I throughly love love when I get a ARC from one of my most favorite authors.
But to be completely honest I read this fully under the guise of covid and pneumonia, so things were blurry and hazy but I wanted to get my review in on time.
I of course love it.
I feel like all of tessas books have a flow, a love and banter and pinning that are so fantastic.
But because I was sick I missed it a bit.
I will 100% be going back and reading it again
4.5 only becausei was sick.

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey really was not what I was expecting. This book had its moments for sure, not all good. However I gave it 4 starts. This book tells the story of Chloe and Sig. I took a liking to both the characters when they were introduced in the Au Pair Affair. I adore Sig. He’s a hockey players, so whats not to love. Sig is easily my favorite character. Chloe was a vibe and I enjoyed reading about her. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend reading it, for those who are on the fence.

A professional hockey player and an elite musician fall for each other during a chance encounter in Tessa Bailey’s new novel. The only problem- their parents are engaged to marry each other. How will these future step siblings navigate this complicated relationship?

When I first heard the premise of this novel, I was worried that it would be awkward to read about a sibling love story. Additionally, I was skeptical about whether I would like Chloe as a character, because she came across as vapid in the previous Au Pair Affair. I’m happy to say my predictions were wrong! Chloe proved to be a hilarious and complex character. Additionally, Sig is a swoon-worthy book boyfriend. This novel is my favorite so far within the series. Fans of Tessa Bailey will love this book.

Also, this book centers around a Boston professional hockey team, and this Bruins fan approves!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

"Come take care of me dream girl. Come get taken care of."
Tessa I can't believe they let you publish this and I can't believe I got to read it 3 months early. ((Thank you Net Galley! Thank you Avon Publishers! THANK YOU TESSA))

Sig's dream girl is his future stepsister. She's also a prodigy harpist looking to escape her controlling mother and the confines of Darien, Connecticut. The two escape an awkward family dinner and Sig vows to show his new step sister, Chloe, how to live independently, all while avoiding the steaming chemistry between the two (because it would be very undignified. right??) . Oh and he's a professional hockey player for the Boston Bearcats.

As a New England girly this was everything to me. As a hopeless romantic who believes in love at first sight... (or voice?) I have a new maladaptive dream plot to consider. The yearning the two felt for each other but morally (according to who) could not act on was palpable. I wanted to rip my own heart out for Sig. Bring back male yearning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tessa do more sports romance. Please.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.

This book is really a 2-3 star read. I am struggling with how I feel about it. I like both Chloe and Sig but I am not sure how I feel about all the events and how they interact. A lot of the characters in this book felt really selfish and/or self absorbed to me but I did feel like Chloe showed good growth. I did not like how much everyone babied her though.

All in all it’s a Tessa Bailey book that reads like a Tessa Bailey book. Do with that information what you will. As far as the in series rankings go I would put this book second after book one.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book to review!

This was such a fun, quick read. Definitely had some good giggles as a long time hockey fan. I’m new to actually reading this author, but plenty of her books are on my TBR. I loved her writing and the MMC was so lovable (who needs realistic book BFs, not me!!!!).

I felt like the pace was so good, and there was a good balance of the sports aspect not being too forced.

Can’t wait to continue this series!

This is a great story with a well planned plot fantastic chemistry between Chloe and Sig. As someone who loves Forbidden romance trope, it was very well written and incorporated into the story. Both characters grow together to become better people and their story is both funny and meaningful. Their first meeting scene is so so cute. All their interactions are my favorite. I highly recommend this book.

3.5 stars for this one.
I think the second and third book in this series suffer from how much I absolutely adored Wells and Josephine in Fangirl Down. The main characters in the latter books haven't stood up to their relationships in comparison.
I appreciated getting to know Sig and getting a more fleshed out view of Chloe. I enjoyed the book, but struggled to suspend disbelief around the primary conflict. While I can understand the initial reaction people might have to the framing that step-siblings are together, I think anyone would have a different reaction with a second piece of information that these two met in their twenties prior to their parents marrying each other after several other marriages each. Because of this, I found the conflict/angst/breakup to be irritating.
I'm very much looking forward to the relationships that were hinted at in this book, and am so grateful to Avon and NetGalley for this ARC.

hey so i need more tessa bailey taboo romances IMMEDIANTLY.

like how am i not supposed to give this 5 stars when she takes hockey and (somewhat) step-siblings tropes and merges them into one book. as long as this woman keeps writing, i will be reading!

many thanks to Netgalley and Avon for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

i liked this, less than the other 2 in the series, starting during the other 2 books it just made the first 100 pages hard to get into. I still think Tessa’s is the queen of writing men, and this was hot hot hot, so over all i really enjoyed this, just not my fav.

Tessa Bailey delivers yet again!

Dream Girl Drama is a contemporary romance featuring two main characters that have an adorable meet cute (and undeniable attraction) before discovering they are about to become step siblings. They know they cannot be together but have a very difficult time staying away from each other.

The MMC (Sig) and FMC (Chloe) made appearances in The Au Pair Affair and I was super excited to get to read their story. Something about Tessa Bailey's characters always put them at the very top of my list and Sig and Chloe are no exception (also, shoutout to Grace, she is a queen). Sig will do anything to protect and care for Chloe even if he can't be with her, and Chloe is an absolute sweetheart who wants the best for Sig. Their chemistry is also off the charts and the tension and build up is crazy.

Highly recommend this one!! Tessa Bailey has such a knack for writing books that are so so cute but also so so spicy! No one does romance like her.

Towards the end there are hints of romance for more Bearcats members and I cannot say how much I hope the series continues.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!

I want to thank NetGalley, Tessa Bailey, and Avon for allowing me an Advanced Readers Copy of this book, Dream Girl Drama.

Where do I start? I have never read a “insta-love” trope before; so it was definitely different for me. At first I was a little adamant about how fast their feelings were for eachother, but as I kept reading, i started to think ‘dang, I need someone down bad as Sig is for Chloe.’ 🤩
Then of course there is something that is keeping them from being together, which I will not spoil but, will that stop Sig & Chloe?

Their love is inevitable, and it’s clear from the very start. I’m a type of person who likes to theorize on how the book is going to end, and about 60-70% of the time I’m right. Well, not this time. The plot twist hits big, and i definitely wasn’t expecting it!

The spice level in this is definitely SPPPICY, milk is needed.
Their need for eachother is astounding in all of the best ways. It is good to see a MMC that is obsessed with the girl, and is willing to give ANYTHING to be near her.

Also, Corrigan and Mailer? They had me cracking up throughout the whole book - definitely a plus to the “friend group.”

Overall, this book was definitely cute, keeps you on your toes, has you laughing, somewhat questioning wtf, he’s extra!, and also has you theorizing on how the heck it’s going to turn out, SO worth it! 5/5 read.

Favorite quote: “Bottom line, she’s a hockey girl. She’s our hockey girl.”

Thank you to Net Galley and Avon for an ARC!!

Whew, where do I start? Sig and Chloe are perfect together. Tessa Bailey teases every emotion throughout their story. So much love, laughter, and light yet so much pain and brokenness. The spice was so good! You feel the chemistry and heat the moment they meet.

Sig and Chloe first meet at a country club, mere hours before learning their parents will marry. Their connection is strong and Chloe decides to follow him to Boston, to learn to adult. In 8 months is their parents wedding, where any kind of romantic feelings or relationship has to end. Their relationship teeters in the balance of step siblings and soulmate. But there has to be some way to make sure the wedding doesn't happen so Sig and Chloe can have a HEA. In their line of work, they're told to end anything so it doesn't give off the wrong impression. So much is going against them that they have to fight in order to have a chance. What will it cost to have what you want?

I just love Tessa Bailey. This is peak "will they won’t they", not-quite-taboo in such a fun way. I loved Sig and Chloe in the last book and this absolutely did them justice. I'm not typically a insta-love fan, but Bailey makes their chemistry so palpable it's entirely believable. And he's so so down bad for Chloe in the best of ways. A very fun read!

I want to thank NetGalley, Tessa Bailey, and Avon for allowing me to have this opportunity to read the ARC of Dream Girl Drama. This book was highly anticipated for me so the fact I got to read it 4 months before the release day made me so happy.

I loved this entire book per usual like all the other books I’ve read by Tessa Bailey. I really wish her books got more hype because I’ve yet to read a single book by her that I didn’t love. The trope of this book was so much fun. Sig met his dream girl but the unimaginable happened and then they had to try and figure out how to be friends despite the undeniable connection with each other.

This was a slow burn but the wait was worth it. I love the men in this series. Sig is such a teddy bear and I just want to squeeze him. The ending was perfection and filled my cup. I can’t wait to be able to get the physical copy of this book and add it to my book trophy shelves.

I really loved Chloe’s growth in this book. Her being controlled and in the grasps of her mother and breaking through and being on her own was inspirational. Love love love. Can’t recommend Tessa Bailey and this series enough!

“Dream Girl Drama” is another 5 star favorite form the series that never seems to disappoint. When I was approved for this ARC I actually squealed. I love this series so much. Fangirl Down is one of my favorite books of the year so I couldn’t wait to jump in.

When we were introduced to Sig & Chloe in the previous book of the series I was so intrigued to find out what their story was about. I mean future step siblings? How scandalous! Admittedly I am not a fan of insta love trope (like at all) so I was a bit nervous that I would like it. But Tessa did it so so well, probably because they weren’t able to give into those insta love impulses being future siblings and all. All I can say is this one tore me up in the best way possible.

The tension and chemistry between them was palpable. They have a natural connection that is so undeniable, and it was clear to me from the beginning that they were meant to be together. Soul mates! I believed in them so much, at one point I pretty much was just screaming at them to say screw it, who cares if she’s your sister?!

Overall, I think “Dream Girl Drama” is a amazing addition to an already great Big Shots series. I can't wait to see what Tessa comes up with next!

This was not it for me. I know Tessa Bailey’s whole schtick is to write over the top circumstances but I feel like this one kinda didn’t have any redeeming qualities. It was just so superficial and surface level it actually kinda gave me the ick. They went from zero to “this is my soulmate I’m in love” in precisely 3 seconds and that’s just not right. The whole “taboo” part of this was kinda unimportant to me, like yes your parents are engaged but you’re both adults and you met before you knew that you aren’t actually related at all this feels like not that big of a deal. Weird to explain to people? Sure but not the end of everyone’s careers. Sig was also SO overbearing it was honestly bad. They shouldn’t be together just because of who they are not because of their parents

ARC Review-

I love Tessa Bailey. I will always love Tessa Bailey. I was in the mood for a swoony rom com and she absolutely delivered. I was, admittedly, a little nervous going into this book because of the tropes. I was worried the “spoiled heiress” would be an annoying character to follow and would be too self centered to root for as a FMC. Then, I was worried that the MMC would be too brooding and self deprecating to find attractive. But I am so happy to say that I was pleasantly wrong about it all! I absolutely loved Sig. The fact that he was all in from the very first moment he met Chloe was the sweetest storyline. I really loved how vocal he was about his feelings for Chloe and the level of pure support and pride he had for her was absolutely swoon worthy. Chloe was equally as supportive and attentive for Sig, but she definitely had more learning to do than he did, which is where most of the conflict came in. She surprised me though. I thought she would be truly clueless and spoiled, and while that was true to an extent, the way she cared for Sig and the way she truly did want to learn and become independent of her mother was a delightful storyline to read.

Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book with tropes I don’t typically care for. I can’t wait to see where Tessa Bailey takes us next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This. Book. Wow. First off I love me some Tessa Bailey books, I read every one I can and she one of my first authors to recommend to my spicy rom com friends! Sig and Chloe’s chemistry from moment one had me hooked! I was rooting for them the whole time and was getting so worked up that the pi wasn’t finding anything that we knew there was?! I lost faith and was grieving for their lost love but Hail Mary coming in hot at the last possible second before the plane doors close?!! Jeez. Her writing, amazing. The spicy, amazing. Banter and sarcasm, amazing. I loved the other two in this series and am so honored to get my first advance read of Tessa’s! So thank you to net galley and the publishers for the honor of reading a wonderful book in turn for my honest opinion. READ IT! Read them all! 5 stars and all the recommendations to anyone who will list from me!

So thrilled to get an early copy of this one. While I was a little unsure about the taboo relationship, I still found myself really enjoying this as I read through. So much tension!!