The One With The Dreamiest Fisherman: Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey | Book Review

For some reason, I’ve been reading quite a few romances lately (not that I’m complaining!) and while I was browsing the Kindle store for a new romance book to read, this gem popped up.

I’ve read Tessa Bailey’s book, It Happened One Summer, and really (!!!) enjoyed the book as you could see from my goodreads review:

” It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really, really enjoyed this book.

That is all.

4 stars.

View all of Novelstorian’s Goodreads reviews

Kept is short and sweet.

Hence why I was quick to purchase the Kindle edition of this book and jump straight into it!

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Hook, Line, and Sinker

by Tessa Bailey 

Edition: ebook, 400 pages

Published March 1st 2022 by Avon

ISBN: 0063045702 (ISBN13: 9780063045705)

Series: Bellinger Sisters #2

Goodreads blurb:

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 himinstead. 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?

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Hook, Line and Sinker was everything I needed in a romance right now. It’s friends-to-lovers, the Hero falls first, small-town setting, and had the perfect amount of sweet and spicyyyyy. Friends to lovers is a very popular trope when it comes to writing romance, so it is sometimes difficult to appreciate a love story when a lot of the scenes are predictable or overused– especially when the only genre of books you’ve been reading lately is romance. That being said, this book is an exemption simply because it was so well-written. The friends-to-lovers tope is combined with a slow-burn aspect that elevates the gradual change of relationship between the two main characters.

One thing about slow-burn books is they can sometimes be too slow that the building up of the relationship takes up majority of the entire book that by the end of the book, we barely get to see the characters be an official couple (which is my favourite part of the romance!). In this book, the slow-burn works well because the author is able to show that despite the hesitation to admit into these romantic feels, the feelings are there. The main characters don’t date other people to try and distinguish their feelings, and there aren’t any filler scenes that don’t add anything to the plot. Instead, we get flirting, subtle touches and lots of steamy tension.

Let’s talk about the characters. What’s different about this book vs It Happened One Summer is the focus on the main character’s personal growth– especially for our main guy Fox. Fox is probably one of the best male love interests I have ever read in a romance book. He is so sweet, and he clearly cares for Hannah through his actions. I’m a sucker for a guy who is head-over-heels for the girl from the very beginning. Fox’s backstory is one of the most memorable ones that I have ever read from a contemporary romance (content warning: abuse and sexualisation from a young age). He was overly objectified by those around him that resulted in him distancing himself from genuine feelings. I really liked how Hannah supports and helps him through his trauma, encouraging him to talk about it and open himself to her. I’m in love with their love.

5 stars.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Have you read any of Tessa Bailey’s Books?

Let me know in the comments below!

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