Tessa Bailey shows us all how to become the Leading Lady in Hook, Line, and Sinker! After meeting Hannah and Fox in It Happened One Summer, I knew their story would be an instant favorite. This slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance was just the story to perfectly complete the Bellinger Sisters.


A foundation of friendship is instantly built between Fox and Hannah, despite the time and distance between them since the ending of Piper's story in It Happened One Summer. Their banter begins immediately, shown through text messages over the months they had been separated. This intimate knowledge of each other ultimately helps them both thrive within their relationship after being reunited once again in Westport. The awareness they have of each other’s feelings and needs drives this friendship into a developing romance, although both are slow to realize they've been building up to this from day one. Tessa Bailey strikes again, giving us lines like: "Oh, Fox. We've been trying this whole time." and "Waiting for you is the best I've ever had."


Although their story is very different from the well-loved story of Piper and Brendan, Hannah and Fox will no doubt become a fan-favorite as well. The way both of them work to overcome their own individual insecurities outside of their relationship shows us another side of them that can (and will!) speak to the fandom on another level. I loved every part of experiencing the Bellinger Sisters and cannot wait to revisit them when I reread their stories.

Hannah and Fox are just friends and will stay just friends, it is the best thing because Fox has a reputation and will never settle down. So why hasn't he had a fling since he met her? And why when Hannah's crush finally shows an interest isn't she interested? And why do they want to spend all their time together? Could they be more than friends?

I devoured the first book in the series, It Happened Last Summer, so I have been looking forward to Fox and Hannah’s story. I am not disappointed. It was so so good!! I love how Hannah made him face his issues with honesty. I also loved how she made him realize his worth.
Great read!!!

I received an ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

I liked Hook, Line, and Sinker. I'd probably give it a 3.75 stars out of 5. First off, I need Tessa Bailey to create some playlists that Hannah would have listened to because the music references in this book are fantastic. I love the characters she created, and the interesting storyline. I will say that I had to skim a few chapters because there was a lot of internal monologue going on and I'm personally not a fan of that writing style. I enjoy actual action more than hearing what a character is thinking a majority of the time. I'm also (personally) not a huge fan of the lack of communication trope because books would be about 20 pages long if characters just went to therapy and learned to speak to each other. BUT... I do think this book writes it well.

The epilogue is honestly what made me round this book up to a 4 stars.

Tessa Bailey writes great romance and characters, with interesting plots. If you liked It Happened One Summer, I think you'll really enjoy this one too!

#HookLineandSinker #NetGalley

While Hook, Line, and Sinker wasn't as sensational as It Happened One Summer, it was still super enjoyable. I savored this book over several weeks -- returning for a few pages each night. Fox is a charming, playboy type hero who is immediately taken with Hannah. I love a hero who knows what he wants right away -- even if he doesn't quite know how to get it or keep it! The movie production side plot was interesting, and I was glad the author didn't go in a predictable workplace harassment direction that a lot of cartoon cover 'romcoms' have been lately (see: Hot Copy). Overall, this was a nice follow up to IHOS, and was a bit of a comfort read, (yes, as hot as one could expect from this author, but more slow burn that I'm used to from her). I think it lacked the same level of humor/spark of IHOS, but I was rooting for the main characters the whole way through, and it has one of the best epilogues I've ever read.

I love The Bellinger sisters and enjoyed Hook, Line and Sinker even more than the first book.

Hannah is a character who I was intrigued by in It Happened One Summer. She is the complete opposite of her sisters. I could relate with her wanting to stay out of the spotlight and the fact that she would rather spend her days listening to music than actually talking to anyone. Fox is not someone who wants a serious relationship. He goes out of his way to keep things casual and uncomplicated. That is until he meets Hannah. Unfortunately, she had made it’s clear that she doesn’t have any interest in a relationship with Fox beyond friendship.

The way that Hannah and Fox’s relationship develops made for a really great read. They are such great friends to one another and when they are together sparks fly. My music loving heart also adored Hannah’s connection with songs and records. Music was like an entire language for her and I loved everything about it. I know there aren’t any other Bellinger sisters around but if there’s a half sibling or even a cousin we aren’t aware of I’d be all for a third book in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am so sad to say that I was actually pretty disappointed in this one, especially since I loved the first book in the series, It Happened One Summer. I loved these two characters in the first book, but considering the fact that this book is literally about them, we receive very little additional character development about Fox and Hannah. The personality traits that we do know about Fox and Hannah are perseverated on over and over again until it seems like they are their ONLY personality traits (i.e. Hannah=music and Fox=sex). It felt very one-dimensional and struck me as boring. I also felt that this book had way more internal monologuing than the first book, which in my opinion, cheapened the writing. Way too much telling and not enough showing.

Like the first book, I loved the Pacific Northwest setting and learning more about the career of king crab fishing. It was a cute, light, fast read, but not my favorite.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for an ARC of this ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 4/5
Expected Publishing: March 1, 2022

HOLY HECK! I've been seeing reviews that praise the first book in the series, and I've been wanting to read it for SO LONG! But, when I saw this book available to request for an ARC, I couldn't have pressed the request button faster. This book did not disappoint, and I fell in love with Fox and Hannah!

I related to Hannah so much in this book. Her feeling like a side character and not a leading lady is something that I feel quite often. It was nice to see how she was able to see herself like a leading lady because she's freaking amazing! I especially loved the friends to lovers trope and don't even get me started on the record player!! Also, all the songs that were mentioned in the book have been on constant replay!

Overall, I highly recommend this book and will be preordering this to have my own physical copy!! Tessa Bailey NEVER disappoints!

Hannah and Fox are back. I loved how this book started with their text messages for months. I found myself paying close attention to the date and time stamps.

Their sharing through music is lovely. And I really enjoyed that I knew many of the songs they played.

I love Fox so much. He may be my favorite male main character. His struggles with perceptions as only being about sex are so real, and we don't usually see them explored for men. In many ways, it's a perfect counterpoint to It Happened One Summer.

And he and Hannah are so good for each other. I adore friends-to-lovers, and that's kind of what we have here. They got to know each other first, and they both believe in each other. It's a slow burn and not as steamy as many of Tessa Bailey's books. This book is beautiful and special and tore my heart out.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

4.5 stats rounded up

I don't know how but Tessa Bailey never fails to make me cry during her romance books.

I absolutely loved this so much. This is peak friends to lovers goodness. We have a rouge determined to play the part cast for him his entire life and the girl that changes everything. She teaches him to grow, to take chances, and to be the person he is and not the person he's been told to be. All the while holding her own quiet strength and triumphs.

I was honestly a mess during this entire book, I couldn't stop crying at how heartfelt and honest their relationship was. This book emotes honesty, heart, and charm but it also takes on bigger themes and topics. Our leading man, Fox, is crippled by toxic masculinity that has haunted him since childhood and his issues were addressed so expertly. It's definitely a topic that needs to be talked about more but I absolutely loved it here.

Easily another five star read from Tessa Bailey for me. I've not been disappointed yet.

While overall, I didn't think Hook, Line, and Sinker was quite as good as It Happened One Summer, I really loved both Hannah and Fox as individual characters and found myself cheering for them throughout the book. Plus there were definite folklore vibes so the Taylor Swift feels obviously had me utterly delighted.

Hannah thinks of herself as a support character and so, unsurprisingly, part of what I loved about this book was getting to watch her take risks and embrace some main character vibes and go after what she wanted. Fox, meanwhile, his character growth was... Lovely to watch, but honestly, I desperately wish he had gone to therapy. I mean, don't get me wrong. I loved watching Hannah break down some of his walls and challenge the way he thought about himself, and I think that Fox having those messages reinforced by an actual mental health professional would have been nice.

Beyond the brilliant characterization, what I loved about this book was Tessa Bailey's engaging writing, her humor, and the way she brilliants crafts a cast of characters. She drew me in to Westport just as well with this book as she did with It Happened One Summer and I love how rich of a setting she made. I also loved getting to see Piper and Brendan. This book was the compulsively readable book I needed in my life.

Something I didn't love, because I basically never do, was the overprotective nonsense that Piper and Brendan both engaged in with Fox. First of all, I think it's disrespectful of both Fox and Hannah and secondly, while it makes sense for the overall character arc of Fox, I just think it would have been REALLY nice if Brendan, as Fox's best friend, had noticed changes in Fox a little sooner. But Tessa Bailey really likes her alpha men and, I mean, it often works for me when she writes it, so what can I say?

One final thing, this book has a bit less steam than one might expect from Tessa Bailey, so just be prepared for that going in. It makes sense for the overall plot, but it's a change of pace to what I have become accustomed from her. Oh, and, of course, there's a lot of cisgendered language/stereotypes, although less than in It Happened One Summer so there's that at least.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

After reading It Happened One Summer, I was so excited to continue the series and follow the friends to lovers romance of Fox and Hannah. These two characters are so fun to read, each battling their own insecurities but coming together and uniting in love and music. I loved how music was such a core aspect in this novel, and the emotions music can bring and make a person feel in every moment. There was such a natural friendship and ease between these two main characters, and I really enjoyed reading the progression of their relationship and love for each other.

Hook, Line and Sinker, is such a fun romantic comedy, bringing the witty banter and the steamy romance I have come to expect from Tessa Bailey. Definitely check this one out on release day, I really enjoyed it!

I loved absolutely everything about this book. I am 100% calling dibs on Fox. He was just EVERYTHING! He was funny, flirtatious, supportive, caring and so insecure on the inside while pretending to be a confidant ladies man on the outside.
The way he talked about Hannah was so sweet and sad, because he put her on a pedestal so high that he would never think himself worthy of her. From the beginning you could feel how highly he thought of her. And Tessa Bailey did such an amazing job of describing Fox's feelings and emotions that I was feeling all that angst and yearning with him.
From their first kiss (which was scorching hot) to their fights and all the wonderful flirty banter in between, Hannah and Fox were amazing.
They did this crazy thing called communication and honesty! And it was good. Did they have some issues to work thru? Of course. But miscommunication and lies were never a problem and I adored that.
I loved how Hannah just saw Fox. She knew what he needed when he needed it. She was patient and nurturing while still pushing him to grow.
I really liked the use of music in this book. It brought in another layer of feelings and emotions. Anytime a song was mentioned I would play it in the background to get the right vibe.
I liked this second book in the Westport books even more than the first. Something about Hannah and Fox just clicked with me completely. This was a heartwarming friends to lovers romance that just hit all the right notes.

4.5 Stars

I started this book after struggling to finish several books. I knew I should be able to make it through this one. And I did. I enjoyed the ride. We have the playboy hero, who doesn’t believe he is real boyfriend material. The heroine is determined to act more like a leading lady than a supporting character. Music is a big part of this story. It’s the perfect mixture for a good time.

I voluntarily read an early copy.

After enjoying the fun of It Happened One Summer, I knew I couldn't wait to read Tessa Bailey's sequel, Hook, Line and Sinker. It definitely delivered, and very surprisingly, I found I loved the sequel even more than the first book in the story. I loved Hannah's fierce loyalty and determination and loved the slow burn of this friends-to-lovers romance between Fox and Hannah. Of course, there is a little bit of Bailey's signature steam between her characters but I also really loved how she delivered the theme of self confidence - revealing through the two protagonists that self-doubt can sabotage whatever you truly desire. Lastly, I also enjoyed the little glimpse into what Piper and Brendan have been up to. Definitely a light and fun quick read!

4.75 stars!

Hannah and Fox are two characters that stuck with me when I read them just as the sister and best friend in the preceding book, 'It Happened One Summer.' With the easy love I had for them both along with the friendship that they developed, it was a given how quickly and eager I got into their own love story.

Having met last summer, they remained in contact via text and through music for seven months. Each getting more and more invested with each message and song exchanged. Hannah's job in LA leads her back to her newfound home Wesport and Fox– who ends up extending his home to her during her time there. The close living proximity unfolds true feeling and emotions coming from both parties.

I love how Bailey heavily focuses on individual character growth and development. Personal breakthroughs were strong and ultimately led Hannah and Fox to one another completely. There is so much sexual tension, but less spice within the plot which I found refreshing and real. I felt the connection between the two was proven to be deeper than just physicality and attraction.

The communication and chemistry is ON POINT– knowing when something is on each others' minds and when they aren't addressing their true thoughts and feelings. They encourage and impact one another in the most powerful and loving ways. Hannah and Fox are a perfect depiction of how people fall effortlessly in love without knowing it.

Tessa Bailey does it again.
I live the characters in this book, especially Fox.
The struggle of self image he works through is pretty heart wrenching. It reminds us that no matter what we think of someone we never know their full story.
He and Hannah are magic together, so different but they just make sense.
This story really felt like it picked up right where the last one left off. I know there aren’t any other “main characters” to sideline for another book, but oh how I would love to see a book of the girl’s dad Henry! Take us back Tessa! We need more of this fishing town!

I fell in love with Fox and Hannah while reading the first book I think series. Everything about book two made me smile and watching these two friends become more was amazing. The ending was so darn satisfying and I can't wait to see what Tessa writes next.

Hook, Line and Sinker follows Hannah and Fox after the events of It Happened One Summer. Hannah travels back to the seaside town Westport to film a movie. While in town, she stays with her friend Fox who she kept in touch with after leaving Westport last year.

Hook, Line and Sinker is just as good as It Happened One Summer, if not even better. I really appreciate Fox and Hannah’s characters and their development. The two characters know that they need to grow to be together. It is wonderful to see Fox and Hannah flourish into better versions of themselves as they fall in love.

This romance is one that commands your attention. I loved the characters and the story remains interesting throughout. Some parts feel a bit cheesy which is an issue I had with It Happened One Summer. However, I really enjoyed my time reading it and would love to read more by Tessa Bailey in the future.

There's something about a sequel that lives up and surpasses its first novel. Hook, Line and Sinker is everything I wanted for Hannah and Fox. I love the deep dive look into Fox's life and how society has treated him since day one because of his circumstances. You don't often seen the flip side of the coin like you do here. Good for Hannah for following her heart and being able to see past the playboy image for true love. 10/10 from start to finish.