Piper Bellinger is a Hollywood socialite whose affluence and beauty have prevented her from ever taking true responsibility for her actions. That is, until she gets arrested for an unauthorized pool party with expensive consequences for her stepfather. Next thing Piper knows, she is shipped off to a small Pacific Northwest beach town. It’s the same town where her mother and birth father fell in love; it’s also where the latter lost his life. As Piper learns more about herself and how to live in the real world, one of the town’s grumpy captains catches her attention. Neither seem able to fight the passion building between them. Will Piper find her way back to Hollywood, or will this fisherman entangle her in an inescapable net?

I am sorry, but this book was far too dramatic for me. It started with the weird ominous warning from Piper’s mother: Beware of irresistible fishermen! The woman will be living on her own and handling her own finances for the first time in her life. How about some budgeting tips first? Maybe buy her a cookbook. Not to mention a moment when Hannah airs her sister’s tragic past of horrible boyfriends in the middle of the street for both Brendan and the rest of the town to hear. This same sister at one point – when Piper runs back to Hollywood – mourns the fact that she will never know how successful their bar was…Hannah, never is a strong word. You couldn’t just call your sister with the good news?

As much as I enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, the relationship also grew serious way too quickly. Not in the physical sense – I was on board for that – but in the proclamations of undying love and discussions of future children. These two have only known each other for a couple of months, dating each other (not very officially, might I add) for even less time. Plus, I wasn’t a huge fan of Brendan’s refusal to accept Piper’s initial desire to keep things casual. I feel like that’s an unhealthy standard: thinking that when someone says they want things casual, it means they are lying to themselves or afraid. Many people say they want casual, and they mean it. Respect that. I also found myself MORE invested in the romance that book 2 in this series is dedicated to, that of Hannah and Fox, which is probably not a great sign.

With that said, this is an excellent choice for spicy romance lovers. The two lovebirds definitely get hot and heavy, and their moments of vulnerability are poignant and relatable. Bailey writes the grumpy/sunshine trope well, too. So, while this wasn’t my cup of tea, that doesn’t mean it won’t be yours.