Passion on Park Avenue was my first Lauren Layne book, and I loved it. I didn't realize that it was the first in a trilogy that centers on one of three best friends (this one is Naomi's story) when I started reading it, but I'm so glad and now want to read Love on Lexington Avenue asap!

Thrillers and suspense novels are my go-to genre, but romantic comedies are my guilty pleasure. I've been in a bit of a reading and life slump lately where not much has interested me, but these are exactly the kinds of books that have gotten me through because they are quick, fun, and who doesn't love a good romance?

The novel starts out in the most engaging way: Naomi is on her way to her dead lover's funeral when instead she makes best friends with two of the most unlikely women ever and I do mean ever! You wouldn't think their friendship would work or their pact to help each other find the right man, but it really does. All three are strong characters and what emerges is strong female friendships that provide the backbone of the novel.

Naomi is a self-made billionaire with her own company, but that wasn't always the case. She grew up poor, and Naomi has promised herself that one day she'd get revenge on the old moneyed family who fired and blackballed her mother when she was their housekeeper and made their lives miserable by default. When she gets the chance to move into the co-op on Park Ave where they once lived, Naomi's determined to prove herself to the Cunninghams...except Oliver is no longer the bully she remembers from their childhood but instead there is sizzling chemistry between the two in between their back and forth snarky, witty banter, and his father has Alzheimer's and can't be punished for past misdeeds he doesn't even remember. 

I've been loving the enemies to lovers romance plot lately, and Layne did an excellent job with it in PoPA. The two had that wonderful chemistry that just oozed off the pages and both were so likable! All the characters in PoPa were likable, and I really loved was the focus on the friendships between Naomi, Claire, and Audrey. This is actually a really sweet, heartwarming romance

Passion on Park Avenue is a great summer read―definitely add this enemies to lovers romance to your summer reading list, especially if your a fan of Christina Lauren books because if so, you'll love this!

**Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC to read in exchange for my fair and honest review.**

Another winner from Lauren Layne! I love the premise of this series: that instead of turning on each other, three women formed a friendship instead of fighting each other when they discovered they had all inadvertently been with the same man. The romance between Naomi and Oliver was so great, the perfect slow burn. The additional layer of Oliver dealing with being a caretaker for a sick parent was also interesting, and felt very real. This is a perfect summer read; a book that’s easy but still has some depth.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.

Lauren Layne debuts her Central Park Pact series with a delectable tale of the sassy self-made billionaire Naomi Powell who is determined to prove her worth to the Manhattan elite.

When Oliver Cunningham was tasked to interview the feisty redhead interested in moving next door to him, he was captivated by her beauty and intrigued by her instant disdain towards him. He couldn’t help but vote for her to move in because there’s nothing better than solving a beautiful puzzle. But will he be able to see past her deceit once he does?

Naomi is in the women’s accessories business, not into flaunting her success. But when she gets the opportunity to move into the luxurious apartment building on Park Avenue where she briefly lived many years ago when her mother worked as a live-in maid, she can’t pass up the chance.

Now that Naomi has the chance to boast her success at snobby family her mother used to work for she realizes that the boy who tormented her is now a gorgeously charming grown man caring for his ailing father and is no longer interested in revealing their shared history, especially when she starts to fall for Oliver.

Even though it was a slow enemies to lovers burn, I really enjoyed Oliver and Naomi’s verbal sparring and relationship development. Besides being smart and attractive, Oliver grew up to be a kind, thoughtful and easygoing man. I couldn’t help but cheer him on. Naomi continuously found herself conflicted by her past grudge and present pull towards the Cunningham men, and I appreciated how she worked through it.

As is part of her signature, Layne also permeates the novel with the lovely New York background. But the heart of this series lies in the unlikely but true friendship formed by Naomi and two other Upper East Side women who are perfect fodder for this new romance series for which Layne set the groundwork for in this first installment. The most touching passages are a testament to friendship and sisterhood.

Passion on Park Avenue is a lighthearted, feel-good story with a well-developed plot in which Layne expertly pens a delightful cast of characters I can’t wait to read more of.

Passion on Park Avenue is book #1 of the Central Park Pact series by Lauren Layne. It’s a standalone, contemporary romance, told from both points of view with a happy ending.

I’m not new to Lauren Layne’s books and I have absolutely loved everything I have read by her and this one was no different.
First off, I love how Naomi, Claire and Audrey become friends. It was different, unique and gives them a fun story how they all connected. Passion on Park Avenue is Naomi’s story.
Her lease is up, so time to beginning apartment hunting, until she receives a phone call to interview for an apartment on 517 Park Ave. When she goes to her interview, she runs into the bane of her childhood existence. She instantly recognizes Oliver, but he has no idea who she is, other than the fact that he is EXTREMELY fascinated with this woman. She’s a puzzle he wants to solve.
The relationship was Oliver and Naomi is slow build. It started out as enemies, well mostly for Naomi, then slowly developed into a friendship, then slowly that friendship became something more. Though, Naomi was still hiding her true identity from Oliver. She wasn’t out for revenge against what him and his family did to her but she was looking for closure on that chapter of her life.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was fun, light, refreshing and sweet. There were some passionate kisses, but this book wasn’t heavy on the steamy scenes, but honestly I think it was perfect for the story.
I can’t wait to see what is in store next with the second book, which we already know is Claire’s story. For any fans of Lauren Layne or anyone look for a refreshing romance story I HIGHLY recommend this book!

For anyone who loved the movie The Other Woman, you will love the foundation of this book. Naomi, a strong and accomplished woman with a very hard shell has an opportunity to face her past that she tried so hard to escape from and overcome. She is used to being an independent woman, with very few friends, who told herself long ago that she would never cry over a man. This book just goes to show that your pre-conceived notions can be misguiding, rather it’s about being present and open to shifting your mindset. If you live in the past, you will remain closed off to many opportunities, but once you let your guard down and allow yourself to be present, you may just find things you never thought you needed. This love story had a one-sided love-hate trope to it and it really drew me in and kept me captivated throughout. I love Lauren Layne’s writing style and am so grateful that Lisa Filipe reached out to me to review this book so that I could be introduced to this beautiful writer. This was my first book by this author, but definitely will not be my last. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Special thanks to Lauren Layne, Lisa Filipe, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you so much to Gallery Books and Netgalley for sending this to me!!

I really enjoyed this one! It was super fast paced, addicting, light, and reminded me a lot of Sex and the City with a splash of Gossip Girl! I blew through this in two sittings and was surprised at how quickly I devoured this one!

This follows extremely successful Naomi as she comes to term with her past. She makes two of the best of friends in the most strangest circumstance. I love how unique the situation was and the friendship aspect in this book was a huge highlight. I loved how they all built this bond from such an awful situation and I’m so excited for Audrey and Claire to find their happily ever after. When Naomi moves into Park Avenue, which was a place that has a lot of history for her and her mom, she has to come face to face with the man who betrayed her mom and his son, who was a schoolyard bully all growing up. The only thing is that what she finds isn’t who she expects and she has to come to terms with learning how to forgive and move on while falling in love with the boy she thought she knew.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Oliver and Naomi but I wish it wasn’t as much fade to black as it was. They didn’t have as many “sexy” scenes as I was hoping for, but they did have a lot of great banter and chemistry. I just felt like it went in circles a lot of the time and I just wanted them to be together already!! This is where my problems really were, especially with Naomi. I thought she was frustrating at times and I just wanted her to TALK TO OLIVER! The biggest conflict was miscommunication between them and it was just driving me insane. That being said, when we finally did get it, I was so excited only to realize I was way past the 80% mark and the book was almost done. I would have loved to stay with their relationship for a bit longer but I’m excited that this is a series and I’m hopeful we’ll get to see more cuteness from them in the future.

I really appreciated that this book dealt with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. My grandmother suffers from this disease and I felt so deeply for Oliver. I’ve never read a book before that featured that and it was such a huge part of Oliver’s life. All the times when he couldn’t go out or do normal things because he had to take care of his dad, I completely understood that because that’s how it was like for me and my family when my grandma lived with us before we had to put her in a home. I was personally able to connect with all those moments and I really loved all the family scenes with Walter!

I also loved the Anne of Green Gables mentions! It was so cute!! The writing was great as well and I’m so excited to read more from this series and watch all the girls find their happily ever afters!

A Stylish Take on the Power of Friendship and Forgiveness!

Passion Park Avenue is a slightly new Lauren Layne, the stunning fashion, snappy dialogue, and characters that you instantly connect with are all still there, but now there’s a deeper focus on the bonds of friendship and self discovery.

Naomi and Oliver have a past that only she recalls but that has shaped who both of them have become and who they want to be. Because of this past, the romance between these two is a slow burn that finally flames into a gentle fire in the depths of New York’s winter.

However, at the heart of this story is the friendship between Naomi, Audrey, and Claire who meet under unusual circumstances, at best, but form a deep bond due to a shared experience. I loved this element of the story as it reminded me of one of my all time favorite girl power movies, The First Wives Club.

If you’re a fan of Lauren Layne, I think you’ll love this new direction as much as I do...and you’ll be shipping Claire and Scott!!!

I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.

I’ve read quite a few LL books and she never disappoints! I love her style of writing, her use of humor and snark and her ability to create fun, relatable characters that you like instantly. This is the first in a new series following a group of new friends living in NYC and I’m so excited to see where things are headed next.

From the first chapter I was hooked, Naomi meets two new potential friends in the most bizarre way, think the opposite of a romantic meet cute, except it is kind of cute. Anyway, it was a solid way to reel me in and get me invested in these women and their lives and their friendship may have been unlikely but it feels fun and genuine. On the romance side of things is the good old enemies to lovers trope, why do I love this tried and true storyline so much?! I think it’s because if it’s executed well there’s always amazing chemistry and witty banter and LL has that down pat. Oliver was exactly the kind of leading man that I like, charming and smart, a little reserved but you just know there’s more to him than meets the eye.

I got serious Christina Lauren vibes from this one and that’s a huge compliment from me cause I’m obsessed with them, but with less sex. That appeals to me though, I like all the sweet parts in a romance novel and don’t really need the steam. This isn’t totally clean but it’s pretty damn close, so keep that in mind depending on your personal preferences. Overall a fabulous read, I think it’s her best yet and I can’t wait for the second book!

Passion on Park Avenue in three words: Witty, Sassy and Amusing

Cute, but angsty story. I really loved Naomi. Her rags to riches story was admirable and I loved her strength of character. Oliver was such a pleasant surprise in a hero. I loved how down to earth he was and how much he took his responsibilities seriously. This is definitely a slow burn, but doesn’t pack as much heat as I usually liked. It still worked fantastically. Once these two finally get passed their differences, they are perfect together. Looking forward to Audrey and Claire’s stories.

I am so torn about this book. On one hand, it's just fluff, and there were things that drove me crazy (for example, why on Park Avenue are they always taking the stairs to their apartment?), but on the other hand, I devoured it in a day and couldn't put it down. While I'm not necessarily the target reader, I have to admit, it sucked me in! Not the best plot, not the best writing, little character development with several farfetched aspects, but certainly engaging and fun. I have to give it, and the author, its due! Rounding up from 3.5 stars.

ARC Provided by netgalley for an honest review!

As a connoisseur of anything that Lauren Layne writes, I was again blown away with her ability to create complex, relatable, and most of all, likable, characters that suck you into their stories! What do you do when first(and sometimes last) impressions of someone turn out to be wrong? This is what the novel hints at with Naomi and Oliver. I’m already looking forward to Claire and Audrey’s story’s to follow! Great easy read!!

<strong>Passion on Park Avenue</strong> is the first book in <a href="http://bookbinge.com/reviews/authors/lauren-layne/" target="_blank">Lauren Layne's</a> new <a href="http://bookbinge.com/reviews/series/central-park-pact/" target="_blank">Central Park Pact</a> series and it kicks off a series of three women who became friends on the day of their boyfriend's funeral. Yeah, all three had the same boyfriend but they didn't know that they were sharing. It's a weird premise but I think Layne did a great job of making it work. Each woman is different in personality and even in looks but it doesn't take a genius to know why Brayden (the dead ex) was attracted to all of them. They're all gorgeous and they're all successful in their own way. I enjoyed getting to know each of them in this book. I also look forward to getting to know them some more in the other books.

In <strong>Passion on Park Avenue</strong> we get Naomi Powell's story. She grew up around rich people but her mother was the housekeeper of a rich family and Naomi holds a lot of resentment for the family that her mother worked for. They were thrown out without a reference and Naomi's Mom never really picked herself up so there was a lot of struggle for Naomi growing up. Naomi worked hard as hell to get to where she is these days. Gone are the days of struggling for Naomi. She's smart, strong, and driven and that is what it took to get her accessories business, Maxcessories, off the ground. Naomi is the proud business owner of one of the biggest accessories business and her life is going great until she receives a phone call about an apartment opening she applied for...in <em>that</em> building. The building that her mother used to work in. The same building that Naomi and her mother were thrown out of. The building that <em>that</em> family lives in, a family that Naomi has no interest in seeing ever again until curiosity gets the best of her.

Naomi is surprised by how mad she still is at Oliver Cunningham for not telling the truth the day that her and her mother were kicked out of the building. She understands that they were kids but the resentment is strong and she is having trouble letting it all go. When she moves into the building, she does it thinking that she is going to get the closure she needs so that she can finally move on from it all but moving in, means living so close to Oliver, who doesn't know who she is and getting closer to the man he grew up to be...and she really likes that guy. To make things even worse, she winds up helping Oliver with his father and she hates him even more than she thought she hated Oliver. The game was changed on Naomi and she spends most of the book trying to grow and move on from the past and that would have been fine and dandy if it didn't take her so long to come clean about who she really was with Oliver.

Naomi does a lot of growing in this book and I enjoyed seeing her really come into her own without the baggage from a past that should have been left in the past. Seeing her deal with all of her emotional hangups made for a great reading adventure. There aren't any love scenes in this book and I was okay with that. There is still plenty of romance between her and Oliver and Lauren Layne still delivered a fabulous story that I enjoyed. My hangups were mostly with how long it took Naomi to come clean but other than that? This was a fantastic contemporary romance with a cast of characters that I'm looking forward to get to know in the other books. I'm hoping that we'll get a best friends to lovers story for Audrey and Clark. Fingers crossed.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.com for the advanced eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was the fluff I needed in my life right now! While I would have loved a tad more conflict between the ladies in the beginning, I love the premise and set up for what is obviously going to become a trilogy of everyone finding the love they need in their lives.. While a little cookie cutter (a blonde, a brunette and a redhead - imagine that), the witty banter between the ladies, Naomi and her assistant and even Oliver and his bestie is worth the read.

Its quick, its light, and could be an awesome beach read - Thank you!

I enjoyed this book even more than I expected to. I was a little concerned at first, when Naomi first meets her two new friends, but I soon see why they met the way they did.

Naomi is a strong woman, making her own way with a very successful company. After her current boyfriend dies suddenly, exposing a trail of secrets and lies, Naomi isn't looking to get involved with another man any time soon, but she does find herself looking for a new place to live. When the opportunity for revenge lands her in a posh building on Park Avenue near her long ago nemesis, Oliver Cunningham, Naomi is torn trying to reconcile her memories of the past with the Oliver in her present.

Oliver is attracted to his beautiful, successful new neighbor, but he cannot figure out why she hates him so much. Oliver doesn't have time to worry about that however, his father's Alzheimer's keeps Oliver on his toes. Especially when his father so often ends up in Naomi's apartment when he wanders away from his own.

I had fun watching Naomi and Oliver navigate their way around and then toward each other. Their friendship was unconventional, but also undeniable.

Passion on Park Avenue is romantic and sweet and set up the rest of the Central Park Pact series perfectly and I am anxiously awaiting Claire's turn at love.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley but all opinions provided are my own.

Sometimes you have a satisfying relationship with a man who seems like exactly what you want; other times he dies and you discover that he’s already married with another (inadvertent) mistress on the side.

Oops.

But in this story about female empowerment, the three women form a pact to help each other weed through other possible liars/cheaters/unsuitables, and a true female friendship is born.

Passion on Park Avenue sparkles, but it’s also substantive, with characters who have suffered their share of heartbreaks even if they are all rich and pretty. Layne is a beautiful writer; every sentence falls smoothly, every character is fleshed-out, and as a reader, I had all the faith that she was taking me to a stellar HEA in the specific lovely way that Layne does it.

Each wronged woman’s voice in Passion on Park Avenue packs a punch, and Naomi’s is my favorite. She’s a one-liner champ, usually aimed toward the man who wronged them all. She’s sophisticated and determined, wry and intimidating, and also, far underneath, scared. She’s been carrying a lot of baggage, and part of it involves our hero, Oliver, who used to torment her as a child, and part of it involves Oliver's dad, who was awful.

​But you can’t keep a boss heroine down, especially this one, who is unapologetically ambitious and determined (even if she can’t manage to make herself reveal her real identity to Oliver). This becomes even more of a pickle after she deliberately pursues an apartment in their building under Oliver's misapprehension...

The secret identity trope is kind of a hard one for an over-sharer like myself. When I read books like this and the character thinks how they should tell the truth but…, I think: TELL IT ALREADY. It’s well done here—Layne makes it really clear why Naomi has such a hard time with it and why the past still has a stranglehold on her, the break-up will rip your heart out, and the reconciliation, which involves a literary allusion that always makes me beam, will piece it back together.

And speaking of piecing things together *wink* there are no explicit sex scenes in this book. This is not really a spoiler because Layne has shared this on her Instagram account. Is the book still really good? Yes. Is it still sexy? Yes. Did I miss the scenes? Yes.

What’s even better than finishing a book that grabs you by the heart? Knowing that there are at least two more coming. *Raises a mug of champagne in toast.

Q: what's your celebratory drink of choice? Mine is champagne.

(4.5 stars)

Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne is the 1st book in her new Central Park Pact series. We meet our heroine, Naomi Powell, as she attends the funeral of her now deceased boyfriend. What Naomi finds is that her ex was married, something she did not know. When she decides to leave the funeral parlor, she ends up in a park and meets two other women; one the wife and the other a mistress. From that point on, the three ladies will become friends, to help each from making another grave mistake in choosing another ‘bad boy’, and to be there for each other. I really did enjoy the concept of the three women who actually got past the cheating husband/boyfriend, and turned out to be fabulous friends supporting each other.

Naomi, who is now a very successful entrepreneur, plans on moving to a new fashionable condo, but is offered a different and older condo that has a past that she cannot forget. Seems Naomi’s mom was a housekeeper for the Cunningham’s a number of years ago, and when it is discovered that she was sleeping with the patriarch, the mother was let go. They had to struggle for a number of years, and Naomi has never forgotten. When she decides to move to the Park Avenue condo, she meets her childhood nemesis, Oliver Cunningham (our hero) and the Cunningham father, who now has Alzheimer’s.

Oliver and Naomi get off the wrong foot, as she keeps her secret who she really is, and he cannot understand why she hates him so much.

Naomi’s coldness to Oliver and his father will slowly evaporate, as she begins to have sympathy for the father, who remembers nothing of when her mother was kicked out. I did like Naomi, who as a tough, smart and savvy business woman who was determined to rise above the poverty they suffered during her childhood; however, at times I thought she was a bit hard on Oliver, but that changed. I loved her friendship with Claire and Audrey, which was a lot of fun and their camaraderie. I really did like Oliver, as he was someone who was her equal in being smart and savvy, not to mention sexy. Slowly Naomi’s walls come crumbling down, as she realizes she is falling hard for Oliver, as he is not the 10 year old boy who tormented her. The sins of the father no longer mattered, especially with his mind gone.

What follows is a slow built enemy to lover’s romance, that will have some hardships along the way. What will Oliver do when he finds out who Naomi really is? The story was very well written by Lauren Layne, as she also created some wonderful characters, which makes me want to see more of the other ladies in the future books; which I hear will be Claire’s book. Passion on Park Avenue was a fun story, with lots of charisma. I suggest you start this series.

I’ve read a few books by Lauren Layne, but I have to admit, the gorgeous cover immediately sold me on trying this one. Passion on Park Avenue is the story of Naomi and Oliver, but it sets the stage for the entire Central Park Pact series and it’s a solid introduction to the characters and future storylines.

Naomi is a strong, successful businesswoman who comes from humble beginnings. One of her goals in life has been to prove to herself and everyone else that she belongs in the crowd of movers and shakers. After her mother passes away, Naomi finds out that her name has been selected for an apartment in the building where she spent time as a child. The time she spent there was not pleasant and ended abruptly, sending her mother scrambling for a new job and a new place for them to live.

Unbeknownst to Oliver, he shares a past with the vivacious and snarky woman sitting across from him as he interviews her for the potential apartment. He may not recognize her, but she knows exactly who he is—and she has something to prove. They forge an interesting relationship after that first meeting, mostly consisting of Oliver being adorable and Naomi being prickly. Once she starts to get to really know who Oliver has become as an adult and sees what his life is like now, she finally lets her guard down.

I thought that the idea behind the ‘pact’ of the three women made for an intriguing start to the story, but I liked that the situation also serves as the foundation of a lifelong friendship between the ladies. There are times where Naomi is hardheaded and not easy to like, but her friends are more levelheaded and help to bring her back to her senses. I had a hard time connecting with her, however, Oliver makes for a swoony hero and I really enjoyed the chapters from his perspective. Overall, I enjoyed the first book of the series and I am looking forward to the next book!

This book was unlike any other by Lauren Layne that I have ever read. At first I was really unsure if I would like it. The beginning with three women befriending each other after they discover that they have all been done wrong by the same man,the day of the funeral of that man, did not seem like an illustrious start to me. Then Naomi's thought process when she moved into her Park Avenue apartment seemed flimsy at best, However something kept me turning me the pages and that something was Oliver. He easily elevated this book from a three star read to a four star one. I loved everything about him, Other aspects of the book grew on me, especially the friendship between Naomi, Clare, and Audrey and I am looking forward to reading the next books in the series.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

It has been a while since I have read a Lauren Layne book ,so why not dive back in with Passion On Park Avenue.

This did start off in an unusual way, and you will need to suspend your sense of belief right from the start, as there is no way that things would really go the way they did.

I did like the friendships that Naomi made at the beginning of the book, and was curious as to how they maintained throughout the story.

Oliver was wonderful - though I am not sure I would put up with the way Naomi was with him for as long as he did.

I wanted to shake some sense into Naomi on more than one occasion, and did the epic eye roll at her at times - I mean, really lady, really? I think if it was not for her friends and their influence on her, I could have really not liked her at all.

But this could all just be me.

I am looking forward to seeing where the author takes these friendships and relationships i the future.

Who doesn’t love New York in spring!? This was the perfect place for the perfect romance. This book was funny and believable and enchanting all at once. The characters were all likable and made me want to book the next ticket to New York!