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.

This is the love story of Piper, LA party girl, and Brendan, small town fisherman. The author mentioned in her note before the book that she was inspired by Schitt's Creek when writing this book, particularly with the heroine, and maybe I would have gotten it better if I had watched the show. But this book was mostly a miss for me. A lot of it was cliched - she realized the big city life just wasn't for her, he realized that his regimented existence was just missing her big city glitter. The love story moved aggressively quickly for me and the steamy scenes got really dirty, really quick, which felt out of character for Brendan at least. I also felt that a lot of the back story ended up lacking depth. Even things like Piper and her sister Hannah meeting their grandmother they hadn't known for 20+ years were rather glossed over. I will say that the characters were generally likable.

Piper Bellinger is a social media influencer and spoiled rich kid from LA who loves to party and whose identity is based on Instagram posts documenting her lavish lifestyle. After one too many brushes the law results in a night spent in jail, her stepfather tells her that he is sending her to the fishing village of Westport in Washington for three months to take charge of a small bar willed to her and her sister Hannah by their biological father who was swept out to sea by a rogue wave and drowned in a storm many years before. The novel tracks Piper and Hannah as they land in the tiny fishing village and take on renovating the crumbling bar. At first, they are very much fish out of water, but as time goes on they form relationships with the friends and relatives of their father, including the grandmother they have never met. Piper also meets Brendan, a deep-sea fishing captain who seems to be her polar opposite in every way. Of course, they fall in love, and the course of that love runs about as smooth as the tropical cyclone that hits while Brendan is out to sea on his boat. Will Brendan and his crew, not to mention his relationship with Piper, survive this final storm?
The author’s note discloses that she based the character of Piper on the Schitt’s Creek character Alexis Rose. In the first few chapters of the story, socialite Piper is a shallow, not particularly likable person, and I wondered if I’d find the story enjoyable without a solid heroine to root for. However, the reader soon discovers that there is more to Piper than is first apparent. She finds her way to a better understanding of what’s important to her life as the months in Westport draw to a close, and her journey is an entertaining one for the reader. The secondary characters of Brendan, Hannah, and Grandma Opal, among others, balance the narrative nicely. Piper’s character development is believable and touching and the story’s humor engaging, and romance aficionados will delight in the struggles that she and Brendan overcome in order to find a life together.
This is a fun light read and should delight Tessa Bailey’s many fans. The novel’s publication date is July 13, 2021.
#NetGalley

I don't even know how to put into words how much I enjoyed this story. An absolutely perfect romance in my opinion. The character development in both characters was wonderful to watch and the setting could not have been more immersive and relaxing.

Piper was such a fun female character to read- not too campy or silly which I feared but rather a young woman who has been underestimated and began underestimating herself. Brendan was the perfect male character for me- he was strong (alpha vibes) but so respectful of boundaries and emotions, vulnerable while still being a stable rock for Piper to lean on.

The setting was stunning- I felt like I truly transported to the Pacific Northwest and I loved every second. The secondary characters were perfection- they had so much depth and added so much to the story. I cannot wait to see them in the next book.

I can't even explain how wonderful I thought this romance was. I cannot wait for Hannah's story and in the meantime, I'll be reading all of Tessa Bailey's other books!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyage, Netgalley, and Tessa Bailey for allowing me to read this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review!

This book filled the massive hole Schitt’s Creek left in my heart. I loved this!

I thought this book was a great mix of The Simple Wild (one of my favorite romances of all time!), Schitts Creek and its own story. While Piper was very clearly inspired by Alexis Rose, they were different enough that I didn’t compare them at all.

This book had it all: two lovable MC’s, amazing side characters, a good story/plot, and the perfect amount of comedic moments and angst.

It Happened One Summer was my first Tessa Bailey book but it certainly won’t be my last!

Very cute! A fun story with some depth. I would recommend to readers that enjoy romantic comedies. Strong writing by author.

This is my first Tessa Bailey novel, but it surely won’t be my last. I am officially a fan, and will be adding all of Bailey’s backlist to my never-ending TBR list immediately. Thank you to Avon Books for giving me an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Do you read the “Acknowledgements” before or after you read a story? Most of the time I see Acknowledgements at the end of a book, but I can’t help skipping to the back before I dive in so I can know about all the people who helped put a story together. I think reading through the author’s notes gives the story more depth and layers, and makes me love them a little bit more. The acknowledgements in “It Happened One Summer” did not disappoint, and I’m so grateful that I read those before hitting the first sentence of Chapter 1. Bailey confirms that Piper is a nod to Alexis Rose from Schitt’s Creek, and it is the most perfect comparison that my mental picture of Piper is complete.

Bailey describes this book as her mental escape from 2020, and I could not agree with her more. This book is everything I could have wanted in a romance. There is action straightaway. No bull. You know exactly what you’re getting from page one. I wish this story could just keep going so I could be part of Piper and Brendan’s life forever. I love the fishing and nautical themes, the passion, the romance, and the character development. There isn’t a huge plotline, but I think when reading a romance we all kind of know that we’re not looking for major action, but more just the Happily-Ever-After to come true. The steam in this book is legit, it won’t disappoint, but the romance, too, was everything that I wanted. I finished it in 24 hours.

I wish there were another 10 books for me to devour. Do yourselves a favor and add this to your pre-order list, and as a surprise there’s another story coming about Piper’s sister, Hannah, in 2022! I am here for it all!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

That was my first Tessa Bailey book and whew.... it did not disappoint. That was steamy as hell! The story was really fun, and I found myself laughing out loud many times. I will definitely be reading her other books, and I can't wait for Hannah and Fox's story.

I really liked this one! It's the first book I've read in a while that made me want to sit around and read it non-stop. I was worried at the beginning that the character of Piper wouldn't be likable, but ultimately she really was great (making her never having a relationship that lasted longer than 3 weeks not very believable, but whatever) and I had a huge crush on Brandan. I am now looking for a king crab fisherman boyfriend, if anyone knows one that is available. He was a little too insta-lovey for me but I still really enjoyed this book and zoomed right through it. I'm very excited to read Hannah and Fox's book as well!

This BOOK! Put down what you are doing and read this immediately. This is my favorite Tessa Bailey book and I love all of her books so that proves how good it is.

One of my favorite romance tropes is haters to lovers and this story did not disappoint. I also really liked the character development and the storyline knight throughout.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

Oh, Tessa Bailey. The queen of rom coms with serious sex scenes. It Happened One Summer is certified cute cover, smutty AF.

Piper is a prissy rich girl from LA who gets excommunicated by her Hollywood producer stepdad for throwing the party of the year and getting arrested in the process. She's sent off to a small fishing community where her father grew up (and died while hauling in crabs in the Bering Sea! *cue Deadliest Catch theme music*), and her lovely sister, Hannah, comes along for the ride. The girls take up residence above the neglected family bar and are swiftly treated with curious and distant coldness from the tight knit community. High maintenance Piper eventually falls for rough and uptight boating captain Brendan.

Tessa Bailey tends to fall into uncomfortable dynamics with her leads. The men are wayyyy too possessive and the freaking pet names are too damn much (constantly calling someone honey or princess is NOT sexy, it's cringe as hell). It Happened One Summer falls into these same patterns but it's better than some of Bailey's novels in the past. This book is a great escape from reality.

Tessa Bailey certainly has this fun way with romances. I feel like she is the queen of dirty talk and she's really good at building that sexual tension that jumps off the page. I really loved her other books, but this one is my favorite by her so far.
Piper is a social media influencer who took a break up and turned into a party that gets her arrested. Her stepfather decides that being arrested of a publicity stunt was thew last straw and sends her and her sister to a small town called Westport. Westport is no LA. It's a small town that her late father is from and where his remains seem to linger. Piper and her sister Hannah walk into the bar her dad owned and realized how much they didn't belong.....or did they? Thats when she comes face to face with a grumpy sailor Brendan, who wants nothing to do with these two flashy girls from LA. But from the moment he saw Piper, there was a pull he cant ignore, no matter how much he tries.

This book was a great amount of angst, steam, comedy, emotion, and romance. I loved Piper so much, she really reminded me of Alexis from Schitts Creek, who is also one of my fav characters. I felt like Piper was a really fun character to watch grow over her weeks spent in Westport. You can see that she was really lost before arriving and after finding small connections in this small town, she finds herself seeing it more as a home than a punishment from her stepdad. I really really really fell for Brendan. He was a little grouchy in the beginning which I loved because who doesn't love grouchy hero who is falling for the girl who couldn't be more different than him. But what I loved most about them, was the he never tried to change who she was. He knew she liked attention being social media influencer, and that she enjoyed the fancier things in life, but she also loved him.

I couldn't get enough of this story and I cant wait for Hannah's book!

I was excited going into reading this book because the premise is 2 of my favorite things combined: Schitt's Creek and a Tessa Bailey book. Let me say, my expectations were not only met but they were blown out of the water, as this is definitely one of my favorite books that I have read in a long time. Every interaction between the two main characters made it clear that they were meant to be and made me sad when the book ended so that I could not keep reading more about their romance. This is definitely a must read!!

Oh, I loved this one! I have loved a few of her novels but I have fallen in love with series and can't wait for the second book. It was such a fun rom-com with great characters and great laugh out loud moments.

This was an absolute blast to read from the jump. I loved the "Schitt's Creek" inspiration -- I could easily picture Alexis saying all of Piper's lines. She's a spoiled girl who is wonderful just beneath the surface--loving to her family and friends and bringing joy to everyone she meets. When she first meets Brendan--a grumpy sea captain set in his ways--there are sparks right away. There's a bit of an enemies-to-lovers element at first, as Brendan resents Piper and her sister crashing into their sleepy fishing village from LA and messing up his routines. But once he gets to know her, he pretty much decides she's the one for him and he's willing to do whatever it takes to keep her -- which I LOVE.

"He learned something about himself in that moment. If this woman tacked the word please onto any request, he would find a way to fulfill it. Build me a palace, please. How many floors, baby?"

The banter and dialogue are excellent in this novel. I rarely highlight books, but I couldn't stop here.

"Recharching station?"
"That's what I call it..." Still backing away from him, she flipped her hair back, sniffed. "Never mind."
"When I hug you?" Fuck. His heart was turning over and over like a car engine. "My hugs are your recharging station?"

I also love that this couple actually worked through their issues by TALKING. Brendan could sense when Piper was struggling and supported her enough that she could share her feelings. What a delight. It was wonderful to see Piper build a family and community with the help of Brendan, but ultimately on her own.

Oh and did I mention this book is SUPER hot? Probably a given because of the author, but she does not disappoint. Brendan hasn't had sex in a ... long time, and Piper is PLEASANTLY surprised by his ability to deliver.