Sig, a professional hockey player, and Chloe, a harp prodigy still living with her mother, have a chance meeting and instantly fall for each other. They part because they both have dinner plans, which unbeknownst to them end up being the same dinner. This is because Sig’s estranged father is marrying Chloe’s rich mother. It’s a solid classic they want to so badly but they can’t romance. Not my favorite from Tessa but it still hits as a light and fun romance. 3.75⭐️ Thanks Netgally and Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc!

2.75: This is a quick read and has some very cute moments, but overall the story is an instant romance that comes crashing down when our main characters find out their parents are engaged.

The biggest issues I had were that the romance was not developed enough for me to believe it was anything but lust. This story also borders on taboo with the tenuous will they or won’t they be step siblings. Not sure I enjoyed these characters as we didn’t spend enough time getting to know them.

If hockey romance is your thing, and any of the tropes above interest you, you will like this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

Possibly my new favorite tessa bailey book?? I never read the step sibling trope because I think it’s unnecessary and too strange for me but tessa did the trope in the one way I’d be willing to look past it. Insta love is also something I’m not usually a fan of but tessa pulled it off in a way that made sense and wasn’t cringey. So cute!!

Holy moly, where do I begin 🥵🔥

First, I have to say that I’m incredibly honored to have read an advanced copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Bailey, Avon, and Harper Voyage!

I could not put this book down. In fact, when real life interrupted, I was not happy. Everyone who knows me knows I’m a big Tessa Bailey fan. But this book? It is one of Tessa Bailey’s best. You might be thinking, “Aren’t they step-siblings? That’s not my thing”. Let me clear some things up…I was skeptical too. But I love Tessa Bailey, so I trusted her and you should too. The female main character (FMC) & male main character (MMC) are *future* step-siblings who met before they knew about their parents. So, if the premise seemed a bit off putting, you gotta trust me on this one and read it anyways.

Dream Girl Drama is book 3 in the Big Shots series. Our MMC, Sig, is a hockey player while our FMC, Chloe, is a spoiled harpist. From the moment these two met on the page, they clicked. At the time, they didn’t know their parents were getting married. It wasn’t until later that evening they find out they’re going to be step-siblings. While they try to fight their incredible connection, their chemistry is undeniable…including to everyone around them. And this does cause some problems.

In this book, you get:
❤️ Hockey romance
❤️ Insta-love with a slow burn
❤️ Forced proximity
❤️ Forbidden romance
❤️ Spice
❤️ Dirty talk
❤️ Future step-siblings?

Ultimately, Dream Girl Drama was perfection for me from start to finish. I love a happy ending and Tessa Bailey always delivers 💕 I loved how she turned insta-love into a slow burn.

Preorder now and settle in on February 4th for a great read!

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was so excited for this book after reading the first two in the series and it did not disappoint. The twist at the end I was not expecting. The way the characters were described, it felt like I truly knew them. It is impossible to not love Sig and Chloe and feel for them. I cannot wait to see where this series goes from here. Tessa has such a way of introducing new characters and setting up new love stories. This series is one of my favorites and I will continue to come back!

The chemistry between Sig and Chloe are off the charts. I wasn’t sure how I would like reading this book because of the possibility of them being step-siblings. However, I love Tessa Bailey books, so I had to give it a try! It was pretty good, I think this is my 3rd favorite out of the series. Super fun read, so I would definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Overall, a pretty standard yet enjoyable Tessa Bailey book! I really enjoyed Sig and Chloe’s relationship and how it grow from their initial meet. It was intense in the first couple chapters with them meeting and then going into realizing they are potential step siblings! There was a lot of tension throughout the book and it kept me on my toes. It was a new spin on romance with the almost taboo situation between the two of them.

I did think the spicy scenes were described weirdly, it felt like TB didn’t want to use common sexual words and it was noticeable for me.

Either way, I’m super excited for her next book and will definitely be reading it.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collin’s Publishers for this ARC!

A huge shout out to Tessa Bailey and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!

This was my first Tessa Bailey book that I have read. I often see her name mentioned in book groups and online, so I was excited to dive in.

I am a huge fan of the love at first sight trope, and this one started out strong. She does a phenomenal job writing about the chemistry between the two characters, but I did have a hard time with the overall plot. It was a light, quick read and as a Minnesotan I loved the hockey and MN callouts!

Tropes:
*taboo/forbidden romance
*hockey romance
*He fell first
*possessive mmc

Although this is a standalone romance, if you read The Au Pair Affair you have already been introduced to Sig and Chloe. This was such an angsty, tension-filled burn! There was so much longing I could feel it and was screaming for them to just give in because they needed each other. There is obvious chemistry and connection right from the get-go but they are immediately halted by their parents’ engagement announcement. I was so frustrated with everyone making it seem so taboo went it really wasn’t, but I could also see it being blown out of proportion by the media and upper-class society in real life too.
Chloe and Sig’s “friendship” is so sweet, and they clearly not only care about each other but are constantly drawn to one another like magnets. Sig is always trying to “do the right thing” and stay away but his will power hangs by a thread. He is sexy, caring, possessive, and a good man who just wants what is best for her. He had very little through his childhood and she becomes the first thing he really wants for himself but is being forced to set aside.
Chloe finds such a beautiful strength in herself from Sig as well. She is finally getting out of the abundant but controlling life her mother provided for her and learns to finally set boundaries and stand on her own. They both deserved the love they had for each other but drama after drama continued to get in the way. My heart hurt for them! I couldn’t put it down. I needed them to finally make it through it all. And, of course, they did, and I was so incredibly happy for them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed this book. I love the fact it was part of a series. The other two books in the series were good as well. This book was heartwarming, steamy, and romantic. The ending turned out better than I thought it would. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

I ended up DNF'ing this one. Sorry, Tessa! At the start, it was a love-at-first-sight scenario. Then the two main characters come to find out that their parents are marrying each other, and suddenly finding each other hot is just too awkward. We get to 20% into the book and we'll lick a girl's breasts, but doing the dirty is a step too far. Come on, we're about to be step-siblings! Continuing on, we have quotes like "I wish for this same exact birthday next year, except you'll be wearing a wedding ring." You haven't even started dating yet, chill. "Sometimes she felt as though their relationship was more intimate than sex" All that has been described between these two is sexual tension and Sig taking care of Chloe. I have not felt any connection with the two main characters and could not see the attraction these two were feeling besides the two of them being hot.

Thank you for this ARC!

I'm honestly debating between 4 and 5 stars. I think I'm at a solid/confident 4.5 stars

I have been WAITING for Sig and Chloe's story and I somehow got lucky enough to get an arc for it?? As soon as it was delivered to my kindle, I ate it up. I was FROTHING

Okay, the step sibling trope is not a genre i gravitate toward at all. Usually, it gives me the ick and it's an immediate no for me. However, this was done SO well, in my opinion! The build up to their relationship in The Au Pair Affair had me so giddy for their story.

Anyways, I love Tessa's books. As most of Tessa's readers, The Bellinger Sisters series is my favorite, followed closely with the Hot & Hammered series. I also enjoyed My Killer Vacation. Somewhere between MKV and the Big Shots series, Tessa lost me. Happenstance was a DNF for me, even though I usually love why choose and Same Time Next Year was just fine. It breaks my heart to say that because, again, I love Tessa and her books. When Fangirl Down came out, I was hesitant but I heard from other readers that it felt like Tessa's older books, so I tentatively read it and was so happy that I did! it absolutely felt like old Tessa and left me so excited to read the rest of the series. The Au Pair Affair felt a bit short for me. I found myself enjoying the brief moments we had between Sig and Chloe the most and was so excited to get their story next and Tessa did not disappoint.

I. Love. Sig. Please he's so grumpy and protective but so sweet and precious with Chloe. And I just love the way Tessa handled the step sibling situation. The build up. The tension. Prince. I loved it all.

I feel like this was a bunch of rambling but I loved every moment of it!

Tessa Bailey never misses, and Dream Girl Drama is no exception. This story follows Sig, a professional NHL player, and Chloe, a child prodigy harp player. They have a meet-cute at a country club on his way to dinner to meet his father's new fiance. The chemistry is undeniable and they agree to meet back up later. Sig arrives at the dinner and lo and behold who happens to be there? Chloe, the daughter of his father's fiance. This is forbidden romance, insta-love, hockey romance, and the tension will have you rooting for our main characters the entire time. They're opposites that attract in the best way and the evolution of their relationship is done so beautifully. I love Tessa Bailey's humor and spice, which is front and center in this book. Both of these characters were so fun to read. Sig was so protective, like would destroy anyone who looked at her wrong and Chloe was hysterical. She was so adorably helpless sometimes, but a fighter and sassy as hell. I loved this book so much and couldn't put it down. If you're a Tessa fan you're going to eat this up, and if you aren't, then you're about to be. Thank you @AvonBooks @HarperCollins @NetGalley for this copy.

This might be my new favorite Tessa Bailey book! I'm obsessed with this series and felt so lucky to receive an advanced copy. Sig and Chloe were EVERYTHING. The tension, the pining, how badly they want each other... I couldn't put it down! Their chemistry and the way the author told this story made me giggle and kick my feet the whole time. If you loved Fangirl Down, you will be just as obsessed with this one.

In Dream Girl Drama, Tessa Bailey reintroduces us to Sig Gauthier, a professional hockey player with an ambitious mind and a big heart, and Chloe Clifford, a harp prodigy with a rebellious streak and not a lick of street smarts. These two were my absolutely fave side characters from Bailey's The Au Pair Affair.

The story begins with Sig stumbling into an elite country club when his car breaks down on his way to a "big dinner" with his estranged father. At the club, he encounters Chloe for the first time. Their connection is immediate—a spark of "instalove" strikes as Chloe’s playful theft of champagne turns into a moonlit kiss--one that feels like the start of something magical. However, their budding romance takes a sharp turn when they discover--that very night!!!---that their parents are engaged, making them soon-to-be stepsiblings. The shock of their newfound family dynamic forces Sig and Chloe to suppress their feelings, turning their attraction into a fraught “friendship” filled with longing, humor, and undeniable tension.

While I would definitely label the instant chemistry between Sig and Chloe as classic "instalove", Bailey deftly navigates this trope by adding depth and realism to their connection. Their initial spark, while powerful, doesn't immediately get to transform into a relationship. Instead, they’re thrust into a complex situation where they must deny their feelings out of respect for their families (and careers). This forced separation adds layers to their relationship, as they grow closer as friends and confidants over months of platonic interaction. Chloe yearns for freedom from her overbearing mother, and Sig steps in as her guide to independence, showing her the world outside the constraints of her sheltered upbringing. Simultaneously, Sig wrestles with his career, personal insecurities, and growing love for Chloe, all while trying to maintain boundaries.

The prolonged "friendship phase" allows readers to forgive the initial rapid-fire romance, as it evolves into a deeper, more earned connection. Their longing and slow-burn development make the eventual resolution feel both satisfying and inevitable.

This book was horrible. The writing - cringe. The premise - so odd. I would not recommend it. Really struggled to read the whole thing. The spicy scenes were horrible too.

Thank you NetGalley & Tessa Bailey for giving me this ARC! Here is my honest review:

This started out incredibly promising. It gripped me and had me thrilled to read what was next. By that I mean the first 2-3 chapters. After that, it was a complete mess.

My first question is…. Are all of her books written this way? I’ve always wanted to read her work, and this being my first book, has convinced me not to do so.

This book is about two people, Sig & Chloe, who meet unexpectedly and it’s apparently love at first sight. I mean seriously, Sig’s grueling obsession with her was ultimately weird. It almost made no sense, because they had literally just met. When they find out (the same night) that they are about to be step siblings, it creates a huge problem (apparently). The entire book feels like a child was writing it, or at least, a super hormonal teenager. So, you’re telling me, an NHL superstar was willing to drop his entire career just to fool around with her?

Overall, nothing was exciting, because nothing happened! Literally, nothing happened. It was not very well written, has creepy spice (I hate when they refer it as “my sex” instead of what it is!!) and the storyline was unrealistic. If it was entertaining, I’d give that an excuse, but it was actual torture trying to finish this book. Am I harsh? Maybe. But I feel like I want to un-read this.

Sig and Chloe's story was not what I expected it would be based on the glimpse into their relationship/non-relationship from book 2 in the Big Shots series. I'm always about the HEA, but this one felt like quite a winding road to get there! While I enjoyed the book not containing a typical romance third-act breakup, this felt like a third-act breakup every time Sig and Chloe were together and then said they shouldn't be.

While this has been my least favorite in the Big Shots series so far, I am very much looking forward to Corrigan and Skylar's story!

This was highly anticipated after loving Au Pair Affair and being a big fan of forbidden romances. I struggled with how quickly and intensely these two fell for each other, and it made it harder to connect with the characters. Thanks for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey was an overall enjoyable and entertaining read. I'd give it a 3.75 stars. While I’m not usually a fan of the insta-love trope, I think it worked well for Sig and Chloe, the two main characters. That said, if insta-love isn’t your thing, it’s something to keep in mind going into this book.

I appreciated that the author gave us a glimpse into Sig and Chloe’s past by taking us back to when they first met. It added depth to their connection and made their story feel more grounded. Watching Chloe’s personal growth throughout the novel brought a satisfying layer to the story, though I wish this was touched on more.

As expected from Tessa Bailey, this was a light and fun read, perfect for fans of her previous works. If you’re looking for something breezy and heartfelt, this one fits the bill nicely.

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