Love on Lexington Avenue (Central Park Pact, #2)

by Lauren Layne

[Sam@WLABB]

1 grumpy hero + 1 gun-shy heroine + 1 dinosaur-dog = a bunch of happy tears



A year after losing her husband AND discovering his infidelities, Claire was looking to make some changes and wanted to start by renovating her home. Enter Scott, a grumpy, but very talented contractor, who clashed immediately with Claire. Though, their first meeting was a bit rocky, they developed a friendship, and it seemed like maybe even something more, but they were plagued by their pasts, which were hampering the possibility of a future for them both.

I love Lauren Layne books so much, and this was yet another winner for me.

In this whole wife-girlfriend-mistress setup, Claire was the the wife, and even after a year, she was still struggling with her feelings for her deceased husband. In the end, he betrayed her, but they were in love at some point. These were the emotions playing tug-of-war with Claire's heart, and this was keeping her from moving forward. I was really happy that Claire started taking some steps towards reclaiming her life. It started with baby steps, but as her confidence grew, those steps became bigger and bigger, until she was really starting to enjoy her life again.

I would have never have imagined, that someone like Scott would be the push she needed, but I was glad he entered her world. I had this idea of who Scott was in the beginning of the book, but it changed drastically as I learned more and more about him. He was also dealing with a romantic betrayal, and instead of isolating himself, the way Claire had, he partook in a strings of flings. One night stands and constant travel kept him from dwelling on his past, but being with Claire helped him come to terms with many things and get the closure he needed to take that chance on his future.

I liked these two together. I mean, it was a most painful slow-burn, but I enjoyed all their interactions. The attraction was simmering the whole time, and it was fun to see it get closer and closer to boiling. The attraction was real, but so was the genuine connection they experienced, and I loved that they were able to find some comfort in each other.

I think this book had more group scenes, than the previous book, and that was something I really enjoyed. Lauren Layne always puts together the most fabulous friend groups, and this cast continued that tradition. The ladies were such an interesting mix of personalities, but so were the men. The big group outings were fabulous, but so were the smaller meetups. It was nice seeing the dynamic between all the different characters, and I loved getting to meet them all.

This book was about healing and learning to trust again. It was about coming to terms with the past and moving towards the future. It was about love and friendship, and it was a delight to read.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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