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!

Felt far fetched (their names even) but I guess suspending belief is party of holiday romance reading! It was cute and fun!

4.5 Stars
I devoured this one. I was honestly a bit skeptical when I started reading it and saw it was about a rock duo’s two kids falling in love. But I absolutely adored Beat, and his character made like a ton of sense to me. Tessa Bailey always brings the steam, but this one really delivered on the emotional connection of the main characters. It was very loosely Christmas, but honestly could have been set any time of year if you take out the snowball fight. I wanted even more holiday vibes. Still really liked it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

<b>Description:</b>
Melody Gallard may be the daughter of music royalty, but her world is far from glamorous. She spends her days restoring old books and avoiding the limelight (one awkward tabloid photo was enough, thanks). But when a producer offers her a lot of money to reunite her mother’s band on live tv, Mel begins to wonder if it’s time to rattle the cage, shake up her quiet life… and see him again. The only other person who could wrangle the rock and roll divas.

Beat Dawkins, the lead singer’s son, is Melody’s opposite—the camera loves him, he could charm the pants off anyone, and his mom is not a potential cult leader. Still, they might have been best friends if not for the legendary feud that broke up the band. When they met as teenagers, Mel felt an instant spark, but it’s nothing compared to the wild, intense attraction that builds as they embark on a madcap mission to convince their mothers to perform one last show.

While dealing with rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, and mobs of adoring fans, Mel starts to step out of her comfort zone. With Beat by her side, cheering her on, she’s never felt so understood. But Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and a decades-old scandal is poised to wreck everything—the Steel Birds reunion, their relationships with their mothers, and their newfound love.

Instalove is my least favorite trope, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying this book. Yes, his name is stupid. Yes, their love is almost sickening at times, but all the things in between saved this book from being a DNF. His fierce protectiveness, the humor and what I thought was an interesting story line had me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. I also absolutely love Trina and Octavia. They reminded me of me and my best friend. Even those this was marketed as a Christmas book, it doesn’t really have a Christmas feel to it, so it could be read anytime during the winter months. I recommend it!!

I really enjoyed this holiday romance, and I truly think anything Tessa Bailey writes will make me laugh, as well as make me blush a bit too!

Beat and Melody were amazing together, I loved the whole “soulmates/meant to be” trope! The side story of their mothers was amazing and is truly would have loved a bonus epilogue of them together at the wedding or when a child was born!

Another classic from Tessa Bailey. Beat and Melody have a lovely connection and passion for one another. I love how their past complicates their relationship and together they end up fixing a lot of their lives. A sweet, sexy, fun, holiday read.

Tessa Bailey is an auto buy author for me so I am so sad to say that this was not my favorite of hers. Some things I really liked about this book: the connection between the two main characters. They share an unusual commonality, being the children of a famous music duo/former best friends. Beat is endearing and compassionate and I love that he stands up for Melody even when they are young and don’t know each other well. I also really liked reading a bit about Melody's job as someone who restores books. When the two finally reconnect after years- it’s very sweet to watch them fall for each other. However, I did find some of it to be a little bit too over the top/ cheesy. This is definitely insta love and the extent of it felt somewhat hard to believe.

It actually took me awhile to write this review because I’m such a Tessa fan and I didn’t want to leave anything negative. Really looking forward to whatever she has next!

I love Tessa Bailey’s books normally but this one missed the mark for me. I think it might be me and not the book as Christmas romances are always hit or miss for me. I will continue to read other books by this author as they appeal to me.

Melody Gallard and Beat Dawkins are the children of music royalty. They're approached to try and get their mothers (who can't stand each other) back together for a live show on Christmas Eve. Each of them has their own reasons for agreeing to participate, but it takes them a while to come clean with each other about what those are. There are certainly some awkward moments as the two of them are live-streamed almost non-stop until Christmas. All this footage also causes millions of viewers to fall in love with them as a couple, which I found super adorable.

I loved that both Melody and Beat were able to be themselves around each other in a way they couldn't be with anyone else. They grew up in a unique environment that not many (if any) other people could fully understand. While there were some difficult family issues dealt with in the book it was overall incredibly sweet and swoonworthy. When I say sweet I don't mean there's nothing more than hand-holding in the book...that's not the Tessa Bailey way, I just mean that the characters were so thoughtful and caring towards each other. 😉

While Christmas Eve is the deadline for the concert the book isn't overly Christmassy, so it's still a great option if you're looking for another cold-weather romance.