Oh, how I love Tessa Bailey books! Hook, Line, and Sinker was a fantastic read with some steam, some romance, a great soundtrack., and totally relatable and loveable characters.
I am rating this book five stars! Fox Thornton, a king crab fisherman meets Hannah Bellinger, a PA for a film producer meet in a lovely fishing town. They are friends and grow their friendship via songs of their days and texts while Hannah leaves to head back to LA. Hannah’s next film assignment brings her back to the fishing town and she stays with Fox and their relationship grows during their time living together. I just loved Hannah’s patience with Fox’s issues with himself and his self-worth. They were such a lovely complement to each other.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I adored this book. You never know how a second book is going to go in a series and I think I loved this one even more that It Happened One Summer. I loved Hannah in the first book and was dying to see how her story would be and just fell even more in love with her and Fox. I love their characters and their growth. I was so happy with the communication and how Hannah made it happen. It's one of the best books I've read so far this year.


Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

**Thank you HarperCollins publishers for providing this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change.**


“ I didn't know what right felt like until you, I’m holding on to the good you give me. I'm holding on to you”

The banter, the chemistry, the conversations, Fox and Hannah have that all consuming attraction that we all dream of finding one day!

Tessa Bailey has a way of pulling you in, she is the queen of feel good romance! Opening a Tessa Bailey novel and immersing yourself in the word she has created always feels like a warm hug or a cool breeze on a hot summer day. You never want to leave the comfort of the pages. Finishing any book by Bailey is always a bittersweet moment, knowing that you have to leave these characters behind and go back to the real world!!

I love this book so much, because often in life or in romance novels the female character is always the one with these insecurities that people deem ridiculous. Like does he want me for who I am and not just for my body? I am just a pretty face with no substance? Will anybody ever take me seriously? And in this book the roles have been reversed, and the male character is the one dealing with these insecurities and the way they work through it as a couple is absolutely astonishing. His pain is valid because men have feelings too! They are taught from a young age that men don’t cry, that they can’t be sensitive and that is toxic masculinity at its finest and in this book Tessa Bailey just destroys that frame of mind.

Hook, Line, and Sinker, is friends to lovers done right! Thank you Tessa Bailey for reminding us that we are all the leading ladies in the movie that is our lives which is why I’m rating this book a 5/5! By far one of the best romance novels I have read this year

Hook, Line, and Sinker is #2 in Tessa Bailey’s Bellinger Series.

HL&S follows LA rich girl Hannah in a friends to lovers romance with king crab fisherman and “playboy” Fox. Hannah met Fox the previous summer while keeping sister Piper company during Pipers banishment to Westport, Washington and state friends via text. Fox had been warned by best friend Brendan (Piper’s fiancé) to stay away from his future sister in law Hannah.

This book was AMAZING! I love alternating perspectives in a rom-com so I can get inside the male leads head too. Learning more about Fox was everything I wanted and seeing how Hannah handled it was inspiring. This one has so much steam mixed with so much backstory plus a lot of music references. I laughed, I cried, I made a playlist.

Both books were wonderful, but HL&S was definitely my favorite of the two. I was so invested in watching Fox evolve into a good man and seeing badass Hannah become the leading lady she always dreamed of. I could go on and on, really. This book was perfection. ❤️

Forget to mention there’s an epilogue featuring a moose 😂.

Thanks so much NetGalley for allowing me early access to this great read. I’ll definitely be preordering a copy.

Tessa Bailey really delivers in her sequel to It Happened One Summer. This is a fun and sexy, friends to more romance. Hannah is the quiet sister. The one who is never the star of show and happy to be on the fringes. Working as an assistant on an independent movie she suggests filming in the small fishing village where her sister now lives. She ends up staying in King crab fisherman Fox Thornton's spare room. They became friends last summer when her sister fell in love with Fox's fishing captain.

Fox is the local hot stud. He is handsome and has always gotten girls without trying. But it makes him insecure wondering if he is worthy of something real. He is happy to help Hannah pursue a work crush but is less confident when attraction flairs between them. For me Fox was one of the best characters written as he demonstrates that all that masculine boys talk and encouragement can have negative effects. The communication is open and honest between Hannah and Fox and it is delightfully refreshing. They trust each other as friends and it is natural to progress to more. His concern that her reputation will be tarnished by his past is something not brought up much in contemporary romances.

I really love and understand these two characters. Hannah's love of music and her continually making playlists is a plus for music loving readers. I was also happy to catch up with Bailey and Brendan from IHOS. This can be read as a stand alone but to get the beginning of the friendship between the two MC's you need to read the first book. The epilogue is a wonderful bonus too. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I read this too quickly, but Tessa Bailey is too much a master in the contemporary romance genre. Her characters always feel so alive, grounded, and hilarious. Banter doesn't feel stuck on a page, but directly pulled from the funniest person you know. Although Piper is a radiant heroine, I did enjoy her quiet, loyal sister Hannah. Her imposter syndrome felt real, and although Fox was wishy-washy beyond compare, I wasn't bogged down or taken out of the story at any point. Hannah will inspire you to stick up for yourself and the people you care about more. This will definitely be a yearly reread for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

I didn’t think Tessa Bailey could top It Happened One Summer, but she did. Obviously I was excited for this book because I just read it about 8 months before the release, but I have no regrets. I was invested from page one and I. Was. Obsessed.

This book tells the story of Hannah, Piper’s sister, who dreams of making film soundtracks. She forms a friendship with Fox, who has a well-known reputation as a player. When Hannah returns to Westport to film a movie, she stays with Fox and realizes he is not anything like he seems.

So Fox is a giant cinnamon roll and I LOVED him. This had the sweetest friends to lovers storyline full of banter and a healthy dose of angst. I could not put the book down and swooned along with Hannah. I love the town of Westport and how it was just as prominent in this story. Hannah was an excellent main character and I already miss her, Fox, and the whole gang. Basically, anything Tessa Bailey writes, I will love. All the stars.

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

Full review to be posted closer to release date.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was the perfect, light hearted summer read! The characters were relatable and you couldn't help but root for this friendship to blossom into a romance.
This book was told from both perspectives so you are able to really delve into the characters and understand their motivations. It made the romance feel deeper.
I also really loved the small town by the water setting where everyone knows everyone. It added another dimension to the story that felt quaint and warm.

THANK YOU Netgalley and Avon for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

THIS BOOK. I really enjoyed It Happened One Summer, but THIS BOOK sjafbskjdfbkas. I loved it 100 times more than IHOS. Fox and Hannah's relationship is literally everything you could ever want from a friends-to-lovers story.

I really loved how we got to see their friendship form and bloom. I feel like some people don't like the friends-to-lovers trope because it can feel like the author is telling you they are friends without actually showing you. Not the case here at all. You're shown from the very beginning that these two are friends, and that theme is repeated throughout as the characters navigate their personal struggles with each other.

One thing I LOVED about this book was the way the characters COMMUNICATED with each other. There were many moments throughout this book where it would have been easy to see the characters keeping their thoughts/feelings to themselves, but instead they openly communicated with each other. It's amazing how much more you can enjoy a story when the characters don't shy away from open and honest communication.

If you loved IHOS, I guarantee you'll love this one too!

(Note - while this book can definitely be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading IHOS first as that sets the stage for Fox and Hannah's friendship.)

i had no idea i was going to be so lucky to being able to read this book so early, but reading it so close to it happened one summer has made the experience amazing. i have to begin saying that tessa bailey has written a perfect duology for me. these books are perfect and i will never get over piper & brendan and hannah & fox. they will remain at the top of my favorite book couples forever.

this book has squeezed my heart since the beginning. it’s extremely emotional, and in a very different way from it happened one summer. i have expressed a thousand times how much i love piper and brendan, but hannah and fox made a place just for themselves inside my heart. hannah is the sweetest, loveliest girl. and she is the main character she never thought she was. she’s considerate and caring, always showing the people she cares about her unconditional love. that’s big main character energy, and she deserves all the love everyone gives her back.

fox thornton, aka the love of my life, i had no idea what was coming for me. what we see of him in the first book is just the tip of the iceberg. what’s underwater is big and beautiful, but also heartbreaking. my heart was in constant pain for him, but that made this story even more rewarding. this book carries an enormous lesson: being scared doesn’t make us unloveable. fox is one of the most beautiful characters i have ever read about.
hannah and fox have the most beautiful souls ever, and they found each other thanks to music, which makes me love the story even more. in fact, there’s one of my favorite songs that kept coming to my mind while reading this book: this life by edward sharpe and the magnetic zeroes.

as i mentioned at the beginning, the bellinger sisters has become one of my absolute favorite series. i know this review comes extremely early and when relase date comes, i will be posting it again as a reminder, but i needed to share how much i loved these books right now.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Thank you to Avon, NetGalley, and Tessa Bailey for a free copy of Hook, Line, and Sinker. This book comes out March 1st.

I knew after reading Piper’s book, It Happened One Summer, that I wanted to read Hannah’s book! I really enjoyed this book!

Some of the things I loved:
💫 Witty banter and 🔥🔥🔥 romance
💫 A unique fishing town setting
💫 That epilogue😍
💫 The male characterization of Fox. His story really breaks down a male stereotype, and how we can believe what we hear at a young age. One of the most interesting and well written male characters I have read in romance!

This is a standalone book. Although for better character reference, I would pick up It Happened One Summer!

This was my first Tessa Bailey book and I really enjoyed it, I thought it was an easy read that was perfect for summer. The characters in this novel were so loveable! This book is written in dual POV so we get both Fox and Hannah’s perspectives which I loved. Friends to lovers isn’t usually my favorite trope but I absolutely loved it in this book, I think it was very well written. Fox and Hannah’s relationship progressed so nicely and naturally throughout the book (but verrry slowly). They work through their many insecurities about themselves and their pasts, but they do so together and it made this a very emotional read but exciting to see them heal and grow along the way. I think their insecurities really added to their depth as characters and made them seem real.

I wish that we saw more sisterly interaction between Piper and Hannah, but overall this was the perfect cute, steamy summer read. I could not put this book down and I would have finished it in one sitting if I had the time! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves forced proximity, friends to lovers, or slow burn tropes. I will definitely be reading anything that Tessa Bailey writes after finishing this book!

Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

You guysssssss

Tessa Bailey does it again!! After absolutely adoringggg It Happened One Summer I knew I wanted to get my hands on this one ASAP and let me just say, I lovedddd it!!

If you like friends to lovers, then this is the book for you. I'm not always the biggest fan of that trope because a lot of the time I don't understand why the couple isn't together from the very beginning, but I really didn't have an issue with it in this one.

At the beginning of this story, Hannah comes back to Westport for work and needs a place to stay so she ends up staying with Fox, her friend that she met in the first book. Gotta love a good forced proximity trope.

It's interesting that while the first book had a lot of firey chemistry and banter, this book was much more of a slow build, which felt raw and incredibly realistic. But don't get me wrong, it's still a Tessa Bailey novel so it still had lots of spice and tension.

There was also some great commentary on masculinity and how people can respond to being inappropriately sexualized. As Sarah MacLean would say, she really took the finger with this one!!

I have always liked Tessa Bailey's work, but after these two books, I have decided that I will basically read anything she puts out next.

Fox and Hannah’s story is just stupendous. Separately, they are characters you want to root for, but together you want to fight even harder. I just LOVED them so much!

"You cant 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. With her."

Hook, Line, and Sinker is an deeply touching love story that I felt in my bones! Fox Thornton, king crab fisherman and lady-killer of the highest caliber. CINNAMON ROLL. Devilish charmer. Dedicated. Death by Fox. RIP @ me. He earned heart eyes from me.


Fox's backstory is emotional. FEELINGS ™. Toxic masculinity and undervaluing himself. His insecurities. And his journey to overcome the burden of his past.


Hannah is a grunge-headed old soul. It me. Hello, obsessive listening of music. I adore Fox and Hannah's friendship and the evolution of their relationship. They way Hannah so fiercely cares for Fox...


Hook, Line, and Sinker is a story of love and loss. Family. With the most affectionate OTP! Romance readers MUST HAVE Tessa Bailey's Bellinger Sisters duo on their shelves. For squeeze hugs obviously. A hauntingly beautiful story that's like a summer day after a hundred years of winter! If you couldn't tell... I AM WILD HANNAH AND FOX. I most definitely be rereading come March 2022. K, I'm going to go cry again.

READ IF YOU LIKE:
-friends to lovers
-forced proximity
-a little fake dating
-vinyl records
-fishing puns
-dimples & freckles
-piggyback rides
-chocolate ice cream & a sleeve of graham crackers
-#IsThisAKissingBook: "big, dramatic movie kiss and everything." Sweet & spicy!

Song: Trouble by Ray LaMontagne

"To help weave together the atmosphere" and enhance your reading experience, check out the soundtrack to Hook, Line, and Sinker.

Hook, Line, and Sinker TUNES

THANK YOU X 1000 to Avon Books and Harper Voyager for an advanced copy!

Thank you to Avon & Netgalley for an advanced copy of Hook, Line And Sinker by Tessa Bailey.

I absolutely loved It Happened One Summer and was SO excited to get Hook, Line and Sinker. I immediately read it and couldn't put it down! I loved this book just as much as the first.

This was such a slow burn between Hannah and Fox and I loved it. I'm not usually a friends to lovers enthusiast, but I was here for their friendship that had started to bloom in the first book. I loved seeing Hannah feel more confident and leading lady. The connection between her father's sea shanties and her was wonderful. I loved this transformation of Fox.

Plus, you know you're getting a steamy read with Tessa Bailey. While it was a slow burn, she didn't loose the steam.

I loved the pervious book, It Happened One Summer, Piper and Hannah were hilarious and great sisters. I was so excited to learn more about Hannah and see more funny, relatable and sweet moments in this novel, and it delivered! This book needs to also come with a sound track, it was so fun to look up the different songs mentioned to describe the characters moods. I loved the writing, and the growth of these characters. Fox and Hannah truly are meant to be! Honestly the epilogue was my favorite part, I love a good time skip. This story had the perfect balance of love and humor. It left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside! I would 100% recommend reading this and the previous book in this series. :)

This one is my favorite Tessa Bailey I’ve read to date. I knew when we met Hannah and Fox in “It Happened One Summer” that this book was going to be great, but this isn’t just a great book, it’s one of my heart books. Ever so often I read a book that speaks to who I am as a person and this is one of them. I feel like Tessa somehow got a look in my head and wrote this book just for me.

Hannah is a character that I relate to on every level. She’s someone who’s competent in what she does, is fiercely loyal, and says it how it is. She also has imposter syndrome and feels like she’s a side character in her own life. As someone else who has a sister who is as radiant as Piper, it can be hard to recognize that you aren’t a side character in your story. This book was about not only Hannah finding her voice and story, but about her realizing she is deserving of a story separate from others.

Fox fox fox fox fox. I love Fox. He’s a guilt ridden hero who views himself as if he’s only good for one thing, his sex appeal. It’s my favorite type of hero (I mean, just look at my other all-time favorite hero, Joshua from “The Hating Game”). Watching him fight with every fiber of his being to not go after Hannah was so satisfying. Watching him then try and weaponize his sexuality was something I was not expecting but created so many layers to his character. He’s someone who is deeply scarred by what others have said to and about him, making it hard for him to go after what would make him happy, Hannah.

The pacing of this story is different for what I typically expect from a Tessa Bailey and it has a purpose. We can’t have Hannah and Fox having sex in the first half of the book until Fox understands without a shadow of a doubt that for Hannah, he will never just be sex to her. Their first sexual encounter was so impactful for how the rest of the story goes and is a beautiful example of how intimacy can shape the movements of a romance. But as always with Tessa’s books, this one is HOT. There’s one scene featuring a lunch break and some ginger oil that had me squealing.

Hannah’s complete and total trust in Fox and his feelings for her is what brings him to the realization that she’s in it for the long haul and isn’t going to jump ship when it gets hard. In fact, it’s Fox who jumps ship, MANY times, trying to save himself from the pain of possible rejection in the future. It’s such a nice contrast to have a heroine who knows the hero has been a player in the past being the one who has the full trust in the relationship.

I will most likely be re-reading this before this one comes out to get my thoughts more collected and refined (if I can wait that long). This review is also different from most of my other ones where I do the “down to the nitty gritty what I loved and didn’t love” because for me, this book was nothing but love. I don’t have one bone to pick with this one.

If you’ve been on the fence about this series, do yourself a favor and jump in. “It Happened One Summer” is another 5 star read and this is some of Tessa’s best work. These books will be on my mind and heart forever.

*I received this ARC through NetGalley and voluntarily read this book. my thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me the chance to read an advanced copy!*

As always, thank you so much to the publisher Avon Books and Netgalley for providing me a digital arc in exchange for an honest review, and I'm so sorry this one didn't hit the mark for me!

I had really, really high hopes for this book, these characters, and their story. Ultimately, it all fell a little short of what I dreamed. I didn't love the characterization or development of either Fox or Hannah. I felt their individual stories were very one-dimensional and the resolutions to their independent issues, and issues as a couple could have been achieved in far fewer pages. This book felt so long. Like, waaayy too long.

Overall, I wanted so badly to love this book but instead I found myself wondering when it would end around the 60% mark. I finally finished it, and the ending was cute, but I didn't like the journey, and believe me when I say that no one is more sad or disappointed about this than me.

"It Happened One Summer" was excellent, and I enjoyed "Hook, Line and Sinker" just as much! In this novel, Piper's sister Hannah is the heroine of the story. This was a wonderful, slow burn romance with just the right amount of angst and steam. Another strength is that Bailey develops secondary characters so well, like the sisters' grandmother Opal. My only minor quibble is that I live in the state that the novel is set, and a few things didn't ring authentic, which took my head out of the story here and there.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!