The YEARNING. 😩
The lead up for this couple has been building for multiple books now and it did not disappoint. I was interested to see how Tessa was going to spin the taboo step-sibling relationship and within a few chapters I was rooting for them. When your MMC says things like,
"I haven't been a bachelor since I heard your voice for the first time. I was yours before I even turned around and you know it"
it's hard not to! Sig and Chloe were each other's person from their first meeting and it was so obvious to everyone (except their selfish parents - don't even get me started) and them having to love each other from a distance was painful at times but made their relationship so much deeper. If you're an avid Tessa Bailey reader, you know she is notorious for her spice. With Sig and Chloe's relationship being "impossible" for most of the book, the physical aspect of their relationship develops much later than her usual books so be prepared for lots of tension and pining!
Read this if you're looking for: hockey romance, mutual pining, a down bad MMC, a spoiled turned independent FMC, family drama, and of course a happily ever after.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC read! Pick up Dream Girl Drama in February 2025!

This is the book I have been waiting for after meeting Sig and Chloe in previous books. Its a kinda forbidden romance but not really. As always the spice was great and the tension in this book is amazing.

I wanted to like this book because I am a Tessa Bailey fan. I did not find Sig and Chloe likeable in any way and found myself wanting to yell at them while reading this book. This is about forbidden love, which in all reality is not and if they had handled things correctly from the beginning they could have been together without all the drama. While this book was not for me, I will still read Tessa Bailey books!

I always love how sweet, silly, and hot this author’s books are! I enjoyed the other two books in this series and I couldn't’ wait for Dream Girl Drama! This book was such a light and fun read! I really enjoyed it!

Sparks fly immediately when Sig and Chloe meet for the first time. They are head over heels for each other and already making plans before everything comes to a screeching halt. Turns out, their parents are together and they are months away from becoming stepsiblings.

These characters were really fun. I loved Chloe’s character development and how she went from sweet, flighty and spoiled to strong and selfless. Sig was so gone for her. He worked so hard to always make sure she had everything she needed and wanted.

The spice was spicing in this book! These two built up so much forbidden tension! When they finally gave into their feelings, they went from 0 to 60. It was so hot! I especially enjoyed the peach play on him.

I loved this series and can’t wait to see what this author decides to write next!

TESSA BAILEY… YOU DIDNL IT AGAIN! It was steamy, it was.. perfect. The men that Tessa writes are insanely good. And the romance. YES.

This book had me smiling after chapter 1—Tessa Bailey can sure write a pining romance! Sig was such a smitten kitten, but at times it felt like it might have just been lust. I was nervous at the start because there were quite a few time jumps, so I thought we wouldn't get a good sense of build-up but I was wrong. She wrote the will they/won't they trope wonderfully, sprinkling in some great debates in the character's heads. There were so many small moments (doing laundry, Sig comforting Chloe on her period while watching a movie, etc) that showed their bond in a way that expressed how they cared for each other.

Possible spoilers ahead!

I will say that I was a bit frustrated that the PI wasn't finding anything and that Sig wasn't doing a whole lot to investigate himself. A lot of MMCs would have torn through the internet and any resource to get to the bottom of it to be with the girl. It was clear that the PI would find something at the last possible moment, though and I knew his mom was hiding something but I was not expecting that ending!

Also, I thought the whole side quest with Elton/the baseball team was a bit out of place. It seems like it was only added as an intro for Tessa's next book (possibly?). I wouldn't mind a Skylar/Corrigan book next!

I don’t think anyone is surprised i’m rating a Tessa Bailey book 5 stars, but honestly this one is so close to 6 stars I’m a little shooketh. The absolute YEARNING + PINING these two go through is unmatched. I had my jaw on the floor at the end. WOW. Guys, this book is SO FKIN GOOD. I was a little worried about Chloe’s character but quickly into the book I realized her internal dialogue is very easy to lean into and understand where she’s coming from. the big reveal at the end? WOWZA. So excited for the next book in the series already!! Keep them comin’ Tessa Bailey!!

Also, on the note of them being soon to be step siblings and those who are worried about it, there’s no real taboo involved, there is a HEA as expected with Bailey’s books, so don’t worry and power through! You’ll be glad you did!

I love books where the characters paths coincidentally cross multiple times and this was that! The first meeting between the two main characters was great and their chemistry was amazing. They were so different but it worked so well for them. Tessa Bailey does it again and I am thoroughly obsessed!

In the best way, this book is like a car crash you can’t tear your eyes away from. There is NO ONE funnier and more unhinged than Miss Tessa Bailey, and for that I am so grateful.

This was so chaotic, messy and the best version of a hot mess and i couldn’t have been happier to read this as an ARC. Tessa’s dry humor, paired with a truly ridiculous plot line as identified in the previous book of this series, makes this absolute chaotic perfection!

This is the second book I have read by this author. This was thoroughly entertaining and kept my attention. The sparks from the first meet. I felt this book was well written and enjoyable. I would recommend.

Tessa Bailey does it again. It is hard not to be intoxicated by Sig and his protective tendencies. This book is a super cute love story and so hard to put down. You will root for Sig and Chloe’s love story, hoping they can make it through.

So much forbidden romance goodness. Lots of yearning, pining and lusting.

I was so excited to read Sig & Chloe’s story after reading the Au Pair Affair. And if fully delivered on my expectations. Tessa perfectly set up a forbidden romance without making it impossible or gross. She’s so talented and writes with so much love and humor.

I was laughing out loud and fully engrossed in this story. I couldn’t put it down. I love Tessa’s way of grabbing you with characters who are destined but still have lots to overcome with a lot of humor in between. I can’t wait for the next books!

This was just ok for me. It was lacking something that I just can’t put my finger on. It had such promise and I was living the beginning but then I disconnected. Everything felt fake and non genuine. Also, Chloe’s character was hard to like which kept me from really enjoying the book too I think.

Chloe and Sig are soon to be step siblings, but they met before they knew and it was basically love at first sight. Now it’s been nothing but tension ever since.

The feelings are hard and fast in this book. There is no pretense about how the main characters feel. It’s just their situation that keeps them apart.

Tessa is always good for a hot steamy and likable story and this was no different. Very enjoyable.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGaley for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Ever since I read the previous book and got a glimpse of Chloe and Sig, I’ve been excited to see where their story was going to go when I found out it was about her being his future step-sister I was not prepared for how this book was going to go! As someone who enjoys reading Tessa Bailey's books, there was no surprise that I would like this one as well! (She added the perfect amount of spice and tension between Sig and Chloe)

Chloe and Sig both meet each other when his car breaks down and his phone dies, he ends up at a country club to call a tow truck, where he encounters the alluring Chloe Clifford.

Later that evening, Sig finally arrives to meet his dad’s new girlfriend over dinner where he sees Chloe again, and as it turns out she is the daughter of his dad’s girlfriend (now fiancee which they both discover at dinner)

Of course, Sig’s dream girl is his future stepsister which couldn’t be any more complicated!

Throughout the entirety of the book, you can see the chemistry between Sig and Chloe which is hot, hot, hot. I could not picture the both of them without one another. There was no doubt in my mind that they weren’t going to be a good pairing, based on the way it started you could just tell that their story was going to be worth the ups and downs.

The fact that their whole forbidden step-sibling relationship kept me engaged just waiting to see if they were going to be together or not was worth everything this book put me through. Even though it was a quick-paced book the sorta of slow burn between the two of them was interesting.

Overall, I enjoyed the whole storyline a lot, not to mention it was very easy to read and get into. The only thing that made it somewhat difficult to keep up with was the time jump in the first few chapters. Other than that the book was perfectly thought out and well written and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, easy read.

I just want to say a huge thank you to both NetGalley and Avon for the early arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest review 💙

3.5 Solid follow-up to Au Pair Affair. I enjoyed the relationship between Sig and Chloe, though there were times when she felt very infantilized. I would get it if there were a larger age gap with Chloe in her early twenties rather than the assumed mid to late. The father-son plot line felt very lazy, like there wasn't really a good reason for Sig's not-father to keep this from him after his feelings for Chloe became apparent. It just didn't seem like a real problem. I enjoyed Chloe's development, though I would have liked to see more independence from her. All-in-all, I enjoyed it, but not as much as Fangirl Down.

I'm a sucker for Tessa Bailey books and this one was no different. I had the time of my life reading this book. The level of angst and yearning really elevated this for me. I was pretty nervous about the tropes in this book and how they would be executed but, in true Tessa Bailey fashion, she did a wonderful job. I get nervous about step sibling romances😂
I'm excited for everyone to read it. I've been waiting for Chloe and Sig's story for a while!
It's a very enjoyable read and I had lots of fun giggling and crying to myself while reading this.

Tessa Bailey is usually a “go-to” for me… but this just wasn’t it! The MFC… who’s allegedly 25, has no real world knowledge… at all. Being sheltered is one thing, this was a whole other. She’s also…. Never been to Sephora?! Really. And the male lead is an enabler. It’s not realistic, and it’s not sweet. It comes off as too consuming and unbelievable. It was a let down for me

I probably should have DNF'd this book but for some reason I kept going and finished. I do like most of Tessa Bailey's books, but this one fell flat for me. The insta love was not believable and the spice was cringy, Sig and Chloe randomly meet and hit it off right before they find out their parents are getting married. The whole book is spent with them pining for each other even though they shouldn't be together. By the end, of course, they figure out a way to be together.

Spiciness: 4/5 🌶️

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

Spice 3 peppers

Forbidden love, Hockey romance, Rom-com, forced proximity, Insta-Love

After reading Tessa Bailey's The Au'Pair Affair I could not wait for Sig and Chloe's story. It started with a meet cute! Love at 1st sight. Like the title says drama soon followed. Sig could not believe that the girl of his dreams was about to become his stepsister. However, Sig could not let her go. They both risk losing what they worked so hard for but they could not stay away. Chloe the MFC did piss me off at time but if someone grows up rich and sheltered what can you expect from them. I had to tell myself that she was learning how to be in the "real" world. And I believe she did.

I did not see the plot twist coming. They way that Tessa Bailey didn't give any of it away was great.

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