Let me tell you about this book.

1. The timeline was off. Within the first several chapters, you learn that the couple from the previous book are engaged, something that didn't happen until 18 months after the timeline in their book. During the last book, Chloe and Sig have already met, and Chloe's in her apartment when Tallulah comes to work for Burgess. Burgess also hadn't decided to retire yet. In this book, Burgess is retiring at the end of the season, and he and Tallulah are already engaged. Therefore, my mind could not leave that alone for this book.

2. The possessiveness was weird. It's ok to a point, but saying that he bought all the pop-tarts from ALL the stores in her neighborhood so that if there weren't any when she went shopping, and he could magically bring her some was a little much. And it's just weird. Super weird.

3. SPOILER - His dad could have solved this whole "step-sibling" issue from the very beginning. THE BEGINNING. I get that it's needed for the plot, and he had an NDA, but COME ON.

4. There was no contraceptive conversation. There was consent (sort of), more of a "please," not a question and answer. But there was absolutely no mention of protection. NONE. I even searched for c0nd0m and !UD, getting tested, etc., to be sure, and nothing came up. Nothing. So I'm not sure how I feel about that. Actually, I do know. It's not ok and would have added like one additional sentence to the scene to make it feel right.

Overall, I was disappointed with this (if you couldn't tell) and would probably have DNF but I was too deep.

Will I continue to read the series? Unfortunately, yes, because the next book is one of the Rookies, and I love them.

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey was a miss for me. At first I liked the trope of stepsibling forbidden romance but the love at first sight and the time jumps at the beginning just stilted the flow of the book. I didn't mind Sig but he way too quickly jumped in to "save" the FMC from herself basically and he barely knew her. I get the insta-love aspect of the book but it just didn't work for me. Chloe was also annoying - no one thing in particular, just all of her annoyed me.

The spice and tension was nice, but overall I was not the right target for this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in response for my honest opinion.

Dream Girl Drama is the third installment in the Big Shots series. It's finally Sig and Chloe's turn for love. Their whirlwind lust for each other gets interrupted when they realize their respective parents are set to be married. What that can't deny is each other but can they truly be together?

Dream Girl Drama starts with insta-love, and slowly turns into a love story a year in the making. The build-up is tension filled,with forbidden kisses and tumbles in the sheets. This is definitely a winner for fans of sports romances, forbidden togetherness and steamy scenes.

Thank you, Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon

Serena and Dan walked so Chloe and Sig could run!! I had an existential crisis reading this thinking I was damaged for not seeing the issue with them being together or why it was so scandalous … cue my obsession with Clueless, My Fault and of course Gossip Girl!

This is the kind of slowwww burn I like because you get a taste of it right away then you’re just tortured until 70% of the book where you finally get the big release 🤭

“𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓻?” “𝓘 𝓮𝔁𝓲𝓼𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓱𝓮𝓻”

🐶 Forbidden Romance (future stepsibblings??)
🐶 Insta Love
🐶 Dirty Talk
🐶 Harpist x Hockey Player
🐶 Dysfunctional families

The ANGST in this book! I looooved how much of a hockey caveman Sig was while also being down sooo bad for his girl. The man will literally do ANYTHING for her, exceeeept treat her like a fragile little flower (in bed 😮‍💨). And while at first I was worried about connecting with Chloe’s princess sheltered behavior, I actually found it so comical and loved seeing her find herself in the end!

This one was DIRTIER than I thought it would be but Tessa has done it again and the vibes were 10/10! 3.5 🌶️

“𝓐 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓹𝓵𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓽? 𝓘 𝓬𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓼𝓸 𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓭, 𝓘’𝓶 𝓽𝓮𝓶𝓹𝓸𝓻𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓵𝔂 𝓫𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓷 𝓶𝔂 𝓵𝓮𝓯𝓽 𝓮𝔂𝓮.”

Was it well written? No. Was it fun to read? Yes. This is an average middle of the road romance novel. The spice was medium. The writing was cheesy, sometimes cringe-worthy. But, overall a fun read.

5/5 stars
Spicy 5 but it’s a slow burn
Insta love
Pending step siblings
Slow burn


“I haven’t been a bachelor since I heard your voice for the first time. I was yours before I even turned around and you know it” -Sig

Sig will do anything for Chloe and she is his biggest supporter. She has decided to get out from under her mom and figure out life for herself. Sig will do anything to help her achieve her dreams.

Once I started this book I couldn’t stop reading it. This is by far my favorite Tessa Bailey book. It’s a slow burner but it is worth the wait.

I typically love Tessa Bailey books and this series in particular but this one was a miss for me. Maybe I am not a love-at-first sight girl and rather a slow burn kind of girl. There were also a lot of jumping months forward that threw off the groove and the storytelling for me.

Honestly, I didn't really like this book at all. The FMC was so naive and written like a 16 year old. I get she comes from a privileged and pampered lifestyle, but girl is still 25 and needs to learn to be an adult. The MMC gave almost a weird sugar daddy vibe. I get him wanting to help her and care for her, but I just felt like all he did was enable her,

The plot was meh. The stepsibling aspect was more dramatic than it needed to be and it very conveniently gets fixed in the end, super quickly.

The spice was a mixture of good and cringe. Never in my life have I read so many times about breasts tingling in anticipation, and balls tensing. It was so cringe.

The best parts of the books were with Corrigan and Mailer. They had me cracking up and honestly, made the book readable.

I was very excited for this taboo romance. I am not a fan of insta-love, but in some cases it’s okay. In this case, it was too extreme. It gives off Princess and the Pauper, but he’s a professional hockey player so he’s not really a pauper, is he? The characters felt one dimensional and were forced into their stereotypes. Sig was an enabler and Chloe jumped from being a dependent of her mother to Sig. Though eventually she figured things out for herself, Sig bailed her out too many times for my liking.

Although I enjoyed their chemistry, there was NO TENSION. The time jumps didn’t help with that either. If it were any other situation, I would have enjoyed this more. The ending/resolution was incredibly predictable and rushed.

I’m a bit disappointed because I’ve loved this series so far and Chloe’s and Sig’s scenes were my favorite in the first two.

If you’re a fan of Tessa Bailey’s writing, you will still enjoy this.

Thank you to the author, publishers, and NetGalley for the eArc. All thoughts are my own.

“ You love her?” “I exist for her.” 🥹

This book was a fun read! Sig was both really sweet but also filthy in the best way all at once. His chemistry with Chloe was immediate but also so believable and I loved it. He cared for her and they had such a strong connection. I love when the couple is forced to be friends first (their parents are getting married so they decide to be friends). I laughed a lot and swooned. But also wow those spicy scenes 😉 this is my first Tessa Bailey book and I can see that the hype is justified. I will definitely be diving into her other books! Tessa is great about making the book feel fun and light at times but also writes amazing character growth and even a few twists to keep us on our toes. No spoilers, but I was happy with the ending!! If you’re a Tessa Bailey fan and/or just love a good sports romance - look no further!

Rounding up to 4 stars.

I was lowkey annoyed that they were future stepsiblings and that I kept being reminded of that before Sig and Chloe have what I think is the best chemistry in this series. They’re likable and funny and so hot together that I wished I could read about them in literally any other situation.

But I will say, the way they get to be together in the end was not what I predicted it would be, so good on Tessa Bailey for surprising me there.

I normally enjoy Tessa Bailey Books but this one missed the mark for me. I liked the story line just thought some part came across as immature and ill thought out.

I usually love Tessa Bailey but this book was not for me. I wasn’t into the insta-love aspect and the plot in the first few chapters was so incredibly unrealistic I couldn’t go on. I could not believe someone in their 20s never even considered moving out of their house then did in a whim after meeting someone for ten minutes. I would definitely keep reading Tessa, this just wasn’t for me!

I've wondered about Sig and Chloe's story since they were first introduced and Tessa didn't miss! I found that I couldn't put the book down because I needed to know what would happen next and how it would end. The ending did feel a bit rushed, but that is something that I tend to feel with Tessa's books so that didn't bother me in the context of this story. Also, I'm ready to fight Sig's parents.

If you have enjoyed Tessa's other books, I think you'll enjoy this one too!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and HarperVoyager for the e-ARC of this book!

A professional hockey player and a high-society, musically inclined woman meet cute, only to discover later that night that they’re soon-to-be-stepsiblings. This hot — and sweet — new novel from bestselling romance author Tessa Bailey is part three of her Big Shots series, but it can absolutely be read as a stand-alone.

RetailMeNot: The Best Valentine's Day Gifts For Your Girlfriend
https://www.retailmenot.com/blog/best-valentines-day-gifts-for-your-girlfriend-2025.html

From the blurb and the reviews I was seeing, this should have been perfectly up my alley. Unfortunately this did not hit the way I was hoping.
From the start, I was immediately put off by Chloe’s naivety. I understand she was super sheltered in her rich lifestyle, which is a trope style I have enjoyed before. But Chloe is so unlikable. And Sig. listen. I am the number one cheerleader for a man down bad. But sir you met her an hour ago and you are already talking about locking her down.
If this was first person dual POV instead of third person dual, I might feel a little better about it. But the characters were so surface level and unlikable from the get go that it was impossible to connect or care about them.
Oh and don’t get me started on him being an all star hockey player but can’t afford a new car but can afford to pay for this girl to live in the city that he met a few days ago…

I know this will tick many boxes for people, because I know some that are head over heels for it. Which I love for them. This just did nothing for me, when hockey romance with a forbidden twist is my go to.

I started this book with some serious foreboding given the premise and foreshadowing in other books but was pleasantly surprised by how Tessa Bailey navigated the situation. That being said, not my favorite of this series. Will I still keep reading everything she puts out? Yeah

This one was a slow one for me to get into. I have enjoyed listening to this series but I think this one is my least favorite, which was disappoint because I had been looking forward to reading it since the two MCs were introduced in Aupair Affair. Sig meets Chloe on his way to meet his estranged Dad and his future stepmom, his truck breaks down and he meets Chloe. The two immediately have instant chemistry. It’s isn’t until he gets to his Dad’s house that he learns that Chloe is going to be his future step sister. Throughout the book Sig and Chloe’s friendship grows stronger as they fight the undeniable chemistry/feelings they have for each other. Chloe wasn’t my fave, I found her character annoying and immature. What saved the book for me was the ending. At like 90% the book got real good and I was happy and shocked with how it ended. All in all it was an ok book.

In true Tessa Bailey fashion these characters had me rooting for them since The Au Pair Affair. Did I know that they would eventually be step-siblings? Of course I did and honestly that just made me want to read their story so much more! There’s just something about a story that’s “forbidden” that has me wanting more and rooting for the relationship.. not sure if that’s a good thing or what but what can I say. As soon as their relationship was revealed I just knew there was no way to go back there was too much wanting and need between the two.

Tessas books keep me entertained and laughing while there’s always some cringey moments I usually always enjoy them nonetheless! I really loved the dynamic between Sig and Chloe, while they try to stay away from each other but things are just too tempting. Sig was the biggest cinnamon roll teddy bear to Chloe and I loved seeing Chloe break out on her own and get out from under her mother’s thumb!

All in all this was a good read for me & I’m excited for the next installment in this series!! ❤️

Dream Girl Drama

4/5 ⭐️; 3/5 🌶️

Tropes:

-future step siblings
-hockey romance
-forbidden love
-insta love
-all the build up
-dirty talk
-he’s a caretaker
-possessive mmc


Dream Girl Drama is book #3 of the Big Shots series. It is interconnect but can be read as a standalone. In fact, I almost recommend it being read or listened to as a standalone….

My reasoning- Tessa Bailey’s stories are so cute, charming, funny and witty… so much so that they make excellent audiobooks. In fact, I’ve listened to most of her books on audio, including Big Shots 1&2. Because of the voices Chloe and Sig had in book 2, I kind of expected that Dream Girl Drama may be a little corny and that the characters wouldn’t have any depth….. BOY WAS I WRONG AND PLEASANTLY SURPRISED! (Which honestly, I shouldn’t have expected anything else from Tessa Bailey) She’s awesome.

So all in all, this was the almost-taboo romance with quite a bit of comedy and spice. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am very excited for book #3. I’m sure the audiobook will also be spectacular.