Whew – Tessa Bailey is quickly becoming a “go-to, absolutely will read, no questions asked, yes, I’m buying the book and loving it” author and this follow up to It Happened One Summer is helping to prove why.

With Hook, Line, and Sinker, the reader is treated to a second round of the Bellinger Sisters. Piper is still settled with Brendan, navigating their relationship in Westport as Brendan continues to captain and she runs her bar.

Hannah, though, never quite settled into Westport like Piper did. Los Angeles feels less like home than ever with Piper relocated, and she visits Westport often to see her sister and daydream about climbing her own professional ladder.

Fox, Brendan’s second-in-command, is still in Westport but started talking and texting with Hannah more frequently after her first visit to his town. All of sudden, his infamous “dates” in Seattle seem to come to a pause as he chats with her. Their friendship grows as they swap check-ins, song suggestions, and curate playlists for each other.

When Hannah sees the chance to move her job to Westport, albeit temporarily, she jumps at the chance. Does it mean she has to play roommate with Fox? Maybe it does. And maybe she’s more okay with it than she first thought she would be.

Steamy and sexy, this friends-to-lovers has its guaranteed HEA only after Fox does some real emotional growth. For years, he only saw himself as a sexy playboy, never as anyone who would be good enough for someone like Hannah. Hannah, for her part, has her own growth and maturity as she recognizes she no longer wants to be seen as the supporting character actor in other people’s lives. The both of them learn, grow, and adapt to with each other. When I tell you I eagerly read this in a day, and told as many folks as I could about this title, there’s no lie. An excellent contemporary romance full of honesty, humor, sexiness and excellent music!

This books definitely lived up to the hype of the first book. I was hooked from the start! 1000% obsessed with Fox and Hannah!


Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Yes! I absolutely adored this friends to lovers spicy romance!

This books definitely lived up to the hype of the first. I was hooked from page one and was dying for more after ever page!

Hannah and Fox are a new favorite couple for me!

So this isn't out for a while, but I needed a palate cleanser, so I dove into my NetGalley ARC to get a hit of all the good good Tessa Bailey provides.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, and I had high expectations going into this one. Those expectations were met, and then some, and the trajectory was different than what I thought it was going to be, and that's always a delight!

Hannah has spent her life being the supporting actress in her own life. Back in L.A. after her adventure in the small fishing town of Westport. She's still a production assistant, but she wants to make leading lady moves in her professional and romantic life: it's time to chase her dreams of creating soundtracks for movies and to finally let her director boss know about her long-standing crush on him. But she still hears the call of Westport, so she ends up suggesting it as the location for the latest film she's working on.

Then she's back in Westport, back with her older sister, and back with Fox, the best friend of her sister's fiance who has a reputation as a ladies man. But they're just friends, right? Because Fox doesn't do relationships, and he's not even sure that he does friendships with women, especially ones that he doesn't sleep with, and can't -- as Brendan, his best friend, had forbidden any sort of canoodling with Hannah. Which isn't fair, is it? Because Fox feels something for Hannah, even if he's not entirely sure what those feelings are.

I was not expecting how much this book would make my heart ache for Fox. He's been saddled with the ladies man reputation his whole life, and in the first book, there's the impression that he's totally fine with that. But he's not, he's really not, and what we learn about his family history and life in Westport and beyond is honestly heart-wrenching. Hannah might be the only person who sees him as anything other than a great lay, and that's sad. Oh, but does Hannah see him for who he really is. In fact, she won't let him forget that he's a full person to her, even when it would be easier for her to just throw in the towel on Fox.

Also, as this is both a Tessa Bailey book and with one of the main characters being a very sexually potent man, I was sure there would be a lot of steam right away and throughout. No, what we get is delicious pining. SO MUCH pining. Romantic pining. Friendship pining. Sexual pining. Hannah and Fox circle each other over and over, and that signature dirty talk that Tessa is known for is front and center. God does this slow burn make you BURN. Seriously, Fox just oozes sex appeal, and the payoff is WORTH IT.

In short? I loved this. Tessa once again brings the heart with the heat, and I was happy to be along for another ride with her.

| I received an ARC and this is my honest, freely given review. |

Well.. for one.. I read It Happened One Summer in like what felt like two sittings. I absolutely loved it and was enamored by it.

When I requested Hook, Line, and Sinker on Netgalley, I did not realize it was the second book of the series by Tessa Bailey. After hearing only good things about It Happened One Summer, I knew I had to get it because I had gotten approved for Hook, Line, and Sinker.

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. My heart strings were pulled and everything about Fox and Hannah just made me so extremely happy and basically begged for more.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of what is now my favorite book ever! I absolutely need to get the physical copy now.

To say that I fell more in love with Hook, Line, and Sinker than It Happened One Summer is an understatement. My heart now belongs to Fox and Hannah's. Their friendship is truly pure yet so connected. They were truly meant for each other no matter what other people thought.
Fox has a reputation for breaking women's hearts, but that's not always the case. It's really more of a perceived notion of his father's reputation. No one ever considered his feelings until Hannah. She truly understood how much it meant to him that she wanted more from him than a fling. She never cared what people thought of him. She cares more about him. It really meant so much for Fox to realize that there is more to him than being someone fling. He has so much potential. People really need to give him a chance. And Hannah is the person that really does. That's all that matters to Fox.

I really enjoyed this rom com! I was nervous going into it because I didn't love it happened one summer as much as others seemed to. BUT I was so pleasantly surprised. I LOVE a bad boy turned good trope AND his reason for being bad was actually straight up sad. I loved their friendship so much and watching them grow together!

Hook, Line, and Sinker is an excellent follow up to It Happened One Summer! I loved getting to know Hannah and Fox more and adored their chemistry. Hook, Line, and Sinker had all the charm and spice that I have come to expect from Tessa Bailey as well as just the right amount of BINGO inspired sexual tension!

I loved this book from beginning to end, possibly even more than the first book in this series! Hannah and Fox were characters I couldn't help but fall instantly in love with! Fox had a lot more depth to him than I was originally expecting and it was such a wonderful surprise to see what goes on in his head, even if it broke my heart a couple times! Hannah is the perfect example of sunshine! reading her pov was such a joy and brightened my mood unlike any other character I've come across. As a music lover the music element in this book made it all the more enjoyable! I got to see some of my favourite characters love the same bands/songs as me and give me new recommendations all at once! The pacing was a little bit slower than the first book but I enjoyed the characters so much that it didn't bother me at all! I'm all for a good slow burn and Tessa Bailey hit the mark!

I loved reading this second book in the Bellinger Sisters duology. It was so fun going back to the little town of Westport and seeing Fox and Hannah's relationship evolve. They both have self-esteem issues, but they helped each other through it. They were so cute and I was rooting for them throughout this story. I loved that Piper and Brendan made little appearances too. Overall, it was such a cute read about believing in yourself and finding love.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this Book! I read It Happened One Summer and this was the perfect follow-up. Tessa Bailey doesn't disappoint in the romance department!

The Bellinger sisters are back and to put all my cards on the table, I think I enjoyed this one more than the first.
I related much more to Hannah than I did to Piper in ‘It Happened One Summer’. While I was able to imagine Piper in her Alexis Schitt-inspired character and enjoy it, Hannah is just much more down to earth. She’s a woman who cares about her friendship with Fox, and isn’t so quick to throw it away. The bond they build is real, and it provides a foundation for the brewing romance.
It’s that foundation that makes the tension leading up to everything palpable. The heat is real and it’s rooted in both lust and a connection. There’s more at stake for Hannah and Fox as established friends to take the step into a new territory, and that first hookup was irresistible.
I found myself more invested in Hannah and Fox than I was expecting, and for me it was due to that fact that I had a whole book of these side characters that I started to get to know prior to book two. It made Hook Line and Sinker a better book for me, and this is a series that I will definitely recommend to everyone!

If I could give it 1,000 stars I would. I was expecting a lot after It Happened One Summer and Miss Bailey, unsurprisingly, blew my expectations out of the water. I love a good friends to lovers as it is but this book had so much amazing character development on both ends.

I just wanted to give Fox a giant hug and maybe a couple therapy appointments throughout the entire book so he could f*** the haters and recognize his self-worth. I could tell they were meant to be from their first introductions in IHOS and their relationship development was as romantic and steamy as you can expect.

I received a recommendation to read "It Happened One Summer" and have become a HUGE fan of Tessa Bailey simply because of this (too short) series! I can't wait to go back and read more of her titles.

Hannah and Fox have been communicating via text ever since they met seven months ago while the Bellinger sisters were in the sleepy fishing village of Westport. Fox is "unavailable" and Hannah is pining after her boss. When circumstances bring her back it becomes a test for both of them to figure out how their friendship will develop. Fox's character comes into question over and over and Hannah is just the right person to help him through some difficult emotional times. Tessa Bailey is amazing at well-thought-out character development and isn't afraid to give the tough guys some emotional baggage.

This book was fantastic and getting to read it early was such a treat! I loved getting a continuation of this world and hearing more about Hannah and Fox. The character development was great. One of the only issues I had with this book was there were moments of miscommunication that were a bit frustrating, but given the characters and how they felt about themselves, it made sense within the context of the book. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a romance book with a few deeper themes.

I adored this book!! I knew from what we saw of Hannah and Fox in It Happened One Summer that I would enjoy their story, and Tessa Bailey did not let me down.

Tessa Bailey’s done it again. Honestly, I have no original feedback: nothing I haven’t said in a previous review whilst singing Tessa’s praises. Even her last release, It Happened One Summer, had me questioning, as I didn’t know if I could like the characters…but I did. Of course I did, because it’s Tessa Freaking Bailey.

Hannah is decidedly not a leading lady: the kind of woman who takes control of their lives and their stories. As evidenced by the hopeless crush she’s been nursing for years, and that she is still a production assistant, and not composing music scores. But when she finally speaks up at work, suggesting a new filming location, she ends up back in Westport…and much, much closer to Fox, her sister’s fiance’s best friend, and possibly hers, too.

Ever since Hannah Bellinger walked into Fox’s life last summer, everything he knows has been turned upside down. Regular trips to Seattle for hookups have been replaced by late night texts and purchasing records…and while he’s got it bad for Hannah, being a loyal boyfriend is just not in him.

Feelings aside, there’s a lot to unpack here!

I couldn’t wait for Fox and Hannah’s story since I devoured It Happened One Summer, last summer, lol. Hannah’s bold demeanor was an instant draw, and you could tell Fox had puppy dog eyes every time he saw her. I loved their dynamic even before it had a name. But truthfully, this was even better than I had hoped. Hannah and Fox fit together perfectly as best friends, so their romance comes naturally. Fox is a steamy fisherman who elevates the ~romance~. Hannah is sweet and down to earth, and I loved her true to desire to help people, including Fox. They’re a good contrast and an even greater match.

This book was psychologically deep. Like the characters here had some serious things to work through, but I love that it was done tastefully and believably. We leave our characters better than we found them, but still with work to do: and I’m living for it. I love when we acknowledge that people have problems, and despite their best efforts, that’s what they bring to the table in a relationship, too. Everything about this book hit so acutely: you can’t keep waiting for happiness to come to you. It’s an effort, and we work at it. All of Tessa’s novels hit pretty square in the chest when it comes to personal growth, but I thought this one was the more evolved and impressive of all that she’s written. The things that Fox grapples with in the book, regarding being a ladies’ man and where that stems from, is intricately woven and so delicately unraveled by Hannah, a perfect polar opposite, through her friendship and warmth. It’s truly a beautiful novel, while also being a hell of a good romance.

This is one of the first romance books to make me cry in a while. When did I tear up? Right about here:

You can’t live life worrying about what people will think. You’ll wake up one day, look at a calendar, and count the days you could have spent being happy.

Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey, LOC 4711.
Even out of context, that hits hard! And in context, it’s just enough to make you cry.

Like I said from the start, I don’t know what else to say except read it. I’m so here for Hook, Line, and Sinker.

Hook, Line, and Sinker was provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be released March 1, 2022. You’re going to love it. 😉

Hook, Line, and Sinker is a lovely follow up to It Happened One Summer and lives up to the hype that Piper's story garnered. Hannah and Fox are absolutely charming together and the pining in this friends to lovers romance is A+. I love how deftly Tessa Bailey avoids the typical pitfalls of the genre that would typically turn me off of a book - pointless miscommunication, etc. - and portrays such healthy boundaries and communication and expectation-setting. Fox is wildly self-aware and while that doesn't protect him from acting poorly it does protect him from unleashing trauma-driven destructive behavior on the people around him, namely Hannah, which is unfortunately still a novelty in the genre. I loved how much of this book was both of them processing their own issues in healthy ways, both together and as independent people. I was only disappointed in the ending; the grand finale wasn't as grand as I would have liked and it honestly felt cringey to end the book in the middle of a sex scene. I also wasn't a fan of the HEA epilogue - cringey in a different way and didn't have any emotional impact. But overall a joy to read and I wish this series wasn't over.

honestly i think i liked this book better than IHOS. fox and hannah are so cute, and the love they have for each other is so sweet. i normally don’t love a friends to lovers but tessa bailey has done it again. (4.5)

I loved this book!!! There is something special about sharing music with someone and I love that Hanna and Fox did this. They shared music for every up and down in their relationship. I have to say, I totally love how the author had Hannah bring out the best in Fox and that she pushed him to be his best self. It is totally refreshing when the female role gets to take charge of her relationships. Character growth in this story is great and I was happy to see the story unfold. The steam is just perfect. Friends to lovers, slow burn is great and so worth it. Read this book.