‘The Lucky Escape’ is the newest story from Laura Jane Williams. It’s a pretty solid romance novel that follows Annie who gets jilted at the alter by her University sweetheart. In a quest to discover herself she runs into an old friend from theatre camp and when the time comes for her honeymoon to Australia she drunkenly decides to take her old/new friend Patrick with her. Patrick reminds her of the girl she used to be and with his easy-going, positive outlook on life she begins to find herself again.
This was a really quick read and it was easy to keep turning the page. Does this stand out from the other hundreds of romance books that have been recently published? No, it doesn’t. This is a plot we’ve read time and time again, so if this is a particular plot you look for then definitely check this out. It’s the kind of book you can consume by the pool on holiday - it’s fun, readable, quick-paced but ultimately it’ll fade from memory.
I would definitely say I enjoyed ‘The Love Square’ more, that is also by this author. It just felt stronger in every sense particularly with plot and characters. However, if you are someone who just loves a feel-good romance then this is a decent read that might be worth your time.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This story starts off as a complete nightmare. Annie is set to marry her long-time partner Alexander in a few hours. She is getting ready with her best friend and sister, has an emotional moment with her dad, and then heads to the venue. When she gets there, she discovers that Alexander is not coming. He stood her up.

Annie is as heartbroken as you would expect. She spends the next few weeks trying to pull herself together and figure out what she’s going to do with herself. She decides to join a fitness bootcamp, where she runs into her old friend Patrick. They instantly become close as he helps her heal from the heartbreak, so much so that Annie invites him on her honeymoon! The one she was supposed to take with Alex.

Being a person going through their 20s currently, I found this story to be very relatable. At this age, some people seem to have found their path whether it be settling down with a partner, children, dream job, etc., and some are still figuring out where they want to go, and which path might be best. This book did a great job at showcasing this and really exploring the FACT that there is no timeline, everyone is different. Annie really reassesses her life after her almost wedding and discovers that at 30 there is still plenty of time to figure out where your going – despite what we may sometimes be led to believe.

Something I didn’t like was that at the beginning Annie is described as a strong independent woman, or at least definitely gives off that vibe. I give her credit because going through heartbreak like that would leave anyone in a bad emotional state, but I felt like when she started growing closer to Patrick, she changed. Annie began to feel confusing and indecisive at times and it made her character feel a bit inconsistent.

One thing I really enjoyed about this book is the author’s writing. I can tell through her writing that she is friendly and humorous, and it made the book so enjoyable to have these characteristics woven into the story.

Annie left on her wedding day, meets an old friend Patrick, while trying to change her life. In a drunken moment Annie and Patrick decides to go on the honeymoon of a lifetime. There Annie learns about herself, Patrick and her direction in life. Slow at times but mostly enjoyable, nicely descriptive with rounded believable characters.

I escaped with this gem of a book over the weekend, adored it!

What would you do if you were jilted at the Aisle on your wedding day? Annie finds herself in this predicament and a few weeks later, she sets off on her planned honeymoon with a handsome man, who isn’t the one she intended to marry...

I loved the scene setting, the romance, the back stories.. absolute belter of a book!

This book was so much fun! The non-honeymoon trip with a long lost friend, there was so much chemistry between Annie and Patrick and plenty of funny moments along the way.
I loved reading from Annie’s perspective and really enjoyed seeing her transform back into the person she used to be before she started to dim herself to please everyone else.
I also really loved the chemistry between Annie and Patrick from the moment they reconnected and enjoyed seeing it play out and it was great to see their relationship blossom from lingering looks and flirty banter into so much more.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, it’s a perfect summer read and I definitely recommend it!

This unique rom-com will appeal to romance readers everywhere! Lovable characters, and it makes the reader feel as if they are on their own vacation.

After being jilted at the altar, Annie decides to take every opportuniy she gets and goes on her honeymoon with an old friend. There is a lot of potential there. Great characters and nice plot. After Australia the chemistry between Annie and Patrick felt missing though, which was a shame. I think this book was a nice summer read.

A huge thanks to Avon for my e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. It was the blurb that sold it for me- a woman ditched at the altar? Sign me up!

The book tells the story of Annie Wiig who was abandoned by her ex, Alexander, on her wedding day. A chance encounter with a former acquaintance with an old friend leads to her finding herself and finding love when she decides to go on her honeymoon. This book is a delight and the perfect read on a cold day or just a sunny day. The author captures you with a plot that captures you and her humor is priceless. What a delightful read!

This was too cute! I wanted to read a book that I knew I would love so I picked this one from my NetGalley account.

First off I related to Annie so much! She is so hard on herself and doesn't know what she deserves. She believes she has to be perfect and literally always helps others without taking care of herself. I feel like EVERY girl can relate.

Also the fact that she did drama camp was a bonus cause drama camp when I was in grade school was THE SHIT!

But this was Annie's book. It had romance, but it was her journey. Sure she finds love, but she is finally putting herself first and that's what we all need to learn from her. That you don't need to worry about what others think or what society pressures us to do. Do what you love and do what is right for you. Who cares what other people think. I LOVE THAT. I love reading a book and feeling like I'm learning more about how to be a badass boss who knows what she wants. Don't do what's expected all the time. Even if you family thinks a certain way or there are road blocks- you know what is right for you.

So, yes this book was about Annie, but we have to talk about how awesome Patrick was. He was exactly what Annie needed. He even got frustrated with her being so hard on herself. And he reminded her of how amazing she was and how she can find that again. He was a free spirit and almost Annie's opposite at times, but they really just worked together.

So this book was so sweet and so inspiring. I thought I would be bored because I've read books with he same kind of idea, but I really liked how it wasn't as basic as I thought it would be.

So five stars! And I need to look more into this author for sure!

The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams was a cute and fun book, not heavy on romance but more on self-discovery and getting over life's hardships. Annie is left at the altar on her wedding day and then goes to her honeymoon with an old friend. While I found it lacked some romance, it did make me want to travel. It also very description heavy and there isn't a lot of things going on. It was lovely either way, perfect beach or summer read.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ebook copy in exchange of an honest review.

So who's taking me to Australia?! The Lucky Escape has Annie making lemonade from lemons after getting left at the altar and being presented with the opportunity to still take her honeymoon.

Annie, has a meet-cute with an old friend at the gym, and after some drinks decides he will accompany her on her un-honeymoon. Patrick and Annie have a magical time in Australia and learn a lot about each other and themselves on the way.

Williams does a great job capturing the beauty of going on a holiday and leaving your life behind, even if for a few short weeks. That 'coming home' feeling has Annie questioning all of her decisions and does a lot of growing up throughout the course of the story.

I loved Annie's close friends and little sister, all such strong women who had her back no matter what. Something we all need. I could have done without the toxic mother relationship that seemed to be resolved after one confrontation. The steam was minimal, not a completely close door romance, but not overly detailed in that regard.

This is a great pool or beachside read and can see fans of The Unhoneymooners or Float Plan giving this one a try.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by this author, it made me laugh out loud throughout, a really feel good read.

I would highly recommend this book to my friends.

After being with her boyfriend for ten years, Annie is left with the realization that she has literally been left at the alter. After confronting this devastation, she quickly realizes she needs to make some changes within herself. One of those changes involves an old friend named Patrick. Patrick reminds her of a simpler, more freeing time so she takes the plunge and brings Patrick along on her solo honeymoon.

The Lucky Escape is a feel good rom-com while also going more in depth and showing the growth process of Annie. She makes mistakes, says things she regrets, and is extremely indecisive. This is not an awful thing but it made me not connect with Annie as I would have liked to. Her journey is her own. Ultimately it helped her get to a place where she was happy with herself.

Overall, it is a great read and I finished it in one sitting. It is well written with many great characters. It has the humor but also a journey to Annie’s self-love, wherever that takes her.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the advanced copy for an honest review.

Seeing all of the great reviews for The Lucky Escape makes me realize that I glossed over the part describing the novel as "women's fiction." The novel has charm, but much of that, in my male opinion, relies on silliness. I don't begrudge anyone their enjoyment of this novel, it just didn't resonate as well with me. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

After being jilted on her wedding day Annie doesn't know what to do with herself so after a while decides to get fit to try and take her mind off it and joins a bootcamp. After a couple of sessions she bumps into an old friend Patrick who used to go to a drama group in the summer when they were at school.
They start to meet up after the bootcamp classes as just friends but when he ex's family insist she goes on the honeymoon to Australia. After a boozy evening Patrick suggests he goes with her to keep her company and Annie agrees.
A lovely story of 2 people getting over a broken heart and discovering each other

Annie Wiig is excited that it’s finally her wedding day. She has been with Alexander for ten years, and she ready to make this huge leap into marriage. After getting ready with her sister and best friend, she arrives at the church to see her wedding planner looking worried. She is told that Alexander is not here and that he sent a simple text saying that the wedding is off. Devastated, Annie has to move on from being stood up at the alter. While moving on, she goes to fitness classes and meets a guy she used to know from drama camp in high school. The two pick up right where they left off. When Annie’s almost mother in law asks her to take her honeymoon, Annie mentions it to Patrick, who wants to come. The two embark on a three week all inclusive vacation to Australia. Annie learns that she has been holding herself back for 10 years and that she’s ready to let go of her insecurities and really live, and find true love.

I thought this book was adorable. I was hooked from the very first page. Laura Jane Williams writes with such authenticity that I felt that these characters were real people. The conversations and witty banter were charming, realistic, and hilarious. The situations the characters got themselves into were relatable and so funny. I loved that the author blended raw emotions and heartbreak with silly scenes and funny characters. This book was a pleasure to read and I will be thinking of it for a long time!

This book is about Annie, who is left at the alter by her long time boyfriend and how she recovers from that. It starts out well but after the "honeymoon" I got a little fed up with her. It did end well and overall I enjoyed this book.

If you are looking for a light summer beach read this is good. It was a quick read and easy to follow. Could be a bit predictable but that is not a bad thing at times.

Annie is jilted at the alter by her boyfriend Alexander. She then reconnects with old friend Patrick and they go on the honeymoon together. Will they survive their friendship or more?
It was a bit of a slow start but once I got part of way through it it was a good read. Thehoneymoon chapters are pure escapism. The story had good characters, fantastic locations and was well written.
I would recommend to others that enjoy a good rom com or romance. This is the first of this authors I have read and I will give others a go.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for ARC in exchange for an honest review

Another unconventional romance from Laura – this one follows a jilted bride who goes on her honeymoon with a childhood friend she re-met at the gym! Unlike her previous novels, this one is in first person, which I think really helps you get inside the heroine’s head as she has to figure out her new life. And the honeymoon chapters are absolutely perfect escapism, lots of luxurious hotel rooms, delicious meals, and wine-tasting adventures.

When the lovely folks at Avon Books asked me if I was interested in reading an ARC of her forthcoming novel, The Lucky Escape, I absolutely jumped at the chance.

Our narrator Annie is so excited about her dream wedding to her university sweetheart Alexander, but, when she arrives at the church in her designer dress, she finds out that he has left her at the altar. She is understandably devastated. A chance meeting with her old friend, Patrick, reminds Annie of the girl she used to be when they knew each other in their teens. In a spontaneous moment, Annie decides that she will still take her all-expenses-paid dream honeymoon to Australia and asks Patrick to come with her.

In all honesty, I think this is the author’s best work yet. The character development is incredibly strong and I could really relate to the journey of self-reflection and discovery that our protagonist Annie goes on. (I wouldn’t be sorry to be able to relate a little more to the all expenses paid holiday bit but a girl can dream!) The main characters are messy, flawed and complicated and that, for me, is what makes them so very human. This isn’t a picture perfect romance but it feels real and that is one of the things I loved most about it.

If you want a nice, light summer holiday read then you can definitely enjoy The Lucky Escape on that level. There are some sections that are laugh-out-loud, spit-your-drink-over-yourself funny and there are some really tender moments too. Underneath that though, there are some deeper questions around personal development and fulfilment that are really carefully handled by the author. It left me feeling all the feelings, but the overriding emotions were of joy and hope.