❤️Dream Girl Drama❤️

I have never been more excited in my life to receive an Arc! Thank you Net Galley & HarperCollins for allowing me to receive an Arc in exchange for my honest review! I DEVOURED this book. The tension in this book is INSANE. I fell in love with Sig, and Chloe and especially with their drama of becoming step-siblings. I did think at times that the pacing was off, but other than that I really enjoyed reading this book!!!❤️

I really enjoyed this book! It’s been a while since I’ve read a forbidden romance, and boy was it 🔥GIVING🔥! The tension, the yearning, the pining, a man completely and utterly obsessed??? Tessa really knows how to write a down bad man!

Sig was so steady and patient with Chloe! He would give her the moon if he could🥹 It took me a while, but I ended up liking Chloe by the end! I would say for the first half of the book or so I wasn’t getting a lot of personality from her, even with her inner monologue, which kind of made her “dream girl” label fall flat. It’s when she started to stand up for herself more and actually be independent instead of relying on Sig that we really got to see her shine!

I would say that this book is more trope driven than plot or character driven. Although the spice was spicing and I ultimately enjoyed the book, I wasn’t as emotionally invested as I was while reading the previous Big Shots books. I did enjoy the sneak peaks of Mailer and Corrigan’s books, and can’t wait to read them!

Dream Girl Drama is available 2/4/25!💖

*Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

4/5⭐️
2.5/5🌶️

On the way to meet his dad’s new girlfriend, Sig Gauthier’s truck breaks down in front of a country club. Clearly out of place, he’s being turned away when he’s rescued by Chloe Clifford, who Sig sees and immediately falls in love. The feelings from Chloe are mutual… the only kicker? They soon that Chloe’s mom is Sig’s dad’s new fiancé, meaning Chloe and Sig are soon to be step siblings. How will these two insta-lust-ers navigate the treacherous waters of their impending relations via marriage?

Goooood golly I love Tessa Bailey’s writing. This story was all yearnin’ and burnin’, tension and insta-love… all of which I’m on board with. I loved Chloe as our leading lady—she was so lovable and innocent. Sig was another grumpy grump in this series who was obsessed with our lady but kept keeping his desires at bay. Their chemistry was teased and edged for so long… and that explosion! So yum. I think I picked up on the hint for the next entry into this series, and let’s just say I cannot WAIT! Eep! This is such a fun and sexy series.

Tropes in this story:
✨Hockey romance
✨Taboo; soon to be step siblings
✨Grumpy and extremely bright sunshine
✨All the yearnin’ and burnin’ and resistin’
✨”Just get it out of our systems”
✨Mutual dirty talking 😈

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book via Avon Books and NetGalley, but my review is all my own.

*Rated 4.5/5 rated up to 5 for GR
Thank you to NetGalley for a free e-ARC, this is my honest review.

Series Note:
Dream Girl Drama is book three of the Big Shots series. While each story is a stand-alone, if you would like more background of Sig's teams (and also to know of Burgess' love story) I would suggest reading at least The Au Pair Affair before-hand.

About:
Dream Girl Drama follows hockey player Sig who, on the way to visit his father meets his dream girl. However, when finally showing up to his father's new place, that's when he learns his dream girl is about to become his step-sister. Can they stay away from each other? Or can they find a work-around?

Review:
I was excited to pick-up this book because of all the hints we got in The Au Pair Affair and I NEEDED to know their story. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! These two are pagnets for each other and they have some of the most beautiful moments together! Sig is such a golden retriever but in the best way!

*HE BUYS ALL THE POPTARTS SO HE HAS AN EXCUSE TO SEE HER CAUSE HE KNOWS SHE LOVES THEM AND "CAN'T" FIND THEM IN THE STORES!*

I was hesitant if I was going to connect with Chloe in any way but she is a doll! At first you are worried she's going to be a part of the richy/stuck-up club but the way she is willing to find her own self and acknowledge she has faults and needs help to find herself is formidable.

I absolutely loved the story and I already cannot wait for the next installment in the Big Shots series!!!

🏒𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
♥️𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚-𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞
🏒𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 Love
♥️𝐇𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐌𝐂
🏒𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐲 𝐅𝐌𝐂

✨Thoughts✨
𝐖𝐨𝐰, this book was packed with steamy tension and incredible chemistry. Sig Gauthier and Chloe Clifford had a memorable meet-cute that quickly turned into a spontaneous date filled with sparks and perfection. But their joy was short-lived when they discovered that their parents were getting married, making them soon-to-be step-siblings.

𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 in a strange situation of being best friends but something else and soon-to-be family members, but not really, Sig and Chloe had to navigate their relationship carefully. Chloe reminded me of Rapunzel. At 25, she was very sheltered, and soon after Sig entered her life, she started to enjoy her newfound freedom. Sig was supportive and kind, and in return, Chloe made him feel like he could conquer the world. Their love for each other was palpable, and I felt their pain as they pined for each other. I also loved how silly they were. They had the funniest, most random conversations that oddly enough made so much sense, I loved it!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 supporting characters also added their own little touch of humor to the story, making me hope for spin-off stories for each of them.

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥, this book perfectly blends sweetness, spice, and romance, making it a must-read for romance lovers!

𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 thanks to Tessa Bailey, Avon, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for this fantastic ARC. My opinions are entirely my own.

★★★★★
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: 𝟑.𝟓/𝟓🔥

3.5⭐️ Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for this arc! I’m the first to admit that I love a Tessa Bailey novel, and I really did enjoy this one.
My one complaint with this book is that it feels that it leaned too heavily on the “forbiddenness” of their romance, when they met as adults before they even knew their parents were engaged.
Overall this was a cute and quick read, and I loved Chloe and Sigs relationship, but at times I struggled to get past that one obstacle.
If you love Tessa Bailey, Sports Romances, or Forbidden Romances consider picking this up!

I love the big shot series. Each book has been such a delight and this was no different. I swooned, I laughed, I cried. I don’t normally love instant love however the chemistry between these two MCs was incredible and I loved how down bad they were. The tension nearly killed me and I was rooting for them hard. Loved this one!

I love Tessa Bailey and her books but i found that instant love trope is not for me and that's the big one for this book. however, i still enjoyed it and if insta love is for you, this is your book! i think you will eat Sig and Chloe up! They breathe for each other 🫠 the main characters were cute but the rookies were hilarious 😂 also, it's tessa bailey. expect dirty talking and smut 😌

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC 🫶🏼

🏒 instant love
♥️ sports romance
🏒 slow burn
♥️ forbidden love
🏒 future step siblings 👀

Thank you Harpercollins Publishing, and NetGalley for this ARC read!
This was a sweet, short hockey romance following Sig & Chloe. It was an interesting take on almost forbidden love. While I personally didn't enjoy all the tropes in this book, I can definitely appreciate the writing style and the way it was written gave me an even bigger appreciation for it. I loved that Bailey spelled out exactly what was foreshadowing for the readers which made the book a really nice brain break from some other heavy books. This would be a perfect palette cleanser type of book!
I would recommend this book in the future!!
I would give this book 3.5 stars.

Oooh this was HOT. I loved the tension. I loved the insta connection. I loved him calling her dream girl. I loved it. I shouted YES! when (spoiler) - we found out about Harvey! SUCH a good little twist and my babies can be happy together. Tessa Bailey, never stop talking dirty.

I was pining for a book for Chloe and Sig when I got a hint of the in The Au Pair Affair. Their relationship seemed adorable and the chemistry between them was obvious even as supporting characters in that book. I am happy to report that this was a great hit for me and a thoroughly enjoyable read. This series is my introduction to Tessa's writing and I am absolutely becoming a fan. The only thing that truly bothered me a bit was the sheer amount of focus on them being step-siblings. I didn't see the big deal about their relationship when they didn't grow up together, met as adults and absolutely have no sense of "brother and sister" from having a long term relationship growing up with their parents, parenting them both? The hindrance to them felt like something that was trying to be a forced sense of taboo than actually being a non solvable issue.

That being said, I love their dynamic and the characters, particularly how much Chloe grew once she was away from the toxic life she was living under her mother's thumb. Chloe is a child musical prodigy and has lived a very sheltered, spoiled life. I had a bit of a thing with her being a spoiled princess, but Tessa had made her so endearing it was hard not to like her, even when she was blowing through money on sephora trips. I wanted her to stand on her own right away but I also understand needing the help when trying to make your way in school, and the way Sig stepped in was so sweet it was just easy to accept. She also gets the blindfold ripped from her eyes and she grows quickly, coming into herself and taking a stand, realizing the way she had been living and adamantly fighting to make changes to stand on her own two feet.

Sig is a pro hockey player who is the exact opposite of Chloe, kind of a princess and the pauper vibes where he has only known how to be "poor" and be creative with money, even when he's finally started to earn a comfortable wage as a hockey player. He has a strong work ethic, and is never one to not spoil those he cares about, even if he has to work extra harder and hustle to do so. He spoils Chloe, wanting her to want for nothing and treats her like a total princess, working harder to not only get her what she wants but to be there for her and supportive in all aspects of her life. While their relationship leveled on toxic a time or two, this is a romance book and the controlling "mine" aspect of a MMC is a rather known staple for the genre.

From the whirlwind way they met the attraction and chemistry was obvious and undeniable, their moonlit kiss, the banter, the playfulness, to them becoming best friends and the honest level of angst in this was everything you could love in a "Forbidden" romance. This is very insta-lust, but the tension and build up to when they were finally going to explode and through caution to the wind was fantastic. Like I said earlier I didn't get the big deal about their parents getting married, I really didn't understand how their dynamic couldn't have been easily explained.

Overall though, I enjoyed this book and think it's a great addition to any Tessa Bailey fan. I can't wait to see what the next book in this series is going to be! Thank you to Avon | Harper Voyager, NetGalley and Tessa Bailey for the E-ARC, all opinions are my own.

I’ll read anything TB writes but I loved this one especially! This entire series was great, but I loved Sig and Chloe so much! The tension was amazing and I love how their problem ended up getting solved!

SHUT UP THIS WAS SO FRICKIN GOOD. The insta-obsession and how fiercely they love each other? I'll never get over it. This is my favorite series by Tessa and it's non-stop amazing. Were a few parts a tiny bit cringy? Yes, but in a good way. The best way when it's a Tessa Bailey book. I love the push and pull and the YEARNING. It's incredible and sets up whatever books are next perfectly. Thank you for this arc!

After reading the first 2 books in the Big Shots series, I was very excited for Dream Girl Drama to hear more of Sig and Chloe’s story! From the 1st chapter, I was hooked! The tension between these two was some of the best I’ve read, I literally could not get through the book fast enough. I struggled a little with the intersecting timelines (I think?) with the Au Pair Affair, especially because there was a few months gap between when I read the two books. The storyline as almost step-siblings was also a little strange to me, and I really didn’t think there could be a resolution to this that wouldn’t be full on ~weird~ but the plot twist climax to the story worked for me, and I’m shocked I didn’t put it all together sooner. I do wish there was a little more to the story because it wrapped up somewhat abruptly, even with the epilogue, but overall I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager from the ARC!

4.5 stars

This book was OK. I enjoyed the other Big Shots books more but I did like this one! The forbidden love/stepbrother & stepsister tropes ring heavy in this one but I appreciated the buildup and thought that it ended wonderfully, like many of Tessa's other books. She just has a way of writing HEAs that I can't get enough of.

The third book in Tessa Bailey's interconnected Big Shots series brings us to the story of Sig and Chloe. The not-quite-almost-but-not-yet step siblings. Their first encounter is nothing short of perfect. She rescues him and he falls all over himself for her. The build up and banter of this book were so good that the climax was a bit of let down. The conclusion and wrap up of Sig and Chloe's situation deserved more time on the page to make the book as satisfying as some of Bailey's other titles. Bailey has a way with words, sexual tension, and knows her way around a hockey team and this book is no different.

Tessa, you did it again! Dream Girl Drama is a captivating and fun read that brings together two characters with incredible chemistry. The story follows Sig and Chloe who made their first appearances in the Big Shot Series which I highly recommend reading prior to this story but not a must! Sig, our charming, swoon-worthy hero is determined to make their relationship work despite the tension and trouble with falling in love with your soon to be step-sister. The chemistry between the two is undeniable, and their banter is sharp and witty, making their dynamic both humorous and deeply engaging.

Bailey does an excellent job of building up the emotional and physical tension between these two, creating a compelling and sexy slow(ish)-burn romance that kept me eagerly turning the pages. Sig and Chloe are relatable and endearing, with their flaws and dreams making them feel real and lovable. Dream Girl Drama is an emotional rollercoaster, filled with laughter, heat, and heart, and is sure to delight Tessa fans old and new!

I adore Tessa’s books, and this one was no exception. The meet cute, the insta love, then the revelation were all just so delicious. Throughout the book, the tension between the two characters building was almost unbearable, it made it that much sweeter when they finally got together, and made you want to cheer for their happy ending.
The epilogue was pure perfection.

Though I have to say one of my favorite parts was the baseball team vs the hockey players. And the sneak peeks at future romances. The orgasm donators are quickly becoming cute little favorites

Will preface this by saying this is my first Tessa Bailey book I've read, but I've heard a lot of good things about her writing from her other books from friends. Which is why I was excited for this ARC but there were surprisingly a lot of things I had issues with in this book...

The whole future step sibling thing wasn't bad (for me) until it was just brought up constantly. Like literally the entire book. I understand the taboo topic of this but I didn't need it reminded about every other sentence. We are all adults here.
I've learned that some instances of insta-love are also not for me. This book was more insta-lust than insta-love tho? Either way, I felt like the romance really wasn't developing anywhere. The characters had the tension there but it just never really took off for me.

The plus side was it's a really easy read. I made it way over the halfway mark before I realized it. It's also spicy (as I'm sure a lot of Tessa's books are) and it made me forget the taboo of it for a moment. The ending also gave me closure (thank god).

I think maybe this book /tropes is just not the perfect one for me, but I was still able to get through reading it.

Thank you Avon, Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eARC.

What a wild ride this forbidden romance was. To be completely honest, in the beginning, I was cringing pretty hard. I didn’t know if the book could redeem itself because it was so cheesy and felt like a rushed hallmark movie. However, things started picking up the pace as the impending doom of becoming stepsiblings came down on Sig and Chloe. It makes you actually feel for them and wonder what it would be like to be in their position. It’s a rare case, but that would be horrible if you meet your soulmate and your parents end up dating. That power over a relationship is displayed really well in this book and pulls on the heartstrings! There were also a lot of funny little quips from the main characters throughout the story. I’m a sucker for one-liners that make me chuckle. This book had a crazy plot twist that I wasn’t expecting in a silly little romance novel. Overall, it had both its cringey and cute moments, but definitely had redemption!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for giving me this ARC. Dream Girl Drama comes out on February 4th, so be sure to check it out!