The tube and bus journeys, in particular, are rendered with affectionate precision. They become liminal spaces where the mind is free to wander. There's something comforting in the mention of recognisable high street names and places. It grounds the story in a world that feels lived-in and real, even as the characters retreat into their inner landscapes.
This was quite simply an addictive read. What surprised me most was how quickly I grew attached to the characters. I found myself rooting for all of them, not to stop daydreaming but to actually keep going — to resist the pressure to be fixed or cured. The novel asks whether we should be trying to eliminate daydreaming or whether we should be questioning why our world has become so hostile to people who need it.
What stayed with me most was the quiet intimacy of the friendships that form. There's something almost sacred in the idea of finding people who can sit with you in your daydreams, who don't demand productivity or clarity, but simply companionship. These aren't relationships built on shared ambitions or activities, they're built on shared internal worlds, which feels rare and precious.
Beyond this, the novel reads as a subtle critique of corporate life. There's an undercurrent of exhaustion running through it. The pressure to be constantly alert, constantly performing and constantly on. In this context, daydreaming becomes almost subversive. The suggestion that "daydreamers cannot succeed" feels less like a statement of fact and more like an indictment of the systems that leave no room for interiority. Why is the capacity to disappear into your own mind considered a failure rather than a survival mechanism?
The London setting adds another layer of familiarity and warmth. The tube and bus journeys, in particular, are rendered with affectionate precision. They become liminal spaces where the mind is free to wander. There's something comforting in the mention of recognisable high street names and places. It grounds the story in a world that feels lived-in and real, even as the characters retreat into their inner landscapes.
March 9, 2026
Daydreamers Anonymous ended up being such a pleasant surprise for me. Going in, I expected something that would feel more clinical or overly heavy because of the premise, but instead this was warm, quirky, funny, and genuinely thoughtful.
The concept itself is so original, and I really liked how the story explored maladaptive daydreaming through a cast of characters who all felt a little exaggerated in a way that still worked. They were messy, odd, lonely, and very human. Clara was especially easy to connect with, even when her coping mechanisms were frustrating, because there’s something very relatable about wanting to retreat into your own head when real life feels disappointing.
What I appreciated most was that the humor never took away from the emotional core of the story. Beneath the playful tone, this is still a book about loneliness, self-awareness, and the need for connection. It handles those themes with a light touch, which made it feel engaging rather than weighed down by its own message.
This won’t be for readers looking for something dark or deeply literary, but if you enjoy character-driven contemporary fiction with heart, humor, and a slightly offbeat premise, this is definitely worth picking up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Yellow File Press for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and shared voluntarily.
The concept itself is so original, and I really liked how the story explored maladaptive daydreaming through a cast of characters who all felt a little exaggerated in a way that still worked. They were messy, odd, lonely, and very human. Clara was especially easy to connect with, even when her coping mechanisms were frustrating, because there’s something very relatable about wanting to retreat into your own head when real life feels disappointing.
What I appreciated most was that the humor never took away from the emotional core of the story. Beneath the playful tone, this is still a book about loneliness, self-awareness, and the need for connection. It handles those themes with a light touch, which made it feel engaging rather than weighed down by its own message.
This won’t be for readers looking for something dark or deeply literary, but if you enjoy character-driven contemporary fiction with heart, humor, and a slightly offbeat premise, this is definitely worth picking up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Yellow File Press for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and shared voluntarily.
February 7, 2026
Daydreamers Anonymous by Samantha Rose Parker is built around an interesting idea—because honestly, who doesn’t get lost in their daydreams now and then? But what happens when daydreaming becomes the only place you feel safe? That’s the heart of this book.
The main character is struggling to stay rooted in real life and joins a group meant to help her stop retreating into her imagination. I felt for her deeply. While her situation is extreme, it was still relatable. I daydream too—especially when things feel overwhelming or painful—so parts of her struggle hit close to home.
Where the book really worked for me was in its message about community. It reminds us that humans can endure a lot, but loneliness isn’t something we’re built to survive on our own. Healing, in this story, doesn’t come from willpower alone—it comes from being seen and supported.
Overall, it’s an intriguing concept with meaningful themes, even if the execution didn’t fully land for me. Worth reading, especially if you’ve ever used daydreaming as a coping mechanism.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Content warning: discussion of suicide.
The main character is struggling to stay rooted in real life and joins a group meant to help her stop retreating into her imagination. I felt for her deeply. While her situation is extreme, it was still relatable. I daydream too—especially when things feel overwhelming or painful—so parts of her struggle hit close to home.
Where the book really worked for me was in its message about community. It reminds us that humans can endure a lot, but loneliness isn’t something we’re built to survive on our own. Healing, in this story, doesn’t come from willpower alone—it comes from being seen and supported.
Overall, it’s an intriguing concept with meaningful themes, even if the execution didn’t fully land for me. Worth reading, especially if you’ve ever used daydreaming as a coping mechanism.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Content warning: discussion of suicide.
February 1, 2026
Daydreamers Anonymous was an easy read but also a thought-provoking one. It considered the role of fantasies and daydreaming and how they can become a burden rather than a release, and how quickly obsessions can form that affect our lives. However, it was not a dark work overall, but rather a hopeful one. It shed a light on an area of mental health not often considered and did so in a sensitive way. There were sad moments, but also little moments of shared humour and understanding between the characters. I am prone to a bit of daydreaming myself, so I could understand the characters to an extent even if mine is very minor compared to the level the characters were experiencing. I found this book to be both an entertaining story and a worthwhile look at a fascinating topic. I am giving it 4.5 stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 25, 2026
My real life is just a surface performance, like an actor cast in a cheesy soap when deep down he knows he's meant for something more.
Our habits and our thoughts become us.
A well-paced, quick read about a lonely, young London woman with a boring life that she escapes by daydreaming.
The subjects of obsession and addiction drew me to this book and kept me captivated throughout. Although there were plenty of mundane scenes, they were drawn with clever observations of going through the motions in social interactions, such as making small talk, awkwardness with roommates and coworkers all for the sake of pretending to be normal. Realistic dialog, quirky characters I could root for, and a story I couldn't predict.
Thanks to Yellow File Press, NetGalley, and author Samantha Rose Parker for this digital copy to honestly review. It’s now available.
Our habits and our thoughts become us.
A well-paced, quick read about a lonely, young London woman with a boring life that she escapes by daydreaming.
The subjects of obsession and addiction drew me to this book and kept me captivated throughout. Although there were plenty of mundane scenes, they were drawn with clever observations of going through the motions in social interactions, such as making small talk, awkwardness with roommates and coworkers all for the sake of pretending to be normal. Realistic dialog, quirky characters I could root for, and a story I couldn't predict.
Thanks to Yellow File Press, NetGalley, and author Samantha Rose Parker for this digital copy to honestly review. It’s now available.
February 4, 2026
"I'm always alone and I'm never alone." I knew from this first sentence I could empathize with our main character.
I can be somewhat a daydreamer myself - and I don't quite enjoy small talk.
After finding Dr. Hill's ad for a 10-week experimental research program for compulsive daydreaming, Clara, and eight others, decide they need to join. All of them have their unique, imaginary worlds they slip to, to escape their realities. But these "shadow lives" have left them feeling hopeless and desperate for a cure.
This book portrays what Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD) is like through these characters and their time throughout the sessions - and reveals where we can find fulfillment in the real world.
It was witty, honest, enlightening, and I really enjoyed it - Highlights everywhere.
Take deep breaths. Appreciate the air and sunlight.
Most importantly - Find your people.
"I know it's hard to believe that small moments add up and begin to make you feel more and more alive, but trust me, that is what happens."
"After all, being a Spanish tourist is just a state of mind."
PS forget about that red button <3
I can be somewhat a daydreamer myself - and I don't quite enjoy small talk.
After finding Dr. Hill's ad for a 10-week experimental research program for compulsive daydreaming, Clara, and eight others, decide they need to join. All of them have their unique, imaginary worlds they slip to, to escape their realities. But these "shadow lives" have left them feeling hopeless and desperate for a cure.
This book portrays what Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD) is like through these characters and their time throughout the sessions - and reveals where we can find fulfillment in the real world.
It was witty, honest, enlightening, and I really enjoyed it - Highlights everywhere.
Take deep breaths. Appreciate the air and sunlight.
Most importantly - Find your people.
"I know it's hard to believe that small moments add up and begin to make you feel more and more alive, but trust me, that is what happens."
"After all, being a Spanish tourist is just a state of mind."
PS forget about that red button <3
March 9, 2026
3.5!
Thank you publishers for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you publishers for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
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