Hook, Line, and Sinker: A Novel

In the follow-up to It Happened One Summer, Tessa Bailey is back with another fun rom-com about a Casanova king crab fisherman named Fox Thornton who finds himself falling in love with his best friend Hannah Bellinger. 

In the small town of Westport, Washington, Fox is the resident flirtatious player. Women love him, men are jealous with envy, he is the life of every party. So much so that Fox has fully convinced himself and the ones around him that he is not capable of being anything more than this. 

Until he meets Hannah and strikes up a friendship, bonding over their shared love of music. When she returns to Westport for work as a production assistant for a film production, suddenly Fox’s life is turned a little upside down and sideways because Hannah needs a place to stay. Instead of staying with her sister Piper, Hannah stays in the guest bedroom of Fox’s place and this is where the story gets interesting (interesting is a loaded word here).

Initially, Hannah finds that she is head over heels for the director of the movie she’s working on and needs someone to help her get the guy—and of course, Fox assumes he can step in and be of service. Yet as the story unfolds and the more time they spend together living in the same apartment, the more the boundaries between Hannah and Fox blur and perhaps the one true love is right in front of her. 

What I really loved about this story is how both Hannah and Fox truly believe they are better off being supporting roles in others lives as opposed to stepping in to the role of lead actor. They are comfortable in the role of lifting up others and supporting other people’s careers. Hannah almost felt like the “hype girl” for not only her sister but for the one’s she worked with as well and because of this, her dreams have taken a backseat. Now that she is back in Westport and with the support of Fox and her family, Hannah is ready to take bigger risks and make the most of her gifts. In the short period of time that she is in town she discovers a great deal about herself and what it truly means to have courage and believe in yourself. 

This is also true for Fox who is way more complicated than I initially thought and suffers a great deal from imposter syndrome amongst friends and family. He has grown up to believe that his looks are the only thing going for him and that he’s nothing better than a good hook-up. This is also a classic example of toxic masculinity and how the weight of cultural norms and expectations were placed on him early in childhood. This is then reflected in his relationships and also how he views his worth as a fisherman and the reluctance to take on bigger and better opportunities. 

Within these two characters and their personal struggles the reader can sense their wonderful connection mixed with enormous messy tension, and a love that runs deeper than a simple hook-up. I love how the author carefully and sweetly allows their friendship and love to blossom (in-between the explosive, steamy love scenes, hubba hubba). 

Funny, heart-felt, romantic, and endearing, Hook, Line, and Sinker is a delightful, slow-burn rom-com that showcases the romance between two likable characters struggling to find the best version of themselves.