Wreck The Halls by Tessa Bailey is such a fun Christmas romcom!

This book plays into my obsession of rockstar romance, so my opinion may be slightly bias. I loved the concept, and I really enjoyed reading something a little different from Tessa Bailey. Many of her trademark tropes and styles are still present, but the content is a little different to what I would typically expect from her.

Beat and Melody are great characters, although they were perhaps lacking in a bit of personality (aside from the insta-love, male MC obsessed with female MC trait in many of TB's books). They are both genuine and loving people, and they're both people you wish you were friends with!

Their plight of reuniting their famous mothers was enjoyable to follow, and all of the interactions with the two women together were hilarious.

This is such a cosy Christmas book, written with plenty of style and spice (and a side of kink). Loved it and definitely recommend!

I was lucky enough to get approved for an early copy of this book for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, Avon and Tessa Bailey!

After meeting once 14 years ago, Beat and Melody have from December 1st to Christmas Eve to reunite their feuding mothers for one final live performance, 30 years after their breakup, all while being filmed for a reality tv show.

When I first started this, I wasn't quite sure where it was going but I found myself really enjoying it very quickly. It had some tropes that I love seeing in romance books, especially the forced proximity, and it was just genuinely funny. There's a thread of mystery that keeps you wondering throughout the entire book and while it's set around Christmas, it’s not that Christmas-sy, which I enjoyed. Also, he calls her peach and I don't know why I love it so much but I really, really do!

Overall, I think Tessa Bailey is a fantastic author, this is the eleventh book of hers that I've read. While my favourite remains It Happened One Summer (the first one I ever read), there has been a few I've loved since then as well, with Wreck the Halls now being added to that list.

With the cute cover, I thought this wold be a fun, lighthearted read. Alas, this was not for me. With a plot that has been used endless times, and characters that were unrelatable, there was nothing for the reader to connect with.

A shame, as the blurb showed promise.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

Second Chance Romance | Christmas Theme

•Melody Gallard is offered a lot of money to reunite her mother’s band on live TV. Beat Dawkin is offered the same deal to get his legendary mum to perform one last show. The Steel Birds potential reunion may also snowball a newfound love between Melody and Beat.
•I liked Beat just until he dropped his confession and then I was turned off from him all the way to the end of the book. I thought he was over the top when he did turn on the romance. The plot wasn’t groundbreaking and I didn’t vibe with the main characters. This was my first Tessa Bailey read and I enjoyed her writing style, but maybe this book just wasn’t for the inner Grinch that I am. If you have enjoyed Tessa’s other reads than I’m sure this wouldn’t disappoint.

★★★★ 4/5

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

Swoony, sensual and laugh-out-loud funny, Wreck the Halls is pure, unadulterated joy! I adored every single thing about this book, without exception. The connection between Beat and Melody feels truly genuine and the way their relationship develops is so heartfelt and authentic that I was completely engaged from the very first word to the last. This is one of my top reads of the year and I cannot recommend it enough!

A gorgeous, Christmas love story with a sprinkling of mystery, flurries of suspense, and a supporting cast of entertaining characters; Wreck the Halls is sure to warm your heart. Beat and Melody are the grown up children of former rock group Steel Birds leading women, Octavia and Trina.
Having grown up with vastly different ideals, Beat and Melody, are brought together in the current day under the premise of a live-streamed Steel Birds reunion on Christmas Eve; however, the mother's have sworn off ever talking to the other again. Beat and Melody play an instrumental role (see what I did there??) with getting the band back together, all for a generous reward of course!
Along the way, love and feelings start to enter the equation and suddenly the live-stream audience are now shipping the kids harder than the band getting together!
Overall, Wreck the Halls is an extremely entertaining read that holds attention, provides the warm fuzzy feels and spice, character development, and a happy ever after!

No matter the book, I can always trust Tessa to make me feel like I'm under a cuddly blanket. Wreck the Halls is a super fun holiday read full of banter for an all so important rom com feel. This won't disappoint for all fans of Tessa Bailey and new fans too.

Beat and Melody's love story had me swooning, laughing and crying. I managed to finish in one sitting, being in true Bailey fashion, very easy to read. Both characters are so well formed, making it very easy to empathise with them, even though I personally don't know the struggle of growing up with famous parents. The spice in the book is top notch and even involves a little extra kink.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Australia and Tessa Bailey for an advanced copy. This is due out 3rd October 2023.

Melody Gallard is the daughter of one-half of the iconic all-female rock duet, Steel Birds. She lives her life firmly out of the spotlight after being vilified online as an awkward teen. Beat Dawkins is the son of the lead singer. He's charismatic and loved by everyone he meets. They've only met once, as the band split just before they were born, but that meeting left a lasting impact. Now, fourteen years later, Beat and Melody need to reunite Steel Birds (whose split was notoriously acrimonious) in time for Christmas, and with a 24-hour reality TV crew following their every move.
I was completely invested in this story from the first page. I really loved both main characters. Beat was keeping an important part of himself back (in more ways than one) from everyone, while Melody had completely shunned public attention. I adored their chemistry. It seemed insta-love at first glance, but they were actually the most swoony soulmates, and I truly loved the development of both characters throughout the story. Their mutual adoration (but particularly from Beat) was palpable even early on, and Beat's reactions to Melody felt so visceral that I could almost feel them, just like the heavy beats of his heart. I loved how much they supported each other in so many little ways, and my oh my, the intimacy was hot... Like, SO HOT, but also moving.
The subplots are all interwoven beautifully. The respective mothers, Trina and Octavia were sassy and absolutely hilarious, and there were some truly comedic moments (the Santas immediately come to mind) but I particularly enjoyed the development of their relationships with their children. I also loved the bubbling tension between the producer, Danielle, and the cameraman, Joseph - I would happily read an entire book about them (seriously, I need it!) This book had the makings of THE BEST Christmas rom-com movie. There are just so many sweet, hilarious, and swoon-worthy moments, and I could visualise every single one, particularly the final chapters.
I'll leave it at this: You can't make a good love song without a beat and a melody. Gorgeous. #Beat+Melody=CoupleGoals

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥.5
Emotional Rating: 🥰😬😲😂🥰😉😂💓😍💓😉😂🥰😏💓🙈😂😉🥰💓😍🔥💓😢🤬💓😍🔥😂🙈😂😢💔😍💓🥰😂🙈😒😢😮🔥🥵💓😢💔🙈💓😂🥰😊😭👏🏻🥰😊😂😍🥵🥰🤦🏻‍♀️😢💓😂😍😭🥰👏🏻😍🥰😂🥰💓🥰

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review. Wreck The Halls is published on 3rd October in the UK*

Favourite Quotes:

"I'm not a vice."
"You could be"

“I can take care of myself. Stop worrying about me.”
His voice rose. “Do you think I can just turn this off? Carve you out of my chest? I
can’t.”

“You’ll never leave my system, Mel. You’re one half of it.”

“You’re so much better than I was expecting, too.”


(I will upload the same review to Amazon UK on publication day. Thank you!)

Melody Gallard and Beat Dawkins first meet when they are in their teens and neither forget the other. However, the public and media are determined to bring these two adult children of former rock stars together. When they meet again, the spark between them is more like a flame and despite the 24-hour film crew, filming their every move, Melody and Beat grow closer. Despite their different upbringing, they have a connection that will either bring them together or tear them apart. However, Beat is hiding a scandal from his parents which threatens to wreck the reunion between their parents and their band, the Steel Birds.
A great romance between two quite different characters. They face the intensity of the media and still manage to capture time together. It is during these times that their insecurities are revealed, and their relationship develops. I enjoyed seeing this couple and their ability to overcome their past hurts. A great read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

WHEW.

Tessa Bailey has done it to me oNCE AGAIN. I claim I'm not a romance reader but I literally eat up everything she writes. And guys. This might be a favourite after IHOS. Yes. My boy Beat almost takes Taggart's top spot. Almost. ;)

Anyways. We have Beat and Melody, kids of famous rockstar moms who had a very ugly, very public falling out when the band broke up. Even though they knew of each other through their shared famous world, Beat and Melody only ever officially met and hung out once when they were teenagers. And they both felt an instant spark. Fast forward 15 years, and Beat and Melody are being roped into working together to bring their moms' band back together. Think a live reality show; there's a 24-hour camera film crew, fans posting about the live stream, and so much drama between their family feud it is HILARIOUS. We've got some great pop culture references, and bustling NYC life. I love the setting and it felt like watching a reality show (which is funny bc I do not watch reality tv?? But I loved this?? Perhaps because it was music-based??).

We've got childhood friends to lovers, forced proximity and a huge case of opposites attract. Beat is the lead singer's son; the camera loves him, he's charismatic and charming and outgoing, total main character yet golden retriever energy. Then we have Melody, daughter of music royalty, but she couldn't be more different to her zany mom or outgoing Beat if she tried. She spends her days avoiding the limelight and restoring old books (my heart), so seeing her be front and centre of a live reality show was cringe and gave me such second-hand embarrassment for her. The poor girl. BUT. Beat is secretly in denial about his MASSIVE crush and is falling quite in love with the lovely Melody. And the best part is, because everything is being live-streamed, the entire world is watching Beat fall in love with Melody. Their similar pasts, and rockstar moms, in a world where everyone famous is scrutinised; they bonded over mutual understanding and I LOVED that so much. There's something so special about the deep understanding of someone, and the strong connection that is impossible to ignore. I loved Beat and Melody SO much. I especially loved Beat's inner monologue and...ahem...kink. ;)

I honestly didn't expect to love this one as much as I did. Perhaps it was the music scene, perhaps it was the reality show vibes, perhaps it was just that I am such a Tessa Bailey fangirl and that woman knows how to write a binge-worthy romcom.

This is such a great holiday read, I mean you cannot go wrong with Christmas in NYC. The vibes were on point and I really just had a fun time with this one. Lots of laughter. Lots of tears. Both happy and sad. it was a perfectly emotional yet funny read.

3.75 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and Tessa Bailey for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I usually love Tessa's books but something always seems lacking in these Christmas ones and I don't know why! I didn't feel the chemistry between Beat and Melody, and felt the ending, particularly the proposal was rushed. Overall, it was still an okay book but it definitely isn't my favourite.

Tessa Bailey is an author I automatically read, so when she announced this novel, I immediately went to NetGalley to request it. Wreck The Halls is my fourth novel by her, and I fell in love with it as always. This holiday novel was an enchanting and well-written, friend-to-lovers romance. I love reading rockstar romances, and it was particularly interesting to read one about the children of rockstars, who were not one themselves. I completely adored reading about Beat and Melody, and their love story is one that I will remember for a long time. I loved their dynamic and how much they achieved together. I can't wait until October to finally get my hands on a physical copy of this.

“...his throat burned with the need to reach back into the past and rearrange every hour of his life, so it could have been spent with her.”

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A holiday rom-com about the children of two former rock stars? I was in from the start.
It wasn't what I call a Christmas novel, but maybe that's because I was so involved with the plot, the fact that it was Christmas seemed very much in the background.

It was a little Daisy Jones and the Six but much more light hearted.
There was a touch of Twisted Love (also to a more light hearted extent) but I felt it didnt really need that.

It's funny, sweet, sad in parts, steamy in others - and I didn't want it to end.

I was so excited to be given an ARC copy of Tessa Baileys newest novel “Wreck The Halls”.
Thank you Harper Collins for this amazing opportunity!
Tessa has once again given us an amazing story between Beat and Melody. From the get go, I thoroughly adored not just the interactions between these two MCs but also the story of their mothers and how their lives could have been if there was never a fallout between them.
I feel like Tessa Bailey can do no wrong and that she has once again given us a story filled with love, mystery, adventure, tears and laughs!
I can see that ‘Wreck The Halls’ is definitely going to be a hit come October so if you haven’t already preordered your copy, get to it!!!

I was lucky enough to receive this book as an ARC on Netgalley.

Melody Gallard may be the daughter of music royalty, but her world is far from glamorous. She spends her days restoring old books and avoiding the limelight (one awkward tabloid photo was enough, thanks). But when a producer offers her a lot of money to reunite her mother's band on live tv, Mel begins to wonder if it's time to rattle the cage, shake up her quiet life... and see him again. The only other person who could wrangle the rock and roll divas. Beat Dawkins, the lead singer's son, is Melody's opposite--the camera loves him, he could charm the pants off anyone, and his mom is not a potential cult leader. Still, they might have been best friends if not for the legendary feud that broke up the band. When they met as teenagers, Mel felt an instant spark, but it's nothing compared to the wild, intense attraction that builds as they embark on a madcap mission to convince their mothers to perform one last show. While dealing with rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, and mobs of adoring fans, Mel starts to step out of her comfort zone. With Beat by her side, cheering her on, she's never felt so understood. But Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and a decades-old scandal is poised to wreck everything--the Steel Birds reunion, their relationships with their mothers, and their newfound love.

I love everything Tessa Bailey reads and knew I was going to love this book. I could not put this book down!!! It had me hooked from the beginning!!

I loved Beat & Melody’s characters in this book!! I love the dynamic of their characters and the chemistry they have from the beginning. I love that they achieved the hardest task and got their happy endings.

I definitely recommend this book!!

Rating: 4 / 5⭐️’s

Beat and Melody first cross paths when they are 16. He’s confident. She’s shy. They have known about each other all their lives due to their mothers, but as they’ve had a falling out they’ve never met.

They felt a connection and kinship in that at first meeting.

Fast forward 14 years and Beat needs Melody’s help to reunite their mothers. Their mums were rock superstars and the world wants a reunion. Beat needs Melody’s help to make that happen but he has a secret reason for it too.

#instaconnection
#forcedproximity
#rockstarparents
#oppositesattract

There’s such a fun and lightness to the writings of Tessa Bailey. She has you laughing, then crying then hot and bothered the next. This one does all that and so much more. It is sweet and swoony, and Beat is all the things you want in a book boyfriend. Melody underestimates herself as she is incredibly witty and thinks fast on her feet.

The mothers are hilarious - they despise each other and the way they eventually talk to each other is great.

A really enjoyable read.

4 stars

Firstly, thank you to Harper collins, net gallery and Tessa for the amazing chance to read this ARC for my honest review.

This romcom was so wholesome and I cracked up so many times. Beat and Melody has the most amazing couple dynamic (kind of friends to lovers / insta love). They meet once when they were teenagers and never spoke again until 14 years later where they end up on a reality TV show together in the attempt to re-unite their mothers to give one last Christmas Eve performance, after the iconic rock duo split 30 years ago. The banter between their mothers had me in stitches. The spice and sexual tension between Beat and Melody had me wanting more! I loved the way Beat helped Melody become more confident show her how amazing she really is and the live stream reality tv show element was unique and done so well.
This book will leave you feeling swoony and such a breath of fresh air from my usual enemies to lovers books.

If you love the tropes below, you will love this book!
- opposites attract
- Holiday Rom com
- It was always you
- Forced proximity
- Spicy romance
- Childhood friends to lovers / Insta love

Rating: ★★★★½

I'm thrilled to extend my gratitude to NetGalley, Tessa Bailey, and Harper Collins for providing me the opportunity to dive into a truly fantastic read. "Wreck The Halls" by Tessa Bailey, published by Harper Collins on October 3rd, 2023, is an exhilarating standalone holiday romantic comedy that hits all the right notes – from laughter to passion to heartwarming connections.

The premise of this novel is an absolute gem – a sexy and uproarious holiday rom-com centered around the offspring of former rock legends who team up to orchestrate a Christmas Eve concert featuring their estranged mothers. Melody Gallard, living a life far from the glitz of her music royalty lineage, suddenly finds herself at a crossroads when a producer offers her a substantial sum to reunite her mother's band on live TV. As her world starts to shake, she realizes that she needs to step out of her comfort zone and reconnect with the irresistible Beat Dawkins, the son of the lead singer and her long-lost friend.

Tessa Bailey masterfully weaves together humor, romance, and a touch of holiday magic into a tale that hooks readers from the start. Melody and Beat's dynamic is a delightful mix of opposites – she's the quiet book restorer avoiding the limelight, while he's a camera-friendly charmer with a knack for turning heads. Their history is rife with teenage sparks, but it's the fiery connection they rediscover during their offbeat mission that truly sizzles.

The journey to reunite the rock diva mothers is an uproarious ride filled with hilarious rock star shenanigans, brawling Santas, and adoring fans. Bailey has a gift for crafting scenes that have readers both chuckling and swooning, creating a perfect balance between the comedic and the heartfelt. As the story unfolds, it becomes evident that Melody and Beat's chemistry is the backbone of this narrative, beautifully portrayed against the backdrop of chaos and nostalgia.

"Wreck The Halls" not only brings laughter and romance but also delves into themes of self-discovery and stepping out of one's comfort zone. As Melody sheds her reserved nature with Beat's unwavering support, readers witness her blossoming into a more confident version of herself. Alongside the charming and cheeky Beat, their shared journey to mend family ties and find love is truly heartwarming.

While the story's pacing is generally on point, there might be moments where the narrative feels slightly rushed, particularly concerning certain character developments. Nevertheless, these minor bumps hardly detract from the overall enjoyment of this captivating tale.

In closing, "Wreck The Halls" earns its spot as a must-read holiday rom-com. Tessa Bailey has masterfully captured the essence of romance and laughter while infusing it with a touch of rock and roll magic. With vibrant characters, uproarious situations, and a delightful dose of heart, this novel delivers a fun and spirited journey that will leave you with a smile and a desire to dance to your own tune.

Tessa Bailey is a must read author for me, and enjoyed this book, I enjoyed the plot and the characters were well rounded and I enjoyed their development. this book has was great.

This book could easily be made into a Christmas romance movie. It's set in the weeks leading up to Christmas in New York but Christmas itself is not particularly significant - it's Christmas Eve that looms as a deadline for destined lovers Beat and Melody as they attempt to do the impossible: reunite their mothers and, in the process, reunite the Steel Birds for the first time in decades.


That they're going to fall in love along the way is inevitable, but it was still fun to see how it all played out. These two are completely obsessed with each other in their own ways, but there are plenty of sweet and funny moments to balance out the spice. 


This was my first Tessa Bailey and won't be my last. I enjoyed the writing, the pace, and the funny, witty, likeable characters. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for those looking for a fun, Christmas-y, spicy romance. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review it.