I am a longtime Tessa Bailey stan, and if there's one couple she knows how to write, it's a grumpy alpha man and a quirky woman. She's even written a blue collar hero and socialite heroine before.
IHOS is an absolutely masterful leveling up in the trope. If I picked one word to describe this book, it'd be vulnerable: Brendan isn't just grumpy, he's processing his emotions about his relationship with his late wife and the feeling of responsibility he has towards her memory as he moves on. Piper isn't just wild and fun, she's navigating how to raise her expectations for herself when no one has ever expected anything of her before -- and has made it clear that she's not capable of much. Together they're figuring out how to merge two very different lives and where to compromise.

At the beginning of the book, Piper comes across as a vapid influencer, after the finer things in life. I'm primed to not like this kind of character, the kind that gets dropped into a small town scenario and has never heard of sneaker. Bailey nuances Piper's character, developing her into someone who unashamedly likes a nice pair of shoes but who's not afraid of manual labor and getting a bit dirty.

Something I found particularly compelling about this book is Brendan's commitment to not being a dick. A pet peeve of mine is when a hero is a jerk to the heroine, but the whole community is like "Oh yeah Jerkpants, we love him!" Piper and her sister call him out for being rude to them, and it forces introspection. He realizes he doesn't want to be an ass, and that he's got to work through whatever feelings are making him react to her like that. A rejection of toxic masculinity!! We love to see it!!

Tessa Bailey is doing some really smart and thoughtful work with IHOS, and it's a clear example of her growth as a writer. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

I thought I would enjoy this book, but I was not impressed with the main character. I realize one was meant to dislike her and then like her at the end, but I couldn't get past her snobbyness.

I LOVED this book. Truly one of the best romances I've read so far. The characters were brilliant. I loved that Piper was based on Alexis from Schitt's Creek but was still very much her own character. The romance was sizzling. I can't wait for the sequel!

A fun small town coastal romance . I loved this book so much, it had depth and great chemistry. This had everything I love in a romance, especially the small town vibes. I cannot wait for book 2 that releases next year.

Loved it! I've loved every book by Tessa. I related to Piper pretty well so it was easy for me to connect with the main character of It Happened One Summer. And Brendan, agh.. can I meet a Brendan somewhere?

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins.....

I'm so sad, this is my first DNF.... I tried..... I just could not get myself into the book.... Character development and 3rd party narration - I just could not concentrate on it.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this.

This book was so so good. It is a perfect opposites attract and enemies to lovers romance. Piper is a rich girl from LA who moves to a small town with her sister, Hannah after an incident that led her to a night in jail. She meets Brendan, a local fisherman, who is a widower and her total opposite. There is so much chemistry between Piper and Brendan and a lot of steamy scenes.

I couldn’t put this book down. It was inspired by Schitt’s Creek and Piper is just as likable as Alexis Rose. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it but it was one of my favorite romances of 2021 so far. I can’t wait for Hannah and Fox’s book next.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for this ARC!

Review: it Happened one Summer

Before I get into the review, I just wanted to say huge thank you to #Netgalley and #HarperCollinsPublishers for this ARC! I’m really enjoying the opportunity to read and provide reviews on these advanced read copies ❤️

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In this story we are introduced to socialite Piper Bellinger who is one of LA’s most famous party girls. After pulling a stunt that lands her in jail her stepdad (famous movie producer) ships her off to Westport, hopeful that Piper will appreciate the value of money while she’s cut off from her allowance. In Westport, Piper immediately catches the attention of one of the local fisherman Captains, but he seems more annoyed at her entrance than enthralled with her beauty: enter an angsty “enemies to lovers”- ish trope.

I thought this was a cute story and Piper’s ditziness does become endearing at some point, but I had such a hard time with her! Brenden’s character was real and the storyline moves seamlessly, All in all a cute read and solid 4 stars!

This is my second Tessa Bailey book and let me tell you, this girl writes some serious STEAM. These scenes are not for the faint of heart 🔥x10

I thought this one had so much promise. I. Was. Wrong.
I struggled through it. The sexual overtones that were often unnecessary for the story. I wish they focused more on the girls roots, some character development than the crass language trying to get the main characters piper and Branden off. I’m far from prude but it was not what what I wanted in this book.

Piper comes from a rich family, so she has no care in the world. At twenty-eight the only things she has accomplished is how to party and take selfies. She is a socialite and attends a ton of parties. Her longest relationship has been three weeks. When her boyfriend breaks up with her at a party, Piper feels humiliated and gets the idea to break into a hotel to have a party. The party gets out of control and Piper is arrested. Her stepfather is very disappointed in her and exiles her to a small beach town in the Pacific Northwest. Her and her sister go for three months since their biological dad who passed away when they were young owned a bar that was left to them. While there, Piper meets Braden, a hot fisherman who she butts heads with. Will sparks fly?
I really loved the character growth of both Braden and Piper. They both had some major flaws and with one another they were learned to be over come. This book was a fast read and was just so good and cute. Also, this book is spicy as heck. I loved the town and the people in it. This book was great, you have to pick it up.

This was a fun and great read that I could not get enough of once I started it. This enemies to lovers read was at times funny and heart breaking. Piper and Brandon were well written characters with amazing chemistry and funny banter. I enjoyed this book from the start and I look forward to seeing where this series will go in the future.

Another winner by Tessa Bailey! At first I thought I would dislike the heroine but I was wrong, she was wonderful.

I absolutely LOVED this book. As somebody who is a HUGE fan of Schitts Creek, my hopes were high for this book filling my Rose-family shaped hole, and this book succeeded and more.

This book is so much more than just a rom-com. It's a tale of learning who you are and how to love and take care of yourself when you're separated from the resources that did it for you your entire life.

The romance in this book is wonderful. It's a very similar dynamic to one you might find on the show Schitts Creek, and I can tell the author took some heavy inspiration from there, especially with the main characters akin to Alexis. I'm absolutely obsessed with this book, and will definitely be buying once it comes out.

I absolutely loved this one. Loved the character growth, loved the way I could feel the setting as if I was there, loved the fabulous side characters, and loved the insanely amazing and sweet chemistry of the main couple. Piper had all the sparkling traits of Alexis Rose but also added so much that made me love her even more. Pretty much every scene was a treat. And I can’t even look at Ted and Mutt right now. Brendan is one of my favorite heroes I’ve ever read. And I’ve read a lot.
Hands down one of the best books of 2021. I literally cannot wait to read Fox and Hannah’s story.

I expected this to be a cheesy, cute, summery romcom. And boy oh boy is it so much more than that!

A spoiled snobby rich girl and a down to earth structured fisherman come together in the most unlikely of matches. The Growth that you see Piper go through is so so beautiful. Her relationships with all of those around her (Hannah, Opal, Abe!), her joy and positivity and infectious energy, you wonder how all those people never gave her a chance before.

The last 25% of the book broke my heart and rebuilt it. And it was more than worth it.

I liked how this is set in on a coastal small fishing town. Think the tv show "Deadliest Catch." So I love how this is a bit unique with Brendan being a fishing captain and Piper a Hollywood “It Girl.” They are pretty much opposites attract, but Piper has reasons why shes in the town of Westport with her sister Hannah and Brendan has a relationship past that I don't want to spoil, but again unique. Tessa still has her steamy bits in here. Now I can't wait for Hannah and Fox's book!

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I’ve been reading Tessa Bailey for several years (her Hot & Hammered series was the one that got me back into romance novels) and she never disappoints. So when I saw she had a new book coming out, I jumped at the chance to read and review it. And my goodness, this book delivered.

We start as an enemies-to-lovers and fish out of water romance, tropes I very much enjoy, but the hate part doesn’t actually last very long. Piper goes through a lot of emotional growth, helped along by Brendan, who himself has to learn how to love after spending years mourning the death of a wife he never truly loved. Brendan is a well-written, complex character and I like that he is written with depth and isn’t just a surly, grunting neanderthal, like so many romance leading men.

There are a lot of comparisons to Schitt’s Creek and I think they are fairly applied. Piper is very much an Alexis type, though Alexis had multiple seasons to overcome the shallow party girl and Piper’s transformation is much more rapid. Both characters have definite insecurities, which their party personas help hide, and both have to let down their guard enough to find out what they really want and who they truly are. What I like most about Piper is that while there is emotional growth, her core personality never really changes that much. The new better her is still her, not a completely different person.

Bailey’s books never lack steam but this one left the rest in the dust. Bailey is great at writing sexual tension, then delivering on the deed without lacking words. If you like the action to happen off the page, definitely skip this book because the author doesn’t leave out any details in the bedroom.

The dialogue is witty, and I really loved Piper’s relationship with her sister. Based on the sneak peek, we will get a book about Hannah in 2022. All in all, this was a really fun book to read. I couldn’t put it down because I needed to know what would happen next. If you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced, steamy rom com, this will be the book for you too.

Inspired by Schitt's Creek, It Happened One Summer follows two sisters banished from their posh, LA lifestyle to a small, fishing community in Washington state. Piper and Hannah go to run their father's dive bar and learn what it means to have responsibilities and the value of a dollar. When Piper arrives, she meets Brendan, a sea captain who spends weeks trolling the ocean for king crabs. They are complete opposites, but might help each other grow in ways they never expected.

I really liked It Happened One Summer. I found the characters to be enjoyable, and I even liked the background characters more than the main characters. It was interesting to read about the king crab fishing and the opposites attract romance between the main characters. Piper's character development was great to read, but Brendan's was even better. I wish the ending was better, but I can understand why what happened, happened. The romance was heartwarming and I got thorough enjoyment out of it.

This book has a LOT of steam in it. Definitely considered open door, and if steam or spice are not up your alley this book may not be for you. In my experience, it is more explicit than average for this genre - which is great for me but I know not everyone likes that.

**Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

Where do I even start?! From the serious Alexis Rose vibes to the perfection that was Brendan, Tessa Bailey was magical in her development of the leads. More than just a cute romcom (and it definitely was), It Happened One Summer was a beautiful reminder that was is portrayed on the surface isn’t always accurate. Thanks to NetGalley and Tessa Bailey for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion. Cant wait to read Hannah’s story next!