It Happened One Summer
By Tessa Bailey
Published by Avon
Book 1 in the Bellinger Sisters Series
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.
Age Recommendation:
18+
Genre:
Rom-Com
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey is the first book in her Bellinger sisters duology, and centers around Piper Bellinger, a twenty-eight year old socialite, and Brendan, a gorgeous, but grouchy fisherman. When Piper acts out by breaking into a fancy hotel's pool and throwing an insane party after an embarrassing break up, she ends up in jail. As punishment, she is cut off, and sent to Westport, Washington for 3 months, along with her sister, to run her deceased father's dive bar. As soon as she walks into the bar, she meets Brendan, and he makes it clear - she doesn't belong in Westport. Wanting to prove her stepfather, and Brendan wrong, Piper digs her feet in for the long haul. With Westport being a small town, and the more she runs into the gorgeous fisherman, the more she learns there is more to him than meets the eye. And he learns that Piper isn't just beautiful on the outside, but the inside as well. As she settles into small town life, and discovers her roots, she starts to wonder if she can let go of the glamourous life she had in LA, and make Westport - and Brendan - her home.
This book has been floating around on #booktok, and I do love me some Tessa Bailey, so when I was browsing Chapters with my bff, and saw it on a shelf with other best sellers, I decided to pick it up. And I am so glad I did. I. FUCKING. LOVED. THIS. BOOK! It's fun, with giggle-worthy dialogue, it's sweet, and hot as hell. I mean ... HOT. The smut in this book is A+. And unlike many books I have seen recommended on #booktok, it isn't just praised for the steamy scenes. The story is top-notch. The characters are wonderfully written, and the banter is awesome. And while it's definitely a faster paced romance than I typically enjoy, I couldn't put this book down, and sad when it ended.
If you are looking for a fun, sweet romance with lots of dirty details, I can't recommend It Happened One Summer enough.
The grocery store
Piper trying to cook spaghetti for Hannah, and the frying pan incident
Brendan stopping by before his fishing trip to install new locks on the doors for the girls, and dropping off take out menus, circling his favorite things.
Brendan getting Instagram. HAHAHA
Brendan arranging for foam to be put on the bottom bunk so Piper would stop bumping her head
Brendan comforting Piper after she crashed the memorial dinner
Brendan watching Piper make her coffee so he could memorize how she likes it
Their first kiss. Wow.
Um, their first date. WOW!
Piper rushing to the hospital to see if Brendan was okay, and I GOTTA HAVE YOU NOW HOSPITAL SEX OH MY GOD
Brendan putting a very drunk Piper to bed, and cuddling
The boat
Jean shopping
I love you
THE SEX IN THE HOTEL WITH THE MIRRORED HEADBOARD HOLY GOD
Love that Brendan kept eating spaghetti despite being sick of it because it made Piper happy to have him eat something she made
Brendan telling his father-in-law that he loved Piper, and going to get her back
Fox leaving the record for Hannah
Piper: "What about your job? And Sergei? You have good things happening here, Hanns. I'll find a way to cope. They must have sugar daddies in Westport, right?"
Hannah: "I'm definitely going with you."
Brendan: "Still here? Thought you'd be long gone by now?"
Piper: "Nope. Looks like you're stuck with me at least one more day."
Brendan: "Did you make peace with the mice horde?"
Piper: "Yes. They're making me a dress for the ball right now."
But when he turned the corner into the next aisle, she followed, trying to look like she new what she was doing by putting apple cider vinegar and lima beans in her cart.
Brendan: "Jesus Christ. Just what the hell are you planning on making with that combination?"
Piper: "Something to poison you with would be nice."
Later that night, Piper stared down at the package of ground beef and tried to gather the courage to touch it with her bare hands.
Piper: "I can't believe meat looks like brains before it's been cooked. Do everyone know about this?"
Piper: "That's your phone. I'm calling you so you'll have my number, too."
Brendan: "Oh. Right."
She cupped a hand around her mouth and whispered
Piper: "Should I be expecting nudes?"
Brendan: "Jesus Christ, Piper."
Brendan: "It won't let me just use my own name as my username."
Fox: "Yeah, probable because about nine hundred Brendan Taggarts joined before you."
Brendan: 'So what should I use?"
Fox: "CaptainCutie69."
Deke: "IGotCrabs4U."
Sanders: "SlipperyWhenWet."
Brendan stared.
Brendan: "You're all fired. Go home."
Fox: "Well?"
Brendan: "What does 'follow' mean?"
Deke: "Don't. Don't press it."
Brendan: "Too late."
All three of his crew members surged to their feet.
Sanders: "No. Brendan, don't tell me you just tapped the blue button. She's going to see you followed her. She's going to know you internet stalked her."
Brendan: "Can't I just unfollow now?"
Brendan started to tap again
Fox lunged forward
Fox: "No! No, that's even worse. If she already noticed you followed her, she's just going to think you're playing games."
Brendan: "Jesus. I'm deleting the whole thing."
Hannah: "Brendan no like Piper boo-boo. Brendan fix."
Piper: "Oh, shut up."
Brendan: "You're not going to outrun me in those heels."
Piper: "Brendan, please. Let me cringe to death in peace."
Brendan: "I didn't think you'd survive one night in that apartment. Piper, I wouldn't even have stayed there, and I've slept in bunks with unwashed men for weeks on end. But you stuck it out. And you smiled at me when I was being a bastard. You're a good sister, too. I figure all of that has to balance out your carrying around that ugly purse."
Piper sat up straight and spluttered through a laugh
Piper: "Do you have any idea how much this ugly purse cost?"
Brendan: "Probably less than I'd pay to have it burned."
Piper: "Brendan, I think this means we're friends."
Brendan: "Piper, I don't just go putting my arms around girls."
Piper: "What does that mean?"
He gave in to just a touch of temptation, tucking a wind-tangled strand of hair behind her ear. Soft.
Brendan: "It means I'll be around."
Piper: "Brendan. You still haven't posted your first picture on Instagram."
His sandwich paused halfway to his mouth
Brendan: "That's not required, is it?"
Fox gave her an exaggerated nod behind the captain's back, urging her to lie.
Piper: "It's totally required. They'll delete your account otherwise. I'm shocked they haven't already."
Brendan: "One day soon, Piper, I'm going to fuck you so goddamn hard. Going to fuck the word 'friend' right out of your beautiful mouth. You'll forget how to say anything but m name. Real quick, honey."
Brendan: "I'm going to starve to death without the taste of you."
Hannah: "Does Brendan make you feel like you need to change?"
Piper: "No. He even called my pussy high maintenance, like in a good way. I think he likes me like this. It's horrible."
Hannah: "Yeah, it sounds like the worst."
Brendan: "I'll add it to my list of talking points for tomorrow."
She groaned, her fingers playing with the ends of his hair.
Piper: "Tomorrow sounds like it's going to be a super-sexy good time."
Brendan: "We'll get to that after."
Piper: "Before."
Brendan: "After."
Piper: "Before and after."
Piper: "I'll text you. And don't forget about your shiny new nudes."
Brendan: "Piper, even when I'm dead I won't forget them."
Fox: "So what's the problem?"
Brendan: "I think the problem might be that I came to you for advice."
Fox: "Just ask me what you want to know. I'm actually pretty fucking flattered that you came to me. I know two things: fishing and women. And those two things have a lot of similarities. When you're fishing, you use bait, right?"
He pointed to his smile.
Fox: "I've got your woman bait right here."
Brendan: "Jesus Christ."
Piper: "We will have our sisters wax date! You know what? I booked it at a place closer to the convention center, because I assumed that's where we'd be staying. But I'm going to cancel it. I bet they have in-room waxing here. Let's splurge."
Hannah: "Location doesn't matter to me. Hair is getting ripped out either way."
Piper lunged for the phone
Piper: "That's the spirit!"
Piper was laughing at Hannah's disgruntled expression.
Piper: "Is it that bad?"
Hannah: "She didn't even warn me. Just rip."
Fox: "Who didn't warn you? Jesus. What happened since we left you."
Piper: "We got waxed. In the room."
Hannah poked her sister in the ribs.
Hannah: "Piper."
Piper: "What? It's like a basic human function."
Hannah: "Not for everyone."
Brendan: "I'm taking you shopping, honey."
Piper: "'No."
Brendan: "Yes."
Piper: "No, Brendan. This isn't necessary. I'd be just as happy watching them throw fish at Pike Place Market with you, and oh m God, I really mean that. I really, actually do."
Brendan: "Piper."
He dropped his mouth to her ear.
Brendan: "Spoiling you makes my dick hard."
Piper: "Why didn't you say so? Let's go shopping!"
Brendan tucked a finger in the center of her thong's front waistband and tugged it down, revealing that teasing little split, the nub of flesh just pushing her lips apart. He swayed forward with a growl, pressing his face to the lush flesh and inhaling deeply.
Brendan: "This is mine."
Piper: "Yes."
Brendan: "Going to spoil you with my credit card now."
He kissed the top of her slit.
Brendan: "Then have you sit on my face and spoil you fucking rotten with my tongue later."
Piper: "Brendan."
Butterfly wings swept her stomach when she knocked on his door, but the strokes turned languid and comforting the moment his extra large frame appeared in the entrance ... in gray sweatpants and a T-shirt.
And o-kay. Just like that, the advantages of this living arrangement were already making themselves know.
Piper: "Don't look at my boyfriend's dick print."
Piper: "Even if I forgive him, can I still march down there like a righteous bitch and make him rue?"
Hannah: "I would be disappointed if you didn't."
Brendan: "Mick. Your daughter will always have a place in my heart. But Piper owns that heart. She came here and robbed me blind of it."
Piper: "I just wanted to hear your voice so badly."
Brendan: "Then I'll talk until my voice gives out. I'll love you until my heart gives out. I'll be your man for a thousand years. Longer if I'm allowed."
Brendan: "First of all, you don't have to be tough. Not all the time. I don't know who decided my perfect, kind, sweet, incredible girlfriend needed to fit some goddamn mold,, but you don't. You just be Piper, okay? She's who I'm in love with. She's the only woman who was made for me. Cry if you want to cry. Dance if you want to dance. Hell, scream at me if you need to. No one gets to tell you how to act or feel when I leave. No one."
Fox: "Want to slow down a little, Freckles? I'm the only one who knows where we're going."
Hannah: "Really? You think I'm a 'Freckles'?
Fox: "It was either that or Captain Killer."
Fox: "You're pretty intense for someone nicknamed Freckles."
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