A grumpy and sunshine small town romance inspired by the Netflix series Schitt’s Creek. A sexy and addicting adventure about a surly fisherman falling for the rich Hollywood princess. The perfect vacation read filled with angst, opposites attract banter, and plenty of steam!

When socialite Piper Bellinger causes a scandal she is sent to her biological father’s hometown in hopes of teaching her a lesson. The instant Piper comes to town she run into Brendan, who thinks Piper won’t last more than a week in Westport. The two go rounds, but the more they spar the more their simmering attraction to each other can’t be denied.

There’s a lot of great chemistry between Piper and Brendan and what makes this a five star romance for me is the endearing moments between Piper and Brendan and the character growth by the end. Piper learns to rough it and Brendan is willing to move mountains for Piper. There is a lot of sacrifice and understanding in their relationship and the unfolding of their love story is paced perfectly. The setting, the steam, and the adorable small town characters made this a perfect summer read!

What an amazing story about your happiness in a total opposite place of what you expect. Piper and Brendan were fire together and I loved seeing their attraction grow from a sort of animosity to friendship to love. I fell in love with the town and now I am hoping we get more.

I believe this is my second Tessa Bailey book but I definitely need to get hopping on reading more. While it might seem light and fluffy because Piper really comes across as a light and fluffy airhead, there is some depth in her character. There is depth in all the characters and some of the side characters, including Abe and Opal were really delightful. Brendan and Piper both have some growing up to do and we see their growth day by day. Westport is absolutely a place I'd love to live and I DID feel like I might be watching an episode of Deadliest Catch lol. I loved watching Brendan really come to terms with his past and how he helped Piper flourish and come into her own.

It Happened One Summer was such a fun read! It was entertaining, incredibly sweet, and super sexy. I loved the Schitt’s Creek meets Deadliest Catch vibe in rom-com form. I adored Piper and Brendan and loved the ups and downs of them coming together. This was an absolute delight and I pretty much inhaled it.

I loved Piper and Brendan so much. I thought Piper was fantastic. I loved this privileged party girl who was forced onto a new path and really embraced it. I loved her meeting the gruff Brendan and the animosity and verbal sparring between them. I adored those moments when feelings start to change as they learn more about each other. I loved the undeniable chemistry and spark between them. Brendan was totally grumpy yet charming and had such a big heart, and I loved all the things he did for Piper. I loved learning about his hardships and watching him embrace change with open arms. Piper had a heart of gold and I loved how people were drawn to her and her infectious personality. I loved her coming into her own, finding her place, and seeing in herself what others saw, not just what was portrayed on social media. I thought there was a great build to it their relationship and I loved the tension of them fighting their feelings. There were so many swoon-worthy, incredibly hot moments, it was all really well done.

There are a lot of great characters in this and I enjoyed them all. I really liked Piper’s sister Hannah and how supportive she was. I loved their relationship and how they're dealing with being in their father’s birthplace and the important connections they are finding while there. I loved them working together, getting some closure and peace. I loved Brendan's crew and the playfulness they brought and I'm intrigued by his friend Fox. I cannot wait for his story with Hannah. There were lots of different townsfolk involved and I like what they brought to the story and all the relationships that Piper forged.

This story was just incredibly entertaining and I loved it all. It kicks off with fun animosity, then it's playful and flirty, and then it brings on the sweetness and the heat. There was a nice amount of emotion and some mild drama mixed in that I enjoyed as well. It had great descriptions and I really liked the flow of the POVs. I was excited while reading and couldn't wait for these two to get their HEA. I highly recommend this!

Top Pick

The summer romance I’ve been waiting for!

Bailey has done it yet again. Given me a story I could sink my teeth into with plenty of hella-hot steaming sexy scenes and tons of heart. Also, all the Schitt’s Creek fans are going to go be entranced because our heroine, Piper Bellinger is like a long-lost cousin of Alexis Rose.

Piper is a Hollywood party girl, raised with every opportunity to do whatever she wanted, but her only goal seems to be seen at one party or the next and post on her Instagram. Though her viewership is starting to drop and in a moment of temporary insanity after her latest fling dumps her, she throws a party that gets her thrown in jail and handed an ultimatum from her step-father. It’s spending three months, cut off from funds, and her birth father’s old hometown. Add in a run-down bar as her residence and the problems are just starting.

Poor Piper packs herself off with her sister in tow to the seaside town of Westport, and as the blurb states she meets the hottest King Crab fishing captain this side of the Pacific, Brendan. He’s the grumpy, bearded man of my dreams. Brendan is all stern, locked into his routines, and doesn’t need someone like Piper bursting in and ruining everything. She does though and Brendan finds himself lost in her thrall. She’s the siren bound to sink his boat and every single page of the fall is glorious.

I devoured this story so fast, smiled a ton, and had to fan myself multiple times at Brendan’s dirty talk. If Bailey delivers in one area over and over, it’s her heroes have some filthy mouths in the bedroom. Bless them. There is trope gold as well with the tortured hero, fish of water, and the great spin on opposites attract.

Outside of fabulous characters, the seaside Westport is a gold mine, with loveable secondary characters, plenty of charm, and lots of opportunity for romance. Pacing is spot on, with the focus on Brendan’s fall for Alexis amid her transformation from social influencer to a woman with a purpose.

Overall, if you’re going to read a book this summer, It Happened One Summer is the perfect rom-com to get lost in. I can’t wait for more from Bailey and she’s quickly rising to the top of my auto-buy list.

~ Landra

It sure happened one summer alright — it was this summer, when I got to read what will probably be one of my favorite books of the year?! Sometimes the stars align and a book just works SO WELL for you. Maybe I was in exactly the right romantic mood, maybe I just love Schitt’s Creek, maybe I’m suddenly now attracted to gruff Washington fishermen(?) I could not put this book down, like not even while I brushed my teeth. It was funny, wholesome, emotional, steamy, and basically everything you could want in a romance. Tessa Bailey, how did you do it?

What started as apprehension over Piper, a character initially painted as an self-absorbed Hollywood socialite, I quickly got into this story and realized how much depth she had underneath her filtered photos. And she did too, which was one of the most rewarding parts of this book. Piper is extra but exactly who she’s going to be — and ultimately doesn’t need to “change” to be loved or fit in Westport. She keeps all of her flair, but learns what it means to genuinely care for others and be cared for.

Another one of my favorite things about this opposites-attract romance is that Piper and Brendan actually communicate! So many romances fall on miscommunication as the main source of conflict (to be fair it often is) but not having to spend endless chapters on issues that could be solved if the couple just talked made this so much more engaging. And BRENDAN! A man who was so receptive to how Piper was feeling (in so many ways lol) He challenged her to be her most authentic self while working on breaking down his own walls. I had to actually set this book down a few times just to heavy sigh because he could just be too damn sweet. In short, I loved him and Piper and every emotion packed into this book. I really haven’t stopped raving or thinking about it since I finished.

4.5 stars

This Schitt's Creek inspired romance was so much fun. Who doesn't love a good fish out of water romance? Especially one starring a grumpy shrimp boat captain named Brendan.

This was my first Tessa Bailey book  and it was a wonderful—and steamy—story that brought more depth than I expected. Not only did we get this relationship filled with so much passion and chemistry, but there was also a story about sisters learning more about their roots. Piper and Hannah's relationship was so pure. They couldn't be more different, but care and support each other 100%.

Support was also a major component in Brendan and Piper's relationship. Two people who were also so different, don't understand the other's way of life—an LA socialite and a small town fisherman. However, they never tried to make the other one change. They embraced and supported their differences.

I can't wait to be back in this world with the sequel about Hannah and Brendan's best friend, Fox.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you SO much Avon Books for sending me an e-arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I've loved Tessa Bailey ever since I read the Hot & Hammered series (one of my absolute favorite romance series everrrr), so I was VERY excited when I saw this one was releasing. I just knew I was going to love it, and I DID. It was AMAZING.

I have not laughed while reading so many times before. I enjoyed every second of it! Loved the steamy scenes, the sister duo, the best friends. It was everything!!

The relationships in this were fantabulous. The friendships, the sisterhood. I LOVED it. This has me SO dang excited for Fox's book. You better believe I'll be racing towards requesting it once it's on Netgalley!

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: Fishing, Mystery Elements, Sisters Before Misters, Bros Before... Clothes?? 🤣🤣.

Piper is a socialite with a social media following. She doesn’t make a move without considering how it will look on social media. When a stunt goes a little too far, angering her stepfather, she finds herself on the way to her late father’s dive bar in Western Washington for the summer to learn some responsibility. She is out of her depths, but how hard could it be to run a bar? Until she steps foot in said bar to learn it is in a small fishing town, and hasn’t been run as a bar in a very long time!

Brenden, a local fisherman, is there when she steps out of the cab. He’s never seen anyone like her before, but also recognizes that her type will never last long in a town like Westport. He is gruff, no-nonsense, and isn’t looking for a relationship, much less one with someone who can’t wait to leave his hometown.

These two had sparks flying from the moment they met - though not always the hot kind. They could not have been more opposite in their first meeting. I loved Piper’s determination to prove her worth to her stepfather, even as she started to wonder if she really wanted her old life. Brenden’s ties to the town were complicated, and beyond simply being born and raised there.

As the summer continued and Piper found her footing in the small town, I loved watching the two of them dance around their relationship and the future. They had a lot to sort out, and Piper had a lot to figure out about herself before she could make any decisions, but the progression was a fun journey!

This was a fun, small town guy meets big city girl, opposites attract story. I loved the banter, the effort, and the arc for these characters. Piper didn’t arrive in Westport alone, and I can’t wait to see what was going on with her in the background of this book - because there is a story there!

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It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey is the start of a new series and was a fun and charming read. We have Piper, a Hollywood princess of sorts with a bit of a wild side and the oh so sexy, but grumpy Brendan who is all kinds of a protective alpha. When Pipers lands in some hot water, again, her stepfather decides its time she learns a lesson and sends her back to where her biological father lived and died to run a bar she inherited. Thankfully her sister goes with her.

On the surface, many see Piper as a spoiled rich kid, but there is so much more to her. And being in Westport teaches her so much and unexpectedly finds her place. At the start, Brendan only sees the surface of who Piper is, but as they get to know each other, everything changes. I loved their story so much. They were so good together, but can Piper see a future with Brendan? Another great read from the amazing Tessa Bailey.

Happy reading!

I don’t know much about Schitt’s Creek and the inspiration for this book, but I did thoroughly enjoy this novel. Tessa Bailey writes some excellent romance filled with sexy steam and I think romance readers will be pleased! I enjoy the immersion of the setting and the contrast of the character personalities. It makes for excellent chemistry and an entertaining romance to read. I’ve enjoyed Tessa Bailey’s works in the past, and I was very pleased with this as well. I will definitely recommend it!

The writing is fantastic, but it's deceptively marketed, The cute illustrated cover gives off fun rom-com vibes, which this story definitely has, but there's also some sexual content that pushes this book more towards erotica. Here on Netgalley the title info says "women's fiction", which this definitely is not and I would not shelve it as such in my library. I can see readers being blindsided. It's a fun story with some great character development, but will not be everyone's cup of tea because of the angry alpha hero and some sexual acts that are not the norm in your everyday contemporary rom-com novel (anilingus, for example). Personally, I did a lot of skimming and skipping parts because I do not enjoy erotica, but I know many people who devoured and loved this story. This is clearly a case of me being deceived by the cute book cover and the synopsis... and the marketing. lol.

I’ve heard so many great things about Tessa Bailey’s writing, so I just had to apply for it when I saw the ARC for this book on NetGalley. Now, I can honestly say that her writing lives up to the hype.
Inspired by Schitt’s Creek, It Happened One Summer follows Piper, a spoiled influencer with a wild reputation. When she finally takes things too far and gets arrested, her step-father decides it’s time that she learns a lesson, so he sends her—and her sister who refuses to let her go alone—off to a fishing town in Washington to live above the dive bar her late father owned.
Within five minutes of being in town, she meets Brendan, a gruff sea captain haunted by the memories of his late wife. Piper doesn’t want anything to distract her from her goal of returning home to LA, and Brendan is set on living out his life alone. Still, as they continue to bump into each other around town, a reluctant attraction builds between them that can’t be ignored.
When Tessa Bailey sat to write it, she said she wanted to give Alexis the happy ending she deserved, and Bailey does just that. It Happened One Summer is fun and flirty with a lot of heart. Within pages of their introductions, I fell in love with the friendly and bubbly Piper and the stern and commanding Brendan, and the chemistry between them is off the charts.
I also loved how immersive the town feels. It adds that community feel that I loved about Schitt’s Creek and provides a much-needed grounding element to the whirlwind romance between Piper and Brendan. Because while their romance is the heart of the book, It Happened One Summer is also about their grief. Piper and Brendan both have experiences losses that they haven’t fully explored, and with the help of the town and each other, they’re truly able to process those and move on.
It Happened One Summer is a perfect summer read, and I can’t wait to read the sequel about Piper’s sister Hannah, as well as the catalog of Tessa Bailey’s other work.
Thank you, NetGalley and Avon, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Piper and Brendan's romance is wonderful. I've seen that the inspiration for Piper was Alexis on Schitt's Creek. I definitely see Alexis, but Piper isn't quite as self involved as Alexis is at the beginning of Schitt's Creek. I think there is a lot of Cher from Clueless in the character's DNA. I appreciate that Brendan is a widower and it puts an even closer lens on his relationship since he's in a small town.

It Happened One Summer was not a book I was super excited to read, as it includes the "rich girl brought down a peg, meets hard-working boy" trope that I have a hard time identifying with, but I shouldn't have doubted Tessa Bailey; she once again delivered a highly entertaining and rich reading experience!

I was engaged within the first few pages when our Rich Girl was called out on some of her shallow behavior, and while she definitely makes some poor decisions in the beginning of the story, her journey to becoming a better self is realistic and captivating, while still being entertaining. I was pleasantly surprised by some truly deep plot points which just goes to show that I should never underestimate Tessa Bailey's writing; in fact, she's now in my Must Read Authors list!

I am one of those readers that has always been hesitant to dip her toe into the romance genre. But, after a recommendation to explore Tessa Bailey's titles, I have jumped in with both feet! I absolutely loved It Happened One Summer!

Piper Bellinger is an LA socialite whose job is to have an amazing social media presence and to entertain her followers with her antics. After a night in jail, she is shipped off to Westport, Washington by her stepfather with her sister Hannah in tow to teach her a lesson in financial responsibility. On day one she meets the brooding fishing captain, Brendan, and sparks ensue almost immediately.

Tessa Bailey's writing is entertaining, steamy, and I did laugh out loud more than once. At first, I had a hard time liking Piper, but her character and the gruff captain quickly won my heart. I can't wait for the sequel!

I received an ARC of the audiobook from Netgalley and Avon in exchange for an honest review. Piper is famous for being famous. After a public breakup of her longest relationship (3 weeks) she feels she needs to do some damage control, take back the narrative. So, she throws an out of control, illegal, rooftop pool party. What she didn't realize was that she had crossed a line. She's no longer in her early 20s, and her stepdad who funds her lifestyle feels she needs to grow up and prove she can be responsible. She's banished for 3 months to a small fishing town, where her mother and father had lived until her father passed away. When she and her sister arrive at her father's bar, to stay in the neglected apartment above it, they are met by the locals, including one grumpy, set in his ways, boat captain. Piper is determined to prove to her stepfather she *is* responsible, and decided to fix up the bar in hopes she can return to LA before the 3 months are up. What she doesn't anticipate is that grumpy captain, Brendan, being everywhere she turns, and the pull between them growing every time she sees him. She doesn't know how to react to someone who is straightforward and honest, someone who likes her for *her* and not what she can do for him. Can she have a casual fling with him? What will happen when it's time to return to LA? Will he be able to change his patterns and routines enough to let her in?

"This girl. He'd be keeping her. There was no way around it."
Piper was plucked straight out of Schitt's Creek, as if Alexis Rose was plopped into an episode of The Deadliest Catch. I loved the narrative moving back and forth between Brendan and Piper. I enjoyed watching both of these characters grow throughout the book. Brendan making room for changes in his steady life, and Piper seeing that she is so much more than what she has thought, that she has so much to give by just being herself. I absolutely loved this book and all the characters. Brendan refused to play any of the games that often go with dating, but was always straightforward and honest about what he wanted. Piper formed connections with people she'd only known weeks that were stronger than the ones she'd had in LA for years. The banter and the chemistry between the two was on point. And the steam... This is definitely a steamy book. This is my favorite Tessa Bailey book to date. I would recommend this to fans of Schitt's Creek, contemporary romance, and steamy novels.

It Happened One Summer is a contemporary romance about socialite Piper Bellinger reeling after a fall from grace. Following some bad choices, Piper finds herself stuck for the summer in the small town where she was born, where she might find more than she bargained for.

Our story begins when Piper is dumped by her latest boyfriend, a guy who tells her that she’s about as substantial as a champagne bubble and not as interesting. A public break-up is not great for a reputation, so Piper takes the natural next step: she throws a huge, wild, and highly illegal party. When she gets caught, Piper is forced by Daniel, her disappointed stepfather, to face the music, and the consequences are unthinkable- at least for Piper. Daniel exiles her to her late father’s hometown of Westport, with limited funds. Hannah, Piper’s little sister, volunteers to join her, but two girls who can’t boil water might be out of their depth in a sleepy fishing town far from the bright lights of Los Angeles.

Brendan is worlds away from the guys Piper runs circles around back home. Their first encounter reeks of antagonism, so despite his handsome exterior, Piper knows she should steer clear of the rugged fishing boat captain. Besides, a gold band clearly marks Brendan as married, and thus off-limits. Piper can only hope that his antipathy for her isn’t reflected in the town’s entire population. Having lost their father very young, Piper and her sister want to take this opportunity to try to understand the man they never knew, and Westport is the key.

In reality, Brendan is a gruff, routine-following widower, still wearing his ring out of a loyalty to his father-in-law, rather than his wife. Instantly attracted to Piper, Brendan knows he has to keep her at arm’s length, and so he can’t involve himself in her messes, not even when she can’t navigate a grocery store or nearly starts a fire. Despite his best efforts, Brendan finds himself falling under the spell of this strange new addition to his hometown. Piper feels the attraction too, but a lot of obstacles stand in their way. Piper tries to confine their connection to a purely sexual one, but she can only lie to herself for so long. Brendan knows that being with him would require Piper to make a lot of sacrifices, and he’s not sure a guy like him would be worth it. Between them, they have to work through a lot of baggage to see if what they have could be forever.

This is a great read, and surprising in a lot of ways. There’s room for there to be grief in this book- both of the main characters have lost someone important to them - but the story isn’t about grieving and death, it’s about healing and moving on. Piper and her sister start off with no connection to their biological father, and part of their journey together is getting to know the town where he lived and loved. I adored the relationship between the sisters. You can tell that they truly care for one another, and there is never any tension between them about the choices they make, they are a team. Hannah goes out of her way to help Piper when Piper isn’t even sure what she wants, and she supports her sister through thick and thin. They are also incredibly different people, but each respects those differences in the other. It’s a wonderful, supportive sibling relationship and really adds dimension to the characters and the story.

In general, the cast of characters is stellar; the citizens of Westport each leave an impression and feel very grounded in their town. The only ones who fell short for me were Daniel and Maureen, the girls’ mother and  stepfather. While we do get a little bit from Maureen about her grief and healing following their father’s death, very little is said about her and there isn’t really any sense of closure about her daughters coming to peace with their father’s life. I was also kind of surprised that we didn’t get any conclusion with Piper’s stepfather either. It was Daniel’s idea that Piper spend time in Westport to cool her heels, and it is unsatisfying that there isn’t any resolution to the conflict in their relationship. Given that Piper seemed to desire his approval and for him to feel pride in her, I would have liked some kind of affirmation from Piper’s parents of her worthiness.

While at first I wasn’t a fan of Piper the Bratty Heiress, she quickly charmed me. She's a lot more than she appears to be, and I love that she doesn’t stop being herself for a second. A lot of narratives about rich kids are about coming to love the more wholesome life, and Piper does appreciate Westport, but she doesn’t stop loving sequins. Piper doesn’t have to change to find herself, and I loved that. She and Brendan have great chemistry on all levels, and I love that they both get to have the things that make them happy, without making huge sacrifices for each other. Brendan also gets a great arc; he really opens up to Piper and talks to her about things that matter, and that leads to him being more open with the other people in his life. The book has a strong emotional backbone, and that holds everything together.

Overall, I loved It Happened One Summer. It would be an A, if not for the lack of closure with Piper’s parents. I highly anticipate the sequel!

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent retailer
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Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

I LOVED this book. It Happened One Summer is about Piper, a rich social media influencer, who is cut off by her stepfather after landing in jail following a crazy night of partying. He forces her and her sister to spend three months in the small Pacific Northwest beach town where her father and mother lived prior to her dad’s death during a fishing accident. When Piper arrives in Westport, she immediately bumps into a hot, brooding fisherman and you can see where this is going.

I love how this story is pitched as a Schitt’s Creek-inspired romcom. The storyline is amazing and Piper is the perfect main character. I laughed out loud many times over her goofiness and I loved her and her sister’s relationship. The romance has the enemies-to-lovers trope, so I was, of course, obsessed. This is by far my favorite book of Tessa Bailey’s and I will be impatiently waiting for the sequel. Highly recommend adding this one to your TBR before it publishes on 7/13/21!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tessa Bailey’s It Happened One Summer is an absolute delight and probably one of my fave books for the year!

Famous for being famous à la Paris Hilton, socialite Piper Bellinger is shuttled off to a small seaside town after being arrested for breaking and entering and throwing an impromptu pool party for hundreds as you do. It’s a last straw for her stepdad as her hijinks threatens his movie production and she has three months to prove herself in the small town of her birth - and the town where her fisherman father was killed.

Piper is a fish out of water (heh) and the locals are less than impressed by her and her sister. Especially, grumpy ship captain Brendan.

This is where Tessa Bailey absolutely shines! Piper’s character development unfolded so genuinely as she gained self-confidence and found worth in herself. This was mirrored by Brendan as he learned how to let go of the past as he absolutely TUMBLED into love with Piper. There’s nothing I love more than a head over heels hero and an oblivious heroine ! 😂

This whole book hit all my emotional sweet spots while keeping me giggling.

I absolutely cannot wait for Piper’s sister, Hannah’s book next!!