This was just the sequel I needed. Fox is what dreams are made of. The self sacrificing was a bit much at times but made the book whole as Fox and Hannah worked thru their issues.

this book has no right being this amazing. this duology
as a whole is seriously god tier.
this particular installment will speak to anyone who has
ever seen themselves as the support, rather than the
main character, in their own story, to the people who
always have the perfect song for the mood they are in, to
those who struggle with imposter syndrome, and to the
ones who always believe in those they care about, even
when they dont believe in themselves. this story oozes
charm and heart and sweetness and understanding. its
the perfect embodiment of the younger bellinger sister.
and honestly, i love how hannah prompts and
encourages fox to grow. usually the female characters
are the ones who goes through the development in
romance novels, so its beyond refreshing to see the guy
be the focus instead. foxs character development is
so wholesome and purposefully combats the societal
pressures men face when it comes to maintaining a
certain reputation and image. its a topic that definitely
needs more attention.
this is a wonderful follow up to 'it happened on summer
and gives a heartfelt send-off to the bellinger sisters.

Tessa Bailey strikes again! She's back with another Bellinger sisters books, or what I like to call the "spicy Cowbelles" series.

TROPES: Friends to Lovers, Forced Proximity

Hannah is in town for work, to the cute asf fishing town, and is crashing with "friend" Fox. Except for Fox has a massive crush on her, and is used to acting on what he wants... and getting it (enter: bad boy persona). And as much as he'd like to "get it" with Hannah, he is scared of ruining the friendship (he should really listen to that Demi Lovato song).

SPICE: It does indeed get spicy - but in my personal opinion, Miss Tessa Bailey knows the perfect dose of spice for each dish - er book. She doesn't overdo it, or drag it out, and writes it oh, so well.

I love these characters, these sisters, the town. 5/5 Stars. I bought copies after reading them on Netgalley because I enjoyed them so much - and will be rereading too!

*Gifted by Netgalley & Avon - thank you! All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

Love Tessa Bailey books since reading her Hot and Hammered Series. This series is compared to Schitt's Creek but in WA. It wasn't until the first novel that I knew we could see moose in WA, and within weeks of reading, a moose made the news for just wandering around. Unfortunately, she doesn't totally get the area and since I live in WA those things matter to me more than the story at the end of the day, sorry but it makes the story just seem lacking when you can't find yourself there. This isn't as spicy as some of TB's other novels. While this one wasn't the homerun as others, I will still enjoy her future books when I have time.

This was a super cute friends to lovers read. The chemistry between Hannah and fox was a slow simmer throughout the book. I did enjoy the book but I wasn't blown away.

Another quick read from Tessa Bailey. This was cute and looked at the misconceptions people let others believe about them. The banter between the two love interests was cute.

TL;DR:
- 4.5 stars
- Content warnings: dangerous profession
- Really well done story between two leads who needed to learn they were enough for the love stories they watched everyone else fall into. Just like with It Happened One Summer: worth reading if you're into Schitt's creek! or just a little PNW escapism. A little bonus friends to lovers this time around as well.

Loved:
- I do not think it is possible for me to over-exaggerate just how much I was deeply excited for Hannah and Fox's story and I was NOT disappointed. They were everything to me and more. I loved It Happened One Summer with Piper and Brendan (Hannah's sister and Fox's best friend respectively) but I was waiting with every fiber of my being for Hannah because I saw so much of myself in her. AND oh my god. I shed so many tears! I laughed very hard!
- I put in my notes: "she [Bailey] is getting better and better at writing vulnerability in men and it's honestly so fucking hot lol" so. Do with that what you will. I was so impressed with Fox's growth.
- Their insecurities were so REAL it was almost painful. Half my notes were like "oh NOOOO no but I get it but NOOOOO" and you know what? I'm not even sorry.
- I said this verbatim for It Happened One Summer but it rings true this time as well: Bailey wrote one heck of a cute PNW town. The whole time I was reading I wanted to google Westport to see if it was real and how long it would take to get there from SF. Very good chops there.

Less into:
- Like with It Happened One Summer but not to the same degree nor the degree of her early books: there's still a slight power imbalance in the man strong / woman small dynamic between Fox and Hannah perhaps by the nature of Fox's job. But it was not distracting this time. Just a callout if you're not into that.

Overall, this is a very very well done romance with beautifully developed characters and wonderful story that felt real. SO real. Pick it up ASAP.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I was SO excited to read Hannah and Fox's story after It Happened One Summer.
This story was notably less smutty than the other one, which is overall nice and cute in the theme of Fox calming down overall. I love it when the hero of a story is pining. This story ticked all the boxes but fell flat at the end. Overall, I had a lovely experience reading.

What impressed me most was Bailey's ability to balance the steamy passion with genuine emotional depth. The characters felt real, their struggles and insecurities relatable, which made their love story all the more captivating. Set against a picturesque coastal backdrop, this book offered a perfect escape into a world of sun, sand, and romance.
Tessa Bailey's writing style is not just engaging but also witty, keeping me entertained throughout. Each chapter left me eager to discover what would happen next, and I couldn't help but cheer for the characters' love to triumph. The book seamlessly blended the elements of romance and adventure, making it a thrilling page-turner.

I've read a few reviews saying that this book wasn't as good as the first, but I completely disagree. I enjoyed the friends to lovers plot and appreciated the character arcs. It was really rewarding to watch Fox start to recognize that he didn't have to play down to people's expectations of him and I was really rooting for him to have the difficult conversations with those around him who always thought the worst of him. He was just so deserving of an HEA. Hannah was great, too, but I just couldn't understand her crush on Sergei. He just seemed so blah. Anyway, super cute book.

Oh my goodness, I’m not sure if I’m in the minority here but I loved this book even more than IHOS! I absolutely adored the music element to this book- I feel like I connected to Hannah on a deeper level due to her love for music. Also the way that Fox did little things for her I absolutely melted. I am a sucker for a friends to lovers book and this one was no exception, I loved it so so much. And the EPILOGUE- so many tears were shed. I hope to be back in Westport one day, as I’ll miss it.

a must-read for fans of romantic comedies. With its irresistible blend of romance, humor, and heartfelt moments, this novel is a perfect escape into a world where friendship can evolve into something more meaningful. Tessa Bailey has once again crafted a captivating story that will leave readers swooning and eagerly anticipating her next book.

Bellinger Sisters #2 did much better for me than the first, but I still don't feel like these men are even remotely close to being worthy of these sisters. The angst is a little too angsty, the jealousy and 'alpha male' tendencies are little too strong for me. But I felt this stroyline was better suited than Piper & Brendan's wild world. Also, still having trouble with the sex scenes.

I struggled to get into this book. After readying (and loving) It Happened One Summer, this felt repetitive and couldn’t hold my attention.

It was nice to go back to Westport with Hannah and see how things were going since the first book. I liked Hannah and Fox together, it was very friends before lovers, and I appreciated the way each character grew alongside the slow burn relationship.

This was an adorable sequel to It Happened One Summer. Tessa Bailey did an excellent job writing a sweet romance with a lot of spice! I liked Hannah way more than her sister, but Fox was pretty annoying.

Steamy, sweet, cliche, and unique all at once! Such a good book …. Living near the ocean and having a large fishing culture it felt like it was really “relatable” or local. Can’t wait to read the next one!

While a quick read and a good romance some of the sex talk seemed degrading and unnecessary. But Hannah didn’t seem to mind, so maybe I’m just old-fashioned. I liked all the musical references and enjoyed how she always thought in song.

I….gave Tessa Bailey four stars???

I am as shocked as anyone.

But I really fucking loved this ????

I know I know. I hear you.

I have never given any of her books more than a 2, and I’ve actually DNFd a lot of them. (I never dnf so this is big)

But this one felt different. There was no unnecessary sex happening (in fact, no sex at all until 70% in which is refreshing). And while there were cringey nicknames, they were way way way toned down here.

Also, there’s something sweet about Fox and Hannah that endeared me to their friendship in a way I haven’t felt about any of her other characters.

Maybe this was just right time, right place but I was there for the vibes this time.