Maladaptive: A Magical Realism Romance for Daydreamers

by Julie Gunn

Everyone has daydreamed about being in a relationship with their celebrity crush, right?

Jules has spent over a decade escaping into a vivid a life where she’s confident, loved, and married to Hollywood’s golden boy, Chris Jones. It’s been her safe place, her secret, her maladaptive daydream.

Until she meets him.
And he recognizes her.

As fantasy crashes into reality, Jules must confront the life she’s been avoiding and the version of herself she only dared to imagine. Can the love she created in her mind survive between two very real, very different people?

Maladaptive is an emotionally rich magical realism romance about mental health, identity, self-worth, and the blurry line between imagination and reality.

Perfect for fans of celebrity romance, neurodivergent and emotionally vulnerable characters, found family, and healing arcs.

Get your copy of Maladaptive today and step into a story where fantasy meets reality, and love finds a way through both.

Genres: Romance

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 12, 2026

Reviews

[Katelyn | CreativelyKatelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had the opportunity to beta read this, and haven't stopped thinking about it! The concept was so unique, and the characters were fresh and different. I can't wait to read the final copy!

[Grace M · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re a maladaptive daydreamer, you need to read this book! I’ve been following this author’s journey since last year & am so excited for this book to finally be out.

Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice- 🌶️🌶️

What I liked: The author did a good job of balancing between the real world situations and daydreams about Jules life as Chris Jones’s wife. Chris and Jules were both flawed people with their own problems- Chris drinking/women, Jules ocd. The push and pull of them figuring out who each other really was when not in the daydream was really realistic!

What I didn’t like: This kinda of read like Chris Evans fanfiction, which did put me off a little bit. Also, maybe because we were seeing everything from Jules POV most of the time but her constant mentioning of her need for everything to be just so got annoying real quick. The author may have been trying to make Jules ‘quirky’ but she came off as insufferable.



I received a copy of this book in exchange for supporting the Kickstarter.

[Makayla Finnegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very fortunate enough to be an early reader for this book back in early 2025. I am a very picky reader and I often DNF things once I am uninterested but, not only did I finish this book I read it all in one sitting! The concept was captivating and so was the writing! It’s raw and emotional while still maintaining its lighthearted and mystical vibes, It wasn’t overly cliche or repetitive either which was really nice! I’ve been following Julie’s writing journey for a while now and I truly cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy to reread it!!

[Abrianna Ware · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to beta read Maladaptive, and it completely blew me away. I devoured this book! I truly didn’t want to put it down! The concept is incredibly unique, the writing is raw and emotional yet light and magical, and nothing felt overly cliché or repetitive.

There was a moment that made me immediately want to reread the entire book just to catch all the subtle hints, which says everything about how thoughtfully this story was crafted. If you love emotionally rich romances, magical realism, and characters who feel deeply real, this is a must-read.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received the e-book of maladaptive by purchasing it through the author’s Kickstarter. I have been eagerly anticipating this book for over a year now. While there were grammatical errors throughout the book, I found it easy to overlook that as what was meant to be said was obvious and the overarching story was engaging. There was a little twist in there that I did not expect that got me right in the heart. I also appreciate the unconventional ending of this book. I’m very excited to get my physical copy!

[Mandy Fipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the wonderful opportunity to Beta read this book, that being said, it is truly one of the most unique book ideas I have ever read. The author does a great job at mixing world building, romance, and unexpected surprises. One such surprise made it so I immediately went and reread the entire book so I could pull out all of the hints leading up to it. I love this book and can’t wait to get a hard copy!

[Becky Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars. It's a rollercoaster and a half of a story and such an interesting concept!! I found myself thinking about it when I wasn't reading it (as I primarily read during my lunch hour) and wondering what would happen next!

I will say that I was only mildly disappointed with the way the story ended - with the HOPE of an HEA - I guess I'm just and old fashioned bean who wanted that happily ever after and not just the hope of it?

[Melinda McCormick · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of THE. BEST. romance books I have ever read. It is filled with magical realism elements that will have you believing in magic too! Juliet has been fantasizing about for over a decade about being married to the famous actor, Chris Jones. Come to find out that he has been fantasizing about being married to her during that time as well. It's an endearing romance that will melt your heart and have you rooting for them the entire time.

[Lizett · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of the book got me when I saw an ad for it on TikTok. Story is unique and was overall enjoyable. There was a lot of grammatical errors (I have both kindle and physical book) I read the kindle version, hopefully the physical book have it corrected. This book has fade to black romantic scenes which is good for readers that do not like descriptive sex scenes. Ending is a little disappointing.

[Destiny Lovell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I backed this author on Kickstarter and I am very glad that I had the chance to do so. This book is such a amazing concept and as someone who daydreams all the time I really enjoyed the story. It's such a cute comfort story

[lys · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique and refreshing love story. Genuinely loved the fmc & mmc together, they were so fun. If you love celebrity romance stories, definitely add this to your tbr!

[Guilherme Correia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the chance to read Maladaptive as a beta reader, and it’s one of the few books that hooked me enough to read straight through.

[Angela Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flawed characters, raw emotion, and twists that hit hard. Julie Gunn delivers a story that stays with you. I absolutely loved this book!

[Wendy Michalski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid debut from this indie author. Imaginative storytelling and good character building throughout the unfolding of the novel. Looking forward to reading more of her work.

[Amy Margiatto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is so interesting. I am halfway through the story after starting it yesterday. And it is so addictive! I can’t wait to keep reading and finding out what happens.

[Christina Nugent · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story for every little girl that dreamed of being part of the fairytale. For every girl that has lived a thousand lives in books. This book was full of drama, angst, a little mystery, romance and everything you could ask for. All I can say is READ, READ, READ.