This is the first Tessa Bailey book I didn't DNF, and will probably be the last.

I personally was not a fan of the plot, characters, vibe, or just about anything about this book. Really just felt too far-fetched, and I honestly did not see the chemistry.

Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy, but unfortunately this one was not for me.

If you have even a passing familiarity with the deluge of festive storytelling that comes our way each and every Christmas season, you will be patently aware of the fact that redemption and second chances are one of the main drivers of any festive narrative.

Perhaps it’s Christmas’s Christian origin or its colourful pagan accretions or simply that things feel a bit more hopeful and possible at this time of year when the day-to-day is dressed up to resemble a brighter, tinsel-y, more pretty version of itself, but whatever the impelling factor, people want stories that warmly advance the idea that even the most broken of people can find wholeness and purpose again.

Tessa Bailey certainly embraces the idea in her addition to the Christmas catalogue, Wreck the Halls, in which the divergent progeny of two ageing rockstars suddenly find themselves tasked with something akin to a seasonal miracle – bringing their warring mothers back together again as the legendary rock duo, Steel Birds, whose music remains deeply entrenched in the cultural landscape and much-loved, and whose reunion would make a lot of people very, very happy.

Not least Applause Productions which proposes to Melody Gallard and Beat Dawkins, the two 30-somethings in question that they each get paid $USD 1 million to engineer this impossible coming together of lead singer Octavia and lead guitarist Trina who shattered their great creative partnership some 30 years earlier, for a concert set to take place, as good and redemptive things do, and must, on Christmas Eve.

The two siblings end up accepting but for wholly different reasons.

Melody is the shy and retiring, though beautiful, daughter of Trina, a raging hippie-turned-possible-cult-leader, who prefers to spend her days as far away from the spotlight as she can, and who loves restoring YA books back to their original glory.

Melody is still scarred by the excoriating treatment she received at the hands of the press when she was a child and teenager, pilloried at every turn for how she looked, what she wore and that she was not even remotely in the same league as her mother (as if it was some weird contest across the generations).

The only bright spot from that whole period was meeting Octavia’s son, Beat – can you see where the names have a musical resonance, something Bailey owns up to very early in Wreck the Halls, the names being a musical reference to the closeness Beat and Melody enjoy – one day when she was sixteen and realising that he is everything she is not (or at least thinks she is).

Urbane, charming and outgoing with looks to make the most of a winning personality, Beat looks elegantly untroubled by the world into which he was born, his confidence likely the result of two loving parents who gave him the security of family and connection that has long been denied Melody.

Theirs is a near-instantaneous connection, a fusing of two people who get each other in a way no one does and no one can; after all, who else in the world knows what it’s like to be the children of Steel Birds?

Alas, this profound sense of knowing each other only last a few hours and then the two instantly lovestruck teens don’t see each other for another fourteen years – quite why is never really explained other than their mothers hate each other so awkward to stay in touch, maybe? – until the deal lands and they reconnect to discover they haven’t stopped things about each other and that there is definitely SOMETHING between them maybe worth pursuing.

As it turns out, if that’s going to happen, it has to be on camera with the big reunion show a live streamed affair that tracks them everywhere they go 14-16 hours a day and which leads to them becoming the absolute obsession of almost everyone on the planet in a way that only viral social media sensations can.

That’s a lot of pressure on two people who are still struggling at the age of 30 to work out who they are apart, who they might be together and whether it’s worth going all that angst and spotlighted attention to try and achieve the impossible.

And Bailey does a good job of representing how weirdly twisted these sorts of undertakings can be, and how even in the most magical of circumstances, Christmas in New York, all the things you’ve suppressed through your life from anxiety about privilege or scarring from being evaluated for looks over substance can come out in ways that you don’t want anyone to know about and certainly not an obsessive public watching your every utterance and move.

Melody is a delight through all of it.

While she may be reticent to be out there and a little afraid of life, it turns an independent, ballsy tiger lies within and on more than one occasion, she does what needs to be done with tenacity, bravery and a sparkling sense of humour imbued in every line of dialogue she utters.

Bailey clearly had fun writing Melody as the boisterously independent butterfly bursting from her introvert cocoon and of the two Melody is the one you want to see do great and amazing things; if she and Beat can get their mums back together, wonderful, what a fairytale ending that will be, but if they don’t, well, you get the feeling Melody is going to be just fine, thank you very much.

The one who doesn’t emerge so well in a story that is engaging and thoughtful when it comes to whether you can fix every broken part of the past and whether you need to even try, is Beat who unfortunately comes across as controlling, overly emotionally intense and prone to infantilising Melody who doesn’t need a big strong man to save her, certainly not someone as irreparably broken as Beat seems to be.

His lingering fallibility and brokenness, meant, you assume ,to show how real and emotionally honest he is – or he can be; Beat, in stark contrast to Melody, has some huge issues and secrets locked away in his existential closet – take a shine off the rom-com that is furiously striving to be a thing, and rather than sighing at the connection between the two, you almost want to urge Melody to run and not come back.

She doesn’t, of course, because this is a Christmas rom-com, with a reunion of estranged parental figures in the offing, and yes, it’s not giving anything away to acknowledge that there is a happy-ever-after waiting for everyone in the novel, but somehow wondrous though much of it is, Wreck the Halls doesn’t quite work as it should, and you’re left wondering just how redemptive this particular festive tale actually ends up being.

What a cheesy rom-com! Did I love it - absolutely.

I expected a Christmas story based off the cover, which it 100% wasn’t. Moments within the story, happened over Winter but I wouldn’t say it was ‘Christmas’.

I haven’t read a lot of Tessa Bailey books. - and I’m always plenty surprised with her books.

I haven’t read a Tessa Bailey book that didn’t have something about it to enjoy! Although not my favourite of hers, this is a cute seasonal read that isn’t too heavy on the whole Christmas vibe (which is just how I like my Christmas stories). The sexy elements in the romance were interesting. I can confirm this book featured something I haven’t read in a romance before, which added to the fun.

Absolutely loved this read. Was a huge fan, anything Tessa Bailey writes you can guarantee that I will be reading it. Her books are so easy to read, and get hooked on. Do yourself a favour and read this if you haven’t already. You won’t regret it. Just a wee note though the book wasn’t as Christmas-y as I thought it was going to be, based on the cover BUT that shouldn’t put you off picking this book up to read it!

Tessa Bailey is the ultimate romance author. She has such a way with words and creating characters that you can't help but love the world and the people.

This is the perfect holiday romance. Fun, flirty, atmospheric.

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey is a fun light-hearted seasonal romcom, with a bit of a friends to lovers, forced proximity vibe to it. Beat and Melody are the kids of a couple of rockstars who dominated the world stage with their group back in the day. They are all too familiar with the spotlight that has been thrust upon them thanks to their parents and have always felt a connection even though they hardly saw one another. Now many years later a reality show has Beat asking Melody to him him out as he needs money but can't ask his mom, and this is where the fun begins.
Overall this was a fun read. I loved Melody's character. She was a quirky free-spirit and I think she and Beat were great together.

I absolutely love Tessa Bailey and most of her her books but unfortunately this one fell flat for me. I didn’t connect with the characters, or feel invested in their stories. I didn’t feel the chemistry between them and didn’t care much for the romance! I look forward to reading her other books in the future.

I think TB books aren’t for me anymore unfortunately. I used to love the unhinged MMCs and it feels like this second chance wasn’t believable at all, not the Christmas elements

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. While I do enjoy reading romance novels, this one falls short for me and was not one I enjoyed.

While I can see some people that will enjoy, and will still recommend people to read this, this was unfortunately not one of my favourites to go back to.

Sadly, this book was not for me. I started reading Tessa Bailey in 2022, she became an "auto-buy" author for me after It Happened One Summer and Hook, Line and Sinker - both FANTASTIC

Unfortunately, her other books have all been hit and miss for me. Wreck the Halls was a miss

I have read all of Tessa Bailey’s books and loved them for their fun and quirky feel, this book was a bit off the mark for me - where was the Christmasy feel or the main character’s bond?
The storyline starts with a younger version of Melody and Beat and then restarts when they are 30, their mothers were in a famous band but it fell apart.
Beat and Melody are offered big money to film a reality show about reuniting The Steel Birds, there’s a mystery surrounding why they split up. Sparks fly while ‘happy ever after’ seems far away. The story is a bit slow in parts but readers will want to see what happens!

Thanks to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unfortunately this was a miss for me. Having a hard time finding a Tessa book that gives me the same feeling and high that the Bellinger sisters Duology did.

They were the greatest song ever written, and he planned on singing their song for the rest of his life.
This was such a fun read! Tessa is queen of rom-coms!
I'm just sad that it wasn't more Christmas-y.

An adorable Christmas novella that will be sure to leave you desperate for more. Tessa Bailey is a brilliant writer, who always seems to have this unique way of writing sweet, funny and spicy romances. Wreck the Halls was brilliant and I would loveeee more Christmas romances from her!!

A delightful holiday escapism ! Very enjoyable. thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. Highly recommended!

I am a Tessa Bailey apologist. She can do no wrong in my eyes. Every time I pick up one of her books I know what I’m getting into and I always have a good time. This was no exception, Christmas but make it romance with a dash of spice and Tessa’s signature leading man. Loved.

I am so torn with Tessa Bailey’s books… I like them but I don’t at the same time. This one was okay, enjoyable enough but the storyline was so over the top ridiculous it just seemed unnecessary. I liked the chemistry between the two main characters though it seemed a bit too convenient. Always good romantic scenes from this author but this whole story was just a bit too over the top for me.

A fun holidayish romance. Tessa always hits right. I really enjoyed the premise of this book and the characters. It was a bit different to any other Tessa book I have read, which I really liked!

I loved this (almost) fated mates story! Set in a backdrop of reality TV and social media, the silly meets the heartfelt as Beat and Melody fall in love trying to get their retired Rockstar parents to reunite. Sizzling banter, sharp writing and heated love that is the Tessa Bailey standard.