This was an enjoyable, light read. I thought the characters were cute. The banter was cute. The storyline was cute. It wasn't a book that will remain in my memory for the rest of my life, but I definitely enjoyed the ride while I was on it.

Grab this one if you are in need of a light read.

Thank you to Gallery Books / NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

Writing |

I thought that the writing was inconsistent at times. It would talk about one thing and then something raunchy would come out of a character’s mouth. It caught me off guard a few times. Other than that, it was written quite well. It wasn’t anything I haven’t seen before.

Characters |

Emmanuelle Peroni: Father is current mayor of Hope Lake, PA. Cooper is an old friend who is running for Mayor. He drives her insane, but her father insists that she run his campaign. She agrees but no one can know that she’s doing it. She keeps him involved with the community. She slowly starts to find that she has feelings for him.
She watches Bob Ross on Netflix which gave her points in my book.
She was probably my favorite character if I had to pick one. She has a good head on her shoulders and she cares for the ones she loves. Emma kept Cooper afloat the whole book.

Cooper Endicott: Running for Mayor. He has a colorful past with the ladies. It has gotten him in trouble more often than not.
I hated him at first, just like Emma did. He is cocky, arrogant, and lazy. Then he changes when Emma becomes his campaign manager. He actually sees how great the community actually is.
He’s terrible at staying away from cameras.

Kirby: Opponent of Cooper in the Mayoral election.
Doesn’t play a huge roll in the novel. He’s a huge jerk though. He’s just there to serve as the “villain”.

The Jacksons: Haley Jackson, JOE founder and the majority stakeholder’s wife, is the woman who Cooper has a scandal with. They eventually agreed to work with Cooper again. Another “scandal” is revealed, but it’s debunked. No worries!

Whitney: Emma’s old roommate, now Cooper’s fake lawyer girlfriend. She makes him look good during the campaign.
She’s a total brat toward Emma for no reason. Emma definitely has jealous tendencies toward her but that doesn’t matter in the end.

Story |

It’s another meh romance novel for me. This reminds me of Red, White & Royal Blue in the political sense. I knew that it dealt with politics but it completely took over. I wanted more romance and smut. Do not go into this expecting sexy. It’s far from it. It’s just a buildup of back and forth sexual tension, an accidental passionate kiss, and a cute resolution. It drags the whole way and speeds up tenfold at the end.

The story isn’t horrible, but I don’t typically understand much about politics. It lost me. I hesitated to pick this up for months, and I’m sad it really did nothing for me.

There was a Golden Girls reference made, and I’m pretty sure that was where the third star came from. I love the Golden Girls! Dorothy was probably my favorite out of all the girls.

Overall |

The writing wasn’t bad, the characters were actually decent, but the story didn’t do what I expected. Not enough romance for me. There’s something in me that wants to read the next one though. Is that bad? I’m just curious to see if anything changes.

Do I recommend this? Probably not. It might be great for people who are entering the romance genre or people who don’t like a lot of smut in their romance novels.

My blog post will be up on 12/26!

This was such a fun and sweet small-town romance. Nina Bocci sure can weave together a heartwarming story. This is the second book in the Hopeless Romantics series, but it can absolutely be read as a standalone. Although I bet after reading this you’ll want to read the first book won’t want to miss Emma and Cooper’s story. When I first got this book I thought what a gorgeous cover! And then I read the blurb and thought, oh no love triangle, not really my thing. Luckily this really wasn’t much of a love triangle, there is an obvious clear winner. There are just a few obstacles in the way, The biggest ones being time and distance. Charlotte has returned home to small town Pennsylvania after some bad luck in NYC. Charlotte left the small town abruptly when she was 10 and her parents got a divorce. Now she is back and Hope Lake is not quiet what she expected and she can’t remember everything that happened here all those years ago. She definitely doesn’t remember Henry who was apparently her BFF when they were kids. As charlottes memories come back her feelings for Henry grow but this is only temporary, isn’t it?

I was super excited that Henry got his own story, I totally adored him in the first book. He is a guy you would want your best friend or your daughter to date, just a super good guy with a huge heart. Charlotte seem to be the perfect match for him and it really did get frustrating at times how long it took these two to figure things out. This was primarily because this book was so much more than a romance, it really was about Charlotte rediscovering herself and where she truly belonged. There are so many strong female bonds in this book, charlottes bond to her friends Emma and Parker. Also charlottes bond to her grandma Gigi who is one of the most spectacular characters ever! It also was about the bond between mother and daughter, and the impact that charlottes mother‘s mental illness had on Charlotte. I liked how the character’s mental health in the story was addressed and made to seem normal (for lack of a better word). At one point Charlotte and her father were talking about therapy, and I believe she said everyone needs to talk to somebody at some point, and I think this is very true. The story ends with a bang (literally there were fireworks) and a promise of a stellar third book in the series!

This book in emojis. 💔 🚍 💐 💌 🎆

*** Big thanks to Gallery for my copy of this book ***

The first book in a series that takes place in a small town in Pennsylvania where two people have lived most of their lives. Emmanuelle and Cooper grew up in small town PA and Emmanuelle's father has been the mayor for many many years. As he is getting ready to retire, Cooper has decided that he would like to take the reigns and Emmanuelle is ready to help him win the seat. With an interesting opponent and a will they won't they plot, this book was a fun ride in a small town!

I love books that take place in a small town because I grew up in a small town and I love how drama goes in a small town. I could also relate to the feelings that Emmanuelle and Cooper had in the fact that they grew up there and some townspeople still see them as the young people they were.

The will they won't they storyline got a little old and frustrating, but was fine to follow. Thankfully the characters were so great that as a reader I could enjoy it a little bit. I liked the secondary characters that came in and out of the stoyline and enjoyed the moments that took place in city government as that felt unique in a romance. I don't know of any other storyline that took place as much at work and that dealt with city government.

This was a cute story! I got a little frustrated by Emma’s lack of communication with Cooper and how angsty she was toward him until the very end. I wish there had been more flirting/heat between them and less anger...but I did enjoy their friendship. I am excited to see what happens next in this series!

I started reading this book, but did not finish it. I read a few chapters but did not connect with the characters, so I wasn't interested in continuing.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good rom com, especially ones that involve feisty heroines and quirky small towns. On the Corner of Love and Hate, the debut novel by Nina Bocci, is definitely in my wheelhouse. I really loved the town of Hope Lake and the characters that she's developed and am happy to see that there are several sequels in the future. This book focuses on Cooper and Emma, who both work for their hometown. Cooper is running for mayor, hoping to replace Emma's father, who is ready to retire after a life of serving their community. One aspect that I really loved in this book was how both characters had good relationships with their families, especially their mothers. I really look forward to reading more from Bocci in the future!

3.5/5 stars
So, this book took me awhile to become invested in. I did enjoy the cast of characters and the cozy small-town setting. Hope Lake was adorable, and I wish I too, could ride my bike everywhere. I didn’t love the MC’s all that much. I mean, Cooper was too cocky and smarmy for too long, and I don’t actually know what Emma was supposed to look like. Her olive skin was mentioned once, and her “big boobs” were referred to at least 15 times for no apparent reason. By 30% I was invested in their sparky flirtationship, but as soon as they actually got together, I lost all interest. They went from witty zingers and snappy banter to moony eyed obsession. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I probably won’t pick it up again.

Loved this romance friends and hate to love are my favorite romance tropes I think everyone who likes romance should read this or people who want to start reading romance would like this also

The writing style was enjoyable and I liked the atmosphere in the town of Hope Lake. Some of the secondary characters were great, and I hope to read more about them in the next book of the series. That said, this novel did have several things that didn't work for me. Emma and Cooper weren't that likable. I could handle Emma's wishy-washy behavior, but Cooper truly was not a good choice for love interest. Also, this was much too slow on the romance for me. In the end, I was a little disappointed in this one, but will continue to read the next book and look forward to hearing more from the characters in Hope Lake.

** I received a copy of this ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review **

Short Synopsis:
Hope Lake, Pennsylvania is a quaint, picturesque town that is deep into its mayoral election race. On one side is a man who wants to change to bring big corporate business that would destroy the family-owned stores. On the other side, is Cooper Campbell-Endicott, heir to the family who built the town. When it comes to Emma Peroni, daughter to the current mayor who has held the office for decades, Cooper is nothing more than a pain in her ass.

A childhood friendship has held them together, however Emma may be harboring feelings deep down. But can she put her heart on the line for him again? Or will he crush her like he has in the past?

My Thoughts:
I loved these characters and their friendship together. Emma and Cooper’s childhood group also consists of Nick and Henry, who I honestly cannot wait to read their stories. Their interactions with one another felt real and I could really see the lifelong friendship between all of them.

While reading, I felt the town come alive with the author’s writing. The way she painted a picture of the streets and the little shops. I completely envisioned a cute little Hallmark-like town.

The only thing that I did not like, is that at times I felt the election race was front and center, while the relationship-building between Emma and Cooper often took the bench. There were plenty of small moments between them, however, I felt that when it was finally time to see some romance and action between them, it was at the very end and it all felt rushed.

Would I Recommend:
This is on the conservative side for steaminess between the characters. I really wish that there had been more, because I had felt the tension between them building up and so the climax was a bit of a let down…. If you know what I mean. However, if you are just looking for a light romance, this is certainly for you.

I have worked with Nina Bocci in the book world for many years now, so I was excited for her to release her first solo novel. I started reading my ARC of On the Corner of Love and Hate and honestly just couldn’t get into it, but that seems to be the case a lot for me lately, so I waited for the audiobook which definitely held my interest more than reading it.

Emma and Cooper grew up in the small town of Hope Lake. Politics are in their blood. Her dad is the mayor, and his mom is in politics too. Cooper and Emma both work in the city planning department, but Cooper is running for Mayor because Emma’s dad is retiring. The relationship between Emma and Cooper has been strained for a while.
“If you two got your heads out of your collective asses, you would make the perfect pair.”

Emma is doing all of Cooper’s work while he is out campaigning, and the little mouse just bitches to herself instead of slapping this jerk right upside the head. He is the town playboy, so much so that his bedroom escapades are all the town talks about instead of taking him seriously for Mayor.
“In a lot of ways, Cooper was like the sun: you couldn’t fly close to it, or him, without getting burned.”

Honestly, he did seem completely immature and unqualified. He seemed like he had no substance, and I never really fully warmed up to him or rooted for him. While I liked Emma at first, I felt like she let herself be taken advantage of by this guy, and never saw the reasoning behind her feelings.



On the Corner of Love and Hate reminded me very much of another co-worker hate-to-love book that will soon be a movie, but it had so much less romance and I never really fell for the main characters. That being said, I never felt like I wanted to put it down but I also never felt the need to go and share my love for it on socials.
Likes:

•I liked the town and it’s quirky residents.
•All of the side characters.
•I love an enemies to lovers read.
•The friendships.
•The small town was charming and really written well.
•Good parents and family life.
•Her inner monologues.
•Some cute moments that made me snicker.
•I love the covers of the whole series.

Dislikes:

•Moved too slow for me.
•Only her POV, this story really needed his as well.
•Neither character was likable enough for me to root for, and it seemed that they felt the same about each other.
•The political race was stupidly cutthroat for this little town and overshadowed the romance.
•No chemistry.

The Narration:
I hope to see Dara Rosenberg do more contemporary romance because I really enjoyed her narration.

The Down & Dirty:
On the Corner of Love and Hate by Nina Bocci had good bones and some great moments, but as a whole it was just an OK read for me. It almost shouldn’t be classified as romance. I never felt the chemistry; I never felt the push and pull. I never felt any reason she would even like him. But it kept my interest which is more than a lot of books have done lately.

Rating: 3 Stars, 2.5 Heat, 5 Narration

A fun, snarky, enemies to lovers story. Emma and Cooper were smart and fun and their frenemies banter full of witty barbs and bite. Though light on steam and tame on the romance front and the enemies to lovers scale, I did enjoy the small-town feel of the story! And am looking forward to reading the next one in the series.

Was unable to finish due to slow storyline. Tried to go back several times and just couldn’t get into it. I hope to be able to try this book again soon and see if I can read it then.

I had a hard time with this one. Cooper's attitude throughout the first part of the story annoyed me and I'm tired of women working harder than men. Emmanuelle had drive and ambition for days but no backbone. Together, the two of them were just kind of a mess and the story 100% fell flat for me which is why I must have forgotten to even mark it as read until now. I'll keep reading the series because it wasn't bad writing, I just didn't like the characters and found them lacking in chemistry.

Thanks to NetGalley and the book's publisher for an advance copy of this book.

I received an advance digital copy of this book from the author, Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Ms. Bocci's novel is a delightful romantic comedy. You know the two lead characters are going to fall in love but you look forward to the journey the characters take. A fun, light hearted read that is a literary aspirin for the headache of the outside world.

5 out of 5 stars. Recommended reading.

On the Corner of Love and Hate is a small town romance featuring a couple with a past history. Emma and Cooper are thrown in to working with each other on Cooper's campaign, much to Emma's dismay. There is a lot of fun banter between them as they navigate around each other.

Bocci writes a wonderful small town, I wish I could just pick up and move right in! It's warm and friendly (except for a few of course).

I enjoyed Emma and Cooper's journey through working through their past. At times Emma was a bit frustrating, she struggles to let anything go. Cooper's "ladies man" problem wasn't as big of a deal, it was more the town blowing that up than anything else.

I liked the political aspect of the book, I thought it was well done and felt like real small town politics.

Due to real-life, work, etc., this is the first book I’ve had time to read and review in a while. Typically, I can finish a book in a few hours. If work is crazy-busy it may take me a day or two because I’ll just grab it whenever I have time and cram in as much as I can. This took me eight days to read. Eight days! First of all, it is a long book. I believe it’s about 330 pages or so. Secondly, it dragged for me. I fell asleep reading this one the other night which I’m about 99% certain has never happened.

However, the last 10% or so of the book was amazing.

I loved the premise of Cooper and Emma who had been friends forever potentially turning into a romance. Cooper has been a man-whore for years, they’re trying to clean up his image for the mayoral campaign and election, and over-worked Emma starts to come to terms for her true feelings for him. I enjoyed the small-town setting, the friendly vibe, and so forth. And I especially loved Nina Bocci’s smart and witty dialogue, full with several laugh-out-loud embarrassing moments involving Emma.

So what’s the problem? I am no editor, but I have a strong feeling that about 60% of this book could have been chopped. There were just too many pages of unnecessary memories, current events, things that people were wearing, eating, and so on. I love detail and vivid characterization as the next person, but there were times where I would swipe my Kindle page 1, 2, and 3 times still being told about Cooper ignoring Emma by playing on his phone while she was talking. There were so many details that I found my ADD self skimming and skipping pages before I had reached the 12% mark.

And I thought the book would never, ever end.

Nevertheless, I pressed on because I continued to see sparks of potential. Again, I liked the overall premise of the book and at times I found myself truly impressed with Bocci’s intelligence, smart humor, and original plot. And I’m glad that I did.

This novel does have a happy ending, but I never once felt that things were going to end as I suspected or hoped. There were numerous obstacles which at first were slow to build but later started piling on. Did someone beta-reading this suggest piling on some conflict and speeding things up?? Anyway, I had to continue on to see what would happen with the election, Cooper, Emma, and with the evil ex-roommate, Whitney.

Stealing one of Cooper’s lines, “well, that was anti-climatic,” the ending that I had wondered about came along gently, rather than some huge, exciting moment. However, it was the ending I wanted and had held out for from the first page.

My overall thoughts are that if you are someone that doesn’t mind treading slowly through a story, you will like this one. If you need a lot of ups and downs, steamy excitement, and so on – skip this one. Again, I feel like this story could have been whittled down a lot, making it more exciting by cutting out unneeded information, but the ending made me happy and made me feel better about the time that I committed to reading it. The next in this series, Meet Me on Love Lane, is already on my TBR shelf and I hope that its pace is a bit better.

This book tells the story of a mayoral race in Hope Lake, PA, the small mountain town where both Emma and Cooper grew up as best friends. As their lives unfolded, so did their feelings for one another, and now that they're reached thirty they have essentially become enemies who pine after one another in secret.

While the relationship between Cooper and Emma is cute (as is the town they're from), this story fell flat for me. The pacing seemed off, and the description of the scenes felt lacking. I am grateful for the opportunity to read it!

My favorite book of 2019 so far. Amazing! I just adored this story, the two main characters, all the side characters, and the town. I could not put On the Corner of Love and Hate down. Emma and Cooper had such a sweet history, and I loved reading about how they grew up together and always had a spark, but struggled to become more. I'm still grinning about this story and I read it over a month ago. LOVED!