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?
My Review
I adored the first book in this series. It was the perfect amount of comedy and romance. I can’t wait to read this one. This book was a much more introspective read, with the characters battling outside influence and their own internal issues. The relationship in this book is a complicated, friends-to-lovers contemporary romance with some very thoughtful decisions and some gut-wrenching choices. The steamy scenes are hot, and the build-up is agonizing. This couple has an uphill battle against outside influence and preconditioned expectations. But I love how it all gets sorted, and it wasn’t as comedic as the first book. Still, I love how the music carried through the entire story, becoming a more profound feeling for the reader to express the moments in an understood and more soulful experience.
I love the banter in this book. The back-and-forth between Hannah and Fox is hilarious, punny, and sarcastic. What’s not to love. The banter isn’t enough of a giveaway for the character’s occupations, habits, and general personalities. In case you’re in doubt, the author also does the regular introduction.
Hannah is working as a production assistant and crushing on her boss, Sergei. She is trying to combine work with a visit to her favorite seaside town. I love that the author uses something simple to create the story. Piper’s suggestion is on point and might make the backdrop for romance.
Fox is a player, but he also seems to be in love with Hannah. He uses the love ’em and leaves ’em lifestyle with his work on the water. But he really isn’t admitting his feelings, and he seems to be straight-up scared/ worried, thinking he can be just friends with her and have her under his roof. This could be amazing, or it could go down in a fireball. I like how the author brings in the friends and the forced proximity to the girl next door vibe.
Their musical communication is different but endearing. I love that Hannah refers to herself as an accident-prone woman; it is very relatable. Her oops are funny and charming, making her a character many people can connect with, even with her quirks. The author uses many fabulous words in this book, like “maestro of feminine wetness,” that I feel like I’m actually learning stuff instead of losing brain cells.
The small quaint town has a particular draw that even Hannah can’t resist, and the chemistry between her and Fox is scorching. As if the chemistry wasn’t hot enough, the solo act and heat between them will melt you. The author really brought the intimacy up a level in this book.
This book even has a soundtrack playing in my head as I read it. Anyone who loves music and a little romance will adore this story.
Hannah and Fox battle themselves and outside expectations, and this friendship grows. The ending of this book is enough to make me teary-eyed as they shed the outside interference and go all in for this unexpected romance.
If you want to read Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey, you can find this book on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases.
If you like these books, you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories: Playlist, Midlife fiction, and Small Town.
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