08/28/2023
Bestseller Bailey (Unfortunately Yours) pairs the children of celebrities to winning effect in this hot and heartwarming contemporary. Beat Dawkins and Melody Gallard are the respective children of Octavia Dawkins and Trina Gallard, who together made up the rock duo Steel Birds before the band imploded for publicly unknown reasons while the women were pregnant. Thirty years have passed, and Octavia is now the darling of the charity ball set, while Trina’s living a freewheeling lifestyle on a commune. Their children have understandably complicated relationships with fame: Beat’s determined to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible, while Melody has been treated abominably by the tabloids. Then a TV producer ropes them into a reality show about convincing their mothers to reunite Steel Birds for a Christmas concert, catapulting Beat and Melody to new levels of fame. Viewers are quickly charmed by Melody’s self-effacing humor and the intense chemistry between her and Beat—and readers will be too. There’s plenty of steam as the couple get together, and the mystery of what split up Steel Birds and whether they’ll reunite in time for the concert keeps the pages turning. It’s a rollicking good time. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary. (Oct.)
08/01/2023
Melody Gallard and Beat Dawkins, whose mothers formed the legendary, raucous rock duo Steel Birds before they were born, are brought together when a reality TV show wants to livestream them reuniting the band for one epic Christmas Eve concert. Shy, retiring Melody lives quietly, avoiding the press that was so hurtful when she was an awkward teenager, while charming, gorgeous Beat runs his mother's charitable foundation. His personal life is less charming, however, and he's in desperate need of the money the reality show will pay. Though Beat and Melody only met once as teens, they've always had a connection. As adults, that small spark has grown into an intense attraction. The protagonists are well-developed, managing to be relatable even as their situations are far removed from the experiences of many readers. Melody's self-esteem and Beat's mistrust are both sensitively explored, and the screwball shenanigans keep the story from descending into melodrama. VERDICT This delightful holiday rom-com from Bailey (Unfortunately Yours) is filled with emotion as well as humor. Highly recommended for general purchase.—Heather Miller Cover
The tenderness, vulnerability and heat I am always guaranteed with a Tessa Bailey book are the reasons she is one of my all-time favorite authors.” — Sally Thorne
“Tessa Bailey writes pure magic.” — Alexis Daria
“One of the genre’s very best.” — Kate Clayborn
“Tessa Bailey’s writing stands out in all the right sexy ways.” — Buzzfeed
“Bailey writes banter and rom-com scenarios with aplomb, but for those who like their romance on the spicier side, she’s also the Michelangelo of dirty talk. She wields filth like Da Vinci does a paintbrush, and there’s a lot to be said for an author who can fill such exchanges with all the requisite heat, enthusiastic consent, and yes, even humor, of such a scenario without veering into corny territory.” — Entertainment Weekly
“Tessa Bailey is the queen of rom-coms. Long may she reign!" — Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Merry Little Meet Cute
“Nothing makes my heart catch fire like a Tessa Bailey book. She is all things magic and dirty talk.” — Elena Armas, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Spanish Love Deception
Brooke Bloomingdale and James Gloucester delight listeners as they narrate this hilarious, heartfelt holiday rom-com. Melody Gallard and Beat Dawkins are the adult children of the legendary rock band Steel Birds--now defunct. Thanks to a lucrative reality TV offer, Beat and Melody are attempting to reunite their estranged mothers, both veterans of the band, for a reunion concert on Christmas Eve. This proves to be quite the challenge, and the more time Beat and Melody spend together, the stronger their attraction becomes. Bloomingdale's melodic, ethereal tone complements Melody's timid-turned-passionate persona, while Gloucester's smooth, rich timbre perfectly conveys Beat's vulnerable yet charismatic personality. Listeners will laugh and swoon as these two find their long awaited happily-ever-after filled with holiday cheer. J.J.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
2023-07-13
The adult children of two rock stars attempt to reunite their mothers’ band.
Octavia Dawkins and Trina Gallard headlined the band Steel Birds in the 1990s. When they were pregnant at the same time, they had an epic fight that destroyed both the band and their friendship. Octavia’s son, Beat, and Trina’s daughter, Melody, grew up in the spotlight, but Beat was fawned over by the press, while Melody’s awkward teenage years made her the object of derision and disdain. Thirty years after the band’s dramatic and mysterious breakup, its biggest hit is experiencing a resurgence of popularity. Beat and Melody agree to appear on a livestreamed reality show in which they'll try to broker a reunion, hopefully to culminate in their mothers’ appearing on stage together on Christmas Eve. Beat plans to use the money to pay off a blackmailer threatening to reveal a shameful family secret, while Melody hopes to shake up her strained relationship with her mother. The palpable, intense chemistry between Beat and Melody turns them into instant celebrities, leading fans to embrace their on-camera romance with even more intense fervor than the possible Steel Birds reunion. Bailey’s novel delivers madcap, humorous adventures, including a delightful reunion for Trina and Octavia. However, as characters, Beat and Melody seem out of sync with the plot. Both are bitterly aware of the cruelty of fame, so it's hard to believe they would willingly subject themselves to the kind of scrutiny required by an all-day livestream. An uncomfortable subplot links traumatic experiences during Beat’s teenage years to his sexual proclivities as an adult. Eventually, everything is tied up with a bow, but the easy resolutions for so many long-standing feuds and family dramas feel pat and unearned.
Much like the holiday itself, this Christmas romance has its ups and downs.
