It Happened One Summer: A Rom-Com Re-read

Piper Bellinger, a self-proclaimed “Party Princess,” has dedicated her entire life to flaunting the latest fashion trends and showing off the hottest nightlife spots to her devoted social media following. The first 28 years of Piper’s life have been a whirlwind of red carpet premieres, designer shopping sprees, and lavish parties.

Piper’s carefree existence comes crashing down in spectacular fashion when she winds up in the slammer after one of her infamous ragers spins completely out of control. Her stepfather decides it’s finally time Piper grew up and took responsibility for herself. So he cuts her off from the seemingly endless flow of funds that fueled her lavish, party-girl lifestyle, then promptly exiles her and her sister Hannah to the backwater burg of Westport, Washington.

Their mission? To take the reins of the bar that belonged to their late father and use the experience to learn some much-needed responsibility. Needless to say, Piper is less than thrilled about this turn of events. The idea of trading in her glitzy Hollywood haunts for a dank, small-town watering hole gives her the shudders. But with her stepfather’s money and influence cut off, she has little choice but to suck it up and make the best of it.

When Piper arrives in Westport, she’s utterly dismayed to discover the bar she’s meant to take over, known locally as “No Name,” is occupied by a band of stubborn locals who have no intention of letting her waltz in and claim their beloved watering hole. Leading the charge against her is Brendan, a hulking, bearded fisherman in a ragged beanie who immediately takes it upon himself to make her life a living hell.

Brendan is determined to force Piper to throw in the towel and slink back to her glamorous life in Beverly Hills, leaving the bar in the hands of the locals who’ve cherished it for years. But Piper, for all her pampered princess ways, isn’t about to go down without a fight. There’s no way she’s letting this scruffy, sardonic seafarer kick her out of what’s rightfully hers, even if she has to go toe-to-toe with him every step of the way.

As much as Piper tries to hold onto her designer-clad, red carpet persona, spending time with the rough-around-the-edges Brendan starts to chip away at her carefully cultivated facade. Against her better judgment, she finds herself drawn to his quiet confidence and old-school charm. And to her own surprise, Brendan seems to respond better to the real Piper, the one she’s hidden away for so long, than he ever did to her public party princess persona.

With her banishment in Westport nearing its end, Piper faces the toughest decision of her life – return to the glitz and glamour she’s always known, or take a chance on finding true happiness in this small fishing town, with Brendan at her side.