Love on Lexington Avenue
Central Park Pact • Book Two
❤️ CLOSED-DOOR
(SEXY MOMENTS, BUT NO EXPLICIT DETAILS)
Successful entrepreneur Naomi moves next door to the guy who once ruined her life, only to find he doesn’t remember her, and that Oliver is no longer a troublemaking boy, but a kind-hearted man.
Love on Lexington Avenue
Claire & Scott
❤️ Closed-Door
(Sexy moments, but no explicit details)
Trope: Forced proximity
Central Park Pact | Book Two
“Lauren Layne is a master at sexy banter and funny dialogue. Add in some girl power and a man who knows his way around his power tools, and this one is a real winner.”— BookPage
🤍
Goodreads Best Romance
From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne comes the second delightfully charming installment in the Central Park Pact series, following a young widow whose newfound cynicism about love is challenged by a sexy, rough-around-the-edges contractor.
There are no good men left in New York City. At least that’s Claire Hayes’s conviction after finding out her late husband was not the man she thought he was. Determined to rid her home of anything that reminds her of her cheating husband, Claire sets out to redesign her boring, beige Upper East Side brownstone and make it something all her own. But what starts out as a simple renovation becomes a lot more complicated when she meets her bad-tempered contractor Scott Turner.
Scott bluntly makes it known to Claire that he only took on her house for a change of pace from the corporate offices and swanky hotels he’s been building lately, and he doesn’t hesitate to add that he has no patience for a pampered, damaged princess with a penchant for pink. But when long workdays turn into even longer nights, their mutual wariness morphs into something more complicated—a grudging respect, and maybe even attraction...
about the story
if you're wondering...
Is this book for me?
I TRY TO BE AS UPFRONT AS POSSIBLE ABOUT EACH OF MY BOOKS. EVERYONE HAS UNIQUE PREFERENCES!
Publishers Weekly once said: "Layne’s vision of Manhattan is escapist and aspirational." They were talking about this series. It's a fairy-tale version of NYC.
This book is written in third-person, with alternating POV. Some people only like first-person. You've been warned!
This is very slow-burn! Claire is a widow, so she's extremely cautious. It gives them a chance to build an amazing base friendship!
This is a quiet sort of romance. Two people just going about their business, completely baffled by all these pesky feelings.
❤️ This book is has closed-door sex scenes. We see the lead-up, we know they happen, but it fades to black.
My editor told me this read too much like a "romance novel." I didn't change a single thing.
reviews & praise
“A glitzy romantic comedy for fans of Sex and the City, home renovation shows and anyone who wants to believe in the human capacity for reinvention.” — Shelf Awareness
“Fans of The Devil Wears Prada will flip over Love on Lexington Avenue.” —Karen Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author
“Simply stunning. Layne’s new series is fresh and addictive, and I can’t wait for more!” — Jennifer Probst, New York Times bestselling author
“Lauren Layne is a master at sexy banter and funny dialogue. Add in some girl power and a man who knows his way around his power tools, and this one is a real winner.”— BookPage
“Smart [and] funny . . . memorable characters with heart, heat, banter, conflict, and friendship.” — Harlequin Junkie
“This strong sequel to Passion on Park Avenue will appeal to slice-of-life romance readers as well as fans of HGTV marathons.”-Publishers Weekly
A goodreads Best Romance
Excerpt
“Well?” she said, just a tiny bit smugly when he didn’t turn. She was oddly eager to see his face when he realized she knew her way around a contour kit and had a rather impressive push-up bra in her arsenal.
He glanced over, then did a double take. And not the good kind. “What is that?”
Claire felt her face fall. “What do you mean?”
“Are you going to a funeral?”
An unlikely friendship
Central Park Pact
I always take a deep breath before telling people what this series about, because I know first impressions don't exactly scream rom-com. A funeral set up?! But rest-assured, these books are full of hope and banter and playfulness, plus a hefty dose of friendship! This was also my first series where I gave myself permission to back off on the sex-scenes. I show some lead-up, but then give the characters their privacy!
"A great example of women supporting women through ups and downs and feels very reminiscent of Sex and the City." —BookPage
💋 Closed-Door
