A review by nahlasbooknook
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-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

3.75

It Happened One Summer is essentially fan fiction for Alexis from Schitt’s Creek. Need I say more? The book was great! That is all, everyone can go home and read it now. 

Kidding of course. Although I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and annotating it (in depth) for my friend, there were of course, things I absolutely liked, and things I sort of didn’t. I will start with the negative this time, because I want to end my review of this book on a positive note. 

My biggest issue was the ending, or rather, the climax/falling action of the narrative. In all honesty, my opinion about this all boils down to personal preference, and if you like this sort of post-confession cliché angst and romance, then the book will be for you. The first ⅔  of It Happened One Summer is a slow burn leading up to Piper and Brendan’s relationship. The last third takes place after their relationship is solidified. In this final third of the novel, the source of the conflict is a lack of communication between Piper and Brendan, which leads to instability in their relationship and a situation that could have easily been resolved if the two of them acted like the adults they are and sat down to talk through their issues. I am generally not a fan of romance novels that focus extensively on the relationship after it has been solidified, because what is there to tell, really? In order to keep it interesting, the author has to create a new conflict, and it’s often a petty argument that doesn’t need to happen, which is exactly what Bailey did. Furthermore, once this conflict was resolved, we got a Mr. Darcy-esque monologue from Brendan that kind of gave me the ick, like, we know you love her dude, but it’s the 21st century, just say the words and go. If you really will die for her or kill everyone who looks at her wrong, you might just need the distance, and some sunlight…

The only other issue I had with this book is the cheese. I mean, oh my God, sometimes it was so much I could feel my lactose intolerance kicking in. Brendan needs to chill and realize that Piper is a woman that will be perceived by other men. If he’s going to actively try and stop every man from looking at her, I just might go kill him. Also, that crap about him being her ‘recharging station,’—worse than Edward from Twilight calling Bella a spidermonkey. They both really referred to his hugs as a recharging station with complete seriousness, and they’re like...30. You know that scene in You where Love says “I wolf you” instead of “I love you”? That’s what this felt like. 

Okaaaaay, now that I’ve made it sound like I couldn’t stand anything about this book, let me tell you what I did like, because that did actually outweigh the negative. I loved the way every single character in this book was written. They were so consistent, that even when they made stupid decisions that filled me with rage, I couldn’t be mad at the author, because those decisions matched exactly with who the characters were. It was easy to understand the insecurities that both Piper and Brendan battled as they fell for each other, and I could see them work through it, making two steps forward and one back, each time. The character development was really, really good. Every character in this book grew from the first page to the last, and it was in ways that were relatable and real. I especially loved that Piper’s growth did not depend on her relationship with Brendan, but rather her own perception of herself. I appreciated the fact that these characters were flawed enough to regress, because growth is never linear, and we all regress when challenged, at times. Overall, the characters were genuine and real, and I loved watching them grow.

In addition, the humor in this novel never felt forced, and I found myself smiling and laughing more than I usually do with books. There was a great balance of sarcasm, banter, and really bad jokes that made reading it not only fun, but also funny. I could see the characters so clearly as I read, it was almost like I was watching it instead. I will definitely be pre-ordering the sequel, Hook, Line, and Sinker, and counting the days until I get to read about Hannah and Fox’s love story! Those two carried this book without even trying, and I just KNOW Bailey will do them justice.

Overall Rating: 3.75/5


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