Looooooved this story so much. Hannah and Fox were so much fun in the first book so I was so excited that we got an entire book devoted to the two of them. I loved this book from start to finish (as I always do with Tessa Bailey books) and I can’t wait to read more from her. Thank you netgalley for my free copy!

Having loved the banter between these two characters in *It happened one summer* I was looking forward to this sequel. It definitely was a slow-burn. These two had issues and walls that stopped them from moving towards each other. Tackling tough topics like imposter syndrome and toxic masculinity helped the characters to feel more 3-D. They both had to come to terms with their baggage and because of that, watching them connect felt more believable.
But can we talk about chapter 10?!
The orange bottle??!
GOODNIGHT.

The perfect follow up to It Happened One Summer. Listen, "enemies to lovers" is the superior trope, but this might convert me to a "friends to lovers" reader. Fox and Hanna are so perfectly each others perfect person. I'm obsessed with their relationship, I'm obsessed with them, OBSESSED. I never thought I'd be simping for fishermen but here we are. At this point I'll read anything Tessa Bailey writes.

While it was great to see Hannah and Fox's relationship develop more, I found this mostly enjoyable but partially tedious. Sure, there were some very sweet and honest moments, but the amount of mental gymnastics that these two did to convince themselves they were "just friends" was mind-numbing at times. Definitely not as good as the first book in the duology but still a welcome addition.

I read this in ONE sitting, at 2 am. I couldn't put it down for the life of me. It was just too good to stop. I was already obsessed with Hannah and Fox went I met them in "It Happened One Summer". Hannah is a strong, brave, outspoken, and loyal bad ass. Fox is a notorious player with a heart of gold and a vulnerable side that I couldn't get enough of. The two of them together made me want to laugh, cry, and my stomach was all butterflies. Hannah's resolve was everything to me while reading this. I loved this book and will recommend it everywhere.

✔️ Friends to Lovers
✔️Roommates
✔️He fell first
✔️Slow burn

This is my favorite Tessa Bailey book yet! Fox and Hannah set the bar now for the trope “friends to lovers.” They have honest relationship conversations and memorable moments. I think I was smiling the entire book. Hook Line and Sinker’s dialogue and storyline felt different than Tessa’s other books. The friends to lovers storyline stood out because they aren’t childhood friends. They fall while becoming closer friends which is very realistic.

5 stars because I would definitely read this story again!

It Happened One Summer was one of my favorite books last year. When I tell you that I wanted Fox and Hannah’s book desperately I’m not exaggerating. I would have done pretty much anything for an early copy. Which is why when it landed on my Kindle in October I dropped everything to read.

And I was not disappointed.

This is very much a determined bachelor bad boy turned to mush over a quirky, musical girl friends-to-lovers romance. Also, I fell for Hannah and her connection to music in a way I haven’t fallen for a heroine in a good long while. I loved this woman so much. If you’ve read the first book in this series, It Happened One Summer, then you’ve already met Hannah and Fox. If not here is a quick rundown: Hannah is Piper’s sister and also her exact opposite. Where Piper is an Instagram fashionista/party girl, Hannah’s life revolves around music and working her way up in the movie industry where she can turn that love of music into a career. But these sisters are close and supportive, they really are each other’s best friend. So when Piper gets banished to the small fishing village of Westport, Hannah sticks by her side and goes with her. And this is where Piper meets her love and eventual husband, Brendan, and Hannah befriends Brendan’s shipmate Fox.

Hook, Line, and Sinker opens with Hannah back home and working on a movie. She and Fox are texting regularly and have settled into the friend zone. She has an acknowledged crush on a co-worker and Fox is an admitted bachelor who likes his casual hookups. But as the reader, you can sense that there is interest on both sides and that their friendship could me more. But Hannah regularly feels like she hasn’t yet achieved true leading lady status in her life and career and Fox lets others’ opinions of him rule his actions and thoughts about what kind of person he truly is.

Their romance is special and right from the beginning you can tell they are both truly lovely people. Hannah is just such a caring, supportive, loyal person. Her goodness radiates with every interaction and thought. She often relays her moods and feelings through music and I completely understood that. Fox, despite his insistence that he was bad at relationships, time and again handles Hannah with protectiveness and care. I loved watching them go from friends to falling deeply in love. Fox’s character growth is so well done and I felt for him as he pined for Hannah, not knowing what to do, convinced that he was no good for her, but unable to let her really go.

It must be said that the steam factor is pretty high. Once this couple finally gives in and has each other I’m surprised my kindle didn’t catch on fire with the hotness. This is good stuff, y’all. But it’s the emotional connection that really got to me and kept me rooting for them till the end and their HEA.

This slow-burn, friends to lovers romance should absolutely be on your to-read list. Tessa Bailey hit it out of the ballpark with the Bellinger sisters and their love stories. I’ve firmly placed both books on my favorite, comfort read shelf.

Final grade- A

Sequels are notoriously controversial. Will they live up to its predecessor while also stand on its own without belittling it? Well, Tessa Bailey does not disappoint with this installment. She does not leave out Piper and Brendan by seeing the progression of their relationship meanwhile also developing Hannah and Fox to be more well-rounded characters. I absolutely loved ‘It Happened One Summer” but when I tell you that Hannah and Fox tugged at my heart I am not exaggerating. I think what I loved most about this book is how flawed and genuine the characters were.

Hannah struggles with viewing herself as a leading lady and diminishes her spot light to become a supporting actress. Which, as a reader, I felt more of a connection to Hannah than to Piper. I loved reading how both Hannah and Fox encouraged each other to grow, to take risks, and allow each other to be the best version of themselves rather than create a new persona.

I cannot recommend this book enough!

4.5/5⭐️

Maybe it was the jet lag or the emotional damage of the past few weeks… but this book had no business making me cry as much as it did.

I loved Fox and Hannah’s story. I knew I would from the glimpses of it in It Happened One Summer. Tessa Bailey really took the time to craft them—their motivations, their goals, their deepest insecurities. I felt so drawn to the relationship as it progressed, as they learned to unlearn their previous way of living so they could love each other properly. Hannah is a sweetheart and Fox is a softy, end of story. Would 10/10 recommend this one!! Thank you Netgalley for the arc!!

I 100% loved this book! Don’t go into it expecting a fast paced romance like It Happened One Summer. This is more of a slow simmer romance that eventually erupts.

My love for Hannah and Fox is unreal. The way their friendship started and evolved was so beautiful. Hannah nurtured Fox and helped him see he was deserving of love and it broke my heart several times over to see him think he was undeserving.

I think I highlighted three pages worth of steam. It was superb and up to the standard we have all come to expect from Tessa Bailey and her steam novels.

I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to reread it!

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. Hook, Line, and Sinker is our March 1, 2022.

What a great read! I read Bailey's previous novel last year and instantly fell in love with the Bellinger sisters and their life and misadventures in LA and Westport. I was so excited to discover that she was bringing Hannah's story to life, and she did not disappoint. This was delightful; a fun and quick read that still had substance and heart. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Book two didn’t disappoint. Their story is slightly more intense, sentimental and heartwarming than I expected. We love the friends to lovers trope.

Absolutely adored It Happened One Summer so I was so excited to get to read this book early- thank you for the ARC!

This book follows the relationship of Hannah and Fox, Piper's sister and Brendan's skipper. It wasn't as fun and light as It Happened One Summer, but I really appreciated the character development and the explanation of both character's qualms about being in a relationship.

Tessa Bailey did not disappoint- once again she delivered a sweet, heartfelt, sexy story set in the beautiful town of Westport.

I just reviewed Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey. #HookLineandSinker #NetGalley

I really enjoyed this book! This is the second (?) book in this series, but you can follow it even if you haven't read the first.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for providing this ARC.

Listen, after Fix Her Up and It Happened One Summer, I was convinced I wouldn't ever like Tessa Bailey as an author. There was a way she wrote that I just didn't jive with, and her characterizations were always just a bit off to me. When I submitted my review for It Happened One Summer, I even made a comment about how I gave her two tries and didn't foresee giving her a third. But I am glad I did.

I loved this story. I love Fox and I love Hannah and I love the magic they create together. I felt Fox's very real pain from being mislabeled his whole life and the struggle with shaking that off even when he was desperate to do so. I love Hannah's realness and honesty that finally allowed her to live for herself and her wants, as opposed to being everyone's support. And I loved how these two people came together to help each other move past their doubts and hesitations and really and truly understand their worth as people.

This was a gem of a story. I'm so glad I gave it a chance, even after being let down by this author in the past. If Tessa Bailey keeps publishing more books like this, she'll have a lifelong fan.

STATS:
OVERALL RATING - 5 / 5
CHARACTERS - 5 / 5
WRITING - 5 / 5
PLOT - 5 / 5
SPICE - 🌶️🌶️🌶️

GENRE - Contemporary Romance
PAGE COUNT - 368
RELEASE DATE - 1st March, 2022
PUBLISHER - Avon
FORMAT - Kindle Edition
SERIES - Bellinger Sisters (#2)

"I'm yours and you're mine. So it's always going to be right. I didn't know what right felt like until you. I'm holding on to the good you gave me. I'm holding on to you. I'm in for the good, bad and everything in between, Hannah. Decades. A lifetime. I'm in."
- Fox Thornton, Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey

Short back story, I created my whole Netgally account just for this book and when I got approved for it, I've never been happier. So, a friends-to-lovers with music being the driving force of this story, really, what's not to love. This book follows the story of Piper's sister, Hannah, as she tries to make a climb in her career and it just so happens she needs a place to stay but with Brendan's parents in town, she's got no choice but to live in with Fox. Right from the prologue, I immediately knew this book would be it for me. We've got banter, music and tension all wrapped up within our two lovable leads.

What I loved most about this was the character depth. We have Hannah who's known for her notorious and fierce loyalty to anyone she cares about and that remained constant throughout the whole book. I love how loving she was towards Fox, how she welcomed everything about him both the good and the 'bad' and made it her goal to build Fox's self-confidence even if it meant sacrificing her own feelings. She's just that type of person. This book touches upon toxic masculinity and how it ruins ones self-esteem. Aside from the music, this was my favourite aspect. It's a rare topic, usually, we see leads that are confident players but those books never really touch upon how it mentally affects the hero. I love the character development between the two but most especially Fox. He fought his past, fought his beliefs, all of it if it meant that he could have Hannah. It's just touching really, how he's more worried about how Hannah's name would be tarnished if she were to be associated with him.

However, I do wish that we got closure from the other fishermen and Brendan. My poor Fox deserves compensation!!

If I were to explain this story, it would be along the lines of watching two people desperately in love fighting their own inner conflicts. It would be about the hero learning that if he isn't enough for her, he will be.

PROS: Tropes such as Forced Proximity and Friends-to-Lovers; plus it touches upon toxic masculinity (and of course, good spice)
CONS: It's written in the third POV. This doesn't really bother me but I feel that it does for some people
FINAL THOUGHTS: If you've read, It Happened One Summer and is wondering if it's even worth reading the second book, don't question yourself. Just read it. It'll change your perception of people and hopefully realize that words cut deeper than one would assume.
P.S. I hope the epilogue makes you cry just as much as it made me

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve read quite a few of Tessa Bailey’s books, and although I’ve enjoyed every one I’ve read, none of them have had that five star favorite quality for me… until now. Hook, Line, and Sinker was the perfect romance for me. I loved everything about Hannah and Fox’s story!

Hannah is Piper’s sister and doesn’t feel like the leading lady in her own life. She’s back in Westport helping with a film and it feels right to be there. Back with her sister, back with Fox. Fox and Hannah became fast friends while she was in town before and have stayed in touch. Fox has a bit of a reputation, but he’s so much more than what he seems.

While in town, Hannah stays in Fox’s spare room. It’s fine… they’re just friends. While Hannah has a little crush on a coworker, Fox decides to help her out by being flirty with her to give a little more attention to her. When that flintiness turns real and real feelings get involved, they both have some big choices to make.

Though I had so much fun reading this one, one of my favorite things about it was seeing the characters so exposed, vulnerable, and unguarded. They really got to know the raw and real heart of each other and though they had mad chemistry, it was that honest heart connection that really did it for me. They both saw a side of each other that others don’t see and the way Hannah stood up for/protected Fox was absolutely everything!

If you enjoy friends to lovers, want a good rom-com with the perfect amount of emotion, and are looking for a sweet and steamy read that’s a lot of fun, pick up Hook, Line, and Sinker. This one completely stole my heart and I can’t recommend it enough!

One of my most anticipated romance books of 2022. This is a continuation of the Bellinger Sisters, who we met in It Happened One Summer but it follows Hannah.

Hannah has an opportunity to revisit Westport (and Fox) again after suggesting the town as an ideal location for the movie she’s assisting with. The change in setting though means she’ll be crashing with Fox for a few weeks until filming wraps, and though they’ve become more like friends over the past few months, their forced close proximity starts to change some things.

This book is sweet, funny, heartbreaking at times, and absolutely sexy. Tessa Bailey is a must-read author for fans of rom-coms.

Oh. My. God. This was everything I hoped it'd be!

I read It Happened One Summer a few months ago and really enjoyed it. However, I fell in love with the idea of Hannah and Fox. So when I found out about Hook, Line, and Sinker -- I had very high hopes. I was not disappointed.

First, I love that Hannah and Fox formed a friendship first. There wasn't any of that insta-love nonsense. It was a realistic, slow burn type of budding romance. Obviously, they were both on the same wavelength but neither wanted to ruin their friendship.

The steamy teasing on Fox's part was . . . well, steamy. I actually enjoy teasing in steamy scenes more than the actual act itself. You could tell that Fox was doing what he was doing because he was trying to put up a safe wall.

That's a major topic point in this book, too. Toxic masculinity. It's covered a lot with how Fox views himself, his relationship with woman, and how everyone perceives him. It got really sad at some point because you could feel the hurt that Fox felt.

I loved everything about this book. Please read it. I promise you'll love it.

If you enjoyed Tessa Bailey's other Bellinger sisters novel, It Happened One Summer, no doubt you will devour this one focused on Piper's younger sister, Hannah, who is MORE than leading lady material. She is fierce, kind, and has impeccable taste in music. And the focus on Fox and his character development throughout this novel not only breaks your heart in half, but also gives pause for how we speak to other and how much weight our words have to the people in our lives.

This beautifully written book will captivate you from beginning to end. After finishing It Happened One Summer a few weeks ago, I was so excited to get to read this one early! The Bellinger sisters have my heart forever. A huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!