I was so excited when Tessa started writing sports romance! It’s my favorite as an avid sports fan and she does not disappoint! I’ve loved this entire series and each book just gets better and better! Thanks for creating this world!

Hot hockey player plus society New England girl equals STEAMY novel.…this is a slow burn with a great plot and wonderful characters. Sig is my new book boyfriend ;) This book was a lot of fun and e optional as well, with the conflict the couple faced. Loved every sentence!

Chloe’s growth in this book is almost as good as the love story. She starts off knowing nothing and by the end of the book she’s ready to face the world alone. Not willing to go back to ignorance and brave enough to do right by the person she loves. Sig is perfect for the situation by allowing her to grow but giving support and safety when needed. I wish Pierre had been in the epilogue though.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like Dream Girl Drama, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. The central dynamic between Sig and Chloe felt off. Sig's obsession with Chloe was so intense that it veered into uncomfortable territory, making it hard for me to connect with the characters. On the other hand, Chloe came across as not particularly smart, which added to the disconnect.

Additionally, the pacing of the storyline was slow, and it felt like it dragged on too long. I had hoped for more substance or tension, but it didn’t seem to build in a way that kept me engaged. And then, the conclusion was abrupt and a bit unsatisfying. The final chapter tried to wrap things up too quickly, leaving me with more questions than answers.

While others may find the book appealing, I just couldn’t get on board with it.

I screamed when I got accepted for this arc. Thank you thank you thank you. 💕

Step bro, what are you doing? That’s basically the premise of this book. 2 adults meet and fall in insta love, then they find out their parents are getting married and they’re forbidden from being together. But they can’t help it.

Book 3 in the series. And I think you’ll like it more if you’ve read the first two. I’ve had them on my tbr forever, and they’re moving up the list now. I definitely want to read Tallulah’s story! She’s so cute.

Idk it’s weird, the focus on step siblings was weird, they’re adults and he barely has a relationship with his dad, who left when he was born. But at no point in this book did I even want the main characters together. Sig is controlling, and not in a hot possessive way, and he’s immaturely jealous. Chloe is just immature and so dumb. She’s 25ish and she doesn’t understand money doesn’t grow on trees. She goes on Sephora shopping sprees with her rent money, that’s from Sig because he’s paying for everything for her. The shaving kink was weird af.
It’s weird but I also didn’t hate it. Tessa is a great writer, her ideas are out there sometimes 😂, but she keeps things fast paced and entertaining. The spice is spicy and good.

Lost my mind a little bit when I got accepted for this ARC I've been reading Tessa Bailey since before she was a traditionally published author and to this day I'm still sat for every new release. I will say this little series she has going on has been a hit or a miss or me (The Au Pair Affair = hit, Fangirl Down = miss) and this one lands solidly in the middle. This follows Sig and Chloe who meet and are instantly attracted to each other, but then shortly find out their parents are set to be married in a couple months. The forbidden tension in this went crazy!!! The lingering touches, the hidden meaning in their words and just plain love shining in sig's actions towards Chloe. His love language is very clearly acts of service and in true Tessa Bailey fashion, the MMC is just so down bad for the FMC. Their relationship was paced very well and I really loved it. Also was a big fan of this little hockey found family; the orgasm donors bring such a fun energy and I hope we get love stories for them as well! (I feel like they were set up in this book!!!) overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I cant wait to see what Tessa Bailey does next! Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

I was excited to get my hands on this ARC from Net Galley because I usually have a lot of fun with Tessa Bailey’s books.
This one just fell flat, unfortunately. The characters weren’t even remotely likable or relatable. Chloe is spoiled and vapid whose redeeming qualities are that she’s a harp prodigy at 25 years old and likes to shit talk hockey refs. She is incapable of laundry, buying her own pop tarts, and paying her rent. That Sig is willing to sacrifice anything, let alone everything for this girl is wild.
I feel like I deserve a prize or something for sticking this out.
The stars are because there was a dog.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the eARC of “Dream Girl Drama” by Tessa Bailey in exchange for my honest review.

We were first introduced to these characters in book 2 of the Big Shot series. Sig is a professional hockey player and Chloe is a professional harpist they have an unexpected meet cute at a Country Club. They formed an instant connection but unfortunately a few hours later Sig finds out Chloe will soon be his stepsister! Sig helps Chloe move to Boston to further- her musical education/career. She’s been cut off financially from her mother, so Sig sets her up in an apartment and takes care of all her wants and needs. They ultimately fall in love and become best friends while fighting the urge to cross the line until their pull to one another becomes too much to handle!

I was looking forward to reading their forbidden love story. I really enjoy when a book captures my attention from start to finish. So far I’ve read all three books in this series and I’ve throughly enjoyed each one. Tessa Bailey books never disappoint. I didn’t care too much for how Chloe came off as a dependent, naive, child like airhead. However, overall as a couple they made it work. With that being said, I’d still highly recommend reading the entire series.

***Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the opportunity to read this e-ARC for an honest review***

Going into this book, I was very excited! The premise seemed different than usual and the potential for drama was high! Unfortunately, the insta-love, angsty, mutual pining was a bit much for me personally. I get the FMC was very sheltered but my goodness! The damsel in distress trope for the majority of the book didn't work for me this time.
I have enjoyed books by this author previously, I just couldn't get into this one. I believe this book will be really be enjoyed by those into the forbidden love trope.

This has all of Tessa Bailey’s standard elements: witty banter, super steamy spice level, and at least one scene of humorous ridiculousness. It’s complete with a grumpy sportsman with solid ethics and unfailing goodness, who lives for one girl only.

The premise (they can’t be together bc their parents are going to marry) seemed silly to me; why not?? It was a non-problem problem from the start.

I also didn’t love the heroine, as I found her too ditzy, needy, and innocent to be realistic (though Bailey does a fair job of making her likable anyway). And the picture of wealth Bailey paints in Darien is too stereotypical. I grew up in this neck of the woods - I would know. I would always prefer real, and flawed, over an exaggerated caricature.

Minor but perhaps related: I found the premise, of her being an innately talented harpist without any effort, also unrealistic.

Tessa is SO good at creating stories - SO good. She just has to remember to keep them believable.

Thank you, Avon and NetGalley, for the arc.

3.75 stars!

Tropes: hockey romance, forbidden/ future step siblings, best friends to lovers, opposites attract

Arc review|

Sig & Chloe were a super fun read- definitely not my favorite of Tessa’s books but the spice brought it and I had an overall good time!
I will say, I was disappointed after being really excited going into it but I’m not so disappointed that I didn’t enjoy myself.
Some overall notes that don’t really swing one way or the other: the plot’s wrap up was kind of wild, some of the scenes had abrupt shifts of scenery where I was super confused but honestly, I didn’t really mind. Like I said, the spice was awesome and that was what kept me going through it all.
Not that it was bad, though. it was super funny and lighthearted!!! I appreciated that.
Not much else to say- I think I’d recommend this series so far in general but not DGD specifically (as a standalone).

To put it simply - I loved this book.

I loved how down bad the MMC was from the second he saw the FMC. I loved their banter. I loved their chemistry. I loved.

I love everything Tessa writes! This book was no different. Perfect pacing and the storyline was soooo good! Thanks for the ARC!

While I did not read the other three book in this series, I still really enjoyed this read as the others were not necessary to understand the flow of this book. I loved the plotline in this book: Sig, a professional hockey player, meets Chloe, when his car band phone die at once - so terrible, until he meets the girl who does him in. They hit it off and agree they must meet again; and they do! Only, not as they anticipated. As it turns out, his dad and her mom were dating and now have become engaged! How can Sig and Chloe be together if they are destined to be step-siblings?

Like with other books by this author, there is more than adequate steam, but characters that truly resonate with a typical person. Sig is strong in more than one way, and Chloe is bursting to be a different person, but is stuck in supporting her mother's vision. The two characters not only support each other, but also balance one another.

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

This book was so good! The spice was off the charts! I was happy to finally hear Sig's story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book! I was hooked from the first few paragraphs, which might be my favorite of any romance novel I've read this year. Tessa is the queen of insta-love, boy-obsessed, fast-paced love stories, and I ate this up. Sig and Chloe are both flawed but relatable characters, each on their own journey, and it was lovely to see such character growth in both of them. I'm someone who lives for angst in romance books, and this book has it in spades: the push-and-pull, the will-they-or-won't-they tension, the quiet and loud gestures. Their happily ever after was hard fought and at times I wasn't sure how it would come about, but I was pleasantly surprised with how it all turned out. The epilogue is honey-sweet and exactly what you want for a rom-com; definitely my favorite of the Hot Shots series.

Tessa Bailey did not disappoint with the saucy little number. For those of you who enjoyed The Au Pair Affair, you will love Dream Girl Drama. The inquiring minds finally find out what is really going on with Sig and Chloe (who were introduced in the first book). The ending was a bit predictable but in a good way!

One of my favorites by Tessa Bailey! I was intrigued by Sig and Chloe when reading “The Au Pair Affair,” though the setup was a bit unconventional. Loved their pairing in this book and the humor and romance of it. Excited for the next related book in this series.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were funny and lovable and I really enjoyed reading their story. I would absolutely recommend!

This is one of Tessa Bailey’s best books to date!! I’ve been enjoying the Big Shots series but this one takes the cake. I loved getting a glimpse into Chloe and Sig’s budding relationship in The Au Pair Affair and finally we get to see their full story.

Both main characters grow and evolve together in this story. We see them make major life decisions and grow towards the same paths. The ending was unpredictable, I found myself trying to figure what would happen and my guesses were not even close. I believe there are hints to upcoming sequels between some of the side characters so I’m excited to see what’s next. My only complaint is that now I have to wait for the next book in the series!

I’m so grateful to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me the chance to have an advance reader copy in exchange for my review.