This is the third and final book in a series, I absolutely loved the first two, Passion on Park Avenue and Love on Lexington Avenue and can highly recommend this trilogy. If you’re a fan of romance these books are just way too much fun and are super easy, entertaining reads that always leave me in the best mood when I finish!

I’ve been dying to get to Audrey and Clarke’s story and a fake engagement trope never fails to engage me. I also love a friends to lovers story, maybe it’s because me and my husband were friends first for years before we started dating, but I love stories where the two leads have an extensive history. Besides a great friendship between Audrey and Clarke they also have amazing chemistry and LL’s signature witty banter always makes me laugh. I’ve said it before but if you like Christina Lauren books you have got to check out LL, her books are just as great! Such a great end to what was a super funny, charming and sexy series, I’m sad it’s over and only wish we had more to look forward to with this one.

I have been anxiously awaiting Audrey and Clarke’s story and I just couldn’t get enough. Entertaining, sexy, witty banter, friendship, love, and oh so sweet, this story brought all the feels. This had my heart bursting, with happiness, warmth, and love as well as bringing me to tears. Lauren Layne definitely saved the best for last in this series and I just didn’t want this one to end.

As Audrey and Clarke get caught up between an ex- girlfriend, a meddling mother, and a cyber bully, their reality and their best friend status starts to blur, and change. A touch here, a kiss there, soon brings unfamiliar flutters and feelings, that they have never felt before. Their feeling are shifting with every kiss, with every smile, with every glance. Do they want more? Will their friendship survive? Are they playing with fire? You don’t want to miss this story. And you don’t want to miss this series. Five stars fall short with this one.

I have absolutely, adored the connection between these dynamic women, Audrey, Claire and Naomi in this series. I enjoyed their banter and their strength and their Happily Ever Afters.

Thank you NetGalley for the complimentary copy for a honest review.

Audrey and Clarke helped me find my smile. Layne charms with chaos. Marriage on Madison Avenue proves that love doesn't need to be perfect. When it comes to the heart it just needs to feel right. Although I'm sad to see the Central Park Pact series come to an end, I can honestly say the characters I've met and fell for, as well as the dreamer that brought them to life, has lit up my soul with this heartwarming, laugh out loud, irresistible series.

Who would have thought that three woman brought together by one man who was married to one and boyfriend to the other two could form a last friendship. Well Ms. Layne certainly proves that if the chemistry is right women can form lasting bonds regardless of how they met. Now that the other two are married, happily ever after, it's Audrey's turn. It's been clear that Audrey and Clarke are a couple from the first book in the series but their coming together is a cute romance with all the requisite rainbows and fairy dust.

Audrey is an influencer. She makes her living through her social media presence. Imagine her consternation when she's trolled on Instagram for not having a solid relationship and then to cap it all an ex-boyfriend does a tell all expose. Thank god for best friend Clarke who steps in as fake fiancé. Audrey however does not want to deceive her family and friends and lets them all know in advance though Clarke is not as forthcoming with his family.
As the two proceed with planning a fake wedding and picking a venue and all the requisite bells and whistles that go with weddings it's sweet, sad and funny that Clarke and Audrey don't recognize what their friends and family have always known. While this book is a great story and Ms. Layne definitely does it justice it's not as strong as the second book in the series which is my absolute favorite. Never the less this is a great series and I'm sorry to see it end and can't wait to see where Ms. Layne will take us next.

*cue infinite crying emojis* I so wasn’t ready to let go of these girls. My heart has grasped onto them. While I’m sad the series is over, I’ll forever be happy that I got to read the incredible journey these three beautiful ladies went on. I see many rereads in my future.

Just like with the previous two novels, this feels like you’re losing yourself in a movie. I read this in one sitting because the story swept me away.

Audrey has been my favourite since the very beginning so I very excited for this book. Especially since it combines two of my favourite tropes: friends-to-lovers and “fake dating”. While yes it’s “fake dating” to the extreme because it’s “fake fiancés”, it worked incredibly well for Audrey and Clarke. In the previous two books, they completely stole every scene they were in. Having a whole book for them is something precious.

While each love story was wonderful, the real highlight is the friendship that formed between Naomi, Claire and Audrey. Their love for each other is the real story... and it’s beautiful.

4.5 stars
I am sad to see The Central Park Pact series ending. All three books were so good, but I enjoyed Audrey and Clarke's story the best of all. I think partly it's because I had been anticipating their story from the first book.
Clarke and Audrey are best friends. Due to an Instagram troll and Clarke using Audrey as an excuse, their fake engagement begins. I found this to be different from other fake engagement stories as it seemed more open. Audrey told her family and close friends that it wasn't real, so it was more honest--if that even makes sense. It seems like everyone around them knows that they are destined to be together, except for them.
I love Lauren Layne's writing She is excellent at portraying both the emotion and humor. This is not to be missed for romance fans.
Thank you to Gallery Books, Tasty Book PR, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 70%. I liked the first book in this series and loved the second but this one wasn’t for me. I had a really hard time feeling the connection between Clarke and Audrey - I felt it more in the last book than I’ve been feeling it in this one.

The pacing also felt off to me. And when I just got to a major scene that happens at 70% I decided to stop reading.

I will note if you enjoyed The Wedding Belles you can look for a cameo here. I love Lauren Layne and will continue to read her next books but this one was a miss for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

From the first novel in the Central Park Pact series, it was pretty much guaranteed that Audrey and Clarke would finally realize at some point that they were in love with each other because everyone else already knew. At last, in Marriage on Madison Avenue, we have their story.

Audrey and Clarke have been best friends forever. They have always looked out for each other, been there for each other, and tried very hard to make sure that the other never got hurt. They just never looked at each other as anything more–until the fake engagement. Suddenly, everything’s off-kilter.

Lauren Layne is without a doubt one of the best writers of romantic comedy and Marriage on Madison Avenue proves it. While many writers would offer stereotypes, Layne offers real people. The ex-girlfriend isn’t unfeeling and vindictive; she’s a real person who shows her feelings. The mother might be tough, but it’s because she loves her child. It’s this ability to take a character and see all of their sides that really makes Layne a wonderful writer.

In the Central Park Pact series, she’s take an idea that seemed crazy and turned it into something wonderful. How could three women being played by the same man come to like, no–love–, each other? Trust each other? Help each other? Each of the women is different sharing only good taste in shoes and bad taste in men until they each meet their soulmate.

Marriage on Madison Avenue is the perfect culmination. I loved Audrey and Clarke’s story because it moved me, made me happy and sad and ultimately satisfied. I could feel Audrey’s joy and sorrow; Clarke’s pain. I just wish the series didn’t have to end.

If you love romantic comedies but haven’t checked out the Central Park Pact series, you should. Layne is at the top of her game. I could tell you that Marriage on Madison Avenue can be read as a standalone, and it truly can, but why miss out on all of the fun of reading all three novels? I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Jordan – ☆☆☆☆☆
I feel like I have been waiting for this book since Audrey Tate and Clarke West first graced the pages in Passion on Park Avenue and it was completely worth the wait! I have absolutely loved every book in Lauren Layne’s Central Park Pact and most of her other series as well, but I think Marriage on Madison Avenue has just become my new favorite book by Layne. I was immediately swept away on this friends-to-lovers story from the first page to the last. Audrey is a great character that I can easily imagine being best friends with and Clarke can easily make me swoon. It’s almost bittersweet knowing this is the final installment in the Central Park Pact because I’ve grown so attached to all these fantastic characters! Each book is capable of being a standalone, but personally I think these books are best enjoyed in order and as a series. Plus, by reading the entire series I feel like I was able to further appreciate how all three women have become such fast friends!

All in all, five stars for Marriage on Madison Avenue by Lauren Layne. This was the perfect conclusion to another fantastic series by Layne that I couldn’t put down and I look forward to being impressed by her next series!


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the third book in the series and I was really looking forward to getting Audrey's story – she was, I felt, the most damaged by "he who should not be named's" betrayal. She not only felt anger at his deceit, but also a huge amount of guilt towards Claire, his unknown wife. As both Claire and Naomi have found their happily ever afters, it is most definitely Audrey's turn, but she really does not feel she deserves happiness at all.

So, when Clarke (her best friend since they were toddlers) once again needs her to be his significant other, she fills the role with the aplomb that she always has, in the certain knowledge that her friendship is just that. Of course, everyone else in their world knows that they are the only two who do not understand how much they love each other – and all they need to do is take the chance and finally work it all out. But of course the journey will not be a smooth one, and the risks are high, but Lauren Layne gives us the very best type of romance and happily ever after.

I would highly recommend that you read this in order, as the story does most definitely develop through the trilogy. That said, it is a lovely story in its own right, just even richer as part of the whole.

Marriage on Madison Avenue is the final book in the Central Park Pact trilogy. Audrey finally gets her own HEA with her best friend, Clarke. When Clarke's mom starts interfering in his love life and Audrey is attacked by online Instagram trolls, the two best friends embark on a fake relationship to help each other out. They go so far as to declare that they're engaged — Clarke expects his mom to back off and Audrey expects her engagement to bring in some positive publicity.

The best friends to lovers trope usually has one character feeling the sparks of attraction or having unrequited feelings at one point during their friendship. What's interesting here is that there is no unrequited love. Audrey and Clarke's relationship is 100% purely platonic, until the line between friendship and romance starts becoming blurry during their fake engagement scheme. I love that the blurring of lines was a slow process because it made the transition from just-friends to oh-no-he's/she's-hot that much more realistic and delicious.

While I love the transition from best friends to OMG-FEELINGS, the not-admitting-their-true-feelings part was a little frustrating to read. I wasn't a big fan of how Clarke and Audrey decided to make their marriage real, mostly because they had only discussed the important things on a surface level. It seemed very immature and they needed a push to <i>really</i> communicate. Clarke is especially frustrating because the dude doesn't know how to communicate. His inability to open up to Audrey to make sure that she knows what's going on is really frustrating. Poor Audrey is often left in the cold, absolutely clueless about things she should have been aware of. But it all works out for the best because it pushes Audrey and Clarke to realize their true feelings and to work for their real HEA.

<b><u>Final thoughts on The Central Park Pact series overall:</u></b>
I enjoyed this sweet romance series for the most part. Oliver from Passion on Park Avenue is the character I identified with the most. I think Naomi and Oliver had the best build up of sexual chemistry, Claire and Scott had the best build up <i>and</i> payoff, and Audrey and Clarke had the cutest relationship. If I had to pick a favourite, it'll probably be Claire and Scott's book, Love on Lexington Avenue. Here are my reviews for the previous books in the trilogy:

<b>Book 1: </b><a href="https://lubnaareads.wordpress.com/2019/05/19/passion-on-park-avenue/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Passion on Park Avenue</a>

<b>Book 2: </b><a href="https://lubnaareads.wordpress.com/2019/09/17/love-on-lexington-avenue/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Love on Lexington Avenue</a>

Marriage On Madison Avenue is the third and final book in the Central Park Pact series. I haven't yet read the first book (overambitious TBR problems) but I adored the second book so much (5 star read for me) so I was very excited to get immersed in Audrey and Clarke's story.

Audrey and Clarke are childhood best friends. Audrey is an Instagram influencer and recently some internet trolls have taken to attacking her online. Clarke has an extremely overbearing mother who's trying to set him up with an ex-girlfriend so Clarke leaks a rumor to the Post that he's engaged to Audrey. Audrey gets the idea to run with it for a couple of days to quiet the trolls spreading online rumors about her. Fake engagement until everything settles down and then they'll break it off amicably and things will go back to normal. Famous last words, right? 😉

Marriage on Madison Avenue is a light, fun rom-com. The story is a sweet friends-to-lovers, very slow burn, and there's no steam (everything happens behind closed doors). I enjoyed Audrey and Clarke's comfortable, honest dialogue and the way they joke and relate with each other was delightful to read. This was a charming conclusion to the Central Park Pact series. Watching Naomi, Claire, and Audrey each find happiness after such an awkward, disturbing start to their friendship was the best happily every after.

It absolutely sucks when a series that has been a bright light and provided everything you want: laughs, feels and lots of heat, ends. But, Layne left us with a wonderful story that brings the hope of love, the faerie tale wedding and a happy ending for ALL of our girls. Claire, Naomi and Audrey have managed to form a solid friendship after the death of Claire’s husband and Naomi and Audrey’s ‘boyfriend’ died unexpectedly – and Audrey has always been the ‘hopeless romantic’ not allowing herself to condemn all men for the crappy acts of one – and pushed both Naomi and Claire into their new lives and relationships. And Audrey was truly happy for them all – and celebrating all of their moments – but she’d decided that marriage and the “happy ever after” was not for her. Apparently, only Clarke and Audrey never saw what everyone else did – preferring to stay in their ‘Best Friends” mode, with neither taking ‘relationships’ seriously.

Until an internet troll made Audrey’s life much more difficult than necessary, and an ex who really wasn’t al that important to her decided to do a “tell all” to the self-same gossip site (think Perez Hilton and his ilk) that things got dicey for her. With her life and career revolving around her “never off the clock” Instagram influencer title and popularity, something had to stem the tide. In steps Clarke, perfect timing for them both as the only woman he ever dated for any length of time is back in town, and his mother is determined the two should take another chance. Enter one fake engagement, several misunderstandings, the return of Alexis from The Wedding Belles, and a TON of moments to laugh, want to shake both Clarke and Audrey, and a few surprise moments of “squee” tossed in for good measure – the two finally decide to take the ‘fake engagement’ to a last minute “marriage of convenience” with the ‘ground rules’ set and clear.

Neither expected the feelings to beat them about the head and shoulders, and nothing will surpass the smile you’ll have at the end of this series – even as you hate it to end. This is romance with all the good stuff – friends who really care for one another, plenty of moments to laugh (Clarke’s face at the lingerie shop – or the ‘security lockdown’ that he faced for a simple cake tasting) along with three happily ever afters and reasons to believe in the knight on the white horse. Reaffirming, engaging and above all – just damn fun – this series is a MUST read for anyone who has ever faltered in their belief that love is real, or possible, for everyone.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aBU/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Saving the Best for Last!

The third and final book in a trilogy of stand-alone/character-crossover novels with girl power vibes and laugh out loud dialogue and situations; Lauren Layne has saved the best for last!

Here in Clarke & Audrey’s story, Layne has held nothing back, giving us a solid, well-developed best / childood friends-to-lovers tale, heavy on the romance with a side of fake engagement tossed in for good measure. So much fun to read this spin on the FTL trope, particularly with the rich, shared history between all of characters. We are riding along on this tangled web with Clarke & Audrey all the way through to the HEA! This book is everything you’ve been waiting for and then some – funny & snarky where it should be, romantic, sweet & swoony throughout, and emotional enough to get you with ALL the feels.

Marriage on Madison Avenue ties a neat bow on the Central Park Pact world, and rounds out the trilogy incredibly well. I love that we see how strong the bonds of of friendship are for our three heroines (throughout), which is so refreshing! Having that solidarity and sisterhood woven into the sass and romance elevates the story to a whole new level.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I’ve been looking forward to this book for a long time and am excited to go back for a full series re-read now that it’s complete!

This is a perfect book for the end of this series. I have been waiting for this story since book one. Friends who finally realize they were meant to be together, is the best kind of story. I have been a huge fan of Lauren Layne for years, I have to yet read a book which I have not instantly loved.

You need to grab this book! I loved it- Audrey and Clarke are by far my favorite Central Park Pact couple. I loved their relationship- the fact that they are best friends as well as husband and wife (in the end). They are comfortable with each other, they know each other- good, bad, and ugly. Their relationship is just special. I enjoyed seeing an appearance by the Wedding Belles. A great wrap for the Central Park Pact ladies!


**I received a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Marriage on Madison Avenue was more most anticipated story of this series. From the first moment we met Audrey and Clarke I was dying for more and their story does not disappoint.
Audrey and Clarke have amazing chemistry and a great friendship, so what happens when you add in a fake engagement? Well, you’ll have to read this one to find out. This story is a great friends to lovers romance that is fun, sweet, flirty. There is so much to love about this story.
Audrey and Clarke have been friends forever and you can feel their connection jump off the pages. Their banter was great and everything just felt so easy and effortless between them. Though, I did get a little frustrated that it took them so long to realize their true feelings for each other. I get that Audrey had some insecurities though because of the whole Brayden situation.
If you’ve read the previous books in the series you know that Audrey, Claire and Naomi formed an amazing friendship and with each story their bond continued to grow. I am sad to say goodbye to these women.
Marriage on Madison Avenue isn’t full of steamy scenes, but honestly, this story doesn’t need it. There is so much love and romance throughout that it will leave your heart full and you won’t miss anything. This is another amazing book by Lauren Layne.

We finally get Audrey Tate and Clarke West' story! Audrey and Clarke have been platonic best friends their entire lives and are willing to do just about anything for each other....including having a fake engagement to thwart off Clarke's mother.

As Clarke and his mother keep playing this one-up-manship game, Audrey and Clarke start to see each other in a different light and real feelings start to get involved. Can two life long friends really find the person they were meant to be with in each other? The answer is a resounding yes!

I just adored this story! It was so fun watching two friends slowly realize that there is more to their friendship than either of them thought. This story had parts that were sweet, sexy and even funny all wrapped up together and I just adored Audrey and Clarke. Of course Naomi, Oliver, Claire and Scott all make appearances in this wonderful story! I love this group and am sad that this is the last book in the series.

The third and final novel in the Marriage Pact series and it's my favourite. Naomi and Claire's stories are hard acts to follow but somehow Audrey's journey to a happy ending manages to slightly eclipse them.

Audrey Tate and Clarke West's story is as slow-burn as you get. These childhood friends are close but they've at no time overstepped the platonic boundary. When Clarke needs Audrey to pretend (again) to be his fake fiancée, she happily plays along, as she usually does. Only this time, his matchmaker mother calls his bluff. The result? A situation neither of them expected to get into...together… ever!

When it comes to romantic comedy, Ms Layne is my go-to author. The humour she injects into every narrative is flirty, fun and littered with a great deal of intelligent witty dialogue. As a friends to lovers novel, this romance is as stunning as the glamorous Manhattan backdrop.

Finally, It's fitting the end of this trilogy comes full circle and finishes where it all starts in Central Park. Only this time, these three women who met under awkward circumstances have vastly contrasting lives to the ones they had when they first met… perfect!

***arc generously received courtesy of Gallery Books via NetGalley***

I loved, loved, loved this! Few things make me happier than a cute Lauren Layne book and Marriage on Madison Avenue is one of her best yet.

Since their first scene together in the first book of the series, I have been wanting Audrey and Clarke’s story and it did not disappoint! This is both a Friends-to-More and Fake Relationship story, which is a combination of my favorite romantic tropes. I loved Audrey and Clarke’s friendship and I loved watching them realize their feelings for each other were more than that. Everything that happened was pretty predictable, but I enjoyed every moment of it anyways.

I thought Audrey and Clarke were both really likable characters and I was happy to see them get a happy ending. I also loved seeing the couples from the previous books, though I maintain that Naomi is much better in small doses. In addition to spending more time with the characters from this series, a few characters from Layne’s other series make appearances, which was quite fun.

Overall, I loved Marriage on Madison Avenue. I loved the characters, the romance, and the fake relationship aspects of the story. This was an enjoyable series and I think Layne definitely saved the best for last. I will miss these characters, but I look forward to whatever Layne writes next.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

Marriage on Madison Avenue is my favorite of the Central Park Pact series. Throughout the first two books we see Audrey and Clarke interact and that really heightened their story for me. While I knew they were perfect for each other it was fun watching them figure it out.

I'm a sucker for a fake engagement. Audrey and Clarke agree to the fake engagement for different reasons, Audrey to keep a scandal blogger/tweeter off her and Clarke to piss his mom off. There were times when their engagement was downright hilarious, and others where it was sweet and romantic.

I absolutely adored Clarke, he wasn't perfect but had a good heart and loved Audrey so much, even before he fully realized it. Audrey was so much fun and enjoyed life and her influencer lifestyle. It was fun to read about a different type of job, and the fact that that job takes a ton of work.

If you like swoony romances I highly suggest checking out Lauren Layne.