My Thoughts: It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

It Happened One Summer
(It Happened One Summer #1)
by Tessa Bailey

Publication Date: July 13th 2021
Publisher: Avon Books
Pages: 416
ISBN: 9780063045651
Genre: Adult Fiction / Contemporary / Romance
Source: Netgalley Review Copy / Own

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Tessa Bailey is back with a Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com about a Hollywood “It Girl” who 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 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.

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. (Goodreads)

It Happened One Summer was hands down one of my most anticipated reads for Summer 2021, and this book was everything I didn’t know I needed and SO MUCH MORE. Not only is it my first 5 star read for 2021, but it’s definitely one of my new favorite romances as well!

Tessa Bailey is one of the first authors I checked out when I got back into reading romances again a while back, and she has quickly become one of my favorite authors! I have read quite a few of her books so far, and they just get better and better as they go along! I’m so glad to have read this newest book by her, and I am planning to read more soon!

So I really want to spend this whole review telling you “OMG THIS BOOK IS SO CUTE” over and over again, but I am going to try to contain myself and write actual words instead. But seriously, y’all … OMG THIS BOOK IS SO CUTE!

First, let’s start with the characters … Piper is awesome. She’s not the kind of character I would normally love when we first meet her in the book, but once you get to know the *real* Piper, you’ll definitely love her. Yes, she was inspired by Alexis Rose from Schitt’s Creek, and she’s that, yet so much more. She’s so great! And Brendan was just a big, adorable, grumpy teddy bear. A bit of an ass at first, but boy did that change. I loooooved watching the relationship between him and Piper grow as the story went along. It was so cute. And steamy… SO STEAMY.

There are some great secondary characters in the story as well, including Piper’s sister, Hannah… I mention her because she and Piper have the BEST friendship. I loved it!

The storyline for the book is very, very cute as well. Again, it was inspired by Schitt’s Creek, so if you like the show, you’ll love this book! (And if you haven’t watched the show, you totally should. It’s awesome as well!)

Once I finished this fantastic book, I was thrilled to discover that there is going to be a sequel! The next book in the series, Hook, Line, and Sinker, is all about Hannah, Piper’s sister, and Fox, Brendon’s shipmate! I am so very excited about this book … I already have my copy pre-ordered, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it when it releases in March!

Overall; Yeah… if you can’t tell by this super gushy review, I REALLY LOVED It Happened One Summer! I’ve been waiting and hoping for my first 5 star read of the year, and I couldn’t be any happier that it was this book. I am already planning my re-read soon … and will be reading again before the next book is released! Fans of Tessa Bailey, or of romance, or of Schitt’s Creek, or of love in general, DO check out this book asap! And I hope you love it as much as I do.

My Thoughts: Isn't It Bromantic by Lyssa Kay Adams

Isn't It Bromantic
(Bromance Book Club #4)
by Lyssa Kay Adams

Publication Date: July 20th 2021
Publisher: Berkley Books
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9780593332771
Genre: Adult / Romance / Contemporary
Source: Netgalley Review Copy / Own

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With his passion for romance novels, it was only a matter of time before Vlad wrote one.

Elena Konnikova has lived her entire adult life in the shadows. As the daughter of a Russian journalist who mysteriously disappeared, she escaped danger the only way she knew how: She married her childhood friend, Vladimir, and moved to the United States, where he is a professional hockey player in Nashville.

Vlad, aka the Russian, thought he could be content with his marriage of convenience. But it’s become too difficult to continue in a one-sided relationship. He joined the Bromance Book Club to learn how to make his wife love him, but all he’s learned is that he deserves more. He’s ready to create his own sweeping romance—both on and off the page.

The bros are unwilling to let Vlad forgo true love—and this time they’re not operating solo. They join forces with Vlad’s neighbors, a group of meddling widows who call themselves the Loners. But just when things finally look promising, Elena’s past life intrudes and their happily ever after is cast into doubt. (Goodreads)

The Bromance Book Club series by Lyssa Kay Adams is hands down one of my most favorite romance series at the moment. I have really enjoyed reading all the books as they have been released, but Isn’t it Bromantic is both my most anticipated AND my favorite book in the series!

To be honest, I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this story. If you’ve read the previous books, then you know all about Vlad and his sounds and smells. (ROFL!) Just going by those books, it was kind of hard to think of him as a romantic lead. But, Lyssa definitely pulled it off! Vlad is adorable and sensitive, and such a great guy, and I definitely enjoyed seeing this softer, (yet still very manly), side of him.

I also really liked Elena as well. I found her to be relatable in some ways, and it was interesting to see her character grow throughout the story. The relationship between her and Vlad was soooo adorable … and steamy … and I really enjoyed watching it blossom. The storyline was great as well … both with Vlad recovering from his injury and his secret project, as well as Elena and hers also! (There’s also a twist that I didn’t see coming!)

And, of course, it makes me so happy that all the characters from the previous books are once again in this new book. I love their bromance book club, and there are so many guys that still need their own books! And since there were quite a few new characters introduced in this new book, I have my fingers crossed that we will see some new stories for them soon. *please please please*!!!

Overall; I definitely enjoyed Isn’t It Bromantic SOOOO much more than I expected to! I was definitely intrigued before I started it, and I loved the story, and the characters, of course, and I really hope we get more books in the series. I would really, really love that. If you’ve enjoyed the previous books in the series, do check out this newest addition as well!

My Thoughts: Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (Audiobook)

Take a Hint, Dani Brown
(The Brown Sisters #2)
by Talia Hibbert
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: June 23rd 2020
Publisher: Avon Books / Harper Audio
Pages: 361
ISBN: 9780062941237
Genre: Romance

Narrated By: Ione Butler
Audio Length: 10 hours
ISBN: 9780062941268
Source: Own

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Talia Hibbert returns with another charming romantic comedy about a young woman who agrees to fake date her friend after a video of him “rescuing” her from their office building goes viral...

Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.

When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and ex-rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out, his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse?

Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf’s secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism. Before long, he’s tackling her fears into the dirt. But the former sports star has issues of his own, and the walls around his heart are as thick as his... um, thighs.

Suddenly, the easy lay Dani dreamed of is more complex than her thesis. Has her wish backfired? Is her focus being tested? Or is the universe just waiting for her to take a hint? (Goodreads)

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert was at the top of my list of most anticipated reads to check out this summer, and I, of course, dropped everything and started reading the book the moment it was in my hands. I have absolutely no regrets – this book was fantastic!

I was admittedly super late to the party when it came to reading Get a Life, Chloe Brown, the first book in the Brown Sisters trilogy, but once I finally read it, I was HOOKED, and I knew this was a book series that I was going to love. I adored Chloe and Red from the first book, and I was so excited to get started on Dani and Zafir’s story!

There are so many things that I loved about this book, but one of the main things were the characters. Dani is brilliant, and confident, and curvy, and SO much fun! (She’s also a vegetarian, like me, AND struggles with anxiety, also like me!) And then there’s Zafir, the romance reading, audiobook listening, emotions feeling Zafir. (Yes friends, he’s super dreamy.) Zafir has definitely earned a spot of my favorite fictional men list. When you put Dani and Zafir together, wonderful things happen!

I also really, really loved the storyline for the book as well. It’s the fake dating trope, and I don’t read nearly enough of those! Dani and Zafir are *really* good at fake dating, you’ll have a hard time believing that it’s fake. (Seriously, adorable!) I definitely need to read more books with this kind of storyline!

And while I own the physical copy of the book, I opted to listen to the audiobook for Take a Hint, Dani Brown, since I listened to the first book on audio. Both audiobooks are fantastic! The narrator for this book, Ione Butler, has a beautiful voice! Not only was her accent completely charming, but her voices for the characters were fabulous as well! I could definitely listen to her narrate books all day long, and I will for sure be checking out more audiobooks narrated by her soon!

Overall; If you couldn’t tell by this super gushy review above, I really, REALLY loved Take a Hint, Dani Brown! The characters were so much fun, and the storyline completely captivating, and I loved every minute of it. Now I will be over here patiently waiting for the third, (and final), book in this sister series, Act Your Age, Eve Brown, which is currently set to release March 2021. I am so excited for Eve’s story!