Beware starting this book too late at night – from the first pages, it became apparent that there was no chance I was going to bed before finishing Hook, Line, and Sinker.
I absolutely loved It Happened One Summer. The characters were stereotypes that grew into something I wasn’t expecting, and I could not wait to get my hands on Hook, Line, and Sinker. One month later (thanks, Libby), I’m so happy to say this was everything I wanted it to be.
Hannah and Fox are so certain about who they are as people that it takes a lot to get them to consider they may be completely wrong. I think most people can relate to that – wanting so desperately to be or act a certain way without realising that you may be closer than you think. Imposter syndrome hits hard, and it seems that very few people are spared.
It may be unfair, but Hannah, the reserved, music-loving sister, was always easier to get behind than Piper, the socialite sister. While I ended up loving Piper in the end, I always knew Hannah’s story would be my favourite. And while Fox and his self-destructive cycle of ‘I can do this’, ‘no wait, I really can’t’ did start to get a little repetitive, it’s not realistic to believe that 30 years of expectations and behaviour can be shrugged off in a week. And there’s something so wounded and yet hopeful about Fox’s inner monologue, especially when it sees a glimmer of potential right before giving in to the pit of despair, that makes him absolutely irresistible. Brendan’s reserved, almost gruff, attitude can be hard to take sometimes, but he was an incredibly strong character in It Happened One Summer. But all it takes is to observe a few of his interactions with Fox from Fox’s perspective, and it makes you want to throw him off the boat while they’re in the middle of the ocean. Considering how much he trusts Fox – and why would he be asking him to take over his boat if he didn’t? – his actions in all other aspects of his life are extremely questionable.