Thank you NetGalley and thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for this amazing ARC. It was the perfect book to get me out of my reading slump. ******

THIS BOOK IS SO CUTE!

Probably one of my favorite friends-to-lovers romances. Tessa Bailey's writing is honestly incredible. Throughout the whole story, you could tell how much Hannah and Fox cared for each other and how supportive they are of each other. I’d highly recommend this duology, hoping there's more to come!

4 Stars! This is book 2 in the ‘Bellinger Sisters’ series and can be read as a standalone. I missed book 1 and would’ve liked to know how the main characters met and got their nicknames but it wasn’t anything I absolutely needed to know before reading this one. This was a really cute read. However, I couldn’t really get into the book because I thought the main male character, Fox, had stupid hang ups about relationships. I kept thinking “seriously? Get over it already man!” and I couldn’t get past that. I kept waiting for Hannah, the main female, to say something to that extent but she has the patience of a saint! Ha! Still an entertaining book though.
*I received this book at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

This book has some of my favorite tropes: friends to lovers, forced proximity, reformed playboy, and Tessa did it all so wonderfully. I couldn’t help but smile anytime Fox and Hannah interacted. I relate so much to Hannah and I loved seeing the confidence that Fox gave her. Beyond just being a love story, this a story about believing in yourself and your ambitions. Hannah and Fox both grew individually and together and that was my favorite part of this book! This story was everything I needed. It’s going to be hard to find another book that gives me the same warm and gooey feeling.

Hook, Line, and Sinker comes out March 2022.
Thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooks for providing me with this ARC!

Thank you @netgalley , @avonbooks and @tessabaileyisanauthor for this book in exchange for an honest review.

After devouring Piper and Brendan’s story for my #904bookbabes book club, I had to get my hands on this gem!

Fox Thornton has a reputation of being a ladies man…everyone seems to know of his love life and all the details. Along comes Hannah Bellinger who seems to expect more from Fox than a good time. She actually cares about more than his good looks. The two strike up a friendship and Fox is even giving Hannah helpful hints on how to woo another guy. The lines between friendship and flirtation start to blur for Fox and Hannah as they spend more time together.

As usual, Tessa Bailey had me hooked with her lovable characters. This book had a slower burn compared to most of her other books and a lower steam value as well. As much as I enjoyed this book, the first in the series, “It Happened One Summer” was still my favorite. It is always nice revisiting characters from a previous book, it’s like catching up with old friends.

This book comes out March 22, 2021.

My favorite friends to lovers romance this year! Fox and Hannah built a friendship like an impeccable playlist: starting with a fiery spark, building into something hopeful and overpowering, and ultimately becoming a source of deep affirming comfort. Now, after a year of late-night texts and too many song recommendations, Hannah has temporarily moved into Fox’s apartment and their feelings come to a head.

What I love most about Tessa Bailey is the way she smartly writes her dynamic nuanced characters: they don’t fall for the obvious mistakes, they show empathy, and honestly grow throughout the plot. (Also her steamy scenes are top tier as always!) I especially enjoyed how Fox’s insecurities were shaped by his environment, and the unique look into the experience of a hyper-sexualized man. Hannah and Fox are distinct and unique from Piper and Brendan, but I think if you liked It Happened One Summer, you won’t be disappointed! The pair also are important to the plot of this story too. These characters have all left me giddy, and I cannot wait until the world gets to enjoy this novel just as much as I have!

*Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*

Where do I start.
I think I already suspected , and now I know for sure, Tessa Bailey is not for me. I can see why people love her, she’s got good ideas for books, but to me , it falls short every time. I was really excited to get an ARC for this book because everyone raved so much over this series.

I think I really wanted to love this but it was too repetitive for me. I hate the will they won’t they back and forth repetitiveness. I don’t want to be TOLD over and over again of a character flaw or problem and still see no growth. In some cases you need to be shown and this just wasn’t realistic.

The basis for some if these problems were just so immature. I wish there was more substance, more complexity , and to keep this was all just superficial pretending to be deep.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

I guess I'm in the minority here, because I didn't love this one. 😬 I struggled through at least half of it, and it took me ages to read it...
I normally love rom coms but this felt like a chore to read. 🥺 I didn't hate it. In fact there were parts of it that I really loved. 🥰

What I liked:
💛 Hannah and Fox's characters really came alive for me. I especially loved Hannah.
💛 The steamy scenes. 🔥🥵♨️ Tessa Bailey writes some super sexy spicy scenes, that's for sure!
💛 Attention brought to toxic-masculinity and sexualization of children.
💛 The music aspect -- though I wish there was more of it.
💛 The friends-to-lovers romance.

What I didn't like:
💣 The story itself kinda fell flat for me. Not a lot happened, really. Most of the pages were filled with thoughts, feelings, inner turmoil, etc. But it lacked action. I wanted stuff to actually happen!
💣 The music component was a missed opportunity. I feel like Tessa Bailey forgot about Hannah's "head music" for at least 1/2 of the book. I wanted song titles to be sprinkled throughout the entire thing!
💣 The Sergei crush?? What was that? Sooooo contrived and forced. And then it just fizzled out literally overnight? Why even include this bit? Also whoever writes the blurbs for this book obviously never read the book. The blurb makes this ALL about Hannah's crush on Sergei and Fox's helping her with it. I feel like the author started in that direction then backed off. Again, missed opportunity for some drama and action.
💣 Why were Piper and Brendan so invisible? Like excuse me, but Piper is Hannah's sister and BFF. Brendan is Fox's BFF. They should have been seeing each other daily. Missed opportunity to revisit our friends from Book 1!
💣 No humor. 😞 this is a rom com right? I didn't laugh a single time. This really lacked the charming, witty, humorous aspect that I love in rom coms.

And editing tip: in the beginning of the book, Brendan and Piper are engaged? But toward the middle Piper is referred to as Brendan's wife. Did they get married at some point? What did I miss?

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Tessa Bailey for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review 💕

Y’all I have at least two Tessa Bailey books sitting on my shelf unread and after reading Hook, Line and Sinker and It Happened One Summer, I’m going to be picking them both up ASAP. I’m a forever fan!

Read this book if you enjoy:
- Friends to lovers.
- Slow burn.
- Cute and relatable characters.
- Alllllll the steam!

I loved both Hannah and Fox so much! The banter between the two is amazing and their attraction is steaming. Plus, this romance feels like a deeper story with both characters working through so serious feelings and issues.

Five stars! Pick this up if you have a heartbeat!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions. Hook, Line and Sinker publishes March 1, 2022.

Cute and steamy. Having just finished the previous book in the series, I couldn't wait to read about Hannah and Fox. It didn't disappoint. The characters seemed like real people, with goals and issues they had to work through. I look forward to reading more of Tessa Bailey's books.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this advanced copy for a review!

We were already fascinated with this duo from their first interaction in It Happened One Summer, but when we find out how frequently they have been texting and becoming best friends, it strikes a chord. This book is like a rare comet, or finding a full seashell on the shore, beautiful and pure. Hannah and Fox are hilarious, but honest in a way that feels extremely cozy and comforting. It is very rare when I feel like the hero goes through a greater character transformation than the female protagonist, but Fox does in this book and it feels incredibly satisfying. This book had me grinning and giggling like a school girl, and now I simply must read everything Tessa Bailey has ever written and will continue to write.

thank you avon books so much for the arc!

3.5/5 stars from me!

this book was an enjoyable quick read, that followed hannah and fox from it happened one summer. i liked the story overall, i liked the development of fox’s character as well as the glimpses of piper and brendan we saw. but this book fell flat for me in more ways than one. i found myself getting irritated by hannah in some instances, i almost felt like a savior complex was on the come up it just rubbed me the wrong way, it added to her character but it also took away from it if that makes sense. i also wasn’t that big of a fan of the conflict of the story when it came to fox allowing people to sway his opinion. that just seemed very childish to me. but overall the story was entertaining and piper and foxes relationship was really cute to me!

I loved everything about this book! Fox and Hannah are one of my favorite couples, and I appreciate the depth of their characters, since I wasn't expecting it. One of my favorite tropes is the player falling in love for the first time and not knowing how to deal with his feelings. "Hook, Line, and Sinker" completely delivered. I went into it, not knowing it was a spin off of "It Happened One Summer" and once I finished this one, I went and read it right away.

After reading It Happened One Summer and absolutely LOVING it, safe to say I was beyond excited for Hook, Line, and Sinker. I have loved pretty much everything I have read from Tessa Bailey, so wanting to pick this up was a no-brainer. And I'm a sucker for a reformed ladies man, do I need to say more about why I was excited for this book?
It did not disappoint. What I most loved about this book was Hannah and Fox's journey with communication. We all know how much miscommunication is a turn-off for a lot of readers, this book really looks at that trope and kicks it in the face. While both Hannah and Fox both struggle with opening up, it feels like a conscience choice by Tessa Bailey to have them struggle with this and overcome it.
While I enjoyed book one just a tiny bit more than this, overall I loved it so much and was so happy during every second of reading it!

The ultimate friends to lovers story. I was immediately drawn to Hannah in It Happened One Summer, so I was excited to get to see her relationship with Fox grow in the second book in this series.

The book begins with Hannah returning to Westport for work and staying with Fox, who she became friends with in book one. Hannah decides to take advantage of Fox’s dating prowess to try to woo her crush, but as she spends more and more time with Fox she begins to realize it’s actually him that she wants to be with.

Fox doesn’t “do” relationships. At least, he never wanted to. Not until Hannah. While helping her learn to flirt, Fox finds that he’s falling for Hannah.

Will Fox overcome his biggest fears and let himself be vulnerable in order to be with the woman he is falling for?

Will Hannah risk becoming just another one of Fox’s conquests?

I loved the slow build of Hannah and Fox’s story, and the epilogue made my heart so happy!

This is posted on Instagram @ katebrownreads and GoodReads @ katehateable.
Okay so yesterday I somehow got my request accepted on NetGalley for an ARC of Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey. I downloaded it to read immediately. I actually just read It Happened One Summer last week and loved it. If I loved that I’m not sure what the right word is for HL&S because I liked it even more.
Hannah and Fox climbed right into my heart! Hannah getting the confidence to go after what she wanted professionally and become the main character in her own life was so good to see. Her love of old music and records also is a soft spot for me. But what really got me in this book was Fox. The impact the way people make assumptions and treat someone can be really profound. Especially as a child. Kids remember what is said to them about themselves and it can leave a mark. I won’t say too much more because spoilers but hell yeah Tessa, f toxic masculinity.
For those who read IHOS I will mention that this was a little less spicy than it was. Not a bad thing, I mean the spice is definitely there it’s just, in my opinion, not quite as much.
I’ve never had the opportunity to read an ARC before so I feel kind of goofy saying the disclaimer but, I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. It’s excellent, 10/10, check it out when it’s released 3/1/22!

4.5 heartwarming stars!! This is a friends to lovers book that tackles issues such as slut shaming. I thought that Tessa Bailey did a great job of deep diving into slut shaming and how that affected one of the character's lives so deeply. I found myself completely enveloped in this book until around the ~75% mark. At that point, it did begin to drag for the smallest amount - which is why I give it 4.5 stars. But other than that, I loved this book and highly recommend it when it's released! Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC!

This is a very good book. The two main characters are Hannah and Fox. They meet through her sister and her boyfriend. Hannah and Fox texted and got to know each other through their love of music. Hannah was doing a film in in Fox’s hometown, she needed a place to stay. So Fox offered a spare bedroom. Their friendship bloomed. They both had some issues his and fathers. They figured out ways to help each other and found love.

This book! Having recently read It Happened One Summer, I was so excited to read the sequel and dive into the relationship of Hannah and Fox. I absolutely loved this one! It didn't have that addicting quality that I felt it's predecessor had, but I was still hooked and never bored. I must admit that I liked their actual relationship better and loved the friends to lovers trope. Hannah and Fox were so supportive one another another and relentlessly forgave each others' flaws. Highly recommend!

Tessa Bailey did not disappoint with the next book in the series. After reading It Happened One Summer I couldn't wait to read about Fox and Hannah.

“ It’s always been like that. The male pressure to live up to this expectation-and I don’t even know when the hell it was set.”

This book was amazing. Tessa Bailey never disappoints. It had a heavier feeling, in my opinion, than It Happened One Summer because it talked about the toxic treatment of men and their over-sexualization which is often looked over because women’s fight against this is at the forefront, for god reason. It was nice though to see Fox grow to love and believe in himself. To truly believe he was worth being taken seriously.

This was a steamy read, not as much as It Happened One Summer, but I don’t feel it needed it. In fact, I wish the last scene hadn’t been steamy at all. Just because of the message I felt it was trying to give didn’t match with the ending scene. I feel like it was fit in because it wasn’t as steamy as they probably wanted it to be. Overall though amazing! I will reread and I will recommend! Specifically, this has a 4.5 star rating.

*I was provided an arc of this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review*