Let be be honest, I wish I enjoyed this little bit more. I thought that this one would swipe me off my feet, but it didn't.
First part of the book was good, but the other half was just boring...
3 stars.

This is the second book in a row I’ve read with a terrible ex-fiance named Alexander! I’ve been in the mood for light, summery reads lately, and The Lucky Escape definitely fit the bill.

Annie was left at the altar by Alexander, and to get over her grief decides to take her honeymoon anyways with Patrick, a childhood friend she recently reconnected with. I love that Annie took her story into her own hands and went on the vacation anyways, and that she chose to look on the bright side.

The honeymoon scenes were my favorite part--I always love descriptions of gorgeous places. There was also quite a bit of humor. I was laughing out loud at the massage scene!

I feel like the characters could have been a little more fleshed out, especially Annie. She would often contradict herself, making her hard to understand. Perhaps this was to illustrate how she needed to find herself? I would have liked a slightly deeper dive into her character, though.

Overall, The Lucky Escape was a fun, enjoyable beach read, but don’t expect deep character assessments.

I have some mixed feelings about this book. I mean, I did really enjoy the first half but the second half had me quite bored and I didn't like it as much. I really liked the dynamic our main character had with our love interest in the first half. They bounced off each other really well and I thought they had a lot of chemistry. However, as soon as they got together that chemistry seemed to dissapear. I also stopped liking the main character in the second half. She was very hypocritical and overreacted at moments. I also think at times this book went a bit too preachy about living in the moment, feminism and even social media. It was a bit jarring and I didn't like it much. All the side characters were also just very one dimensional and I just feel like this book went on a bit too long.

Annie wakes up on her wedding day, happy to finally marry Alexander after a loooong time of dating and watching her other friends get married and start to have kids. But when she sees her wedding planner standing outside of the church when she arrives, she knows something is wrong. Alexander texted the wedding planner to tell her that he couldn’t go through with the wedding… and then turned off his phone and disappeared to hide from the fallout.

Devastated, Annie is given extra weeks off of work to recuperate and is doted on my her BFF Adzo and her amazing little sister Freddie. Then, her mother-in-law calls to say that her son is a disappointment and that Annie should still take the three-week nonrefundable honeymoon. Annie isn’t sure she wants to go. But when Annie runs into her old theater camp friend, Patrick, at the gym, an instant spark is ignited and Annie remembers the resilient, outgoing person she used to be. Now, Annie has an extra ticket to her un-honeymoon… and you'll have to read to see what happens!

This was a fun read with some great ups and downs in the relationships. I loved the friendships, work relationships, and sister relationship. This was a great summer read!

Aw I really liked Annie and Patrick . Would definitely recommend if you are looking for a light hearted feel.good read with vacation vibes! I enjoyed it but admittedly found it a tad predictable. I would still recommend highly though and check out more from the author

Great fun read my kind of book loved the story so easy yo read pulled into the plot characters are good did not like a couple but they pull me in me a lovely holiday read a great choice

I am sure that this book would be great for a sunny beach where you can just relax and go with the flow. Unfortunately it didn't grab me as it should have done. It was very predictable and a bit slow, the characters could have been better but saying that a lot of people will really enjoy reading this. In its own way this is a very good book but just not for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

Before reading this review please know that this is my subjective opinion. I went in thinking this is a romance book but this is a Chick lit or women's fiction book, hence this didn't work as well for me. Mainly because my tastes don't usually lean towards women's fiction. It's a rare book that'll really appeal to me, in this genre. So my opinion on this book is already colored by that lens.

I found the story to be predictable and ok. The characters were also a bit lacklustre. The sister, the friends, all of them had so much potential but I felt they weren't utilized to the maximum. I also felt the chemistry between the protoganists to be a bit lacklustre.

I liked Patrick, he was almost too good to be true. I couldn't understand Alexander's reasoning at all, but then real life has many douchebags and not all of them get punished for their selfish tendencies, so that bit atleast was realistic.

I don't have much to say about the heroine as the entire book was about her self-image issues and self-discovery, a bit too 'eat,pray,love' kind of vibe for me. Not that I resent that vibe, it's just that I get the 'if you have seen one you have seen them all' feeling with such books.

In conclusion, I am not the target audience for this book. The writing is fun, the story flows smoothly. It could be a good vacation kind of read for people who are into this genre.

DNF: I honestly forgot that I was reading this, lol. I started it one evening and was not connecting to the story at all, then set it down at bedtime. And promptly forgot all about it. That's never a good sign. Unfortunately, there was nothing to pull me in with this one. The characters were annoying, the tone was a little off, and I can't actually remember one thing that I liked about it. So, this one is going to remain unfinished by me, I'm afraid.

This book is the perfect summer romance - loveable characters (including side characters too), a holiday setting enough cuteness and heartbreak to make it realistic despite the plot being too "perfect" at times. It was nothing mind-blowing, but was enjoyable all the same. I would recommend this to anyone looking for an easy holiday read.

So sweet and fun! It caught my attention right from that awesome premise. I loved all the side characters, their support was just lovely. Patrick’s decision at the end to never marry was a little off putting for me! I loved his character and his personality. I will say, I’m a little disappointed at just how less of the book is about the actual honeymoon! I wanted more and more! But it felt like the author wanted to take the book in a different direction and it just didn’t really resonate with me!

Annie has been with Alex for almost ten years and they are due to get married and she is looking forward to the wedding. Unfortunately, Alex does not feel the same and leaves her at the altar. Devastated by the break up of her relationship Annie is encouraged to go on her honeymoon by herself but before she goes she meets an old friend who she decides to invite along on her honeymoon.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the travel portion as Annie and Patrick explored Australia and went on different excursions. I liked seeing the relationship between the two characters develop throughout the trip. I liked that they started as friends and their feelings developed over time.

Overall I really enjoyed this one. If you are looking for a fun book to read this summer I think this would be a perfect beach read.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

A very light, fun read
If you are looking for a light holiday read this could be for you

A little formulaic but if you are looking for something to read that doesn't rake a lot of concentrating - could be what you are looking for
I

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Lucky Escape was such a good read. I felt very connected to the characters and was constantly rooting for Annie and Patrick. Annie was left at the altar by Alexander, who then disappears. After a nine year relationship, Annie doesn’t understand what could have gone wrong. Alexander’s parents forked out for an expensive honeymoon to Australia, which is non-refundable, and they want Annie to still go. At a morning bootcamp, Annie runs into an old friend, Patrick. He then accompanies her on her non-honeymoon.

I loved the characters in this book, and how it didn’t seem like Annie was rushing into things too much. Patrick is the total opposite to Alexander, and he reminds Annie of how carefree she used to be, and how much she feels she has changed. Both characters are in the process of healing, and help each other get over their heartbreak. The way their relationship developed felt authentic and natural, and I loved reading about the tension between them.

‘I think you’re making a mistake. I think you should be brave and tell him you love him before it’s too late.’

This book felt very real as it dealt with the aftermath of a whirlwind holiday, and showed how the characters had to work at their relationship in the real world, to make it better. The characters were lovable and mature and knew what they wanted out of the other person. The Lucky Escape was an enjoyable read that I was hooked to! I recommend it if you love romance books!

The story follows Annie who was stood up at her wedding by her long term boyfriend . This leads her to reevaluate her life and her relationships. Then she meets Patrick who shows her a very different approach to life and the story then follows these two developing their relationship.
It’s a light hearted beach read with a bit of travel thrown in. I liked it but found it very predictable. If you are looking for something quick and fun to read on vacation then definitely pick this up

This is a fun read, just right for a Summer's weekend. Annie is left reeling at the beginning from a life changing event and much of the book shows her trying to put her life back together. Realising that she is unhappy with the facade she has shown to the world and the sublimation of her own wants and needs, Annie has to discover how she wants to live. Her relationship with her family, especially her mother, is complicated and has had an effect on her view of herself.

When Annie meets Patrick, she meets someone with a completely different approach to life. He has his own reasons for this, as you discover. If you are looking to escape into a light-hearted story with some humorous touches and likeable characters, you will enjoy this novel.

In short: romance and travel- a winning combination.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book

Actual rating: 4.5/5

The lucky escape is the story of Annie who has been felt by her fiancé right before the wedding. But she is offered to go on her honeymoon to Australia with Patrick, an old friend.
First, I loved the premise and I haven't been disappointed. The plot was great and addictive. I also really enjoyed the travel aspect of the book although it doesn't take place for most of the book.
Second, I adored the characters and their connections. I especially loved Annie's little sister who was awesome. As well as that, I liked the supportiveness of most of the characters who help Annie going through her breakup.
Last but not least, I loved the fact that each of the two main characters has a story that impacts their life. Moreover, their romance started as a friendship which I find truly realistic.
Overall, a great summer read about escapism and focusing on yourself.

This was a very lighthearted predictable story but was still good. A typical romcom that you can just relax and enjoy

This was very refreshing to read. There is just something about reading a story of getting a second chance at life and love. This is the perfect read for this Summer. Loved the self growth of the main character Annie.

If you like happily ever afters and feel-good romance novels, then this book is for you.

The story begins with jilted bride, Annie and absent groom, Alexander. Straight away, the connection between Annie and her little sister, Frederica is evident, followed closely by her relationship with her best friend, Adzo, giving you an insight into the type of person that Annie is. As they prepare heir beloved Annie for the biggest day of her life, we learn that her husband-to-be isn't, and doesn't show up to their wedding venue. The compassion that is immediately felt for Annie came as much more of a surprise to me than I was expecting; although it usually takes me a little time to connect with the characters of a book, it seemed to be instantaneous this time around, from "Annie-Doo, you look like a ... model."

As the story unwraps, we learn that Annie's relationship with her father is very loving and strong, in contrast to that of her bond with her mother, which is much more strained, but Laura still manages to convey the love that is very clearly there. The desire to keep reading was strong, given that I am a romantic and I wanted to see the direction that this love story would take her. To my delight, it didn't take long before it was in full swing; unlike some books that take many chapters to pick up, The Lucky Escape seemed to be fairly fast moving. After several chapters of processing her abandonment and meeting her support network, Annie bumps into an old camp friend, Patrick. They click instantly, in the way that you hope to do when you haven't yet found true love (or have lost it, for that matter). I felt their immediate connection, and found their spark to be rather sweet, despite knowing that Annie is in no position to date at this point, which led me to route for them to get together. Her clumsiness only adds to her character, and you begin to see what perhaps Patrick has seen.

Patrick, we learn as soon as he enters the narrative, is quite possibly the sweetest guy that there is. Of course, their meet cute is terribly timed, with Annie only just beginning to find herself and get over her ex almost-husband, but it doesn't matter. The pair's platonic relationship begins to blossom, and they find themselves making a crazy drunken decision to take Annie and Alexander's honeymoon together, as friends; it is in Australia that we see their relationship really begin to flourish. I absolutely adored the way that he looks after her throughout, from simple smiles, to the brush of a hand. My soppy, romantic imagination lives for scenes likee these, the will they-won't they, and Laura Jane certainly brings that to the table; I could read it all day long...and I did.

With everyone else seeing their connection, it appears that the only people who don't see it is them. Laura's ability to write what we would all have been thinking is fantastic too; I laughed out loud many times, particularly as they experience some embarrassing moments, and I know that I would likely have reacted in the exact same way. I definitely saw similarities between myself and Annie, particularly in her inability to voice her opinions and feelings to begin with, but also in the contrast of her naivety and strength.

Given that the honeymoon is set in luxury accommodation, setting the scene was important, and again, was very successfully created. I felt the sun on my face, heard the sea and sensed her relaxed state as she made her way across the world. When there was tension, I felt uptight; when there were jokes and giggles, I laughed. his book had everything that I'd hope for in a contemporary romance novel, and it was fluent enough to prevent me from putting the book down. As someone with a rather short attention span, there are few books that I can do this with; the chapters are just the right length to read only one, or three at a time.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who daydreams of the perfect 'will they-won't they' love story, with twists and little surprises popping up throughout. It is a wonderfully, light 'beach read' that will have you carrying your book or kindle wherever you go.