A tremendous thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for allowing me to be an ARC reader for Dream Girl Drama. This book is available on 2/4/2025.

I hate that I didn’t love this book as much as I thought I would. I am a big fan of hockey romances, however Sig and Chloe fell a little flat for me. I had a difficult time believing that the insta-lust would blossom into something long term. The timeline hopping in the beginning took away from that relationship building that would have made that a little more believable to me. As someone who has studied music at the college level, it perplexes me that Berklee, of all places, wasn’t able to *challenge* Chloe because she had natural harp talent. There were times where I did feel the connection between the two characters. I just really wished we got to see more of that connection building from the start instead of jumping six months ahead. The tropes in this book just were not for me personally, but fans of insta-love, taboo, and an overprotective MMC may really love this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC 🤍

I was super intrigued about Sig and Chloe in the last book, and couldn't wait to hear their story. It's very insta-lovey, both when the first met and throughout the whole book. It does skip ahead a few months pretty early on which distracts from the insta-love, however, they are literally obsessed with each other from day one. And while Sig's protective macho man act is sweet to an extent, it gets to be a bit too obsessive.

Chloe was at times irritating. She has no personality besides fun and ditzy. She goes to buy laundry detergent to do her own laundry for the first time ever but buys fabric softener instead. Really? Can she not read? But there were parts where I liked her too, how she fought for independence and what she deserved and got out from under her mother's thumb.

It's a bit of a taboo romance as they learn they're about to be step-siblings after their first chance meeting. Wanting to figure out how they'd end up being together was what kept me going, and I had NO idea how they'd make it work, but I liked how it resolved. Because of a this, there was a lot of angst and pent up tension and chemistry which is always fun to read and made it an enjoyable romance overall.

3.5⭐️ rounded up

Dream Girl Drama delivers an emotional rollercoaster filled with grand, heartfelt gestures and moments that pull at the heartstrings. The characters face big challenges, but the story's strength lies in its unwavering belief in love and resilience. The payoff is worth the tension, as the journey leads to a truly satisfying happily-ever-after. While some moments felt slightly predictable, the depth of emotion and the well-executed ending make it a must-watch for fans of romantic drama. Four stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of "Dream Girl Drama" by Tessa Bailey. All opinions are my own.

Ugh I love Tessa Bailey... but this just wasn't it for me. The writing was usual Tessa Bailey, but this story line just didn't work for me. I preferred the first two books in the series. I've am excited for the fourth book though.

I enjoyed this book so much! I am not usually one to enjoy a slow burn, but I think that having read this right after The Au Pair Affair, I appreciated getting to know the characters more. I loved the baseball scene and how the couple for the next book was introduced. I can't wait for that one!

Sometimes books just hit different and unfortunately this one fell a bit flat for me. I didn't love the MMC's name, Sig and the potential step sibling love story was just not really something I enjoyed. Through most of this book I forced myself to finish it hoping there would be something that made me enjoy it more and I just finished it feeling like meh. As always Tessa Bailey did a great job of writing spicy scenes and making the reader swoon but I just truly could not get over the fact that they might end up as step siblings.

3.5stars rounded up to 4stars.

Who knew Tessa Bailey could nail a slow burn this well!! The chemistry and tension between Sig and Chloe was palpable and that slow burn payoff was exquisite! The forbidden element of their attraction felt very raw and realistic and I honestly had no idea how they were going to figure out a way to be together by the end. Kudos to Tessa for keeping that line of tension taught until the very end!

I do feel like the first 30% was hard for me to get through due to the extreme insta-love. It felt over the top and unrealistic and I almost put the back down because of it. However, I'm glad I stuck with it because things turned around and I got fully invested.

Corrigan and Mailer were hysterical in this book, making me all the more excited to read their stories.

Thank you Tessa, Netgalley, and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dream Girl Drama is the third Tessa Bailey book in the Big Shots series. We are introduced to the main characters, Sig and Chloe, in book 2 of the series. This book, however, could easily be read as a standalone book. The premise of the book is that Sig and Chloe meet one night and have an instant connection. They quickly learn, however, that their parents are planning to get engaged and therefore cannot be together. This is a slow burn romance for the first 2/3rds of the book, quickly followed by the typical Tessa Bailey spice. I really enjoyed this book. It is one of my favorite Tessa Bailey books despite the fact that the premise is a little cringe at times.

Thank you Avon, Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

I love a hockey romance and I loved Tessa Bailey’s It Happened One Summer Bellinger sisters duology. Unfortunately I couldn’t get over the step sibling thing and I didn’t warm to Chloe. Just wasn’t for me but I know people who would love this book.

I was meh on the first two books in this series (which were also the first two Tessa Bailey books I had read). So this book was sort of a last shot to Tessa. And she is saved from my pass list because I enjoyed this one sooooo much more!!!

The YEARNING in this was TOP TIER. I highlighted so many lines of Sig just being down bad for Chloe (my favorite way for a MMC to be). The end was sort of rushed but honestly I didn’t mind. I will now read the rest of this series, when I wasn’t sure going into this one.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely loved this book! We have a professional hockey player and a prodigy harpist need to say more? No, I really don’t need to say more but I’m gonna lol it is also a forbidden romance. How Tessa twisted this and somehow made this into a happy ever after I was just so surprised but I shouldn’t have been — but my brain just wasn’t going there when I was reading the book. I loved the little sprinkles of the previous book characters in there. I loved the other side characters that were still in this book I can’t wait for the next book in the series and I just absolutely love this series so much.

I loved this book!

The third edition to this interconnected series was a romance full of yearning, humor, drama, & of course hockey!

Tessa Bailey has a magical way of making you fall in love with every male lead she writes, and Sig was no exception. I adored the way he loudly and proudly loved Chloe, even when odds were stacked against them!

This was a quick, fun, & sweet read with a good helping of spice thrown in too!

Thanks to NetGalley & Avon or Harper Voyager for the ARC!

I loved this book! It follows a hockey player and a rich girl woman fall for each other after a chance encounter, only to discover their parents are engaged. Now they must navigate a forbidden romance while dealing with their families' impending nuptials. I loved their drama and their story. They also have so much chemistry. Must read! I honestly think its the best book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books, and Tessa Bailey for the eARC of Dream Girl Drama. Unfortunately, this was my least favorite in the series, earning 3 stars.

While I initially enjoyed Sig and Chloe’s dynamic and their solid friendship (a standout element), the execution fell flat. The slow burn dragged until about 70%, only to be followed by a rushed third-act breakup that lasted nearly to the end. The “forbidden” step-sibling angle wasn’t as impactful as expected, as they only officially became step-siblings near the end. The resolution felt rushed and anticlimactic—especially since open communication from Sig’s parents could have eliminated the conflict altogether.

Despite these issues, I appreciated how their friendship gave a solid foundation to their romance, making them an easy couple to root for. However, the pacing and payoff just didn’t deliver this time around. Fans of the series might still enjoy it, but it’s not a standout installment.

Dream Girl Drama
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This is the third book in the Big Shot series. Tessa Bailey is a go to romance author for me and in true Tessa Bailey fashion she delivers the chemistry and the steam. 😮‍💨
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🏒3rd in a series
🏒sports romance
🏒forbidden romance
🏒insta love
🏒protective MMC
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Sig and Chloe have an unexpected meet cute that completely captives both of them. It’s instant chemistry and instant attraction. The problem…their parents are engaged. Which makes Sig and Chloe future step siblings…
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Both Sig and Chloe were easy to like and root for. Chloe has a lot of character development as she learns to be independent. Sig is a giant teddy bear that wants nothing more than to protect and take care of Chloe.
I personally thought the “forbidden romance” part was a little blow out of proportion, but it was a cute read.
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3.5 stars
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Thank you netgalley and Avon Harper Voyage for the opportunity to read and rate this book!

Thank you Avon for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I loved the twist on step siblings with this book. Chloe and Sig are about to become step siblings so they believe they can’t be together. I think I felt like I didn’t understand why this was such a big deal when they were adults and not like they were going to be raised under the same roof?
Is it conventional, probably not. But it felt like so much of the book revolved around this and I wanted more from it. I wanted more of Chloe’s character growth.

I did enjoy the twist at the end. I didn’t see that coming. I liked to be back in this world and it will be interesting to see what happens next in this series.

Tessa Bailey is an automatic read for me. She consistently delivers characters, dialogue and spice that I know I can depend on and Dream Girl Drama checks all those boxes. Hockey romance?! Yes please! Sig and Chloe meet in the cutest of ways and have an unexpected glitch in what would otherwise seem to be an easy path to a relationship. It felt like one of the longer reads of Baileys that I have had to get to the spice but it was definitely worth it when we did.

It was love at first sight for Sig, a professional hockey player, and Chloe, a harp prodigy who comes from money. Sig was on his way to meet his nefarious father's new fiance when truck problems had him pulling into a country club parking lot. Intrigued by Sig, Chloe snuck him in to call AAA, and they had an instant connection and some steamy chemistry. Little did they know they would be seeing each other sooner than they thought when they both ended up being at the dinner and found out Sig's father would be marrying Chloe's mother. These soon to be step siblings find themselves spending lots of time together and trying to keep it platonic when Chloe moves to Boston with Sig's help. With time running out on the upcoming nuptials of their parents, Sig is desperate to find anything in his father's not so clean past to stop the wedding so he and Chloe can find their chance at love.

This was almost like a train wreck love story, and I couldn't look away! The taboo theme had me on edge for Sig and Chloe. You want to root for them, but it feels so wrong! It was just so unfair how fate could make them find each other and then push it in their face that they couldn't be together.

There was lots of character development for Chloe, learning to be independent and what it means to be a responsible adult. Sig was such an overprotective teddy bear with a big heart. There is plenty of slow burn and touch her and die vibes. I don't want to give anything away, but the plot twist at the end saved the book for me. I will be checking out more stories from Tessa Bailey as I really enjoyed her writing style.

Okay, so I finished this book so fast, I loved it so much!

Sig and Chloe had been on my mind since the moment I finished The Au Pair Affair and I’m so happy Tessa decided to give us their story with Dream Girl Drama.

This was the ultimate slow burn, but wow did it burn so much for Sig and Chloe! They met by chance when Sig was on his way to visit his father and his new girlfriend and his car had broken down by a country club where Chloe just so happened to be. The moment they met, they had an instant connection and it was fate that brought them together. However, that is instantly derailed when Sig gets to the dinner with his father and also sees Chloe there and their parents announce they are engaged.

Their choice to strictly stay friends since they were doomed to become step siblings proves to be difficult. With Chloe focusing on enhancing her reputation as a harp prodigy and working her way to the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Sig in the running to become captain and finally get the salary he deserved with his hockey team, they know this kind of scandal will only get in the way.

The yearning from these two to be together hit me right in the feels and I was stressing out over how they were going to be able to be together! Plus their chemistry was off the walls hot!

The perfect book for anyone who loves slow burn, instant love, forbidden romance, mutual pining and of course, hockey romance!

Hockey girl for life!

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and Tessa Bailey for this arc in return for my honest review!

I was completely hooked by this book. The mix of friends to lovers and forbidden romance had me captivated right from the start, but it was so much more than just that. The story wasn’t focused on dramatic moments or over-the-top gestures; it was about the simple, yet profound, acts of being there for someone. The characters supported each other without hesitation, showing how deep their connection went beyond romance.

The story felt real because it didn’t rely on big, flashy moments. Instead, it was built on the quiet, meaningful ways they cared for each other. The characters didn’t need to say much to show how much they meant to one another, and that made their bond feel genuine.

As I read, I found myself really invested in their journey. The way they grew together, not just as lovers but as true companions, made their connection even more powerful. There was something so authentic about how they navigated their emotions and supported each other. It made me think about the small, often overlooked moments that shape relationships and how those are sometimes the most important.