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

Holiday romances get me EVERY time, and this one was as just sweet as can be. I feel like it matched the holiday vibe of just joyous and warm and cozy and happy and I loved that!! I loved the relationship development, the MMC rescuing the FMC from mean people, the holiday mishaps, it was just SO FREAKIN CUTE. A+ 👌

Here’s what to expect:
🎄 friends to lovers
🎄 celebrity arch rival parents
🎄 Parent Trap vibes
🎄 bookish FMC
🎄 golden retriever MMC
🎄 banter banter banter
🎄 fantastic character arcs
🎄 sweet, joyful, swoony
🎄 spice (as per Tessa Bailey)

Tessa’s novels are hit or miss for me, and this one was a hit ❤️ Thank you NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyage for the ARC!

This book was full of heat and laugh out loud moments. I adored Melody and she was quite humorous while not intending to be. The circumstances surrounding the reunion is what kept me invested. You want to find out why the band broke up, what's the deal with the blackmail, and this issues Beat is hiding. It was a quick fun read. I just enjoyed how much Beat adored and was protective over Melody. They were perfect together.

Finished this during my lunch hour today, couldn't wait to finish it! Think Daisy Joes meets the Parent Trap, holiday edition. It is so funny, slapstick and laugh out loud hilarious that feels perfect for the season. Some of the spicier bits are very spicy, which feels a bit extreme, even for Bailey. While not unexpected, it did take me out of the story flow. I loved the characters, Bailey fills in the people around the main characters so well--she always helps you to really feel the whole community. I recommend, with a heads up for 🌶️🌶️🌶️

This is an auto grab author for me. The cover is just so pretty! I am also a big fan of Christmas books. The one bed trope is one of my favorite tropes! I just loved Majestic Melody! She was so funny and sweet. Beat was the cinnamon roll protector. Loved it! The story was so good and kept me interested the whole time. I did not want to put this book down. I highly recommend this one! Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Wreck the Halls was naughty and nice all rolled into one and I enjoyed it all! This was a super cute, fun, and fast-paced read with endearing characters filled with entertaining antics that had me laughing, smiling, and cheering for Beat and Melody the entire time.

I loved Beat and Melody and their instant connection and bond right from the start. I liked learning about their very different lives as well as their relationships with their mothers. I really liked Melody, she was quirky and sweet and I found her relatable. I loved her coming out of her shell over the course of the story and thought her personal growth was wonderful. I really liked Beat, he was so protective and caring. I felt for him and what he was dealing with from his past and how that played out over the course of the story. I loved Beat and Melody opening up and the building trust between them. They had playful moments and serious ones too. I also loved learning the more intimate details about Beat and him sharing them with Melody and her understanding and being there for him.

While Beat and Melody come together, they're being filmed, and it's a wild ride with some seriously funny scenes and crazy exploits mixed in. There were a lot of fantastic one-liners and laugh-out-loud moments I enjoyed. It was entertaining but there were some moments that might have been a bit over-the-top for me. I loved getting all the details about their moms, I felt just as invested in them as I was in Beat and Melody. I enjoyed what I got and I'm glad it turned out how it did, I just wished there would have been a bit more details to their story.

This was a charming story with great details. I thought it started out strong, it was really humorous and had a tiny bit of drama and a decent amount of emotion mixed in. The ending was fun and crazy and sweet and heartfelt. It was a light, easy read that I enjoyed.

❄️Happy Pub Day, Beat & Melody🎄

Let’s chat about @tessabaileyisanauthor new book WRECK THE HALLS that comes out TODAY!

I was so lucky to receive this book in advance and I can’t wait for everyone else to get their hands on a copy!

Beat & Melody are the famous adult children of the legendary female band Steel Birds, who broke up in 1993 and haven’t spoken to each other since. No one knows why the band broke up and their mothers aren’t the only ones keeping secrets.

Beat & Melody are offered a large sum of money to be live streamed/filmed nearly all day for 2 weeks leading up to the hopeful reunion of their mothers Octavia & Trina. But these two HATE each other and the chances of this reunion actually happening as slim.

Beat was SO protective of Melody throughout the book and it melted my heart! Melody has grown up very insecure due to the media attacks she endured as a kid and Beat makes her finally feel comfortable in her own skin.

There’s so much pining, attraction, and tension in this one! Beats sexual interests might not be for everyone but I was here for it! There were some seriously spicy scenes that were used to from Tessa!

In many ways this is a destined/soulmates story which is a new direction for Tessa! That trope might not be for everyone and I totally get that but these two were perfect for one another!

I rated this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5 stars!

I can’t wait to hear what you all think of this one! Tag me in your posts when you get around to reading it!

I sort of overdid it on holiday romances last year and swore to myself that this yeah I wouldn’t read any. Of course I did have to make one exception because if Tessa Bailey writes it, I will read it.

I am so happy I did too because I had the absolute loveliest time with Beat and Melody.

Sometimes Bailey’s work really clicks for me and this one did just that. From page one I was immediately invested in Beat and Melody- two children of a broken up rockband, destined to relate to each other in ways no one else could. When the two find each other again years later it is under much more dire circumstances as they are forced to work together to do the impossible- reunite their mothers and one of the greatest rock bands.

The hijinks in this book were a little wild and silly but at the core was a brilliant relationship-two lost souls finding one another. Sometimes Bailey’s alpha heroes grate on me with over protective instincts but in this Beat is able to appreciate the way Melody handles things and respects her.

If I squint there are probably things that don’t work here but I was just so in on the delicate and lovely relationship that none of it mattered and I was just able to enjoy the ride.

Thank you so much to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy and reminding me maybe I shouldn’t swear off all holiday romances.

This was such a cute story! I loved how Melody and Beat, despite only having met one time, truly were able to understand each other. Both of their mothers were part of a band that split up, which thrust both Melody and Beat into the limelight. The 2 team up as part of a reality show to try and reunite the band for a Christmas Eve concert. Melody and Beat are drawn to each other and while they both try and deny the tension building between them it cannot be denied. However, secrets and an outside threat might just wreck them before they can even get started.

Thank you @netgalley and @avonbooks for the #gifted eARC of WRECK THE HALLS!

Christmas came early for me in the form of my netgalley approval for Tessa Bailey’s newest romance. I don’t normally start reading holiday romances this early in the year but I couldn't resist the pull of Tessa Bailey’s brand of spice and heart.

Once I got over the fact that the MMC is named Beat (ugh yes his mother is a famous rock icon but still…), I quickly fell for Beat. He has such a golden boy persona but really he’s just a lonely little boy who desperately wants someone he can trust. And he is full on obsessed with the FMC Melody (but not in a creepy way).

I really related to Melody. I totally was an awkward teen and I can’t imagine what it would have been like to grow up with the paparazzi documenting every humiliating moment of my teenage life. Over the course of the book, we get to watch Melody blossom and challenge herself in new ways. I couldn’t get enough!

This book is definitely one of the spicier books by Tessa Bailey I’ve read. So if open door isn’t your thing, you may not like this one.

WRECK THE HALLS is out today!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5701943861
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx8RRbvLsjT/

Wreck the Halls 🎤🎄
➖rating: 3/5 ⭐️’s
➖spice level: 3/5 🌶’s

So I did enjoy this one, but Tessa’s insta-love’s are always kind of hit or miss for me and this one in particular wasn’t my favorite. Like I think as a whole, the concept was really fun and intriguing and I did really like the characters individually, but I felt like there was a lot lacking between them chemistry wise. Also I looooooove Tessa’s smut, but I’m so sorry, I just couldn’t get over his name being Beat, especially anytime it came up in spicy scenes 😭

I will say that this was really fun and festive and cheesy (in the best way!!) and overall it was a pretty good read. For me personally though, the cons just kind of outweighed all the pros.

Thank you sm to Avon for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.25-4.5 stars. This was so good! In the past few years, Tessa Bailey's books have been more miss than hit for me. But this one hit it out of the park. Wreck the Halls has a magical, soulmates quality that my meager review can't properly describe.

Do not judge the book by this cover!! It is not a cheesy, light, fluffy Christmas novella. These cartoon covers really do a disservice to the books. The cover does not fit this book at all. I feel bad for the readers who will miss out on this book because it has this cover that doesn't fit it. There isn't much Christmas in this book at all and I was fine with it. This book is more about music, love, family and sentimentality.

Wreck the Halls is Melody and Beat's story. Their mothers were Steel Birds - a legendary music duo/band. We're talking super famous rock divas. But something happened that broke them apart when they were both pregnant. Now they despise each other and haven't spoken for 20-something years. No one knows why they split up. Melody and Beat are both their only children. They met once during an interview as young teenagers and felt an immediate connection, but it was
a one time chance meeting. They shared similar, lonely experiences growing up in the spotlight as children of stars, both trying to stay below the radar, but neither feeling like they can be themselves or trust friends to get close to them without running to the press. Now as adults, Beat finds himself being blackmailed and needing money. He is approached by a reality show producer with the idea to get Steel Birds back together. He and Melody would be filmed approaching their mothers with the idea to perform a Christmas Eve reunion concert. He knows the mothers won't agree to the plan, but he is desperate and also wants the chance to see and spend time with Melody again. She also is reluctant to participate as she likes to lay low in the media. But meeting Beat again, she feels their strong connection, like they have known each other forever and can relate to each other in a way no one else could. So they both agree to spending the next three weeks together being livestreamed, trying to get to the bottom of Steel Birds break up and convincing their mothers to reunite.

I loved Beat and Melody. Tessa Bailey wove a spell showing how they were truly meant to be together and were soulmates. The way they fit with each other was magical. They were both sweet characters, had great chemistry and I definitely felt the love between them. There is good spice and a few kinks to work out in that department, but it was ironed out along the way. This is the kind of book that would make a good movie, as I could see each scene so vividly. I enjoyed the great story, the music, their strong-personalitied mothers, the NYC setting at Christmastime, and the reality tv aspect. It was fun seeing the fans fall in love with this couple and their blossoming romance playing out on their screens.

Overall, Wreck the Halls is a great book. Hard to put down, Melody and Beat's story is emotional, heartfelt, sweet and sexy. I was very happy to see them end up together as true soulmates. I definitely see myself re-reading this book again. I hope potential readers can look past this cheesy cover and pick up this book and I look forward to more from Ms. Bailey in the future.

Beat and Melody’s connection and relationship is so special right off the bat. His protectiveness and devotion to Mel right from their first meeting is swoon-worthy. The plot had a very Parent Trap feel that I really enjoyed. I could totally picture Octavia and Trina and the total badasses they are and knew it was going to be a challenge. I enjoyed the journey and how it played out.
I was excited when Beat’s kink was first mentioned because there isn’t a ton of mainstream contemporary romance that mentions anything kink related. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by how little kink was shown. I’m happy that it was shared in a sex positive light but I just wish there had been more of it, especially since I know Tessa never shies away from sex in her books.
Overall, this was a good novel and I liked it and would recommend it to any Tessa Bailey fans or those who like contemporary romance with some spice.

Disclaimer: I love Tessa Bailey and try to pick up all of her books. So I was beyond excited to be approved for this on NetGalley. However I can’t quite put into words what I didn’t like about this book. Yes it was cheesy and Insta-lovey but maybe it was the third person omniscient tense. Whatever the reason this story just didn’t click for me.
Not all romances are written for all people and this one was meant for others. I feel like a lot of people will love this one, but to me I’ll just stick to rereading Window Shopping.

If you like your holiday romances light on festive cheer, heavy on the spice, and full of family drama, then look no further than Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey.

The story follows Beat Dawkins and Melody Gallard, the children of former band members Octavia and Trina, whose group publicly imploded on stage in the early '90s. Thirty years later, the two women are infamous, theories on why their band broke up abound, one of their songs is topping the charts again, and their children – Beat and Melody – are approached for a livestream-based reality show that aims to get Octavia and Trina to perform together on Christmas Eve.

Though it sounds like this book could quickly become schlocky and cliché (I mean, the characters *are* named Beat and Melody), the plot never actually ventures there. Instead, Tessa delivers a warm, fun, and slightly angsty tale of two adults who grew up very privileged and largely in the public eye, and the ways in which they have both learned to cope with the money and attention they did nothing to earn.

And also? It's really hot. Scorching, really.

I loved that Tessa kept this out of instalove territory (someone might fight me on this, but I'll argue that it isn't), with Beat and Melody's meet-cute actually occurring twelve years earlier, when they were both teenagers, and revisits how that moment affected both characters throughout the book. And I also loved that Tessa gives us two women rockstars who partied hard and have legacies like their male counterparts, and who are both a bit of a mess, albeit in very, very different ways.

Though at first I was dubious about the live-streaming aspect, Tessa handles it in a way that feels both realistic (I mean, mostly) and fun as Beat (he will make you swoon and also sweat) and Melody (she works in book restoration and is extremely punny, you will absolutely adore her) become social media sensations who have captured the attention of the entire world – and entirely on their own.

Set against the backdrop of Christmas in New York City but not all too heavy on all things Christmas, this book is perfect for kicking off your holiday TBR: it's funny, steamy, and sweet – and also there's a *really great* Stevie Nicks reference.

Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this book and Happy Pub Day. I wanna say this book is the equivalent to the question if Die Hard is a Christmas Movie. Not gonna lie this cover and theme had me fooled I was like oh okay a cutesy rom com.....BUT what I got was the a story of growth and a front row seat to the Melody and Beat reality show and I was here for it. Go in blind you wont regret it but be prepared for some spice which is in true Tessa Bailey fashion.

I tried.
First off, there's nothing Christmas-y about this. There's a whiff of Christmas and nothing more. Second, this is supremely boring. I struggled mightily but I was no match for how incredibly mind numbing this book is, so in the end made it to 50% and then skimmed the rest.
Beat (I could not with that name) and Melody (I wish I was kidding) are the children of a super star singing duo that ended up breaking up and now apparently the world wants a reunion. So Beat and Melody accept a reality show gig to bring their bickering mothers together. The set up alone took about 30% of the book. The reality show aspect was already a little iffy for me, but paired it with lackluster main characters and second chance that made no sense. I'm supposed to believe Beat and Melody could not forget each other in fourteen years yet neither made a move? They had each other's numbers, but radio silence for fourteen gd years and then they meet again and they are all googly eyed with a bad case of the hornies. Please. TL:DR: I never connected with anyone, the leads are as exciting as a bowl of soggy cereal and the plot was strange. I think I'll just reread Bailey's old books because her new stuff is just not for me.

🌟/5
🔥🔥/5

Tropes:
Second chance

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Whatever Tessa Bailey writes, I will read. This is one of my favorite books of this year and I love how well-written it was. I know many readers will stay away from this book because it's a holiday romance but honestly, you don't realize it's much of a holiday romance. The holiday was well incorporated in the book that winter readers will enjoy it but so will people who read it from other parts of the year. The storyline was well written and the author did such an incredible job bringing Beat and Melody's story alive. I love the drama, scandal, and the cute moments that will live rent-free in my mind. You travel a bit with the readers but also learn how social media can take over rock star's kid's lives. This book is told from dual perspectives of both Beat and Melody.

I really enjoyed both Beat and Melody's pov. Beat is the son of one of the members of a band while Melody is the daughter of the other member of the band. Beat is being blackmailed and needs money which he believes reuniting the moms will help and Melody is there to do it. I love their chemistry and how perfect they are for each other. They each had self-development but it was by doing it together. They were just so cute! There are quite a bit of side characters in this book and from the amount of page time the producer and cameraman received, I'm hoping for their book soon. The romance is friends to lovers, slow burn(ish), one bed, forced proximity, and more along with some spicy scenes.

The ending was well done and I really loved the HEA the couple got. Beat is such a cinnamon roll and he's a boyfriend I would want to have. I really recommend checking this book out because you guys will love it. Perfect for Christmas but perfect for those who want to read a parent trap type of story.

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

I swear I don’t think Bailey can write a terrible book! Everything she creates is freaking perfection. And this shit is PERFECT!
Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey is another entertaining, well-written contemporary romance novel that had me dropping every single thing to devour this book.
Tessa's ability to bring to life her characters, with real emotions and situations, makes a great read. And the characters in this story make the book!
A super sweet story.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

If you like your holiday cheer with a strong side of spice, Wreck the Halls is the Christmas romcom for you!

When a reality TV show unites the children of an estranged rock duo in Manhattan two weeks before Christmas, a very charming romance ensues.

This book had everything I like in a romcom: completely lovable characters, an actual plot, plenty of steamy scenes, and no miscommunication trope! I do wish the overall vibes has been a bit more festive, but it’s still a great pick for your holiday reading!