Passion on Park Avenue
Central Park Pact • Book One
❤️ 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.
Passion on Park Avenue
Naomi & Oliver
❤️ Closed-Door
(Sexy moments, but no explicit details)
Trope: enemies-to-romance
Central Park Pact | Book One
“The word charm is pretty much synonymous with Lauren Layne . . . a work of genius.”– Hypable
As Featured In
Oprah Magazine, Best Rom-Com
From the author of the New York Timesbestselling 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 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.
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!
Naomi is one of the most prickly of all my heroines! If you like soft and cuddly heroines, her sharp edges won't be your cup of tea.
Naomi holds a grudge for much of the book. Was it true to her character and the story? I believe so, or I wouldn't have done it.
But it has annoyed some readers.
❤️ This book is has closed-door sex scenes. We see the lead-up, we know they happen, but it fades to black.
This a romance at is core, but there is a lot more "plot stuff" in this story than some of my other books.
reviews & praise
“Chic and clever! Passion on Park Avenue comes to life like a sexy, comedic movie on the page.”– Tessa Bailey, New York Times bestselling author
“Upbeat, empowering, and will give you a Sex and the City vibe from page one.”– Popsugar
“The word charm is pretty much synonymous with Lauren Layne . . . a work of genius.”– Hypable
“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!”– Samantha Young, New York Times bestselling author of Fight or Flight
“Strong characters and relatable situations elevate Layne’s bighearted contemporary… This vivid enemies-to-lovers romance digs into class differences, emotional baggage, and the reality of dealing with aging parents.”– Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Featuring wine in coffee mugs, dinner parties with ulterior motives, and Naomi and Oliver being (almost) caught with their pants down, this is perfect for readers who love the dishy women’s fiction of Candace Bushnell.”– Booklist
“Ms. Layne is off to a great start for a new series of smart and fashionable women not looking for their HEAs that I can’t wait to follow.”– Harlequin Junkie
“Saucy and fun, this series is off to a promising start.”– BookTrib
“Serves up plenty of Lauren Layne’s trademark wit.”– Hypable
“A Big Apple romance brimming with sophisticated fun . . . The first entry in Layne’s new Central Park Pact Series, Passion on Park Avenue is the perfect summer escape.” – BookPage
“A cute and easy story perfect for summer reading, Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne is a flirty fling of a novel.”– Fresh Fiction
Publishers Weekly, Starred REview
An Oprah Magazine Best Rom-Com
Excerpt
He impatiently flipped the folder open, scanning until he apparently found her name, because he said it out loud with gruff irritability. “Naomi Powell.”
Naomi inhaled ever so slightly and forced her expression into what she hoped was placid politeness and raised her eyes to his.
Her breath whooshed out again as her gaze collided with a searing one.
It wasn’t that the man was good-looking, although he was—distractingly so. Thick brown hair, a face with no hint of shadow to better show off the masculine edge of his jawline, broad shoulders . . .
And light blue eyes she’d know anywhere.
Mostly in her nightmares.
And memories.
Naomi thought she’d come today prepared for anything. Anyone.
But never had she let herself consider the possibility that her interview would be with Oliver Cunningham. Never had she imagined that the boy who’d tormented her mercilessly during their childhood would once again hold her fate in his hands.
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
