The Park Avenue Promise series by @authorlexiblake is sisterhood goals. Three friends, dreaming of owning a home on Park Avenue go through live together being the best support system ever. I loved each of these books.

In Start us Up, Ivy and Heath take us through a tech start up for a match making app. Heath wants to use the skills his grandmother has to teach AI to mimic her style and methods. It’s a slow burn story that melts your heart.

My Royal Showmance has Ankia and Luca starring in a reality tv show to help generate interest and commerce in Luca’s country. She’s pretending to be a contestant, he’s pretending to be interested in the other contestants. The only thing that’s reality is the attraction to each other.

Built to Last has tough as nails Harper teaming up with Reid to renovate the very many mansion she and her friends dreamt about owning one day. Harper and Reid have to put aside their differences and renovate this beautiful mansion bought by a mysterious owner.

Built to Last is a heartfelt, second-chance romance with just the right blend of emotion, heat, and small-town charm. Lexi Blake crafts characters you root for, with real struggles and strong chemistry. The pacing is solid, and the emotional depth adds weight without overwhelming the story. A great read for fans of love with a little grit.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

A fun, flirty enemies-to-lovers romance with a heartwarming message about resilience and second chances. When Harper Ross tries to save her family’s construction business, she’s forced to work with the infuriatingly charming designer Reid Dorsey. Sparks fly, tempers flare, and love builds in all the right places. Packed with witty banter, strong women, and just the right amount of steam.

Harper runs a construction company. Sometimes it’s tough being a woman in what is perceived to be a man’s world but she loves her work. She is excited to be hired to renovate a huge old mansion but she’s not sure how she feels about being on a reality show and working with a reality tv home designer. Reid is used to the reality tv spotlight. He has some good reasons to want this renovation to go off without a hitch. Their design aesthetics don’t always match but it’s possible they might be the perfect fit for one another.

Harper loves the big old house and she hates the idea that the new owner wants to chop it up into apartments so she starts out the story already a little prickly. I like that she has created a group of friends that are now family. She is resilient and strong. She is good at what she does and isn’t afraid to make suggestions about the project based on what is best to preserve the property. As she learns more about Reid, she is flexible enough to change her attitude about him and open minded enough to hear his side of the story. Reid was on top in the reality tv home remodel game. Having to rebuild some of that is a challenge and he is driven to succeed. I like that Reid listens and tries to understand. I like that he has secrets but is willing to open up as he learns to trust Harper. They make sense together as a couple. There are lots of side characters. All of the characters are important to the conclusion of the story.

This is a contemporary romance set in New York. It’s not quite an enemies to lovers romance but it’s close. Both characters are adults with demanding careers and they butt heads occasionally because of it. I enjoyed this book and I will read more from this author in the future.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my first Lexi Blake book and I absolutely devoured it!
This book couldn’t be more perfect.

It was emotional, sexy, suspenseful, and perfect enemies to lovers. I was hooked from page one and couldn’t put it down. The characters are beautifully complex, the chemistry is electric, and the story hits that perfect balance between romance and suspense.

“You were never a mistake. You were the best part of me I never knew I had.”

That right there is why I read romance. If you love second chances, found family, and protective heroes with heart, this book is a must-read. I didn’t just love it—I felt it.

I enjoyed this book but it’s in her point of view and I prefer getting both points of view. I loved how her best friends were like her sisters, they were so close. I loved his good Reid and Harper were for each other. I loved how good he was with dealing with her family. It’s a very heartwarming story. Loved the surprise at the end and that they got a very happy ever after. I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy and I recommend this book.

This is the third book in the Park Avenue Promise series, and I will definitely be going back to read Ivy & Anika's books after this one! I always enjoy reading stories of fierce female friendships. I enjoyed the setup for Harper & Reid's meeting, which led to all of the banter and snark between them (at first).

Harper is a woman working in a male-dominated field. Harper's family was so toxic - I got angry several times while reading. I love how Reid is not afraid to stand up to them for her, which taught Harper to advocate for herself by the end of the story.

Were parts of this story unrealistic? Yes. Did I still also eat it up because this is a fun rom-com? Also yes.

Audibook Length: 11h 30m
Narrator: Kitty Bang

Kitty Bang did an excellent job with the narration. She was able to bring out both the humor and the emotion in the story, as well as differentiating her voice between multiple male and female characters. This was a quick listen for me and I read it in two days!

Thank you to Blue Box Press, GetRed PR, & Brilliance Audio for providing me with copies of this book. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

(**) 4.5 Stars from me! I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but honestly I really loved it! It was well paced and being the 3rd in the series (unbeknownst to me at the time) it's got a good foundation but you definitely don't need to read the prior 2 books to be able to enjoy this one. I felt like the characters were really well rounded, including the support characters. Honestly, I loved the support character so much, that added so much zest and life to the story - which is probably the only downside. It felt perhaps like there was a little too much focus on the side characters or their development that it overshadowed Reid and Harper a little. Not enough to be a real issue, but just an observation I noticed. It's also a single POV. I'm not a huge fan of single POV but, again it wasn't a huge issue here. I definitely would have loved to get Reid's perspective throughout the book. Especially in the aftermath of his arguments with Harper. Reid and Harper had great chemistry and I loved their enemies to lovers journey. Reid was such a sweetheart, I have a new found love for nose kisses thanks to him. Harper felt like a real and relatable character, I felt for her watching her deal with her awful family. I loved the connection she had with Reid over their shared past family issues. I also loved how her found family and Reid really supported her and encouraged her, but also took the Mickey out of her too. I love banter between characters and there was excellent banter not only between Reid and Harper, but between all the characters. I'm definitely excited to go back and read books 1 and 2 after reading this. I wish there had been an epilogue, showing us Reid and Harper in the future though! I would have loved to see them in the future with their found family and the family they were starting together. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It made me laugh, smile and feel all the feels but didn't leave me feeling down. I was excited to read every page and I'll definitely be adding it to my re-read list! Highly recommend!

(**) I received an ARC of this book for review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by outside sources in any way.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was stunned by the cover but the story kept me here.
We love girls supporting girls over here! The way Harper hires girls for the construction company was bliss. I loved it.
The banter was top notch and if you’re looking for an enemies to lovers with ACTUAL enemies this is your book. I loved the tension between Harper and Reid.
Grumpy x Sunshine
Workplace Romance
Enemies to Lovers

Thank you NetGalley and Blue Box Press 💜

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and the plot and descriptions honestly it was really beautiful to me. However the character building was so different so it felt like it was a different dimension with dialogue and something else with the plot. I had a good time with the banter but there was just a rift for me and it made it so difficult for me.

The chemistry and snark were strong with this one.

Reid and Harper got off on the wrong foot, but they just couldn’t stay away from each other. These two had plenty of explosive moments, witty banter, and mutual desire. And both had challenging burdens weighing them down.

Harper’s family, especially her mother, was just too much. I wanted to pelt them with tomatoes and yell “boo!”. But it was very clear that Ivy and Anika (and the rest of her friends) were her found family. Reid’s questionable ex wasn’t much better. That was a truly sticky situation and left me frustrated on many occasions.

The ending was a beautiful and fitting closing for these three friends. I can highly recommend this book if you like a steamy romance that combines complex family dynamics with a bit of light-hearted fun. This is book three in the series, but each book stands well on its own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is perfect if you’re looking for enemies to lovers, GrumpyXSunshine.

Filled with great banter, drama and sometimes unnecessarily mean comments. These two characters love to argue and make digs at each other.

There were some sweet moments between the MMC and FMC, especially when they realised the attraction between them.
Great to see the character development and that little twist at the end….now I need more!

When I started this Park Avenue series I didn’t know what to expect. I was so used to Lexi’s romantic suspense and BDSM that a more typical romance from her had me wondering what they were doing other than be like. I should never have doubted it, Lexi never disappoints.

The three ladies this series is based around felt like friends from Ivy’s first page. I’ve been itching for Harper’s story since we first met her. Harper and Reid are like oil and water working together. But the attraction between them is unquestioned. And they can’t stay away from each other, even if they want to strangle each other.

I was crying by the end of this book, in such a good way. I love the found family Ivy, Anika and Harper have developed. It’s a great group of mulitgenerational women and then men they’ve found has only made there group better.

I can’t wait to see what’s next for Lexi. This book is available now.

Thank you Valentine PR, Blue Box Press and NetGalley for my copies of this book.

Having not read the first two books in the series, I was able to pick this up and know exactly the dynamic of the 3 best friends/“sisters”. I think I would like to go back and read the first two though.
I enjoyed Harper and Reid’s story. Their animosity towards each other seemed a bit extreme at first. Almost like you weren’t sure they could overcome it with their chemistry. But, once they did, it was fire!
I couldn’t stand Harper’s mother or her family. I’m sure that’s the point but I really wanted her to tell her mother to pound salt from the get-go.
The ending had me tearing up. I just wish there had been an epilogue for everyone after all that build-up.
4 stars.

3.5 stars
Built to Last is the third book in the Park Avenue Promise series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Harper and Reid didn’t get along in the beginning. She was the CEO of her dad’s construction company, and she was working on renovating a historical home she loved. Reid had different ideas about how the house should be renovated, so they definitely clashed heads.

Women in male-dominated fields is always fun. I loved how Harper never backed down, no matter what was thrown at her. And her family, specifically her mother, was awful. I couldn’t stand them.

Reid was actually so sweet and caring. And I liked that he truly saw Harper.

There was some drama (family and other woman) and a lot of found family. I haven’t read the other books in the series, but now I may check them out!

Harper is a contractor who get a job on a renovation TV show run by her best friend and will be working with Reid, the designer for the project. The two initially butt heads over different ideas for the historic brownstone, but soon realize they may have initially misjudged each other.

Harper and Reid's relationship was an odd one. They went from intense, slightly mean spirited conversations to insta-love too fast for me and I felt the turn in their relationship could have been developed better. Harper's family felt over the top and one dimensional at times. I did love the found family aspect of this, especially the relationship between Harper, Ivy and Anika. This is the third in a series, and I read it as a stand alone and while I followed everything I'd recommend reading the series in order.

Tropes
* Found Family
* Crazy Ex
* Workplace Romance
* Bickering Lovers
* Insta-love
* Reality TV Show

2.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley for my eARC.

For those that loved The Hating Game, The Unhoneymooners and The Love Hypothesis.

The third book in a series following three best friends and their love/work lives. This is an enemies to lovers, workplace romance with lots of laughs, sweet moments and lots of steamy parts too.

Harper and Reid's bickering does get a little mean-spirited at times but the banter and other dynamics/relationships/friendships in this book are so good that you can't get enough of all of the interactions.

Would definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys banter, a bit of home renovating and lots of love. This ones for you.

“Harper Ross has always dreamed of working on one of the magnificent brownstones of Park Avenue. Now one of her closest friends has bought the house of her dreams and hired Harper to do the construction work. She wants to showcase the renovation on a television show for her brand-new production company. It’s the same grand home she and her friends promised themselves they would be able to afford one day. Working on it isn’t the same as living in it, but it’s all a part of Harper’s grand plan to grow her father’s construction business into one of the biggest in the city. The only obstacle—the designer on the project.

Reid Dorsey believes in the balance between beauty and functionality. As one of Manhattan’s new voices in design, he’s excited to get to work on a true Gilded Age property. If only the owner had selected a contractor he enjoyed working with. Oh, Harper was brilliant and her work was excellent, but she has an opinion on everything—and it’s usually the opposite of his.

Over the course of the job, these enemies start to see different sides of each other, and suddenly their fights don’t seem so bad. But when the project is threatened, they might have to choose between their jobs and the beautifully designed future they could share.”

**What I enjoyed about this book:
I loved the enemies to lovers relationship between Harper and Reid! Although they really didn’t like each other initially, the attraction was still there! And I also appreciated how their personalities really balanced each other out!

Any book based in New York is always gonna hit for me lol . And anytime a man is name Reid you know he’s also gonna do it for me ! I love him . This enemies to lovers trope is always gonna hit the spot too ! I love the build up and how fast pace it is as well . Thank you to Lori for this ARC ! Before starting this, I read the other two books in the series as well and I loved it. It was my first time reading any books from Lexi and I’m so glad I did

The banter between Harper and Reid was top tier! I loved their dynamic and how they went from meeting to enemies to lovers. The tension was 🔥 between these two!

Have i mentioned this is a workplace romance and she’s the construction manager and he’s the designer?

One thing I loved was how therapy was portrayed in this book and how much Harper grew into such a strong woman!