This book didn’t hit like I wanted it to - It may have been me, or just the wrong time for this book, but the things that should have been cute (names of the characters - Melody and Beat) came off cheesy instead of cute. The book was fine, but I had high hopes.

I loved that this was not only a love story but a great tale of female friendship. The two main characters were so cute and such a great couple together. Do I wish they had started talking sooner since they had chemistry from the beginning, yes. But the story we got for them waiting was amazing.

In true Tessa Bailey fashion, I laughed-out-loud and swooned. This was such a unique premise and the slow burn hurt soooo good!

I loved this book so much! Tessa Bailey never fails to woo me with her characters and spice! I can't wait to see what's next for her!

I'm giving a new Tessa Bailey book a 3-star rating, and I want you to know how much this hurts me. I absolutely love Bailey's work, especially her newer novels, and so I really, really wanted to love this one. However, the first hurdle that I had to get over were the names of the main characters. The kids of rock stars, yeah, they get weird names sometimes. But forcing me to read a story about Melody and Beat (no, really, his name is Beat) was painful. I really hated his name and it just irked me that someone didn't tell Tessa Bailey that 'Beat' was beating the idea over our heads a bit too much!

Secondly, I was really convinced this was going to be a cute romantic Christmas novel, and it really was not. And by that, I mean that I didn't get Christmas vibes at all. The cover lures you in but really lies because this isn't a spicy Hallmark movie (which is what I wanted). There's very little to actually convince you this is Christmas-y at all, in reality.

Third, the kinks and the instalove. Okay, I get that Melody has been holding this huge crush on Beat inside for YEARS. And I get that Beat isn't very close to people, so he has a kink where he wants to have sex but never c... you get it. Nothing wrong with it, it just wasn't my kink and wasn't one that I thought translated on the page very well. While most of Tessa's novels make you feel really sexy while reading them, this one had me just kind of... deflated? I really want my man to finish so that I know he had a good time but that isn't what's happening here. I mean, the novel works everything out, it just wasn't as exciting as some of her other reads.

It just wasn't amazing. And that hurt my soul.

Tessa Bailey writes some of the best, funniest banter, and you could see this through Melody. Beat is more serious, but she brings out the best in him. And hello, two fighting female rockstars are their mothers?? This was a cute and sweet story!

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

This was my first Tessa Bailey book---and oh my gosh, lol. I LOVED it! It was so clever and funny and steamy all at the same time. The characters were super relatable and well developed. Plot moved quickly without feeling like you were missing something. Can't wait for her next one!

3.5 ⭐️

Melody Ballard and Beat Dawkins are the adult children of former world famous diva rock stars. They've come together to try and get their iconic duo moms to reunite for one more show, the odds of that happening though are slim to none. Melody and Beat met as teens while traveling in the same circles and had the potential to be really great friends but the rupture of their mother's band made it so their lives took different paths. With Christmas Eve fast approaching, Beat and Melody are made an offer by a television network to livestream their efforts to reunite the Steel Birds one last time. This means 24 hour live coverage of Melody and Beat's daily lives. For Mel, this means stepping back into the limelight where she's experienced nothing but harsh criticism from a very young age. Melody prefers the quiet life of restoring old books but the promise of a large sum of money if she can successfully reunite the Steel Birds is too good to pass up. It means financial independence from a mother who she's quite disconnected from. Mel's mother is described as possibly being a cult leader in the sense that her home is open to all that love her and detest Beat's mom. What I loved about Melody: She's truly a funny character, her quips always had me giggling. Tessa bailey gave us a female who comes across as unaware of her charm and I absolutely loved falling in love with her at the same time as everyone else watching the livestream.

Beat on the other hand is quite charming, comfortable in his attractiveness, and in the limelight. He also has a need for the money the network is offering if he can get his iconic and elegant mother to participate in her former rock bands reunion. No one knows why the band broke up but strong rumors have always circulated that it was caused by a man their mothers were both involved with. They have their secrets and so does Beat, his attraction to Melody is just one of them. What I loved about Beat: How humble and down to earth he is, the wealth his family has accrued keeps him grounded in giving back. We see him run an organization focused on giving youth grants to further their education in music. Beat is also super protective of Melody so if you dig the type, he def checks off the bodyguard box.

This was admittedly my first Tessa Bailey read and it won't be my last, holiday romance is always hit or miss no matter the author. This story picks up and takes a turn for a hilarious good time at the 50% mark, I'm talking Santa's brawling on the lawn type funny 😂 which had me not wanting to put it down. I just wish I hadn't struggled getting invested in this story for the first half, otherwise this could've been a five star read. The livestream was a nice addition with fans of Melody creating fun silly hashtags shipping her with Beat! There were a couple of scenes towards the end that were movie ready making it a certifiable rom-com in every sense of the word. On another note, I've long heard about the spice Tessa Bailey brings to her books can now say...not one lie was told! I'm intrigued to see what the Tessa Bailey back-list is packing so I guess it's a good thing I have a couple on my shelves 😉

I Loved this one!! Is it a bit cheesy? Yes. Are their names cringy? Also yes. Did that take away from the story at any point. Not at all. Such a fun ride. I read this in two sittings. Highly recommend for a mix of fun plot and spice! I’m giving this one 5 ⭐️s!

This book didn't give Christmas. I get the premise, I liked the subplot with the parents more than the Beat/Melody storyline, and their chemistry felt so staged. Probably my least favorite TB I've read.

Thank you for the arc copy.

This book fell flat to me. The characters were not the best, romance was lacking. Just wanted more. Not a fan of the mucus theme and did not like the parents connection.

This was a good read - I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

This was good! I loved the star-crossed soulmates vibe. It was a little rushed, but didn't ruin the story.

This was such an adorable Holiday romantic comedy. The entire time I read it, I pictured it as a movie. I loved the banter between Octavia and Trina! Seriously, this needs to be a movie! Funny and sweet!

Tessa Bailey brings the spice and fun with her latest holiday romance Wreck the Halls! Beat and Melody are two complicated characters with an undeniable bond. And while the circumstances that bring them together aren’t the best, they find safety and love in one another, which I thought was super sweet. I thought so many aspects of this book were unique and entertaining. The story has tons of family drama, and the overall feel for me was a modern, edgy holiday romance (😏). There is major spice and major tension, which I feel like you don’t get a ton of in seasonal books!

Wreck the Halls is out now, so go check it out!

[thank you @avonbooks for the complimentary copy, all opinions are my own!]

I will always be excited for a new Tessa Bailey book and was especially looking forward to one with a holiday twist. Was I torn on the character names being Beat and Melody? Sure. Can I see how that worked into the story with two rock star mothers? Also, sure. It didn't take away from the fact that this was a cute story, albeit not my top Tessa read. I enjoyed how the livestreaming aspect was incorporated into their developing love story and the mothers as secondary characters were really fun. While the title implies Christmas, the focus isn't necessarily on the holiday as much as I expected, but it was a fun wintery book with plenty of spicy swooning.

When Melody and Beat agree to be filmed for a reality show with the end goal of reuniting their mothers’ band (The Steel Birds) by Christmas Eve (and make lots of money), they don’t quite realize what they’ve gotten themselves into - rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, mobs of adoring fans, blackmail, a decade old scandal, and a newfound love.

I love Christmas books, and I love Tessa Bailey, so of course, I enjoyed this! Yes, it’s instalove (my least favorite trope), but instalove feels fine in a Christmas book. It was a quick, fun, steamy listen!

This was charming although I found the premise a bit thin, and it was not especially holiday theme. I think readers who often read contemporary romance will enjoy it.

DNF! I have enjoyed every other Tessa book but just did not connect with the characters.

Thanks, NetGalley!