4.5 stars

In the simmering follow-up to It Happened One Summer, a former player helps his best friend land a guy, but ends up falling for her instead. Fox Thornton has a reputation around Westport as a flirtatious and easygoing player. Everyone assumes that he will never settle down, preferring attachments that can be easily severed as opposed to the real thing. When his best friend Hannah Bellinger arrives in town for work, his routine is put on pause with her staying right down the hall. In tow with a hopeless crush on a colleague, Hannah needs assistance, and Fox is more than the right person to help her get the guy. As the two spend more and more time together, their friendship begins to blur, yet neither of them are willing to cross that line. If they are to become something more, they will have to reevaluate what they mean to one another and what they owe to themselves.

Returning to Westport after the knockout that was It Happened One Summer made this secondary novel a tough act to follow. That being said, Hook, Line, and Sinker is friends to lovers at its finest, complete with a delicious slow burn that had my heart aching the entire time. With one of the most touching love stories I have read in quite a while, this quickly surpassed the previous book in my mind. From the start to finish of the Bellinger Sister series, Tessa Bailey has absolutely nailed the Schitt’s Creek vibe that she was aiming for. The authentic small-town atmosphere and character relationships portrayed here give homage to that wholeheartedly. What makes this novel especially memorable is the various conversations intertwined with the romantic development. Though there is obviously a main focus on the romance evolving between the main characters, I loved that there was an emphasis on personal growth outside of that. Fox’s development in particular was really wholesome and it was nice to see him challenged to be better. I certainly related to Hannah’s struggle in viewing herself as a side character in her own life and how she had to step away from that in order to move forward. The connections through music that were interwoven throughout the romance were also an added touch. Bailey has a knack for creating well-rounded romances, and Fox and Hannah’s story is evidence of that. It was just as easy to fall in love with this sequel as it was with the first book last year. It Happened One Summer may have hooked me from the beginning, but Hook, Line, and Sinker has established Tessa Bailey as the romantic genius that she is. This is an outstanding love story, complete with the angst, pining, and emotion needed to close out the series.

Trigger Warning: death, slut-shaming

Hook, Line, and Sinker was another Tessa Bailey win for me - no surprise at all! I loved It Happened One Summer, but the characters and tropes in this one (second in this duology) were even more interesting to me.

First, our amazing heroine, Hannah - she works in the film industry and is trying to work her way into a niche that will bring her more joy. She has her sights set on soundtracks because of her love of music.

Our hero, Fox has a skewed image of himself and low self-worth. . .he is the classic rake who ends up believing women will only love him for his body/ability in bed. He is so stubbornly sure that he can't be good enough for Hannah and can't succeed in a relationship. Thank goodness Hannah knows how to handle this (secretly) cinnamon roll hero.

I love how TB really zoomed in on the couple and their relationship in this book. There is the perfect amount of plot outside of their time falling in love. I have to admit that I did get to the point where I wanted to shake Fox for the doubts and self-sabotage, but overall I enjoyed the way TB wrote the final conflict and resolution. I especially love how the heroine handles herself and the pace of their relationship when she becomes aware of the heroes issues and insecurities.

Read it if you:
love a consistently steamy, yet still pretty darn slow burny romance!
friends to lovers, secretly cinnamon roll hero
characters who love music
a heroine who knows what she wants and will fight for it!

In the follow-up to 'It Happened One Summer", we get the story of Piper's sister Hannah and Brendan's friend Fox.

Fox's reputation of a ladies man precedes him. He's here for a good time only and lets everyone know it, but ever since meeting Hannah, he thinks he may want to try something different. Hannah is used to being the sidekick, the supportive friend, but now she's setting her sights on more for her career and her love life, and she's not stopping until she makes it happen.

I loved the relationship between Fox and Hannah. Their friendship was a solid base for their romance, and because Hannah was able to know and understand Fox's issues, she was able to support him and push him to be better and have more confidence in himself. I felt so bad reading about how people just dismissed him and projected onto him. He was sexualized from such a young age; horrible. Hannah's glow up was amazing. She tried so hard not to use her family name that she stayed doing grunt work for her boss for far too long. It was great to read about how she stepped into the light to become the starring character of her own life, and Fox was always there to support her. She finally realized that she has what it takes to make things happen for herself. I absolutely loved the growth that we see from both Hannah and Fox.

There usually isn't too much angst in friends to lovers, but there was a sprinkle of it here and it worked so well. Great follow-up!

***I received an advanced copy of this book (thank you NetGalley & Avon Books) but all thoughts/opinions are my own honest views

4.5/5 ⭐️
🌶🌶/5

First, this book can be read as a stand alone but it is the 2nd book in the Bellinger sisters series and the first book, It Happened One Summer, does have some back story that will be helpful when reading this book.

Months ago, Hannah & Fox met when they were respectively playing wingwoman & wingman to Piper and Brendan. After some initial misconceptions about one another, they end up becoming fast friends and stay in touch even after Hannah returns to LA. In present day, we find Hannah wanting to grow in her career. In pursuit of impressing the production team, and maybe more than a little homesick for Westport, she convinces them to move the shooting location. Next thing you know, Fox ends up with a roommate for 2 weeks. Shouldn’t be a problem for two ‘friends’ not should it 😉?

Hannah and Fox are both well-defined, 3-dimensional characters. And in their own ways, each is dealing with imposter syndrome. Hannah thinks she’s meant to be a supporting character while Fox believes he can’t be more than a copy of his father with a casanova reputation to back it up. The most beautiful thing about their relationship is that they build each other up. I also thought it was interesting how Hannah’s personality is similar to Brendan and Fox is similar to Piper (looks like the Bellinger sisters found their perfect matches 😁). In line with that, it’s refreshing to see the female character take charge of the relationship and lead communication.

I would also say their love story felt more relatable. For one thing, it has a more reasonable timeline; they get closer over the course of 7 months. In comparison, Piper and Brendan met, fell in love and moved in over the course of 6 weeks in the first book. It’s also endearing to watch them bond over music and inside jokes. They also act a safe space for each other, talking about things they wouldn’t be able to say to even their best friends.

I’m also going to take a moment and appreciate this book has an incredible beginning and ending. The intro text conversation was so cute and this epilogue was one of the most satisfying I’ve ever read. Yes, the book hangover was intense but it’s great so see all the characters live out their HEAs.

The reason this isn’t a perfect 5⭐️ read for me is because both Hannah and Fox’s inner monologues can get repetitive. Fox especially goes over why he can’t be with Hannah so many times, it felt like the story was dragging over his turmoil. Also, this is a slow-burn romance, which isn’t my personal favorite. And compared to It Happened One Summer, it had less spice.

However, I certainly enjoyed this book. I read the whole thing in one sitting! Fox is definitely book boyfriend material 😄. These two just get you hooked from the beginning and play your feelings like a fiddle until you’re obsessed. Also, if you haven’t read It Happened One Summer I would definitely recommend that as well. I love each one for different reasons and can’t pick a favorite between them 😅. I think after this series, Tessa Bailey may just be on my instant buy authors list.

Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Slow-Burn Romance, ‘Forced’ (more like close) Proximity

3/5 stars

I would have given this more but this book was pretty forgettable and I hated that. There were some hard-hitting topics but Tessa just flew through those and put romance. Like why put anything hard-hitting if you are just going to cover it up with romance. The romance was cute it was better than Piper's and Brendan's but I feel like there were unnecessary roadblocks just to make the book longer. There was a good family aspect but like I said there is nothing special about this book and you can easily forget it.

My favorite thing about this series by Tessa Bailey is the fact that she balances romance and smut with deeper, harder topics. I loved the slow-burn friends to lovers relationship that Hannah and Fox had. I was so invested in their story and I couldn't put this book down.

This is absolutely one of my favorite duologies that I've ever read and I really didn't think I'd say that about something by Tessa Bailey (as I haven't totally loved her books in the past). But this was well worth the read and I hope more people check this series out.

Have you read It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey? It was all the rave last year and for good reason. I fell in love with Piper and Brendan's story. Couldn't get enough, didn't know I would love a fisherman story as much as I did. It totally left me wanting more. And now we get more, we get this follow up. Where its Piper's sister, Hannah's shot at love..

Hannah and Fox are two friends that discover they have secretly had feelings for eachother for awhile. But because Fox is a known player that gets around if you know what I mean lol. His best friend Brendan has told him he better stay away from his soon to be sister in law. And besides he thinks Hannah is all in love with a movie producer she is currently working with. So he knows he doesn't have a shot with her. Or so he thinks.. There is a deeper reason why Fox is the way he is, why he has never allowed anyone to get close to him, that is until Hannah came into his life.

Beautiful story. I absolutely enjoyed myself so much reading this. The fact that it was a follow up story had me in all the feels. Going into it knowing I was going to love it is the best feeling ever.

Tessa Bailey gives us likable characters that we truly come to care about. Friends to lovers in the best way possible. Fox and Hannah's story will make you laugh out loud and fill up your heart.

QOTD: Do you collect records?
My A little! We have a small collection, but we need a better record player before we buy more!
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It Happened One Summer was one of those books that seemed to really divide readers. While the story itself was great and I loved the setting, the insta-love vibe and the word baby both kept it from being a five star for me. Enter Hannah and Fox. Sigh. Swoon. All of the things. I just LOVED these two. I loved being back in Westport! Fox and Hannah may have been supporting characters in Brenden and Piper’s story, but it was clear that Fox and Hannah’s story deserved a HEA as soon as that Fleetwood Mac album landed on Hannah’s doorstep.
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Fox is the ultimate Oreo, a hard disguise on the outside, protecting a vulnerable and hurt heart on the inside. I absolutely LOVED the slow burn of this relationship and the friendship and trust that grows between these two. Obsessed doesn't even cover it! Isn’t even halfway through my ebook before I pre-ordered a paperback for my shelves! Just here to confirm what you already know: this book is romance gold!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC!

Wow. A review is almost too difficult to write since I’m still processing the amazingness that is this story.

It was everything. I adored It Happened One Summer, but I’m absolutely in love with Hannah and Fox’s story. It was wonderful reading a story where the woman is the one who is helping the man take on the stereotypes that men often have to deal with, but aren’t talked about.

Hannah and Fox uplift each other and actually think before they speak, and speak candidly about their fears and insecurities. The characters just jump off the page, and I’m actually sad I can’t be friends with them in real life.

A highly recommended 5 stars!

I mean what is there to say about a book that you KNOW is going to become your next favorite rom-com? I have a very special place for the Bellinger sisters because It Happened One Summer was one of the first books I read last year when I was dipping my toe into romance. And truthfully, nobody mixes the emotional beats of a romance novel with the hot a dirty smut of erotica than Tessa Bailey. I think I actually appreciated this book more than ITOS because, from the beginning of Hook, Line & Sinker, you KNOW something is going to happen. The setup for Fox and Hannah is already there, so it really just become a game of wait and see. At ties it's excruciating and you just want to yell at the two of them CAN YOU FIGURE YOUR LIFE OUT ALREADY?! But when it does eventually happen, it feels so so so sweet.

On a side note: I really appreciated that once Hannah figured out she wanted Fox, she simply told him her feelings and then instructed him to figure his out. There was no ultimatum. No "I need you to love me as I love you," She knew that he was there from the beginning, she just needed to help push him along. And so she did by giving him space (albeit 6 hours ...) to figure out his own shit. That particular plot point felt incredibly refreshing, and it was nice to see on-page.

Have you ever gone into a book expecting laughs and a good times and then all of the sudden you’re tearing up in the back galley of the plane you’re currently working on? No? Just me? Fox and Hannah definitely got me all up in my feels. Fox comes off as a playboy who never takes anything seriously but by the end of the book all I wanted to do was wrap him in a hug and never let him go. And Hannah, the girl who is convinced she’s forever meant to be the sidekick, has leading lady running through every sentence. The amount of personal growth and care in this book made me feel like I was going to therapy in the best way possible. Tessa always writes books I devour but this is my favorite yet and I don’t know how she can top it but I can’t wait to read every book she writes until she does!

I don’t want to go back and change my star rating for It Happened One Summer so bear with me if I give this one like a 5.1 stars in my head. This book has cemented my adoration for friends to lovers as a trope. I totally loved the depth and characterization given to both Hannah and Fox. The blossoming relationship between the two of them really worked. Not to mention the spice was *chefs kiss*

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This book was way more emotional than I expected it to be, but I adored it. Originally marketed as being about Fox, who develops a crush on his best friend Hannah Bellinger, the younger sister of Piper from Bailey's It Happened One Summer, it divulges into being a heartfelt look into how expectations and insecurity can affect our relationships for the rest of our lives.

I don't expect most people to like this installment as much as the first book in the Bellinger Sisters duology, considering it can feel repetitive in how it deals with the issues at hand, but to me, it felt realistic and accurate to what it's like to live with deep rooted insecurities while trying to maintain relationships and friendships. I actually preferred this novel to the first, but I think they're both incredible and worth reading.

Thank you so much to Avon and NetGalley for providing me with an advance readers copy for review!

I decided to read this one before the first (It Happened One Summer) to see if it could be read as a stand alone. I completely believe I got more than enough to love this book! I will say reading this one first will spoil a lot of the plot of the fist, but I don't mind.
I was obsessed with both Fox and Hannah throughout the whole book!!! They are amazing characters and my only issue with them was I wanted MORE of them. I loved the slow burn, miscommunication (if that's what you want to call it haha), forbidden type romance.
This book gave me everything I wanted and more! Tessa is an absolutely amazing author and I cannot wait to read every book by them. Oh and let's not forget the spicy scenes, which were perfection!

I loved the first book in this series and I might have loved Hook, Line, and Sinker even more! I loved the relationship between Hannah and Fox. I loved how music was integrated into the story. It also made me want to visit the PNW. I couldn't put it down and read it in one day. A wonderful friends to lovers romance with a lot of steam!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the arc. I am voluntarily leaving a review.

I really liked the first book in Tessa Baily's Bellinger Sisters duology, It Happened One Summer. But, honestly, I liked this one even better! This time, we get an irresistible slow-burn, friends-to-lovers trope between two characters who played supporting roles in IHOS and now prove ready for their close-up. Fox has a ladies' man reputation and describes himself as a "walking innuendo." Hannah is a serious music lover who has always played a supporting role with her well-known sister and at work. As friends, they support and push each other to grow and change. But, as lovers, well, you'll have to read the book to find out how sexy and swoon-worthy that is! Bailey has a knack for getting you involved and obsessed with her characters, and I think she outdid herself. Hannah and Fox not only have great chemistry and banter, but they are also well-developed characters, and there is an emotional depth to the story. This is, seriously, one of my most favorite rom-coms ever. Just so much flirty fun and anticipation that I couldn't put it down! I loved it! Sincere thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for this ARC.

Hook, Line, and Sinker reads like fruit tea boba on a warm day -- its sweet, fun, and gets better with time when you're left with all the goodies at the bottom. Its a quintessential friends-to-lovers story, and its clear, even down to the minute details, how much they care for each other as human beings first. In this novel, we revisit the town of Westport, this time following the personal and professional relationships of Hannah, a film production assistant and sister to Piper, and Fox, the second-in-command of a fishing crew with a Reputation in town. Tessa Bailey writes a touching exploration of identity for both characters with each other, and with the people and the town around them. I really enjoyed the entirety of this novel, as the tension between the two main characters slowly builds internally and externally. The internal conflicts both characters face surrounding their personal and professional identities is almost -- almost! -- as interesting as the relationship building and growing between them.

P.S. I recommend getting a lychee jelly with your fruit tea, it's top tier.

P.P.S. I haven't played bingo since the fourth grade but if anyone is up for a trip to the bingo hall, let me know and I'll be there, rain or shine

The sequel to IHOS, this book focuses on Piper's sister Hannah and known playboy Fox Thornton. Hannah finds herself back in Westport while working on a movie, and who better to stay with than her sexy friend she met the first time she was there? Fox welcomes Hannah into his home, and they're both faced with a tension so thick it threatens to overcome them both.

Fox stole my heart the first time I met him, and I was so unbelievably excited for this story. I love, love, love a reformed playboy/playboy with a past and Hannah was the perfect heroine to bring out his best side. They both have their own journeys, Fox and dismantling the stereotypes that hurt his character, and Hannah with discovering her future career and reconnecting with a past she doesn't remember.

The pacing of this book is drastically different from IHOS. It's slower and full of tension, everything culminating to the moment when they finally get together, compared to the headfirst dive of IHOS. Different strokes for different folks, and my only beef with this book was the difference in pacing but that's because I'm not a slow burn person.

It was still a beautiful book, and I really enjoyed the depth Tessa shows of Fox and Hannah individually. I found myself sympathizing with Hannah and her struggles to make a connection, and Fox's complexity as a playboy who doesn't want to be seen as one was very refreshing and well done.

As always, Tessa knocks it out of the park with another romance that makes my insides twist in the best ways.

What a delightful, unexpected read. I thought it was going to be a standard friends to lovers/ reformed playboy story but it ended up being so much deeper than that. Fox was a wonderfully complex character and the way the author dealt with his insecurities and the toll years of being told you’re something that you wish you weren’t was excellent. Loved Hannah and her journey to being her own leading lady and connecting to the father she never knew. Fox and Hannah together were just so solid and right, even if it took them a while to get there. Love that even though there was an attraction from the start friendship formed the basis of their connection and they both helped each other on their individual journey’s. Both stories for the Bellinger sisters have been great and ‘I’m definitely dipping into more of Tessa Bailey’s work. (4.5 ⭐️)