WRECK THE HALLS – Tessa Bailey
Avon
ISBN: 978-0063308305
October 3, 2023
Contemporary Romance

New York City – Present Day

There once was a very popular rock group called Steel Birds, but the two women who headed the group had a nasty breakup—though only they know the reason they broke up. Their children—Melody Gallard and Beat Dawkins—have been approached by a television producer about getting their mothers back together for one magical night on Christmas Eve. It would be broadcast live and be the event of the season. Melody so far has refused the offer. She’d rather stay out of the spotlight. But Beat needs the money the network is offering. He is being blackmailed and the ante has been upped to $800,000. The million-dollar payola for reuniting the Steel Birds looks tempting, but only if he can convince Melody to help him in the quest. The network will have them on a live TV feed as they make their pitches to their mothers. Will Melody be able to hide the fact that she has been attracted to Beat since the first (and only time) they met at age sixteen?

WRECK THE HALLS is an adventure for Beat and Melody as they go about trying to get their mothers to agree to a nationally televised Christmas Eve concert. The two women were on top of the world when animosity split them while they were each pregnant with Beat and Melody. In fact, they hate each other. Beat doesn’t tell anyone that he is being blackmailed and certainly not why. Seems there is a skeleton in the Dawkins family closet. After getting acclimated to the camera and mics that are on nearly all day, they approach Beat’s mother. She is sympathetic to the idea, especially since it will be for charity, and she is one of New York’s most charitable patrons. Of course, they can’t have a concert without the other half of the rock duo. Melody’s mother is harder to convince. She is like an Earth Mother and holds court at a remote location. When Melody and Beat arrive at her compound, she is in the midst of a heated argument with a neighbor that ends up with Melody in jail.

A cute and funny tale and readers will enjoy the delightful journey Melody and Beat go on in WRECK THE HALLS. Along the way, they get to know each other and begin to feel an attraction. She has always had this major crush on him, while he just saw her as his mother’s former bandmate’s daughter. Now it is all changing. As their attraction grows, they have to contend with a live stream as it catches everything, including their heated looks and touches. Will they be outed? Will they get a chance to be alone so that they can act upon their attraction other than an occasional touch? They become cult legends themselves in only a few days. Will love rule the day?

A few twists and turns are in store for Melody and Beat in WRECK THE HALLS as they work to bring their mothers back together. Meanwhile, Beat must hope that his blackmailer is satisfied with the payoff, or the stakes will become higher. A fun journey, be sure not to miss WRECK THE HALLS. 

Patti Fischer