BIANCA

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 loove 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 together - 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!!!

JANEANE
Now, if you have read my review, you know I had my couple of issues with the first book in this series, but still liked the book.

I am happy to say that those issues are gone with Meet Me On Love Lane, and I liked this book more than the first.

This is a story of coming home, falling back in love with the place you thought you hated - and falling in love with the boy you left behind.

I adored Charlotte and Henry and the friends that Charlotte left behind. My heart hurt for her as she realised all she had missed because he mum had tainted the town for her.

I did laugh at the way Charlotte and Henry reconnected - you will too.

However, I did feel that the inclusion of Dr Max as a love interest for Charlotte was superfluous. I did not find that it added anything to the story, trying to create a love triangle between our lovelies and him. Nope, not at all necessary.

I adored the small town vibe of the story. I loved the secondary characters, particularly dad and grandma. Oh, and I can. not. wait for her best friend Parker's story!

This book was so much stronger than the first one! I really enjoyed this story and cannot wait for the next one.

Charlotte returns to Hope Lake for the first time in 20 years after being fired from her job in New York. Her mother moved her away when she was a child and never let her back to visit, causing Charlotte to block out pretty much every memory she had growing up there as a child. When she does return, she has negative feelings towards Hope Lake and doesn’t expect to reconnect with her childhood friends, let alone fall in love.

I liked Charlotte a lot. I don’t know exactly what it was that I liked about her, but I connected with her more than Emma. I am, admittedly, a bit of a sucker for romance novel series in which old characters come back in a new story. I loved that in this one Emma actually had a decent sized role. She is Charlotte’s only friend when she gets back to town and I liked how she manipulated a lot of what was going on.

I also loved Henry in the first book, so I was really excited that this story included so much of him too. It was fun to learn more about him and I immediately felt the connection between him and Charlotte. The side characters and stories felt much stronger in this story than the first which I appreciated. Charlotte’s grandma was great and it was fun to see some of her friends carry over too.

I love when books in a series get stronger with each one. I am really excited to read the 3rd book in the series and can’t wait to see what characters pop up next. If you like romantic stories, I would highly recommend checking this series out. It’s more along the rom-com line in that it doesn’t have a lot of physical romance, if you know what I mean. So if you love love but don’t love sex, this would be a romance series for you.

Meet Me on Love Lane by Nina Bocci is book two in her Hopeless Romantics series and is a full length stand alone.
Book one is On the Corner of Love and Hate.
Meet Charlotte Bishop. Her life's a mess. Failed in NYC, now back home to start over in Hope Lake.
There she falls in love with two men, what to do? Make things more complicated than they are? Decisions, decisions.
Meet Me on Love Lane is a book that had me captivated from chapter one. I started reading and couldn't put it down. I had to know what happens to the characters. The story gave me all the feels and I connected very easily with the characters. The writing is excellent and I loved the storyline and the beautiful words.
I recommend this small town romance, 5 stars.

Leaning towards chic lit more than romance, Meet Me on Love Lane was a sweet small-town story. I adored the friendship between Emma and Charlotte and grandma Gigi was a hoot! I found the book to be a charming quick read.

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!

The return to Hope Lake in 'Meet Me on Love Lane', the second standalone in Nina Bocci’s Hopeless Romantics Series, was such a sweet second chance, small-town romance!

Henry and Charlotte's characters really captured my heart! I couldn't help but feel for Charlotte and her difficult relationship with her mother, as well as her isolated childhood from the rest of her family. And oh-poor-Henry, with his simple nature and broken heart, made for the type of hero you couldn't help but want to mend. Charlotte's grandmother Gigi was also an absolute hoot, but really of the secondary characters were such fun and made for a delightful addition to the story!

Bocci really does focus on the slowest of burns in her romances, and it’s clear to see that Bocci does a fantastic job with her plot depth! It might seem a tad too detailed at times making the pace feel a little slow, but I really enjoyed the descriptions which gave such life to the story. I loved the charming and quaint scenic setting in Hope Lake with its small businesses and people running about, which really wrapped me up into the story and made it a place that I would love to visit!

I have to mention that the covers for this series are simply gorgeous, and overall this was a really sweet and enjoyable read!

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!

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.

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!!

4.5 stars

I loved this book so much. Meet Me on Love Lane is a love letter to Hope Lake. It's a love letter to friendship and family. It also has the added perk of a perfectly adorable love interest.

I love that as much as this book was about the romance, it was also about Charlotte finding her place. She goes back to Hope Lake at a moment in her life when she's kind of lost and unsure about her next steps. She thinks going back will help her reset but in reality it helps her find herself again. She finds who she was and who she is through reconnecting with old friends and family.

Henry is the hero we all need. He's incredibly hot and extremely sexy, but he keeps it all behind a layer of adorable, sweet and vulnerable. Honestly, as much as I love a guy that's sexy all the time, I loved Henry even more because he was always holding back. It made the moments when he let go that much better. Henry's a teacher and a book lover and I'm all here for that. It also doesn't hurt that he's a big fan of working out. Like I said, bookish and sexy, he's everything.

I loved watching Charlotte reconnect with the town, with her family, with her friends, and find her way back to Henry. I'm a huge sucker for a childhood best friends romance and this certainly delivered. If you're looking for something sweet, with all the best small town vibes, this is definitely it.

Also, I freaking loved Gigi so much! She's absolutely everything and I'm definitely hoping for more of her in Nick's book.

There's nothing I love more than a small town romance and Nina Bocci <i>brings</i> the small town romance.

Charlotte left Hope Lake many moons ago, but when she finds herself returning she doesn't realize just how much she left behind.

Nina Bocci knows how to grab your attention and write in a way that makes you feel like you live in this town of Hope Lake. She makes you feel like you know Charlotte and Henry and the other townspeople.
You want to live there.
You want to find your true love.
You want to have that small town life with the small town charm and the big once in a lifetime love.

Meet Me on Love Lane will grab you in the beginning and hold you until the end.

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.

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

What a joy! I love a good small town romance where the town is almost like another character, and Meet Me on Love Lane did that for me. I really liked this story and was immediately drawn into it.

Charlotte escapes the city in the middle of the night, returning home after a long absence from the town but also her friends and family. It changes Charlotte to some extent, but she gradually finds the pieces of herself she lost when she was living in the city.

I really enjoyed Charlotte's journey and her rediscovery of her home town and old friends. Henry is wonderful and I just loved his and Charlotte's story. His friend Nick provides a lot of fun, and grandma adds a bit of spice as does the new town doctor. There's lots to like here, including the return of Emma from the first book in this series.

If you are fan of small town romance and romances that value the woman's journey, I think you might like Meet Me on Love Lane as I did.

A complimentary copy was provided.

***I received an ebook copy from the author at no cost***

Meet Me on Love Lane is the second book in Nina Bocci's Hopeless Romantics series. The story follows Charlotte, who finds herself returning to her hometown of Hope Lake after spending two decades in New York City. Some of the people are the same but, the town has changed, and it's nothing like Charlotte remembers. 

I loved getting to go back to Hope Lake. The small town has such a cozy and homey vibe to it. And, true to small town fashion, everyone knows everyone and there are no secrets. It doesn't take long for word to get around that Charlotte has returned. Soon she finds herself reconnecting with old friends and meeting some gentleman. There's Henry, the local high school English teacher that Charlotte has an immediate connection with, though she can't quite pinpoint why. And then there's Max, the new doctor at her father's clinic, who's smooth-talking and on a mission to woo Charlotte. 

This was a very cute and fun story. I loved getting to see Charlotte go through a sort of transformation. She left NYC under bad circumstances and, throughout her time in Hope Lake, was able to rediscover herself, build up relationships with her dad, grandma, and childhood friends, and to learn the meaning of love. 

I love Henry. He's the perfect gentleman—sweet, caring, and compassionate. He's the definition of a gentleman and over all the years, he's never forgotten Charlotte or what she meant to him. It was nice to get to see his story line play out. He deserves a happy ending.

I love Nina's writing. She brings out the humor and sass, but balances it with the sweet and fluffy. She crafts characters that are relateable and who I'd like to be friends with in my real life. Meet Me on Love Lane flowed well, was an easy read, and is well-written. The secondary characters contribute a lot to the story and help to make Hope Lake as fun and cozy of a town as it is. 

I can't wait to get my hands on the next story in this series. 

Five stars to this novel!

I was kinda looking forward to reading this one after the first book. Even though I did enjoy this book, I do think it was more about a woman on a journey of self discovery than about romance. As far as I know this is being billed as a romance book. I don’t think they really belong in this category when it’s only with a side of romance. I wanted more than that for Henry, and his book. Their “romance” never felt truly believable to me, it’s mostly because I never felt any sparks between them.

Besides all of that, the reason I marked this down was because I felt that a lot of the plot that should have been there for us was left out. Those things would have made the story more rounded and full. Also, there was several things that were a bit repetitive. That takes away from the story in my opinion.

I think I will read the next one, but I’m hoping for more from that one.

Small town romance lovers, are you there? I have something for you! MEET ME ON LOVE LANE by Nina Bocci is out, and you don’t want to miss it. Believe me!

Hope Lake is one of those idyllic places, even if it’s fictional, where you would love to live or go to visit from time to time, the vibrant vibe of the people, the stories behind every corner… it’s just charming and wonderful. So when I was offered the chance to read an advanced copy of Nina’s new novel I couldn’t say no.

This story in particular is about two friends separated at a young age, the painful memories associated to a place and the judgement that comes, not from your own experiences, but from the people you trust the most.

Charlotte Bishop comes to Hope Lake after a long time, and her memories of the place don’t seem to make it justice. She doesn’t remember a lot, in fact. But people in Hope Lake remember her. At least the version of her that left the town with her mom and that never came back. But this visit is supposed to be temporary, so she’s not worried about what people may or may not think about her, right? She’s there just to lay low and lick her wounds after being fired from her job.

But life never goes as planned, and Charlotte’s childhood friends are ready to prove her that home is where your heart beats faster and stronger. And Charlotte’s home is with Henry, once her best friend and now a man offering something she never knew she wanted. A happily ever after.

I loved this book so much. Every bit! It was fun, sweet and romantic! Nina Bocci delivered a wonderful piece about love, family and friendship, about finding your place in the world and holding onto the things that matter the most. I lived every piece of this story while reading this book, visited every shop and every street in Hope Lake, I imagined the characters walking on the streets… and you know what? It was magical. This book is magical. I can’t wait to see what Nina has in store for Nick and Parker on the next book.

This is the second book in Nina Bocci’s Hopeless Romantics series with On the Corner of Love and Hate being the first. While Meet Me on Love Lane can be read as a standalone, the first story does provide more insight into several of the characters who are back for another appearance.

When I first heard that Meet Me on Love Lane was coming out, I was incredibly excited because we were getting Henry’s story. Henry was one of my favorite side characters from On the Corner of Love and Hate as the sensitive and brooding English teacher.

Ten year olds Charlotte and Henry were best friends that couldn’t imagine life without one another. With Charlotte’s homelife collapsing due the poor choices her mentally ill mother made, Charlotte and Henry try to run away so that Charlotte’s mom can’t take her away from Hope Lake. Unfortunately, they are eventually found. Charlotte is forced to move to New York City with her mother leaving behind her father, grandmother (Gigi), and Henry in her wake. The trauma of leaving combined with her mother’s lies forces Charlotte to repress her memories of Hope Lake.

21 years later, Charlotte finds herself fired and blacklisted thanks to a misunderstanding. She can’t afford NYC, so she reluctantly decides to temporarily relocate to Hope Lake just until she can find her feet again. Her dad is still the town doctor. Even though Gigi retired from the practice, she is still beloved by everyone in town. All of Charlotte’s friends are still there, including Henry…but she can’t remember him or what he meant to her. Hope Lake was only meant to be temporary, but what will happen once Charlotte starts remembering her old life again?

Due to the nature of Charlotte’s repressed memories, this is a slow-burn romance that really doesn’t reveal itself until later in the book. The story mainly focuses on Charlotte immersing herself into the town of Hope Lake and reacquainting herself with the area as well as her Gigi and father. There were definitely times that I felt incredibly sorry for Charlotte because it was evident the effect that her mom’s lies had on her even into adulthood. There were also times that I was frustrated with her situation as well. I did love how the community came together to accept her and support her and not judge her for the past.

Overall, this is a truly heartwarming story that is more than a second chance romance. Meet Me on Love Lane is a reminder that we can always return home even in the darkest of times.

Thank you to Gallery Book and NetGalley for providing an eARC for review. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars. Meet Me on Love Lane is the second book in the Hopeless Romantics series. I enjoyed this book more than the first book, but I still didn't completely love it. This is Charlotte's story. Charlotte grew up in the small town of Hope Lake, but when her parents got divorced, her mentally ill mother took her from the town and she never returned. Now, she is back for the first time in many years, as an adult. She lost her job in NYC and has returned to stay with her father and grandmother. She catches back up with old friends and family, falls in love with the small town, finds her dream job and rekindles a new love with her childhood friend, Henry.

I enjoyed this story in general. I liked Charlotte, as well as the fun side characters. Henry was an okay character, but didn't have much personality. I just felt like the book was more of a women's fiction book than a romance. The story is Charlotte's story of finding herself and finding a home. She has some repressed memories about her old town and friends that she must recover, as well as some amends to make for her long absence. She grew as a person and came into her own there. The romance was very lukewarm and I felt no chemistry between the couple. They were barely even friends for most of the book, with a first kiss at 89% and one fade to black love scene. They get a happy for now ending, but there are no "I love you"s exchanged. Also, the book was also a little slow moving and there were a few scenes skipped, which was confusing at times. Still, I found the book enjoyable in general. I liked the story and found it much better than the first book in the series.

Overall, Meet Me on Love Lane has some sweet moments and a good story. I enjoyed seeing Charlotte find herself and make a happy life for herself in her charming home town. I wished for more romance, but I still found the book entertaining. If you like women's fiction, you will probably really enjoy this book.

I throughly enjoyed reading about the Small town of Hope Lake and Charlotte & Henry's story.
Author Nina Bocci vividly brings us into this world that comes to life off the pages as you read it.
I enjoyed the adventures of getting to know more about these characters and their second chance love they find within one another.
Best friends can be more and this book delivered it.
Great read to cozy up with a good hot cup of cocoa and a warm blanket while reading this book.
This book gave me the feels of falling in love with a good dose of humor.

4.5 🍒🍒🍒🍒popped!