It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey: My Review of this Grumpy Sunshine Romance

It Happened One Summer was the perfect book to read this summer. Check out my book review to see what I thought of this new romance book release from Tessa Bailey and if it’s the perfect summer read for you.

*Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Piper Bellinger may be a fashionable influencer, but when her wild child reputation goes a bit too far and lands her in the slammer, her stepfather cuts her off.

Hoping to teach her a lesson, he sends her off to Washington to run her late father’s dive bar where she meets a big surly sea captain who instantly knows she doesn’t belong in their small town.

Brendan figures Piper won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills even if there is an undeniable attraction between the two opposites.

Piper is determined to prove everyone wrong and can’t risk any distractions, including the feelings she’s beginning to have for the sailor.

This was the perfect book to read this summer! I loved it and only want more of Piper and Brendan!

Congrats to Tessa Bailey for this book’s nomination as one of the best romance books of the year according to the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards.

OMG, for my first Tessa Bailey book, I have to say that I hit the jackpot. After reading the synopsis, I knew this story sounded so good as I love opposites attract romances, but I was so surprised how much I fell for these characters.

Piper is a 28-year-old and living her life off her stepdad’s Hollywood money. She shops all day and parties all night, documenting her exploits on Instagram.

Honestly, that type of heroine does not appeal to me in the least, but Bailey had me totally loving this girl. Instead of rolling my eyes, I was just smiling while envisioning Piper in a grocery store asking Siri what to make for dinner because she was completely clueless with the concept.

While she does seem shallow on the surface, Piper’s earnest in her desire to find her usefulness when she’s forced to leave her glam life and make it in a fisherman’s town in Washington state.

Brendan was also quick to judge Piper but soon came around to love her as well. He too was a complete surprise to me but one I absolutely adored.

This surly boat captain is set in his routines and with one glance totally dismisses Piper as the ditzy, city girl. And yet it’s her “Piperness” that he totally falls for in such a genuine way.

I loved seeing him fall under her spell and become captivated by who she is. He doesn’t want to change her in the slightest which is what endeared me to him the most.

What really made me fall for this book boyfriend however was how much of a dirty talker Brendan was! Oh man, I did not expect that but he was so HOT!

Besides the amazing character development, there is just so much to love about this book. You get a small town cast of characters, a brewing side story for book two, and a great, opposites attract love story all with Bailey’s amazing writing.

I don’t hand out 5 star ratings often but this one definitely deserves it. I highly recommend this as the perfect summer read. Now I’m off to read more of Tessa Bailey!

*Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Book Lists with this Book:

• Best Romcom Books That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud
• Best Beach Reads to Read This Summer
• Best Summer Reads of 2021
• The Best in the Grumpy Sunshine Trope
• Best Small Town Romance Books
• Romance Books to Read if You Liked the Barbie Movie
• Tessa Bailey Books in Order
• New Romance Book Releases Coming July 2021
• 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards Nominees for Best Romance

Related Reviews:

• Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
• Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey
• Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey
• The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey
• Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey

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