It’s the day of Annie’s wedding and the last thing she expected was to be left standing at the alter by her partner of 10 years, Alexander. Whilst venturing out in to single life, Annie bumps into an old friend, Patrick, who seems to bring Annie back to her old self. Annie still has the honeymoon to attend, could it be fate that she bumped into her old friend Patrick at the perfect time? And will he join her?

I really enjoyed this! It was a light, easy read. I loved the way Annie and Patrick’s relationship blossomed and Annie’s realisation that she was not herself whilst she was with Alexander. She would compromise with him, whilst being with Patrick brought out the best parts of her. Whilst the novel was focused on Annie and Patrick’s relationship, it was mainly about Annie starting afresh and realising what she deserves in life. Did she need a man? No. But did Patrick bring happiness to her life? Well, you lot will have to find out won’t you?!

I think this book would be a perfect ‘beach read’ as it is rather binge-worthy. I would happily take Annie’s place on a free honeymoon to Australia. Wouldn’t you?

First of all I would like to say that I really enjoyed this book so I gave it 3.5 stars rounded to 4. However, I'm going to lie if I say I liked Annie from the start. To begin with, I disliked her character which made it difficult to get into the book. I thought she was a little annoying and a bit too perfect but I guess that's what makes it good overall - her character development was good.
Pros:
I liked the gradual change in Annie's personality, I saw her from being very ordinary and afraid of taking risks and being too comfortable in her comfort zone. But throughout the book she became feisty, outgoing and confident which I liked.
I liked the friendships too - her super sweet younger sister, and her super supportive group of best friends! I really enjoyed the connection between Annie and Patrick and how their feelings, emotions and actions changed throughout the book.
I also liked the side relationships too (they weren't forgotten!!) - between Annie and her difficult mother - how they worked it out eventually.
The overall story was super cosy and fun -I really enjoyed it! I though the ending was also perfect - I like it when the book finishes in a good way and this did it for me! It also made me want to visit Australia!

Cons:
there wasn't too much about this book that I disliked but I didn't 100% love Annie. I liked her enough but I still felt she was slightly annoying even towards the end of the book but this was a minor negative.

I would recommend this to readers who love sweet contemporary books :)

A ten year relationship from university to the altar. Halted and sent in to tailspin. How do you come back? You go on what should of been your honeymoon with a friend.
A discovery of self and how not to settle for what you think is OK because that's all you deserve.
Career decisions, moving home and a new man. Momentous changes, all within a short space of time. Setting boundaries and learning to get what you truly deserve.
Heart warming, life reaffirming and that it's never too late to change.

After this year we could all definitely use an escape and that’s exactly what Annie got in The Lucky Escape after she gets left at the altar. Spiraling and heartbroken, Annie runs into an old friend Patrick and decides to take him with her on her honeymoon. Ultimately Patrick begins to show her just how awesome she is and just how lucky she was to get an escape from her marriage.

If you are looking for a romantic escape pick this one up. While it was somewhat over the top at times I could not put it down. I was rooting for Annie to figure out her life after it spiraled out of control and Patrick is honestly the perfect romantic lead – funny, goofy, quirky, handsome, and fully in tune with his emotions. Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

Brilliant summer book. This was the fist I have read from Laura Jane Williams but I will definitely be reading the others. Being left at the altar was the starting point for this book and it took us through all the emotions before Annie started to pick herself up and living again. She meets up with an old friend, Patrick when she was at the gym and it was Patrick she took on her “honeymoon”. The second part of the book took you through their trip to Australia and how their relationship develops from friends to something more. This was a great storyline which I was dubious about but it worked. #honeymoon #NetGalley #Romance

The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams hasn’t been getting the strongest reviews but I think that’s a little unfair. The genre is light reading and romance and that’s not my usual go-to as I normally prefer crime dramas. In between tense and often disturbing storylines which expose the baser side of life, I need a balance with a kinder, sweeter read and The Lucky Escape ticked those boxes. Jilted at the altar, a chance meeting with an old sensitive, handsome friend, a sumptuous life opportunity (to fly business class and live first class on a non-honeymoon) and falling in love is a fairly tried and tested (and predictable) formula but The Lucky Escape is well told. Other readers seem to struggle with Annie’s wobbles on her return to London but I think that’s one of the most authentic parts of the story. How many years did I return from holiday refreshed, energised and determined to keep a better perspective and work-life balance only to fall on day three when reality bites and the sunshine and freedom seems to be a distant memory and just a temporary escape from reality. I also thought the tense relationship between Annie and her mum was decently told and handled within the brief time given to it. Overall I suppose I’m defending this read. Yes it’s a fairly light and predictable romance but it’s well told and with a lovely glimpse into Australia, a peek into Antwerp and the reality of the cost of London living. There’s honesty from Annie’s friends about relationships and life choices. Also Patrick’s struggle with guilt about finding love with someone else felt honest and was sensitively done. In short, while this isn’t my favourite genre I enjoyed the book and reckon it’s a 3.5-4 star read and I’ll round the score up, as I appreciate the unusual restraint in relation to bad language and sexual scenes. They were both there but didn’t pepper the narrative or get tediously and cringingly explicit.

I think I fell knew this was going to be a book I would love through the end within the first two chapters.

This book is not just a romance, it’s also breaking your heart and mending it again. I have never fallen in love twice in one book, but with this one I did. This books made you go through the motions of falling in love with Alexander making the jilted bride situation so much more heartbreaking. Then you go through the process of heartbreak and healing freedom and then falling in love all over again.

The escape into Australia then a bit of London followed by Brussels really made me yearn for traveling much more than I already was.

I liked all the secondary characters, the dynamics between the dad and h, and most definitely the sisterhood bond.

I’ve never seen groveling like I did in this book. The way a breakup was captured was so realistic , it pained me to read through but new it was necessary in order to move on. That scene in the middle of the night in the kitchen. I’m going to remember that for a while.

Patrick is a short hair pixie girl (haha) that is vibrant and full of life. He was exactly what was needed and I loved seeing their relationship grow.

My only suggestion would be to have a more thought out end than the rushed ending. I think all the characters deserved more. Patrick deserved more than was given to him by h and I wanted to see that resolution given more thought then just that final scene.

I highly recommend this read. It will immerse you into a different world . I know I was.

I was gripped from the start with the description of being left at the altar and the sympathy I felt towards the character and her lovely little sister.
This book really inspired me, the theme YOLO (sorry!) really does apply and it has inspired me and given me a boost, which I really wasn't expecting.
It was well written, I loved the descriptions of Australia as I have been to a few places visited and the author really tugged at the emotions felt during a break up and recovering, to really find yourself.
I loved it and look forward to reading more by Laura Jane Williams.

Laura Jane Williams is an author who's books i always enjoy! Lets just say this book did not disappoint.

I found myself laughing out loud several times. All the characters were a joy to read which is a surprise for me because their is usually somebody i dislike.

This was such a light hearted easy read and i will be reccomending it to all of my friends.

I look forward to veing able to buy a physical copy

I have been a fan of Laura's previous books and hoped this would live up to those - it definitely did!

It was a light, funny, enjoyable read, which had me both laughing and crying. I loved getting to know both Annie and Patrick, as they got to know eachother, and the whole non-honeymoon storyline was such a joy to read. This was just the sort of thing I needed to dive into at the moment, and I'm so glad I did!

The Lucky Escape was definitely a lovely escapist novel! I enjoyed the development of Annie’s character throughout the book. After experiencing such a traumatic break-up, she’s obviously feeling delicate as she figures out how to navigate the rest of her life. She learns how to stand up for herself and how to ask for what she wants instead of pleasing other people.

Bumping into Patrick felt like a nice, organic meet-cute, and I liked the friendship vibe that we got from them to begin with. Part of me wondered if they would remain just friends during their trip, or if something more would develop and I thought the ambiguity to start with was good. It really let your imagination wander as a reader.

I do think the first part of the book was my favourite - the jilting and the “honeymoon” to Australia all flowed so nicely. Returning home from their trip didn’t engage me as much, as their relationship changed and they both changed as characters, too. But that also felt like a realistic trope - they’ve been in their own little bubble for three weeks, things are bound to feel different when they return home.

The ending was a little cheesy, but it’s very feel-good so I didn’t mind that too much at all!

The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams is a very light romance/rom-com read that fits well into the escapism category I've done a deep dive into since the beginning of the pandemic. The main character, Annie, is recovering from being jilted at the alter by swerving from one life outlook to another and back again several times over. Although this could feel too inconsistent to some readers, to me that felt like the most authentic piece of her character....it felt not only plausible but reasonable that she would vacillate and wrestle with doubts as she recovers, grows, and changes. I enjoyed Patrick as her love interest - his character was incredibly emotionally literate and his page time balanced out a good bit of Annie's turmoil. Ultimately, The Lucky Escape held my attention and gave me a quick escape while reading.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Lucky Escape was a light, enjoyable and entertaining read that I easily breezed through. Annie and Alexander had been together since university and were going to get married, but then Alexander ditches her on their wedding day and she is left heartbroken. She later meets her old friend Patrick, and ends up taking him with her as a travel buddy on her honeymoon to Australia. There she has an amazing time and he helps her to heal herself and realise that life is too short to not explore and do the things that really make you happy in life.
I really enjoyed their relationship and dynamic, and there were quite a few laugh out loud moments!

I will also definitely be checking out some of the Authors other books.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon books for the E-ARC.

Annie may have felt lucky to escape from a life that made her feel less than, complacent and a shadow of herself but I feel lucky to have the ability to read this book. I think we can all identify relationships like Alexander where we no longer know or like whom we have become but in dissociation, we learn to love ourselves and what we are meant to be. As Patrick said, it is written. Annie with the support of the Core Four moved on and let Alexander know, she never gave him a second thought. She got the life she deserves.

A great escapist holiday read with some lovely characters, great one liners, and thoroughly engrossing writing.

The only slight letdown for me was the naming of the characters (I am a truly petty person - Sophie Kinsella occasionally does this to me too) as the surnames just made it feel too twee.

For people less petty than I, a magnificent read. And one I highly recommend - brilliant writing and I shall certainly be seeking out more by this author.

Ah this book is lovely! Sometimes you just need a good romance. It’s about Annie who is dumped by text, while arriving at the church in her wedding dress. Fortunately she has lovely in-laws who still let her take her honeymoon! She decides to go, and brings a childhood friend, Patrick. Well.. I think you can guess what happens next?

Annie is the lovely troubled protagonist, reeling from her breakup and going through all the things that went wrong, and truly finding herself and what makes her happy. Patrick is the golden retriever type of guy who is always happy and really helps Annie recover, but of course he also has his history.

It’s refreshing but at the same time cliché enough that it’s comforting. A truly classic summer read!

A brilliant holiday read. I loved the characters and how the story unfolded. The 'honeymoon' made me want to travel and explore new places and enjoy the freedom of being away.

The story told of not being afraid to make changes and sometimes what is expected of you isn't the right thing to do - a lesson for us all.

An escapist tale that was easy to read. I am not sure I really like the heroine, who went from worrying about other people all the time to quite frankly being rather selfish ! But it had a feel good factor which is needed in the present circumstances

Unfortunately this was a Did Not Finish for me. I read about 25% and was struggling to find the witty writing and charming characters that I have come to love in Laura Jane Williams books! Plus, this is marketed as a story about a jilted women who takes a friend on her honeymoon. By this point in the story we were still building up to that point and sadly I just wasn't interested enough to continue.

When Annie is jilted at the alter by her childhood sweetheart, Alexander, she's devastated. She had her whole life planned out and now she's 32, single and almost homeless.
When her very generous would be in-laws offer her the chance to go on her honeymoon she thinks there's no way she could possibly go on her own, until she meets Patrick, an old friend from her teenage drama camp years.
Patrick and Annie head off on a once in a lifetime 3 week holiday to Australia where they both come back very different people.
This book was so lovely. You can always rely on Laura Jane Williams to bring the feel good factor. I felt all warm and fuzzy inside reading this and I was rooting for the character all the way through. I will definitely be recommending this to all my customers looking for a feel good, heart warming, romantic read.