For once I remembered what the blurb said - that Annie is saying "yes" to everything from now on - and expected something like "Yes Man", the movie with Jim Carrey. But it isn't like that at all, because Annie isn't actually saying "yes". But she is evaluating her life and the choices she made so far, and thinks about changing some of her ways.

One thing she doesn't change is the planned trip to Australia, only that now a different man is coming along on her honeymoon. As a platonic friend, of course. But will it stay platonic after 3 weeks being together 24/7?

I found the 'ending' after the return to London way too drawn out. It probably wasn't supposed to be an ending, just the second half of the book. But I have to admit that I'd lost interest in the story a bit by then. I finished the book nevertheless, I liked the ending (the actual one I mean) and all in all it was a nice "escape" from everday life.

Quick and fun read. I definitely enjoyed it and the characters were fun getting to know. I will definitely keep an eye out for more books by this author.

What do you do when your life is suddenly turned upside down? We follow Annie as she navigates change, friendships, family and love.

I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely recommend it to others. Its a nice light read but also quite inspiring.

If you're looking for an easy and light summer read, then this is definitely for you. It's fun, light hearted, very cheesy and predictable but sometimes you need that kind of book in your life.
The Lucky Escape starts off on a sad note where our protagonist Annie gets left at the altar on what should be the best day of her life. This sparks a huge journey of discovery for her and she learns a lot about herself in the weeks that preside this awful event. I did like that the journey had this slightly deeper meaning, it wasn't just about a girl who gets dumped and then goes on her honeymoon and has fun. Annie perfectly embodies the insecurities and uncertainties that so many of us have. Many of us drift through life always trying to please others and rarely take a step back to ask ourselves if this is what we want, are we doing what makes us happy. I liked that we got to follow Annie on this journey and watch her grow and finally learn to be her own person.
The writing is a little over the top at the beginning but then it starts to have a better flow after the first 10-15%. It has a nice level of wit to it and some lines are very funny and you can't help but smile. I did like most of the characters but also found they lacked some depth at times. Annie did go through this journey of self discovery as I said above but apart from that, her and the other characters were too perfect and therefore I found it hard to relate to them on a deeper level. They just came across as too flawless: really pretty, really smart, really good at their jobs. So where I could relate to Annie in ways, it still felt like she was a little shallow as a character and I would have liked her to have a few more flaws and represent a normal person.
The rest of the story is also a little over the top, which is why I only gave it 3 stars. I think if I read it on holidays be the pool I would have loved it but I just got a little annoyed with how unrealistic the whole thing was. I kind of expected it but still, I think I was just in a mood where I was hoping for some more obstacles haha!
As I said, if you're unsure what to read next and you want something light and easy, then this is definitely worth a read. You get exactly what you expect from the blurb, it gives you laughs and smiles and you will get through it super quickly.
A big thanks to NetGalley for letting me review it before it was published.

Hmm… this didn’t meet my expectations in the end and I thought Williams’ book was quite similar to many other ‘jilted bride’ stories.

Firstly, I thought this novel took a really long time in getting going. Once it was clear that Annie is going on her honeymoon and that it was going to be an exotic, lavish adventure, I just wanted to see her and Paddy on the plane! It took several chapters too many for the story to get started and I felt the moments leading up to the honeymoon were a bit on the tedious side. Although they helped establish Annie’s character and introduce friends and family, I didn’t find I connected with any of them.

Paddy is a sweet character. I think the story would have become more interesting by switching to his perspective. Throughout the story, we read of Annie’s reactions to Paddy and how she keeps remembering her relationship with her ex-fiance. Unsurprisingly, Annie comes to the realisation that actually, Alexander was not the best match for her. However, I grew frustrated with Annie’s repeated selfish attitude. She frequently bemoans about her failed wedding day, not seeming to care how this impacts Paddy. It is clear from the beginning that Annie and Paddy will become a couple but I wanted to see the writer focus more on this developing relationship. Sure, Annie has just left a long-term relationship and it is expected she won’t move on so quickly however, I wanted her to be more self-aware of others around her.

The chapters spent in Australia were my favourite. I wish the writer had added to this element further, rather than seeing the characters return home. Personally, I think this would have added to the holiday vibe that is emphasised by the novel’s cover. In addition, it would have been great if readers were taken on more of a journey around Australia. I’m not expecting travel-guide standards, but adding to this environment would have given the readers a chance to share Annie’s holiday experiences.

Finally, I was extremely frustrated by the over-used character-type of the unsupportive, horrid matriarch. I think this has been done too much. Why can’t we see mother-daughter relationships as positive and supportive? Instead, Annie barely gets on with her mother, with awkward exchanges between the two after Annie’s return home. I was disappointed by this relationship because it really brought down the ‘feel-good’ vibe of the story and it’s a feature I’m seeing more and more in stories featuring families. Honestly, it’s giving us mothers a bad reputation!

However, despite my criticisms, I really enjoyed watching the relationship between Annie and Paddy develop. They seem like the perfect match. Paddy is so sweet to Annie, (I actually thought he could do better!) and he was so caring and thoughtful. I felt it was lovely that the two characters already knew each other from childhood and liked watching them reconnect. It is obvious how the story will conclude and, even though I guessed the conflicts that would add bumps to their relationship, I wanted to see a happy ever after for Paddy and Annie.

Therefore, although this book feels tried and tested before and doesn’t appear to provide anything new, it certainly gives readers the opportunity to travel to Australia on an all-expenses-paid honeymoon. The romance element to the plot was the best part; I was mostly disappointed at my lack of connection with Annie and her friends.

With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book of Laura Jane Williams I have read and oh my goodness- what a read!

This book was so much more than a romcom, in fact, the romance side of this is absolutely the sub plot to me. Yes it was cute and perfectly written but it is not the reason why I adored it.

This book is about empowerment, reflection, growth and a whole load of self love. It's an eye opener into the realities of being comfortable with who you are: recognising your inner and outer self and challenging your whole life path. What are the reasons for being where you are and ultimately...Do they make you happy? If there were ever a book to fill you with strength to better your own life whilst also transporting you to wherever in the world each chapter's set, then this is it.

Annie's character goes on an undeniable metamorphosis, rightly so after her life experience, and I felt every emotion with her. I was sad when she was, felt the joy she did, breathed the Australian air alongside her, got annoyed when she lost her way and felt the conflicts she worked through. Williams did that. She made me believe in every ounce of Annie's soul and I cannot praise her writing enough.

I got The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams from NetGalley for a fair and honest review

The Lucky Escape is told through the point of view of Annie Wiig a woman in her thirties, who is left on her wedding day by Alexander the boyfriend she was with since university.
Having been given the honeymoon tickets by the people who would have been her in-laws, as a form of apology.
Annie decides to take the trip with Patrick an old friend who she had not seen since she was 14 and reminded. Annie of what she was like then.
This is one of those stories that was a real pleasure to read, as Annie must first deal with the aftereffects of being dropped on her weeding day.
Both in her own mind and her family, from her 13-year-old sister, and the relaxed father to her mother who is more bothered about what other people think than how her daughter feels.
I really loved the relationship between Annie has with Patrick, throughout the story, from the moment that they meet in the Gym to the time they go on holiday and how their friendship develops throughout the book.
The Lucky Escape can be read in two ways from a light fluffy romance, or as a life affirming story about people not only going for what they want but also realizing what they want out of life. While realizing if you do it this way you are going to hurt yourself and other people, but it will be better for everyone in the long run.
All this Makes The Lucky Escape By Laura Jane Williams, the perfect beach read no matter if you looking to read an escapist romance or a story with more meaning.

An uplifting modern romantic comedy and perfect holiday read, set mainly in London and Australia. Annie and Alexander have been together since university, and now they are getting married. Everything seems perfect until Annie arrives at the church in her wedding dress to find the wedding planner panicking. Alexander is not coming and he hasn't even bothered to tell Annie. Alexander's parents are adamant that Annie should still use the luxury honeymoon and when Annie has a chance meeting with a friend from her childhood she starts to think they might be right.

This was a great read and it was wonderful to imagine the Australian sunshine instead of lockdown in England. Annie was very down to earth and likeable and it was lovely to witness her awakening and growth.

Thankyou NetGalley for this read, nice easy read, throughly recommend, first fro, this author and won’t be the last.

I would like to extend my gratitude to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me this advanced reader’s copy in return for a fair, frank, and honest review.

This was an easy reading book for me. Enjoyable, funny, light-hearted. My only criticism would be that it started fast paced with intrigue, but the ending did not feel that it had taken much thought. I liked the characters and believed in them. Would definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I really enjoyed this book as I have done with Laura Jane Williams' previous releases!

It was such an easy read for me and I loved Annie and Patrick as characters. Although her 13 year old sister was the star of the show for me! Freddie was incredible with such a great outlook in life.

It's a great light-hearted read and I would recommend it to any rom-com fans!

The Lucky Escape is the first book I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed the story and the characters. It’s a lovely feel good romantic comedy and it was a delight being transported to the beaches and vineyards of Australia. I enjoyed the whole premise of the story; a recently jilted bride accepts an all expenses paid luxury honeymoon for herself and a friend by way of recompense. She happens to take along a friend she has met again recently, a friend she used to know 10 years ago and although she doesn’t know him that well they get along really well, he’s friendly, makes her laugh and she feels comfortable in his presence.

I absolutely adored the parts of the book set in Australia and there are some wonderful descriptions of the scenery and Annie and Patrick’s day trips out and about and it is here we see their relationship begin to blossom. I loved the relationship build up, their flirty and playful banter and generally getting to know each other and I was really invested in the storyline at this point. Disappointingly the ‘honeymoon’ was over fairly quickly and it would have been fabulous if we could have spent more time here. Once the story returned to London, the pacing felt slow and I had trouble engaging with the storyline. The flirty romance we saw in Australia was almost non-existent and the intensity of their feelings became lost in the storyline while they were working out their issues.

On the whole the characters are varied, fun and easy to like. Annie is intelligent, beautiful and funny. I loved the relationship she had with her younger sister and the grown up advice this 13 year old was issuing. Annie had a difficult relationship with her mother, however they managed to work through their issues as the story developed. Patrick came across as a little too much of a joker at times, but I did like his character, he’s very chatty and easy to get on with, caring, confident and adventurous. ‘The Core Four’ were brilliant and a fantastic friend support network to Annie during this unsettling time.

The Lucky Escape is a light and entertaining read and the perfect escapism. It is well written but needed tightening up post Australia. I haven’t read any of this author’s previous books but I do have one or two on my TBR which I will be reaching for in the near future.

I mainly enjoyed this book. The travel aspect of Annie's honeymoon was so interesting to read, especially in a time when travel hasn't been so simple.

However, I didn't love the romance in this book. I felt there was little to no chemistry between Annie and Patrick, and it felt too soon after her break up for Annie to start something serious. I would have preferred something more along the line of Annie and her friends going on the holiday.

I didn't love how STEM was portrayed in this book either. Both main characters are involved in the field, but I feel a lot of the representation in there was quite stereotypical.

I like the idea of a woman being empowered to change herself after she is jilted at the alter. It speaks to my inner being when I think about it. How would I react?

But - the book didn't follow through for me. It was odd, the characters felt unfinished or not rounded off and it moved......so... soo.... SLOW.

Annie is unbelievably happy with her life. Her wedding to Alexander – her college sweetheart is fast approaching, and it seems as though she is about to get her happily ever after. However her joy is short lived, as Alexander has in fact texted their wedding planner and informed her that he won’t be coming, something that is every bride-to-be’s worst nightmare!.

As she tries to come to terms with what went wrong with her relationship, she takes up running alongside an exercise class that has her so exhausted she can barely function afterwards, something she is somewhat grateful for. Annie ends up running in to someone from the Drama Camp she attended many years ago, and she is shocked to see the handsome man he has become. Their friendship easily falls back in to place, and she finds it incredibly refreshing to be able to have a conversation that doesn’t come back to her failed relationship as it so often does with her ‘core four’ friendship group.

When Annie’s almost in-law’s contact her and ask her to take the honeymoon they had planned as they are utterly appalled by their son’s behaviour, it is the exact break Annie needs, and when a drunken conversation results in Patrick agreeing to go along with her, we know this holiday is about to open Annie’s eyes up to what life really has to offer.

I absolutely adored this story from the moment I picked it up. Annie is one of those characters that you love the moment you meet her, she has a heart of gold and certainly didn’t deserve the way Alexander had treated her. As her confidence was well and truly shaken following being jilted at the alter, it was lovely to follow her story as she began to build herself back up once again, possibly even stronger than she had been before!. Patrick is utterly swoon-worthy and has you rooting for him from the moment he enters the story. He treats Annie with the kindness and respect she deserves and is a wonderful friend to her when she needs it most.

The storyline is so wonderfully structured and flows beautifully from beginning to end. There is so much more than a tale of romance in this novel, as we also get to see the strength of friendship and how it is never truly too late to rethink the path your life is taking. Full of delightful characters who add fun and depth to the story, this is definitely a must read book by the fantastic Laura Jane William’s!.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. The characters drew me in and held my attention. I didn't want to put the book down. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Annie is so happy, getting ready for her big day to her college sweetheart. She arrives at the church but her groom had texted the wedding planner that he would not be coming. 😳

Everyone's nightmare!

As she tries to process how everything fell apart she starts running then doing a dark exercise class. That's what it sounded like where they make it dim but kick the shit out of you so you are exhausted and can't think afterwards.

She runs into an old friend from her Drama camp days, Patrick, and he has grown into an attractive man. They fall back into their friendship which she needs without the history of her failed relationship to taint every conversation like with her "core four" (I love that term for a friend group lol). And during all of this her almost parents in law ask her to take the honeymoon they planned cause they are appalled at their son's behavior. Drunkenly Patrick says he will go with her. So off they go!

Annie's time with Patrick has made her see how little Alexander her fiancee was actually giving her in her relationship and it's so interesting when you get perspective away from something. Sometimes the perspective is all you need when you go from no attention or consideration to actual friendship/relationship attention, its eye opening.

The breakup made her rethink everything about her life and all of her relationships therein.

It is never too late to re-evaluate and try something new with your life or career. You only get one, I keep telling myself that as I terrifyingly think about what else I could be doing.

I loved Annie and Patrick. They went on a very lavish honeymoon together as new friends going through a lot but I feel like the friendship from camp and the intimacy of that trip was good groundwork for a relationship. I was rooting for them!

Thank you avon books UK and net galley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

i love the premise of this book but i'm not in the current mindset to read it but looking forward to reading it later on!!

Thank you Avon Books UK and Net Galley for this book. I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for a truthful review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Laura Jane William’s The Lucky Escape is Contemporary Romance done well. It not only has cheeky romance fun but also dives deeper exploring what happens when life changes in a split second and how do you rebuild yourself when you are given a second chance.

The story follows Annie who is left at the alter by her fiancé forcing her to examine her life and how she has gotten to this point and where she wants to go from here.

Annie has vowed to say yes to new opportunities so when she has the chance to go on her Honeymoon with a spare ticket and has a chance encounter with an old friend Patrick suddenly they are on their way to Australia.

Pace 9/10

This book was paced very well. I think it balanced the story well. The set up was paced well and when you got to the main it wasn’t rushed. The ending was paced well too. Sometimes with romance I find everything is quickly wrapped up in a bow and refreshingly this wasn’t.

Plot Development 9/10

The plot development was also great. I didn’t find any big plot holes or any characters that felt like place holders.


Characters 9/10

The characters were well developed. I really felt Annie’s character felt authentic to the situation. I do wish we got to hear a bit more from Patricks side. But that’s only because I tend to like romance from dual prospective.

Enjoyability 10/10

I really enjoyed reading this book. I laughed out loud many times and actually stood up out of my chair at one point because of a reaction to one of the scenes. I love when a book will give me such a reaction.

Thought Provoking 9/10

This is where I feel the book pushed out of the typical Romance genre. I highlighted many quotes that were very insightful on human connection, reactions and how we look at ourselves in relation to the love around us.

Ease of Reading/ Reading Comprehension 10/10
I felt this book was easy to read and understand the story although if you are not familiar with British slang you may have to look a few things up.

Trope 9/10
Friends to Lovers. I really enjoy this romance troupe and felt the author did a good job of developing the friendship and naturally but quickly turning it into a romance. It didn’t feel forced.


Ending 9/10
I enjoyed the ending. I enjoyed how it didn’t feel the need to end in a proposal or a pregnancy. I feel a lot of romance books feel that is where you have to go for a happy ending, so I was really happy to see that the author chose to end the story in a way that felt more authentic to the characters. The only part I didn’t enjoy in the ending was Annie’s relationship with her mom. I felt that it was trying to tie up that loose end versus feeling authentic. I don’t feel like a quick argument would change her mothers perspective after so many years.

Final Thoughts:
Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for others to read that not only enjoy romance but enjoy reading about characters connecting at deeper levels. I enjoyed how William’s told the story of hurt in a fun a cheeky way while also acknowledging the hurt and difficulty of the situation.

I went into this wanting a cute romance. But sadly I just didn't enjoy this.

The plot itself was ok. Nothing too special but it just fell flat.

When it comes to the characters I either disliked them or they were just bland. Minus the little sister, she was adorable. But even Annie wasn't all that likable or maybe I just didn't care about her. Probably the latter.
Alexander we are supposed to hate. So mission accomplished there. But Patrick? For some reason I just got red flags from him. But also their "chemistry" was just cringe for me. I didnt see some cute relationship to root for.
All I saw was a woman who wasn't over her ex, understandable all things considered, but rushed into a relationship with the first guy she saw. Also like a coping mechanism. Patrick felt like a replacement since Alexander left. Instead of just focusing on working on herself, getting through that break up, she just moved on.