Pages: 416
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Setting: Westport, WA
Source: ARC, Edelweiss
Also by this author: Thrown Down, Too Hot to Handle, Raw Redemption, Worked Up, Risking it All, Disorderly Conduct, Too Beautiful to Break, Follow, Indecent Exposure, Mouth to Mouth, Sink or Swim, Reborn Yesterday, Window Shopping
Goodreads
Tessa Bailey is back with a 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.
Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father’s dive bar... in Washington.
Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can’t do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that she’s more than a pretty face.
Except it’s a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn’t want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan—and this town full of memories—may have already caught her heart.
It Happened One Summer is an enchanting opposites attract story that will have you laughing one page and fanning yourself the next. Piper is the “poor little rich girl” forced to Westport, WA to pay for her crimes. Brendan is the local grumpy boat captain who can’t believe this hot idiot has invaded his town.
Tessa Bailey has said she found the inspiration for Piper in Alexis from Schitt’s Creek and I think she paid a beautiful homage to the character. Like Alexis, I did not care much for Piper in the beginning. She is a 28 year old with literally no goals or plans other than to be insta-famous. It’s a little Kardashian like as well. But, she grows on you (like Alexis did) and you see how deeply insecure she is about everything. I think Hannah, her sister, helped me like her more. Hannah is great-smart, goal oriented, and passionate. She loves her sister hard, so it kind of wears you down as you read!
Brendan is perfect! I loved him! He is grumpy, but it works. He doesn’t live in the same world Piper does and he has no time for her BS. Brendan gave me all the Deadliest Catch vibes, except if the show was cast with hotties (cause, listen, there are no hot fishermen on Deadliest Catch). All his talk about studying the maps and the Russians totally gave me all the Deadliest Catch vibes and I LOVED IT. I love that show! Anyway, he doesn’t WANT to like Piper, but she wears him down (much like she does the reader). He is a widower and I always think that is a tricky plot device because it is hard to compete with a ghost. But, if anyone can make it work, its Tessa Bailey.
It Happened One Summer is plenty funny-Piper is hilarious at times, but also really delivers the heat Bailey is known for. Seriously, this will singe your fingers while reading because it is THAT hot. I enjoyed this story and I am excited for Hannah and Fox’s story for sure!
- POV: 3rd
- Tears: no
- Trope: opposites attract, small town
- Triggers: none
- Series/Standalone: standalone
- Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
- HEA: View Spoiler »
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other opposites attract stories like Depends on Who’s Asking by Lani Lynn Vale, Not My Romeo by Ilsa Madden-Mills, Dirty Charmer by Emma Chase…then you will probably like It Happened One Summer!
You may be on to something with Piper wearing me down and worming her way into my heart. It happened quickly, which I think was the same for Brendan. I loved this book. I gave it 5/5. I see a lot of negativity about the sex scenes. I skim those in most books, so maybe that’s why I was able to really love this book.
Terrific Review Samantha. I’ve heard so much about this book, and I’m so glad you liked it.