Title: Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
Bellinger Sisters Series Book Two
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss
Summary:
In the follow-up to It Happened One Summer, Tessa Bailey delivers another deliciously fun rom-com about a former player who accidentally falls for his best friend while trying to help her land a different man…
King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he’s a guaranteed good time—in bed and out—and that’s exactly how he prefers it. Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She’s immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his… personality? And wants to be friends? Bizarre. But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is.
Now, Hannah’s in town for work, crashing in Fox’s spare bedroom. She knows he’s a notorious ladies’ man, but they’re definitely just friends. In fact, she’s nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the person to help with her lackluster love life. Armed with a few tips from Westport’s resident Casanova, Hannah sets out to catch her coworker’s eye… yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can’t deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost.
Living with his best friend should have been easy. Except now she’s walking around in a towel, sleeping right across the hall, and Fox is fantasizing about waking up next to her for the rest of his life and… and… man overboard! He’s fallen for her, hook, line, and sinker. Helping her flirt with another guy is pure torture, but maybe if Fox can tackle his inner demons and show Hannah he’s all in, she’ll choose him instead?
Review:
Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey is a charming friends to lovers romance. Although this novel is the second installment in the Bellinger Sisters series, it can be read as a standalone.
Hannah Bellinger lives with her wealthy family and works in L.A. as a production assistant. She has a long-term crush on co-worker and has her sights on moving to music production. After helping her sister Piper renovate the family bar in Westport, WA, Hannah has maintained a fun, music-filled texting relationship with fisherman, Fox Thornton. When the current project she is working on moves to Westport, Hannah and Fox discover there is more to their friendship but will they act on their simmering attraction?
Fox has a reputation as someone who likes to have a good time. He has also done everything he can to live up to his love ‘em and leave ‘em reputation. Fox’s friend and owner of the fishing boat he works on would like to give him more responsibility, but he fears his lifestyle will impact his ability to lead the crew.
Piper stays with Fox while in town which provides them to learn more about one another. Piper is surprisingly protective of Fox during some encounters with the townspeople. She also gathers her courage to assert herself more at work but whether or not this will alter her career path is up in the air. Meanwhile, Fox struggles to with low self-worth as he contemplates a future with Piper and possible opportunities at work.
Hook, Line, and Sinker is a marvelous slow-burn romance. Hannah and Fox are appealing characters with relatable flaws. The banter between the various characters is laugh out loud funny. The storyline is well-developed but a little slow paced at times. Although the conflict is somewhat predictable, this does not lessen the overall enjoyment of the story. Tessa Bailey brings this endearing romance to a completely satisfying conclusion.
