I’ve been struggling with this series. I absolutely adored Fangirl Down but didn’t love The Au Pair Affair or this one either. I felt like they were a lot more forced and I struggled to finish both of them. I am hoping that Pitcher Perfect is more enjoyable because I love the rookies and want to see them get their love story. My other issue with this book was the fact that I don’t see anything wrong with dating your step sibling especially if you were interested before you knew your parents were dating but maybe that’s just me. I have loved so many of Tessa Bailey’s books but this series just really hasn’t done it for me.

This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. As soon as I saw this was available on NetGalley I immediately requested it because I loved It Happened One Summer so so much and was immediately a huge Tessa Bailey stan. But lately I can't even get through her books at all, maybe she just isn't for me anymore. I did not enjoy this book at all and as someone from Connecticut, I was not a fan of how she portrays everyone from Connecticut as a stuffy rich asshole. Clearly, Tessa has never really been to CT because in another book she called Bridgeport beautiful (anyone that has been to Bridgeport knows that is not a word to be used to describe it). I couldn't even get through enough of this book to see if she has started actually researching hockey instead of just making stuff up and just being totally wrong about it like she was in her amazon hockey novella a couple years ago that was just terrible. This was boring and both main characters were annoying at best so I couldn't make myself care about either of them enough to want to finish this book. I think I'm breaking up with Tessa Bailey after this, I said it before but this time I mean it.

This book was HOT! Tessa Bailey never disappoints but this book was extra good. Love this series it honesty has so much promise and potential!

This is such a fun book! I started this on the way to Florida for spring break, and I had to finish it on the beach as it was so much fun! If you get the chance to pick this up and read it, I totally recommend it! It is a great read and a fun book. I appreciate the chance to read this and share my enjoyment with others. Please get this book and enjoy a fun read. I have picked up three more of Tessa Bailey's books since as I loved the story and her style. I am calling this my gateway book, as I am now reading her other books right now!

A fantastic addition to her Big Shots series! A great romance story with depth and set up potential for future stories. Can't wait to see what happens next!

I thought this was Tessa Bailey's best book in a looooong time. Such great spice, and such a great couple. I genuinely couldn't wait to see how the author figured out a way to bring these 2 together. The best book in this series, by far.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

“Dream Girl Drama” is a fun and emotional story with great characters and a lot of heart. Tessa Bailey’s writing is easy to get into, with quick dialogue and a fast-moving plot that keeps you hooked. It’s a story about letting down your guard and finding real connection. A great pick for anyone who loves a sweet, funny romance with a little bit of depth.

oh my god!! dream girl drama was amazing! this was my first time reading a book with the stepsibing trope and i was honestly a little weary going into this, but it totally worked for me. chloe and sig's relationship was both steamy and heartfelt, and i was rooting for them the whole time. i will definitely have to go back and read the first two books in the big shots series!

thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was all the tropes, and I loved that about it. It's not for everyone, but I was immediately enchanted by these to and how much they adored each other. I went in with suspension of disbelief in what the plot and challenges were, and totally enjoyed it. Tessa's books are definitely hit or miss, but for me, the Big Shots series absolutely knocks it out of the park. This has been one of my favorite's in her overall portfolio - this hit all my guilty reading pleasures: a sports romance, pets, obsessed MMC, no love triangles, sports team dynamics and rivalries.

Tessa, you introduced so many new characters and budding potential romances in this book. Please please please keep writing stories about this hockey team!

✨I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review✨
WHY IS THIS NOT HIGHER RATED.
WHY.
This was so good. Why did I cry so much?
BRING BACK YEARNING!!!!!!!!!!
Sig is the dictionary definition of yearning and I found that I need him in a biblical sense.
The only thing that could have made this any better is if my real husband Wells Whitaker was involved.
No but seriously I loved this. It was sweet and sappy and sad and full of emotion. So much longing and hoping and UGH it made me feel.
Chloe is described as a manic pixie dream girl but I don’t think that’s an accurate description of her; I think she’s just a bored rich girl that likes attention. There’s nothing wrong with that! She also had so much love and humor, but at the end of the day she was just a rich girl that got away with whatever she wanted. She needed Sig to keep her grounded, and Sig needed her to lift him up and bring him to life. They really were the perfect pairing.
Highly recommend this to anyone looking for yearning and not much else. I wouldn’t even really consider this to be a sports romance since you barely see Sig play any hockey.

I love Tessa Bailey! however, this was not her best. I was a bit uncomfortable with the plot for some reason and the FMC was a little annoying. I would continue to read Tess Bailey but I had to put this one down. ;(

Dream Girl Drama
by Tessa Bailey

Dream Girl Drama picks up right where Au Pair Affair left off, diving back into the irresistible chaos of the Big Shots world with Sig and Chloe front and center. When professional hockey player Sig ends up stranded in a country club parking lot, fate (and a broken-down truck) puts Chloe directly in his path, again.

Chloe is determined to carve out a life independent from her controlling mother’s influence, and Sig, rugged and loyal, is right there cheering her on. What makes this story shine is how deeply they care for one another—it’s never one-sided, never performative. It’s genuine. Add in some deliciously forbidden tension, a fast-paced plot, and Tessa Bailey’s signature charm, and you’ve got a romance that’s easy to devour.
I especially loved the emotional push and pull—the way they clearly knew they loved each other, but timing and circumstances kept them apart until they couldn’t resist any longer.

This is a spicy adult romance with heart, heat, and a whole lot of swoon.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the opportunity to read Dream Girl Drama.

This author is new to me, but I will be keeping an eye out for anything else they publish. I loved the story and the characters. The pacing of the story was great and the characters were relatable.

This is a perfect example of why I hate #InstaLove. This book starts off cute and with some good chemistry before the main plot curve is dropped. We then spend the next 70% of the book with PINING and craziness as we’re led to believe the couple built this amazing relationship OFF PAGE. Do I believe their love? No. Did I feel like their HEA was earned? No. Did I root for them? Absolutely NOT! I was at 81% wondering if the book would ever get good. I truly didn’t understand the MMC driving factor to prove his worthiness by providing a life for her that she never asked for. I also abhorred how she was a
typical “clueless blonde.” I think it’s time to update my #AutoBuyList.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a book that I was very excited about because I did want to see how these two dealt with their issues. Sadly, I was let down big time.

This story was downright infuriating. Nearly everything these two did got on my nerves. Not once did either of them really seem to sit down and act like the adults they are allegedly supposed to be. Additionally, the whole thing is insta-love. Within the first few pages of the book, Sig is practically waxing poetically about how he’s head over heels for this girl. Nevermind that it seems purely physical and definitely criminal (since they meet while stealing alcohol).

Chloe is one of the most obnoxious characters I have ever read. She is immature, spoiled, and useless. She practically begs to be able to go off on her own and move to Boston to spread her wings, but doesn’t seem to give a care about actually even trying to be a responsible adult. Instead she lets Sig take care of everything and bed over backwards to keep her in the rich lifestyle she’s used to while she spends her rent money on eye creams. On top of all this, she just doesn’t have a personality beyond harp prodigy.

And Sig. I wanted to like Sig so much as I enjoyed his little tidbits in the previous book of the series. However, here he was just annoying. His entire existent starts to revolve around a girl he met one evening and he’s willing to throw everything away for her. This is a grown man who, instead of acting like it, acts like a love sick whiny baby pouting that he can’t date a girl that he thinks is hot because she’s going to be his stepsister. There was no growth.

Wanted to like the book, but not for me.

CHLOE AND SIG FOR THE WIN! Oh my god these two are a force that CANNOT be reckoned with! I knew from the very first time Tessa introduced these characters that Sig was and is going to be a goner for Chloe. The man that Sig is has brought me to the knees. I could re-read this book over and over and over again, and NOT get tired of the way Sig does everything in his power to take care of Chloe in his own, non-stalkerish way. The yearning this man has towards her... HE IS A MAN!

I can tell you that every book in this series is going to be the death of me. Thank you Tessa for bringing this world to light!

Tessa Bailey does it again with Dream Girl Drama.

Read if you love:
-Sports Romance (Hockey Player x Musician)
-Step Siblings to be(?)
-Opposites Attract
-Insta Love - He falls first and HARDER
-Rom-Coms

I was a little conflicted with the one! This step-sibling to be duo was well done, but hilariously taboo. The pair have a hilarious meet cute that involves a broken down truck, a country club... and a bottle of stolen liquor leaving our MMC head over heels insta loving this new mystery woman. Unknowingly the new mystery woman who has seemed to steal his heart right from his chest.... winds up being the daughter of his estranged father's newest fiancé... meaning he just fell for his future step-sister. Both of their parents have issues... and his father is known for going through rich women for their money before inevitably having the relationship fail.... leaving Sig with hope that there is a potential future for him and Chloe yet.

I'll save the storyline for you to go through on your own... but this is definitely one you won't want to miss! Here are some of my favorite quotes in case you need anymore convincing!

"But Chloe? Yeah, he already knew he'd commit to that. F**king hard. She already wanted to come to Boston, didn't she? He'd just do the long-distance thing until she decided it was right for her. And he'd make it right. He'd bring her down to Boston and show her everything. Every corner. She didn't think she was built to thrive there? He'd help her believe the opposite."

"But Chloe... she was the first nice thing he couldn't live without."

"Out of everything I've ever had, you are the nicest." She let those words fly right out of her, unchecked. "And the truck is part of you, keep it."

"You aren't in charge of my love life." "I AM your love life, Chloe."

"A man who calls you pretty, Chloe, is a f**king fool. You aren't pretty, you're brutally godd**m beautiful. You glow with life. You're crazy. You have heart. You have love pouring out of you. You're brilliant and creative. So gorgeous I've lost thousands of hours of sleep." ... "Pretty?" He shook his head. "I'd spit on a man for calling you pretty. You're extraordinary. The first and last of your kind."

"You're a f**king star that fell out of the sky and I was lucky enough to be standing in the right place."

Thank you so much to Tessa Bailey and NetGalley for providing me a gifted copy of this eARC.

While I love Tessa Bailey books, this one was not my favorite. It was a light hearted easy romantic read, but the premise of two people whose parents are set to be married and falling in love, was off putting to me.

One of my favorite Tessa Bailey Books by far! If you love insta love that’s forbidden this book is for you! Some things are just meant to be!