In It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey ($13), social media influencer and Hollywood socialite Piper Bellinger has a tendency to take things too far — which is exactly how she ends up banished to a small fishing town following one wild night. Left to fend for herself with a meager allowance from her wealthy stepdad, she's determined to prove to her family — and the town's hot sea captain Brendan Taggart — just how wrong they all were about her.
Why It's Memorable: This book blew up on BookTok this year, and for good reason. Sometimes, you just need a good, traditional alpha-male-hero-courts-reluctant-heroine storyline. Brendan is fierce in how much he wants a serious relationship with Piper that isn't just physical. Meanwhile, Piper is very much on the fence about commitment and just wants to make things about sex. That dynamic — her pushing him to his limits and him trying his hardest to remain a gentleman — makes for some steamy scenes. If you thought Champagne was a sexy drink, the first almost-sex scene will just confirm it.
Favourite Line: "'I was out in the middle of a f*cking storm thinking about you. Thinking about how pretty you look in my garden. Thinking about you waiting for me at the end of my dock, in my harbour. Standing there in the sunset so I can touch you before I even touch land.' . . . 'I thought about your mouth and your eyes and your legs and your pussy.'"
Spice Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥