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Quick answer: If you liked Tessa Bailey's It Happened One Summer, try Hook, Line, and Sinker, Fix Her Up, Love Her or Lose Her, The Hating Game, Beach Read and The Unhoneymooners. They offer fish-out-of-water romance, banter and heat.
Tessa Bailey's 2021 romance sends Piper Bellinger, a Los Angeles socialite, to a small Washington town to run a bar with grumpy local Brendan Fitzgerald. It is funny, warm and spicy. Readers who finish it want more banter-filled romances with city-meets-small-town energy. These 15 books deliver. Most include open-door scenes.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook, Line, and Sinker | Tessa Bailey | Adult | the direct follow-up |
| Fix Her Up | Tessa Bailey | Adult | readers who like fake dating |
| Love Her or Lose Her | Tessa Bailey | Adult | readers who like second chances |
| Funny Story | Emily Henry | Adult | readers who like fake dating |
| Happy Place | Emily Henry | Adult | readers who like second-chance romance |
| The Hating Game | Sally Thorne | Adult | workplace romance fans |
| Beach Read | Emily Henry | Adult | readers who like banter |
| The Unhoneymooners | Christina Lauren | Adult | readers who like enemies-to-lovers |
| People We Meet on Vacation | Emily Henry | Adult | slow-burn fans |
| The Love Hypothesis | Ali Hazelwood | Adult | readers who like fake dating |
| Love on the Brain | Ali Hazelwood | Adult | readers who like STEM romance |
| The Spanish Love Deception | Elena Armas | Adult | grumpy-sunshine fans |
| Part of Your World | Abby Jimenez | Adult | readers who like opposites attract |
| Seven Days in June | Tia Williams | Adult | readers who want depth |
| Twice Shy | Sarah Hogle | Adult | readers who like gentle romance |
1. Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
The next Bellinger Sisters book, with the same banter, heat and small-town setting. A natural next read.
Best for: the direct follow-up.
2. Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
A former baseball star and his best friend's younger sister pretend to date. Funny and sweet.
Best for: readers who like fake dating.
3. Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey
A married couple in trouble tries to rediscover each other. Emotional and steamy.
Best for: readers who like second chances.
4. Funny Story by Emily Henry
Daphne is left by her fiancé for his best friend and decides to fake-date the best friend's ex. Warm and funny.
Best for: readers who like fake dating.
5. Happy Place by Emily Henry
Harriet and Wyn, a broken-up couple, pretend to be together at their friends' vacation. Full of friendship and ache.
Best for: readers who like second-chance romance.
6. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Lucy and Joshua are office rivals who might be more. A classic of the genre.
Best for: workplace romance fans.
7. Beach Read by Emily Henry
Two rival writers swap genres for a summer. Funny and moving.
Best for: readers who like banter.
8. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Olive and Ethan take a free honeymoon. Fast and funny.
Best for: readers who like enemies-to-lovers.
9. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Poppy and Alex take a trip every summer. Friends to lovers across ten years.
Best for: slow-burn fans.
10. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Olive fake-dates a professor to prove a point. Nerdy and sweet.
Best for: readers who like fake dating.
11. Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
A neuroscientist works with her old rival at NASA. Funny and fast.
Best for: readers who like STEM romance.
12. The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
Catalina brings her grumpy coworker to a wedding in Spain. Slow-burn, with spice.
Best for: grumpy-sunshine fans.
13. Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
A doctor and a carpenter from different worlds fall in love. Emotional and funny.
Best for: readers who like opposites attract.
14. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
Two writers reunite after a teenage fling at a literary event. Sexy, smart and moving.
Best for: readers who want depth.
15. Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
Maybell inherits a mansion and finds her crush living there. Cozy and light.
Best for: readers who like gentle romance.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with It Happened One Summer: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
For more of Bailey's small-town humor, start with Hook, Line, and Sinker and Fix Her Up. For banter, read The Hating Game or Beach Read. For spicy grumpy-sunshine romance, try The Spanish Love Deception. For emotion and depth, read Part of Your World or Seven Days in June. Most of these include open-door scenes, so check the heat level. For a weekend plan, read It Happened One Summer first, then Hook, Line, and Sinker, and finish with a lighter pick like The Unhoneymooners. Audiobooks are very popular for Bailey's books, since the dialogue is a big part of the fun.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Happened One Summer a standalone?
It is the first book in the Bellinger Sisters series, and the sequel is Hook, Line, and Sinker.
How spicy is it?
It has open-door scenes and mature language.
Is it small-town romance?
Yes, it is set in a small Washington town with a bar at its center.
Where should I start with Tessa Bailey?
It Happened One Summer and Fix Her Up are the most popular starting points.
Do I need to read the Bellinger Sisters books in order?
It helps, because characters from the first book appear again.
What if I want less heat?
Try Twice Shy or The Unhoneymooners, which are milder.