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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Naomi Powell has a passion for style in her bones, Louboutins on her feet and a giant chip on her shoulder. This successful accessory company mogul may have a company worth a billion dollars, but her inner eye can still see her other-side-of-the-tracks upbringing. Although Bronx-born and raised, she lived on Park Avenue for one year when her mom was a live-in housekeeper for the Cunninghams. That year on Park Avenue, and how it abruptly ended, profoundly changed Naomi. When out of the blue Naomi gets an opportunity to go back and live at that same Park Avenue address, Naomi makes a decision that once again may profoundly change her life.
First off, this book has the best opening chapter for a series! Ms. Layne brilliantly sketches out how the Central Park Pact comes to be. Mixing up betrayal and death with a big dose of wit and laughter, we get to bond with three women who are all different yet in many ways the same. It is their stories that will make up this series, and I cannot wait for the next one!
As for Naomi’s journey, she finds herself facing her former childhood nemesis Oliver Cunningham. Except he really isn’t the “Ollie” of old anymore. No, this Oliver seems new and improved to Naomi except he doesn’t remember the “Naomi Fields” of his childhood. A childhood, it turns out, left Oliver scarred as well despite the wealth and trappings of Park Avenue. As Naomi and Oliver “frenemy” their way through the story, they both learn that the truth under the surface can be brutal and wonderful. What I loved the best was that Naomi got a chance to grow, and Oliver got a chance to shine. And together, they both got a chance to truly live and love! As I said, I cannot wait for the next story in this series!
A charming start to a new series by Lauren Layne. I loved Naomi and Oliver and felt both of their struggles with their personal life. This was a “closed door” love scene book and I really didn’t miss it because I was invested in the relationship.
I am head over heels in love with this new series from Lauren Layne. Firmly planting herself at the top of my one-click list, Passion on Park Avenue does NOT disappoint.
Passion on Park Avenue is drop dead swoon-worthy fun!
All curled up in one divinely entertaining novel. That most defiantly will leave you a smile to your face! Well because there is nothing better than enemies to lovers, plus the banter that goes on for days!! So Love it!!!
Loved this enemies to lovers story, especially with the fact that the H/h have a long history that he doesn’t remember. The story was expertly woven for maximum impact and I just loved it. I can’t wait for more. Also…the premise for the series…LOVE IT! That first scene was amazing!
Chic and clever! Passion on Park Avenue comes to life like a sexy, comedic movie on the page.
I sometimes struggle with enemies-to-lovers books, and revenge books are normally not my thing at all – but somehow, despite the fact that this book is both those things, this one really worked for me!
I think it’s because Naomi is too kind-hearted to truly be vengeful. It was hard not to love her right away. Her story was unique and interesting and didn’t really play out the way I expected to at all. I loved her chemistry with Oliver. I loved that the burn was rather slow and sweet and riddled with banter. It’s safe to say that while this IS an enemies-to-lovers/revenge story, it goes fairly light on those two things which allowed me to really enjoy the way their relationship developed.
Passion on Park Avenue is also more than just a romance. At its core, it’s a story of sisterhood and the most unlikely of friendships. I wasn’t sure what to make of that at first, but I quickly warmed to it and appreciated the depth it gave the story.
In the end, I really enjoyed this story and cannot wait to see where it goes from here!
Passion on Park Avenue is the first book in the Central Park Pact! Each of the books in the series CAN stand alone as they feature different characters however, I recommend reading this one FIRST as you get to know how these ladies became friends. Also, it’s such a cute story that I don’t think readers are going to want to miss it! That being said, I feel like this book falls better within the chick lit category than it does romance. The reason being is that the book is more centered around female growth than the romance. Sure, there is romance but it is light and not really the main focus. I think the focus of the story is more on Naomi than her relationships. Either way, romance readers and chick lit readers will get a kick out this one! It’s lighthearted, fun, and motivational!
Naomi is the main character of the story here and she was such a great one to learn about! I love her “rags to riches” story and how even though she has built her own empire, she still appreciates where she came from. The book focuses a lot on how her past affects her character today and even has a little bit of a second chance love story even though the two HATED each other when they were kids. The book is on the sweeter side, there is no explicit sex, just casual mentions of it, but some hot and heavy make out sessions to swoon over! I think those who prefer their books to be “clean” will enjoy this one.
Oliver is another MC in the story and I really came to love him despite his family and the way they treated people in the past (like 20 years ago). Oliver though, is nothing like the people who brought him up so it was refreshing to see that individuality shines though the pages. The little twist in the story effects Oliver and his (almost) love, but thankfully his character is very open minded and can see past a little white lie.
Without giving too much away I will end my review there. If you are looking for a sweet read this is certainly a book I would recommend. I can’t wait to read the next one in the series! These ladies are pretty fantastic and the way they came together is amazing! This book screams girl power and I look forward to seeing how it effects the rest of the ladies!
Sex & The City for the Hallmark Movie Fans out there! A funny, crisply written novel with romance, friendship, family and glamour on Park Avenue… Can’t wait for the rest of this series!
3.5 ‘Solving the puzzle’ Stars!
ARC provided by the author via Netgalley.
A new series from Lauren Layne about love stories in the city that never sleeps? Oh yeah, as you probably know I definitely got curious since I enjoy everything this woman writes! I am always excited when Lauren starts a new series and after reading this book, I can say I am surely ready for the other two books. I do have to say though, even though I loved this new crew of characters, I found myself a bit underwhelmed after finishing this story, I was just expecting a bit more.
Passion on Park Avenue is the first installment in Lauren’s new series called Central Park Pact and it is focused on three women who meet in Central Park after discovering they were involved with the same man. They decide to make a pact and stop each other from falling for bad boys ever again. Naomi Powell is the protagonist of this book and she is a self-made woman, proud of what she has achieved. Her past though is still on her mind, especially when she moves in next to the people that ruined it. Oliver Cunningham does not remember her but he is decided to found all the pieces in her puzzle. Will they be able to leave the past behind and fall in love?
“It’s hard for you, huh?” he said with faux sympathy.
“What?”
“Dealing with your attraction to me.”
So, this book is definitely slow paced. The slow burn is definitely there and very well developed. The chemistry between Oliver and Naomi is beautiful when it finally starts showing. But, in my opinion, it took too long to appear. Their actual “relationship” takes too much to start and I definitely missed the climax of that slow burn. Passion on Park Avenue is surely on the sweet, lower steam side. I missed seeing more of these two as a couple, I missed having some sexy times (because I adore how Lauren writes them) and everything felt rushed in the end to me.
Did I enjoy the story? Of course I did! I loved the characters, I loved the couple and I loved the theme and how it is focused in New York. I loved the friendship between Naomi, Audrey and Claire and I loved already seeing the other two heroes too (Scott and Clarke). I loved what I saw of Oliver and Naomi actually together but I wanted more. I missed seeing more their interactions as a couple and the romantic and sensual side of their relationship. Still, I enjoyed the story as a whole and I am curious to read the next two in the series.
To give them a chance, he needed to get them beyond the walls of 517 Park Avenue, to show her -to show himself- that they could make it in the real world.
Therefore, my rating for Passion on Park Avenue is 3.5 STARS. You all know my reasons by now if you have read the whole review. A sweet, slow paced love story of hate to love in Lauren Layne’s style! I enjoyed it but I expected more. The slow burn was so great and I wanted the explosion of that chemistry and feelings more developed. As I said, I still will check out the other stories because I want to read what happens with Audrey and Clarke and Claire and Scott.
Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne was such a cute albeit frustrating read!
The meet-cute between friends – is that a thing? – is what drew me into this story, you know… outside of the cutest cover ever! The friendships in Passion on Park Avenue is what really set this story apart from the crowd for me.
I was thinking about this story and how to tell you the trope, but it doesn’t really fit into one, it could be opposites attract, because the hero is old money and the heroine is new money; it could be hate to love because our heroine despised our hero from the beginning, but did she really? because she was also turned on by him from the start lol; it could be friends to lovers because they were neighbors before moving forward, but she still had some animosity toward him.
As you can obviously tell Passion on Park Avenue is a round peg and I can’t fit it into a square trope hole. But no how you slice it, it’s a great read with beautiful friendships, packed with an emotional punch.
Passion on Park Avenue is a clever romance and I cannot wait to read the stories of Naomi’s friends and fro all of the girls in this story to get their happily ever afters!
Passion on Park Avenue is the first book in a brand new series by Lauren Layne. Naomi, Claire, and Aubrey found themselves sitting on Central Park the day of their lover’s funeral and after that they kind of stuck together, hence the title of series (Central Park Pact). You see one of them was married to the dead man while the other two were his mistresses and none knew about the existence of the other two.
I was trying very hard to actually like the book, but in the end, I couldn’t. Naomi spends ALL of the book being mad at Oliver for not defending her mother 20 years ago and she still holds the grudge even after she got to know the person who he was TWENTY years later. She kept postponing the revelation that she was the child of the woman his family wronged to a point where I grew tired. I don’t believe that she fell for Oliver and the only reason she said that she did is that this is a stand-alone novel and the couple had to have a happy ending. I hate when characters are full of pride and stubbornness and don’t change and that’s what she did. The wrong person did the grooving. I would have been mad too if the person I was falling in love with was keeping an important secret and I found it out by accident. Oliver is a changed man and Naomi is acting like an old grumpy lady.
Should I also mention that she is dating another man? She goes on a few dates with another man and while nothing happens, it got annoying because most of the book is spent on her hating Oliver which led to an underwhelming romance between them. The only thing that saved the book from been considered a complete disaster is the secondary characters. The other two women were great and I look forward to their books. They didn’t seem to be hung up on something that happened in the past and hating the wrong person. Oliver was just a kid for God’s sake! And Naomi didn’t even have a solid revenge plan, which made the whole revenge thing laughable.
I love Lauren Layne’s book but this book was just meh to me. I really liked Naomi and Oliver but felt something was off with the pacing of the story. I feel like a book with the word “Passion” in it needs just that…passion, which, unfortunately, I thought was lacking in this book. I love those slow burn, steamy romances and this just didn’t deliver. It was a good story but lacking that something special for me.
Lauren Layne is back with a brand new series based in New York City, following three women, who meet in a pretty unique circumstance. They all meet at the funeral of the man they are all involved with, and it’s as awkward as you would expect. Surprisingly, this friendship was actually one of the best things about this book. They all call each other out, make them accountable and really just make them each better people. We do meet everyone who is in the future books and I’m very excited for all of the books in this series.
This one focuses on Naomi. In the beginning, honestly, I didn’t like her at all. I found her too bossy, pushy, and aggressive, but I’m happy to say that she was a lot less severe than I had originally thought. She has had a rough childhood, and blames a lot of it on one family. So, when she gets to move in next to this family on Park Avenue, she is set on revenge. But, through the book, she, thankfully, realized these people were a lot different now than they were then. Oliver is the love interest. He was a caregiver who liked puzzles and just a really nice guy. Their banter and chemistry was explosive.
I’m a huge fan of Lauren Layne, have read all of her books, and this book is slightly different than her other romance books. I would classify this more as women’s fiction. But, all the things you love about Lauren Layne books are still in here. She always has great main characters with strong women and nice guys. The friendships are always so wonderful. Each pushing the main characters in the right direction. And her books are almost always a love letter to New York City, and one of the main characters. She always sets the scenes perfectly that make me want to move to NYC right now.
Passion on Park Avenue is the perfect start to this new series. I enjoyed this entertaining read and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
I have never read anything by Lauren Layne. I was given an opportunity to read a early copy of this book and I really enjoyed this story. The beginning alone had me hooked. This was a fun and cute story. I am a sucker for all things NYC and this story definitely feeds into my love of books based in The Big Apple.
I will now be looking to read ALL the words by Ms. Layne this is absolutely must read!
Lauren Layne is one of my favorite authors. Since I prefer the city landscape to the small town environment, Ms. Layne’s books are always on my radar. Passion on Park Avenue is the first book from her brand new series, Central Park Pact, and it can be enjoyed as a standalone.
Naomi Powell’s life thus far is a rags to riches story. She started out with nothing and is now CEO of an accessories company that she founded from her studio apartment. The company is expanding rapidly, and as a result, both the company and Naomi are worth billions. Naomi has never forgotten her past and how horribly she and her mother were treated by the Cunningham family when she was a young girl. Park Avenue is her new address, where the patriarch of the Cunningham family still resides, along with his son, who did not tell the truth way back when. Naomi needs some closure, and wants to show those at this posh address how successful she has become.
Oliver Cunningham has always had it easy. He was born into wealth and is a successful architect in the firm that he founded. Oliver turned out to be a decent and honorable man, despite being raised by elitist and contemptible parents. Naomi is not his type, however, there is something about her that causes him to work tirelessly to win her affections.
I really liked this well-written story, however, the lack of spice between Naomi and Oliver was very disappointing. They had a wonderful chemistry that was never fully explored. The subplots were entertaining, especially Naomi’s two new friends that she met under very unfortunate circumstances. I can’t wait to read their stories. Overall, this is a clean romance with very exciting characters.
Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
4-4.5 stars.
Another hit from Ms. Layne. I really enjoyed the start of this new series.
Here we meet Naomi and Oliver, they have a shared past for a little while, and now years later the meet again on Park Avenue.
Anyway, things are far from easy for these two, their shared past is far from easy and left Naomi deeply hurt.
I loved these guys. LOVED Naomi and her drive and kickass-ness; but I loved her soft side so much. I loved how Oliver brought that out of her. She was super lovely and awesome and I SO wanted to be her friend.
Oliver didn’t have it easy either. He might live a comfortable life, but things were far from easy in his everyday life. I loved how he let go a bit with Naomi and how much she challenged him.
And of course, I adored these two together. They brought the best out in each other and I was constantly eager to know more about their journey.
All in all, a great read with lots of surprises, swoony moments and all around loveliness. <3
Looking forward to reading more of these three women who had a kickass meet cute, lol.
*Thank you to the author for providing a copy for which I’m giving my honest opinion*
Every Lauren Layne book I’ve read has been an enjoyable experience. Passion on Park Avenue is no different. I adored this book! Loved the slow burning enemies to lovers feel, the wonderful back and forth banter, and the delicious tension that developed between the main characters. It was such a cute, fun read. I couldn’t get enough.
I’m pretty sure I loved Oliver right away. He seemed like a really good guy who is very loyal to his family. Sexy, smart, funny and a family man what’s not to love.
I will admit it took a while to like Naomi. I’m not sure what it was about her but for the first half of the book, she rubbed me the wrong way. Also, I’m not big on revenge. So her plans to stick it to those who treated her poorly when she was younger made me cringe. I did really come to like her in the end. She became more real and caring.
My only complaint of this book is that I wish the big reveal would have come sooner. And Oliver’s reaction was a giant let down. Of course this didn’t make me want to stop reading.
In the center of this story is the friendship that is formed between three women who find out they were sleeping with the same man. I am obsessed with their pact and their friendship. Instead of being catty or turning against each other, they rallied together and encouraged one another; building a lifelong bond. I can’t wait to see more of this friendship bloom.
Book 1 in the Central Park Pact series is a hit. I’m eager and excited to read the other girls’s story.
Lauren Layne is my go-to for smart, heartfelt romances. So, when I heard that she had a brand new series coming out, I was over the moon. So excited! And let me tell you, Passion on Park Avenue does not disappoint. It has drama. It has chemistry. It has lots of love/hate moments. There is steam. There is angst. Passion on Park Avenue had it all and I could not put it down…
Passion on Park Avenue follows the story of Naomi & Oliver. When we first meet up with Naomi, her world has been totally turned upside down. But, it’s that life changing moment, that brought two new and unexpected friends in her life. Her goal now is to take changes and make the life for herself that she’s always wanted. The first step in that process, to prove that she can fit right in with the Upper East Side elite. It’s no easy task when she discovers her new neighbor is non other than her childhood nemesis. Even though a lot of time has passed, Naomi finds it hard to separate the past from the present. Oliver represents everything Naomi should hate, but she’s quickly finding that hating Oliver isn’t as easy as she hoped it would be…..
Passion on Park Avenue is a great start to the Central Park Pact Series. I was sucked into the story instantly and couldn’t help but fall in love with Naomi. I admired her strength and determination. I felt bad for her that she felt like she had to prove that she was worthy to the social elite. I loved the push and pull that she had with Oliver. She wanted to hate him so desperately, but quickly found out that he is not the same person she remembers. There is more to this older version of Oliver than meets the eye. And Oliver, yeah, he’s not perfect. But he is pretty close to it. Sure he’s made some mistakes, but he’s done the best that he could with the cards that he was dealt. I feel like he worked really hard to break through Naomi’s frosty exterior and I really enjoyed watching their relationship shape and transform. While Oliver & Naomi’s story started out as an enemies type romance, I have to say, I really enjoyed the slow burn between the two them. Their chemistry was intense when they allowed it come out to play and I just couldn’t wait to see how their story would play out.
Overall, I really enjoyed Passion on Park Avenue. It was a quick and easy read for me. I devoured it in just a few short hours. Passion on Park Avenue was a lot of fun to read and was well written. This book checked off all my boxes and has me excited to see where this series will go next.
Passion On Park Avenue is the first book in Lauren Layne’s new Central Park Pact Series. In this first book in the series we get Naomi Powell’s story.
Let me start by saying , this book and characters are addicting! Bronx-born Naomi Powell is one woman that is going to shed her not so happy childhood roots if it’s the last thing she does. We meet Naomi as she is on her way to a funeral dressed to kill and feeling like killing the two-three? timing deceased ex-lover. Instead of staying at the funeral Naomi ends up in Central Park, meets and becomes insta friends with two of the most unlikely women, Claire and Audrey that she would ever expect to meet or better yet become friends with.
I met many interesting characters in this book like Deena , Naomi’s brash but lovable assistant and Oliver, Naomi’s childhood nemesis, who is now hot and ultra sexy. When Naomi and Oliver first meet again after so many years Naomi is shockingly still angry and I think that she is a bit surprised by her anger.
Passion On Park Avenue earns high marks from me for its witty dialogue, NYC setting, fashion references and a glimpse into the ultra chic and snobby Park Avenue living. The chemistry between Oliver and Naomi is HOT! The whole time I was cheering these two ex-nemesis, would be lovers to just get on with it but Naomi struggles with memories of past humiliation at the hands of Oliver and his parents. I had no real issues with this book aside from wanting Naomi to tell Oliver that she was Carrots (his childhood nickname for her) to his Ollie (hers for him). I just knew that when he figured this out it would not be pretty!
Naomi surprises me time after time in this book because despite her visceral first few reactions to Oliver she manages to keep focused on the present/ future and doesn’t stay so stuck in the past that she cannot move forward with life, career and relationships. Despite Naomi’s childhood and almost non-existent parenting, this is one gal that has her head on straight.
Lauren Layne has delivered for me big time with this book and I cannot wait to read about Claire and Audrey. I look forward to getting to know all of the characters that I met in this book a whole lot better.Lauren Layne