Hands down, this the best book I've read all year. My book hangover is going to last for awhile with this one. It Happened One Summer has been hyped by all my friends and it absolutely lives up to the hype. In a love letter to Schitt's Creek Alexis Rose, In Happened One Summer is her happily ever after.
Piper Bellinger is the typical LA party girl. With zero drive in her life to accomplish anything other than napping and a wealthy stepfather to bankroll her shenanigans, Piper is the definition of privilege. But when one night lands her in jail, her stepdad has finally had enough. To set her life in the straight and narrow, he sends her off for 3 months to Westport, Washington to live about the dilapidated bar that her dead birth father once own.
When she arrives in Westport, Piper is not so welcoming greeted by a band of king crab fishermen, including Brendan. With a rough exterior and zero tolerance for crap, Brendan doesn't find Piper's high maintenance act charming at first. As the two work together to give the No Name bar a face lift, the sparks start to fly. But when Brendan yearns for forever and Piper sees everything as temporary, what will happen to their hearts?
Brendan is such a grump, set in his ways, but incredibly loyal and vulnerable. As he continues to cope with the grief of his wife's death, Pipers insertion into the town completely shakes him up and I fell in love with his character. He showed major growth throughout the book, stepping out of his comfort zone to meet Piper halfway. The scene where he takes off his wedding ring had me sobbing. It was so raw with emotion and reflection. I love that he was described as a man that came with a whole roll of caution tape around him.
Piper is so Alexis Rose and I was there for every minute of it. She is painted as a dingbat with a tough exterior, but deep down, she struggles to identify her self worth. She has this softness to her that only Brenden seems to be able to decipher. As she spends more time away from LA, she starts truly seeing herself for the first time and I loved how she allowed herself to struggle with growth, but was open to love.
Together, Brendan and Piper are perfection. Both are learning to lean into the scary. They were simply made for each other. Brendan sees through all Pipers defenses and calls her on her crap. Piper challenges Brendan to live a little and go more with the flow, instead of being paralyzed by anything out of the ordinary. Because Brendan is all man and put together, he's the perfect person to settle Piper down. He knows what he wants and isn't afraid to work for it, even if it's a challenge.
Overall, I loved the book and cannot wait for Hannah's book next. This is a super steamy read with amazing character development and explosive chemistry.
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