I enjoyed Tessa Bailey's "Fix Her Up" from the Hot and Hammered series, so I was excited to get an ARC of "Hook, Line, and Sinker" (thanks, NetGalley!). There's so much tension in this one, with friends-to-lovers done really well. Hannah is an easy character to love, and Fox is swoon-worthy. Bailey hits all the marks for me, including dynamic characters who grow as individuals, and a seaside setting where I want to go ASAP.

I actually read these out of order and am on the hunt for "It Happened One Summer!" 4.5 stars.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

OH MY GOD. I'm in love. With the whole book, with Hannah, with Fox. By the end of this I truly felt like I had been a part of their relationship and I was hooked from the first couple pages of their texting. I never like too much internal conflict in a book and this was the perfect amount and so skillfully done that I was fully absorbed. Their relationship developed so slowly and so realistically that I refuse to believe they aren't real people living their lives out there somewhere. Also, THE EPILOGUE, these are usually so hit or miss for me because I always want to remember "my couple" in the height of their just-got-together romance and banter but my heart literally grew reading this epilogue. It was so beautiful and moving. Rarely is a book so heartfelt and so darn sexy. Tessa is truly one of the best!

Omg. This book!!! Tessa does it again. I already loved Tessa Bailey, but this book confirmed it - I am a forever stan. WHEW.

Is it aggressive to call her the queen of dirty talk? I don’t think I care if it is. This book was a slower burn, but so worth it in the end. I loved reading two characters who were so devoted to each other and that the foundation of their relationship was so solid before it evolved into more.

A fantastic sequel to It Happened One Summer. Absolutely lived up to the hype!

Okay, this was so good! I knew it would be though. It wasn't as spicy as "It Happened One Summer" but I loved it nonetheless. I love Hannah and Fox but Brendan is still the hottest IMO. LOL I love how Hannah encourages and inspires Fox to grow. She doesn't give up on him, His growth and development is amazing and I'm definitely here for it. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying I love Fox and Hannah. I thought it would be hard to beat Brendan and Piper but I was wrong. I think part of what makes this book so special is the music really. Everyone has their own soundtrack playing and Fox and Hannah fell in love to their own, which was adorable and special and you could hear the songs as you read the pages.

Tessa Bailey is such a great author, I wish she could release a new book every month! She's always a definite to-read for me and Hook, Line, and Sinker is such a great example of why.

Fox's growth as a character throughout the book is heartwarming - I love that he can (with Hannah's help) see himself in a whole new light. They both grew together too.

The epilogue though was probably my favorite part of the book. It wrapped up Piper and Hannah's adventures perfectly and happily. I definitely recommend this book to any Tessa Bailey readers (obviously), fans of The Bromance Book Club series and romcom fans in general!

Hook, Line and Sinker was the perfect balance to the Bellinger Sister series.
While Piper/Brendan had a fast-paced, passionate love story, Fox/Hannah was a nice slow burn.
From the first page, I couldn’t stop smiling and
I’m going, to be honest, and say I wasn’t totally in love with Fox’s arc/main problem in the book. It wasn’t something many could relate to. That aside, I do really love Fox and I enjoyed the book a lot.

Like the first one, there were many parts I had to put the book down because the feels were too much. I could NOT STOP smiling.

And even though Fox and Hannah don’t have the same allure as Piper and Brendan, I still really do love them.

The perfect sequel to It Happened One Summer. After falling in love with Brendan and Piper I was worried Fox and Hannah wouldn’t measure up- and boy was I wrong! This book made me laugh, cry, and want to sing at the top of my lungs. Another fantastic read by Ms Tessa Bailey!

It Happened One Summer was one of my favorite reads of the year and I was NOT going to make it until March 2022 to get more of the Bellinger sisters, so thank GOD NetGalley and the publisher came through with an ARC!

This book picks up several months after One Summer ends --- Hannah and Fox have been texting every day since their day together at the vinyl convention in Seattle and have developed a sincere + genuine friendship. This friendship is put to the test when Hannah brings her film crew back to Westport for a shoot and she has to stay in Fox's guest room --- adding a whole new layer of sexual tension to their relationship.

I just loved the way this book dealt with real issues like toxic masculinity and imposter syndrome in a way that was so thoughtful. Yet again, the characters' banter had me laughing out loud and crying at the same damn time.

I was hoping for a little more Piper + Brendan but Hannah and Fox had that leading lady & main character energy all on their own! This wrapped up with the sweetest epilogue and I swear my eyes are going to be heart emojis for the next several days.

I liked this one, but not as much as It Happened One Summer, which completely grabbed my attention and kept me turning pages all the way through. This one is slower paced, which fits the storyline but led to some absolute plot dragging in the middle of the book that could have been trimmed.

Fox's insecurities due to being oversexualized his whole life were a really interesting thing for a male romantic lead to be going through and I appreciated how open the line of conversation (mostly) was between him and Hannah. I also liked their friends-to-lovers relationship but I just felt like something was missing overall. I didn't feel connected to the setting the way I did in It Happened One Summer, which felt wrong considering it should have played just as major of a role in this story. I also found a lot of Fox's dirty talk to be super cringey in a way that took me right out of the spicy scenes. More importantly, I was frustrated that a huge part of Hannah's arc was her figuring out what to do with her career and yet I finished the book an hour ago and couldn't tell you what she ended up doing as her big new job. Also, frankly, the epilogue was majorly eyeroll-inducing.

But I still had fun reading the majority of the book and I think anyone who was excited for Hannah and Fox's story will enjoy getting it here.

Steamy friends to lovers set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Hannah Bellinger has always felt like a side character, the supportive cheerleader everyone needs in their life, but it's time for her to become her own leading lady. Fox Thornton is the town pretty boy, who usually has a steady stream of hook ups going, but Hannah is all he can think about and he now all he wants is her.

I appreciated the way Tessa addressed slut shaming throughout Fox's life and the righteous anger that Hannah felt at the way Fox was treated, then and now. It's a touchy topic, especially the sexualization of children, but it's laid out in a way that makes it very clear where the line was crossed; I think it has the potential to spark conversations that can change the way people speak about children in their lives. I love books set in the PNW, it's always misty and foreboding in the most beautiful way. Thankfully, "Hook, Line, and Sinker" can be read as a stand alone if you're like me and haven't read "It Happened One Summer" yet. Piper and Brendan make appearances, but enough of the backstory is included for you to not feel lost with Hannah and Fox. I really enjoyed the build up and tension between Hannah and Fox throughout the book, but some of the dirty talk from Fox threw me out of the moment during the spicier scenes, it almost felt a little forced.

Overall, I will always be a sucker for friends to lovers. I loved my time in Westport and I can't wait to go back with IHOS.

4/5
🌶🌶🌶🌶/5

Thanks to Avon Books, Harper Voyager and Net Galley for the ARC! This is a voluntary review.

Love love love!! This had that swoon worthy romance that had me unable to put the book down. Fabulous read!

More importantly - and this was a question he asked himself way too often - how the hell was he supposed to feel about Hannah? He'd never, not once, had a girl for a friend.

Fox Thornton was a player. With a capital "P". He felt destined to become just that. Growing up with a questionable example like his dad, having the face that women took notice of as he walked in a room and charm to spare, it seemed inevitable. For the first time, he has become friends with a woman. Also for the first time, his heart has become involved in the equation. Crossing the line with Hannah could prove fatal to his well being, and he's not sure if he could survive.

Hannah has had a crush on the director she's worked with for so long. When she brings her whole crew to Westport to film, her "friend" Fox is there to give her a place to stay. And a shoulder to lean on. In no time, her friendship with Fox becomes so much more important to her than any crush or any plan she has. Hannah knows this has become more than just friendship.

Tessa Bailey tells a great story of friends to lovers and I could not get enough!

I could NOT put this book down! I loved Hannah from the moment we met her. It’s so easy to see so much of myself in her. She a woman trying to find her confidence and her own way in life and finding love along the way in a friend who has always been there! One of my favorite romantic comedies of the year with a good amount of spice! I’d rank it right up there with The Love Hypothesis!

This book was absolutely wonderful and a must read! I've read so many friends to lovers books that were just too cliche and have put me off this troupe for a LONG time. However, I had to give this book a try since I fell in love with Hannah & Fox immediately in 'It Happened One Summer". I was more interested in their story than Piper's & Brandon to be honest, so of course I needed to read Hook, Line, & Sinker. This story was so beautiful---from the purity of their friendship to the genuine and raw love between Fox and Hannah.

There were definitely frustrating parts that seemed to drag on, such as Fox's insecurities prevented their relationship from moving forward....but let's be honest, that just makes him more human and relatable. Hannah is wonderful, but Fox is definitely the star of this book.

Music is a huge part of this book, since it's Hannah's story. Not being a music enthusiast myself, I definitely had to google the songs mentioned in this book, but wow! It added so much more to the reading experience to hear the songs that describe Hannah or Fox's emotions. I definitely recommend doing this if you don't know the songs!

If you're looking for a sweet romance (with a little angst), passionate friends to lovers, and characters that actually behave maturely (for once), please READ THIS BOOK! You don't know what you are missing out until you've read this!

Special thanks to Netgalley, Avon, and Harper Voyage for sharing this ARC copy with me!

A sweet, emotional, friends-to-lovers romance that can’t be missed!

After falling in love with the cast of characters and town of Westport after reading, It Happened One Summer, I jumped at the chance to read Hook, Line and Sinker.

You get a glimpse of Hannah (Piper’s sister) and Fox (Brendan’s friend and coworker) in It Happened One Summer and knew that their love story was going to be just as heartfelt and wonderful. It did not disappoint!

Though this can be read as a standalone, you do get some history to Hannah and Fox’s initial connection in It Happened One Summer after going record shopping and attending a record conference.

Even though Hannah went back to Los Angeles after that summer, she and Fox started texting each other and growing their friendship. When Hannah suggests Westport as the perfect location for the new movie her producer/boss is filming, she finds herself back in Westport and sleeping in Fox’s guest bedroom.

There is honestly so much to love about this book. Great writing, fantastic character development and an emotional storyline that tugs on your heartstrings.

There’s also no ridiculous drama or miscommunication – and maybe that’s what I loved most and admire about Bailey’s talent.

She let these two characters be real, be honest and be vulnerable but without unnecessary heartache because that’s not what was building between these two. It would have felt like a huge disconnect if she went in that direction.

These were two adults with real feelings that trusted each other enough to bare themselves, their insecurities and give the other person the opportunity to see the true them for better or worse.

It’s also rare that the hero is the one with the most vulnerability and is the one trying to overcome a reputation that’s followed him for so long.

I loved Fox. Here is a man who believes his worth is only about his prowess in the bedroom and is therefore only worthy of temporary entertainment. He was hurt before when he tried to change his ways and be more than just his reputation or the assumptions of others.

My heart hurt reading Fox get a glimpse of hope of how his life could be different but not wanting to mess up.

Hannah was his perfect match. She too was learning to use her voice in her work and also in a new, potential relationship with Fox. She had always had a crush on her boss, pining without him knowing, but now she was afraid to put her heart on the line for a man who only ever did temporary.

She saw what Fox was trying to hide and supported him and it was magnificent.

If you love reading romances that give you the most amazing characters who aren’t afraid to be vulnerable, then you HAVE to read this book. It was just the most pleasurable read that I couldn’t put down.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

This series just gets me.

We all wanted Hannah and Fox's story and it delivered. If you're into broken f-boys who want to be reformed, Fox is for you. If you're into little sisters with imposter syndrome who have done the work in therapy to heal, Hannah is also for you.

This book is sweet, sad, thoughtful and hot as hell.

I am loving this adorable series from Tessa Bailey- all the sexy swoony magic I crave! After It Happened One Summer, I was so excited for Fox and Hannah’s story. These two support characters sparkled with energy, and I just knew their story would be delightful. And it was indeed- a slow burning friends to lovers story just brimming with feeling.

Tessa Bailey really nails the friends to lovers vibe- Fox and Hannah are such fantastic supporters of each other, authentic and powerful friends. But the longing between them is REAL, so much unrealized romantic tension as both are internally battling crossing that proverbial friendly line. It’s lots of pushing and pulling, and you feel every moment of romantic longing between them. You can’t help but fall and root for them both- and their sweet and swoony moments make all the waiting worth it.

I loved watching these two take center stage- and I related HARD CORE to Hannah, with the feeling of not being the the star of your own life, being relegated to the sidelines of your world. She’s thirsting for unrealized dreams, a hesitant dreamer who can’t quite take that leap of faith she needs to put herself center stage of her ambitions. And Fox is just DELICIOUS. The proverbial sexy breaker of hearts and melter of panties who for the first time ever, thanks to his friends with Hannah, wants to break out of the box he’s been put in. To be BETTER. I really love when character arcs are catalyzed by the romance- when two characters understand, support, and empower each other to be the better version of themselves- not change FOR love, but because of it, and these two do that so beautiful. Fox’s character journey in particular is compelling. At times I was thirsting for their romance to move faster, but Tessa really invests in their relationship, lets it evolve, so that we too are captured, Hook, Line, and Sinker. Grab this one in March, it’s charming.

Reviews: goodreads.com/review/show/4144107198
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2239692882

Ok, this was way too cheesy and way too explicit for my taste. I thought it would be cute and casual and the flirting would be more lighthearted but it was too steamy for me.

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey was one of my top reads this year, so when I got Hook Line and Sinker I dropped everything I was doing and read it in one day.

Hannah and Fox were introduced in It Happened One Summer, and it was nice to read a book fully surrounding them and their relationship.

Hannah grows and tries to find her place as a "leading lady" in her own life. Fox is working through his view on relationships and how people have perceived him his whole life as a quick hook up. It was fun to watch them grow into their own as people and friends.

This was a slow burn and there were so many times I was thinking to myself "you're perfect, just get together already!" However, I think the build up made the payoff better in the end. I loved the epilogue as well! It was so sweet.

This book was another hit by Tessa Bailey!

Thank you Avon Books Harper Collins and Netgalley for my copy.

Hook, Line, and Sinker is out 3/1/22

An absolute freaking delight. Can we round up some long-lost Bellinger sisters just so Tessa Bailey has a reason to continue writing this series?!? Maybe their grandmother can be next?!? Lol, at this point I'll read whatever just to stay with these characters.
The carry over from It Happened One Summer was lightly explained, but if you want Hannah and Fox's story from the very beginning, you should pick up the first book (and enjoy Piper and Brendan's story!) I love that their attraction was pretty obvious from the beginning, despite Hannah's long-lived crush on stupid Sergio. The tension just grew and grew and I was desperate for these two to figure their ish out and get together!
The thing I loved so much about this book was how she treated Fox's character. I don't really want to explain too much because it was such a delightful surprise what she did with him - basically, everything we knew about who he was, from the first book, and from Hannah's perception of him, is turned on its head. This journey is so authentic to their relationship journey, but it also touches on some really important social issues, specifically the way we treat sexuality (in men and women), toxic masculinity, and the harm of generational trauma. I know that sounds super heavy, but trust me, she does it well, and it's all wrapped up in some wonderful pining, hilarious moments, and Bailey's trademark sexy scenes.
READ THIS SERIES!