Mr. Park Lane
by Louise Bay
My review:
Part of ‘The Mister Series’ by Louise Bay, “Mr. Park Lane” is a well-written story with likeable characters, authentic emotion, great dialogue, and just the right amount of heat and sweet to make it a very enjoyable read. The overall series is about some wealthy, hot, clever and male British friends who each find love. The title of each book refers to the area where the hero of the story lives.
Hartford is a doctor specializing in pediatrics, just returned from serving a poor population in a third-world country. In a leg cast because of a fall overseas, she’s moving on in her career to now work at a prestigious hospital. While she heals and gets settled, family members have arranged for her to spend a few months sharing an apartment with Joshua who, a long time ago, was her brother’s best friend. Until she was 17, Hartford had a secret crush on him and so she’s less than thrilled with the arrangement. Joshua is a wealthy man living a playboy lifestyle. Because of a terrible experience a decade prior, he no longer has relationships with women … at least not the type that last longer than a day, or a limited day of the week (such as Miss Tuesday Night). He’s not a bad guy; he’s just determined to protect his heart. Hartford and Joshua develop a genuine friendship, the depth of which takes them both by surprise. Her love of cake, his love of baths, her teaching him to trust, him teaching her how to be sociable – we get to experience it all with them, and it’s terrific.
Each of them must come to terms with personal emotional trauma from their own past before they’ll be able to have a happy future. They both deserve an HEA, but in a way you dread that they’re going to get it because it means the book will be over. The secondary characters in the book are vividly depicted, and the camaraderie and affection between Joshua and his friends really comes through. The excellent writing style of the author makes reading this book a pleasure.