Oh. My. God. This book! THIS BOOK!

I have been anxiously awaiting Hannah and Fox's story ever since the very end of It Happened One Summer, with the reveal of the Fleetwood Mac album. I am here to say that it not only meets my very high expectations, it blows right past them!!

Hannah and Fox are amazing characters. Hannah is always supportive, but often at the expense of going after things she wants for herself. (Also, some possible demisexual/acespec rep here?) Her sweet and amazing self is finally ready to try to go after what she wants--both in her job and with Fox.

And dear, sweet Fox...our devil-may-care playboy is just so broken, and so much more than who he pretends to be. He has a lot of trauma to unpack, and lucky for him, Hannah is willing to look past the surface of the person he projects to the world--and that the world projects onto him--to see the total sweetheart lurking underneath.

Hannah and Fox sizzle on the page, which makes the tension between them almost unbearable. For a Tessa Bailey book, this is a slow burn, but I can assure you there is plenty of heat--and when the time comes, it all explodes.

My only real quibble is this book is that I think Fox's issues were resolved a little too quickly. Boy definitely needed some therapy, and I wish some overtures towards that had been made before the big reunion scene.

This book is a perfect blend of sweet and spicy, and I think it's Tessa's best book yet.

CW: infidelity (in the past), toxic masculinity

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Tessa Bailey can write some steam. And for me, that’s the only thing that really stood out in this book. Hannah is incredibly sweet and I love her character, but I wasn’t impressed with her romance with Fox. Something was off about this one. Maybe it was me and my need for something else. I don’t know. It was entertaining and fun at times, just not as invested as It Happened One Summer. It would make a cute beach read this summer if you’re looking for something light and easy.

I read the first book in this series, It Happened One Summer, at the beginning of January and it was instantly added to the list of my favorite books! So, it was no surprise that I was heavily anticipating Hook, Line, and Sinker and feel very blessed to have received an ARC of the book.

Hook, Line, and Sinker follows the younger Bellinger sister, Hannah, and Fox Thornton. Hannah is a Hollywood production assistant with a passion for music and Fox is the relief skipper aboard the Della Ray, a fishing boat captained by the love interest from the first book, Brendan Taggart.

One thing that I loved that doesn't happen often in romance series is the fact that Hannah and Fox are introduced in the first book and have a lot of development and romantic tension within that book. I was already shipping them and it wasn't even their turn in the spotlight! Hannah and Fox have such great romantic chemistry and amazing sexual tension that I knew their book would be a home run, and it was!

I loved how amazing Fox's development was throughout the book. He starts off not wanting to enter into a relationship with Hannah, even though he really likes her because he is terrified he is going to hurt her. This is something he really struggles with and I would go as far as to say that the main conflict of the book is Fox's internal struggle. His backstory is so captivating and emotional and Tessa Bailey really makes you feel for him.

One thing that wasn't necessarily for me was the fact that I feel like there wasn't any real action in this book and the action that we do get is very repetitive. I felt like most of the book was just an insight into Hannah and Fox's thoughts of "does he/she actually want to be with me?" There was not really any action or funny situations like in the first book. It is still a good book, I just feel like this aspect really let me down.

I can't wait to share some more specific thoughts after the release of Hook, Line, and Sinker on March 1, 2022! Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for a review!

This was such a happy sequel to It Happened One Summer. I’m not always a fan of these type of sequels, but this one is a must read. Tessa Bailey is such a talented writer. The character build up is everything in this novel, the steamy sex scenes were done perfectly and I even found myself giggling while listening to the audio. For me, the epilogue of this book is the best part. The way Tessa ties both books together and ends them is so well done and such a bittersweet part of the book.

I actually missed Piper in this book, though. I found it unrealistic that she wasn’t a prominent part in Hannah’s story. Overall, I found this audio book incredibly entertaining and Tessa Bailey is becoming an author that I don’t want to miss out on.

Can I be honest and say this book was the reason I made a NetGalley account and subsequently screamed when I got approved? First if all, if Tessa Bailey is not the author of my love story I DON'T WAN'T IT. Her writing style is the perfect mix of sweet, spicy, and funny. There were certain chapters where I actually giggled because of this book, GIGGLED. I also may have screamed into a pillow at some point. Not only is it funny, but the depth of this book was so refreshing. Loved the greater theme of sexuality and trauma. I assume trauma is the best word to use in this case. I was in love with Piper's story, but Hannah's story shook me to my core.

Cannot wait to have a copy of this on my shelf. 10/10.

This was my favorite Tessa Bailey book that I've read. I liked how they interwove the previous story into this one with out too much overlap. I really liked the epilogue and that it was set so far in the future it really gave you a sense of how life turned out for both sisters.

I loved the story in It Happened One Summer, but wasn’t the biggest fan of the type of dirty talk. My biggest memory of the first book in this series was that the dirty talk was overly forced and icky, although it did provide me with some pretty funny screenshots to send to friends. So I was definitely glad that the dirty talk in Hook, Line, and Sinker was actually sexy instead of cringeworthy!

I liked Hannah a lot. I related to how she felt like a supporting actress in her own life, and how it really took her out of her comfort zone to ask for what she wanted.

I’m not really a music person, but I liked the way Hannah and Fox talked through songs. It made for a fun medium to tell the story through, and I’m hoping Tessa has published a playlist of Hannah and Fox’s songs.

It was fun to see Brendan and Piper again on the periphery of the story, as well as the sisters’ grandmother Opal. The epilogue was the perfect way to wrap up this little duo of books.

“With her thoughts muddling and a languid heat tending her arms limp, Hannah realized she’d made a huge mistake. She was Eve in the Garden of Eden and she’d just taken a bite from the apple.”

This was book two in the Bellinger sister series, and is about Fox and Hannah. We know from the first book, that these two are friends, and it seems they strictly want to stay that way, or do they? Fox is the flirt, namely “a guaranteed good time” and never gets involved in relationships, beyond a no strings attached fling. Hannah is finding herself back in Westport for work and staying at Fox’s place, because just friends, right? She thought for sure her love interest was her colleague Sergei, and Fox is definitely giving her pointers on how to win him over. But all the while, it seems she is falling hard for Fox instead, and honestly, it seems Fox would rather have her then give her tips on how to get a guy other than him.

“I want you underneath me so bad that I can’t lie in bed without already feeling you there. I’ve never even had you, and your body haunts mine.”

Read If You Love:
-a flirt fisherman
-friends to lovers
-music, especially vinyl records
-nicknames
-flirtatious banter
-an eventful night of bingo

Hannah had this way of sliding into Fox’s life as his friend, and taught him how to just enjoy life, and the little things, and it was adorable. They both had this way of making the other realize things about themselves that they were not capable of realizing on their own, like their own individual worth. I loved It Happened One Summer, but the chemistry and sexual tension between these two far outweighs Brendan and Piper in my opinion, so dare I say I loved this one more than the first!

🎧: Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac

✨Rating✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 (4.5/5)
Steam Factor 🔥🔥/5

A special thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for this eARC!

This book follows Hannah, who is the sister to the main character in It Happened One Summer and Fox who we also met in that book. Hannah and Fox have a relationship through music and this was my favorite part of the entire book. At the end of the day they would text each other a song that summed up their day and now I want to do this all the time! Hannah works for a movie producer and she gets him to film back in her home town in Washington and stays with Fox while there. Both characters have some internal problems that they work through in the book but for the most part I just was not invested in either of them. I think this will be last book this author because she just doesn't work for me. I thought the writing style was great but Im just not a fan of her characters, they don't grab me and make want to root for them. I do know that I am in the minority for this series and if you like spicy romances set in the Pacific Northeast then you should check them out. I have never been to Washington state but these books make me want to go even more, she writes the town and the water like another character in the book and I really enjoy that. Thank you Avon for my gifted copy for review.

ughhh this book! I didn’t want it to end. I loved the character development and watching hannah and fox’s relationship unfold. I may have even liked it more than It Happened One Summer 🤭 friends to lovers, slow-burn, dash of spice..absolute perfection in my book 🤌🏼

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Actual Rating = 4.25 stars

It Happened One Summer had been on my TBR for an embarrassingly long time, so when I saw Hook, Line, and Sinker pop up on NetGalley I requested it right away as a way of forcing myself to it. Like most readers, I adored It Happened One Summer and I adored Hook, Line, and Sinker but they are VERY DIFFERENT books.

The second installment in Tessa Bailey's Bellinger Sisters duology, Hook, Line, and Sinker is less of a rom-com than the first book. Don't get me wrong, it had its funny moments but I don't think I laughed out loud the way I did with It Happened One Summer.

Interestingly, the major emotional growth in this text is with Fox's character. Specifically, this book explores the way good-looking boys are sexualized from a young age into being "players"/"manwhores" and the kind of damage that can cause. I found this topic utterly fascinating, and think Bailey handled both the social commentary and Fox's character really well.

So why was this not a five-star read? Well, 1) it got really freaking close, you negative nancy, but 2) marketing this text as a rom-com, similar to the first book, does a disservice to Hannah and Fox's story IMHO. I also found that characters from the first book (Piper/Branden/Opal) felt like they were making an appearance more for continuity than because they really added anything. Also, the epilogue to this text is somewhat unnecessary, though it was adorable AF.

TL;DR = Read this. It's excellent. Just don't forget that this book isn't It Happened One Summer and has its own vibe.

***Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for sending me an advanced reader copy of Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey! All thoughts are my own!***

Tessa Bailey is one of my favorite romance authors, so I was ecstatic to receive an advanced copy to review. I adored her Hot and Hammered series so I was excited for this new romance. I read It Happened One Summer last month to prepare for this ARC and I loved it. I think Tessa did a fabulous job of building this world, the town, and all the side characters in the book.

Hook, Line, and Sinker takes place six months after It Happened One Summer, but through Hannah's perspective and we get to see more of Hannah and Fox's friendship developing after she left Westport. Hannah comes back to Westport to help with the movie the studio is filming. She wants step out of the shadows of being a supporting role in life and take charge by wanting to help create the soundtrack for the film. Fox is a ladies man with a reputation of not committing to a relationship and one night stands. He also is being offered the position of captain of the Della Ray by Brendan, who was a main character in It Happened One Summer, but Fox doesn't feel he can captain a ship and gain the respect needed because of his past.

I love how Tessa Bailey always has such in depth characters and you get a full 360 view of them and their background. Hannah has mixed feelings being back in Westport, since her father is a figure of the town that everyone respects and honors after his death. Since he died when she was so young, she feels she has no connection to him. Fox is dealing with his bad reputation of being a player and being exactly like his father.

I sometimes found it frustrating when Fox would get into his own head about whether or not their relationship could work with his past looming over him. He spent more time being concerned about what people would think, while Hannah was pretty much ready to devote herself to him and fight for their relationship.

I have to say the epilogue had me smiling the entire time. Seeing the future of both Hannah and Fox and Piper and Brendan made me very happy.

If you enjoy a steamy, slow burning friends to lovers romance, you will definitely enjoy this one. Hook, Line, and Sinker releases March 1st!

I love Tessa Bailey and I was so excited to catch up with the Bellinger sisters again! I'm not much of a series reader, but dare I say I may have enjoyed this book even more than It Happened Last Summer. I simply loved Hannah and Fox's story. Tessa Bailey's ability to combine the RomCom genre with relevant personal issues gives her characters substance and really brings them to life. She's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

This is the sequel to It Happened One Summer, which is Piper’s story, but this time this book is about her sister Hannah. Hannah returns to the small town Westport to help her director and crew film a movie. While she is there she stays with her hot friend, Fox. Will they become more?

This comes out March 1, 2022 and I want to thank Netgalley for this ARC. I got super excited when I got approved for this ARC since I’m a huge fan of Tessa Bailey. I was really excited to come back to Westport with Hannah and explore the town more and get to know more about Fox, the fisherman. I love both Hannah and Fox and how they can put a song to something in their friendship or lives. This book’s romance is a friends to lover and a slow burn romance and these two tropes are ones I highly enjoy. I did find Fox to be frustrating at times because he was always comparing himself to what others expected of him and comparing himself to his father instead of allowing Hannah into his heart. I definitely enjoyed this book and devoured most of it on Valentine’s Day, however I prefer It Happened One Summer more.

HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER – Tessa Bailey
A Perfect 10
Bellinger Sisters, Book 2
Avon
ISBN: 978-0-06-304569-9
March 1, 2022
Contemporary Romance

Westport, Washington – Present Day

Sexy King crab fisherman Fox Thornton can charm the panties off young women with just a look—except for California socialite Hannah Bellinger. When Hannah was in town last summer, her sister, Piper, hooked up with Fox’s best friend, Brendan, and the two are now happily engaged. You can find Piper and Brendan’s story in IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER, out now. Fox and Hannah have settled into a comfortable and distant friendship as she’s now back in California working on a movie set. They occasionally text back and forth, and he knows that she’s attracted to her employer, Sergei. But while working on the movie set one day, Hannah realizes that the movie doesn’t have the right feel it should have. She suggests moving the filming to Westport. To her surprise, Sergei agrees.

But Hannah can’t stay with her sister in Westport because Brendan’s parents are in town staying with them. Piper suggests staying in Fox’s spare bedroom because he will be mostly out to sea. While it feels a little weird, Hannah agrees with the idea. Fox, on the other hand, is disgruntled by it. Why should he have to put up with Hannah under his roof when he’s finding himself attracted to her? He can’t bed her as she is his friend. However, she is fun and enjoyable to be around, though it doesn’t take long before their attraction is mutual. But can a surly fisherman have a chance for a relationship with a party girl?

There is a lot of fun banter between Hannah and Fox in HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER, and readers will no doubt enjoy it as much as I did. They seem so opposite of each other personality-wise, but they share a love for old music. Hannah likes her job working on the movie set but feels a bit constricted by the people around her. It might have to do with that she’s a newbie and they mostly don’t take her seriously. Then there is her unrequited attraction to Sergei. He doesn’t look her way, but when he agrees the movie set should move to Washington state, she feels like it’s a step in the right direction. However, she didn’t count on an attraction to Fox. He’s usually good-natured with her but lately, he’s been surlier. Is it because she’s invading his space?

Fox feels like he has nothing to offer a woman. His father was a heartbreaker and broke his mother’s heart. She looks at him like he’s a replica of his father. Hannah isn’t the love them and leave them type, especially since he’s friends with her sister also. Besides, Brendan has already warned him off Hannah. Yet, it doesn’t stop the desire—and soon the passion—from rising between them. Why shouldn’t a short-term fling work? Maybe because a couple of hearts might get broken in the process.

I really loved HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER. Hannah wouldn’t normally be a character I could feel for, but she’s a good woman with her deep-seated vulnerabilities. She has felt like a second fiddle to those around her. Fox makes her feel like a queen. HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER deserves a Perfect 10 from me. If you’re like me, you will enjoy this fun-filled tale.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

Will also appear on our website at http://romrevtoday.com/

After reading It Happened One Summer, I was so happy to read Fox and Hannah's story! I feel like this story had all the tropes; forced proximity, friends to lovers, forbidden love, second chance romance, and slow burn. I loved the character building in this book; usually it's the female POV who is trying to figure out who she is but in this book, we see more of how Fox has to navigate through his problems. Ever since Fox was young, people treated him as a lady's man and not one that a woman can take seriously to date. He thinks that he isn't good enough for Hannah and doesn't want to date her and hurt her. I loved how Hannah refused to give up on him and was patient and helped Fox work through his issues. The epiloge was so sweet and a wonderful way to wrap up this series. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

INSANELY GOOD!!! Gave me all the feels, the two MCs were great and such a phenomenal addition to the series.

Tessa Bailey you will always be famous!

I’ll start off by saying that I loved “It Happened One Summer” and I so desperately wanted to know more about Fox and Hannah. So when I realized there is a book just devoted to them- I was already in love with it. I loved the building of the friendship and the tension between the two. They were like forbidden lovers and you’re anxiously reading the book hoping for the moment they realize they’re meant for one another. There was so many moments in the book that im like PLEASE JUST KISS ALREADY!!! Or HE LOVES YOU HANNAH CAN’T YOU SEE!!! Ugh and the emotional damage and baggage that came with Fox (I don’t mean that in any bad way, I absolutely loved getting to know him and having that stigma broken down about guys being players and what not just because they are attractive) and just seeing the impeccable character development. This book was it for me. 5/5 starts easily.

This book gave me all the feels.

I loved the theme and the message of this book. I think I may even love Fox and Hannah more than Piper and Brendan honestly. This book was all about trusting and believing in yourself. It was about knowing that you're enough and having the strength to follow through with your dreams and own up to what you want and deserve.

We got a peek at Hannah and Fox in "It Happened One Summer" and from there you could already tell this was going to be a swoon-worthy romance. This story picks up with Brendan and Piper left off.

When Hannah returns back to LA the last thing she expected was to develop this friendship with the famous lady's man Fox Thorton. This is definitely a slow burn friend-to-lovers romance. When Hannah pitches the idea to Sergei (her long time crush) to film the movie in Westport, Fox and Hannah are reunited and sparks begin to fly.

The tension is there. I very much felt like Fox wasn't the person they portrayed him to be from the start. I loved getting a glimpse into his character through Hannah's eyes. Some may find his conflict immature but I feel the opposite. I think that Fox's insecurities and his issues showed his vulnerable side. Men can be oversexualized too and his life he was told he was a pretty face and nothing more.

Meanwhile Hannah was a supporting character in her own life. She was very happy to be the helping hand for others but never the main character. I related to that so much. I loved her character development as well. She was strong in situations that would have made any woman crumble. She had enough strength for the both of them, which was honestly magical.

I think both Fox and Hannah went through a lot of relatable emotions and that is what made me fall in love with this story. I swear someone was cutting onions in the room somewhere near the end of this book. I was happy/sad and feeling all the things. Right in my office chair lol.

Well done. This book didn't disappoint at all.

Thank you Tessa Bailey, Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I have been waiting so patiently to read this since I snagged it, but I have had so many wonderful ARCs to read that it's been sitting on my TBR for months. I have read four or five other Tessa Bailey books, and I particularly loved It Happened One Summer, so I was pumped for this sequel featuring Hannah, the other Bellinger sister.. Talking to a friend who has also read this and other Tessa Bailey's, we agreed that it was one of the softest of her books. There's steam, and Fox, Hannah's love interest, has the usual alpha male in the bedroom kind of thing that most of Bailey's male leads do, but there's a lot of dimension here as well. So many contemporary romances that I read with male/female romantic pairings are about the female character finding herself/understanding her worth, and there's a little bit of that for Hannah, who is learning to be a "leading lady" in her own life, but this is mostly about Hannah and Fox working on Fox, helping him see that he's a caring, responsible person who isn't just good for one night stands. Lots of family trauma to work through for both of these characters, but because they build a strong base of friendship, they're able to help each other through it all. They were adorable, and I can't help but wish that maybe some long lost Bellinger sister will materialize so there can be a third book!