It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

 

Summary (from the publisher): Tessa Bailey is back with a Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com about a Hollywood “It Girl” who’s 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. 

Review: Inspired by the character Alexis Rose from Schitt's Creek, this romance follows the story of Piper Bellinger who lives a party-filled life of shopping, parties, and paparazzi thanks to her stepfather's wealth. When a wild party lands her in jail overnight, Piper's stepfather cuts her off and orders her to return to her father's hometown and take over his old dive bar. Quickly, the small-town life has her bumping into a certain big, bearded sea captain named Brendan at every turn. As she quickly develops feelings for him and starts to feel at home, Piper questions whether she should pursue a life in Westport or return to her glamorous Los Angeles lifestyle. 

I loved the premise of this novel and the way it drew inspiration from a beloved television character. While Piper isn't nearly as witty and funny as Alexis Rose, she does have a lot in common with her. It wasn't hard to imagine anyone falling for Brendan since he is presented as basically the most handsome, caring, thoughtful man. (However, I was not a fan of the way he habitually wore beanies and had an extremely dangerous profession that kept them apart for stretches of time.) It was difficult to believe they got as serious as quickly as they did, especially considering his past history. 

This was the first novel I had read by Tessa Bailey and I was NOT expecting it to be quite as hot and racy as it was. The cover makes it look very rom-com and cutesy and it was! But it was also a very explicit romance novel. An entertaining romp and a good break from more weighty literature for me. 

Stars: 3