I honestly don’t even know where to begin. This is just the second book I read from this author and I can officially say that it would be my last. I started reading this book in hopes that it would be much better than the previous one I read and I was deeply disappointed. To begin with this book felt extremely rush like there was literally no connection between both MMCS and you mean to tell me they were deeply in love with each other after just one chapter. Like what? I was waiting for some character development something to make me like them but as I kept reading things kept going downhill. For starters the MFC was just the worst MFC I have ever read about. She wanted to claim her so called “independence” yet she kept wasting money on reckless things knowing damn well the mmc will provide for her, she claimed to care for him yet she took advantage of him in all the ways possible knowing damn well he wouldn’t say no. She was just immature and reckless from start to finish. The whole off limit/step brother situation was just NOT my cup of tea at all. The plot twist was just sooooo predictable. Honestly it was sad to be disappointed this much from a new release

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey is the perfect mix of spice, laughs, and just the right amount of chaos. Sig, a pro hockey player, and Chloe, a sheltered harpist, share an unforgettable kiss, only to find out their parents are getting married. Awkward... The tension is electric, the banter is gold, and Bailey brings all the swoony, forbidden romance goodness. If you love steamy, feel good reads with a touch of drama, this one’s a winner!

I can't find the words at the moment, I'm too busy replaying a few scenes in my head. Is there anything better than a hockey romance? Yes. A Tessa Bailey hockey romance. Book 3 in the Big Shots series did not disappoint. I am voting for Sig to be up in the top 10 best book boyfriends. While I will not be putting this in a high school library, I will be adding this to the small library of books the teachers share with one another. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced preview.

Only Tessa Bailey could make me love insta-love. Sig, hockey player and Chloe, rich girl harp prodigy meet at a country club after Sig’s truck breaks down and lightning bolts hit. But after learning who the other is - there’s a touch of taboo. Yet they can’t stay away.

Sig and Chloe are both are SO obsessed, it’s such a slow burn because they can’t have each other. The pining and torture they put themselves through basically edge you ~2/3 of the book.

Sig’s got some red flags but somehow they’re ok in book form? Their romance is a bit OTT and I love it, this series just socks me right in the feels.

I Received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

This trope could’ve been very cringy. But it wasn’t in fact I enjoyed this book more than the others. My heart hurt for them and it was more about their growing relationship too.

* I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. Classic Tessa!

Thank you Avon Books for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

When I read the Au Pair Affair last year, I was so enamored with Chloe and Sig. I couldn’t wait for their book! And I was excited that Chloe was from Darien, CT which is near where I grew up. It was fun to be in on the joke regarding the region and the Country club. Sadly, this book didn’t work for me. I am struggling to pinpoint the specific reasons, because I loved The Au Pair Affair, but I think sometimes Tessa’s books just don’t hit for me! When I love them, I love them and when they don’t work, it’s usually something I can tell pretty immediately.

Synopsis:

“When professional hockey player Sig Gauthier’s car breaks down and his phone dies, he treks into a posh private country club to call a tow truck, where he encounters the alluring Chloe Clifford, the manic pixie dream girl who captivates him immediately with her sense of adventure and penchant for stealing champagne.

Sparks fly during a moonlight kiss and the enamored pair can’t wait to see each other again, but when Sig finally arrives to meet his dad’s new girlfriend over dinner, Chloe is confusingly also there. Turns out the girlfriend is Chloe’s mother. Oh, and they’re engaged.

Sig’s dream girl is his future stepsister.

Though the pair is now wary of being involved romantically, Chloe, a sheltered harp prodigy, yearns to escape her controlling mother. Sig promises to teach her the ins and outs of independence in Boston—but not inside his bedroom. They both know there can never be more than friendship between a famous hockey player and his high-society, soon-to-be stepsister. But keeping their relationship platonic grows harder amid the developing family drama, especially knowing they were meant for so much more…” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Tension—I mean, this is the forbidden romance trope. Plenty of tension! The characters are future step-siblings but don’t know that until after they’ve met.

The Fun—One thing you are guaranteed with a Tessa Bailey romance is pure FUN. And I do think this book still had those fun elements.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

The Pacing—You jump right in with the characters and witness their attraction.

The Vibes—They were just off for me! It was the trope or situation, just something didn’t click.

Chloe and Sig’s Dynamic—And I think it was this dynamic that didn’t click for me. I am a huge feminist but it doesn’t bother me when male main characters like to take care of the female main character. I like to be cared for, after all. But something about their dynamic and Sig’s need to protect Chloe just didn’t vibe with me.

Character Authenticity: 3/5 Spice Rating: 3.5/5 Overall Rating: 3/5

Content Warnings:

classism, abandonment

Dream Girl Drama is Tessa Bailey's third book following Fangirl Down and The Au Pair Affair. While I enjoyed the first two, this one fell flat for me and was unfortunately a DNF.

Eh.

I loved the first half, but then it became the same ol’ "we can’t be together, we can, we can’t" back and forth and I just couldn't take it anymore. While better than the first two books, this still felt disjointed and messy. The pacing was off, some things rushed with no buildup, others dragged forever. The conflict didn’t feel serious enough to justify all the drama. These are adults, no one’s actually related, and the idea that this would ruin their careers felt ridiculous.

The romance itself didn’t work for me. There was too much instant love, and the FMC felt helpless to the point of cringeworthy. The MMC basically took care of her like a child, even knowing what was in her fridge because she couldn’t restock it herself? Come on. I love a protective hero, but this was too much.

It was also light on TB’s usual humor and leaned more on sex than romance. The ending frustrated me, would they have even fought for their relationship if external events hadn’t forced it? Something about this just didn’t feel like Tessa Bailey. It pains me to say it, but this series is my least favorite from her.

Tessa Bailey does it again! Sig and Chloe will forever have my heart. The tension between these two was popping on page 3!! And who doesn’t love a forbidden love aspect!?? Cannot wait for more from TB!

This book was the third book in Tessa Bailey's Big Shot series. I was really looking forward to Sig and Chloe's story, after reading the 2nd book (The Au Pair Affair), but have to say that I was disappointed with this book - mainly because of the future step-sibling trope. (Honestly, not for me!) While I am happy the book ended the way that it did, I had a hard time getting past the future step-sibling situation. These characters had such great chemistry, I would have LOVED their story to not have included that scenario, it feels like a waste of perfectly good characters.
Also, because it was so hard to look past their "situation" - it kept being mentioned like a broken record - future step-siblings... future step-siblings... the spice factor didn't hit for me like it normally does in Tessa's other books. I felt kind of weird reading the super spicy scenes when it was also mentioned how they really shouldn't partake, being that they are almost step-siblings...

All in all, because I do love a good Tessa book, I have to give this one 3 stars, and I am sure there are many readers who will love this trope, can't fault the author for trying something, when it just isn't my cup of tea!! I am very happy I read this 3rd book in the series, and will continue to read and love Tessa's books! I recommend the read, especially for anyone who read the other two books, and wanted more of Sig and Chloe's story!


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book, in exchange for honest feedback.

*ARC Review*

3.5 Stars

Dream Girl Drama was is fast paced rom com with so much pinning and sneaky romance. I enjoyed the meet cute of our two main characters and the quick plot twist thereafter. Sig and Chloe meet at a country club when Sig's trusty pile of metal truck breaks down. They have a quick moment of lust and then go their separate ways, just to find out their parents are getting married. Then followed drama over their future step sibling nature. I personally don't see how its a problem because they met before they knew about it, but every character in the book was flabbergasted. The ending plot twist was boring but I enjoyed the happily ever after. It was a pretty standard rom com and a quick read.

I always love Tessa's writing! I don't think I loved Sig and Chloe as much as the couples from the first two books in the series but that might be because Chloe was just SO manic pixie dream girl and he is such a simp. Which isn't a bad thing! I also struggled a bit with the time jumps because I always want to see everything! But, Tessa definitely delivered on the spice and the tension and I was so happy in the end for them.

Synopsis: A hockey player and a wealthy woman fall in love but realize their parents are engaged.

Thoughts: I hated both the main characters, Sig and Chloe. Sig had so many red flags. He was controlling and toxic. Chloe was entitled and spoiled. They proclaimed their love for each other within days of meeting and it was downhill from there. I did not feel as any of this book was realistic, but it didn’t stop me from reading. Overall plot was interesting… how are they going to ever be together? It kept me reading but that was the only thing keeping me reading.

Thank you to Tessa Bailey, Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my reviews.

❤️Dream Girl Drama❤️
By Tessa Bailey

- Review posted to Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and TheStoryGraph on 2/11/25
- Review posted to B&N on 2/16/25

~~

4.5 ⭐

“If I ran out the door right now, would you run with me?”
“Set the pace, Chlo. I can keep up.”

~~

Omg that was freaking charming and hysterical! Obvi Tess Bailey is pretty much a household name in the romance bookish space, and though Dream Girl Drama was my first ever Tessa read, I can very much see what all the hype is all about! Sweet, s3xy, a little silly, and so so satisfying, she will leave you giggling, blushing, and immediately reaching for more of her work.

Chloe and Sig come from opposite worlds, and though a sort of twisted fate brings them together, it’s not in the way that either would prefer. Despite the obstacles thrown their ways, watching them grow and tackle them as a team had me giddily kicking my feet. The imagery was spot on. The pace was consistent and enjoyable. The tension about melted off my bottoms. But the big winner here was the humor. There were many laugh out loud moments that had my husband side eyeing from across the living room 🤭 Add a smidge of @ngst here and there, and voila! Dream Girl Drama, baby! Such a fun time!

Why you’ll love Dream Girl Drama
❤️ Contemporary Romance
❤️ Future Step Siblings
❤️ Forced Proximity
❤️ Pro Hockey Player MMC
❤️ Harp-Sl@ying FMC
❤️ Slow Burn
❤️ Smokin’ Hot Tension
❤️ Laugh Out Loud Moments

I've enjoyed previous books by Tessa Bailey for their lighthearted content, and I think they make great beach reads. This one unfortunately pushed me too far in terms of requiring a serious suspension of disbelief, which made it hard to connect to the characters. I did not enjoy how helpless the FMC was, though I did appreciate her arc of pursuing a career as a harpist. I won't be requesting more Tessa Bailey as I think her newer books just aren't for me, but thank you very much to Avon for the arc!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Tessa Bailey is big time hit or miss! And Dream Girl Drama was absolutely a miss. I mean the sheer obnoxious romance and dialogue was just mind boggling. I get insta-lust but I do not get insta-love and the amount of obsession these two MCs had for each other after meeting once. The whole premise of their push and pull is that they are future step siblings, but I never understood the big hold up. They met as adults and had absolutely no clue about each other before, I just feel like the romance and story had no backbone. For a couple so obsessed and in love you would think they would've just thought to explain the situation to people and ask for understanding instead of forgiveness, but no.

Holy cow the sexual tension is this book is THICKKKKKKK! It had its moment where it would grasp you in and not let go. But sometimes it was slower pace and a little hard to get through. For me saying that says a lot I’m a huge hockey romances book lover. I also felt like “the moment” where it came all together was very anticlimactic and then it was rushed the whole half chapter after. I will say so far I liked the Au Pair Affair better for sure and currently reading Fangirl Down and liking that mor too.

another great book by Tessa Bailey. Was looking forward to this book in the series and it did not disappoint!

Read this book in one day. I had a fun time learning about this relationship. The connection Sig and Clo had was electric and amazing to read.