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, Fantasy

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 12, 2026

Reviews

[ASDMommaBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d been really looking forward to this one. I came across the premise on TikTok and immediately loved the idea, so I was super excited for it.

I really wanted to love it - the whole dreams thing reminded me of the movie In My Dreams (which I love)... But I didn't.

The writing felt a wee bit weak. There were some jumps in tense and POV, and a few typos and grammatical errors that pulled me out of the story, plus an overuse of similes that bordered on excessive at times. The characters were interesting in concept, but their personalities changed from scene to scene, which made it harder to connect with them.

That said, I kept reading because the idea itself was so strong and unique. You can see the heart that went into this story and there are moments where you definitely see what it could have been with a bit more polish.

I did finish it. I’m not much of a DNF reader, especially with indie authors, because I know how much goes into putting a book out there, but I think this is one of those stories that could have been beyond incredible with a proper editorial pass and a bit more time spent refining the writing.

While it wasn't quite my cup of tea in the end, I’m still eager to see what the author writes next, because she's got so much potential, and boatloads of creativity to spare.

[riona]

shoulda stayed in the character ai chat queen

[Ana9_8 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5⭐️

[EMFubz · Rating 1 out of 5]

ThisWasBad🫠/5📚 Cheating?!/5🌶️
This is NOT a romance book. Even though the title, the author and the tags are trying to tell you otherwise. This is not a romance book (real or fictional) because there is not a single romantic aspect to be found here. And we can hardly declare something a „realism romance“ when the only romance scenes are in her daydream…
Again this is NOT a romance book. This is a story about mental illness at best.

The writing was ass mate. Like legitimately so bad, I’m confused why this wasn’t just uploaded on AO3 or whatever. Definitely not worthy to demand money for.
-weird switches between 1st and 3rd person
-unnatural dialogues
-unnecessary scenes with too much detail and important scenes with too little detail
-the storyline in itself was super duper rushed
->the whole point is that she daydreams about him for 12 years!!! And they make out 5 minutes after seeing each other for the first time in real life… WTF?
-!!!the switch between real world and dream not only by chapter but also in between certain POV’s was super confusing
-etc etc etc
Also this book is advertised as a romance book… but they don’t even end up in a romantic relationship??? 99% of their interaction is just them arguing and putting each other down!!! Why am I being fooled? This is like putting the ‚happy ever after‘ tag on your fic but then killing off the MC… Why???

“But then Caroline caught something else—something she hadn’t seen in a long time. My eyes, usually tired and distant, had a glimmer of something else. Happiness? Excitement? It had been ages since she’d seen me look like this.”
It’s so weird to portray the storyline in 1st person but then throw in 3rd person thoughts.

“Marry a Gemini woman,” he said, his eyes sparkling. “You’ll never get bored.”
Weow weow weow ick alert 🚨

“I stepped into the too-dark and too-damn cramped for a star of my caliber dressing room, trying to keep a straight face. But my usual swagger—that casual, effortless one I’d perfected over the years—had taken the day off.”
wtf are these 2 sentences? God I already hate the MMC
Chris was super unlikable and just a piece of shit really, if I had to sum him up. He is sexist, arrogant and has his dick so far down his own throat it’s crazy. And he so clearly doesn’t care about her kids, that should be the first 🚩 for a mother, but the FMC couldn’t find a back bone even if someone shoves it up her ass🙄.
There was legitimately not a single situation in which I found the MMC likable or just even a decent human being. He didn’t give a shit about anyone but himself, but at the same time tried to invade the FMC life and convince her of his believes like there is no tomorrow.

Tw:
•mention of mental illness
•fucking terrible MMC
•crappy execution of everything

[JoyceLeest · Rating 3 out of 5]

​I feel seen! "Maladaptive" is a fun, fast-paced, and surprisingly deep look at the stories we tell ourselves to get through the day. The transition from a 12-year internal fantasy to a real-life encounter at Comic Con was written so well. It’s both a wish-fulfillment story and a reality check. It definitely made me reflect on my own habits of daydreaming. If you're currently "in a relationship" with a celebrity in your head (Pedro Pascal, Henry Cavill or my other 10 fictional men anyone?), you need to read this! P.s. I claim this energy in real life...

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited for this book and backed it on Kickstarter because the idea was so interesting… unfortunately, the execution wasn’t great. This book really, really needed the eyes of a good editor. Too many typos, errors and switches in tense… and the way the characters behaved didn’t make much sense to me, either. Disappointed.

[Abi Janakes]

While this story was unique and fun, it just wasn’t for me! Doesn’t mean it’s not for you. Great mental health representation!

[Sarah Hotaling · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really excited for this when I saw it on TikTok. But it was just meh.
I saw someone say this book was like the author posted her ai chat room and honestly yeah.

The writing style was all over the place
The MMC and the FMC were so annoying.
There was no character development and half the book was just the MCs putting eachother down every two secs.

While the whole dream vs. Reality was super interesting, either keep the dream and reality separate in different chapters or have a clear understanding that this is dream land or something. It just kept jumping from dream to reality over and over.

Also we had so much detail in some areas but no detail in others??

[Nedelitta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Date Read: 27 June '26

⭐️1.5 | 🎧3

Oh my god this was actually so painful, thank god it was short 😭

The beginning started out very good - woman meets her celebrity crush she keeps dreaming about for years only for him to recognise her immediately - turns out he's also dreamt of her for ages. The set up is pretty cute and it was the best part of the whole book for me.

I just hated everything else, I'm sorry. I didn't like the writing, it felt so juvenile and the whole thing is just poorly written. The plot didn't go anywhere - literally the whole thing was the main characters putting each other down and finding out reasons not to be together, but none of those reasons were even good? Their communication absolutely sucked as well - it was like reading about high school drama but we're pretending that they're all adults.. The dialogues between all the other characters was so bad as well and we get so many things randomly being mentioned at the start that we never comment later on.

Honestly, this was just all over the place. I'm giving it ⭐️.25 for effort as it reads like this is the author's first try at writing a book and I don't wanna be too mean, and also another ⭐️.25 for the cute set up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC.

[Ashley Fisher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this one. The cover, the premise, and the idea of it being a duet immediately caught my attention. The concept of two people dreaming of each other and glimpsing their future together through déjà vu was unique, and honestly, it was my favorite part of the story.

Unfortunately, the execution just didn’t click for me.

The romance moved so quickly that I struggled to believe it. The characters go from meeting for the first time to acting like they’ve been deeply in love for months, with intense kissing and instant trust that felt unearned. Instead of feeling like fate, it felt rushed.

There were also several moments that completely pulled me out of the story. More than once I found myself confused by character choices, especially when trust was given so easily to side characters who came across as if they weren’t earning it. Some moments or miscommunication felt disproportionate and made the emotional development hard to follow.

While this book ultimately wasn’t for me, I can tell there was genuine heart and creativity behind it. The dream concept was imaginative, and it’s clear a lot of thought went into building the story.

Thank you NetGallery and RB Media team for this opportunity.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this was so cute. I heard about this book from Julie on Tiktok and so I wanted to back the project on Kickstarter. I was so happy that the project was funded (and so quickly!) it was very exciting.
I had the pleasure of ordering the hardcover and received an ebook copy as well.

I went into this only knowing that Jules daydreamed about a celebrity and that the celebrity, Chris recognized her. I had no idea how old Jules was or what her family looked like until I started reading but I think it was fantastic that she was an adult woman who had kids from a previous marriage, it added a layer of depth.
The ending was bittersweet but ultimately I'd say it was a HEA.

[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!

[Inês · Rating 1 out of 5]

Constantly had to check if I was on Wattpad instead of my Kindle.
This is literally a self insert fanfic of Chris Evans.

[Ariel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not a romance at all

[Taylor Hallam · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel like I wasted my time

[RamblingsWithEmily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m giving this 3 stars because parts of it were fine.

However, this book is marked as a romance, and it’s not. If it was a magical realism fiction story with a romance subplot? Maybe. The idea is intriguing, the execution? It wasn’t my cup of tea. These characters have a lot of issues, and like yeah good, they separated and maybe came back at the end? It’s left on a maybe they did. So not exactly the HEA romance is known for.

Also, the fights these characters get into? Toxic AF, it’s.. I don’t know. It’s 1am and I stayed up reading this just to say I finished it.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book completely surprised me in the best way.

I went in expecting something cozy and light, and what I got instead was an emotionally rich story about identity, self-worth, and the kind of love that doesn’t rush or force itself into place.

The characters are what truly make this shine. They feel real, layered, and human in a way that’s hard to find. The main character especially stood out to me, her inner world, the way she navigates life, and how she slowly grows into herself felt authentic and deeply relatable.

What I loved most is that this isn’t a romance that relies on instant connection or easy answers. It’s about timing, about healing, and about becoming the kind of person who can actually sustain love. The emotional tension, the longing, the almosts… it all builds into something that feels earned rather than given.

There’s a softness to this story, but it doesn’t mean it’s simple. It handles vulnerability, mental health, and relationships with care, without losing depth or impact.

By the end, I didn’t just enjoy the romance, I believed it.

If you’re looking for something with heart, character depth, and a slow, meaningful emotional payoff, this is absolutely worth it.

[Jamy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book, the premises is so interesting. However, it was so disappointing!

1- I felt like reading a fanfiction, but not because of the quality of writing (but this too), but because it felt like it was missing the entire background of characters, like you are supposed to know the universe before starting reading it. Just like in fanfiction. This results in a lot of telling of XYZ and you are supposed to believe it and go with it. The guy is super famous, but is not described how exactly, like: did he won a ridiculous amount of awards? Why is he at a comic con in the first place? Which brings me to the fact that there is an over emphasis over her being in her 30s, and apparently this means that she needs an excuse (her kid) to go to the comic-con. I mean: She is such a big fan of the guy to the point of having a mental disorder over him and still have no idea he was at the event or tried to go to his panel/M&G or something.

2- the neurodivergent representation is weirdly written like the author was following a checklist of symptoms to add while writing it.
It feels unnatural and only there to point it out its because of the character's disability, which by the way the character is constantly explaining after the symptom's description that she is doing that because of her disability.

3- The introduction of the "maladaptive daydreaming disorder" is introduced in a weird way too and in a kind of self diagnosis, but what doesn't make sense to me was the character sharing this discovery with someone she knows is "against" a diagnosis and would judge her, therefore: not much of a safe person to share this with, right?

4-Apart from her daydreaming we have no insight of the guy's personality, we don't know how the fans perceive him or even how she perceives the real him until we get to his POV where, again, it's only thrown at you like "people see me like this, and I am like..." it feels a little cliche and just lacking of any character depth.
The main plot of the book happens waaaayyy too early, there is no anticipation or anything, and on top of that the dialogues are also weird and unnatural. I couldn't read past their first date (which is at the beginning of the book, mind you).

Overall: Dialogues are unnatural, Neurodivergent traits are over and unnecessarily highlighted as such AND when the character is in a situation where it should have a description of her symptoms, there isn't any OR is just written like: "I was overthinking this..." instead of describing the overthinking.
I feel like if this book had some more beta readers and a couple more drafts, it could be enjoyable because it's not a plot issue. If the author payed someone to proofread this, then she should ask for her money back.

[SJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Maladaptive by Julie Gunn has such a unique premise that immediately drew me into the story. Jules tries to be present in the normal world with her two children and her soon to be ex-husband, however, she is always drawn to a life she daydreams about. In this life, she is a famous screenwriter and very happily married to a superstar actor, Chris Jones. She has only ever thought of these as daydreams until she runs into Chris at a convention, and to her surprise, he recognizes her too. What ensues is a chaotic mess of pushing and pulling, grasping at straws, trying to gain a semblence to the life they lived in the daydream.

Although this was an interesting premise, I did not enjoy this as much as I was hoping. I felt like it was very repetitive in Jules wanting Chris to be the man from their daydreaming and being disappointed when he wasn't. Chris could never live up to her expectations but that was also due to Chris being a complete and utter POS. How she was even interested in reality Chris was beyond me. She was never in love with him. She was in love with the version that existed in the alternate reality.

Despite this, I can also say that I understand the way the story paned out. Jules spent so long literally dreaming of this perfect man, so she constantly pushed this narrative onto Chris, who also desperately wanted to be that man for her. That said, the ending is very fitting for everything that occurred in their story. I wouldn't say it was a HEA but I also couldn't say it wasn't.

Overall, I did enjoy Maladaptive although I did struggle with the redundancy in Chris' and Jules' relationship. There were also a fair amount of typos however, given that this was not a final version of the book, it did not affect my rating.
If you are interested in reading a story about two star crossed lovers with a tumultuous, almost toxic, yet somehow still very loving relationship, I recommend checking out Maladaptive!

This is a review of an ARC provided by the author, Julie Gunn. Thank you so much for allowing me this opportunity!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Julie Gunn and Tantor Media for the advanced listener copy. I also had the opportunity to read along in my signed physical copy, and I always enjoy doing an immersive read when I can.

Maladaptive follows Jules, who has spent years escaping into vivid daydreams about Hollywood actor Chris Jones. Then one day she meets him in real life...and to her surprise, he recognizes her. It's definitely a unique premise, and I was curious to see where the story would go.

The strongest part of this book for me was Jules. While my experiences are different, I understood the comfort of escaping into your own mind when life feels overwhelming, and I appreciated the way Julie Gunn portrayed maladaptive daydreaming with empathy. Jules felt authentic, and I found myself rooting for her throughout the story.

I also really liked that when Jules and Chris first met, she humbled him a bit. She didn't immediately treat him like a celebrity, and I think that gave their relationship a more genuine starting point.

That said, I never felt completely invested in the romance itself. I enjoyed watching Jules grow as a person more than I enjoyed the relationship, and there were moments where the pacing felt slower than I would have liked. I kept waiting for something to really pull me in emotionally, and while I enjoyed the story overall, it never quite got there for me.

Overall, I'm glad I read it, and I think readers who enjoy character-driven stories, celebrity romance, and mental health representation will probably connect with it more than I did. While it wasn't a standout read for me personally, I can absolutely see why it's resonated with so many others.

[HarleyQuinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

"...knowing you are lovable and feeling lovable are two very different beasts."

This book would've been my favorite reads this year. But somewhere lost me during execution part of it. It feels messy because the characters are messy. I was okay with most of it.

When you daydream as vividly as FMC does, it's not easy to differentiate the truth from false. You second-guess most of the time. She is aware she daydreams about MMC (for 12 years!). When MMC is being another flawed human, she gets easily annoyed (not me supporting MMCs actions) because she has this perfect dream version of him. It's like MMC needs to compete with dream MMC, lol.

With flaws and all, I was rooting for FMC. And then, she lost me toward the end. And coming to MMC, I don't know how to feel about him. Him as a character gave me a lot of whiplash. Together, they both had a lot of communication issues? A lot. It did feel like they both are trying to compete who is the messier one, lol. I'm surprised that it's not until the end they realize they both need to work on themselves before getting into a relationship. Mostly because FMC is in her 30s and MMC is his 40s. But I get it, both have this dream version they constantly compare.

FMC's sister is truly a gem for me. Apart from that, I truly have a mixed feelings about this one. I'm not a huge fan of third-act breakups in general or communications issues between grown adults. The ending is not satisfying enough (for me). But I liked and appreciate the unique concept behind this book.

[Tabi Leass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark your calendars because it releases on 4/12!
Huge thank you to Julie Gunn for sending over an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!
​Maladaptive is such a unique story. I will be the first to admit that I hadn't given much thought to maladaptive daydreaming before this, but I am a massive believer in manifestation and loving someone across every lifetime. This book captured those themes and then pushed them even further.
​The characters are written with such raw, relatable depth. It is a massive challenge to make a concept like this feel grounded and real, but Julie did a fantastic job with the character development. The stakes felt incredibly high, I could genuinely feel the weight of their turmoil as they fought to keep their fantasy from shattering against reality.
​If I had to find one 'complaint' it would only be that I wanted even more time in this world. I would have loved for the story to be a little longer, perhaps with a few more chapters from Chris's point of view to really round things out.
​Overall, this is absolutely a book to pick up if you love stories that blur the lines between dreams and reality.

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved the uniqueness of this story, exploring the reality of maladaptive daydreaming, which is something I've never come across in a fiction book before. It's a tricky thing to convey, yet the author does it really well in this story. I also appreciated the representation of neurodiversity and how that, as well as historical trauma, can go hand-in-hand with maladaptive daydreaming.

In terms of the story itself, I liked the gritty reality contrasted with the idyllic fantasies. The portrayal of Chris was spot on for what we imagine the experience of dating a Hollywood actor to be, and I appreciated how the whole point of the story was not to romanticize that. The pacing was great and I raced through the book in a day.

The only thing that stopped me giving it five stars was that, at times, it read a bit like fan-fiction. I wish the characters were more fictional as I think it would have given the story a wider scope. Using the author's name for the main character, and name of the real-life actor Chris is based on for him, felt a bit too close for comfort for me.

[Nicole M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just wow.

Maladaptive: A Magical Realism Romance for Daydreamers by Julie Gunn is a masterpiece in storytelling, character development, and emotional impact. As someone who constantly daydreams, this book felt incredibly personal. It reminded me why I love imagining different realities and getting lost in possibilities.

I completely fell in love with Chris Jones and found myself stepping into Jules' shoes throughout the story. There were moments when I wished her daydream world was the real one and her actual life wasn't. That's how immersive and emotionally powerful this book was.

What I loved most was how the story embraced imperfection. The characters weren't flawless, and neither was their journey, but somehow that made everything feel more real. Despite all their struggles and flaws, they felt made for each other.

Was the book perfect? No. But it was exactly what I needed. It made me feel seen, understood, and reminded me of the beauty that exists in imagination and reality alike.

Without a doubt, this was my favorite summer read!

[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.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded to 3⭐️

Firstly, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

“I promise I’ll find you in all realities, even if just to have you for a little while."

⭐️ 2.5/5

Maladaptive had a unique concept that immediately caught my attention, because what do you mean, she meets the celeb she's been having maladaptive daydreams about for over a decade and he recognises her?! Say less. I also appreciated the neurodivergent representation and the narrators did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life.

I did feel confused at times due to the nature of the story, and that sometimes made it difficult to stay fully immersed in the story. I will admit, I had high expectations going into this. The premise sounded so interesting in theory, but unfortunately it didn't quite live up to its potential for me, and I was left a little disappointed by what could have been.

[Lulla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason I didn't rate it 5 stars is because it's not how I wanted it to end. Mostly because I feel like they didn't truly try to work on the relationship before giving up. While reading I was expecting them to go out more or hang out just the two of them so I was disappointed when it didn't happen. Although, I do really wish they could have made it work until the end lol. Not to say I didn't understand why they chose to go their separate ways, just wish they didn't have to😭

Otherwise, no notes absolutely loved it! (obviously because I NEVER write reviews on Goodreads lol) Genuinely still thinking about it two days later, I loved everything else about it. I hope to read more books by the author in the future💓

[HappilyHailsReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I just want to thank @writewithjulie ✨ for sending me this early before her release because wow, I feel so lucky to have been able to read this!!! You wrote and portrayed such beautiful characters with their quirks and differences and reaffirmed in this book that our minds are our magic and we’re not alone in being different so THANK YOU! 🩷✨🧩🫶🏻

This book was so stinking cute! The characters, the story, the banter, the sasssssiness lol, I loved it!! It took me a second to focus in on it but once I did, I couldn’t put it down!! It always makes it more fun to read when you can relate to certain things people write about ✨🥰

I can’t wait for you guys to get to read this too!!! Keep an eye out on Julie’s page so you can be the first to get it on April 12th EEEEEK!! 🧡💚📖💌📚🌸✨🌶️

[Linda Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the idea but everything about it feels unfinished and rushed. There was no depth to the characters, no connection between the FMC and MMC. For them to be soulmates across time and space, there was zero chemistry. And the whole explanation that Jules could see other realities being thrown in at the very end and then the failure to explain how Chris also dreamed of her? It needs a lot of work. It feels like a general outline was made and then there was no work put in to flesh it out and bring it to life. It just fell flat.
There were also a lot of instances where phrases were just slightly.... off? Like saying "could keep a helicopter in the ground" instead of "could keep a helicopter on the ground." Things like that just throw off the reading experience for me.

[Laura The Book Bunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

When two people, who have never met, having daydreaming about each other for 12 years, finally meet, will it be a dream come true? Or will real life get in the way?

Maladaptive is a whirlwind, celebrity romance, with magical realism, epic yearning, and star crossed lovers. The premise is really unique, and I read this in one sitting, because I needed to know what happened with this story. My heart broke for the two main characters when it was revealed why they were sharing dreams.

This romance is more instalove than I usually read, but I think it worked. They did just meet, but they’ve know each other for so long. I also wish it had a more HEA ending, but I can see why the author chose to end it this way.

Definitely recommend! Thank you to the author for this arc.