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Park Avenue Player

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It started out like any normal day.

Then the fender bender happened.

The guy I collided with drove an expensive car and was drop-dead gorgeous. Too bad he was also a total jerk. We argued over whose fault it was and any other thing that came out of his condescending mouth.

Eventually, the police came and we went our separate ways. The insurance companies would have to figure things out. I had a job interview to get to anyway—one I was excited about.

Though that excitement changed to disappointment the moment the person interviewing me walked in. The guy from the accident.

Whoops!


Yeah, so I didn’t get the position.

The problem was, I really wanted it. No, I needed it. Anything to get me out of my current career and back into working with kids.

So, even though Hollis LaCroix was as intimidating as he was devastatingly handsome, I went back to see him and begged for a chance.

To my surprise, he gave me a shot taking care of his troubled niece.

At least my attraction to him wouldn’t be able to go anywhere. I wasn’t about to jeopardize my job or the strong bond Hailey and I formed.

But resisting the magnetic pull between us wasn’t that simple. (Then there was our little underwear game—don’t ask.)

We continued to flirt without crossing the line—until it finally happened.

This is the part of the story where we fall in love and live happily ever after, right?

Well, life has a way of throwing some major curveballs.

Ours was one I didn’t see coming.

300 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 2019

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About the author

Penelope Ward

82 books24.6k followers
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With over 2-million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty novels.

In 2014, Penelope’s fourth book, Stepbrother Dearest, became the #1 bestselling independently published Kindle ebook of the year on Amazon.com and was credited with igniting an entirely new subgenre of romance. Her 2016 smash hit RoomHate debuted at #2 on The New York Times Bestseller list. Penelope is an Audie Award Winner and three-time Goodreads Choice Romance of the Year Nominee. Her books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly and Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review).

Penelope’s novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

She can often be found chatting live with her readers in her private Facebook group, Penelope’s Peeps.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,002 reviews
Profile Image for Jamie.
846 reviews167 followers
October 8, 2019
So for the first time in my life, I decided to go into a book completely blind. None of my GR friends had read this and I didn’t read any other reviews. This book just goes to show-for me- EXACTLY why I do not and will not ever do it again.

*THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN MAJOR SPOILERS! DO NOT READ IT IF YOU DONT WANT THE BOOK TO BE SPOILED!!*

This book started off ok for me, I didn’t feel any real connection to the characters. The only thing I could feel between them was lust. Especially with the H’s CONSTANT pushing away. There’s like maybe two chapters in the book where he gives in to his feelings before he’s right back to pushing away until the end. Besides that though I was thinking this was going to be an ok maybe four star read. Boy was I wrong.

So, we know that the H had his heart completely broken by Anna, the most amazing beautiful woman in the world, sarcasm intended. We know this from the multiple flashbacks of how much he loved her and the experiences they had together. She cheated on him and he found out when he was proposing. While I didn’t like these, I put up with them because it was obviously in the past.

Well, because the H is a big baby he is ruined for all other women except for one night stands. He meets the h, they go back and forth for a while and like I said before I only felt lust between them I could’ve put up with that if the H would’ve just stopped pushing her away and being a major asshole. The H’s niece was the only character I really liked in this story. We also get the meet the h’s bff, Bree who is the h’s ex-husbands stepsister. She has a disease and is very sick. We get a lot of scenes where the h is checking up on her, and I truly felt bad for her and she was becoming a character I was rooting for. She was always rooting the h to find love and be patient with the H.

Anyways, after a really long time the H gives into his feelings, declares his love for the h, wants her to move in, and tells her he wants to have babies with her. It was all well and good until the h gets a phone call in the middle of the night after the baby convo I believe. Bree had taken a turn for the worst and is in the hospital on machines. Well our amazing H, is obviously going to be the most amazing boyfriend ever and drive her to the hospital without a second thought. The h is so upset that her bff didn’t get to meet the H. Well she needn’t have worried!! They’ve already met. It turns out Bree, is Anna!

I don’t know if anybody else who read this expected this, but I 100% did not see that coming. I guess props to the authors for that, but it was NOT a happy surprise.

Back to the story though, the H is shocked that HIS Anna is dying. He had no idea, and is very regretful. After this shock, he drops the h off, tells her he’s going home and somehow winds up at the hospital holding Anna’s hand absolutely distraught. Other things happen, and of course as you would expect, the H pushes the h away AGAIN. After Bree/Anna (Brianna!) dies, he cries at the loss of the girl he LOVES! He gives a speech at her funeral, which tbh I didn’t even read bc I was pissed. When they go home, he drops the h off at her house and goes back to his house to “think”. What does he need to think about?? No clue.

I pretty much skimmed the rest of the book, but I got all the “good” parts in. I will tell you right now, the rest of the book revolves around Anna. Even the epilogue, just wait for what I have to say about that. The H and h both come to the realization that he will always love Anna and as the H so eloquently puts it, before the h she was the love of his life. Wonderful. Just what I wanted to read. Anna’s dad brings the h and H both a letter from Anna. We never get to read the h’s (I think. I might have skimmed over that part if we did get to read it) but of course we get to read the H’s. turns out she never cheated on him!! Isn’t that amazing! Of course this makes the H feel incredibly guilty about “loving” the h. How could he do that to her? Love someone else while she dies loving him?? We also learn that Bree/Anna is the reason the h and H met! She just knew they would be prefect together.

More stupid shit happens in the H’s head, when suddenly he sees a rainbow and knows it’s “his beautiful girl”. Of course she’s giving her blessing to love the girl he already supposedly loved and he doesn’t feel guilty anymore! Awesome!!

Immediately after the conflict we get the “epilogue”. They are married and have a baby. And yep. You guessed it, their son is named after Anna. Unfortunately it was a boy, so they had to go with her last name Benson, but how heartwarming is it that the h and H name their baby after the H’s ex! I know it really warmed my heart...not! The final nail in my one star coffin was the last line of the book, which was in the H’s POV “I hope Anna was looking down right now and laughing her ass off” because her bird that he kept said something funny. The same bird who always says “Anna’s home”. Wonderful way to end a love story.

This is the longest review I’ve ever written, but I seriously had to get this off my chest. I should’ve know something like this would happen with these authors bc I’ve heard of them doing something similar before, but I guess I didn’t learn my lesson. I can rest assured now that the lesson has definitely been learned. Always read reviews before reading a book!

IMO, the h is 100000% second best to the ex. I feel like if she hadn’t died, and had recovered the H would’ve broken up with the h to be with her.

SAFETY INFO: if you still want to read this after the major ex drama, this wasn’t that unsafe to me before the ex drama. Obviously the H was hung up on the ex and pushed the h away throughout the whole book. On one occasion, he decides to fuck her out of his system, and invites a woman over to his place. Of course the h forgot her phone there, so she walks in while they were drinking wine and the H is a major ass to her. I think the woman left while they were arguing, but I’m pretty sure nothing happened between them. The h later goes on a date with a sweet and funny man who I liked better in his short appearance in the book than I did the H, nothing happens with him. The H ruins her date the first time they go out, and the second time she does it bc she knows it will make the H mad.
Other than that stuff, no scenes with ow/om besides kissing and dirty talk in flashbacks between Anna and the H.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Patty ~ Wrapped Up In Reading Book Blog.
1,260 reviews10.1k followers
September 23, 2019
*****FIVE STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Authors}



”There are some people who come into our lives and take a little piece of our hearts when they go. So they’ll always have that love with them. But the heart is resilient and will eventually heal itself. Though the new heart isn’t the same as the old heart, and that’s why we never love two people the same way.”






I always love reading the collaborative works of Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland. These two have written some of my most favorite romances. There are some I consider to be better than others and ”PARK AVENUE PLAYER” is up there with some of their best works. I can honestly say there wasn’t anything that I didn’t love about Hollis and Elodie’s love story. I laughed quite a bit and even shed a few tears. Get ready to go on a roller coaster ride filled with raw emotions. The plot twist made for some gut-wrenching angst. This book was everything and more! I hope that you all enjoy it as much as I have!






I’m not going to say much else because in no way do I want to spoil this for anyone. The book releases on September 23rd. Readers are in for a real treat!!





Here are my overall ratings:

Hero: 5
Heroine: 5
Plot: 5
Angst: 4.5
Steam: 5
Chemistry Between Hero & Heroine: 5



Audio ➜ https://adbl.co/2KGXyx

Amazon print ➜ https://fave.co/2ZjnGpE

Amazon E-book ➜ https://fave.co/2NurkHL




Profile Image for Dilek VT.
1,545 reviews1,486 followers
Shelved as 'nope'
October 17, 2019
The hero is still hung up on his ex so much that it will kill the romance for me. As if how much he loved her wasn't enough, the plot twist is also about the ex and it reveals a fact that destroys whatever romance there was between the hero and the heroine.

I have read many reviews but one of them has been so helpful that I want to share it with you, guys. It is full of spoilers so be careful before deciding to read it but the reasons why she gave it 1 star would definitely be my reasons to give it 1 star if I ever read it.

This review makes it crystal clear that this is not my type of romance as it sounds more like a romance book between the Hero and his ex, not the heroine at all :(

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for naz.
377 reviews373 followers
September 25, 2019
Spoilers -

All my reviews seem to be just of the ramblings of a sleep deprived mad woman so here we fucking go again.

Everything was going well, I was honestly enjoyed reading the first half even with Hollis' point of views of the past which was all about Anna (ex). It didn’t bother me because it was over and he was trying to move on. BUT OBVIOUSLY, these authors had to go with this trope. I knew half way through that Bree was Anna. I’m tired. Again, with the exes? It wasn’t enough exes were the main focus in your other books??? It had to happen again?? But this time, Anna (Bree) was honest to fuck perfect, she didn’t cheat on him and wasn’t a rude bitch. He loved her more than Elodie. I know this. You know this. The authors know this. Fuck, even Anna and Elodie knew. If she never died, and he still found about her – the fucker would go back to her in a heartbeat. THEY HAVE HISTORY. He was heartbroken when he thought she met someone else. I’m sure if Anna was to explain all of this, it would be water under the bridge, and he would finally get her down the aisle and have perfect babies.

Also, they never got to have a conversation which I thought was a fucking cop out. I know it would be even more evident for the readers to see how much he loves Anna more but it’s still fucking obvious. He even said he will always love Anna. How many more times are you going to have this shit in your books.

“We both need time, Addison. This was her best friend and my Anna.” HE CALLED HER HIS ANNA.
“Living without her. Those words made my damn chest hurt.”
It was more sexual attraction and lust between Elodie and Hollis. Lets be fucking honest.

I thought this would be a cute, funny read before I went to sleep but nah, I went to sleep angry so thank you.
Profile Image for Anna.
90 reviews
August 17, 2023
SPOILERS
Elodie, a 25 year old Connecticut girl, was out of a job. She was gorgeous, no nonsense kind of girl, funny, spirited, not to mention a great cook.
Her good friend Bree was living right next door. Bree was suffering from an incurable lung disease with a short-term survival rate. She had to be on oxygen and she wasn't getting any better.
Elodie was always checking up on her and Bree was always advising her to go out and find love.

Bree saw an ad for a nanny position in New York and encouraged Elodie to apply. Elodie got the job.
She was to be taking care of an 11 year old girl who was the niece of Hollis 31, who was working on Wall Street.
There was a strong attraction between Hollis and Elodie. They were both gorgeous.

Hollis let Elodie know that he'd made a decision long ago to remain single. He had a bad experience in the one serious relationship of his life (The love of his life) and he hadn't had the desire to put himself in that position again.
He was still hunged up on his ex. He said Elodie was too good for him (she was) and deserved a man who wants to settle down. He was not that man.

He was jealous though and he ruined a couple of dates she tried to have with another man.
At last he gave up his resolve and started dating Elodie.
He told Elodie about the love he had and lost, Anna. He knew her since childhood. At 16 they got romantically involved. They were very close and very much in love and lived together for many years.
When they were both 25, Hollis proposed. Anna, in tears,told him she was sorry but she'd met someone else. A few days later she left and he never saw her again.
His heart was completely broken and he's been reluctant to get involved with anyone since.

Hollis and Elodie continued their relationship and one day he told her he loved her and was committed to her for the long haul. They talked about moving in together.

One night Elodie received a phone call, Bree took a turn for the worst and was in Hospital. Hollis drove her and as it turned out Bree was Anna. Breeanna. The shock was great for both Hollis and Elodie.
Later on he drove Elodie to her house. He said he needed to be alone. He drove back to the Hospital instead.

Anna died the next day. Hollis and Elodie reverted back to the relationship they had before they got involved as Hollis became aloof and distant, just living in his head.

Anna's father gave each a letter Anna left for them. Anna wrote to Hollis in her letter that she never stopped loving him and never cheated on him. When she got her diagnosis she decided to get out of his life. She didn't want him to go through the effects of her illness and subsequent death.
So she lied to him that she'd met someone else.

The letter made Hollis even more distant. He was feeling guilty that even though Anna left him back then, she was still his friend and he never look her up to check on her.
He felt guilt to be with Elodie and be happy together when Anna loved him after all and she was dead.
He needed to come to terms with the fact that everything he knew the last 6 years was a lie.
Elodie was giving him as much space as she could but it wasn't easy.

A month went by and one day Hollis came home ready to live his life again. With Elodie. He believed he got a sign from Anna that it was OK to do so.
He said he loved Elodie. He wasn't distant because he had doubts about her. The love he had for Anna was different than the love he had for Elodie (whatever that means).
His feelings for Elodie are unprecedented. He does love Anna but most of all he loves her for bringing him Elodie.

The book left me with one unanswered question. Hollis and Anna shared a great love and had a long history together. So great a love that in 6 years Hollis never moved on with his life, until Elodie.
I wonder if Anna had not die would he have left Elodie to go back to Anna? Especially now knowing that she never cheated on him?
I know he loved Anna and l don't doubt his love for Elodie.
I think he loved both of them.
He did say to a third party though that he wouldn't leave Elodie and meeting Anna again wouldn't change his feelings for Elodie, would only cause some awkwardness as the two women were best friends. Still l wonder...
Profile Image for Pavlina Read more sleep less blog  .
2,434 reviews5,107 followers
September 22, 2019
❤️5 STARS❤️

What a great read, it was sweet, sexy,fun and full of emotions.I loved the story a lot, the way the characters were met was fun!It was fast paced, with great characters and an addictive story!

Elodie and Hollis stole my heart, they have a great connection and they have some fun and intense moments!There is sexual tension and angst between them and this make every moment they have together entertained!

If you are looking for a great romance with the perfect amount of angst , some emotional moments and steamy to make you melt this is perfect!

 


  
Profile Image for Dora Koutsoukou (hiatus).
1,951 reviews555 followers
October 5, 2019
2 🤔😔⭐️s

This story was written with almost all the prerequisites to grip the readers.
Unfortunately I was not of of them. As soon as I read the last page I was left indifferent. The writing and the plot didn’t manage to captivate me or bring out emotions.
Regarding the twist towards the end, I found it very exaggerated, as another prerequisite to effect emotionally and create impressions.
Profile Image for MELISSA *Mel Reader*.
1,388 reviews1,454 followers
September 23, 2019
4.5 My Heart Belongs To You stars!
(ARC provided by author)

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Elodie Atlier is on her way to a job interview when she has a fender bender with a hot guy in a Mercedes. The ridiculously good looking suit is a jerk who gets on her last nerve. Mr. Perfect is full of himself, and she’s happy when they can go their separate ways. She’s excited to get on with the rest of her day until she arrives at her interview and the arrogant, difficult guy from the accident walks in. Obviously with the bad first impression she made, she doesn’t get hired. Determined to change his mind about her, she goes to extreme lengths to get him to give her another chance. Luck is finally on her side and eventually she is working caring for his troubled niece. They click and form a strong bond, but things are still a bit rocky between Elodie and the girls uncle.

Hollis LaCroix lives in New York, and has a high pressure job that keeps him busy. Now he’s trying to juggle work and looking after his niece. He hires a gorgeous woman who drives him crazy to help him out at home. She’s supposed to make his life easier, but all she’s doing is making him feel out of control. Suddenly he has the hots for the nanny, and needs to figure out how to handle this all consuming attraction. The flirting is pushing boundaries, and the sexual tension is about to explode. He’s trying to stay professional, but soon they cross that line, and he realizes she’s the best thing that’s happened to him in a long time. Will their happy ever after go up in flames when the past comes barreling into the present?

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“Love finds us all in different ways. It’s not important how it happens. It only matters that it’s real.”

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Park Avenue Player by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland was fantastic! I really loved this book and adore these authors writing. It was fun, flirty, and full of passion, but also had emotion, and was unpredictable with plenty of shockers and surprises I didn’t see coming. Another amazing story by my favorite writing duo!

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***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://amzn.to/2mzGeR0
Profile Image for Diana.
574 reviews18 followers
August 10, 2020
I grabbed this book a while ago because I like this writing duo, definitely not because of the cover 😉 . Although, the title of the book is kind of deceptive. I never thought the H was a player at all.

I did like both the h/H. Elodie was spunky and didn't take crap from anyone. There were a few eye rolling moments, but they fit in with the story. Hollis was also likeable, most of the time. Part of his storyline was a little overplayed, but again, fit in with the overall story.

The big surprise was a plot twist that I did not see coming. I thought it was heading in a totally different way, so I was absolutely shocked and it turned the story in a different direction.

I am hoping this will lead to the end of my book funk, as I thoroughly enjoyed this one and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a quick and easy read.
Profile Image for ✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ .
2,209 reviews1,280 followers
April 25, 2020
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(Would've been 4.9, but one of my romance hard limits made me take away .9 stars from my rating! ↓)

Elodie and Hollis.

She was on her way to him for a job interview. But instead she kinda crashed into his car. What she didn't know then was ... that he was possibly her new boss.

Of course she didn't get the job. At least not on that first day. But she tried again - and because Hollis is super overwhelmed since his 11 year old niece moved in with him two months ago - Elodie got the job!

And things are perfect. Elodie and Hailey get along amazingly and Hollis and Elodie flirt and spark like crazy, but of course we're not going anywhere with that. Boss and Nanny - way too cliché.

But of course it's not too cliché for our two darlings .... even though Hollis doesn't do serious anymore and Elodie wants it all!

Let the fun times begin!

What will happen to Elodie & Hollis?
Will there be a HEA?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT ☺

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THAT WAS VERY ADORABLE!


It's this super-cute Nanny & Boss romance. With an adorable, way too old for her age, kid and a hilarious pet!

But it's also such a heartbreaking story ... we get to see very sad moments from their pasts. And we just know that something is coming that might stop this happy end from happening.

And even if know that 'something' is always coming in a Vi & Pen book, this time it wasn't too bad. There was no secret baby and nobody was secretly still married to a person who shows up. Nobody was meanly intriguing against them. I really loved that. But the 'something' that happens was very sad and heartbreaking - but don't worry - it's not some kind of really bad thing where one of our darlings gets sick or anything either!!!

But since it got really sad and heartbreaking Vi and Pen did the thing I hate most in my romances: they went the religious way. The faith talk, the priest, the church, the whole sh*tshow! I just hate that. That and giving cancer to our hero/heroine are the worst things a romance can have! I didn't sign up for a christian romance, and if I would have been in a bad mood today, I would've taken away 2 or 3 stars from my rating just for the religious stuff. But I'm in an okay mood, so I only take away .9 stars! I don't understand why instead of an priest they could have met an old lady on a park bench and had the same conversation with her??? Ugh - I just hate it. I could rant on and on about it, but I won't. I already said enough. I just wish authors would think about international readers more. People all over the world are not the same kind of religious so many Americans are!

BUT ... I loved reading this book. We have soo many adorably hilarious moments. And very sparky and sexy moments. I just adored that little family! And I loved that there weren't any stupid misunderstandings and fights. He could've reacted a little less extreme toward the end - acted in this weird way for a shorter period of time, but pfff, it was understandable.

I really liked this story.
Wouldn't mind seeing this on Netflix one day!

PARK AVENUE PLAYER was such a sweet and funny and sexy love story! I adored (almost) everything about it! ☺ Run to your nearest amazon for your own Hollis - this one is MINE!!!! ☺☺☺

P.S. I LOVE that the cover - but that goes without saying with all Vi & Penelope books!!! LOVE THEM!

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Profile Image for warhawke.
1,386 reviews2,103 followers
September 20, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating:




Elodie Atlier needed a new job. But a mishap before her interview nearly jeopardized her chance as an employee of Hollis LaCroix. Now she must prove her worth, but it’s getting harder as attraction sparked between them.



This book was not what I expected in a good way. It reminded me of the authors’ older works which I love.

Hollis had been playing a game with me. And I’d used it as evidence that things might have been moving between us, when it was always only a game. It was clearer now where we really stood.


Hollis was the more serious and uptight one, while Elodie was the fun risk-taker. The relationship was a slow burn but they complemented each other well and I loved their banters and the tension between them.

"You’re not the only one with abandonment issues. I feel like I’m always holding my breath for the other shoe to drop. And the fucked-up thing is, that feeling gets stronger when things are going well between us."


The story was hilarious especially with a cameo appearance by the authors’ well-loved character. I also liked how in between the laughter there were heartbreaking moments that added depth to the story. I wasn’t fully surprised by a certain thing in the book but it didn’t take away my enjoyment.

Park Avenue Player is a story of healing and seizing the moment. It would appeal to readers looking for a light-hearted romance with doses of emotions.






💰🏙💰 . . . (F)BR With Loyda . . . 💰🏙💰






For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

Profile Image for Grecia Robles.
1,570 reviews395 followers
December 19, 2019
En serio Vi Keeland, es en serio?
Tú que haces a los protagonistas más perfectos del mundo Sexy as Fuck, adorafollables, con Charm, que con sólo una mirada haces combustión espontánea, me das esta versión desangelada?
No no no es INACEPTABLE.

Realmente Holiis no me hizo sentir nada y es que todavía me acuerdo de Drew de Egomaniac y de Graham de Stuck up Suit NO HAY COMPARACIÓN.

La historia tenía todo para ser divertida, la sinopsis prometía pero todo lo de sinopsis pasó en el primer 30% del libro y ya todo lo demás fue aburrido, plano, sin chispa y yo estaba en un punto de querer abandonar.
La fórmula es la misma que viene manejando Vi Keeland en sus libro pov dual con algunos capítulos en pasado de él con su primer amor.
Y con todo el dolor de mi corazón voy admitir que su fórmula ya me cansó y ya no funciona para mí y esto es algo duro de decir porque yo adoraba a Vi por eso en sus últimos libros estaba en negación.

Oigan y me pasó algo bien curioso porque pensaran para mí fue muy predecible todo pues no porque le plot twist no lo vi venir, estaba todo demasiado plano que ya quería terminar que pase por alto las señales y eso salvó un poco el libro.

Por cierto no me creí el amor de Eloise y Hollis de la nada se amaron, me quedé con la sensación de que él siempre va amar a Anna ya que su amor es bastante más épico, creíble y bonito.
Todavía sigo dolida por su triste final.

Ahora sí bye.

Pd es un 2.5 estrellas pero le dejaré en 3 por el plot twist.
Bye definitivo.
Profile Image for Bookgasms Book Blog.
2,834 reviews1,425 followers
September 27, 2019
Y'all.

I. Am. Wrecked.

I did not even see this emotion explosion coming. I did not anticipate all the ways this story was going to touch my heart. I didn't expect to cry so much! And I didn't know my heart would fill to bursting in this delightful, joyful, glorious way.

From the amusingly spirited meet-cute, I knew I was in for a treat with Hollis and Elodie. Their chemistry sparked immediately and as their banter slowly heated - turning from antagonistic to flirty and sexy - it quickly became clear that these two would be something special. Their fiery personalities played so brilliantly off each other, and their giant lion hearts held my own heart in thrall, captivated, and hopelessly in love with the way they loved each other. They were spicy and sweet and their story had many, many layers.

That is - it was utterly unputdownable and on top of that? It packed an emotional punch that I just never saw coming.

I loved every minute. I love every bruise it left upon my heart. I love the way it put this giant glowy smile on my face even as I am wiping away the tears. I loved how it made me feel...all the things in every way. This might be my favorite of this duo's co-authored books yet. It was stunning, beautifully written, and exquisitely unexpected. I absolutely cannot recommend it highly enough. ~ Shelly, 5 Stars

***

My god, Park Avenue Player was everything I didn’t know I needed this week!

✓ Fun, sassy, smart leading lady
✓ Dominant, sexy, vulnerable leading man
✓ Comic relief by way of an African parrot and a pre-teen girl
✓ Ridiculous, witty, antagonistic banter
✓ Embarrassing, but sexy AF pranks
✓ Undeniable attraction between the lead characters
✓ Deep, touching, emotional storyline

Seriously, Park Avenue Player ticked off every single box. I adored the budding relationship between Elodie and Hollis. Loved how they tried so hard to keep their relationship professional and failed so epically.

Don’t even get me started on the drying laundry prank that escalated to something so much more. Much like their professional relationship to a . . . err, more intimate, personal one. I couldn’t flip the pages on my Kindle fast enough to read and know what would happen next.

I L-O-V-E-D every minute spent with Elodie and Hollis. That their relationship was truly an adult one—even with the fun and crazy times. And the emotional connection shared between Elodie and Hollis was unexpected and breathtakingly beautiful. It was everything I wanted and so much more too.

Park Avenue Player is easily one of my top reads of 2019! ~ Missy, 5 stars
Profile Image for Carol.
1,347 reviews248 followers
October 29, 2019
great cover.....not sure whether I will read yet.......will wait for friend reviews that I trust.......as I never TRUST the "blurb" for books by these authors.....have been burned before......i.e. crazy OW drama...or a secret child....dead or alive exes that suddenly appear out of NOWHERE.......
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2 stars ⭐⭐
Well I thought I would give this a go, while I still had my kindle unlimited membership and wouldn't you know - not only does the hero have an ex that he has never really got over but at 78% in she suddenly resurfaces. What's the odds!!!!
Why do I even bother with these authors!!!!!....the blurb never matches the true storyline....their writing is great but I really hate the message they send out in their books.... they managed to suck all the romance out of this for me with that late twist and I couldn't even enjoy the ending.
Elodie was such a great character and heroine so it is totally maddening for me that by the end of the book I really did feel like Hollis's Ex was really his one true love and that Elodie came in second by default. How could she ever compete with the sacrifice Anna made.

So I guess you could say that this book lived up to my expectations, just not in a good way.
I am obviously not these authors readership anymore and I am not really sure why I keep trying???
Tired No Can Do GIF by Katelyn Tarver
EXASPERATED MUCH!!!!
Profile Image for swedishruler B.
322 reviews146 followers
September 23, 2019
Confession I read this duo to see if Chance makes a cameo. And he did in this one with my fave goat Yay!!! Oh it would have been great if he kept making that cameo it would have saved the book. I’m sorry but I don’t want to read about the hero still so much in love with his ex. She was his everything and he never really got over her. The man was going to marry her. This duo loves this trope and I’m actually tired of it. But again that darn cameo is why I put myself thru it.
Please stop it cause your stories are good but don’t need this dead/alive ex thing or worse secret baby shit. Try something else now.

Profile Image for Auntee.
1,318 reviews1,410 followers
September 28, 2019
Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland are magic together!

And so are Hollis and Elodie! It's rare for me to love BOTH the hero and heroine, but these two were utter bliss. The teasing, the snark, the sassiness, the underlying HEAT, the 'I hate that I want you but I do', the insurmountable walls around the heart....everything that led up to Elodie and Hollis becoming a couple had me on the edge of my seat.

I've read a lot of good romances lately, but this one was a cut above. This was one of those unputdownable stories that you have to keep reading, but also want to savor because you don't want it to end! And I was cruising right along enjoying every word of it, waiting for the inevitable moment (where the hero and heroine's relationship is tested), but I did not see it coming--THE BIG TWIST! Why didn't I see that coming? All I can say is that I was soo distracted by Elodie and Hollis....

This book had HEAT, humor, and tears....a sexy girl next door heroine and a gorgeous, afraid to trust , sometimes an asshole hero who was a softie at heart---did I mention their incredible chemistry? Add to that a wise beyond her years 11 year old niece, a story with no slow spots and lots of STORY development, and some white hot foreplay (loved the whole panty swiping)...man, can we have a sequel??
I couldn't get enough of this story...

5 BIG stars
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
415 reviews47 followers
Shelved as 'nope-nope-nope'
September 25, 2019
Spoilers
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I am so tired of this recent trend of heros who already have a love of a lifetime, and then authors expect me to swoon over a relationship with the heroine who is obviously second best, why do heros get TWO great loves, and a heroine only gets a sloppy seconds type of love as their great love? It's so frustrating that women write this crap. Yes. It happens in real life but this is a ROMANCE BOOK, that plot does not work in a romance book, and I seriously side eye any author who thinks it does.
Profile Image for Funda Demir.
146 reviews198 followers
October 17, 2019
The heroine is second best throughout the whole book. 🤦🏻‍♀️ literally the last sentence in the epilogue still has his ex’s name in it. Writers need to stop with this crap 😒
Profile Image for Cami.
1,449 reviews75 followers
October 15, 2019
4.5 Stars!

This writing duo is ALWAYS a slam dunk for me. The storylines are interesting and the books are sexy. This is definitely one of their best ones together.

I will say I figured something out early on but it didn’t take away from the story. I’m sure for the people who didn’t see it, it is possible they found this book even better than I did.

Hollis & Elodie’s love story is funny & sweet. There are some other aspects of the story that are very sad so you might want to be ready to go on a bit of a bumpy emotional ride.
Profile Image for Leigh.
1,285 reviews284 followers
September 28, 2019
3.5 stars

Since I'm in the minority with this book I have decided to keep this review short and to the point. The first 50% of this book was 5 stars and exactly the fun and sexiness I love from this author duo. The second half 2 stars sorry but I didn't enjoy it at all and I couldn't wait to be finished. The hot and cold behavior of Hollis became tedious and I was done with him. The twist was awesome because I never saw that coming but it ruined their relationship for me and then it took a turn to cheesy town and I was done. Oh well can't love them all, but I do look forward to what this duo has in store next.
Profile Image for Arini.
857 reviews2,006 followers
December 16, 2022
3.25 stars

i went into this blindly and actually enjoyed the book a lot, but the plot twist was a deal breaker. the fact that i sooo could totally see it coming and had been dreading it from the start (yet i still kept reading and hoping it wouldnt happen) was even more maddening. heh, im the fool in this scenario. girl, you knew better.

(read as an audiobook)
Profile Image for Stacey.
1,446 reviews1,144 followers
April 13, 2020
I didn't see that coming...

I finished Park Avenue Player emotionally rung out and convinced this was the best Penelope Ward/Vi Keeland story I've ever read/listened to. I was on a high, feeling the love and completely mushy gushy. My review was going to be EPIC because I needed to share all of my feels.

Then, the high wore off and I started to think...


Why are the characters always so bloody beautiful and perfect? He's gorgeous with lots of money and a great job. She's beautiful, quirky and strong. Don't tell me, beautiful people struggle with relationships too? I'm shocked!!

Why does the hero have to try to get the heroine out of his system with someone else? I think this is a bit of a recurring thing when it comes to these millionaire/billionaire heroes. They have to have one more attempt at being emotionally unavailable before they let feelings get involved. And, they always get caught and it breaks my heart...I mean, the heroine's heart.

Why is it OK to emotionally manipulate people just because the character is sick? One of the additional characters manipulated the couple to an outcome of her making. Just because you're sick, doesn't give you the right to mess with peoples lives.


I still really enjoyed Park Avenue Player despite those little issues. The storyline kept my attention from start to finish, the narrators do an amazing job bringing this story to life, and the romance ended up being sweet, sexy and swoon-worthy. I will definitely be back for more from this duo in the future.

October 12, 2019
4.5 ⭐'s

I just have to start off by saying that this book has the MOTHER of all twists that I totally did not see coming. HOLY COW...that was incredible.

Hollis and Elodie "meet" when they have a minor fender bender and neither of them are willing to take the blame. Things escalate when he finds out she is interviewing for the nanny he needs to hire. Obviously, he's not amendable but Elodie works her magic and with a little help from her charge.

The relationship between Elodie and Hailey was really endearing and it helped bring Hollis around. However, there were some other situations that helped escalate events and it was also kind of funny.

I loved the addition of Huey...he was pretty amazing but I was shocked that what he said didn't have more of an impact on Elodie.

ALL the situations with a certain someone were heart wrenching especially when the twist comes up. I wasn't happy with Hollis. I didn't like how he wasn't there for a certain someone else even if things were understandable. And do even get me started on the "staycation".

BTW...I am not a fan of the heroine's name. It messed with the flow of the story and then when I found out how it was actually pronounced, I was always stopping to correct myself. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for different character names but I just think this was too much.

I also liked and disliked the ending...the rainbow, the name, I mean, seriously?? Enough is enough...time to move on...sheessshhh.
Profile Image for Alba and Her Secrets..♥.
853 reviews1,141 followers
October 12, 2019
4.5 'Love finds us all in different ways' Stars!

Wow, wow, wow! Well done Penelope and Vi, you keep surprising us with these brilliant collaborations so please don't stop, ever! Park Avenue Player is definitely one of the most emotional novels I've read by them and the one that has surprised me the most with its twist. I was not expecting that AT ALL and it made this novel such a wonderful read for me.

I loved Holis, Elodie and Hailey, how the story developed, the sexiness and those feels! My God, so many feels! I love these two authors writing together so much and I can't wait for whatever is coming next. Highly recommend reading this one!
Profile Image for ✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ .
2,209 reviews1,280 followers
September 23, 2019
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(Would've been 4.9, but one of my romance hard limits made me take away .9 stars from my rating! ↓)

Elodie and Hollis.

She was on her way to him for a job interview. But instead she kinda crashed into his car. What she didn't know then was ... that he was possibly her new boss.

Of course she didn't get the job. At least not on that first day. But she tried again - and because Hollis is super overwhelmed since his 11 year old niece moved in with him two months ago - Elodie got the job!

And things are perfect. Elodie and Hailey get along amazingly and Hollis and Elodie flirt and spark like crazy, but of course we're not going anywhere with that. Boss and Nanny - way too cliché.

But of course it's not too cliché for our two darlings .... even though Hollis doesn't do serious anymore and Elodie wants it all!

Let the fun times begin!

What will happen to Elodie & Hollis?
Will there be a HEA?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT ☺

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THAT WAS VERY ADORABLE!


It's this super-cute Nanny & Boss romance. With an adorable, way too old for her age, kid and a hilarious pet!

But it's also such a heartbreaking story ... we get to see very sad moments from their pasts. And we just know that something is coming that might stop this happy end from happening.

And even if know that 'something' is always coming in a Vi & Pen book, this time it wasn't too bad. There was no secret baby and nobody was secretly still married to a person who shows up. Nobody was meanly intriguing against them. I really loved that. But the 'something' that happens was very sad and heartbreaking - but don't worry - it's not some kind of really bad thing where one of our darlings gets sick or anything either!!!

But since it got really sad and heartbreaking Vi and Pen did the thing I hate most in my romances: they went the religious way. The faith talk, the priest, the church, the whole sh*tshow! I just hate that. That and giving cancer to our hero/heroine are the worst things a romance can have! I didn't sign up for a christian romance, and if I would have been in a bad mood today, I would've taken away 2 or 3 stars from my rating just for the religious stuff. But I'm in an okay mood, so I only take away .9 stars! I don't understand why instead of an priest they could have met an old lady on a park bench and had the same conversation with her??? Ugh - I just hate it. I could rant on and on about it, but I won't. I already said enough. I just wish authors would think about international readers more. People all over the world are not the same kind of religious so many Americans are!

BUT ... I loved reading this book. We have soo many adorably hilarious moments. And very sparky and sexy moments. I just adored that little family! And I loved that there weren't any stupid misunderstandings and fights. He could've reacted a little less extreme toward the end - acted in this weird way for a shorter time, but pfff, it was understandable.

I really liked this story.
Wouldn't mind seeing this on Netflix one day!

PARK AVENUE PLAYER was such a sweet and funny and sexy love story! I adored (almost) everything about it! ☺ Run to your nearest amazon for your own Hollis - this one is MINE!!!! ☺☺☺

P.S. I LOVE that the cover - but that goes without saying with all Vi & Penelope books!!! LOVE THEM!

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