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This was my first Lexi Blake book and I absolutely devoured it!
This book couldn’t be more perfect.

It was emotional, sexy, suspenseful, and perfect enemies to lovers. I was hooked from page one and couldn’t put it down. The characters are beautifully complex, the chemistry is electric, and the story hits that perfect balance between romance and suspense.

“You were never a mistake. You were the best part of me I never knew I had.”

That right there is why I read romance. If you love second chances, found family, and protective heroes with heart, this book is a must-read. I didn’t just love it—I felt it.

I enjoyed this book but it’s in her point of view and I prefer getting both points of view. I loved how her best friends were like her sisters, they were so close. I loved his good Reid and Harper were for each other. I loved how good he was with dealing with her family. It’s a very heartwarming story. Loved the surprise at the end and that they got a very happy ever after. I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy and I recommend this book.

This is the third book in the Park Avenue Promise series, and I will definitely be going back to read Ivy & Anika's books after this one! I always enjoy reading stories of fierce female friendships. I enjoyed the setup for Harper & Reid's meeting, which led to all of the banter and snark between them (at first).

Harper is a woman working in a male-dominated field. Harper's family was so toxic - I got angry several times while reading. I love how Reid is not afraid to stand up to them for her, which taught Harper to advocate for herself by the end of the story.

Were parts of this story unrealistic? Yes. Did I still also eat it up because this is a fun rom-com? Also yes.

Audibook Length: 11h 30m
Narrator: Kitty Bang

Kitty Bang did an excellent job with the narration. She was able to bring out both the humor and the emotion in the story, as well as differentiating her voice between multiple male and female characters. This was a quick listen for me and I read it in two days!

Thank you to Blue Box Press, GetRed PR, & Brilliance Audio for providing me with copies of this book. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

(**) 4.5 Stars from me! I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but honestly I really loved it! It was well paced and being the 3rd in the series (unbeknownst to me at the time) it's got a good foundation but you definitely don't need to read the prior 2 books to be able to enjoy this one. I felt like the characters were really well rounded, including the support characters. Honestly, I loved the support character so much, that added so much zest and life to the story - which is probably the only downside. It felt perhaps like there was a little too much focus on the side characters or their development that it overshadowed Reid and Harper a little. Not enough to be a real issue, but just an observation I noticed. It's also a single POV. I'm not a huge fan of single POV but, again it wasn't a huge issue here. I definitely would have loved to get Reid's perspective throughout the book. Especially in the aftermath of his arguments with Harper. Reid and Harper had great chemistry and I loved their enemies to lovers journey. Reid was such a sweetheart, I have a new found love for nose kisses thanks to him. Harper felt like a real and relatable character, I felt for her watching her deal with her awful family. I loved the connection she had with Reid over their shared past family issues. I also loved how her found family and Reid really supported her and encouraged her, but also took the Mickey out of her too. I love banter between characters and there was excellent banter not only between Reid and Harper, but between all the characters. I'm definitely excited to go back and read books 1 and 2 after reading this. I wish there had been an epilogue, showing us Reid and Harper in the future though! I would have loved to see them in the future with their found family and the family they were starting together. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It made me laugh, smile and feel all the feels but didn't leave me feeling down. I was excited to read every page and I'll definitely be adding it to my re-read list! Highly recommend!

(**) I received an ARC of this book for review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by outside sources in any way.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was stunned by the cover but the story kept me here.
We love girls supporting girls over here! The way Harper hires girls for the construction company was bliss. I loved it.
The banter was top notch and if you’re looking for an enemies to lovers with ACTUAL enemies this is your book. I loved the tension between Harper and Reid.
Grumpy x Sunshine
Workplace Romance
Enemies to Lovers

Thank you NetGalley and Blue Box Press 💜

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and the plot and descriptions honestly it was really beautiful to me. However the character building was so different so it felt like it was a different dimension with dialogue and something else with the plot. I had a good time with the banter but there was just a rift for me and it made it so difficult for me.

The chemistry and snark were strong with this one.

Reid and Harper got off on the wrong foot, but they just couldn’t stay away from each other. These two had plenty of explosive moments, witty banter, and mutual desire. And both had challenging burdens weighing them down.

Harper’s family, especially her mother, was just too much. I wanted to pelt them with tomatoes and yell “boo!”. But it was very clear that Ivy and Anika (and the rest of her friends) were her found family. Reid’s questionable ex wasn’t much better. That was a truly sticky situation and left me frustrated on many occasions.

The ending was a beautiful and fitting closing for these three friends. I can highly recommend this book if you like a steamy romance that combines complex family dynamics with a bit of light-hearted fun. This is book three in the series, but each book stands well on its own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is perfect if you’re looking for enemies to lovers, GrumpyXSunshine.

Filled with great banter, drama and sometimes unnecessarily mean comments. These two characters love to argue and make digs at each other.

There were some sweet moments between the MMC and FMC, especially when they realised the attraction between them.
Great to see the character development and that little twist at the end….now I need more!

When I started this Park Avenue series I didn’t know what to expect. I was so used to Lexi’s romantic suspense and BDSM that a more typical romance from her had me wondering what they were doing other than be like. I should never have doubted it, Lexi never disappoints.

The three ladies this series is based around felt like friends from Ivy’s first page. I’ve been itching for Harper’s story since we first met her. Harper and Reid are like oil and water working together. But the attraction between them is unquestioned. And they can’t stay away from each other, even if they want to strangle each other.

I was crying by the end of this book, in such a good way. I love the found family Ivy, Anika and Harper have developed. It’s a great group of mulitgenerational women and then men they’ve found has only made there group better.

I can’t wait to see what’s next for Lexi. This book is available now.

Thank you Valentine PR, Blue Box Press and NetGalley for my copies of this book.

Having not read the first two books in the series, I was able to pick this up and know exactly the dynamic of the 3 best friends/“sisters”. I think I would like to go back and read the first two though.
I enjoyed Harper and Reid’s story. Their animosity towards each other seemed a bit extreme at first. Almost like you weren’t sure they could overcome it with their chemistry. But, once they did, it was fire!
I couldn’t stand Harper’s mother or her family. I’m sure that’s the point but I really wanted her to tell her mother to pound salt from the get-go.
The ending had me tearing up. I just wish there had been an epilogue for everyone after all that build-up.
4 stars.

3.5 stars
Built to Last is the third book in the Park Avenue Promise series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Harper and Reid didn’t get along in the beginning. She was the CEO of her dad’s construction company, and she was working on renovating a historical home she loved. Reid had different ideas about how the house should be renovated, so they definitely clashed heads.

Women in male-dominated fields is always fun. I loved how Harper never backed down, no matter what was thrown at her. And her family, specifically her mother, was awful. I couldn’t stand them.

Reid was actually so sweet and caring. And I liked that he truly saw Harper.

There was some drama (family and other woman) and a lot of found family. I haven’t read the other books in the series, but now I may check them out!

Harper is a contractor who get a job on a renovation TV show run by her best friend and will be working with Reid, the designer for the project. The two initially butt heads over different ideas for the historic brownstone, but soon realize they may have initially misjudged each other.

Harper and Reid's relationship was an odd one. They went from intense, slightly mean spirited conversations to insta-love too fast for me and I felt the turn in their relationship could have been developed better. Harper's family felt over the top and one dimensional at times. I did love the found family aspect of this, especially the relationship between Harper, Ivy and Anika. This is the third in a series, and I read it as a stand alone and while I followed everything I'd recommend reading the series in order.

Tropes
* Found Family
* Crazy Ex
* Workplace Romance
* Bickering Lovers
* Insta-love
* Reality TV Show

2.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley for my eARC.

For those that loved The Hating Game, The Unhoneymooners and The Love Hypothesis.

The third book in a series following three best friends and their love/work lives. This is an enemies to lovers, workplace romance with lots of laughs, sweet moments and lots of steamy parts too.

Harper and Reid's bickering does get a little mean-spirited at times but the banter and other dynamics/relationships/friendships in this book are so good that you can't get enough of all of the interactions.

Would definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys banter, a bit of home renovating and lots of love. This ones for you.

“Harper Ross has always dreamed of working on one of the magnificent brownstones of Park Avenue. Now one of her closest friends has bought the house of her dreams and hired Harper to do the construction work. She wants to showcase the renovation on a television show for her brand-new production company. It’s the same grand home she and her friends promised themselves they would be able to afford one day. Working on it isn’t the same as living in it, but it’s all a part of Harper’s grand plan to grow her father’s construction business into one of the biggest in the city. The only obstacle—the designer on the project.

Reid Dorsey believes in the balance between beauty and functionality. As one of Manhattan’s new voices in design, he’s excited to get to work on a true Gilded Age property. If only the owner had selected a contractor he enjoyed working with. Oh, Harper was brilliant and her work was excellent, but she has an opinion on everything—and it’s usually the opposite of his.

Over the course of the job, these enemies start to see different sides of each other, and suddenly their fights don’t seem so bad. But when the project is threatened, they might have to choose between their jobs and the beautifully designed future they could share.”

**What I enjoyed about this book:
I loved the enemies to lovers relationship between Harper and Reid! Although they really didn’t like each other initially, the attraction was still there! And I also appreciated how their personalities really balanced each other out!

Any book based in New York is always gonna hit for me lol . And anytime a man is name Reid you know he’s also gonna do it for me ! I love him . This enemies to lovers trope is always gonna hit the spot too ! I love the build up and how fast pace it is as well . Thank you to Lori for this ARC ! Before starting this, I read the other two books in the series as well and I loved it. It was my first time reading any books from Lexi and I’m so glad I did

The banter between Harper and Reid was top tier! I loved their dynamic and how they went from meeting to enemies to lovers. The tension was 🔥 between these two!

Have i mentioned this is a workplace romance and she’s the construction manager and he’s the designer?

One thing I loved was how therapy was portrayed in this book and how much Harper grew into such a strong woman!

4 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I’ve wanted you every minute of every day since I met you.”

Built to Last is the third instalment in the adult contemporary romance series, Park Avenue Promise. Each follows separate couples so you do not need to read them in order but it can help with side characters - I personally have not read books 1 and 2. Written in dual first person POV, the story follows Harper and Reid, a contractor and designer who clash during the restoration of Harper’s friend's Brownstone of Park Avenue (which also happens to have a sentimental place in her heart).

See Harper is hired by her best friend to take on a contract job for their childhood dream house and said friend also wants to use this project to kickstart her new production company and Harper is oh so happy to help out, especially if it gets her away from her overbearing family attempting to take down the family development business she is keeping afloat. What she wasn't expecting was that the designer of the project, known for his own previous tv show, would threaten the classical feel of the building with a push for functionality.

Yet as they two continue to bicker and fight a connection grows and suddenly they don't appear to be too far apart in what they want...except can they build a future when the past seems to want to draw them back to square one?

This book surprised me in such a good way.

Harper has spent her life trying to please her family to no avail because she refuses to be the picturesque bride/mother her mom dreams of. On top of that she has spent years trying to save her family's business after her father's death reveals the questionable things he was doing with the money for the family (the IRS was none too pleased). I enjoyed seeing her stand up to her family and make her position clear even as they try to tear her down. She struggles because she wants their acceptance but her morality keeps her from giving in.

Reid does not start this story on a positive note with Harper but dang does he try to grovel afterwards. He has an air of confidence and comes from privilege but as time progresses we realize there are costs to his life and he has a few secrets I really felt for. I liked seeing him come to support Harper and truly work with her rather than against. She resists him a lot and he refuses to back down.

In terms of spice we get a couple scenes so I would place it at 2 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. It is a medium burn romance with angst initially as they are rivals. The romance unveils well and once they are together it was a BLAST because they worked so well together. The spice is detailed and explicit and I like how their first moment has a fun twist to it.

The story itself takes a bit to pick up but then gradually forms into a story I was not expecting and I loved it. I felt Harper's resistance initially did slow down the story for me but once Harper and Reid become a team we see a lot of movement. The banter of friendship also adds to the story and there is some ex drama for Reid while Harper handles family drama... until the end. I wanted to smack a certain character for holding something in for so long but I give them credit for speaking up eventually. There are fun twists and turns in the story that keep you on your toes - especially around the changes to the Brownstone. The ending is sweet and brought things all together...I just wanted more of Harper and Reid together.

Overall, I had fun with this! I am definitely curious about the rest of this series!

Thank you to Get Red PR for this arc!

I am a huge fan of Lexi Blake’s books and love that she writes different genres and tropes. This is a contemporary romance taking place in NYC and is the third book in this series. 3 girls, best friends go into business together to renovate a mansion while on a reality house remodel type show. Harper is a builder having learned from her dad, and she is the contractor for the house and show. Her bestie Ani is directing the show, and Ivy helps with the backstage duties and is a great hacker. Jefferson and Reid are brothers who have been brought in to help design the house for the new owners. Sparks fly between Reid and Harper, at first contentious but soon much more. Love these characters and loved the storyline. Just what I needed.

it didn't hook me from the start and usually when that happens i won't be interested. i dnf'ed this about 20% through. i couldnt get into it.

The final one on of the trio of best friends, Harper finds her one. I struggled with this story because of how much I hated Harper's family. Instead of a supportive family, she was always not enough because she didn't come with a twig and berries. Her father and uncle made grave mistakes with their family by letting them live above their means. I am completely baffled by a family that doesn't understand the IRS and thinks they can just not pay taxes.

The majority of the story, I wanted to rage and beat on the people hurting Harper. The number one target would be her mother. What a sorry excuse of a human being. I loathed her. Every word out of Harper's mother's mouth were sharp and designed for maximum damage. I cannot understand treating a child borne of one's body in this manner. I wanted Harper to walk away from all this toxicity. She has created her own family through friends. The stark contrast between Harper's mom and the other "moms" makes it that much more painful to witness.

Reid's past is not pretty either. I am not won over with his treatment of Harper either. Their interactions turn me off. Reid's words and actions are hurtful. I felt ill at easy for them. I don't know that I would like a relationship like theirs. Nor do I believe it will last, even after the reveals plus the ending. Basically this is a story of non ending family drama and dysfunction.

I did love the ending and I am happy to have anticipated it. The ending is sweet and lovely. This contemporary romance is recommended to readers who enjoy enemies to lovers theme.