✰ Bianca ✰ Janeane ✰ 
• 20 August 2019
• standalone
• Hopeless Romantics #1
• standalone
• Hopeless Romantics #1
★★★★
4 Stars
For fans of Christina Lauren and Lauren Layne comes a delightfully sassy and sexy romance about a campaign manager who reluctantly works with the local Lothario to help revamp his image for the upcoming mayoral elections, only to discover that he’s hiding something that can turn both their lives upside down.
What’s a campaign manager’s worst nightmare? A smooth-talking charmer who’s never met a scandal that he didn’t like.
When Emmanuelle Peroni’s father—and mayor of her town—asks her to help rehab Cooper Endicott’s image, she’s horrified. Cooper drives her crazy in every way possible. But he’s also her father’s protégé, and she can’t say no to him without him finding out the reason why: Cooper and her have a messy past. So Emmanuelle reluctantly launches her father’s grand plan to get this Casanova someone to settle down with and help him lose his lothario reputation.
Cooper Endicott wanted to run for Mayor, but he never wanted the drama that went with it. Now that he’s on the political hamster wheel, the other candidates are digging up everythingfrom his past. Even though he’s doing all the right things, his colorful love life is the sticking point for many of the conservative voters. He wants to win, badly, and he knows that if he wants any chance of getting a vote from the female population, he needs to change his image. The only problem? He might just be falling in love with the one person he promised not to pursue: the Mayor’s off-limits daughter.
A perfect blend of humor and heart, On the Corner of Love and Hateis the first in a new series from USA TODAY bestselling author Nina Bocci.
Small lake town in the mountains of Pennsylvania.
Emma and Cooper.
They've known each other forever. They've been best friends growing up.
But they're not besties anymore.
There's still this mega attraction, but Emma is constantly hating on poor Cooper. Why, you ask?
He's a horrible manwhorish serial dater and he's not doing his job at the office properly. She has to work twice as hard because he's always out on business - aka a date!
And yup - they're working together for their town. For the mayor - who happens to be Emma's dad. And Emma's dad wants Cooper to be the new mayor. And Emma has to be the one to clean up his image and run his campaign!
Let the fun times begin ....
What will happen with Emma & Cooper?
Will there be a HEA?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT! ☺
Well, that was adorable!
First of all - before I start my tiny little rant and before I piss everybody off ☺ - I was really excited to read this book. I've had this on my list forever! Many book bloggers have known Nina for years as part of the book world - but this is her first solo book!
So please forgive me for anything stupid I'm about to say. I don't mean it in a bad or insulting way - but I'm always honest in my reviews!
I liked many parts of this book, but I also didn't like many parts of it.
I even loved parts. I wouldn't mind if all the people in it and the town and the politics - if this could somehow end up in a Netflix show. That would totally be something I would love to watch.
But as a book. Ugh. I don't know where to start. There's so much to say.
It's not a bad book. Not at all. The idea is really great. A friends to enemies to colleagues to frenemies to lovers small town politics romance. It's a great start.
I loved that all parents were amazing. Every other book these days has characters in it with horrible parents and childhoods. Emma's mom was the funniest thing about the book. Plus the two other best friends - who will be the stars of the next two books! Nick and Henry. Adorable! Unfortunately those will probably be only-female POV books again :/ More about my POV problem later.
What I didn't like about the book was that this was a waaay to slow slow-burn romance for my tastes. It's not even slow ... it's not happening at all really.
We start with Emma complaining about Cooper and hating on him and insulting him. She doesn't stop for a very long time - if at all. But we also understand from things being said, that both have been in love with each other since they were born.
And through all that hating on poor Cooper, we can't really fall in love with him, because he doesn't defend himself. He doesn't get a POV and we don't know what's in his heart and mind.
Plus with all that hating we kind of don't like Emma all that much.
So we have a slow-burn romance which is way too slow, plus a hero and heroine we can't really love ... not a good start for a romance!
Usually I like those cute small-town stories. But this one was just too typical prudish small-town America for my tastes. There was too much church-going/talk - I hate religion and I don't want that in my books. But I also know that it is part of that typical american small-town life - especially if you're the daughter of the mayor! But I still don't want it in my books.
Then there's no sexy-times at all. Just a tiny little bit toward the very end. Not even any sexy kisses - or even some sexy sparks between our darlings!
I also didn't understand why Emma is so mad at Cooper. Yes, okay. She's in love with him - always has been. But she doesn't know it - or she doesn't acknowledge it. So it's always hate hate hate. But it gets on the readers nerves about two pages into the book. It was too much.
The book already started confusing for me. On page one there's talk about an office and a tennis ball. So in my mind's movie theatre I saw Emma and a guy in an office watching a tennis game on TV because I thought that had something to do with their PR job. But nope - I found out a page later that it was just this immature, and in my mind, 20 year old intern Cooper, who was throwing a tennis ball against the wall. And yup - that's how we meet Cooper - add to that Emma's non-liking-him-description of him on those first two pages, and I was SHOCKED when I found out that Cooper is the HERO of this book. #Mindblown. That must've been the most un-cute meet-cute of a Hero and a reader ever. Sorry. And like I mentioned before - we don't really fall for him because we don't hear from him enough. I still liked him... but it wasn't enough.
I get that Nina wanted this to be a bit of a feminist thingy. And a bit of a preachy thingy with the politics and voting. But through all that ... Cooper and the love story got completely lost.
It was still a very sweet and very slow small-town love story.
Maybe it could've been a bit shorter - with more important moments happening and redundant stuff cut out. But I still liked it the way it was. It was interesting and sweet and a bit funny and cute. I will definitely read the next books! Maybe this wasn't just our day, dear book.
Will there be a HEA?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT! ☺
Well, that was adorable!
First of all - before I start my tiny little rant and before I piss everybody off ☺ - I was really excited to read this book. I've had this on my list forever! Many book bloggers have known Nina for years as part of the book world - but this is her first solo book!
So please forgive me for anything stupid I'm about to say. I don't mean it in a bad or insulting way - but I'm always honest in my reviews!
I liked many parts of this book, but I also didn't like many parts of it.
I even loved parts. I wouldn't mind if all the people in it and the town and the politics - if this could somehow end up in a Netflix show. That would totally be something I would love to watch.
But as a book. Ugh. I don't know where to start. There's so much to say.
It's not a bad book. Not at all. The idea is really great. A friends to enemies to colleagues to frenemies to lovers small town politics romance. It's a great start.
I loved that all parents were amazing. Every other book these days has characters in it with horrible parents and childhoods. Emma's mom was the funniest thing about the book. Plus the two other best friends - who will be the stars of the next two books! Nick and Henry. Adorable! Unfortunately those will probably be only-female POV books again :/ More about my POV problem later.
What I didn't like about the book was that this was a waaay to slow slow-burn romance for my tastes. It's not even slow ... it's not happening at all really.
We start with Emma complaining about Cooper and hating on him and insulting him. She doesn't stop for a very long time - if at all. But we also understand from things being said, that both have been in love with each other since they were born.
And through all that hating on poor Cooper, we can't really fall in love with him, because he doesn't defend himself. He doesn't get a POV and we don't know what's in his heart and mind.
Plus with all that hating we kind of don't like Emma all that much.
So we have a slow-burn romance which is way too slow, plus a hero and heroine we can't really love ... not a good start for a romance!
Usually I like those cute small-town stories. But this one was just too typical prudish small-town America for my tastes. There was too much church-going/talk - I hate religion and I don't want that in my books. But I also know that it is part of that typical american small-town life - especially if you're the daughter of the mayor! But I still don't want it in my books.
Then there's no sexy-times at all. Just a tiny little bit toward the very end. Not even any sexy kisses - or even some sexy sparks between our darlings!
I also didn't understand why Emma is so mad at Cooper. Yes, okay. She's in love with him - always has been. But she doesn't know it - or she doesn't acknowledge it. So it's always hate hate hate. But it gets on the readers nerves about two pages into the book. It was too much.
The book already started confusing for me. On page one there's talk about an office and a tennis ball. So in my mind's movie theatre I saw Emma and a guy in an office watching a tennis game on TV because I thought that had something to do with their PR job. But nope - I found out a page later that it was just this immature, and in my mind, 20 year old intern Cooper, who was throwing a tennis ball against the wall. And yup - that's how we meet Cooper - add to that Emma's non-liking-him-description of him on those first two pages, and I was SHOCKED when I found out that Cooper is the HERO of this book. #Mindblown. That must've been the most un-cute meet-cute of a Hero and a reader ever. Sorry. And like I mentioned before - we don't really fall for him because we don't hear from him enough. I still liked him... but it wasn't enough.
I get that Nina wanted this to be a bit of a feminist thingy. And a bit of a preachy thingy with the politics and voting. But through all that ... Cooper and the love story got completely lost.
It was still a very sweet and very slow small-town love story.
Maybe it could've been a bit shorter - with more important moments happening and redundant stuff cut out. But I still liked it the way it was. It was interesting and sweet and a bit funny and cute. I will definitely read the next books! Maybe this wasn't just our day, dear book.
ON THE CORNER OF LOVE AND HATE was a very sweet and slow-burnish small-town politics love story! Run to your nearest amazon asap for your own Cooper - he'll be sold out in no time !!!
↓ LINKS TO THE BOOKs & AUTHOR ↓
Pre-Order Book #2
ARC received for an honest review
Nina Bocci has been a big part of the book world for years, and after collaborating, On The Corner of Love and Hate is her first solo release - yay Nina!
I live in a small town, so I adore a story set in a small town. I love a friends/enemies to lovers story.
Though our lovelies Emma and Cooper are not on the corner of love and hate - they are pretty much toeing the white line down the middle of a national highway!
It did take me a while to get into this one - I think Cooper at the beginning was so unlikable that he just frustrated and annoyed me. I hated that he had everyone snowed and they all thought he was the bees knees when we could see that he wasn't all that.
And Emma - hoy, make up your mind girly! If you don't want to do something he asks you, don't get sh!tty when someone else does it.
This does have that small town, a bit prudish feel to it (that's probably just me though.) It felt more like a bible belt, southern town rather than up in Pennsylvania. I think the only thing missing was somebody clutching their pearls lol.
I did like the secondary characters and am looking forward to Nick and Henry's stories to come in the future.
I did like that there wasn't toooo much drama or angst - yes, our lovelies had their problems, however there was nothing too OTT or stupid.
I also did find that at times, this story was a bit verbose (look at me, pulling the big words out today!) and could have been 20 or 30 pages shorter.
I liked the story, it flowed well and kept me captivated.
I am now looking forward to see what happens in Hope Lake next.
Nina Bocci has been a big part of the book world for years, and after collaborating, On The Corner of Love and Hate is her first solo release - yay Nina!
I live in a small town, so I adore a story set in a small town. I love a friends/enemies to lovers story.
Though our lovelies Emma and Cooper are not on the corner of love and hate - they are pretty much toeing the white line down the middle of a national highway!
It did take me a while to get into this one - I think Cooper at the beginning was so unlikable that he just frustrated and annoyed me. I hated that he had everyone snowed and they all thought he was the bees knees when we could see that he wasn't all that.
And Emma - hoy, make up your mind girly! If you don't want to do something he asks you, don't get sh!tty when someone else does it.
This does have that small town, a bit prudish feel to it (that's probably just me though.) It felt more like a bible belt, southern town rather than up in Pennsylvania. I think the only thing missing was somebody clutching their pearls lol.
I did like the secondary characters and am looking forward to Nick and Henry's stories to come in the future.
I did like that there wasn't toooo much drama or angst - yes, our lovelies had their problems, however there was nothing too OTT or stupid.
I also did find that at times, this story was a bit verbose (look at me, pulling the big words out today!) and could have been 20 or 30 pages shorter.
I liked the story, it flowed well and kept me captivated.
I am now looking forward to see what happens in Hope Lake next.
↓ LINKS TO THE BOOKs & AUTHOR ↓
Pre-Order Book #2
Nina writing with Alice Clayton:
