I read It Happened One Summer this August and I was so invested in Hannah and Fox, so I took the first opportunity I found to get an ARC. There is no better storyline than the main character’s sarcastic, player, secretly sweet best friend.
Hannah stays with Fox while in town for work and her new mission: stop being a supporting character in her life, step up and become the leading lady. This is a feeling majority of women know all too well - avoiding being loud in order to avoid rocking the boat. But even through each obstacle, Hannah knows her worth! She does not settle, she fights for what she deserves.
Fox, oh Fox. My heart ached for his character. A large portion of the book is spent discussing the effects of him being sexualized as a child. Comments such as “he’s going to be a heartbreaker,” “he’s too pretty for that,” etc. may have all seemed harmless at the time, but with everyone in his life already deciding he was going to be the town player that would never settle down, he was forced into the role.
Although I am not a fan of a man dealing with trauma simply because there is now a woman in his life, this was an exception. Hannah was practically the first person that saw him as more than just a “fun time” and that was everything.
This book was an easy 5 out of 5. The banter, the pining, friends to lovers - what more could you ask for.

Please excuse me for a minute while I collect my thoughts due to being an emotional WRECK after finishing this incredible book...

Hook, Line, and Sinker was everything I hoped it would be and more. Hannah and Fox are absolutely adorable and have the most addicting tension to read! This book made me remember why I am such a huge fan of friends-to-lovers romances, and that is because the dedication that they have for each other is beyond beautiful. I love the little things that Fox does for Hannah, and vice versa.

THE MUSIC! As someone who loves a book with music mentions, this was such a fun read. Every mention of a song, I would play it in the background of the scene I was reading and it truly made the immersion 10x better. Tessa Bailey has TASTE in music, y'all! I absolutely adored how not only the love Fox and Hannah had for each other brought them closer, but their shared love of music. I am a firm believer that music can be extremely powerful in expressing emotions, and this book illustrated that beautifully. It was basically an ode to songs and I was totally here for it.

There is so much more I could say about this book, but since the release date is still months away I will end it here. All I will say is that I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as It Happened One Summer but, wow, I fell in love with it just the same, if not more! Please keep this book on your radars guys, I promise it will not disappoint. ♡

Hook, Line, and Sinker is a friends to lovers slow burn that felt so right!

We met both Hannah and Fox in the book It Happened One Summer, where they were both the supporting characters, but now they are stepping into the limelight for their leading roles.

Hannah and Fox had off the charts chemistry from the beginning, so it was easy to get swept away with the current that was their growing love.

And when it came time for the naughty parts, this book did not hold back in true Tessa Bailey fashion. It was dirty and sexy, and I loved it.

It's funny, sexy, and heartfelt. What more could I want?


***Thank you NetGalley and Avon for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.***

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

After reading It Happened One Summer and loving it, I was very excited to jump back into the world focusing on the second Bellinger sister, Hannah.

We are reintroduced to Hannah, a PA on a film production with big dreams. She wants to rise in her career and decides to become more assertive, which leads to the movie filming in Westport (where book 1 took place).

There, she stays in the guest room at a very handsome fisherman's apartment. That fisherman being, Fox. Fox is purely Hannah's friend, he is known as a ladies man and is comfortable with that reputation. When Hannah and Fox begin to cross the friend zone line, they both struggle defining their relationship and pushing past inner fears.

One of my favorite parts of the book was Hannah's passion for music. I absolutely loved how music connected Hannah to her late father and how it was used as a method of wordless communication between Hannah and Fox.

I also enjoyed checking in with Piper and Brendan and the rest of Westport.

This book made me want to live my main character storyline by going on a long, dreamy walk while listening to my personal soundtrack.

In this book we get Hannah and Fox’s story. They met when she and her sister lived there one summer snd have been texting ever since. Fox is trying to be seen as more than the hook-up guy and Hannah is trying to make a place for herself in film music. Their friends and terrified to what happens if they’re more.

I liked this book but didn’t love it. The biggest reason being I didn’t read the first book in this series and it felt like I didn’t know Hannah and Fox because of that. We start a book in the middle of something that has already been established.

Beyond that, this was an adorable friends to lovers romance. I absolutely loved how music and records played such a big roll with them and how their communicate. I also loved their friendship and seeing that be the basis of their relationship. It’s solid and fun.

Overall I think I’d give this 3.5 stars. Thank you Netgalley and Avon for this advance review copy.

I don’t even know where to begin with this book. I was so completely addicted to this story and I loved Fox and Hannah. Literally loved them. His relationship with this mother. Hannah learning more about her family. Their story and how that unfolds (and man does it unfold)
And that epilogue……. Wow…..

obsessed!

I literally made a netgalley account just so I would have a shot at reading this as soon as possible, because as soon as I finished It Happened One Summer I knew I couldn't wait until March for Hannah and Fox's story. And oh my god this did not disappoint. I haven't stopped squealing since I got the notification that I could read the arc yesterday. I don't know how to put into words how cute this book was and how much I loved it I can''t wait until it comes out and I can buy it and hold it in my hands and for more people to read it so I can talk about it with them.

Okay Tessa Bailey is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance authors. I freaking LOVED this series and it gave me the BIGGEST bookhangover. I was unwell and could not pull my heart back out of this story! Seriously Fox and Hannah were the absolute cutest.

Hannah was like weirdly obsessed with music and vinyls in the first book, and in book one it was like "eye-roll* she's not like ~other girls~ but this book made you realize why she has such a connection and why it's so important.

This is a perfect, easy, romance read that will only make your day better. I also thought it was an interesting take on falling for someone that has a big past as being a ladies man, and how that affects their future relationships.

After finishing It Happened One Summer, I immediately wished to have Hook, Line, and Sinker in my hands. These books aren't just rom-coms, they are packed with real-seeming characters who have personality, baggage, and hangups. I love reading a story where the characters have flaws and actively have to battle them.

Hannah is passionate about music and has begun a job with a dreamy director as an assistant while trying to work her way into a soundtrack role in production. Hannah is always the helpful friend, the doting sister (or more accurately, the sister who picks Piper up from jail), reliable...in other words, the supporting actress.

Fox is a fisherman who projects an all-around good-time guy vibe. He is known for being good-looking and his meaningless one-night stands (far away from his home in Westport). Fox and Hannah met in It Happened One Summer, when Piper and Hannah crash into town, but Fox has been thoroughly warned away from Hannah. And with his best friend engaged to Hannah's sister, there's no way Hannah can be temporary, so Fox can't go there.

I love a story where two people are so well-suited and yet spend the book resisting each other. These characters grow together as people, confront their inadequacies and baggage together and individually. There are parts of this story that warmed my heart, as they were open and honest and vulnerable with each other. There were also some blush-inducing moments when things finally progress to the inevitable conclusion. I highly recommend both books in this series. They will make you smile, make your heart hurt briefly, and then make you smile again. I will be pre-ordering a copy for my shelf.

THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING. I fell in love with Westport and it's inhabitants when I read It Happened One Summer, but I was skeptical if Hannah's book could suck me in as deeply as Piper's had.

Oh, but it did. IT DID. I adored Hannah and Fox's friendship, and all it's snarky combative origins, and how it grew into something genuine and then something more. Their dynamic is so great, and I loved seeing how maturely they managed to handle some of the challenges they faced -- even while working to overcome their own insecurities. And the STEAM. Whoo-boy, Tessa Bailey always brings the heat in her books and this one was no exception.

HEAT and HEART and HUMOR all rolled up into one fantastic book. I wish there were more Bellinger sisters to find matches for in Westport, because this series is just so flipping fantastic.

I really enjoyed this book! Tessa Bailey is a new auto-buy author for me. Oftentimes I feel like contemporary romance books feel too contrived, but this book and these characters felt very real to me. Especially the text conversations at the beginning. I loved both Fox and Hannah. This book had everything - lovable characters, funny moments, a love story to route for, and great steamy scenes! My one complaint with this book is that Fox's storyline was very reminiscent of Travis' storyline in Fix Her Up, which seemed a little unoriginal. They were both men who had reputations for being party boys/man whores that they didn't think they could overcome and both felt like the love interest was too good for them and would be sullied by their reputations. I wish that Fox would have gotten a more original storyline/motivations. This could have been something that only stood out to me because I recently went on a kick of reading all of Tessa Bailey's books after loving It Happened One Summer. Overall though, I really enjoyed this book and have recommended it to all of my friends who love contemporary romance books!

While I very much enjoyed the first book in this series, It Happened One Summer, I felt that Hook, Line, and Sinker had a more of an emotional payoff. We are introduced to both Hannah and Fox in It Happened One Summer, but don't get to see the development of their friendship/relationship until this book. This is a great love story, but more importantly covers toxic masculinity, combating past emotional trauma, and following/discovering career dreams. This is a very enjoyable read, and goes a little deeper emotionally than your typical rom-com. Definitely recommend - but be prepared to cry a little bit!

I freaking adored this book. While It Happened One Summer was sheer rom com/Tessa Bailey perfection, this one took me by surprise. I have to say, I loved this follow book so much more than the first.

Hook, Line, and Sinker is touching in a way I wasn’t expecting. I love the depth Bailey has given not only these sisters, but the heroes as well. Fox is known as a heartbreaker and a hook up and has really adapted that into his identity. A major plot point of this book is slut shaming for men which was an interesting and refreshing take to see done. It was explored so well and how much it can affect a guy and how he values himself. To say that I pined for Fox is an understatement. And Hannah, ugh what a precious soul. I loved her and her love for music. But I didn’t expect to relate so much to her. It’s been a while since I’ve really seen myself in a heroine and she constantly is dealing with in depth imposter syndrome. She never sees herself in the spotlight and seems content to be a perpetual side character and never the leading lady. I loved seeing her come into her own in a really realistic way.

Still set in the charming backdrop of a little PNW fishing town which great side characters, this book just felt like a warm hug. I could not be more pleased with how much I loved this story.

This amazing story between friends, Fox and Hannah, is a series follow up to “It Happened One Summer” by Tessa Bailey. The two start a relationship as friends via texting and sharing music together, then Hannah finds herself in town for work and the progression of the characters as they discover how much their friendship means to each other is great. It’s a fresh take on friends to lovers though, as Fox is struggling through stereotypes he’s faced his whole life and working to overcome those doubts to be the best friend and partner to Hannah. Tessa Bailey is one of my all time favorite romance authors and I am really excited to make my way through more of her books. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.

Hook, Line, and Sinker can be read as a stand alone but it is best read following Tessa Bailey’s hit novel It Happened One Summer. Hook, Line, and Sinker follows Fox, a King Crab fisherman who is known as the town flirt— not the type of guy you would ever settle down with. And Fox was okay with that, until he met Hannah when she and her sister came to stay last summer. But now Hannah is back in LA and Fox has become her best friend. She’s in a rut at work and can’t stop thinking about her best friend. The friends to lovers is done so well in this book! Hannah and Fox have such a slow burn love story (there is still steam though don’t worry :)) but it is so worth it! They bring out the best in each other and it is amazing to see them learn and grow together. Honestly they are such a supportive couple! Highly recommend this book, especially if you have read It Happened One Summer!

“The hurt they caused you . . . it’s valid. It’s meaningful. But you can’t take the bad lessons you learned and apply them to every good thing that comes your way.”

Hook, Line, and Sinker ⚓️
➖𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: March 1st, 2022
➖𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 5/5 ⭐️’s
➖𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦: 3/5 ❤️‍🔥’s

I had such high hopes for this book following “It Happened One Summer” and it did not disappoint! “Hook, Line, and Sinker” is easily one of the sweetest friends-to-lovers books that I’ve read this year ♡

This book has:
➖a sweet yet steamy (!!!!!!) slow burn
➖forced proximity
➖that signature Tessa Bailey tension/banter
➖cute nicknames!!
➖an epilogue that will make your heart explode

After how fun and fiery IHOS was, I was in no way prepared for how wonderfully slow and emotional Fox and Hannah’s story would be! Their journey was so raw (tears were shed over here!!) and getting to see a more vulnerable side to both characters just made my heart swell. I absolutely loved how they connected through music as well as their similar insecurities, but more than anything I loved that Hannah never gave up on Fox while he worked through his past. They were truly the perfect compliment to each other!

Overall this book was sweet and heartwarming and more than anything, hopeful ♡ I’m so so excited for “Hook, Line, and Sinker” to come out next year and I can’t wait to add a physical copy of both books to my shelf!

Thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooks for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I just wanted to wrap Fox up in a big hug and tell him everything would work out. I loved the viewpoint he lent to this story and the trappings of being pigeonholed at a young age. The feeling of trying to break away and just not being able to. It was nice to see Hannah come in and break down the barriers and be patient with him while he figured out his journey to gaining the confidence to move his life forward. The quiet ways Fox went about to win Hannah without telling her. Just the subconscious acts that he did and then when it all dawned on her, what he had done and why. The whole book was just beautifully laid out. The character development was strong and flowed nicely, nothing felt out of place or unnecessary or out of character. Definitely Tessa Bailey at her best!

after reading It Happened One Summer, i knew that Bailey was going to have a challenge ahead of her if she wanted to top that one, however she totally pulled through. HLS was so well written and intriguing and i really appreciated the depth that she gave Fox despite being labeled as a pretty boy. i absolutely flew through this story and my only complaint is that there isnt another for me to read!

I think I might have loved HL&S more than Pipers book. I knew I would like it and had intentionally been saving it for a slumpy/cozy day when I needed a reading win. This was exactly that. Hannah is so completely different than her sister, Piper. She is steady and sensible and also a little scared. Her friendship with Fox is so solid, but when she returns to Westport for work and needs a place to stay (FORCED PROXIMITY!!), everything changes. I love her steadfast faith in him and how clearly she sees what he needs. I loved that he slowly but surely worked through his stuff and had all of the hard conversations to move past his fears an insecurities. It was steamy and tense and so sweet and I think I might need to read it again. Like soon.

Loved the chemistry and romance! Reformed bad boy trope is right up my alley! The amount of spicy content was a little much for me but easy enough to skip.