<em>Marriage on Madison Avenue</em> is the final book in the <a href="http://bookbinge.com/reviews/series/the-central-park-pact/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Central Park Pact</a> series by Lauren Layne and IMO, it was the weakest book in the series. I still enjoyed it but not nearly as much as I enjoyed <a href="http://bookbinge.com/2019/10/review-love-on-lexington-avenue-lauren-layne/">Love on Lexington Avenue</a> and <a href="http://bookbinge.com/2019/05/review-passion-on-park-avenue-by-lauren-layne/" target="_blank">Passion on Park Avenue</a>. I was bummed out about not enjoying this book nearly as much as I was prepared to love it because it's got the best friends to lover trope and a fake relationship trope that I'm super trash for but I was disappointed in a bunch of little things that I didn't completely recover from by the end of this one.

Audrey Tate and Clarke West have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Since they were kids. They have amazing chemistry that everyone but themselves can see but they've never gone down that road before because they've always been such great friends and who wants to mess with that? Not these two for sure. Audrey is a social media influencer and when the haters start to talk about her in a not so great light, a fake engagement to her best friend seems like the way to fix her problems. When Clarke's ex-girlfriend tries to come back into his life, he's got his own reasons to want a fake engagement to his best friend. So Audrey and Clarke become "engaged" and plan to only keep up the ruse for a little while, just until the rumors about Audrey die down and Clarke's ex-girlfriend goes away. Only things don't go down the way that they planned and before they know what's what, their engagement goes on longer and longer and starts to feel a lot more real with each passing day.

Here's what I did like about this book. The book still had the strong female friendship that I adored in the previous books and I loved seeing how protective both of the previous heroes were over Audrey...even against Audrey's own best friend. I loved seeing Alexis Morgan make an appearance in this one. I also still really enjoyed both Clarke and Audrey individually and the romance was still a good one even though I had some issues.

The lack of communication between Clarke and Audrey had me rolling my eyes down the street. You guys are best friends, you tell each other everything but you can't tell each other that you're in love with each other? Clarke, you let Audrey find out about your Dad's deal on the day of your wedding? You guys love each other so much, have each other's back but you let each other settle for a marriage of convenience instead of pushing each other to hold out for true love the way that you guys both deserve? On top of that, the way that their engagement kept getting bigger and bigger when they had every intention of calling it off made me mad too. They were wasting so many people's time and it just annoyed the crap out of me. I would have much preferred the conflict to be more about Clarke and Audrey figuring out that they've been in love with each other for a long time without the drag out, knock down fake engagement that started to piss me off the longer it went on and the deeper Audrey and Clarke got into the planning of a fake wedding.

Despite my issues, Lauren Layne still kept my attention throughout this entire book and though I was still annoyed with both Clarke and Audrey, I was glad that they got their heads out of their asses and figured their shit out. I thought the ending was rushed but by the time that came around, I was ready for the happy ending so I wasn't too annoyed with that. So while this book wasn't one of Layne's best, it wasn't all bad. I came for the female friendships and wasn't disappointed in the least in that department.

3.5 out of 5

Audrey Tate and Clarke West have been best friends since elementary school. Audrey is always loyal and down to cover for Clarke's playboy antics. While her friends Claire and Naomi are finding true love, Audrey is still platonically fake dating Clarke any time they need a social buffer. As Clarke's mother's matchmaking schemes escalate, however, Clarke ups the ante announcing a fake engagement. As they begin to celebrate their "engagement" and plan their pretend wedding, Audrey and Clarke find themselves unable to "break up" without causing a major ruckus. And the worst part is, neither of them are quite sure the want to.

Um this book is ADORABLE. I was cheesin like a fool the whole time I read it. As the conclusion to the Central Park Pact series (and the best book yet), the friendship between Audrey, Claire, and Naomi is already well-cemented. That is one of the best parts in each of their books. While they are ultimately romcoms and stories of finding true love, their friendship is steady beneath each of their individual adventures.

Audrey and Clarke are frickin cute and I swooned so hard as they fell in love. Nothing like a good friends-to-lovers romance with a fake relationship thrown in. The best part about their relationship is how believable it is. There are no steamy scenes, so you have to rely completely on other moments of chemistry. And there were plenty. This speaks highly to Lauren Layne's ability to write a good story.

In conclusion, I loved it. You will to.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for Clarke and Audrey’s story, but it was worth the wait! Best friends since childhood, Clarke and Audrey have always supported one another. But what happens when, they decide to enter into a fake engagement to throw Clarke’s mother off the matchmaking scent and stop an evil blogger from attacking Audrey? Will these two finally realize that they not only love each other, but are in love with each other?

Clarke’s parents throw a few monkey wrenches in their scheme, but Audrey’s other besties, Claire and Naomi and their other halves, are around to help Clarke and Audrey navigate the rocky waters. It was a great ending to a terrific series!

My favorite of the Central Park Pact series. I had been waiting for Audrey and Clark's story, and Marriage on Madison Avenue did not disappoint! Such a sweet story with wonderful characters. The banter was cute and swoon worthy. I also loved the cameos from the Wedding Belles and Wall Street series!

And just like that, it’s over.
I have been so invested in Claire, Naomi, and Audrey and their love lives. I can’t believe the series is over.
I absolutely LOVE Audrey and Clarke, and their friends to lovers story. I knew I would be an emotional mess while reading their story, but now that it’s over I can’t stop crying.
I will ship them 100%.

Lauren Layne is top notch, I will read everything that she writes, no questions asked.
Thank you so much for the ARC of Marriage on Madison Ave.
I’ll miss this group of friends, it’s been a fun ride.
#netgalley #gallerybooks #simonandschuster

Loved this book! This was the third installment of Lauren Layne's newest series. Witty, fun, and sexy characters are in each story. Clarke and Audrey are smart and have so much heart, readers will enjoy going on this journey with them.

Beautiful, beautiful. Best friends turning into lovers but not actually realizing they want to be lovers seem to my trope of choice BECAUSE OF this book. What a lovely, lovely way to end the series, with the sweetest book of them all!

What a sweet love story! I have not read the first two books in the series but after reading about Audrey and Clarke’s story I will definitely be downloading to my Kindle. I usually like my stories with a bit more heat but I was so delighted by this book that it did not matter.

Audrey and Clarke’s relationship was really sweet. They have been best friends for years, looking after each other, two people that are so made for each other but have chosen friendship instead of the complications of a relationship. That changes soon when they decide to put on a fake engagement to avoid Clarke mom’s evil match making . So the games begin.

This two are hilarious and just reading their story as they get deeper and deeper in the planning of their “wedding” was so much fun. The scene of them at the lingerie store was pretty funny. Their banter was very entertaining.

I really enjoyed this story and look forward to more books. You can’t go wrong with Ms. Layne!

I have never read a book by Lauren Layne, but now I will go back and read all of the books in this series! This book reminds us that even those who feel like they are not worthy of love really are. This book was one of the best books I’ve read this year!

This series has been such a delight! From the unlikely but deeply rewarding sisterhood, to the sweet and sexy romances that each of these women wound up with - it's just been so much fun to read. And Marriage on Madison Avenue, the finally installment in the Central Park Pact series was no exception.

I mean, everyone knew that Audrey and Clarke were made for each other. Literally. Everyone. Except, that is, for Audrey and Clarke themselves. I so enjoyed watching their chemistry fire up basically without them even being aware of it. It was adorable to watch them fumble their way towards the realization that they were meant to be together, and completely rewarding when they finally figured it out.

That said, I might have liked a little more depth to them. Their struggles were similar, but I felt like they never did a deep dive into their feelings for each other (or, more importantly, why they resisted those feelings so hard). The whole thing wrapped up neatly and sweetly, but I felt like I was missing a little grit along the way.

That said, this was still a solid, swoony, completely enjoyable read. As it happened with each book in this series, the sisterhood stole the scene on more than one occasion and I adored how Ms. Layne brought their stories full circle in the end. If you're looking for something bubbly and sweet? Do not pass this series by!

We’ve waited so long to read Aubrey and Clark’s HEA! Thankfully, Lauren Layne doesn’t disappoint. This friends to lovers story found the BFFs to be reluctant love birds, but really none of us were buying it. They ooze love and caring for one another. Bonus, Marriage on Madison Avenue also allows us to catch up with the players from the two previous books as well, making it a great way to wrap up the series.

If I could change anything, it would be that the one and only love scene in the entire book wasn’t glossed over, only providing the brief lead in and the morning after, but skipping over all the good stuff.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I forgot how much I loved this series. Lauren Layne writes another hilarious and absorbing novel! Audrey and Clarke are old friends that pretend to be engaged and start planning a lavish wedding to boost and protect Audrey's career. But after spending more quality time with one another, could this fictitious relationship turn ito the real thing?

I loved every second of this novel. Thank you, NetGalley for the early copy!

I am so sad that its over!! I have been a big Lauren Layne fan for a few years and this trilogy did not let me down. I loved Audrey and Clarke's story. I love the emotion that I feel with the characters and how much I really do feel like I am friends with them. I love a series with connecting characters and Lauren Layne does such a great job of finishing the stories and tying all of the loose strings up.

A very beautiful story over all! I love how something so tragic brought this group so close together! The woman scorned and hurt found forgiveness and love!

I didn’t read the first two books in the series and I definitely want to go back and read those! I feel this story does well as a standalone I just wish there were more interactions between the heroine and the hero! I do love their bond and how well the get along! So many heartfelt and funny moments!

I loved this book! Each and every single but if the book was perfect. I scored the fact that The Wedding Belles made an appearance. I loved it so much that, at that moment, I called my friend and squealed. It was the perfect ending to the series.

This is the 3rd and final book in this series and it was my favorite. This series is about Audrey, Claire and Naomi. They are connected by the fact they were all dating/married to the same man Brayden Hayes. The ladies all met on a park bench in Central Park the day of his funeral. They made a pact to not let each other get involved with another man like Brayden.

This book is about Claire and her best friend Clarke. They have been best friends since Elementary school. Claire has just been blasted by online gossip columnist after breaking up with a guy she had recently started dating. Claire is an influencer and her having a good reputation is key. She doesn't need scandal especially after dating Brayden who was married to Claire and dating Naomi as well. Clarke meanwhile says him and Audrey are engaged so that his mom and ex-girlfriend will stop trying to get them back together. This is when the story gets good and fun. Clarke and Audrey are very close and get theirselves into funny situations.

I loved this book. You can feel how effortless their love was for each other. Clarke is known as a playboy but he has always been there for Audrey. This is a dual POV with great characters and off the charts chemistry.

I received an advanced copy for an honest review.

This was a fun escapist romp about a social media influencer and Park Avenue princess and her best friend: a most eligible bachelor..

The two agree to fake an engagement when Audrey, the influencer, is targeted by a gossip website. Clarke, a playboy, is running from his ex, so the two agree an engagement would be a great way to foil gossip and Clarke's former girlfriend, hellbent on a reunion.

I found the fun world of Audrey and Clarke's affluent lives to be escapist fun and fantasy worthy, while both characters were so adorable, you could still easily connect with them.

The dialogue was fun and the set up was original.

While I did not read the other books in the series, I loved this one and had no trouble catching up. I look forward to the other two books as well!

I was really looking forward to Audrey and Clarke's story. While I did enjoy it, I was a tiny bit disappointed. These two seemed to remain clueless until almost the end. I would have loved more time with them as a real couple. Also, I have no issue with the "closed door" love scenes, I think the reader would have benefitted from seeing a more romantic situation with Audrey and Clarke. Then it would have felt like a more natural progression of their relationship.

OMGGG. I have been dying for Audrey and Clark's book since Love on Lexington Avenue as I legit die for the fake fiance trope. And after reading, I can say this is my favorite in the series as their chemistry coupled with Lauren Layne's ability to incorporate witty charm had me grinning from ear to ear.

I really enjoyed this story. It was surprisingly emotional and full of moments that had me loving this couple. I enjoyed the fact that both Audrey and Clark didn't know what was right in front of them for years before they took this step. It was fun and flirty and I was here for it!

This story was swoony and angsty and had tears rushing to my eyes at certain points. I felt for Audrey because of her insecurities about deserving love after the Brayden scandal. But I think I loved it the most in the series as Clark and Audrey had wonderful banter and butterfly inducing moments. I loved seeing Claire and Audrey again and seeing their pact go full circle. I will say, however, I was surprised by the complete fade to black scene between Audrey and Clark as the build up was phenomenal and then it fell flat. I felt seeing the culmination of their newfound feelings for each other would have strengthened the story.

Overall, this was another great read and can't wait for more books in the future. 4.5 stars! ~Ratula

4.5 Stars

Lauren Layne ended her popular Central Park Pact series on a high note with Marriage on Madison Avenue. Audrey and Clark's romance was other readers might have been wanting since the very beginning on the series, but it was one I didn't know I needed until I read it. Don't get me wrong, I love a good friends to lovers romance. I also know Lauren Layne excels at that type of story. I just didn't pick up romance vibes between Audrey and Clark prior to reading this book.

That's actually a cool statement because Audrey and Clark didn't feel the vibes until Marriage on Madison Avenue either. Nothing like a little fake engagement between best friends to put things in perspective. I loved the way they navigated their new feelings for each other and how their relationship changed with this engagement. The only thing that would have made it better for me was if the book had been in first person instead of third. I would have connected to it even more than I already did.

Marriage on Madison Avenue was a very sweet fake relationship romance between best friends. I wouldn't have expected anything less from Lauren Layne. I can't wait to read what she's got coming next!