Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I love everything Tessa Bailey puts out so I knew this would be a hit even before reading it...and I was right! I loved Melody and Beat from the get-go and I loved reading to see how their story played out. The premise was so unique with a reality show following around Melody and Beat to reunite their two rock star moms who do not get along. It was so great! Its the perfect holiday read. Tessa always has the perfect story mixed with the right amount of romance. Readers will fall in love with Melody and Beat just like I did.

4.25 Stars!
This was a very cute book! I freaking loved how the love story developed throughout the book. Although I thought the pacing of the book was a little fast, I think it was perfect for the story. The spice was amazing! The perfect holiday read for Tessa Bailey fans!

This was such a cute and fun read and now I want the winter to be here already. The romance was so cute and fun.

4 Stars

I’ve read a few books by Tessa Bailey over the years & have always struggled my way through them. I had basically written her off and figured this would be my last, but I was so pleasantly surprised by Wreck the Halls!

The chemistry between the two main characters gave me butterflies and I felt like my heart was physically aching on more than one occasion. Insta-love is not my vibe but somehow in this book it worked and I believed it. I also really liked the storyline as a whole despite it being far fetched.

Wreck the Halls was overly dramatic and unbelievable at times but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy the majority of the ride.

Thank you to Net Galley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wreck the Halls
Tessa Bailey
Oct. 3
Avon
Christmas romance
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This story is an incredible tribute to finding that person you can have a connection with. Loved it!
Theme, plot and characters are especially well done. It’s steaming hot too!
4 stars

Wreck the Halls is another swoon inducing, spicy romance by Tessa Bailey. Melody and Beat had so much chemistry and banter. I loved how they fit perfectly with each other and were able to understand what it was like growing up in the spotlight. Tessa Bailey was able to write a wonderful story about trust, love and acceptance. I can't wait to re-read this holiday romance!
Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

Thank you Netgally and Avon and Harper Voyager for access to this arc.


Beat Dawkins and Melody Gallard are the (adult) children of two women who made up the Steel Birds, an iconic band in the 1980s and 1990s. When the Steel Birds broke up in something known as “the Incident” both Octavia and Trina were pregnant with their respective children. Fans of the Steel Birds have been salivating for a reunion for 30 years but the two women apparently hate each other so the likelihood of it happening is approximately the same as if hell freezes over.

Beat and Melody met once when they were both 16. The media were very hard on Melody; criticizing her body, her face, her hair, her clothes, but they loved Beat. He was always the media’s darling. When they did meet as teenagers, Beat, who is not an asshole, felt an instant connection to Melody and understood that she was being unfairly treated. Only the two of them know what it’s like to be Steel Birds children. It’s hard to make friends when often all those people want to know is the inside scoop about what really happened between their mothers. And the media spotlight for them is unique. Melody has an instant and life-long crush after that first meeting and it is cemented when Beat calls the media out on their behavior toward her afterward and things start to turn around for her.

Now they’re both 30. They haven’t seen each other in 14 years but an intrepid producer who won’t quit has an idea for a reality TV/live stream show where Beat and Melody get the band back together for a Christmas Eve performance at Rockefeller Center. If they succeed, each will get $1,000,000.

Melody has a fraught relationship with her free-living mother, Trina. The money will mean she can have a relationship with her mother on her terms – including not at all, and still be okay. For Beat the financial need is much more urgent; he is being blackmailed about something to do with his mother, Octavia – something that he believes will destroy their family – and he either needs to take out a massive loan or earn a million dollars in a couple of weeks.

Neither Beat nor Melody actually think they can succeed in their mission but each is willing to try. Beat agrees to speak to Melody to bring her on board but, ever her protector, makes it clear that he won’t do it if Melody is not completely comfortable. Melody, still starry-eyed over Beat, will do just about anything for him. She doesn’t know why for most of the book but she knows there’s a reason Beat needs the money so she agrees.

For the next not-quite two weeks, Beat and Melody will be filmed for up to 14 hours per day and (almost) everything they do in that time will be live-streamed on the internet as they try and reunite the Steel Birds. Beat and Melody have always had a connection and when they meet again as adults it’s like something clicks into place. The internet is very quickly wild for “Belody” and the numbers the production company sees outstrip all expectations.

Beat is hiding an aspect of his sexuality and he initially tries to keep Melody at a distance because he does not believe they can be together. I found this aspect of the story a little hard to resolve; if it’s been such a big part of Beat’s life for so long, it seemed fairly easy to open up to Melody in the end. If it was so easy to open up to Melody, was it really that a big a problem in the first place?

The thing Beat is being blackmailed over was extremely under developed.

The whole book is leading up to this amazing Steel Birds reunion.

The relationship between Beat and Melody is the best part of the book. I do love a hero who is totally gone for his lady and Beat certainly is. Melody is similarly unable to hide her feelings for Beat. Melody was funny and it was great to see her come out of her shell and stand up for herself. It was good to see Beat let not only Melody but also some of his long-time friends in (although I would have liked a little more of the latter; it could have been more fleshed out but as it was it was fairly glancing). Yes, their romance is very whirlwind but I bought their connection so that wasn’t a barrier for me.

I liked Wreck the Halls well enough but it felt a bit rushed in places and didn’t quite have the charm of Unfortunately Yours or It Happened One Summer.

Wreck the Halls was a cute romcom about two children of rock n roll legends who team up on a reality tv series to convince their mothers to do a reunion show.

Best and Melody’s banter was absolutely delightful. I don’t normally like instalove tropes but I enjoyed how this one was written. She was quirky and fun. Seeing her learn to love herself was great. I could see why “melody-heads” were popping up everywhere. I am totally one. Beat got a little annoying. He was way overprotective, like women can fight their own battles too buddy, and multiple times he took the choice out of her hands, made it and walked away. He’s lucky she forgave him so easily. The fans in person and online were phenomenal, exactly what fans should be!

Overall a cute book. However I definitely wouldn’t think of this book as a holiday book. Beyond the fact that they had a snowball fight and the Christmas Eve concert mention. No other descriptions of holiday fun, decorating, etc was mentioned. Also she’s playing bocce ball outside when it’s freezing and snowing seemed strange.

I love all of her books. Wreck the Halls is about Melody and Beat and their mom's distain for each other. They meet once by chance and then they meet again when Beat needs Melody's help. Their moms were in a band together and they fell apart, and nobody really understands why. Beat is offered a lot of money if they can successfully get their moms to do a 30-year reunion concert. Beat is also being blackmailed about a family matter and he wants to protect his family. I really enjoyed the characters and how Beat is always trying to protect Melody. This holiday romance is filled with lots of laughter, drama and fun!
I can't wait to order a copy of this book for our library!

Thank you for the ARC. I've notcied that Tessa Bailey has changed here writing style. At points it gets very overwhelming and bogged down. Took my a while to get into the book. Overall a cute and steamy christmas read.

Tessa Bailey seems to be a hit or miss author for me, and unfortunately, I think this one is going to be a miss for me. It is marketed as a holiday book, but other than a couple of references to it being winter time and around the holiday season, it didn't seem very Christmas-y. I also wished that Beat would have told his mom about Fletcher Carr blackmailing him and knowing he was his real father. It is always kind of anti-climactic when the character who has been keeping a secret finally tells and the person already knows, which was the case in this situation. The third act break up also drives me crazy. There's no doubt their is plenty of steam in this one, and the chemistry between Melody and Beat is undeniable. I guess I felt like that got lost with everything else that was going on in the story. Overall, this wasn't my favorite but I didn't completely hate it either. It Happened One Summer still remains my favorite Tessa Bailey book. Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early digital copy of this book.

This book surprised me in a good way! The way that Melody began prioritizing herself and choosing to put herself first really made me love her character arc. She relied on Beat and depended on him, but she chose to stand her ground and not lower her standards when it came to the tough decisions, which I totally respect!

I loved the whole Wreck The Halls livestream idea! I thought it was so entertaining to read their bickering and banter and to think about the fact that everyone in the country was getting to witness it too…I would have completely been obsessed with them as a couple too!

The one bed trope IRL, singing Rattle the Cage, the banter, the emotions, the bocce league game….getting it all on camera made it so much better and Melody getting to rewatch all the special moments back at the end truly made her realize how much Beat really loved her.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the spice was chef’s kiss 😘! I would recommend!

Thank you Harper Collins & Tessa Bailey for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙥𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙯𝙯𝙡𝙚, 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚.

Oh my goodness, I absolutely devoured this book! Let me tell you, the TENSION in this one is so thick! I absolutely ate it up.

Melody first met Beat, the son of her mother’s nemesis and ex-bandmate, at the age of 16. From that moment on, though they didn’t see or talk to on another for 14 years, they shared a bond that they could never find with anyone else. Now they’ve agreed to join onto a reality show trying to bring their mothers back for a reunion, leading them to spend every waking moment together in the weeks leading up to Christmas Eve…

First of all, although the setting of this book is around the Christmas holiday, I wouldn’t say that it is an overly “Christmasy” book. It really could have been set at any time of year, but the backdrop of Christmas-time in NYC is so cozy, it really added to my enjoyment of the story.

Melody was by far my favorite character. She is so funny and witty, without really meaning to be, and I totally understand how Beat fell in love with her so easily.

And Beat was so much more complicated than he seemed from the start; although he seemed so put together in the public eye, there was a lot more going on behind the walls he put up.

And I have to say, although their “love story” spans *only* a few weeks, it really didn’t feel insta-lovey to me with their history, and the special bond they share.

There’s a little bit of *mystery*, two VERY different rocker moms, and it was such a fun story, with an ending that had me pulling out the tissues for all the cuteness. 🥹 Such a fun, cute book!

What this book is giving:
✅ Holiday Romance
✅ Second Chance
✅ Dual POV
✅ Children of Rock Legends
✅ Forced Proximity
✅ The TENSION 🔥
✅ Reality Show
✅ Magnificently Hilarious Mel

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

Despite meeting only once when they were sixteen, Beat Dawkins and Melody Gallard have always been a part of each other's lives. Their mothers fronted one of the biggest rock groups of the '90s, and rumors of their feud and break-up still swirl around the internet. Beat and Melody have spent their lives hounded by people wanting to know the truth, and it seems like the wait is over. When a producer offers Beat a lot of money to sign on to a reality TV show reuniting his and Melody's mothers for a Christmas performance, he's hard-pressed to say no, but he won't do it without Melody. Melody isn't one for the spotlight but is willing to put her anxieties aside to help Beat. Neither are prepared for the media frenzy that follows or that more people seem interested in Beat and Melody's raging attraction than seeing Steel Birds reunite. But dredging up the past means bringing long-buried secrets to light that have the potential to ruin everything.

You can always count on Bailey to have a male love interest who is 100% obsessed with the main character, and this was no exception. Beat and Melody spent about five minutes together when they were sixteen, and the dude has been harboring a protective desire for her ever since. Don't get me wrong, who doesn't swoon over a guy who is helplessly in love with the main character? But I don't think it fully worked here. The storyline takes place over about two weeks, and I didn't feel that was enough time to develop the relationship. Everything just felt so rushed. They did have insane chemistry, and it was cute how they were both in love with each other for years, but I wanted more emotional depth. We got there eventually, but again, it just felt rushed. I also thought everything about the reality show they were filming felt far-fetched. Still, it was entertaining, and I think fans of Bailey will eat this up.

Format - E ARC (Netgalley)

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶 🌶 🌶

Series-

Troupes- “Forced proximity, friends to Lovers, parent trap shenanigans,

Representation- social anxiety

CW- blackmailing

Only for a Tessa Bailey book would I read a Christmas story before it’s even Halloween but I’m a Tessa Fan girl though and though so here we are.

Beat and Melody are the son and daughter respectively of the 90’s rock chick duo who had a nasty public brake up. With a blackmailer breathing down his neck Beat needs a lot of cash in a hurry to save his mom from scandal. Enter “Wreck the Halls” a livestream/TV show that will follow him and now the girl he has never gotten out of his head Melody as they embark of a quest to reunite their mothers for a Christmas Eve concert. It’s all fun and games until Melody’s very obvious crush on him becomes public knowledge and Beat can no longer keep his attraction hidden.

This has all of our favorite things about Tessa’s stories, mutual pinning, hot looks, close calls, a witting heroine who doesn’t know how great she is and a hero who would literally burn the world to make her happy. Throw in a his very interesting Kink, some very steamy spicy times and a third act break up that needed to happen to some awesome revenge and it’s one of the best early Christmas presents you’ll read for this season!

I thoroughly enjoyed this absolute madness of a Christmas book and can’t read it again snuggled up with a warm drink and blanket during the actual season!

Perfect Christmas second chance swoon worthy read!


Start to finish, I was laughing; some crying moments. Every Tessa Bailey book I have read is just pure perfection and this book is no different!
There’s a perfect combination of self love, redemption, healing relationships and swoon worthy moments and just the right amount of spice.

Thank you so much to Avon for the advance copy of this!!!

I remember when Tessa announced that she was working on this book, I knew it would be up my alley and that I would just eat it up! And I did! The idea of famous people children getting together still fascinates me even when it plays out in real life so on paper it was no exception.

"Do you think I can just turn this off? Carve you out of my chest? I can't."

Quick summary: Beat and Melody are each children from the duo Steel Birds who are rock legends and split up before the kids were born. Each cannot run from the shadow of their famous mother but a lucrative opportunity arose to try to get the two back together. Beat and Melody need to work together to try to mend their mothers relationship while trying not to fall in love.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Beat and Melody. In the prologue we got to see their meet cute and see the sparks fly between them as teens. And then when this opportunity to get their moms back together, they were forced to see one another and you could just tell how much they trusted one another even without knowing one another. They were in this unique situation together and could really bond over that. Plus hello it's not a Tessa book if there is not sexual tension and then amazing sex scenes.

There was one element of the story in Beat's character that I just didn't get. I won't say what it is but when you read, you may know what I am referring to. But hey it made for great build up.

"What are you doing tomorrow?"
"What else? Watching these two pretend they wouldn't die for each other."

Other than the romance, the process of getting their moms together was an adventure! The tie in of social media and an audience obsession with having content 24/7 made for interesting couple weeks for the two. It definitely is an interesting concept and gave me Big Brother vibes. I thought Beat and Melody did as well as could be expected being thrust into the spotlight. And I did love Beat's protectiveness towards Melody. He got her into this mess and knew he would feel guilty if something would happen to her.

I love how each Beat and Melody had different relationships with their moms. Beat has a close relationship with his mom, working indirectly with her for a charity while as Melody has a standing meet up with her mom every February. She is a free spirit and Melody pretty much raised herself because of this. We learn in the beginning that there is a reason why Beat needs to do this reunion and it connects to why the band broke up & ultimately why they are put in the same room together.

If you are a fan of Tessa's writing, I think you would really enjoy this! I think it was such a fun Christmas theme book! Looking forward to more holiday books from her!

4.5

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Readers Copy of Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey!

I genuinely enjoyed this book! Wonderful Christmas vibes and who doesn't love New York at Christmas? I loved the former band-mates, their insults had me actually laughing out loud. The only thing lacking was... the spice? I find it hard to say that about a Tessa Bailey book, but I think a big opportunity was missed to explore a specific sexual preference. The characters did a good job explaining and justifying, even making each other feel safe in their sexual wants. But I wanted more of it! They could have taken his preferences and kept them going while still opening up to each other and creating their level of trust. Anyway, this is a very cute standalone read and I will definitely be adding it to my holiday rotation!

This books has a really interesting premise and I was excited to see it play out. The connection between Beat and Melody was great from page one when they were only 16. Tessa does have a way of writing great connections between characters. Beat’s kink plot line was not what I expected, but I actually liked it and how it played into their overall relationship, it was different and a little intriguing. Overall I really liked the book and and would have given it 3.75 stars but I really needed more from the ending, an epilogue or something. With a story like this you need that little bit more to show where they are in 5/10 years or whatever. So that made it more like a 3.5 star book (rounded up to 4). I’d recommend it, it was a quick and easy to read and you definitely cheer for Beat and Melody from page one. I just really wanted more in the end.