Reading holiday themed books fits right into the Christmas and New Year’s mood this time of year.  

A couple of books in the romance genre stood out in December 2023 as the go-to holiday reads and Tessa Bailey’s Wreck the Halls was one of those at the top of the list.  

The author of the A Vine Mess series is known for writing steamy rom-com storylines and Wreck the Halls was no different.  

The story is about the kids of two estranged rock bandmates and revolves around an attempt to reunite their mothers. The protagonists, Melody and Beat, named aptly after their musical parentage, meet each other for the first time at age 16. Their encounter is brief but lasting in both of their minds, as they live another 14-15 years of their lives thinking about the other.  

On Beat’s 30th birthday, he receives a call from his blackmailer asking for more money to keep a secret that is hinted at destroying his mother’s career. To help pay for this without his mother’s knowledge, Beat resorts to accepting an offer to livestream his life.  

However, there is the one little condition which inevitably leads to Melody’s reentry into his life. Beat must work with Melody on the livestream to get their mothers together for a reunion show on Christmas.  

An insecure teenager when Beat first met her, Melody is now a strong-willed and independent person who lives as far away from the public eye as possible just like her mother. Beat is reluctant in asking her to give up this peace but her soft spot for him leads her to agree to the livestream.  

The grown-up Melody is written as a character who is still shy and insecure but someone who is adored by everyone. She is hilarious and makes those around her feel at peace.  

Viewers of the livestream quickly become big fans of her and Beat’s chemistry which leads to romantic progress in their lives off-camera. The trope is clear – estranged bandmates who hate each other have kids who are apparently soulmates.  

And you know how the rest goes – the insanely difficult mothers get together for their kids, the blackmailer is exposed, and Melody and Beat finally confess their feelings to each other.  

By no means is this book a traditional Christmas read – it does not involve a small town, mistletoe, or a small business that needs saving.  

Other books such as Lovelight Farms and The Mistletoe Motive are the more traditional Christmas reads of this year as they both include saving a small business and living in a small town.  

However, at its heart, Wreck the Halls, is a feel-good read and leaves you feeling happy and warm, which perhaps is what holiday reads are all about.  

Bailey has captured readers once again with this release – one may even dare say that this was the book to read this Holiday season.