I want to say, I feel extremely blessed that I was given the opportunity to read the ARC for this book.

First a review disclaimer, my review will be more about how this book made me feel and how the overall plot and character development was. I don't like to spoil things and I am not going to write a book report analysis with quotes and stuff. What fun is reading a book if you have to break down and analyze the character and plot.

I feel that Tessa Bailey did amazing with the story build and character development of this book and the others in this series. Of note, the Big Shots series can be read as stand alone book, but they hint to the previous book. This book only hints to The Au Pair Affair due to Sig and Burgess being friends and teammates.

On to this book.

Let me just say, this book had all the feels. I laughed, I cried, I raged with the characters, and I gasped when things happened. I don't do that often, but when I do, I know that this book has me hooked.

Chloe is freakin' hilarious with her naivety. She comes off as flighty and unsecure but with a big heart. When the spice hit (not the leading up tease but the actual going forward), Chloe turned into a confident beast who knows what she wants and how to ask for it.

Sig only has eyes for Chloe and is very evident in this book. Sig wants to protect Chloe and help her navigate her independence. Although he tends to enable her more rather than letting her wings spread wide.

The push/pull dynamic and the "forbidden" attraction in this book had me just as frustrated as they both were. I was rooting for them the whole time. The plot twist made me so mad for their relationship. This book does have an HEA so that is something to look forward to.

I will be adding this entire series to my book case (or trophy wall) and will likely re=read this once I get the physical copies.

One sentence synopsis: Sig learns his dream girl is his future stepsister.

While this isn’t Bailey’s most groundbreaking novel, it delivers chemistry, relatable characters and a few laugh out moments. I really liked Chloe and Sig. Chloe had a good mix of vulnerability and determination making her easy to root for. Sig was sweet natured and I would’ve loved to hear even more of his backstory. I absolutely despised the parents; they ruined everything. Literally. 😂

The actual story explores themes of self doubt, ambition and the tension between personal and professional goals so it went a little deeper than a typical TB novel.

Overall, this was a fun little series that wasn’t even meant to be a series! Fun times were had.

*ARC*
3.5🌟
🌶️🌶️🌶️
NHL, opposites attract, forbidden romance. I had a fun time reading this book. I really did enjoy the interactions between the two main characters and the friendship they created. I also think there was the appropriate amount of pining. I wish there was more maturity growth for the FMC. She only seems to have one moment of true maturity instead of learning true independence over time. I also disliked that we never really saw a true resolution on the whole “I need to have enough money to support her” issue.

I so enjoyed this book with familiar characters and new ones both! Sig and Chloe are so different and from different worlds but yet both have so much heart. I was cheering for them, crying with them and laughing out loud at times.

As a huge fan of Tessa Bailey, I can confidently say that Dream Girl Drama did not disappoint! This book is a delightful blend of humor, romance, and a touch of drama that kept me completely engaged from start to finish.

What I loved most about this story is Tessa's signature writing style—her characters are so relatable and vibrant. The chemistry between the leads is electric, and their witty banter had me laughing out loud. Tessa has a knack for creating situations that are both hilarious and heartfelt, making every moment feel genuine.

The plot is fast-paced and filled with unexpected twists that kept me turning the pages. I appreciated how the story explored themes of self-discovery and the complexities of love in a fun and entertaining way. If you’re looking for a book that will make you smile and swoon, Dream Girl Drama is a must-read! I can’t wait to see what Tessa Bailey comes up with next!

I want to preface this review with I am a HUGE Tessa Bailey fan and was so beyond excited to receive this as an ARC read. Unfortunately, I am greatly disappointed with how this story turned out and it breaks my heart to even be typing that out.

Dream Girl Drama follows Sig Gauthier, Boston Bearcat hockey star, and Chloe Clifford, privileged country club harpist prodigy. When Sig's car breaks down at the country club he's not a member at, Chloe saves him from getting kicked out by pretending to be his long time friend. They end up stealing a bottle of very expensive champagne and next thing you know, they are making out. Both parties have plans later that evening, but what they don't realize is that their plans are the same: meeting their step-parent to be.

The ONLY redeeming piece of this book in my opinion is Sig. Sig is everything I want in a man: protective, selfless, caring, and considerate. On top of that, he's constantly struggled to make ends meet as he grew up poor and uses his hockey earnings to help everyone else around him. I loved reading his parts because they were the only positive. In contrast, Chloe is the most insufferable FMC I have read in a while. I know that she is privileged, and most of this story is her trying to make it on her own, but wow it was difficult to read. I found myself skimming through her perspectives as I could not relate to her at all. Their relationship was forbidden as they are soon to be stepsiblings and that type of story line when written well is incredible. This was not the case as this fell so so flat for me. This relationship was super insta love and the characters eventually did develop an emotional connection over time, but half of that connection was built during the time jump so we didn't get to see it.

I will say as someone who is from Boston, I loved how this story took place there and loved keeping an eye out for all of the Boston references. Some were very cliche, but it was fun to see on the page. That kept me engaged more than the plot itself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me the chance to read this as an e-ARC!

Ok, I really do keep giving Tessa Bailey shot after shot, I have read lots of her books, but I just don’t get the hype. This one was better than Fangirl down (a low bar), but just never got good enough or bad enough for me to have a lot of feelings about it.

The book revolves around Sig, a poor boy turned professional hockey player, and Chloe, a prodigy harpist that has grown up privileged and wealthy. They meet and are immediately attracted to each other, only to find out their parents are engaged and they will be step-siblings, something that makes a romantic relationship just not possible because it will not be seen well in their public careers… but a series of big and little events happen, and they have to figure out where they stand with one another.

The whole story seemed weirdly hinged on the fact that the “public” just couldn’t grasp that they weren’t related, in any way, and suggested that everyone would find it incestuous, which I just didn’t fully buy in to. The insta-love went a little too far for me, and Chloe’s controlling mom seemed like a weird way to get her to Boston and under Sig’s guardianship. Why did she have to be so repressed as a character to make the storyline work. I’d love a girl to be strong and smart and capable without a man’s help first.

And for the love of Pete can we please get a dude that isn’t foaming at the mouth with jealousy? I find it wildly off-putting to repeatedly have these insecure men in Tessa Bailey’s books, it just isn’t for me.

I liked seeing characters from Au Pair Affair, and you can clearly see that a softball spinoff is coming.

Thanks Net Galley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Story line was great, the only reason I have it 4⭐️ instead of 5 was because I thought that back and forth “we can be together” “no we can’t” vibe was getting kinda annoying after the first 200 pages. After everything was resolved though at the end it was a breath of fresh air with a perfect ending that left me satisfied! I would recommend for a quick sports romance with some crazy family drama ❤️

This was a quick, fun read. I had no idea this was part of a series when I signed up for the ARC but I had no issues understanding everything going on.

I loved the chemistry between Sig and Chloe but they weren’t my favorite characters. I also had a hard time fully buying in to the issue of them being step siblings totally ruining their careers. They’re two consenting adults with no blood relation that develop feelings for each other.

I did really enjoy all the banter with Sig and all his teammates. Overall I enjoyed reading this.

I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Sig and Chloe are an unlikely pair because they find themselves in a bit of a pickle. His father is marrying her mother, ruining their chances of being together. However, their chemistry is undeniable. They try so hard to be strong and move on, but just can't. The twist at the LITERAL end was good. The rest of the book, however, was not.
Tessa Bailey is usually a hit or miss author with me. This read was a huge miss. I was so excited to read it, too. I didn't feel the romance, the chemistry, yes, the romance, no. They only had sexual chemistry, not that romantic type of chemistry I crave in romance books. I definitely feel like with a little bit of revamping, adding an actual romance element would be better. I feel that I can't give a full review simply because there's no romance. I also didn't like how Sig treated Chloe like straight-up property. Always commenting in her body, how he can't wait to feel her sex on his, like what even... he also mentioned how he can't wait to make her a mother, like they never had that conversation, idk why he felt it was okay to just be like wowni cant wait to make you a mother, like what if she cant be? What if she doesn't want kids?? It's just not okay with me.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the eARC.

Sig and Chloe have a chance encounter one night and the sparks fly. Unfortunately, they find out later in the evening that their parents are engaged --- to each other. The whole storyline revolves around the concept that they can't be together because being future step-siblings, it would be too strange or taboo -- to the point where it would literally RUIN BOTH THEIR LIVES... For me, I just couldn’t understand why it would be weird for them to be together when they met as adults before they even knew their parents were together. All they would have to do is own that and say that publicly and I felt like it wouldn’t be weird at all? THERE IS NO BLOOD relation and there's nothing weird about two adults that aren't related who end up having feelings for each other.

The best part about this book was definitely the chemistry between them and Sig was super sweet and Chloe showed quite a bit of character development throughout the story. Also, Tessa always brings the spice ;) It was a quick, light, fun read but the premise was a little tough for me to totally buy into.

4.5 stars 💖

this is by far my favorite hockey romance that I've ever read. I adored these characters, and of course a tessa bailey novel is always a fun and spicy time! chloe gave such legally blonde vibes, sig is a protective guys' guy that that fell first... and hard.

this was so close to being a five star for me. I do think some people will associate this with the insta love trope, but hear me out. it made sense because of the circumstances of how they met. to me, chloe and sig seem to have had a lot of same but different experiences and kind of mirror each other despite having very different personalities. it wasn't a typical insta love/lust. they definitely connected on a way deeper level. the ending felt slightly rushed because these characters don't rush into a physical relationship. there is a lot of pining for each other, and I love how tessa was able to keep it sexy without actual sex occurring until much later on in their story.

I love this series, and this was my favorite one so far although the other big shots novels are close contenders. thank you netgalley and the publisher, avon, for allowing me to read dream girl drama by tessa bailey before it is released in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to Netgalley for this opportunity to be an advance reader of Tessa’s upcoming new book!

This was a good easy read! I would have loved to have more of them actually together… but whew the chemistry and love between them.

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

Tessa Bailey does it once again. The minute Sig and Chloe were introduced in  The Au Pair Affair, I knew these two would get their own book. Having read the other two in the Big Shots series, I was super cautious about this book since it seemed like a step-sibling relationship, and the plot made me uncomfortable. However, while reading it, Tessa made it hilarious with a great twist at the end. I love how Sig was gone for Chloe the minute he saw her, and their chemistry was top-tier, along with the banter. Additionally, Bailey's smut writing was, as always, phenomenal. I swear, no one writes like her in the best way possible. 

Side note: I REALLY hope we get a book or Novella for Corrigan (one of the Orgasm Donor Rookies).

Read if you like:
- Sports romance
- Mutual pining
- He falls first and harder
- Dual POV

I really loved both sig and Chloe in the last book and this was just even better.
I was literally bawling my eyes out towards the end. Incredibly sweet, spicy, and emotional. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this hockey romance! I had been eagerly waiting for Sig and Chloe’s steamy story, and it did not disappoint. The chemistry between them was off the charts, and Tessa did an amazing job weaving their fiery passion into a storyline that kept me hooked from start to finish. The balance between heartfelt moments and sizzling spice was perfect, making it impossible to put down. Sig and Chloe’s journey was everything I hoped for and more, with plenty of drama, heat, and tender moments to keep me swooning. Tessa truly outdid herself with this one!

I feel so lucky to have gotten the chance to read this as an ARC. This has been my favorite book of the series so far. I couldn’t get enough of Sig and Chloe and their chemistry was amazing. I only wish it had been longer to see more of them!! One of my favorite reads this year for sure.

Tessa Bailey hits it out of the park again. I ate up Sig and Chloe’s relationship and was genuinely rooting for them through the whole book (and the book before if I’m being honest 😅). From the second that they met the sparks were flying off the page and I was falling in love with Sig. I’m a sucker for a hockey romance but this was so much more than just that. Their relationship was sweet. And the spice at the end.. good lord 🥵🫣

I have so many things to say about this one and sadly not one of them is nice. Well that’s not completely true, I quite enjoyed the premise outlined in the synopsis and was really looking forward to reading this…<b> <i>BUUUUUT</i> this fell completely flat. </b>

<b>Just a warning, there will be some spoilers in this review, I need to be able to rant properly. Stop reading if you don’t want spoilers. </b>
<b>For the plot</b>, you’ve got the soon-to-be step siblings and insta-love troupes but past that there isn’t really conflict. Sig, our MMC, doesn’t particularly like his estranged father and thus they hardly have a relationship. Chloe, our FMC, a sheltered harpist with not a single skill outside playing the harp, gets all but kicked out and cut off from her mom at the first sign of her wanting to gain some independence. So them becoming step siblings is this huge plot point and reason they shouldn’t pursue their insta-love (<i>*coughs* lust</i>) connection. <b>And I’m sorry but no</b>.

<b>Now, onto the characters…</b> <i> I hated them both </i>. <b>Chloe </b>has clearly never done anything in her life ever, and spoiler alert, she continues to do nothing in her life ever in Boston. We get a five month flash forward (timelines/pacing, you’re next on the list of gripes) where she makes Sig a cake for his birthday, cute yes of course, but she literally says she got egg shell in the mix and couldn’t get it out. And I get this is meant to be a callback to how helpless/sheltered she’s been but the lack of character growth and development for her was just so apparent here. <b>Sig</b>, while I think he is meant to mean well, just assumes the role of guardian in every way: puts her up an apartment out of his budget, spends the equivalent of a new truck in the time she gets to Boston, pre apartment, says to her “I’ll keep the truck as long as you never give another man your number”, brings her breakfast every morning. Idk bro, maybe you shoulda taught her how to make breakfast so she could properly crack an egg after 5 months, but what do I know.

In all of these glimpses into their shinning personalities, I don’t feel like they actually had any chemistry either. <b>Which brings us to pacing…</b> Ok, so first, this is an arc copy so this first gripe could be fixed by the final version, but the timeline markers a week later, two weeks later, two months later, four months later, five months later, now. So up until the five months later marking I thought their parents’ wedding (the mention it’s 8 months away in the first chapter) is like any day now. Because as I read two weeks later, I assume that is two weeks after what I just read and not two weeks after something that happened at the beginning unless it’s delineated as after that event (i.e. two weeks post meeting). Even more confusing because the comment about the hotel he put her in costing more than a new truck comes after the <i>one week later</i> marker. <b> For the actual pacing, </b>all of those timeline markers happen in chapter 4-5 and are at most a couple pages with a single anecdote from that time.. and idk, I’m not buying they’re so in love and pinning for each other when we don’t get to see them pinning for each other. Call me crazy. You just get a throw away lusty comment and then something that happened during that time. Then in month five, Sig is wishing for her to have his ring on her hand next birthday.

Rant over.

Please someone recommend me Tessa Baileys best book so I can give it another shot!

<b>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review! </b>

If you look up 'down bad' in the dictionary, there will be a picture of Sig Gauthier. It's love at first sight for both Sig, an underpaid NHL player, and his future stepsister, harp prodigy and spoiled rich girl Chloe Clifford. I was worried that Chloe was going to be too flighty based on how she was presented in The Au Pair Affair, but she is so earnest, willing to try to new things, and self aware. Yes, she's spoiled, but she knows it and wants to do better. Which is ironic, because all Sig really wants to do is spoil this girl.

The way they show love for each other, while resisting temptation because of their 'taboo' relationship (lol, some of the books I read make this look like child's play), is TOO CUTE. Sig buys up all the pop tarts in her vicinity so she has to come to him when she needs a fix, so when she shows up at his apartment he's terrified that she's going to notice his cabinets full of her favorite snack. There are a million things like this throughout the book -- they are just so thoughtful of each other's wants and needs. And not just material, physical things, but they're determined to support each other's goals in reaching their dreams.

One huge highlight of this book was the teammate banter. The rookies and Sir Savage bring legit comedy to this rom com as they back up Sig in a pickup game of baseball. They are over the top and I really hope at least one of them gets a book (which is sort of hinted at, but you never know).

Finally, when I think of Tessa Bailey I don't usually think of a tearjerker, but the black moment in this one really hits. I was fully sobbing and that's a rarity for me.

My only qualm, as I alluded to before, is that it's sort of hard to believe falling in love with someone who might become your stepsibling would truly ruin the career of people this talented. I think it would more likely be a fun human interest story rather than a career ender, but if you suspend that disbelief, this book is so swoony and romantic and fun.