REVIEW: Meet Me on Love Lane by Nina Bocci

In Meet Me on Love Lane (Hopeless Romantics #2) by Nina Bocci, Charlotte Bishop heard her mother say over and over during her childhood how much she hated Hope Lake, Pennsylvania. The place Charlotte lived until she was ten. The move to New York City was a huge one. And twenty-one years later, she’s still in the big city. Although now she has no option but to find her way back to Hope Lake after losing her job and any chance of getting hired in her industry again locally.

Gigi’s demeanor shifted…she whispered, “This is your house, Charlotte. You stay, you leave; you’re welcome here as long as you need to be. Get your feet back underneath you.”

Charlotte encounters an unfortunate, embarrassing series of events when she’s first back in Hope Lake. For someone who wants to fly under the radar and just heal emotionally from the last few months, she makes quite a stir right away. Getting to know her former childhood friends: Cooper, Nick and Henry, plus all the locals all over again has Charlotte feeling like things might turn out okay in her small hometown. But with two equally hunky and super nice guys making their intentions known, plus a career opportunity thrown her way, Charlotte has some major life decisions to make before the end of the summer rolls around.

“I know what you said about not starting something if I leave,” I said… “I understand why you feel that way. I just can’t help but think that we’re missing out on something special here.”

A swoony slow-burn romance, Meet Me on Love Lane was all about shared history, friendship, family, and finding your place in the world where you least expect it.

“Emma told me once that this place held a little bit of magic.
While I don’t necessarily believe in magic, I do believe that this place brings out what’s best in each of us.”

First of all, would you look at that beautiful cover! Second of all, it was wonderful being back in Hope Lake after having a blast with the characters in book one, On the Corner of Love and Hate, who all made a reappearance in this installment. Nina Bocci was on-point with keeping the small-town feel from our intro to Hope Lake. And the people were just as crazy, funny, and well-meaning as I remembered. But the memories–and friends–our heroine Charlotte had to relearn upon her arrival back to town was what made this such a page-turner and wreaked havoc on her and (one of our heroes) Henry’s lives.

Where this is a romantic comedy, we had so, so many hysterical scenes with poor Charlotte. Oh my goodness, but she made quite a few blunders–and quite the impression–when she rolled into Hope Lake for the first time in twenty years. She was a riot to get to know and had a lot going for her, with her witty comebacks, her knowledge of the floral industry (which came in handy…), and her kind heart. There was an interesting twist to why Charlotte hadn’t been back to town. Both sad and realistic in many ways. So it made things even more complicated when she got reacquainted with the town and the locals.

There was a bit of a love triangle this time–but no cheating! Charlotte was not prepared to stay in town for more than the summer so she was trying to keep things casual between the new hottie–I mean, doctor, Maxwell Reese; and with her former childhood best friend Henry Mercer. While I liked both guys, who were equally nice, I love a romance that grows out of friendship so I’ll admit I cheered on Henry from the start. What a terrific guy. *swoon* He was a teacher who adored his students and had a love of all things literary. And he was exceedingly thoughtful and oh so sweet. Henry was even close to Charlotte’s grandmother, whom everyone called Gigi. What a delight she was! We can only aspire to be that with it at age ninety. (lol)

A feel-good romance that will add a spring to your step and light a fire in your heart, Meet Me on Love Lane was a heartfelt follow up from one of my new favorite authors, Nina Bocci.

Book Info:

Publication: Published December 10th 2019 | Gallery Books | Hopeless Romantics #2

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of On the Corner of Love and Hate comes a romantic comedy about a woman who grudgingly returns home to small-town Pennsylvania, only to find herself falling in love—not only with the town, but with two of its citizens.

Charlotte Bishop is out of options in New York City. Fired, broke, and blacklisted by her former boss, she’s forced to return to her hometown of Hope Lake, PA to lick her wounds. Although she’s expecting to find a miserable place with nothing to do, she is pleasantly surprised to discover it is bustling and thriving.

She’s only supposed to be in Hope Lake temporarily until she can earn enough money to move back to New York. She’s not supposed to reconnect with her childhood friends or her beloved grandmother. She’s not supposed to find her dream job running the local florist shop. And she’s definitely not supposed to fall for not one but two of Hope Lake’s golden boys: one the beloved high school English teacher, the other the charming town doctor.

With a heart torn between two men and two cities, what’s a girl to do?

A perfect blend of humor and heart, Meet Me on Love Lane is the second in a new series from USA TODAY bestselling author Nina Bocci that is sure to charm fans of Josie Silver and Sally Thorne.