It Happened One Summer
By Tessa Bailey
Release Date: July 13, 2021
Ebook Available from WV Reads!
2.5 Stars - I normally feel like Tessa Bailey can do no wrong for me, but this one was a let down. Piper was obviously spoiled but she was almost unrelatable from the start. Then, finally, she starts to show a sweeter side with small town life and the hero Brendan. There was a little too much comedy and filler and not enough actual romance. Bailey's quirky and quick-paced style is here but I just wasn't into the story unfortunately. Worth a try for the big rom-com fans but otherwise, maybe skip it.
It took me awhile to warm up to Tessa's new straight up rom-com circut with Fix Her Up a couple years ago. Not all of her heroines are my faves. This one felt like that to me. Piper's antics in the beginning were so off-putting. I know we needed to set her up for some character growth cause I read the blurb. But she was everything I don't like about modern celebrities, wild and attention seeking, and yet at the same time came off snobbish and aloof. She puts down some of her set for being snotty but she really could have had more class. Braden's a good guy, more rough around the edges. And he isn't afraid to show Piper what kind of man he is right off the bat. He was gruff but genuiene.
Here's the thing, I think this book checks all the boxes it's supposed to. But I'm not a fan of the guys with beards phase we're in or a watcher of the show Schitt's Creek. I was here for Bailey's strong heroes and heroines with some sweetness and humor thrown in like usual. Full disclosure: the sexy scenes are here but they're aren't making the book worth the read. Plus, the way these are marketed now, I think readers are expecting more chick lit than sex appeal with these covers and descriptions. Can contemporary romance handle this shift of staying sexy but also trying to be so light and funny? Maybe, but I don't think this novel is a good example of that. Things improved probably a little over halfway through. There was a little more intensity, a bit of excitement. Piper was starting, really, to act more human and less crazy heiress. Flaws aside, it's still a fun read as pure escapism. I'd say to keep the expectations low here and just enjoy the fun.
(NS)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please keep comments respectful and geared towards the review, new arrival post only. The library does reserve the right to remove any negative posts that it deems inappropriate.