⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️


𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
- Christmas in NYC
- Dual POV
- Insta-Love
- Family Feuds

Tessa has done it again but now with a Christmas touch! Think Daisy Jones meets Hallmark Christmas movie vibes.

Filled with banter and laugh out loud moments, Wreck The Halls will make you swoon. Melody and Beat have undeniable chemistry with tons of tension which makes for big payoffs when the spice hits.

This is a Christmas romance and there are plenty of those cheesy moments that you expect (and love) with this genre. Along with the romance, I enjoyed the conflict that arose and wasn't dragged out for the entire book.

While Wreck the Halls is a fun and spice filled Christmas romance, there are some heavier topics discussed.

I'm always down for a Tessa book because she always delivers on fun and spice and Wreck The Halls is no exception.

Well, this started great and ended with me rolling my eyes while making gagging sounds, so we're taking the average of my opinions and giving it two stars. But seriously, the first half of this book was so strong, and I'm genuinely mad about where we ended up.

This book follows Melody and Beat, the offspring of an estranged fictitious famous rock duo that has had a recent surge of popularity. Hoping to capitalize on this, a network proposes a reality TV show about reuniting the band, that, instead of following the typical reality TV format, will be livestreamed. They agree for ~plot reasons.~ And you guys, this first part ate. It had the energy of a mid-2000's Disney Channel Original Movie, but with adult characters and a lot of smut (and I mean that 100% as a compliment). It had the larger than life circumstances and the fame-adjacent characters and the clear-cut mission and the set changes and, and, and—it stopped working for me part way through.

Look, I usually like the part in the book where the characters who are clearly supposed to be together end up together, and that was great, but then the fun zippiness ended and it became almost exclusively insta-love and angst. Tessa Bailey found every single way to work in "I can't live without you" sentiment (the word "soulmate" was bandied about unironically and frequently) and it became the entire story. It became grating. I wanted there to be plot again. Instead, we had people who had known each other for at most two weeks existing simply to hyper fixate on each other.

And now, for some spoilery gripes. Read on at your own risk. To start, I had to laugh that Beat's "kink" was built up as being some huge depraved thing and it ended up being so thoroughly vanilla. Next (and this is spoilers for the ending, you have been warned), the band is reunited and we get literally none of it?? None of the actual concert?? Instead we have Melody running off to find Beat and being overly sappy some more?? I felt so, so cheated. And last (FINAL WARNING FOR SPOILERS), the proposal? After they've known each other FOURTEEN DAYS? Nope, I was done, no more.

So, what started as my favorite Tessa Bailey novel to date turned into.... very much not my favorite. I genuinely loved the first half, but when I closed the book I was mad at both myself and the characters. Anyway, I'd say pick this up if you like a holiday romance, smut, insta-love, and want main characters who are obsessed with each other. Otherwise, maybe pass for now.

🎸 Their parents are former rock n roll band mates, turned enemies
🥰They are strangers who feel like they’ve known each other forever
🤑 They’re each getting paid one million dollars to reunite their moms on Christmas Eve
🎥 All while a reality streaming show films theit every move.
😒 He’s being blackmailed
🧐 She’s not sure if she can fully trust him
😲 Oh. And he’s got an edging kink.

Tessa Bailey does it again. The reason she’s been my go to romance author for a year is I know I can trust her to turn out light hearted romances that make me smile, laugh, swoon, and get my heart rate going…. Wreck the Halls is no different. This holiday story gives us a lot of layers, with two MCs who have been destined to fall in love since birth, their mothers, once band mates and now enemies, a black mailer, and a kink the MMC is afraid to share… it’s fast pace, but with a lot of heart and depth to our characters. And of course the spice is top notch, especially with the added layer of edging. I’d expect no less from our queen of spice!

This was really fun! Tessa Bailey can be a hit or miss author for me, but I enjoyed this. Even though I read this in the middle of Summer, I liked the Christmas vibes and cheer. This wasn't anything new or lifechanging, but it wasn't trying to be. It was the perfect swoon-worthy and light read.

I love a good Christmas in July book and this one gave me what I wanted. I've read and loved everything Tessa Bailey has ever published and this was no different. I loved Beat and Melody and their messy family history. The moms were my favorite. If you love Tessa Bailey, you will definitely want to read Wreck the Halls.

4 🌟 Christmas in August! I loved not only Melody and Beat but also their mothers Trina and Octavia.

I went into this not really expecting to love it. I didn't care about the premise of children of rock stars trying to get their parents to reunite the band no matter how many times I had heard it teased by TB.

But it turns out I didn't have to care about that to care about these characters. Pretty quickly Melody stole my heart just like she did the hearts of everyone in this book. She's normal and quirky in a way that wasn't irritating and actually felt relatable. I so appreciate a quirky heroine that doesn't feel try-hard. She always said what she was thinking and 99% of the time it was hilarious.

And Beat. There is so much I could say about him. I'm a sucker for a hero who kinda hates himself and doesn't think he deserves the heroine. Their mutual affection for each other was infectious and oh my gosh so hot. The chemistry between them was flying off the dang page.

And I actually did end up caring about their moms. And I loved them both for totally different reasons and did end up rooting for a band reunion. The moms definitely added tons of levity. The bonfire scene...iykyk. I giggled my way through this. Mostly though, I just loved seeing Melody and Beat grow as people and together. Their love was so sweet and real and very swoon-worthy.

This is definitely the kind of "Christmas romance" that you could read any time of year. Pretty much the only Christmas vibe was the setting and some snow in NYC. This was lighter on the Christmas vibes than Window Shopping.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is in line with Tessa Bailey's previous work, with fun characters and spicy scenes. The particular challenge of the male main character was a little different and I'm not sure was handled super accurately, but for a fun vacation read it's fine.

I love an excellent Tessa Bailey holiday story! This one filled all my expectations and more, she is an insta-read author.

Melody and Beat have felt some type of bond since meeting once at 16. Being the offspring of rockstar mothers is a narrow pool of people. But it's 14 years later, the band is broken up, Melody and Beat haven't seen or spoken to one another since that day but fate is in motion because a reality TV company wants to bring the band back together for a Christmas Eve performance and the best way the producer thinks it can be done is by having Melody and Beat convince their mothers to do it...live...in front of millions of people watching.

I thought the plot was a little off the walls crazy pants but I threw plausibility out the window and went with it. Melody was easy to identify with at first being an introvert myself but then she just became so damn cute and charming with her jokes and obliviousness, I could never do that lol. Beat was an immediate simp for her and the insta-love between them was not for me. Otherwise, I liked that he was kind and caring even as a 16 year old boy and how he demanded change in the paparazzi. I do like a little more build up between the love interests but they were cute and when Beat reveals his secrets it got pretty hot. I did not really care for the reason of their second break up (Yes they have two because Tessa loves to torture us haha) and thought something else could've happened like Melody accidentally revealing his secret about his mom while filming or something like that.

But overall this was a quick and easy ready. I read it one sitting and while it wasn't my favorite Tessa Bailey book ever I will continue to pick her titles up because she can definitely write and it's always easy and fun to read her stuff. Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wreck the Halls
by Tessa Bailey
Pub Date: 03 Oct 2023
Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon
General Fiction (Adult) | Humor & Satire/ Romance
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Rating 4.5/5

Wreck the Halls is a romantic novel by Tessa Bailey that will make you swoon. Featuring cute banter, this rom-com is sure to make you smile. For those seeking a delightful holiday read, Wreck the Halls is a heartwarming book that won't disappoint.

Melody and Beat, adult children of two former rock stars, try to convince their estranged mothers to play a high stakes Christmas Eve concert with each other. Melody and Beat first met as teenagers fourteen years ago. Now that they are adults, their feelings for one another develop as they work together to plan and live stream the event. Because their mothers haven't spoken in 30 years, it will be difficult to bring the women together on the same stage. Furthermore, if Beat and Melody become lovers, will the two families unite? Using creative thinking, Beat and Melody must resolve their mother's hatred for each other. Can they pull it off?

Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to review Wreck the Halls. It was a pleasure to read. With Tessa Bailey's books, you're sure to be captivated.

No one quite does romance novels like Tessa Bailey, plus what could be better than two (opposite) children of former rockstars scheming to reunite their feuding, diva mothers in time for the holidays? It truly is like a holiday version of The Parent Trap, which makes it so gosh darn fun! Told in dual points of view, Wreck the Halls is fun and cute with such snappy language. I mean, I'd expect nothing less from Tessa Bailey but I truly did not want to put this book down.

One thing: Maybe don't read this book in public if you don't have a good poker face. It does get spicy, but again, would expect nothing less from Bailey.

This was such a lovely novel. I absolutely love the spicy Christmas RomCom subgenre. Ms. Bailey is the best the best author of Historical Romances.

WOW! This book, I have no words. It was so good—from the start, I was hooked, and it just got better and better. The friendship, love, trust, and relationship between Beat and Melody were so beautiful to read. Their love for one another jumped off the page. This was an incredible story. Tessa Bailey has done it again.

NetGalley Review — my rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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@tessabaileyisanauthor posted about her new novel, “Wreck the Halls” this week & I took it as a sign that I had to move it to the top of my TBR — and omfgggg I’m so glad I did.
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Melody and Beat are the children of the most iconic female rock duo the world has ever seen, yet they haven’t met but one time. Why? Because their mothers got in a fight and the band split & so did Trina and Octavia’s friendship…for 30 years. Until Beat & Melody are approached by a TV network that wants them to reunite the women on live stream. The problem? They still can’t stand each other. But Beat & Melody? They can’t seem to stay away from each other.
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I was sucked into this book from the first page and was so sad when it was over. Tessa Bailey has a way of making you feel like you know her characters. I love the way she writes the conversations her characters have. It’s so witty and heartfelt. You find yourself rooting for the people you’ll never meet and wishing they weren’t fictional.
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You’ve got to read this one! Out everywhere October 3, 2023!
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#netgalley #tessabailey #wreckthehalls #harpercollins

Tessa Bailey does it again! Spicy, sweet, and full of seasonal cheer. She's a romance legend for a reason!

"Wreck The Halls" by Tessa Bailey is a delightful holiday rom-com that brings together the adult children of two former rock stars in a heartwarming and hilarious tale. Melody Gallard, despite being the daughter of music royalty, leads a low-key life, restoring old books and avoiding the spotlight. That is until a lucrative offer from a producer to reunite her mother's band on live TV tempts her to shake things up and reconnect with a certain someone. Enter Beat Dawkins, the charismatic lead singer's son, whose magnetic charm and camera-friendly persona are a stark contrast to Melody's reserved nature.

Their paths had crossed as teenagers, sparking an instant connection that only intensifies as they team up to convince their mothers to perform one last Christmas Eve concert. Battling rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, and fervent fans, Melody finds herself stepping out of her comfort zone with Beat by her side, offering unwavering support. Together, they embark on a madcap mission filled with laughter, adventure, and a growing understanding of each other.

As Christmas Eve approaches, the tension builds as a decades-old scandal threatens to derail not only the Steel Birds reunion but also the relationships with their mothers and the newfound connection between Melody and Beat. Tessa Bailey masterfully weaves together a tale of romance, family dynamics, and the transformative power of the holiday season.

With witty dialogue, sizzling chemistry, and endearing characters, "Wreck The Halls" is a joyous read that will leave you laughing, swooning, and believing in the magic of Christmas. Bailey's skillful storytelling captures the essence of love and second chances, making this holiday rom-com a must-read for anyone seeking a heartwarming and entertaining escape during the festive season.

Thank you to netgalley and the author/publisher for an arc of this book in exchange for a voluntary review.

Firstly- Beat and Melody! What cracking names. I loved this introvert/extrovert holiday based romance of two somewhat lonely people who were always destined for one another. Thrown into a world of attention by their famous mothers, and brought back together to reunite them. This was a pleasant, funny read and full of Bailey’s usual brilliance. Bravo Bailey! Can’t wait to add this to my physical book shelf!

I received this ARC from Avon/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. And thank you.

I'm <i> only </i> removing one star because of the seasonal nature of this book making it feel like I'll only be able to read this once a year. That being said, I will now probably read this book every Christmas.

It was the dirtiest Hallmark movie I've ever read. This book was a <i> cliche </i> from beginning to end, but in a supremely enjoyable way. It's like Tessa said, holiday romance, take 2, but with all the tropes...hold my beer. And then she did it. And it wasn't in an irritating way at all. <spoiler> Childhood sweethearts? Check. Friends to lovers? Check. Forced proximity? Check. One bed? Check. Makeover montage? Check. Pining? Check. Hurt her and die? Check. Hurt HIM and die? Check. ALL THE CHECKS. </spoiler>

I have never read the kink explored in this book before, and while it's not my jam, I felt like it was handled exceptionally well. Kudos, Tessa.

I really liked the relationship dynamics between the MCs themselves, between the mothers, and between the MCs and the mothers. And I've always felt pity for celebrities getting hounded and their kids who didn't ask for fame getting hounded. And this novel took all my feelings of pity and sympathy and plugged them in to a plot. I expected to be a lot more irritated with the show producer because she started off bombarding and stalker-like tracking down poor Melody. And I expected to dislike the fan base following the action a whole lot more. But Tessa managed to make them both charming while also depicting the realities of loss of privacy and lack of safety associated with such a public life.

But this is the first book I've read in awhile (read: Since Emily Wilde) where I have made <b> *poor choices* </b> staying up to finish this. But I <i> needed </i> to know what was happening. The pacing was handled really well. And while this is 100% a Christmas novel. It didn't smack you in the face with HOLIDAYS everywhere. I was just a pleasant background ambiance the whole time.

This book has dethroned My Killer Vacation as my favorite Tessa Bailey. She’s my favorite author so reading a book of hers is always a big deal to me, and I always say “there’s no way she can make me love her books more”, but then it happens. It’s crazy.

After Window Shopping in 2021, I was hoping for more Christmas books by Tessa so this already started being extra special. The prologue captured my attention with Melody and Beat’s first meet at 16. It was already packed with chemistry. Tessa’s heroes are usually utterly obsessed with the heroines and I think this is the MOST obsessed a hero of hers has ever been. Melody was Beat’s world. Their relationship was so beautiful and emotional. Soulmates is the only word that comes close to describe their bond. Growing up as the children of rockstars, they could understand and trust each other in a way they couldn’t do with other people because they never knew if their intentions were fully genuine, so reuniting made them found not only each, but a safe space to be themselves. My absolute favorite couple so far.

The plot of this book was so original and fun to read. Trying to reunite Octavia and Trina (the aforementioned rockstars) on live television, Beat and Melody become a sensation online. The reunion was short but seeing Trina and Octavia putting their differences aside for their children made me so emotional. I need more scenes of them and I hope they rekindled their relationship for good after all.

Rating: 5/5
Steam level: Open door, 4-5 scenes, high level of detail

ARC provided by Avon and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!