Thank you to @NetGalley and @avonbooks for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Dream Girl Drama" by Tessa Bailey delivers a satisfying and engaging romance, particularly for those eagerly anticipating Chloe and Sig's story after their introduction in the previous installment. From the outset, the premise is undeniably compelling: a whirlwind romantic connection complicated by the revelation of an impending step sibling relationship.

Bailey skillfully crafts a scenario that balances forbidden love with undeniable chemistry. Sig and Chloe's predicament, stemming from their parents' unexpected marriage, creates a compelling emotional conflict. Sig's determination to pursue his "dream girl," coupled with Chloe's burgeoning attraction, despite her sheltered background, drives the narrative forward. The dynamic between them is a captivating blend of sweetness and tension, as they navigate their complex situation.

The characters, already established in the previous book, are further developed with depth and nuance. Sig's protective nature and Chloe's quiet strength complement each other perfectly, creating a believable and endearing connection. The narrative effectively captures the emotional turmoil of their forbidden romance, while also delivering moments of playful banter and steamy encounters. The author masterfully balances these elements, creating a reading experience that is both engaging and emotionally resonant.

Tessa Bailey once again demonstrates her ability to craft a compelling contemporary romance. "Dream Girl Drama" offers a satisfying blend of forbidden love, emotional depth, and undeniable chemistry. While the premise may seem unconventional, the author handles it with sensitivity and skill, creating a story that is both entertaining and emotionally satisfying. This book is a must-read for fans of the series and anyone seeking a contemporary romance with a unique and compelling premise.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #avonbooks #dreamgirldrama #tessabailey

I have historically loved Tessa Bailey's books. But this one just seemed bland to me. While there was an interesting premise, I did not really care for either of the main characters. I don't think the book was *bad*, but I don't think it was for me as I found myself working my way through it instead of enjoying it.
Unfortunately I feel like Tessa's books have become cringey with the spice and the dialogue.

im embarrassed I read this book

(*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc*)

.....

This is a spicy sports romance that I think I a lot of people will enjoy. This is a situation where I am a mood reader not in the mood for this as I recover from 2 different surgeries & struggling with pain. I struggled to relate to this book. This is totally on me as a bad pick as a reviewer for me not being in the correct space to enjoy this.

I will say the audiobook was done very well. Callie Dalton is one of my fave life narrators as well as Teddy Hamilton. They are always fantastic in bringing the humor, heart, spice & life to these characters.

Massive thanks to NetGalley, Libro FM & Avon and Harper Voyager for the gifted cooties, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

The setting and the characters really didn’t work for me. I didn’t like either of the two MCs and couldn’t get into their relationship at all.

Tessa Bailey knows how to get your feelings going! She is a queen of sports romances & this one did not disappoint! The spice was perfect! I adored this!

Summary:
Sig and Chloe have a meet cute at a county club when his truck unexpectedly breaks down on the way to his father's house to meet his prospective step mother. It's instalove, but when they separate, they end up thrown back together as potential step brother and step sister. When Chloe decides to move to Boston to try to make it on her own, Sig steps up to help her gain her independence with hopes that their parents decide not to marry.

Rating: 4/5
Spice: 2/5

Tropes:
Forbidden Romance
Insta Love
Grumpy/Sunshine

Triggers:
Abandoned Parent
Sheltered Childhood
Paternity Queries

My thoughts:
I always adore Tessa Bailey books. She writes great romance and even better characters. I did have a little trouble relating to Chloe, as she is obliviously spoiled, but I think that was my own personal hang up. I do love how Sig takes care of her and helps her find her independence. Another homerun by Tessa Bailey.

Dream Girl Drama is the latest release for the Big Shots series from @tessabaileyisanauthor and if you’re looking for your next hockey romance here it is. We finally get the back story of Sig and Chloe and find out how they became so close before becoming step siblings. Imagine; boy meets girl, instantly falls for each other, will do anything for her (including keeping a stock of pop tarts at his house so she never runs out), they go their separate ways that night only to be brought back hours later and be told their parents are engaged! The tension, the spice, the dirty talk, the forbidden romance of it all is just *chef’s kiss*

Let's just say I was apprehensive about this book, especially with how it was set up in the previous novels, but I was pleasantly surprised! I found it intriguing to see how the queen of romance would tackle a borderline-taboo situation.
I rated it 3.5 stars because I love a devoted yet masculine mmc, but felt like it all just happened way too fast. I know most will say that is the point of Sig and Chloe's relationship but these story lines are just not for me. I do love how Chloe was able to be level headed (for the most part), about their relationship, when in everything else she was a bit whimsical.
I am so excited to see how this series continues
Massive thank you to Net Galley for this arc, as well as Avon and Tessa Bailey!

I think this is the final straw for Tessa Bailey and me.

This was just fine. Nothing spectacular, but nothing extraordinary either. Her writing had gotten really repetitive, and I just don’t love the insta-love trope. I also didn’t understand why step siblings who are adults was such a big deal?? And i figured out the twist super early on.

Thanks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really love this sweet universe. When I was reading The Au Pair Affair, the side dynamic between Sig and Chloe was really interesting. I was definitely interested in reading their book. I absolutely loved the first scene where they meet at the country club. I felt the magic come off the page and could feel the dynamic between them. I don't know if people would really care if Sign and Chloe were together if their parents were married though. It's not as if they were actually related or had grown up together, but maybe it is taboo in wealthy social circles. I appreciated Chloe's growth throughout the book and was happy when the HEA came at the end.

This third installment to the series was exactly what I wanted it to be! I was laughing from start to finish. Tessa Bailey has a way of making you instantly invested in the characters and their story. I will admit the beginning, at first, had me thinking "this is going too fast." But I quickly realized the speed was due to Tessa having to show the growth of their relationship quickly enough to get them caught up to the point that we saw them in other books. In true Tessa Bailey fashion- the MC's fell fast and hard. And it was a joy to read the journey. Another staple- the spice. Although there seemed to be less when compared to other books in the series. I cannot wait for what she writes next!

It’s instalust the moment Sig and Chloe’s worlds collide. The down-to-earth pro hockey player who still drives his beat up truck, and the rich harp player couldn’t be more different. Their first meeting is cut short due to prior commitments, and they’re in for a shock when they both show up separately to a diner hosted by their parents who are in love and getting married. Awkward. All hell breaks loose. Chloe no longer wants to live under her mother’s strict thumb, so Sig offers to look out for her when she moves to Boston. Aside from the awkwardness of the pending nuptials, there’s the inconvenience of their attraction that’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

It’s been a minute since I read a step sibling romance even if this is not quite at that stage yet. It was cute though I had a hard time with how sheltered Chloe was. Since her mom has cut off the purse strings, Sig is essentially bankrolling her - rent, food, necessities. I was annoyed with one instance when she uses the rent money to buy expensive eye creams instead. Like what? So many eyerolls there. Sig’s all right. I mean it’s incredibly generous of him to look out for Chloe, but it’s hard to forget how much he wants her, too.

Highlights:
🏒 Step sibling trope, forbidden romance, instalust, opposites attract
🏒 Banter
🏒 Complicated families
🏒 Spicy, open door

I was more interested in the subplot - could Sig’s dad be trusted after so many years of philandering? I also liked when Chloe got serious about her career.

In the end I liked parts of it but otherwise it’s not entirely for me. It’s not so much the step sibling trope; it’s more that it goes from instalust to Sig being a stand in parental figure as Chloe gets acclimated to her ‘independence’. While that dynamic was weird for me that’s not to say that it’d be the same for other readers. Bailey still brings the humor and shenanigans that she’s known for.

Thanks to @avonbooks for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮 is out February 4th.

I’m not a huge fan of stepsiblings, but I thought this was well done and the characters were really cute together

This is star crossed lovers meets future stepsiblings angst meets Tessa Bailey’s unhinged romcom vibes and I was here for every second of it. Definitely one of my top favorite books by her!

I usually love anything Tessa Bailey, but I just couldn’t get over how… barbaric, controlling, and misogynistic Sig was. And that Chloe was such an airhead. Please, let’s have some respect for our characters and not create them as though they are just two-dimensional Neanderthals.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey!

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey

Thank you to @netgalley @avonbooks and Tessa Bailey for this ARC!

This is the third book in the Big Shots series and again this is a cute and easy read. I was really looking forward to this one based off the buildup in The Au Pair Affair and the fact that I love a step sibling forbidden love situation. 🤣 Fangirl down still has my heart in this series but this had a lot of slow burn angst and a MMC who would stop at nothing to protect and take care of his woman…even when he can’t have her.

Some cons to this one though was it was an insta lust/love situation and the MCs did seem quite a bit immature with their actions and thoughts at times.

I still ate this up and said thank you so these were not deal breakers for me 🤣

If you love:
🏒Hockey Romance
💕Step Siblings
❌Forbidden Romance
👸🏻Privileged FMC
🐾Cute Side Kick
🎭Past Family Drama

Give this one a try!

I liked the book but I didn’t love it. I liked the MCs - Sig and Chloe.

I felt like I probably would have loved the book if they didn’t have the obstacle of their parents. Tbh her mom would have been sufficient as the obstacle imo. I felt like Sig’s parental situation was just absurd too. These characters had more potential than they were given. But because I did really like them and their relationship, they made the book enjoyable enough.

I do see people loving this book and hating this book because of the trope. The trope just wasn’t for me. I loved the epilogue though!

I felt like because they’re adults (25 & 29) how people were reacting to them was insane because their parents are getting married. They’re all adults. It’s not “forbidden” or anything like if they were in high school or something (cue gossip girl).

How his team and her mentor reacted was dumb AF especially because his “dad” wasn’t even an a hide parent in his life, and never had a relationship with him until he was an adult. So the step sibling trope just wasn’t the best choice for this book IMO.

A lot of the book fell flat for me because I felt yearning for depth but I kept not getting much. Because of the looming “forbidden” connection, they always kept at a certain distance.

I would definitely read more by Tessa Bailey though because her books are always easy and silly reads.

Thanks NetGalley, Avon, Harper Voyager and Tessa Bailey for giving me an ARC of this book!

I struggled with the premise of this one a little more than I thought I would. The timeline jumps were also pretty substantial so I didn’t feel like we really got to know the characters as much. That said, Tessa Bailey can do no wrong!