It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

Book released July 13, 2021 by @avonbooks

Thank you @avonbooks and @this_is_edelweiss for the ARC.

It Happened One Summer is the first in a series of at least two books about the Bellinger sisters. Piper is an LA socialite that gets into some hot water and is banished to the town of Westport with her sister Hannah to learn the ways of the world.

This fish-out-of-water, opposites-attract, small-town romance was full of tropes that should have charmed the pants off me, but for some reason, it didn’t.

Brendan’s alpha energy never subsided to a simmer, while Piper’s journey of self-actualization was so complete and so quick, that it gave me whiplash.

I liked the fact that early on Piper analyzes her need for social media validation. Both she and Brendan acknowledge that it is part of her personality and they both lean into her love of all things grand and a little self-absorbed. But, in the end, Piper dropped all parts of herself that made up that side of her. I was disappointed that instead of creating a balance, she discarded her original persona and donned a new one like a designer dress. It made me think she was just molding herself into the person she thought Brendan wanted, not finding her own footing.

Brendan’s journey of self-discovery is fairly short: admit that seven years is a long time to be single, try to please the girl he likes, growl, worry, buy last-minute plane tickets, growl some more.

This is not my first Tessa Bailey so I know she likes to write alpha men and the women that fall for them, so if that is your favorite trope, dive right in.

For me, this story lacked emotional depth, despite the insta-love between the main characters. I needed more well-rounded development to fall in love with these characters. It did make me want to go sailing or visit Seattle before it gets too cold.

It did not make me want to wear a slouch hat. -Sky.