Reviews tagging 'Child death'

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

9 reviews

vj_thompson's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Cute rom-com book. The characters were lovable. I forgot how much I love Tessa Bailey’s writing!! I thought the relationship moved very fast and the small internal battles were resolved quickly. Overall, a cute summer read 💕

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myhandmadehell's review

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I am not really sure what to say about this. I’ll start I guess by saying that I am aware this book scratches a lot of itches for a lot of people - but as I learn more about myself in my romance reading journey, I have learned that this kind of story - specifically these kinds of people - do not scratch any itches I have. 

What I liked:

The character voice (both for Piper and Brendan) was very good, consistent, and specific to each person. I laughed out loud several times at each of their internal perceptions and clever little phrases. For example, a passage I highlighted:

“Was he annoyed? Yes. Did he want to be anywhere else in the world? No. And that was fucking frustrating but apparently it was what he enjoyed now.”

It was overall humorous, and I enjoyed the setting and the story set up. Hannah in particular, Piper’s sister, was a great character: supportive, loving, protective, but also her own person who didn’t need to emulate her sister in order to love her or be loved by her. 

The spice was plentiful and explicit. That’s how I prefer it so the book did not disappoint on that front. I’ve heard Tessa Bailey is referred to as “the queen of dirty talk” or something - some reviews here indicated that the dirty talk was cringey and awful, but I found it was fine at worst, pretty hot at best. 

What I didn’t like:

Just their whole relationship really. Every conflict they had came from Brendan being incapable of having a relationship. I don’t hate a possessive MMC but possessive doesn’t have to mean abusive - and yes I said it, and tagged it in the spoilers. He is emotionally abusive of her. And based on the sheer number of times he physically restrains her from walking away from him, when she clearly wants to, I’d also consider tagging in a warning of mild physical abuse as well. In fact, Brendan doesn’t let her do much of anything that he doesn’t approve of. He doesn’t let her finish sentences when she’s struggling to explain her feelings (which are, to say the least, confusing and new to her). He doesn’t give her time or space to think through those feelings. He doesn’t allow her to adjust to her dramatically different life. This sounds extra picky, but he unilaterally buys her jeans she said she doesn’t like! It’s played off as cute and “spoiling her” but it’s just one more way Brendan outs himself as a controlling asshole. 

Again, I know this is part of the fantasy for some readers, this gender essentialism that categorizes all actions, appearances, attitudes, and behaviors as solely “male” or “female”, and allows people to explore and revel in the idea of a woman submitting to a man’s emotional and intellectual dominance. And I’m not here to shame anybody for that. 

Just saying, for those who didn’t know that this is a book that explores those themes, and it isn’t your cup of tea? It does, and it is pretty blatant. 

2.75 stars, losing 2 for all of the above, losing 1 more for the sentence “even a casual mention of Brendan’s name and her pussy started pumping out a slow jam”, and gaining back 3/4 of a star for what turned out to be a reasonably good apology on his part - a good start but not the end of their struggles, I fear. 

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mhairi_reads's review

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ 
Tropes: Grumpy x Sunshine, small town romance, guy falls first, enemies-friends-lovers. 
POV: Third person 
 
We follow Piper - the “It Girl.’ Known for throwing the most outrageous parties and being a bit of a good time in Los Angeles. She was raised by her Mum and Step-Dad in Bel-Air with more money than sense. 
 
After throwing an impromptu party that ended in her being arrested her Step-Father cuts her off, sending her off to Westport for three months to live in her late Father’s pub and see what life is like for the majority of people. Cue my sexy bearded fisherman. 
 
Sea-Captain and king crab fisherman Brendan is a widowed fisherman who was born and raised in Westport. It’s all he’s ever known and that’s just how he likes it. He is a man who lives a strictly scheduled and routine life - after all strong routine is what keeps his crew and him safe on the water. He is content eating his fish and chips on a Monday night and spending is life out at see. That is until he meets Piper. She is from a different world and completely out of his league. So why is he so damned drawn to her? 
 
I have read a few Tessa Bailey books and I thought she might just not have been for me as an author. Then I read It Happened One Summer and fell in love with this quaint little fishing town. 
 
I didn’t know if I was going to get on with this book because I did take a few chapters to warm to Piper. But after she stripped off the fake exterior she was just a sweet girl who wanted to feel seen. 

I can be in a room full of people that I know and still not feel like I belong. 
 
Brendan on the other hand. I absolutely adored Brendan from the get go❤️. Rough round the edges, a real man’s man but a big teddy bear inside. What more could you want? 
 
I fell in love with the characters, the town and all the townies! It was just so wholesome. 
 
But I really want to pick up Hook, Line, and Sinker - RIGHT NOW!! I need Fox and Hannah’s story. Hannah was a sweetheart and I love me a bit of a player being tamed. 
⚠️ Content Warnings: Death of parent, death of spouse, death of a child (adult child), drowning.

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noellelovesbooks's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 

Content Warnings
: Mention of grief/loss, death of a spouse, death of a child, death of a parent, and drowning.


I know I know I’m super late to reading this book and trust me, after finishing it, I regret that I didn’t read it sooner too. After hearing that Piper was inspired by Alexis Rose, from Schitt’s Creek, I knew that this was a book I needed to get my hands on. Already a fan of Tessa Bailey’s after reading the first two books in the Hot and Hammered series [I swear I keep meaning to get to book three] I was already sure I would love this story.


Within the first few pages, I already knew that I was going to love Piper and want to fight for her. I love that from the start we were able to see her insecurities and fears even when she couldn’t really see them herself. And thanks to the duel narrative, although Brendan was definitely a bit prickly to start, he’s really just a big cinnamon roll.


This book is one of the many examples of why duel narrative is my absolute favorite type of romance novel. The story could never have been as beautiful as it was if we’d only seen one perspective. Being able to see, and hear all their inner monologues, feelings, and thoughts made this story beautiful and heartwarming.


I loved that we were able to see the little changes in Piper that connected her to Westport and its people. We were able to follow along and cheer as Piper finally started finding herself as well as learning to trust herself and finding strength in who she is. At the same time, we’re able to see Brendan realize that maybe he doesn’t have to be so stuck in his routine. Maybe it’s time to let certain habits go so that instead of living in the past he can finally be present and open to new experiences and a hope-filled future.


The way Tessa wrote Piper you could see, from the start, she’s desperate for a true connection. All Piper wants is someone who sees and value’s her for who she is but with the experiences she’s had she’s terrified of opening up and being rejected. If it hurts being rejected by people, who don’t even know you that well, you’re going to be scared to make deeper connections.


Although irritable and prickly at the start Brendan sees little glimpses of Piper’s compassion as well as her insecurities. He realizes he loves seeing her grow more confident in town and in herself and just wants to be there to help show her just how amazing, and special, she truly is.


I love seeing Piper and Brendan slowly drift closer and open up to each other. Though they’re from two very different worlds they find that together they’re the happiest they’ve ever been. Obstacles may come up but their love, and trust, for each other just might get them through it all. 


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emmahe's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I thought this was great! And genuinely surprising because I hated fix her up. It was an incredibly sweet big city girl moves to small town and I felt Bailey’s love for Alexis Rose and giving her a beautiful ending. I’m also excited to read the sequel about Hannah. My girlfriend convinced me to give this one a go because I was so vehemently against Bailey after my first foray into her books but I am literally so glad that I read this. It also had none of the miscommunication tropes that are a kill shot to my enjoyment when I’m reading a rom com. 

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ashleycmms's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0


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constellation_library's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This needs about ten million stars. I had sooo much fun reading Piper's story, and she is absolutely Alexis Rose. She experiences the same heartfelt and genuine character development that solidified Alexis as my favorite Schitt's Creek character. Brendan is perfect in every conceivable meaning of the word--alpha male with a gooey center--and the grumpy/sunshine trope really just...did everything it needed and more for me. I loved Westport as a town--there's just something about seaside towns that capture my soul, and the supporting cast of characters, especially Hannah and Fox, were wonderful (and I can't wait for Hannah and Fox's book coming out this year!) 

Apart from the gushy romance, which was well-written and quite spicy at times, there were moments that were emotional and heart-wrenching, particularly how Opal is described and her particular situation. If you know, you know. Grief was a big side-plot of the story, so go into it knowing that--grief at the loss of a parent, a child, and a spouse are big topics that are discussed in the story, but each loss happened before the story began, so at least that aspect of it isn't on page. 

Overall, Tessa Bailey really blew me away, and now I am sifting through her backlist to see what else of hers I can dive into. This one and People We Meet on Vacation are two of the best romance novels I've read to date.

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ekcanales's review

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funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book was impossible to put down! I found myself up reading until 3am because I was so entranced in the book! The characters are very lovable, but have some obvious flaws that they work to resolve. The romantic couple was pretty predictable but the grumpy/sunshine trope was done perfectly and there were some twists and turns that still kept the reader on their toes. The use of alternating POVs between Piper and Brendan adds another very interesting dimension and depth to their connection, which elucidates the tensions in their relationship.

Such a sweet, light-hearted romance filled with a lot of character development, reconnecting with lost family members, and finding where one truly belongs.

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mypatronusisajedi's review

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0


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