Tessa Bailey does it again!!!! Y'all I swear, this woman is the queen of spicy romcoms. Book #3 in the "big shots" sports romance series, this book follows Sig and Chloe - who meet, have a cutie little night together and...................then find out their parents are not only dating, but are ENGAGED. This was a fun, hilarious, spicy romance and I loved every second of it.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author. She’s a fantastic author but this book wasn’t my favorite. It took me a little to get into it and then stay with it. Chloe is a very wealthy and talented harpist who leaves home for Boston. Sig steps in to help show her the ropes. They like each other a lot but the circumstances of their situation throws a wrench into the plans and impacts their ability to be together. I think the ‘forbidden love’ was hard to get into. However, overall I would recommend this book to others as the write was very good. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy!

I would read anything by Tessa Bailey, and this sports series has been so amazing! The chemistry between Chloe and Sig was fantastic, but the forbidden love of them on the verge of becoming step siblings wasn’t my favorite. She’s a princess and Sig loves taking care of her, and I love when a man falls first. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy!

Sig and Chloe were very cute together and had 🔥 chemistry. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the “step siblings” plot and it seemed to resolve very quickly. The side characters were fun and overall I enjoyed the book.

I loved the first book in this series, Fangirl Down and I had high hopes for the second book, The Au Pair Affair. Au Pair didn't charm me as I had hoped... luckily, I really enjoyed Dream Girl Drama.
I've been reading Ms. Bailey's books for almost 10 years and one thing you can always count on is the devotion of the male MC. Sig is the Tessa Bailey poster child of feral devotion to Chloe.
I really loved Chloe, she could've been a stuck-up country club jerk but instead, she was totally open to going off on her own, living and experiencing life...with the somewhat unknown safety net of Sig.
I'll admit that I wish we had more time with them getting together but I get the need for build-up, longing, and angst. But...still.
DGD was a fun, super spicy read that I come to expect from Ms. Bailey and I do hope we get a few more books in this series.

Tessa Bailey has quickly become my go to author for Rom Com and this one was no exception. Tess keeps her characters fresh and inspiring. This is so with future step siblings, Sig and Chole. While I really didn’t see an issue with them being together, their story made me root for them. Sig definitely lived for Chole and Chole was finding her independence with Sig. A fun romantic story.

The chemistry between Sig and Chloe from the start sucked me in. You could immediately feel that “I want you” tension. I overall enjoyed this story. The little twist at the end was very unexpected because I was racking my brain trying to figure out how they would get out of their little situation. This was my first hockey romance, and it will not be my last.

There were several aspects of the story that were not for me. I don’t mind the stepsibling trope, but I couldn’t help getting annoyed at everyone trying to dictate what they did. Even their careers got involved. The start of the book was a little unrealistic; I don’t know you, and you don’t know me, but move to my city, and I’ll pay for everything. She went from mooching off her mom to mooching off the MMC. Yes, he was willing to do it, but she technically wasn’t fending for herself like the book made it seem like she was.

Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tessa Bailey never lets me down. Her writing is always fun and steamy. This book is no exception. Can’t ever go wrong with sports romance.

Chloe is a spoiled harpist prodigy and Sig is a down to earth professional hockey player. Due to a series of events, they met at a country club and hit it off. Not even a couple hours later, both Chloe and Sig then finds out that their parents are getting married. Can they squash their attraction to each other for their parents?

Okayyy I really really tried to love this book. It has everything I love hockey romance, forbidden romance, forced close proximity but it just didn’t hit. The super instant low from the first few pages of the book already gave me the ick. For me, the characters didnt build up any chemistry. Also, I was looking for more character development for Chloe. Sig was always there to save the day but even later on she never learned to be independent. I don’t know maybe it’s just me but to me there were a lot of points missed here.


Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC of this book. ❤️

The beginning of this book had me fully invested. If the first few chapters could have been how the entire book went it would have been an easy five star read for me, but it didn’t. The chemistry between the characters was undeniable—Tessa Bailey knows how to write tension—but I didn’t feel like it went deeper than physical attraction. The FMC felt frustratingly passive at times, like she relied on him for literally breathing. It left the romance feeling unbalanced to me, which made it hard to root for them.

That said, the heat between the leads kept me turning the pages, and I think readers who are here for the steam will enjoy it. It just wasn’t my favorite. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

A forbidden step-sibling romance with all of Tessa Bailey’s signature quirk, charm, and humor? This should have been right up my alley. The book started with so much chemistry and tension that I couldn't put it down, but as the story went on, it didn’t quite live up to my hopes.

What really bothered me was that the main conflict—their step-sibling status—didn’t feel like a strong enough barrier. The idea that they couldn’t be together because it would look bad didn’t seem to have real consequences or any true stakes, nor did it feel like a genuine obstacle. I struggled to understand why it was such a big deal since they met as adults before even knowing their parents were together. It started to feel a bit over-the-top, almost soap-operatic.

I really enjoyed the hero, Sig. He’s sweet, protective, and a bit of a softie with Chloe, which I thought was charming. He’s thoughtful and tender, and I loved that about him. Chloe, though, came across as immature at times, which made it harder for me to connect with her. She seemed to constantly rely on others to take care of her, and it felt like she wasn’t growing much as a character. However, I did appreciate how much she loved Sig—for who he was and not his status/life. They are undeniably sweet together, but the chemistry felt more like instant attraction than anything deeply emotional.

While there were some fun moments, especially with the slow burn and the tension-filled pining, the whole "forbidden" aspect kept them apart for too long. I really wanted to see more of them together, rather than in what felt like a repeated cycle of pining and resistance. That said, there are hints at other relationships that I’m excited to see develop in future books. This wasn’t my favorite Tessa Bailey novel, but the cover is adorable, and I still love this world she’s created.

Tropes:
Tropes:
🏒Forbidden Romance
🏒Future (adult) stepsiblings
🏒He Falls Harder
🏒Possessive/Protective MMC
🏒Slow Burn
🏒Hockey Romance

I’ll preface by noting I didn’t read the first two books of this series but I don’t think it made much of a difference. I have a tendency to do that accidentally when one story line really excites me and I want to dive in. Well I dove in and ready this book in half a day because I couldn’t put it down. It starts off hot which sometimes can be a concern cause I do love a build up but don’t worry you still get that, almost to the point that you’re like ok already!! I really enjoyed this couple as they had such strong believable chemistry from the start, their burn for each other was palpable. Sig is the perfect balance of rough and gentle (plus who doesn’t love an hockey player??) and Chloe was bubbly and easy to love. Tessa knows how to write rich girls that are helpless in a way where you actually adore them which is a talent in itself. Chloe reminded me of the Bellinger sisters which are two of my favorite characters of hers. Without giving away the plot, I’ll say there were points where I didn’t know how they were going to make their relationship work despite them being so clearly in love but even through their struggle I was enjoying every scene because their dialogue was a mix of passionate and “aw shucks”. Sad that it’s over but now I have to go back and read the first two books in the series since some of the characters were introduced and I have the next book to look forward to this Summer! Special thanks to AVON | Harper Voyage and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I was so excited to read this ARC. I’ve read the other books in the series and loved them. This is probably my favorite out of the three. I loved the storyline and the banter between Sig and Chloe.

I'm still trying to decide how i feel about this one, the first 15% of the book i was hooked and super interested. Chemistry was undeniable and sparks clearly flying.
Suddenly everything changes, and FMC is helpless and so spoiled it was laughable as if she was truly a child. She doesn't know how to cook, clean, or do laundry and the mmc is suddenly paying for luxurious hotel, then her apartment and handing out his credit card for lavish shopping trips.. I know this is fiction guys but my last paragraph happened in 5% of the book. 15-20% through was absolutely agonizing and so cringy i couldn't bear it.
But if there is anything Tessa bailey can do is make a comeback. The remaining 75% of the book was cute, and the spice was spicing. IYKYK what scene i am talking about, overall i did enjoy it despite the FMC being completely useless and embarrassing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was always a little nervous for this couple and their time in the spotlight. The Au Pair Affair left me intrigued but worried. The taboo aspect of this romance took me out of it almost entirely & I lost touch with the couple. Overall I enjoyed the twist and am thankful they got their happily ever after.

I love Tessa Bailey! Such a great book by her. She knows how to write a sports romance! Definitely add this to your TBR. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC!

I’m glad I stuck with it
After the action packed first few chapters, I was hooked. And then I got bored. However, I am so glad that I stuck with the book because the tension and emotion until the end was addicting. I’ve never read a similar story line, and it was super refreshing to read. Would have given that extra star if the characters were a little bit more complex than just the naive rich girl and just the insanely obsessed guy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dream Girl Drama is a fun, flirty, and at times emotionally satisfying read. It offers a perfect blend of romance, humor, and steam, with characters that feel real and a story that pulls you in from the start. If you're a fan of Bailey's work, you won’t be disappointed. It’s a perfect pick for readers looking for a lighthearted but steamy romance with a touch of celebrity drama.

I love Chloe and Sig's story. They both have far more self control that most people I know, and have been struggling so hard to stay away from each other while they support each other in other ways.

Chloe has moved to Boston to attend Berklee and has left her family, and their money, behind. As a result, Sig has decided to help support her at his own expense, and help her find her footing in the city.

This was a rollercoaster of heartbreak and such pure happiness, I couldn't stop. I laughed and cried and felt so much from this, and I've just loved this entire series so much!

“𝒊 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒊 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆.”

𝟑.𝟓 ★

dream girl drama is the third installment in the “big shots” interconnected standalone series. after being introduced to chloe and sig in the au pair affair, we are FINALLY given all of the details of their mysterious, complex relationship. when sig is on the way to dinner at his dads house, his car breaks down on the side of the road leading him to a steam, chance meeting with chloe who happens to be the woman of his dreams. it isn’t until he finally he arrives at his dads house for the dinner, that he finds out that his dad is getting remarried to chloe’s mom and she’s going to be his step sister in a matter of months. sig and chloe have to navigate the complicated, forbidden relationship that they’ve created as chloe breaks away from her controlling mother and learning how to navigate the world on her own for the first time.

if there’s one thing that you can guarantee with this book, it is that the chemistry is undeniable and the tension will have you literally gnawing at the bars of your enclosure because it feels like a cruel edging for a good chunk of the book. 😭

the book start outed incredibly strong for but started to be more “meh” towards the middle, their relationship kind of becoming the same thing over and over for a good while. i found the ending of the book quite clever and truly think that it was the only way to end the book without the ending being silly or incredibly unrealistic.

despite the characters chemistry, the characters as individual people i honestly did not care for that much. chloe, despite striving to be this independent person who can do things on her own just transfers her dependence from her mom onto sig. other people have described her as childlike and i don’t know if i would say that but more of she prefers to live in blissful ignorance because part of her knows she could never *truly* fail. sig literally agreeing to support her and get her to move to boston within hours of meeting her was absolutely wild to me but he does have a pretty dirty mouth that made me overlook most of his flaws?? 👀

OKAY AND SIDE NOTE - WHAT IS WITH TB AND 🍑 PLAY? i honestly don’t mind it at all but girly really has been putting it in a lot of her books lately.

thank you avon, harper voyager and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. 🫶🏻