This is my first Laura Jane Williams book (I know, I know, I can't believe I haven't read One Stop). But it won't be last (looking at you, One Stop).

This book was full of fantastic characters, with a fun narrative and BRILLIANT locations. The author really knows how to conjure a setting and pull you in.

At times I felt as though the relationship didn't quite have the chemistry I was looking for, but that's very much a personal preference and the romance still shined through. I was invested in the entire journey though and I loved the premise, Annie jetting off on our honeymoon without Alexander - realising that he was not, in fact The One, was just wonderful.

I highly recommend and this is a perfect summer read.

In the acknowledgements LJW says she hopes it’s her most joyful and escapist novel to date, and that sums it up perfectly. A wonderful antidote to ‘stuck at home and can’t travel anywhere’ my only criticism is that I now have acute FOMO in the knowledge that I will never be able to afford a luxury business class trip to Australia. Annie and Patrick are incredibly likeable and this is a gorgeous easy to read story that is devoid of trauma - it was like a hug - which is exactly what I needed, and I read it in one go.

I read this book in 24 hours, literally binged it.

I initially was not a fan of Annie the protagonist, but as her character developed and she found herself during her escape away I could relate with her regards a lot of her life decisions.

Why can’t I find a Patrick? Annie is a very lucky lady and I found the creep up of romance between the pair very exciting.

It made me more confident in my decisions confirming that I don’t need the worlds approval!

A very easy read and very enjoyablex I would recommend.

The Lucky Escape was nothing that I expected.
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Annie is dropped off at the church door by her boyfriend of ten years with no explanation other than an email to her wedding planner.
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I expected laughter and situations that would give meaning to the actions of the characters but I found a book full of reflections on becoming of age, what society expects of her as a woman, sister, daughter and girlfriend, Conversations about happiness and fulfillment of the life.
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While Annie is trying to process what happened without any clues, she bumps into a former acting camp friend from her teenage years, they immediately connect and resume the friendship they had but with greater force, and in that relationship is where she finds the point neutral to get everything off her chest and want more of life while taking advantage of the already booked honeymoon.
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The journey brings them closer together and then that's where I started to get away from Annie and her actions, those of her ex-boyfriend, and her mother ... they didn't give me much sense of where they came from and where they were going. It only made sense to Patrick and it made me want to give him a high-five several times, even though he didn't have much space or his pov the book left me wishing good things for him page after page.
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Maybe it was that Annie was overthinking or easily swayed, I don't know. This book is a RomCom with two or three comedy situations and the rest is soft, sweet romance followed by reflections on life and the people around us, a book about friends , family and the beautiful Australia
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Thanks to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for give me this book in exchange for my honest opinion

I found this book slow to start and hard to connect with the character however I persevered and it was a great read. I loved the "honeymoon" made me want to visit Australia and I loved the relationship between Annie and Freddie

I liked this book but didn't love it. While I found it a fun read, definitely a summer read, I found the plot quite predictable. However I did love the characters and found them very relatable and overall enjoyed the experience of reading this. This book is perfect for sitting by the pool on a summer holiday, a fun read with a little bit of romance.

The story of one cancelled wedding which leads to an unexpected honeymoon!
Annie has to deal with the repercussions when her fiancee leaves her at the altar when realizes he doesn't want to get married. To treat herself, she decides to go on their honeymoon to Australia anyway, just with someone else. Enter Patrick, her friend from drama camp that she just bumped into and they make an impromptu decision to go on this honeymoon and enjoy themselves, but as "friends".
This book was sort of a mix of a Bollywood movie called Queen (2013) (in which the woman goes on her honeymoon on her own) and The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren (in which two acquaintances go on a honeymoon instead of the bride and groom) and I enjoyed it a lot!
I loved Patrick's character so much and I wanted him to get all the happiness in the world. Annie was a really strong character as well and I loved the romance that eventually blossomed between the two.
Highly recommend if you want a light, fluffy book that takes you on a vacation in Australia while staying at home haha!

I truly tried to finish reading The Lucky Escape but unfortunately I really couldn't get past Annie and how she was written. She was her own worst enemy and I didn't enjoy reading about her. It was a super promising book but I had to DNF it.

Cute and quick to read book!
I really like the hero of this book but I have a problem to click with the heroine
Love the plot though!

One of my favorite romantic tropes executed in a charmingly heartfelt and awesomely diverse poolside read. A little fluffy in how they didn't consider the things they'd need to address when they got back to a post-vacation rhythm, and once they did, how seamlessly things worked out with simply space. Yet, feel good nonetheless. Add this book to your must read list when it comes out in June 2021 and thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

After reading Our Stop and The Love Square I was so excited when @avon_books approved my request for an arc of Laura’s upcoming release on @netgalley 🥰

Annie is jilted at the altar by her university sweetheart. She’s distraught that the man she planned to spend the rest of her life with would be so cruel to not even express his doubt before she arrived at the church. In attempt to recover, she takes 6 weeks off work and begins her journey of being the “new Annie” starting off with going to boot camp where she reconnects with Patrick from her days in summer camp. Her in-laws encourage her to take the honeymoon to Australia as its non refundable so after many drinks, Annie and Patrick decide to go together. Is this a disaster waiting to happen or are they both just what the other needs?

I loved the idea of this novel. A woman finding her independence after being jilted? Sounds just like an episode of Sex and the City which I’ve been binging this lockdown. I really enjoyed seeing the relationship between Annie and Patrick blossom and her evolving as a character. However, the last third of the novel when they are back home just felt really rushed and thrown together? Annie’s relationship with her mother becomes miraculously fixed after one wishy-washy argument/conversation. I feel like if the author had reduced the descriptive language used throughout the first half of the book that this part of the story could have been developed further without verging on being longer than her other books.

Overall a very cute read and this would have been an ideal novel for the side of the pool/beach if we were allowed on holiday right now

I enjoyed Laura Jane Williams two previous novels but for me this was her best yet, I think it’s the characters in this that made the difference although the descriptions of Australia were certainly uplifting too. We meet Annie on her wedding day or to be technically accurate what should have been her wedding day as the groom jilted her, in the days after she finds solace in exercising and bumps into Patrick, a face from the past. Patrick is still also reeling from his last relationship but when Annie has the chance to go on what would have been her honeymoon she gambles on Patrick joining her.

I liked the cracks in both of these characters, Patrick seems to be very live for the moment but in part it’s a coping mechanism whereas Annie has low self worth and has just settled for what she’s given. They’re both very easy characters to warm to and it’s definitely great to escape to Australia for a while if only on paper. This could easily have been a rebound cliche but it’s not and there’s really heart and emotion amongst it but overall a very positive feel, 9/10.

I read "The Lucky Escape" in two sittings - such a fun read! Annie and Patrick were delightful, as were the supporting characters. I appreciated that there was some real life tension to their relationship; this made their romance believable and made the book very hopeful! Also, wrapped it all up with the perfect epilogue! Highly recommend.

Another heartwarming, uplifting novel from one of the queens of romantic comedy. I absolutely loved The Lucky Escape, especially the scenes in Australia which were perfect escapism during a dreary winter in lockdown. Laura Jane Williams never fails to make me smile with her beautiful characters, sweet romances, and wonderful stories. Perfect for fans of Beth O'Leary and Mhairi McFarlane.

The escape I needed!

I read The Lucky Escape during lockdown, with no hope of travelling further than the local park and it was perfect escapism. I loved the journey Annie took, both to Australia & on the road to accepting herself, realising what is important to her and taking chances.

This would be the perfect beach read and I will definitely read more by this author (I’ve previously read, enjoyed & recommended ‘The Love Square’, but this was even better). Thanks to #NetGalley & the publisher for my free advance copy in return for an unbiased review.

This book is an escape and i unapologetically loved it. Yes, yes, it was predictable in some ways and obviously there needs to be a happy ending but it was well done. I enjoyed the writing very much and the Characters were well done. When the book opens with Annie being left at the alter, I was sucked in immediately and I was rooting for major personal growth to take place.

The one thing that bugged me about the book was there was never a scene in which we find out the motives of her inlaws for gifting her this amazing non-honeymoon. It felt like a missed opportunity. It was so overly generous of them, they didn’t have to do it, they didn’t object to her bringing another man with her, there has to be a reason.
I also appreciated that Annie was a genius lady scientist, who was friends with another genius lady scientist who supported each other.

This book aligned with all my interests, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. I struggle really hard to get into books with British characters, mainly because I don’t always get the lingo. I also struggled to get through the first portion of the book - it felt like a lot was happening while at the same time going nowhere. I wanted to like this one - it just didn’t quite do it for me.

4.5 ⭐️
What a cute read! The Lucky Escape is about a girl who gets left at the alter and how she finds herself (and maybe romance) afterward. Breakups suck but they are usually for the best and help us learn. How love how the author really captures the growth that Annie goes through. You really can see a difference in her character from the beginning to the end.

Sometimes the book reads more like a a movie script. Like scene here. Then scene there. But overall it’s very cute!

Thanks NetGalley and Avon publishing for letting me read the ARC ebook.

The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams seemed straight forward and predictable, but I was wrong. I liked the way the author took her time letting the protagonist process her grief, anger, and confusion about who she is alone. The travel in the book made me envious of their escape. This truly was a Lucky Escape and an enjoyable one at that. This book combines soul-searching and self-fulfillment with fun and flirty. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoyed The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren or Shipped by Angie Hockman.

Annie has just been left at the altar by her boyfriend of 10 years. One morning, a chance meeting at a boot camp class, will lead her on a honeymoon without her supposed-to-be-husband, and a journey of finding out who she really wants to be. This story gave us some truly lovely characters, but it also asked questions to Annie that would be good for the reader to answer as well. I loved the settings and the humor. I would definitely read another by this author.