4 Friends Can Be Lovers Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
The Central Park Pact has been a strong Lauren Layne series. It had everything I love about Layne's work. Lots of Manhattan locations and touchstones. Characters who are accomplished but still have their quirks and need to work them out and most of all, strong female friendships.

Layne has made a career in creating women who are there for each other. They are not catty or cruel. They are supportive and will talk "the hard talk" when necessary.

The structure of this series allows each book to be read alone because of the prologue, however, if you like to have the full feeling of the relationships of the women and the series then best to start at the beginning with book one. You will not be disappointed.

We have met Audrey Tate and Clarke West and they are the perfect best friends. Both come from the Monied Stratosphere of NYC Society. They have been there for each other since childhood and never crossover into dating or desire.

Clarke is the charming playboy who has worked to prove to his father he deserves to take over the company when it is time. His parents are looking for him to settle down and find his partner for life. His mother thinks he should have a woman who is accomplished, professional and perfect.

Not Audrey...

Audrey is a free spirit. She has found her way with the internet. She is an Instagram Influencer with a huge following. If she posts a pic that has a certain hat on her cute head... they will be sold out in a moment. It was something she just fell into and her blog and Instagram are now her career.

Audrey was the type of girl who dreamed of the perfect happily ever after and thought she was getting it with the man she had loved for years. It turns out he was married Not separated as he told her. It was through this man Audrey met Naomi and Claire. Each had ties to the man. They decided to be there for each other and not let them fall for a$$hats ever again. Unfortunately, Audrey didn't heed their dislike for another fella she thought might be the one...He turned out to be a freak and ends up causing her more pain.

Audrey decides she just doesn't deserve real love. She is fine with it. She has her friends, her blog and followers and that will have to do.

Clarke has been there for Audrey and she for him...and when Clarke is annoyed with his mother for setting up a situation she had no business doing...He tells his mother he is engaged to Audrey, again.
Yes, this is the third time he has pulled this and Audrey finds out through texts and twitter.

So this is the premise of these two coming together...Clarke to piss off his mom and Audrey to dispell another blogger who has it out for her. The pretend develops into way more before they know it...but what is real and what is pretend.

I love Layne's writing yet this was not as strong as the first two books for me. It could be the fact I am not an Instagramer, etc. I can appreciate how consuming and hard it is to produce consistent work. I think I just didn't find it easy to relate to Audrey or Clarke as the other characters from the other books.

I did like the continued focus on New York City and the events. Layne brought in the Wedding Belles and that was fun. I do recommend the series as it presented all different types of relationships to have. Layne has a solid way to have you fall in love with her work.

Do you like a friends to lovers romance? It's one of my favorite tropes! Audrey and Clarke have been best friends for years. A fake engagement will help him evade his matchmaking mother and will help Audrey combat internet trolls. But what happens when the engagement starts feeling all too real?

Marriage on Madison Avenue was the perfect ending to The Central Park Pact series. I love these characters! They seem so real. I really felt for Audrey and Clarke and how their pasts were still hurting them. It was wonderful to be on the journey with them to their happily ever after. One of my favorite parts of the book was the dialogue. The story also flowed very well. And it was fun to see all the wedding planning. If you've read the other two books, this one has some great scenes with Claire and Naomi too. If you're looking for a light, fun romance, I highly recommend this one! Thank you to Gallery Books and Goodreads for my copy!
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What a fabulously fun book! I absolutely adored Audrey and Clarke and their journey from friends to lovers.

I did not read the first two books in this series and I don't feel like I missed out on anything, but I will definitely go back and read them soon because I really liked Naomi and Claire.

4.5 STARS!

Marriage on Madison Avenue by Lauren Layne is the final installment in the Central Park Pact series. Here, we follow Audrey and Clarke's story, two best friends who later realize they're in love.

Audrey Tate is the fun-loving one amongst the three women. She blames herself for Brayden's actions thinking she ruined Claire's happiness, so she begins to believe she doesn't deserve her own happily ever after.

Clarke West is your typical single man living in the social light of the Upper East Side. He's a womanizer who hasn't settled down yet despote being in a long relationship previously.

Audrey and Clarke both face a dilemma. An internet troll is bashing Audrey and spilling the tea, while Clarke's mother is trying to get him back with his ex, Elizabeth. So these two best friends decide to help each other out and get fake engaged.

The more time Audrey and Clarke live up the farce of their engagement and wedding planning the sooner they realize what was in their faces the whole time; the fact that they've been in love with each other all this time. There's always that ex that has to stir the pot and in this story it was no different.

Overall, this was a sweet, fastpaced slow burn romance with just a touch of angsty feels at the end. Such a fun series! I'm going to miss these characters and their friendship/bond. Thank you so much to Gallery Books and Lauren Layne for the chance of discovering these books. I'm excited to read more from this author!


*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

Marriage on Madison Avenue by Lauren Layne is the 3rd book in the Central Park Pact series, and my first book by this author. Can men and women ever be just friends? Audrey Tate and Clarke West have been best friends since they were children. As adults they agree to be fake engaged, but with the faux wedding getting closer, how do they really feel? I really enjoyed this book, and plan on reading books one and two next. I highly recommend this romance.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I'm telling you all, Lauren Layne has a gift. I'm not a big fan of friends-to-lovers stories; the easiness and familiarity between the main characters usually bore me to tears because I always need that extra spice for me to feel excited but Lauren Layne... how does she make the banter, even between long-time friends, so much fun?
I was also positively surprised to see that both Audrey and Clarke were "genuine" friends who've never EVER thought about hooking up before. In childhood friends-to-lovers stories there tends to be one who already harbors feelings for the other (from what I've read so far) so it was refreshing to witness both their feelings develop naturally.

Okay so full disclosure, this easily could have been a 3 star as well. The problem with being a mood reader is, you either hate a book because absolutely EVERYTHING rubs you the wrong way (even though it shouldn't) or you're completely aware of its weaknesses but love the book anyway.

What I didn't like
➤ I didn't feel the main couple's chemistry (as lovers) as much as I would have liked.
Everyone who has been reading Lauren Layne's last few releases knows that they are pretty low in heat, i.e. they are clean romances. Personally, I don't have a problem with it, sometimes it's nice to get more "quality time" with the couple and not get interrupted by a sex scene every few pages BUT, I do think that this particular trope here would have benefitted from a descriptive sex scene or at least a little bit MORE than what was shown. As I said before, the change from friends to lovers happened quite naturally but that specific SPARK was missing to make me really love them as a couple.
➤ A bit more discretion would have been desirable. The characters (be it Audrey and Clarke or Audrey with her friends) always had what was supposed to be a "private" conversation in very public places. It was very convenient that no outsider ever overheard their conversation, or else the secret would have been spilled long before they even got that far with their fake engagement.
➤ I wasn't a big fan of the conflict. It was pretty predictable.

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.