Bailey certainly pulled no punches with this one. A romcom in the most basic sense, but beneath the layers there was so much more.
I adored the relationship between Piper and Hannah. Not only did it give each of their characters some dynamic, but it also was just cozy to see two sisters come together in the face of adversity and see what kind of magic they could make.
More than that, though, I loved Piper and Brendan. Not only as a couple, but as individuals experiencing their own personal growths. It was beautiful to see how each one adapted to one another, and how they kind of balanced each other out.
I think this may be my favorite read from Bailey.

You ever read a book you’re so sucked into that you never want it to end? That was this one for me. I’m so sad it’s over. I might immediately go read it again.

Piper is super likable and definitely reminds me of Alexis from Schitt’s Creek. Brendan screams “manly stereotype” but is a huge teddy bear and just someone I’d love to hug in real life. Plus, he kind of reminds me of my husband, which is a plus 😍

This book is super sexy and steamy, but also full of “awwww” moments that make these characters jump off the page.

Everyone go preorder this one immediately!

Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read this one early.

Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father’s dive bar... in Washington.

Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can’t do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that she’s more than a pretty face.

Except it’s a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn’t want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan—and this town full of memories—may have already caught her heart.

As always, Tessa Bailey does not fail in her novels. This Rom-Com was full of laughter and tears and angsty romance.. Opposites to attraction per contemporary romances. As far as HEA books go, this was one that shot quickly to the top of my list.

Piper had me rooting for her and Hannah from the beginning, and then Brendan came along and it got even better! A fish out of water story done so, so very right! I just loved everything about it!

This fun little RomCom was just what I needed. I like all of Tessa's novels and this one did not disappoint.
The story was a little slow to start for me, but I enjoyed all the characters and watching Piper and Brendan battle it out. I enjoyed how quickly Piper was willing to adapt and grow rather than having to spend too long on her "spoiled brat" moments.
The sister relationship was strong and a lovely addition to make Piper feel more real.
The romance grew pretty fast, but nothing felt false.

This was my first book by Tessa Bailey and I really enjoyed it. After just binge watching Schitt's Creek for the first time (and a second and a third time), I'm obsessed with anything/everything having to do with the Rose family so when I saw that this book was inspired by our girl Alexis, I had to read it.

After being arrested and costing her movie producer stepfather a major investor in his movie, party girl Piper Bellinger is sent off to the quaint little fishing town of Westport, WA, where she was born and has inherited a run down bar from her long deceased father. With her sister, Hannah, in tow, Piper decides the perfect way to get back into their stepfather's good graces is by renovating the bar to prove that she can be responsible and care about something other than partying and being in the spotlight. Along the way, Piper meets grumpy fishing boat captain Brendan and forms new connections with the residents of Westport, leaving her wondering if she really wanted to go back to her old life or if she could be happy living in a small town.

The chemistry between Brendan and Piper is off the charts in this book. It's filled with hilarious and flirty banter and there are plenty of steamy moments. Not only is the romance great but Piper's overall journey was really fun to read. I'd definitely recommend this book and can't wait to read Fox and Hannah's.

Angst building, panty melting. Just another novel that describes the work of art that comes from Tessa, featuring a fierce character named Piper, and her soul mate of a grumpy yet sexy character named Branden...

The synopsis itself draws your name to the page and wanting to add this beauty to your TBR one hundred percent. And just the fact that it's a Tessa Bailey book speaks highly of itself. At least for me. I know what to expect, a grumpy sexy, handsome and possessive alpha that makes me drool and dream more and more of Henry Cavill every single day. And this fierce heroine of a character who knows exactly what she wants in life and so much more. When I first started meeting (reading) more of Piper, not going to lie, I was not the biggest fan. The way she was described as this preppy, and Hollywood a-list celebrity, having everything and being handed everything to the palm of her hand was not something that I found appealing to be honest. It's at a later line where she learns her true self, and finds that finding love and having a bond relationship with her sister is much more then having so many followers on social media.

Brendan, a seven year widower that had a guilt on his back of not moving on, finds himself in a contracting state of attraction towards not only Piper's sparky attitude and charisma, but also her way of being with others. This random stranger, comes to his town and takes it by a storm that he never encountered, no matter how many he has when at sea, Piper becomes someone to be reckoned with. It's at first that Brendan knows that messing "around" with someone like Piper was not a healthy move;
He'd ridiculed her at the outset. Now he wanted to fight off anything that made her sad..."

Once they both started opening up their hearts and breaking down the that wall, they start to realize that the urge that surrounds them to want to be together is so pure yet strong that nothing can break it apart. Nothing can break apart their "charging station" whenever they touch each other, hug each other, are in the same presence. And their physical attraction no matter what, is always off the roof of wanting more and more every time;
She writhed underneath him, trying to find the bottom of the pleasure well, but until his mouth landed on hers, anchoring her, she didn't realize... didn't realize the bottom of the well wasn't physical. She needed their emotional connection to calm herself down. Needed him, his hear, his Brendan-ness..."

Gosh this book had me turning with wanting more. And more we shall hopefully get! Hannah, Piper's younger and musical lover sister, alongside Fox, Brendan's best friend and crew mate are expected to have a story of their own which I am truly excited about. They have this bond to them, this friendship, and this attraction in which Fox is trying to admit to himself that he does not have but truly does that makes me rip my hairs with wanting their book ASAP! Hopefully we can all get their book soon as well.

A fun rom com presenting the surprising love story of a rather simple local guy with the current Hollywood It Girl. Will their love persevere, or will stereotypical thinking thwart their budding relationship?

This book is what happens when Alexis Rose stumbles onto an episode of Discovery's Deadliest Catch. We see Piper grow as a person and realize what she truly wants. I did want more closure with the stepfather and the agreement though. I am looking forward to Hannah's story!

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for sharing this ARC with me!

I've been a fan of Tessa Bailey's books since reading Fix Her Up and was pleasantly surprised to know she was releasing another one so soon after Tools of Engagement.

This book wavered between a 3.5 and 4 for me! I definitely enjoyed the writing style, romance, and the characters! It was hilarious to read about how Piper started out and her way of thinking. Granted, to imagine a 28-year old (same age as I am), behaving as she did was a little weird for me because it seemed so childish, but with her upbringing it made sense.

I appreciated the sister relationships between Piper and Hannah. It was nice to see them support each other and go back to their roots together. I liked watching them engage with the town so different from whether they came from. My favorite part of this book was Piper's journey. You can very clearly see how she evolves as a character and it was so great watching her build her own routine and relationships outside of everyone else. Brendan was hot (totally my type). His character arc was also nicely done and I appreciated how he wanted to support Piper and meet her in the middle, if not go above and beyond for her. Small town vibes are something I know well and I found it (annoyingly HAHA) accurate.

I think my one issue is the pace. For the most part, it was nicely done but some of the chapters felt a little like fillers that I think we could've benefited from having more time with Piper and Brendan building their feelings for each other. To me, it felt like it happened a little too quickly. I would have liked a little more of a slow burn but nonetheless, I really liked them together. Another eh moment for me was their first time together...time and place, people lol.

Overall, sweet read! I'm likely going to give all her novels a read as I like her writing style. I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

Joy. Joyous. Joyful. That's how I feel about this book. I have been a Tessa Bailey fan ever since reading Fix Her Up (and really need to go back and read some of her older work...) but this is honestly my favorite of hers yet. It's both sweet and sexy, romantic and quirky, fun and serious... it has it all! And it already strongly teases for a sequel that I have no idea how I'm going to wait for it!

When LA's Party Princess, Piper, goes one step too far and her stepfather pulls the pursestrings and send her back to her to the town she was born to learn the value of money and survive on her own. But soon Piper meets a shockingly handsome ship captain who begins to steal her heart... but can Piper cope with his dangerous job or will she find it home at home back in LA?

As said above, but worth repeating, this book was fabulous. As much as it is a romance (and it is sizzling, if you know what I mean), there's also a great show of sisterly bond and friendship between Piper and her sister Hannah, who comes with her on this journal to the seaport town. There's just so much heart in this book, and I love that we can see someone who, let's be real, WOULD appear spoiled to most outsiders, but is totally at home with and comfortable with herself that you respect her for it. It's a fun character you don't see a lot of.

I know Piper is inspired by Schitt's Creak, but I've never seen it (I know!) and you definitely don't have to to read the book.

This is one of my favorite rom-com reads of 2020 and it doesn't even come out until 2021! I know it'll remain in the top of my list next year, though...

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for my free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars - 10/10

I have to admit, at first I was not really a fan of Piper or Brendan. However, by the end of the book I was tearing up out of happiness. Both of them grew and changed over the course of the book for the better and it was so wonderful to read. I also really enjoyed how neither of them changed for the other person, but to better themselves which ended up bringing them closer together. Also, as someone who grew up watching tv shows about crab fishing with my dad, it was interesting to read a book that had a connection to that. Overall, I think this is a great romance read and I cannot wait for the follow-up book!

I adore Schitt's Creek, so when I read that It Happened One Summer was inspired by the hilarious Canadian sitcom of a wealthy family falling from grace and landing in a poor, rundown town I knew that I was going to love it. And love it I did. Tessa Bailey is one of my favorite authors so I don't say this lightly...but It Happened One Summer is better than her last three books combined--and I loved the Hot and Hammered series as much as a person can love books. That's how serious I am about the deep feelings I developed for the relationship between Piper and Brendan.

Bailey does a great job of creating a spoiled rich girl character who is not only relatable to the average, non-millionaire reader, but actually likable. She is dynamic and intelligent and knows how to market herself to stay in the public eye, but she's not without faults. I haven't enjoyed a heroine as much as Piper in a long time and I think a lot of that was due to just how much she changed as a person from the beginning of the read to the end.

Brendan is the grump that every grumpy/sunshine addict dreams of reading about. He starts off our story as a total asshole (yes, yes, yes) and has to grovel in a few different occasions (yum, yum, yum). Plus, as typical with a Tessa Bailey novel, the dirty talk from our filthy sea captain is literally some of the hottest words I've ever read on the page. But the best pat of his character development was that he had genuine reasons for his stubborn behavior that really made me feel for the man and understand him. I don't think I've ever wanted a hero to be real as much as Captain Brendan Taggert.

This book is genius. I honestly wept. Real tears. And I'm not a crier, so you know that there were some mad emotions happening between these characters. I cannot wait to read more about the town of Westport and am so excited for Piper's sister Hannah and Brendan's best friend Fox to get what will surely be a pretty dramatic book packed full of sexual tension and lots of music references.

I love Bailey’s writing. It’s so sweet and fun but also makes you want to cry.

I love Brendan, I just love him. I love the witty, grumpy men but also have a soft middle. Recommend this for fans of haters to lovers stories and lots of steaminess!

Sexy, steamy, and oh so satisfying! Tessa Bailey does it again. LA Instagram influencer Piper is sent to small-town Washington to clean up her act. There, she meets hunky sea captain Brendan and falls deep. Will she give up her luxurious lifestyle and famous friends to keep this fisherman company?

Let's just say it: Tessa Bailey knows how to write hot sex scenes. And fun banter. And likable characters. This is the fourth book of hers that I have read and they're four of the hottest contemporary romance novels I've read in the past couple of years. If you're looking for a fun romance, look no further. I can only hope this becomes a new series! (Hannah, I'm looking at you.)

Tessa Bailey tends to be a hit or miss for me (she's a FANTASTIC writer, it's just not for me sometimes) but I really liked this book. I loved the Schitt's Creek feel of it. The heroine was remarkably likable, despite herself, and the hero was the perfect amount of gruff. Also, those sexy times *fans self*. I can't wait for Hannah and Fox's story.

Tessa Bailey, you’ve done it again! I loved the hilarious banter between Piper and Brendan. They started out completely misunderstanding one another but slowly, after so many hilarious encounters began to go beyond appearances. Piper’s rich girl routine got tiresome at the end when her uncertainties and insecurities cloud her logic but with her sister and Brendan sticking by her side, Piper’s sweet and caring personality broke through. Brendan was super sweet but he became a bit of a romance book cliche down the line. Definite 4.5 out of 5!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC to read and review.

Finally with It Happened One Summer, I have been able to break my curse and read a contemporary romance all the way through. Tessa Bailey always presents us with great characters. Piper should be an unredeemable spoiled rich girl. But, somehow her true heart shines through and she redeems herself by going home to Westport Washington. There she meets Captain Brendan and they fall fast. Hot Hot Hot!

Light and fun, It Happened One Summer is a perfect summer read. Perennial party girl Piper gets into hot water when she crashes a swanky hotel pool with a few hundred of her closest friends. Exiled by her stepfather to her biological father’s quaint seaside town to learn just how good she has it, Piper and her loyal sister Hannah find themselves as the quintessential fish out of water surrounded by literal fisherman.

One of those fisherman is Brendan, a widower for whom the very town and people in it are reminders of a past he’s trying very hard to move on from. After an initial bad reaction to Piper’s high maintenance looks and lifestyle, Brendan soon grows a soft spot (and a hard something else) for this Hollywood hottie.

But Piper’s exile is only temporary and Brendan has to go back to sea. Can Piper really leave the party life behind for what she’s found in this seaside nowheresville?

I adore Tessa Bailey and her writing is always fantastic. I think my only gripe is that there is a TON of grief in this book, including dead fathers and dead partners. Not a ton of that emotional baggage is addressed and when Brendan does talk about his dead wife and his angst at being shackled to a ghost, it’s not particularly sympathetic. And she’s soon forgotten all together when the possibility of boning an Instagram model seems viable. I’m not sure Brendan being a widower adds anything to the story or his character other than making readers feel uncomfortable, particularly those who have lost loved ones and are struggling more than Brendan is. I'm not huge on content warnings, but this may have warranted one for their sake.

Tessa Bailey is one of my absolute favorite authors.

This book was so good, and reminded me of old-school contemporary romance. Piper and Brendan relationship was gradual, hot, and consuming. They were communicative and honest with each other. Piper as a character read a bit one dimensional, when she was in LA, in a way that I couldn’t empathize. The rich-girl influencer was hard to resonate with but when she moved to the small town, she grew on me.

Although the plot could use some work. It was a bit unbelievable that Piper’s dad would force them to move to small town, and then they renovated the bar with no money. The third act conflict with her leaving for LA right away since no one showed up was overdone. I think a stronger reason would be needed for her to leave than her step-father not showing up or no one showing up to the opening.