A review by danajoy
Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

emotional funny lighthearted
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wreck the Halls feels like a cheesy Christmas movie. In the month of December every year I subject my partner to watching only Christmas films. Over the five years we've been together we've watched A LOT of them. Often whatever ridiculous Hallmark movie has a catchy title/gimmick and is available on one of our streaming services. Usually they are only loosely festive, mostly just set at that time of year and that is the sort of Christmas book that Wreck the Halls is. 

Essentially, its following Melody and Beat, the children of the now very estranged musical duo Steel Birds as they embark on a public quest to reunite the band for a Christmas Eve concert while being live streamed. Their names are ridiculous and campy and they have this true instalove bond. 

I'd say not to think too hard about the live stream logistics. When they first met Melody was going through a bit of an awkward teen phase and being ridiculed in the press and Beat was publicly standing up for her. That first scene of them when they were young was so endearing and it was lovely to see the little nickname stick throughout.

Like the other Tessa Bailey's I've read this is funny and sexy. The banter was good. Beat references having a kink a fair bit but it isn't anything too audatious. 

The conflict feels a little like its coming mostly from them rushing into things and the live stream getting in the way of heart to heart communication. They barely know eachother but he's planning to propose on a whim but isn't that just like a dumb Christmas movie?


A easy, quick read. Don't expect it to be wildly festive, just a sprinkle. It's on the more ridiculous end of the romance spectrum so suspend your disbelief and have a cute wintery time - complete with snowball fights, meeting the (fueding) parents, corporate galas and workplace sports team finals. 

3.5* rounded up to 4

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