After finishing It happened one summer and becoming a fan of Piper‘s younger sister Hannah, I knew I couldn‘t squeeze in a different book, and had to dive right into the sequel to see how the story of Fox and Hannah will progress. Let me tell you this: I‘m obsessed. Obsessed. Obsessed. Obsessed.

Never have I obsessed as much over the friends-to-lovers trope as with the one in Hook, Line, and Sinker. The chemistry? The pining? The tension? The bonding? Everything was impeccable. Fox and Hannah did not only capture my heart, they conquered my whole body and soul.

If you don‘t know me, let me clarify a few things up front. As a fantasy reader most of my life, my favorite trope had always been enemies-to-lovers, and my least favorite one? Yes, friends-to-lovers. And while I‘ve came across some great hate-to-love rom-coms, I can see what works for me in fantasy doesn‘t necessarily work in romance. Hook, Line, and Sinker proved that once more by showing me what a freaking blast the friends-to-lovers trope actually can be. I‘ve become so obsessed with all the pining and built up tension, I started looking up for more romance novels with that trope. Eager to get more of it while at the same time worrying that none will hit me as much in the gut as this one.

Sure, I‘ve enjoyed the first installement, but this one? I loved this book so much more. Fox and Hannah have met and befriended it each other during the events of It happened one summer where we already got a few glances of the nature of their relationship: friendship. Nothing more… right? As the sequel takes place several months after, we see where these two left off and what they had been up to during their time apart. Which is a lot of texting, … and not admitting that the whole reason behind that might not be friendship. Watching these two trying to stay on friends-base-only, supressing the predominant attraction to each other as well as the ever growing feelings as they get to know the other even better, it was a rollercoaster of emotions reading this book. Banter, pining, doubt, (sexual) attraction, happiness, healing - these two give you all! The slow burn forcing you to flip those pages, and flip them some more, never getting enough. I‘ve laughed, I begged them to wake up, I screamed, I shook the book hoping to shake them - there was no emotion I didn‘t feel.

What I found a bit lacking in It happend one summer was perfectly executed in this one, giving the characters the time and place to sort through their doubts, worries, and struggles they carry from the past. Fox especially became a character I wanted to hug and comfort myself (or shake him because Hannah was right there). Both, him and Hannah, are a perfect fit, and if I could I would erase every memory I have of this book just to experience it all over again for the first time.

Highly recommend this one if you‘re a fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, or if you want to become one like I did now. And yes, you can expect some steamy scenes, and lots of scenes anticipating it (I‘m just saying the conversation about the orange bottle had me screaming, laughing, shaking)! Hannah and Fox are not only cute, but hot.

Is it too soon to reread?