Oh boy. Unfortunately I just didn't get on with this one.

First, a few things I did like before I get into what I didn't: I enjoyed that the story was for the most part about Annie reassessing her life and realising that, at thirty, it was by no means too late to do things differently or learn a new way of doing things. I would have preferred if the book was all about that really. I also enjoyed Annie's relationship with her sister and her best friend.

Patrick's backstory is interesting and gives a layer to the romance that I thought was well handled and worth exploring.

The story didn't really lean into any of the tropes that you might expect with this premise (fake dating, only one bed etc) which was refreshing. But tropes are tropes for a reason. People like them and may have expectation of seeing them.

Ok so what I didn't like:
The big one is I didn't like the love interest, Patrick. Which is very unfortunate in a romance. For one thing they have no chemistry together. For another Patrick acts like one thing for most of the book and then seems to have total 360s in character whenever there is a need to create drama.

I kept getting dragged out of the story by these completely weird asides that Annie would have. Like there is a paragraph about how awful and patriarchal the institution of marriage is and it's kind of whiplash when she was just on about how much she was looking forward to getting married. At one point she says her little sister had to tell her what G2G meant and I again that dragged me out because this character is thirty or early thirties at most. She's a millennial. Our generation INVENTED G2G. I know these things sound petty, they're just examples of what kept from getting fully immersed in this book.

The pacing was just all over the place. The trip to Australia is like the middle third of the book. I thought it would take up most of it. The first third was too slow getting to the point. The middle third was the best bit but went by too fast and the final third felt like it was telling a completely different story that basically just baffled me from start to finish.

None of the characters really interested me. Patrick was the worst but no one else was really interesting either. There was a lot of diversity in the supporting cast but none of them ever DO anything. It feels like the uni friends just exist to make Annie feel like she's not doing well at life. They could be removed and lose nothing from the story. The only important ones are Freddie and Adzo and and a result were the ones I liked the most.

I don't think the author is bad writer by any means and I think the plot had the potential to be great it just wasn't it this time.

Wonderful author absolutely loved this story,Was involved from the first pages the setting characters that came alive.Will be recommending,#netgalley#avonbooksuk

This one is tough for me to rate and review. The premise was exactly something I love in a story with an unconventional situation of two people and a side of personal growth and discovery, however the execution was lacking for me. The pacing wasn’t fluid and it left the characters feeling flat. This might be a personal issue and others might not feel the same, but I was unable to fully immerse myself in this novel and it left me feeling distanced from the story. I enjoyed the overall arc conceptually, but struggled with enjoying the previews of reading.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Absolutely loved this! Laura Jane Williams writing is like talking to a best friend. I gel with her style so well.

Even though I could predict what was going to happen from very early on, I found this didn’t matter as I was more interested in seeing the journey and how the characters got there.

The character of Annie was brilliant, and I fell in love with her relationship with her sister.

Annie is left standing at the alter, devastated and bewildered. She meets an old school friend and decides to take the chance of a lifetime by going on her ‘honeymoon’ to Australia with him. A quick little love story where you are definitely hoping for the best for Annie. I enjoyed this light hearted, feel good story and would recommend.

Loved getting to read Annie's story and see how everything turned out for her. Definitely think this will resonate with a lot of people as I'm sure many people have felt how she did throughout the book. Couldn't stop reading it once I started! Definitely recommend reading this book!

This was such a sweet little romance! It's a fast read and I really enjoyed the characters. The story was predictable but I still loved it and would recommend.

A heartwarming romantic read perfect for an escape whether on a summer holiday or relaxing by a cosy fire. Maybe a little drawn out and predictable in places but nonetheless a good lighthearted, fun and entertaining read. There was also a more serious of being true to oneself and not pleasing everyone else and learning to live for the moment. Lighthearted, fun and entertaining read with good characters who developed throughout. Good relatable characters who developed over the course of the book .

Really enjoyed this story and everything it brought to me. The will they wont they is beautifully written and leaves you questioning it right till the crucial moment!

What a fun story! Annie gets stood up on her wedding day by Alexander and then his parents gift her the honeymoon. She's trying to get back to herself and starts attending a bootcamp where she bumps into a friend from the past. Patrick attended summer camp with her for years. In a drunk moment, she asks him to accompany her on the fantastic honeymoon. It seems like you've heard this story before, but there are a few twists that make it original.

This was good? I don’t know why, but I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop the entire time I was reading this. I kept thinking this is so cute, but then wondering when Patrick would turn out to be horrible. Spoiler, he never does. Sadly, I think that took away a bit of my enjoyment. But I did enjoy the growth our heroine went through; it seemed both realistic and positive.

This was a wonderful weekend read! I enjoyed getting transported to Australia with the little details in the book. The characters had great chemistry and the story unfolded at a pace that kept you wanting to read the next chapter! I would like to read. sequel about these characters to see what happens next!

This is a light hearted and easy to read novel, with a feel good factor. I enjoyed it. The characters are likeable and believable and the plot contains some interesting twists. A good summer read, but also good to read on cold, bleak days in January.

The Lucky Escape was a cute romantic comedy with a little bit of escapism! It felt a little like I was on a tropical vacation to Australia along with Annie and Patrick (which would be SO nice right now). I very much enjoyed reading the love story, as well as Annie's journey to become more "herself", more like the freer Annie that Patrick had previously known.

I really enjoyed this book! I almost gave up on it because it wasn't formatted for Kindle and that made it super hard to get into. But then the story took over, and I got lost in it. It was fun to escape to new countries while being treated at home during a pandemic, and I loved that Patrick was able to refer to himself as the manic pixie dream girl. The romance felt very believable and didn't have that insta quality that you offered have to overcome. I fully recommend this as an enjoyable, escapist read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this book!

Annie has been left at the alter by her long term boyfriend, Alexander. She is left uncertain and confused, wondering how she managed to get it so wrong.

After a chance meeting with a man from her past, Annie makes a spontaneous decision to take him on her honeymoon. Annie and Patrick spend their trip together in Australia, both committing to moving forward with their lives and leaving their pasts behind. Will they move forward... Together?

Annie and Patrick are my favourite! I loved that they're both struggling with events in their past, albeit very different events. This is a gorgeous story where the characters are battling with the concept of being happy, and not letting age impact their decisions. This book makes you question your decisions in life, and check in with yourself and your well-being.

I did feel as though the first half could have been slightly more condensed, and the second half could have been slowed down and more descriptive. Overall, a fantastic book and I would definitely read more Annie and Patrick in the future!

One cancelled wedding.. One unexpected encounter.. One spare ticket for the honeymoon..

This was enjoyable read.
I haven't read anything else by this author and I must say that I like her writing, especially I like the main idea of the book. It was nice to stop and think a little bit what would you do if you were in the shoes of both characters.
Let's say it was original in its own way.

But also i must say that I found the book little bit long, like it was dragged little bit more than it should be.
Also I wished there was a bit more development of the relationships she had with some characters.
I guess my main problem was that there wasn't sparkle.. the magic.. still I kinda like it.
Definitely going to recommend it for summer reading.

Big thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy.

Annie has been jilted by her boyfriend Alexander at the altar after being in a relationship for over a decade. She was devastated, the world collapsed around her but it’s a blessing in disguise. Soon, she bumps into an old friend Patrick, and takes off for her honeymoon with him which has been paid for by Alexander’s parents.

Annie is admirable for turning her life around by evaluating and figuring out from the horrible betrayal. Since childhood, she has molded herself to meet expectations of people around him even though it’s not her real persona. First time, she gets a chance to see herself through her own eyes rather than through other people’ lens.

Patrick is charming, content, with a YOLO attitude. He helps Annie by making her realize to be true to herself, do whatever she wanted and not to be a pushover. The big takeaway for me is the pearls of wisdom incorporated though Annie’s journey of enlightenment without making the reader feel it’s preachy. This sets this book apart from the usual fluffy romances.

Apart from Annie and Patrick, her gang of four friends and colleague Azdo are all awesome and provide a strong support system to her. Her sister Freddie is also sweet, and loved the delightful sisterhood of these. It was good to be transported to beautiful Australia through Williams's vivid descriptions.

Overall, this is a charming, delightful, emotional in parts, and feel-good romantic book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon books UK for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A light-hearted romance, The Lucky Escape was a quick read.

Jilted bride, Annie, meets an old friend Patrick at boot camp and the two decide to avail her honeymoon to Australia. How the two of them bond during their journey and mend their respective broken hearts forms the rest of the story.

Annie's relationship with her friends and sister was very beautiful portrayed. But there were many instances in the book that I felt were too preachy.

Overall, a fun and simple story.
A big thank you to Avon Books and Netgalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 15%. I should have known before I went into this that I wouldn't love it, as I really didn't enjoy Our Stop. But I wanted to give the author a second chance. Unfortunately, I just don't think this author's books are for me. I don't enjoy her writing style and find it very difficult to get into. The concept is fine, but I wasn't willing to push myself another 2 or 3 star read from this author for fine.