It Happened One Summer Review

Hello, all!

If anyone is on the hunt for the book of the summer, I'm pretty sure I found it in It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey. Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy! If you like Schitt's Creek and rom-coms, then you need to run out and pick this up ASAP.

Pub Date: 7-13-21
Adult - Contemporary

Piper Bellinger is notorious for being an LA party girl and social media darling. She spends the majority of her time shopping, rubbing elbows with celebrities at all the hottest clubs, and sharing every aspect of her luxurious life on Instagram with her millions of followers. After one bad post-break-up decision lands her in jail, her step-father finally puts his foot down on her excessive behavior. He cuts Piper off and sends her and her sister to a small fishing town in Washington to run their late father's dive bar hoping that she'll finally learn some responsibility.

It doesn't take long for Piper to realize she is way out of her depths. Most of the locals seem friendly enough, except for the bearded, giant, sea captain Brendan, who is counting down the days it'll take before Piper hightails it back to high society. Piper is not only determined to show Brendan and her step-father wrong but also prove to herself that she isn't the flighty airhead everyone thinks she is by renovating her father's old bar. The more time Piper spends in Westport, the more she starts to connect to this place, its people--especially the burly Brendan-- and her past, and realizes maybe there's more to life than follower counts.

I seem to have this issue with Tessa Bailey's books where I like the premise of them but something always seems to be lacking in the execution, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this. It was so addicting that I read it all in one go because I couldn't put it down. It was such a fun take on the opposites attract trope and I found myself unable to wipe the smile off my face the entire time watching Piper and Brendan butt heads. And what a hunk of man Brendan was, honey! He had me swooning from the start. I loved how exasperated he was with Piper but still managed to show her patience (even when she frustrated him to no end) which then turned into this tender sweetness which then ramped up to this wild attraction. Piper is very much that stereotypical spoiled rich girl at the beginning, and it was so satisfying to watch her come into her own and forge her path to fulfillment. I also appreciated how much research Bailey must've done into the fishing industry because she was able to use that to drive home just how dangerous Brendan's job is so you were just as nervous as Piper whenever he went out on these long trips. I still found Bailey's dialogue a bit cringy at times, especially in the steamier scenes, but it was a definite improvement from her others I've read and overall, this was just such a delight to read.

Rating: 5/5

Comments

  1. So glad I preordered this book- my copy should be waiting for me after work today!!

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  2. Glad to hear you enjoyed this so much! :)

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