Naomi Powell avoids going to the unexpected funeral of her deceased lover by escaping to Central Park, but she never thinks she'll see his unhappy wife and his other mistress doing the same. Instead of having an all-out catfight, they decide to become friends and look out for each other, so they're never betrayed by a man again...

CEO of a successful and glamorous accessory empire, Naomi finally feels like she has made it, and to prove it once and for all, she's bought a lavish apartment on Park Avenue. When she moves in, though, she's surprised to see none other than Oliver Cunningham, the Upper East Side's golden boy, and the son of the family her mother used to work for years ago. Oliver had been Naomi's biggest tormentor, but now that they're grown, he has no idea who she is, and Naomi is dead set on keeping it that way, even though he's now her neighbor. Too bad he's outrageously handsome, seems like a good guy, and has a penchant for driving her crazy in both irritably bad and sinfully good ways.

While her professional life flourishes, Naomi's personal life is floundering. No matter what she does, Oliver is always around. And try as she might, she's hard pressed to find anything wrong with him, and he seems determined to make her like him. Their chance encounters turn into meaningful moments, and Naomi starts to wonder if in trying to overcome her past, she's ruining a chance at a happy future...

A cute and easy story perfect for summer reading, PASSION ON PARK AVENUE by Lauren Layne is a flirty fling of a novel. Set on the elite Upper East Side, Naomi Powell is a hardworking and fashionable woman with a past she wants to keep secret. Her new-found friends, Claire and Audrey, are fun side characters who are loyal as well as hilarious and poignant. Oliver Cunningham, Naomi's love interest, is a formidable foil and their witty banter is enjoyable, though they both spend much of the novel keeping secrets from the other. There's a charming side story involving Oliver's father, who Naomi has never quite forgiven for events in her childhood. There's an additional plotline involving a producer trying to make a TV series based on Naomi's rags-to-riches life story, which did add some conflict by digging into her past but didn't add much impact to the overall story. While nothing too surprising takes place, PASSION ON PARK AVENUE is a quick and sweet read.