While there's always some elements of a Tessa Bailey novel that I kind of grin-and-bear my way through, usually I can focus more on what I do like than what I don't. Unfortunately, with "Wreck the Halls" I wasn't able to do that as much. There were some fun elements to the story, but mostly I would just describe this book as a bit of an eye roll and move on.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

a great holiday novel. the feeling was like being hugged by christmas. the romance was cute and perfect. the characters were unique and interesting. i can’t wait to read more books by this author

Unfortunately, this book missed the mark for me. I just couldn't stant Beat and his issues...I appreciated his protective nature over Melody, but it was too much too fast. But in true Tessa Bailey fashion, it was spicy and pushed the envelope!!

I read about half of this book and DNF'd.

I’m convinced Tessa Bailey can do no wrong! This book is full of all the Christmas-y feels and I loved every second of it!

Let me start by saying, it’s Tessa Bailey, it’s an automatic YES for me,

One thing I love about this authors books is that she is so creative. I mean, I wouldn’t have ever thought of what she did in this book. Yet, she completely pulls it off.

Tessa can make any trope work in my opinion. This book had insta connection, rom com, friends to lovers, miscommunications—yes, yes please.

This was such a great read and another I’ll add to my favorites.

Wreck the Halls is, at its heart, a soulmate romance. If that's what you're in the mood for, I'd recommend it; it's really cute and the conflict is mostly emotionally and internally driven--yes, to an extent, there's an external component, but it's more how that factor affects Beat and his response to it and the way Melody perceives it--and fluffy, set in the weeks leading up to Christmas Eve. The magic of the holiday season takes a back seat to the magic of Melody and Beat together, with plenty of playful humor, some spice, and some good-natured jokes and tributes to romance readers and the community (the only one bed trope IRL--the person holding that sign up must be me because that's one of my favorites and I totally agree).

From the first time Beat and Melody meet at 16 to the next time they meet nearly fourteen years later, there's something extra special and inexplicable in their connection to each other. They get each other in ways that no one else does, in part due to their unique shared connection thanks to their mothers having been halves of an iconic rock duo in the 90s that infamously split before they were even born. I rooted for them from their first meeting, the connection between the two of them palpable and full of chemistry. The way Beat just wanted to talk to Melody and check on her, having noticed the difference in the treatment of them by the media (which was also a clever way to bring up the issue of problematic coverage of young girls/women in the media/public eye and the particular scrutiny on their appearance and crazy beauty standards), warmed my heart. All the years they went without seeing each other after that meeting made me so wistful for what things would have been like had they gotten to grow up knowing each other, as it's clear at their second meeting just how special their connection is, how they were meant to be best friends, romantic partners, everything. Melody and Beat are the sort of pair that makes you believe in fate and destiny and soulmates, yearning for your own person who's made for you in the way that they're each made for the other.

The conflict in the story really comes from Beat's habitual and learned nature to protect himself and the people he loves and to do so by taking on all the burden on himself. He has a strong sense of guilt that stems from his privileged upbringing and thinks that he doesn't deserve good things and self-flagellates to try to ease that guilty conscience and makes sure he doesn't take anything for granted. It's frustrating at times to see how this hurts himself and Melody, but it comes from such a place of love and Beat's super soft heart that I couldn't help but watch as he gradually learns to let go of some of that guilt and to learn on his support system of the people that love him and want to be there for him, too. Melody is such a bright presence in his life, and he really learns by example there.

I also loved seeing Melody's character growth, which is truly lovely; she starts out timid and isolated by choice (like Beat, who doesn't open up to anyone around him, in a way) after all the years of her adolescence being filled with the intrusive media and unfair scrutiny affecting her sense of self-worth, uncomfortable taking up space and changing the status quo. However, once she asks Beat if he needs her help, since she knows he wouldn't entertain the idea of a reality show unless he needed the money, she's all in, and she commits to it to also make herself push for a change in the relationship with her mother, Trina. The love and support of Beat and the rest of the fanbase they develop boost her confidence, too, and by the end of the book, her heart-to-heart with her mother really packs a punch and makes you so proud of her.

As Tessa Bailey mentions in her acknowledgements, Wreck the Halls isn't just about Beat and Melody's soulmate connection; it's also about their mothers, the ones who are responsible for their peripheral fame and life under a microscope and need for privacy. While Trina and Octavia (Beat's mom) don't have a ton of page time, the page time we get with them offers a glimpse into just how wonderful of a friendship they had and once again have by the end, the way they pick up as if they'd never feuded at all and band together to protect their children. Melody witnessing all of that at the end made me a little emotional.

Beat and Melody together, like their names would indicate, are truly the complements to each other's hearts. Their connection makes this insta-love/quick timeline actually seem believable, which is an issue I have with many insta-love stories. Melody says such funny things, and Beat is her counterpart in every way, including in witty quips and banter. Their mothers are soulmates, too--platonically, yes, but meant to be best friends, with a connection as strong as their children's. Getting to see Melody and Beat grow alongside each other and open up to each other is really the sweetest part, and the things they can do together--the possibilities are endless.

Thank you so much to Netgalley/Avon for the ARC!

4.25 ⭐️

Tessa Bailey does an outstanding job at writing character driven stories. Our two MCs are done exceptionally well. I did enjoy the plot like of two celebrity kids on a reality “live stream” show. It’s modern and was a fun, different line.

I really enjoyed watching Mel and Beat fall in love as well. The character development on Beat’s character was absolutely top tier.

I wasn’t fond of the third act break up even though they didn’t want it, it just felt unnecessary.

It was a fun read. As always, i wish it was in first person, but listening to the audio helped with that.

I also don’t feel like this is as much of a Christmas book as it may seem, the “main event” they’re working up to is on Christmas - other than that it doesn’t involve Christmas at all.

Definitely one of my top Tessa books!

This book didn’t hit like I wanted it to - It may have been me, or just the wrong time for this book, but the things that should have been cute (names of the characters - Melody and Beat) came off cheesy instead of cute. The book was fine, but I had high hopes.

I loved that this was not only a love story but a great tale of female friendship. The two main characters were so cute and such a great couple together. Do I wish they had started talking sooner since they had chemistry from the beginning, yes. But the story we got for them waiting was amazing.

In true Tessa Bailey fashion, I laughed-out-loud and swooned. This was such a unique premise and the slow burn hurt soooo good!

I loved this book so much! Tessa Bailey never fails to woo me with her characters and spice! I can't wait to see what's next for her!

I'm giving a new Tessa Bailey book a 3-star rating, and I want you to know how much this hurts me. I absolutely love Bailey's work, especially her newer novels, and so I really, really wanted to love this one. However, the first hurdle that I had to get over were the names of the main characters. The kids of rock stars, yeah, they get weird names sometimes. But forcing me to read a story about Melody and Beat (no, really, his name is Beat) was painful. I really hated his name and it just irked me that someone didn't tell Tessa Bailey that 'Beat' was beating the idea over our heads a bit too much!

Secondly, I was really convinced this was going to be a cute romantic Christmas novel, and it really was not. And by that, I mean that I didn't get Christmas vibes at all. The cover lures you in but really lies because this isn't a spicy Hallmark movie (which is what I wanted). There's very little to actually convince you this is Christmas-y at all, in reality.

Third, the kinks and the instalove. Okay, I get that Melody has been holding this huge crush on Beat inside for YEARS. And I get that Beat isn't very close to people, so he has a kink where he wants to have sex but never c... you get it. Nothing wrong with it, it just wasn't my kink and wasn't one that I thought translated on the page very well. While most of Tessa's novels make you feel really sexy while reading them, this one had me just kind of... deflated? I really want my man to finish so that I know he had a good time but that isn't what's happening here. I mean, the novel works everything out, it just wasn't as exciting as some of her other reads.

It just wasn't amazing. And that hurt my soul.

Tessa Bailey writes some of the best, funniest banter, and you could see this through Melody. Beat is more serious, but she brings out the best in him. And hello, two fighting female rockstars are their mothers?? This was a cute and sweet story!

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

This was my first Tessa Bailey book---and oh my gosh, lol. I LOVED it! It was so clever and funny and steamy all at the same time. The characters were super relatable and well developed. Plot moved quickly without feeling like you were missing something. Can't wait for her next one!

3.5 ⭐️

Melody Ballard and Beat Dawkins are the adult children of former world famous diva rock stars. They've come together to try and get their iconic duo moms to reunite for one more show, the odds of that happening though are slim to none. Melody and Beat met as teens while traveling in the same circles and had the potential to be really great friends but the rupture of their mother's band made it so their lives took different paths. With Christmas Eve fast approaching, Beat and Melody are made an offer by a television network to livestream their efforts to reunite the Steel Birds one last time. This means 24 hour live coverage of Melody and Beat's daily lives. For Mel, this means stepping back into the limelight where she's experienced nothing but harsh criticism from a very young age. Melody prefers the quiet life of restoring old books but the promise of a large sum of money if she can successfully reunite the Steel Birds is too good to pass up. It means financial independence from a mother who she's quite disconnected from. Mel's mother is described as possibly being a cult leader in the sense that her home is open to all that love her and detest Beat's mom. What I loved about Melody: She's truly a funny character, her quips always had me giggling. Tessa bailey gave us a female who comes across as unaware of her charm and I absolutely loved falling in love with her at the same time as everyone else watching the livestream.

Beat on the other hand is quite charming, comfortable in his attractiveness, and in the limelight. He also has a need for the money the network is offering if he can get his iconic and elegant mother to participate in her former rock bands reunion. No one knows why the band broke up but strong rumors have always circulated that it was caused by a man their mothers were both involved with. They have their secrets and so does Beat, his attraction to Melody is just one of them. What I loved about Beat: How humble and down to earth he is, the wealth his family has accrued keeps him grounded in giving back. We see him run an organization focused on giving youth grants to further their education in music. Beat is also super protective of Melody so if you dig the type, he def checks off the bodyguard box.

This was admittedly my first Tessa Bailey read and it won't be my last, holiday romance is always hit or miss no matter the author. This story picks up and takes a turn for a hilarious good time at the 50% mark, I'm talking Santa's brawling on the lawn type funny 😂 which had me not wanting to put it down. I just wish I hadn't struggled getting invested in this story for the first half, otherwise this could've been a five star read. The livestream was a nice addition with fans of Melody creating fun silly hashtags shipping her with Beat! There were a couple of scenes towards the end that were movie ready making it a certifiable rom-com in every sense of the word. On another note, I've long heard about the spice Tessa Bailey brings to her books can now say...not one lie was told! I'm intrigued to see what the Tessa Bailey back-list is packing so I guess it's a good thing I have a couple on my shelves 😉

I Loved this one!! Is it a bit cheesy? Yes. Are their names cringy? Also yes. Did that take away from the story at any point. Not at all. Such a fun ride. I read this in two sittings. Highly recommend for a mix of fun plot and spice! I’m giving this one 5 ⭐️s!

This book didn't give Christmas. I get the premise, I liked the subplot with the parents more than the Beat/Melody storyline, and their chemistry felt so staged. Probably my least favorite TB I've read.

Thank you for the arc copy.

This book fell flat to me. The characters were not the best, romance was lacking. Just wanted more. Not a fan of the mucus theme and did not like the parents connection.

This was a good read - I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!