If you loved Schitt’s Creek, then Tessa Bailey’s new rom-com needs to be on your TBR list. It Happened One Summer has some serious Alexis vibes, if Alexis ended up in a fishing town instead of a hotel in the middle of nowhere.

Piper is a Los Angeles socialite, thanks to her mom’s second husband being a wealthy movie producer. But when her attempt to divert attention away from getting dumped lands her stepfather in trouble, he cuts her off and sends her back to her long-forgotten hometown. She and her sister are tasked with figuring out how to make it work on a small budget while living in what used to be their father’s bar.

When Piper and Hannah arrive in Westport, they find a group of locals bar squatting (yes, I just made that up). Brendan notices Piper immediately, but thinks she’s a worthless airhead. Piper makes her own assumptions, and this novel follows them learning that people aren’t always what they seem.

Brendan is a grumpy fishing boat captain, which means muscles for days and a whole lot of occupational danger. Piper doesn’t really want much to do with him due to losing her fisherman father to the sea when she was a child. There’s a lot of hidden issues between the two, but time and chemistry overcome a lot of things.

It’s a steamy read, as per usual for Tessa Bailey. I mean, her Hot ‘n’ Hammered series is what turned me into a romance reader.

It Happened One Summer gets five stars from me. In my initial notes on this one, I jotted down that the worst thing about this book is the title. (Truly, there were so many better options out there! Missed opportunities. Sigh.)

I just hope this series gets a better name and doesn’t just play off the title of this first installment. Whatever it’s called, I cant wait to read the next installment, which looks to be focused on Piper’s sister Hannah.