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Daydreamer #3

ALC provided by Must Love Audio

Author: Susie Tate

Narrators: Zara Hampton-Brown and Shane East

Thanks, @mustloveaudio and @susietateauthor for the ALC.

Vicky is ‘odd’, ‘different’, ‘difficult’. That’s what she’s heard her entire life. The illegitimate child of a duke, her mother refused to have her assessed to avoid labels and she spent most of her life with her autism undiagnosed. She has suffered all sorts of bullying and rejection from her own family. Her business associates (she’s a financial genius) think she’s rude and insults clients with her bluntness. She’s sadly resigned that she is a ‘burden’. She also never had any interest in anyone romantically except for Mike. They’ve known each other since childhood and he’s best friends with her half brother, the now Duke of Buckingham. Everyone knows she has this crush, even Mike, but he thinks she’s actually the ‘ice princess’ some people say she is. Until a proposition comes to him and he sees the real Vicky.

Mike can’t believe that the ice princess can actually be quite adorable, with her directness and her love of hedgehogs. And when he sees how people treat her, his protective instincts kick in. Little by little he sees how imperfectly perfect she is. 

This little gem of a book is narrated in duet by Zara Hampton-Brown and Shane East. Shane is amazing as all male characters and as the no-nonsense Mike – a little gruff, quite brash but completely smitten. Now, I have to (as always ) give a standing ovation to Zara. She performs all the female characters but her portrayal of Vicky is raw, heartbreaking… just absolutely  phenomenal.

As someone who has neurodivergent people in my family, I was enraged with how Vicky is treated in this story, especially because, sadly, this is the real life experience of many (as we affectionally call them) neurospicy people. I had my heart broken several times listening but I was so happy in the end. 

Just lovely. 

(Note: though book 3, this can be easily read as a standalone)

Representation: FMC is neurodivergent (autistic)

Content notes: bullying, ableism, child abuse, toxic relationships with family members