Hope Lake is hometown for Emmanuelle, a.k.a. Emma Peroni and Cooper Endicott. Her father, Enrico Peroni, or Mayor Dad as she refers to him, has served for over twenty years and is loved by everyone. Cooper's mother, Clare, is Governor of the State of pennsylvania. The only time Cooper and Emma have left Hope Lake is when they attended college.
Upon their return, they work for the Hope Lake Community Development Office, where they have a hand in everything. Permits, parades, all social events, plus aid any new business desiring to become part of Hope Lake. . . They work hard to keep their small town happy and thriving. Mayor Dad is retiring and Cooper is running to become the next Mayor. It is time to retire and spend time with his beloved wife Sophia. Cooper is his pick and his protege Mayor Dad has asked Emma to be Cooper's campaign manager but she is hesitant. Emma was childhood friends with Cooper, Henry and Nick and their foursome were inseparable. Emma had a crush on Cooper but he managed to break her heart two times. Now she is keeping her distance, refusing to admit his physical attraction. She can not refuse her dad. Connor's Casanova reputation is negative, as are the many zany stories of his escapades. They must be cleaned up as his playboy image will not win him this election. Can she ignore her love/hate feelings until after the election Can she help him win?
The campaign between Cooper and opponent Kirby Rogers was a study of two different personalities. Kirby, a member of the Town Council for several years, has a different scenario for the future of Hope Lake. Malls and big city stores. . . Farewell to the boutiques and mom and pop shops so loved by tourists visiting there. Dirty politics was his forte. How easy to publish untrue stories about Cooper with the help of the local newspaper editor. Cooper has his own plans for his town and works hard to show them in a positive light.
Nina Bocci is a wonderful storyteller. I love her characters especially Emma's mother and father. Her mother adores Cooper and secretly teaches Cooper, Henry, and Tony to cook. She is hoping for Cooper and Emma to become serious. The scenes between Emma and her dad are sweet and precious.
I also loved Henry. Such a wise and funny friend, loyal to both Cooper and Emma. He gives such sage advice. Wish they would listen to him be!cause he is right on target. Lots of snark and sass from Emma and Cooper. Finally, after the election, Cooper makes a unique proposal to Emma that made my heart happy. ON THE CORNER OF LOVE AND HATE is a delight with a cast of characters that you will adore. Brava, Nina Bocci.
For fans of Christina Lauren and Lauren Layne comes a
delightfully “fun bit of fluffy entertainment”
(Publishers Weekly) 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.