This was a really cute and happy read. Entertaining and kept me flipping pages late into the night. I would recommend this for a fun vacation read.

This is a perfect fit for readers who crave a heartwarming and uplifting tale of self-discovery, romance, and second chances, with a dash of humor and adventure, and are looking for a story that will leave them feeling hopeful and inspired.

What a fun ride! Annie has a wedding that gets called off as she is entering the church and her gracious ex's in-laws still insist she takes the honeymoon as a vacation in exchange for what their son did to her. And after a bit of mourning, she decides to say yes and take that vacation along with a former friend who has re-entered her life, and oh what a trip it was!

I love a HEA, especially when I enjoy the journey. This book had just the right ups and downs and I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know how Annie and Patrick would come together. With an extra layer, I have traveled to Australia and while I didn't visit all the places they did, it was fun to go back in time and revisit some of the places that I did a few years ago.

This was my first Laura Jane Williams and I loved it so much and would love to read a few of her backlist books when I am ready for a sweet romance.

Overall I felt this story was too light; light on character development, light on substance, and light on romance. I was hoping it would focus more on their "lucky escape", but I found myself getting bored and not really caring.

Such a fun read! Loved this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

I read this two years ago and while I was going through my Netgalley "send feedback" page I realized I never reviewed it! I really enjoyed it, though. This was fun, heartwarming, and had a unique plot - something that's a bit hard to come by in romance novels these days.

I could not get into this book.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from Avon 360 through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I requested this book because I loved the cover...sometimes that bites me in the butt but this time I actually enjoyed the read :) I liked the characters and I enjoyed the development and personal growth that the main character goes through...and I loved all of the travel scenes. This was my first book by this author and I really liked it...so it will definitely not be my last.

When Annie becomes a jilted bride, life couldn’t possibly be any worse… until… her almost-in-laws convince her to take the honeymoon trip anyway!
3 weeks in Australia, all expenses paid sounds like a perfect escape from her life, even if it isn’t with her new husband in tow.
Then Annie runs into an old friend from camp, Patrick, and gains a lot of perspective on life - the good, the bad, and the tragic?
When these two embark on an Australian adventure, will sparks fly, or will they help each other heal from past losses?
I loved this one - it was cute and fun - but also had real life issues like a toxic parent, and self esteem and self image. All issues that I can relate to and that made this a great book for me!

This is a wonderfully fun and enjoyable read full of adventure and lots of laughs, it's a bit predictable but still, a great way to while away a few hours.
This is the first book I have read by this author and it certainly won't be the last, I am looking forward to reading more from Laura Jade Williams.
This tells the story of when Annie is jilted at the alter, but instead of doing a Bridget Jones by wailing away to Celine Dion while eating her body weight in ice cream, Anni instead goes on the honeymoon that's already been planned and paid for by her not-quiet inlaws. Well, why not? I liked Annie and I enjoyed watching her relationship with Paddy develop through the story, but what stole the show for me was the setting, the description of Australia stole me breathe away.
There are some truly lovely moments and some scenes which had me hooting with laughter, it's a brilliant escape from the day-to-day grind and a definite must-read!

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This heartfelt story was published November 2, 2021. I’m obviously very behind in reading/reviewing this, and I’m so sorry for that because this story was SO GOOD!

I swear I highlighted about half the book. There are so many good lines, phrases and ideas throughout.

The chemistry between Annie and Patrick was believable. Things move fast, but it’s not instant love. It’s also not quite friends to lovers. It’s a little in between maybe. But however it is categorized, it’s just good!

Annie’s character growth is incredible and so relatable! She’s strong but broken. She’s insecure but finding her voice. She’s perfectly imperfect!

I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves a good love story, but especially to those who hold themselves to high standards and outlandish expectations of perfectionism. To those who feel like they are never enough and at the same time like they’re too much. For those who have had their heart trampled on and need to see a phoenix rise from the ashes and put a positive spin on an awful situation.

I related to this book in every single way! I just requested Laura’s upcoming book, Just for December, on NetGalley. If I get approved, I promise I won’t sit on it as long as this one.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the gifted ebook of The Lucky Escape! All opinions in this review are my own.

Unfortunately, I have decided to DNF The Lucky Escape 150 pages into it. I loved the premise, but unfortunately, the execution didn't keep my attention. I couldn't force myself to read another 200 pages of Annie and Patrick on their fake honeymoon.

I really loved this book! It was a great getaway book and I finished it all in one sitting. I will definitely be reading more of this author!

Annie's life is upended after her now-ex left her at the altar on the day of their wedding. Annie is miserable and doesn't understand what did she do wrong. After spending days commiserating on her misery, Annie decides that she will not let this traumatic event be the focal point of her life. Thus, she chooses to go on a trip. On the eve of her flight, she reconnects with a former friend of hers, Patrick, who is recovering from losing his wife and becoming a widower.

Annie extends an invitation to Patrick to join her on a one-in-a-lifetime experience on her already paid-for honeymoon trip. Patrick accepts it, and together they go on a trip of a lifetime that helps them to overcome their shared trauma and bond over their losses... and maybe something else.

I found this book rather enjoyable, and while I liked the premise of the book, I found that introducing a new love interest so soon was an interesting choice. While Patrick is someone who Annie knows from before, they haven't been in each other lives in years. So, I thought the invitation to spend weeks at a time together was rather odd. I guess the decision could be somewhat triggered by her trauma, but I felt that Annie needed some guidance after such an awful moment in her life. Nevertheless, I liked how Patrick and Annie help each other to overcome their grief and understood why they were so drawn to each other.

Overall, I liked how the book dealt with the themes of grief and trauma, and I liked the main characters a lot. While I wish they had not gotten involved in such a forced-proximity situation so soon, I was able to understand why they made certain choices, and I found them to be a great match as they sp[end more and more time together.

This book was light-hearted & an extremely enjoyable read!

The character growth in Annie was a realistic progression, from the time she was left at the alter throughout her experience going on her honeymoon trip with Patrick. Their relationship growth was also very believable & I enjoyed both the Australian adventures/thrills & that the book covered the aftermath once the vacation was over.

Highly recommend & excited read more from this author!

This was a very middle of the road romance for me. There wasn't really much to make it stand out from other romance books, and I don't feel like I got a very clear image of the characters. The main character, Annie, made out like she had clear ideals but then would immediately contradict herself, and the resolution between her and her mom was slightly unbelievable. Her mom has been constantly belittling her and making cruel comments, and then all of the sudden the reader finds out it's because she thinks Annie is not living up to her potential. It just felt rather unbelievable. The pacing also felt uneven. Overall it was fine, but nothing I would go out of my way to recommend when there are other better options.

A delightful book full of adventure, action, and thrills. Fun to read, engrossing world building, and very descriptive imagery made it feel like it was cinematic. It's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. Would recommend.

This book was a fun, easy read that I read over two days. To me, the idea of going on vacation with someone I haven’t seen in years sounds crazy, but it’s part of what kept this book interesting. Overall, I enjoyed reading ‘The Lucky Escape’.

This book was just ok for me. I love the cover and I think I wanted to like the story more because of it. I never really connected with either character. There was a lot of talking but nothing seemed to move the plot along.