It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Rating 3/5 Stars
Published by Avon
Published on 13 Jul 2021

**A big thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and of course, Tessa Bailey for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I devour rom coms in the summer, as has been evident in my last couple of posts! It is prime time for them too - most of the time a happy ending is guaranteed and the reading is quick and easy! One I did enjoy beyond a few negative bits was It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey. I love Tessa’s work and I really enjoy her exploring a new universe outside of the ones she has recently released. This book has a major combo of Schitt’s Creek and Rom Com and Piper gave me Alexis Rose vibes from the beginning.

I loved the story and I loved the development of Piper and Hannah (although Hannah seems so down to earth already). I am excited for Hannah and Fox’s story coming next year. The book really delivered on the steamy steam and I ADORED IT. I even felt uncomfortable reading it in public for once! I normally don’t mind but DANG! A 5/5!

I did have a few negatives though. I felt like the conflict was just thrown in at the end because the book had no conflict yet. But there were so many instances where there could have been a more in detail conflict and the one given at the end was kind of a bore. I also would have loved if the book explored Brendan trying to incorporate himself into LA life. It would have been interesting instead of him insisting he would not give anything up for Piper and she had to give it all up. Lastly, I wanted more backstory with Piper and Hannah’s mom and dad. It would be an interesting prequel or new book!

All in all - this book was a solid summer read! It has summer in the title. I highly recommend it if you want a book with a happy ending :)

Thank you @netgalley and @avonbooks for the eARC of “It Happened One Summer” by @tessabailey

It Happened One Summer
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I am a huge Tessa Bailey fan and have the ‘Hot & Hammered’ series to thank for this. Highly recommend you read those as well. When I saw Tessa was starting a new series obviously I was immediately on BOAT..hehehe.

IHOS involves Piper, an L.A. socialite and Brendan, a Sea Captain in the PNW setting (fans of Schitts Creek will enjoy). I truly enjoyed the chemistry between these two. I love how Tessa showcased Piper’s growth and how influential Brendan is toward Piper acknowledging it. Piper and Brendan’s love story just seemed so natural and relatable. The small town of Westport will forever be in my heart now! I need more of these characters and can’t wait for the second in the series.

If you like your rom coms with true romance and some legit STEAM. Tessa is the author for you!!

Piper is an influencer debutante in LA just having fun sashaying thru party after party. Her current beau is an elite douchebag of the highest degree and dumps her rather publicly. This throws the drama queen into a tailspin having her sneaking in 200 of her closest Instagram friends to a private hotel rooftop. Unfortunately for Piper, her shenanigans land her in jail. Once her famous stepdad finds out, he cuts her off and sends Piper and her sis, Hannah, off to nowheresville Washington.

Brendan is just living his simple easy life. Having a beer in his fave dive bar, in walks Piper stating that they own the place. Piper and her sister literally own this bar that their birth father left to them. The grumpy sea captain writes off the princesses and assumes they will be back on the plane to LA any day. Following his daily routines, he keeps running into Piper and she begins to intrigue him. Cut to the sexy times, a major misunderstanding, another LA party, and you get to their HEA. And some fabulous sea town shabby chic decorating tips to boot!

It Happened One Summer is a mix of Schitt’s Creek’s Alexis Rose meets The Simple Life with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. Piper finds that she is more than her number of Instagram followers and Brendan discovers that he doesn’t mind that Piper has rearranged his simple routines. This is a tender story with some laugh out loud moments. And again, the interior design ideas are divine! What a sweet summer treat!

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an honest review.

This might be my favorite of hers yet. Loved Pipers growth and the chemistry between her and Brenden. The one thing that always drives me nuts in her books though is the excessive use of pet names. Otherwise loved it

In this Schitt’s Creek inspired rom-com Piper finds herself exiled to a sleepy Pacific Northwest fishing town after a wild night lands her in jail. Thankfully her sister nominated herself to go along with her for moral support.

They are staying in the apartment above their late father’s bar. It is in serious need of repair, and they are greeted by the surly sea captain Brendan. It doesn’t matter that Brendan can’t seem to take his eyes off Piper, he is a widow determined to remain off the market.

However in this small town there is no way not to bump into each other especially when Piper runs out of the bar with a pan on fire. And that steamy scene in a hospital closet.

Brendan starts to open up again, waking up to the possibility of having a family again, but no sure if Piper is willing to leave her LA life behind.

Piper shows some real growth throughout even when her inner diva wants to show.

There was also plenty of steam to keep this story moving!

I received an arc for review, all opinions are my own and given freely.

It Happened One Summer is a steamy contemporary romance with a heroine inspired by Schitt's Creek's Alexis. The inspiration is pretty much limited to protagonist Piper, though, and the rest of the story - the Washington coast fishing town of Westport and its occupants, Piper's sister Hannah, and of course love interest Brendan, a surly fishing captain - don't really bear that much resemblance to the TV show. (Which is fine with me! But worth noting, given how much the marketing for this book seems to push the Schitt's Creek angle.)

There are several clever, funny bits and one-liners throughout It Happened One Summer, and I snickered aloud more than once. There's also a surprising amount of emotional sincerity - grief plays a major part in this story. However, the romance - which is, after all, what this book is - doesn't work for me at all. I enjoy the opposites attract vibe, and of course the fish-out-of-water trope from spoiled socialite Piper's attempts to get used to life in Westport. But the chemistry is so wholly, thoroughly, off-puttingly based on gendered stereotypes, with constant harping on her being soft and tiny and feminine while he's big and muscle-bound and oh-so-masculine; he's a REAL man, not like the boys she's dated in LA! Well, this REAL man is far too controlling, possessive, and ostentatiously macho a character for me. I'm sure there are other readers who will enjoy that dynamic more, but it just isn't what I like in a romance. It's too bad, because the Westport setting makes for good atmosphere, and Piper herself is a pretty fun character. But I just can't with the caveman attitude in a relationship I'm supposed to find appealing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the advance review copy!

Brendan is one heck of a sexy hero and I don’t just mean his looks which absolutely undeniably ooze sex appeal. It is the fact that he wants to talk even before he has sex made the sex and him oh-so-hot. Piper is one of the most underestimated heroines I have read about even by herself. I adored her kind and sweet heart. The chemistry between Brendan and Piper is off the charts sexy but also so romantic and adorable. I loved this book and it is going in my top 10 favorite romances. I would highly recommend it. I cannot wait to read Hannah and Fox’s story.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

Tessa Bailey always gets me. This book was sweet, it was steamy, it was funny. It was everything I've come to love about Tessa.

Piper's character is based on Alexis Rose (from Schitt's Creek) and you can really feel the essence of Alexis in her, but, she's still entirely her own person. I love that she so incredibly nice, but never expects things in return. She's adorably naive and always looks for the best in people.

Brendan is absolutely perfect as this super serious sea captain that falls head over heels for Piper. I love that he doesn't resist her for a second. When she shows up in his town, he's obviously reluctant to let her in and change anything about his town, but the second he develops feelings for her, he fully leans into them and lets her know how he's feeling.

I love that Piper spends this "banishment" setting her own roots in this town while also building a relationship with Brendan. She makes connections with people and truly finds a place for herself outside of her relationship. I loved it so much.

I cannot wait to read more about Hannah and Fox!!!

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK! As a Schitts Creek fan, I knew I was going to like this one but I didn't realize how MUCH I was going to love it. Piper is 100% Alexis Rose and her character growth is similar too. I did not like her character at the very beginning but she evolved and I ended up really liking her. Then there's Brendan who is the most swoon worthy book boyfriend and gave total Mutt vibes but also very similar to Luke from Gilmore Girls. The fashionable social media influencer meets the sweet, rugged townie and they are the definition of opposites attract.

I loved the secondary characters in this one as well. Brendan's fishing crew were hilarious and had me chuckling multiple times. I love Hannah and I am so excited she is getting her own story! Then there is Opal and Abe and just all the rest of the additional characters that were so well done.

Now, this book is a level 1 million on the steam charts, so if that is not your thing, you may want to steer clear. This was my first Tessa Bailey but it will DEFINITELY not be my last!

Opposites attract and they really did in this story. Piper has been banned from LA and sent to Westport in the Northwest by her stepfather. Westport was where her real father had lived as a fisherman before his death. Piper is truly an LA girl, an influencer and shallow as all get out, but she goes to Westport, banned for 3 months from LA. Her sweet sister, Hannah goes with her. There, they meet the characters of the small fishing town, and one in particular, Brendan sets off vibes with Piper. He is the burly, no nonsense Captain of a fishing boat, and a widower of 7 years. They certainly do not belong together, but it works. Ms. Bailey is just the type of writer that handles these scenes and this storyline so well. I have been a fan of her writing for a while now, and this book did not disappoint. Very enjoyable and looking forward to Hannah’s story next!

I'm a hardcore fan of Tessa Bailey. I was so glad that I was able to receive a review copy of her newest book series. I have to admit Piper tried my patience a time or two. During the first few chapters, I disliked Piper's character immensely. My first impression of Piper was that she was a flighty and inconsiderate party girl that reminded me of the early days of Paris Hilton vis-à-vis The Simple Life. I was so glad for the character development that happened over the rest of the book. Piper's party girl and It Girl façade come crashing down after she lands in jail. Tired of her shenanigans and lack of direction in her life, Piper's stepfather sends her and her sister Hannah back to Westport, a small fishing town in Washington. When Piper and Hannah were young, their family lived in Westport until her father's untimely death. In their grief, their little family packed up their belongings and moved to California. Years later, Piper and Hannah are temporarily exiled to Westport and land in their late father's dive bar. Upon their arrival, they meet the residents of Westport and one of them was the oh-so-grumpy Brendan. Piper and Brendan immediately dislike each other for their perceived first impressions. With the intention of revitalizing their father's bar, Piper and Hannah are finding themselves and memories of their father in Westport. In a small town, Piper and Brendan reevaluate their first impressions of each other. Their attraction is palatable and obvious to everyone around them. After some sexy times and developments in their relationship, Piper and Brendan are finding their feet as a couple. However, spectors from their past pop up to interrupt their progress, which was very annoying, but necessary for the plot. Overall, it was an enjoyable start to a new series. Kudos, Tessa!

Omg!! This was my most anticipated release of the year and hands down it is my favourite book so far!! Litreally completed in one day and I couldn't put it down for a second. Honestly speaking I need a Brendan, he is the most wholesome, adorable and hot fictional man I have read. Piper was so relatable and Honestly piper and Brendan were meant to be. Loved the enemies to lovers trope .
Can't wait to read the sequel about fox and Hannah 😍😍

IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER is the first instalment Tessa Bailey’s contemporary, adult IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER erotic, romance series. This is twenty-eight year old, Hollywood ‘It Girl’ Piper Bellinger, and fisherman Captain Brendan Taggart’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Brendan and Piper) IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER follows in the aftermath of Piper’s arrest for breaking and entering, and throwing a wild party where she didn’t belong. Piper is a ‘social media influencer’ whose life has been spiralling out of control. As punishment and to teach our heroine a lesson, her step-father Daniel reveals that her late father Henry Cross left her sister Hannah and Piper a bar in Westport, Washington, a small sea side town where Piper and Hannah, for the next three months, will learn to call home. Enter fisherman and widower Captain Brendan Taggart, and the man with whom Piper will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Piper and Brendan, and the potential fall-out as Piper’s time in Westport comes to an end.

Piper Bellinger is nothing but a social media influencer; a party girl with no education or plans for the future, and in this, she struggles with the minimal daily tasks such as laundry and cooking. Sent to Westport, Washington, Piper and Hannah have three months to turn their lives around, three months wherein Piper will fall in love, and Hannah begins to reconsider her own future back in LA. Piper had never considered calling Westport her home, and had plans to return to LA when her ‘sentence’ was over but fixing up her late father’s bar, and falling in love with our story line hero, gave Piper pause for the future, a future she had never stopped to considered. Brendan Taggart is a Westport townie, having grown up living and working on the sea. Widowed seven years earlier, Brendan had yet to move on but meeting Piper Bellinger gave Brendan hopes for a new future, a future involving our story line heroine.

The relationship between Piper Brendan begins acrimoniously as Brendan is unable to see beyond the trash and flash of our story line heroine but something about Piper stirs our story line hero, and Brendan is the first to fall for the woman who is beginning to make herself at home. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense.

We are introduced to a number of the local Westport citizens including Brendan’s friend Fox; his former father in law Mick Forrester; Piper and Hannah’s grandmother Opal Cross; Abe; Piper and Hannah’s step-father Daniel; Piper’s ex Adrian, and her LA friend Kirby.

IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER is inspired by the antics of Alexa on ‘Schitt’s Creek’, another social media influencer whose life experiences had never prepared her for the real world. The premise is entertaining and lively; the characters are spirited and sassy; the romance is provocative and energetic. Hannah’s story is next.



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I'm a big fan of Tessa Bailey, but I'll admit I was a little unsure about the premise for this book -- saying that the main character was inspired by Schitt's Creek's Alexis Rose made me wary, because I didn't want it to feel like fanfiction or some other kind of cheap retelling.

I'm SO glad I picked it up anyway, because once I did, I couldn't put it down. This might be my favorite Tessa Bailey book yet! Both main characters were so charming and multi-dimensional. I didn't want the book to end. I legitimately squealed at the end when I saw this is the first of a series!

Very sweet, funny small town romance. The Schitt's Creek reference is apt, obviously the Piper character is based on Alexis and while it took a little while for me to warm up to her, she won me over. Definitely recommend!

It Happened One Summer was such a fun story. It follows Piper after she gets cut off due to an especially insane party. She has to go to her father’s old bar in Westport and fix it up. Technically there wasn’t a concrete goal that her stepfather gave her outside of survive for three months and develop a work ethic. Because her sister loves her, she comes with (which side note Hannah really steals the show and I cannot wait until her book comes out) and they come to a dilapidated bar where Piper meets Brendan, a sea captain. At first, they clash and butt heads, however as time goes on, they get closer.
I never watched Schitt’s Creek, so I didn’t have the context of Alexis (who was the inspiration behind Piper) but this was such a joy to read that I actually started watching it. It’s not a surprise that I loved this story, I have yet to meet a Tessa Bailey book I don’t love. She writes incredibly engaging characters. I loved watching Alexis and Brendan’s relationship unfold, how she came to terms with the person she used to be and why she used to be like that and how he learned to let go of the past and try new things. Plus this book was very steamy. Tessa Bailey knows how to write a sex scene. Definitely would recommend this book.

This was a solid 4-star, movie-worthy rom-com and I highly enjoyed it and recommended it. The spicy bits are fiery hot, but also emotional and fun. The emotional bits were absolutely swoony and the sort to fill your soul with “awwws.” The central themes of being true to yourself, accepting yourself as you are but also being open to change and to adapting and to growth were lovely and heartfelt. The premise of a party girl socialite, Piper, being sent away to a rural community as an unprepared heiress to a rural bar, and there meeting the gruff townie fisherman with quick judgement and little patience, was very much on the Hallmark movies spectrum of plausibility, but I absolutely loved it and with the other great qualities of this book in spice, emotion and heart, I HIGHLY recommend this romance and am eagerly awaiting Hannah and Fox’s book!

I received an advanced copy of this novel from Avon Books through NetGalley.

This was my second Tessa Bailey novel. I read Fix Her Up and reeeeeaaaaalllly didn't like it but I wanted to give the author another try that wasn't the same series. I'm glad I read this one, though I'm not sure I'll give her a third try.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read. It's a fun premise with unique characters. However there's a lot of potential that goes undeveloped. The timeline of the whole story is only about five weeks which feels super rushed. For the length of the book, the author could have stretched things out longer to allow for more emotional development between Piper and Brendan. When Piper arrives in the small town, it's for three months, so there wasn't any need to force their relationship. A slow burn would have been more fitting.

I loved Brendan's backstory and how it played a role in his relationship with Piper. I also loved the Schitt's Creek inspired story, fancy Piper arriving in this fishing town and not knowing how to survive on her own. There's a lot of great humor and other touching moments between Piper and the other characters in the town who aren't sure what to think of her.

The sex in this book was MUCH better than the author's other novel I read. And there's A LOT of it. This story is also much more sex positive. In general the writing is weak and it's a lot longer than it needed to be.

Ultimately this is a story about place and finding one's own identity separate from "home", which I really liked.

4.5 stars

Thanks to Avon for my arc of this title!

One sentence review: I loved this fun summer romance that feels like Schitt's Creek met up with Deadliest Catch and had a book baby.

If you are looking for a light hearted beach read, It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey delivers 100%. The book centers around Piper, a spoiled socialite who gets in trouble at home and finds herself cut off from her glamorous LA lifestyle and sent to Westport, WA. Once there she runs into Brendan, a local sea captain and the two clash in the best possible way.

My thoughts:

- I really enjoyed the growth Piper goes through over the course of this book. Inherently she is a really kind person struggling to find herself.
- I loved Brendan. A protective, rough around the edges sea captain who builds things as his love language - yes please!
- It has been years since I watched The Deadliest Catch but I really loved all the references to the King Crab Season and just how profitable it is for fisherman.
- This book definitely delivers the steam. If you prefer your romances to be closed door, this probably is not the book for you.

So if you are looking for a fun, steamy, beach read - this one would make a perfect choice!
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I’m not one that typical likes when a book is compared to another book, TV show or movie. It tends to be a let down and not at all like the comparison. Sometimes I shy away from them for this reason. So when I saw It Happened One Summer was being compared to Schitt’s Creek I almost didn’t read it. I was worried that I would compare it too much while I read it. But after seeing so many readers I trust read it, I went for it and I’m so happy I did. While I didn’t find it like Schitt’s Creek I found it as a delightful joy to read. And I kept picturing Cher from Clueless as the main heroine instead of Alexis Rose.

It Happened One Summer is about Piper Bellinger, a socialite in California that spends her time posting pictures on Instagram and going to parties. She has the paparazzi constantly on her tail and she lives for it. That is until the night her current boyfriend dumps her and she throws an out of control party at a hotel roof top pool. When her stepfather shuts her off as a consequence of the party, Piper is sent to live (with her sister Hannah) to the small fishing town in Washington where Piper and Hannah’s mother and late father grew up, and run the run down dive bar their father owns. Completely out of her element and comfort level Piper tries to make the best of the situation, even when local fisherman Brendan seems to want to do everything in his power to make her want to leave.

First and foremost, It Happened One Summer filled me with such feels. It was a joy to see Piper make the best out of a situation instead of fleeing to the nearest form of comfort, a hotel. She really showed she was a force to be reckoned with and would not easily give up. Between herself and Hannah they managed to make Westport feel like home even if everyone looked at them as spoiled rich girls that didn’t belong. Piper showed she wasn’t afraid of hard work when given the chance and that she would not back down from a challenge. Especially if that challenge was getting the grumpy Brendan to like her. And did he ever like her. The two were such polar opposites and yet they just fit one another perfectly. On the outside Brendan was gruff and grumbly but really he was a sweet little marshmallow of a guy. As the two of them got to know each other every barrier they had careful placed around themselves just wilted away and it was glorious to read.

It Happened One Summer was my first Tessa Bailey read and it happened because I saw so many others reading it and loving it. And it almost didn’t happen because I was scarred of a comparison. I almost missed out of Brendan and Piper’s story and Hannah’s story which will be out in March of 2022. Don’t be like me. Don’t sleep on this book. And definitely do like I plan to and read more Tessa Bailey books.