Tag Archives: Central Park Pact

Marriage on Madison Avenue by Lauren Layne-Dual Review and Tour

Posted on by
13

Marriage on Madison Avenue (Central Park Pact #3) by Lauren Layne-Dual Review & tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play / Apple

From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne, comes the final installment of the Central Park Pact series, a heartfelt and laugh-out-loud romantic comedy that’s perfect for fans of Sally Thorne and Christina Lauren.

Can guys and girls ever be just friends? According to Audrey Tate and Clarke West, absolutely. After all, they’ve been best friends since childhood without a single romantic entanglement. Clarke is the charming playboy Audrey can always count on, and he knows that the ever-loyal Audrey will never not play along with his strategy for dodging his matchmaking mother—announcing he’s already engaged…to Audrey.

But what starts out as a playful game between two best friends turns into something infinitely more complicated, as just-for-show kisses begin to stir up forbidden feelings. As the faux wedding date looms closer, Audrey and Clarke realize that they can never go back to the way things were, but deep down, do they really want to?

••••••••••

Sandy’s Review MARRIAGE ON MADISON AVENUE is the third and final instalment in Lauren Layne’s contemporary, adult CENTRAL PARK PACT sweet romance series focusing on three friends: Naomi Powell, Audrey Tate and Claire Hayes-three woman who would discover there were all in a relationship with the same man. This is thirty-one year old, businessman Clarke West, and twenty-nine year old, social media influencer Audrey Tate’s story line. MARRIAGE ON MADISON AVENUE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading book one, PASSION ON PARK AVENUE, for back story and history.

SOME BACKGROUND: Approximately 18 months earlier, Claire Hayes, newly widowed discovered that her husband of seven years had been having numerous affairs including affairs with the two women who would become her best friends. The Central Park Pact was an agreement to never let one another fall for a womanizer like the man with whom they had all fallen in love.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Clarke and Audrey) MARRIAGE ON MADISON AVENUE follows the childhood, best friends to lovers, fake fiancé relationship between thirty-one year old, businessman Clarke West, and twenty-nine year old, social media influencer Audrey Tate. Audrey Tate considers herself a loser at love, and social media appears to agree calling her cursed when it comes to men and love. As her best friends begin to fall in love, Audrey becomes the odd woman out until Clarke West offers a deal that would likely stop his mother from trying to set him up with a woman from his past-a fake engagement to quiet the haters but an engagement that quickly spirals out of control. What ensues is the fall-out of a relationship that is threatened by jealousy and the inability to see the forest for the trees.

Audrey Tate and Clarke West both consider themselves non-marriage material, and continue to reiterate the belief at every opportunity but as the ‘fake’ engagement begins to take on a life of its own, our couple struggle between head and heart preferring to ignore the obvious when it is obvious to everyone else.

The relationship between Audrey and Clarke is a best friends to lovers/fake engagement that finds our couple doing what couples have done from the beginning of time but Audrey refuses to acknowledge the elephant in the room believing herself cursed to never marry or fall in love. Clarke struggles with a failed relationship from the past, a relationship that is hoping for something more. The $ex scenes are all implied and fade to black.

All of the previous story line couples play secondary and supporting roles: Naomi and Oliver (Passion on Park Avenue), Claire and Scott (Love on Lexington Avenue), as well as the introduction of Clarke’s mother and father Linda and Alton West; and his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Milsap.

MARRIAGE ON MADISON AVENUE is a story of jealousy, controlling parents, past mistakes, and moving forward in life. The premise is entertaining; the characters are energetic; the romance struggles in the face of secrets and lies, and in this I did not feel the connection between our story line couple, and I struggled to like our story line heroine.

From the outset Audrey is quick to dismiss any action that resembles a loving relationship but it is her friendship with Clarke that is battling to survive. From my perspective, Audrey is immature and self-centred, and all she cares about is her social media image, but again, it is her image that forced our couple to take drastic steps in an effort to fend off trolls and commenters. Clarke’s mother Linda is desperate to reunite Clarke with the woman from his past but Clarke only sees Audrey, a woman who is unable to see beyond the immediate gratification of social media. MARRIAGE ON MADISON AVENUE is a frustrating read but the author has done her work if she can get an emotional response, one way or another.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Passion on Park Avenue
Love on Lexington Avenue
Marriage on Madison Avenue

Barb’s Review:
Marriage on Madison Avenue by Lauren Layne is the 3rd book in her Central Park Pact series. This is the final book in this wonderful trilogy focusing on three heroines of this series, who became friends after the death of the cheating husband/boyfriend; the concept of these fabulous friends helping and supporting each other was great.

Audrey Tate is the third heroine, and we knew whom her “perfect love” would be.  We got to know Audrey and her best friend, Clarke West from the start of this series; as they have been friends since they were kids.  Clarke has always been a playboy, and loves hanging around with Audrey.  When Audrey starts getting bad publicity from her popular Instagram account, she and Clarke devise a plan to pretend they are engaged. When Clarke’s mom becomes involved, and brings in Clarke’s ex-girlfriend, things begins to change. At first, they have fun playing the fake engagement, and in a short time, they begin to feel things and see each other in a different light. As the wedding date looms closer, with their feelings escalated, will they cancel or go through the wedding?

What follows is a fun, delightful, flirty romance between two people that have been together for many years, and could never see what was right in front of them.  It was a lot of fun to see Audrey go through all the steps of a wedding; party, tastings, wedding planner, bridesmaid gowns, and having her two best friends help her (Naomi and Claire); knowing that the wedding plans will eventually be cancelled.  But best laid plans do not always work out. I really did like Audrey and Clarke together and rooted hard for them to open their eyes. 

I adored the fantastic friendship between Naomi, Claire and Audrey, with each of them going out of their way to be supportive and help them find the right man and just being there for each other.

The story was very well written by Lauren Layne, with the fantastic concept of these women who did not know each other in the beginning but became the best of friends; and Layne also has created some wonderful secondary characters.  Marriage on Madison Avenue was a fun, sweet, passionate finale with another fabulous couple, and the enjoyment of spending time with the previous books couples.  This was a fantastic and delightful series, which you should not miss.     

 

Follow:

Facebook/ goodreads/ Website / Pinterest /

Lauren Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen romantic comedies.

A former e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career.

She lives in midtown Manhattan with her high-school sweetheart, where she writes smart romantic comedies with just enough sexy-times to make your mother blush. In LL’s ideal world, every stiletto-wearing, Kate Spade wielding woman would carry a Kindle stocked with Lauren Layne books.

Share

Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne -Reviews, Excerpt & Giveaway

Posted on by
23

Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne – Reviews, Excerpt & Giveaway

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Google Play / Apple

 

Description:
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 and rough-around-the-edges 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…

 

Sandy’s Review:
LOVE ON LEXINGTON AVENUE is the second instalment in Lauren Layne’s contemporary, adult CENTRAL PARK PACT romance series focusing on three friends: Naomi Powell, Audrey Tate and Claire Hayes-three woman who would discover there were all in a relationship with the same man. This is thirty-five year old, widow Claire Hayes, and renovator Scott Turner’s story line. LOVE ON LEXINGTON AVENUE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalment is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading book one PASSION ON PARK AVENUE for back story and history.

SOME BACKGROUND: Approximately one year earlier, Claire Hayes, newly widowed discovered that her husband of seven years was having numerous affairs including affairs with the two women who would become her best friends. The Central Park Pact was an agreement to never let one another fall for a womanizer like the man with whom they had all fallen in love.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Claire and Scott) LOVE ON LEXINGTON AVENUE follows Claire Hayes, one year after the death of her philandering husband. Having just turned thirty-five years old, wanting something new in her life, Claire decides to renovate her Lexington Avenue home with the recommendation of her new best friend Naomi Powell. Enter contractor/renovator Scott Turner, and the man with whom Claire would fall in love. What ensues is the acrimonious but building relationship between Claire and Scott, and the potential fall-out as the renovations to Claire’s home, come to a close.

Scott Turner never expected Claire Hayes- a smart-mouthed, young widow who struggles with her place in the world. Not one to do relationships, Scott finds himself attraction to Claire Hayes, but a ‘friends with benefits’ relationship is all he is willing to offer. Having been burned in the past, Scott isn’t willing to lose his heart to anyone else. Claire Hayes has struggled with what happened and why. Having turned what could have been a disaster into a triple friendship with the other women scorned by her cheating husband, Claire battles her attraction to Scott knowing their time together comes with a deadline.. Believing herself too vanilla and boring, Claire begins to step out of her comfort zone with the help of the man with whom she will fall in love. The $ex scenes are all implied.

We are reintroduced to Naomi Powell, and her significant other Oliver Cunningham (Passion on Park Avenue #1), Audrey Tate and her best friend Clarke West.

LOVE ON LEXINGTON AVENUE is a story of friendships, support, struggle and love. The premise is engaging and energetic; the romance is passionate and sweet; the characters are a little broken, colorful and fun.

click HERE for Sandy and Barb’s reviews of book one PASSION ON PARK AVENUE
___________

Barb’s Review:

Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne is the 2nd book in her Central Park Pact series. I really enjoyed the first book of this series, and the wonderful friendship between the three heroines of this series.  I am happy to say that I enjoyed Love on Lexington Avenue as much as I did in the first book. 

Claire Hayes, our heroine in this book, is the wife of the deceased man each of the ladies bonded over. Claire is determined to change the design of her brownstone home, which continues to remind her of her cheating late husband.  Claire thinks she is boring and living a vanilla life, even if her two friends who have become very supportive of each other tell her differently.  A brief refresher:  Naomi, our last book heroine, was one of Claire’s husband’s mistresses and Audrey, was another.  All three support each other to make sure none of them fall for a man like their “ex”. 

Scott Turner, our hero, is the contractor who will change the home (he is friend to Naomi’s boyfriend); both of them get off on the wrong foot when they first meet.  Scott comes across as short tempered, arrogant and negative on any ideas that Claire might have. Claire learns that he is considered one of the best and most successful contractors worldwide, and decides to allow him to make changes, as well as give back the same attitude to him.  The banter between them was really good, even if Scott was rude to her at times.  But soon after they begin to work together, they both begin to feel the attraction to each other, even if they are determined to ignore it; especially Scott who enjoys spending time with other women, with no commitments.   Claire decides that she wants to go out and see if she can flirt with a guy, and approaches Scott to help her pick a man for a one-night stand; she wants to feel sexy again.

Scott will take her to a bar, but begins to feel jealousy when other men come on to her.  Claire begins to see another side to the grumpy Scott, and slowly falls hard for him.  They will give in to their sexual tension between them, with the knowledge that there is no future.  Best laid plans do not always work out. lol

Love on Lexington Avenue was a sweet, fun, slow burn romance that was so very well done by Layne.  I loved Claire and Scott over time.  I adored the fantastic friendship between Claire, Naomi and Audrey, with each of them going out of there way to be supportive and help them past their grief, anger and just being there for each other.

The story was very well written by Lauren Layne, with the fantastic concept of these women who did not know each other in the beginning but became the best of friends; and Layne also has created some wonderful secondary characters.   Love on Lexington Avenue was a fun story, with lots of charisma, and I cannot wait for Audrey’s story next.  I suggest you read this series, and start with the first book, Passion on Park Avenue.

Copy provided by Publisher

Excerpt provided by the publisher
 

SATURDAY, JULY 21It would have been downright tacky to say so out loud, but anyone who was anyone in New York City knew that the funeral of Brayden Daniel Hayes was the social event of the summer.
Not because Brayden was at the top of Manhattan’s A-list.
He’d been more on the periphery, the type of guy who was in the solar system but was a forgettable moon, orbiting around someone else’s more impressive planet. Brayden had money, but not big money. He’d been on the attractive side of average, but still average. Well-liked, but not adored.
For most of his relatively short adult life, Brayden Hayes had been solidly in the oh yeah, that guy category of society. The type who came and went through life without causing much of a blip.
Except, of course, if the way one left said life was an accidental drowning.
At the age of thirty-five.
With two empty bottles of sauvignon blanc rolling around one’s sailboat. To say nothing of the rumors of what he’d been doing before he’d set sail. Or who he’d been doing.
That kind of death could catapult just about anyone to Page Six for the season.
And so, on a sunny afternoon in July, Manhattan’s elite sat in Central Presbyterian Church on Park and Sixty-Fourth, their expressions the perfect masks of somber respect, even as they quietly exaggerated their closeness to the deceased.
Did you hear? He’d just accepted my dinner party invitation the day before they found him. I should have known something was up. When we caught up just last week, he wasn’t at all himself. He and I dated once, years ago. I can’t help but think what might have been . . .
Others had never met the man, and so merely gossiped amongst themselves, wondering if the rumors were true that his body had been found naked. If it was true that it was an NYU undergrad who’d called the Coast Guard when he hadn’t met her at the dock as they’d planned.
But at the heart of all the hissed whispers beneath black hats and somber suits was one delicious, looming question mark.
Where was Claire Hayes?
As it turned out, not everyone was at Brayden’s funeral.
In the front pew of the church, where Brayden’s family sat stoically listening to placid words of a life ended too soon, a prime front-row seat stayed conspicuously, shockingly vacant.
Even as the theories on why reached a fever pitch, three women who’d only just met sat a mere few blocks away on a bench in Central Park, having two vital things in common:

1. Matching Louboutins.
2. A very intimate connection to Brayden Hayes.

And so, as strangers who’d barely known the man began filing out of the church, murmuring plans of mimosas and imminent returns to Hamptons vacation homes, these three women who knew him better than anyone were making a very different sort of plan altogether.
The wife.
The girlfriend.
The mistress.
They had a pact.
To never, ever let one another fall for a womanizer like Brayden Hayes again.

 


 

Follow: Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter /Website /Instagram

Lauren Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen romantic comedies.

A former e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career.

She lives in midtown Manhattan with her high-school sweetheart, where she writes smart romantic comedies with just enough sexy-times to make your mother blush. In LL’s ideal world, every stiletto-wearing, Kate Spade wielding woman would carry a Kindle stocked with Lauren Layne books.

 

Lauren Layne and Simon and Schuster is graciously offering a paper copy of LOVE ON LEXINGTON AVENUE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1.  If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging into The Reading Cafe, please refresh the page, at the top of your computer.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE and Follow Lauren Layne on Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. Please like THE READING CAFE on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please follow THE READING CAFE on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from September 17-21,2019

Share

Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne-Reviews, Excerpt & Giveaway

Posted on by
26

PASSION ON PARK AVENUE (Central Park Pact #1) by Lauren Layne-Dual Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

PASSION ON PARK AVENUE
Central Park Pact #1
by Lauren Layne
Release Date: May 25, 2019
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 25, 2019.

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…

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

•••••••••••••••••

Sandy’s REVIEW:

PASSION ON PARK AVENUE is the first instalment in Lauren Layne’s contemporary, adult CENTRAL PARK PACT romance series focusing on three friends: Naomi Powell, Audrey Tate and Claire Hayes-three woman who would discover there were all in a relationship with the same man. This is thirty year olds, successful business-woman Naomi Powell, and architect Oliver Cunningham’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives ( Naomi and Oliver) PASSION ON PARK AVENUE follows Naomi Powell days after the death of Braydon Hayes, a man whose infidelities would bring three strangers together, forming a friendship that would push them closer together. Six months after the death of her mother Danica Fields, millionaire business woman Naomi Powell would be invited to join one of the wealthiest apartment units on Park Avenue-the caveat- it is the same apartment building where her life had spiralled out of control twenty years earlier, when her mother was caught having an affair with the man that she worked for. Fast forward twenty years, wherein, Naomi will come face to face with her past in the guise of thirty year old Oliver Cunningham, the son of the man that destroyed her mother’s life. What ensues is the enemies to lovers relationship between Naomi and Oliver, and the potential fall-out as Naomi is reluctant to reveal the source of her animosity towards Oliver and the Cunningham family, a reluctance that is about to blow up in her face.

Naomi Powell wanted retribution for her mother. Six months after her mother’s death, Naomi would discover that Danica Fields put into motion Naomi’s path for revenge, revenge that would stutter when Naomi comes face to face with her childhood nemesis. Oliver Cunningham has no idea why his new neighbor despises the ground upon which he walks. With her unwillingness to reveal the source of her animosity, Oliver can only presume that the woman with whom he is falling in love has suffered greatly at the hands of a previous love.

The relationship between Oliver and Naomi is a frenemies to lovers romance wherein Naomi battles between head and heart knowing that torment and loss her mother suffered at the hands of the Cunningham family. Oliver’s attraction to Naomi is instant but our heroine tries to keep her distance from the man with whom she will fall in love. The lone $ex scene fades to black and is mostly implied.

We are introduced to Audrey Tate and Claire Hayes; Naomi’s assistant Deena; Audrey’s best friend Clarke West; Oliver’s father Walter Cunningham; his caretaker Janice; Oliver’s friend and fellow architect Scott Turner. Claire and Scott’s story line is next in LOVE ON LEXINGTON AVENUE.

PASSION ON PARK AVENUE is a story of betrayal; of vengeance; of broken memories, heart break and loss; secrets and lies; forgiveness, romance and falling in love. The premise is captivating and emotional; the slow building romance is sweet; the characters are energetic, colorful and lost.

 

Barb’s Review

Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne is the 1st book in her new Central Park Pact series.   We meet our heroine, Naomi Powell, as she attends the funeral of her now deceased boyfriend.  What Naomi finds is that her ex was married, something she did not know.  When she decides to leave the funeral parlor, she ends up in a park and meets two other women; one the wife and the other a mistress.  From that point on, the three ladies will become friends, to help each from making another grave mistake in choosing another ‘bad boy’, and to be there for each other.   I really did enjoy the concept of the three women who actually got past the cheating husband/boyfriend, and turned out to be fabulous friends supporting each other.

Naomi, who is now a very successful entrepreneur, plans on moving to a new fashionable condo, but is offered a different and older condo that has a past that she cannot forget.  Seems Naomi’s mom was a housekeeper for the Cunningham’s a number of years ago, and when it is discovered that she was sleeping with the patriarch, the mother was let go.  They had to struggle for a number of years, and Naomi has never forgotten.   When she decides to move to the Park Avenue condo, she meets her childhood nemesis, Oliver Cunningham (our hero) and the Cunningham father, who now has Alzheimer’s. 

Oliver and Naomi get off the wrong foot, as she keeps her secret who she really is, and he cannot understand why she hates him so much.

Naomi’s coldness to Oliver and his father will slowly evaporate, as she begins to have sympathy for the father, who remembers nothing of when her mother was kicked out.  I did like Naomi, who as a tough, smart and savvy business woman who was determined to rise above the poverty they suffered during her childhood; however, at times I thought she was a bit hard on Oliver, but that changed. I loved her friendship with Claire and Audrey, which was a lot of fun and their camaraderie.   I really did like Oliver, as he was someone who was her equal in being smart and savvy, not to mention sexy. Slowly Naomi’s walls come crumbling down, as she realizes she is falling hard for Oliver, as he is not the 10 year old boy who tormented her.  The sins of the father no longer mattered, especially with his mind gone.

What follows is a slow built enemy to lover’s romance, that will have some hardships along the way.  What will Oliver do when he finds out who Naomi really is?  The story was very well written by Lauren Layne, as she also created some wonderful characters, which makes me want to see more of the other ladies in the future books; which I hear will be Claire’s book. Passion on Park Avenue was a fun story, with lots of charisma. I suggest you start this series.

 

Copy supplied by the publisher

The first thing Naomi had done after the shock of reading that Brayden Hayes was freaking married was to google the crap out of his wife, desperate for an indication that the Times had been wrong about his marital status. That it was a misprint or he was divorced. The paper hadn’t been wrong. There really was a Mrs. Brayden Hayes.
And she, too, had chosen Central Park over Brayden’s funeral.
Nearly even with Claire Hayes now, and with the sunglasses still providing Naomi anonymity, she dared to sneak a look at the other woman out of the corner of her eye.
Brayden’s widow looked pretty much like the picture Naomi had rummaged up online: a thirty-something Upper East Side WASP. Like Naomi, she wore oversize sunglasses, the Chanel logo glinting in a stray ray of sunshine. Naomi’s trained eye pegged the basic black sheath as St. John, and the basic black pumps Louboutins—identical to Naomi’s.
But unlike Naomi, Claire had a genteel poise about her. Like she’d never said darn, much less dropped an f-bomb. Naomi would bet serious money that Claire Hayes didn’t eat Kraft Macaroni & Cheese straight out of the pan when she was stressed and that Claire had never been so poor that she’d actually once considered taking home a neighbor’s discarded mattress, bedbugs be damned, simply because it was free.
Claire’s placid expression betrayed nothing as Naomi passed her, the glasses too large to reveal any emotion on her face. For that matter, Naomi wondered if women like her experienced emotion at all. It didn’t seem it. The woman was the picture of calm, except for . . .
Her hands.
Brayden’s widow’s hands were clenched tightly in her lap, the fingers of her right hand white-knuckled around the fist of her left hand. But it wasn’t the subdued pink manicure that captured Naomi’s attention. It was the bright red crescent moons beneath the nails.
Naomi had a lifelong bad habit of acting before thinking, and she did so now, crossing to the other woman and sitting beside her on the park bench.
“That’s enough now,” Naomi said, using her CEO voice, calm and commanding.
Claire didn’t move. Naomi wasn’t even sure the other woman heard her.
Naomi hesitated only for a moment before slowly reaching over and prying the nails of Claire’s right hand away from her left hand. Little streaks of blood were left in the wake.
Claire looked down in confusion, as though just now registering the pain.
“Does that Givenchy have any Kleenex?” Naomi asked, nodding toward Claire’s clutch on the bench.
Claire didn’t move for a long moment, then taking a deep breath, she calmly reached for her purse, pulling out a travel-size package of tissue.
“We’re wearing the same shoes. Same dress, too,” Claire said, dabbing at the blood on the back of her hand with a tissue, using the same casual indifference of one dabbing up a drop of spilled water.
Naomi nodded in agreement, though Claire’s St. John was a knee-length mock turtleneck, and Naomi’s Chloé was a boatneck that hit at midthigh.
For a long moment, neither said anything.
“I’m supposed to be at a funeral,” Claire said, balling up the tissue and dropping her hands back into her lap.
“Why aren’t you?”
Naomi was genuinely curious. She knew why she wasn’t at that funeral. But the widow being a no-show . . . that was some serious Page Six–worthy gossip right there.
Claire opened her mouth to respond but shut it when a pretty young woman with dark brown hair walked past them. Naomi waited for the other woman to pass and, when she gave the brunette a closer look, realized the other woman was walking a bit too slowly, as though tempted to approach. She looked vaguely familiar. Naomi was fairly sure they’d crossed paths at a couple of events, though Naomi couldn’t put a name with the face.
Brayden’s widow, however, could. Claire went rigid beside Naomi, even as she called out to the other woman, “Audrey.”
Unlike Claire and Naomi, the brunette wasn’t wearing sunglasses, and Naomi saw her round eyes go even wider. “You know who I am?”
“You’re Audrey Tate. I did a little digging after you called the house that night,” Claire said quietly. “I know you were sleeping with my husband.”
Naomi’s head whipped around in surprise, and then surprise escalated to shock as she realized Claire wasn’t talking to her.

Follow:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS INSTAGRAM

Lauren Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen romantic comedies.

A former e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career.

She lives in midtown Manhattan with her high-school sweetheart, where she writes smart romantic comedies with just enough sexy-times to make your mother blush. In LL’s ideal world, every stiletto-wearing, Kate Spade wielding woman would carry a Kindle stocked with Lauren Layne books.

Lauren Layne and Simon and Schuster is graciously offering a paper copy of PASSION ON PARK AVENUE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1.  If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging into The Reading Cafe, please refresh the page, at the top of your computer.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE and Follow Lauren Layne on Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. Please like THE READING CAFE on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please follow THE READING CAFE on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from May 28-June 1,2019

 

Share