Tessa Bailey's Wreck the Halls brings her trademark blend of steamy romance and witty banter to a holiday setting, offering a festive twist on her usual fare. Unlike her other works, which often center on contemporary settings and everyday dramas, this novel immerses readers in a glamorous yet chaotic world of rock star reunions and media frenzy. Melody's journey from the shadows to center stage, alongside Beat Dawkins, feels fresh and vibrant against the backdrop of Christmas chaos and high-stakes showbiz.

The novel excels in capturing the excitement of a high-energy holiday setting, with Bailey’s skillful world-building making the rock-and-roll scene feel as dynamic and colorful as the season itself. While the core elements of Bailey’s style—such as intense chemistry and emotional growth—are present, the Christmas theme adds a unique layer, enhancing the story's charm. This novel stands out as a festive, engaging entry in Bailey's repertoire, blending romance and holiday cheer with her usual flair.

A cute little Christmasy romp. It wasn't my favorite Tessa Bailey and I felt like the chemistry between Beat and Melody was lacking. The whole thing was too insta-love for me. But it was still entertaining to read.

I have loved every single book I’ve read by this author and this book was no different. If Tessa Bailey writes it I’m going to read it. Her books have just the right amount of spice and just the right amount of plot. I don’t normally like an insta-live but this one worked for me maybe it was the storyline of two kids of famous musicians. I love that the male main character is named Beat and the female main character is Melody.

From the names of the leading characters — Beat and Melody — to the cringe worthy interactions, I was bored and annoyed by this book. I gave it 1/3 of the novel before throwing in the towel.

This book is not a Christmas romance in case you’re wondering. It just so happens it takes place in December.

Too insta-feelings for us - unable to bond with the feelings in a meaningful way. Would prefer more depth and development.

"Wreck the Halls" by Tessa Bailey is a delightful holiday romance full of wit and charm. With engaging characters and a festive backdrop, this book is perfect for getting into the Christmas spirit. A fun and heartwarming read for the holidays.

I am the biggest Tessa Bailey ever and this book put me over! I loved the idea of starcross lovers because of ghost from their parents past! Tessa Bailey has a way of creating a world to escape to when the real one sucks. I would read her grocery list if she let me! These characters were so down to earth and relatable and lets be real, Tessa knows how to right spicy scenes without it feeling corny!

Love, love, love - Tessa Bailey fan for life over here! Very fun, cute romance - highly highly highly recommend.

I lost my kindle and couldn't redownload it. Sorry!
I lost my kindle and couldn't redownload it. Sorry!
I lost my kindle and couldn't redownload it. Sorry!
I lost my kindle and couldn't redownload it. Sorry!

Tessa Bailey definitely writes fun light entertaining stories and Wreck the Halls didn't disappoint. A few of her books were uneventful and I couldn't wait to finish, but this one has a little depth and a few funny moments. I would recommend picking this one up.

Thank you for your advance copy.

This definitely isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I enjoyed it. Would I pick it up again? Probably not. The main characters name threw me off from the beginning and the story had so much potential.

I thought this was going to be a cute holiday read. It was a little slow to get through. Several times I didn’t want to even finish reading it. She meets Beat at 16 for a few minutes and pines over him for 14 years. The book didn’t seem realistic and dragged on.

Best selling modern romance author, Tessa Bailey, writes a charming holiday story. Two children born to the to raucous women of the rock duo, Steel Birds, join together to reunite their mothers for a once in a lifetime concert. Beat and Melody have only met briefly but as teenagers but felt drawn to one another as if it is fate. When they are approached by TV producers to get the band back together they agree for personal reasons.

Beat needs money because a secret from his mothers past demands payment for their silence and Melody wants to confront her mother about their relationship and to just be near Beat. When the two fall in love and the show Wreck the Halls becomes more about Beat and Melody falling in love than the band, the internet literally breaks. Their mothers come together to save their children from burden of the secret of the bands break up.

While the concert date and goal for the bands reunion is Christmas Eve the book really isn't about Christmas. It is all Beat and Melody and a love so true and fiery it can't be denied. Very steamy read and two thumbs up.

"Wreck the Halls" by Tessa Bailey follows Melody Gallard, daughter of music royalty, as she navigates the challenges of her quiet life and the unexpected opportunity to reunite her mother's band on live TV.

Despite her inclination to avoid the limelight and focus on restoring old books, Melody finds herself tempted by a producer's offer of a large sum of money to bring her mother's band back together. This decision leads her to reconnect with Beat Dawkins, the lead singer's son, with whom she shares a complicated history due to a legendary feud that tore the band apart.

As Melody and Beat embark on a mission to convince their mothers to perform one last show, they find themselves drawn to each other in ways they never expected. Amidst the chaos of dealing with rock star antics, filming crews, and the looming threat of a scandal, Melody begins to step out of her comfort zone with Beat by her side.

However, with Christmas Eve fast approaching and the specter of a decades-old scandal threatening to derail everything they've worked for, Melody and Beat must confront the challenges of their past and present if they hope to salvage the Steel Birds reunion and their newfound love.

Tessa Bailey books are always fun, but I felt like this book brought a new, edgy quality with the feud between ex rock band-mates and their children. It's a very star-crossed lovers story featuring a blackmail arc, amazing banter between the main characters, and some really dynamic side characters. It's a very wild ride that I greatly enjoyed even with the formula being somewhat different than Tessa normally goes with.

This was such a fun holiday yet non-holiday read! For the first third of this book I thought this wasn’t for me, and it wasn’t quite grabbing my attention. However, somewhere along the way I started laughing with the characters, appreciating the quirkiness of the storyline, and loving the chemistry between the two main characters - Beat and Mel. They are two children of former pop stars who are thrown back together to try and do a holiday reunion show. I love 80s bands so the nods and references to the two moms and their rock days had me thinking of my favorite bands. Beat and Mel’s antics of being followed by cameras while navigating their family relationships was so fun to read and then their chemistry and care for each other tugged on your heart strings. Also, in typical Tessa fashion once the spice hit, it was

One thing Tessa always gets right are the endings and epilogues. Her books always wrap up so nicely, and then give you a little something extra to smile about.

This arc was kindly given to me by Netgalley and the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.


Tessa Bailey is another author quickly becoming an automatic read for me. Her books are fun, fast reads with a good dose of smut. Her characters are complex but just so loveable. For Wreck the Halls, it was such a fun exploration not only of the relationship between characters, but also their relationship with their warring mothers, the public and their own 'fame'. I loved how the MFC worked to push herself to not be afraid to take up space, to speak up and try to find herself. The 'kink' with the MMC was one that took me a moment to warn up to but Tessa Bailey know how to right a smexy moment, lol.

I am so hoping their will be company novel that has the camera man and producer asap :)

Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me, I found it pretty slow paced and boring and did not continue on. I loved Tessa Baileys “it happened one summer” series but this book just felt like it was written by a different author, and not in a good way.

Classic Tessa Bailey. I loved everything about this book! These characters are so realistic, so funny and flawed, so HUMAN. And I think that's one of the best compliments I can ever give an author. 5 stars!

This is a perfect book to pick up around the holidays. I enjoy Tessa Bailey’s writing and character development. This would be a great book to handsell to all your Rom Com loving readers. This will be a re-read for me next holiday season for sure!