Let me preface my review by saying that I haven't watched Schitt's Creek. I am saying that because It Happened One Summer is promoted as a Schitt's Creek inspired rom-com. I'll tell you what it reminded me of though:The Simple Wild. Replace K.A. Tucker's Alaska scenery with a small PNW beach town, the rugged pilot with a rugged king crab fisherman and the privileged, out of touch, self-centered girl with another one you have yourself It Happened One Summer. I am not saying all these in a negative way. I liked the Simple Wild and I liked this book as well. The story lines might be similar but It Happened One Summer is just as heartfelt and humorous and sexy. And oh my, how steamy. This book is not for the faint of heart. This is not my first Tessa Bailey book, I've read the Hot&Hammered series last year so I know what to expect when it comes to intimate scenes.

The synopsis does a pretty good job of describing the story so I am not going to summarize it here. Instead I'll simply list what stood out in the story for me.
1) There is mutual dislike between Piper and Branden in the beginning, which didn't turn into enemies to lovers which I liked because they didn't have many reasons to hate each other anyway,
2) Piper is self-centered and a little full of herself in the beginning and she definitely shows growth but she doesn't change completely. She still has "her sparkle"
3)The one section of the book that made Branden win some points from me is that he recognized how selfish of him to expect Piper to completely uproot her life and just stay in Westport for him. The fact that he acted like a grumpy, possessive alpha for the most of the story makes that declaration even more valuable.
4)Supporting characters are all loveable. Piper's sister Hannah is the perfect wing-woman, Grandma Opal too. I am already excited to read Hannah and Fox's story.

Now when it comes to the parts that I didn't like. It is the intimate scenes. As I've stated before I expected to read descriptive sex scenes but they still made me a little uncomfortable. I think it is the language. I found it a bit crass. Also I felt like there was a disconnect between the rest of the book and the sex scenes. Their conversations and the banter throughout the book, mostly the first half, is quite enjoyable, laced with humor but when you cut to sex scenes they don't match the characters's personalities.

The plot also reminded me of Cristina Lauren's Dirty Rowdy Thing but I am not going to get into that:)

Overall, this was an enjoyable, quick and sexy read and I'll continue reading the series while preparing myself potentially icky sex scenes.

Well shit... I guess I’m ready for another rom com series from Tessa Bailey. I will admit that in the very beginning of this book I couldn’t stand Piper and that made me not really dive into the story as easily as Tessa’s other books have. But... when they got to Westport the entire vibe changed. I was definitely pulled in and immediately very interested in Brendan. Wow. He’s swoon worthy. I also loved the side characters Hannah and Fox. I can’t wait to read the next book with their story!

Perfect beach read and and adorable summer romance read. I love the gruff but sweet book boyfriend and the chemistry between the two main characters was crackling.

(ARC Review) This book was an utter delight. A sexy, sexy, delight. From beginning to end, it was filled with so much humor and heart, I didn't want it to end.

Spoiled rich girl Piper is exiled to a small fishing town in the PNW after being cut off by her stepfather. She immediately runs in to sexy fisherman Brendan and the two opposites quickly butt heads. Brendan is a small town widower, full of roots and routines, and doesn't appreciate this party girl showing up and making changes.

With the size of the town, the two can't avoid each other and finally start finding some middle ground. Their courtship unfolds in just the sweetest possible way, and let me tell you, if a man ever builds me a pergola I'm proposing.

Both characters had excellent growth. Brendan realizes the need to let go of control and order sometimes, and move on from his wife's memory. Piper, of course, had the larger growth arc. At first I wasn't sure I was going to like her but trusted the author to take her on a journey that would lead her to some maturity. She really had to find herself and her own worth before she could accept that anyone could truly love her, instead of the image she cultivated on her instagram.

The book is so steamy and delicious. No one writes dirty talk like Tessa Bailey and it was truly just perfection. Brendan was king of demanding consent and it was so hot. There was no location off limits to them once they started that portion of their relationship.

I loved this book so much!

I really really liked this book. It was a great romantic comedy and each of the main characters had more depth than the normal rom-com characters have. I liked what Piper was able to learn about herself and I also really liked all the characters in the town.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this romance by Tessa Bailey. Piper and Brendan are so wonderful, and the dialogue between all the characters is so funny. I found myself LOLing. I'm looking forward to Hanna's book.

It Happened One Summer is now my favorite book by author Tessa Bailey'! Hands down- the chemistry between Brendan and Piper was HOTTTT, to say the least and they were so good together.
This was a "feel good" romance and it didn't leave me wishing for that "something else" that I sometimes get when reading romcoms. LOVED this book!

One glance at the synopsis for this book and I just knew I had to get my hands on it. I mean, Schitt’s Creek inspired?! Sign me up!!

It Happened One Summer follows the story of Piper and Brendan. Fresh off of a humiliating break-up, Piper decides to do something wild and crazy to try and save face. Little did Piper know her so-called best friend would rat her out and her whole world would get turned upside down. Piper’s step-father has had enough and decides to teach her a hard lesson, and that lesson lands Piper in Westport, Washington. It’s a totally different pace of life there and Piper has to learn to adjust and fend for herself. The last thing she needs is the broody Brendan who thinks he’s got her number. He’s her complete opposite and challenges her in every way. As Piper starts to reconnect and lay down roots in the last place she ever thought, Piper starts to question everything she ever knew. Will Piper stay put and enjoy the simpler life or will she revert back to her old Hollywood ways? There’s only one way to find out….

It Happened One Summer is a fantastic read from beginning to end. I was sucked into this story from the very first page and never wanted to put it down. I adored Piper and her sister Hannah. I loved how they had each other’s back and how Hannah stuck by Piper’s side and endured being cut off. Hannah helped Piper grow and learn that there is more to life than just the glamour they were used to. I love, love, loved the slow burn between Brendan and Piper. They started off as an enemies, but the more they got to know each other, the more impossible their chemistry was to ignore. And let me tell you, this couple is one you want to root for. You want them to learn and grow together, to find a way to move away from their pasts, and take a risk on each other. And yes, they 100% burn up the pages together.

It Happened One Summer is everything I was looking for in a sexy, rom-com. I loved the Schitt’s Creek and small-town vibes. The characters are fantastic, relatable, and will leave you wanting more. This story is filled with friendship, fresh starts, and taking chances. I laughed, I swooned and even teared up a little. It checked off all of my boxes and I for one hope that this won’t be the last we see of these characters.

I had the best time getting swept up in this story and highly recommend checking this book out!

*I was provided an ARC copy of this book via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*

Road tripping and finished this beauty. I loved it SO much! I was sad when it was over because I wanted more! 😂
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Piper lives an influencer, socialite, partying lifestyle in LA that gets disrupted when she get gets in a liiiitle bit of trouble and is sent to learn some responsibility....in Washington with her sister Hannah. Brendan is the gruff, grumpy man that just can seem to steer clear of Piper.
This is an opposites attract trope. Brendan does his best to avoid Piper but there is an attraction they can’t deny. Brendan helps Piper find her true self outside of the partying seen and Piper helps Brendan handle moving on after the seven years of the loss of this wife.
Overall, this book was a light, feel-good romance read that I will definitely be adding to my collection! It was steamy and perfect. I love the “charging station”, the gazebo, Hannah, Fox. Can’t wait to read the next one!

Release Date: July 30th

Big thanks to #tessabailey #avonbooks #netgalley for the opportunity to review! 😘

Review will be posted on blog (allinwitha.com) and instagram (allinwitha) on June 14th closer to release date.

Rating: 3.5/5

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction

Warnings: Death of spouse and parent

Read if you liked: Schitt’s Creek or Hot & Hammered Series

Review: Piper, Hollywood wild child and “it girl” influencer has it all… but when a party goes wrong (i.e. trespassing) and Piper ends up in jail. Her stepfather decides it is time to teach her a lesson in responsibility by cutting her off and sending her to Westport, a small coastal town, to run her late father’s bar. It only takes a few minutes for Piper to start bumping heads with local sea captain Brendan who doesn’t think she will last one minute in his town. Soon, the polar opposites discover an undeniable attraction between them and I’m sure you know what happens next! As Piper reconnects with her past and with a new romance brewing, will she find herself making a home in the most unlikely place?

I loved the premise of this book and that it was inspired by Alexis Rose from Schitt’s Creek…such a great show if you haven’t seen it yet! I have limited experience with Tessa Bailey books, having only read (and slightly struggled through) the Hot and Hammered series. I now think I understand her vibe/writing style. Don’t let these pretty illustrated covers fool you; these books are steamy (and I was NOT prepared). I don’t tend to give/talk about steam ratings but I feel the need to mention it here. I think the reason I am conflicted about these books is because sometimes these scenes don’t match the characters personalities + vibe of the story and it knocks down my rating. That being said, I think this might be my favorite of hers so far and I’ll read the rest of the series.

Things I loved: I’m a major fan of romance after divorce/death of spouse (I really don’t know why, maybe because it feels like real life). Piper and Hannah’s relationship, great sister bond! All the small town vibes.

Things I didn’t care for: See earlier about the (very) explicit scenes, it didn’t fit the vibe and was, ironically, a turn off.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for providing this ARC for my honest opinion.
#ItHappenedOneSummer #NetGalley

I am a longtime Tessa Bailey stan, and if there's one couple she knows how to write, it's a grumpy alpha man and a quirky woman. She's even written a blue collar hero and socialite heroine before.
IHOS is an absolutely masterful leveling up in the trope. If I picked one word to describe this book, it'd be vulnerable: Brendan isn't just grumpy, he's processing his emotions about his relationship with his late wife and the feeling of responsibility he has towards her memory as he moves on. Piper isn't just wild and fun, she's navigating how to raise her expectations for herself when no one has ever expected anything of her before -- and has made it clear that she's not capable of much. Together they're figuring out how to merge two very different lives and where to compromise.

At the beginning of the book, Piper comes across as a vapid influencer, after the finer things in life. I'm primed to not like this kind of character, the kind that gets dropped into a small town scenario and has never heard of sneaker. Bailey nuances Piper's character, developing her into someone who unashamedly likes a nice pair of shoes but who's not afraid of manual labor and getting a bit dirty.

Something I found particularly compelling about this book is Brendan's commitment to not being a dick. A pet peeve of mine is when a hero is a jerk to the heroine, but the whole community is like "Oh yeah Jerkpants, we love him!" Piper and her sister call him out for being rude to them, and it forces introspection. He realizes he doesn't want to be an ass, and that he's got to work through whatever feelings are making him react to her like that. A rejection of toxic masculinity!! We love to see it!!

Tessa Bailey is doing some really smart and thoughtful work with IHOS, and it's a clear example of her growth as a writer. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

I thought I would enjoy this book, but I was not impressed with the main character. I realize one was meant to dislike her and then like her at the end, but I couldn't get past her snobbyness.

I LOVED this book. Truly one of the best romances I've read so far. The characters were brilliant. I loved that Piper was based on Alexis from Schitt's Creek but was still very much her own character. The romance was sizzling. I can't wait for the sequel!

A fun small town coastal romance . I loved this book so much, it had depth and great chemistry. This had everything I love in a romance, especially the small town vibes. I cannot wait for book 2 that releases next year.

Loved it! I've loved every book by Tessa. I related to Piper pretty well so it was easy for me to connect with the main character of It Happened One Summer. And Brendan, agh.. can I meet a Brendan somewhere?

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins.....

I'm so sad, this is my first DNF.... I tried..... I just could not get myself into the book.... Character development and 3rd party narration - I just could not concentrate on it.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this.

This book was so so good. It is a perfect opposites attract and enemies to lovers romance. Piper is a rich girl from LA who moves to a small town with her sister, Hannah after an incident that led her to a night in jail. She meets Brendan, a local fisherman, who is a widower and her total opposite. There is so much chemistry between Piper and Brendan and a lot of steamy scenes.

I couldn’t put this book down. It was inspired by Schitt’s Creek and Piper is just as likable as Alexis Rose. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it but it was one of my favorite romances of 2021 so far. I can’t wait for Hannah and Fox’s book next.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for this ARC!

Review: it Happened one Summer

Before I get into the review, I just wanted to say huge thank you to #Netgalley and #HarperCollinsPublishers for this ARC! I’m really enjoying the opportunity to read and provide reviews on these advanced read copies ❤️

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In this story we are introduced to socialite Piper Bellinger who is one of LA’s most famous party girls. After pulling a stunt that lands her in jail her stepdad (famous movie producer) ships her off to Westport, hopeful that Piper will appreciate the value of money while she’s cut off from her allowance. In Westport, Piper immediately catches the attention of one of the local fisherman Captains, but he seems more annoyed at her entrance than enthralled with her beauty: enter an angsty “enemies to lovers”- ish trope.

I thought this was a cute story and Piper’s ditziness does become endearing at some point, but I had such a hard time with her! Brenden’s character was real and the storyline moves seamlessly, All in all a cute read and solid 4 stars!

This is my second Tessa Bailey book and let me tell you, this girl writes some serious STEAM. These scenes are not for the faint of heart 🔥x10

I thought this one had so much promise. I. Was. Wrong.
I struggled through it. The sexual overtones that were often unnecessary for the story. I wish they focused more on the girls roots, some character development than the crass language trying to get the main characters piper and Branden off. I’m far from prude but it was not what what I wanted in this book.