The first half of this book was beyond delightful. I love Fox and Hannah and loved watching their friendship develop as they also fought their feelings. But I did get a little bored with Fox’s woe is me attitude and the lack of communication.

i didn't expect to love this duology so much..... but the romance in this was so cute and i liked both the main characters. hannah was much more interesting than piper (in my opinion) to read about and i liked her personality much more.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc

(Note: I was provided an advanced copy of Hook, Line, and Sinker by the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

Hook, Line, and Sinker is the second book in the Bellinger Sisters duology. This time the focus is on music-obsessed production assistant, Hannah Bellinger. Hannah is back in Westport for work, crashing with relief skipper and ladies' man, Fox Thornton. Hannah and Fox met on the Bellinger sisters' first visit to Westport and since then have established themselves as friends - JUST friends. Fox isn't the type to settle down and anyway, Hannah seems to be immune to his charms. But, as time passes, the two become closer: confiding about their insecurities and inspiring one another to take chances. Soon the lines between friends and lovers starts to blur, but is exploring those feelings with the risk?

Hook, Line, and Sinker had me grinning like an idiot on page two. I love the dynamic between Hannah and Fox. their personalities are perfectly complimentary. Their interactions are funny, heartfelt, and sincere. Fox, especially, has exceptional character growth in the story that makes it so easy for you to root for him. Friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes and Fox's pining over Hannah is absolutely swoon-worthy. My only complaint is that occasionally the dialogue felt a little cringy.

Overall, this is another absolute knock-out of a book from Tessa Bailey. This book helped me escape the stresses of life and made me grin from ear-to-ear. If you love romance, you absolutely cannot pass up this read. 4.5/5 stars.

Content Warnings: slut shaming, death of a parent, sexual content

Started it at midnight. Finished a 6:30am. Worth my day of exhaustion. Couldn't put it down. Such a great book. Great characters! Great story! Beautifully told! I love Tessa Bailey's writing. There is such flow and ease in the way it reads and I get wrapped up in her clear world and characters and well developed relationships. Loved it! Laughed out loud a few times by moments that look me by surprise. Such a fun read.

I loved It Happened One Summer and this was a perfect follow-up to it. I was thrilled to go back to Westport to see Fox and Hannah's story. I loved how they started as friends and then slowly became lovers. The character development of Fox and Hannah was well done in that you were rooting for them to figure out their feelings for each other. I also loved how music had a big part in this story with how Fox and Hannah used it to share their feelings. A nice addition to this book was the appearance of Piper and Brendan from the last book. It was nice to see how they were settling into their relationship. Overall, this book was a great follow-up to the first book and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance stories that involve the friends-to-lovers trope.

I think I've found my non Helen Hoang contemporary romance niche! I'm a sucker for reformed man whores and friends-to-lovers.

I liked the romance in this one even more than the first king crab fisherman book, though I continue to find Bailey's sex scenes totally over the top compared to HH's subdued Aspie turn-ons.

Love the ladies, tho. Seriously, I could read a whole book of the Bellinger sisters hanging out, talking about vaginas.

This was a super fun follow-up to the first Bellinger sister story, and the setting of Westport is almost its own character. I enjoyed how music was woven throughout the book, and watching how Fox and Hannah's relationship evolved over time. It feels rare to talk about the objectification of men and the impact it has, I really liked how Tessa Bailey addressed it here. A perfect read to curl up with, maybe during a rainstorm!

I really really really really liked this book.

It had all of the things I love in a romance read:
- an MC who wants to overcome her imposter syndrome
- A very very hot sexy sailor who struggles with how others see him
- We get snippets of Piper and Brendan
- Tessa Bailey had the most thoughtful and personal dedication and author’s note to thank healthcare providers
- Y’all the steam

This was the perfect mix of romance and seeing the individual character growth. Run don’t walk to preorder this one! I’m about to go pre-order like 5 copies so I can force my friends to read it too.

Hook, Line, and Sinker comes out on March 1, 2022 and I can’t wait for it!

Thank you @avonbooks and @netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Instagram review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CUDBGserle6/?utm_medium=copy_link
Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4223169407

I really liked the first book in this series, It Happened One Summer, but I had a feeling I was going to love Hook, Line, and Sinker. Tessa Bailey did not disappoint! I absolutely devoured this book. This was such a sweet friends to lovers romance. It’s dual POV so you get both Fox and Hannah’s perspective. I’m a sucker for some good banter and Fox and Hannah have that in spades. They also just had really good communication with each other, which I loved. The pacing of their relationship felt so natural. They each had their own insecurities to work through. Hannah has to build her confidence to recognize that she is the leading lady in her life. Fox has to trust that he can be more than just a good time. I loved the way Tessa tackled the topic of toxic masculinity in this book. There is slightly less steam than there was IHOS, but it absolutely makes sense for this story. This book was the perfect combination of sweet, steamy, and emotional. I could not get enough!

Hook, line and sinker.... there goes heart! I LOVED this book so much, even more than the first book about Hannah's sister, Piper. This felt like it had so much emotion to it that had me feeling ALL the feels. I laughed, smiled, swooned and even teared up a couple times!

Friends to lovers/forced proximity is one of my favorites and this was SO good. The slowburn was so worth it because their relationship had so much to it. I loved their mutual love for music.

Hannah was just the sweetest and I found myself relating to her at times. It made me so happy getting to see her be the leading lady! Fox was major SWOONY (*wipes drool off face* from his hotness.) I absolutely LOVED him. I wanted to hold him tight and tell him he deserves all the love. Poor guy has always been treated like "the heartbreaker" all his life he doesn't feel worthy of love. Thank goodness he has Hannah as a friend who has a heart of gold and is persistent! I just couldn't get enough of these two!

This book may be my new favorite Tessa book! I just loved everything about it. It swept me away and made my heart so happy!!!! Plus it had some HOT moments! Absolutely amazing and HIGHLY recommend for romance fans!

I have to say...I REALLY enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one. There is just something about the build up of tension between the main characters in this book that get me on the edge of my seat. Their relationship was so perfectly executed and seeing them slowly grow closer to each other warmed my heart! Bravo! I can already anticipate how the other book couple are going to be, but, honestly, this book couple is my new favorite!

After reading Piper and Brendan’s story, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Hannah and Fox’s. There was so much subtle setup for the two of them in It Happened One Summer that I had really high expectations for their story. Hook, Line, and Sinker takes us back to Westport, but in a totally different capacity, giving this story a completely new feeling.

Hannah Bellinger has always felt like a supporting character, not a leading lady. But she’s determined to start making leading lady moves to get to where she wants to be in her life. Those moves bring her back to Westport, where her team is filming a new movie and she reconnects with Fox, her long distance best friend, and continues her exploration into her roots. Hannah is obsessed with music, has a constant playlist playing in her head and is trying to make her mark on the film industry through movie soundtracks. She’s feisty when the situation calls for it, sticks up for those she loves and is so insightful when it comes to other people’s actions and motivations. She puts that insightfulness to work with Fox, really digging in to find out what he’s hiding beneath his pretty boy veneer.

Fox Thornton is gorgeous and he knows how to use it - he wields his good looks like a weapon while he’s trying to guard his heart and his feelings. But, no one has taken the time to get to know more about him or force him to examine his actions until Hannah starts occupying his guest bedroom. His internal dialogue was heartbreaking and finally finding out what happened to him in his past was nothing like I expected - he’s a complex character with a complicated backstory. Even though he’s confident in a lot of ways, he doesn’t always believe in his abilities to be anything more than the playboy persona the town has created for him and the relief captain he’s always been for Brendan...at least, until Hannah helps him see he can be more.

Hannah and Fox start out as friends, but he’s immediately interested in more but doesn’t pursue it because of his hangups about relationships and his reputation. But, once they’re back in Westport together, their daily texts are traded for conversations and touches and their friendship takes a turn. It’s definitely a slow burn - it takes them a while to even admit to their feelings and even more to truly explore them. Once they do, their relationship is as easy as breathing and their months of friendship helped to lay the groundwork for a real, deep relationship. Hannah helps Fox work through so much of the pain he’s been holding on to for years and recognize that he can be more than the town playboy and Fox helps Hannah to make her leading lady moves, encouraging her to be assertive and follow her gut. They really do make a great team and I think a lot of that comes from focusing on their friendship first.

I loved the appearances by Piper and Brendan throughout but definitely could have done with a few more! Hannah and Fox played such a big part in their story and it felt strange that they weren’t as involved with Hannah and Fox’s story. I think this story has a bit of a pacing problem too - the first half seemed to drag a bit with all the setup and then the last 30% had so many things happening that it felt rushed. Their relationship drama happened fast and felt a little out of left field. But, the epilogue was everything I could have wanted to wrap up the stories of these two sisters and say goodbye to the Bellingers and their families.

This is the perfect follow up to the hit book It Happened One Summer! This story has endless charm, spice, and witty banter! The girls are fierce and feisty and the heros are swoony and delicious! This is a must read for romance lovers! It's cute and sweet with a happily ever after but still packs the punch of a steamy romance! Highly recommend!

Tessa Bailey made me fall in love with Piper and Brendan in “It Happened One Summer” and I was thrilled to find out we were going to be able to do it all over again with Hannah and Fox. I absolutely love how this book tackled toxic masculinity while also making me laugh out loud and root for the couple. The character development for both Hannah and Fox was outstanding and had me cheering for them from the very beginning. The way they connected and communicated was simply perfect. I absolutely loved this book and basically want to move to Westport.

I don’t think I could love his book more even if I tried. Fox and Hannah’s relationship is so real and beautiful.

✨These sisters have stolen my heart for sure.. this is a lovely follow up to It Happened One Summer, with a heart warming story of angsty friends to lovers with a beautiful journey of self discovery and that love really can be a balm to soothe even the most troubling of souls.

•Hannah’s souls is made up of music.. the melody, the words, it’s how she processes the world. One day the music dries up for a short while. And who can bring the music back? None other than Fox “peacock” Thornton. Reformed playboy who has not been able to look at another woman since Hannah stole his heart months ago.

•As a work opportunity brings Hannah back to Westport, Fox & Hannah have to decide if these feelings are real, and if they are worth fighting for. I loved this story.. and the friendship these two share is on a soul deep level. I def loved the Bellinger sister’s stories and will absolutely be retreading these books.

✨Thank you to the author & publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

4.5/5 stars, 3/5 peppers
This book made me beyond happy. I was worried I would be let down after how good It happened One summer was. The texting and banter is so good. There was a lot of character growth for both Hannah and Fox, and Fox's past really pulled on my heart strings. The song choices throughout were immaculate, and will make an awesome spotify playlist. As always Tessa Bailey's spice scenes were great, and I would always be happy with more.

I really appreciate the Epilogue and the little bit of Brendan and Piper we get to see. More often than not I feel like most romances really could use one more chapter to really show us the HEA, and this fit the bill.

text error in Chapter 8 - 'you coming to seattle, yes or no? I don't care either way' text message wasn't shown as other texts were throughout.

I was absolutely ecstatic when I saw I was approved to read this ARC! I bought the first book shortly after my approval and dove right in! I didn’t think anything could top “it happened one summer” but this BOOK DID JUST THAT! Tessa freaking Bailey, I am freaking OBSESSED WITH YOU!! I already knew I was going to like this book and um hello… FOX?! This friends-to-lovers sequel focuses on the younger Bellinger sister as we are lead through her journey to find herself. Dual POV? YES. Slow burn? YES. Heart felt journey? YES. There are so many wonderful life lessons sprinkled throughout this book (what a fun surprise!?) that made my heart so full!! And that ending? My lord. It was so good. I love how Hannah has such a huge passion for music and we see her grow as a self-made confident woman!! Fox, oh sweet Fox. I wanted to give him so many hugs throughout this one. He’s a bit broken but aren’t we all?? And who better to fix him than kind Hannah who looks out for, and supports, those who she cares for. I would LOVE to see what this man (Fox) looks like in real life cause damn 🥵 Anyways, this is literally a book you MUST read. And such a great conclusion to the series!!!

What a touching follow-up to It Happened One Summer.

In this installment, readers are tuned into the going's on between Fox and Hannah, who have been nursing a long distance friendship until the film she was working on changes locations and brings her back to Westport to stay for a few weeks. With him. In his apartment. In a spare bedroom across the hall, where they live like a pair of platonic roommates whose feelings for each other might not be platonic at all...

This book was such an emotional, comforting delight! I loved how it radiated warmth and understanding. The way it emphasized the harm that oversexualization at a young age can cause into adulthood, not only poisoning someone's belief in being able to form lasting relationships but also distorting their own perception of self. I also enjoyed how it encouraged going after one's dreams and allowing oneself to become the main character of one's own life.

Fox and Hannah's romance was more of a patient friends-to-lovers crawl than I was expecting, but I enjoyed it because it was mindful. It was thoughtful. He helps her connect to her dad, to music, in a fresh yet meaningful way; and she has faith in him even when he doesn't have faith in himself. Romantic things between them may be slow to actualize but romance still breathes through everything they do or feel. I don't know what else to say except it's soft and charming and sweet.

In short, theirs' is the kind of love story that hooks you 'round the heart from the first page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my review.

4.5 stars

After loving It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Hook, Line, and Sinker. This is one of my most anticipated 2022 releases and I forced myself to read it slowly so that I could stay in Westport a little longer.

I love how music plays an important role in the story and how it gave Fox and Hannah a way to communicate their feelings. The slow burn, friends to lovers romance between them built up so tenderly and steadily. Tessa Bailey really made us work for this one, but goodness the result was so delicious. I didn't realize that the angst would be quite so high in Hook, Line, and Sinker. Hannah and Fox are two people struggling to shed previous images/personas and be their truest selves. Sometimes the attempts were downright heartbreaking and other times they were so beautiful and raw. I loved how these two saw past all the masks and walls and truly understood the other. Always knowing just when to push and when to just be. Fox's history and character arc reminded me a lot of Lance from Pucked Off by Helena Hunting. You really can't help yourself from rooting for these characters to find their happily ever after.

I also loved the appearances of Piper and "the mean one". It was wonderful to see those two settled and right where they belong. I would have loved for there to be more sisterly interaction though, since Hannah and Piper's relationship is one of my favorite aspects of the series. I also felt the pacing around the middle was on the slower side and then things sped up at the end, which made the last minute drama and resolution wrap up a little too quickly. The epilogue warmed my heart so much though and was the perfect way to say goodbye to these characters and Westport.

CW: mentions of parental death, parental infidelity, oversexualization of minor/teen/young adult, toxic masculinity

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*