2021: #70 – It Happened One Summer (Tessa Bailey)

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Series: Bellinger Sisters #01
Published by Avon on July 13, 2021
Genres: romance, contemporary romance
Pages: 397

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. 

Piper is a spoiled rich girl whose response to getting unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend of a few weeks at a party is to break into a hotel’s rooftop pool deck and throw an even bigger party. When she gets busted and affects one of her stepfather’s entertainment deals, he gives her an ultimatum. She must go to the Pacific Northwest and spend 3 months out of the spotlight at the bar she and her sister unknowingly inherited from their father. If she doesn’t do it, he won’t pay her substantial legal fees. Piper reluctantly agrees, and not wanting to leave her on her own, her sister Hannah volunteers to go too.

Westport is a small coastal town full of fishermen and their families, and the bar and apartment above it leave a lot to be desired, especially for a girl who doesn’t remember ever being without money. And the townspeople don’t seem to be thrilled that they are there, especially Brenden, a grumpy widowed boat captain who doesn’t need a spoiled rich girl hanging around and ruining their dive bar. A series of misadventures leaves Piper questioning her worth and searching for a way to show her stepfather that she is capable of taking care of herself — with a little help from her friends.

This was cute and steamy and fun to read. The supporting cast is just as great as Piper and Brenden are, and I look forward to Hannah’s book!

I read this for the following reading challenges:

• 2021 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge — a book about do-overs or fresh starts

Other reviews:

• “It Happened One Summer is a book pure of romance and chemistry! I cannot wait for the story of Piper’s sister, Hannah and Brendan’s best friend, Fox!” — Elena’s Bookblog
• “This is such a sweet read, full of fun moments, but still with a lot of heart. There are so many scenes that had me laughing out loud, but I have to give a special shout-out to Brendan’s introduction to Instagram for the sole purpose of stalking Piper, under the guidance of his friends and fellow fisherman. So freaking funny!” — The Escapist Book Blog
• “All in all, was this book fairly predictable? Yes. But did I love going along for the ride and meeting these characters? Hell Yes. I actually pre-ordered the physical copy of this one – I’m excited to be able to shelve it, re-read it, and lend it out to friends when they’d like a good summer read! Or if they are looking for a book about a big, bearded boat captain who is ripped AF and despite a recent lack of sexual partners seems to be very much on top of that dirty talk and need-you-now sex-capades… that IS a little specific but really doesn’t everyone want a little bit of *that guy* in their literary collection, even if we don’t know it yet?!?” — Under the Covers Book Blog