This was heavy on the insta-love and then it was all about them trying to do the right thing. This got wrapped up a little bit too easily in my opinion but overall I liked it.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

At first, I was very skeptical on where this was going considering they are going to be step siblings but I was pleasantly surprised at the end. Sig and Chloe’s love really made my heart hurt because of the fact that they couldn’t be together. When Chloe started to cry, I cried. Sig protected and served on the ice and Chloe. It was honestly great, I would recommend.

Dream girl drama is Tessa Baileys best work! I am incredibly lucky and honored to have a chance at reading an early copy thanks to net galley, Avon & Harper Voyager Publishing. In this third installation of Ms Baileys Big Shots series we are re introduced to hockey star Sig Gaultier & his potential soon to be step sis & Harp Prodigy Chloe Clifford. An innocent chance meeting had them instantly attracted to eachother and a steamy kiss sealed the deal. However life had a different plan for them. Hours later they were reunited, not in the bedroom, but rather at Chloe's house where they realized their parents were actually engaged and sending them down the stepsibling path. Only complete hilarity, heart break, lust, tension, drama, hot sex, and utter devastation to follow throughout this book. I was screaming &crying, happy & sad, angry & elated! Tessa broke me apart and carefully superglued me back together. If you love romance, suspense, tension, spicy spice and a heartwarming happy ever after please grab this book!!

DREAM GIRL DRAMA centers Sig and Chloe, a hockey star who clawed his way up from nothing and a harp prodigy with a silver spoon in her mouth. They meet and have an insta-love attraction that is forbidden half an hour later when they learn that their respective parents are getting married.

The majority of the plot and the conflict revolves around this semi-taboo step-sibling relationship that their parents are inevitably heading them towards, so depending on how plausible you find that will probably impact your view of the book. However, I thought it was smart of the author to portray it not as something right or wrong (tbh someone's parents getting married after their children are adults does not make them related in my book) but how the optics of the situation would impact their various careers. It is the people around them concerned for how it will look and seem that then has the potential to wreck both their lives, which really helped in moments where I found the conflict a little forced.

Overall though Tessa Bailey writes gruff male characters with a protective and caretaking instinct a mile wide in a really fun over the top way, and she makes you like and sympathize with what otherwise might be a one note ditzy rich girl in anyone else's hands.

Heat level: Tessa Bailey is a 6 alarm fire and if you don't like that type of thing this won't be for you.

I really enjoyed this! I was invested in Sig and Chloe’s story as soon as I met them in the Au Pair Affair. Their chemistry was on fire and the tension was great. I loved how protective Sig was. There was definitely some insta love in the beginning, but it clearly grew on both sides. The last 25% of the book really stressed me out, but it ended up being worth it.

I definitely recommend this book. It was such a cute and fun read. There was also a few set ups for possible future books that I’m intrigued by. Hope they come to pass!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a typical Tessa Bailey feel good romantic book. While some aspects of the story felt like they were dragging, it's an overall a fast, romantic read, with a high spice factor!
A good beach read!

5 simp stars ✨

This eARC came to me at the perfect time when I needed a fun read to disassociate from the world. Tessa’s books never fail to make me laugh out loud and make me forget about my IRL problems.

Sig and Chloe have been on my radar since book 2 of her Big Shots series and I’m so happy it lived up to my expectations. Their chemistry was off the charts and even though you have to suspend a little bit of your disbelief surrounding the conflict in this book it was really enjoyable. I normally don’t enjoy when books are too ‘insta-lovey’ but this really isn’t the typical presentation and is actually a pretty knuckle-biting slow burn by the end of it.

Chloe was one of those FMCs that when you first meet her you kind of want to shake her a little bit, but her character growth was really well done and watching Sig support her and help her develop her self-confidence was so heartwarming. There’s some complicated parental relationships at play if that’s an issue for you, but they are navigated with a decent amount of sensitivity.

I read somewhere that Tessa Bailey is the Michelangelo of dirty talk and that is absolutely true. I always enjoy the banter between her characters and this was no different. Tessa is an auto buy author for me and I’m really looking forward to the next few books she foreshadowed for the Rookies at the end of this story.

You should pick this up if you enjoy:
🎶 Fun, flirty banter
🏒 Down bad MMC
🎶 Instant connections/love at first sight
🏒 Forbidden romance (sort of)
🎶 Slow burn & pining
🏒 Hockey Romance

Thank you to Avon, NetGalley, and of course Tessa Bailey for the early review copy.

The good: these characters felt well developed and believable. I loved both of them, and I loved them together! Chloe as a helpless rich girl who figures her sh*t out really worked for me. It made so much sense to me that Sig would protect her and provide for her at whatever cost.

The pseudo-taboo-ness of this book didn’t really work for me. For one, it made the book very stressful, which is how I’ve felt about most of the taboo romances I’ve read. Also, it felt like the book was trying to ride the line of “but see it’s morally fine” and “actually they can’t be together because it’s wrong” in a way that felt more confusing than anything. No spoilers but the ending felt like a cop out.

I loved the previous books in this series, and I wanted to love this one more than I did. Not one I’ll read again, but I think for the right reader it’ll be fantastic. Tessa Bailey is still one of my very favorite authors and I’ll continue to read whatever she releases.

NetGalley Review — my rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“Dream Girl Drama” by Tessa Bailey is the 3rd installment in the Big Shots series. I was so so so excited to be given the opportunity to receive this ARC from the Queen of rom coms!

Sig Gauthier is a big shot hockey player with a meager upbringing and Chloe Clifford is his total opposite — rich, a harp prodigy, and wants for nothing. After a quick little meet cute where he thinks he’s met the one on his way to meet his dad’s new fiancée, he sees her again much sooner than he anticipated…

This was another great one from Tessa! I’d give it a 4.5 if I could but no one lets you rate like that. I had to wait way too long for the sexy time hahaha so if you don’t care about that, you’ll give it a 5! It was funny, cute, and kept you engaged the whole time.

This book comes out February 4, 2025 so make sure you have it on your TBR & calendar! And don’t forget the first two! It’s a great series!

Big thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

#netgalley #tessabailey #dreamgirldrama #bigshots #avonandharpervoyager

This was a quick and enjoyable read! Forbidden romance tropes are something I adore, and this one was expertly written and integrated into the narrative. Together, the two characters develop into better individuals, and their tale is both humorous and poignant. I believe the main reason this book was so special to me was because it was filled with heart and angst.

4.5⭐️ this series just keeps letting better! Sig and Chloe have an instant connection but have a massive barrier to get through to actually be with eachother…. her mom and his dad getting married. overall i really enjoyed this, and the vibes were immaculate. Sig is perfectly gruff and grumpy but also very thoughtful. Chloe is learning how to do life while not coasting on her natural beauty and talent. There were a few things that got brought up once and then completely glossed over and forgotten (harp lessons, spending $$$ at sephora, what happens to pierre).

this my first read from tessa bailey, and i will say it won’t be my last! if you’re looking for a quick and cute read i would add this to your tbr!

the main tropes in this are sports romance (hockey) and forbidden romance.

sig is a famous hockey player who lives a simpler life. he makes the drive occasionally to visit his estranged father who he learns is new engaged. his fiance is the mother chloe, a harp playing protégée who is used to the lavish and luxury lifestyle.

the problem? they met and instantly connected romantically, all before finding out they were soon to be step siblings.

this book follows their struggle to keep their relationship platonic while also falling head over heels for each other.

was this book groundbreaking or the best romance i’d ever read? no. but this was very entertaining and the authors writing was excellent. she definitely knows how to write a great story. also the spice was perfect! i cannot wait to pick up more of her books!

i would like the put out a big thank you to netgalley and tessa bailey for my arc copy of this read in exchange for my review!

Sig! Chloe! This novel lived up to the hype I had created in my head after reading snippets of their “relationship” in The Au Pair Affair. This forbidden love at first sight gives all the feels - and the longing! So much longing! My favorite quote: “I want to watch you. . . .be you. In the quiet.” Tessa Bailey’s characters shine in the big moments and in the quiet moments, too. Thank you to @NetGalley and @Avonbooks for the ARC; the opinions are all my own.

I’ve always lowkey loved the stepsibling trope. Tessa, you’ve absolutely done it again. I felt the chemistry between the two main characters immediately. Their connection was truly palpable just by reading. I felt their feelings for each other so deeply just by your words. Highly recommend this romance book.

Thank you so much for letting me read this slow burn and spicy book by Tessa Bailey! it was certainly on the verge of awkward and socially inappropriate, and we basically knew how it would end, but it was still a great book to escape into. I always adore when we can guess who/what the next couple will be! I also love any book with a sweet pet.
thank you again for this much needed smut escape during a wild week!

Ok I was so excited to read this ARC and so grateful I got the chance because I did not want to wait after reading Fangirl Down and The Aupair Affair.
I love how Tessa Bailey sets up her connections so you are so excited to dive into the next installation of the series and are already curious about where the story will go.

We meet Sig and Chloe in the aupair affair in the middle of where this story takes place. So I love we get to hear how they meet and why they act the way they do towards each other in the first book.
Seeing the self inflicted slow burn they create but routing for them the whole time! I love that hockey protectiveness that toes the line between too protective and sexy and finding the right balance every time.
I also love seeing the support these two give each other and how they both grow individually in their personal dreams because of the encouragement of the other. 😍
There was a surprise ending that I was not expecting and that made it even better as romances can sometimes be predictable.

Additionally, if I’m reading this correctly, I’m seeing at least two more books from this series and I can’t wait!

These books are my absolute guilty pleasure and i cannot get enough. I was thrilled to get an ARC of this as we got a snippet of Sig & Chloe in the previous novel in the series, The Au pair affair. Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✨ Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey ✨

Another winner from Tessa Bailey! I absolutely love the Big Shots series!

Ohhh, this one’s a whirlwind of forbidden romance, family drama, and off-the-charts chemistry! 😍🔥 When pro hockey player Sig Gauthier crosses paths with Chloe Clifford, he’s immediately hooked by her free-spirited, quirky vibe—she’s everything he didn’t know he needed. And just when they think their midnight kiss might be the start of something big… plot twist: their parents are engaged! Yep, that engaged. Sig’s dream girl is about to be his stepsister. 😱

The tension between Sig and Chloe is just delicious, and the stakes couldn’t be higher as they both try to keep things “just friends” while living worlds apart in status, family expectations, and goals. Chloe’s been under her mother’s thumb as a harp prodigy, and Sig? He’s the guy teaching her to break free. But the more they learn about each other, the harder it is to resist the more-than-friends vibes! ❤️

This book is EVERYTHING: steamy, heartfelt, and brimming with rom-com energy. Dream Girl Drama is for fans of Tessa Bailey who want romance with a twist!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Bailey, and Avon for an eARC of this book!

Thank you Tessa, Netgalley, Avon Books, and Harper Voyager. I’m giving this a 4/5⭐️

Out of all the books in the Big Shot series this was my favorite. In the last book I actually found myself more curious about Sig and Chloe. This book has forbidden love, so much tension and moments where I was laughing out loud.

Most of the book my heart ached for Sig and Chloe and the situation they were in. Sig is just the sweetest and talk about a man who can yearn! (Bring back men who yearn) I also loved watching Chloe step out from her overprotective mother and learn to be independent. This was super cute and a really nice easy hockey romance.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey is about Chloe, a rich spoiled Harp prodigy, and Sig, an NHL superstar, who meet on a whim at a country club one night and have an instant connection, only to find out their parents are getting married and they’re going to be step siblings.

This is a really good, quick read!! I am not a huge fan of insta-love tbh, but this book moves so quickly that it wasn’t a huge issue for me. Sig and Chloe are down BAD obsessed with one another. This is a CLASSIC Tessa Bailey book, and I loved it! I also love the little “I Don’t Dance” kind of scene (HSM2 reference, IYKYK!)