I really enjoy Tessa Bailey and this one didn't disappoint. Looking forward to Hannah and Fox's story next!

The acknowledgements for this book thank Schitt's Creek and the character of Alexis Rose as inspiration for Piper. If I hadn't already been sold on this book by Tessa Bailey as the author, that would have done it right there.

This book broke me. The characters were so well written. Piper is a social media influencer banished to the small Pacific Northwest town of Westport after one too many scandals. Brendan captains his own crab fishing ship there. I adored Piper, as she started to figure out who she was and question what gave her worth. And I loved Brendan. The story multiple times indicates he is a man, not a boy. And that's so true in his honesty and approach to life. Seeing their relationship and how they struggle with their two different worlds felt so real.

The community of Westport almost features as another character. The people who live there have clear ideas about what makes Westport and who belongs.

Plus the book has all the steam and character-driven intensity we can expect from a Tessa Bailey book. I adored this, and am really glad it's the start of a new series. Hannah needs a book. And so does Fox.

Thank you to Avon Books and Harper Collins and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 rounded to 5

I loved this book. Piper's transition from party girl to town sweetheart felt a little abrupt but it still worked for me. But honestly, I really think that these cartoon covers are just a real bait and switch considering how hot this book is.

This was honestly such a good read. I LOVE Alexis from Schitts Creek and Tessa Bailey did such a great job with having Piper have the same vibe as Alexis with still letting Piper shine as her own character. Brendan and Piper were off the charts with chemistry and I always love the grumpy burly man. He was perfect for Piper and she was perfect for him.

I cannot wait for the next book!

Omgosh I love love love it. It's very tricky to write a stuck up rich girl character and make her likable. Most of the time they come across selfish and whiny. However, Piper was the best. I love her so much. She was genuinely sweet and caring. Brendan was just as charming. He's that lovable grump that you just want to hug. I couldn't have loved these two anymore. I also loved all the side characters. This whole story is full of great characters. The setting is just as charming as the characters are. Overall, I just adored this book! I will pick it up over and over again.

Squeeeeeee! This was GREAT! My favorite Tessa Bailey by far. It’s the perfect slow-burn, steamy, chemistry filled romance. Piper and Brendan are perfection. The fact that the author modeled her after Alexa from Schitt’s Creek made me like her even more. And Brendan! I love my alpha males that don’t speak much but what they choose to say is remarkable. And those steamy scenes - phew! They are done perfectly. A solid winner that I will definitely reread.

This is by far my favorite Tessa Bailey rom-com. The chemistry of Piper and Brendan is fire and jumps off the page! I thought that my e-reader was going to burst into flames reading the sex scenes! You can see sparks flying every time they interact. They were so good together! I absolutely love Schitt’s Creek and when I heard that the novel was a Schitt’s Creek inspired rom-com, I got so excited! Similar to Alexis, Piper is a character you think would be annoying but is charismatic with depth that you realize as the story goes on. We see her learn her lesson and watch her change and grow, while not losing who she is at her core. The strength of this character is that she doesn’t change completely. She still has weaknesses, but we also see her new strengths. We learn to love and root for Piper. It was important to show that she always had the capacity to become more mature and responsible, she just needed to have the right circumstances to allow her to become that person. Brendan is also a complex and well written character. He’s dependable, loyal and steady, which are all good characteristics, but these also hold him back. He’s loyal to a fault and really struggles with being loyal to his past. This is very interesting to read because you can see both the good and bad with that. He is also very set in his ways and routines and Piper just upends that, which is good for him. It allows him to also grow and change and become more spontaneous. The people that both Piper and Brendan become by the end of the book are perfect for each other.

In addition to the main characters, I enjoyed the other relationships in the book as well. I loved Piper’s sister Hannah. She was so hilarious and adorable! The sisterly bond between Piper and Hannah was awesome. They were always and will always be there for each other no matter what. The town of Westport was a perfect setting for this story and Tessa describes it so well. This is a fun and fast paced romance. I can’t wait for the sequel featuring Hannah and Fox, who were sparking some chemistry of their own! I highly recommend this book for rom-com lovers. I predict that this will be a big hit and perfect beach read for the summer! Definitely put it on your TBR pile for 2021!

Look no further for proof that opposites attract!

When Piper Bellinger, LA social media darling, is sent to Westport, WA she meets Captain Brendan Taggert and there is instant fire. Seriously, fire. Piper sets things on fire as she tries to prepare a meal and Brendan steps in to help her. Their initial antagonism soon gives way to attraction. Piper shakes up his scheduled routines and Brendan helps her realize there is more to her than she gives herself credit for.

Real communication between the MCs keeps this instalove story from being ridiculously unbelievable. It is such a rarity to find a romance novel with a couple that talks to each other instead of ignoring their insecurities and issues. It is not perfect communication, but it is honest.

Recommended for: romance readers

Content warning: very steamy sex scenes; profanity

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book In Exchange of a honest review. P

this one was really fun! SUPER steamy with a male main character that was sweet and loving, I love the journey the Piper went on to discover herself and really become the woman she was meant to be.

Brendan and Piper in It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Brendan is a sea captain in a small fishing village, Westport, Washington. Piper is a trust fund party girl from LA. When she is arrested for one too many illegal parties her stepfather sends her to Westport with the deed to a bar her father owned-the father who has been dead since she was 4. Her sister accompanies her to see if they can make a go of the bar and be able to cut short her exile. Of course the bar is a disaster not having been kept up since her father’s time. As they renovate the bar Piper and Brendan begin to fall in love. But will Piper be able to permanently leave behind the glitz and glamour of LA to stay with Brendan?
This is another steamy and funny romance from Tessa Bailey. Fans will love it and so will those picking upon of her books for the first time. I would highly recommend this book to my patrons (and friends).

Listen, I had a big ole' write up gushing about how good and steamy and exactly aligned to both my Schitts Creek & sea captain loving interests and then my wifi went out and I lost the whole thing 🙃
So basically, YES this book is very good and went beyond all the expectations (sexpectations?) I had for steamy contemporary romance. I've preordered my own copy because I know I'm going to want to reread this one. Can't wait for the sequel. Tessa Bailey is a genius.

Holy cuteness!! I finished Schitts Creek not long before starting this book and It Happened One Summer was everything I needed! Piper is Alexis Rose to a T! I love that Tessa Bailey included her inspiration in the authors note, although even if she didn’t I definitely would’ve picked up those Alexis vibes.

This will definitely be a hit read that everyone needs to read this summer!! Westport was described in such detail that I felt like I was there myself. Brendan is the total opposite of Piper, but they were exactly what the other needed. He was very grouchy at the beginning of the book but by the end it’s hard not to love him as much as Piper does. The angst, emotion, comedy and steam was perfect throughout the whole book! It’s rare for a book to have side characters that are all very likable. Of course there has to be one character we’re supposed to hate, which wasn’t different in this story (Pipers ex bff in LA). I loved Piper and Hannah’s relationship and their strong bond and I’m so excited for Hannah’s story!

honestly i was so excited for this book but it was just disappointing which seems to be the case for every anticipated book i read :/

first there was barely any plot? like even the conflict didn’t come up until 85% into the book. the character arcs weren’t done well they didn’t have a lot of struggles and most of their struggles was shown more through tell than show.

brendan was annoying and just a boring character, piper wasn’t as annoying as him but her character just didn’t make sense to me like it only took her a couple of chapters to fully acclimate to the small town even though she’s supposed to be this wild party girl.

the romance was so bad there wasn’t even any slowburn like it only took them a couple of chapters to act in love with eachother it made their relationship boring and the lack of conflict made it hard to root for them.

also piper barely had a relationship with her parents or with anyone other than brendan and hannah which i don’t like in romance books.

the writing was cringey and just bad in general.

i did like fox and hannah and will be reading their book.

If i had to describe this book in one word it would be "Steamy!" The banter between the two characters was fun and playful. I enjoyed how the characters are polar opposites and yet they still learn some things from one another. The sleepy sea city was also a nice setting for the book. I think this one would make a great read for you to take to the beach. I liked this one but at times the female protagonist was a little too guarded and it didn't seem realistic for her to go from at the longest three week relationships to full on in love.

It Happened One Summer imagines what would happen if an Alexis Rose-inspired lead character, Piper, was dropped into a small ocean town and given a bar from her late father. Piper and her sister Hannah go to the small town where their dad was from, met a grandmother they never knew about, and found themselves smitten with the small town in a matter of weeks.

I was really excited about the premise of this book, and the first half was really good. I enjoyed the self-discovery that Piper was on to learn there is more to life than being a socialite. It switched for me about halfway through and seemed like the rest of the book was trying to cram as many steamy scenes as possible. The character development just fell off and the ending felt very rushed. Piper’s mom and step-dad basically disappear completely from the story, even though they seem to have been important at the start of the story.

There is a second book coming in 2022 that focuses on Piper’s sister, Hannah, so the author might be saving some of that backstory for Hannah’s book. Overall, an interesting premise, but would have liked to continue pushing the characters to grow through the back half of the book as well.

Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher through Net Galley. All opinions are my own. It Happened One Summer is expected to release in July 2021.

Piper is an influencer but when she takes her wild partying a bit to far and ends up in jail her step-father sends her to the small Washington State town her mother and father were from. The only thing there is her father's bar and an apartment above it.. Piper and her sister know nothing about the town or their father and the bar is not what they expect. How is Piper going to survive without the parties, and shopping, and having to do things for herself? And then there is the grumpy guy, Brendan, who thinks she won't last the night. A story of Piper trying to figure out what she really wants and what makes a family.

After a party that went wrong, socialite Piper is cut off from her family and made to move to a small town. Upon arriving, Piper and her sister Hannah meet some of the locals, including sea Captain Brendan. But Piper is ready to get back to LA as soon as possible & the ocean is the love of Brendan’s life. What will happen when Piper’s exile is over?

Dare I say this is my favorite book from Tessa Bailey?!?! Wow I absolutely adored this book! Possibly my favorite thing (aside from everything) was watching Piper grow! I also loved how she brought quiet and grumpy Brendan out of his shell & cracked his hard exterior! And Brendan...hello new book boyfriend! He is so swoony & just perfect all around! Whew! Can we just mention the fitting room scene?! 🔥

If you haven’t already, be sure to drop this into your cart ASAP!

"What now? Do I leave everything behind and move to some random island to be with the love of my life? Because I did that with Harry Styles in England, and it was, like, too rainy." — Alexis Rose

As a person who finally jumped on the Schitt’s Creek train, I can say without a doubt this book has the essence of that show. Piper is the perfect Alexis. She’s come off initially as entitled, privileged, and extremely self centered. She’s THE “it girl”. The girl that everyone is envious of because everything seems to come to her naturally and every guy wants her on his arm because she makes him shine better. Piper is unapologetically original and owns up to who she is, though she is more than her high maintenance LA lifestyle. I thought I wouldn’t connect with Piper in the beginning, but quickly she shows you she is more than red sole shoes and high end bags. She’s empathetic, caring, and knows her strengths but tends to shy away from her own true self. She’s not at all superficial or condescending, but instead has a surprising vulnerability, maturity, and sincerity that makes her feel real and authentic.

At first glance It would seem as if Brendan and Piper were too different to even be considered as a match, but as the story progresses and you get to know the characters more, you can easily see how perfectly they fit. Piper isn’t confident in her real self. She constantly doubts her abilities to be more than the “it girl” and doesn’t see past the glittery persona. Brendan sees all the good that she refuses to acknowledge. They complement and bring each other to life while pushing the other out of their comfort zone. Brendan and Piper are comical but endearing. Both have a lot to figure out about themselves, and starting off with a friendship helped open them to honest conversations and own self analysis.

This is the steamiest book I have read. Though the author did push me out of my comfort zone, it never reached the point of crude or vulgar descriptions. The scenes were written with care and stayed true to the characters and the development of their relationship. There are times while reading other romance books the scenes felt over exaggerated or unnecessary in quantity, but this book has the perfect balance where the main focus wasn’t all about physical intimacy and focused on all the different layers of an intimate relationship.

While reading, the writing hypnotized me to the point where the world around me faded back and all I could feel and see was the pages in the story. The author's writing captivates you to the point where hours feel like minutes, characters feel like extensions of yourself, and you become so enthralled with the story as you savor every word. There were moments during the story that the writing kept me at the edge of my seat. My heart would race and my palms were sweaty with anticipation. This is a well rounded contemporary romance that goes above and beyond other books in its class. It's filled with unforgettable characters and a story that grips your heart till the very end. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

It Happened One Summer is a light romantic read about Piper, a spoiled socialite (think Alexis from Schitt’s Creek), stranded in a dusty sea town. After a legal snafu in LA, Piper’s wealthy stepfather has given her no choice but to move to the sea faring town that her deceased father once called home. Her sister Hannah, a kind and gentle soul, agrees to join her and the two of them are unprepared for the realities of “roughing it”. They expect a warm welcome and a quick and easy summer by the sea, but instead are met with hostility and confusion from one local in particular. Brendan is a handsome rough around the edges type who can’t stand Piper in the beginning. That disdain turns out to be mutual attraction and leaves Piper in a new predicament. Does she return to her life in LA or start over with a man who has the most dangerous job in the world? The same job that her father lost his life doing.

This book is a relatively quick read that keeps up the pace of most women’s fiction/romance. The romance scenes are written with a little extra spice, showing that Tessa Bailey knows how to write some steam! I also liked the description of the town and its inhabitants. By the end of the book I was loving hearing about the sweet elderly population and was thankful the book focused on other relationships besides Piper’s and Brendan’s. Piper and Brendan do have a relationship that I was rooting for and I appreciated the level of detail the author went to convey their different perspectives. There were moments where I teared up and it had a nice emotional journey.

To be honest, I did have some reservations about this book. Mainly about the character and plot development. I wish that the enemies to lovers trope could have lasted a little longer, I felt like the story kind of rushed into a relationship and later into bed/love/marriage without the foundation that it needed. I think if the characters had been allowed to breathe a bit, it would have made the storyline more enjoyable. I also felt like the characters did not seem well-developed. I had a hard time reading the dialogue without cringing at the broad brush used to write them. The character’s dialogue, actions, and sex did not seem cohesive. While reading it I wondered if perhaps authors just write 30 sex scenes and then copy and paste a couple to one book, a couple to another book, etc. It did not seem like the sex matched the characters.

Overall, this would be a great book to read on the beach this summer! I enjoyed reading it but would not recommend it to a friend. I would be open to trying other Tessa Bailey books to see how they compare!

I received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this. I had a hard time getting into it in the beginning as I really hated Piper. However, midway through the book I really started to enjoy myself. It’s really worth sticking through until the end even if the beginning is hard to get into. 4/5 stars