Passion on Park Avenue

Strong characters and relatable situations elevate Layne’s bighearted contemporary. When self-made woman Naomi Powell receives a message that she’s been approved for an interview for a fancy Park Avenue co-op, she isn’t sure what to think. She is looking for a place to live, but the building holds terrible memories from her childhood: her late mother was a housekeeper there until her employer, Mr. Cunningham, fired and blacklisted her. To complicate matters, Naomi’s mother is the one who sent in the application without Naomi’s knowledge. Naomi goes to the interview and comes face-to-face with Oliver Cunningham, the son of her mother’s ex-employer, who surprises them both by approving her purchase of the apartment. The sting of betrayal is fresh in Naomi’s mind, but Oliver doesn’t remember Naomi or her mother, and he’s quickly confused by both his new neighbor’s anger at him and their instant mutual attraction. When Oliver needs daytime help for his elderly father, who now has Alzheimer’s, Naomi’s snap decision to volunteer changes the nature of their relationship and sets these two strong personalities up for a collision course. This vivid enemies-to-lovers romance digs into class differences, emotional baggage, and the reality of dealing with aging parents. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (May)