About the Book:
Title: Wreck the Halls
Author: Tessa Bailey
Page Length: 368
Publication Date: Oct. 3, 2023
Publisher: Avon
Synopsis: Melody Gallard may be the daughter of music royalty, but her world is far from glamorous. She spends her days restoring old books and avoiding the limelight (one awkward tabloid photo was enough, thanks). But when a producer offers her a lot of money to reunite her mother’s band on live tv, Mel begins to wonder if it’s time to rattle the cage, shake up her quiet life… and see him again. The only other person who could wrangle the rock and roll divas.
Beat Dawkins, the lead singer’s son, is Melody’s opposite–the camera loves him, he could charm the pants off anyone, and his mom is not a potential cult leader. Still, they might have been best friends if not for the legendary feud that broke up the band. When they met as teenagers, Mel felt an instant spark, but it’s nothing compared to the wild, intense attraction that builds as they embark on a madcap mission to convince their mothers to perform one last show.
While dealing with rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, and mobs of adoring fans, Mel starts to step out of her comfort zone. With Beat by her side, cheering her on, she’s never felt so understood. But Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and a decades-old scandal is poised to wreck everything–the Steel Birds reunion, their relationships with their mothers, and their newfound love.
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My Review:
Every time I read a book by Tessa Bailey, I fall with the story and characters. I just can’t get enough of her writing style and the swoon-worthy stories she creates, complete with perfectly imperfect protagonists, quirky secondary characters, amazing banter and humor, and the romance!! Swoon!! The romance is everything.
In Wreck the Halls, Melody and Beat have the perfect mix of a sweet and spicy romance. They also have an interesting connection – their mothers were a super famous rock duo that broke up quite publicly and disastrously. So, when Beat convinces Melody to work on a reality show to reunite the women for Christmas – all televised, of course – Melody doesn’t know what to think. This isn’t something either of them would usually do, and the odds of their mothers getting back together are less than zero, but Beat is in desperate need of money, and Melody can’t say no to the only person who ever made her feel understood.
As Melody and Beat’s lives are streamed on live TV, they find their feelings for each other difficult to hide, and the ever-growing audience falls in love with the pair, especially Melody. I can totally see why! I would totally watch this reality show. Melody and Beat have so many laugh-out-loud moments, and all of their excursions are riddles with chemistry and a lot of emotion.
Melody is so funny and kind, and she has an amazing personality. A book restorer, she’s so upbeat and a bit of an introvert, and a life in the spotlight has made her super self-conscious. Her relationship with Beat is very much an opposites attract love story. Beat is fabulous too, and the way he feels about Melody is positively swoon-worthy. Bailey is the master at creating dirty-talking, charismatic heroes who fall hard for their love interest. OH MY WORD! Beat falls so hard! But Beat has a lot of secrets, and both are slow to trust. Seeing this couple slowly become more and more vulnerable with each other, especially with all the emotional trauma they’ve both endured, melted my heart.
The side characters, especially Trina and Octavia, are also great, and I really enjoyed the side story about them and why they split up. They are so different, much like their kids, and their relationships with each other and their children have a lot of layers. There’s also a potential scandal lurking in the shadows that threatens everything. It all makes for a balanced, layered, and entertaining romance!!
Special thanks to Avon for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Rating:
Favorite Parts:
- The romance!!!!
- The holiday vibes.
- The characters.
Favorite Lines:
“Melody Gallard knew the floor plan of his soul. This transcended a mere relationship.”
“Of all the privileges I never feel like I’ve earned, you’re going to be the ultimate one, aren’t you?”
Tropes:
- friends-to-lovers
- only one bed
- forced proximity
- enemy families
- insta love
- holiday romance
- celebrity parents
You’re making me want to go back to reading Bailey’s books! This sounds good and I’ve enjoyed her holiday romances before.
Ooooo, you might like this one, then. I’ve been loving her books lately.
I will definitely be picking this up soon. So glad you enjoyed it!!
Thank you! I think you’ll enjoy it, Ali!
I wanted to read this one for my Christmas Challenge, but am worried about the steam. I’ve read a few of her books and they were a bit too hot for me. What do you think, Julie?
I would probably pass. There is steam and dirty talk, similar to her other books. It might be too much for you.
I had a tough time with the dirty talk in the last book I read by her, so thanks for that heads up.
Any time, Carla!