Cover Image: Passion on Park Avenue

Passion on Park Avenue

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Member Reviews

Lauren Layne is a go-to Author for me. I love the way she crafts a story and Passion on Park Avenue was no different. Did it have a different vibe than some of her other books? Yes, it did. But I adored this book and can't wait to read more in this series!

I liked Naomi-and I know she might not resonate initially with every reader-but I really did like her. Start to finish, I championed her. I understood where she came from and applauded how she became the woman she is in this book. She's strong, she's smart and she's sassy. She's the kind of woman I would definitely want to be friends with; the kind I want to have in my corner on any given day.

I liked Oliver right away-I understood why Naomi felt the way she did, but I was ready to let bygones be bygones for Oliver. He's loyal and sweet.

I liked watching these two come together. I believed in the journey that they took together. It felt authentic for these characters, and that's the best possible way to feel about a book relationship in my opinion. Naomi and Oliver stayed true to themselves and I appreciated that. Did we have a ton of sexy times? No, but the romance was still there for me.

This is the start of a series and I'm definitely anticipating the next story. Books like this are why Lauren Layne is one of my go-to Authors. I loved this title and absolutely recommend it!

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Passion On Park Ave was such a fun read! Thx @gallerybooks (via @netgalley) for the digital ARC. I was honestly hooked from the very beginning, the friendship set-up is very creative (and kind of hilarious tbh). I enjoyed the trio of unlikely girlfriends and loved the focus on Naomi in this first of the series. I was a total sucker for Oliver so I was rooting for them the entire time. I think my favorite part was Naomi’s evolution and growth as a person (vendetta-specific). Can’t wait for the next book in the series! I’m going to need physical copies of these for my bookshelf!

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Passion on Park Avenue is the first book in the Central Park Pact series by Lauren Layne. The story has a fun, flirty, ‘Sex and the City’ vibe to it; it centers around three New York City women who meet when they learn they had each been in a relationship with a now-deceased man. These three – Naomi, Claire and Audrey – are all smart and beautiful and vow to become friends instead of letting the cheating playboy come between them.

‘Passion on Park Avenue’ features Naomi Powell who is the founder of a billion dollar company. One of the things I loved most about this light and sexy novel is that the author is intimately familiar with New York City. I loved the metropolitan setting! (One of my pet peeves is when an author tries to set a story in a place they know nothing about and have done no research.) Naomi grew up in extreme poverty when her mother was fired from her housekeeping job by a wealthy Park Avenue matron, because Naomi’s mother was having an affair with her husband. Naomi and her mother, who lived in the apartment, were kicked out and bounced around from various places. As a child, Naomi was best friends with Oliver, the son, who lied when confronted about his father’s affair and Naomi never got over the betrayal.

So when the chance to live in the very same Park Avenue building comes up, Naomi takes it, even though can live anywhere she wants. But what she wants is revenge on Oliver for the long-ago betrayal.

This book has a lot of heart and soul which elevates it above many contemporary romances. Oliver was a very well-rounded character. He was not the complete jerk that Naomi remembers. He is now bearing the burden for caring for his ailing father and he truly does not recall Naomi. All he knows is that she is really getting under his skin!

”Naomi Powell had brought him back to life, made him realize that he hadn’t died with his mom, or with his father’s diagnosis; he’d just been living that way.”

This was a relatively low-angst story which is perfect if you need to escape for a few hours into a well-written, frothy romance. The enemies-to-lovers trope is very well done by Ms. Layne. The love scenes fade to black so this is not an explicit romance, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I also enjoyed the subplot about Naomi getting her own reality television series which I hope will be explored in more detail in the future books.

"Naomi's face tilted to his, and for a moment Oliver's breath caught with an unfamiliar sensation. Want, yes. Desire, sure. But this moment was different. Fuller somehow, as though this woman belonged to him not just for right now, not just for a night, but for always..."

This was my first book my Lauren Layne and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a light, adult romantic comedy. The cover for the second book in the series, ‘Love on Lexington Avenue’, has already been released and it is beautiful! I am very much looking forward to reading Audrey and Claire’s stories.
(ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

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4-4.5 stars

This book was so freaking cute that I almost completely forgive the fade to black. Almost.

There’s just so much amazing build up and fun banter and we wait so long that it just kinda leaves you kinda deflated when it fades to black.

There is so much Lauren Layne goodness in this though and it’s impossible to stay disappointed for long.

The first chapter will absolutely hook you right away and Naomi and Oliver’s back and forth will keep you hooked until you reach the end. I love the relationship between them but I also absolutely fell for the friendship Naomi, Claire and Audrey build. I couldn’t put this one down and can’t wait for more from these gals!!!

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I LIVED for all the Anne of Green Gables references and loved the girl power aspect of the story. My aunt died with Alzheimer's, so the bits with Walter were always more difficult to read. As for Oliver, anyone who will read the entire Anne of Green Gables series because of you in a couple weeks is a keeper.

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“Passion on Park Avenue” is a witty, slow-burning, enemies-to-lovers romance that makes for a great summer read. Boasting an intriguing premise and likeable characters, the story pulled me in right from the very start. And while I enjoyed this newest Lauren Layne romance, the slow buildup towards an eventual “fade to dark” love scene was, unfortunately, a bit of a letdown. Still, I found “Passion on Park Avenue to be a quick, delightful read and a really good start to a brand new Lauren Layne series about 3 women of the Upper East Side.

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Not only is the friendship between Noemi, Claire and Audrey refreshing and inspirational given the way they met but the chemistry between Noemi and Oliver is off the charts. This is a wonderful start to a series that is cute and querky and yet full of passion. I can't wait to see what will come next as Claire and Audrey both embark on their journey.

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I absolutely adored Passion on Park Avenue. It was a witty enemies to lovers romance.

I loved both characters and was rooting for them to be together. Oliver's Dad was endearing even when he gave you every reason to hate him.

I wanted a little more steam but loved the book anyway.

i can't wait for the next books. I have a feeling I will love this series.

Lauren Layne writes her books like they should be movies.

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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.

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Naomi is the embodiment of the American dream; rising above her lowly beginnings to create a successful business and take ownership of all areas of her life. However, under the surface, Naomi has the emotional scars obtained in childhood that subconsciously control her ability to form meaningful relationships.

Although Naomi’s relationship with her mother was strained due to the events of their past and the bitterness her mother harbored, Naomi maintains a deep sense of loyalty to her mother following her death. Leading to an unexpected surprise from her late mother as a way of laying the past to rest.

Even though the incidents in the past shaped the person Naomi has become, she hasn’t lost any of her empathy and compassion despite being the sole beneficiary of her mother’s venom. It is her innate ability to accept people that enables her to deal with her own emotional baggage.

What originally starts as a quest for justice transforms into a journey into feelings and an unexpected partnership.

Oliver is a very different person than he was as a boy. He is very self-aware and has been from a young age, sadly not in time to redeem himself with Naomi as a child. However, his charm and tenderness will melt the coldest of hearts, Naomi’s included 💕

Ultimately, we have to understand that people can change especially through the events they experience in their lives.

Passion on Park Avenue also deals with the subject of dementia in the narrative and its effect on family members caring for a relative afflicted with this awful disease. As someone who has been in that position, I have to say while the subject matter presented a traumatic point for me, Lauren dealt with it realistically but with sensitivity and understanding of the conflicted emotions experienced.

The friendship formed between Naomi, Claire, and Audrey, while originating from extremely unusual circumstances was one of my favourite parts of Passion on Park Avenue. I am eagerly awaiting their individual stories.

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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.

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4 1/2

Lauren Layne is such a reliable writer that I know when I pick up one of her novels that I am going to be immediately involved and happily flipping pages until I come to the end. Passion on Park Avenue is no different.

While Passion on Park Avenue starts with an interesting meet-cute, one that involves two mistresses and the wife of a philanderer who, avoiding the funeral, walk a short distance to Central Park, recognize that they all wear the same shoes…and evidently shared the same man. On the outside, the women may vaguely resemble each other in that they dress similarly and all wear the same watch, a gift from the heartless philanderer, but inside they are so very different.

The first story involves Bronx-born Naomi, who is prickly but strong, compassionate and sometimes speaks without a filter. Naomi learns that her application is in the running for a select Manhattan apartment, which is interesting because she never put in the application. She realizes that it’s the work of her mother who died just months earlier and who wanted the people in that select building to see what Naomi had become: the CEO of an accessory empire. The interviewer is Naomi’s childhood nemesis, Oliver, the son of a philanderer who had an affair with her mother.

Layne never writes a one-dimensional story and Passion on Park Avenue is no different. Naomi doesn’t have it in her to enact any kind of revenge against the people who made her mother so bitter. The circumstances have changed and the people have changed and likewise, Naomi changes. The story is multi-layered and lays the groundwork for the upcoming stories. I only hope that the upcoming heroines, Audrey and Claire, are as spunky and interesting as Naomi.

Passion on Park Avenue is an excellent vacation read that I devoured in a day. If you’re a Lauren Layne fan, you will love this book! Add this to your summer TBR list!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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**4.5 Stars**

Passion on Park Avenue was quintessential Lauren Layne with its deliciously witty banter and fantastic storytelling. From the first page, the camaraderie and unique premise of three women coming together from one unfortunate circumstance created a wonderful platform to introduce the catalyst for each of their individual and joined journeys. Though it lacked the steaminess factor we so love of Layne, it packed a punch with Naomi’s introspective journey of overcoming long held self constraints with the help of supportive friends and a full-circle romance.

The fun, antagonistic nature of Naomi and Oliver’s relationship was believable and magnetic. Every encounter built upon itself beautifully and kept me engaged and falling more into it. There was an ease in crafting their gradual connection in their every interaction that left me wanting and it always paid off. The romance was spot-on, but what was most impressionable was the female relationships and the intent behind it. I adored seeing what could’ve been fodder for the basic woman-to-woman interaction spun to instead become something liberating and inspiring and supportive. Passion on Park Avenue was simply an enjoyable read in every aspect and I’m greatly looking forward to the next in the series.

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Central Park Pact #1, The series is a new one from a favorite author of mine it's about an unlikely friendship between three women, socialite Audrey Tate, the classy Claire Hayes, and the self made billionaire Naomi Powell.What brought these three women together was they had slept with the same man, Claire's husband. They met when they were all supposed to be at his funeral all wearing the same shoes and all with identical watches. They all understood what a lousy excuse for a man he was and made a pact that they would protect each other from making the same mistake again. Over the next couple of months the bonds of friendship formed and they became close friends.

Naomi Powell hit it big with a subscription based accessories box. Growing up poor in the Bronx toughened her up and lets her appreciate all her accomplishments.She's about to move into a perfect new office and apartment when she gets a call letting her know that her application for to move in to an apartment at 517 Park Ave has been accepted. She lived their for a short time as a child in the servants quarters with her mother, it was horrible and it ended just as bad and she knew the family that ruined her childhood still lived there. She planned to move in long enough to rub it in how successful she now was but what happened when she got there changed everything.

Oliver Cunningham was the ban of Naomi's existence when she lived at 517 Park, and unfortunately for her plans as an adult he's completely changed. Oliver was a disappointment to his father by not going into the family business, instead he became an architect. First his mother died of cancer and then shortly after that his father was diagnosed with alzheimer's; his life has revolved around his father's illness the only person to catch his interest is the redhead who moved in next door who seemed to have an instint hate-on for him. The more time Naomi and Oliver spend together however the more they like each other and one thing leads to another and they are in love but with Naomi's past a secret it's only another matter of time before the other shoe drops and Oliver finds out who she really is and why she moved in to 517 Park in the first place.


Overall, it's another great LL romance. Enemies to Lovers with plenty of snark and humor, and what LL does best bring a bit of New York to those of us who can only dream about it her descriptive narrative is wonderful. I love the connection Naomi made with Audrey and Claire the sisterly bond they formed to look out for each other, I look forward to their stories as well.

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4 stars

Passion on Park Avenue is the first book in the new Central Park Pact series by Lauren Layne and I really enjoyed it.

The storyline is well written, heartfelt, the plot heald my interest from start to end, I enjoyed getting to know all the characters, watching them connect and open themselves to love.

Oliver and Naomi are both strong, likeable and at times frustrating characters that touched me watching them come together, they have a strong connection, they amused me with their banter and they made me smile and swoon with their love story.

Overall, Passion on Park Avenue is a good/solid start to the new series and I'm excited for the next book Love on Lexington Avenue due to be released September 2019.

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*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy..*

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This was a really fun romantic comedy about not only the relationships we form but also the importance of our friendships. If you are a fan of the enemy to lovers trope then this will be a great read for you! I found all of the characters to be likeable and relatable, the writing to be well done and the plot to keep me reading. Overall I really enjoyed it and I think it will make a great summer read!

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I enjoy most of Lauren Layne's books and this one was fun as well. It's rich people in New York living glamorous lives/jobs, but has a real element in it as well. In this one the hero is dealing with a parent who has advanced Alzheimer's, which is hard to read if you're reading this book to escape being a caretaker of someone with that or dementia, so I wanted to give you a head's up. The heroine is trying to deal with her past and feeling of not belonging. I really didn't like the subplot of someone making a tv show/mini-series of her life - that just seemed a little weird. I liked how the main three ladies became friends and I'm interested in the next two stories as well. A solid read.

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Naomi Powell has created a jewelry empire that has shot her to the top. But all she can remember is that she is not a blue blood of the New York Elite. When by chance she gets the opportunity to live in building that changed her life as a girl, Naomi isn't sure she wants to face that fear. There's a catch, her next store neighbor is the boy that was crucial in ruining her life. Maybe Naomi does want a little closure or possibly revenge.

I thought that this romance was cute. Naomi Audrey and Claire have a unique beginning to their friendship and I really liked how they bonded together in an insider's sisterhood. The interplay between Naomi and Oliver was fun. I liked that he didn't figure it out because it let them be together on their own merits.

It was a cute fun story. Now off to see about Claire's happy ending.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
I enjoyed this book. The characters were refreshing and entertaining.

Naomi's mother filled out an application for her to move into “THE” building in New York City behind her back. Trying to figure out her mother's reason was simple: she wanted Naomi to believe that she was just as good as the "old-moneyed" people who resided there and treated those who didn't like they were of a lesser social class – even in 20th century America.

Taking the leap, Naomi went to the interview and came face-to-face to her old foe, Oliver Cunningham. Ollie has done a lot of growing up over the years and doesn't remember Naomi. He doesn't know what his family did to hers and when he finds out that Naomi lied to him, all bets are off.

The social aspect of having to deal with Alzheimer's disease is something that more and more families are facing and I'm glad to see that authors are not ignoring this disease.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the start of a new series – and I absolutely love the premise of the pact. The three women who meet and find out their relationship to each other is less than usual, decide to take the positive and run with it – I loved their attitude and their fast friendship. It was believable and endearing, and made the story flow so well.

Naomi is still reeling from the death of her boyfriend and what she found out upon his death, then she gets told that she has a chance at an apartment on Park Avenue. The application was filled out by her recently deceased mother, and so she goes to the interview. She knows why her Mum applied, and after years of conditioning, she feels that she is meant to finally right the wrong done to her and her mother by one of the residents of the block.

This revenge is something that has fueled her life for a long time, so as we get to see the situation play out, it is difficult to watch this naturally positive and generous soul fight her instincts with her memories. It makes for a clever, entertaining, and hopeful story, with some clever twists and the definite tinge of romance.

Her new friends do a great job of bringing her back to the now, and to consider her past in a different light. That she has been wildly successful in spite of her past is also a reminder that the past should not define her future. It will be interesting in future installments to see how the other two women reconcile their past with their futures, although it will be a different slant for sure.

Oliver is a delicious male lead with a very wealthy life, but as is often the case, the sheen on the outside covers up a difficult life, and a selfless attitude to his parents. He is so confused at Naomi's hot and cold approach to him, and without a doubt the course of true love does not run smoothly for them, but somehow there is enough interest to make him take the time and effort to try and reach a happy ending for them both.

I am very much looking forward to the next book in this fun series.


Jordan – ☆☆☆☆
Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne is the first book in the Central Park Pact series. I personally have grown quite fond of most of Layne’s previous series and I am looking forward to reading this new series. I normally have zero trouble finding myself fully invested into one of Layne’s books after the first few pages, but this one took me a little bit longer to settle into than usual. Plus, some parts seemed a little dragged out; however, all in all I ended up really enjoying the whole childhood enemies-to-lovers story.

Naomi Powell has found her way back to the same Upper East Side building where her mother once worked as a housekeeper and she’s determined to finally show the Cunningham family the successful woman she has become. Now she’s finally neighbors to the son, Oliver Cunningham, her childhood tormentor. But grown-up Oliver is so handsome and charming, and Naomi is having trouble remembering how much she’s supposed to dislike him.

I loved that Naomi, the main character, was this strong sassy female that built her own success from nothing. Plus, Oliver and Naomi had such great chemistry on the pages! Now, I am totally looking forward to seeing what Layne has in store for Claire in book two, Love on Lexington Avenue, and Audrey!

4 stars for Lauren Layne’s Passion of Park Avenue.

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Passion on Park Avenue was a great start to Lauren Layne's new contemporary romance series. It was a little bit different than some of LL's past books because it focused more on the romance of the two main characters rather than the sex scenes. Naomi and Oliver did share passionate moments and chemistry, but I enjoyed their relationship and connection most of all.

One of the highlights of the book was the budding friendship between Naomi, Claire, and Audrey. These three woman meet in the worst of circumstances: at the funeral of the man they've ALL been seeing. But despite that less than desired detail, Layne makes it work for the story and something wonderful comes from the situation: a bond is formed between them. They start looking out for each other. And trust me... when it comes to true love, they all need it!

I'm excited for Claire's story and I want to live in her guest bedroom. Would that be possible, LL? :)

I was given an ARC copy on Netgalley to read and write an honest review.

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