I wanted to like this book, I truly did... but it just didn't happen for me. I've read some of Tessa Bailey's other books and they were fun and spunky - this book just missed the mark for me. I felt like I was either rolling my eyes at the cheesiness or skipping pages because the scenes were too graphic and/or forced.

Piper's character seems very stereotypical "LA rich girl" and the frequent trendy quotes and references made it feel like I was watching an instagram story instead of reading a book. The relationship with Brendan felt forced and unnatural - things progressed very quickly. Some of the scenes between Piper and Brendan were unnecessarily graphic and over the top.

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have really been enjoy Tessa Bailey's books this year!

Like the Hot and Hammered series, It Happened One Summer features a fun heroine learning about herself, a strong sister relationship and all the steam.

Piper's life comes crashing down after a big party ends with a night in jail. She's banished by her stepdad to a small sea town to learn about herself and the value of hard work. She didn't expect to find love or a reason to put down roots in Westport at all.

Piper and Brenden were cute! Their banter and their ability to bring out the best in each other was a joy to read. This was a quick and fun escape from reality, just what I want a book to be!

CW: death of a parent/spouse

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tessa Bailey said in the front matter of this book that she was channeling Alexis Rose from Schitt's Creek and giving her the happy ending she deserved; that is exactly what happened in this book.

I think what I really loved about this book was even when in full socialite mode you could tell there was something deeper to Piper than everyone else saw. Her exterior was clearly an armor she wore to protect herself from others.

This is a HOT romance with quality adult relations.

I really enjoyed this read and was pleased to see Hannah, Piper's sister, will be receiving her own story. One thing I would have liked more from this book was more interaction from the parents of the girls. They seemed quite distant, but perhaps that was by design.

Piper Bellinger is just like Alexis Rose of Schitt's Creek - rich, spoiled, and suddenly, not so rich after all. When she gets arrested for hosting an illegal midnight pool party, her stepdad has had enough. Piper's punishment? A summer in the peaceful Pacific Northwest coastal town of Westport, where she lived briefly as a child before her father died in a fishing accident. Opposites attract when Piper meets gruff sea captain Brendan, and their friendship quickly heats up. Can this "fish out of water" find a real place to call home?

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and I also love stories where opposites attract. Piper was a little "extra" at first, but I came to find her very endearing and caring towards others. I really liked seeing her character growth over the course of the book. Brendan's gruff sweetness was a nice counterpoint, and I enjoyed how he helped Piper find herself and a place in the Westport community. The minor characters brought a lot of fun to the story, including grandmother Opal and charming old man Abe. Don't forget Piper's sister and BFF Hannah, who's rightfully getting her own book in 2022!

This would have been a 4 star read for me, but it ended up being closer to 3.5 due to the sex scenes. The scenes in this book felt very unrealistic, over the top, and unnecessarily graphic - including a scene in a hospital after one of Brendan's crew has been injured. I really liked Piper and Brendan's love story and seeing the nice things they did to support each other, but the sex scenes didn't add anything to the plot and even detracted from my enjoyment of the story.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an ARC of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

<b>OMG THIS WAS SO GOOD! </b>

5+++ stars

Favorite romance I've read in a long time and I'm so happy about it! I'm also sad because it's over but I can't wait for you to read it when it comes out. There's also the hope of another book featuring our main character's sister which I'm excited about but not as much as It Happened One Summer. It was perfect and if you fight me on that, I'm going to ignore you.

In this cute & steamy romance, you'll meet Piper a famous Instagramer/influencer. Her step-father is rich and her whole life is all about taking the perfect picture, being seen and going out with people from the same circle in L.A. So when a stunt goes too far and her step-father tells her she needs to get her s*it together and find a purpose in life, she kind of have some sort of crisis about who she is and what she wants in life. When her step-father tells her she needs to go to Westport, the hometown of her dad who used to be a fisherman and died in an accident, Piper's first reaction is to refuse. But she doesn't really have a choice in the matter and ends up (with the support of her sister Hannah) in this small town where everyone knows each other and where she will meet Brendan. It's not love at first sight let me tell you! Unless you count the attraction that they both feel but will quickly ignore when they seem to hate each other's guts (and when Piper sees the ring on his finger because yes... Brendan is a widower).

However, as time goes by, things start to change. Piper starts to grow and is more brave and determined than what Brendan believed her to be at first. Brendan also will face his issues and starts to change his routines.

The tension, the chemistry, the dialogues, everything made me invested and I was shipping them so hard. The sex scenes were also great which was an added bonus.

Overall, <b>PICK THIS BOOK UP</b>, you won't regret it. This was my first Tessa Bailey book and I read someone mention that this was their favorite one so far so I'm curious about her other works. I might read one or two. We'll see!

<i>(Thank you so much for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

First of all, I love Tessa Bailey. Second, I love books based in Washington. Third, I fully enjoyed this Schitt’s Creek inspired romcom.

Did I go to Westport because I fell in love with it in this book? Yes. Did I take a picture at Westport's Marina because I am extra? Yes. Did I eat all of the seafood? Also, yes.

Now that it is out of the way. I loved this book! This is definitely an opposites attract, enemies to lovers story and is steamy. Piper has some amazing character development throughout the book and she has so much personality. Brendan is a sexy bearded fisherman and the captain of his boat. His heart belongs to the sea and his late wife’s grieving father. Piper and Brendans chemistry made for a wonderful love story.

Westport is a close community filled with so many different lovely people than she would have surrounded herself around in LA. Her sister, who goes to Westport with her, is the perfect balance to Piper and I hope her story is next!

Fun Fact: Westport is Washington's largest fish landing port. I love when you can tell that an author did a serious amount of research to put a book together!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Yesterday, I spent hours by the pool engrossed in IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER by Tessa Bailey - one of the many reigning queens of romance. This books was maximum s t e a m - no closed door anything to be found here. But it was also just an enjoyable read that focuses on a LA influencer and party girl, Piper, after her dad sent her to spend a summer in a small, coastal PNW town to learn to fend for herself. There, she mets a gorgeous, but seemingly moody, bearded, beanie-wearing, sea captain and fisherman, Brendan.

Again, the steam factor is high in this one and let’s just say I didn’t know if it was the Miami heat or the book get me all hot and bothered at the pool. It’s definitely five eggplants from me. 🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆

IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER is out July 13, so pre-order it now!

I wanted to love this book so much. I've read previous books by this author and fell in love with her writing.

But, this..... ugh I just wasn't a fan at all.

The beginning started ok between Piper and Brendan... loved the chemistry between the two right off. The sassy and banter between the two. Loved the enemies to lovers vibe. But, I feel like there wasn't enough of the enemies. We see them take off quickly with lovers vibe and was sad that we didn't get to see more of the enemies sassy banter.

Also, can we just talk about Piper. Can you get anymore stereotypical for a LA woman? Having all this money, privilege, and traveling in a huge circle of fame with her instagram followers. I was just really rolling my eyes at this. Maybe since I live in so cal? I don't know... just felt this was very stereotypical.

Also, the chemistry between the two. I was ROLLING my eyes so much. Come on can we talk about cheesiness? Yikes.. and the first love scene between them is in a hospital?! Oh god give me a break.

I honestly skimmed the rest of the book and just was such a let down for me. I've been seeing so many raving reviews for this one but I am in the minority as usual.

2.5/5 stars.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Avon publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 7/13/21
Published to GR: 2/20/21

A 4.5!
This was my first Tessa Bailey book but it definitely will not be my last!
“It Happened One Summer” was about a Hollywood It-girl, Piper, who after a night that turns out of control, gets cut off and sent to the small town of Westport. There she meets local fisherman Brendan, and as someone who doesn’t like change, he does not immediately take a liking to a seemingly high-maintenance Piper. Even though they are polar opposites, they eventually find themselves drawn to each other knowing it might not end well. As expected in the end they are faced with having to make a life changing decision. Do they each choose the life they’re used to, or give it up for a new life in the name of love😍? And, will love be enough?
This story had me swooning, smiling, tearing up, and even laughing a couple times! I felt the connection the two main characters had and was so invested in their story that it kept me turning pages until late at night wanting to read “just one more chapter”. I related to the character’s dilemma, they had valid concerns throughout the story. I loved their conversations and how understanding they were towards each other. Their interactions had me smiling from ear to ear! I can’t remember the last romance book that had me swooning this much! As cheesy as the ending was I loved and appreciated how short and sweet it was before they had their happy ending.
Most books have the end dilemma last for like a quarter of the last part of the story. But this one was short and it made me appreciate their love story all the more. I also loved the way the author wrote about the port town and how it was described. I really felt myself being there and perfectly pictured it just by reading how the author was describing everything without being too info dumpy. When books over describe things, most of the time I find my mind trailing off and I just end up skimming over it. But this book did not do that at all. I felt invested in every word from beginning to end.

The one thing maybe could have had more of a back story was Piper meeting her grandmother after not even knowing she still had one. I felt like one moment they meet and the next they had this great relationship for the rest of the story and thats it. It also left me wondering a little but more about the backstory of her family and I thought it would answer many other questions throughout the book but I guess as expected with a romance book, it was more focused on the connection between Piper and Brendan.

Overall I loved this book. It wasn’t one of my all time favorites but it was definitely the cutest one I’ve read in a while. I think I would read it again eventually when I find myself in the mood for a cute romance just to swoon over Piper and Brendan again! I have two other Tessa Bailey books on my shelf that I haven’t found myself reaching for before, now they will definitely be on my next TBR list!

I really like Bailey's books. It's very easy to fall in to one of her books and before you know it, it's 3 hours later and you've devoured the entire thing. Her characters always have great chemistry. I'm interested to see if she turns this into a trilogy like she did with the Hot & Hammered books and who the main character of the next one will be.

While there were certainly parts of this story that made me grin, and I'm willing to suspend my disbelief for the sake of a good story, this book asked a bit too much of me. While I could certainly believe that a strong connection could form between the two main characters, I just couldn't believe the intimate details (ahem) of their relationship to have any basis as far as the story world is concerned. Based on his backstory, Bailey's choices for his character made zero sense. The only reason I can see for making the choices she did is that she wanted super-hot sex scenes to form the spine of the story. I don't think it worked.

I honestly can’t put this book down and at same never wanted it to end so tried to read it slow. I failed I finished in basically
One sitting. I loved it. I love this author so much. I want to reread it right away. I mean an enemies to lovers with small town vibes grief and side characters I cared about. I’m sold. I also always love a book with dual POV. Thank you for that. This book is going to sell sell sell. I loved seeing them both grow as people and I loooove Hannah. What An amazing sister. I love opal. I love everything. And the slow build !! Thank you so much for sending me an arc, I can’t wait to tell people all about this book.

I was immediately ready to dive into this book based on the description alone. After reading it was Schitt's Creek inspired and the main character was loosely based of Alexis Rose, I was sold and going in with high expectations. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I didn't have that image going into it. Although not a perfect five stars for me, I did enjoy this book!

This was my first book by Bailey, but it will not be my last. And needless to say, I was not expecting how steamy the romance was going to be. Holy cow. She does not hold back, does she??

I enjoyed this heartwarming story and watching Piper's transformation in this cute PNW town and I am looking forward to reading more about Hannah and Fox's story also!

***Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book!

This is exactly what the world needs right now. An amazing story of two troubled humans set in a fishing town finding themselves, along with each other.

I loved Brendan and Piper. I assure you that you will as well. I am excited to read more about this cute fishing town and their characters.

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for gifting me this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first Tessa Bailey read (I know I know, where the heck have I been?!) and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a fun and easy read that I did in one day.

It Happened One Summer is about a Hollywood influencer type, Piper, who after throwing an after hours pool party is arrested and ultimately banished by her stepfather to her deceased biological father's town in the Pacific Northwest. Her sister Hannah joins along in solidarity and they are dropped off at a bar that was owned by their deceased father, although now it has been abandoned and run down and in desperate need of a good cleaning.

Mere minutes after being in town Piper is being snubbed and judged by local fishing boat captain, Brendan. He's been a widower for the last 7 years and like most of our gruff and grumpy main love interests he doesn't like change and doesn't appreciate the girls invading his town...no matter that their dad was a local legend. Piper and Brendan's relationship quickly turns (maybe a little too quick in my opinion) from enemies to lovers. The whole last three fourths of the book is all about a will she won't she stay in town after her punishment time is up.

I really liked the chemistry between Piper and Brendan and their steamy scenes were well written and not awkward or stunted. But most of all I probably liked the relationship between Piper and her sister Hannah the most. The way that Hannah was the younger sister but always stood up for Piper and encouraged her and helped her take care of herself was really beautiful to me and I'm really looking forward to seeing it again in Hannah's book.

2.5 stars CW: death of a spouse

I wanted to like this book. I hoped I would. Ultimately, for me it was just so-so. BUT I see the appeal and it might be right for you—so read on.

Piper is a spoiled LA party girl who's banished to small town Pacific Northwest as penace for one too many troublesome antics. There she and her sister have to learn how to make their own way. One kink? Gruff fishing captain Brendan who can't stand the arrival of these city girls and assumes they won't last the night. Not only is he proven wrong, Piper begins to charm the town—and him (and his pants, all the way off) within no time.

Here's what didn't work for me. First, it felt like Schitt's fanfiction. Now I love Schitt's and I love fanfiction so that is NOT an insult. Its just - not what I wanted to read. Once I had the image of Alexis in my head, that's all I could picture throughout the book. Second, there were some continuity issues that might not annoy others but bugged me. Things like: where did they get the funds to finish the bar? How did two girls who couldn't boil water figure out how to do construction? Why in a book that highlighted so many strong female connections was there no resolution with their mom? Third and fourth, the magic peen trope alongside the vaginal orgasms are better trope. (See also: things that annoy the heck out of a romance reading sex educator who spends her day helping people heal from the trouble such beliefs cause.) I LOVED when Piper fangirled with her sister about this experience. I mean, I loved everything about their relationship. But, when study after study shows that less than 1/3 of people with vaginas can experience orgasm from penetration alone? Let's stop lifting it up as The Ultimate O. And while, yes, it is more likely to happen when one feels safe and connected to their partner, that part wasn't explored in depth in the text and I so wish the conversation with Hannah could have gone on longer. I realize 2-4 might be nitpicky but these are the things that take me out of the story and come crashing through the fantasy. Lastly, the dirty talk. I LOVE me some dirty talk but several bouts of this made me LOL, literally. The whole high maintenance vagina angle? I just couldn't.

Now, after reading this if you're wondering, "How did she still give this 3 stars?" Becuase the parts that worked REALLY worked. Let's celebrate those!

First, Hannah and Piper's relationship: yes, more, please, and thank you. I LOVED watching them develop and grow together even as they became their own people. Second, Piper's self growth. In fact, if this has been a coming of age/quarter life crisis novel, I probably would have given it 4 stars. While I absolutely cannot connect with being objectively stunning or rich AF, that feeling of not knowing who you are? Of being—pardon the pun—tossed out to sea and needing to figure it out to survive? Oh that part took my breath away. I loved it. Thirdly, the sex was steamy and explicit and varied. Fourth, recharging station. IYKYK and this made me so sappy because hot damn I get that and what a beautiful way to describe such a visceral experience. Fifth, I learned about fishing! I love learning new things and especially love it when that knowledge comes from romance novels since so many people dismiss them. Sixth, along those same lines, Westport was so very alive for me. I found the world building to be rich and just the right amount to add to and enhance the story. Finally - Abe and Opal. They were my favourite side characters and even though the book gave zero inclination of it, I'm 100% rooting for them to get together as a side couple or even as MCs in their own right. LOVE both of them so deeply.

So yeah - this wasn't for me but you can bet I'll be reading Hannah and Fox's story when it comes out next year because I have a feeling those two are going to be just my jam.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for sharing this ARC with me in exchange my honest review.

I adore Tessa Bailey and all of her books! This one was no exception. Piper and Brenden have chemistry burning these pages! I loved getting to see Piper learn about herself and the atmosphere of this town along with the side characters!!!

I am so excited for the world to get It Happened One Summer. Tessa Bailey creates such great heat and tension between her characters and Piper and Brendan were no different. They each had their own growth to accomplish - his grief and her discovery of herself and her past - and getting to take that steamy and fun journey with them was so much fun. I loved the setting of a fishing town in the pacific northwest. It was a different sense of place for the reader and I am here for it.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

It reminded me of The Simple wild and that is one of my favorites so it would be fair to say I loved it.

Piper, a party girl, socialite is sent away to a small town where she meets our hero, Brendan, a sea-captain/fisherman and there is chemistry right away. Piper has this reputation of being an airhead but once she is in this new place with her sister, Hannah, her true character comes out and she is so much more likable. Westport with a tight sense of community with all residents knowing each other are involved in the plot without it feeling forced.

Whenever Piper met Brendan, there was crackling chemistry, angst and fireworks and it was such an amazing love story. It definitely stood out for me amongst the other books in this genre. It also made me fall in love with this fishing town. Piper’s relationship with Hannah was really well established and it was nice to see how they rallied for each other. There is this cliche of a rich girl moving to a small town trope but the characters and the steamy writing made me enjoy this book. Though I haven't said much about Brendan, he was an amazing boyfriend who gave Piper her space to make some major life decisions. He is definitely hot without a doubt.

Steamy, fun and an entertaining read! I cannot wait for Hannah's story!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.