Passion on Park Avenue

The Central Park Pact

By: Lauren Layne

Narrated by: Nancy Wu, Sean Patrick Hopkins

Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

From the author of the New York Times best-selling 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 strong-minded, 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 for whom Naomi’s mother used to work. 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....

Filled with charm and heart and plenty of sex and snark, this entertaining series will hook you from the very first moment.

©2019 Lauren Layne (P)2019 Simon & Schuster

A little simplistic

The plot line was a little predictable and simplistic, and not very realistic. Not that I ever expect chicklit to be realistic so I guess that isn’t really a valid criticism LOL. But I found several things ridiculously implausible, starting with the idea that three women who were connected to the same man would randomly meet (in Central Park no less, which is huge) and then become friends. Um, no. And equally difficult to believe this woman was running a billion dollar enterprise. She seemed to only interact with her assistant, and even with her, not very often. She didn’t seem to be very busy - seemed more like an Etsy seller! I also didn’t buy that Oliver wouldn’t connect the dots of a woman named Naomi with red hair who didn’t like him, to a girl named Naomi with red hair who actually lived in his house when they were younger. Finally, the constant naming of designer brands every two seconds was extremely grating. “She picked up her YSL bag, looking at her Cartier watch while putting on her Dolce and Gabbana coat and Chanel sunglasses and listening to her Jimmy Choo heels clicking in the floor...” Seriously? Ok we get it, she has money. But is this a novel or a Nieman Marcus catalog?

Narrators can’t pronounce Naomi

You have a big problem when your narrators can’t pronounce the lead character’s name. Both narrators pronounce Naomi the correct way and also as Niomi in the same sentence. I got the predictable light storyline I wanted, but the narration was like nails on a chalkboard.

Old Woman feeling 31

My heart is pounding. I feel like I just feel in love. A owerful storyteller.

Carrots and Olie

There are things in Naomi's past that she doesn't want people to know about. She's worked to long and too hard to dwell on it. Unfortunately that's all she can think about after running into her childhood nemesis Oliver. Now he's showing up all the time and as their friendship grows Naomi is forced to make a choice between holding a grudge or letting go of the anger that drove her to success.

A cute story of revenge and forgiveness. This is the first in a trilogy following 3 friends who are brought together by making the same mistake. I love Naomi and her friends. Claire is sweet and Audrey is sassy! Naomi and Oliver have great chemistry from the first time we meet them, and the heat and the pull of "will they, won't they" is strong in this book.

I do have a few critiques one of which is the fade to black sex scene. After all the great teasing that Oliver gives it would have been nice to get a better pay off than waking up the next day. Give us the details!!! My other issue is that Naomi can be frustratingly wishy-washy in her revenge conviction. We never really know what her ultimate goal is and how she plans to carry it out. It's basically just a running thought she has.

The narration was pretty good from both narrators who were new to me. There were a few moments where I thought the pronunciation was off and it kind of pulled me out, but that's a personal nitpicky thing.
❤️🎧❤️

Eh

I didn’t hate listening to this - it was ok most of the book, but there are flaws in the story. It just didn’t fully develop and it was surface and simplistic in the love.

Boring

I want my credit back. I felt like I wanted to stick my head in the oven from the narration. Plus the story really was a bunch of BS.

Wonderful story

Naomi and Oliver knew each other when they were young and Naomi's mother was Oliver's family maid. Naomi has hated Oliver and his family for 20 years for what happened to her and her mother and now she has a chance to get back at them. But when Naomi meets Oliver again, he doesn't recognize her and she realizes that he's not the same as he was 20 years ago. As they continue to get to know each other, Naomi can't bring herself to tell Oliver who she is. I enjoyed listening to this book and the narration by Nancy Wu and Sean Patrick Hopkins was wonderful. I can't wait to listen to the next in this series as it follows 3 unlikely friends. I always enjoy a Lauren Layne book, too.

Would Make a Great Lifetime Movie!!!

Loved the story I couldn’t stop listening. I wish the next book continued this story but I will still download the other two books in the series. I highly recommend.

A light, fun read. Brings you back to earlier days

loved it, can't wait to read the next one.
thank you for this read!

great love story

Very nice love story. A few surprises. Leaves you with warm fuzziness, wishing for more.