As always, Tessa Bailey is steamy but this was one of my favorite books from her, the lead characters I was invested in and I liked them as well.

I will never hate on a Tessa Bailey book, but I found it so hard to get past the main characters' names -- Melody is fine, but Beat is just so difficult to take seriously as a real person's name, and it kind of got in the way of my ability to enjoy the book.

That said - Tessa Bailey always knows how to show us a good time. While there wasn't as much Christmas in this Christmas book as I'd expected, fans of Tessa's will enjoy this one.

I always enjoy Tessa Bailey's books, but this might just be one of my favorites of hers.

To be perfectly honest, I was't sure what to think at first — especially with the cheesy, yet cute, names of the main characters: Melody + Beat. But the story that captures these two together is one that was fun and enjoyable, especially for the holiday season.

These two characters grow up as rivals purely because their mothers had once been best friends and bandmates and then had a major falling out. But because of that, the two kids had always found themselves in the limelight whether they wanted to or not.

They also had a connection no one could truly understand besides the other.

In a fun and unique play on the Parent Trap concept, these two have to get their mothers (and their band) back together to avoid the downfall of something much worse. Can they do it? Is it worth it?

Tropes:
- rivals to lovers
- blackmail
- parent trap
- forced proximity
- rock star
- second chance romance

Really enjoyed this forced proximity, spicy novel.
Beat and Melody, where I have seen reviews where they thought the romance when too quickly, to me, it made sense. Being brought up in the with star parents where very few truly understand what you are going through, I could see the instant attraction and comfort. Especially with the prologue. I enjoyed falling with them and wondered if everything would actually work the way that I wanted it to.
Beat has a bizarre fetish and blackmail issue... not related to each other. If I had to give this book a dig, it would be the unnecessary miscommunication trope and the very sudden ending. I don't think it was a strong enough story to end like it did. It definitely needed an epilogue.

Definitely thought this book would be more Christmas-sy than it was. The romance seemed rushed, with a predictable plot. I hadn't read anything from Bailey before, but will likely check out another title from her in the future.

I find Tessa Bailey's romcoms to be super fun and I love that they're so light hearted. The plot of this book was I think the best part! A parent trap-esque situation where the main characters, Beat and Melody, agree to star on a real time reality TV show to reunite their mothers and their infamous band. The secret of the band's original break up and the live stream scenario really added to drama to the story, which I really liked.

Unfortunately, the romance in this book was not my favorite. Beat and Melody's romance felt way too insta-love and that is definitely my least favorite trope. One interaction they had when they were both sixteen years old was the basis of their entire relationship, and while I don't read romance for the realistic plot, even I found this hard to believe. The miscommunication between the two of them kept coming up and it was a little hard to get past at times. The producer, Danielle, and cameraman, Joseph's backstory was at times more interesting and I wanted to know what was going on there too. The ending felt a bit rushed, but at the same time i was rooting for Beat and Melody to work out their issues. As individuals, I mostly liked both Beat and Melody and I thought that Melody was really funny at times.

Overall, while I didn't love the romance and the tropes, Beat and Melody themselves were good characters. I thought the plot of this one was super fun and I did enjoy the holiday setting. I'll definitely keep reading Tessa Bailey's romances!

Wreck the Halls is a romance set around the holidays, but is not so holiday centered that it wouldn’t work for the reader at any time of year. Beat and Melody are the children of the famous rock duo Steel Birds. When a television network approaches them to try to reunite the band, they sign on to be live streamed in their efforts to get their moms back together. And they develop a romance along the way.

Wreck the Halls is heavy on the spice and a lot of the dialogue around that felt forced and didn’t work for me. Sex scenes aside, I thought it was a cute romance story.

I’m beginning to realize that Tessa Bailey is so hit or miss for me. This book was kind of in the middle for me - didn’t love it, but didn’t hate it either. Would I recommend it? Probably - perhaps you’ll enjoy the book more than I did!

I was hoping the book would get me in the holiday spirit, but the book didn’t quite do it for me. But if I were to describe the book in a just a few words, it would be: enemies-to-lovers, edging, reality show stars, rockstar reunion, cheesy.

Thanks so much, NetGalley and Avon Books, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A fun, flirty and steamy celebrity romance set during the holidays. This was an enjoyable and charming read.
Thank you Avon and Netgalley.

3.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I know there are a lot of mixed reviews going around about this one, but I enjoyed it for what it was. It was out there and unrealistic, but I didn’t go into it expecting a lot of realism.

Thoughts:
-I liked Melody and Beat. I think Beat’s name was corny and bizarre, but I like their personalities. They each grew up in the public eye because of their mothers and I found it interesting how different they turned out
-It made sense that Melody and Beat would feel a kinship towards each other, but I absolutely think their relationship was a little too insta-love. There was a connection there, but it developed too fast for what I was feeling between them
-A lot of the negative reviews I’m seeing are mocking the idea of a almost 24/7 reality show, but honestly I think in our current culture, that isn’t too far out in left field. I kind of liked the idea of the reality show following them around and catching honest moments
-The blackmail was a little out of the blue and an odd turn I don’t know that I needed
-Don’t go into this thinking it’s a Christmas book.. it’s not. I’m honestly not entirely sure why it was marketed as a Christmas book because other than the name of the reality show being ‘Wreck The Halls’ and it taking place around Christmas, there was nothing Christmasy about it

Overall, this was a typical Tessa Bailey book. It had a little too much insta-love for my liking and was a bit corny, but it was an enjoyable, quick read. If you typically enjoy her writing, give it a shot!

Thank you Avon Books, Tessa Bailey, and Netgalley for a #gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a rom com about two children of estranged rock stars who are trying to reunite their parents. I enjoyed Mel & Beat's hijinks during this book as well as the reality show of it all. Fun and spicy holiday read.

A fun holiday story with some spice!
‌
Trina and Octavia were the it girl band back in the day until something broke up the band and they haven’t spoke. Since.
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Beat and Melody are their kids. They met once as teens and at that time sparks flew but nothing ever came of it.
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Now there’s talk of a tv show to get the band back together. Live on tv. They approach Beat. He’s being blackmailed and needs the money. But will only agree if they can convince Melody. Melody has a fraught relationship with her mother and is looking to free herself financially and she also agrees.
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I adored Beat and Melody (& those names). They truly seem to be soulmates. I enjoyed their romance and the storyline as they attempt to reunite the band.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Two adult children are on track to reunite two former rock stars who happen to be their Mother’s. This book is full of ups and downs and lots of romance and fun comedy. A really good read.

TL;DR:
- 4.5 stars
- Content warnings: blackmail, discussion (?) of kinks
- Holiday-esque rom-com between two children of ex-pop stars.

Loved:
- Some of y'all did not like that her name was Melody and his name was Beat. But have y'all heard of celebrities in this century? This isn't even that weird. I LOVED them. Sue me. I did. But Melody had my whole entire beating and bloody heart.
- For a character as special as Melody, it was only right that Beat be SO obsessed with her from the get-go. It was unwavering and it was on every page. I loved that. The storyline obviously followed his own issues with admitting that love to himself, his personal issues, his trust issues, etc. but I never doubted that he wanted her, and that's kind of unique and fun!
- I read a reasonable amount of Bailey - this feels like the first time we've stepped into a kind of side plot that was so consuming of the narrative and drove the love interest's actions (the blackmail) and it was interesting! It's not for everyone but I liked it.

Less into:
- It's not really a holiday book, IMO! You can read this in any season. I'm not against it but don't pick it up thinking you're going to get big holiday vibes. There is snow though!

Pick up for a hot and sweet romance between Melody and Beat. I loved it!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I loved this more than I thought I would but I honestly love everything Tessa touches just about. Definitely had twists that kept you going. Beat and Melody just kept you sucked in and it’s a reality show I’d watch.

*3.5⭐️
I think the most important part about reading this book is that I genuinely had fun with it. I love celebrity gossip and reality TV, both of which are featured heavily in this book. I also liked how it had the atmosphere of Christmas time in the city, which I loved.
I also loved Melody and Beat together. Like their names suggest, they definitely work better together than alone. I definitely bought the idea of them as soulmates, which I love seeing in romance novels.
I think the only thing I didn’t like was how genuinely ridiculous parts of the book were. Like, why was the show filmed so dangerously? The live feed led to multiple things concerning their safety, like their location and things about their homes, being compromised and I found it both unrealistic and a little concerning that this would even be possible. Also, did Melody and Beat not have phones? I know they couldn’t say a lot to each other on camera, but couldn’t they have texted?
Overall, I did really enjoy this novel, I just wish the reality show would have been a little different.

If you are looking to spice up your Christmas reading, check out Wreck The Halls by Tessa Bailey. Wreck The Halls follows Melody Gallard and Beat Dawkins. The two are the progeny of bandmates Trina and Octavia of the Steel Birds. As it turns out, The Steel Birds broke up before Melody and Beat were born. The two had only met once in their youth, but it was a meeting neither had ever forgot. Flash forward to present day and the Steel Birds have had a resurgence of popularity. The general public wants the band to reunite. However, Octavia and Trina refuse to talk and hate each other. Melody and Beat are offered a million dollars if they participate in a multi platform reality show and help reunite their mothers on Christmas Eve for a special concert. It feels like mission impossible, but Melody and Beat win over the general public and there’s this intense chemistry between the two.

I’ll be honest, I kind of sped through the spicy intimate scenes to get back to the plot. And like, I know that those scenes are supposed to be the feature. However, the plot is what had me riveted and interested. I liked the dynamic between Melody and Beat. Melody has a cool job restoring vintage young adult books. Beat has a few hangups that definitely could benefit from processing with a mental health professional so that he could learn healthy coping skills. I enjoyed the whole concept of the multiplatform reality show too. This was a really fun read. I likely won’t revisit, but I am happy for the time that I spent reading Wreck The Halls.

ON A SCALE OF ONE TO BUDDY THE ELF, HOW MUCH CHRISTMAS SPIRIT DOES WRECK THE HALLS BY TESSA BAILEY HAVE?
I mean, there is a Christmas Eve concert to contend with. Also, the weather in this book feels very Christmas-y. Overall, sure, I felt like this had SOME Christmas spirit, it wasn’t saccharine like a lot of the stuff I like around this time of year. It was fun, definitely put me in the holiday mood.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
TW: PLEASE CHECK
Spice: Open Door
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫[3.5/5]
Review written by: M
 
Plot:
Beat and Melody reunite after 14 years to film a livestream show to make the impossible come true. Their one goal? To reunite the Steel Birds, an iconic duo composed of their mothers which tragically came to an end. The reason why? No one knows. As time goes on it becomes less about the duo reuniting and more about peoples obsession with Beat & Melody’s relationship.
 
Thoughts:
Tessa Bailey’s books will always have a spot in my heart. Although I enjoyed this book it still does not top “It Happened One Summer” & “Hook, Line & Sinker”.
 
I enjoyed the crazy moms and the whole backstory of the band. The overall plot was great and kept me entertained although it was a bit unrealistic.
 
Melody was adorable for the most part and related to her in many ways, however there were parts of Beat that creeped me out a bit throughout the story. I can’t quite put my finger on it.
 
One thing this book revolves around quite a bit that I have always found interesting in humans is how two people can live through extremely similar situations and yet react complete differently, developing drastically different defense mechanisms from them.
 
There are two reasons this book did not get a 4 or 5 star from me. The first reason is that although the book is set around Christmas there was no Christmas vibes which I felt was a bit disappointing. The second reason is that the love story between Beat & Melody was a bit too instalove for my liking.
 
If you like Tessa Baileys crazy writing give this one a shot!

I saved this to read closer to Christmas and am glad I did, as it's a fun wintertime read to get in the holiday spirit. Melody and Beat are easy to fall in love with and their moms are a hoot. I didn't want to put this one down and read it all in one cozy weekend!

#Belody for life. This wasn't a super holiday centric book, but the romance was so sweet! There was some spice and a lot of sexual tension/slow burn, but both MCs fall hard and fast. I would totally watch this reality show!