When Sig Gauthier's car breaks down on the way to meet his dad's new girlfriend, the professional hockey player didn't expect that his dream girl, Chloe Clifford, would bail him out. But things get tricky when Sig makes it to his dad's house and realizes that his dad's new girlfriend is Chloe's mom, and their parents announce that they're getting married. Despite the fact that Chloe is going to be his step-sister, Sig vows to support Chloe in her move to Boston to attend her dream school in direct opposition to her mother's wishes. While the soon-to-be step-siblings try to behave themselves, can they fight their magnetic chemistry?

This book was three stars for me. Tessa Bailey is a master at witty banter and the slow burn, and this book was no exception. The dual POV and the forbidden step-sibling trope was fun to read. But I did have a couple of issues with this book. I found Sig's immediate willingness to completely support someone he just met to be unbelievable, but, as with other books, I can put aside the lack of reality if the writing style keeps me engaged, which this book did. Second, and this is a bigger issue for me, I felt like Chloe's character was written to be cutesy, which to me comes off as ditzy. I can appreciate flaws and vulnerability, but I hate reading women characters written to be airheads. However, I did enjoy Tessa Bailey's writing style, which I find easy to read and often keeps me wondering what's going to happen, so all-in-all, I'm giving this one three stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a cute hockey rom-com from Tessa Bailey. Sig is a professional hockey played and Choloe is a harpist. Sig and Chloe meet one evening when Sig’s truck breaks down. He goes into a country club to call for a tow truck and meets Chloe. They make plans to meet up later in the evening for a hookup. They go their separate ways. When Sig gets to his father’s house, he meets his dad’s new girlfriend and he hears someone playing the harp. Yep, it’s Chloe. Chloe ends up moving to Chicago with Sig. The banter back and forth between to two of them is cute. The fall in love with each other. Their parents get married making them step siblings. In the meantime, both have their careers in jeopardy due to being in love with their sibling. Sig hires an investigator who discovers that the person Sig believes is his dad is not. Chloe's and Sig’s careers were saved and they ended up marrying. Thank you NetGalley and Avon for an advanced e-copy.

✨ARC Review ✨

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey is the third installment in her delightful "Big Shots" series, bringing us a playful hockey romance with a little spice and a dash of forbidden love!

Initially, I was a tad unsure about the main plot, but as I got into the story and got to know the characters, my doubts quickly faded away. Tessa's writing is clear and descriptive, making it super easy to get swept up in the story. I have to be honest, though—I didn’t fully connect with the main characters or the storyline, which led me to skim through a few parts.

This book definitely knows how to deliver angst and tension, specially building up to those key moments! There was a plot twist that I kind of saw coming, so it didn't catch me by surprise.

What truly stole the show for me were the supporting characters and their interactions with Sig and Chloe. Their dynamics added a fun twist that lightened up some of the heavier moments. Grace reminded me so much of Edna Mode, which made her scenes an absolute riot—just picture her getting creative with a pair of Louboutins! That thought alone made me smile!

I also really enjoyed the moments between Sig and his teammates, Burgess, Mailer, and Corrigan. Their witty banter provided some fantastic comic relief, and I caught myself chuckling quite a bit. Chapters 21 and 22 had me laughing out loud for sure and was one of my favorite book moments! By the end, I found myself more curious about Corrigan and Skylar’s storyline and can’t wait to see what’s next for them.

Overall, while this was an enjoyable and easy read in the hockey romance genre that I often like, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. However, I can see how it could be someone else’s perfect match! I’m thankful for the chance to read this ARC; it pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I genuinely appreciated the laughs along the way!

Big thanks to @Netgalley, @Avonbooks & @HarperVoyagerUS for the gifted book!

#DreamGirlDrama #NetGalley

Did someone say steamy forbidden hockey romance? Tessa Bailey delivers huge with Sig and Chloe’s story.

Sig and Chloe meet in a cute little love-at-first-sight-car-breaks-down meet cute only to learn that they are about to be step-siblings. Then, off to Boston they go trying their best to keep their relationship appropriate.

I cannot praise this book enough. I loved every second of it. It skirts the line of taboo perfectly, and the cameos from the past and future characters were fabulously done. The Big Shots series is hands down Tessa Bailey’s best work.

Thank you Net Galley for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. Tessa Bailey writes entertaining characters. SIG AND Chloe doesn’t disappoint. A fun read.

If you love Tessa Bailey, you’re going to love this book. She write very light-hearted romance books that you could binge in a sitting. It’s a nice break from more serious stories. It’s not the best written story but it definitely is entertaining.

I wanted to love Dream Girl Drama, but I just didn’t. I’m a huge fan of Tessa Bailey’s so I was really surprised by my lack of interest in Dream Girl Drama. I found the story line cringy from the start, and I could not recover from my initial impression.I will read any new releases from Tessa Bailey because I have a good foundation of love for Tessa.I would recommend Tessa Bailey’s Risking It All or It Happened One Summer for those who want to try one of her books.

I loved this book! Thanks for the arc! This was the most caveman of the three and I loved it. It was funny, heartwarming and keeps you wanting more.

Thanks to Avon and netgalley for this advanced copy.

Ummm where do I start with this. I've been entertained by Tessa Baileys books for a few years, and I read the first two books in this series and thought they were, well, fine. But no, this was not entertaining, it was confusing. I guess this is supposed to be a taboo love story of adults who are possible, potential step siblings, but it felt like it wasn't so taboo, just awkward. And no matter how many times they say "we can't do this", I never believed they couldn't, so it all felt over the top. Chloe is such a manic pixie dream girl it defies believability and Sigs reaction to almost everything is ridiculous. It was nice to see some of the hockey players again but this book doesn't stick the Landing and just made me angry at the end. This might be the end for me.

Unfortunately, I think I've outgrown Tessa Bailey's ridiculous plots and juvenile characters. I simply could not get through this book without rolling my eyes every 2-3 paragraphs. It's disappointing, to say the least, that Tessa Bailey used to be one of my favorite romance authors and is now publishing...whatever this was.

Not only were both of the main characters dull and boring, they also read as if they were 16-year-olds stuck in a 20-something's body. I genuinely could not enjoy even a second of this book because of the glaring red flag that was their internal monologues.

The only saving grace for this lackluster novel was the fact that it broke one single stereotype in that the main characters did indeed communicate, rather than breaking up over a misunderstanding as the final act.

Another Tessa Bailey book that had me devouring it! I loved how Sig and Chloe met and couldn't get enough of their energy together. But when their world is rocked later that evening, I felt for them. As the story develops, I love how Chloe comes into her own independence and has so much growth. And even though they are told their relationship is forbidden, I really just wanted them to say screw it anyways. Overall, I read this quickly and have enjoyed this series!

Read if you enjoy: hockey romance, forbidden, future step-siblings, protective mmc, slow burn, she falls hard but he falls harder

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, NetGalley, and Tessa Bailey for letting me read/review an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I loved Sig and Chloe when we met them in the Au Pair Affair and was hoping to see their story come to life.

Once again Tessa Bailey does not disappoint with the chemistry, banter and tension in this fun, steamy story. Sig and Chloe are too cute and I haven’t wanted a HEA for a couple as much as did for these two.

If you're a fan of Tessa’s books, you'll definitely enjoy this one.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advance copy!

𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚 𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★★★★

I was so excited to dive into this hockey romance featuring Chloe and Sig. Their insta love and undeniable chemistry had me hooked from the start. I loved that Chloe came to Sig’s rescue at the country club without even knowing him and right away their connection blossomed.

I wasn’t a fan of how their situation turned so quickly and the fact it turned forbidden before it really got anywhere. I did love how Sig stepped up and supported Chloe, all he did to get her on her feet in Boston and how protective he was of her.

The chemistry and the buildup between the two of them through the book was seriously soo good!! I just wish the relationship part wasn’t so weird. Especially since in the end Sig’s dad could have easily ended his suffering by telling him the truth. Once things finally panned out I adored how the book wrapped up.

mutually obsessed and possessive mc’s who border on taboo for 92% of the book???? hiiii <3 this was such a fun and easy read. i love tessa and how consistent she is in her stories, despite how different they can be. there’s just a FEELING when reading a tessa bailey book. I had a wonderful time!!

🌶️🌶️🌶️
🏒 Oh Sig and Chloe. The angst I felt while reading your love story 😩
🛍️ I love these two characters so much and they are so perfect for each other! I wanted to fight the world that tried to come between them. There were times that made me want to cry because there love was so beautiful and also because I was so sad for the angst the characters were going through.
🏒 Tessa knows how to make me laugh, cry, turn me on, and fill me with joy! Highly recommend and looks like we might get another one in this series? 👀 I hope so!
🛍️ I loved getting to see Tallulah and Burgess through the story. I would have loved to see Wells and Josephine from book one but maybe if we get more books? 👀
⚾ Pitch Perfect coming September I think 🤩

The hockey man of my dreams!!! Tessa did not miss with this one. I thought the step sibling trope was well done and the chemistry between the main characters was undeniable.

I was curious about Sig and Chloe from the second we met them in the Au Pair Affair and finally getting to know their story was worth the wait. Tessa has a skill in making the books enjoyable to read, spicy enough to put a blush on my face, and believable enough that I can pretend it might happen in real life. I enjoyed reading this and am so grateful for the opportunity to review it early!

I was obsessed I read this in almost one day. This might have been one of my favorite Tessa Bailey books I definitely preordered a copy for myself.

This is my first Tessa Bailey experience and I honestly don’t know how I got here; reading an ARC of a book that’s third in an interconnected series. I didn’t even peek at the blurb or tropes before diving in and it may have worked out for the best because I had a great time.

Chloe is an FMC I don’t normally read about/gravitate towards, but her growth seemed so genuine that it’s hard not to fall in love with her. At first glance, and by her own admittance, she’s a spoiled rich girl that doesn’t think about all that’s done for her. It’s admirable to read about her trying to turn it around and become independent. It’s then easy to be annoyed at Sig for continuing to shelter and spoil her in Boston, to his own detriment seemingly, but as both of their intentions and feelings become more clear it easy to forgive. Sig is everything you want in a handsome, burly hockey player: protective, attentive, supportive, and downright devoted. It’s nice to see him eventually work on his own insecurities rather than just hide them, making him entirely too well-rounded and drool worthy 🤤

I think the chemistry between Sig and Chloe was fantastic and this was an instant connection that was actually believable for me - a feat in itself. The taboo step-sibling trope was heavily diluted with them meeting before knowing their parents were in a relationship, the majority of the story happening before their parents marriage, and the fact they were 25+ when this all happened so they didn’t grow up together. With all of that, I barely consider it taboo and I personally don’t understand why it’s made such a big deal in the book… but hey, I dabble in the dark romance so maybe I don’t count.

Overall, this was a fun and enjoyable introduction to Tessa Bailey [for me] and I am excited to backtrack and read more!

I received an ARC of this novel on NetGalley and a big thanks to the publisher and author for a chance to read and review.

⭐️ 4/5
🌶️ 2.5/5

I actually really enjoyed this, especially since it's set in Boston and the hockey team is clearly based on the Bruins. It's Tessa Bailey so you know the spice is SPICY. While that was enjoyable, the plot here was actually more captivating to me. You can actually feel the chemistry between Sig and Chloe, but I also loved their witty banter. Some of the side characters also cracked me up, especially the rookies on Sig's hockey team. This is the 3rd book in the Big Shots series - I haven't read the other ones but now I definitely want to!