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

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.