Since their introduction in It Happened One Summer, I have been dying for Fox and Hannah's journey and I was not disappointed. Our Westport resident ladies man, Fox, has finally met his match with Hannah Bellinger and I was totally there for it! Fox's player exterior hides a soft, insecure interior and his character arc was both heart-warming and satisfying. Hannah is just the best and the only person who really gets him. Her parallel journey takes her to new levels of self-confidence both personally and in her career. This was a both steamy and sweet friends-to-lovers romance and I have so enjoyed my time visiting the town of Westport.

Hook, Line, and Sinker felt like a love letter to music. After meeting Hannah and Fox in It Happened One Summer, I was stoked to read this one.

Fox is a King crab fisherman that has a reputation as a playboy. He's always down for a good time until he meets Hannah. Hannah seems more interested in being his friend and his personality. After being friends and texting for months, Hannah comes to Westport for work and is staying in Fox's spare room. Hannah and Fox grapple with their growing attraction and friendship. Especially since Hannah's crush is in town. But as they spend more time together, Fox and Hannah realize that it might be worth risking their friendship if it means they can be together.

I loved the sister relationship in this book, Piper and Hannah are different and love each other fiercely, it reminds me a little of my relationship with my sister. I loved watching Hannah realize she was a leading lady in her own story. I also appreciated how Hannah found a way to connect with her father, who she doesn't remember. Hannah's love of music is one I share, and I loved how she was able to connect to others, namely Fox and her father, through it. I also enjoyed watching Hannah realize what her dream job was and that she was able to go for it, despite it scaring her.

Fox, my sweet Fox. He had so much pressure to be a flirt and live up to his father's reputation. Watching him grapple with what he wanted vs. what he thought he deserved made my heart ache for him. His internal monologue of why he couldn't be with Hannah, while repetitive, felt true and is something that would take time to get over. I felt like this was a mature relationship and I loved that it was a slow burn, focusing more on emotional intimacy vs. physical. Hannah championed Fox and that support allowed for him to find inner strength and trust in himself.

I've read a lot of Tessa Bailey's work, but this is by far my favorite of hers. This relationship felt mature, real, and vulnerable. And of course, it was steamy, but I appreciated that those scenes added to the intimacy already estabilished.

I'm going to miss Westport and the Bellinger sisters!

Thank you to Avon & Harper for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

“You can’t live life worrying about what people will think. You’ll wake up one day, look at a calendar, and count the days you could have spent being happy.”

I liked this book so much more than the first book in this series. The characters felt so much more relatable to me and this romance was not only 🔥🔥 but so sweet and swoon worthy. I loved it!

Genuine, heartfelt, and vulnerable, this book surprised me with the depth of emotional development and relatability of the plot arcs. From dealing with imposter syndrome from a career standpoint to learning to grow beyond the negatively stereotypical expectations of others, this story navigated a host of emotional topics with realistic vulnerability and grace. I truly enjoyed Hannah and Fox’s individual character growth, as well as the development of their relationship as they challenge each other to grow beyond their self-imposed limitations. A wonderfully romantic yet vulnerable story, this is a must-read for all romance lovers and fans of Tessa Bailey.

3/5

I really liked the beginning of this book and thought this sequel would be better than It Happened One Summer but towards the middle and end the story fell short. The internal conflict for Fox and Hannah not wanting to pursue each other was so repetitive. Every chapter was constantly restating their fears and questions about each other which felt like overkill. I think this book would’ve done better if it was more of a novella.

I adored Hannah’s character development though and her becoming more confident at her job and being more assertive. I think Hannah is such a relatable character in regards to always wanting to be a supportive friend and feeling more comfortable hanging in the background.

I liked seeing the relationship between her and her sister, Piper. I would love a story of just them getting into some shenanigans similar to IHOS.

Overall, it was a quick read and I enjoyed being taken back to Westport and seeing Brendan and Piper again but this story just missed the mark.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There aren't enough words for how much I LOVED this book!! I absolutely loved It Happened One Summer and then I read this one and think I loved it more. Hannah as a character amazed me with her fierce strength. She kept failing or falling, getting hurt, being judged but she kept growing and getting better and stronger. It was amazing to read! Her tenacity was impressive!
I obviously swoon for Fox....there are so many lines I highlighted as I read. He was unexpected. The hot guy that knows he's hot and yet hates how it's become an expected character trait...Hates that he's considered a love 'em and leave 'em kinda guy. I just wanted to hug him.
This book was funny and that's the way to my heart....make me laugh and I'm yours. Tessa Bailey I now need every single book because you've solidified yourself as my go to for romance.
AND for the real question everyone is asking....was it steamy? Was it spicy? Hell yes it was...we wouldn't be here otherwise.

After reading 'It Happened One Summer', I was so excited to get my hands on this ARC and dive into Hannah and Fox's story! Fox is a sexy crab fisherman that has a bad boy sexual reputation, and Hannah is a music loving loyal woman who doesn't always live in the spotlight. Hannah is Fox's first female friend and now that she's coming to town for work, ends up staying at Fox's place! What could go wrong in this friendship that has been mostly via text?

I LOVED the sexual tension between Hannah and Fox. It made for a slow burn that was so worth it. Both of them had great character development. I loved the connection to music they both had while being long distance best friends and how that developed into a relationship that was all about truth, support, and pushing the other to be full of strength; whether that be at work, mentally and/or in their other relationships, socially. Hannah going for it at work and Fox overcoming the judgement of others was so important, inspiring, and something most people can relate to in some way in their life!

I loved Hannah finally getting that connection with her late father and that it was through music; plus the way that Fox had such a big influence on finding that connection was perfect.

The steam was fabulous and never too much or not enough for me!

AND the cameos and inclusion of Piper, Brendan, and of course Grandma Opal were great. I especially loved the Epilogue and how it wrapped up for the four of them!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager & Netgalley for a free ARC of this book in return for an honest review!

This was one of my most anticipated 2022 book releases— I love Brendan + Piper’s story, and could not wait to dive into Fox + Hannah’s story after getting a small glimpse from It Happened One Summer. Also, Tessa Bailey never disappoints.

I love Piper, but found sweet Hannah to be the more relatable sister. I tend to gravitate towards enemies to lovers but I LOVED the slow burn friendship between Hannah and Fox.

Hannah’s FINALLY back in the town of Westport for work *cut to me looking up pictures of Westport, WA*, but finds herself crashing at Fox’s for the time being. And we all know how well “platonic pals” thrive under one roof. We see lots of growth in these two characters and I was living for it. Miss Hannah finds herself finally sticking up for herself and putting herself into the leading lady position. Fox struggles with his past and overcoming the judgement of others. It was a great read from start to finish.

Anyways, enjoy your chocolate ice cream and let me know when you get to the ginger lotion part.

This book is for you if you like:
-friends to lovers
-slow burn
-close proximity
-‘off limits’ (best friend’s gf’s little sister)
-character development
-steamy😁

Thank you to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! Hook, Line, and Sinker available March 1!

I’ve been the happy reader of a number of good books recently, but until Tessa Bailey’s Hook, Line, and Sinker, none of those good books have been ones I’ve read for review. Now I’m pleased to award my first DIK grade of 2022 to this thoroughly enjoyable, sexy and emotionally sweet story.

Hannah Bellinger is an LA-based production assistant who dreams of being a music coordinator for movies. She’s working on a romantic short directed by a guy who “once made the entire crew wear blindfolds on set so they wouldn’t dilute the magic of a scene by viewing it”, and on whom she has “a long-unrequited crush”. When a moment of inspiration leads her to speak up and successfully argue for shooting in Westport, the Washington town where her sister Piper (of It Happened One Summer) lives, Hannah finds herself temporarily relocated. But with Piper’s guest room already occupied, what’s a girl to do but stay “with Fox Thornton, king crab fisherman and a lady-killer of the highest caliber”, and Hannah’s text buddy of the past seven months (they met when she stayed in town previously – ‘previously’ as in not in this book?) Needless to say, the director doesn’t stand a chance.

The best way I can describe the pleasure of Hook, Line, and Sinker is that it does all the heavy lifting. It’s an effortless read that breezes along on unpretentious dialogue, endearing characters, and a solid romantic relationship. The only time I felt any need to exert myself in order to understand and enjoy the book was when Hannah made an unfamiliar music reference and even those moments were so few that I didn’t have time to lament my lack of musical knowledge.

Bailey has a knack for writing relationships that combine abundant emotional and physical chemistry. Fox has spent his life caught in family/romantic/professional environments where people have focused, to the exclusion of all else, on the fact that he’s a potently attractive man. Consequently, his sense of self has been crumbling under the weight of the innuendos, jokes, and assumptions people make about him. Hannah is refreshingly emotionally perceptive – she always sees through Fox, which keeps her from chasing all the red herrings he tosses out in a last-ditch attempt to keep her from getting too close lest she be disappointed by the man behind the “giant squid wrapped around an anchor” tattoo. Part of Hannah’s campaign to prove to Fox that she sees him as a person and not a sexy rest-stop on her life’s journey involves refusing to sleep with him early on. Thus, Hook, Line, and Sinker simmers longer than other Bailey books do, and feels just a little less graphic than some of the others. But note that I say “little” – there’s still enough outdoor cunnilingus to merit the hot rating(!)

The book’s only real weakness is a slightly rushed last act. The break-up/low point results from a ‘falling at the first hurdle’ situation, and the first hurdle in question doesn’t feel big enough to merit such a response. And the emotional resolution comes so hard, fast, and perfect on the heels of the low point that it’s a little unbelievable. With a few more pages and development these issues could have been vanquished, but as it is they’re the equivalent of a tiny hole in a sweater: not large enough to impair function or overall style, but just detectable enough to be faintly frustrating.

Honestly, all I can say is I hope next time Tessa Bailey does a series about siblings she takes a page from Bridgerton and gives the family eight kids instead of two. Perhaps she’ll reveal a secret half-sister and reward us with a third book to turn the Bellinger Sisters duology into a trilogy? A girl can dream.

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I enjoyed Piper and Brendan in the first book, but I absolutely loved Hannah and Fox in this one. I was more intrigued with the possibility of their love story at the end of book one, so this was a much awaited read for me. One of the best things about this series is the close relationship Piper and Hannah have. We definitely get to see that strong sister bond in this book as well. Their parents are terrible so I’m glad that they have each other and that they are close.

The book opens and we learn Hannah and Fox have been texting. No spoilers here, so no worries. I just love how their friendship has continued since the end of the first book. They have great conversation and you can tell there are feelings below the surface. Hannah still sees Fox as the playboy and Fox thinks he’s only of value for what he can provide physically to a woman. Fox believes everyone views him as the fun guy and not to be taken seriously in relationships.

Hannah ends up back in Westport for work and she needs to live with Fox while she’s there. This is just the beginning of the story and what unfolds is such a sweet and beautiful friends to lovers romance.

What drew me in the most was the vulnerability of Fox and the steadfast determination of Hannah to help Fox see his self worth. There was major angst and definitely a pull towards each other they kept fighting. It was beautiful, and that’s why the slow burn was perfect. Don’t get me wrong, it’s spicy, very spicy, but the way it developed gave time for the relationship to grow, and Fox had to learn to love himself before he could truly love Hannah.

If you love forced proximity and friends to lovers you are going to want to read this. If you like a hero who is completely lovable, needs to see his value, and a heroine who is steadfast, loyal, and determined to help him do just that…. then I think you’ll truly enjoy this book. It’s my favorite of the two and I’d whole heartedly recommend. 4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to @netgalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Hannah Bellinger is a leading lady in all the ways it counts. I loved her in It Happened One Summer and that only grew in this book where she returned to the small fishing community with a movie production crew and a long time crush in tow. Her growth through the story was something to behold. She navigated her feelings for Sergei and dissected her feelings for Fox, she figured out her professional goals and made the difficult choices for herself. Fox for his part was more layered that I could have guessed. I enjoyed digging deep on his character and seeing how he found his way free from old expectations and shed that for something of value.

Tessa is amazing at creating a story that is full of banter, pining, slow burn steam, and emotion.

Can we declare Tessa Bailey the queen of rom coms yet? Or has that already been done? Hook, Line, and Sinker is an excellent follow up to It Happened One Summer. How she managed to make me fall in love with two fictional fishermen, I will never know. Fox is not just the typical player that he seems to be. He has so much more depth, making him such an intriguing and well rounded character. His friendship with Hannah is so sweet and their banter is great. We get to see so much more of who Hannah is as well. Her struggle with always feeling like the side character in her own story is so relatable. It’s obvious that they are attracted to each other, but their reasons for not getting together don’t seem so trivial and frustrating like most friends to lovers stories. Friends to Lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and this is one of (if not) the best FTL books I’ve read.

Here are some of the selling points of the book:
-Friends to Lovers
-The Guy Falls First
-The pining is immaculate.
-The spice is superb
-The Epilogue is amazing (and features a small glimpse into Piper and Brendan’s future too)

The bonus included in this great story is an incredible “soundtrack.” If you don’t already collect vinyl records, this book will make you want to start.

I was fortunate enough to receive an arc of this book, but I had already pre-ordered a physical copy. I cannot wait to lend it out to all of my friends, because I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying reading this. Thank you to Avon Books, NetGalley, and Tessa Bailey for the advanced copy of this incredible book!

Oh. My. God. This book! THIS BOOK!

I have been anxiously awaiting Hannah and Fox's story ever since the very end of It Happened One Summer, with the reveal of the Fleetwood Mac album. I am here to say that it not only meets my very high expectations, it blows right past them!!

Hannah and Fox are amazing characters. Hannah is always supportive, but often at the expense of going after things she wants for herself. (Also, some possible demisexual/acespec rep here?) Her sweet and amazing self is finally ready to try to go after what she wants--both in her job and with Fox.

And dear, sweet Fox...our devil-may-care playboy is just so broken, and so much more than who he pretends to be. He has a lot of trauma to unpack, and lucky for him, Hannah is willing to look past the surface of the person he projects to the world--and that the world projects onto him--to see the total sweetheart lurking underneath.

Hannah and Fox sizzle on the page, which makes the tension between them almost unbearable. For a Tessa Bailey book, this is a slow burn, but I can assure you there is plenty of heat--and when the time comes, it all explodes.

My only real quibble is this book is that I think Fox's issues were resolved a little too quickly. Boy definitely needed some therapy, and I wish some overtures towards that had been made before the big reunion scene.

This book is a perfect blend of sweet and spicy, and I think it's Tessa's best book yet.

CW: infidelity (in the past), toxic masculinity

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Tessa Bailey can write some steam. And for me, that’s the only thing that really stood out in this book. Hannah is incredibly sweet and I love her character, but I wasn’t impressed with her romance with Fox. Something was off about this one. Maybe it was me and my need for something else. I don’t know. It was entertaining and fun at times, just not as invested as It Happened One Summer. It would make a cute beach read this summer if you’re looking for something light and easy.

I read the first book in this series, It Happened One Summer, at the beginning of January and it was instantly added to the list of my favorite books! So, it was no surprise that I was heavily anticipating Hook, Line, and Sinker and feel very blessed to have received an ARC of the book.

Hook, Line, and Sinker follows the younger Bellinger sister, Hannah, and Fox Thornton. Hannah is a Hollywood production assistant with a passion for music and Fox is the relief skipper aboard the Della Ray, a fishing boat captained by the love interest from the first book, Brendan Taggart.

One thing that I loved that doesn't happen often in romance series is the fact that Hannah and Fox are introduced in the first book and have a lot of development and romantic tension within that book. I was already shipping them and it wasn't even their turn in the spotlight! Hannah and Fox have such great romantic chemistry and amazing sexual tension that I knew their book would be a home run, and it was!

I loved how amazing Fox's development was throughout the book. He starts off not wanting to enter into a relationship with Hannah, even though he really likes her because he is terrified he is going to hurt her. This is something he really struggles with and I would go as far as to say that the main conflict of the book is Fox's internal struggle. His backstory is so captivating and emotional and Tessa Bailey really makes you feel for him.

One thing that wasn't necessarily for me was the fact that I feel like there wasn't any real action in this book and the action that we do get is very repetitive. I felt like most of the book was just an insight into Hannah and Fox's thoughts of "does he/she actually want to be with me?" There was not really any action or funny situations like in the first book. It is still a good book, I just feel like this aspect really let me down.

I can't wait to share some more specific thoughts after the release of Hook, Line, and Sinker on March 1, 2022! Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for a review!

This was such a happy sequel to It Happened One Summer. I’m not always a fan of these type of sequels, but this one is a must read. Tessa Bailey is such a talented writer. The character build up is everything in this novel, the steamy sex scenes were done perfectly and I even found myself giggling while listening to the audio. For me, the epilogue of this book is the best part. The way Tessa ties both books together and ends them is so well done and such a bittersweet part of the book.

I actually missed Piper in this book, though. I found it unrealistic that she wasn’t a prominent part in Hannah’s story. Overall, I found this audio book incredibly entertaining and Tessa Bailey is becoming an author that I don’t want to miss out on.

Can I be honest and say this book was the reason I made a NetGalley account and subsequently screamed when I got approved? First if all, if Tessa Bailey is not the author of my love story I DON'T WAN'T IT. Her writing style is the perfect mix of sweet, spicy, and funny. There were certain chapters where I actually giggled because of this book, GIGGLED. I also may have screamed into a pillow at some point. Not only is it funny, but the depth of this book was so refreshing. Loved the greater theme of sexuality and trauma. I assume trauma is the best word to use in this case. I was in love with Piper's story, but Hannah's story shook me to my core.

Cannot wait to have a copy of this on my shelf. 10/10.

This was my favorite Tessa Bailey book that I've read. I liked how they interwove the previous story into this one with out too much overlap. I really liked the epilogue and that it was set so far in the future it really gave you a sense of how life turned out for both sisters.

I loved the story in It Happened One Summer, but wasn’t the biggest fan of the type of dirty talk. My biggest memory of the first book in this series was that the dirty talk was overly forced and icky, although it did provide me with some pretty funny screenshots to send to friends. So I was definitely glad that the dirty talk in Hook, Line, and Sinker was actually sexy instead of cringeworthy!

I liked Hannah a lot. I related to how she felt like a supporting actress in her own life, and how it really took her out of her comfort zone to ask for what she wanted.

I’m not really a music person, but I liked the way Hannah and Fox talked through songs. It made for a fun medium to tell the story through, and I’m hoping Tessa has published a playlist of Hannah and Fox’s songs.

It was fun to see Brendan and Piper again on the periphery of the story, as well as the sisters’ grandmother Opal. The epilogue was the perfect way to wrap up this little duo of books.

“With her thoughts muddling and a languid heat tending her arms limp, Hannah realized she’d made a huge mistake. She was Eve in the Garden of Eden and she’d just taken a bite from the apple.”

This was book two in the Bellinger sister series, and is about Fox and Hannah. We know from the first book, that these two are friends, and it seems they strictly want to stay that way, or do they? Fox is the flirt, namely “a guaranteed good time” and never gets involved in relationships, beyond a no strings attached fling. Hannah is finding herself back in Westport for work and staying at Fox’s place, because just friends, right? She thought for sure her love interest was her colleague Sergei, and Fox is definitely giving her pointers on how to win him over. But all the while, it seems she is falling hard for Fox instead, and honestly, it seems Fox would rather have her then give her tips on how to get a guy other than him.

“I want you underneath me so bad that I can’t lie in bed without already feeling you there. I’ve never even had you, and your body haunts mine.”

Read If You Love:
-a flirt fisherman
-friends to lovers
-music, especially vinyl records
-nicknames
-flirtatious banter
-an eventful night of bingo

Hannah had this way of sliding into Fox’s life as his friend, and taught him how to just enjoy life, and the little things, and it was adorable. They both had this way of making the other realize things about themselves that they were not capable of realizing on their own, like their own individual worth. I loved It Happened One Summer, but the chemistry and sexual tension between these two far outweighs Brendan and Piper in my opinion, so dare I say I loved this one more than the first!

🎧: Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac

✨Rating✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 (4.5/5)
Steam Factor 🔥🔥/5

A special thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for this eARC!