I always love a good Williams book and this one certainly did not disappoint. I am a sap for vacation romances which is what led me here to begin with, but I am definitely glad I stayed.

Annie ends up being dumped at her own wedding and left not knowing what to do with her life. When she bumps into an old friend, Patrick, she decides to be a bit more spontaneous. Annie’s would be in laws are adamant that she should go on the honeymoon anyway and has no problems with her taking Patrick with her.

This book had such a fun idea behind it. I imagine that if I had been in Annie’s situation then I would like to think that I’d take up the honeymoon as well, rather than it go to waste. It was nice that there was a bit of a lead up to this part of the story though instead of it just being rushed into.

I loved the Australian setting but I wanted more. Some parts, Sydney in particular, seemed really rushed. Certain parts of the story could have been fleshed out a little more, just so it didn’t seem like some parts were skipped.

I also thought that there was a bit too much emphasis on the diversity of characters. Everything seemed a bit overkill for me. Some things could have been added in a more subtle way without it seeming like something was being forced.

However, although I had a few niggles, I did really enjoy this book. It was a fun read,

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Annie was excited about marrying Alexander, but was shocked when he left her at the alter. Annie decides to say to every opportunity she is offered. I enjoyed the chemistry between Annie and her friend Patrick.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Lucky Escape is an enjoyably fluffy rom-com read, but at times the storyline felt just a little too predictable for me to rate it higher than 3 stars. I have really enjoyed all of Laura Jane Williams’ books, and I do really like the fact that they all cover themes of finding your own happiness and learning to love yourself, but I think sometimes this narrative can feel like it’s being hammered home a bit too much? That’s definitely what I felt was the case with this book.

The portion of the book where the honeymoon takes place is super enjoyable to read, and the flirty tension between Annie and Patrick is great. I was a bit disappointed by the last third of the book when they return from the honeymoon, and then the plot threads seem to get a little bit messier. The final-act conflict between Annie and Patrick felt too easily resolvable and inconsistent with how well there characters had been communicating previously.

However, despite these grievances I would still recommend The Lucky Escape as an easy-to-read escapist (literally) romance.

The Path Of True Love Never Did Run Smooth❣️

Annie is jilted on her wedding day, her now ex contacts the wedding planner to give his excuses. After trying to come to terms with what's happened, memories of how she and Alexander met, their past, Annie needs to decide what's next... After bumping into a face from her past, Patrick whom she knew from her childhood, a night of free flowing conversation and alcohol, Annie agreed to take Patrick on her non honeymoon. With a start of the new day and a clear head, Annie's not so sure this is a good idea. After much deliberation, Annie decided to go with it, and the story unfolds from here...

The Lucky Escape is full of highs and lows for Annie, events over time eventually making her take a look at her life and stand up for herself, where the old Annie would've let it go. A great read with humour, romance and heartbreak, a book you can lose yourself in. For me this is my favourite book from Laura Jane Williams so far, would be good to read a sequel to this to see where the main characters go. Look forward to reading more from this author.

I DNFed this- it was not my favorite and I couldn’t get into the story. I feel like the plot moved fairly slow and I had a hard time relating to any of the characters.

What a fun read! I started reading The Lucky Escape in the days surrounding my decision to postpone my own upcoming wedding due to the ongoing pandemic - and what a welcome relief it has been from that stress! The Lucky Escape has excellent character building, and transported me from the same four walls I’ve seen nothing other than for the last 11 months in the snowy UK to the heat of Australia. I felt I was on my own luxury holiday with Annie, experiencing the wider world again - such a treat. A little slow to pick up, it took me a while to get into, but once Annie got on the plane, everything fell into place and began to race along (something I recall feeling when reading Our Stop a few years ago too). The Lucky Escape is perfect reading for a pandemic year, and one I’m certain people are going to find a lot of comfort in. Would definitely recommend.

This was a fun read. I really liked the situation that Annie is put in right at the start, it leads to a great character arc through the course of the novel. I also enjoyed her moments with Patrick and found myself smiling through reading them.

This was such a fun story with an unexpected theme. The main character goes through a period of growth and its nice to see her move from people pleasing victim; to a confident independent woman. Original idea that really works!

When Annie is left standing at the altar on her wedding day she thinks that she has lost everything that matters. A chance encounter with an old friend and a honeymoon to take are impulsively seeming like a good idea. The holiday most people could only dream about in Australia turns into something more magical as friends become more. Can this become real when they get back home to England, or was it really just a holiday romance?

I was so glad to get approved for Laura's third book as I really enjoyed the previous pair; and I must admit to not being disappointed with The Lucky Escape.

Jilted outside the church, with her groom letting the wedding planner break the news, Annie is understandably devestated and struggling to piece her life together without Alexander, her college sweetheart and The One. When she finally tracks him down, Annie realises that things may not have been as perfect as she'd first thought and she starts moving on with her life. When she meets Patrick, a man from her past life as a theatre kid, Annie throws caution to the wind and drunkenly invites him on the honeymoon her not quite mother in law has insisted she still goes on.

Armed with the persona she thinks people want to see, Annie starts to come out of her shell, the more time that she spends with Patrick, the more she realises that she has been hiding her true self away.

This book was funny, heartwarming and at times a tad cringe but it was afantastic read. The second hand embarrassment was real several times haha. Definitely recommend this one, it is the perfect holiday read!

Oh my goodness - what a lovely book. It takes you from the emotional lows of being left at the altar to the beautiful skies of a honeymoon without a husband. The book is well told, with a witty input of humour as the trip around Australia puts the couple into new and awkward situations. The happy ever after in romantic terms is never guaranteed and it almost doesn't matter! The journey that Annie goes on, ably assisted by mad friends and an adorable little sister is worth it whatever happens to Annie and Patrick!

Another wonderfully charming romance from Laura Jane Williams. I absolutely adored this and ended up reading it in two sittings!

The Lucky Escape was an unexpected favorite. While I generally have a hard time connecting with characters living across the pond, I felt an immediate pull from Annie and Patrick. Who hasn’t been dumped or felt they needed a drastic change in their lives? While most of us haven’t dealt with a tragic end to a relationship, I connected with Patrick’s calm demeanour and quiet optimism. His apprehension diving into a new romance was relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed the easy banter, Australian honeymoon and blossoming romance. I found the story uplifting and heartwarming. A good 4 star read.

3 stars!

I thought this book was a little slow and lost direction at times. I wasn’t a huge fan of Annie, the MC, so I think I had a hard time becoming fully invested. It starts with Annie getting left at the alter by her fiancé and then she goes on her honeymoon with a man from her fitness class. She used to go to camp with him and he always had a thing for her. The trip was pretty decent but when they returned from their ‘honeymoon’ it got pretty boring for me.

Overall, it was a quick read. I needed something light after a few heavier books!

Thanks Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Escapist reading at it’s best!

The thing I love about Laura’s writing is it’s pure escapism when you need it most.

And while I loved the lucky escape, I almost find myself liking her earlier work, The Love Square more as there was more conflict and interest in that story.

In this one we go from wedding to honeymoon and back again without much really happening.

It almost reads like a script for a movie rather than a novel and things just happen too fast to be plausible.

A good read but not quite for me.

Vacation in Australia with a hot new man friend? Sign me up! I only wish I had been summering in Australia while reading!

The Lucky Escape captured my attention from the start, and I flew through it. I personally enjoy romance novels with some depth past just the romance and The Lucky Escape delivered. The characters have different traumatic experiences in each of their pasts, but each learned to grow as a human and move forward with their lives and each other.

The only reason this was a 4 star for me was that I found Patrick to be whiny and annoying towards the end. He was doing SO well, but his attitude toward Annie and the things in her life about 75% of the way through was frustrating. But that definitely could just be me and my strong-willed, not-to-be controlled attitude.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to all my romance lovers!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

3.50 stars
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TW; Death of a spouse, Ending of engagement, Sexual Content, Challenging parents, Self-doubt
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Annie has it all and she's about to marry her college sweetheart Alexander, the last thing she expects is to be left at the altar on their special day. Without communication, Annie is left in the dark about what on earth happened and what went wrong. After a reunion with Patrick - who used to attend her summer drama camp and a chance to live the honeymoon, she's missing out on, courtesy of her very apologetic in-laws Annie finds herself jetting off to Australia with Patrick.

It was so fun to see these two reconnect after years of not speaking, although I felt like the outcome would be a little predictable of them falling for each other while on vacation, it was still a fun concept. It's not every day you get to take a honeymoon with someone who isn't the man you've planned to marry! I have to applaud Annie's character, as I think she handled the situation very well - she also had an amazing support system including her sister, her work wife, and the core fore.

This was a cute read, I'd read it if I were on vacation but it felt like the book was divided into 3 parts; before Australia, Australia, and after Australia - and felt like sometimes the flow of the book was a little off!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

I loved Our Stop so had very high hopes for this and Laura didn't disappoint!!
This was such an adorable book and I could have kept reading for hours (housework ceased for the day in this house!!)
It was the perfect book to escape with and I just loved the scene setting it really transported me!
Cant wait to read more from Laura and her witty sense of humour!

Laura Jane Williams does it again! I adored Out Stop and equally love The Lucky Escape. As Laura says in her acknowledgements, it really is the perfect book for escapism. Commercial but has nuggets of wisdom and life advice tucked in there. It’s the book I’ll be telling people to read in 2021 because we all need some love and lightness like this.