Member Reviews
Piper is a spoiled socialite forced to leave Bel Air and learn the value of money. To say that Westport is less than welcoming is an understatement. Leading the charge to get Piper to leave is sea captain Brendan.
This is a perfect grump/sunshine love story. I couldn't help smiling to myself as I read it. At times funny, touching, poignant, and steamy, Tessa Baily has crafted a fun romance for the summer.
Piper starts out as an airhead party girl and transforms into more. The amazing thing is that she never loses who she is. You can still recognize the same character in page one and in the epilogue. Brendan is a gruff macho man but never crosses into Alphahole territory. The supporting characters are fully formed and I found myself wanting to know more about all of them.
I'm very excited for Book 2 - Hook, Line, and Sinker - coming next year.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy in exchange for a review.
This one didn’t hold my interest too much but I still tried to read it. Once I got to about halfway in with the ridiculous dirty talk I couldn’t take this book seriously and had to walk away.
Adorable! With never having a relationship thats lasted longer than 3 weeks, Piper, the Hollywood “it” girl finds herself in jail and takes a hard look at her life/lifestyle.
Now, I will be honest when I tell you I wasn't sure if I would like this book at all based on the first few chapters, but Tessa Bailey set it up for the rest of the story perfectly.
Piper and Brendans chemistry is HOT and they perfectly complete each other. It's the perfect romcom to add to your summer stack or read when you need a pick-me-up standalone.
4.5/5
this was a quick, fun, summer read! I enjoy this author and look forward to her future releases. I would be interested in reviewing anything released!
It Happened One Summer was exactly the feel good, swoonlicious romance my heart was needing. It checked ALL of my boxes and then some. I had a huge smile on my face almost the entire time and when I didn't, it was because I was swooning and fanning myself from the absolutely scorching chemistry between Brendan and Piper. These two. WOW. *bites fist* Tessa Bailey can really bring the heat!
Yes, It Happened One Summer is a romance, but it's also a story about home and finding yourself. Piper's character arc was so satisfying and all of her stumbles and missteps only made me love her more. The opposites attract/grumpy & sunshine and fish (no pun intended) out of water tropes worked so well between her and Brendan. I loved seeing the sparks fly between these two. The humor was balanced so well with the sweet and sexy. I could fill this entire review with how much I loved Brendan, but it still wouldn't do him justice. He was so thoughtful, giving, steadfast, and unapologetically himself. There was no pretense or subterfuge. His gruff exterior gave way to a cinnamon roll to the nth degree, and he was just so purely male. Don't even get me started on what he can do in the bedroom (or the wall, a kitchen table, boat, etc) I never stood a chance. Brendan Taggart is a no brainer for my book boyfriend hall of fame.
I loved the friendships in the book, especially the bond between Hannah and Piper. They always have each other's backs and it was so sweet how much they loved and supported the other. I'm so excited that Hannah and Fox will be getting their own book. I'm already counting down the days until I can head back to Westport! You definitely don't want to miss this book!
CW: death of parent (boating/drowning) and loved one (aneurysm)
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
Let me start by saying this is the first book in a new series by Tessa Bailey. There are two main characters. Piper is the first character we meet. She lives in California and she comes from a rich family. After an unfortunate event, Piper is sent packing to a small town in Westport, Washington. While there she meets Brendan. He is a local fisherman who is very set in his ways and nobody is going to change that, until, he meets Piper. What starts off as an extremely rude first meeting turns into a gradual friendship. As time goes by this friendship turns into something neither one of them ever expected. Throughout this story, you will meet a bunch of other characters that you grow to love.
I have to start by saying Tessa Bailey’s writing can do know wrong in my eyes and this book was no different.
The way the focus is on the character development throughout the story just makes the plot and romance even better. When I started the book I wasn’t sure about the apparent TSTL (too stupid to live) heroine, but of course I was not let down by the way the author peeled back her layers as well as the layers of the rigid and super controlled hero. As always, the spice was... spicy. Very spicy. But still so romantic and genuine (Swoon!)
Of course, the happily ever after made my heart sing! And I knew very early that some 2 of the supporting characters just needed their own story! Again, Tessa did not disappoint! (Hurry up 2022!)
Read this book! It was great!
After an outrageous media stunt that lands Piper in jail, her rich stepdad Daniel ships her off to a small fishing port, Westport to learn the value of the life she has. With her sister in tow, Piper and Hannah learn how to live on their own and become stapes of the small town where their father used to live. While most people are friendly, sea captain Brendan, doesn't think they'll last, but soon realizes there is more behind the money and makeup. They do say opposites attract and soon enough everywhere they look they're popping into each other and they actually might actually like each other. Can Piper make it on her own in this small fishing town? Or will she go running back to Hollywood to the party girl life she's familiar with?
Tessa Bailey does it again! I devoured this book. I couldn't get enough of Piper and Brendan. Did anyone else compare this to The Simple Life only so much better?! This book was just the right balance of steamy and substance. I didn't think Id ever find seamen sexy but get at me Brendan! The secondary characters were just as charming and important as the leads and I can't wait to see where the rest of this series takes me. I need more Piper and Brendan!
Hysterical, steamy, and heartfelt enemies to lovers. I was hooked from the very start, and the chemistry between Piper and Brendan was off the charts! I really loved the character development and how both Piper and Brendan grew on their own and together through the book. Highly recommend this one!
*I was sent an ARC prior to release in exchange for my honest review.
While I got the Alexis from Schitt's Creek vibe with the party girl intro, Piper seems a little more smokers rasp, seductive vibe over annoying voice, hand waving.
The plot follows a very Simple Wild feel with the burley, smoking hot working man and a little too into herself and Instagram socialite. I didn't feel like them ending up together in this town was totally plausible. I was willing to go with it for the steamy sex they had though! They weren't finding a real middle ground she was just giving up her life for a different one.
I did enjoy all of the different characters even the secondary ones!
I hated the girls calling it their p****, I feel like girl talk about sex would def happen but not usually with slang like that. And I don't get the "male" thing "how male", "so male", is it a new age phrase, was the author trying to make it a thing?? Didn't work for me.
Overall, I enjoyed the fantasy of Brendan and thought it was sweet how he doted on Piper and found even her flaws endearing. He seemed to have a relatable and real change in his character. Five stars to him.
It Happened One Summer was so fun! Classic Tessa Bailey with a perfect romcom, great character development and the heat factor was sizzling!
Piper and Brendan’s love story had growth and development and I enjoyed it so much!
Thank you NetGalley, Avon, Hapers Voyager and Tessa Bailey for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
.
QOTD: Do you like shellfish?
My A: Kinda... I was actually born deathly allergic to shellfish, something we found out when I ate some rice that had shrimp laying on top at 1. I quickly blew up like a balloon, turned blue and stopped breathing in the middle of Red Lobster. I've since tried lobster and crab with zero reactions but I refuse to ever touch shrimp again. Allergies aside, they just freak me out. 🤣🤣🤣
.
I've had this book waiting for me on NetGalley for MONTHS and I've been impatiently counting down the time until I could read it! I definitely have some thoughts, the first being... This book will not be for everyone. This couple will not be for everyone. I read but never finished her Hot and Hammered series. The issues I had with that book ended up carrying over to this one so I think maybe I'm just not vibing with Tessa Baileys style of writing, more specifically, the characters she writes.
.
While there was A LOT of potential for an amazing book here, I felt like the Enemies to Lovers plot lasted all of 4 pages and then they were just in love and having ridiculously kinky sex all the time. Which, to each the own, but it didn't fit with the story. I would've loved to see that tension and dislike played out a little more before they hopped straight on the relationship train. The characters would act one way then enter the bedroom and become totally different people and it just messed with the flow of the story. There were just some very cringey moments throughout but those are from my own personal issues like saying "baby" and "honey" every other sentence. I would honestly throw something at my guy if he called me baby that much, or honestly even once. 🤣
.
All of this being said, it's still a fairly good book with great chemistry and a fun set up for a series!
This is the perfect book for fans of Schitt's Creek! Even more generally, anyone who has a preference for rich, city girl meets rough-around-the-edges, stoic small town man, and they initially judge each other really harshly but you just KNOW they're going to fall in love. Yeah, this is that book.
Piper has been banished from LA following a scandalous pool party that ended in her arrest. Where has her step-dad and mom shipped her off to? A small fishing town where her biological dad was born and raised and been memorialized since his death when she was 4. The thing is, despite this being the hometown of her deceased father, neither Piper nor her younger sister Hannah have ever been there. But their parents think it's time the girls get a reality check and a culture shock to make them humble and, most importantly, bring some direction and purpose into aimless Piper's life.
As long as that sense of direction doesn't come in the form of a man, her mom warns. So what does Piper do? Flirt with the sexy, stoic crab fishing captain of course!
Of course, a lot more drama and secrets unfold in this small town before the story ends but it's really about watching Piper and Brendan's growth. When we meet them, they're both insecure and extremely conscious of how people's perception of them and their actions. Together, they both learn to relax, be themselves, and realize that they both deserve to be happy and loved in a relationship.
Ultimately, I think I'm looking MORE forward to Hannah and Fox's book. While Piper is the embodiment of Alexis Rose and we all love her, she's not exactly relatable (that's what makes her so fun). But Hannah sounds grounded, ambitious, passionate about music, honest and I'm totally going to read her book when it's released.
Small disclaimer: this book is saucy. Like, if you don't like descriptions of sex or hot and heavy scenes in your romances then maybe skip this one. If you're okay with that kinda thing, hell, if you seek it out, then this one is sure to please.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What a fun summer read! If you are a fan of Schitt’s Creek, this is right along those lines. Piper was a good balance of lovable and spoiled, and it was nice to see her growth. I loved that she stayed true to herself while becoming less selfish. Although I felt the romance was a little rushed, I did enjoy their relationship and the way they challenged each other. The background characters added so much to the story, but didn’t take away from the main story. Steamy content and language warning, possible triggers: death of a spouse/father, dangerous working conditions.
Thanks for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is the story of Piper, a social media darling that is the step daughter of a very wealthy movie mogul in LA. She continues to get herself into trouble and he decides to teach her a lesson after her antics end up landing her in jail He banishes her to a small fishing town in the Pacific Northwest and cuts off her finances. She and her sister are left to run their late father's bar with no idea how to even start. One of the first residents Piper meets is Brendan, a gruff fishing boat captain. They immediately irritate each other and interest each other at the same time. Their attraction is undeniable and they eventually end up hooking up. Piper learns that she is more than just a rich girl and learns the importance of connecting with people.
This book had really great characters and I loved the chemistry between Piper and Brenden. I just wished there was more story of Piper's growth and increase in confidence. I wanted more about them personally before they were a couple. The relationship seemed to move too quickly for me. This book is steamy, so be prepared!!
I enjoyed this book and was the first that I have read by the author. I look forward to reading more
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #ItHappenedOneSummer
My husband and I have watched Schitt's Creek all the way through twice. We love it. So, when I saw that this book was inspired by Alexis Rose, I knew I had to read it.
I wasn't disappointed.
I fell in love with Piper, Brendan, and the seaside town of Westport. I was invested in Piper's character development throughout the story, and I loved reading about her sister, Hannah, and the rest of the delightful secondary characters. I was elated to read that Hannah is getting her own book next!
The love scenes in this book were too much for me. The over-the-top dialogue, especially, made me cringe.
Thank you @avonbooks and @netgalley for an advance digital copy of this title!
This opposites-attract romance follows high maintenance Piper after her LA antics get her exiled to a small fishing town where she goes toe-to-toe with local sea captain Brendan.
I enjoyed this one and it's great for fans of Schitts Creek as Piper is similar to Alexis Rose's character. She is a social media influencer who only cares about fashion and likes on her Instagram, and everyone around her casts her aside as an airhead. She comes into her own and finds herself while in Westport, and learns to appreciate the simple life including the value of hard work and genuine connections.
I liked the relationship with Brendan, the grumpy local who couldn't resist the new girl in town no matter how hard he tried, and all the moments where he helped Piper see her worth. I also loved all the sisterly moments with Hannah. This was my first Tessa Bailey and it was a bit too steamy for me at times, but overall an enjoyable story.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Wow this book was great! I haven’t read a story that I loved this much in awhile. It was steamy, funny, romantic, and just down right enjoyable. Piper and Brendan are such a cute couple and the town of Westport drew me in instantly.
If you’re looking for a deeply romantic story I highly recommend this book! I can’t wait for the next one.
I was hooked from the first couple of chapters. I really enjoyed Piper and Brendan's story. The coastal town of Westport and the people who live there felt real. Be warned, this book is steamy, as you would expect from Tessa Bailey. It was perfect for summer. My favorite of hers so far! I'm looking forward to more about Hannah and Fox.
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the arc. I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Really enjoyed this fun and cute rom com. Just want I needed for a great summer read! Piper the spoiled brat and Brendan the small town sea captain are amazing examples of how opposites do attract. Cant wait for Hannah's book!