Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. I’ve been feeling very guilty that it is taking me so long to get through books. Life has gotten very busy - my apologies to the publisher.

I seem to be having a hit/miss pattern with Tessa Bailey’s releases. I loved Unfortunately Yours, but this one didn’t really work for me.

The children of two former band mates work together to try and reunite their parents by Christmas Eve, while on reality TV.

Things I did like:
- The “reunite the band!” concept. This was fun and the parents were hilarious.
- The reason for the band breakup and how this was managed at the end.
- The Tessa Bailey spice - she is a true master of steam

Things that didn’t work:
- This did not feel Christmas to me. I don’t know if it should have been marketed this way.
- I did not buy the insta-romance between the leads. It all felt too quick.
- I did not buy the scale of interest in the reality TV set up either.

The crux of it: because I couldn’t suspend reality enough to believe in the show and the rapid timeframe for the romance, I couldn’t get into it. Oh well! This just means I’m going to LOVE the next Tessa Bailey release per my pattern. Bring it on!

This was such a fun Tessa Bailey book! The premise had me so intrigued – two adult children working together to convince their estranged former rockstar mothers to play a Christmas Eve concert.

Tessa loves to write a boy obsessed and man, Beat was obsessed with Melody – we love to see it! She's the shy book restorer living a quiet life, while Beat is his opposite. But this just leads to the best opposites attract dynamic. And do they attract! I felt the chemistry and spark between Beat and Melody from the prologue.

They were the definition of soulmates, as they truly understood and trusted each other. They were each other's safe space in their chaotic world.

Add in some fun banter, spice and shenanigans and you have a great holiday romance.

What a fabulous read Wreck The Halls has been! It’s sexy as all get-up but also manages to pack in plenty of humour along with some great one-liners. Actually the dialogue is a definite selling point in this story, which sees Melody Gallard and Beat Dawkins pairing up in front of a live-streamed audience in a bid to reunite their feuding mothers Trina and Octavia, former rock stars. I loved the palpable sexual tension that floated off the page whenever Beat and Melody were in the same space. These two were meant to be, but they certainly had to fight for their happy ever after. With blackmail, bullying and self-image issues in their backgrounds Melody and Beat had plenty to overcome as their story unfolded. This is a quick-paced story that held my attention throughout and left me with a smile on my face.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey delivers a sexy, hilarious standalone holiday rom-com about the adult children of two former rock stars who team up to convince their estranged mothers to play a Christmas Eve concert…

Well, this was a fun one! Tessa Bailey is fast becoming one of my favourite rom-com authors. Her novels always have just the right amount of ‘feel good’, heartwarming, cosy with lots of spice. This one was no exception.

Melody and Beat are the children of famous singing duo Steel Birds. The band broke up while they were pregnant with their respective children and haven’t spoken a word to each other in all those years. No one knows why they broke up and they have never made it public.

Enter reality TV producer Danielle, who is offering a large sum of money to Beat and Melody if they can get their mothers to come back together for a live stream reunion … easier said than done as the two women hate each other.

Overall, it was such an enjoyable and entertaining read with great characters and hilarious banter. The perfect Christmas read without all the over the top Christmas “stuff”! Did I mention all the steam? 🔥🥵🌶️🌶️🌶️🤓

Many thanks to the wonderful team @harpercollins for sending this cutie my way 💌

I enjoy Tessa Bailey, but her books are a hit and miss with me and this one, unfortunately, was a miss. I liked the premise - the grown children of ex-band mates and famous rock stars band together to reunite them before Christmas. There’s a blackmailing scheme, a deadline, a reality tv show and of course, there’s the two of them falling in love. I enjoyed the character development for both Melody and Beat and the spice was excellent! I just found myself a bit bored with the pacing and wanting it to be over. So there were lots of great things about it, but it felt like something was missing.

This story was not what I was expecting. It was even better.

I know that when I read a Tessa Bailey story I’m going to get plenty of laughs, but this one surprised me with a whole bunch of feels too.

Melody and Beat couldn’t be more different, yet perfect for each other if they tried. I loved this friends to lovers, second chance romance and definitely recommend if you need a little spicy Christmas joy in your life.

Mel and Beat work to bring their mothers back together to play a Christmas Eve concert. Throwing some scandal, a little angst, some spice and a whole lotta Christmas cheer, and you have a really heart warming and feel good rom com on your hands. Absolutely loved this from start to finish. Couldn’t put it down.

I knew this book was going to be cute the moment I heard our main characters' names were Beat and Melody. Children of two besties who were in a band together but then split ways, they haven't seen each other in a long time only to be thrown together for a documentary and in the hopes of the band getting back together.

This book was a lot of fun! The storyline was unique, our characters were cute together and had chemistry and while it wasn't actually Christmasy (it was just set around Christmas time), it is still a good one to add to your holiday list. My only gripe was how they kept going back and forth about whether or not they wanted to be together - make up your mind guys! I loved the happy ending though.

"You have serious dad energy."
"And here I thought I was exuding serious daddy energy."
"Oh, don't worry, you've got that, too."

This second chance(ish) christmas romance was a lot of fun and just such an easy feel good read (as Tessa Bailey books usually are)

Wreck the Halls follows Beat and Melody as they join a live stream reality show to try to convince their Mothers to reuinte their rock band Steel Birds who broke up before they were born.

Highly recommend if you're after a quick, spicy friends to lovers read that will put you in the holiday spirit!

The first thing you have to prepare yourself for when embarking on this little Xmas-themed roller-coaster ride is that it's one of Bailey's more chaotic romances, so straight away you should know you're up for some straight-up UNHINGED shenanigans. The second thing is that the MMC's name is Beat. Yep. So once you're over that, you can get on with enjoying the rest of the story, which, frankly, was so entertaining I devoured it like leftover roast chicken on Boxing Day.

The elevator pitch for this romance is fairly straightforward - the two kids of a famous rock duo are offered an insane amount of money to facilitate a band reunion by Xmas, all the while being live-streamed for the internet. The execution of this is where Bailey really shines as a seasoned and very capable romance author - she just never drops the ball and somehow you're happy to swallow (pun intended) whatever ridiculous scenario she dreams up whether it's an only-one-mattress situation in an old attic or a blackmail subplot that becomes part of the couple's trust issues. She gives just enough credibility to the silly premise to make it believable, and before you know it you're sucked into the story and avidly following the fire-starting chemistry between Melody and Beat as much as the fictional TV show live-stream viewers. They're the children of two true rock-n-roll divas, so of course they are sooo dramatic about each other.

The kick here for me is that I've never really been a fan of insta-love trope, and yet I ate that up here. Having met only once when they were 16, the two main characters just about set the pages on fire when they're reunited for the insane reunion stunt and I would be lying if I said I wasn't swooning from how much "they're my soulmate, I'm incomplete without him/her" was being served up. Add to that that the sexy times scenes are hella spicy plus that trademark Bailey cringey sex-talk and you've got a good time happening. But wait - Beat has a KINK. It's not a hugely shocking or depraved one, but the author has a fun time with it (as does Melody, wink wink).

Overall it's not even overtly Xmas-themed except for the snow of NYC in December and the reunion concert deadline looming on Xmas Eve, so I'd say go ahead and jump into it, don't wait for the silly season.

tessa bailey has certainly got a fan in me. i really really enjoyed this wintery christmasy rom com delight.

Octavia and Trina are two halves of a massive rock duo, who had a very public falling out while on tour and haven’t spoken since. they were both pregnant at the time, but because of the falling out their respective children only met once when they were awkward sixteen year olds. Now, Melody and Beat are adults, and ever since that one meeting when they were teens they knew they had a strong connection. so when melody and beat get offered lots of $$ to star in a live-streamed reality show with the sole purpose of reuniting their mums for a one-off performance on christmas eve, the pair can’t help but be drawn together, even though they know the task is near impossible. while they try and convince their mums to reunite, the world falls in love with belody, because there’s no melody without a beat.

i’m so obsessed with these two and found myself really invested in them embracing their love and lust and everything in between. sometimes i find romance novels to be a bit too drawn out and slow, but i felt like the pacing in this was really good and kept me wanting more. sprinkle in some chrismtas cheer, snowfights, and forced prosoximity/only one bed tropes, and it makes for a great read.

i find it really hard to give romance books 5 stars because the way that they all have a classic miscommunication trope at the end always leaves me feeling so frustrated because so often i feel like it was so unnecessary and could have been avoided with some healthy communication. i hope and pray there is a 5-star romance out there for me, and even though this was not it, i promise it came closer than any romance has come before it.

“ A sexy, hilarious standalone holiday rom-com about the adult children of two former rock stars who team up to convince their estranged mothers to play a Christmas Eve concert…”

Always enjoy a good Tessa Bailey book they’re so fun and easy to read and really enjoyable! The connection between Melody and Beat was incredible and the depth of emotion that Tessa was able to portray made them feel so real.

‘Tis nearly the season for cute holiday romances and Wreck the Halls is the perfect holiday treat! Melody and Beat’s story was fun, swoon-worthy and slightly spicy, ultimately the perfect little mix of heart and angst to keep you cosy this holiday season.

Loaded with Bailey’s signature witty dialogue and sizzling chemistry, this book was a delight. Both characters have their baggage and complicated family dynamics which make the story all the richer – if there’s one thing most of us can relate to it’s the absolute chaos that comes with forced proximity to certain family members during the holidays. It was so interesting to witness both their complicated relationships with their parent’s notoriety and their subsequent fame by association. It was refreshing to see characters have to navigate these tricky familial situations head-on as the main obstacle in the story rather than a subplot. It felt immensely relatable.

Beat and Melody both felt complex but had a sparkling charm that left me deeply invested in their journeys. My main critique is that it felt a bit rushed. I wish we could’ve witnessed more of Melody’s career/current life and what it meant to her, and more of the two characters spending time with both their respective friend groups but aside from that I can’t complain. This story was a heartfelt and delightful melody (pun intended) of both familial and romantic love that is sure to warm up a lot of hearts this December.

Christmas and Tessa Bailey - it's sure to be a winning combination right? Well, for the most part, yes, it is.

Considering the novel is set in the month of December, I was hoping for more magical Christmas feels than what I was given. There is mention of snowflakes falling, and some Christmas lights, however this tends to be the extent of it unfortunately.

Beat (yes, that is his name, and it is very distracting) and Melody, our star couple, are soulmates from the moment they met (once) at age 16. Fourteen years later, Beat is in desperate need of more money to fund a blackmailer, and his solution is to accept a lucrative offer to try and reunite his musician mother, and her former best friend (Melody's mother) for a reunion concert, set to take place on Christmas Eve.

The journey to get there is filled with secrets, family conflict and some childhood induced trauma; sprinkled with some sexual tension and chemistry, a pet name, and some live streaming.

Ultimately, I wish the characters had a more grounded and realistic connection from the start - we're lead to believe they were pinning after one another (knowingly or not) for more than a decade, having only met very briefly once. I love the idea that 'when you know, you know', however the infatuation turned love story felt rushed and as a result, inauthentic.

I LOVE Christmas romance novels, but this one probably won't be an annual read for me. That being said, I enjoyed the story overall. I was never certain of where the story was going to go next, which is always appreciated, and in true Tessa Bailey fashion, I felt compelled to keep reading this well into the early hours of the morning.

***Kindly received an ARC from NetGallery in exchange for an honest review

One of the things I really love about Tessa Bailey's writing is it feels really intimate and personal. We see our MFC and MMC's hopes, dreams and fears, and that was true in Wreck the Halls.

I love Christmas books and I love second-chance romances, so Wreck the Halls seemed right up my alley.

Beat and Melody are the children of an amazing band, and they are offered LOTS of money to do a reality show with the hopes of getting the band back together.

It took a while for me to get over Beat's reasoning for agreeing to do the show, and also his name.

I appreciate romances where the characters can squarely address their feelings head-on, and I wish Melody and Beat did so a little more in this book.

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers Australia and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this as an ARC.

"Do you work with a magnifying glass attached to your head?"
"I work mostly from home. Sometimes that's all I wear."

Beat & Melody are the children of the 90's hit girl group Steel Birds. But Steel Birds broke up & refuse to speak to each other. Beat & Melody meet once when they were 16 yrs old & felt an instant kinship. But did not have contact again until they were 30, when a production company approaches them to help with a one of Steel Birds reunion on Christmas Eve, with every step streamed live.
Beat agrees as needs the financial assistance to keep secrets from destroying his family. Melody feeling a kinship with Beat agrees to help & decides this will be the opportunity to either keep her mother in her life or finally cut her off for good.

This is the first Tessa Bailey I have read & enjoyed the Christmas setting & the crux off the story, but parts of it felt off for me. This is definitely a feel good story that you can get lost in, but at parts felt came across as cheesy & put me off a little bit. There also was such a lead up to the potential Christmas reunion, that when we go to that part, felt it was very rushed & next thing I know Im reading The End when I still had things I wanted to know.

I found it easier to put this book down than pick it back up, which was disappointing as really wanted to love this.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read & review.

About as close to perfect as you can get, I absolutely loved this book! Tessa Bailey has sprinkled some magic & given us a swoony love story with an adorable couple in Beat & Melody. The writing is witty, the sexual tension is high, and the rock star mothers are OTT & dramatic!

I’m not a fan of insta-love by any means but it works in this story. Beat & Melody are charged with getting their mothers to reunite for a Christmas Eve concert, but all the attention soon falls to their children & their will they/won’t they relationship. I loved seeing them fall for each other as they set out to achieve the impossible. There were many moments that had me in fits of laughter, and there were just as many moments that had me fanning my face!

This was a fantastic start to my festive reads - the bar is set high! I already want to read this again & would love to see this as a movie!

Tessa Bailey does it again!

I really enjoyed this one! It was super fast-paced and I loved the relationship between Beat and Melody (despite them having really cliché names). Melody is such a witty and fun character and one I could probably relate heavily to if she had a bit more depth. This forced proximity and love-at-first-sight romance had me on the edge of my seat with just the perfect amount of spice. I really didn't want the story to end. It was so enjoyable, I had to force myself to slow down at times as I wanted to savour this one. I really liked the concept of a live-streamed reality show for 12 hours at a time and know in this day and age, people would lap this up just how it is described in the book. I also loved reading a festive love story with New Zealand just coming out of winter. It brought all those cozy vibes back!

This one wasn't totally without flaws though... I felt like the characters didn't have a lot of depth. Like their whole personalities revolved around each other and we never really got to know them outside of their romance and interactions with each other. This was quite apparent with Beat. I couldn't understand why Melody kept justifying his actions until the end when it finally clicked for me. I felt like with a bit more character development I would have a little more sympathy for him and would have understood him better. I also didn't really vibe with how fast their relationship progressed but that might just be a me thing as I LOVE a good slow-to-moderate-burn romance.

4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins NZ for sending me a copy of this one to review! I really enjoyed it!

I'd like to thank HarperCollins Australia for allowing me to read this book early as an ARC copy via NetGalley!

Another great read from Miss Tessa Bailey! This was so entertaining, fast-paced, and fun!
'Wreck the Halls' is a standalone holiday rom-com about the children of two superstars, known as the Steel Birds. The two children, Beat and Melody are tasked with reuniting their mothers to perform for a Christmas Eve concert, which is a hard task- as their mothers haven't spoken for a very long time.

Tessa Bailey did a fantastic job creating an amazing atmosphere for this novel, and as I was reading I felt like I was in New York watching the events of the book play out right in front of me! Tessa did an amazing job creating the relationship between Beat and Melody, and it felt so real! The dialogue between the two characters is witty enough to be interesting but sentimental enough to feel romantic. The perfect balance.

The only reason I docked a star from my rating was due to the overall vibe of the novel. I just wish there was more of an effort made to make it feel really like a Christmas novel, similar to Bailey's 'Window Shopping'. That gave all the Christmas vibes, which I really enjoyed.

This was a great rom-com, that I recommend you go read!

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I really enjoyed My Killer Vacation and everything about Wreck the Halls sounded like it would be another fun read. What’s not to like: adult children of Rockstar Royalty, friends to lovers, one wild road trip of forced proximity that’s being filmed as a holiday special.

For you if you enjoy: Insta-love (literally on the first pages), holiday vibes, spice, NYC @ Xmas and filmed reunion tours.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the chance to read it earlier.