I have such mixed feelings about Tessa Bailey's books. I have a really hard time with the possessive "she's mine, no one else can look at her or appreciate her and I'm going to brand you so everyone else knows you belong to be" Alpha male crap. And it's all through this book.

I did like the idea of the reality show and the adventure of getting the band back together. And I really, really liked Melody's character. She's smart and quirky and extremely loveable. I did not, however, like Beat at all. He's a Neanderthal.

The campaign to reunite a 90s legendary rock duo brings friendship, love and personal growth to Beat and Melody, the children of these music icons.

Beat is Tessa Bailey’s usual intense, possessive, dirty talker with lots of complexities. Melody is an absolute gem and their chemistry jumps off the page with every encounter between them.

Even though they didn’t grow up together, there was always something linking them. They shared similar experiences even if they didn’t share them together. Their mothers’ notoriety and their fans' investment - in the band’s breakup, the recent resurgence of their music, and hope for a reunion - all shaped and impacted Beat and Melody their entire lives.

Initially I didn’t see how the public could be so obsessed with the lives of the children of rock stars. But once the live streaming of Beat and Melody's attempt to reunite their mothers started and the world began watching them, then that part of the book made more sense to me and the story really took off.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think this is the first Tessa Bailey book I didn't absolutely hate. I enjoyed the characters and drama.

This was a good story with a little tension and a lot of spice! Meloday and Beat have an instant connection because their mothers were in one of the best bands of the 90's. Tessa Bailey did a fantastic job of creating two realistic characters that are dripping with chemistry.

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey is a hilarious, heartwarming and spicy holiday rom-com that will have you swooning and laughing out loud. Melody Gallard, the daughter of music legends, has spent her life avoiding the limelight and restoring old books. When a producer offers her a lot of money to reunite her mother's band on live TV, she teams up with the lead singer's son, Beat Dawkins, to convince their mothers to play a Christmas Eve concert. As they navigate the chaos of the rock and roll world, Mel and Beat's friendship turns into a wild, intense attraction that takes them out of their comfort zones and into a madcap mission to save the Steel Birds reunion.

Bailey's writing is witty and engaging, with a perfect mix of humor and heart. The characters are well-developed and relatable, with flaws and quirks that make them feel like real people. Mel and Beat's chemistry is sizzling, and their banter is laugh-out-loud funny. The plot is fast-paced and full of twists and turns that will keep you hooked until the very end.

Overall, Wreck the Halls is a must-read for fans of holiday romances and anyone who loves a good laugh. Bailey's writing is top-notch, and her characters are unforgettable. This book is the perfect escape from the stresses of the holiday season, and it will leave you with a smile on your face and a warm feeling in your heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me a digital copy of "Wreck the Halls" in exchange for an honest review.

What happens when a legendary rock duo feud and break up the band? They go their separate ways. They vow they will never, ever, EVER do a reunion concert. In this story, the Steel Birds duo Trina Gallard and Octavia Dawkins also have kids.

"Wreck the Halls" is the story of their respective children, Melody Gallard and Beat Dawkins. Having grown up in the glare of their mothers' notoriety, adulation for cool Beat and mockery for gawky Melody, leaves its mark. Both are intensely private, although in different ways. Beat runs his mother's charitable organization, charming everyone but never letting them close. Melody lives a quiet, nearly anonymous life as a rare book restorer.

They met once as teenagers, a short but somehow emotionally intense encounter, that leaves both wondering what might have happened if they had kept in touch after. They aren't reunited until years later when Beat is running out a money, having been blackmailed by his biological father. (Not the man the world believes is his father.) Desperate for cash, Beat accepts an offer from a reality TV producer. For one million dollars, Beat will attempt to reunite Steel Birds for a Christmas Eve concert. Basically, he agrees to attempt the impossible.

Beat immediately understands how this will invite scrutiny on Melody, and makes it a contractual requirement that she approve of the project. But from the moment that they meet again, their intense connection flares and Melody agrees to participate. From that moment until Christmas Eve, their waking hours are live-streamed for the world to watch.

Shenanigans ensue. There are feuding Santas. Some people get arrested. A bocce tournament happens, followed by an enormous, drunken snowball fight in a nearby park. Two children of rock royalty fall in love in front of millions of people.

If you're at all familiar with Tessa Bailey's books, Beat is the classic Bailey hero archetype: brooding, possessive, intense. Very good with dirty talk. Melody is sweet, but determined; her emotional growth was delightful to witness.

Their relationship, from the seed of their long ago, teenaged meeting, ramps up QUICK. This is not a slow-burn, when-will-this-FINALLY-happen scenario. It is very obvious, to them and the world at large, that they are absolutely enamored of each other. There is some drama; mostly because Beat has some issues to work through before he's actually ready for the relationship he is so anxious to jump right into. But really, there is no question whether this relationship will end. Within a week, he's ready to propose. They're just that obsessed with each other.

Fortunately, the Steel Birds reunion does it's job as the framework for the novel. Even when my attention would have drifted away (around 84% complete, because seriously, Beat and Mel were SO MUCH a forgone conclusion), their glorious mothers marched back on the page and brought the novel to a lively close. Bailey mentions in her acknowledgments that she realized that she "was holding more than just the outcome of a romance in my hands, but the friendship of two iconic women... They deserved words and weight, too." I completely agree. I am so, so glad that she let them be their towering, legendary selves and not simply props to enable a fun, though a little overwhelmingly intense, love story.

I want to like it, but Beat is just too perfect. Even his major problem - paying off a blackmailer - is about saving his mom. Stopping at 13%.

The actual writing is really well done :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

I love Tessa Bailey, and while this one didn't disappoint, it sadly wasn't my favorite. It definitely had a Daisy Jones & the Six vibe to it, which was fun. I also loved the main character, Melody. The other main, Beat, was also great but I was left wanting more. Still a fun and steamy read!!