Thank you to @netgalley and Avon Books for my gifted copy of Wreck the Halls, by Tessa Bailey. This fun Christmastime romance comes out on October 3rd.

In Wreck the Halls, two adult kids (Beat and Melody) of famous rockstars (Trina and Octavia) get asked to be on a reality show to reunite the band. The band that Beat and Melody's moms were in broke up about thirty years prior, and there is a lot of interest around the band now. However, sparks start to fly between Beat and Melody from the moment they meet in the conference room to discuss the reality show.

I've read some corny books but y'all, this one TOOK THE CAKE. Beat and Melody as names?!? Really, Tessa Bailey?! Oh my goodness. Plus, so many of the romantic scenes weren't cute, Beat seemed obsessive about Melody, and I couldn't get into this one.

If you're looking for a very corny and cheesy Christmas romance with lots of steam, this is it. I meanwhile, will be looking for another holiday book.

Wreck the Halls, what a name for a reality tv live stream, right? But thanks to Melody and her quick wit, that's exactly what her and Beat's new live show and mission is called. For a million dollars each the duo has agreed to be live recorded for social media making an effort to reunite Steel Birds, their mothers, who are the famous duo of this former rock band. For Beat, who is being blackmailed for hundreds of thousands of dollars to hide a secret of his mothers, this would mean paying off his blackmailer once and for all. And for Melody, she'd finally have financial independence from her mother. But from the very beginning of their introduction, Beat and Melody become the center of attention in their mission as they are instantly, and very obviously, into one another. As the world falls in love with Beat and Melody, so they fall in love with one another. But can they reunite this beloved band one more time for a Christmas Eve performance?

This book held a lot of promise and delivered in some ways while being overly done in others. First, I really liked Melody and her counterpart Beat. Their characters were extremely likable and endearing, and Melody's humor was on point. Beat was charming in his secret broodiness and his need to shield and protect Melody was equal parts sweet and sexy. However, that's where the sexiness ends with him. I was not a fan of his need to edge and finish alone. The tension between the two was incredible, however, and saved the spicy scenes, especially with the build-up: staring at one another's mouths, hand-holding, touching, compliments...even though Melody was a tad more aloof about Beat's attraction to her than I would have liked. Melody is more intelligent than that. Their chemistry was palpable and made the book fun.

The premise is super original and I enjoyed the thought that these two characters came together because their mothers were bad a** rock stars! They were even blessed en utero by Stevie Nicks (I enjoyed that namedrop). However, the whole concept of trying to reunite the women after decades of not speaking was far-fetched. Good thing I don't need a ton of realistic subplots to make me enjoy a romance, haha! It was a lot of fun to think of this happening in real life, though, and I wonder if I'd ever invest in something like this as a viewer. I enjoyed that aspect of the novel a lot, actually.

The thing that I didn't really enjoy about this novel was the extreme "insta-love" between Beat and Melody. This isn't a trope I typically take issue with, it can be sweet if done right, but this was a little too over the top for even me. If you are a romance reader that cannot get into this trope, pass on this book unless you want fuel for your insta-love-hating heart.

Overall I enjoyed my reading experience with Wreck the Halls, it was a fun, light romance. I liked it but didn't love it. Also, don't be fooled, it's not a Christmas-themed romance, it's a romance taking place at Christmas time, with a Christmas Eve deadline.

Thank you to Tessa Bailey, Netgalley, and Avon and Harper Voyager books for this ARC of Wreck the Halls in exchange for my honest review.

Honestly, I adore Tessa Bailey books, but some are better than others. This one...this one leaves each and every other one in the dust. The pure heart of this story. I cried, friends. During a sex scene. DURING! This book has more heart, and steam, than any of her others. It connected with me in a way the others haven't.

There's something about childhood friends to lovers, especially ones who just get one another like these two. I don't know. Honestly, it's just...really good! The sex....my god, it's amazing. The backstory of their mothers, was so rockstar cool, too. Frankly, they had richer backstories and character growth than her other novels, on top of hotter sex....IMO.

This is a must read, a must buy, and a must annotate. i can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy so I can reread and annotate this. If you're looking for a fun, holiday read with steam, for read this one.

4.5 stars

Tessa is one of my favorite author’s, so I was really excited when I saw this on the shelf. I was immediately hooked in with the plot. Who doesn’t like star-crossed lovers?

Melody and Beat’s meeting was PERFECT! I loved it so much. Their chemistry here and throughout the whole story is undeniable. I loved any and all callbacks that the story gave to their first meeting because it was just such a defining moment in their lives, and I think Tessa really hits that home.

Both Melody and Beat may be some of my favorite characters that Tessa has written. Melody was such a funny and relatable character, and I loved her inner monologue. Beat was practically perfect (almost too perfect).

The dialogue throughout the story was perfect as well as the direction of the plot! No side-character felt as if they were only there to progress the story of Melody and Beat. Every named character felt as if they had their own storyline and fate and it was amazing to see everyone’s lives progress together.

This story was filled with utter angst that I absolutely *loved*! The butterflies, heat, and heartbreak were all present and accounted for. One of my favorite things was how great Melody and Beat talked things through together. If you hate the miscommunication trope, this is a great book for you.

It's Tessa Bailey, so Wreck the Halls was nothing short of perfection (in my opinion). It was fun and steamy, and such a cute holiday romance, but way too short!

loved this author and this romance between melody and beat. They are the kids of the steel birds and they are trying to get their mothers back together for a reunion tour. along the way the kids fall in love. Great romance.

This book was SCANDALOUS. I'm serious when I say I think this may be one of my favorite Tessa Bailey books so far. Also, one of the hottest. It was just fun. I ugly cackled and just overall had a good time reading it.

I enjoyed the plot. Almost childhood best friends that are completely misunderstood by the world but somehow understand each other even though they spent all of a few minutes' meeting once when they were awkward and sixteen. Set on bringing their hell raising rock n roll mothers together for a reunion after a 30 yearlong break up. But on live television? Obvious close proximity trope, yessss sir.

The FMC is my favorite, hands down. Yes, Beat is cool too, but Melody takes the cake here. She was quirky, witty and I absolutely lived for whatever came out of her mouth. I was expecting an awkward FMC but instead we got something so much better. Very likeable. I also LOVED that the audience loved her. From the prologue, I assumed it was foreshadowing hate and the media tearing her apart but in reality, we got the world falling in love with the shy girl and it just made my heart happy.

The world wasn't the only one falling for her. Obviously, this is a rom-com people. BEAT. The overprotective, always touching, but forever looking at Melody like she hung the moon and stars kind of MMC. Like she was carved into this world just for him. Beat was a legit koala when it came to Melody. I was eating up his POV. Honestly, I don't want to give too much away but his sexual preferences had me shook and it was some of the hottest/best spice I've read from TB so far. And with the close proximity trope we get our fair share. Some of the stuff he said had me screaming - I had to do a double take. I mean it when I say it was SCANDALOUS. Spice from a guys POV is just better in my opinion.

Overall, I loved his. Some people take rom-coms too seriously and I think the best part is that they aren't meant to be taken seriously. They are meant to make you laugh, for you to live vicariously through the couple falling in love and to have a good time while reading them. Thats exactly what this was, a great time. It left me goofy smiling.

An entertaining and fun read for all music lovers. The characters are lovable and will make you feel like you are a part of the cast.

Tessa has done it again! Had me laughing out loud and in my feels for other parts. What a fun read!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Melody Gallard and Beat Dawkins, the children of former rock-sensations, met when they were sixteen and quickly realized they were the only ones who truly understood each other. Fourteen years pass before the pair is reunited after a television network proposes a reality show aimed at getting their mothers, The Steel Birds, back together.

With a promise of a seven figure payout if they’re successful, Beat and Melody agree to do the show - both needing the money for different reasons.

I always love how real Tessa’s characters always feel. Beat comes off as perfect to the public, but we quickly learn that he is deeply troubled by his good fortune and hides his true self from everyone close to him. Melody is quirky and learning to come out of her shell. Together, the pair makes for an adorable couple. Beat is protective of Mel - sometimes to a fault, but that’s what makes him feel so human.

The tension between Octavia and Trina, Beat and Melody’s mothers, is enthralling. The quips they throw back and forth about on another are hysterical.

I highly recommend this book to those looking for a heartwarming holiday friends-to-lovers romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was really cute, I just wish it were longer. It would've helped flesh out all the characters, and develop the romance a little more. Also the ending felt a little abrupt.

Big thanks to Avon Romance for the early copy of this book. This review is being given freely and all thoughts and opinions are mine.

*4 stars for now, may change later

CW: blackmailing, emotional unavailability, anxiety, breaking up for your own good (kind of), strained parental relationships, thrust into the media

Tropes: two ships in the night, love at first sight, only one bed, soulmates

Christmas in July Take Two

This book was such a good time with good vibes tho there was def some angst between the couple and in the book in general. Moldy and Beat met at sixteen and never forgot each other, even if they never spoke to each other in the past 14 years. Now, Beat is in trouble and needs the money the TV Company is offering but will only say yes if Melody will sign off. Neither suspected how much being in each other’s presence would affect them or how right it would feel between them.

I’ve been a fan of Tessa Bailey for YEARS and have always loved her books, Wreck the Halls is what I expected and yet kind of a different vibe than the others. I really liked how instant the chemistry was between our two MCs and eve though it was basically love at first sight, we still got a lot of emotional build up and pay off between the two.

I will say Beat’s kink was a nice change up for Tessa, who usually writes about sexually dominant heroes (regardless if they’re full on doms or just more take charge) but def still had the vibes of directing from the bottom, kind of wish she had explored more with this/gone in more depth but it was still fun to read and I felt like it worked really well with the emotional issues/angst that Beat and Melody were going through in the book.

I also loved the fact that just like the live stream/reality TV show the main purpose of Beat and Melody being together slowly but surely shifted from needing the reunion to happen to them working on their relationship and being together. Altogether this was a really cute book with some mild spice and can’t wait for it to come out!

Tessa Bailey sure knows how to write spice, but the instalove focus of this book kinda put me off it. Despite the conflict that naturally worked to drive them apart, things were just too perfect. Beat and Melody’s relationship often had me rolling my eyes to be honest. However, I did enjoy the reunion of their moms. The reunion plan itself did not really make sense to me and I couldn’t get behind the 12-14 hour live feed or Beat and Melody. Incredibly unrealistic and oddly enough the thing that bothered me the most.

Christmas in July right? This was a fun holiday book to escape into and I cant wait for when its closer to winter to see what everyone thinks about this. This is another one of those Hallmark holiday reads with some spice and I am 100% here for it. Perfect for the holiday season.

Content Warning: blackmail, parental abandonment


Tessa Bailey does it again with her spicy rom-coms, but this time I felt like it had a Daisy Jones & the Six inspiration which I loved.

Beat and Melody’s mom hate one another. The two women were bandmates decades ago and recently with their song going viral again years later, everyone wants a band reunion. Beat and Melody only met once when they were teenagers and basically it was love at first sight, especially for Melody. The next time they meet they are adults, and Beat signed up to do a reality show about reuniting the band, so he could make some money.

I was invested! I never read Daisy Jones & the Six but I did watch the show and Beat and Melody’s moms being part of a band made me think of Daisy Jones for some reason. I think because both women had a reputation and so much drama between them, it is such the typical rock star problems and it makes for a great story. So I wanted to see how the reunion would take place! Also I love Octavia and Trina as characters, their bickering made me laugh. Octavia the lead diva and Trina the wild child, they were great!

The romance is hot and spicy. And Beat’s kink? He likes to come to the edge of pleasure and be denied. I don’t know how I felt about it! The lead up and build up is great but I was feeling Melody’s confusion and feelings of loneliness about it when everything was said and done. But the reason for Beat’s preferences have a deeper meaning and I think that’s why I love them even with the whole insta-love, love at first sight situation because they see each other next as adults where a lot has happened to them both. They’ve grown in ways, some good and bad, but I love that they feel so familiar to one another without really knowing each other. I was rooting for them hard!


Now did it give me Christmas vibes? No, it’s definitely not Hallmark movie worthy, it doesn’t have all the holiday cheer and cheese that I expect out of a holiday romance. The band reunion is set to happen during the holidays and there is an epic snow fight but other than that I felt like there wasn’t enough to remind me the story was taking place in December.

Tropes: insta love, forced proximity, one bed, strangers to friends to lovers

Why you should read it:
*you like a hot and spicy holiday romance
*to see if the band reunion happens, Octavia and Trina’s drama

Why you might not want to read it:
*I had to get used to Beat’s name lol…I get it’s because his mom is a musician (Beat and Melody) but I kept asking “why?”

My Thoughts:

Not quite the holiday romance I was expecting meaning I wanted more holiday themes in it but I was fully invested in the band reunion because Octavia and Trina’s drama was classic rock star drama! There was a lot of spice in this one but I like that it was balanced with Beat and Melody’s love story even if it was insta-love. I think they would naturally be curious about one another because their mothers had such a public past so maybe meeting one another felt familiar because of the limelight. Overall, I did love them together and that this has a happy ending.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

A Tessa Bailey holiday book? Yes, please!

I enjoyed the story of Beat and Melody quite a bit. They are drawn together like magnets, but the sweetness of them learning to be vulnerable and trusting was surprising. The characters are both fun and charming in their own ways. Beat is a little overly dramatic at times, I may have rolled my eyes a little but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book.

Oddly, though the story is centered around Christmas, the actual holiday felt almost irrelevant. Except when one of the characters assaults a Santa Claus. 😂 Hope that isn’t a spoiler.

This book started out very slowly and had a trope I normally dislike.
Beat and Melody are children of 2 female rock stars who were pregnant when their duo broke up. They briefly meet when they are 16, though they had been aware of each other because of social media as well as magazines.
14 YEARS LATER, and yes, this is the trope I dislike, they meet again. For various reasons, Beat has decided to participate in a live streaming reality show to bring about a reunion of the duo and asks Melody to participate.
We learn about how they have lived in the intervening years, as well as what has happened with their mothers.
There is a lot of hot sex, some misunderstandings, but Melody finally comes to understand her power. She is funny and likeable and finally accepts herself.
There are some great scenes, especially when Beat and Melody finally meet Melody's mother.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon pub for this earc

This book started off super cute. Kids of rock stars who could have been best friends but never got a chance? Yeah, I thought I’d love it too. But then they have 10 minute interaction and don’t see each other for 14 years.

I could understand having a crush on a memory of that meeting. I would be cool with it. But the insta love? Because obviously these two didn’t change at all in 14 years *eye roll* So yeah. Not even insta love. Insta lust. That what they should sell this story as. There is a lot of smut in this book and not enough deep and meaningful conversations. Beat and Melody had too much potential but they just kept “miscommunicating” and having sex instead. And at some point it just got a little too “obsessive and possessed” for me.

I wanted to love it but I guess I’m a rom com kind of girl.

Overall, if it’s holiday season and you’re looking for some spice, this one is for you.

This book will be the Christmas season read!! From the spice to the plot it was great. Tessa always does a great job making everything full circle! Amazing.

Y'ALL ARE NOT READY.

"Wreck the Halls" is an unhinged insta-love dirty-talking un-put-downable holiday romance drug. I finished this book in less than a day and I have no regrets.

Beat and Melody are attempting to reunite their mothers, who were a famous 90s rockstar duo, by Christmas Eve for a live-streaming reality tv show. Very quickly though, the show (and the fans) becomes about the red-hot romance bubbling between Beat and Melody.

Tessa Bailey is back at it with zinging dialogue and spicy bedroom scenes. This time it's all about edging, which works perfectly in how romances are structured. The couple dances around each other for chapters on end, not giving in to their desires until BAM they do. Satisfaction for everyone, including the reader.

Of course, there are the nicely finished character arcs as Beat and Melody learn to trust each other and be brave in public in the face of childhoods dominated by the fame of their parents. Although the situation is unique (what average person is growing up in the public eye?) Beat and Melody's hang-ups are still relatable. How do you create boundaries with a parent? How do you trust a partner with your most interior self?

And because this is a romance it's all figured out in the end wrapped tidily with a red Christmas bow. This book is so much fun and the characters are so loveable, there's no way you don't enjoy it.