Hook, Line, and Sinker was one of my most anticipated romance novels of this year. I fell in love with these characters when they were just supporting characters in It Happened One Summer and getting an entire book on them was fantastic. I really enjoyed them as individuals and as a couple, Hannah is amazing, she doesn’t see herself as a main character of her own story but rather a supporting one and I really related to that. She’s very giving and encourages Fox to grow, which in my opinion makes the character development that much more interesting. I’m very glad that Tessa decided to give us this story!

This story is perfect for those who love the friends to lovers trope and angst in their books. I adore it and would definitely recommend it for anyone who loves romance, character growth, friends to lovers, and a story that will pull at your heart strings. Tessa Bailey is a fantastic author and based off of everything I’ve read from her so far, I would highly recommend her.

This was just a mid-tier read for me. Granted, I didn't read the first installment in this series so I didn't get the full reading experience but I'm sure fans of Tessa Bailey and Chick Lit will enjoy this. I liked the deconstruction of toxic masculinity and fun banter between the leads, however the story just felt too drawn out and I struggled to connect to the writing.

Can a renowned playboy reform their ways for the right girl?
That is the question Fox Thornton asks himself throughout this latest installment of the Bellinger Sisters series.

Hannah Bellinger, or Freckles, as Fox likes to call her returns to Westport in an attempt to gain some professional growth within movie production. She convinces her boss, director/writer of the movie Glory Daze, that Westport is the ideal locale for the shoot. And to save the production money, ends up staying with Fox in his guest room.

In book one, featuring Hannah's sister, Piper, I always sensed a connection between her and Fox. But the two managed to keep things platonic back then. Sharing close quarters is a whole other story.

Despite Fox being a player, with no plans to settle down (I'll get to that later), I think he found the perfect catch in Hannah. Not only is there a clear physical connection between them, but their shared love of music was the catalyst to their strong friendship. However, there are some issues keeping them from testing the waters, so to speak.
***Distance - with Fox in Oregon, and Hannah's home base in LA
***Family tension - with Hannah's sister married to Fox's boss/BFF, there are certain lines they are afraid to cross, especially when Brendan orders them not to.
***Ego - for all his charm and bravado around women, Fox has surprisingly very low self-worth when it comes to long term relationship possibilities. He is so used to his reputation of being used for sex, that he doesn't see how he can escape that reputation, even for someone like Hannah.

I personally wanted to smack Fox at times, and then give him a big hug. His internal struggle with his love for Hannah and his lack of confidence in himself was surprising. And while I felt like he was being a drama llama at times, I loved that Hannah never gave up on him. Truly a perfect match!

As there are no more sisters in this family that I'm aware of, this may be the last installment, but I've thoroughly enjoyed both and would recommend them!

Tessa Bailey's books are always refreshing, witty and fun! Hook, Line and Sinker is a slow-burning romance with two that you just know belong together and a bit of family drama on the side. Really enjoyed this book!

Hook, Line, and Sinker is the story following Hannah Bellinger, the sister of Piper, the main character of It Happened One Summer. Honestly, I found myself enjoying this title more than its predecessor. Hannah and Fox struggle with their own issues and it feels very authentic to what work needs to be done before a relationships can be successful. They began as friends and built that trust in which allowed both to grow tofether. They compliment one another so well and I enjoyed the fact that unlike many romances of similar caliber, that I was surprised how they choose to fight for their relationship rather than letting it end over some trivial issue or miscommunication. I would highly recommend this title to anyone wanting a seaside romance with depth and a story that has a happy, fulfilling ending.

King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he's a guaranteed good time--in bed and out--and that's exactly how he prefers it. Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She's immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his…. personality? And wants to be friends? Bizarre. But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is. Now, Hannah's in town for work, crashing in Fox's spare bedroom. She knows he's a notorious ladies' man, but they're definitely just friends. In fact, she's nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the o erson to help with her lackluster love life.


First point: the cover of this book is horrible, I was expecting so little things from the book because of it...
But I started reading the story and it really felt like something Tessa would write and it's so cute and kind and the quotes are so beautiful that I give it 4.0 stars.

Another Five Star win in this series

I fell in love with Hannah in the first book and was so happy she got her own story. The relationship building between Fox and Hannah felt so completely natural, and the text with the music was key for their characters. I loved the whole story and the struggles that Fox and Hannah went through really added so many layers and depth to the story.

such a good book, honestly put me in a slump just cause i relate so much to the main character LMAO. it happened one summer is one of my favs so i couldn’t wait to read this book and it most definitely did not disappoint. the only reason i gave it a 4/5 stars is because i found the emphasis on fox’s personality to be kinda repetitive, other than that i absolutely loved it.

This was a fabulous follow up to It Happened One Summer. I absolutely adored what we got of Hannah from the first book so I was ecstatic to see that she would be getting her own book. This book had the perfect level of slow burn that one would expect from a friends to lovers romance. I do hope that one day Tessa Bailey will take readers back to Westport for another story. The setting lends itself perfectly for romance especially the broody kind. I love the depth she gives to all the characters even the ones that are just in the background of the story. The background theme of overcoming toxic masculinity was also so refreshing to read in a romance novel. Exploring the psychological ramifications that a lifetime of being sexualized and being seen as unable to be better than his father was a heavy topic to explore in a romance novel. Her take and handling of the topic was perfect. It never felt heavy handed or overused it was always right were it needed to be in the story to bring depth to Fox and Hannah's relationship. I absolutely adore Tessa's writing style, and how you can't help but love each character you meet. She manages to do so much in what seems like such a short span. I absolutely 100% will recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a romance read.

Friends to lovers is my least favorite trope. But this book executed it perfectly. Maybe it was the forced proximity or the jealously that made me enjoy this book! After reading it happened one summer, I could not wait to read Hannah and Fox’s story.. I loved the character development between these two. Witnessing Fox finally putting his guard down, and Hannah blossoming into this confident leading lady, it was so fun to read. I just love, love, love when a romance feels so realistic and the characters experience relatable emotions. It almost felt like I was apart of their conversations. I adored the fact that they bonded through music, and how well they knew each other. Fox can always sense when somethings wrong with Hannah. He studied her facial expressions, he listened to her, ugh I just couldn’t get enough of Fox’s point of view. Although, I was a bit bored during some parts of the book, so that prevented me from enjoying the book entirely. I think I was just way more connected to Fox rather than Hannah. However, I’d still recommend you read this after it happened one summer!

Thank you so much netgalley and Avon for the ARC!

Love this book from Tessa Bailey!! I enjoyed the first book in this series, but this book far surpassed it. There was something about Fox - I really enjoyed his vulnerability and growth throughout the book. This book had a strong theme of what we see on the outside of our initial assessments mag not always be accurate. I love a friends to lovers trope. My only complaint with this book is it felt like the sexual tension kicked in quick without much processing the change in their relationship. Fox surprised me with how blunt he was at times, and it felt out of place!

Thank you NetGalley for an earc!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley, thanks so much!

I originally was going to DNF this after a few chapters because I wasn't sure of the common tropes and didn't see where it was going, as I assumed Fox and Hannah were going to end up together. I really ended up enjoying it -- it was a sweet story and I enjoyed the music aspect of it. The climax (lol) does come a tad late in the book AND I wish Fox's story hadn't revolved so much around his sexual life. I wanted to know more about him beside that, like his captaining the ship or his experiences on the boat, or any other relationships. It felt like a bit of an odd dance with his character. Overall, I really liked this and am going to read the prior book next and look forward to reading other Tessa Bailey books.

#HookLineandSinker #NetGalley

This was a cute read. I absolutely loved the first book, It Happened One Summer & it’s become one of my favorites, so I was excited to return to Westport & catch up with the characters! Hannah is the heroine in this book & while I liked her, she fell a bit flat compared to her sister Piper. I didn’t connect with anyone in this story the way that I did in the previous book. It didn’t seem to flow well & felt very slow. The steam/relationship didn’t work for me as well as it did between Piper & Brendan. Overall, a sweet friends to lovers story.

I am a huge fan of Tessa Bailey. And I feel like with each book, her writing gets stronger. I like the Bellinger Sisters duology a lot, and feel it's a step up from the Hot & Hammered series.

Hannah and Fox are adorable, and there were times I just wanted to just give them both a hug. Their story was raw and real, and Bailey did a nice job of showing the struggles each of them went through.

Would definitely recommend.

What I Liked:
-I loved Piper's story, but this one topped even that. There was such depth in this one.
-This book went past your normal romance novel. We got to see the depths of Fox's mind and why he was the way he was. It dealt SO well with generational trauma and just plain self-deprecation, and Hannah was a beautiful juxtaposition to that.
-These characters. I just loved them so much. Tessa Bailey has such a way with characters that makes them shine off the page and this was no exception.
-LOVE the symbolism with music throughout the book.

What I Didn't Like/Wanted More Of:
-Brinley's character, while important, needed more depth to her.

This book was simply amazing!! I really liked the first book in the series, but I absolutely loved this one! Hannah and Fox go through so much together that I could not stop reading to see where these two would end up. Friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, slow burn, steamy steam steam- this book has it all!!

After texting for seven months, Hannah comes back to Westport for work and ends up staying with Fox. They've been building their friendship, and feelings for one another, in secret all those months and it's all coming to the surface as they live together for a few weeks. Hannah is kind and loving and wants to follow her dreams. Fox is seen as player, the hook up king, and no one takes him seriously- including himself. The looks, conversations, and moments between these two made me feel like I was right there watching it all unfold. It was beautiful and heartbreaking and I devoured this book! And that epilogue, oh that epilogue!!!

Five stars, a must read!! Side note: It would be best to read this book after reading It Happened One Summer so you have background on the beginning of Hannah and Fox's friendship.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for an advanced copy of this book.

HOOK, LINE AND SINKER is an incredibly sizzling romance story that stars a hunkalicious king crab fisherman, Fox Thornton, a confirmed ladies man and player. He helps his gorgeous best friend, Hannah Bellinger, nab a work colleague who she is crushing on. However, life is about to get messy!

Fox's reputation precedes him around town as a flirtatious and fun ladies man. Everyone assumes he won't settle down, because he likes his options open. Domesticated life is not for him. When his best friend Hannah blows into town for work, his life shutters to a stop. Hannah stays just down the hall from him in his flat and she decrees to remain friends, no more. Besides, she has the hots for a colleague and Fox is the perfect guy to help her land her crush. However, as time passes, friendship lines begin to blur. Fox is going out of his mind because he is falling hard for Hannah! Hannah has intense feelings for Fox too. Does their friend status turn into love struck lovers? Will they ultimately realize they are meant to be?

HOOK, LINE AND SINKER is an outstanding love story, complete with anxiety, emotional minefields and comical situations. The author shines in this second entry starring all the characters from the first novel, It Happened One Summer. This time around, Fox, a sworn ladies man, helps out his best friend, Hannah, get a guy at work. Fox is seriously attracted to Hannah. Also, Hannah's notices how deliciously sexy Fox really is up close. This, just friends, business is difficult to maintain when sparkles are pinging all over the place between them. Will they navigate the waters of togetherness? This is the perfect friends-to-lovers romance book that I love! The author brought realism to the story through insecurities, connections with hobbies, genuine relationships, and heart felt emotions. HOOK, LINE AND SINKER is definitely a story to treasure!

DEATH BY FOX (AND HANNAH)...

Such an amazing follow-up to "It Happened One Summer," this time following Hannah Bellinger and the sexy, "playboy" fisherman, Fox. Personally, I enjoyed "Hook, Line, and Sinker" just as much or even more than Piper's story. Hannah is such a relatable character. She is someone who is used to supporting others and making sure their needs are met before hers, but throughout the story, she begins to appreciate her own shine and becomes the main character of her life. I loved how strong and understanding she was especially to Fox, who does not have the best reputation in town. Together the two of them have great physical and emotional chemistry and you could really tell that they bring out the best in each other yet are still great characters individually. I am also a fan of the two perspective storytelling because as a reader we were able to look into Hannah and Fox's minds. This book is fun and flirty with a great story about learning to love yourself and own who you are.

The epilogue was also super cute and a sweet way to share the Bellinger sisters' happily ever afters.

4.5/5 stars

Wow!!! Okay, I loved this. I wasn’t the biggest fan of It Happened One Summer, but immediately found myself drawn to Hannah so I knew that this sequel was going to be more up my alley. And I’m so glad that it was.

This is friends-to-lovers done right. Hannah and Fox’s romantic relationship is top-tier, but I couldn’t help but adore their friendship as well. It was obvious just how much they cared about each other and didn’t want to mess up what they had, and I just loved it.

I identified so deeply with Hannah and her personal journey as the supporting character in everyone’s stories. And I adored how intrinsically music was woven through this book. Music courses through Hannah’s bones and I loved how that translated on page.

My favorite aspect of this, however, was Fox’s character arc. I feel like it’s rare to have the male protagonist have the primary growth plot, but it worked so nicely. Hannah is naturally supportive and encouraged Fox to see past what he’s always been, even when it was difficult.

I just truly enjoyed this!

TESSA BAILEY HAS DONE IT AGAIN! I L-O-V-E-D Hook, Line, and Sinker, the second in a series. Although this can certainly be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the first of the Bellinger Sisters entitled It Happened One Summer. I can't say enough good things about this one. Ms. Bailey, you are one of my faves and a definite one click. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.