Fox and Hannah were a great pair in this romantic comedy. I always enjoy friends to lovers stories and this one did not disappoint. I loved how they were in communication for months both pining for eachother without the other one knowing. I also enjoyed the character development for Fox and how Hannah helped pull him out of his low self esteem when it came to being more than just a "lay". It was a great sequel to the series and I would recommend to any reader who enjoys romance stories.

While this didn't have quite the same magic that I experienced when reading It Happened One Summer, this was another enjoyable romance from Tessa Bailey. I loved going back to Westport, and Hannah is such a great character and dare I say, leading lady.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another fantastic Tessa Bailey rom-com! I absolutely adored It Happened One Summer and was delighted to learn that Fox and Hannah's story would also be coming and it certainly did not disappoint! Hook, Line, and Sinker is a steamy friends-to-lovers. I adore Fox and loved seeing his transformation from ladies man to Hannah's man. And Hannah is just the most lovable and understanding woman, pushing to make him a better man.

While the book definitely followed Hannah's story as well, I was really drawn to Fox's personal growth story and how Hannah helped him. It was refreshing to see the character arc heavily focused on the male main character for a change, rather than primarily the female.

I highly recommend both of these books, along with all of Tessa Bailey's other works. She has become one of my go-to romance authors and I always recommend these two to anyone who will listen!

It’s no secret that Book 1 of this series is an all-time favorite of mine! So, it was hard not to have exceedingly high expectations for the sequel. I thiiiiink that was my downfall.

As a standalone novel, this is still a really fun read! It’s just comparing it to It Happened One Summer that’s making it a tougher sell! Hannah and Fox had incredible chemistry and there are some HOT scenes in here.

I loved that they both learned a lot about themselves and what they wanted throughout the novel. They made significant strides toward being ready for a real relationship, so it was easy to root for them.

It Happened One Summer was one of my favorite romances of 2021, so I knew that I needed to read this beauty.

This book was just as wonderful as the first one, and has left me wishing they would find a long lost sister so that this series could continue 😂 But alas, I shall impatiently wait for whatever Tessa Bailey writes next.

If you loved It Happened One Summer, then be sure to pick this one up when it releases on March 1st!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @avonbooks for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I genuinely have enjoyed every single one of Tessa Bailey’s books, and Hook, Line, and Sinker is no exception!

I love Hannah and Fox just as much as I loved Piper and Brendan! They have so much chemistry, even as friends, and I loved watching them come together as couple. Piper is such an amazing MC and demonstrates great qualities that everyone can look up to; she’s brave, strong, kind, and compassionate, a total badass. Her continual support and devotion to Fox made her all the more endearing. Fox had his own issues to get over in this story, and what an interesting way to bring about a discussion regarding intimacy and the sexualization of adolescents and how that could impact their self value into adulthood. Tessa Bailey handled this subject beautifully, and it was great to see Fox’s growth throughout the book (with help from Hannah obviously). I also loved that we got to visit Piper and Brendan again, and their community in Westport. Not sure if there are any plans to continue stories within this community, but I’ll definitely be adding both “It Happened One Summer”, and “Hook, Line, and Sinker” to my comfort reading list!

I had high hopes going into this book because I I loved It Happened One Summer. It was nice to return to the world of Westport but through the lens of Hannah. I thought the slow burn romance was sweet with the right amount of sexy. We got to know more about Fox's background, which I think really helped round out the book and storyline. Definitely a must read, especially if you like It Happened One Summer or Tessa Bailey in general.

Book, Line, & Sinker was a book I’ve seen trending all over social media! Hannah and Fox have such an interesting dynamic. This book was fun and flirty which was great for me !!

5/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I absolutely adored this book. This romance was everything I wanted and more. The chemistry between Hannah and Fox was sizzle city. The flirty banter, friendship, and romance is honestly everything I wanted from this book. I completely recommend giving this a read. It gave me all of the feels and is one of my favorite recent reads.

Hook, Line and Sinker is the second book in Tessa Bailey’s Bellinger sisters series. After refurbishing their dads bar in book one, It Happened One Summer, Hannah has left Westport to pursue her dream career matching music to movies when she suggests Westport is the perfect place for the eccentric directors latest film. Fox is part of Westport’s crab fishing community with a reputation for being a ladies man. Hannah and Fox have been exchanging text messages for months, developing a friendship and feelings but now she needs a place to stay while the movie is filming. They start a fake dating relationship, there is a serious slow burn, some incredibly hot dirty talk, a fantastic soundtrack and finally an HEA.

I am the first person to admit I did not enjoy the first book in this series - I even have a post about it. But Hook, Line and Sinker totally worked for me for a few reasons! I love a friends to lovers, Tessa Bailey writes the best dirty talk around and Hannah and Fox are both lovely characters. The way that Hannah embraces Fox, accepts him and helps him realize how his childhood has skewed his perception of himself is wonderfully written.

The music, yes this is a book so no actual music played from it but the playlist/ soundtrack that Fox and Hannah’s love story unfolds to is like every song I have every loved- Fleetwood Mac to Bob Dylan to The Cranberries. I really loved that aspect of this book, I could hear the song playing and how that song related to what was happening.

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Many of us have felt like the sidekick at some point in life, whether it’s at our jobs or in our friendship or family dynamics. If you’ve ever been typecast or felt like a supporting actor in a bigger story, then you will relate to the main characters in Tessa Bailey’s latest, Hook, Line, and Sinker (Avon). Fox and Hannah feel like they’ve been relegated to secondary roles — not just in their careers but in their social lives as well.

Is it maybe because this novel is the second in the Bellinger Sister series? Who knows.

What we do know is that these two are full of angst and doubt, not to mention a searing attraction to each other. Hannah has a movie producer for a stepfather, but she’s chosen to hide her identity and be a production assistant while working toward her dream career as a film music producer. And though Fox has the skill to be a ship captain, a failed startup venture and a reputation of a frivolous playboy (like his father) cause him to dismiss any hope of piloting a fishing boat. They individually doubt their abilities, but there’s no doubt that they’re attracted to each other. And not just as friends.

LONG-DISTANCE FRIENDS TO LOVERS

The story opens with a months-long text exchange between the two, showing them becoming long-distance friends — Fox in small-town Westport, Washington, and Hannah in LA — after meeting and hanging out in Westport over a summer. Readers know immediately that Hannah and Fox were meant to be together. And when Sergi, director of the movie for which Hannah’s been assisting, starts looking for a new location, we know that movie has to move to Westport, and Hannah has to stay with Fox. And so the stage for love is set.

But wait, how did Hannah end up in Westport over that first summer? That’s in the first book of the series. Which brings me to your next question: Should you read the first book before this one? Even though Hannah and Fox’s story is satisfying and complete as a standalone, readers who haven’t read It Happened One Summer may feel at certain moments like they’ve stepped into a world where everyone knows everyone else and has a history that you’re not fully aware of. And while each of these moments is explained in a way that doesn’t hamper the story, readers may find that reading book one first will give them a more immersive experience. It’s like finding an Easter Egg (or spotting Stan Lee) in a Marvel movie.

A “TAMER” TESSA BAILEY?

When I mentioned in a group that I was reading Hook Line, and Sinker, the discussion quickly turned to the heat level of Tessa Bailey’s novels. When the recent resurgence in popularity of romantic comedies began, many new rom-coms adopted the colorful, illustrated covers of chick-lit and cozy mysteries. Readers picked up some of those rom-coms with whimsical cute covers and were surprised by the steamy love scenes within. Bailey’s Fix Her Up was one of those “surprise steamy” rom-coms that garnered strong opinions and a lot of book blogger commentary.

For readers who shied away from Bailey’s novels because of the spicy scenes, the Bellinger Sister series may be a great entry point into Bailey’s writing. While the love scenes are still open-door (where you see what goes on between the couple as if you were in their bedroom), there are fewer of them. Hook, Line, and Sinker is a slow-burn romance, where most of the book is a match of wills. Fox has been warned to stay away from Hannah by well-meaning best friend Brendan, and Hannah has been keeping herself from commitment-adverse Fox. The tension between the two is palpable and builds throughout the story, so when the two finally get together, readers are cheering for them instead of being concerned with how steamy their love scenes are.

For readers who have been fans since Bailey’s debut, the love scenes do not disappoint, and the signature antics and comedic scenes that have you laughing and turning pages abound in the novel.

While Hook, Line, and Sinker may be less controversial than Fix Her Up, it’s just as entertaining and will have you rooting for supporting characters even after the last page.

I really really loved loved loved Hannah and Fox so much. I loved how we really got to see the troubles that Fox faced on a daily basis. I also loved how Hannah helped him work through his demons. Fox had so much character growth. Phenomenally written.

OMG OMG OMG!!! LOVED this book. I can't say enough good things about how much I am obsessed with Tessa Bailey's writing. She has fabulous characters, great chemistry, and oh baby the steam!! I devoured this book and highly recommend it.

I fell in love with Tessa Bailey’s writing last summer while reading It Happened One Summer, so I was excited to see that Hannah and Fox were getting their own story in Hook, Line, and Sinker.
Hannah and Fox hit it off the summer she spent in Westport, but Fox doesn’t do relationships. He’s a one-night-stand, love-em-and-leave-em type, and that’s just fine for Hannah, seeing as she has her sights set on her director. So, they strike up an unlikely friendship, texting almost daily and getting to know each other on a level Fox is unfamiliar with.
When Hannah comes back to town for a film and needs a place to stay, they both realize that their feelings for each other go beyond friendship. Fox has truly fallen for her, but is he willing to dig deeper to get past his player exterior to be the man she deserves?
I fell in love with the dynamic between Hannah and Fox from their first interaction in It Happened One Summer. I couldn’t help smiling at their banter and Hannah’s immunity to his charms, both of which continued into Hook, Line, and Sinker in the best way. Even through their texts in the prologue (which I loved since I’m so partial to texting fics), you can tell they have chemistry. So when Hannah gets to Westport again, that chemistry only escalates into full-on pining, which is one of my favorite tropes.
But, like It Happened One Summer, Hook, Line, and Sinker goes beyond just steamy chemistry. It delves into Hannah’s journey to connect to her father through music and grow more confident in herself. It explores slut shaming in men and Fox learning to love and trust himself.
My biggest complaint is that something about the pacing felt off. A lot of the more significant important moments between Hannah and Fox felt forced, including the sex scenes between them.
Overall, I loved the relationship between Fox and Hannah. The slow burn friends to lovers was great; I just wish the book’s pacing had been better.

Thank you, NetGalley and Avon Books, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hook, Line, and Sinker was my first Tessa Bailey novel. I have heard such good things about Tessa Bailey on TikTok and I’m happy to say that this book lived up to the hype! I adored this story. First, Fox is soooo hot. I also loved the quirkiness of Hannah, I thought it was well done and she was a likable and relatable character. I totally understand now what people mean when they say Tessa Bailey does good dirty talk… the dialogue was one of the most enjoyable things about this book. Definitely recommend!

Engaging and witty sequel to It for Happened One Summer. Fun escape read that has you rooting for Fox and Hannah. They both search their souls for what really makes them happy, addressing past demons so they can have a future together.

This was a fantastic sequel of sorts to It Happened One Summer. It was so great, and it focused on the two characters I fell in love with in book one.
I really enjoyed this.

HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER
RATING: 5

QUICK THOUGHTS:
· PERFECT FRIENDS TO LOVERS ROMANCE
· BE THE LEADING LADY

After finishing 'It Happened One Summer' earlier this week, I immediately dived into the sequel and any doubts about it not living up to the first book quickly faded away.

This book, which was centered on Hannah and Fox's relationship, was the perfect slow burn, friends to lovers romance, with heat, fun, laughter, music, and heartfelt moments. Unlike the first one, I felt this one was much meatier. Throughout the story, both Hannah and Fox faced personal struggles which shaped their development and journey. I related so much to Hannah’s struggles of pushing herself from being a supporter to being a leading lady. Her growth throughout the book was incredible and I wished we could have had more of it. Fox on the other hand, faced the difficult discussion about men and sexualization. While I loved reading about Fox's growth, I felt that this topic was strung out a bit and would have much rather spent more time reading about Hannah and Fox as a couple.

One of my favorite parts, and an unexpected one, was the epilogue. It was so beautiful and the perfect way to close this series.

I absolutely loved reading about Brendan and Piper's story so I knew that Hannah and Fox would be something special! While it was super cute to watch Hannah and Fox's love story unfold, there were deep topics covered as well (hello, toxic masculinity). It really goes to say that what people think about you or say about you really does have an impact, especially in childhood. Fox's insecurities kept popping up throughout the book and that was a barrier for the relationship to move forward- this is not something that you see in a male lead character and I found that to be unique. I also appreciated how Tessa Bailey spent more time on the emotional connection rather than the physical, especially given the nature of Fox's reputation. My only critique is that I would have loved to see Fox go to therapy! The insecurities kept replaying over and over, which became redundant after a while.

Definitely a must-read for any who love a slow burn romance. Fox was a womanizer but still made out to be a like-able character. I loved the deeper self-realization towards the end of the book. It adds depth to the characters that might have otherwise appeared plain.