Jane of Battery Park

by Jaye Viner

Jane is a Los Angeles nurse who grew up in a Christian cult that puts celebrities on trial for their sins. Daniel is a has-been actor whose career ended when the cult family members nearly killed him for flirting with her. Eight years after a romantic meet-cute in Battery Park, both search for someone to fill the gap they imagine the other could’ve filled if given the chance. Jane compulsively goes on dates with every self-professed expert in art, music, and food hoping they will teach her the nuances of the culture she couldn’t access in her youth. Daniel looks for a girlfriend who will accept the disabilities left from the cult attack. A loving woman will prove to Daniel’s blockbuster star brother, Steve, that he’s capable of a supporting role in Steve’s upcoming movie and relaunching Daniel’s career. When a chance encounter unexpectedly reunites them, Jane and Daniel not only see another chance at the love they lost, but an opportunity to create the lives they’ve always wanted. The only question is whether their families will let them.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary

248 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 31, 2021

About the author

Born in Kobe, Japan, and raised in the Great Plains, Jaye Viner has spent her life exploring other cultures both near and far. She has two master’s degrees from the University of Nebraska and plenty of nonprofessional experience, studying the art of conveying meaning to an audience of readers. Her free time is spent at the salon maintaining her blue hair. She also worships her cats and cooks. Find pictures of food, queen cat, and small borg cat on Instagram @Jaye_Viner or Twitter @JayeViner. This is her first (published) novel. She lives in Omaha, Nebraska.

Reviews

[Kristin Contino · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman who grew up in a cult reconnects with the one who got away (who happens to have been targeted by said cult) in this juicy debut novel. I’d call it a mix between women’s fiction and suspense, and Jane of Battery Park kept me guessing as the main characters try to move on from the pasts that haunt them. I particularly enjoyed Daniel’s brother Steve, who was the perfect arrogant Hollywood actor, but Viner also shows some different facets of his personality. If you’re a regular Page Six reader or couldn’t get enough of Leah Remini’s Scientology exposés, this is the summer read for you!

[AJ Super · Rating 5 out of 5]

This women's fiction/romance/thriller was an amazing page turner. As a very difficult to quantify novel, with aspects of three different genres, I thoroughly enjoyed the fast pace and constant movement of the main character, Jane. Consistently faced with turmoil within the framework of the book as well as the looming specter of the Vanguard and the shadow of a zealot husband, Jane's character makes human choices, mistakes, and misunderstandings that perpetually flummox the reader... In a good, why would she do that?!, way. All the while, the reader still hopes for a HEA of HFN ending... This book sets a thriller tone with persistent overhanging threat of the Vanguard and Jane's zealot husband, making edge of your seat reading a surprise bonus to this romantic story. Definitely worth picking up!

[Emily Verona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane of Battery Park is a singularly original work by the incredible Jaye Viner. There is nothing I can compare it. This novel is wholly and completely itself, unique and harrowing in every way. A compelling and unforgettable read.

[Starlah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This romantic thriller is crazy! But a good kind of crazy! Jane is a Los Angeles nurse who grew up in a Christian cult, and Daniel is a has-been actor whose career ended when the cult family members nearly killed him for flirting with her. Eight years after a romantic meet-cute in Battery Parl, the two are looking for someone to fill the gap. But when the opportunity to create the life they've always wanted comes up, they worry their families won't let them.

I was so intrigued by the synopsis of this story. I immediately wanted to get to know Jane and Daniel more and I loved how much their characters grew throughout the story. There is a lot of conflict and tension that really puts across the thrilling elements and really helps to hook the reader right away.

I also really liked the world-building, and think it's one of the stories' greater strengths. I really thought the clippings that were placed throughout the story were a great touch that really helped the immersion. I like the dystopian elements. I like the romance elements of star-crossed lovers. I like the element of reality behind fantastical upbringings.

I got classic vibes while reading this story. Mostly Romeo and Juliet with having two star-crossed lovers whose families won't let them be together. A little bit of Handmaiden's tale because jane's family is a religious cult that puts celebrities on trial. I really liked how t his story was able to have that classic flare without being a straight-up retelling.

From the beginning, I really thought that Jane and Daniel complimented one another and that showed itself to be true through the light-hearted beginning and the intense, thrilling later parts of the book. I also really liked the ending. It tackles a topic that I don't feel like it talked about much in fiction. Romance thrillers are not a genre I've read many from, but I think I kinda like it. I definitely recommend this one and I look forward to reading more in the near future.

thank you to the author for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review! check out more on the book here

[Jaye Viner]

This romantic thriller about two people trying to define their own lives outside the giant shadows cast by their families, is part fantasy (a regular person meets a movie star in a park and, wham! love!), and part true to life exploration of an America divided between fundamentalist faith and popular culture.

It has a

charming egotistical movie star you'll love to hate

tense thriller plot full of dark corners, paranoia, and reckless driving. (Not necessarily in that order)

woman so close to a nervous breakdown she carries little bottles of Wild Turkey in her purse

polyamorous marriage that involves knife threats, and disability rep seeping out of its pores.

ARCs are available for reviewers through Edelweiss https://www.edelweiss.plus/#keywordSe... or message me for a PDF

[Heather Diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

This inventive, fast-paced novel combines many types of fiction I don’t typically read—mystery, thriller, romance, dystopic society—and yet I got caught up in wanting to know whodunnit, what would happen next, and would they ever get together. The plot takes surprising twists and turns, the dialogue is crisp and engaging, and the central characters turn out to be more than the glib and defensive facades they show to the world and sometimes themselves. The descriptions of contemporary Los Angeles crackle with detail and are cleverly seasoned with the author’s knowledge of Japanese food. What really drew me in is that there’s a deeper level to the action. The dystopic elements—a cult-based vigilante group that publically tries celebrities for crimes against morality—serves up some very timely social commentary in an era of extremist religion-based politics and reality TV. The central characters are drawn to each other because of and in spite of the internal damage they carry from living in a society that seeks to shape them in its own mold. And that is a story that transcends time and setting.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane of Battery Park kept me turning the page from the beginning! The author describes the book as “a romantic thriller about two people trying to define their own lives outside the giant shadows cast by their families,” and the novel is that and so much more. Jane is a young woman who chose to leave her family, which includes violent zealots (the Vanguard) and a controlling husband (a member of the Vanguard), behind. Daniel is the man Jane met eight years earlier on a sunny afternoon, one she hoped to see again the next day, but never went to meet. When they encounter each other again thanks to Daniel’s mother’s hospitalization, the spark is still present. But Jane and Daniel are both holding back the truth about what occurred over the last eight years, and both have to deal with their own trauma while still trying to navigate their reconnection. Viner does a great job with threading the story of the Vanguard and what they do (I won’t spoil anything) through the narrative, and she captured society’s fascination with celebrities especially well. She also deals with trauma in a delicate and authoritative manner. What a great, thought-provoking read!

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was nothing like I expected. Now I can't tell you what I really expected, but I don't think it was cults, self appointed judges, or the struggle of one woman to break free and find herself amidst everything.

Jane grew up in a very religious environment. One could say it was a cult yet she manages to finally break free of that life. But is she really free? She is going by a different name, is hiding from her family, and always looking over her shoulder. To me, that isn't really free. But Jane isn't really sure where her life should go ever since she turned down attending a music school based on influence from her family. There are some other events that happen that are revealed later in the book that might take you by surprise. I know I couldn't believe it when I read about part of her past. You'll have to read the book to decipher what I'm talking about.

The Vanguard is one of those groups that you do not want to get mixed up with either as part of the group or someone they have targeted. They think that everyone is immoral and needs to be punished for their sins. But why do they get to choose? And can you imagine if you ended up in the hot seat and were found "guilty?" While no one was ever killed, the punishment is not one that will ever disappear. While this group is intriguing, I can't say that most would condone what they do and it is no wonder they are wanted by government agencies.

Then there is the Fletcher brothers, Steve and Daniel. Steve is a celebrity and Daniel is no slouch either, in fact they are often mistaken for one another. Daniel has demons he is battling as he struggles to find his way in life after an incident in the past. He definitely has PTSD and I felt for the guy when an episode would hit him and his reaction to the stressor.

I picked up this book because the description sounded intriguing but there is so much more going on than the blurb describes. Plus I think it gives away some things that aren't revealed until much later in the book. Jane and Daniel are interested in each other and have been since a chance meeting in the park, but eight years passes until they meet up again and they both have baggage that can affect everything for them. Will they work through it? Will it tear them apart?

I felt like the characters were well written and there are a few twists and turns that kept me guessing regarding Jane and Daniel and the missing eight years. There is so much more than could happen and the author leaves it up to the reader to decide what happens in the end for Jane and Daniel.

We give this book 3 1/2 paws up.

[Casey Berger · Rating 5 out of 5]

JANE OF BATTERY PARK is a touching, elegant debut. It's a delicate love story set in an unsettlingly-believable alternate version of America, where a religious extremist group called the Vanguard captures celebrities to put them on "trial" for their sins in a wildly popular televised spectacle.

Jane and Daniel meet one day in Battery Park, as Jane is on the verge of leaving her nursing program to attend music school in Boston. Her older brother, a member of the Vanguard, is on his way to town, to try to convince her not to. Daniel and Jane agree to meet up at Battery Park a few days later, but neither makes it to the meeting. Eight years later, Jane has fled her abusive husband and controlling family, though she did complete her nursing degree under pressure, and her path and Daniel's cross again.

But their second chance at love comes just as the Vanguard is growing increasingly violent, and Jane and Daniel are both hiding their own traumatic reason for failing to meet up again eight years ago.

About halfway through this book, I found myself unable to put it down, reading late into the night until I'd gotten to the end. Jane and Daniel are both beautifully written characters, and their struggles with mental and physical disability are so thoughtfully portrayed. I absolutely fell in love with both of them, and the supporting cast of characters are equally complex. The world is close enough to our own to be positively terrifying. The Vanguard is not real as it's portrayed in this book, but it's not difficult to believe it could be that way.

I highly recommend this book. It's still churning around in my head even after I've turned the last page.

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading books where the main characters are nurses and also ... cults. Cult stories are so interesting to me and that is why I gravitated to this book right away. This is a story about a woman who grew up in a Christian cult and a story about a man who fell in love, but this is also a story about the people behind these mysterious groups that are so foreign and strange to the main stay of society.

The writing of this debut novel is fantastic - I was gripped from the beginning to the end - I was so invested in the story and both of the character's back stories. This would make for an amazing Book Club real for all the discussions surrounding this amazing story.

This is a very unique and special story - a romantic suspense and maybe even a thriller of sorts. But it is all good and amazing themes within the story - opened up my eyes to some fundamentalist's beliefs and many of the unknowns. Truly enjoyable fast read this Angeleno loved.

[J.D. Edwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane of Battery Park is a dark, intense story of one woman's struggle with the past that threatens to haunt and destroy her future. The stroy has a bit of a slow start, the conversations at points tend to be a little stilted, and at first, it's a bit dififcult to buy into the deep connection the main have after supposedly only spending a few hours together in their youth.

However, despite those things, it's difficult not to get caught up in the action of the story. Jane and Daniel and easy characters to root for and I couldn't help becoming invested in their story, which unwraps one layer at a time like an onion. Driven by an intriguing mystery, peppered with some truly intense moments about fear and fear-mongering that hits close to home, Jane of Battery Park is a fantastic read for any fan of crime and mystery.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

It felt all too plausible that a group like the Vanguard would stream "trials" accusing various stars of immoral behavior, asking their Internet audience if the verdict is Guilty or Not Guilty (Guilty leads to branding, also streamed). Jane grew up in the Christian community/cult that gives birth to the Vanguard, escaping for college and then after she returns and marries one of the members. Her name isn't even Jane, because she knows that her husband and the community are hunting for her. But then there's the guy she met one glorious day in New York, who she might be in love with but hasn't seen since that day... until his mother ends up in her ward in the hospital.

Jane's motivations and actions are understandable up to a point. I just couldn't understand why she didn't at least anonymously tell the police who Vanguard were. Family and childhood loyalty can only go so far, right? So that was the loss of a star. Otherwise, the love story is of course implausible but not outside the bounds of the genre.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great blend of romance and creepy cult.

[Denise Carmichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She was transported, not just to those hours in Battery Park, but to other worlds, and times, and places. She listened to James Horner and heard the ocean."

O my Goodness, I loved it. I literally read this book in two days. I loved Jane and Daniel the were both miraculous and laid out plain and simple characters that were trying to find what they were missing and what their hoping for. I enjoyed this book by Jaye Viner and I will be expecting more of her work in the future.🥂

[Sunni ☀️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a quick read, but left much to be desired. The characters did not feel fully fleshed out, and I was left with more questions than answers.

Jane shows up to work drunk (which seems incredibly out of her religious-based character), and then accidentally kills someone by giving them the wrong medication. She feels no remorse. Are there no repercussions for this happening? Not even an investigation from her supervisors?

Jane doesn't mourn her best friend's death at the hands of her brother. She finds out about it and it becomes a blip on her radar. I understand the need to push things to the side for the sake of adrenaline when you are in the throws of a situation - but it is NEVER addressed again. Why?

We never find out what words the Vanguard branded on Daniel - or the full extent of what they did to him when they abducted him.

Am I really supposed to believe that Daniel has no questions for the woman whose family mutilated him? The same woman who gave him water while he was being held hostage by said family, and ultimately tortured? Instead of discussing these major events, he is comfortable enough with her to whisk her away with his family to the beach?

There is so much buildup around the Vanguard with NO resolution. Is Tommy arrested? Does Seth just vanish into the darkness, okay with his wife doing whatever she wants to? Do the police close in on the Vanguard? Is there a formal trial? How was the Vanguard even formed? The idea of online voting to decide someone's punishment seems like it might have taken awhile to gain traction - how did that happen?

I will say that there are some redeeming qualities in Daniel. I found myself only caring about his story. (And now I've developed an obsession with carrying around bottled water, just in case I'm abducted and don't know where my next drink will come from).

I really wanted to like this book. If there was a sequel, I would hope that some of the major plot holes would be resolved. But the ending does not seem to indicate that there will be any additions to this story.

[Marina Furmanov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Page turner whose plot is a bit stale but nevertheless immersive. The redeeming factor was the writing, which made it easy to imagine the scenes. The love story lacked depth and the plot centered around a women running from her family who was also a California cult. I mean we have seen this same narrative play out too many times, which is why I call it stale. I didn’t find this book to be a particularly unique read that I would recommend. So many things could have made it better.. Jane killing Seth at the end, for starters. That would show some depth to the character. And what famous actor (Steve) lives like that- with his mom? Without guards or security? I would have liked to hear why Daniel’s leg was specifically amputated. That’s a wild twist if that’s not what the vanguard typically does. There were so many opportunities to polish this one a bit more.

[Allyrebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story has a lot of darkness to it, but it read light to me, didn’t bog me down - likely due to the cult + celebrity premise feeling far away.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

dumpster fire

[Eleanore June · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off, I absolutely hate to give low star ratings to what appears to be an independent author, because I know how hard they work, plus this one even had an audio version, so I know that this wasn't something they took on lightly.

But this book did not make any sense, it needed some major editing and was honestly a mess with a very poor reader.

All the characters behaved in ways that were completely unreasonable. There was tons of focus on insignificant details that just took up space and time but didn't move the story/plot forward in a meaningful way. The story itself was a really compelling idea (growing up in a cult and then having the boy she has a crush on attacked and MAJORLY traumatized by the cult - specifically by her brother and future HUSBAND. I LOVE the concept and whole heartily want to read that story. Again it is a GREAT concept.) but it wasn't executed very well.

Nothing the characters did made sense.

The heroine is a nurse, but my lord, I wouldn't want her anywhere near me. She killed someone because she didn't want to walk back to the nurses station to check a dosage (?!) and there were no repercussions!? She was regularly late to work, she seemed to be hanging out in break rooms more than checking on patients. I know she never wanted to be a nurse, but WOW!
She also seemed to spend way more time with the hero's brother... the hero's married with a child brother... then with the actual hero that she was supposed to be in love with. She was also regularaly lusting after the brother. It felt SO wrong.

She was also constantly trying to run away but also never went anywhere. It did not make sense.

And what was that ending? Was that the ending? I had to go back to make sure that I wasn't just missing chapters. It was so abrupt and nothing was resolved.
It didn't just end like a cliffhanger, it ended like chapters were missing, or at the very least paragraphs were missing.

The audible reader was also rough. She sounded like a little girl, which kind of worked to force the naive nature of the heroine, but we want to root for a heroine and I just could not with her sounding like that.

The other reader issue was the mispronunciation of words. There were quite a few that sounded like the reader had never spoken these words out loud before. "Adjacent " was one of them that pulled me out of the story several times. Also "Ska music" was read as "S.K.A. music." 🤣

Overall this was a great concept, very poorly executed.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane and Daniel met by chance in Battery Park in NYC. They did some mild flirting and planned to meet the next day at the park because they wanted to get to know each other. They meet again eight years later in Los Angles where Jane is a nurse in the hospital where Daniel's mother was recovering from surgery. At first they wondered if the other person would even remember their brief meeting but it turned out that they had thought of each other over the years. They are both in a different places in their lives but there is still a strong connection between them. Jane grew up in a religious cult and had escaped to live in the real world. Her brothers and husband were part of a group called Vanguard who were working to bring morality back to the world. Vanguard would capture a well known person who they felt needed to change their life and then broadcast their 'trial' for everyone to see. The punishment was a public branding of the person. Daniel also had a connection to the Vanguard cult because they kidnapped him right after he met Jane in the park. He has lost a leg due to the group and has major panic attacks. Daniel is also the brother of a famous actor - one of People's sexist men - who seems pretty unsure of himself and verbally abuses his brother to make him feel better about himself. He even hit on Jane so that he could hurt Daniel.

Jane is terrified that the Vanguard group will find her and return her to her husband. When she and Daniel meet in LA, she felt like the group was getting closer to finding her. Daniel tries to protect her but she feels like she has to take care of herself and is always read to relocate somewhere else. As the Vanguard group gets closer.. and the tension in the novel really ramps up -- Jane and Daniel have to face their pasts and make a decision about their future.

I've never read a novel with such a unique story line. The writing is beautiful and the characters make this an exciting story. This is a debut novel for this author and I look forward to her future books.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review.

[Linda Zagon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Jane of Battery Park” by Jane Viner, Red Hen Press, 2021, On Tour with Over The River PR

WOW! Jaye Viner, Author of “Jane of Battery Park: has written a unique, captivating, and intriguing novel. The Genres for this story are suspense and thriller, romantic thriller, City Life Fiction, and Religious thriller. The author describes her dramatic characters as complex, complicated, and flawed. There are deep, dark secrets, betrayals, danger, and murder. I love the way the author vividly describes the scenery, plot, and characters, and this is a well-written book. It has the flavor of Romeo and Juliet, and West Side Story. This is not the typical girl meets boy, romantic story at all. There are twists and turns. The author has taken a novel approach to the story which makes it extraordinary.

Jane, the protagonist of the story is a nurse, and her family belongs to a Religious Cult that puts celebrities on trial and punishes them. The FBI and other agencies haven’t been able to get any of the members. Often the cult will put trials on media to get votes. Although Jane seems to love her family, she has been forced to go into nursing instead of her dream vocation, music.

Jane is able to attend classes and one day meets a celebrity’s brother in New York City. Jane rebels against her family and wants to experience culture and have the freedom to be herself. Daniel looks very much like his brother but is smitten with Jane. They are supposed to meet the next day in Battery Park. The next day doesn’t happen the way it should.

In order to be able to do what she wants, Jane changes her name and leaves the area. Jane becomes a nurse and helps many people. One of her patients is the mother of Daniel. This is many years later. Daniel had been in a vicious attack and is disabled. When Jane and Daniel see each other, they have a glimmer of hope. Little do they realize their connections, the betrayals, and the danger that awaits them. I would highly recommend this thought-provoking and heartfelt book.

[Berni Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this because author John Scalzi let Viner talk about her book on his blog. I was more than half way through this before I realized it was fantasy/SF, my usual reading genre.

Jane is a nurse in hiding from her husband and her brothers. She was raised in an extreme sort of Christian cult, a cult where they felt they had the moral right to kidnap celebrities whose lifestyles they disapproved of. Their victims were held, made to confess their sins and repent, and were branded in return. Bizarrely, this had become entertainment for too many Americans who saw them (they call themselves the Vanguard) as heroes for conservative culture.

Being raised with them, Jane had been indoctrinated with this same thinking. She managed to escape to New York to go to college for her nurse's training. While there, she discovered that she really wanted to go into music instead and had been accepted to a prestigious music school in Boston. This did not sit well with her family. Her older brother came to New York to talk her out of the switch. Before she met him, she was relaxing in New York's Battery Park, where she met Daniel, the not-famous almost lookalike brother of a famous actor. They hit it off and agreed to meet at a later date. Jane never made that meeting because of her family.

Years later, she's a hospital nurse in LA, living in fear of being found by her family and in hope of one day reconnecting Daniel. Providentially, Daniel's mother is now her patient, so those hopes may be justified.

The rest of the book is pulse-quickening. Daniel has a secret. She has a secret. Can they restart their relationship? Do they dare ever let the other know of their secrets? Will she ever be safe from her family, and especially her ex? Of course everything collides and the outcome is in doubt. And what happened that made her so freaked out about spiders?

[Sarah Jeng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane of Battery Park is an unusual and deeply poignant love story charged with thrills. Jane, who grew up in an insular Christian community, and Daniel, the younger brother of a movie star, meet and start to fall in love over the course of an afternoon. However, they’re torn apart almost immediately.

Jane’s male relatives are a group of violent zealots called the Vanguard, who have taken it upon themselves to punish celebrities they deem morally corrupt. They kidnap people and stream their show trials on the Internet, even soliciting audience participation (which is widespread and enthusiastic). Mistaking Daniel for his libertine brother, the Vanguard abducts him and puts him through an ordeal that leaves him disabled.

Eight years later, Jane is on the run after escaping her husband Seth—one of the Vanguard—while Daniel is trying to prove he’s stable enough to resume his acting career. When they meet again in a chance encounter, their bond is as strong as ever. Their relationship builds along with clues that Jane’s husband has found her, and that the Vanguard, which previously stopped short of killing people, is now willing to commit murder. Daniel and Jane have to face their own trauma while supporting each other, and these inner conflicts make for as much tension as the cat-and-mouse game and final confrontation involving Jane, Seth, and Daniel. Viner combines a suspenseful plot and restrained, but beautiful, writing with heightened emotions and unforgettable characters. Her vision of a society more fascinated than horrified by the spectacle of a cult kidnapping and torturing celebrities on the Internet is eerily realistic. This is a book that will stick with me for a while.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a genre defying novel - women’s fiction, romance, and thriller all mixed together and keeps the suspense gong until the very end. Honestly, I am enticed by any book that has to do with a cult, and this one did not disappoint. It is a very quick read and impressive debut novel.

Jane is a Los Angeles nurse who grew up in a Christian cult that puts celebrities on trial for their sins. Daniel is a has-been actor whose career ended when the cult family members nearly killed him for flirting with her.

Eight years after a romantic meet-cute in Battery Park, both search for someone to fill the gap they imagine the other could've filled if given the chance. Jane compulsively goes on dates with every self-professed expert in art, music, and food hoping they will teach her the nuances of the culture she couldn't access in her youth. Daniel looks for a girlfriend who will accept the disabilities left from the cult attack.

A loving woman will prove to Daniel's blockbuster star brother, Steve, that he's capable of a supporting role in Steve's upcoming movie and relaunching Daniel's career. When a chance encounter unexpectedly reunites them, Jane and Daniel not only see another chance at the love they lost, but an opportunity to create the lives they've always wanted.

The only question is whether their families will let them. 

[Kara (Books.and.salt) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still struggling to find words to describe this beautiful, genre-bending story. Jane and Daniel are both deeply layered characters with loaded pasts and a complex history; I loved seeing how the two found their way to each other again. The sweet love story in no way means that the thriller aspect of this story takes a back seat, though. This cult, The Vanguard, was completely unhinged and I was flying through the pages in order to find out if they get what's coming.

I will admit that I was a tad confused the first hundred pages, but I am so glad I hung on because once the twists and reveals got going, I could not put this down!!!

[WeLoveBigBooksAndWeCannotLie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane of Battery Park by Jaye Viner is such a unique and captivating read! @otrpr sent us this copy and we are so thankful!
Jane grew up in a cult, Daniel was an actor before that same cult neary killed him for flirting with Jane. Years go by before they unintentionally meet again and wonder if this is their second chance at love and happiness together.
I really enjoyed following this story! Make sure to visit our Amazon Storefront to grab your copy (link in bio) and let us know what you think of this book! 🌺🧜🏻‍♀️

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this, but I kind of wish it was a bit longer. It's a weird mashup of genres- kind of a romance, kind of a thriller, a bit of AU. I like the idea of Vanguard, which actually does sound like something that could end up happening under the right conditions in this country, but I felt like I was missing some information about the people in Jane's life. I never really got a good picture of what her life was like before she left. But I did like the romance a lot, and it's definitely an interesting idea. I'd read a sequel or another book set in the same universe.

[Claire Holroyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

2021 debut novel JANE OF BATTERY PARK by Jaye Viner is a love story at its core, but one that is much more daring with the obstacles between its protagonists. Jane, real name Rachel, is living under an assumed identity to hide from family members that form the leadership of a cult called the Vanguard. Jane was able to break away, but now lives in constant fear of being found or discovered as the Vanguard continue to kidnap celebrities and televise mock trials where viewers get to vote them innocent or guilty. The life Jane carves out for herself in Los Angeles approaches a normal she couldn’t have imagined while growing up in a fundamentalist Christian sect—until the past catches up to her.

[deb dolde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Jane who grew up in a cult that treated women as 2nd class citizens who should get married and have children. Jane has aspirations to go to music school. She has a chance encounter with an actor getting ready for his big break. Things go poorly for the actor. Jane ends up married to a member of the cult. Years later Jane escapes her marriage and reinvents herself across the country as a nurse. Things get interesting when all the characters reconnect. Mysteries and secrets are revealed with danger and violence mixed in.

[Crystal Zavala · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been quite some time since I read a book in a day. I read Jane of Battery Park in one afternoon. I had forgotten what the synopsis said except for the words "Christian cult". I will read anything about cults.

I highly recommend that you go into Jane of Battery Park mostly blind. In a nut shell, Jane is a registered nurse who is hiding from her ex-husband and family who are still active in a Christian cult that is also on the FBI's terrorist watch list. Jane is seeking a new life when she runs into Daniel who is "the one that got away".


TW: abortion, mental and emotional abuse