⭐⭐⭐/🌶️🌶️ Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey is part of the Big Shots interconnected standalone series. Two strangers meet, Sig a rough and tumble cinnamon roll hockey player, and Chloe a rich girl with no clue how to make it on her own and a harpist prodigy. The chance meeting sent their lives into a tailspin, but when they both arrive to the same dinner hosted by Sig's dad and Chloe's mom, and their engagement is announced, they realize nothing can ever happen between them.. or does it? Chloe needs a big dose of reality, and Sig can't help himself -- he wants to take care of this girl.

I did enjoy this book, but the utter helplessness of Chloe was, at times, unreal. She is completely oblivious to the fact that people have to actually work for what they want. She does redeem herself and eventually get there, with Sig's help.

Hockey romance, forbidden romance, good girl, step-siblings, damsel in distress, and lots of tension... If these are your vibes, this book is for you.

Thank you @netgalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh this was beyond fabulous. I never miss a Tessa Bailey book. She was one of my first introductions into spicy romances, all of her books are comfort reads and this one is no different! I’m obsessed with Sig and Chloe. She is such a fun character and I love all the random stuff that comes out of her mouth! Sig is perfect and obsessed with Chloe and the tension in this slow burn was so so hot. The things he does for her make my knees weak! What a man! I loved their slightly taboo and definitely forbidden romance. But at no point was I not rooting for this couple! They were everything! Immediate 5 stars!

A word of warning - don’t read Dream Girl Drama if you’re in an emotionally fragile state. Sig and Chloe absolutely wrecked me. I stayed devastated for most of the book.

It’s a forbidden love story and you can feel how much pain the main characters are in as they become best friends, knowing they can’t be together. Tessa Bailey came through with the HEA and the spice, of course, but it was an emotional journey. 😭

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyage for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon publishing for this e-ARC!

I already knew that Chloe and Sig would be my favorite couple and this book didn’t disappoint!!

I loved the forbidden love aspect of their relationship and how they tried to not cross any lines. That made the slice even hotter! 🥵

There were so many funny moments that had me cracking up. Corrigan and Mailer aka “the sperm donors” are hilarious side characters. I’m excited that we’ll be getting a Corrigan and Skylar book!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

After reading both Fangirl Down and the Au Pair Affair, I came into this one expecting a fun and spicy sports romance and I was not disappointed.

Like both of the other MMCs in this interconnected series, Sig is a big, hulking sports star who’s an overprotective softie when it comes to Chloe. For her part, Chloe starts as a very sheltered rich girl but over the course of the book grows and finds herself.

Their dynamic was very sweet, though his protectiveness veered too close to possessiveness sometimes for me. That said, the boy has a knack for saying the sweetest things, so maybe we can overlook that?

Read this if you like:
- Insta Love
- Forbidden Romance
- Friends to Lovers
- Hockey Romance

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

Thank you to Harper Voyager, Avon, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Is it weird to kiss your sister if you didn’t know she was your sister before the kiss?

I have so many mixed emotions about this book, I’m not sure where to begin. I’ll start with the fact that I love how this book plays with the idea of "taboo." It doesn’t fully cross the line, but it flirts with it just enough to add an interesting layer of spice to the story.

The chemistry between the characters was undeniable and intense—definitely instalove, but surprisingly it didn’t feel off-putting to me. In fact, it actually worked in the context of the story.

Chloe is a character I’m torn about. I really adored her, but I found it hard to relate to her at times. She was funny, light-hearted, and lovable, but also naive, selfish, and somewhat underdeveloped in life experiences. That said, her desire for change made her more relatable.

Honestly, don't settle for a man who won't go out of his way to buy you all the Poptarts in every store nearby. Sig is the definition of a good man—he’s kind-hearted, selfless, and incredibly attractive in how he takes care of Chloe.

That said, the relationship dynamic felt a little one-sided, with much of it focused on what Sig could do for Chloe—from protecting her to making big gestures for her. I would’ve liked to see Chloe step up in some way to balance things out. It’s okay for a partner to take care of you, but these two took it to an extreme, and I felt like Chloe didn’t contribute enough to the relationship in that sense. I won't underplay her actions though, how fiercely she cheered him on and how much she loved him. The love between them really was deep and it went both ways.

Overall, it was a fun read, though I enjoyed the previous books in the series a little more. I initially considered giving it 3 stars (with a "Tessa Bailey" curve—because I’m a fan of her work), but ultimately I bumped it up (Okay I bumped it back down to three but it's a 3.5). Also, we definitely needed more Tallulah!

Get ready for a sweltering hot insta-love that will rip out your heart and, in true Tessa Bailey fashion, glue it back together.

🌶🌶🌶🌶/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Their parent's are getting married, but he fell for her anyway. Like, he's down bad crying at the skating rink. There is no way that they can be together. Even so, they both know it's only a matter of time before one of them gives in.

Sig (yeah, that's his name) and Chloe are complete opposites. He's a professional athlete that comes from humble beginnings. She's a child prodigy classical musician who is filthy rich. Sid and Chloe hear each other's voices and instantly fall in love--and you know what? I'm here for it! Despite being an insta love story, these two characters had such depth and their relationship, with all of its ugly complications, will make you buckle at the knees. Tessa Bailey writes these two characters with such maturity. They communicate. They are honest with their feelings, to a fault! Tessa's characters brought this story to life and it wasn't just entertaining, it was heart wrenching, and it was so frustrating. What I love about them is that they aren't ashamed of loving one another, even if the world tries to make them feel that they should.

It's adorable. It's sexy. It's perfection! *chef's kiss* 🤌🤌

Tessa Bailey knows how to frame stories that are captivating, heartbreaking, healing, and scorching hot. Dream Girl Drama was no different! Queen T delivered with this one, y'all!

🏒 friends to lovers
💗 stepbrother stuff (you'll just have to see)
🏒 hockey players being buff and bossy
💗 top tier dirty talk
🏒 "good girl" kink 🌶
💗 classical musician fmc
🏒 side character banter
💗 s****y parents
🏒 he's possessive and she's here for it
💗 "You're mine"
🏒 she's not allowed to date
💗 forbidden romance
🏒 HEA
💗 an epilogue that will make you melt
🏒 his friends claim her as theirs
💗 look at her and die vibes
🏒 he falls first and harder
💗 no miscommunication 🙌
🏒 slow burn
💗 pregnancy kink...sort of?


Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for an e-arc of this book on NetGalley!

I have to give Tessa Bailey all the credit because the “twist” hit me out of nowhere and changed the whole book. I didn’t read the description before going into this book which clearly says they find out their step siblings. I loved “Fangirl down” and the “Au Pair Affair” so I saw another book in this series and I was like I’m sold, no more information needed. I had no idea it was coming until Sig got to his Father’s and commented on the music being played. And then I was like OH MY GOD SHE DID NOT! For three and half chapters I was just reading along like ok insta-love. Just okay. The BAM. The whole books sudden has a forbidden romance trope (my favorite) and I can’t put it down. I kind of wished the description didn’t tell you that they be step siblings because the reveal for me was so amazing.
I thought there was no way I would like “Dream girl drama” as much as I did “Fangirl down”. “Fangirl down” is my favorite book of 2024 and I thought nothing would top it. This. This topped it. Sig talked so dirty about what he wanted to do to Chloe but then on the flipside he said things so loving that I was hooked. I loved his protectiveness toward her. That he do anything to see her happy. I loved Chloe’s excitement at things like doing laundry or going into a basement but also I loved her building rebellion against her controlling narcissistic mother. Sig and Chloe have this crackling tension between them as they have been intimate before and it was fire. And now are closer together than before, as Chloe moves to Chicago with Sig to follow her dreams, but now they can’t be together romantically. Just the way they stand when they talk to each other is laced with passion neither of them can act on and they agree to be best friends.
Thank you Tessa Bailey and Avon and Harper Voyager for accepting me for this ARC.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I adored this book!!
I was blessed to get an advanced copy of this masterpiece and it has altered my brain chemistry!
Sig and Chloe's story is filled with laughs, angst, tension, and most of all love. I was heavily invested in both of these characters and the tension between the two was written perfectly!
I'm ready for another one, Tessa!

Thank you so much to Avon Books for this e-arc! I was pleasantly surprised that I was approved for this one because I have been denied other books by Tessa Bailey before. Because she is one of my favorite authors, I will always always always request/buy anything that Tessa Bailey comes out with!

This one in particular has everything that a TB book normally has, a possessive MMC, above-par spice, and the beloved banter TB fans know and love. With this one involving soon-to-be step siblings, this one also held an extra taboo aspect that I love when it comes to romance novels. I love me some good taboo forbidden romances.

Aside from how it was written (if you’re familiar with Tessa Bailey romances, it has pretty much the same type of outline/plot order that all of her other books have), which of course I have no qualms with, I was a bit disappointed about how everything was “solved”.

Without giving anything away or providing any spoilers, the whole climax and solution to the plot made me feel as if the majority of the book was not necessary. Which is a bit of a bummer by the end of all of it.

However, the beginning of the story was very giddy-worthy, and I would’ve read it anyway since I love Tessa Bailey and the characters she writes.

All this to say, you may like it, you may not like it, but that’s like any book you read right?

I give it 4 stars as I still enjoyed getting to know the characters and their lives/views/ideals. I can’t wait to read the next one! 🤭

So far, the first book in this series, Fangirl Down, is still my favorite. But this series has more than 3 books in it so far and I can’t wait to see what happens next! 😊

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 to Dream Girl Drama!

Solid 3.5 stars.

Listen, did I love this book as much as Fangirl Down? No. Did I like it more than the Au Pair Affair? Slightly. Am I glad I read this? Definitely. Will I read everything Tessa puts out? 100%

At first I was really torn on reading a book with this trope, but I'm actually glad I did. I've also never read an insta-love story, but I found it highly amusing and found myself rooting for them so hard, and really annoyed when things kept getting in the way. And the mouth on Sig? Excuse ME, Sir.

The best takeaway though, the next 2 books that better be coming. GIVE ME THEM RIGHT NOW. I know that those 2 idiots are going to be my favorites.

3.5 ⭐️

I was so beyond lucky to get an ARC of Tessa Bailey’s new book and I immediately dropped my entire tbr the second this hit my inbox! I’ve been patiently waiting for Chloe and Sig’s story since they were first introduced- so eager to see how Tessa spins this story (step siblings seemed like a tricky line to walk) and I think she did an amazing job of executing this one!

All taboo aspects aside, I loved how much these two cared for each other and their desperation to be together despite their circumstances. Sig is the perfect book boyfriend and was so protective over Chloe, it was so cute. Literally my reason for not rating it higher was that Chloe drove me a little nuts 🥴 I can appreciate she was sheltered and privileged growing up - and that part of the plot was that Sig was taking care of her while she left home to be on her own. BUT Sig literally doing every single for her (including pay her rent, making sure she had groceries, not letting her lift a finger for anything) went from being cute and thoughtful to a little odd.

I adore this series and am excited to see where it goes from here- this just wasn’t my favorite of the three and that’s okay 🤗

Read if you like:
❤️ opposites attract
❤️ taboo / forbidden romance
❤️ hockey player mmc
❤️ privileged and sheltered fmc
❤️ music prodigy fmc
❤️ best friends to lovers

Thank you so so much NetGalley, for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review 🫶🏼

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

4 Stars!!

I have loved every single Tessa book I've read, and this one wasn't any different. A night that starts with an epic meet cute and ends with finding out that meet cute is your future step sibling?? I was hooked from the beginning. A forbidden romance that felt so right the more I read. Sig and Chloe had insane chemistry from the beginning, and it was palpable. The anticipation that built with them meeting in secret, I was just waiting for something to go wrong or for them to be caught.

Sig is a grumpy hockey player, but he is more sunshine for Chloe. I love a boy down bad, and he was for her immediately. He also has a filthy mouth that had me blushing on more than one occasion along with Chloe.

I will note that while I read this, I was trying to figure out how they were going to end up together in the end. I am happy to say that I did NOT guess the ending. It was a shocking twist that made perfect sense.

Dream Girl Drama has:
- Hockey player & harpist
- Forbidden romance
- Pining
- Secret meet ups
- Future step siblings
- Spice
- Found family

I am loving this series!

This was a very cute forbidden romance. I like the stepbrother/stepsister trope. I felt it was a little dragged out and wanted them to get together earlier. Overall great chemistry with the main characters.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

A cute, predictable easy-read. The immaturity of the main character stopped me from really enjoying it. But light and fun.

The chemistry between these two was extreme. I don’t know that it felt like love, more like lust. And Chloe seemed so helpless at times that it became a little annoying and was off base. Sig was doing everything for her and getting nothing in return. To me, it made Sig's character seem less of a man. I am a huge Tessa Bailey fan, but this one was outside of my ability to understand. I think some people will really enjoy this book, but it was just so-so for me. What I loved the most about these two was how they were genuinely best friends. It was a slow burn romance that it really gave them the opportunity to become close.

I rated this novel 3.5 stars. If you watched Clueless and rooted for Cher and Josh to get together, this book is for you. It's very much your stereotypical Bailey novel. Is it the best book I've ever read? No, but did I have a great time reading it? Absolutely, and that's par for the course when it comes to Bailey's books, and I'll keep eating them up every time.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sig meets his dream girl Chloe at a country club. They have amazing chemistry and have an instant love connection. But that same night Sig has to go meet his father’s new fiancée, who happens to be Chloe’s mother. Chloe has never learned to be independent. Her mother does everything for her and she has never lived alone or paid a bill or learned to drive. She longs to play for the Boston orchestra Symphony. Sig encourages her and says he will help her. She leaves with sig that night. He helps her learn to do things for herself but despite their chemistry they never sleep together. They do everything together though and people begin to talk about their forbidden relationship.

This is told from both Sig and Claire perspectives. I really enjoyed the chemistry between them. The spicy scenes were top notch! I love how Tessa Bailey handles sex scenes. I removed one star because I question someone paying rent and everything else after knowing them for a few hours. If I ignore that though I really enjoyed this book. I have enjoyed every book in this series and will continue with the next book.

Dream Girl Drama is the third book in the Hot Shots series and follows two characters we were previously introduced to. Chloe is a sheltered, upper class harp prodigy and Sig is a rough and tough professional hockey player. These two polar opposites have a chance encounter where sparks fly. They part ways with the promise of seeing each other again only to find that they were going to see each other again VERY soon. At a dinner to celebrate their parents engagement. Where do they go from there?

The chemistry between these two was really good and I was invested but was skeptical of a "step sibling love" kind of trope. I think it was really well done and I didn't find it taboo or off-putting. To be clear, they aren't ACTUALLY step siblings but only step siblings to be. I found the characters likeable both separately and together. The story was a good mix of their love story but also the story of each of their lives separately and the challenges they faced. There was strong character development for both of them. Overall, I found it really fun and exciting to read. I like how she sets up new storylines for future books in this series and I'm excited to read the next installment.

This book was fun to read and I did enjoy it overall. I didn’t feel like the relationship between Chloe and Sig was deep enough and it was just more of a desire for lust. However, the twist at the end was great and not expected from me! Thank you netgalley for allowing me to review this ARC.

This books is 11/10, an absolute banger. Employing her typical witty banter and dirty talk, Tessa scores a hat trick with this hockey romance. It’s just this side of a taboo theme, with step siblings relationships at the heart of the conflict, and the slow burn is fire.

I do feel like I needed more at the end, another chapter or two post conflict resolution, but I’m probably being greedy.

Side note- the accuracy with the referee slander was top tier. I will be buying this book when it releases for my kindle so I can go look up the digs when I’m angry at my refs too!!