For fans of Lauren Layne and Kristan Higgins comes a delightfully “fun bit of fluffy entertainment” (Publishers Weekly) in the first book of a charming new series, in which a young woman is forced to help her old friend revamp his image for the upcoming mayoral elections…and discovers that she might not be as immune to his charms as she once thought. When Emmanuelle Peroni’s father–and … Peroni’s father–and current mayor of Hope Lake, Pennsylvania–suggests she help with Cooper Endicott’s campaign, she’s horrified. Cooper, one of her (former) oldest friends, drives her crazy in every way possible. But he’s also her father’s protégé, so Emma reluctantly launches her plan to help him win the local election.
It’s not as easy as it looks. Cooper’s colorful love life is the sticking point for many voters, and his opponent is digging up everything he can from his past. It seems that every time Emma puts out the flames from one scandal, another one flares up. Emma knows that if Cooper wants to win, he needs to keep his nose clean. The only problem? She might just be falling in love with the one person she promised never to pursue: the mayoral candidate himself.
more
3.5*
On the Corner of Love and Hate straddled that line for me exactly- there were parts I loved about it and there were parts I hated. Okay, hated might be too strong a term- maybe frustrated works better.
I liked the enemies-to-lovers trope, the banter between Cooper and Emma was entertaining. There was a lot of history between them, which I would have liked to have seen more of- we never truly got a clear picture of why Emma held such contempt for Cooper, just some hints here and there. What frustrated me the most was how long it took for Emma to just let go and get over herself-that was the biggest downfall of the book for me. And that led to it taking too long for her and Cooper to get together. When they did get along and finally worked things out, I found them to be an engaging couple.
I always enjoy a small town romance, it’s fun getting to know the different residents. I wonder who we’ll be seeing next?
Great read. Fun and easy to read. Good characters that you will genuinely like.
Cooper and Emma were childhood friends until something devastating to Emma occurred. Since then they have been frenemies. They are work together at the Community Development Office but can’t get along. Cooper is running for mayor, a position currently held by Mayor Dad. Reluctantly, Emma decides to help but finds she is cleaning up his messes for too often. Connor and Emma clash repeatedly.
This is a fun frenemies to lovers book. It has an enjoyable plot and interesting backstory. Emma is confidence and forceful in all situations non-Connor. With Connor she always seems to say the wrong thing or not be able to talk at all. Connor is a playboy that seems afraid to fully commit to anything he may fail at. His behavior with various women is causing him to be portrayed as promiscuous. Emma is asked to act like his girlfriend. You must read this book to see if she agrees.
I enjoyed this book. It is an entertaining story with the requisite undercurrent of emotions not shared. The political theme s light and should not put anyone off. As a former political officer, the little that is incorporated in this book is not even the tip of the iceberg in running for office.
I received an ARC from Gallery Books through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book.
I enjoy reading Nina’s stories. They are a nice “palate cleanser” from the stories I typically read. Sometimes I just need cute and sweet in between all the angst and dark. This one is a enemies to lovers story that is more on the sweet side. I liked the political side of the story, but then again, I like politics in general. Emma and Cooper were great characters, but their chemistry wasn’t there as much as I would have liked. I really did enjoy the set up for the series, and a lot of the characters. I look forward to checking out the rest of the series she has in store for us. The low chemistry was the only reason for my 4 star rating, everything else was good stuff.
3.5 Stars!
On The Corner of Love and Hate was on my most anticipated reads of 2019. I fell in love with Nina Bocci’s writing when she co-wrote Roman Crazy with Alice Clayton. So, when I heard that Nina was venturing out on her own, I couldn’t wait to see what she would bring to the table.
On The Corner of Love and Hate is a small town enemies to lovers romance that will leave you begging for more. If you are a fan of a super slow burn, this book is totally for you.
On The Corner of Love and Hate follows the story of Cooper and Emma. Cooper is well on his way to being the town’s next mayor. The only problem? He doesn’t take much seriously and his imagine is in desperate need of a makeover. And who better to help him out, but Emma. Emma wants nothing more to say no to Cooper, but their past and family connections keep her from turning him down. This new position will test Emma in ways she’s unprepared for. Cooper will do whatever it takes to clean up his image and land the job of a lifetime….
Overall, I thought this book was an ok read. I thought the story-line was fun and refreshing. I love small town romances and enjoyed the politics of the story. I thought this story had a really good enemies to lovers vibe. We have Cooper who is the town’s golden boy and total ladies man. He’s too charming for his own good. And then we have Emma. Emma is hardworking, stubborn and takes life far too seriously. Cooper certainly knew what buttons to push and just how to get under Emma’s skin. And while these two get on each others nerves, it was nice to see that they were actually pretty solid friends and have known one another for a long, long time. There weren’t a ton of steamy moments between our two main characters, but the ones that we did get were satisfying.
However, I did have a couple of issues with this story. The first being the slow burn. Now slow burning romances are something that I struggle with from time to time. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good fleshed out romance that just oozes tension. But, I found this one to be lacking. Sure I think that Cooper and Emma could have just been great friends and I could be ok with that. But, I think the story could have benefited with some chapters from their past, showing us the connection and chemistry between the characters. Also, I think it would have been nice to get inside of Cooper’s head. See what made him tick and show his feelings for Emma. As a reader, I felt like I needed more from Cooper and Emma. I needed more steam, more chemistry, more will they/won’t they moments, that sexual tension that just builds and builds until you want to explode. I needed to see why these two should be together and why I should be rooting for their happily ever after. For me, I found the romance to be lacking–almost like a women’s fiction story instead of a contemporary romance. I personally didn’t get a real romancey vibe until almost the end of the story. Like it took both of these characters FOREVER to come to terms with their feelings. And that might work great for some, but for me, I needed more.
Overall, I thought this book was an ok read. It was fun and entertaining. It was filled with politics and drama. The characters were easy to connect with and fun to get to know. I thought the story was written well and has some really great potential. And while this story wasn’t a 100% hit for me, I’m still glad to have checked it out and given it a chance. I think this series has great potential and I do look forward to seeing where it will go from here.
In this frenemies-to-lovers romantic comedy, Cooper and Emma have known each other since they were children. With that much history, there’s bound to be many chances for the ups and downs of a long term relationship, and Emma and Cooper just happen to be in a down-cycle.When Emma is thrown together with Cooper at her father’s request, all of that history colors their moments together.
There’s plenty of banter between these two. At times it’s witty and at other times, it’s more enemies than friends. I really liked that about it. What really makes this story interesting is the question of whether Emma get out of her own way and take a chance on Cooper and vice versa.
Set in a small town, On the Corner of Love and Hate uses a political backdrop to make this very contemporary and that was another plus for me. Nina gets the small town life right and develops some great characters that kept my interest. I did find the pacing a bit slow for my liking. It’s more of a slow burn type of romance rather than one big explosion, but I did think that fit for these characters.
Overall, a good start to this series. Definitely interested in reading more.
An ARC was provided for review.
On the Corner of Love and Hate is such a cute read. I love the banter between Emma, Cooper and their tight net group of friends. Emma and Cooper’s love yet hate relationship is just oozing with tension. Emma is sweet yet knows how to throw down when need be. Cooper is a ladies man and needs to clean up his act. He is charming. Both Emma and Cooper know what is at stake for Cooper’s political life and I love how they work together. Even though that tension in their friendship has been pulling them apart for years, you will love how they are together. They make an amazing team. I was pulled in from the start and loved the heat between Cooper and Emma. This one is an amazing political romcom that I couldn’t put down.
The ending definitely made all the crazy worth it! Emma and Cooper have denied their feelings for each other for so long, it’s almost like they don’t really like each other. It takes a race for mayor, a secret campaign manager and a fake girlfriend for them to bring everything to the front. But it might all be too much.
The back and forth between Emma and Cooper almost gave me whiplash. And I was really hoping Emma would stick it to Whitney. I don’t know how she and Cooper were friends with the way she treated Emma.
I give it 5 stars! I was riveted!
3.5 stars
Emma wants what is best for her hometown. Working for the community development office, and as the daughter of the current mayor, all her energy is focused on making the town the best it can be for the future. When she is asked to run Cooper’s mayoral campaign, she swallows her personal dislike of the man in favor of pushing for the best election outcome for the town. Cooper, for his part, wants to be mayor badly, but he can’t seem to help making major error after major error, particularly when it comes to women. His more conservative neighbors are having a hard time getting behind the Lothario image he has built over the years.
I love a good small town romance, and this book has small town charm throughout. The characters, from Emma and Cooper’s best friends, to the senior center posse add a fun flare to the story. Each aspect of the community adds a unique bit of humor and wit to the setting and helped boost my interest in the story as a whole.
What I found myself hung up on was the main characters themselves. Cooper is immature and unreliable. For as much as he wanted to be mayor, he has a hard time sticking to commitments. Emma is so stuck in her ways that she refuses to see a lot of what is around and in front of her, clinging to long held beliefs rather than allowing for change. There is a thin line between love and hate, but it took a very long time for these two to cross that line.
This was a slow burn, angsty enemies (of sorts) to lovers. Though Emma and Cooper were once the best of friends, time and other circumstances have left them butting heads more often than not. I loved the town itself, and I am cautiously optimistic about future books in this series, as I enjoyed the setting and the side characters.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
If you’re looking for a sweet romance with a tad bit of drama then look no further. One the Corner of Love and Hate will take you to a small town in Pennsylvania that’s in the middle of election season for it’s mayor.
There’s an obvious good guy and obvious bad guy. The bad guy is so awful it’s a wonder anyone would support him ever. The good guy – Cooper Endicott – is the understudy of the current town mayor. Who better to help him on his campaign is the current mayor’s daughter (Emma)! She knows all the ends and outs of the town plus the job. There really is no better person.
Cooper and Emma have a history together – one she would rather not rehash. Live and let live so to speak. Only she’s not over him as she would hope to be. Some of their antics in this book will have you chuckling if not even LOL’ing.
I enjoyed these characters and the town. This romance does have a HEA and I think you’ll love them all as well. You’ll want to pull your hair out over some things but for the most part you’re right there with Emma thinking her thoughts and feeling her feelings.
I hope you give this book a chance. It really is a great story.
Well the title of this book is perfect. There seriously is the fine line between Love and Hate so you might as well meet on the corner.
It took me a while to get into this book and become invested in the characters, but once I did I was completely hooked. The more I got to read and experience of Cooper and Emma, the more I loved them and could understand why they were the way they were.
Emma and Cooper grew up together as friends, part of a friendship foursome, even though Emma had a secret crush on Cooper but things changed when they went to college and they have ended up frenemies.
When they are thrown together to get Cooper voted in as Town Mayor the feelings they have ignored for years start coming to the forefront and the countdown until they can’t deny them anymore starts.
I loved the banter and relationship between Cooper and Emma, throw in their friends Nick and Harry and its even more entertaining.
This was the first book of Nina’s I have read but I am looking forward to Meet Me on Love Lane due out in December
3.5 stars
Ahh yes! The drama of unrequited turned spurned. Nothing says I hate you like I loved you and you didn’t love me back! It also makes the juiciest stories! On The Corner of Love and Hate is one such story. Best friends and bad choices with a bitter misunderstanding and an exorbitant amount of things not said culminated into this story.
On the Corner of Love and Hate is feisty. Too much miscommunication leads to dialogue dripping with sarcasm (which was my second official language!) Get ready for rocky emotions, tense situations, and blatant denial. I feel like poor Emma isn’t just chilling On the Corner, she’s actually in The Frogger tournament of her life. She’s going back and forth without a break trying to avoid the traffic until she realizes she is the biggest meanest car in her way.
This sweet second chance at their friendship story is just what you need especially if you’re a romantic like me. Hope is just what they didn’t realize they needed. Hope Lake is their town. It’s their safe place. It’s the perfect place to settle down. Now if only Henry were interested….
Slow burn, enemies to lovers and small-town romance all mixed into one…a romance reader’s dream.
Cooper and Emma have been friends since childhood. As children, the mayor and governor they spent lots of time together as kids. As they grew up – things began to change, but Emma wasn’t who Cooper choose, and that changed their relationship. In college, Cooper dated Emma’s freshman roommate – they lost their way, but after college, they found themselves back in Hope Lake and working at the same job. There is some serious hate going on between these two. Cooper the ladies man and Emma always picking up his slack. But all along, there is a friendship buried beneath the hate and anger.
The slow burn was sloooooowwww…A little slower than I had hoped but worth the wait. The back and forth was just enough to keep you going, keep you turning the pages only to see when they would figure each other out. Nina Bocci’s writing is clean and precise and descriptive enough that I thought I was in Hope Lake with her characters.
I read this book in one day – if only I were on the beach, it would have been better. A perfect, end of the summer read. Some politics, some friendship, some sexy – all the good stuff in one book. I am so looking forward to more from Nina Bocci – can’t wait for Nick and Henry books in the future!
This was so much fun to read! Emma and Cooper have been friends since childhood until they weren’t any longer and feelings were strained. However, living in a small town and working together keep them in each other’s pockets and along with their other two friends. Cooper is now running foe Mayor and needs Emma’s help for his campaign but will they be able to spend the time together needed without real feelings coming out? I laughed and cursed my way through this one and may have even teared up at one point. Definitely recommend!
4 Star Review of On The Corner Of Love and Hate (Hopeless Romantics #1) by Nina Bocci
This is the first solo book I have read from this author and as this was the first book in a new series, I jumped at the chance to read and review.
I liked the characters of Emmanuelle (Emma) Peroni and Cooper Endicott, although the book was a little slow at times and it took me a while to get invested in the story. However once I was hooked I found myself enjoying the story and her style of writing.
Emma and Cooper have been friends for ages and when the current mayor of her town (her father) asks her to help Cooper revamp his image she does so despite her reservations. They have a checkered past and things are only going to become more complicated now that she is helping him.
Cooper wants to be the new mayor, but at what personal cost? There are so many people trying to dig up dirt and he is juggling so much he has no idea where to turn next.
Will Emma be able to help or will unresolved feelings get in the way? What happens when lines are crossed and attraction becomes to intense to ignore?
There was humour, intrigue and I loved the banter and camaraderie between families and friends that you find in a small town.
This was a good story and I am looking forward to reading more in this series.
I received a copy through the publisher via Netgalley
Nina Bocci s a new author to me but after reading On the Corner of Love and Hate I will certainly be checking out her other works. As the title suggests this is a Enemies to Lovers and it really is all about the fine line between Love and Hate so if this is a troupe you love you should one click this great read you won’t be disappointed.
Emma and Cooper work together but Emma feels she is forever picking up the slack because Cooper is more interested in running for Mayor than doing his daytime job, it doesn’t help that Emma’s father is the present Mayor and he is endorsing and backing Cooper in everything and that means Emma really needs to help Cooper even though she is really not comfortable with the situation.
Emma may have the hots for Cooper but does he feel the same ……
I think this author did a great job with this slow burn romance, I loved her style of writing and as I said earlier I will be checking out her other books as well as her future books. This book has characters who share lots of witty banter and the story and the banter flows naturally. If you adore romantic comedy as well as enemies to lovers you will love this entertaining read.
3.5 stars
This is a small town romance dealing with an election, old friends, and unresolved feelings. The past is still affecting their present and things are about to get more complicated.
Emmanuelle Peron is the current mayor’s daughter and works tirelessly at the Hope Lake Community Development Office helping to expand their small town and allow progression without losing their small town appeal. She is put together, organized, and at times unforgiving. But she also still has romantic notions that seem to always go unfulfilled.
Cooper Endicott is her old friend, her current coworker, her father’s protege, new mayoral candidate, and her first crush that crashed and burned. He has made mistakes that both hurt her and have had an impact on business dealings, so they are in a state of perceived hate. His playboy rep is now coming back to haunt him. And now he really needs her help to clean up his image, and her family in on board with the idea.
The book is told through Emma’s eyes so her thoughts sometimes cloud our judgment. I think if we had Cooper’s point of view it would have helped. I had a love-hate relationship with these characters myself. At first, I was not liking Cooper as he seemed cocky and made poor decisions. But then I started seeing more of his vulnerability and realized that things might not be what they seemed. He had his own insecurities an issues and just kept trying to prove himself.
And then I started to realize how Emma’s unresolved feelings and denial also affected him and his choices. And she was judgmental, stubborn, and great at avoiding and repressing her feelings. Even when he did what she told him to do, she sometimes held it against him and would pout or act jealous. Thus their communication skills were terrible and they just kept dancing around the elephant in the room. They walked a thin line between love and hate, but it was actually more one-sided and based on perceptions. There were also a couple of antagonists that I really did not like adding drama to the mix. It was a big mess and frankly, the angst and miscommunication got to me. And after the slow burn and all of the misunderstandings, the resolution seemed to come a bit fast.
But there are a lot of things to like about this book. I loved the world-building of the small town of Hope Lake and the quirky inhabitants that shared close ties. There was plenty of witty rapport in this friends-to-enemies-to-lovers political romance. I liked all of the side characters, but especially their longtime friends, Nick and Henry. I will be interested to see what might happen in the rest of the series.
Arc provided in exchange for an honest review
Emmanuelle AKA “Emma” is just offended when her father tells her he wants her to help her co-worker campaign for his job as mayor. Not only is he a playboy, lazy, and childish but she has no extra time in her life already. Where does she fit this extra work in?
Cooper already has a plan. He is loved by most everyone in town already, and he has a good work ethic when motivated. Why can’t Emma see he is still the same man?
This story reminded me that when men and women fight – and they do – it can be war. The characters were interesting, and actually have a lot of depth. The pacing in the story could have been a little faster, but we may have lost some of the charm. Overall I think a good stepping stone for this new series and I cannot wait to read the next installment!
***This early copy was given in exchange for an honest review, by Netgalley and its publishers.
On the Corner of Love and Hate (Hopeless Romantics, #1) by Nina Bocci …This is an “enemies to lovers” story …Thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for letting me preview this book.. Emmanuelle Peronie…Emma ..the mayor’s daughter and frenemy of Cooper Endicott ..governor’s son ..running for mayor. There is politics some dirty, laughs, friendships, angst(lots) tears, misunderstandings, wonderful characters, small town antics and some steam all leading to a HEA. Looking forward to more books in this series.
This book is about a small town romance with a political edge. There are lots of colorful secondary characters and a well described small town feel. Life long friendships that are tested due to unspoken truths. Cooper and Emma’s story was fun and enjoyable.
On the Corner of Love and Hate is a good read. I hadn’t read any books by the author before but I saw this pretty cover and just wanted to read it based on the cover. I do have to admitted I wasn’t completely hooked on this book. For me it moved a little slow in the beginning and I almost gave up on it but when it clicked, it clicked and I was hooked. The more I read the more I found out about Emma and Cooper and the more I read of it the more I liked it. It’s a fun sweet read.