It Happened One Summer: A Novel

The first in a spicy and unforgettable rom-com duology from #1 New York Times bestseller and tik tok favorite Tessa Bailey, in which a Hollywood "It Girl" 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 sea captain 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 in this charming fish out of water story.

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 in this opposites attract romance, 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.

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One spare room in a backwater town. Two people who are polar opposites. And a connection neither of them saw coming.

  • Grumpy Sunshine: He’s a big, bearded sea captain who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. She’s a fashionable wild child determined to prove everyone—especially him—wrong.
  • Forced Proximity: Piper can’t escape the grumpy local in a town as small as Westport. He’s everywhere she turns, and the undeniable attraction simmering between them is getting harder to ignore.
  • Fish Out of Water: From rooftop parties to a shabby apartment with bunk beds, Piper is determined to prove she's more than just a pretty face by running her late father's dive bar.
  • Found Family: As Piper reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in the quirky Pacific Northwest town, she starts to wonder if the glamorous life she left behind is what she truly wants after all.

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Published Jul 13, 2021

416 pages

Average rating: 7.26

1,030 RATINGS

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✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *It Happened One Summer* is a steamy, feel-good rom-com with sizzling chemistry and a relatable "grumpy x sunshine" enemies-to-lovers vibe...

Chloë
Feb 19, 2026
6/10 stars
Cute little rom-com with hot sex, but nothing groundbreaking.

Book 1: It Happened One Summer - ⭐⭐⭐
Book 2: Hook, Line, and Sinker - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kiri
Feb 06, 2026
6/10 stars
It's fine, you could even say good in some points. The characters grow on you, but are one-dimensional. The story is too reminiscent of a Hallmark movie, but I enjoyed the seaside setting. The spice is decent.
TheLifeOfJello
Feb 04, 2026
7/10 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4-Star Review It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey It Happened One Summer is the kind of romance that pulls you in with humor, charm, and coastal vibes, then surprises you with unexpected depth and heart. Piper Bellinger starts off feeling like the classic spoiled socialite, but watching her grow in a small fishing town was honestly one of my favorite parts of the story. Her character development felt natural and meaningful, not forced. And Brendan? The grumpy sea captain with the softest heart. He was steady, protective, and swoon-worthy without being over the top. The chemistry between Piper and Brendan was undeniable from the start full of banter, tension, and very steamy moments that Tessa Bailey is known for. What I loved most was the setting. Westport felt alive. The small-town community, the harbor, the local bar, it all made the story feel cozy and immersive, like you were right there with them. The reason this is a 4-star instead of a 5-star for me is that some parts of the conflict felt a little predictable, and at times the pacing leaned heavily into the romance without exploring the emotional stakes as deeply as I wanted. Still, this book is fun, romantic, heartfelt, and perfect if you want a feel-good love story with spice, growth, and a grumpy/sunshine dynamic that absolutely delivers.
Ilovebookromance
Jan 24, 2026
7/10 stars
I loved this book especially the way Brendan treated her. It's beautiful but I kinda hate Sanders wife
Jilian Levinson
Nov 13, 2025
Robin's pick!

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