An Oprah.com Best Romance Novel of 2019! “Perfect for readers who love the dishy women’s fiction of Candace Bushnell.” –Booklist From the author of the New York Times bestselling Stiletto and Oxford series, the first in a sizzling new series following the unlikely friendship of three Upper East Side women as they struggle to achieve their dreams and find true love and happiness in the city … dreams and find true love and happiness in the city that never sleeps.
For as long as she can remember, Bronx-born Naomi Powell has had one goal: to prove her worth among the Upper East Side elite–the same people for which her mom worked as a housekeeper. Now, as the strongminded, sassy CEO of one of the biggest jewelry empires in the country, Naomi finally has exactly what she wants–but it’s going to take more than just the right address to make Manhattan’s upper class stop treating her like an outsider.
The worst offender is her new neighbor, Oliver Cunningham–the grown son of the very family Naomi’s mother used to work for. Oliver used to torment Naomi when they were children, and as a ridiculously attractive adult, he’s tormenting her in entirely different ways. Now they find themselves engaged in a battle-of-wills that will either consume or destroy them.
“Strong characters and relatable situations elevate Layne’s bighearted contemporary…[which] digs into class differences, emotional baggage, and the reality of dealing with aging parents” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). With the sexy combination of charm, heart, and snark, Lauren Layne’s new series is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne.
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At the end I cried, not because the book was sad, but because it was so sweet!
As a reader, I adore love-hate romances, but this one swept me off my feet in a rare way.
What I loved the most was the total un-bastardy quality of the leading man, Oliver, the best male lead ever written. Usually with enemies-to-lovers story it’s easy to make the guy a bit gruff, or rudish at first (as a writer I’m guilty of that myself.) But not Oliver. He was kind, hot, sexy, witty, smart… He’s the kind of man that makes your reader skin burn and without a single sexy scene, it was all in the gestures, gazes, smart comebacks. Really, I’m swooning so much!
This book had the perfect balance between banter, sweet romance, a dose of real-life hardships without being too sad, and a bit of bling (never out of place in a romcom.)
This is my first book from Lauren Layne, but it’s definitely not going to be my last. I’m thrilled she has a bit of a backlist I can binge while I wait for the next book in the series.
This is one of my all-time favorite romcoms.
Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne started off like a scene from Sex in the City and I loved it!!
Now a little background information…
Naomi is a fighter. She has worked hard to be where she is right now. Her story is more than the typical rags to riches. She gets hit with a blast from the past, Oliver Cunningham. Cue the tension.
Naomi’s mother worked as the housekeeper for the Cunninghams. They lived at 517 Park Avenue and though Naomi crushed on Oliver when she was 9 years old, Oliver would tease and torment young Naomi. Now, after 20 years of not seeing each other, the attraction is there as well as Naomi’s blatant hatred.
Naomi Powell. Girl boss and ballbuster. Bronx born and raised. Our heroine is fiery, successful, strong, resilient, and intelligent. She’s cruising through the hierachy of NYC society and becoming somebody. She’s formed an unlikely friendship with two women, Claire and Audrey, and she’s been sought after for a TV show about her life by a well-known TV producer. What is the worst that could happen?
Oliver comes from old money. High bred. He never expected to be bulldozed by Naomi’s mere presence. He’s completely taken back by her. And sparks fly, especially when those two become neighbors #drama.
Passion on Park Avenue was an entertaining and sassy, back and forth, enemies-to-lovers romance. Lauren Layne provides the perfect mix of life, drama, friendship, love, and sexy chemistry. This novel is perfect for fans of Sex in the City! My first read by this author, but I can say it won’t be my last! I cannot wait for the other books in the series. Bring on Claire’s story
I am a huge fan of Lauren Layne’s books, and this title did not disappoint. The way the friendship between the women is created is both hilarious and heart-wrenching, and the chemistry between the two main characters was intense from the get-go, despite neither of them wanting to admit to it, of course. All in all this is a wonderful enemies-to-lovers romance to get thoroughly lost in. I highly recommend it and am diving into the next book in the series immediately!
I don’t often read books that are part of a series – in fact, I didn’t know that about this one when I first picked it up. But I will definitely be reading the next two. Set in my favorite city, it was a charming book about friendship and romance. And it struck JUST the right note – sexy without making me blush. (I’d feel comfortable handing this to my teenage daughters.) Kudos to the author – I’m a fan!
I couldn’t put it down! Not only is the friendship between Naomi, Claire and Audrey refreshing and inspirational, the chemistry between Naomi and Oliver is off the charts! I love a sassy heroine and a funny hero and Layne delivers both. Witty banter and an electric connection between Naomi and Oliver kept me turning the pages late into the night. Lauren Layne knocks this one right out of Park Avenue!
I am always a fan of Lauren Layne and her books. When I read the description, I was intrigued. A rags to riches story with some steamy romance sounded right up my alley.
I think the plot of the book was great. The daughter of the “help” comes applies to live in the same apartment where her life changed. And it also happens to be the same people/place her mother used to work for.
Naomi Powell was a self-made businesswoman. She grew up in the Bronx and didn’t always have what the rich kids had. She worked hard and lived life the way she always wanted to. She had everything she wanted and yet life still had a way of reminding her that just because she had money didn’t mean she was free from heartbreak.
The friendship between Naomi, Audrey, and Claire was one of my favorite parts of the book. I thought it was interesting the way their friendship came about. The way they could turn a negative and turn it into a positive with a pact was hilarious and empowering.
The Pact: help each other stay away from lying, cheating men!
Then, we are introduced to Oliver Cunningham, He grew up with a wealthy family. He seems like your normal playboy except he is anything but. He has grown up over the years and isn’t the same boy Naomi once knew. And the kicker is that Oliver has no idea who Naomi is. She takes offense to this but decides this may work in her favor. She decides to live in the apartment where her life was turned upside down to prove to the Cunningham’s that she made it and is worthy of their approval.
Overall, I thought Passion on Park Avenue was well-written and a pleasant read. I do wish there were more intimate/steamy scenes between Oliver and Naomi, but it still is a must-read in my book. I’m excited to read more in this series and see how things play out.Passion on Park Avenue Lauren Layne
All the stories I’d this series start the same way with Claire, Audrey and Naomi meeting for the first time in Central Park.
In PASSION ON PARK AVENUE Naomi and Oliver both find themselves neighbors at 517 Park Avenue. Oliver has lived there all his life. Naomi’s mother worked for Oliver’s family briefly when they were children.
I found this story romantic and really came to adore both Naomi and Oliver not only for their banter and contentious relationship but because of the difficult task of caring for Walter, Oliver’s father. Naomi shows herself not be a much better person than she lets herself get credit for and Oliver reminds us of the patience and toll on caregivers even when they have help.
I can’t wait to read the other books in the series.
3.5
This is a story that not only proves that first impressions aren’t always true but also that childhood enemies can become friends and more. Enemies to lovers, Naomi and Oliver’s story has a rocky start during their childhood, Oliver being nasty with Naomi, who’s financial situation is not as comfortable as his. However, we’ve learned throughout the story that money doesn’t bring happiness to your doorstep, you make your own happiness and that nasty boy is, nowadays, a good man trying to get by with the cards that were dealt to him.
In the most bizarre and unusual place, Naomi finds herself next to two women who, although of their upbringing, have been mistreated and cheated in the past by men, and gets to form a strong friendship with said women.
From my POV, this is a good story, where Naomi needs to learn to let go of her mothers resentments and her own, to strengthen those unexpected friendship bonds that she’s forming with Claire and Audrey but, moreover, to find the strengths in herself to trust and open her heart.
I thought this book was so charming — I could definitely see it being made into a movie. This was a really fun read, and the chemistry was killer. I highly recommend this one!
“Was it fair to punish a man for a boy’s mistakes? Perhaps not.”
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This is the first book of the Central Park Pact Series and it is a very quick, sweet, romantic and easy read! I really enjoyed the characters and following Naomi’s rise from a housekeeper’s daughter born in the Bronx, to the CEO of a jewelry empire living in Manhattan’s upper East Side. A great Rom-Com “beach read” and I’m looking forward to enjoying the rest of the series. As for a Book Club choice…if you’re wanting a night filled with more wine then discussion, then this is a perfect pick!
2019published, both-pov, contemporary, easy-to-read, m-f-romance, nyc, read, romance
I have to admit, I had a really hard time connecting with Naomi and that made getting into the book sort of difficult. I also wasn’t prepared for the sort of “fade to black” approach to the steamy bits which left me vaguely frustrated. But beyond that, I actually ended up enjoying the book enough to want to continue the series (which isn’t really a hardship since it’s only a trilogy). While it’s sort of evident when we meet him that Oliver has matured and become a better person as an adult than he was a 10 years old, I liked that Naomi was forced to analyze herself and her personal motivations and that she actually grew as a person as the story progressed (yay for character development!). In fact, I think that her character arc is my favorite part of the book. I’m particularly excited for Audrey’s story (since I think we met her love interest here) and for Claire’s story as well. 3 out of 5 wine glasses.
This is only my second Lauren Layne book, and I was very happy to settle into another witty romance in her voice. However, for me, it quickly became something more…
Maybe I was supposed to focus on the romance between Naomi and Oliver—and I did find it fun—but what grabbed me was actually Oliver and his struggle with his father, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. I was more in tune with Oliver’s exhaustion and burn out and constant worry and guilt whenever he was away from his father…because my mom has Alzheimer’s, and I’ve been there, and it’s absolute hell.
Even factoring this very heavy plot line into the book (and Lauren Layne, I thank you so much for writing about the disease and those who suffer with it—including family—with so much respect) it’s a cute, fun, and very easy read. The writing is witty, and the friendships are fun, and the relationship between both Naomi and Walter and Oliver and Walter is sad and heartwarming. ~Tracy Broemmer, author Gettin’ Hitched, The H Books
This was a great way to start with this series. It’s wonderful story and very inspiring. I loved it and I’m looking forward to the next book. I definitely recommend this book, this series, and this author.
Passion on Park Avenue almost didn’t even feel like reading a book. I felt like watching a movie. It was so easy to get lost in the story that I ended up reading it in a day.
It’s really like those perfectly sweet rom com movies that you watch when you’re sick or need some cheering up.
Layne wrote a truly charming story that stole my heart. The whole idea for the “Central Park Pack” (the name of the series and a very significant scene that I won’t spoil) was completely brilliant and fresh. I can’t say I ever, in a million years, would have put all of those circumstances together but boy oh boy did she make it work, and it worked beautifully.
This was a very character based story and I loved everything about it. Every relationship, whether it was friendship, working relationship or angst ridden romance, felt natural and lovely.
I’ll definitely be picking up Claire’s story later this year!
Passion on Park Avenue is the first book in a series. I knew nothing about the book/series going into it, I just knew that I had read and enjoyed this author before so entered a contest on Goodreads and won a copy of the book. I quickly realized what the thread tying the series of interconnected standalone romances together would be, and it is a good one. In this first book, self-made billionaire Naomi seeks closure from an incident in her childhood that had a lasting impact on her and her mother throughout their lives, and this puts her in the path of Oliver Cunningham, an architect who is taking care of his father. This was a sweet romance, with fade to black sex scenes and a nice tie-in to a childhood favorite book series of mine. I liked both of the leads fine but overall the poignancy of Walter’s illness impacted me more emotionally than Naomi and Oliver’s romance, which was really rather tepid for the most part. It was an easy read and a nice way to while away some time, but nothing overwhelming. I am interested in reading Claire and Audrey’s books as well, and certainly am hoping for something specific for them, especially in Audrey’s case.
3.5 Stars
Passion on Park Avenue is better than the blurb let’s on. I saw it was a Lauren Layne novel and nodded sure. I was intrigued by the blurb. But I had no idea what I was in for!
This group of New York women have a meet cute that is unforgettable, a bond that shouldn’t work but does, and an outlook that is refreshing. Naomi, Aubrey, and Claire are going to keep you interested, engaged, and begging for more. But enough about them…you want to know about Oliver. Sigh. Well, it’s…complicated.
Past, present, and future are a mess with these two. But only one person knows that! Secrets, history, and judgement keep them apart, while passion drives them insane. Passion in Park Avenue has some delicious push and pull. I love feisty and Naomi is the epitome of feisty.
It’s easy to fall for these two and keep falling. Friends, family, and complications make park Avenue the place to be in this story.
This is why I will continue to read Lauren Layne forever. This. Book. Right Here. This was a slower burn and it wasn’t as “sexy” and I loved it. So many romance authors put in HUGE issues for the H and h and then by the end they were completely glossed over and fixed miraculously by them doing basically nothing. This is never the case with Lauren Layne. She puts in real issues for her characters and you get to watch as they figure things out together. It doesn’t happen overnight and it isn’t easy. This is what we see with Naomi and Oliver. Oliver’s dad has an illness that takes up much of Oliver’s time and it burdens him. It isn’t an easy fix. Things happen that aren’t pretty, but you get to see the struggle in the pages. I love that. My biggest pet peeve with an author is that they throw huge hurdles at characters (addiction, death of loved ones, crippling depression) into the story and then when they find the love of their lives they are fixed. I need to see the struggle. Lauren Layne doesn’t disappoint me. I loved the slow burn of this couple.
Naomi Powell has spent her entire life trying to prove she is better than that little girl who got kicked out of the Park Avenue household her mom worked at because her mom was caught in a compromising position with the man of the house. Now, Naomi run a billion dollar jewelry company and has the world at her hands.
When Naomi receives a phone call about her application for an apartment at the same Park Avenue building that they were kicked out of she is intrigued. Once realizing that her deceased mother filled out her application, Naomi is ready to leave when who walks in but Oliver Cunningham, the son of the family that threw them out. Too bad Oliver doesn’t recognize Naomi. After exchanging a few choice words, Naomi walks out with her head held high. Imagine her surprise when she is later called and told that she has the apartment. Imagine her further surprise when Naomi already realizes that her neighbor is Oliver….it seems he is very intrigued by her. Naomi decides that she must confront her past and confront the Cunningham men but quickly learns that Walter Cunningham is not the same man she knew….he know has Alzheimer’s. As much as Naomi wants to hate the Cunningham men she is starting to realize that she actually likes them.
As Naomi is trying to make her way through all that life has thrown at her, she must decide if she can let go of the past in order to be able to move on into the future.
I really liked Naomi. She is so strong willed. Sometimes she is a little stubborn but based on her past it is easy to see why. I really loved Oliver. He just seemed like my perfect type of hero….strong, sexy but compassionate and the sexual attraction between these two was crazy. I really also enjoyed Naomi’s friends that she had met through an interesting circumstance and I can’t wait to read their story’s. Overall this was a fun, sexy enjoyable read.
Lauren Layne delivers another great start to a new series. in Passion in Park Avenue. With a great meet cute for three ladies in New York City, Passion in Park Avenue introduces us to Naomi, Claire and Audrey whose friendship is grounded in a most unusual way. Now they’ve vowed to protect each other from men who are well not the stellar personality they present themselves to be. Passion in Park Avenue is basically Naomi’s story and how she confronts her past, mainly with Oliver Cunningham. This story has all the witty a banter and steamy chemistry between the two but its also not the usual lighthearted romantic comedy that Ms. Layne is known for. In fact, this one has a more serious tone, most reminiscent of her New Adult romances, which resulted in a bittersweet and poignant romance between two people who appear the opposite of each other but definitely is made for one another. I’m really looking forward to Claire and Audrey’s turn for their own HEA.