It Happened One Summer starts off with the heroine, Piper, getting dumped by her boyfriend of 3 weeks. And since it happens at a party in L.A. she is more worried about not looking pathetic than the loss of this relationship. In an attempt at damage control she does some stuff that ends up with her step father banishing her to Westport, WA. And now Piper and her sister, Hannah are stuck in the PNW with minimal money to survive. Their first night there the sisters meet a grouchy sea captain, named Brendan, who is not happy the sisters have come to town.

I wouldn't say that this is an enemies-to-lover story. Brendan is a curmudgeon and is not interested in Piper. However, Piper is more focused on the fact she was kicked out of her home and cut off. She doesn't know how to do much for herself so Brendan's animosity is less of a focus for her than trying to survive. But sparks soon start flying.

Piper's relationship with her sister is pure and lovely. Despite Piper's past as a shallow socialite with gallons of Instagram followers, she is never shallow or petty with her sister. I loved them. And Hannah could not have been more different than Piper. We also get glimpses throughout the book that although Hannah is pining for an unrequited love back in L.A. that there may be something brewing between her and Brendan's best friend, Fox.

What I love about this author's books are the characters personalities. They are always people I would like to be friends with but they do have flaws. Not huge flaws, but believable ones that we all have. There isn't unnecessary drama where the reader is rolling their eyes and thinking, "just tell them the truth!".

It was a lovely story where two people, who don't even realize they are lonely, find one another and realize what they thought was important means nothing unless they have each other.

This is an ARC copy given for an honest review. I also need to disclose that I ADORE all Tessa Bailey books. All. Of. Them. I also must disclose that I predominately read romance books, but contemporary romance is my least favorite. I start reading, then stop. Sometimes I start again. Sometimes I don't. But I ALWAYS devour Tessa Bailey's books.

Thank you, Avon, for an ARC of this book. IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER is a swashbuckling story about a Brendan, a grumpy, stodgy, but inwardly kind sea captain, and Piper, a party girl with a heart of gold. While I started this book for the romance, I stayed for the friendships. I loved how the close-knit town rallied for Piper. I also appreciated that Brendan had to confront his overbearing, stuffy nature in order to be a supportive partner for Piper. Some of this book was definitely over the top, but it’s absolutely a fun escape during eternal quarantine!

I am in love! Oh Captain my Captain, Brenden Taggert is my newest permanent book boyfriend. I have licked him, by romance book world rules that makes him mine right? (let's just go with it) The hype for this book is so well deserved. Piper is a Los Angeles socialite, she is insta-famous and thinks that is all she is. When she is essentially banished to a small pacific northwest town, she never expects for it to last the 3 month duration, what will happen to her follower count? Brendan is the captain of a fishing boat and crab fisherman. He is the very definition of a pouty man bear (PMB). He has been single for 7 years since became a widower. This story starts out as enemies to lovers, but Brenden quickly realizes that he doesn't hate her, he wants to protect her, he wants to make her happy and bring out her true self. There is also a lot of humor in this story, which had me chuckling and aww-ing from the start. I was in love with Brenden by the time I was 20% into the book and that love only grew. The character development of both Brenden and Piper was beautiful and so natural and authentic to the characters Tessa Bailey created. Now let's get to the good stuff... if you have gotten this far in my review, and you have read Tessa Bailey before you are probably wondering how the dirty talk is? Because, let's be honest, Tessa is the Queen of dirty talk. The answer: PHENOMENAL I can't remember the last book I highlighted so much! The writing was just perfection and when Brenden was dirty talking it was original and all sorts of hot!

I am going to recommend this book to everyone! I am so grateful to have gotten to read it when I did, and I can't wait for its release in July so everyone can meet my newest book boyfriend.

I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily give my review.

This story was hot! There was so much about this book that I loved and only a few things I questioned or didn’t like.

Piper is an amazing main character. Her character development was stellar. She was such a personality that I felt more like I was watching a movie because I could picture her and her movements so clearly. Her sidekick of a sister, Hannah, is a perfect balance. Then Brendan May make me start begging my husband to quit his job to become a crab fisherman. The steam factor is high (in my opinion) on the one and 50% of that might be the thought of Brendan and how he is described.

I have seen Tessa Bailey books before but I have yet to pick one up yet. If all the rest of her books are this spicy and humorous in the most perfect way, I am officially nominating myself as her fan club President. Someone teach my 3 year old how to cook because mommy is busy binge reading the other books by Bailey!

The few things I didn’t love... the interaction with Pipers stepdad early in the book seemed unnatural to me. The dialogue of banishing her away to this remote town seemed forced. But he’s not meant to be a warm, involved dad so I guess it fits. The other tidbit I didn’t connect completely with was an interaction with her stepdad and mom (I don’t want to give any spoilers) just seemed rushed and weird.

I love the cover. It drew me in and I would’ve picked it up by just looking at it.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange of my honest review.

Another hit from Tessa Bailey! While I haven’t seen the show Schitt’s Creek, I was excited to read an opposite attracts story from her. I devoured this novel and really enjoyed my time reading this!

It was so easy to like Piper right off the bat. Yes, she was spoiled and never had to do anything for herself, but she was so relatable. She was a good sister, wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, and had a good personality. Now Tessa almost lost me when I found out that Brendan (view spoiler). If you’ve read my reviews then you know I hate that in my romances. Thankfully, (view spoiler). I thought that he was perfect for Piper. He was willing to wait her out and he always let her know how he felt about her.

The chemistry was there from the beginning and the banter between them was so good. The sex scenes were *chef’s kiss*! Don’t let the cover fool y'all, this was full of the dirty talk that Tessa is known for.

Now I didn't rate it 5 stars because there were some things that bothered me. I thought the drama around whether Piper was going to back to LA was drawn out and I was over it pretty quickly. Along with some things that felt unfinished. We never really get a conversation between Piper, Daniel, and her mother after her time spent in Westport. It would have been nice to have some insight or closure there.

Overall, I did enjoy it and would reread it in the future. The next book is about her sister and Fox and I’m super excited about it! If you’re a fan of Tessa or want a feel good romance, then I recommend this!

*Will post to blog closer to release day. Also, the spoiler was hidden on Goodreads as well.

It Happened One Summer was the first Tessa Bailey novel I have read - and it was a steamy one! Admittedly, it was a little too much (gratuitous sex scenes) for me, but I can understand the appeal it may have for other readers.
Piper and her younger sister travel to a small coastal town to spend the next several months after Piper has taken her partying a bit too far. Her stepfather “exiles” her to the fishing town of Westport, where she and her sister learn of their biological father and the life he left behind. Piper meets Brendan, a rugged fisherman, and sparks ignite. The ending paved way for a sequel - and I was pleased to find out that will be the case, with a feature on Piper’s sister, Hannah.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the ARC!

Absolutely loved this title. The character development was amazing and I feel in love with that entire small town. It definitely had a Schitt's Creek vibe and I loved every minute of it.

This one definitely kept my interest! What's funnier than a Schitt's Creek-like socialite cut off from the family money and forced into small town life? Not much. Add in an obvious physical attraction between our main character Piper and one of the resident burly fishermen Brandon, and you've got a winner in your hands. Yes, it’s a little predictable, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to recommend this title to anyone seeking a romcom with some steamy action, too! Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for a review.

It Happened One Summer follows a fisherman and a Hollywood it girl. Piper and Brendan couldn’t be more than different, but they can’t help but be drawn to eachother. If you loved Tessa Bailey’s Hot & Hammered series, you love this one! It was a great story with amazing chemistry. I now have my fingers crossed for a sequel to this book featuring Hannah and Fox! I look forward to recommending to our audience and include in our roundup of fun beach reads for summer 2021. Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

**Thank you HarperCollins publishers for providing this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change.**

“There’s just nothing to you, okay?...you have no drive to go anywhere. Or to do anything.”

It happened one summer by Tessa Bailey follows Piper, a socialite from LA, who is known for being a notorious party girl. After her boyfriend of 3 weeks calls it quits on their “relationship” at a party, ashamed and humiliated Piper throws the most instagrambled party anyone has ever seen in order to maintain her status of elite party girl; a party so out of control it lands her in jail. Tired of her expensive proclivities her billionaire step father banishes her to Westport, the fishing town she was born in. Enters Brennan a broody, handsome mammoth of a man set in his ways, “no sense in fixing something that wasn’t broken.” He is the type of guy who does not do well with change, he always orders the same thing on the menu, always has one cup of coffee except on Saturdays. He can smell that piper is trouble as soon as she arrives in Westport, but nothing will prepare him for the immense attraction between them. This intense pull towards Piper the woman set on shattering all of his boundaries.

“I can be in a room full of people that I know and still not feel like I belong.”

This book is about connecting to your roots and grieving the loss of a parent. It's about finding yourself away from the glitz and the glamour of a superficial environment.

“Piper owns my heart. She came here and robbed me blind of it.”

Who turned up the heat ?? Sheesh. This book is sizzling hot. The perfect amount of sweetness and the right amount of smut. Brendan is a man in a sea of boys. Such a fun and fast sexy read. This is by far Tesaa Bailey's sexiest romance novel yet and it is the perfect beach read! Which is why I'm rating this book a 5/5.

“I’ll love you until my heart gives out.”

This was my first book by Tessa Bailey and she just made her way on to my favorite authors list! Excuse me while I go binge every book she’s ever written because I just can’t get enough of her writing! It Happened One Summer was the ideal book for me. A quiet coastal setting: check. Lovable characters with a undeniable chemistry: check. Witty, steamy, and unexpected : check, check, check! I had a feeling I’d be a fan since Bailey noted the main character Piper was based off Alexis Rose from Schitt’s Creek, but no clue I’d be so smitten with this book. While Piper seems to encompass so many of the same traits as Alexis Rose, those are all just surface level similarities. We get to truly know Piper and get a look inside her heart. And Brendan— the grumpy old fisherman who steals Piper’s heart is grouchy and rough until Piper changes everything for him. Then we find out who Brendan truly is- which is thoughtful, sensitive and very swoony. I can’t say enough good things about this book. I loved getting to know Brendan and Pipe and seeing their growth and how they were able to bring out the best qualities in each other— and clearly their physical attraction was undeniable. The perfect rom-com that will make the best summer book club pick! Thank you NetGalley and Avon for this Advanced Copy— I can’t wait for everyone to fall in love with this quiet little fishing town this summer!

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for honest review. I enjoyed the book for what it was, a romantic comedy. It wasn’t terribly lengthy and moved along at a nice pace. I liked that characters and saw the deep down meaning of being a little lost and finding yourself. I found some of the language and sexual dialogue a bit much at times for my usual reading preference, but it didn’t detract from me finishing the book or enjoying the story. I connected to Piper’s mother on the level of widow and wanting to flee the life I had with that person and I see now maybe that wasn’t entirely fair to my children. As mothers we do what we think best at the time but the girls were definitely missing a huge part of them and it was a nice piece of the story to learn about the bar and to watch them bring it back to life. Piper had to lose everything to realize that even though she had lots of possessions, she also had fake friends and followers that didn’t really care about her. She really found herself when she was forced to slow down and just be in the moment. No followers or people who knew who she was. She forged real friendships and impacted neighbors’ lives in a positive way. I think that should be the real take away. Put down the phone, enjoy the moment you’re in, and forge actual friendships with people who live right next door.

I fall more and more in love with this author with each book. I got where she was coming from to write the heroine but it was the hero who stole the story for me. He was perfection. I enjoyed the natural evolution of their relationship and their banter was delicious

I didn’t hate this story, which is a shock because if there’s one thing I hate in stories it’s instalove. I feel like maybe their dating timeline can be edited because sometimes I’d get so engrossed in their relationship and then remember that they’ve only known each other one month and two weeks of that he was gone. It would just feel like two or three weeks had went by but it had only been a day or two and they’re saying I love you and moving in together. It really needs to be cut down as well because it was a little long and drawn out. Everyone had to make a speech for Piper at the end and I thought that was annoying and awkward, I also didn’t understand the point of Mick at all. The love scenes were very steamy and written very well and I give them 5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for a free copy of an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Loved this Tessa Bailey contemporary romance! Piper Bellinger is a rich girl from LA who gets ''banished" to the Pacific Northwest were she meets Brendan Taggart, fisherman and sea captain. Piper's mother warns her not to fall for a fisherman as she did many years ago when she married Piper's (deceased) father. The novel starts out as a bit of a enemies-to-lovers type style. Piper and Brendan have great chemistry together. I loved the dialog between the two, and watching the evolution of Piper's character as she lives in the small fishing town. Piper learns more about her family history and her roots in this small town, while she slowly falls for Brendan disregarding her mother's warning.

Fans of KA Tucker's, the Simple Wild, will love this novel! (Note: As with other Tessa Bailey novels, this one is VERY steamy!). Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I hope Tessa Bailey writes Hannah's story! Can't wait to read that one if she does!

Same Tessa Baily, different coastline.
I liked how reserved Brendan was (very still waters run deep), but then found it super jarring that once there was any sign of getting action his became a gruff talker. It wasn't what I wanted for him. I experienced the same feeling when I read Fix Her Up.

Okay, I have had time to process and feel I can give feedback. This was a DNF for me. I love Schitt’s Creek and Alexis so I was excited for it but I just thought there was unnecessary language here and the main character was, surprisingly, not shallow enough at first. If she is to be compared to Alexis, then she would not have had the character development as quickly as she did. I think I would have enjoyed it more without the language and if I wasn’t such a big SC fan, because the comparison didn’t do it any favors. Thank you, though, for allowing me an advanced copy to read and I hope it finds its audience.

This book was EVERYTHING I love in a rom com- hilarious at times, witty, angsty, a broody sexy man who knows how to use his hands (amongst other things), swoon worthy and panty melting. 🔥⁣⁣
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Still currently fanning myself.... ⁣⁣
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I binged this book one one sitting, it was that good. Piper is your materialistic “it” girl, she was raised in LA with everything in life handed to her until she messes up for the last time and is sent to Westport where her late father was from. ⁣⁣
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Brendan is angsty and sexy, the Captain of his boat and is a fisherman for a living. He hasn’t been with a woman in years. His heart belongs to the sea and his late wife and her still grieving father. ⁣⁣
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Westport is a tight knit community filled with lovely people that are so different from the people Piper normally surrounds herself with. These two couldn’t be anymore opposite but they fuel each other to be their best selves and prove how important it is to love people for who they are. ⁣
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The growth in these characters, the chemistry and the steam make for an epic and romantic love story you won’t want to miss. Not to mention, the awesome side characters- Hannah, Piper’s sister who is wonderful and quirky; and Fox the lady’s man; Opal and Abe the sweet older community members. ⁣
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Thank you @netgalley and @avonbooks for an ARC for my honest review. ⁣
#bookstagram #books #bookcommunity #romance #ithappenedonesummer #tessabailey #netgalley pub date 7/21

Review posted on GoodReads (February 2, 2021)
Review Linked.

3/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sending me an E-ARC of this book for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Tessa Bailey's other book, FIX HER UP, when I read it last year, but this book did not make me fall in love with it as much as the last one. For me, IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER had a great premises, a really well thought out plot, and pretty good writing. But there were a few things that just made me not fall into the story—the main one being how sexist our male lead was and how Piper, our main character, never really called him out on his comments. There were only like two moments where she said something, but even then, found some excuse to find his comments okay, and then his mysogyny was never really fully addressed. This made it really hard for me to want Piper to fall in love with Brendan.

The only reason why this book is three stars instead of two is because the rest of the book. Outside of those really strangely placed comments, that honestly felt almost out of character, the rest was really well done. Like I said earlier, the plot was really well thought out and I really enjoyed the idea of this book. The other aspect of the book that raised it to three stars was the sister’s storyline and dynamic between Piper and her sister Hannah. I LOVED their relationship and their story of discovering their family history. If only Piper had fallen in love with someone who was less of a sexist asshole...

Thanks for reading!
Caden

🦀Book Review🦀
I received an ebook copy of this from Netgalley and boy did I enjoy it! This was such a fun story and I couldn't get enough of it.
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Short Goodreads synopsis:
"Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com about a Hollywood “It Girl” who is cut off from her wealthy family and exiled to a small Pacific Northwest beach town... where she butts heads with a surly, sexy local who thinks she doesn’t belong"
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At first, I didnt like the main character until a few chapters in and we got to know her. She is "instagram famous" and only seems to care about her followers and social media but as time goes on she realizes shes missing out on what truly matters in life. She makes lasting relationships with people of the town, including a Crab Fisherman named Brendan. We figure out how great of a person she is and we see her fall in love.
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I felt like the characters were so well fleshed out. Each individual character had their own wants, needs, desires, and personality. I loved the ambiance of this book. I could easily visualize this fishing town and the locals.
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Overall, it's a story about finding out who you are and where you belong. It shows you how important the people in your life are and that social media isnt what matters. Sometimes social media clouds our judgement and we get so used to relying on others' attention and "likes" we miss the beautiful world around us.