Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne

4*

On the day of Brayden Hayes’ funeral, three women who knew him intimately meet in Central Park: the wife, the mistress, and the girlfriend. They didn’t know of each other before his death, but form a strong bond post-mortem. The result? A pact that they will protect each other from any more womanizers. In Book Two of the Central Park Pact series, we get to know Claire Hayes, the widow. A year after her husband’s death, she takes a hard look at her life and realizes that it’s boring vanilla. So, the first step towards adding color and vitality is to renovate her dated brownstone and purge it of every reminder of her late husband. Scott Turner, a sexy, gruff, ill-mannered contractor, is doing his friend a favor, agreeing to meet with Claire. When he sees the challenge in front of him and a woman who intrigues him, he takes the job. It’s a refreshing change from his typical corporate and high-end hotels jobs, even if he has to tolerate a spoiled, damaged debutante. As he transforms the house and she makes over herself, their skittishness and sniping morph into respect and then undeniable chemistry laced with a healthy dose of witty, snarky banter. Layne is a queen of contemporary, sexy, steamy romances set in New York City. She injects just enough conflict and tension to keep us guessing, but the bumpy road to HEA is so worth the trip. Stay tuned for Book Three in which Audrey, “the girlfriend”, may finally realize that her Prince Charming is right under her nose.



I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.