Member Reviews

Sometimes you pick up a book and know from the first few lines that you are going to love it and that’s what I felt with this one. I was actually quite sad when it ended as I had really invested in Annie and Patrick. When Annie gets dumped at the alter a chance meeting of an old friend from summer camp spirals into her going on what should have been her dream honeymoon with him. Even though things are not as she had planned them Annie and Patrick find that maybe everyone needs some space and time to realise life is for the taking and in each other find themselves again. Loved it!!

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2.5 ⭐️

After being together for over 10 years with her partner, Alexander, Annie arrives at the church on her wedding day just in time to be informed by her wedding planner that he won’t be showing up. No text, no call, no email, oh and he left the country too. She begins to try to put the pieces of her life back together, when her would-have-been-in-laws encourage her to take the luxury honeymoon they had planned. And who better to take than the guy she went to drama camp with 18 years ago.

I just couldn’t get into this one.

The story has 3 distinct parts: left at the alter, the non-honeymoon in Australia, and after Australia. The honeymoon part was easily the best part of the book, and everything else was very much a drag. It was a slow build up with an ending that fell completely flat.

I found Annie to be a disappointing heroine.
She was held back by her ex-fiancé, but only comes to find herself and her voice because of Patrick’s influence. At each turn when she has the potential to grow into herself and her strength, she reverts to passive self at every opportunity. I wanted her to have her own agency, but it was like her entire journey centered around others. And that was a bummer.

Patrick was a strange character. I went from feeling ambivalent about him, to thinking “oh he is kind of cute” , but being completely put off of him by the end. After their return home from Australia his go with the flow personality does a complete 180, and it’s like he is different character one that is possessive, manipulative, demanding. He was easily one of my least favorite parts in the book.

The crux of it all is that there is not reason to be invested in their romance. Maybe if it had been a legitimate second chance romance it would have been more interesting. As it was, I just couldn’t make myself care about a couple people who had vaguely known each other at summer camp when they were preteens and then meet again as adults. Something just felt missing the whole time.

It’s not quite a summer beach read, but more something to read while you’re waiting for another book to come in.

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This book is such a feel good story! Although I knew right at the beginning what was going to happen at the end, I still really enjoyed the story; if not that is why I enjoyed it so much. I felt like I was Annie’s friend and was going on the emotional journey with her; she was such a greatly written character. Laura Jane Williams is such an amazing author, she writes so well and I have loved every single one of her books that I have read; can’t wait for the next.

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The Lucky Escape is probably the perfect beach read. It's light, frivolous, and there is not much to it. I prefer my romances with a little more substance let's say but there is nothing fundamentally wrong with this book.

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𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗼𝗻.
𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗻.
𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺... 𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱..

Annie and Alexander were uni sweethearts, after being together for 10 years it’s finally time to make it official and tie the knot! But Alexander gets cold feet. After being jilted at the alter and festering in misery, Annie decides to still take the honeymoon.

I loved Annie’s journey of self discovery, opening up to new experiences and vowing to do what she wants to do rather than what other people expect of her. The bond with her sister is adorable, her friends are the best and I want to cuddle Patrick.

I loved the diversity of characters and I loved Willy gate.

This book was a cute, witty, modern romance which I found pretty predictable but still really enjoyable.

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I really liked this book. It grabbed my attention from the beginning and kept it until the end. It tugs at all the emotions. It went a bit deeper than the typical rom com. While it was an easy, light read this story really makes you feel. I enjoyed watching how Annie and Patrick’s characters developed throughout the book. They had to work through a lot and rediscover themselves on many levels. I would definitely like to read an update on them in the future.

Thank you Avon Books UK for the ARC.

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Annie is a fairytale bride - and her life is the picture of perfection. College sweethearts about to be wed, it's the perfect life.
Except it's not.
Especially when she arrives at the wedding venue with her 13yr old little sister and father only to have the wedding planner tell her that today....was not going to go as planned...and he had texted the wedding planner that he wasn't coming. But the honeymoon in Australia has already been booked and paid for, so when her 'no longer about to be in-laws' insist Annie still take the trip, she does.
But just like the wedding, it's not the honeymoon she imagined.

The Lucky Escape is Annie's journey back to herself - finding out who she is when she stops living her life based on the expectations of others. It's witty, fun, romantic, engaging, and real. A chick-lit read that goes beyond the fluff that you expect from the genre, it a heat-warming and uplifting way.

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The Lucky Escape was an ok book. It seems disjointed and was very slow to ramp up. It’s a good story of moving on but takes a little to long to connect the characters. I appreciate the ARC copy for an honest review

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This is what a like to call an average book. It’s basically split into three parts: the beginning before the honeymoon, the honeymoon and after. I would say the honeymoon is my favourite part, so much fun and travel which I love in books., then before the wedding/ honeymoon and then after the honeymoon which I really didn’t like- I was bored and found finishing the book hard. I liked the start and it sounded promising, but I didn’t like Annie nor Alexander. Both characters irritated me which isn’t great when one of them is the main character. I did however love Patrick and the lavish honeymoon, I felt myself wishing I was flying business with them, especially in a world when’re I’m stuck in my bedroom. It’s one of those books that can be classed as a beach read: light, funny and easy to follow, but just not something that’s really for me.

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This was such a lovely book to read. I enjoyed that it was just as much about friendship and family, as it was about romance. The romance between Annie and Patrick was exciting and the side characters in the book added really well to the story (Freddie and Adzo were my favourites). Would recommend this as the perfect beach book.

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I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the opportunity.

I always enjoy a good friends-to-lovers plot, and the falling in love while traveling trope. This book did both of those very well. I will say, right of the bat of the book I didn't find the main character Annie that likable, however I had hope that she would become better with character development. Luckily she did, this book is a feel good read and great for those that need a reminder to follow their dreams and that there is happiness and love even after hardship. A quick, fun read that will have you ready for summer vacation and a day on the beach!

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Review of The Lucky escape

Really enjoyed this book. Great characters and character development along with a good story arc. Recommended

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*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: June 10, 2021

This book had such a promising premise but ultimately left me confused and I struggled to stay interested toward the end. This was allegedly supposed to be about a jilted bride embarking on her honeymoon with a man that’s not her husband. Unfortunately that part of the story only takes up the middle third of the book and while it is the best part, the first third is a lot of build up and the last third is well...unnecessary. There’s so much time in this novel after her return from the honeymoon and her laundry list of issues (job uncertainty, unresolved teenage self esteem issues, mom relationship drama, changing friend groups, a lame first fight) that it took away from “the lucky escape” she managed to have.

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The Lucky Escape would be the perfect beach read! Annie finds herself left at the altar by her fiancé Alexander. When the opportunity arises to go on their honeymoon anyway, she finds the she really does want to go. It would be a nice escape from the reality of her situation at home. When she unexpectedly runs into an old childhood friend, she decides to give him the spare ticket and together they embark on the "not a honeymoon-honeymoon."

Annie has lived her entire life pleasing others, making sure not to rock the boat, and sacrificing her own wants in order to keep the peace around her. She's finally realizing that she hasn't been developing authentic relationships because she hasn't been presenting her true self. Most of her life has been an act of pleasing others and trying to fit into a particular mold instead of going after what would truly make her happy.

Laura Jane Williams does an excellent job of developing Annie's character. I could feel Annie struggling to find her bearings but she never seemed whiny or wishy-washy to me. It was a genuine growth and process of maturing that took place. The Lucky Escape covered some deeper issues, but still kept the tone light and would make for an enjoyable summer read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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This was a cute, easy read. Nothing too strenuous or worrisome. A heartfelt romance with a story line that flowed and kept me smiling. Not soul altering but not awful either - a middle of the road read that I’m happy I read.

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This was such a sweet book.. I loved that it was just as much about friendship and family, as it was about romance. I found Annie, the main character, and her friends and family very likable and Patrick, the new boyfriend, seems like the perfect guy. It made me wish I could go on a honeymoon to Australia just like them!

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This book is pure escapism. It's sweet and light-hearted, but with enough depth to keep my attention. It made me desperate to go on holiday, I loved the luxurious descriptions of the hotels and beaches they visit on the honeymoon and ohhh my gosh did I wish I was reading the book while lying by a pool sipping a cocktail!

There was one point where I thought the story was going to go a different way, I was kind of hoping it would, but I wasn't surprised when it didn't! I really liked Annie and her sister Freddie, I thought she was a great character, and I loved their relationship.

I've noticed in Laura Jane Williams' previous books how inclusive she is with her characters, which is amazing, but sometimes it felt a little forced.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read - it's easy and charming and will absolutely make you want to go on holiday!

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𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: ⁣

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: ⁣Laura Jane Williams
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Lucky Escape
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⁣3 ⭐️

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐬: ⁣
•I thought the writing was well written and engaging. It drew me in and kept me wanting to read.
•The honeymoon part in Australia was my favorite part of the book. The banter, the adventure, the humor, the sexual tension, it was just perfect!
•I loved the side characters so much (almost more than the main characters if I’m honest). Freddie brings so much insightfulness to the table that I feel like she’s the older sister and not the younger one. Then there’s the Core Four and Adzo, they brought so much to the table collectively!

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬: ⁣
•I didn’t connect with the main character at all. There were times I was really confused about her age because of some of the choices she made and things she said. I found myself getting annoyed with her by the end of things. She was very wishy washy and I’m not sure if the author intended for her to be like that.
•The conflict between her mom was handled but also it wasn’t. Her mom never apologizes, she just makes excuses for her actions and then all was forgiven. HUGE pet peeve of mine. 🙊
•This book felt much too long once they returned home from their honeymoon and I didn’t enjoy the last 30% of the book at all. The build up to the HEA definitely missed its mark.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
Overall, this isn’t a bad book. It’s got great potential. I just think it could’ve used some tweaks and had better overall consistency to make it an even better book.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.

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A predictable yet enjoyable destination romance story that starts with a bride being jilted, re-uniting with an old friend, and a nice love story developing throughout.

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I have read all of Laura’s books and can confirm this is my favourite. A blast of summer romance which we all need after a rough 12 months

As always she is very conscious of inclusivity and all of her books have an air of modern life - touching on relevant topics for the times.
I loved Annie, and watching her journey of self discovery after being jilted on her wedding day. She is a likeable character and her internal understandings of her own sense of worth and how they have been tied to her romantic relationships is something a lot of people will be able to relate to. I also loved the dynamics of her friendship group - different friends for different roles but united in one thing - their strong love for Annie. Where can I find myself a Patrick... !

Thank you for the advanced copy. I throughly enjoyed this!

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