Book Review: It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

I can't begin to tell you how much I loved It Happened One Summer. It was so fun to read with super sexy and engaging characters. I loved Brendan and Piper and all the changes they went through as they find their path together. It was so swoon-worthy and I loved every second!

It Happened One Summer (Bellinger Sisters #1) by Tessa Bailey

Tessa Bailey is back with a Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com about a Hollywood “It Girl” who is cut off from her wealthy family and exiled to a small Pacific Northwest beach town... where she butts heads with a surly, sexy local who thinks she doesn’t belong.

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.

5 out of 5 stars

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!

Complimentary copy received from Avon Romance.