On the Corner of Love and Hate is the first book in the Hopeless Romantics series by the talented Nina Bocci. I love Nina's writing. It's fresh, funny, smart and witty. There's nothing I love more than friend's who have a history and years later they need to figure out where their future is going to take them. This is friends to lovers, frenemies to lovers and a little second chance. You can feel the tension between Emma and Cooper from the first page and I loved the longing, innuendo and zip that followed them all the way to the end. They have been friends for most of their loves, worked together for years and they never seemed to get over their past. Now that Cooper is running for Mayor, as Emma's father is leaving it behind, Emma is called in to help with the campaign. Cooper is a ladies man and doesn’t have the greatest reputation, but the people in town love him. Emma is tasked with showing them he's more than a pretty face and the governor's son. While doing that, she gets to see sides to Cooper that she never knew he had. He's not as aloof and confident as he shows the world and her resolve is cracking. What happens when they act on their feelings? Will the campaign suffer or just their hearts? I loved this story! It has relatable characters, hilarious friends and family. And of course, the Italians, my favorite! Overall, I loved it. I laughed, teared up, swooned, cheered, got mad and smiled. The perfect romance.

Being a DC local since birth, I probably have ingested more politics than is good for me (or that makes me happy) so I rarely read books about politics, even romances. Fortunately, On the Corner of Love and Hate held off on most of what makes politics so cringe-worthy.

I liked Emma from the get-go. She’s smart and talented at her job, which is city development. Cooper is supposed to be her colleague, but he’s now running for Mayor and between that and his romantic interludes, he has little time to put in at the office. Thus the supposed “hate” in the title. (I still really think it’s disappointment.)

As the novel progresses, we see that Emma is warring with herself as much as with Cooper. It’s obvious to the reader that Emma has never gotten over her feelings for Cooper and almost just as obvious that Cooper has feelings for Emma because he’s always trying to involve her; he appreciates her opinion; she’s the first one he thinks of when a suggested romance is brought up. And, it’s at this point that Cooper grew on me. I liked him because he kept trying. Despite some initial unsavory appearances, he’s a guy who is trying to do things for her. He knows what she likes and what appeals.

At the end, there were some unanswered questions like: why didn’t Cooper make advances in the four or five years that they’ve been working together? (Because there wouldn’t have been a novel! Duh.) Why didn’t Emma’s blind date ever show up? (This must be why they inserted Kristan Higgins; she’s notorious for her characters having bad blind dates.)

On the Corner of Love and Hate is a slow burn kind of novel. And I liked it because it made me feel the rising tension between Emma and Cooper. Swoon.

While I wouldn’t call it a romantic comedy per se, the novel possesses an appealing sense of humor that won me over. I am anxious to read the next novel in the series, especially if it includes sweet, sensitive Henry.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

On the Corner of Love and Hate by Nina Bocci is the cutest small town romance. It’s a romance rife with small town politics and a mayoral race that turns the town upside down. The town reminds me of Stars Hollow with its band of quirky characters. The town lives and breathes and is the perfect background for our enemies to lovers. There is so much angst between the two. It lives and breathes in the pages as they end up fighting the same fight but with very different techniques. It was a charming story. I can’t wait to read more about this town!

I started this book and I had high hopes as it was enemies to lovers. I will admit I hated the hero. I DNFed at at 25%.I may try to pick it up to see if the hero redeems himself. Right now I just don't like him.

i wanted to love this one more than i did. it sounded so adorable and everything about it sounded right up my book-alley. could be right book at the wrong time, i don't know, but i just wasn't feeling the enemies to lovers trope, and it's one of my faves! it just felt a bit too much for me, like it didn't make sense when they went from one to the other. who knows. i know lots of people who loved it though, so perhaps just not for me.

This was a DNF for me. The plot sounded so cute and I was really excited about this new series! Unfortunately, it was pretty frustrating to read. The main character Emma was such a control freak. I was trying to picture Amy Poehler's character Leslie Knope on the show Parks and Rec, but Emma was such a dud that took her job even more seriously than Leslie Know did. Emma couldn't have an ounce of fun! Plus, the whole sexual tension between her and Cooper wasn't realistic for me and I wasn't going to read the book with the hope that Emma finally gets her act together. I'm sure they'll end up with each other, but dang, Emma needs a vacation!

When a book makes me so frustrated while reading, and I find myself skimming and not reaching for it, it has to be put down permanently.

I struggled with this one. I’d get sucked in and then I’d get to a place where I had no idea what was going on. I’ll admit that I’m a little scatterbrained right now. I’m stressed. Maybe it’s just a case of wrong book at the wrong time.

I voluntarily read an early copy.

I finally got a chance to read this one after having download issues with the widget, and I'm really glad that I read it! I love enemies to lovers tropes and Nina Bocci did a great job with this one. This was my first time reading Bocci's book but it definitely won't be my last.

Emma and Coopper used to be childhood friends but now that they're adults, they definitely aren't, especially as Copper is preparing to take over as mayor, the job her father has held for years. Emma thinks Copper needs to drop his bad-boy ways/image if he doesn't want to blow any chances of winning the election and their dislike for each other is just palpable. How can she help him win the election if they can't even get along? How will they go from friends to more? You'll have to read it to find out!

This is an excellent end of summer, light, quick read that I highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Author Nina Bocci delivers a refreshing romantic book.
I enjoyed that this book had a good dose of romance, politics, love, humor all rolled into one.
As the title states, these characters were a pleasure to read.
Emma & Cooper kept me throughly entertained.
I liked that these two characters were childhood friends. Emma & Cooper lacked in communicating to each other their love for one another which made reading this story fun to see their development and love grow.
I love a good angsty read which builds you up on finding out whether these two characters will finally find love in each other.
This book delivers it!

Go One Click it & I look forward to the next book in this Series!

4.5 🍒🍒🍒🍒 Popped

One the Corner of Love and Hate I felt has a lot of potential. I love romantic comedies and love stories. However this one fell a little flat for more. Emma and Cooper have been friends since childhood and drifted a little as they got older but were still in each other’s daily life. They were co-workers and worked pretty closely. Emma was tired of picking up Coopers slack. He came across as a womanizing lazy bum. Emma came off as whiny with a flair for the dramatics. It’s hard to love a book when you can’t even like the characters.

Emma and Cooper were childhood friends. At one time,she may even have been attracted to him, but it didn't work out and their friendship was never the same. Then, suddenly she finds herself the manager of his campaign for mayor and doing everything she can to keep all the old feelings from coming back. Emma and Cooper are a great couple. Right from the beginning, you can practically feel the sexual tension between them leaping off the pages of the book. You won't be able to wait for them to get together so you'll have to read the book all in one sitting.

On the Corner of Love and Hate felt more like women's fiction to me than romance except that it's more fluff than fiber where the storyline and characters are concerned. That's not necessarily a bad thing, we could all use a little fluff from time to time, but the romance here is a slow burn - like the flame is barely there type of slow. I expected an enemies to lovers story, but I never really got that from Emma and Cooper. They do have some fun banter, and we're told that there were some sparks in the past, but I just didn't see much chemistry between them. They could've ended up just good friends, and I would've been fine with that. I do like small town stories and on that, this one delivers. The town is charming, and the characters are quirky and fun. I even enjoyed the politics and Cooper's double-dealing opponent made for an interesting bit of trouble in the mayoral race. I did have one pet peeve with this book, and that was the random 'Emma thoughts' that would pop up. At first they were amusing and even cute, but after so many, it was more distraction and started to wear at me. Fortunately, those do fizzle after a while and they don't happen as often in the last half of the book. In the end, this one wasn't quite what I expected or hoped for, but I did enjoy meeting the characters of Hope Lake, and I will check out other books from this author.

ON THE CORNER OF LOVE AND HATE by Nina Bocci was one of those books that you completely submerge yourself in. Another political romantic comedy with frenemies (I seem to have a genre right now....) but this time with characters who grew up together in close families and had a falling out at some point. The sexual tension in this book is awesome, as is the humor from their childhood friends. Emma and Cooper could be cast so easily in a movie. It’s funny, sexy, and a great solo debut for Bocci. I think she’s one to watch in this genre.

Thank you to Gallery Books for the advanced review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

** spoiler alert **

This is my first book by Nina Bocci. I was pretty excited to read it. In the beginning of this book it says if your a fan of Christina Lauren. Which I am! So I was excited to jump right in.

The beginning of the book was good for me. I was really interested. But as I read on... it was just there. I was waiting for me to get swept away. For the story to move on. But it didn’t.

24% in and nothing really has happened. I hate reading how Cooper is with all these random women. And Emma trying to play off that she doesn’t care.
Does Emma get any man love? No. She goes on a date then she gets stood up. Huhh

I need it to be even. Give Emma a man to pass the time with. I hate reading Cooper with all kinds of different women.

Emma- took a lot on! I felt the pressure of her job! She was weighed down by all her daily task!
You could totally feel the love hate thing she had going on with Cooper.
At first I was ok with it. But as I read on... it just got annoying.
She treated Cooper like crap because she couldn’t be with him and because she couldn’t see past all his manwhore ways to be with him.

Cooper- well... I had to read about him being on a date where the woman straddled Coopers lap in a restaurant. Him kissing a bride to be on a night out.
And of course... Emma hasn’t had so much of anything! I hated that.

I had to read about all the ways this guy (Cooper) was with all these other women... past and present!

The whole Whitney thing got to me.
I didn’t like her. And her history with Emma and Cooper was hard to get past. Then what Cooper said about why he dated Whitney back then was a big WTH moment for me. It was so wrong!

I also wasn’t feeling how long it took for Cooper and Emma to see the light about each other.
One kiss at 46% then the sex scene was at 83%!
Both time it didn’t feel right. It felt like something was missing. Both times Emma ran away! They don’t finally get together until 96%! That’s just way too long!

In the beginning I was feeling this book. But all the political strategies overtook this book. Not enough little moments to make me fall in love with these characters as a couple. I felt how much Emma hated how Cooper was with lots of women. You can’t move past all that. So I couldn’t move past it either.

Unfortunately... this book didn’t work for me.

Have you ever had 3 best friends? We’re all of them guys? Emmanuelle (Emma) knows exactly what that was like growing up with Cooper, Nick and Henry, being just one of the guys. But Cooper and her always had a special bond growing up. Coopers mom was the Governor and Emma’s dad was the Mayor of their small hometown, Hope Lake. They both knew exactly what it was like growing up in the political spot light.

Going away to college changed everything, all four of them grew apart. But especially Cooper and Emma, after one incident that Emma hasn’t been able to forget. Despite leaving, they all were loyal to their roots, and ended back in Hope Lake. Cooper and Emma now both work for the city in the same office. But now instead of rekindling that friendship, they are more enemies at the office.

Cooper is running for Mayor of Hope Lake in hopes to take over for Emma’s dad. His playboy lifestyle is overshadowing his love for the city, and qualifications to be Mayor. Cooper, and Emma’s dad both decide he needs help, to flip the narrative. They know the best one for the job is Emma, but are unsure if she will agree to do it. The campaign will bring up old feelings and emotions from the hurt she felt all those years ago. Will Emma be able to put it aside to get Cooper elected, or are they running right into the very political scandal they wanted to avoid?

I thought the novel was cute and easy to read. I hope Nina writes other stories/spin off sequels of the other characters, I would definitely read those. Bring on Nick and Henry’s story!!

This was a super cute enemies to lovers story because like with anything the line between love and hate is always just around the corner.

Emmanuelle Peroni’s father—and current mayor of Hope Lake, Pennsylvania—suggests she help with his protégé Cooper Endicott’s campaign and she’s horrified. Cooper, one of her (former) oldest friends, drives her crazy in every way possible. Emma reluctantly launches her plan to help him win the local election.

Cooper’s love life is the sticking point for many voters, and his opponent is digging up everything he can from his past. Every time Emma puts out the flames from one scandal, another one pops up. Emma knows that if Cooper wants to win he needs to clean up his act.

A fun read for those who like light romantic comedies.

A perfect end-of-summer read. A small town romance with zest and heart and political twist. Can't wait to read the next one from Nina Bocci!

I'm a big fan of childhood friends turned enemies-to-lovers romance and On the Corner of Love and Hate is another fantastic read by Ms. Bocci! This book is filled with humor and plenty of drama between the characters.

Emma Peroni and Cooper Endicott were friends since childhood. Both their parents are in politics - local and state - so they knew what it is like growing up in the spotlight. But over the years as they got older, their friendship took a turn and they became somewhat strangers. Years later, back in their town, they work together and Cooper is prepping in running for Mayor - taking over the role of Emma's father.

Cooper is known for his bad boys/player ways - he's known to hook up with ladies and it doesn't sit well with Emma, who believes he needs to tame his character in order to win the election. Emma and Cooper have a push and pull friendship. I have to say Emma drove me INSANE through this entire book. No matter how much Cooper tried to do everything right, it wasn't right in her eyes.

Emma wants Cooper to win the Mayor election, because he needs to save their town. So helping him on his campaign and trying to salvage any friendship - has her feelings for him start to resurface.

There's a lot of push and pull between these two, so getting to a HEA took time and some screaming at my Kindle for them to just get on the same page. Overall, a great read and looking forward to more characters in this series!

ARC received from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Enemies-to-lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes; however, this one bordered the line between love and hate a little too much. I’m all for a slow burn, but Cooper’s and Emma’s strong disdain for each other left me scratching my head when their relationship finally did “heat up.” It was difficult to justify all that tension and general hate as repressed romantic feelings. There’s also A LOT of political talk/backstory/fluff that took away from the romance - it’s a big part of their lives, yes, but I found it boring on more than one occasion.

I’ve been a fan of Nina Bocci since her early days of writing. Her writing is comforting, and I appreciate what she brings to the romance genre. When I saw that she had an upcoming title to be released in August, I knew that I had to request it.

On the Corner of Love and Hate isn’t your typical romance. These characters are independent of each other, with their own significant voice.I enjoyed reading about Emma. She was smart and confident, and knew who she was and what her place was in the world. But regardless of her bravado, she had a vulnerability that I connected with. Cooper is the small-town hero. It took a while for me to connect to him. But I only saw Cooper through Emma’s eyes. It was so simple to have a distaste for him, wasn’t it?

I will say that Emma and Cooper are a clear example of enemies-to-lovers. They have known each other from a young age, their lives intertwined in so many different ways. But, it took me a while to see their connection. On the Corner of Love and Hate had a slow build, filled with banter everywhere you turned. Emma is the woman scorned, but it only left Cooper in the dark. He seemed to be constantly fixing his downfalls, a young boy trapped in a man’s body.

But while I enjoyed this, I had my reservation because of my hesitancy for enemies-to-lovers. Did I love them together? Yes, eventually I did. But it took a while for me to see what others saw. There’s a lot of angst in this one, and that wasn’t always what I wanted with this story. Still, I enjoyed the story overall, and am ready to read the next in the series.

*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*