Taboo lite? Diet taboo?

⭐️ Rating: 3/5
🌶️ Spice: 2/5

🏒 Forbidden Love
🏒 Insta Love
🏒 (soon to be) Step Siblings
🏒 Opposites Attract
🏒 Hockey Romance

I love a Tessa Bailey book. They are the first I recommend for someone wanting to get into the romance genre. They’ve got that romcom approach. The hero is always swoony, even if they don’t mean to be, and there’s always that magnetic connection between the couple. And maybe that’s just it, this is a good intro to the taboo genre. This could very much be a me thing. Maybe I’ve read too many taboo romance books, but this one didn’t quite hit how I wanted it to. I loved the first two books in this series. By the time we got to the end of book 2, I was practically BEGGING for Dream Girl. There was just so much that didn’t feel like it needed to be so hard.

We’ve got our hockey hero with a chip on his shoulder and our upper crust harpist who has no idea how money actually works. When they meet, it's immediate magic. The chemistry is chemistry-ing. But moments later they find out their parents are getting married. Insert the literal record scratch here. It was like putting a bucking of water on a house fire. It did very little to quelch their desire. This makes it interesting for a couple who shouldn’t be together but find themselves drawn together like magnets.

While you don’t need to read the first two books in the Big Shots series to enjoy Dream Girl, I recommend it. Book one - golf bad boy. Yes you read that right. Book two - hockey single dad x nanny.

Wow, this is one of Tessa Bailey's best one's yet. I was already obbessed with Sig and Chloe after the Au Pair Affair; but Tessa completed a romance hat trick with the chemistry of the characters, the pining of the forbidden love, and of course rhe healthy dose of steam. This book was exactly what I was hoping for and so much more. Keep this series going!

I was so so excited to be an ARC reader for this book. I have loved the first two books and was excited for this one.

The story revolves around Sig and Chloe who by chance meet and have an instant attraction to each other only to find out shortly after that their parents plan to marry each other. The story takes place in Boston where Sig plays hockey and Chloe decides to study at the music conservatory. Their chemistry is palpable but will their parents’ impending marriage keep them apart?

There was a lot to love about this book. For one thing both main characters were very likable in my opinion. Chloe was a bit ditzy due to her upbringing and I did find at times Sig brought waaay more to the relationship. But I liked them both!!

My draw backs would be that the pining and slow burn felt a bit too long. There were time jumps where I’d say wait what? I wish I saw that scene. Then towards the mid end I felt it was too slow. So it was slow and fast.

I also wish we save some more interaction between Tallulah and Chloe. There was some but could’ve been more for sure. I think Chloe could’ve benefited from having a sound friendship.

But as always I love Tessa Bailey’s voice and writing. I always wanted to keep reading and find out what happened next.

Tropes:
-slow burn
-insta love
-forbidden love

I’ll be honest I was super confused by the timelines in the beginning. It was definitely a unique twist that I haven’t encountered yet. This book is insta-love on steroids. Which I typically don’t like. I do think the building of the angst then the “we can’t be together” back and forth emotions made up for it. All this to say I think the book was well balanced. I was obsessed with the hockey players vs baseball players scene. That was hilarious. I do love Tessa Baileys ability to write snarky banter and there just wasn’t a ton of that in this book.

This book centers around Sig and Chloe meeting in a country club. Sig is a famous hockey player and Chloe is a rich girl. Sig's truck breaks down in front of the club she is at and they hit it off immediately. I think their relationship moved way too fast and they declared love for each other way too soon. The breaks are pumped quick after they find out their parents are soon to be married. The step siblings thing was a weird plot. Even though they technically weren't related, they were about to be. While she didn't move in with him immediately, she moved to the city he lived in where he paid for her rent. Sig struggles financially to pay for everything for this girl he barely knows while also trying to pay for his mother's home and his rent. I think his priorities are very out of order.

I think my biggest problem with this book is how clueless Chloe is about the world. While I understand she came from a rich background and had a butler and didn't really have to do anything, the fact that she didn't know fabric softener from laundry detergent or that dogs ate kibble really made me cringe. Also, who spends $700 on eye creams instead of their rent?

There is a big reveal at the end regarding Sig's parents that also irked me. There was no real point in not revealing certain information and it would have saved a lot of time. This book just had too many flaws in my opinion between the characters and the story. Thank you to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Tessa Bailey for an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.

Chloe and Sig meet by chance and soon realize how their lives are intertwined. Both have big dreams and they’re working hard to achieve them.
Dream Girl Drama is a sweet hockey love story. As a hockey mom I would point out that players don’t being their equipment him from the rink - gear stays at the rink.

I was thrilled to receive this ARC! As expected from Tessa Bailey, the novel delivers her signature style and charm. However, the romance felt a bit unrealistic to me this time, and I found that the intimate moments lacked the depth and detail I typically enjoy in her work. Overall, it’s a fun read, but it didn’t quite meet the high bar set by some of her previous books.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey! Don’t let the fact that it’s book 3 in the series hold you back—it’s just as great as the first two, if not better!

I instantly fell for Sig and Chloe. We’ve seen them before, but it was finally time to tell their story, and it was worth the wait. Their chemistry was off the charts, and I couldn’t help but root for their happy ending. I wanted to fix all their problems just to see them smile!

Definitely recommend this one!

This might have taken my top pick for my favorite Tessa Bailey book. It gave me It Happened One Summer vibes, but still had it's own unique spin. I'm head over heels in love with Sig, and Chloe is just one of those characters I can't help but adore.

The TENSION in this book is out of this world! My heart grew, broke, and got put back together with them. I loved it!

If you want to swoon, make sure to pick this up as soon as it comes out!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm a sucker for instalove so I just knew I would love this book and I was right. Sig and Chloe meet at a country club and instantly feel connected, but it all comes to a halt soon after when they find out that their parents are about to marry and they're supposed to become step-siblings.

Dream Girl Drama delivers big time tension from the start & the instalove that is absolutely believable and I ate it up. Sig and Chloe decide early on to deny their chemistry and to remain friends, and we all know how that usually goes, right!? Tessa Bailey writes the push and pull so well and I just wanted so badly for them to finally give in and just love each other like they wanted!

I was so intrigued by Chloe and Sig in previous books, so I'm not surprised that I ended up loving them both. Seeing Sig being so protective of Chloe was one of the favorite parts for me and I never found it to be "too much". I definitely recommend this book - it's the perfect weekend read with hilarious internal monologue, sweet moments that makes you go "aww" and push and pull.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for the eARC for this book and the opportunity to read it before its release in exchange for my honest review.

This is for you if you love this:

💕 Forbidden Romance
💕 Instant Love
💕 Boy Obsessed
💕 Grumpy x Sunshine

Listen.

Do I love the instalove trope? No.
Do I like the thought of (potential) step siblings getting together? Not really.
Will I pick up every Tessa Bailey novel and fan myself like Scarlett O’Hara the whole time I read it? Every single time.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Avon and NetGalley. I didn’t realize this was the third book of the Big Shots series, however I enjoyed this book about Sig, a hotshot hockey player, and Chloe, a prodigy of the harp. An il-fated timing romance that ends with a happy ending, this book did not disappoint. I loved seeing the female character find her backbone and voice towards her demanding mother. If you love steamy romances, then this book is right up your alley, especially if you live for a slow burn that heats up the pages. Tessa Bailey is quickly becoming one of my favorite romcom authors!

3.5 stars, rounded up!

Chloe, this books dream girl, is a expert harpist and verified rich girl. Chloes life is carefully calculated and she has very little say after where its going. Chloe meets Sig, the MMC and hot hockey player, and they fall into insta-love. The problem? They soon find out they are about to be step-siblings.

I really liked this book! The chemistry between Chloe and Sig was palpable, and the best part of the book. I do not read a lot of forbidden romance but I feel like this one was done mostly right, I believed spicy and sweet scenes and could feel the tension when they had to pretend like they weren't 100% into each other. The steamy scenes were steaming and the plot was easy to follow. I really enjoyed Sigs character with the overall princess vibe of Chloe. I appreciated that the 2 main characters were both in their mid-to-late twenties.

What didn't work as well for me, annoyingly enough, was the romance. It felt much more like insta-lust to me than insta-love ,WHICH IS FINE, except that they kept throwing the l-word around. Chloes character was also a bit too flightily and helpless for my taste but that is likely a personal preference. I also kind of hoped the third book would be a different sport, but also do not think this is fair to list as a fault and more of an opinion. I prefer Sir Savage I guess :-)

Overall, I would recommend this book if you are into spicy sports romances.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the other two books in this series, I was so looking forward to Sig and Chloe’s story, and I was beyond excited to receive the ARC. Sig is a professional hockey player headed to meet his estranged father’s new girlfriend when his truck breaks down outside of a country club. Chloe, a harp prodigy who is obscenely wealthy, finds him and helps him charge his phone to call AAA. The two are instantly connected and infatuated with each other. After spending time together and promising to meet back up after their respective dinner plans, the two part ways until they learn that their respective dinner plans are actually the same dinner. Chloe’s mom is Sig’s dad’s new girlfriend - make that fiancée. The two are devastated to learn of their parents’ relationship and what it could mean for them, but are determined to be in each other’s lives as more than future step-siblings.

While the story delivered in so many ways, the tension wasn’t there for me. Two adults meet, and it’s love at first sight. When they later learn that their parents are getting married, they are heartbroken that they can’t be together because they’ll be related by marriage in the future. It’s as if they never watched Clueless. I get that it would be weird if their parents had married when they were children and they had been raised as siblings, but they were both in their mid to late 20s, they met before they knew about their parents (ok, so it was only a matter of hours before they found out their parents were dating, but even so, they met before they knew about their parents), and they had several months between when they met and when they became related by marriage. Maybe it’s just me, but it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal.

I will say, that “roadblock” (or lack thereof), was the only thing I found really lacking in the book. The chemistry between Sig and Chloe is amazing, as is their banter. They become best friends from trying to not be romantically involved, and that friendship becomes an incredible foundation for their subsequent romance. Chloe’s journey from sheltered, privileged, and naive to someone willing to work hard to achieve a goal and to stand up for herself is excellent,

3.75/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

I was so excited to receive the ARC for Dreamgirl Drama after loving Fangirl Down and the Au Pair Affair. However, this one fell a little flat for me. Chloe felt underdeveloped as a character and was giving ‘too dumb to function’ - whereas Sig’s macho protector role felt like a stick-figure caveman. Not to mention that all the conflict and angst in this book would have been solved if Sig’s parents just talked to him like an adult. I’ve never seen a miscommunication trope used that way, but it sure was just as frustrating as usual. Anyway, still love Tessa Bailey and would 100% read about the other characters in the Big Shots series, but I was overall disappointed with this one.

2.5/5 stars
⭐⭐💫

Tessa Bailey's books will always be a must-read for me! This latest book in the series is a hit! But, I forgot I hadn't read the second book so I was lucky enough to get to read that gem too!

What's not to love - hockey player, forbidden love, and lots of steam! SO good!

This started so cute! I loved how they had their little meet cute... Then they were slapped in the face with reality at a dinner where their parents were trying to tell them they were getting married, making them stepsiblings... If I put that aside, this was a really steamy book and I enjoyed the story. He is possessive yet so supportive and king. He would give her the world if she asked. She is a go with the flow kind of girl, but dedicated to what she loves. They definitely fall fast and hard with one another. This is a instant forbidden romance that really kept me turning the pages wanting to know how they were going to make this work.

I really enjoyed their story, had it not been for the little soon to be related issue. I love how Sig encourages her to step out of her comfort zone and embrace her dream. He is so supportive and encouraging. She leaves behind her cush life and he literally supports her through her training to reach her dream. Their chemistry is written so well and definitely the best part of the book. I just kept getting hung up when I was reminded they are going to be or are stepsiblings...

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! #DreamGirlDrama #NetGalley

Finally Chloe and Sigs story, and it did not disappoint! I have been waiting for this since they were introduced. The chemistry and will they/wont they pull between the two makes for a classic Tessa Bailey romance, with all the right plot twists!

Another Tessa Bailey novel with an over the top, down bad MMC who would literally do anything to spoil the FMC. Mutual pining. Forbidden Romance. Hockey/Musical Prodigy. And as always, Tessa's special spice blend.

I was SO EXCITED for this story... Tessa Bailey could write literally any trope combo and I'd be into it.

This was my first [almost] step-sibling book... it was insta-love, which I don't usually love. But Sig + Chloe were AMAZING. I loved their instant chemistry. I loved that Chloe's naivete brought Sig's protective side out instantly. They both saw each other so clearly where it matters.

I adored Sig's desire to take care of Chloe. He really stepped up for her where it mattered. He took the burden of caring for her and figuring out how to make everything work, and followed every half-thought or idea she had and made her dreams come true. AND HE FREAKING CALLED HER DREAM GIRL WHILE HE DID IT.

Chloe had no idea how much Sig was giving up for her. Her feelings were just as strong as his, but she never pushed... until the tension was just too much.

I will say, the pacing in this one was so different. We time jump and bounce through time pretty quickly, but that pace allowed for the story to progress pretty quickly... we saw every day moments over the months of Sig's dad's engagement to Chloe's mom. Their friendship, although clouded in a lusty haze, was the foundation of everything.

Thank you so much to Avon for the eARC of this one! This book is out in January!