I love Tessa Bailey so I was so excited to read this book despite the supposed step sibling factor. I love seeing the instant love between Sig and Chloe and how much he always wanted to take care of her and those he loves. This book has everything I was looking for: hockey romance, insta-love, manic pixie dream girl and the guy who will do everything for her.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sig Gauthier may be a professional hockey player, but you’d never know it seeing his old truck break down nearby a private country club— where he coincidentally meets Chloe, who may be the girl of his dreams. Well, except for the fact she turns out to be his soon to be his step-sister due to his estranged father’s upcoming wedding to Chloe’s wealthy and overbearing mother.

Sig attempts to help Chloe become more independent while she leaves her mother’s for the first time but finds himself struggling to fight the attraction that is brewing in their stolen moments.

The chemistry and tension between Sig and Chloe was so palpable. Sig was so protective over Chloe despite her need for both reality and growth. Sig also working through his own emotions regarding his father and his own self-esteem was honestly one of my favorite parts of the book.

This book was everything I needed it to be! I didn’t think Tessa Bailey could make me love the Big Shots series more, but it just keeps getting better. Dream Girl Drama was entertaining and steamy! I rooted the whole time for Sig and Chloe’s relationship. I don’t enjoy insta-love but this made me change my mind!

Thanks so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for the e-arc. It was the highlight of my 2024.

Tessa Bailey’s Dream Girl Drama delivers a delightful mix of humor, steam, and heartfelt moments, making it a strong addition to her popular series. The story's chemistry crackles as Sig and Chloe navigate their romantic and personal conflicts with charm and wit. Bailey’s signature banter and well-paced plot keep the pages turning, even if a few twists feel predictable. The supporting cast adds depth, making the world feel vibrant and alive without overshadowing the main couple. Overall, it’s an enjoyable read that balances drama and romance perfectly—definitely worth picking up for fans of the series!

*Spoilers!*)
2 Stars, and I feel like I am being generous here.
The good:
-Pierre
-The Orgasm Donors/the Bearcats team
- Sig's truck
I think that is it.
The not so good:
-The setting is supposed to be in Boston/Connecticut, but as a New England native, I was really disappointed by how inaccurate it felt. Darien was mentioned as being famously wealthy, but that’s about where the authenticity ends. At one point, Boston is even described as being south of Connecticut—uh, no, it’s north!
- The FMC comes off as incredibly childish throughout the book, even when trying to be independent. It became uncomfortable, especially during any romantic or "spicy" scenes, because she was written like a child for the majority of the book and then suddenly she is hypersexual. On top of that, her intelligence is barely mentioned beyond her harp-playing skills. While I understand that someone sheltered might struggle with the real world, her immaturity was overwhelming.
The neutrals:
- All of the adults (read: parents) in this book suck. None of them are redeemable.
Overall:
I do not think I will be reading the rest of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley/Avon for the chance to read this ARC.

Chloe is a sheltered, somewhat spoiled harp prodigy who dreams of independence. Meanwhile, Sig is a pro hockey player who has worked all his life to achieve success.
Sig and Chloe meet by chance and can’t deny their chemistry. What they don’t know is that they are soon-to-be step-siblings.

Chloe was charming, but I didn’t like that Chloe was infantilized a lot throughout the book, which made it hard for me to connect with their romance. I also found it somewhat unrealistic that Sig would financially support someone he just met simply because he likes her. It was difficult to believe and made me feel their relationship was more lust-driven than rooted in real love. However, I did enjoy Sig and Chloe’s personal growth over the course of the book, as well as the cute moments they shared. Overall, I liked the book—it was charming and offered an interesting take on the forbidden romance trope.

Thank you, Avon or Harper Voyager Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this! I love a good hockey romance and the threat of becoming step siblings was kind of weird in the beginning but it didn’t bother me like I worried it would! I would definitely recommend!!

This was precisely what I expect from a Tessa Bailey novel: entertaining banter, lots of sexual tension, and lovely characters. I have adored every book of this series so far, so I was beyond excited to be confirmed for an ARC of this novel. Each novel in the Big Shots series sets up the next couple in a way that makes it unbearable to wait for the next one to release, so it was so nice getting this one ahead of time.

I read half of this novel in one sitting, then finished it within 2 days overall.

This novel follows Sig, a hockey player for the fictional Boston hockey team in the series, and Chloe, a professional harp player and his (unfortunately) soon-to-be stepsister. They have a love-at-first-sight run-in just to find out hours later that their parents are engaged. They obviously can't pursue a relationship with their parents' upcoming nuptials, but they find it challenging to stay away from each other.

I found the novel stressful due to the possibly becoming stepsiblings plot, but I love the character development that occurred for both Sig and Chloe. Additionally, I enjoyed her being a professional harp musician, and I loved the dog that she cared for in the novel.

Once again, it didn't hit five stars for me, but it was a lot of fun, and I will continue to read just about everything Tessa Bailey publishes. If you have enjoyed her books in the past or you love a good sports romance, I think you would enjoy this novel.

Seasons may change, friendships may end but if there’s one thing that will always stay constant, it’s that Tessa Bailey will always serve the most down bad (like literally sobbing over how much he loves his woman down bad), filthy-mouthed love interest in literature and we will thank her for it. We got a peek at Sig and Chloe’s dynamic in The Au Pair Affair and seeing the full picture of their relationship and how it began was both heartache- and tension headache-inducing because not going to lie, the stakes in this book had me stressed. Going into Dream Girl Drama, I wondered what made being stepsiblings so taboo for Sig and Chloe (when so many other Romances seem to relish in the thrill of it) so I appreciated that there actual external consequences beyond just the ethics of it that made it seem impossible for them to be together.

There was more tension in this than I had expected and it definitely lives up to the “drama” in its drama, but the vibes, the cute and silly moments, and the signature Tessa Bailey romance balanced out the heavier parts of the book. The story was equally fun and frustrating which had me turning the pages more and more to see how things would end. While I did enjoy the story, I was not particularly attached to either character, don’t get me wrong, I was all for how down bad these two were for each other but it felt like there was not much growth on either end and while codependency was cute at the beginning, it felt too repetitive by the end. I did like seeing Chloe bloom towards the end and slowly find her own way to stand proud but I wish we had seen more of it (there’s a scene where she goes on this spiel in the latter part of the book that was both awe-inspiring and heartbreaking).

Tessa Bailey always delivers a fun reading experience and I’m excited to see where she’ll take us next with the Big Shots series. We do get some hints for the next couples (featuring the famous Orgasm Donors) and I already know it’s going to be another great time. Sig and Chloe are, so far, my second favorite couple in the series (the first being Mr. I-will-spit-on-you Burgess and Tallulah) and I hope we’ll get to see more of them in the following books as well.

“I’ll love you enough for this whole city.”

Tessa Bailey’s books are always comfort reads for me because I always know what I’m getting, though the dynamic between the couples is always different. I’ve been enjoying the Big Shots series and I was so excited to read this!

I’ve been anticipating this book since seeing Sig and Chloe in the previous book. Their chemistry was always obvious in the background and their situation so precarious that I couldn’t wait to see how it was handled. From their first meeting, it’s clear that there isn’t an intense attraction. The crash is swift when they find out their parents are getting married. But I love what comes out of this initially, let alone how it all unfolds.

For Chloe specifically, I loved seeing her arc. She’s always been so dependent on her mother and her money, never gaining any real independence. As a harp prodigy, she’s always been touted around and told how great she is without feeling like she has to work for anything. When she moves from her small town in Connecticut to Boston with Sig, she learns so much about herself and how to be independent. Her determination to be first chair for the Boston Symphony Orchestra is so satisfying to see. I think that her arc is really meaningful and shows so much growth. She's such a fun character and her personality flies off the page.

While Sig is clearly a bit on the overprotective side, it comes from how quickly he falls in love with Chloe and the dread of his father’s marriage to Chloe’s mother. He’s worked so hard to become the hockey player he is and I really loved that Chloe saw that and encouraged him. I liked his arc, but I think Chloe’s outshined his just a bit. This isn't to say that I didn't really like Sig. The way he protects and helps Chloe is so sweet, especially when she initially moves to Boston. He wholeheartedly believes that she can make it on her own in a new city. He constantly boosts her confidence, which is something I really loved.

I also loved the set up for the next book in this series and I think that one will also be fun to read. I've truly enjoyed this series so far and this is perfect for anyone who loves sports romances!

First, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for the next book in a series I have been greatly enjoying!

We all know that Tessa is gonna give us a good story, and obviously that holds true with this next installment in Big Shots.

I was nervous going in, knowing from Au Pair Affair that Sig and Chloe are step siblings to be....not my vibe. No shade to anyone else, just not something I tend to go for. But this was done really well. I like that we get the introduction of the two characters before their time in APA.

She wrote their story in a way that you felt the hopelessness of their situation and the yearning. It was heartwrenching and hopeful at the same time.

I look forward to the next installments of the series and what the rest of the Bearcats get up to.

I really love Tessa Bailey's writing! I was on the fence about if I would like the story with the characters about to be connected. But I loved the twist that really made me relieved that I thoroughly enjoyed Sig and Chloe's love story .

Another great spicy romance by Tessa Bailey! This can definitely be read as a stand alone book. I read the Au Pair Affair but not Fangirl Down. I was rooting for Chloe and Sig. I thought I’d figured out where the plot was going but I was wrong.

Dream Girl Drama featured the usual over-the-top Tessa Bailey characters and honestly I was into it in the beginning.

Chloe and Sig have a "meet cute" encounter at a country club and boom insta-lust/love. They part ways with plans to meet later, only to find out they are headed to the same dinner where their parents announce that they're engaged.

Chloe and Sig - and everyone else for some reason - act as though their parents' impending marriage means they're related, even though they have literally just met. Stubbornly, they agree to ignore their attraction and to keep their relationship platonic.

Sig even helps Chloe break away from her mother's overbearing control and move to Boston to find the independence she so desperately seeks. In Boston, Chloe and Sig grow even closer - best friends basically - but the underlying attraction is always there.

I found Chloe and Sig's relationship to be a bit ridiculous yet absolutely adorable, but the "obstacle" keeping them apart made little to no sense. The resolution was also odd because again, I did not see the conflict as an obstacle to their relationship.

Dream Girl Drama was a classic Tessa Bailey novel and fans of her work will surely enjoy it, even if they become a bit frustrated with the main characters at times.

Got this as an ARC and I loved it. This is the best of the series so far! I enjoyed the snippets of Sig and Chloe in Au Pair Affair so I was excited to read their story. Their initial meeting was so cute - love/lust at first sight, then of course they realized they were going to be step siblings and they fought the attraction. Tessa finally built some tension this time, focused on the fact that they really were best friends 🥹, and that made their relationship even better. Also the Pop Tarts! Sig you precious baby. You don’t get any spice until around 60% and it was worth the wait because it felt like they truly had a connection. The “breakup” ultimately made sense and I wasn’t even mad about it, plus the ending made it all worth it!

Side note: excited for the next one with baseball? Girl pitcher? And if it’s not that one then the female manager for the hockey team? Sure thing!

Fave quotes:

“They’re not going to love me the way they love him.” I’ll love you enough for this whole city.

“It’s the purest thing I’ve ever felt in my life. It’s like I’ve loved her since I took my first breath.”

“I exist for her.”

Despite the stepsiblings aspect this one was taboo-lite. At first I even questioned why the hell everyone was making such a big deal about adults having a relationship and their parents getting married after the relationship started…but then I remembered the internet exists. You can’t get away with annnnnything. So yes, their relationship was forbidden in the public eye. That made for some really delicious tension between the Chloe and Sig! Another thing that took me by surprise was my investment in Chloe’s character arc. She starts out as an entitled, albeit sweet, socialite and grows so much in the story. I loved Sig being absolutely gone for Chloe and wanting to take care of her while also being proud of her accomplishments. I know I can always count on Tessa Bailey to give me a man obsessed, we love to see it!

This is the book I thought i would like the least but ended up liking it the most out of the series. While still very insta-love, I thought this was done so much better as there was a lot more longing involved. I’m glad I decided to read the rest of the series first before jumping straight into this as we get introduced to Sig and Chloe in the previous book. Chloe is so much fun, she is very positive and bubbly and I really enjoyed watching her grow outside of her mother’s mold. Sig will do anything for the people he loves and he goes above and beyond. Would I dish out thousands of dollars for someone I just met? Probably not, but he did and he had no issue with doing it either. Do I wish Chloe felt a little more grateful for the fact that he was dishing out thousands of dollars? Absolutely. I found it ridiculous that she was late on rent that he gave her because she decided to spend $700 of it on eye cream. I know she grew up not having to worry about money, but man that was shocking to me.

Other than that, I enjoyed the plot more than the other books and I thought the third act breakup was so much better. I mean this was definitely a genuine reason to not be together which was interesting to see how they navigated. Overall, I enjoyed the longing a lot more, even though it was insta-love, I felt like they ended up establishing their friendship first due to their circumstances which was nice and I really enjoyed watching them (especially Chloe) grow as individuals. I will also say the ending kind of irritated me, but I don’t want to spoil anything so I will leave it at that.

YEARNING! This book is the place to go if you’ve missed the feeling of yearning. It was really a good read and very emotional. It tugged at my heartstrings the entire time. All I wanted was to help Sig and Chloe find a way, they were so entirely perfect for each other. I enjoyed this sweet read and it had Tessa’s signature, sweetest grumps that have ever lived which I always enjoy. Sig a humble, star hockey player meets Chloe, an impulsive but sweet harpist in a chance encounter and it’s an immediate connection. However, they both have to leave to attend a previous commitment where lo and behold they find out their parents are announcing their engagement to each other and they set to be step siblings soon. Cue angst, turmoil, and so much tamped down love. I enjoyed this book a lot and loved the characters. It’s a quick good read and I recommend it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️


“His entire life, he’d told himself you don’t need it. That he didn’t require nice things. But Chloe . . . she was the first nice thing he couldn’t live without.”

“It’s the purest thing I’ve ever felt in my life. It’s like I’ve loved her since I took my first breath.” “Love,” Harvey said flatly. “You love her?” “I exist for her.”

“she’d lie down and die, because love was meant to be a glorious thing, but sometimes she wondered if loving someone and not being able to acknowledge and act on it could suffocate her to death.”

You could only cut the sexual tension with the sharpest ax around. Like, the entire book was just sooooo sexually tense, which may be the only reason I finished it.

Chloe, as we've seen in the second book of this trilogy, is very pampered and taken care of. Sig taking care of her came to me as no surprise. She was all too childlike and immature for me to like, honestly. It was so hard to connect and relate to her and Sig's relationship for that reason.

Sig's character wasn't awful. I liked how he loved Chloe and wanted to care for her while simultaneously teaching her to be independent. But there was still too much coddling for me to invest in this relationship fully. The way he was with Chloe was borderline infantile, and it's just not my bag.

The part that makes this a 2 star rating, however, is the huge scrutiny surrounding them becoming step-siblings some day. I've never read that trope, but I always thought the scandal was two people who grew up as step-siblings suddenly falling for one another, not two grown ass adults! Also, I know sports better than the average romance reader (just guessing, but maybe not...) and I can guarantee that a GM could care less if a player is banging out a step-sibling as an adult. The whole step-sibling scandal was too much for me and I kept saying This is so dumb! over and over again. I like Bailey's novels, she writes a killer sexy time scene, but the whole premise of this one was just over the top for me.

I love the whole sports romance theme, and I'm glad Bailey branched out to dabble in it. For this novel, though? I read for the sports romance, but only finished it for the sex. Definitely not for even a drop of this storyline. I'd read another golf romance, though, if she wanted to go back to that. :) Or football...

Thank you to Netgalley, Tessa Bailey, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced readers copy of this novel in exchange for my (brutally) honest opinion.

I think I need to retire from reading Tessa Bailey at least for a little while because her books are starting to feel like they have the same no plot just smut and vibes, which is not really working for me unfortunately.

Dream Girl Drama- Big Shots #3

Author: Tessa Bailey- I read Fangirl Down and The Au Pair Affair-both 4 ⭐

Publication date: 2-4-25 | Read 1-27-25

eBook 384 pgs.

Genre:
*Contemporary Romance/Rom-Com
*Sports Romance

Tropes:
*insta-love
*step-siblings
*mutual pining
*cinnamon roll H
*family drama
*forbidden romance/star-crossed lovers

POV: 3rd person, dual

TW: absentee parents

Setting: Darien, CT + Boston

Summary: After a meet-cute at the swanky country club in Connecticut, Chloe and Sig are instantly attracted to each other. Sig is on his way to meet his father Harvey with his new girlfriend Sophia only to find Chloe there. She is Sophia's daughter and his soon to be stepsister when Harvey tells him they are getting married.

Heroine: Chloe Clifford-25, a harpist who wants to join the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Hero: Sig Gauthier-29, pro hockey player-Boston Bearcats-OTT protective of Chloe

Other Characters:
* Harvey Lerner-Sig's father, left Sig when he was a newborn
*Sophia Clifford-Chloe's mother who grew up wealthy
*Burgess-Sig's confidante, retiring from the Bearcats
*Mailer+ Corrigan-the rookies from the Bearcats
*Rosie-Sig's mother who lost money
*Reese Bauer-new GM of Bearcats, biracial

My Thoughts: Chloe was annoying in the beginning as a naive, spoiled, rich girl with an overbearing mother. Sophia wanted to keep Chloe in their ivory tower, but Sig convinced her to move to Boston and take on the world. Sig was an enabler for her bad habits with the rent and relying too much on him. Sig was blind to it because he was so in love with her, He was jealous and an alpha male with "mine" tendencies. Harvey and Sophia were against Sig and Chloe hooking up, and Sig even hired a PI to get dirt on his father. The gossip about Chloe and Sig's relationship caused scandal because of how people frown upon it.

Rating: 4/5
Spice level 4/5

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyage |Avon, and Tessa Bailey for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.