getting the band back together at christmas

Melody and Beat grew up separately, but they had shared experiences. As the only kids of the women who had once been the impressive rock duo Steel Birds. They both grew up in the spotlight, being asked if they could sing or play instruments like their mothers. Being followed by paparazzi and photographed. Being asked why the band had broken up, or if their mothers would ever reunite and get the band back together.

They met once when they were fourteen, and Melody felt seen for the first time. Beat understood just what it meant to grow up in the same spotlight, although he realized that the press had been far more forgiving of him. They had exchanged numbers, but they never used them. And then they grew up.

Melody Gallard likes to be alone, and as a book restorer, chose a profession where she could work by herself. She has friends, and she enjoys their weekly bocce games. But she only sees her mother once a year. The rest of the time, Trina lives in a remote part of the country with friends and stays out of the national spotlight.

Beat Dawkins is close to his parents. His mother Octavia had been the lead singer of Steel Birds, and now they run a foundation together, where they help young artists find funding and mentors. He loves his life. But he also has a secret, one that could bring his entire family down.

He’s being blackmailed, by the man who says he’s Beat’s real father. He needs money, and he needs it quickly, so he makes the decision to talk to a television producer who has an idea: he and Melody should do a reality show, livestreamed, about trying to get the band back together.

Beat refuses to go forward unless Melody agrees to it, so they have a meeting with the producers. Beignets may have been involved. But Melody agrees. While she’s not being blackmailed, she is getting financial help from her mother, and the money she would earn from this would allow her to be free. And besides, Trina and Octavia would never get back together. They hadn’t even spoken in years.

So Beat and Melody start recording, putting their lives online for all to see, and no one could have anticipated what happened next. The comfortable understanding they shared as teenagers starts to smolder into real heat, and everyone watching is all for it. As their streaming numbers skyrocket, and their feelings explode into a connection they have never known before, Beat and Melody find that they have put so much more on the line by living so publicly. It’s not just about their mothers and whether they can get the band back together. It’s about their hearts, and everything is on the line for that.

Wreck the Halls is a super spicy Christmas rom com with lots of fun surprises. The relationship that develops between Melody and Beat is so compelling, both their friendship and their chemistry. And the reality show adds so much fun, whether it’s from the impromptu public snowball fight to the arrests when they head out to Trina’s compound to talk to her about getting back together with Octavia. This story from Tessa Bailey is filled with laughs and heat, as these characters steal hearts and light up the holidays with their struggles, their romance, and their inimitable spirit.

I listened to this one on audio, read by alternating narrators, Brooke Bloomingdale giving voice to Melody and James Gloucester giving Beat that serious tone to his thoughts. Both of these narrators brought their characters to life, and listening to the two of them as we go back and forth from Melody’s and Beat’s perspective adds so much depth to this story.

This book is a lot of fun, and listening to the audio is an extra gift. Some of the intimate scenes were extra-spicy, so you might not want to listen to this one at work, but it’s still a lot of fun to listen to!

Egalleys for Wreck the Halls were provided by Avon through NetGalley, with many thanks, but I bought the audio book myself through Chirp.