It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: Print, Paperback

Pages: 385

Start Date: May 13th, 2023

End Date: May 18th, 2023

My Ratings

Overall: ★★★★

Character Development: ★★★

Ending: ★★★

Spice Level: 🌶🌶

Pace: Quick

Recommend: Actually, yes

Summary - Goodreads

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. 

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.

My Thoughts - Contains Spoilers, Continue at Your Own Risk

I've said it before, but for good measure I'm going to say it again - I do not research any book that I read. I do this for two reasons, one: I don't want to be influenced by any other reviews & two: I don't want to stumble upon any spoilers. So when I tell you I was SHOCKED to learn this book was smut, you'll have to believe me. What do I classify as smut? More than one detailed sex scene will do it. Is that the actual definition of smut? Psssh, I don't know - but it is to me, let's move on. You'll notice that I gave it 3 peppers on the spicy scale, my reasoning is simply this, it's my first one & I'm not sure exactly where it would land once I've read others in this genre.

I'm as surprised as you are (if you've been following along, you know that I tend to prefer Thrillers & Historical Fiction) that I liked this book. I dare say that I'd reccomend it. Is it the most realistic? No, but I'll be damned it's entertaining. It was fast paced, maybe even a little too fast paced at times but that's a hell of a lot better than some gross drawn out love story. Who has the time for that?

Did this book make me blush? You betcha! I've got to hand it to the author, she is ... descriptive? 😅 Job well done in that department & thankfully no mention of heaving milky bossoms (understanding my perseptions of romance novels yet? Ha!) Could you make a drinking game of how many times Brendan's boner was restricted against his jeans? Um, yeah & you'd be wasted if you're a lightweight such as myself.

Now to talk about the freaking book. Piper is a socialite, 28 years old with zero skill. Annoying, right? Already hate her. Her punishment for being useless & essentially treating someone else's property like a dumpster fire is to be banished to her hometown that she know nothing about? Not to cast stones at parenting choices, but why the fuck would her mother try to erase history of her father just because her heart hurt that he died? If she loved him, wouldn't she have wanted them to know him? Even if only through memories? Instead she was like "sorry babes, new man - new me" Gross. They literally never talk about how Piper & Hannah were given their step-father's last name, but are aware that he is their step-father? Seems bizarre to me.

Moving on, there is a lot of fluff about growing to love Westport & the people in it, becoming self succifient (is she really though?) . . . . Blah, blah, blah. Let's get down to the brass tax, this ever intense love affair between Piper & Brendan. I was for sure rolling my eyes, right until his true colors were exposed. What do I mean by that? He was angry at her, all because she maybe wanted to still go to this party being thrown in her honor & because she cared what her step-father thought of her progress? I personally thought he was selfish as shit in that moment, like you two have known each other for a freaking month - let's not go making forever plans before you hear her fart, okay? I appreciated that he changed his tune in the end, went true "rom-com" essentially holding a boombox in the middle of a crowd saving her from what she thought he wanted. Is it the most groundbreaking story? Absolutely not, but I'd be a liar if I told you I didn't like the fairytale aspect of it just little bit. I think it's human to want to be wanted or desired & Brendan did that for Piper.

I'm Curious

1. What did you think of Piper & Hannah's mother? Would you have strong feelings if your mother raised you with literally zero knowledge of you father? Assuming he was a good guy?
2. Did you get the vibe that Mick truly believed Brendan needed to hold a candle for his daughter forever? Maybe I'm daft, but I didn't think he cared that much 🤷🏼‍♀️
3. Did Hannah's presence seem pointless to you? Other than her character being there to help give insight into Piper's life without relying on innermonoluges?
4. Do you read smut? This book has piqued my interest, so leave the ones you reccomend in the comments!

Next Book: Hook, Line, & Sinker (Bellinger Sisters Book 2)