Piper is an influencer but when she takes her wild partying a bit to far and ends up in jail her step-father sends her to the small Washington State town her mother and father were from. The only thing there is her father's bar and an apartment above it.. Piper and her sister know nothing about the town or their father and the bar is not what they expect. How is Piper going to survive without the parties, and shopping, and having to do things for herself? And then there is the grumpy guy, Brendan, who thinks she won't last the night. A story of Piper trying to figure out what she really wants and what makes a family.

After a party that went wrong, socialite Piper is cut off from her family and made to move to a small town. Upon arriving, Piper and her sister Hannah meet some of the locals, including sea Captain Brendan. But Piper is ready to get back to LA as soon as possible & the ocean is the love of Brendan’s life. What will happen when Piper’s exile is over?

Dare I say this is my favorite book from Tessa Bailey?!?! Wow I absolutely adored this book! Possibly my favorite thing (aside from everything) was watching Piper grow! I also loved how she brought quiet and grumpy Brendan out of his shell & cracked his hard exterior! And Brendan...hello new book boyfriend! He is so swoony & just perfect all around! Whew! Can we just mention the fitting room scene?! 🔥

If you haven’t already, be sure to drop this into your cart ASAP!

"What now? Do I leave everything behind and move to some random island to be with the love of my life? Because I did that with Harry Styles in England, and it was, like, too rainy." — Alexis Rose

As a person who finally jumped on the Schitt’s Creek train, I can say without a doubt this book has the essence of that show. Piper is the perfect Alexis. She’s come off initially as entitled, privileged, and extremely self centered. She’s THE “it girl”. The girl that everyone is envious of because everything seems to come to her naturally and every guy wants her on his arm because she makes him shine better. Piper is unapologetically original and owns up to who she is, though she is more than her high maintenance LA lifestyle. I thought I wouldn’t connect with Piper in the beginning, but quickly she shows you she is more than red sole shoes and high end bags. She’s empathetic, caring, and knows her strengths but tends to shy away from her own true self. She’s not at all superficial or condescending, but instead has a surprising vulnerability, maturity, and sincerity that makes her feel real and authentic.

At first glance It would seem as if Brendan and Piper were too different to even be considered as a match, but as the story progresses and you get to know the characters more, you can easily see how perfectly they fit. Piper isn’t confident in her real self. She constantly doubts her abilities to be more than the “it girl” and doesn’t see past the glittery persona. Brendan sees all the good that she refuses to acknowledge. They complement and bring each other to life while pushing the other out of their comfort zone. Brendan and Piper are comical but endearing. Both have a lot to figure out about themselves, and starting off with a friendship helped open them to honest conversations and own self analysis.

This is the steamiest book I have read. Though the author did push me out of my comfort zone, it never reached the point of crude or vulgar descriptions. The scenes were written with care and stayed true to the characters and the development of their relationship. There are times while reading other romance books the scenes felt over exaggerated or unnecessary in quantity, but this book has the perfect balance where the main focus wasn’t all about physical intimacy and focused on all the different layers of an intimate relationship.

While reading, the writing hypnotized me to the point where the world around me faded back and all I could feel and see was the pages in the story. The author's writing captivates you to the point where hours feel like minutes, characters feel like extensions of yourself, and you become so enthralled with the story as you savor every word. There were moments during the story that the writing kept me at the edge of my seat. My heart would race and my palms were sweaty with anticipation. This is a well rounded contemporary romance that goes above and beyond other books in its class. It's filled with unforgettable characters and a story that grips your heart till the very end. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

It Happened One Summer is a light romantic read about Piper, a spoiled socialite (think Alexis from Schitt’s Creek), stranded in a dusty sea town. After a legal snafu in LA, Piper’s wealthy stepfather has given her no choice but to move to the sea faring town that her deceased father once called home. Her sister Hannah, a kind and gentle soul, agrees to join her and the two of them are unprepared for the realities of “roughing it”. They expect a warm welcome and a quick and easy summer by the sea, but instead are met with hostility and confusion from one local in particular. Brendan is a handsome rough around the edges type who can’t stand Piper in the beginning. That disdain turns out to be mutual attraction and leaves Piper in a new predicament. Does she return to her life in LA or start over with a man who has the most dangerous job in the world? The same job that her father lost his life doing.

This book is a relatively quick read that keeps up the pace of most women’s fiction/romance. The romance scenes are written with a little extra spice, showing that Tessa Bailey knows how to write some steam! I also liked the description of the town and its inhabitants. By the end of the book I was loving hearing about the sweet elderly population and was thankful the book focused on other relationships besides Piper’s and Brendan’s. Piper and Brendan do have a relationship that I was rooting for and I appreciated the level of detail the author went to convey their different perspectives. There were moments where I teared up and it had a nice emotional journey.

To be honest, I did have some reservations about this book. Mainly about the character and plot development. I wish that the enemies to lovers trope could have lasted a little longer, I felt like the story kind of rushed into a relationship and later into bed/love/marriage without the foundation that it needed. I think if the characters had been allowed to breathe a bit, it would have made the storyline more enjoyable. I also felt like the characters did not seem well-developed. I had a hard time reading the dialogue without cringing at the broad brush used to write them. The character’s dialogue, actions, and sex did not seem cohesive. While reading it I wondered if perhaps authors just write 30 sex scenes and then copy and paste a couple to one book, a couple to another book, etc. It did not seem like the sex matched the characters.

Overall, this would be a great book to read on the beach this summer! I enjoyed reading it but would not recommend it to a friend. I would be open to trying other Tessa Bailey books to see how they compare!

I received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this. I had a hard time getting into it in the beginning as I really hated Piper. However, midway through the book I really started to enjoy myself. It’s really worth sticking through until the end even if the beginning is hard to get into. 4/5 stars

I wanted to like this book, I truly did... but it just didn't happen for me. I've read some of Tessa Bailey's other books and they were fun and spunky - this book just missed the mark for me. I felt like I was either rolling my eyes at the cheesiness or skipping pages because the scenes were too graphic and/or forced.

Piper's character seems very stereotypical "LA rich girl" and the frequent trendy quotes and references made it feel like I was watching an instagram story instead of reading a book. The relationship with Brendan felt forced and unnatural - things progressed very quickly. Some of the scenes between Piper and Brendan were unnecessarily graphic and over the top.

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have really been enjoy Tessa Bailey's books this year!

Like the Hot and Hammered series, It Happened One Summer features a fun heroine learning about herself, a strong sister relationship and all the steam.

Piper's life comes crashing down after a big party ends with a night in jail. She's banished by her stepdad to a small sea town to learn about herself and the value of hard work. She didn't expect to find love or a reason to put down roots in Westport at all.

Piper and Brenden were cute! Their banter and their ability to bring out the best in each other was a joy to read. This was a quick and fun escape from reality, just what I want a book to be!

CW: death of a parent/spouse

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tessa Bailey said in the front matter of this book that she was channeling Alexis Rose from Schitt's Creek and giving her the happy ending she deserved; that is exactly what happened in this book.

I think what I really loved about this book was even when in full socialite mode you could tell there was something deeper to Piper than everyone else saw. Her exterior was clearly an armor she wore to protect herself from others.

This is a HOT romance with quality adult relations.

I really enjoyed this read and was pleased to see Hannah, Piper's sister, will be receiving her own story. One thing I would have liked more from this book was more interaction from the parents of the girls. They seemed quite distant, but perhaps that was by design.

Piper Bellinger is just like Alexis Rose of Schitt's Creek - rich, spoiled, and suddenly, not so rich after all. When she gets arrested for hosting an illegal midnight pool party, her stepdad has had enough. Piper's punishment? A summer in the peaceful Pacific Northwest coastal town of Westport, where she lived briefly as a child before her father died in a fishing accident. Opposites attract when Piper meets gruff sea captain Brendan, and their friendship quickly heats up. Can this "fish out of water" find a real place to call home?

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and I also love stories where opposites attract. Piper was a little "extra" at first, but I came to find her very endearing and caring towards others. I really liked seeing her character growth over the course of the book. Brendan's gruff sweetness was a nice counterpoint, and I enjoyed how he helped Piper find herself and a place in the Westport community. The minor characters brought a lot of fun to the story, including grandmother Opal and charming old man Abe. Don't forget Piper's sister and BFF Hannah, who's rightfully getting her own book in 2022!

This would have been a 4 star read for me, but it ended up being closer to 3.5 due to the sex scenes. The scenes in this book felt very unrealistic, over the top, and unnecessarily graphic - including a scene in a hospital after one of Brendan's crew has been injured. I really liked Piper and Brendan's love story and seeing the nice things they did to support each other, but the sex scenes didn't add anything to the plot and even detracted from my enjoyment of the story.

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

<b>OMG THIS WAS SO GOOD! </b>

5+++ stars

Favorite romance I've read in a long time and I'm so happy about it! I'm also sad because it's over but I can't wait for you to read it when it comes out. There's also the hope of another book featuring our main character's sister which I'm excited about but not as much as It Happened One Summer. It was perfect and if you fight me on that, I'm going to ignore you.

In this cute & steamy romance, you'll meet Piper a famous Instagramer/influencer. Her step-father is rich and her whole life is all about taking the perfect picture, being seen and going out with people from the same circle in L.A. So when a stunt goes too far and her step-father tells her she needs to get her s*it together and find a purpose in life, she kind of have some sort of crisis about who she is and what she wants in life. When her step-father tells her she needs to go to Westport, the hometown of her dad who used to be a fisherman and died in an accident, Piper's first reaction is to refuse. But she doesn't really have a choice in the matter and ends up (with the support of her sister Hannah) in this small town where everyone knows each other and where she will meet Brendan. It's not love at first sight let me tell you! Unless you count the attraction that they both feel but will quickly ignore when they seem to hate each other's guts (and when Piper sees the ring on his finger because yes... Brendan is a widower).

However, as time goes by, things start to change. Piper starts to grow and is more brave and determined than what Brendan believed her to be at first. Brendan also will face his issues and starts to change his routines.

The tension, the chemistry, the dialogues, everything made me invested and I was shipping them so hard. The sex scenes were also great which was an added bonus.

Overall, <b>PICK THIS BOOK UP</b>, you won't regret it. This was my first Tessa Bailey book and I read someone mention that this was their favorite one so far so I'm curious about her other works. I might read one or two. We'll see!

<i>(Thank you so much for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

First of all, I love Tessa Bailey. Second, I love books based in Washington. Third, I fully enjoyed this Schitt’s Creek inspired romcom.

Did I go to Westport because I fell in love with it in this book? Yes. Did I take a picture at Westport's Marina because I am extra? Yes. Did I eat all of the seafood? Also, yes.

Now that it is out of the way. I loved this book! This is definitely an opposites attract, enemies to lovers story and is steamy. Piper has some amazing character development throughout the book and she has so much personality. Brendan is a sexy bearded fisherman and the captain of his boat. His heart belongs to the sea and his late wife’s grieving father. Piper and Brendans chemistry made for a wonderful love story.

Westport is a close community filled with so many different lovely people than she would have surrounded herself around in LA. Her sister, who goes to Westport with her, is the perfect balance to Piper and I hope her story is next!

Fun Fact: Westport is Washington's largest fish landing port. I love when you can tell that an author did a serious amount of research to put a book together!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Yesterday, I spent hours by the pool engrossed in IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER by Tessa Bailey - one of the many reigning queens of romance. This books was maximum s t e a m - no closed door anything to be found here. But it was also just an enjoyable read that focuses on a LA influencer and party girl, Piper, after her dad sent her to spend a summer in a small, coastal PNW town to learn to fend for herself. There, she mets a gorgeous, but seemingly moody, bearded, beanie-wearing, sea captain and fisherman, Brendan.

Again, the steam factor is high in this one and let’s just say I didn’t know if it was the Miami heat or the book get me all hot and bothered at the pool. It’s definitely five eggplants from me. 🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆

IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER is out July 13, so pre-order it now!

I wanted to love this book so much. I've read previous books by this author and fell in love with her writing.

But, this..... ugh I just wasn't a fan at all.

The beginning started ok between Piper and Brendan... loved the chemistry between the two right off. The sassy and banter between the two. Loved the enemies to lovers vibe. But, I feel like there wasn't enough of the enemies. We see them take off quickly with lovers vibe and was sad that we didn't get to see more of the enemies sassy banter.

Also, can we just talk about Piper. Can you get anymore stereotypical for a LA woman? Having all this money, privilege, and traveling in a huge circle of fame with her instagram followers. I was just really rolling my eyes at this. Maybe since I live in so cal? I don't know... just felt this was very stereotypical.

Also, the chemistry between the two. I was ROLLING my eyes so much. Come on can we talk about cheesiness? Yikes.. and the first love scene between them is in a hospital?! Oh god give me a break.

I honestly skimmed the rest of the book and just was such a let down for me. I've been seeing so many raving reviews for this one but I am in the minority as usual.

2.5/5 stars.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Avon publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 7/13/21
Published to GR: 2/20/21

A 4.5!
This was my first Tessa Bailey book but it definitely will not be my last!
“It Happened One Summer” was about a Hollywood It-girl, Piper, who after a night that turns out of control, gets cut off and sent to the small town of Westport. There she meets local fisherman Brendan, and as someone who doesn’t like change, he does not immediately take a liking to a seemingly high-maintenance Piper. Even though they are polar opposites, they eventually find themselves drawn to each other knowing it might not end well. As expected in the end they are faced with having to make a life changing decision. Do they each choose the life they’re used to, or give it up for a new life in the name of love😍? And, will love be enough?
This story had me swooning, smiling, tearing up, and even laughing a couple times! I felt the connection the two main characters had and was so invested in their story that it kept me turning pages until late at night wanting to read “just one more chapter”. I related to the character’s dilemma, they had valid concerns throughout the story. I loved their conversations and how understanding they were towards each other. Their interactions had me smiling from ear to ear! I can’t remember the last romance book that had me swooning this much! As cheesy as the ending was I loved and appreciated how short and sweet it was before they had their happy ending.
Most books have the end dilemma last for like a quarter of the last part of the story. But this one was short and it made me appreciate their love story all the more. I also loved the way the author wrote about the port town and how it was described. I really felt myself being there and perfectly pictured it just by reading how the author was describing everything without being too info dumpy. When books over describe things, most of the time I find my mind trailing off and I just end up skimming over it. But this book did not do that at all. I felt invested in every word from beginning to end.

The one thing maybe could have had more of a back story was Piper meeting her grandmother after not even knowing she still had one. I felt like one moment they meet and the next they had this great relationship for the rest of the story and thats it. It also left me wondering a little but more about the backstory of her family and I thought it would answer many other questions throughout the book but I guess as expected with a romance book, it was more focused on the connection between Piper and Brendan.

Overall I loved this book. It wasn’t one of my all time favorites but it was definitely the cutest one I’ve read in a while. I think I would read it again eventually when I find myself in the mood for a cute romance just to swoon over Piper and Brendan again! I have two other Tessa Bailey books on my shelf that I haven’t found myself reaching for before, now they will definitely be on my next TBR list!

I really like Bailey's books. It's very easy to fall in to one of her books and before you know it, it's 3 hours later and you've devoured the entire thing. Her characters always have great chemistry. I'm interested to see if she turns this into a trilogy like she did with the Hot & Hammered books and who the main character of the next one will be.

While there were certainly parts of this story that made me grin, and I'm willing to suspend my disbelief for the sake of a good story, this book asked a bit too much of me. While I could certainly believe that a strong connection could form between the two main characters, I just couldn't believe the intimate details (ahem) of their relationship to have any basis as far as the story world is concerned. Based on his backstory, Bailey's choices for his character made zero sense. The only reason I can see for making the choices she did is that she wanted super-hot sex scenes to form the spine of the story. I don't think it worked.

I honestly can’t put this book down and at same never wanted it to end so tried to read it slow. I failed I finished in basically
One sitting. I loved it. I love this author so much. I want to reread it right away. I mean an enemies to lovers with small town vibes grief and side characters I cared about. I’m sold. I also always love a book with dual POV. Thank you for that. This book is going to sell sell sell. I loved seeing them both grow as people and I loooove Hannah. What An amazing sister. I love opal. I love everything. And the slow build !! Thank you so much for sending me an arc, I can’t wait to tell people all about this book.

I was immediately ready to dive into this book based on the description alone. After reading it was Schitt's Creek inspired and the main character was loosely based of Alexis Rose, I was sold and going in with high expectations. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I didn't have that image going into it. Although not a perfect five stars for me, I did enjoy this book!

This was my first book by Bailey, but it will not be my last. And needless to say, I was not expecting how steamy the romance was going to be. Holy cow. She does not hold back, does she??

I enjoyed this heartwarming story and watching Piper's transformation in this cute PNW town and I am looking forward to reading more about Hannah and Fox's story also!

***Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book!

This is exactly what the world needs right now. An amazing story of two troubled humans set in a fishing town finding themselves, along with each other.

I loved Brendan and Piper. I assure you that you will as well. I am excited to read more about this cute fishing town and their characters.

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for gifting me this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first Tessa Bailey read (I know I know, where the heck have I been?!) and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a fun and easy read that I did in one day.

It Happened One Summer is about a Hollywood influencer type, Piper, who after throwing an after hours pool party is arrested and ultimately banished by her stepfather to her deceased biological father's town in the Pacific Northwest. Her sister Hannah joins along in solidarity and they are dropped off at a bar that was owned by their deceased father, although now it has been abandoned and run down and in desperate need of a good cleaning.

Mere minutes after being in town Piper is being snubbed and judged by local fishing boat captain, Brendan. He's been a widower for the last 7 years and like most of our gruff and grumpy main love interests he doesn't like change and doesn't appreciate the girls invading his town...no matter that their dad was a local legend. Piper and Brendan's relationship quickly turns (maybe a little too quick in my opinion) from enemies to lovers. The whole last three fourths of the book is all about a will she won't she stay in town after her punishment time is up.

I really liked the chemistry between Piper and Brendan and their steamy scenes were well written and not awkward or stunted. But most of all I probably liked the relationship between Piper and her sister Hannah the most. The way that Hannah was the younger sister but always stood up for Piper and encouraged her and helped her take care of herself was really beautiful to me and I'm really looking forward to seeing it again in Hannah's book.