Review by Booklist Review
Fourteen years after their rock star moms, Trina Gallard and Octavia Dawkins, professionally split, Melody Gallard and Beat Dawkins find themselves unexpectedly teaming up to reunite the Steel Birds for a television reality show and holiday concert. Bailey herself is a star when it comes to composing red-hot sexy love stories laced with plenty of zingy humor.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
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
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
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. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
