Annie gets left at the altar...yes. The ultimate FU of breakups. When her ex’s parents offer for her to get up, dust off and take that all expense paid honeymoon to gorgeous Australia for 3 weeks- she just can’t. Until she meets her old drama camp friend Pongy Patrick. Ol Patrick is silly, kind and just the fun Annie needs right now. The fact that they are strictly friends takes the pressure off when she invites him to join her in Australia.
The story is adorable and we follow both Annie and Patrick on their own inner self cleanse of love. But it’s a bit cliche in bits. We all feel where it’s headed...

A great summer beach read for those who love quick romance novels. I liked the book overall, but also thought the book was too long. I didn't connect with the main character at all - I thought she was not very likeable and I definitely wasn't rooting for her.

Thank you to the author, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley for providing a copy to review!

My heart broke for Annie but being able to watch to flourish was lovely. She held back from making herself happy for so long and as she became more confined it was great to see the decisions she made for herself

Annie Wiig never expected to be left at the altar. She also never expected her ex-in-laws to force her to go on a lavish 3 week honeymoon to Australia either, but after 2 weeks of laying in bed and venturing to Barry’s Bootcamp, she realizes an Australian holiday might be what she needs. She also doesn’t expect to be reunited with Patrick Hummingbird from her days at theater camp, or to have him join her on her not-honeymoon. As Annie navigates the unexpected, she also navigates through self-discovery and realizes she made a lucky escape being left at the altar. Annie throws caution to the wind and starts to realize that she must expect the unexpected, and she must start living her life the way she wants. Starting with a possible romance in Australia with Patrick Hummingbird.

This book will make an absolutely perfect beach read this summer. It is light and fun and the Australian setting is perfect. The book loses its way towards the end, and Annie can be frustrating at times, but overall a fun read.

Let me preface this by saying I ADORED Our Stop, so I was over the moon to see another romance release from Laura Jane Williams. The Lucky Escape is a tender and sweet story with an overarching female empowerment message, and it was meaningful without taking itself too seriously. Fans of Beth O’Leary, Emily Henry and Christina Lauren will enjoy.

When Annie is dumped at the alter she is broken, she never saw it coming and was devastated. Throwing herself into trying a new bootcamp she meets an old acquaintance, Patrick, soon their friendship evolves into a security blanket she needs. When her ex’s mother suggests she still goes on the honeymoon with a friend she takes Patrick. His refreshing outlook on life is exactly what Annie needs to reevaluate her own life.
I really did love this book. It was funny, romantic and perfect to read during these strange times! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

How gorgeous is the cover of this book? Drew me right in!

As far as stories go, this is one of the more heartfelt romance books I've read and has one of the most independent characters I've read in a while! Annie, after being jilted at the alter is left to pick up the pieces of what went wrong with her almost marriage and ends up going on a honeymoon with a man she used to know. And that man is Patrick Hummingbird (I can't get over his surname, it's the sweetest!).

I loved Patrick, he's all you could want in a book boyfriend, seriously. Sweet, handsome, caring. Checks all the boxes.

This book wasn't all cupcakes and rainbows though, and I think that's what sets it apart. It deals with subjects such as love, loss and moving forward. The importance of finding oneself. The importance of not letting a relationship define you and of not letting a relationship take over you. We all know that someone who isn't treated fairly in a relationship, letting their own self worth slip away. This book really showed how one deals with discovering how they were treated in a relationship that didn't seem toxic while in it, but was found to be toxic when looking at it from a different perspective.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the earc in return for an honest review.

The Lucky Escape is just the dose of sweet and romantic escapism in you seek out in contemporary romcom. When Annie is jilted at the altar, her old friend Patrick comes to the rescue and over the course of an already paid for honeymoon, Annie comes to terms with truths about her ex, herself and her friend Patrick, who is obviously more than just a friend.
This story didn’t break any barriers or new ground, but it’s exactly the beach read you’re in search of for an assured HEA and an uncomplicated read.

The writing style, the plot and everything else just didn't work for me. I'm sure this book could potentially work for someone, just didn't work for me.

Annie is left at the altar but the man she thought she was meant to be with. Her would-be-in-laws want her to go on the honeymoon anyways. Then, Annie meets Patrick, a guy from her past, and decides to go with him on the honeymoon.

The story was divided into 3 parts: left at the alter, honeymoon and after Australia. I REALLY loved the first two parts. I loved the introduction of Patrick and their days in Australia, but I felt like I needed more of the honeymoon part. These two parts were a 5☆.

I was, however, disappointed with the third part of the story. I liked the conversation of how it's okay to change your career when you're 30. But, I hated that she started doubting her relationship with Patrick because of what her mom, which is known to not be supportive of her daughter, which made 0 sense to me. Also, the ending felt lacking.

Review based on an ARC provided by the publishers.

Another wonderful story from Laura Jane Williams.

After being jilted at the altar, Annie grieves the loss of her long term relationship to Alexander. She tries to get back on her feet, which leads to her meeting an old friend from her teenage years, Patrick. One wine-fueled evening out and Annie and Patrick travel to Australia together for Annie's three week holiday.

Of course sparks fly. However, just because Annie promised herself to say "yes" to opportunities coming her way from now on, doesn't mean this holiday fling would work out back in London. Especially not when Annie is faced with even more "yes-worthy" opportunities.

As mentioned above, I read an ARC of this book. I thought the last 20% were a bit rushed, but this might be smoothed out before the book hits the market. I'm looking forward to close my talons around a final copy of this book and adding it to my hoard - I mean shelves.

This was my first book by Laura Jane Williams, and though the flow wasn't all there, I enjoyed it overall. The beginning dragged a bit, it definitely could have been cut down and lessened the 400 pages. Australia was such a good time-- great communication, fun flirting and banter, and a nice vacation to different spots with minimal facts about them. I appreciate when the characters are being tourists but I don't feel like I'm reading a tour guide book with all the information being thrown at me. It felt disjointed when the relationship stuff started, especially after they returned to London. The characters personalities seemed to keep changing in the last bit and they weren't consistent with each other or what was said during their great communication on the trip. As I said, the middle part was great, but the start and finish definitely needed some work.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley!

This book was soooo good! OMG, I was laughing so hard in some parts I snorted, that’s how good this hook was!

I received an ARC copy of The Lucky Escape and I am oh so glad I did! I have not read any of Laura Jane Williams’ other books and I loved coming into this with a completely open mind. This is heartwarming story of bouncing back and finding love after feeling like you’ve lost it all. I loved everything about Annie’s character and in some ways I could directly relate. I couldn’t quite get on board with Patrick (I found him annoying), but their relationship evolved effortlessly, and I think he was exactly what Annie needed. Overall, it was a light hearted and enjoyable romantic comedy that will be at the top of summer beach read lists!

This is a story in three parts: before a honeymoon, during a honeymoon, and after a honeymoon. It is a bit all over the place for me. I felt like we had so much lead up to the honeymoon, I found that portion of the book to be so long and hard to get through. I did enjoy the honeymoon portion, but then the afterward section, again, didn't work for me.

I liked some of the characters, but I didn't find myself connecting to Annie, and that really made this book a bit more difficult for me. Truly, I found so many of the characters to be inconsistent. It wasn't that they had character growth, it was like they were indecisive about things that should have been the same throughout the story for them. It just didn't sit well for me.

Overall, this was an okay story that might be a good beach read for people.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

What do you do after you are left standing at the alter? That is the question Annie finds herself trying to answer. After a chance meeting with Patrick, an old friend, Annie realizes that maybe she is not leading the life she really wants to. She decides that she is going to start saying Yes to chances that come along. One of those chances is going on what would have been her honeymoon in Australia with Patrick. This is her chance to find herself and possibly Mr. Right.

Publishing 6/10
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#NetGalley #TheLuckyEscape
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I received an advance copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This is the first book I've read y Laura Jane Williams and I promise to read more as this was such a fun read! I personally loved this book. It was a great "beach" read in the middle of a snowstorm for me so It was a great escape to Australia. I loved the storyline and how hard Annie worked to find happiness after being left at the alter. I highly recommend this book!

The Lucky Escape is a sweet rom-com about a woman named, Annie who is jilted at the altar. Heartbroken she decides to go on her Australian honeymoon with a newly re-connected friend from childhood, a single man named Patrick. I loved that the relationship builds from Annie and Patrick's friendship. They had chemistry from the very beginning.

I Laura Jane Williams has done it again. The Lucky Escape is funny, romantic, heartbreaking, and sweet.

ARC generously supplied by the publisher Harper Collins and NetGalley, this review is my honest opinion and completely unbiased.

When Annie arrives at the church ready to marry Alexander she receives the news that he's cancelled the wedding and has disappeared. Confused and heartbroken Annie has no idea what caused Alexander's change of heart.

Deciding not to waste the honeymoon, she suggests that Patrick, an old friend, accompany her instead of her missing ex-fiancé. Leaving for a two week, luxury non-honeymoon in Australia they agree to be merely friends sharing a trip of a lifetime. After all Annie has just been jilted and Patrick insists he doesn't want a permanent relationship.

I didn't mind that the plot was foreseeable, reading about sunny Australia during a winter lockdown was a delight and a means to ignore the cold rain outside.

An enjoyable, easy to read romance, with likeable characters.