This book is absolutely 5 stars. Tessa Bailey says herself, this is the HEA she felt Alexis from Schitt's Creek deserved. A it's a bazillion percent exactly that.

For me, Schitt's Creek wasn't an instant love. I found myself thinking it was fine, but it got under skin at some point to where I couldn't stop watching. I found the book hooked me in the same way.

At first, Piper feels like I'm watching an episode of The Simple Life (showing my age here) and it's impossible not to roll your eyes at how inept she is at basic life skills. Somewhere along the way, as she finds her grit, you can't help but love her, and root for her.

Then, there's Brendan. He's your typical alpha cinnamon roll, but his ooey gooey center makes him more gruff, when revealed.

This book is also steamy af. I find a lot of books try to force the steam in the post- 50 shades world,  and it feels clunky or out of place. But I found myself really enjoying all of the steamy moments.

It's truly a perfect beach read.

I love Tessa Bailey and I love Schitt's Creek, so this was an easy win for me!

Much like Alexis, Piper was a Hollywood "It Girl", who finds herself in a less than ideal town. Her party girl ways catch up with her when she throws an out-of-control rooftop party, gets ratted out by her "best friend", and then winds up behind bars. Her stepdad decides enough is enough, cuts her off, and sends her to a small town in PNW.

Piper's sister joins her on the trip and they are there to learn some responsibility by running their late father's dive bar. The only problem is that the locals call the place their own and Piper butts heads with a surly sea captain named Brendan within minutes of arriving in town. Piper isn't excited about having to be there, but she is determined to show her stepfather and the grumpy sea captain that she can do more than just shop and party.

Piper tries to make the best of her situation, but at every turn, she runs into Brendan. They are complete opposites, but you know what they say about opposites... they attract! Piper isn't sure if she is cut out for the life of being in love with a sea captain, but as she starts putting down roots and making connections to her past, she starts thinking that her glamorous life back home way has just been an illusion all along.

This book was funny and heartwarming. There are so many great characters and it was great reading about Piper and Brendan. The town was so atmospheric as well. I can't wait to read the sequel about Fox and Piper's sister, Hannah!

It Happened One Summer is such a fun book! Tessa Bailey has hit it out of the park with this one. Taking some inspiration from the tv show Schitt's Creek, Tessa created a fun, sort-of relatable character in Piper. Following Piper on her journey to become more than a part girl is full of laughter, emotion, and action. I can't wait for Hannah and Fox's story!

This was such a fun summer read - I thoroughly enjoyed it. Piper was such a fun character and she made me laugh out loud a number of times - the Schitt's Creek vibes were on point and I was here for it. I'd recommend to anyone in the mood for a fun beach read with open door steam. I already can't wait for Piper's sister's story!

This book made me incredibly happy. It’s exactly what I needed.
It Happened One Summer is the perfect romantic comedy to read this season or any season. It was steamy, heart-felt and hilarious.

Piper has found herself in a bit of trouble and is sent to this small town to learn a hard life lesson. This takes us on a very entertaining journey.
Captain Brendan is reserved, especially with his past. Immediately, him and Piper butt heads with all their differences. But the obvious attraction keeps them coming back to each other.

They soon find that denying their developing feelings is useless.
Love love loved this romance. It played out like a movie with the backdrop of this small town and all the delightful side characters.

The show it’s inspired by is one of my favorites and I can see that influence. But Tessa Bailey made it her own.
This is probably my favorite book that I’ve read by this author. I would definitely recommend.

I fell in love with this book the moment it was pitched as a Schitts Creek romance! The story was adorable, the romance was truly perfect, and I loved the setting. This was my first book by Tessa Bailey, but I can't wait to read her backlist and continue reading her future books!

I really wanted to like this book, but perhaps I wasn't the right audience. I love a rom-com but this was a bit too graphic/steamy for my taste. That being said I can absolutely see why people enjoy these books and I think many, many others will.
3/5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an egalley of It Happened One Summer.

Where to even begin? I loved this book from start to finish! Piper is a spoiled, rich, party girl, and after a wild night of breaking into a hotel pool and throwing a massive party, she is issued an ultimatum. Upon her move to Westport, a tiny fishing town in the PNW, she has a massive culture shock. No Starbucks, iffy cell service, and a bar that leaves quite a bit to be desired. Tasked with the monumental task of renovating the bar with the help of her sister Hannah, Piper discovers that life in Westport has more to offer than meets the eye (but does include some eye candy).

Perfect for fans of Schitts Creek, Tessa Bailey will have you rolling with laughter and crying alongside Piper and Hannah. Can't wait for the next installment.

I wanted to like this but it just didn't work for me. I love the setup being Schitt's Creek inspired as it's my favorite...but execution wise it fell short.

Piper is a stand-in for Alexis but Piper felt not fully developed to me, or at the very least, much less developed than every other character in the book. In the book she is extremely incapable in the beginning and by the end can literally remodel a bar? Which works in a tv show that has the best character development ever over the course of MANY seasons. If the book had taken place over maybe a year I would have bought it more. But this was max 2 months.

The sex scenes were hot, I really liked Brandon and he felt really well developed and I thought that his character worked much better for me than Piper.

4 Socia lMedia Star/Captain Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
Only Tessa Bailey could make a Social Media Star be the right fit with a Widower Captain and after all the speedbumps of their relationship are resolved...have us drooling for more.

This book was a cross between the television show "The Simple Life" with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie and the "Fifty Shades of Grey" book series. I liked the characters, but if you are from the Pacific Northwest you might find the setting a bit unbelievable.

Overall, this book was ok, but I wouldn't recommend it to a friend. However, it's a quick read and did have some entertaining sections. You might like the book more if you don't know anything about the area and can't get hung up on the setting not being quite right.

This might be my favorite Tessa Bailey book yet! I loved all the characters and the journey Piper and Brendan go through both as individuals and together. And wow was it steamy. I loved everything about this book and am looking forward to reading Hannah's story next year!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Story: 5 ⭐️
Steam: 5/6 🔥

New favorite Tessa Bailey book? Absolutely!

I completely adored this book. I was hooked from page one and it didn’t lose my interest once. These characters were so lovable and I want so much more! I loved the relationship between Hannah and Piper. Their sister bond was so sweet. Brendan is an absolute dreamboat and I love him. He’s perfect mix of gruff, grumpy, sweet and reliable. I love that at no point in this book did Brendan make Piper change who she was. He wanted her, spoiled and all. He loved her for who she was and didn’t want to take away from that.

Overall this book was just perfect.

OH LORDY THIS ONE WILL BE A FAVORITE OF THE YEAR!

I absolutely loved this story and the characters and every single second of this story. I can't wait to reread this and I'm so very excited for the next in this series!

Thank you for sharing an early copy!

I really got such a kick out of this one! A California high maintenance girl and a burly, mans man of a guy. The duo was fun and their banter was witty and fresh. I found this to be positively delightful and a fun read. I flew through it with a smile on my face! My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

This book is steamy, sweet, and summery fun! Tessa Bailey creates vivid characters in Piper and Brendan, as well as the entire town of Westport. She finds a way to write honestly but sympathetically without judgement towards her characters. The story was just as exciting and swoon worthy as I’ve come to expect from Tessa Bailey, and I absolutely loved every bit!

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

Thank you Avon Books and Tessa Bailey for my copy of It Happened One Summer!

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it didn’t disappoint! I had a great time reading this totally escapist romance, even though it had some elements I’m usually not crazy about when it comes to contemporary romance.


Synopsis: “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 lif1. e 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.” —Via Amazon

What I Liked:

The Setting—I love a small coastal town vibe! Strangely enough I grew up next to a Westport but on the totally opposite coast. I loved how atmospheric it felt and we got a good storm! I love storm sequences in books, I don’t know why.

The Characters—I loved Piper and Brendan, but the side characters are what really color in this story. So much so that there is going to be a companion novel released

The Writing—The writing was breezy and readable which is just what I’ve been needing lately.

What Didn’t Work:

The Cheese—Personal preference totally, but I didn’t love some of the cheesy language used, especially by Brendan, but I did love that no one had to change themselves to be in the relationship.

TW/CW: loss of a parent, loss of a spouse, mention of drowning

Character Authenticity: 3.5/5 Steam Rating: 3/5 Overall Rating: 4/5

4-4.25 stars. This was really good! It Happened One Summer is Brendan and Piper's story. Piper is the daughter of Hollywood royalty and is a spoiled LA princess and It girl. After a breakup, she goes a little wild and gets herself arrested. After she is released, her stepfather sends her and her sister out of town for the summer to get them out of the limelight. Piper, and her sister, Hannah, have never left LA and are in culture shock when they arrive in the small town in Washington. Their birth father, who died when they were very young, was from there and was a sea fisherman and bar owner. Piper and Hannah are in for an adventure as they learn to do brand new things like cook for themselves, while surviving in the sticks. They get to know the townpeople and decide to fix up their father's run down bar. Piper meets Brendan, a widowed fisherman, and opposites attract when the two of them fall for each other. They have to figure out how to make things work between them and how they can be together, despite coming from two different worlds.

This was a fun story with the perfect balance of emotion and humor. I am not a Schitt's Creek fan. I just couldn't get into it. So I was a bit wary that I wouldn't love this book, or Piper, who is based on Alexis Rose. But that wasn't the case. Piper does come off a bit silly at first, but I ended up really liking her as I got to know her. She is a good person with heart. She and Brendan were awesome together. Brendan was such a good hero. He worshipped Piper and she loved him very much as well. This book was the "dead ex" trope done right. It was no contest between Brendan's love for Piper. He was consumed by her, while his dead wife was more of a marriage of convenience.

It Happened One Summer was such a good story. It was unique, fun, and super sexy. The cartoon cover was not my favorite at all. It really did not fit the story and doesn't not give prospective readers a true picture of the story they are about to read. Despite that, this book had it all. Really good characters, a great story, depth and chemistry. The small town fishing village setting was fun and different. It was really great seeing Piper grow and come into her own and seeing Brendan open up and fall in love. The two of them were awesome together.

Overall, this was a great book. I really enjoyed Piper and Brendan's story. I can't wait to read Hannah's story in the future and see what Ms. Bailey comes up with next!

Where do I start with this book? I am not really sure. All I can say is that I absolutely adored this one. I was a little uncertain when I first started because I was not sure I could get behind Piper as a character. However, that soon changed when she gets to this quaint fishing town Westport, Washington. Piper's growth throughout this story was a such a pleasure to read and in the end I really just wanted to be her friend.

I fell in love with the town, the people, and this romance. I could not get enough of Brendan and Piper! So I am not sure why you are still here reading this review and not at the store buying yourself a copy!

It took me a bit to get into this book. About halfway it started picking up and I couldn't put it down. It was a bit predictable but still enjoyable and fun. I love Tessa Bailey's writing and will read anything she writes because it is always a good escape. I can't wait to read Hannah and Fox's tale. Brendan is definitely book boyfriend material.