From the USA TODAY bestselling author of On the Corner of Love and Hate comes a romantic comedy about a woman who grudgingly returns home to small-town Pennsylvania, only to find herself falling in love–not only with the town, but with two of its citizens. Charlotte Bishop is out of options in New York City. Fired, broke, and blacklisted by her former boss, she’s forced to return to her … forced to return to her hometown of Hope Lake, PA to lick her wounds. Although she’s expecting to find a miserable place with nothing to do, she is pleasantly surprised to discover it is bustling and thriving.
She’s only supposed to be in Hope Lake temporarily until she can earn enough money to move back to New York. She’s not supposed to reconnect with her childhood friends or her beloved grandmother. She’s not supposed to find her dream job running the local florist shop. And she’s definitely not supposed to fall for not one but two of Hope Lake’s golden boys: one the beloved high school English teacher, the other the charming town doctor.
With a heart torn between two men and two cities, what’s a girl to do?
A perfect blend of humor and heart, Meet Me on Love Lane is the second in a new series from USA TODAY bestselling author Nina Bocci that is sure to charm fans of Josie Silver and Sally Thorne.
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21 years ago, ten year old Charlotte had to leave her beloved hometown of Hope Lake, Pennsylvania. Her parents got divorced and her mom took her away from her grandma, her dad and her best friends.
Now – jobless and broke – she’s back home.
Her dad is still the town’s doctor. Her grandma is still amazing.
Her best friends are still all there. But she can’t really remember much. Her mother talked so badly about the town and everything in it that Charlotte buried everything in the deepest corners of her memory.
Henry used to be Charlotte’s very bestestest friend. They were only ten when they last saw each other, but poor Henry was already halfway planning their wedding.
Now she’s back and forgot everything about him and their adventures!
Charlotte wasn’t planning on staying in town for long, but the people are so great and she might have found her dream job … plus Henry …..
What will happen with Charlotte & Henry?
Will there be a HEA?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
Well, that was adorable!
You might remember that I had some problems with the first book in the series. This one I liked so much better from the very start. It ended up being almost as slow and just as … no idea … concentrating too much on redundant and uninteresting things. But still. I loved it. I loved Charlotte and Henry and Grandma and Dad and all the guys and Emma.
But again – Nina concentrates more on the town and other stuff instead of the romance. I mean – I looove that small town vibe and the shops and events and all … but …
We don’t even have a conversation between Charlotte and Henry until almost half the book is done?! How can we fall in love with their falling-in-loveness when we don’t get to see them together?
I also have no idea why Max had to be in this book?! He was so not needed. It felt like he was squeezed in once the book was already done for ‘excitement’ purposes – so much of his scenes don’t make any sense to me. Without him the story would’ve been a lot better – not that he is in it all that much, but still. And I hate that he’s even in the blurb – there’s nothing I hate more in romances than love triangles – not that that is what happens here – but the blurb had me scared it would be!
BUT – this really was a very sweet and adorable and funny and very slow small-town love story.
I adored the whole gang when they were togehter – Nick is hilarious! Can’t wait to see him get his happily ever after with Charlotte’s city-bff Parker in the next book!
MEET ME ON LOVE LANE was a very sweet and slow-burn small-town florist-teacher kinda-second-chance love story! Run to your nearest amazon asap for your own Henry – this one is MINE!!!
Oh, what took me so long to read this one! I so enjoyed it and downloaded the next one this morning (YAY!). Charlotte comes back to Hope Lake, the first time in two decades, after losing her job. She comes back at her lowest point and doesn’t remember much of anything from her time there including most of the people there but after some time there she finds she has really come home. This one is filled with all the feels and even if you have not read the first book you will not be lost with this one. Can best friends at 10 turn into more at 3o? Charlotte doesn’t remember who Henry is, he is caught in her memories but once those memories flood back there is no stopping the joy. Definitely a recommendation from me!
Meet me On Love Lane is the second book in the Hopeless Romantics series but can be read as a standalone with no problem.
Charlotte lived in Hope Lake, Pa., until she was ten years old and she and her mother moved to New York City after her parents’ divorce. She hadn’t been back to visit in many years and her childhood memories of Hope Lake had faded. When she finds herself out of work and out of prospects at 31 years old, she decides to move in with her father until she can get back on her feet again and move back to New York. She knows that small town life isn’t for her. Her father is the town doctor and her grandmother is loved by the people in the town. As Charlotte begins to meet her old friends, some of her memory of growing up in Hope Lake begins to return. She knows that she has a connection with Henry, a high school English teacher, but much to his dismay, she can’t remember anything about him. As Charlotte struggles to get back on her feet again so she can return to New York City, life in small town Hope Lake is beginning to look better every day. Will she leave her dad and grandmother and old friends to return to her life in New York or will she make a radical decision and stay in Hope Lake??
This is a perfect romance read – the characters and well written and the setting in small town PA makes you want to check the town out yourself. The book is full of love — family love, love from friends – old and new – and a delicious love triangle between Charlotte, the English teacher and the new doctor in town. As Charlotte struggles with her decisions on life and love, she becomes stronger and more decisive in making her plans for her future.
I loved this second book in this fun Heartless Romantics series! Charlotte is my perfect leading female character: strong, smart, sassy, a little bit insecure, and an all around wonderful person. She’s bound and determined to get her life back in order–temporary setback and all that. But she didn’t count on love. Falling in love that is.
And Henry is the perfect balance for Charlotte. Steady, steadfast, reliable. Awesome. Sexy AF. I loved how he managed to irritate the hell out of Charlotte, but also show her that she’s amazing and enough.
Can’t wait for more in this series!
Not quite a second-chance romance, this was a cute story, but my lord, I think this was the slowest slow-burn I’ve read in a long time. Henry was absolutely adorable and while the chemistry between him and Charlotte was amazing, it took quite some time for things to “get going”. I liked how Charlotte didn’t ultimately let her situation get/keep her down and the small town setting (like the first book) was almost as much of a character in itself as any of the actual citizens we meet throughout the book.
Although this is the second in the series, you can easily read this as a standalone. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
Meet Me on Love Lane is the second book in The Hopeless Romantic Series. While it’s not necessary to read On the Corner of Love and Hate first, I do recommend it. I Enjoyed the first book but, I have to say, I absolutely loved this second installment.
As a young child, Charlotte had been ripped away from her secure town, the comfort of her grandmother and her best friend, Henry, by her unstable, bitter and manipulative mother. Years later, after finding herself at a crossroads in her life, she returns, but her memories of the years she’d spent in her first home town were vague.
This story was equally sweet and heartbreaking. Nina Bocci sent Charlotte on a journey of discovery to unearth her past, and the reader went along for the ride with her. And Henry was there, waiting and praying that she would remember what they had once meant to one another as children, hoping the bond they forged was strong enough to build a future together. He broke my heart more than once.
The interaction and relationship with the characters from On the Corners of Love and Hate was also appealing. I enjoyed seeing more of what Emma and Cooper were up to, as well as the other residents of this charming small town. I can’t wait for book 3.
Effie Kammenou – Author of The Gift Saga Trilogy
What a great story. Kids of divorced parents often have a rough life. My heart hurts for Charlotte. Thank goodness for good friends. I love the characters in this story, but Gigi is my favorite. What a feisty lady! Who wouldn’t want a grandmother like her? How much fun would it be to have a group like Henry, Cooper, Nick and Emma to run around with, not only as a child, but as an adult too. I loved the story and hope I get to hang with these wonderful folks again. I won this book from Goodreads, but my opinion is my own.
Favorite Quotes:
Staring down at him, I could see that he was very well-built, clearly a runner, but I knew he must do more than that. Football? Was there a sport where you needed to be even beefier than that? Something where you tore trees from their roots and tossed them?
His shorts hit a spot on his leg that highlighted calves that looked like he had sewn a softball into each. I admired him for a beat. On a scale of one to ten, what were the chances of hooking up with a guy after you’ve hit him in the business? Probably slim to none, with slim out of town.
“I’m so happy to see you again. I heard you were here and baked cookies for you! Just like I used to do when you were little,” she explained. I looked down at her empty hands, confused. “Oh, I ate them. And then my dog, Whiskey, well, he got the rest. I’ll make more tomorrow.”
I get these brief flashes, but it’s like my brain won’t let the memory train fully back into the station…
I’ll have you know I’m like Santa. I always make my list and check it twice.
My Review:
In continuing my total infatuation with the gifted wordsmith Nina Bocci I gleefully picked up and perused Meet Me on Love Lane, which only further convinced me that I must amass and read all of her clever arrangements of words. All. Of. Them. I adore her endearingly flawed characters, snappy banter, snarky humor, and sassy wit. Her writing style was velvety smooth, unfailingly engaging, hit all the senses, and was so effortless to read it felt as if I were watching a movie. Somewhere on the first page, I was off like Dorothy to OZ, having been instantly sucked into a whirlwind vortex, and, honestly, I was enjoying myself so much I was unwilling to pull myself back out and only did so under duress – while deeply resenting the interruption. Nina Bocci has a rabid fangirl on her hands, and I have a new favorite author.
Meet Me on Love Lane is the second book in Nina Bocci’s ‘Hopeless Romantics’ series, and since finishing the first book I was looking forward to reading Henry’s story. This book can absolutely be read as a standalone but I totally recommend you to read the first book On the Corner of Love and Hate, which is Emma and Cooper’s story as well.
After getting blacklisted and unable to find a new job in New York, Charlotte doesn’t have any other choice than to go back to Hope Lake, where she once called home. She hasn’t been back to Hope Lake since she was 10, when her parents got divorce. Her plan is to go back, get her life together and get out. She doesn’t want to create any roots that will bound her to Hope Lake and reconnecting with her childhood friends is also part of this. However, Hope Lake being small-town with an amazingly fast communication network, the moment she steps in town, everyone knows Dr. Bishop’s daughter is back home. Ohhh and in addition to her being in town she creates another gossip wave by assaulting poor Henry 🙂 (Be Aware: you will be cracking up while reading this). Henry Mercer is honest, loyal, caring, sweet, smart, hot, and the list can go on forever. He is the best book boyfriend ever. He is a high school English teacher and golden boy, who is loved and adored by everyone. Henry and Charlotte were inseparable as kids but now she doesn’t have any memories of Henry and only has some negative Hope Lake memories thanks to her mother’s remarks. Even though Charlotte is not happy being back in town, both Charlotte’s father and grandmother, a.k.a. Dr. Bishops :), is super excited to have Charlotte back, even if it is just a bit. Her grandmother, town’s infamous Dr. Bishop, her beloved Gigi is now bound to mobilized chair and Charlotte feels guilty that she waited this long to come and visit her. Now that she will be her roommate till she leaves for NY, she decides to spend every spare time she has with her. Gigi and Mrs. Manchini is the best. Gigi is funny, crazy and full of life. I wish my grandmas were just a bit like her and I am hoping I will be like her when I am her age 🙂
Charlotte’s plan of not reconnecting with people goes down the drain because the moment Emma knows she is back, she pushes her to socialize and rekindle with everyone. Charlotte also has some admirers. One being Dr. Maxwell Reese, who is the town’s most eligible bachelor. He is sexy, smart and polite but in my eyes he is not even comparable to Henry’s awesomeness 🙂 Being back in Hope Lake, Charlotte realizes that the town is not what she expected and it is nothing like her mother described. With time and rekindling with her friends, she starts regaining some of her memories back. The problem is she still cannot remember Henry. It was heartbreaking and cute to see Charlotte and Henry’s interactions. One remembers everything but for the other it is a new friendship. After a while I start getting frustrated because it took them forever to figure things out and start moving forward.
Meet Me on Love Lane is a sweet, funny, heartbreaking, swoony romance that will make you laugh and swoon one minute, cry and get pissed the next. I couldn’t let go of it until I was done. It was great to catch up with the gang, Emma, Cooper, Nick. Also, Parker definitely brought a new taste to our little group. The series gets better and better with each book and I cannot wait for the next book in the series, which will be Nick and Parker’s story 🙂
Would I recommend this book: Yes
Would I re-read this book: Yes
Would I read future books by this author: Yes
In this second installment of the Hopeless Romantic series, we are graced with Charlotte Bishop’s story that begins with a very exciting prologue – Charlotte, a 10 year old child along with her best friend, tries to run away from home to be able to stay in Hope Lake after her parents’ divorce. Charlotte ends up living with her mother in New York City. All through her life growing up, she was always told by her mother how awful Hope Lake was, and discouraged her from every going back.
Fast forward twenty years, many things have happened since then; her mother’s death, losing her job, credit cards all maxed out and losing her credibility as a wedding planner. Charlotte needed to make sure things cooled off or find another fresh start. Hope Lake was her answer and reconnecting back with the only family she has left.
Coming back to Hope Lake, a small town in Pennsylvania, Charlotte finds the town quite unexpectedly. Hope Lake as she remembers it then is quite different, though in a very positive way. What she finds is a beautiful bustling town full of friendship, family, and the possibility of a long lost love. As Charlotte finds herself and what she wants to accomplish professionally, will she also find the right person her heart has been longing for?
This is my first Nina Bocci book and was I impressed with her writing style and brilliant dialogue from the conversations and banters to text messaging. I enjoyed the overall plot and amazing character development. You will fall in love with Gigi and the rest of the cast of characters in this book, that adds to its lighthearted and heartwarming moments. I find that this was more than a feel good romcom story, but a very well written women’s fiction full of positivity, hope and love.
Another great book by Nina! the hallmark feels in this story were so real and raw! I can’t wait to see what comes up next from this author!
Meet Me on Love Lane is the second book in the Hopeless Romantics series by Nina Bocci. It can be read as standalone, however each book is set in the town of Hope Lake. Three best friends finding love in small town, USA. If you read On the Corner of Love and Hate then you will remember Henry, the nerdy-hot high school teacher. Well, this is his story!
Twenty-one years. It’s been twenty one years since Charlotte Bishop was in her hometown. She didn’t consider it as “coming home” when she decided to go to Hope Lake for the summer. She was visiting. She was working out what her next step was before going back to New York. There was no way she was going to be staying, her mom warned her to never go back. That it would suck her in and keep her in a bubble. Well, now her mother was gone and she was broke and desperate. It was time to see the town she called home until she was ten. Except when she got there…she didn’t recognize any of it. The buildings. The homes. The people. She knew three people. Her dad. Her Gigi. And Emma.
Henry couldn’t believe she was back. Even if only for a day. A week. A year. They were best friends from the moment they held hands into kindergarten until the day she left. It should had been an exciting reunion except she didn’t remember him. At all. He didn’t want to push her. He wanted her to remember their times together on her own. Not just his side of the past. He also didn’t want to be hurt all over again when she walked away. And he really didn’t enjoy the looks Dr. Max was giving her.
Max had heard of Charlotte of course since her father was his partner in their practice but he had no idea how beautiful she really was. And funny. And spunky. He was smitten from the moment he saw her. He wanted to get to know her. If only, she had a minute of two to relax after Emma offered her a deal she couldn’t refuse. A flower shop to run.
Charlotte was overwhelmed. She had no idea how much she would enjoy the small town life and the people in it. She was torn between her past and her present. She didn’t even think she would date while she was figuring out what was up next. And now, two men were vying for her attention. Will she fall for the one she grew up with or the one she is just learning about? And will she stay past August?
I thought this was an absolutely treat. I do love small town romances and this was an adorable and inspirational one. I loved the characters. All of them. Friendship is amazing, isn’t it? Even after going two decades without speaking. I am excited about The Ingredients of You and Me. It’s going to be a crazy-fun ride.
P.S. I Gigi!!
Quotes:
“You sound more like a hipster than a grandma,” I teased, brushing some of her icy-white hair from her forehead.
“I’m not a fan of the almond milk, so they took my hipster badge away,” she said quickly.
I was glad that her wit and wits were still sharp as a tack.
“You keep doubting the power of Hope Lake. I can’t wait to prove you wrong.”
Gigi was waiting in the foyer for us. “I made dinner,” she announced just as we crossed the threshold.
“Oh God, Mother, why?”
“Dad!” I yelled. “Not nice.”
“You’ll say the same thing once you eat it.”
“For that comment, Andrew, you’ll get seconds and like it.” “Shit.”
I love Nina’s books as they are realistic characters and stories, this second book in the Hopeless Romantics series and it’s about Henry and Charlotte. A friends to lovers romance, where friends reunite after years. This story will take you on a journey to the town of Hope Lake, it’s a sweet charming an joyful story that will make you laugh and wrench your heart, beautifully written that will have you reading until the end. Henry will become your next book boyfriend, this is simply a must read book, where you get all the romance you love with the amazing story to support it. Can’t wait for the next book.
Nina Bocci’s small-town romances are quirky and sweet and hot and awesome, and I’m excited for this latest one!
This is a genuinely fun story, soothing, charming, with complex, engaging characters, a great romance, humorous situations, witty dialogue, and a heartwarming storyline in which family and friends are important.
I won’t go into detail because there is enough of that already, and I hate to spoil it for you. All in all, this is a delightful story and a real treat for the heart and soul that will stay with you for a very long time!!
I received an ARC from the author via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion!!
I absolutely loved Meet Me on Love Lane. I fell for Henry in the first book in the Hopeless Romantics series and was super excited to see this book would be about him. And Nina Bocci did not disappoint. From the enchanting town of Hope Lake to the close knit characters and friendships, I was completely charmed by Bocci’s flawless writing. She took me on a heartfelt journey not just between Henry and Charlotte, but also in Charlotte finding herself again. And those are the stories that really stick with me. Bocci’s Hopeless Romantics series has become my new addiction and I definitely see myself rereading this book as often as I do the first.
Let me start off by saying I liked this book so much more that I did the first book in this series. With that being said, there were things I didn’t like/understand. I enjoyed the story, but the romance part in my opinion took a backseat. It was more like an added bonus. I was not a fan of Max. It seemed his character was just put in to make a “love triangle” that I didn’t feel necessary. I thought there was enough drama going on with her blocking out parts of her childhood. This was also a super, super, SUPER slow burn. I would have loved to have been able to get to know them as a couple, instead of them getting together basically toward the end. To be honest, what I loved most about this story was the grandma! I couldn’t get enough of her. She definitely made this whole story for me!
The more I read by Nina Bocci the more I love her writing. Meet Me on Love Lane is a story of pain although much is couched in humor. There are some great awkward moments that had me laughing out loud. We met Henry in On The Corner of Love and Hate and he intrigued the heck out of me then. I was curious to find out who would last this geeky hottie. The story though delves into the pain can emotionally inflict on a child that forces you to examine everything in your life looking for the punchline. For Charlotte, coming back to Hope Lake feels like a failure… although at some point she’ll need to let others in and the Hope Lake magic do it’s thing.
4.5 Stars!
Charlotte Bishop has lived in New York for years. She suddenly finds herself in a bind. She needs a job, and nothing is going her way. Out of options, she decides to head home to Hope Lake, the small town in Pennsylvania where she grew up. Since she will be stuck there for the foreseeable future, she’s looking forward to spending some quality time with her dad and grandmother. Her father is the town doctor, so everyone knew who she was, and knew she was back.
Charlotte never thought she’d go back, but maybe it will give her some time to figure out her life, and also reconnect with old friends. She lived here for the first ten years of her life, but her memories had faded over time. She decides to make the most of her time in Hope Lake, and enjoy herself.
While getting reacquainted with everyone she comes face to face with her childhood best friend, Henry Mercer. He’s an English teacher at the local high school, and apparently they were inseparable until she moved away. She felt a familiarity with him she couldn’t place, and he had a calming presence she found comforting. They had a history, and she just wished she could remember it. As she tries to put the missing pieces together they begin to slowly find their way back to one another. They share something special she can’t explain, and before long the place and the people start to feel like home again. She didn’t know all she was missing until she returned. Could what was meant to be a pit stop and temporary become something permanent?
Meet Me On Love Lane (Hopeless Romantics, #2) by Nina Bocci is a wonderful romantic comedy about second chances and soulmates. I adored sweet Henry! He was a delicious, swoony guy with a heart of gold! I really loved this book, and can’t wait for Nick’s story next!
Eekk Henry & Charlotte are too cute for words.
This story got me in the feels real bad…Henry…just sighhhhhhhh sooooo hard for his poor little heart.
Fate pushed these two together again, but it was up to each of them to fight for their second chance. This story was very heartwarming and it def pulled at the old heart strings. It was sweet and romantic and all the things a small town, second chance romance should be. Great characters that kept me enthralled and wanting to read ‘just one more page’…Nina has def captured my heart with her sweet writing and romantic heart. Do yourself a favor and grab this book as well as book 1 in this Hopeless Romantics series.
#HopeLake #Ruckusy #LateBloomers #LoveLane #Memories #Gigi