First, I want to thank NetGalley for the e-ARC!
A continuation of a couple we caught a glimpse of in second Big Shots book, Au Pair Affair, Chloe and Sig’s unconventional relationship was something I never thought I’d be gravitated towards. My initial thoughts; there was a lot of built up tension between the two characters that kept me wanting to read more. Their chemistry was undeniable, despite the barrier that was keeping them apart - they’re about to be step-siblings. I overall enjoyed the book as it took me on a journey of many twists, comedy, and of course romance. It’s an easy read that you won’t want to put down.

Truthfully I liked this way more than I thought I would. I don’t usually go for blonde manic pixie dream girl FMCs, but Chloe was so endearing. Bailey wrote her journey from naive, sheltered rich girl to pursuing her own path as a professional musician in a way that felt natural and relatable, helped by her big, genuine heart. Her naiveté was never vapid; she is funny, self aware, and clever. The way Sig supported her by teaching her the life skills needed to survive was so sweet, and frankly I wanted more. While I love Bailey’s brand of “completely smitten MMC”, for Sig that was pretty much all that defined him. While Chloe’s personal journey was to become her own woman and Sig helped with that, Sig’s mission was essentially just to find a way to be with Chloe. The other thing that fell short for me was the romance timeline. I’m not inherently opposed to insta-love (though if you are you will struggle) but I struggled with it in this context. And because they’re extremely into each other from the jump it felt like Bailey had to abbreviate 6+ months to avoid feeling repetitive, using some strange time jumps in the first third of the book. I so wish we had gotten to see them fall for each other! The pieces were all there! And when they fully realize how much they care for each other it’s truly Bailey’s writing at its finest - the love, the yearning, the spice - all great! By the end I really loved them as a couple and was thrilled for their HEA.

Thank you so much to Tessa Bailey and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for the eARC of this book. I was so excited to get this ARC and it definitely lived up to the hype I was expecting for this series! Sig and Chloe are some of my favorite characters out of this universe. But to be honest I love every character in this universe and no one can tell me any different. I highly highly recommend this book and any of Tessa's others. I can't say enough good things!! I can't wait to see what Tessa has in store for us next!!

What do you do when you fall in love with your future step sister?

Sig Gauthier finds himself in this predicament when he is swept off his feet by the high brow Chloe (last name). When Sig stumbles into the Country Club of Darien after his 1998 Chevy craps out 3 minutes away from his location and his phone dies, Chloe saves him from the snobby front desk who won’t let him charge his phone. Little do they know, they’re both late for the same dinner to meet their parents' new significant other. The bomb is dropped when they find out they will be related by marriage. Chloe decides to upend her life to reach her dreams of playing cello for a symphony orchestra and move to Boston with Sig. Convinced his father is trying to swindle Chloe’s mother, Sig is determined to find some dirt to allow him to be with Chloe. But will they be able to make it work or will they always be the one that got away?

Tessa Bailey created such loveable characters who fight to be with each other. The spice is on point but the insta love just didn’t do it for me. Chloe’s character felt unrealistic and far too fake. I recognize that in her world she probably did have some inauthentic qualities but her character did not feel fully fleshed out to me which made it hard to like her or their story. Sig’s protective nature was not attractive and more of a turn off. Even in the previous books, it felt like too much and not even in a “she’s mine” way. This one missed the bar with me 3.5/5.

Thank you to Avon Books and Harper Voyager for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The love story between Chloe and Sig is definitely an unconventional one. They meet for the first time at a country club and it’s love at first sight. Later on, they discover that Sig’s father is marrying Chloe’s mother, making them soon to be stepsiblings. We follow as Chloe and Sig try to stay away from each other, but their chemistry pulls them back together. The only critics I have of the book are that the ending felt very fast paced and I feel like everything happened so fast in the last chapter that could’ve been spaced out a little more. Overall I really enjoyed this and am excited to read the other books in the series!

When Tessa Bailey revealed her next book would not only be another sports romance (a sub-genre I believe she's Very Good at writing for those who want just a hint of sport in their novel), but a sports romance featuring step-siblings, I said shut up and take my money please. Something about a Tessa Bailey novel always hits for me whether I absolutely loved the story or thought it was just alright. I am pretty much a satisfied customer every single time which makes it a little difficult for me to rate what I am reading as a woman rating books (and living life) based on vibes and vibes alone.

Dream Girl Drama was no different. The reader is edged within an inch of their life, so naturally I devoured this book in one sitting. The sexual tension and longing? Immaculate! The characters? Well...I needed to come up with some way to translate my feelings into *stars*, so I considered the following:

Likeability of FMC: 2/5
Chloe's character was emitting some...major childlike wonder?? She came from a world where everything was done for her and didn't really have a sense of how ANYTHING worked. Once she flew the coop for her Independent Women Pt. 1 adventure...well she continued to have a very slippery grasp on reality because Sig was the CEO, CFO, and Regional Manager of her person. Where is the money for rent and $700 worth of face creams coming from when she has no active income? There's no way for her to know but it probably came from a tree. However that brings me to...

Likability of MMC: 5/5
I fully believe men should do everything for women, especially purchasing and personally storing 100 boxes of Pop Tarts, for all that we have historically endured at their hands. If you know what I mean (and I think you do). No, I will not be elaborating at this time.

This is how I landed on a 3.5/5 star rating for the book overall which just feels about right… but I'm rounding down to 3/5 however because my original calculation excluded the egregious use of the word "buns". I won't go any lower than 3 though because I still had a very good time reading this and am already looking forward to the next installment.

Tessa Tessa you do it every time. You make me love all the characters Sig & Chloe are currently my favorite in the series! Especially hockey romance it’s my absolute favorite 🥺

5 ⭐️ / 3 🌶️

Tessa Bailey does it again!
Dream Girl Drama is the story of Sig & Chloe - a forbidden-ish love story between a doting hockey player, a harp prodigy, and oh they just found out they’re about to be step siblings.

Sig is the responsible, hockey-playing, cinnamon roll “friend.” Chloe is a rich, country club regular, harp prodigy who has seemingly never had to work for anything. She’s on a journey to discover her independence, with a little encouragement from Sig. Meanwhile Sig is trying not to fall for his soon to be step sister/ best friend/ dream girl as they sort through public lives, soulmates status, and chasing after the life together they really want.

This standalone hockey romance is the 3rd of Tessa Bailey’s Big Shots sports series - her best series thus far in my biased opinion (sports romance is my fave). It has an extra payoff if you’ve read book 2 - Au Pair Affair - and spent a fair amount of time wondering WTF is happening with Sig like I did.

🏒 hockey romance
🎼 harpist
💕 forbidden-ish romance
🌟 love at first sight
🌶️ spice (it’s Tessa Bailey IYKYK)

Thank you NetGalley and @Avonbooks for the ARC!

I love this series, and so I was very excited to read the third installment. Chloe and Sig were very interesting to see with an outside perspective in the other two books, and so diving in with this one was really good. I think the premise was something I’d never really read about before, but I think it worked out well. Book 2 is still my favorite but this one was also good. The chemistry was off the charts, and you could feel it, so palpable. I’m excited to see if there are other characters that will get books, like Corrigan and the pitcher.

Rating : 3.5/5⭐️


I loved meeting Sig and Chloe in book 2 The Au Pair Affair. It seemed like an interesting concept…future step-siblings liking each other. But this book fell a bit flat for me.

This was definitely a slow burn and it took almost half the book until something spicy happened. I enjoyed the chemistry and intensity between Sig and Chloe and the way Sig treated her with such attention and care. I had a really hard time connecting with the spoiled princess character of Chloe. She was really child-like and annoying most of the time. Her interactions with Pierre honestly saved her likability for me. Pierre was a hoot! 😂
The ending caught me off guard. I did not see it ending that way but I liked it. It tied everything up in a bow quickly.
Overall I did not enjoy this book as much as the other two books but it was ok for me.

Check this out if you enjoy:
-Sports Romance
-Touch her and 💀vibes
-Forced proximity
-Forbidden Love
-Insta love

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Voyager and Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

This book has that magic that made me unable to put it down, despite it containing my least favorite tropes- touch her and die, and instalove. Tessa Bailey nailed both. The intensity was there and the chemistry was palpable. The only thing I didn’t buy was their reason for holding back, which felt contrived. I also wanted a deeper dive into the life of a harpist, and a hockey player. Ultimately, I feel mixed about this because their relationship seemed largely toxic, supposed taboo aside, and somehow also very nurturing. It made me think and I loved how it was written. Queer rep: side character is a lesbian.

Short summary: Sig meets the love of his life an hour before learning she’s set to be his step-sister. Drama ensues…

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not gonna lie: I had NO clue how Tessa was gonna land this plane. I was STUH-ressed the eff out. And then she did it. 94% of the book, I was chewing my cuticles because I didn't know how it was gonna work out. But then it did. 😍 Gah, TB always delivers. And this was a story where the FMC was a bit of a dirty talker - not mad about that! Solid addition to the oeuvre 😅!

4.5 fabulously spicy stars! I didn’t think I could love this series more after book two, but this book solidified it as my favorite series by Tessa Bailey. It has everything you could want from a Bailey romance- witty banter, forbidden love, cameos from characters in prior books, and more. Plus it has all the spice that we all have come to love and expect from Tessa Bailey. Thanks to @netgalley, @tessabaileyisanauthor, @avonbooks, and @harpervoyagerus for giving me a sneak peek! I was the envy of all my friends by getting my hands on this one early. I recommend this one to all my fellow romance readers, followers, and friends!

The Big Shots series is by far my favorite series by Tessa Bailey. I’ve had such a good time reading all three books! Dream Girl Drama screams classic Tessa Bailey book. I’ve been looking forward to Sig and Chloe’s story since it was hinted at in book 2. There’s something about a forbidden romance that really draws me in. So much tension!! The chemistry between Sig and Chloe was undeniable. I really felt their desperation to find a way to be together and the soul crushing sadness they felt when they couldn’t. I would have liked to see a little more of their happy ending but overall I really enjoyed this book! Plus I loved the little hints of the couples from upcoming books and I look forward to reading those as well!

My favorite of these Hot Shot sports romances. It was insta-love with a slow burn, and the burn was super satisfying. It became a friends to lovers, which I love. And it concluded well.

It made me laugh! It made me swoon! Loved it.

I finally picked this one up! This was my first Tessa Bailey book, and I can happily say I enjoyed it. I thought this was a fun sports romance. This was the perfect type of book to read in between two complicated high fantasy books!

An instant new favorite from Tessa, I absolutely gobbled this up!! Chloe and Sig had me grinning from ear to ear, with plenty of moments that also left me furiously blushing. Dream Girl Drama is infused with TB's signature style of humor and wit, but perfectly balanced with tender emotion and heart.

Sparks immediately fly between the pair during their meet cute at a country club, but these two are forced to put a pause on any advances when they discover they are going to be step siblings. The pining? The tension? Delectable. But perhaps, even more significant was the mutual care taking. When they realize a romantic relationship isn't possible, Chloe and Sig become best friends. I loved watching them uplift and root for each other. A type of heartfelt support that neither has ever felt before is cultivated, and the devotion especially from Sig, had me melting. At one point, he states that he exists solely for her (!!!)

Loyal fans of It Happened One Summer will love Dream Girl Drama and I already know this book will be a comfort reread for me.

Thank you so, so much to Avon and Harper Collins for the physical galley and eARC.

It was just okay for me! Not her best but not her worst! I’m also not usually a fan of hockey romances! Will still be ready to read her next book!

-Forbidden Romance
-Sports Romance
-Future Step Siblings
-Lots of Longing & Angst

This might be the least steamy book that I’ve ever read from Tessa. It was a nice change! The angst and longing was amazing. The romance was cute between the two main characters.

Thank you Avon for the arc of this book.

“You love her?” “I exist for her!” Sig and Chloe’s story did not disappoint. While it was on the heavier side, the pining from both sides was epically romantic. After the perfect meet-cute, this couple quickly learns that they are about to become step siblings. While not related by blood, having a relationship would cause major issues for both parties as they both have public personas.

Sig is relentless in his protection of Chloe and his search for a loop-hole. Chloe starts as a bit of a clueless princess but, I loved seeing her evolve into her independence. This couple faced so much heartbreak that I actually squealed when they finally got their happy ending.

In true Tessa fashion, the banter and spice is perfection. I would also like to say that I am already impatiently waiting for Corrigan and Skylar’s story because I just know it is going to be hilarious.

Thank you so much to Tessa, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for this ARC in return for my honest review. My opinions are my own.