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.

Hello Tessa Bailey!!!

I was very excited to receive a copy of this book thanks to NetGalley, I had read Fix Her Up when it came out and loved it so I was hopeful I'd love this too. It did not disappoint!

From the start of this book I knew I'd like it. In the opening acknowledgments Bailey mentions she based Piper off of Alexis from Schitt's Creek, one of my favorite shows and characters! Add in the setting of a town next to the ocean and fisherman, I was sold.

It Happened One Summer is a story of a spoiled rich kid who gets into trouble and is sent to a small fishing town where she was born to learn a lesson. Piper and her sister Hannah go to this town with plans on trying to get back to LA as soon as they can, but in true Hallmark fashion, things don't go as planned.

I loved this book! Plain and simple! The characters are fun and all have their own personalities. The side characters were all so wonderful, wish we got more of Abe and Opal. I also wish we had seen more of Hannah, but the end of the book cleared that up with a bonus scene and announcement of Hannah's story coming next year and I can't wait for it!!

I also loved that this was in both Piper and Brendan's POVs. Being inside both of their heads at different points in the story really pulled it all together for me.

The only complaint I really have is the use of "Baby" but that is 100% a me thing, not a story thing.

I was left wanting so much more and I'm excited to be back with these characters in Hannah's book, but I'm still wanting more of Piper and Brendan!

Overall, I loved this and also found out with this that there are two more books that follow after Fix Her Up, so I think I know what I'm going to reading soon!

Piper is a spoiled rich girl who lives off of her step-father's wealth and hops from party to party trying to stay relevant. When she gets arrested her step father teaches her a lesson by sending her to a small fishing town where she has family history. Can Piper learn to be self sufficient or will she go running back to LA the first chance she gets? And will the sexy fisherman who thinks she is a joke help her find herself?

Piper is a wonderful lead character. Much like Alexa from Schitt's Creek, she is vacuous, spoiled, self-centered, and clueless. The true strength of this character is not that she "learns her lesson and changes completely" it's that she actually DOESN'T change completely. We learn to love Piper and watch her personal growth, but she retains a large part of who she always was. She still has weaknesses, but we also see the strengths born from being a party-girl. This is ballsy writing and it is magnificent writing.

Brendan is also complex and well-written. We see his positive characteristics, that he is dependable, loyal, and steady. But those characteristics also hold him back. His struggle with loyalty to his past is fantastic to read since we see both sides of that personality trait. It is so much of what is good about him, but also something he needs to grow through.

This book is filled with funny moments, engagingly flawed side characters, un-preachy life lessons, and a small town you will fall in love with. Oh yeah. And did I mention how FREAKING HOT this book is? Because you will need to prepare yourself for the steamy scenes in this book! It's definitely a NC-17 rated read.

This is such a great read from a great author!

I really enjoyed this, in the "you don't have to change or fit a mold to find your place" and it reads like a raunchy Hallmark movie, but it was a little long for what it was so I got bored around 60% and had trouble finishing, but picked back up around 75%. Also the phrase "recharging station" was SERIOUSLY overused. Fun book though.

This romcom page-turner gives us all hope for warmer, more carefree days. I loved Piper and Brendan's story; the LA party-girl and the grumpy fisherman start out as enemies, but their relationship journey is adorable and both characters are extremely likeable. Piper's step-father banishes her to a coastal village in Washington after she gets arrested, and she is tasked with fixing up her family's pub. She and her sister, Hannah, get to know the locals in the village, including the company of crab fishermen who regularly brave the dangerous Bering Sea near the Alaskan Coast. They also try to learn more about their father, who died during a fishing expedition when they were toddlers. It Happened One Summer is heart-warming, fun, and steamy--the perfect antidote for the winter blahs or the perfect companion for the pool or the beach! Be sure to add this one to your TBR--it releases July 13th. I am already looking forward to the sequel! Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for the librarian preview.

**Review to be shared on IG within 60 days of publication date**

After a scandal and a night in jail, party-girl Piper is cut off from her step-dad’s money and sent to the small town where she was born to learn responsibility. When she arrives to the town, and the nameless bar her father left her and her sister when he died, Piper meets Brendan, a hot but grumpy local. The two are polar opposites, but despite neither of them wanting to like the other, they can’t deny the chemistry between them.

When I read the description of this book and saw the main character was inspired by Alexis from Schitt’s Creek, I was immediately sold. At first Piper annoyed me so much, and felt way too stuck on herself but she very quickly grew on me (much like Alexis did in Schitt’s Creek) and he character development was fantastic. The chemistry between Piper and Brendan was incredible (this book also gets very steamy) and the way they spoke to each other was so sweet. They might be one of my favorite fictional couples. After reading this one I already can’t wait for Hannah’s story to come in 2022!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for the advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It Happened One Summer will be released on July 13.