The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams was a pretty cute read!

I really liked the plot. A woman is left at the altar but goes on her honeymoon anyway with a guy from her past that she’s recently reconnected with and they end up falling in love on the trip. This is just the sort of cheesy and slightly predictable storyline that I love.

I highly enjoyed reading about these characters. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of Annie in the beginning. She started off very insecure and that grated on me a little but as we move along in the story, we get a better understanding of her and see that a lot of these negative feelings stem from her relationships with her ex as well as her mother. Annie grew on me so much and by the end I adored her. I loved witnessing the emotional journey that she goes on as she learns to become more confident and take control of her life. I almost cheered at the parts where she stood up for herself.

Unfortunately, I have the opposite feelings about Patrick. I loved him at the beginning of the book. He was charming and funny and did anything he could to make Annie laugh. I loved watching their relationship blossom in Australia as they grew closer and all of their moments on the trip definitely make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. However, towards the end I felt like there was a bit of an attitude shift with him and he started to really annoy me. This certainly impacted my love of the story as I couldn’t fully enjoy the ending where Annie and Patrick had their big moment of declaring their love for each other after fighting.

I liked the writing a lot. The story flowed smoothly and it was really easy to just lose yourself in this novel. I especially love the atmosphere that was created during the trip to Australia. The author did such a wonderful job crafting this beautiful backdrop that it made me miss traveling!

While I’m not a big fan of the way this ended, I’d still recommend to anyone looking for a cute, quick read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher, Avon Books UK, for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The plotline for this novel was intriguing to me and I was hoping to love it. Sadly I felt it dragged in parts. I enjoyed the two main characters tale and how they came to build a relationship. I would have liked this to have been a book I would remember weeks from now, but sadly it didn't have that effect on me.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Really enjoyed this book, liked the storyline, liked the characters, basically liked everything. Worth a read.

A fairly enjoyable read, with some inconsistencies.

Annie and Alexander were meant to be, or so Annie thought. They had been together for most of their adult lives after all. So she's completely taken by surprise when he doesn't show up for their wedding.

With her entire belief system uprooted, Annie is unsure what to do next. She was supposed to be in Australia for her honeymoon. But now she has been in bed for day(s), and is unsure about what to do next. Should she go back to work, where she has to deal with her colleagues who will definitely have heard all about it? Or maybe she can stay in bed for the upcoming 3 weeks?

Instead, she runs into her old friend Patrick, who convinces her to go on her honeymoon. Why waste a trip to Australia? And maybe he can go with her?

The story (felt like it was) almost divided into 3 parts;
1. Being left at the alter
2. Australia
3. After Australia

The first two parts were great, the flow was completely believable, and Patrick's introduction back into Annie's life is the cherry on top.

I was however, disappointed in the third part of the story as I felt like Annie's character in the third book did not match the strong, working woman she was described as from the beginning.
Sure, it makes sense that her self-esteem would be shattered after being left at the alter, but it seemed that her decision making skills were also affected, and I found it slightly inconsistent towards the end.

Overall, The Lucky Escape was an entertaining romance; a perfect light beach read.

I received this ARC from the publisher in return for an honest review.

First, thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. It isn’t horrible and would be a great read for someone wanting just a mindless read with no frills and little drama; it would be a good escape from reality

So the good:
- A female character finding herself after being in a stagnant relationship for 10 years and realizing it is never to late to fight for what you want

The bad:
- The first 1/3 of the book is sooo slow and drawn out. I understand the author wanted us to realize the depression Annie succumbed to after being left at the alter but I feel like that could have been established in a couple chapters
- The second 1/3 of the book was the real “meat” of the book. A lovely holiday in Australia with lost of sexual tension. However, I wish the characters had been forced to communicate more

The awful:
- Did someone else write the last 1/3 of the book because it literally did not flow with the rest of the book. Characters were doing and saying things completely against who they were established to be.
- Ohhh Patrick. Paddy. Paddy. Paddy. Why did he have to go from jovial, YOLO, timid-lover to a crass jerkoff? Man, I just really came to dislike him which is really against the point of a romantic book, isn’t it?

If I could rewrite the ending this may get 5 stars for me because I really did enjoy the non-honeymoon and traveling around Australia with Annie and Patrick.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced readers e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I unabashedly love this book for being so soft and real about Annie and her indecisive mind, her broken relationship with her mother and how she heals and grows over the course of a book. It's also such a superior friends to lovers story. Patrick is a friend you WANT even if he weren't attractive to you and despite a weird start where he goes "I'm a good guy" it goes very well. And then not. Like real life. I love how realistic and grounded it remains- despite it being set on a luxurious (not)honeymoon- holiday.

Truly the stuff of escapist dreams.

I was absolutely thrilled when I got an ARC of The Lucky Escape, because I adore Laura Jane Williams' work. Our Stop and The Love Square are two of my favourite contemporary romance novels so I knew this one would be just as fulfilling.

I can honestly say this is my new favourite out of the three books. It was the perfect escapism, full of funny moments, sweet moments, heartbreaking moments and everything in between. I loved the entire sequence down under, and every conversation between Annie and Patrick. Annie's relationship with him felt so true and I loved how they both bounced of each other in such a genuine way. The pacing of the story overall was perfect, and given the disastrous circumstances at the beginning, I liked that we didn't have to dwell on it for too long before the fun really began, but it wasn't just swept under the carpet either.

I also loved the side characters, especially Annie's sister Freddie. Everyone could do with a sister like her!

One of the reasons I love Laura's stories is that they always feel so realistic and so current. Like I could be reading about her friends, not some fictional characters. This book was no different and I can't wait to purchase a copy for my shelves when it's released in the summer.

A strange book at first. . I could not see where it was going. You knew Patrick and Annie would end up together. A pleasant read. I did love the descriptions of Australia and Annie's love for her sister. Annie's mother was a character and a half, we knew she loved Annie deep down. The ending was good

Told ultimately in three stages - pre-honeymoon, the honeymoon, and post-honeymoon, this story follows the life of Annie, a recently jilted bride. Uncertain how to proceed after being left by long-term partner Alexander, Annie decides to takes a chance on an old friend she becomes reacquainted with. She packs her suitcase and passport, and the pair set off on her honeymoon, reminiscing about their youth together in a theatre group. Ultimately this is a story of the newly single Annie figuring out what she wants from life going forward.

Much like a cute romantic-comedy blockbuster, there are moments of hilarity - most notably a naked spa retreat - but also themes of touching sincerity including the loss of a spouse. This story is a retrospective look at womanhood and what constitutes a healthy relationship - whether romantically or platonically. This story of love and adventure has a much deeper thread than you'd imagine which I was pleasantly surprised by. Kudos too for the representation of non-binary characters at the spa Annie visits too.

Annie's journey to becoming a self-assured woman was fun to follow along with, but at times I felt there were unnecessary lapses including Jules and then her considering doing her current job in Belgium despite wanting a career change which is why I hadn't rated this higher.

This is fluffy and romantic much like Laura Jane Williams' other work, and I am a fan. If you're looking for something that doesn't take itself too seriously, this feel-good frolic is a perfect beach read (or a slice of escapism in the middle of January).

*Huge thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for this review copy, I literally SQUEALED when I got send the ARC before Christmas!

As a wedding photographer for almost 15 years I've seen a lot but I've yet to have someone get jilted at the altar (a few close calls though!) so the premise of this book immediately sucked me in. From the first few pages I was immediately hooked in.

While you have to suspend a bit of disbelief for the main part of the story, I really rather enjoyed it and wished there was another whole section of more of the honeymoon fun and adventures. That's by far the best part of this book and shows the best of Annie and Patrick.

However, once the honeymoon is over the book almost completely does an about face and it gets a bit mucked up. While the ending brings it back together again I feel there was a bit of a misstep there in the final third of the book.

Overall it was still an enjoyable read and it was a fun break from the doom and gloom of early 2021!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

A lovely escape to Australia while it is -20°C outside my window!

It is a story about Annie, who gets stood up at her wedding day by her fiance, who she has been together with for more than ten years. Now she needs to rebuild her life while struggling to understand how she has got it all wrong. While battling inner demons at the gym, she meets an old friend Patric. After a drunk night at the pub, he ends up being her honeymoon travel companion.

In the beginning, the story was slow. However, it was worth the wait because, as soon as characters boarded the plane to Australia, it was all funny, sparkly, and full with laugh out loud moments.
Great romance development. I liked how down to earth it was. There wasn't a charming, all perfect prince, just a decent nice guy with his own baggage.
Unfortunately, the ending was dragging too much for my liking. I understand that the author was trying to build character development while teaching Annie some needed life lessons, but it just took too long. I would have liked more if she would have faced her fears and gone into the battles a little sooner.

Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Publication date: June 24th.

P.S. I always wanted to go to Australia (when I was little, it was my dreamland because I thought that I could climb in a kangaroo pocket, and he would carry me around 😇).

This is very much a "sweet" story, the characters and their relationships are adorable and the plot is charming!
I enjoyed this and found that I flew through reading it as I was so invested in Annie and her story.

If you're a fan of the genre, or any of Laura Jane William's previous work, i think you'll really enjoy reading this.

I really didn't want this book to finish, I really loved it.
Maybe it took me away from what is happening in the world and took me into someone's life that needed changing for the better.
I connected so much with Annie, feeling you always had do things in a certain way and was really stuck in a life that pleasing others first is easy, but your not truly happy.
It excited me when she got jilted and realised she was going to turn it around into a good thing.
This is my first book to read from this author book won't be the last. 5 stars deserved.
Thank you for the opportunity

Annie is headed down the aisle when she learns that her soon to be husband has called off the wedding. Her "should be" in-laws encourage her to go on the luxury honeymoon they planned for them and Annie decides to go with her camp friend Patrick. They haven't seen each other in many many years, but decide to live in the moment and take this trip together. Throughout the "honeymoon," they learn about each other and begin to fall in love. A sweet romance that I would definitely recommend!

4.5 stars. A story about love and loss in many different forms. Learning to love yourself as well as learning about the love you deserve.

This was a great read- quick and engaging, but still pulls at the heartstrings. I enjoyed the characters and their stories.

Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley.

I'm starting to really love this author, and this is the sort of story that really appeals to me.

Of course all my favourite bits involved the honeymoon, which given even the destination hasn't been revealed in the blurb, I don't feel right in saying it here.

Let's just say it's a long haul flight, a three week trip of a lifetime and I was open mouthed at the luxurious nature of it, especially given it was paid for by the in-laws that weren't actually in-laws due to their son jilting Annie at the altar.

I loved the descriptions and trips that were taken on this honeymoon, not always the most expected of destinations, and sometimes not solidly on the tourist trail which was really nice to see. As a travel lover I was I really happy with how it was depicted, and made me long to get on a plane to join Annie and Patrick out there.

But there is more to this book than just the travel element, it's a story of how Annie learns a lot about herself in the aftermath of her jilting. There is her brand night light hearted friendship with Patrick who she knew briefly as a teenager, and I loved her relationship with her much younger sister.

Annie's mother was so familiar to me, the various comments she made, it felt like she could have been my mum, for the majority of the book.

I really did enjoy everything about this book, from the first few pages where Annie is all excited getting ready for her wedding, to the aftermath where she is frustrated with her family around her, and her attempts to regain control with a boot camp. And all that before the honeymoon which wasn't a honeymoon as such.

Her dynamic with Patrick was so fun to read, and I would love a Patrick in my life!

Having enjoyed the books I've now read by Laura Jane Williams I really should go back and read Our Stop, and I will definitely keep an eager eye out for future releases.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

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 nother husband…



I thought this one was okay. I think that there were some things that didn’t need to be in there but overall it was okay

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Really loved the premise of the book blurb, but the book fell flat for me. I wanted to love it so bad. The first few chapters were very slow. Even though the book did pick up, I was not a fan of the characters. They felt forced. I did love the diversity in the book though. No fault to the author, the format of the ARC was extremely hard to read, with no paragraph breaks and grammar/punctuation errors. It took away from my enjoyment of reading it.

A joy in the grey days of January!! Annie gets jilted at the alter....decides she will go on honeymoon..with an old school friend Patrick that she meets again by chance. Adventures and finding the real Annie and Patrick ensue. They both have issues to address and in doing so find themselves and each other. A lovely but of much needed escapism which I thoroughly enjoyed. Likeable characters, realistic setting and satisfactory ending..

Pure escapism. The start of the book was ok but after a few chapters it really took off, and not just to Australia... the fun that Annie and Patrick share is so uplifting. Just a bit jealous of the Australian honeymoon.
Laura Jane Williams is a great fun writer, she makes me smile and we need that at the moment.
Thank you NetGalley