Annie is jilted at the alter, a chance meeting with an old friend Patrick and an all expenses paid honeymoon to Australia courtesy of the ex-groom parents. Annie and Patrick set off on the trip of a lifetime.

Being romance obviously they catch feels. I liked that they took time to get to know each other again after the 20 years since they knew each other, it was sweet. Patrick seemed like a really sweet guy and helped Annie come to terms with things and how they were not perfect. He has his own issues of course and she helps him come to terms with that too. He is really supportive and teaches her that she needs to do things for herself and not mould herself into what other people want her to be. Which is why his reaction to her towards the end seemed at odds with what we know about him. I had to mark it down for that as I don't think Patrick would be that guy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for my copy for review

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, as I don’t read many Romance Novels, but the main plot was amazing and I loved the fact that Laura had chosen a mixture of Male and Female characters to feature within the main plot.

“ONE CANCELLED WEDDING
When the day finally comes for Annie to marry Alexander, the last thing she expects is to be left standing at the altar. She was so sure he was Mr Right. Now, she has no idea how she could have got it so wrong.
 
ONE UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER
After a chance meeting with Patrick, an old friend who reminds her of who she used to be, Annie takes a vow of her own: she’ll say yes to every opportunity that comes her way from now on.
ONE SPARE TICKET FOR THE HONEYMOON
Could a spontaneous trip with Patrick be the way to mend Annie’s heart? She’s about to find out as she embarks on her honeymoon – with a man who’s not her husband…”

The story was told really intimately with plenty of different plot lines to allow the reader something to get their teeth into which I appreciated whilst reading.
Through reading this book, I also loved the development of the leading character Annie as well and the ups and downs of her developing relationship with Patrick as well.

There were some things that happened that I expected to happen and some that happened that I wasn’t expecting to happen.

After 10 years together, Annie is shocked when Alexander is a no show on their wedding day. When his parents suggest she still take the honeymoon, she asks Patrick whom she met at the gym to accompany her. Patrick and Annie have a shared history and she feels that because he knew her back when she was her happiest, he can help her become that person again. The friends head off to Australia in need of some rest and relaxation.

I love that despite being a jilted bride with a horrid mother, Annie kept plugging forward and tried to make the most out of her circumstances. She didn’t let them define her. The author created a wonderful voyage of self discovery with a character who was up to trying new things and being true to herself rather than being who she was expected to be. A modern romance with forced diversity, it’s not for everyone. However, at a time when travel is restricted, it would be a welcome read for those with wanderlust as the author’s descriptive detail of Australia is dreamy.

Thank you to Laura Jane Williams, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley for the gifted advance copy. I was under no obligation to provide a review.

Publishes June 10, 2021

All the summer vibes! Easy, light, predicable read but still very much enjoyable

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Lucky Escape was a great fun light hearted read that had me laughing out loud many times.
When I was reading about the scene in the spa I had tears streaming down my face laughing.

I loved how Annie grew as a person throughout the book, and it felt like a real journey with her.


This is a book I would definitely recommend to others who enjoy this genre.

Loved reading this book!

'The Lucky Escape' is about Annie; when Annie's fiancée stands her up at the altar, the supposed to be groom's parents offer to pay for a honeymoon for her and a friend. When Annie and Patrick encounter each other at the workout boot camp, they reconnect. Patrick knows the old-version of Annie, the version that she would like to return to. When one drunken night Annie proposes to Patrick that he comes along with to the honeymoon, he agrees and the rest is history.

I really enjoyed reading this book because it brought summer vibes back to me! The characters, I fell in love with, Annie was so strong, the fact that she took control of her life back and learned to live in the moment with Patrick during her honeymoon. And Patrick, he was described so vividly that I could literally picture him, I loved that he allowed himself to be weak around Annie, even though they were practically strangers. I could give you 100 more reasons on why you should read this book but long story short you NEED to read this book!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Avon Books UK for sharing a digital reviewers copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

THE LUCKY ESCAPE by Laura Jane Williams

COMING TO A BOOKSTORE NEAR YOU - June 10, 2021

🌞🌞🌞🌞 {4 stars}

-This novel by Laura Jane was entertaining, lighthearted & sunny.
-Lovers of “The Unhoneymooners” this book has a very similar storyline
-Definitely add this to your summer beach TBR list!
-Would match perfectly with a pool, pina colada, & sunglasses 😎

We’re your fan of The Unhoneymooners? If so, pick up this copy & let me know what you think! THANK YOU NETGALLEY for this ARC.
#beansbooknook #beachread #summer2021 #summerbeachread #luckyescape #netgalley

The Lucky Escapes centres Annie Wiig who is abandoned on her wedding day by her fiancé, Alexander. After 10 years together, Annie is in complete denial about what went wrong. Now single, almost 30 and completely vulnerable, Annie feels she needs to change her life for the better. When her ex in-laws suggest she goes on the honeymoon to Australia, she agrees. And what better than to take her childhood friend Patrick, who she has just re-connected with. A honeymoon with another man, and a journey of self-discovery!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - it was witty, uplifting, and comforting. I loved the contemporary nature of the story which was unpredictable and kept me guessing the whole way through. This book is a perfect balance of light-hearted holiday romance but also Annie’s personal journey of self-discovering. Annie’s character is so relatable, and I loved the deep exploration of her emotions and doubt.

It is a wonderful escapist book and I so wished I had read it on a beach in the sun. Laura Jane Williams has managed to create such a beautiful romance, combined with a moving come of age element. The whole thing was totally relatable and addictive.

I highly recommend this book - I cannot wait to read what Laura Jane Williams writes next!

I adored The Lucky Escape: it was the perfect escapist read during a miserable third lockdown and gave me exactly the excitement and travel I was craving. Australia was amazing, and the characters were three-dimensional and believable.

I really enjoyed the relationship between main character Annie and her little sister, and also her best friends. The budding love between her and Patrick during their trip was just lovely, and I was rooting for them to get together. What a dude Patrick is! Annie’s character arc was very satisfying - I loved the way she developed through the course of this story.

Our Stop - by the same author - was one of my favourite reads of 2019, and I must admit that I didn’t take to her follow up The Love Square in the same way, but The Lucky Escape is definitely a 5 star read and I think it might have just become my favourite Laura Jane Williams book. It was such a JOY to read.

With thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

This book is an easy way to pass the day, it was a predictable easy read which we all sometimes need. I liked the idea of the story and liked the characters but it wouldn't be one I'd read again.

The Lucky Escape, by Laura Jane Williams, is escapist fiction at its finest. When Annie is left at the alter, she decides to go on her honeymoon anyway -- bringing along a childhood friend she hasn't seen in years. What follows is a lovely exploration of love and loss, set against the gorgeous backdrop of a fantastic vacation in Australia.

The best part of The Lucky Escape is surely the descriptions of the luxurious vacation the main characters experience. After a year stuck at home, it was an absolute pleasure to read all about expensive air travel, gorgeous hotels, and fancy resorts. A close second, however, is the relationship between Annie and childhood friend Patrick, who are funny and charming, and very real.

The book dives into some heavy topics, and handles them deftly. Annie's family feel fleshed out and important, and her friends are a truly charming group of people, all of whom it is easy to believe are having all sorts of adventures just off page. Overall, The Lucky Escape is, in fact, a wonderful escape -- and a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!

CW: spousal death

This sadly was a did not finish for me. The only reason I gave the book 2 stars because the premise is interesting and the beginning of the book starts off beautifully. You have major emotional highs and lows of a woman finding her strength after being jilted at the altar. Where the author lost me was her going on a honeymoon trip with someone from her past who conveniently shows up in her time of need. Does the author really expect her readers would found this to be believable much less enjoyable? Also, as much as I appreciate Austrailia, the honeymoon segment of the book felt like i was reading a travel blog not a romantic comedy. Sorry to say that this was not enjoyable in the least.

Clever, an easy way to pass the day. I’d recommend to anyone who wants an authentic, entertaining book to read for any occasion. A bit of unexpected romance isn’t a bad thing.

I was kindly gifted an ARC of this book via NetGalley and I am so pleased to have been able to read it early! After enjoying Laura’s previous books and seeing a Q&A with her via Beth’s Book Club I was excited to read The Lucky Escape.

Like the author’s other books, this was an easy, light hearted read. I genuinely laughed out loud whilst reading at times and loved the setting of Australia.

I liked most of the characters including the side characters (mainly Annie’s little sister) and appreciated the inclusiveness of people from different cultures, races, sexualities without it being forced or a ‘thing’ - just an accurate reflection on the variety of people we meet in every day life.

It took a little while to warm to Annie but I loved Patrick from the offset - I predicted pretty much straight away something genuinely heartbreaking was going to be revealed to have happened to him but I think it added depth to his character and didn’t feel like a forced part of the story.

I have read some criticism of Annie’s character and her ‘I am strong and don’t need a man’ attitude being contradicted but I personally just saw that as being very real...taking a personal journey of change isn’t smooth sailing and being human means sometimes contradicting yourself so again, I think it just added some realness to the story.

Overall I gave the book 4 stars - looking forward to any future books from Laura Jane Williams!

great book the plot was very interesting and I rooted for the characters from the start the romance was very well developed

Unfortunately even after getting through seven or so chapters, I had to mark this as a DNF. Not because this is a bad read by any means, but it just did not capture my attention and I just can’t seem to resume reading.

I loved this book! The characters were nice, the story was fun and light without being too fluffy, and some of the scenes actually made me laugh out loud!

When I read what this one was about, I knew it would be up my alley. I have really been loving romances lately and I did enjoy this one!

I loved the first two thirds of this book. The last third did lose me a bit.

I will start with the things I loved. Annie’s initial shock after the wedding getting called off was super real. I felt her emotions and sadness while reading it. I thought her meeting Patrick felt natural and it was nice to read about.

I loved the entire portion of them being in Australia. I couldn’t put the book down at this point. I loved Annie and Patrick’s banter. I also really enjoyed the side characters of this book. They added just enough to the book but it didn’t over do it.

Where I started to lose interest was when they left Australia. I felt like Annie and Patrick both changed and were acting very different from how they were in the first chunk of the book. I also felt like it was just dragging on. I felt myself skimming the highly descriptive paragraphs that I didn’t think were super necessary.

Overall, I would still recommend this if you are looking for a nice light read with a bit of an escape. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon books UK for the ARC in exchange for a review.

3.5 Stars Rounded up to 4

Now that I’ve read two books by Laura can I officially call her one of my favorite authors? Her writing style is like being carried along a river. Effortless. Beautiful. I so enjoyed the characters and desperately wish I was at a beach now.

Think I'd give this a 2.5 stars if I could. Unfortunately think some part of my experience was impacted by the e-ARC being largely unformatted, leaving it hard to even tell who was talking sometimes.

This story seemed to break down into the drama, the honeymoon, and the aftermath. While I generally enjoyed the story, the only exciting/enthralling part of the story was the honeymoon itself. The before/after fell very flat and seemed to try to just wrap up the story. It felt rushed rather than considered.

That said, this is a good vacation/beach read.