On the Corner of Love and Hate (Hopeless Romantics, #1)

by Nina Bocci

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 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.

• ISBN10: 1982102039
• ISBN13: 9781982102036
• Publish Date: 20 August 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Emma and Cooper had been thick as thieves as kids, but they drifted apart in college. After graduation, they both returned to their hometown, and even got jobs working together, but Emma was never able to rekindle that friendship she once had with Cooper. When his campaign for mayor hit a snag, Cooper recruited Emma to help, and as the two began spending more and more time together, Emma must confront the confusing feelings she had for her best friend turned frenemy.

This book started really strong for me, and the ending had me feeling all sorts of wonderful, but there were a few ups and downs in-between.

This book was funny. Emma had a great voice. I found her witty and amusing, and I there were so many hilarious interactions between her and other members of Hope Lake. What can I say, good banter goes a long way with me.

I was also a fan of the town and all the wonderful denizens, who filled it. Small towns are always fabulous, and with this focusing on the politics and community, I really got to get acquainted with Hope Lake, which seems like a fabulous place to live.

I though Bocci did a great job weaving Emma and Cooper's history into this tale. She shared so many of their memories, both happy and painful, and I loved having that window into their shared past. It helped me see how they got to where they are and also better understand why they were making these particular choices.

I liked Emma right away, even if she was in all sorts of denial, but I grew to love Cooper. Initially, I found him to be a cocky jerk, but as the campaign continued, I got to see a different side of him. I also thought he was way more honest, than Emma. There were some moments that he made me swoon and drove me to happy tears, and I was definitely part of his fan club by the end.

I believe this series will be focusing on the friend-quartet, and I am there for those books. It was insta-love for me with Henry. He was just so sweet and caring and considerate, and I really need to see him get his HEA. The other friend, Nick, amused me, and I am interested in getting to know him better.

Though there were a few things that didn't totally work for me, I found myself enjoying watching Cooper and Emma finally acknowledge their festering feelings, and I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

[whisperingchapters]

Okay... Let's see how this review goes.

As the synopsis says, Emma is asked by her father to help reform Cooper's image and help him with the campaign.

That being said, this started happening from chapter 9. The first 8 chapters were there to, I guess, set the tone of the story. I just wonder why it took so long. At the moment, I remember loving those first few chapters. It wasn't until all the campaign strategies started happening that I started to lose interest, mainly due to the fact that I felt it kept being dragged. In my opinion, I think it could have ended way earlier than it did. Because of this, I got bored.

Onto the characters, which I enjoyed a lot. First, we have Emma. I love how in-control, organized, and quirky she is. I loved being inside her head. Then, we obviously have Cooper. Being honest here, I didn't feel much for Cooper. I felt more for the other two guys in this foursome than I did Cooper, which says a lot since Cooper is the male MC.

Finally, we have Nick and Henry. Man, I loved these two! I'm pretty sure I kept reading this story for these two characters so I'm super eager to read their story! They were hilarious! And personality wise, I started falling for both. Henry is the one that's more put-together and has a good head on his shoulders. Nick still likes the "dating" scene, if you know what I mean. But both of them are loyal to a T. I can't wait to read how Henry gets ruffled and looser with whoever he ends up with, and for Nick, I canNOT wait to see how he gets put in his place and watch him fall hard!

The "romance": Emma and Cooper used to be friends. Things happened in their lives that pushed Emma away for the sake of her heart. And now she can't really stand Cooper but she at least tolerates him. I mean, I feel like this was more of a Women's Fiction (the genre Romance should be taken out of this book). Emma and Cooper never acted on their feelings until the very end. The majority of the story was mostly focused on the campaign and Emma's job. So if you think you're getting some Romance here and there with this one, think again.

Overall, On the Corner of Love and Hate started out strong for me, but lost its strength along the way. It kept being dragged when it could have ended sooner. Despite this, will I continue the series? Yes! I need to know Nick's and Henry's stories!!!

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[Jeff Sexton]

Small Town Politics. Small Town Romance. This book does an excellent job of showing both small town romance and small town politics - and take it from someone who has actually ran a couple of small town City Council races himself. ;) Lots of angst, yet still reads like a Hallmark movie and is told from the singular perspective of the female - a rarity in my experience these days. Truly great work, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing where Bocci goes in the sequel. Very much recommended.