What an amazing start to the Hopeless Romantics series! I really enjoyed this childhood friends to enemies to lovers slow burn romance! On the Corner of Love and Hate will have you laughing out loud one moment and then tearing up the next. It's relatable and heartfelt and I fell completely in love with Hope Lake and its residents.

Emmanuelle (Emma) and Cooper have a complicated history. I couldn't wait to find out what drove these once best friends apart. Sparks fly as they bicker and verbally spar, and I loved every zing of chemistry between them. As the book progresses, readers come to learn about all of their sweet and tender moments (the drawing under the desk!), but also the heartbreaking ones as well. The fates have never quite aligned for these two, and it hurt my heart over how much was left unsaid over the years.

I loved all the relationships in this book so much. From parent to child and friend to friend, I loved how supportive and loyal they all were to each other. The secondary characters were absolutely amazing and I don't think I could have loved Emma's mother, Sophia, more! The Chef Boyardee incident and her fashion sense had me snort laughing every time she was mentioned or on the page. I can already tell that steadfast Henry will be my favorite of the BFF quartet though. How can I not fall in love with a character who isn't concerned with sowing his wild oats everywhere and describes himself as a sexual camel? ;)

Nina Bocci's writing is witty and sharp and I laughed so hard at all the perfectly placed pop culture references. Her voice and heart really jump off the page and had me invested in these characters from the start. The epilogue left me with a huge smile on my face and I can't wait to see what's next for the town of Hope Lake!

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

Cooper, 5 stars. Emma, 2. I just could not warm to the heroine. She is supposedly a smart, kind, talented, quirky woman with her masters from Penn that somehow appeals to her brilliant guy friend, Cooper, who could be right off the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad... Frankly she comes off as bitter, sometimes amiable, and alienates herself by not answering texts and then wonders why she feels insecure like she does, but mostly she’s a hot mess with emotions all over the place as if she were still in high school.

I really liked the concept of this book and the love/hate relationship trope but the hate was all on Emma’s side. And honestly, I found the relationship with Cooper, her supposed Lifelong friend, unlikely, unrealistic; she would say they weren’t really friends but then still continued to work with him through the years and then even on his mayoral campaign. I just could not see the appeal of her mercurial moods as attractive to the rich playboy persona of Cooper. I did come to like her at the end when she was making more sense about Cooper, becoming the brave woman we wanted her to be, and being honest with herself about her love and jealousy but it really came too late for me to genuinely cheer for her: “There’s a difference between finding someone attractive and being attracted to him,” I said confidently. “Hell, you can even argue that there’s a third difference, that being, whether or not you’d ever act on feeling attracted to someone or finding someone attractive.”

Still, I think it’s a solid debut book. I didn’t love it but I liked it. I suspect there are more small town romances primed for the community of Hope Lake.

This was a cute one. To be completely honest it took me a little while to get into it because It. Was. So. Slow.
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I felt like the characters were fun and likeable...even if they were very predictable.
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I finished with 3 1/2 stars. Not terrible, but forgettable 🤷🏻‍♀️.

This felt like reading a hallmark channel movie, it was very charming with amazing characters! I can't wait to read more books from this author!

This is the story of Cooper and Emma. Cooper broke Emma's heart many years ago when they were young. Now he wants to become mayor of his town and needs Emma's help to polish him for the position.
I didn't like Cooper, I thought as the novel went on he would become more likable ... wrong.
The plot is very slow building and you almost give up and put the book away.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book

On the Corner of Love and Hate is filled with such a colorful cast of characters that I felt like I got to know each one. The town itself has a rich history, where the focus centers around local politics. At the heart of this story are two childhood best friends that have grown apart due to misguided and miscommunicated chances. When Emma has the opportunity to support Cooper in his election for mayor, she has to set aside her personal grievances for the young man that broke her heart, and step up to be the woman who could eventually break his heart. The slow build between these characters was a treat to read; flourishing with lots of tension. In the end, there’s a pleasant surprise, backed by a happy ending.

3.5 Stars!

"In a lot of ways, Cooper was like the sun: you couldn't fly close to it, or him, without getting burned."

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.

When I first read about Nina's book I was curious. I first met her as PR for some authors I've follow through the years, and then I read her debut, Roman Crazy, with Alice Clayton (I loved that book btw). Now she take us to a little town called Hope Lake, and I couldn't love her more.
Small town romances have some kind of 'magical factor' about them that I'm unable to resist; besides, this frenemies-to-lovers story was the perfect mix between comedy, romance with a size of drama and politics.
With a mayoral election in the horizon, Copper needs to fix his public image and Emma is the girl for the job. They were friends at first, but in some point that friendship turned into a heated animosity... but they say there's just a step between hate and love. But to address their feelings, they'll have to take careful steps and keep their eyes opens because the mayoral campaign is as dirty as a bloody war.
I really enjoyed the book, I loved the friendship between Henry, Cooper and Nick, and their relationship with Emma, I also loved the banter between Emma and Cooper, their dialogues and the chemistry in every single scene they're together.
Hope Lake was a pleasant place to visit, its people was hilarious and sweet, and I can't wait to read what's next in this series.

I admit the cover is what had me picking up On the Corner of Love and Hate in the first place, and of course the promise of an enemies to lovers romance – can’t ever get enough of those.

More often than not I like the heroes more than the heroines. I don’t know why that’s the case, but it has happened too often for it not to be true. In the case of Emmanuelle and Cooper I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Because unfortunately neither character was someone I could connect with.

Cooper is portrayed as a manwhore, which he kinda is, but that’s not even an issue, the issue is that he is immature, unreliable, and because of it I could never be interested in him. He has some significant growth throughout the book, but it’s hard to change a first impression, especially if it’s such a glaring one.

Emmanuelle, isn’t much better if I’m being honest. She has a lot of resentment hidden deep within her. Although hardworking, I wish Cooper had only half of her drive, she is missing a bit of a backbone. And she’s too set in her way, too hardheaded and stubborn at times to change the status quo, which thus drags out some of the issues way more than it should have. It’s so frustrating when things can be made so much easier if people just talked to each other.

I love animosity, sexual tension, the push and pull that comes with an enemies to lovers trope. The novel had some of it, but not enough to make a difference. And it didn’t help that the chemistry was a bit lacking, and except for their past, I couldn’t see the attraction at all.

I admit I started skimming and skipping throughout the book. The plot alone, even though the part about small town politics was interesting, wasn’t enough to keep me captivated. It was missing something – spice, sass, wit – anything to keep me engaged.

Nevertheless I can see the potential, and I’m looking forward to the other books in this series, and would recommend it to anyone that loves enemies to lovers, and a slow burn romance.

I am always so excited to read something from an author I have never read from before, and for that authors work to be compared to Christina Lauren's? I knew I had to read On The Corner Of Love And Hate. I was not impressed in the slightest. There was so many times that I almost put this down, but I held out hope for something that did not even come. I thought this was considered a romance, but this book was basically, based on candidates and elections until after 83% through, and quite honestly NOT one of my favorite tropes either. I was a little confused on this authors thought process when it came to the main characters, because it was like she forgot things they had said, and it contradicted what was later stated. Which in turn made things even more confusing, and made it seem as if there was no development in the characters or the story. I also can not for the life of me stand the Hero, he legitimately ruined this book for me. He was selfish, and inconsiderate. Enjoyed putting his workload on others, and half**ed everything he did. I seriously could not take him as a 30 year old man, when he acted like a teenager. He treated women as of they were scum on the bottom of his shoe. When I think of him, I think of a soulless ***** that will do ANYTHING to get his way, with no regard for any ones feelings. I am so glad I can finally put this book down, so I never have to pick it up again.

A poor little rich boy known for his womanising ways needs someone to keep him in hand. After all, his mayoral ambitions are in jeopardy. Who better to do so, than a longtime friend who always had the hots for him but was cruelly subject to his numerous hookups over the years, to become his campaign manager and keep him on the straight and narrow for better media reception of the reformed manwhore?

That should have been my warning sign.

Some books do get better as you go on. For others, you get a sinking, cringey feel from the very start.

Unfortunately, ‘On the Corner of Love and Hate’ fell into the latter category. Admittedly, I wish I’d given the blurb more than just a side-eye before I’d even begun, but it was Nina Bocci and I wanted to have an enthusiastic go at her attempt at romantic dramedy.

Shallowly flaky, lacking moral fibre and substance, Cooper was a manchild with manwhoring ways, made even unforgivable because his weakness for women was something he was unrepentant about—not that he seemed to make any effort to get together with Emma. Having this thrown in my face time and time again made the story hard to go on with, let alone the excruciating pining that Emma had going for decades (!) for someone who always supposedly wanted her but took it up with many many other women instead because he was either ‘young and stupid’ or trying to get her attention and having the best of both worlds. That there was the constant presence of a college fling and a now friends-with-benefits secondary character—a typical mean, beautiful but bitchy one—made the entire story feel like a pool of circling sharks hungry for blood and a piece of Cooper’s arrogant arse.

As a result, there was little of the romance I saw, more so because this was entirely written in Emma’s POV, of Emma’s own jealousy and well-hidden hurts as the pages wore on and her perception of Cooper’s lack of initiative for anything except for flirting and women.

Perhaps this was done, ironically, too well. Bocci's writing keeps you outraged on Emma's behalf, frustrated by her own attraction that she can't seem to shake off. So much so that the attempt to position Cooper as a ‘good man’ with a half-hearted rationale of his behaviour over the years to show some redeemable qualities in him merely left me with the poorest impression of a character who shouldn’t have even been a worthy of the status of a romantic hero.

That Emma fell like a house of cards after spending a hot night with him made her no better than the other women who were ready to fling their panties at him at the sight of his gigawatt smile.

I couldn’t do it. I skimmed, skipped, and cringed too much to be able to go on, then finally threw it in.

I really wanted to like this book, but it was just okay for me.

I did like the behind the scenes look into a local election. And I think there are decent characters in which to build this series. Bocci’s Hopeless Romantics series does have potential with the town, family, and friends of Emma and Cooper.

There were some inconsistencies in this book. There was a past scandal with a woman who at one point in the book was mentioned as having a forty year age difference with Cooper. Then later Emma thinks this woman is close to her own age when Emma sees her up close. Then this woman is seen on a Facebook post and Emma says she looks really enhanced. ?

Also “everyone” thinks Cooper will be a great mayor, yet I didn’t see much evidence of that from Cooper’s actions in the book until midway through the book. Emma wants to work to get him elected and thinks he’ll be great for the town, but disparages his character frequently. Cooper want to win, yet he initially is distracted and unfocused like he doesn’t. Then he sabotages his campaign by revisiting the previously mentioned old scandal.

I think the book could have been greatly enhanced by giving a few chapters to Cooper for his point of view. Perhaps his actions would have been explained and the reader given insight to his thinking process, both to his campaign and feelings about Emma.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC

Emmanuelle aka Emma Peroni gets duped into being the campaign manager for Cooper Campbell-Endicott; a man she has known and had intense feelings for most of her life. Her father the mayor and Cooper’s biggest supporter wants Emma to do all she can to help Cooper win. The biggest problem besides Emma’s very conflicted feelings about Cooper is he seems to be a player man-child. Cooper’s good looks, charm, and wealthy family make him a ladies’ magnet and not in a good way.

The other candidate in the mayoral race is not above using dirty tricks and Cooper’s past and present behavior to torpedo his campaign so Emma has a lot of work to do to go for the win. They live in a small town where everyone is their business which makes the politics even more challenging. Emma’s feelings for this man she knows so well are all over the place. She spends a lot of angtsy moments obsessing on or denying her feelings while giving Cooper mixed signals.

The style of writing is this book is clever and entertaining; however, I had a very hard time liking Cooper because of his level of immaturity and continual slip ups. Emma was frustrating because she is so relentless in her goal to loathe Cooper instead of love him partly because of some old, but not forgotten deep hurts. Throw in a former girlfriend whom Emma cannot stand to remake Cooper’s image which is another element I am not a fan of and you get quite a recipe for drama and emotional flame outs on Emma’s part. The humor helps balance the book out to some extent though be prepared for a very slow burn romance.

awwww Cooper and Emma are totes cute!
Childhood friends turned enemies, turned coworkers, turned...they turned into something not quite friends but not quite enemies.
It was so cute to read their story and how they evolved and grew together.
Emma didn't take any crap from Cooper, and trust me he gave it...
Cooper pushed Emma's buttons at every turn.
#ChefBoyardee #Chopsticks #FriendshipGlue

Adorable. Relatable. Funny. Satisfying.

There really isn’t much more I can say about On The Corner Of Love and Hate. Emma’s internal dialogue and imperfections made her likable.

Cooper is the man you love to hate, but ultimately his charm and true intentions will win you over.

I’m a sucker for romantic comedy. Add in a political campaign and I’m sold.

On The Corner of Love and Hate was an enjoyable read.

It’s a hate to love story which is a storyline I find highly entertaining. Emma is a tough but funny character who loves everything about her small town except for Cooper, one of her former best friends, who drives her completely crazy any time they are in the same room together and often when they aren’t. I liked the interactions between Emma and Cooper a lot. He gets under her skin which is all the funnier because she’s such a pragmatic person but she seems to lose her head when Cooper is around.

I liked Nina Bocci’s writing style and this was an expected and pleasant read. On The Corner of Love and Hate is a good choice for those looking for a light and fun book about a small town romance.

I adored this romantic read by Nina Bocci. Full of fun, flirting and politics, it grabbed my interest right from the start and kept it till the end. I loved the characters and the development of the story. Such a fun read for anyone looking for a contemporary romance!

On the Corner of Love and Hate by Nina Bocci is an enemy-to-lover romance published by Gallery Books. This novel is the first in the Hopeless Romantic series and is set to be released on August 20, 2019. I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Emmanuelle Peroni and Cooper Endicott, two former childhood friends with a messy past, cannot stand each other. But when Cooper decides to run for office, Emmanuelle, who tries to suppress her feelings for Copper, is dragged into the campaign as a campaign manager, forcing the two to spend more time together. When an ex-girlfriend is added to the mix, the situation deteriorates. Both try to make the campaign work without them constantly bickering and fail. As the story evolves, the author reveals why the main characters are fighting, and the reason will steal your heart. Both characters made mistakes, but their love story is beautiful.

This novel has everything I desired. On the Corner of Love and Hate kept me up late into the night. I appreciated the character development, the banter between the characters, and how human they felt. No one is perfect, and this story reminded me how important seeing flaws in a character makes them even more relatable.

The plot line was interesting because it veered slightly away from the normal enemy-to-lover trope. I appreciated the author’s take on this theme. In addition, I did not always agree with the characters’ choices, which made this book interesting and less predictable. The chemistry between the characters was off the charts. This story made me laugh, cry, and swoon.

If you enjoyed reading The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, On the Corner of Love and Hate by Nina Bocci should be your next book. I highly recommend this story. This book is a five-star rating for me.

A cute enough romance. The writing felt a bit repetitive and formulaic. An easy afternoon read. The love/hate meet-cute trope is starting to be too prevalent (just like the unreliable female narrator in psychological thrillers, for example).

Charming romantic read...
The entire cast is funny as heck. I’m not big on political reads but this one was so enjoyable.
~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~
Plot~ 4/5
Main Characters (hero/heroine)~ 4/5
Secondary Characters~ 4/5
The Feels~ 4/5
Pacing~ 4/5
Addictiveness~4/5
Angst~ 4/5
Steam/Hotness/Chemisty ~ 4/5
Theme or Tone~ 4/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 4/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 4/5
Originality~ 4/5
Ending~ 4/5
Book Cover~ Simple but effective
Series~ Hopeless Romantics #1
Source~ Kindle eBook - ARC provided by NetGalley
Would I read more from the author? Yes
Would I recommend this book? Yes