Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey presents a delightful holiday romance centered around Melody Gallard and Beat Dawkins, the adult children of former rock stars, who unite to persuade their estranged mothers to perform a Christmas Eve concert. The novel offers a heartwarming journey of self-discovery, as Melody, an introverted book restoration expert, and Beat, a charismatic showman, navigate their complicated past and growing attraction while dealing with rock star antics and a reality show. The dynamic between the characters, particularly the witty banter between their mothers, Octavia and Trina, adds depth and humor. Bailey's storytelling evokes a range of emotions, creating a charming tale of love, laughter, and the power of unexpected connections.

Another hit by TB! I’m not even sure what trope I would use for this book—second chance maybe? Doesn’t matter because I loved it!

Melody and Beat are great together. I loved how their connection grew throughout the story. The middle was a bit laggy for me, but the beginning was so great that I knew I wouldn’t be uninterested for long.

The side plot of the band was really interesting! I laughed out loud when the women were back in a room together. Also, more of Danielle and Cameraman, please?!

This gets a 4.5/5 from me. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

I am a huge Tessa Bailey fan so I was very excited to read this one. I’ll be honest, the “insta love” trope is not my favorite (grumpy/sunshine all day here) but Mel and Beats relationship totally worked for me. Bailey did such a good job explaining why they had such an instant connection that any other trope wouldn’t have worked as well.

As expected Bailey does not disappoint with the spice. She also dabbled with a little bit of light kink in this book which was unexpected but it worked.

I was a little worried about reading a Christmas book in the month of August but as others have mentioned this book was pretty light on the Christmas. Was the Holiday spirit there? Yes, but she could have set this book any other time of year and it still would have worked.

Bailey fans will be happy. 4 stars!

Melody Gallard is the shy daughter of one of the two members of one of the greatest female rock bands that ended in the 90s, while Beat Dawkins, always in the spotlight, is the son of the other. They only met once in their teenage years, but that meeting impacted both of them in ways they were not expecting years later when a producer wanted them to do an online real-time reality show to try to get their mothers together for one more concert. Both would get paid handsomely.

Instant sparks fly when they meet as adults. While both embark on a reuniting, their moms, their show becomes “Will they, Won’t they” as they have weeks and a 24/7 film crew, and the public wants more about the could-be couple and if the band reunites would be a bonus.

It is a delightful Holiday Rom-Com that could be a movie in a heartbeat. I couldn’t help but make internal references to the vibe similar to the Music & Lyrics film (Hugh Grant & Drew Barrymore). I read it in one sitting.

Tessa Bailey’s Wreck the Halls drew me in from the first pages, and I found much of the story quite entertaining. I particularly enjoyed reading about Melody and some of the antics of the protagonists’ mothers. Character and relationship development are at times sacrificed for sex scenes, however, which likewise disrupt - rather than progressing - the plot to a surprising extent. The tale starts out well, with snappy, fun and witty dialogue, but seems to lose its way. Also, despite the title and the cover, and despite the fact the events in the book take place during the two weeks before Christmas in New York City - which is at its enchanting best in December - I was disappointed to discover that the holidays are merely incidental to Bailey’s story. This is not the tale for those seeking a literary equivalent to a Hallmark Countdown to Christmas movie.

Two and a half stars, rounded up for the occasional laugh out loud, intelligent quips by Melody and for Trina and Octavia - the mothers of Melody and the unfortunately named Beat.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

So cute! Don’t sleep on this holiday rom-com! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. Out on 10/3/23.

Wreck the Halls is a holiday rom-com that is sure to make you swoon! Melody and Beat are the children of music royalty. Their mothers were rock stars until their band, the Steel Bird, broke up.
The former duo have been estranged ever since. Now, as adults, Melody and Beat are offered a significant amount of money to live stream their efforts to reunite the Steel Birds for a Christmas Eve concert.

As they work together, Mel and Beat realize that they understand each other in a way no one else can and share a strong attraction. But the scandal that broke up the Steel Birds could ruin everything.

I absolutely adored both Mel and Beat. Seeing Mel's character break out of her shell and become more confident as Beat cheered her on, was great, and I loved seeing Beat mature and grow with Mel's support. I would have appreciated more holiday vibes, but its a great feel good read.

Thank you to Avon/Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for this ARC!

This is the lowest I've ever given a Tessa Bailey book and that saddens me but unfortunately, this book was not it. The idea behind the book was really cute and interesting and I think the concept of soulmates is always fun to attach to characters, which is the case for Beat and Melody. These two are meant to be together and while TB has a little bit of insta-love in most of her books, this time it wasn't done well. It was just a little too much.

Beat was hella annoying as a LI. The overprotectiveness was too much and it wasn't cute. The third breakup act was not necessary at all and it made no sense to have it done at that point. I just couldn't connect with the story as I usually do with TB's books. Usually, they're fun and all but this one felt all over the place.

More importantly, there wasn't much holiday going on in this book other than it takes place in December and around Christmas.

I'll always love Tessa's books but I think with a few of her releases being closer together, it's starting to impact the quality of her books. I hope I can enjoy her next one better.

Trust in Tessa Bailey to always deliver something entertaining with great banter and spice.

Beat and Melody are the kids of (former) world class rockstars, who are tasked to bring back their estranged mothers for a very sought-after reunion–a Christmas Eve concert.

My thoughts:
• The planning, the plotting, the teaming up toward one goal all make a super fun forced proximity trope.
• Top notch banter and spice! His kink, though 👀
• I don't always love TB's FMCs, but Melody was great!
• The conflict resolution wasn't my favorite 😕
• This is supposed to be a Christmas book, but it almost doesn't have to be. It wasn't really Christmasy, save for the whole Christmas Eve reunion concert.

Overall, I would rate this as a Tessa Bailey win in my book! It was fun, quick, and kept me entertained.

Thank you, Avon, for the ARC!

Tessa Bailey has (once again) solidified herself as an auto-buy author for me!

Wreck The Halls follows Beat and Melody’s (cheesy names, but it works here🎶🎸) attempt to reunite their mothers' band. I loved the reality TV aspect that allowed the readers and fans to cheer on the mission and love story!

One of my favorite characteristics of Tessa’s writing is how unique the side stories are that she includes. From Beats “kink” to the blackmailer plot, plus Melody’s bocce ball league, there was always something to keep me entertained. It helps to humanize the characters when I learn more than the surface level details that most other rom-coms provide.

5/5 ⭐️

Read if you want:
❤️Friends to lovers
👯‍♀️Second chance friendship
🎸90’s rockstar drama
🔥Spice

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I don't know what's wrong with me but I love rockstar romances. For me, they're better than athletes or billionaires. What I didn't expect was to like children of rockstar romances.

The whole premise of Wreck the Halls is a little silly from the character's names (Beat and Melody) to the fact that they're on a reality TV show trying to get their moms' band back together on Christmas. Yet, despite the silliness, I just really enjoyed reading it.

Obviously, Tessa's signature banter was out in force and that always makes for a fun read.

I have yet to read a Tessa Bailey book that I don't love! Beat and Melody are such cliche names for children of former rock stars, but I was totally into it. There were parts of the book that weren't completely necessary to the story, but I felt like everything was tied together in the end. As a whole, I loved the storyline and will continue to automatically buy all of Tessa Baileys works.

Melody Gallard and Beat Dawkins reconnect 14 years later as they team up to film a reality TV show to reunite their famous singer mothers by Christmas Eve. They're offered a lot of money to do this. Beat needs the money. Mel wonders if it's time to step out of her comfort zone. Beat won't agree to do the show without Melody.

The cameras love them. As they are together nonstop 14 hours a day live stream, they realize their attraction to one another. Blackmail and mama drama get in the way.

I liked this book. It's not my all-time favorite Tessa Bailey novel, but it's good. This book reminded me of Taylor Swift's "Invisible String;" Melody and Beat have a connection which pulls them together immediately. It had some wintery themes, with a snowball fight, but nothing that screamed Christmas, other than the reunion concert scheduled that day. Spiciness was at an all-time high. I guess since it was kinda an instalove trope and the blackmail theme, I wasn't totally engrossed, but I am happy that Melody and Beat had their happy ending.

Thank you to @tessabaileyisanauthor, @netgalley, and @avonbooks for the opportunity to read this novel.

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Was this the most amazing thing I have ever read? No not really. Did it pass the time and was fairly enjoyable? Sure! Average plot with average characters. The romance was okay. I don’t think I will remember this book in a couple of days.

A fun and quick read. The banter is on point like with all Tessa Bailey books. I’d say it’s light on the holiday/Christmas vibes. Overall, it is a good book but not giddy about it.

I have loved everything from Tessa Bailey up to this point, and Wreck the Halls is no exception. Dare I say I loved it even more than Window shopping?! Everything felt to warm and cozy (as a Christmas romance should), but also genuine & deep. I will be recommending this ALL FALL.

I loved this book, I loved the characters and I love Tessa Bailey! She is a wonderful rom-com author. This book puts you in the Christmas/wintertime mood. A hallmark movie in book form. Loved it!

This is somehow both an instalove and a second chance romance? Trust in Tessa Bailey, she knows how to make a man.
Truly though, this is very cute and gives some good Christmas feels, without being over the top. You get a swoon worthy couple that’s obsessed with each other, some family conflict, and some darker motives. I blew through this in a day and definitely recommend if you want to read something cute and sweet, especially if you’re cozied up by the fire!

Wreck the Halls is classic Tessa Bailey! I enjoyed this story so much, and I think it will be a huge hit come holiday season. The story is fun, captivating, and unique about the two children of members from a broken up rock band. The two main characters were incredibly likeable with great dialogue. I love the dynamics between the two mothers!

My only complaint is that I wanted a little bit more Christmas, but other than that, I very much enjoyed it!

I’ve said it at least once and I I’ll continue saying it every single time. If Tessa writes it, I WILL READ IT
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Every time. I just fall in love with every story. Every character. Just everything.
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And Wreck the Halls was no exception. Melody and Beat together were so great. They were entertaining and hilarious. Do not wait to get this one once it’s released. Just run to it
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🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5