Grateful I got to read this ARC from Tessa Bailey and HarperCollins! Unfortunately I really couldn't buy into the insta-love and potential step-siblings will they won't they. For those that love the heated, quick, and dramatic flair Tessa Bailey can give her characters, I would totally recommend!

When professional hockey player Sig Gauthier experiences a car breakdown and a dead phone outside of an upscale country club, he doesn’t expect to meet his Dream Girl: Chloe Clifford. After sharing a kiss under the moonlight, Sig and Chloe are eager to meet again. However, their plans are thrown off when they end up at the same dinner party and discover they are soon to become step-siblings. Despite their initial romantic attraction, both Sig and Chloe become cautious about pursuing a relationship. This becomes increasingly difficult as they realize their feelings for one another are not something they can ignore. As they spend more time together they must decide: is their love for one another worth risking their careers for?

I should begin this review by saying that I knew from the early pages of the book that this definitely wasn’t going to be something that I loved. I know too much about Darien, too little about hockey, and I just generally don’t like the bubbly personalities of the characters. Sig bubbly, you ask? Yes, to some degree I think he is. I’ve read Tessa Bailey before and enjoyed it. She may not be my favorite author, but I respect what she does. However, I cannot say the same is true of Dream Girl Drama.

Dream Girl Drama had potential, but ultimately, certain elements made it difficult to fully enjoy. Sig’s overprotective nature came across as cringeworthy rather than endearing, and Chloe’s repeated need for rescuing leaned too heavily into the dated and, frankly, insulting damsel-in-distress trope. While the spice was present, it often felt melodramatic rather than organic. Additionally, the potential step-sibling storyline pushed the boundaries of believability a little too far.

That said, fans of hockey romance who enjoy a protective hero and plenty of drama may still find this entertaining. However, if you’re looking for a plot with even moderate realism, this might not be the best fit.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

tessa bailey is a hit or miss author for me and unfortunately this time it was the latter. while i loved the beginning of this book and how sig was so head over heels for chloe from the get go, i started losing interest after the 60% mark. However, while i thought negatively about the second half of this book, i would still recommend it to a friend because it had a lot of pining, it's forbidden, a hero that falls first and then falls harder.

thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc!

I’m a fan of Tessa Bailey and have read multiple of her books, so I was so excited to be granted access to this one! I also always love a hockey romance

Sig is on his way to meet his father and his new girlfriend for dinner when fate sets in. Sig’s old beloved pickup truck breaks down outside of a country club, forcing him to go in to request to use the phone despite not being a member. When the front desk person is unwilling to help him, Sig is saved when a random woman pretends to know him, claiming him as her guest. Sparks and attraction immediately fly between the two, and they end up sharing an expensive bottle of champagne…and an unforgettable kiss. Chloe has to leave for a dinner before things can get any further, but they plan to meet up later to finish what they started. However, everything gets derailed when Sig shows up to dinner and Chloe is there. Turns out, sig’s father is dating Chloe’s mother-and the dinner is to announce they’re engaged.

The two realize things can’t go any further since they’re future step siblings.. which wouldn’t be so hard, except Chloe, a harp prodigy, has announced that she wants to go to school in Boston, which is coincidentally where Sig lives. Sig agrees to show her the ropes, and as the two spend more time together, the harder it is for them to deny their connection.

I enjoyed this one! I thought the way Chloe and Sig met was so fun. I do wish Sig’s character was developed a bit more, though, as I feel like the only thing I took away from him is that he’s in love with Chloe. We know he’s a hockey player, we know he’s not close with his parents, but I feel like we don’t get to know a ton about his personality other than his devotion to Chloe. I also am not a huge fan of the insta love trope, so even though I did enjoy Chloe and Sig as a couple, Sig agreeing to move Chloe to Boston and take care of her the same day he meets her was a bit unrealistic to me.

I do recommend this one to any Tessa Bailey fans! It’s a fun read

Tessa Bailey is definitely hit or miss with her books for me. Despite this, I still love all of her books, even if they’re only three star worthy (this one). I think from the very beginning the sibling trope put a weird taste in my mouth. Although I do read Tessa’s books for the unlimited amount of space I do wish there was more character development in this one. I do love a cute quirky couple with some sports elements, but this one was not a favorite of hers for me.

Tessa Bailey books hit every time. The forbidden love aspect in this one gave us all the angst and tension. My only issue is I keep realizing I do not like sports romances, but that’s on me & didn’t affect my rating.

I went back and forth on this review because this is the perfect example of a book that I think most people will love but wasn’t for me. I didn’t realize this had the insta-love trope and that is a trope I’m not a huge fan of. I also struggled with Chloe because oh no she spent too much money at Sephora? I think this is a situation where I am far to practical and anxious to be able to do something like that. So I really struggled to connect with her and because of that I didn’t love her. I also struggled with why it had to be so forbidden? Like they aren’t step-siblings yet and they won’t be until they are both very adults. Like I guess it could be scandalous but I just can’t fathom it going as far as it was portrayed.

I will say that the pining in this book was off the charts so that is one thing it had going for it. I definitely felt the longing they had for each other and when the spice did happen it was SPICY. So that is what kept me going until the end. The twist would have had more payoff for me if I had thought the forbidden aspect of their relationship was valid. So all that to say that I really think this is just a book that isn’t for me. It is will well-written and I do still like Tessa Bailey’s writing. I would recommend it for fans of insta-love, hockey, and forbidden romance.

I received this book as part of the Endlessly Well Read book club so thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooks for sending us a copy!

This was just okay. I really liked the MMC but the FMC seemed really childish (I get it, she's sheltered) but other times she also seemed pretty street smart? I don't know that I understood her all that much. I also wasn't a huge fan of the insta-love. BUT it's a quick romance and easily binge-able!

I think Tessa Bailey is a one hit wonder for me. I loved It Happened One Summer but every book I’ve read after has felt copy and pasted and not memorable at all. There’s a few of hers that I’ve marked as read and honestly could not tell you what they’re about, not even the trope.

Pro Hockey player Sig meets Chloe at a country club and falls fast. They soon find out they're parents are engaged and they are soon to be step siblings. They try to be friends, but still have storng attraction toward each other.

This was not my favorite Tessa Bailey book. I think my main issue was I just didn't see the reason for the main conflict of the book. Chloe's mom was marrying Sig's dad, but they met as grown adults and aren't blood related, so would it really have been that taboo for them to get together? I also found their relationship to be a bit grating for me. Chloe was very naive and Sig overprotective to an extreme that I just didn't jive with.

Tropes:
* Forbidden Love
* Insta-Love
* Hockey Romance
* Family Drama
* Slow Burn

2.5 stars

Sig Gauthier, professional hockey player and certified swoon-worthy man, has his world turned upside down when his car breaks down and he meets Chloe Clifford—the ultimate manic pixie dream girl. Cue an unexpected kiss, a major family twist (her mom is ENGAGED to his dad??), and an impossible attraction that neither can deny.
Chloe, a sheltered harp prodigy, is totally stuck between her controlling mom and this intense connection with Sig. But the real drama? They’re about to become step-siblings. Talk about a forbidden romance! They can’t act on their feelings, but the chemistry between them? OFF. THE. CHARTS.
Sig is an absolute simp in the best way possible—like, he's totally whipped for Chloe and I’m HERE for it. He’s all about treating her like a princess while still keeping things spicy and complicated. And Tessa Bailey? She knows how to bring the heat.
This book is seriously binge-worthy—instantly sucked me in and I couldn’t put it down. If you’re into family drama, step-sibling tension, and a romance that’s impossible to resist, this one’s a must-read.
4.5⭐️

I found the opening few chapters of this story rather promising, as the lovers' evident magnetism drew them together during their delightful first meeting. However, the plot took an unexpected turn when they realized they were about to become step-siblings, prompting soap opera-like happenings. Initially, I like how the male character treated the female heroine with 'royal treatment' and took such delicate care of her.

However, as the story went on, I started to lose interest in it. Chloe was frequently portrayed as a child, which made her difficult to interact with at times. Nevertheless, I was truly taken aback by the book's major turn, and I valued the author's skillful handling of the difficulties of their illicit love.
All in all, it was a quick read with lovable characters and adorable romance scenes.

Terrible book. Tessa Bailey has been on thin ice for awhile but I can’t do it anymore. This relationship was lust based and shallow with no growth and the characters just enabled one another to be codependent in the worst way.

I had high hopes for this because I loved the other books in the series. I have enjoyed many books by Tessa Bailey but this one didn’t live up to the hype for me. I didn’t like the step sibling romance I thought I would be fine with it but they would keep talking about it and it made me uncomfortable. I didn’t like how fast they fell in love with each other. I didn’t like how the book was mostly told in the MMC pov.

Tessa Bailey is always a good idea, she's really funny and the spice is OMG 😳
I'M happy to read it
Thanks netgalley and the publisher for my copy

Forbidden romance with great tension! Sig thinks he found his dream girl after a chance encounter has them spending the day together. Only then to find later that night that she is completely off limits. The tension between the two is absolutely fire as they once again find themselves in forced proximity.

This book does have an aspect of insta love which is not a trope I typically like; however, because their relationship couldn’t start right away you do get the aspect of building a friendship and emotional connection. I love the way that Sig supports Chloe as she finds herself. Chloe is a bit clueless at times which can be frustrating but that’s part of her personality so I can’t fault the writing for that. Plus I’m always a sucker or a hockey player with a soft spot for the girl.

This book was such a pleasure to read. I loved getting to see a continuation in this series.

Chloe is a bit of an unrelatable character in her lack of life experience, but Sig is perfect and amazing and can do NO wrong.

This book gets 5 stars just because of Sig and how he loves Chloe and supports everyone around him.

This was such a joy to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for this advanced copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dream Girl Drama
By: Tessa Bailey
Publisher: Avon and Harper Voyager
Pub Date: 2/4/25

Tessa Bailey is back with the 3rd book in the Big Shots series. It’s Sigs turn, and boy is it messy!
When his truck breaks down for the millionth time on the way to his dads he stops in to a country club. There he meets Chloe, a harpist whom he’s immediately attracted to. Only to find out that their parents are a couple and are getting married. Like I said it’s for sure messy but Bailey’s ability to create characters that are not only funny but have depth always makes for a great read.

This was such an easy read but it was next-level with how unrealistic it was. The playfulness with the character was at least pretty fun to enjoy - and I did laugh more than once at just how ridiculous the spicy scenes were. I enjoyed how fast paced this book was as well but all in all it was not one of my favorites.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

The third book in the series was a ton of fun and I enjoyed that it was a slightly different trope. After reading the others, I knew this would be about sig and Chloe trying to deny their feelings for one another. The author did a great job building up their relationship while also letting the readers see Chloe grow in Boston and sig figure out his own parents.