I’m just going to tell it like it is – Tessa Bailey can do no wrong in my eyes.

“Wreck the Halls” is the latest from Queen TB, and it’s one of the most enjoyable books I’ve had the pleasure to read. Tessa Bailey has the ability to take an idea that seems outlandish and turn it on it’s head, writing her characters into such relatable and well developed people that you can’t help but invest your heart and soul into their journey. Let’s look at her backlist.

“Wreck the Halls” is perfect example of such an experience for me. Two children of celebrities take on the task of reuniting their feuding mothers to get the band back together. They’ve only met once in their lives prior to this, but they share a unique experience that no one else in the world would understand, one that brings them closer to each other than any other person on the planet.

Novels are beautiful and complicated. You need to have the right amount of plot and forward momentum to keep interest and anticipation, and the right character motivations to keep a reader invested. I find myself falling in love with characters before anything else. The plot is great and all, but if you don’t have the right characters to take you on that adventure, it’s gonna fizzle out. Beat and Melody, our “Wreck the Halls” main characters, are absolutely dynamic.

Melody Gallard is down to Earth and far more relatable than any child of a rock start should be. She craves to be independent from her mother’s reputation and stardom, and does what she can to live her own life and be her own person. Much like what Four says to Tris in Divergent, fear doesn’t shut Melody down, it wakes her up. I love how Melody acknowledges her anxiety and fear and nerves but chooses to make choices in spite of them. She’s strong and smart, and I admire her character.

Beat is a simp for Melody from day one and I am here for it. From the beginning, Beat shows impressive character when he calls for out the paparazzi and media for the different ways they treat him from Melody. He is praised and desired while she is critiqued and dissected, taking away her humanity almost altogether. He spends his time and energy doing everything that he can to protect Melody, and keeping her safe. That’s how he shows his love.

Wreck the Halls” had me firmly in it’s grip from the first page. I laughed out loud and caught myself smiling so hard my cheeks hurt, especially the fights with the Santas. Despite the title, “Wreck the Halls” doesn’t lean too heavily into the holiday spirit, so it’s totally okay to read this any time of year. That being said, I did catch myself yearning for a trip to the city in the winter when the snow is falling and the Rockerfeller Christmas Tree is up and lit. The city is magical in the winter.

Beat and Melody are captivating as a couple. Absolutely enchanting when they’re together. Octavia and Trina’s feud felt straight off the pages of a tabloid or the behind-the-scenes of a Bravo show. I could picture their antics and dramatics perfectly.

When you pick up a Tessa Bailey, you know what to expect. Witty banter, zesty 3-d characters, and palpable sexual tension. You can’t go wrong with whichever title you choose, and “Wreck the Halls” is up there as one of my favorites by Queen TB.

Wreck the Halls was so funny and heartwarming! I loved it so much! This story is about love, friendship, secrets, and overcoming differences.

Beat and Melody are the children of world famous and feuding rock icons, who used to perform in a band together. The world wants an epic reunion, but the leading ladies won’t even be in the same room together. A reality tv production company recruits Beat and Melody to orchestrate the reunion and live streams their efforts.

Beat and Melody don’t know each other well, but have an instant chemistry that neither can deny. They try very hard to stop their own feelings from developing, but the world ends up shipping them when their reunion efforts go viral.

I am a total simp for Beat. I loved how protective he was of Melody and how he always looked out for her from afar. He also really supported her while she learned to stand up for herself. Melody was a quiet force. I loved watching her find her inner confidence while the world fell in love with her. She had no idea how incredible she was. This was not one of the author’s spiciest books, but the spice in this story definitely was of the k1nkier variety. Beat was into denying himself, which was super hot!

I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up the two mom rock icons Octavia and Trina. Their snipes and one liners were hilarious. Octavia especially stole the show for me, which I know she’d appreciate. She honestly had me cracking up.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a great holiday read!

I absolutely LOVED this book. It's been a long time since I've laughed out loud during a book. I adored Melody and her humor, I loved Beat as well. They connected when they were teens, meeting briefly but it had a profound impact on each of them. Flash forward and they are together trying to get their mothers band back together, all during a live stream where everyone watching can see their absolute connection and how they are falling for each other in real time.

This book is classic Tessa Bailey. It's a nice mix of Hallmark meets Lifetime meets Netflix. Man how I wish one of them would option this book for a holiday movie.

Highly recommend.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Whew. That’s what I always think about a Tessa Bailey book. So much feeling, so much passion, so much intensity.

Wreck the Halls has all of those things, plus a friends to lovers romance arc that shouldn’t work for me bc it moves so quickly & yet it does.

Melody Gallard & Beat Dawkins meet when Melody is 16 & feeling a distinct lack of confidence largely thanks to how the media portrays her appearance. She & Beat are the kids of a legendary rock duo that split decades ago, & they feel an immediate connection.

Years of not talking later, they’re offered the chance to make mega bucks if they’ll allow themselves to be filmed as they work on convincing their mothers—members of the Steel Birds—to reunite for a Christmas Eve concert.

This book is not fated mates but it has those overtones to me. These people have a primal, body- & soul-deep connection that I would call call sweet even as they rock each other’s faces off.

The chemistry is great, the friendship is great, & it has this moment where Mel gets sent to jail & unruffable Beat is very RUFFLED & he’s like hell no I’m about to call the President (not really but basically).
​
But there are a couple of things about the plot that I either wanted less of or more of, respectively . Like his orgasm denial kink. Totally cool with the kink itself but the rationale that is consistently offered for it just doesn’t work for me .

Anywho, this is another hot, passionate offering from a queen of DIRTY/TENDER MOMENTS & I had a lot of fun with it.

4⭐️. Out now!

[CWs: blackmail, past lying and cheating (secondary characters), parental emotional negligence, media harassment.]
​
[ID: Jess’s white hand holds the ebook in front of a downtown street. On the left a painted quilt is hanging; in the background are building signs—the first is most prominent & says 1817.]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wreck the Halls
By: Tessa Bailey
Pub Date: 10/3/23
Publisher: Avon and Harper Voyager

I swear Tessa never misses her mark! This book gave me a Fleetwood Mac band breakup feel.
Thirty years ago, the world famous band ,Steel Birds broke up. Trina and Octavia swore they would never reunite.
Shortly after breaking up, both women gave birth to children. Trina had a daughter, Melody and Octavia had a son named Beat Melody and Beat have met just once when they were both 17.
Beat has a problem, someone has been blackmailing him and this time he wants a lot of money that Beat doesn’t have but when a reality tv producer approaches both kids separately, wanting to do an online 24/7 experience with the kids as they try to get their mothers back together he sees a way out.
The public has never given up hope that they will reunite but what’s more interesting is Melody and Beats chemistry. It’s intense in the best way possible. Can they do this? Can they get their mothers back together? Can Beat continue to protect his mom from the blackmailer? You’ll have to pick up Wreck the Halls to find out.

I absolutely adored this book. Tessa Bailey has been hit or miss for me in the past, but, this book was super delightful. In fact, I decided to host this one for my book club's December group read together. I can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts!

As a general rule, I love Tessa Bailey books. I love her sense of humor and adore her randomness. That being said…I’m clearly the Grinch because Wreck the Halls was not it for me.

Melody and Beat (extremely dislike) are the children of former famous rockstar bandmates that now hate each other. They meet briefly when they’re 16 years old and somehow connect so deeply in that 5 minute span that they exchange phone numbers and promises to get in touch. Then they don’t use those phone numbers until they’re 30. Beat needs Melody to help him get their moms back together for a performance on Christmas Eve so he can get prize money. The catch is that the company wants to livestream him and Melody trying to accomplish this. Melody agrees because she fell in love with Beat in those 5 minutes at 16 and she could also use the money to get out from under her mom’s influence. The world falls in love with Melody in particular over the livestream and starts to ship her and Beat together. They clearly are into each other from the start but Beat just can’t because reasons. Reasons that to me really didn’t seem that big of a deal? Idk.

I wanted to love the premise of these two adults parent trapping their moms but the execution of the story was just not there for me. I found the set up to be cringe and Beat truly just annoyed me as a human. Please go to therapy bro. But no we had to watch him not communicate with literally anyone because his HUGE secret was sooo scary (It wasn’t). The lack of communication, the lack of trust in supposedly the one person you feel like you can trust, and the terrible parent situation was just too much for me. Sure there were moments of levity and Melody’s growth and blossoming were great but it wasn’t enough to carry this book.

Anyways…I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it. It just was.

The daughter of a music legend, Melody lives a quiet life until a producer offers big money for her mother's band to reunite on live TV. She partners with Beat, the charming and camera-ready son of the band's lead singer. An intense attraction ignites as they try to convince their mothers to perform one last show. But with a decades-old scandal threatening to unravel everything, can their fragile new love survive?

Tessa Bailey fans will love this fun, quirky, heartfelt romance. Beat and Melody are a perfect fit, with complementary personalities and the shared experience of growing up in the shadow of superstar parents. The chemistry between them is intense, and the emotion is high. The novel is smart and spicy and a joy to read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Beat & Melody have only met once in their lives, but it was electric. And speaking of electric, their moms used to be bandmates in a famous girl-duo, but now they don't speak to each other. When Beat and Melody find themselves in need of money, they meet again in a bid to convince their moms to reunite for the biggest moment in musical history.

I liked the premise of this story - rockstars, two children-of-rockstars who met once as teenagers for only a moment, but probably are actually soulmates, and all the typical steamy scenes and romantic gestures promised in a Tessa Bailey story. Another fun read from a fun author.

Was this my favorite Tessa Bailey book? No. Was this my least favorite Tessa Bailey book? Also no.

So this one was a little strange for me. I didn't love how this was written. It was just super strange. And that's saying something for Tessa Bailey because all of her books are super strange. But I really actually liked the characters. I LOVED the banter. Probably the most amazing banter that I have read. And that wasn't even just from Melody and Beat. But their moms had amazing banter too. It was just perfection. I think my main problem with this book was that I didn't like the spice. This is a Tessa Bailey book. I expect a lot from the spice. But this one, but fell so flat for me. I was left disappointed in it, which is unfortunate because usually I love Tessa Bailey spice. This is a celebrity romance with a reality show. If you love both of those, you might love this book too.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the ARC of this!

I really loved the attraction that the two characters had for each other right from the beginning. Beat’s inner monologue about his proclivities though had me baffled, I thought we were heading into some dark kinky stuff, and trying not to spoiler, I just don’t get why it was SUCH a huge plot point - I think it really speaks to the expectations of what men and women will do and get out of intimate encounters, because if it was a woman with the same issue, I doubt it would have been treated like that? Overall, funny and cute in the way that I’ve come to expect from Tessa Bailey! Definitely recommend for some holiday reading.

Melody Gallard may be the daughter of Trina, a rock star mom and half of the legendary rock band Steel Birds, but she does not live a glamorous life. Instead, Melody tends to keep to herself. Quite the opposite of Beat Dawkins, the son of Octavia, the other half of the Steel Birds, who lives a life in the limelight. Trina and Octavia used to be best friends until a man came in between them. When Beat is suddenly in the need of a lot of money, an opportunity falls into his lap....together with Melody they need to convince their moms to get the band back together for just one night....Christmas Eve and they will each get paid one million dollars. The twist....they will be on a live camera feed for the next two weeks while they try to make the reunion happen. Of course the idea of being with Melody again after 14 years has Beat's heart beating fast!

As Melody and Beat work to make the reunion happen, feelings are coming into play and the strong connection these two felt from their one and only meeting is still sizzling. As these two start to realize that they really belong together, the past comes back in a horrible way and everything starts to fall apart....except for their main goal.....Steel Birds agrees to a reunion on Christmas Eve. Trina and Octavia also have a couple things up their sleeves that may just help Melody and Beat find their happy ever after. When it looks like their relationship is at its lowest point, help comes from an unexpected source to help Melody and Beat get their perfect happy ending.

I just adored this steamy romance between Melody and Beat. They were destined to be together and once that finally happened life was how it was meant to be. I just adored both of these characters. I loved how they leveled each other out when one was lacking. The heat these two had was combustive and you just couldn't help but root for them to get together. I was expecting a cute, fun holiday story but instead got a book with fabulous characters, a wonderful story line and enough heat to keep you warm on a cold night! ;)

In "Wreck the Halls," Tessa Bailey weaves a delightful tale of music, love, and unexpected holiday adventures. Melody Gallard, the unassuming daughter of music royalty, finds herself thrust into the spotlight when a producer offers a lucrative opportunity to reunite her mother's band on live television. This proposition forces Mel to question her quiet life and contemplate revisiting her past, all while rekindling a long-lost connection.

The heart of the story lies in Melody's character—engaging and relatable, she is a book restorer who shuns the limelight, opting for a serene life away from the glare of fame. Her contrast with Beat Dawkins, the charismatic lead singer's son, is palpable. Beat, a magnetic personality with a penchant for the camera, serves as the perfect foil to Mel's reserved nature. Their reunion and rekindling of a deep connection set the stage for a whirlwind adventure.

The dynamic between Mel and Beat is captivating, their chemistry palpable from the moment they reunite. Their journey is filled with unpredictable twists and turns as they navigate the eccentricities of rock star life, a 24-hour film crew, and the chaos of the holiday season. The narrative is enriched by the challenges they face, from brawling Santas to mobs of adoring fans, making for a rollicking and entertaining read.

Tessa Bailey adeptly crafts the storyline, infusing it with the spirit of Christmas and the magic of rediscovering one's true self. The buildup of attraction and intensity between Mel and Beat is skillfully portrayed, keeping readers invested and rooting for their love to triumph over past feuds and a looming scandal.

As the climax approaches, a decades-old scandal threatens to shatter the dreams of the Steel Birds reunion, putting their relationships with their mothers and newfound love at risk. The anticipation and emotional stakes are expertly heightened, leaving readers on the edge of their seats.

"Wreck the Halls" is a heartwarming and spirited tale, beautifully capturing the magic of the holiday season while also celebrating the power of love, friendship, and the courage to step outside one's comfort zone. Tessa Bailey's skillful storytelling and well-developed characters make this a must-read for anyone seeking a festive and uplifting story with a rock 'n' roll twist.

3.5 Stars
This deceptively looks like a holiday romcom. That was what I was hoping for, but not what I got. The only thing "Christmasy" about this book was the fact that an event at the very end took place on Christmas Eve. The plot was a lot heavier than I expected also. There WERE some funny moments and funny lines.

I guess you would call this an instalove even though the two main characters (Melody and Beat--really) went years without seeing each other or even talking after they met for the first time. They are the adult children of two women who were a famous rock duo at one time. The children are trying to get their mothers back together because of a secret that Beat has. They end up having to do a reality TV show while they try to keep their feelings for each other out of the public's eye. There's lots of tension, secrets and family drama.

This book was okay, but just not what I thought the cover was saying it was going to deliver. It was spicy and there was lots of heart issues involved, but it just didn't do it for me.

Thanks to Avon Books, Harper Voyager US and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

I want to enjoy Tessa Bailey’s books but every time I *attempt* to read them, I can’t even get halfway through. I found this one to be so cheesy and poorly written it was painful.

For starters, the main characters names were Beat & Melody. A play on words. Their mothers were ex-band members and thought that was the best name choice when they were both pregnant at the same time. That was the moment I knew this book wasn’t going to get any better.

The communication was lacking, Beat kept a massive secret from Melody knowing that the truth would probably destroy her. I didn’t like him for that. They clearly had feelings and he should have been up front from the beginning.

I loved the reality TV aspect of it though and realized I’d love to read another romance that takes place during filming for a reality tv show and/or filming in general so I’ll be on the lookout for something that fits that criteria!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. I loved the plot line to this story and loved the characters trying to reunite their mothers. Good story line, good romance. Enjoyed this!

This was one heck of a rom com that was so much more. Beat and Melody are adult children of Octavia and Trina, formerly of the Steel Birds, a duo that broke up over 30 years ago and swore never to get back together. A tv producer convinces Beat and Melody to be on a reality series to try to get them back together. The story starts on a light note but quickly becomes so much more. This is Tessa Bailey’s gift. She makes her characters not only feel real, but their stories are very emotional. I loved this book and all its many characters. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lemme give you the low down folks:

You have instalove
You have a New York Christmas
You have aging rockstars with a grudge
You have hot elevator hanky panky
I mean… what else does a person reading a Tessa Bailey book really need?

All jokes aside, I enjoyed this book but I didn’t love it (hence the four stars). It was quick, it was spicy, it was filled with deep professions of love, but the timeline and how consolidated it was felt too rushed. I can believe that people can fall in love in a few weeks, but they didn’t spent every second with each other (in fact they spent a lot of it pushing each other away). I still love Tessa Bailey and everything she writes is the perfect blend of quirky and sexy and I will always buy her books.

PS: if these two don’t have a daughter and name her Harmony, then what was the point? 🤷🏼‍♀️

This is my favorite Tessa Bailey book of the last few years. Did it just hit me right? I don't know. The storyline was interesting, and fun, and not overdone. The characters were both swoony in their own right, not just together. Is there Christmas in the background? Why, yes, there is. It's not a main character but a strong supporting character and I loved that.

I could hardly put this down, I am so thankful to have read an ARC. Can't wait to share it with all of my book loving friends.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon/Harper, and Ms. Bailey for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

Ms. Bailey writes quirky characters so well. They’re so individual and charming and nuanced and unique but never cross that bridge into manic pixie dream girl or special snowflake territory. Melody Gallard, female MC of Wreck the Halls, could easily be elected Fearless Leader of all Ms. Bailey’s quirky characters. She’s so charming, and so offbeat (pun not intended), and so relentlessly charismatic, that you can’t help but smile at her even you want to throttle her. Beat Dawkins, her male MC counterpart, is equally charming in a different way. He’s described as a golden boy but seems like more of a lodestone: the man every woman (and many men) can’t help but be attracted to.

The two of them have a meet-cute in their teens when Beat sticks up for the beleaguered pubescent Melody and wins her heart forever (literally). They then don’t meet again until their early thirties, when they accept bribery, I mean, a payout, from a reality show to reunite their respective mothers’ rock duo for a Christmas Eve revival concert. Melody needs the cash to make her independent way free from her mother’s bankroll, and Beat? Well, let’s just say he has a blackmailer to pay.

OF COURSE these two hit it off again instantly and OF COURSE they are pulled to each other like opposite ends of a magnet and OF COURSE their chemistry is off the charts. Ms. Bailey does chemistry so well. (And steam. Ahem.) I did think Melody was a little hard on Beat with regards to his trust issues: He had shared a secret with her that he literally kept FOR YEARS, which she even acknowledges is such a huge step for him, then a page later is furious with him for not being completely forthcoming. I mean. Let the man ease into it! But overall, really, no complaints, as this was so absolutely charming and heartwarming and sweet. By far the best of the current crop of Christmas themed romance (and there’s plenty of it out there). ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2