I’m usually not a fan of “insta love” because it always seems extremely unrealistic to me, but Tessa Bailey did it RIGHT and I’m now sold on giving the trope a fair chance. Sig and Chloe had the cuuuutest meet cute I’ve read so far. Sparks fly and their heated chemistry is instantaneous. So what are they supposed to do when only hours later they find out their parents are . . . engaged?! Cue the drama llama!! I was so nervous trying to figure out how in the world Tessa would pull off this happily ever after, but I know never to doubt the queen. I don’t know how she makes me fall in love with every couple in her books, she just does. Probably because she makes her MMCs super possessive protectors, and that’s hot as hell in my book.

THANK YOU, NetGalley and Tessa Bailey for this amazing opportunity. I totally freaked out when I was approved for the ARC. This made my month!!

"You love her?” “I exist for her.”

A Tessa Bailey arc? Am I God's favorite?

Imagine this: Sig meets his literal dream girl after his truck breaks down at a country club, they drink champagne, banter, share moonlit kisses ... only to discover a few hours later that Sig's dad is marrying her mom. Yeahhh, they're about to become step-siblings. Although the chemistry is instantaneous, they both know they have to forget what happened between them and move on. immediately... or do they? 👀

Like I said, the chemistry between Sig and Chloe was off 👏 the 👏 charts! All the insta-love, cosmic soulmates vibes you could ever want!! Tessa kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time with the will they/won't throughout the whole book. I was so worried the entire time that the wouldn't find a way to be together (and might just say "fuck it") but the plot twist at the end had me 😱🤯😲.

I could see how this wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, and I'll admit that Chloe annoyed me until she had her "wake up" moment, but even with all my reservations, this might actually be my favorite book in the series. They just made me love LOVE. I was enamored.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!!

I've never read a Tessa Bailey book I didn't adore!! This was no exception! Dream Girl Drama is the 3rd book in the Big Shots series, and was slightly interwoven with "The Au Pair Affair". We met Sig and Chloe in that book, but got to hear their story in this. At times, I really was hoping Sig was going to pull something crazy with a PI investigating his dad. I LOVED this story, it was a little weird to think about Chloe's Mom marrying Sig's Dad, but the friendship that developed within each of them was such a cool story to read. You'll really want to read this one to know the ending!!

While I loved this book, I have a feeling this one is going to be hit or miss for many readers. Sig and Chloe meet hours before they find out they are to become siblings and the chemistry is off the charts. Sadly, they have to immediately stop any sort of intimate relationship once they find out the sad news that their parents will be marrying one another in the very near future. Sig does everything in his power to get his dad to not marry Chloe's mom but to no avail and what are they to do? They must remain friends. This book does end on an HEA and I won't spoil it to say how that happens, but there are only so many ways to skin a cat as they say.

I really liked both Sig and Chloe and their attraction to one another was undeniable. I also love how Sig took care of Chole and taught her so many things about his world works. I also love how he supports her and her passion for music (and skincare). Sig is definitely husband material. Overall this was a fun, spicy read as are all of Tessa's books and this one was a hit for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🏒🛍️💳❄️

TESSA. BAILEY. Constantly raising the bar tbh. I don’t know how she did it but I believe this is my favorite book by her😮‍💨

Whatever was put into this book I want more‼️ absolutely can not wait for more books for this series. Been here since the first thoughts brewed on TikTok and oh they all have what needed to be given. Each book in the Big Shots series has been so incredibly good. I have been sat and I was not patient and begged for this arc 🫣

Thank you times a billion to Avon and NetGalley for the arc!🫶 I will definitely be rereading before release!

The way Chloe and Sig were written truly made a hole in my heart. I adore them. Alone and together. I love how much they cared for each other and defended each other. The spice was everything! They truly just have my heart😭 am obsessed with them and almost skipped class to keep reading. But truly Tessa did phenomenal on Dream Girl Drama and ahhhh I’m just a blabbering mess. Still can not believe I got this arc 🥹 also will definitely be spam posting about them in the next few months🤍

- Future step siblings
- Forbidden love
- Hockey romance
- Insta love💋

📚 Dream Girl Drama
✍ Tessa Bailey
📖 Sports Romance
⭐3/5
🌶️🌶️

🙏 Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy of Dream Girl Drama. All opinions are my own.
◾
🎯 What I loved: I love teammate banter and the quirky relationships between Sig, Burgess and the rookies cracked me up. For many series that feature different teammates getting their own books, you feel like the books are truly interconnected so you have to read one before reading the others; this was not the case with Dream Girl Drama. It featured Burgess and Tallulah a little bit (from The Au Pair Affair) but didn't mention any characters from Fan Girl Down and functioned as a full standalone. The book featured a lot of Tessa Bailey's signature internal monologues by both characters and was full of 'feelings'. It wasn't as spicy as her other books and was a serious slow-burn, but with the forbidden nature of the featured relationship, I think the book had to function that way. It took a taboo subject and made it mostly fun but it wasn't one of my favorite Tessa Bailey books.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: I struggle with insta-love books because I like to see chemistry build over time, so the fact that Sig and Chloe were just instantaneously obsessed with each other didn't appeal to me. I also felt like there wasn't any banter in this book which is my favorite part of reading romance. Sig and Chloe just got along from the get-go and he bent over backwards for her every time she had any desire. I get that he was obsessed with her but I wish there had been some kind of push and pull within the relationship. The only tension in the book (although obviously it was a part part of this) was that this was truly a forbidden romance...for good reason. This kind of worked because there wasn't any blood relation between the two but I definitely got some ick factor from this one.
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Read if you love:
*forbidden romance (potential future step-siblings)
*insta-love
*slow-burn
*hockey player & harp player
◾
See also: The Game Changer, Forever Hold Your Piece, The Idea of You

I unfortunately had a hard time following this plot. The step-sibling trope can either go good or it can go badly, and this one didn't do it for me. It's basically future step siblings that meet and fall for each other but can't be together because of how "weird" it might look. The two definitely had extreme chemistry and lots of intense moments. The whole story ended up being so-so for me. I think if you like a lust filled relationship story, you will enjoy this one.

Absolutely loved this one by Tessa Bailey! Sig is my Dream Guy, but I loved him with Chloe. Perfect amount of chemistry, angst, and family drama – so good

YES YES YES! Thank you Tessa for bringing the Big Shots series into existence. I have loved the first books in this series and the third book is no exception. Great characters and an engaging storyline.

This was one of my most anticipated upcoming reads and it did not disappoint. Technically this is book 3 in the series but it can be read as a standalone. Tessa Bailey took this couple we saw bits off during the other books in the series and made us fall even more in love. The taboo topic didn't feel taboo at all and I couldn't help but root for Chloe and Sig. Sig had me swooning over his love for Chloe. I also loved the snippets we saw of other couples from the series.

I was given an Advanced Reader Copy by NetGalley for an honest review.

I have never read a Tessa Bailey book before and it was not a book that was written for me.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager as well as NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

There are so many things I love about all Tessa Bailey’s books and this one is no exception. Our hero, Sig Gauthier, yes let’s call him our hero. Nothing better than a main character who loves their one completely, fiercely, patiently and unconditionally. Yeah 🙌 I’m here for that. His heroine, Chloe Clifford grows on you as her backbone does. They are both loyal, know that there is lots they don’t know but work on themselves. Chloe helps Sig see positivity in places he normally wouldn’t and Sig helps Chloe learn her own her strengths. They realize people can come from broken places but build their own character and goodness. I love how deeply they believed in their love and each other. Thank you from NetGalley,Harper Collins and Tessa Bailey for an advanced e-book copy so I could give my honest review. Read it and fall for Sig and Chloe.

I really enjoyed this book for the most part. It was just the right amount of taboo for me - no actual blood relation so I’m rooting for them no matter what, and then ultimately there’s not even a relation by marriage, so it’s believable that the obstacles they were facing suddenly just all disappeared.

I will say that while I understand why Sig’s career as an athlete/public figure could have been somewhat jeopardized by his relationship with Chloe, I don’t fully understand why one small column of unsubstantiated rumor would have cost Chloe a music internship. I feel like just the potential damage to Sig’s career would have been enough of a conflict without adding Chloe’s career in the mix as well.

I’m not usually a fan of “love at first sight” but I liked how it was done here, with the two of them feeling an attraction and having a good conversation together as they realized there was more. I loved how much Sig cared for Chloe, and how Chloe tried to support Sig as much as possible in her own way, especially the scenes of her at his games.

I have mixed feelings about Chloe’s characterization in general though. I like that she acknowledges how sheltered she is and is trying to become more independent, but it made her very unrelatable at parts. I also hated that her reason for paying the rent late was that she spent $700 of the money specifically given to her for rent on eye cream. That crossed a line for me. She was given that money for a sole purpose, and instead she used it for something else that was ridiculously frivolous. If she was given the money specifically for rent and agreed to use it just for rent, it seems deceptive to then go and spend it on something else. Even someone sheltered who’s never had to think about money should at least know to keep their word to someone they love. It’s hard for me to believe that someone with Sig’s working-class background would find that endearing instead of horrifying. I’m glad Chloe did at least eventually realize how badly she was behaving (and her shame and acknowledgment that she was wrong is what kept this book at a 4-star instead of a 3 like I was considering), but it shouldn’t have needed to come to that point.

I also felt like the parents all just got off way too easily. I wanted to see an example of Chloe setting healthy boundaries with her mom, not just be told in the epilogue that it was happening. And this is super unrealistic, but it would have been so satisfying to see her mom properly acknowledge how shitty it was that she purposely married Sig’s not-dad quickly to prevent Chloe’s relationship from having a chance. What a horrible mom to put her own happiness before her daughter’s. I would have cut her off entirely in Chloe’s place. I also think Sig should have been way more angry with both his mom and his not-dad. His not-dad especially, since he KNEW from the start there was no real reason Sig couldn’t be with Chloe. Hearing that they’re all still in touch with each other in the epilogue was kind of disappointing. But I guess that’s more realistic - it’s hard to cut off family, even shitty family.

Besides these points though, overall it was a really enjoyable story. We saw just enough mentions of other characters without it getting obnoxious, and I enjoyed the glimpses at potential future couples. Worth a read for sure.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

I was so happy to receive an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager! This is the third book in the Big Shots series and I was so ready for Chloe and Sigs story. But I definitely was not prepared for how hard and fast I would fall in love with this couple. No slow burn in this book! I think Sig might be the perfect book boyfriend - even if he's not really considered a boyfriend? And Chloe is funny and endearing and I loved her even though I couldn't really relate to her. By far my favorite book in this series so far!

such a fun read! The banter, the chemistry, and all the feels were spot on. A little predictable at times, but honestly, I didn’t even care because it was so good. I love all things Tessa Bailey!

When professional hockey player Sig Gauthier’s car breaks down and his phone dies, he treks into a posh private country club to call a tow truck, where he encounters the alluring Chloe Clifford, the manic pixie dream girl who captivates him immediately with her sense of adventure and penchant for stealing champagne. Sparks fly during a moonlight kiss and the enamored pair can’t wait to see each other again, but when Sig finally arrives to meet his dad’s new girlfriend over dinner, Chloe is confusingly also there. Turns out the girlfriend is Chloe’s mother. Oh, and they’re engaged.

Sig’s dream girl is his future stepsister. Though the pair is now wary of being involved romantically, Chloe, a sheltered harp prodigy, yearns to escape her controlling mother. Sig promises to teach her the ins and outs of independence in Boston—but not inside his bedroom. They both know there can never be more than friendship between a famous hockey player and his high-society, soon-to-be stepsister. But keeping their relationship platonic grows harder amid the developing family drama, especially knowing they were meant for so much more

This spicy sports romance is so much fun. I love Sig's tender softer side and his protectiveness. Chloe's internal strength is inspiring to read. The heat between these two is undeniable, and they play off each other in the best way. Definitely pick this one up! 4⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book so much. Sig will forever be my book boyfriend. Chloe did get on my nerves a tad but I think it was probably the spoiled, oblivious, rich girl who had no idea how the real world works. I hadn't read the previous books in this series so this could definitely be read as a standalone. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc!

Unfortunately, I found myself disappointed with both the romance and the characters. The immediate attraction between Chloe and Sig felt incredibly rushed. By chapter two, after spending just an hour together, Sig is already begging to sleep with her, planning to take her to Boston, offering to pay for everything, and even contemplating marriage. It felt unrealistic and borderline absurd.

Then, they discover they’re about to become step-siblings, which supposedly complicates their plans for an instant happily-ever-after. But honestly, am I the only one who doesn’t see why they couldn’t be together? They’re both adults, they don’t live in the same house, and they’re not related by blood. They didn’t grow up together or even know each other before this. Sig doesn’t have a healthy relationship with his father anyway, so what exactly is the problem here?

I couldn’t believe in their connection beyond surface-level sexual chemistry. And speaking of that—the sex scenes? Cringe-worthy and uncomfortable. I don’t know what’s been going on with Tessa’s recent books, but I’ve been struggling to enjoy them. This one is definitely the worst of the trilogy.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked this book, it’s probably my favorite in this series. Sig and Chloe were every bit the tortured angsty couple unable to be together due to circumstances that I was expecting. However, I was not expecting to love it so much.

Chloe seemed sweet but flighty, helpless, and manic in book two so I wasn’t thinking I would love her. She was dramatic and naive-sure; but she was also strong and sensible where it counted and I loved how she grew through it the book- with herself, her mother, and with Sig.

Sig was such a sweetheart and I loved how much he loved Chloe. From their epically adorable meet-cute he was all in and was so determined to make it work.

My only complaint was that until about 60%, I didn’t really understand the drama. I didn’t think it was *that* weird that they would be together and found myself just wanting to shake them and say “Who cares? Just be in love!” But finally some real stakes were introduced and the tension and angst was top tier! I wish the issues with their respective careers had been introduced earlier. I was not anticipating the reveal at the end and was pleasantly surprised how it all worked out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll start off by saying I have read several Tessa Bailey books including the first two of this series. I loved tons of her books with only 1 or 2 kind of falling flat for me.

Unfortunately I didn’t love this book as much as I thought I would coming off the others in this specific series. It’s not the twist of step siblings that turned me off, as I felt like this could be a rollercoaster read. Instead I just kind of felt like the build up in Au Pair Affair was so good and interesting, the beginning of the book to figure out how the two come to be is also pretty good, but after that it just feels a little choppy. There are random bits of the story that I don’t feel like add much (example; the baseball game, the female coach intro, and Sig’s dad.. which could totally have been a longer part of this story!!)

What Tessa Bailey did in this book with the spice though… she is really continuing to kick up the heat which I love of course! I think what I need is a return to a slower evolving love story.

Regardless, I will continue to read every book she puts out. I think I just prefer the slower build up like Just For The Summer, Hook Line and Sinker, Unfortunately Yours, etc