Sweet fairytale ending.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can’t decide if this was my favorite story or not. They’ve all been great so it is hard to choose just one. This work is a spin on the classic fake fiancé and best friends turn lovers trope and it proved to be a winner too!

Layne created a delightful matchup with Clarke and Audrey and their friendship that has been so tight for so many years. I can understand the problem they are up against; when you cross that line you can ruin a great friendship. Or maybe because you know each other so well you wouldn’t even consider a romantic relationship.

But Clarke needs help and the only person that he knows that can help pull it off is Audrey. Audrey needs Clarke help and makes a deal. But oh, what a tangled web we weave and all that.…

This book is humorous in all the right places, intense in many places, and a perfect blending of friendship, awareness, and deep seated love. And while the ending may have you gasping a few times, thankfully, it ends beautifully.

Marriage on Madison Avenue offers a witty look finding “the one” even if you know you’ve lost your mind, best friends forever, snarky social media followers, and crafty family members who love to interfere. A sexy and sweet romance you will fall for!

I’ve been waiting for Audrey and Clarke’s book since book one, and I’m so happy we’re finally getting their story! I was even more excited by the trope of this book. Marriage on Madison Avenue has childhood friends with a fake engagement, which is one of my favorite tropes!

I love Audrey and Clarke’s dynamic; they know each other so well that this actually wasn’t the first fake engagement they’re done. But maybe it’s the last…honestly though, Audrey’s reaction to Clarke calling fake engagement was hilarious.

Also, both of them think they’re incapable of love, so they think that their friendship is the best they’ll ever get. Basically they’re settling for “mutual companionship” except over time, they realize that they might be in love with each other. It was interesting reading about both Audrey and Clarke feeling this way, and yes, my heart expanded 3 times with all the angst. There’s also some residual angst from Clarke’s ex coming back into their lives and the possibility of feelings between them.

I also liked seeing Audrey’s line of work being valid. Although I do have reservations about the culture of influencers, you can’t deny that most of them put a lot of work into it, Audrey especially. I’m also grateful that, while Clarke is a playboy, I didn’t have to read any overtly misogynistic attitudes.

It was kinda cool reading about all the wedding planning. If you’re going to do a fake engagement, and not just a fake relationship, you should go all in, and that’s exactly what Audrey does.

I also loved seeing more of Audrey and the other girls! They’re all so supportive of each other and know when to step in.

Overall, Marriage on Madison Avenue was an adorable continuation of the Central Park Pact series. I definitely recommend it if you like the childhood-friends-to-lovers trope or the fake engagement trope.

My first time reading this author! I loved that the steam was behind closed doors. Loved the plot and characters! Would definitely read this author again.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Life long best friends, Clarke and Audrey, had both determined that marriage wasn't in the cards for them. However, when Clarke's mother meddled in his love life and Audrey's name started popping up in the gossip columns, both agreed to a fake engagement in order to squash both situations. As the engagement progresses, both get caught up in the joy of it all, but will they finally see what had been obvious to everyone else?

Layne was saving the best for last with this book. It was my absolute favorite of the series, and I think it's because it was the most straight forward romance of the three. Though we learned about Clarke and Audrey's "baggage", it played a much smaller role than it had for the couples in the previous books. Therefore, more time was dedicated to getting to see these two slowly falling in love.

I had had the opportunity to see Clarke and Audrey interact in previous books, and I was shipping them back then. It was just easy to see that they belonged together. There is something so beautiful about seeing a strong friendship become more that never fails to move me, and this was a long and storied friendship, built on love and trust.

They knew so much about each other, good and bad, and they still loved and accepted one another. It was not hard to see that they were each other's "person", and Layne did a wonderful job taking me through this journey with them, as they slowly realized that, perhaps, they had always felt a bit more for each other. And, the little ways they showed their love hit me right in the feels. The depth of emotion they showed at times hit me so hard at times, and gosh! I really wanted this love match, and it was terribly important to me, that they got their HEA.

This book was also a lot of fun. We got to plan a big budget wedding, and we had the help of one of the Belles (I love a little crossover action)! I had a stupendous time hobnobbing with the wealthy Manhattanites and getting a peek into their world, but I also loved that Layne kept the friendships front and center.

Our three Pact members spent lots of time on page together, and as always, they were there to share in the good and the bad with each other. We also saw the men really embrace Clarke in this book, and I am always up for a good bromance.

I cried happy tears and felt lots of feels. What a wonderful way to end the series!

This book turned out to be my favorite in the series. I .loved Audrey and her journey. I love the fact that they were planning a wedding and it felt like fun. This was more romance than what I was expecting and I was pleasantly surprised.

I will be reviewing this book in an upcoming What to Read Next Podcast episode.

What a way to end the trilogy!! We all saw it coming since book #1 but the influencer and the Ad man have made their love story a great quick little read...

Despite the persistent urge to want to shake Audrey & Clarke, forcing them both to see what was right in front of them, this friends-to-lovers romance is a fun, flirty, and all-around entertaining finale to a uniquely charming series. Add to that the cross-over element, and it became even more so!

As with each book in this Central Park Pact series, “Marriage on Madison Avenue” can be read as a stand-alone. Still, I would highly recommend starting at the very beginning, where Naomi, Claire and Audrey first met and formed their odd, yet endearing friendship.

It is said that all good things must come to an end. And while “Marriage on Madison Avenue” marks the end of this particular series, I look forward to all of the new romantic adventures that author Lauren Layne has lurking out on the horizon.

SHE SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST!
Lauren Layne did it again! She saved the best for last! From the unique illustrated covers of series to the storyline of Audrey and Clarke, Lauren Layne ended the Central Park Pact series with just the right sentiment in Marriage on Madison Avenue.

Marriage on Madison Avenue is Audrey Tate and Clarke West’s story. Friends their entire lives, they are center each other, save each other, and sometimes frustrate each other but they are never romantically interested in each other, or are they? The book finds these two in a fake engagement because Audrey, social media influencer, is being trolled by Scandal Boy on the Internet and Clarke’s interfering mother is throwing his ex-girlfriend at him in hopes of a reconciliation. Audrey and Clarke can handle this by being engaged.

The engagement kept progressing as if it were real. They are selecting calligraphy styles for invitations, tasting cakes, trying on dresses, putting deposits on locations in real time. And feelings were changing, or weren’t they?

The other storyline of the book is the deep friendship that has developed by three women, Naomi Powell, Claire Hayes, and Audrey. All women betrayed by one man, Brayden Hayes. The scoundrel was married to Claire and was having affairs with Naomi and Audrey at the same time when he died. The three women met the day of his funeral when they ditched the memorial and wound up at the same bench in Central Park. All three books of the series show how the women bonded and grew as steadfast friends.

To read Marriage on Madison Avenue was a delight. I am so thankful I was selected by the publisher and netgalley to read an advanced reader copy and write and honest and sincere review.

I am a Lauren Layne fan for life!

Look away if you can't handle gushing... I adore this author, I adore this series, and this book was the perfect Happily Ever After for the last in our beautiful trio of leading ladies. This is an author whose books automatically go in my To Be Read pile- even before reading the description- she's just that good! This is a feel-good, easy read, and I absolutely recommend it!

Thanks to the author and publisher for sharing an advanced copy of this book with me in exchange for my honest opinion, which I have happily given! #NetGalley #MarriageOnMadisonAvenue

Bittersweet endings for this book. I hopped on the Park Avenue trilogy open to something new. I’m beyond happy that this has lead to wonderful series that had me anticipating each new release! The most comedic and heartwarming pair was saved for last and honestly I was just as invested as the first two. Audrey was relatable and hilarious in her own way, and her relationship with Clarke is based off understanding and respect first. And they totally pulled on that string until the end. Loved all three and I’m sad to see it end. -JD

So sad this series is coming to an end! After the first two books, I was so excited for the final book – Audrey’s story, and her take on what happened and the experience that brought these three ladies together. Similar to the previous two books, I loved the level of friendship and romance that Lauren provided in these books and how the storyline wasn’t fully devoted to the romance between Audrey and Clarke. Personally, after getting background information on both Audrey and Clarke in the previous books, I was so happy that they ended up together and was definitely rooting for them to come together. What set this book apart from typical friends-to-lovers storylines was the unique way they ended up together, and how it wasn’t because they realized after years of friendship that they had feelings for each other, but rather as a beard for each other and through that the feelings started to show their true form. I really enjoy Lauren’s style of writing and the pace of her storylines; the combination of the two provides a great total reading experience. Overall, I loved this storyline just as much as the others in this series and am so sad that it’s over!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Audrey Tate and Clarke West answer the age-old question of whether or not men and women can be friends. They have been best friends since childhood and have never dated or kissed or even thought about either. They support one another and are there for each other. Like when Audrey found out her boyfriend of one year was actually married. And when Clarke's long-term girlfriend took a job in another city and left without asking Clarke to go with her.

But they also are a guaranteed plus one for each other. Or, in Clarke's case, when his mother tries to force him to see his ex, or when internet trolls start posting about Audrey's horrible dating record, they can simply pretend to be in a relationship. Get people off their backs and then the coast is clear, "break up" still friends. They've used this tactic a number of times, but this time, when they pretend to be engaged, things start going a little too far. Soon there are engagement parties and cake tastings. They just can't seem to pull the plug on their charade this time, but maybe it's not because they're afraid of what people will say, but they're afraid to voice what they've both been feeling for so long.

Anyone who has read this series has been waiting for Audrey and Clarke's story. I think this is one of the best built-up relationships. You know, there's always one that starts in the background of another couple's story, only to build momentum each time the characters are in the same room together until the inevitable happens and they finally get their own story.

With the Central Park Pact series, Clarke and Audrey are that couple.

I loved finally getting inside Clarke's head a bit. He's been, somewhat, mysterious throughout the books with the series focusing more on the women and their friendship after finding out they all had relationships with the same cheating slimeball. It was quite an interesting way to start and carry a series, and Lauren Layne handles all the emotions with care. So I was really happy when Clarke finally got his own chapter(s) from his point of view. Finding out his true thoughts about Audrey and processing the whole fake engagement/marriage situation they find themselves in.

I loved the easy way their relationship moves from one thing to the next, very unobtrusively and almost like nothing changes (well one big thing has to change, but still). They've built such a strong friendship foundation even when they fight or disagree, there's never a moment where you think "this is the end" because no matter what, they will always be apart of each other's lives.

I think it was a surprise how much Audrey's relationship with Brayden (the cheater) effected her. There were more hints given in the second book that this was the case, but she was in a relationship for about a year with a man who was married. She didn't know about the marriage and in her mind, she's ready herself to start talking about marriage and the dream life. To have that come crashing down really shook Audrey to her very being and made her question everything she always thought she wanted out of her life. It was a very interested perspective after Claire's (the wife) and Naomi's (the other mistress).

Again, I love the dynamic and the friendship between the women Audrey, Claire, and Naomi. As I said it's a kind of strange premise to start out a series, but with Lauren Layne at the helm it worked. The dedication they have to one another, to ensure that each of them finds their happiness in whatever form that may take, was really nice to read about.

I probably say this about every Lauren Layne series ending, but I think this one is positively, definitely my favorite. This series is highly recommended.

I adored this book - my favorite of the 3, but I loved the series as a whole. So sad to see it end - this one just felt so perfect to me. A fun, delightful, swoonworthy read. Will definitely be recommending to all my romance fans!

A sweet, funny and romantic tale of best friends to lovers. Books like this make me jealous I don’t have a childhood who is also the love of my life.

A fast, easy, pleasant read. Perfect for those looking for a little romance without too much crazy drama. Of course, there is some but it is nothing too serious.

I absolutely adore Lauren Layne’s books, and the Central Park Pact series is no different. Since Passion on Park Avenue (book #1), the inevitable relationship between Audrey and Clarke has been slowly building. They finally got their own story in the final installment of this series, Marriage on Madison Avenue.

In an attempt to escape pressure from nosy parents and internet trolls, best friends Clarke and Audrey fake their own engagement. And the longer the engagement goes on, the more they both realize their true feelings for each other. This friends to lovers romance was sweet and fun. I was able to read this book in one sitting, and felt both satisfied and sad when I finished. I didn’t want this series to end!

Thank you to both Gallery Books and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have enjoyed following three women of Lauren Layne’s Central Park Pact series from the very beginning. I was so excited to finally read the final book in the series Marriage on Madison Avenue. And this time, it’s Audrey’s turn to fall in love! I was not disappointed! I read this book in 48 hours, and I was sad when it was over!

Audrey and her best guy friend Clarke decide to fake an engagement to keep internet trolls and nosey parents at bay. But when the game goes too far, and two realize they may have real feelings for each other that go beyond friendship.

Lauren Layne once again has written a sweet and fun romance, that is perfect for reading snuggled up on the couch with your favorite glass of wine! I loved everything about this book! I loved seeing characters from the previous two books. I enjoyed the friendship to love aspect of Audrey and Clarke’s romance. I also liked how it was just a sweet story without a lot of drama that are typical of some romance novels.

Overall, a great ending to a fun series, and I highly recommend! Thank you so much to Gallery Book and NetGalley for an advanced ecopy and the opportunity to offer a review!

Fabulous way to end this series and it’s exactly what you would want to read during the spring and summer.

This was another wonderful book by this author. I enjoy her books and how these characters find love.
I definitely recommend this book, this series, and this author.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to leave an honest review. I loved, loved, loved this book! I am a huge fan of Lauren Layne and love her writing style and sense of romance. There is always great humor in the books and I can never seem to put them down. I have read the first book in the series also and neither disappoint.

The basic premise between all the books in the series is that all three women were married or mistresses of the same man who died. Instead of tearing them apart, it created an unbreakable bond. Now we get to see how each woman gets her second chance.

This is the third book in the series and follows Audrey and Clarke's story. You meet Clarke in book one; he is Audrey's best friend and a gorgeous specimen of a man. Neither have any romantic feelings for each other but things change when they become "engaged" to help each other out. Now this isn't something new for them but usually they correct the assumption right away. This time they decide to keep the ruse going. This helps Audrey put the gossipmongers at bay for her influencer job and for Clarke, it gets his mom off his back from trying to hook him up with his ex. What happens as they continue the charade however is hilarious and heart warming as they develop feelings for each other that they try to hide.

I would definitely recommend this book! Love the plot and the best friends to lovers angle. The humor is amazing and the romance is heartwarming. I would recommend all of her books.

Audrey Tate and Clarke West have been best friends for decades. All of their friends think there is something more between them but both Audrey and Clarke know that there isn't. Although they have been engaged to each other at various points, usually to make their parents back off. This time, it's a little different. Audrey is in the news. As an influencer, that's not necessarily a bad thing except that her most recent boyfriend has spilled the fact that she was dating a married man. A married man who is now dead but he was also pretty prominent. He was also married to a woman who is now one of Audrey's dearest friends and Audrey doesn't want her to be hurt any more either. So Audrey and Clarke pretend to be engaged to get the mean gossip off her tail.
Then... the fake relationship starts to lead to a real relationship. At least physically. But will they find true love?
I loved most of this book. The ending did not seem like Audrey and Clarke though. Between the two of them there had been low drama. And the ending was not that.

Four stars
This book comes out January 28th
Follows Love on Lexington Avenue
ARC kindly provided by Gallery Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own