BOOK Review : Passion on Park Avenue

Title : Passion on Park Avenue (Central Park Pact #1)
Author : Lauren Layne
Release date : May 28th 2019

Date Read : June 17th 2019
Rating : ★★★★★

“Here's what I do know, Naomi. We’ve got something here. You want to bring your baggage on in, fine, we’ll deal with it. Because it’s time for you to start admitting that we could be damn good together if you just give it a chance.”

There’s something to say about starting a book you know nothing about, because you never know what to expect. Sure, you read the synopsis, you’re not really going into it completely blindly, but still, you’re not sure about it all. Are you going to like the characters? The writing? The dynamics? The chemistry, whether it is romantic or platonic? Will you love it? Will you hate it? So many questions you have no answers to.

This was my case with Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne. Although, I was not entirely weary as much as I was excited. I’ve previously read some of Lauren’s books, not many, really, but ones I fell in love with so much so that they made me want to read more from her. Lauren has jumped into my “must read everything” author list as soon as I read her recent series 21 Wall Street. So, when I found out she just started another one, I just had to jump into it head first. And, to sum it up, I absolutely did not regret it.
Before we get into my thoughts about this book, let’s answer the most important question :

What is this book about?

Naomi Powell is a self-made billionaire who has been made to feel like she wasn’t good enough by the Elite Upper-East side people from her childhood and therefore made proving them all wrong, mainly the people her mother worked for as a housekeeper, her number one goal. To do so, she decided to start her own empire : MAXcessory, a Jewelry subscription box. Now, she’s where she always wanted to be and has everything she wants. But, life has other plans. Just as Naomi is about to move offices and houses, she receives an invitation to interview for a vacant apartment in the same building she lived for when she was young; a peculiar thing since she did not send in any request. The surprises don’t end here, because not only does she discover that her mother is the one who sent the request, but the interviewer is no other than her childhood tormentor: Oliver Cunningham.

And thus, my friends, starts the story.

Now, let’s talk about the characters.

Naomi Powell hasn’t had the best life, she grew up poor and made to think she wasn’t enough because of the amount of money she has, or doesn’t have, in her bank account; her mother wasn’t the best either. Naomi took something bad and turned it into something good. She’s fierce, independent and strong.
Right at the start, we find out that Naomi’s company is growing. She’s in the middle of packing up her current office when she receives a phone call telling her that she got an interview for a vacant apartment at her childhood building. Curious, she accepts it. Once there, she finds out her interviewer is the one and only Oliver Cunningham, hot, filthy rich and her childhood tormentor, who does not recognize her. Suffice to say, the interview does not go well. But, to her surprise, not only does she get considered but ends up getting the apartment; which she decides to take in order to get closure from her past and prove once and for all to Oliver that she made it.

Oliver Cunningham, while a rich prick when he was young, is no longer the self-absorbed mean boy Naomi knew, and he can’t, for the life of him, understand why his new, sexy neighbor who he can’t stop thinking about hates his guts. His life isn’t easy either, he lost his mother and the only parent he has left has Alzheimer. He has a lot on his plate, so when he meets Naomi, she’s a mystery, a challenge; and as an avid lover of puzzles, she is one he just can’t wait to solve.

Oliver and Naomi have a rocky start, but as much as Naomi tries to hate him, she just can’t reconcile the boy she knew, and the man now in front of her. Where little Oliver was mean, the new one is the exact opposite. He is sweet, attentive and makes her feel things she’s not sure she ever felt with anyone else, which scares her to no end. Their chemistry is off the chart and their banter is amazing.

“Are you telling me to behave, Mr. Cunningham?” Naomi meant for her voice to be brisk and businesslike and was appalled to hear it come out a little breathy.
He was so close.
Oliver smiled slightly, his eyes never leaving hers. “I’m not sure anyone would dare tell you how to behave. I’m simply warning you.”
“Warning me about what?”
His gaze dropped to her mouth before slowly lifting to her eyes once more. “That next time you look at me like you want me to kiss you, I will.”

To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. But as much as I loved Oliver and Naomi, my favorite thing about this book is, without a doubt, the female friendship.

When we first meet Naomi, she’s attending the funeral of her ex-lover, who unbeknownst to her, is a married man, a detail she finds out via his obituary. So, at the last minute, she decides to skip the funeral and go to Central Park, where she comes face to face with her ex’s widower and girlfriend. After they discover that they’ve all been lied to, they decide to make a pact : To watch each other’s backs when it comes to men and not let each other fall for another Brayden.
What makes their friendship my favorite is the fact that these three women took something that we typically see used as a devise to pit women against each other and used it as a bond. They took something bad and made it good. They’ve all been played and cheated on, but instead of blaming it on “the other woman” they blamed it on the right person and stood with each other.

You don’t really expect something like this to create long lasting friendships, but, while this gives some vibes of the movie “The Other Woman”, this comes with a little twist of not making it about revenge, but about making each other stronger, standing by each other and helping each other move on.

“She’d known the woman only two months, but true to her premonition in the park that day, their friendship had been on the fast track. They’d already had countless brunches, happy hours, and most telling of all, that late-night, soul-sharing kind of texting that left you feeling like you knew the other person.
Maybe it was these texts, maybe it was their shared history with Brayden, or maybe theirs was just one of those friendships that was meant to be.”

I absolutely adored each and everyone of these characters so much, Lauren Layne has a way of making me fall head over heels for every single one of her characters and the relationships she creates between them, but, I feel the need to say, that she outdone herself with Naomi, Claire and Audrey. Because I feel like no friendship will ever feel better than theirs for me as of now. She also has a way of getting you hooked to the story while simultaneously making you want the side characters’ story as well, and with Passion on Park Avenue, I just couldn’t put it down, I was so engrossed in every single interaction, be it Naomi and Oliver, Naomi Claire & Audrey, Audrey and Clarke or even the scenes where they’re all together.

In conclusion, Lauren has done it again. I am in irrevocable love and I absolutely cannot wait to see what she has in store for Claire and Scott, but, also, as a sucker for a best-friends to lovers, I am way too excited to see what she does with Audrey and Clarke. I want it all and I want it now!