After reading the first 2 books in the Big Shots series, I was very excited for Dream Girl Drama to hear more of Sig and Chloe’s story! From the 1st chapter, I was hooked! The tension between these two was some of the best I’ve read, I literally could not get through the book fast enough. I struggled a little with the intersecting timelines (I think?) with the Au Pair Affair, especially because there was a few months gap between when I read the two books. The storyline as almost step-siblings was also a little strange to me, and I really didn’t think there could be a resolution to this that wouldn’t be full on ~weird~ but the plot twist climax to the story worked for me, and I’m shocked I didn’t put it all together sooner. I do wish there was a little more to the story because it wrapped up somewhat abruptly, even with the epilogue, but overall I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager from the ARC!

4.5 stars

This book was OK. I enjoyed the other Big Shots books more but I did like this one! The forbidden love/stepbrother & stepsister tropes ring heavy in this one but I appreciated the buildup and thought that it ended wonderfully, like many of Tessa's other books. She just has a way of writing HEAs that I can't get enough of.

The third book in Tessa Bailey's interconnected Big Shots series brings us to the story of Sig and Chloe. The not-quite-almost-but-not-yet step siblings. Their first encounter is nothing short of perfect. She rescues him and he falls all over himself for her. The build up and banter of this book were so good that the climax was a bit of let down. The conclusion and wrap up of Sig and Chloe's situation deserved more time on the page to make the book as satisfying as some of Bailey's other titles. Bailey has a way with words, sexual tension, and knows her way around a hockey team and this book is no different.

Tessa, you did it again! Dream Girl Drama is a captivating and fun read that brings together two characters with incredible chemistry. The story follows Sig and Chloe who made their first appearances in the Big Shot Series which I highly recommend reading prior to this story but not a must! Sig, our charming, swoon-worthy hero is determined to make their relationship work despite the tension and trouble with falling in love with your soon to be step-sister. The chemistry between the two is undeniable, and their banter is sharp and witty, making their dynamic both humorous and deeply engaging.

Bailey does an excellent job of building up the emotional and physical tension between these two, creating a compelling and sexy slow(ish)-burn romance that kept me eagerly turning the pages. Sig and Chloe are relatable and endearing, with their flaws and dreams making them feel real and lovable. Dream Girl Drama is an emotional rollercoaster, filled with laughter, heat, and heart, and is sure to delight Tessa fans old and new!

I adore Tessa’s books, and this one was no exception. The meet cute, the insta love, then the revelation were all just so delicious. Throughout the book, the tension between the two characters building was almost unbearable, it made it that much sweeter when they finally got together, and made you want to cheer for their happy ending.
The epilogue was pure perfection.

Though I have to say one of my favorite parts was the baseball team vs the hockey players. And the sneak peeks at future romances. The orgasm donators are quickly becoming cute little favorites

Will preface this by saying this is my first Tessa Bailey book I've read, but I've heard a lot of good things about her writing from her other books from friends. Which is why I was excited for this ARC but there were surprisingly a lot of things I had issues with in this book...

The whole future step sibling thing wasn't bad (for me) until it was just brought up constantly. Like literally the entire book. I understand the taboo topic of this but I didn't need it reminded about every other sentence. We are all adults here.
I've learned that some instances of insta-love are also not for me. This book was more insta-lust than insta-love tho? Either way, I felt like the romance really wasn't developing anywhere. The characters had the tension there but it just never really took off for me.

The plus side was it's a really easy read. I made it way over the halfway mark before I realized it. It's also spicy (as I'm sure a lot of Tessa's books are) and it made me forget the taboo of it for a moment. The ending also gave me closure (thank god).

I think maybe this book /tropes is just not the perfect one for me, but I was still able to get through reading it.

Thank you Avon, Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eARC.

What a wild ride this forbidden romance was. To be completely honest, in the beginning, I was cringing pretty hard. I didn’t know if the book could redeem itself because it was so cheesy and felt like a rushed hallmark movie. However, things started picking up the pace as the impending doom of becoming stepsiblings came down on Sig and Chloe. It makes you actually feel for them and wonder what it would be like to be in their position. It’s a rare case, but that would be horrible if you meet your soulmate and your parents end up dating. That power over a relationship is displayed really well in this book and pulls on the heartstrings! There were also a lot of funny little quips from the main characters throughout the story. I’m a sucker for one-liners that make me chuckle. This book had a crazy plot twist that I wasn’t expecting in a silly little romance novel. Overall, it had both its cringey and cute moments, but definitely had redemption!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for giving me this ARC. Dream Girl Drama comes out on February 4th, so be sure to check it out!

Tessa Bailey does it again!!!! Y'all I swear, this woman is the queen of spicy romcoms. Book #3 in the "big shots" sports romance series, this book follows Sig and Chloe - who meet, have a cutie little night together and...................then find out their parents are not only dating, but are ENGAGED. This was a fun, hilarious, spicy romance and I loved every second of it.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author. She’s a fantastic author but this book wasn’t my favorite. It took me a little to get into it and then stay with it. Chloe is a very wealthy and talented harpist who leaves home for Boston. Sig steps in to help show her the ropes. They like each other a lot but the circumstances of their situation throws a wrench into the plans and impacts their ability to be together. I think the ‘forbidden love’ was hard to get into. However, overall I would recommend this book to others as the write was very good. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy!

I would read anything by Tessa Bailey, and this sports series has been so amazing! The chemistry between Chloe and Sig was fantastic, but the forbidden love of them on the verge of becoming step siblings wasn’t my favorite. She’s a princess and Sig loves taking care of her, and I love when a man falls first. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy!

Sig and Chloe were very cute together and had 🔥 chemistry. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the “step siblings” plot and it seemed to resolve very quickly. The side characters were fun and overall I enjoyed the book.

I loved the first book in this series, Fangirl Down and I had high hopes for the second book, The Au Pair Affair. Au Pair didn't charm me as I had hoped... luckily, I really enjoyed Dream Girl Drama.
I've been reading Ms. Bailey's books for almost 10 years and one thing you can always count on is the devotion of the male MC. Sig is the Tessa Bailey poster child of feral devotion to Chloe.
I really loved Chloe, she could've been a stuck-up country club jerk but instead, she was totally open to going off on her own, living and experiencing life...with the somewhat unknown safety net of Sig.
I'll admit that I wish we had more time with them getting together but I get the need for build-up, longing, and angst. But...still.
DGD was a fun, super spicy read that I come to expect from Ms. Bailey and I do hope we get a few more books in this series.

Tessa Bailey has quickly become my go to author for Rom Com and this one was no exception. Tess keeps her characters fresh and inspiring. This is so with future step siblings, Sig and Chole. While I really didn’t see an issue with them being together, their story made me root for them. Sig definitely lived for Chole and Chole was finding her independence with Sig. A fun romantic story.

The chemistry between Sig and Chloe from the start sucked me in. You could immediately feel that “I want you” tension. I overall enjoyed this story. The little twist at the end was very unexpected because I was racking my brain trying to figure out how they would get out of their little situation. This was my first hockey romance, and it will not be my last.

There were several aspects of the story that were not for me. I don’t mind the stepsibling trope, but I couldn’t help getting annoyed at everyone trying to dictate what they did. Even their careers got involved. The start of the book was a little unrealistic; I don’t know you, and you don’t know me, but move to my city, and I’ll pay for everything. She went from mooching off her mom to mooching off the MMC. Yes, he was willing to do it, but she technically wasn’t fending for herself like the book made it seem like she was.

Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tessa Bailey never lets me down. Her writing is always fun and steamy. This book is no exception. Can’t ever go wrong with sports romance.

Chloe is a spoiled harpist prodigy and Sig is a down to earth professional hockey player. Due to a series of events, they met at a country club and hit it off. Not even a couple hours later, both Chloe and Sig then finds out that their parents are getting married. Can they squash their attraction to each other for their parents?

Okayyy I really really tried to love this book. It has everything I love hockey romance, forbidden romance, forced close proximity but it just didn’t hit. The super instant low from the first few pages of the book already gave me the ick. For me, the characters didnt build up any chemistry. Also, I was looking for more character development for Chloe. Sig was always there to save the day but even later on she never learned to be independent. I don’t know maybe it’s just me but to me there were a lot of points missed here.


Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC of this book. ❤️

The beginning of this book had me fully invested. If the first few chapters could have been how the entire book went it would have been an easy five star read for me, but it didn’t. The chemistry between the characters was undeniable—Tessa Bailey knows how to write tension—but I didn’t feel like it went deeper than physical attraction. The FMC felt frustratingly passive at times, like she relied on him for literally breathing. It left the romance feeling unbalanced to me, which made it hard to root for them.

That said, the heat between the leads kept me turning the pages, and I think readers who are here for the steam will enjoy it. It just wasn’t my favorite. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

A forbidden step-sibling romance with all of Tessa Bailey’s signature quirk, charm, and humor? This should have been right up my alley. The book started with so much chemistry and tension that I couldn't put it down, but as the story went on, it didn’t quite live up to my hopes.

What really bothered me was that the main conflict—their step-sibling status—didn’t feel like a strong enough barrier. The idea that they couldn’t be together because it would look bad didn’t seem to have real consequences or any true stakes, nor did it feel like a genuine obstacle. I struggled to understand why it was such a big deal since they met as adults before even knowing their parents were together. It started to feel a bit over-the-top, almost soap-operatic.

I really enjoyed the hero, Sig. He’s sweet, protective, and a bit of a softie with Chloe, which I thought was charming. He’s thoughtful and tender, and I loved that about him. Chloe, though, came across as immature at times, which made it harder for me to connect with her. She seemed to constantly rely on others to take care of her, and it felt like she wasn’t growing much as a character. However, I did appreciate how much she loved Sig—for who he was and not his status/life. They are undeniably sweet together, but the chemistry felt more like instant attraction than anything deeply emotional.

While there were some fun moments, especially with the slow burn and the tension-filled pining, the whole "forbidden" aspect kept them apart for too long. I really wanted to see more of them together, rather than in what felt like a repeated cycle of pining and resistance. That said, there are hints at other relationships that I’m excited to see develop in future books. This wasn’t my favorite Tessa Bailey novel, but the cover is adorable, and I still love this world she’s created.

Tropes:
Tropes:
🏒Forbidden Romance
🏒Future (adult) stepsiblings
🏒He Falls Harder
🏒Possessive/Protective MMC
🏒Slow Burn
🏒Hockey Romance

I’ll preface by noting I didn’t read the first two books of this series but I don’t think it made much of a difference. I have a tendency to do that accidentally when one story line really excites me and I want to dive in. Well I dove in and ready this book in half a day because I couldn’t put it down. It starts off hot which sometimes can be a concern cause I do love a build up but don’t worry you still get that, almost to the point that you’re like ok already!! I really enjoyed this couple as they had such strong believable chemistry from the start, their burn for each other was palpable. Sig is the perfect balance of rough and gentle (plus who doesn’t love an hockey player??) and Chloe was bubbly and easy to love. Tessa knows how to write rich girls that are helpless in a way where you actually adore them which is a talent in itself. Chloe reminded me of the Bellinger sisters which are two of my favorite characters of hers. Without giving away the plot, I’ll say there were points where I didn’t know how they were going to make their relationship work despite them being so clearly in love but even through their struggle I was enjoying every scene because their dialogue was a mix of passionate and “aw shucks”. Sad that it’s over but now I have to go back and read the first two books in the series since some of the characters were introduced and I have the next book to look forward to this Summer! Special thanks to AVON | Harper Voyage and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I was so excited to read this ARC. I’ve read the other books in the series and loved them. This is probably my favorite out of the three. I loved the storyline and the banter between Sig and Chloe.