Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

True rating 2.5 stars.

Look, I love Tessa and will read anything she writes. But this one just didn't hit for me.

The step sibling trope is fine for me, but it was brought up so much in this. And it really had no point, because they didnt grow up together, they hadnt known each other until their parents announced the engagement, and they are adults. I feel like this type of situation is much more common that people realize, and its not as "unusual or taboo" as it maybe once was. And again, they MET as adults. Also the resolution to this big "issue"? Not good.

As for Chloe and Sig, i liked the two of them together. I also really liked Sig by himself. However, i did not feel that way with Chloe. She was sweet, and gave Elle from Legally Blonde vibes, but without the underlying smarts. She was written so dumb and ditzy, and it really didnt do it for me. But her moments with Sig made up for it in parts, because i really did like the two of them together and was rooting for them.

And as always, especially with Tessa, the spice was spicing the way it needed to. Tessa never disappoints in that department.

[I RECEIVED THIS AS AN ARC] Tessa Bailey has proven once again that she is not for me. She is the queen of insta-lust/insta-love, and as a lover a slow burns, it just doesn’t really click with me. The story was cute popcorn fluff, so if you’re in the mood for that, you’re going to love this. It’s a hockey athlete/rich girl romance, it’s fun, and quick to read.

Straight up, I was not expecting to love this. I read it because I like this series, and Tessa Bailey's books tend to make me believe in love again, but I fully expected to hate the almost-step-sibling thing. Imagine my surprise when I find myself completely enamored with Sig and Chloe, actively praying for their parents to call off the engagement.

I also thought I'd be annoyed by Chloe and her lack of life experience, but I actually found her desire to overcome that and gain her independence pretty inspiring. For someone who grew up in a bubble, I admired her willingness to grow as a person. (Even if I, an average person, hard rolled my eyes any time she mentioned expensive eye creams.)

I also didn't expect to be so wildly and unapologetically turned on by Sig but he just reached some spots for me and here we are.

Anyway.

I liked the ending. It made everything not icky. If you just want some great pining and tension that acts as foreplay from two people who physically cannot live without each other, you'll probably love this too.

I felt giddy and inspired by Chloe and Sig's story. I loved how Sig was supportive and allowed Chloe, the female main character, to think for herself. I wish Sig could be best friends with my husband because he could learn much from him. Chloe was truly special, and I admired her growth toward the end of the story and her love for the harp. I can resonate with her on some level, as I understand the deep feelings that arise when you get lost in creating art. It’s the best escape! There was a lot of yearning, lol, but trust me, it’s worth all the build-up! 💖🌶️

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️

Okay so I am a Tessa girl through and through but this one just didn't hit quite as hard for me as the others in this series. And I wanted to love Sig and Chloe so much, especially because I love the forbidden aspect of step siblings.

Don't get em wrong, there were parts of this I absolutely adores, like the way Sig was head over heels for Chloe the second he met her and how absolutely supportive of her he was, But, something about the way their relationship progressed with the whole future-step sibling drama just didn't hit for me.

I dd enjoy the banter the spice, and the way that Sig and Chloe finally got their happily ever after, but I didn't connect to them the way I wanted to and that makes me sad because I do usually adore anything Tessa writes.

Man, this was a sexy and spicy book! I absolutely loved our main characters and their loyalty to their family, and their strength of morals. It was so swoon worthy and cute and I found myself smiling while reading it.

Forbidden romance, insta-love, angst, and hockey player x Musician is the vibe for this new Tessa Bailey romance. If you are a big fan of romances that are a little more taboo (*ahem* this is a soon-to-be step sister and step brother romance) you will LOVE this read. It is spice, it is swoon-worthy, it is queen of hilarious one-liners…it delivers!!!

Chloe is a harp prodigy that is the definition of a rich kid. She belongs to an exclusive country club, has never wanted for anything in life, mom makes all her decisions, and she gets off on getting in to trouble…trouble that she easily weasels her way out of every time due to her wealth. That is, until the trouble is a sexy hockey player that just seems to *get her*. One that just so happens to be the son of her mother’s new fiancé.

Sig is an NHL player who’s coming to the end of his contract. Money has never appealed to him despite his “less than” childhood. But when his truck breaks down outside of an elite country club while on the way to a dinner with his father, he realizes just how important money can be. Money can buy him the life he wants to provide for his “dream girl”. What money can’t buy him though? A way out of being her step-brother.

This book was HOT. Not only that, it brought the drama, the high stakes, and holy plot twist!!! Sig is a man. The kind you dream of that will literally give you the world. Talk about sweet in the streets and a freak in the sheets lol. This man has a mouth on him! Overall, this is a read you should definitely pick up!

When a kiss, throws sparks but then those sparks are extinguished by your parents.
A chance meeting leads to a hot kiss between Sig and Chloe. But later find out that they can’t pursue this because their parents are engaged.
This was a quick, fun cute read.

The insta lust between Sig and Chloe was so great classic Tessa Bailey. I loved seeing Chloe’s growth and finally breaking away from her mother. Of course Tessa had to add in her signature dirty talking male main.

I did not finish this book. Unfortunately I could not connect to the characters, mainly the FMC. She is not relatable.

Dream Girl Drama had my heart pounding from start to finish—the tension, the slow burn, the sheer yearning had me in a chokehold. Sig Gauthier is the definition of a golden retriever hero, and when I tell you this man is down bad, I mean DOWN BAD. The way he looks at Chloe like she hung the stars? Obsessed. And Chloe, with her quiet strength and heart of gold, was just as easy to love. Their connection was so pure, so electric, I was rooting for them with my whole chest.

Every moment between them was laced with that delicious push and pull, made even more complicated by the fact that, oh yeah, their parents are engaged. But watching Sig support Chloe, teaching her independence while falling hopelessly in love, was everything. The family drama, the forbidden romance, the longing—it all came together perfectly. If you love a swoony, slow-burn romance with off-the-charts chemistry, Dream Girl Drama is an absolute must-read!

Imagine meeting someone and feeling that spark… only to find out your parents are getting married. 😳 Sig and Chloe’s chemistry is off the charts, but their decision to stay just friends (LOL) only makes the longing and angst even stronger. The tension? Palpable. The spice? 🔥 The drama? Unmatched.

Sig is obsessed with Chloe in the best way possible (we love a man who YEARNS 🫠). And while this is definitely an insta-love situation, their circumstances force a slow-burn twist that keeps you HOOKED. Plus, we get Tessa Bailey’s signature flirty banter, lovable side characters, and a hero with a very dirty mouth. 👀

It’s fast-paced, fun, and packed with swoon-worthy moments—and let’s be real, the taboo element makes it even juicier. Also, Chloe totally surprised me! She’s so much more than the privileged rich girl she seemed to be in The Au Pair Affair, and I loved seeing her push herself outside her comfort zone.

this book was everything and more Tessa Bailey has done it again with her magnificent writing. She always know how to keep me hooked on the plot with just the right amount of spice.

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁: This book was a wild ride of insta-love! I seriously felt so bad for the MCs and the moral struggle they faced due to their parents. I liked how they tried to overcome it, make it work and move forward with their futures. Idk how this could possibly end happy but I’m glad these two got their HEA. I definitely recommend but be warned it’s angsty!

Sig is on the way to meet his father who he had an estranged relationship with. His truck broke down and he ended up in the parking lot of a country club. The concierge wouldn’t let him use the phone but then a gorgeous blonde in a tennis skirt walked in and rescued him. It was love and first sight this girl not only saved him but captured his heart! Sig knew then she was: “Always my dream girl, always mine.”

Chloe lived in a bubble built by her mom, she never rocked the boat and just conformed so she wouldn’t be cut off. But when Sig showed up at dinner at her house and she found out he was her soon to be step-brother she decided now was the time. She wouldn’t live in that bubble anymore, she would move to Boston and follow her dreams. The only problem is she didn’t know how to do that, and the one person she wanted to do it with was now forbidden.

But Sig and Chloe were like magnets they spent the next six months spending every second together becoming best friends but never crossing the line. Now with their parents wedding 2 months away their relationship is being questioned and is not only threatening their happiness but their futures. Hard choices have to be made and both choices end in giving up too much.

𝑭𝒂𝒗 𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆: “You love her?” “I exist for her.” - Sig

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* Hockey Player MMC
* Harpist Protégée FMC
* Best Friends to Lovers
* Insta-Love @ the Country Club
* Boy Obsessed
* Forbidden Love
* Future Step-Siblings ?!
* Close Proximity- Boston, MA
* Slow Burn w/ Spice

Huge thank you to @Avonbooks and @HarperVoyagerUS for this ARC copy.

💔 🎶🏒 💔 🎶🏒 💔 🎶🏒 💔 🎶🏒 💔

This has got to be my favorite Tessa Bailey book I’ve ever read. I know the tropes aren’t for a lot of people but they include some of my favorite tropes ever.

- found family
- insta-love
- possible step siblings lol

If you loved the plot twist of Dan and Serena in Gossip Girl becoming step siblings you will love this.

Sig is an absolute SIMP for Chloe and would turn his world upside down to make her happy.

As an avid Tessa Bailey fan, I have read almost all of her previous books. I was so excited to get the third book in the Big Shots series. I was always so curious about the Sig and Chloe relationship. Hot and heavy from day one, Sig was head over heels for Chloe. But a huge roadblock in their way moved this relationship into the friend zone.....but for how long? I love a main male character who falls first and falls hard. The silly side characters of the hockey players add a lot of humor and also intrigue, about who the next book will be about. Set in Boston, this is a fun and lighthearted romance that readers will enjoy.

I had a lot of fun reading this! Dream Girl Drama started out strong, but I felt like the ending was a bit rushed.

From the very beginning, I found this book to be super engaging and I did not want to stop reading! I loved the characters, Chloe and Sig, and it was clear from the start that there was insane chemistry between them. I did find some of Chloe's personality "quirks" to be a bit childish and over the top, but for the most part I enjoyed reading about her. I was nervous about what angle Tessa Bailey was going to take with the step-sibling relationship, as the synopsis made it seem like it was going to be "taboo" or "forbidden love" type of situation which would have felt contrived considering they are both full grown adults who just met. I was happy with the situation and it felt very believable! My only issue was that the resolution of their "problem" felt overly convenient and very rushed. It read like, "actually there is no problem with your relationship because xyz okay the end!"

Overall though I had a really fun time reading and have recommended this book to my fellow romance loving friends!

3.5/5🌟 | 2/5🌶️

Tessa Bailey is the queen of banter & men who are obsessed with their girls. This book started out strong with such an adorable meet cute between Sig and Chloe and I thoroughly enjoyed their banter from the get go. However, this was a little too insta-lovey for me. I also had some issues with the fact that Chloe finally decided to leave home to become a functioning member of society, yet Sig continued to do literally everything for her. I felt like Chloe still wasn't able to actually stand on her own two feet at the end of this book because of how much Sig did for her. Don't get me wrong, it was sweet how much Sig cared for her, but she never once got to truly learn how to do things for herself.

Overall, this was a cute hockey romance {with lots of drama}!

- hockey player mmc
- adorable meet cute
- top tier banter
- harp prodigy fmc
- instalove
- forbidden romance {future step-siblings}
- man obsessed

Tessa Bailey once again writes a fun, sexy, slightly dramatic story. Filled with will they won't they.

I love the interconnected world of the Big Shots series. From Wells, to Burgess, and now Sig. Three strong MMC but I think Sig is my favorite. His heart is of gold and he loves with all of it. ♥️

A harpist. A hockey player. A forbidden love. Chloe and Sig chance meet at a country club due to Sig’s chronic truck trouble. It’s love at first sight but both have somewhere to be. They agree to meet up that night; however, their somewhere to be is the same place. A dinner with their parents. Sig’s dad is engaged to Chloe’s mom. With a long history with his dad (that’s not real positive), and his heart of gold, Sig vows to find a way to be with Chloe. The trouble is finding a way to be together without losing his contract and Chloe’s relationship with her mom.