This one just wasn't for me. I DNF'd it. I think the writing style just wasn't meshing with me but the plot still seemed interesting, I would have loved to see how it panned out but I just wasn't enjoying the writing too much.


Thank you Netgalley and Harper 360 for the opportunity to review! All thoughts are my own

🏖🗺New Release Review! 🗺🏖
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The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams

(swipe for goodreads synopsis)

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(3.5)/5

🏖 Best revenge after your fiancé leaves you at the altar? Go on your honeymoon without him! 😂

🏖 I’m unsure about where to start with this book because I have mixed feelings about it, so I’ll break it down:

What I loved:
🏖 The sisterly bond between Annie and her sister, Frederica ❤️
🏖 The idyllic visions of her Australia honeymoon—I want to go to Australia now 😂
🏖 The themes of trust, staying true to yourself, and confidence that flowed throughout the book

What I didn’t love:
🏖Firmly closed door romance. (The door cracks open a tiny bit at one point, then shuts again 🤷🏻‍♀️)
🏖This one dragged a little bit for me. I found myself wanting to finish it toward the end just to be done with it.
🏖 Despite the book starting with mature characters, there were some immature moments that were a little frustrating for me as the reader.

🏖Overall, if you’re a die hard rom-com lover that doesn’t mind closed door romance, you might enjoy this! I still enjoyed it, but it wasn’t my favorite.

🏖What’s your favorite rom-com book you’ve read?!

Happy Tuesday, ya’ll! Am I only the only one in a candy hangover? I swear my body is having chocolate withdrawals because I don’t normally eat sweets. 😆

What is everyone’s first read of November?

I’m posting a mini review of my last book of October by the wonderful @laurajaneauthor

The Lucky Escape
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Unhoneymooners vibes in a holiday to Australia!

Annie gets left at the altar by her long-time fiancé and is second-guessing every choice she’s made in life.

Her ex’s family insists she still uses the honeymoon for an escape, but she brings along Patrick, her childhood drama camp crush (recently reunited in an unexpected way).

The banter and spark between Annie and Patrick are electrifying and comforting at the same time. The journey is atmospheric and the relationship was one you were rooting for—but I honestly couldn’t tell how it would end for a minute there!

You have to suspend reality a bit on just how much of a d-canoe her ex really is, and how awful her mom can be sometimes.

There’s a bit of self-worth issues, grief and learning how to love someone when you still haven’t learned to love yourself.

The first few chapters were a bit slow but once you meet Patrick, it’s a page turner and a love story that leaves you going, “aww.” ♥️ Patrick stole the show and is my new book boyfriend. 😂

HAPPY PUB DATE to this cutie, you can pick up now to shake off all the horror stories from last month and sink in to this book hug..

The Lucky Escape is more than a romance novel, it's a story of growth, self acceptance, and identifying what to do to better yourself. Although the whole story is a bit medium paced, it is perfect for everything thrown Annie's way and how she must learn to deal with it. Beginning with being left at the altar, she must rebuild her life and with humor, reconnecting with old friends, and taking a holiday from life, Annie really does experience adulthood all within a couple of weeks.⁠
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Spice:🌶️⁠
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⁠
Diversity: 🌈⁠
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Triggers: non-main character death (mentioned car crash), alcohol consumption⁠
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Thanks to NetGalley and Harper360, Harper Collins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review and the opportunity to read this work of art.

The Lucky Escape is a lighthearted, fun, quick read despite the somber beginning.

Annie gets jilted at the alter but what follows is a wonderful story about a woman finding herself again. She decides to take a leap and go on her honeymoon despite being left by her fiancé and try to enjoy herself for once without caring what anyone else thinks.

Honestly, I felt so relaxed while reading this story and felt like I was the one on vacation in Australia. The characters are lovable and I really connected with Annie and the mindset she had in the beginning. Is it predictable? Yes. But I still really enjoyed this one. If you're in the mood for a cute romance that will also take you on a luxurious vacay then this is the book for you.

4 Stars for me!!

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper 360 for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

A lucky escape from the chaos of life with a lovely story about Annie whose life is upended and starts over. A fun story about what happens when she takes a long-lost friend on her unhoneymoon. Great travel and descriptions. The book felt slow in some parts but all in all a nice read.

When Annie pulls up at the church in her wedding gown, and her wedding planner tells her that her groom isn't coming, she is understandably devastated. In an attempt to turn her life around, she starts going to a gym and bumps into Patrick, an old friend who reminds her of days when she used to be happier and true to herself. The parents of the absentee groom feel horrible about their son's actions and offer Annie to take the honeymoon that they would have gifted the couple. Annie decides to ask Patrick to go with her, and they set off for a three week trip together.

This book was a fun look at a young woman who is trying to figure out who she is after years of shaping herself into her fiance's perfect woman. Patrick was a very engaging presence, and it's enjoyable watching the two of them fall back into an easy friendhsip after almost 20 years. I really love a romance where a character takes a journey toward finding out truths about themselves, and this book fit the bill for that perfectly.

Thank you so much to Avon Books for provisding me an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

After being left at the alter by her fiancé, Alexander, Annie is left with a broken heart. To keep her mind busy and not think about Alexander, she joins a fitness boot camp where she is reunited with Patrick, a friend she hasn’t seen in 20 years. Her future mother-in-law feeling terrible of her son’s doing, insisted that Annie should still go on that honeymoon without Alexander. Annie really enjoys being around Patrick and he reminds her of who she used to be, she then decides that she will invite Patrick to accompany her on a 3 week honeymoon.

I loved Annie’s journey of self-discovery, completely changing her life around after facing life’s curveball. 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. However, in the last third of the book was a bit of a disappointment and things turned a little chaotic.

The book lacked believability but still a fun read. It didn’t wow me as much as I thought it would. Overall an enjoyable happily ever after.

When the wedding planner is the one that breaks-up with you because your groom left you at the alter.

Annie and Patrick are old friends who bump into each-other at Barry’s!! (The original red room 😂 if you know you know.) Patrick ends up accompanying her on the honeymoon she was supposed to go on with Alexander to Australia 🦘

On this 3 week adventure Annie loosens up and learns to love herself and starts living her life for her ❤️

Annie and Patrick were funny and cute together. I really enjoyed them together.

This was a great read that I would totally recommend! If you enjoyed The Float Plan and The Unhoneymooners then you’ll love this one ❤️

The only thing I didn’t like were the second characters and their weird names.

Thank you Harper 360 for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow this books shatters love and then puts it all back together in the best way possible! Annie is left at the alter and ends up taking her lavish honeymoon with an old friend who is a virtual stranger at the start. These two have instant chemistry of the friend variety that creates a beautiful foundation for a very sweep you off your feet kind of romance.

The book really talks about building that foundation during high season when everything is literally a vacation and then testing it when real life comes back into focus. Annie and Patrick were funny and silly together but also incredibly romantic and lovely. I enjoyed their story and seeing how they handled unique challenges.

Recommended: yes!
For a fun travel adventure, for a cheeky attempt at no-strings-attached fun, for the "vacation with a stranger" trope that's a little less scary because they were classmates way back when

Thoughts:
In short, yes, read this book. ^.^

This is a travel book, and a romance book, and a finding-yourself book. It's a couple of stories woven together, and it's seamlessly done. Things move pretty quickly too, so you don't have to wait much to really get into the action and fun.

Because there are so many themes to the story, I got to know the characters really well. I loved them both so much, and I really enjoyed them together as they reconnected and built a relationship (even if they didn't always know what kind of relationship they were building). These folks had literal baggage for their trip, plus the emotional baggage to boot. Slowly cracking them open and watching them light each other up, and heal, and figure out what they wanted and needed in life, was sweet enough to make me smile with every page.

Plus it didn't hurt that they had the dope backdrops of Australia for most of the story. The travel aspect was so fun! They go all over the country, and Australia has a lot of variety. If you're coming into this for a fun little romp around the continent, you'll mostly get it. Unsurprisingly it's primarily spent on the Eastern coast, but you get a good bit of everything.

There is some time before & after where they aren't in Australia though, and I particularly appreciated the time and effort given to the "after" period. It's easier for the characters to ignore any big questions while on the trip because they're outside their standard lives. Regular concerns just don't matter at that point. But once they're home, what exactly is the plan? It was handled beautifully, and painfully, and it was one of those resolutions that felt very human. It hurt all the more because of it. Excellent wrap to this one.

Thanks to Harper 360 and NetGalley for a free advanced copy of this title. This is my honest review!

This was my first Williams’ book and I loved the blurb, so I had high hopes. Ditched at the alter? Check. Stranger filling in on honeymoon? While I expected it to be more lighthearted than it was, I am still definitely a fan. While I will say there are some CW in this book (surrounding unhealthy relationships with food and familial toxicity), it is still an excellent read and lots of fun.

Fans of Christina Lauren’s The Unhoneymooners will love this one!

Spending three weeks with Patrick on her Australian honeymoon is not how Annie expected things to go. During this time, she learns to love herself first and do what makes her happy. Some things go as expected while others don’t. There was the right amount of steam to call this a romance, but I loved that, at its core, it’s a love story for Annie to fall in love with herself.

Loved the settings and the characters as they navigate everything life throws at them! And go Annie for standing up for herself and learning to be unapologetically herself!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

This was ok. I thought I would enjoy this more than I did. I found it hard to get into. The heroine was ok but nothing great. I was really disappointed.

*Thank you to Laura Jane Williams, NetGalley, and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Annie has been ditched at the altar. With Alexander for 10 years, and finally getting married, it surprised her to find, when she arrives at the church, that the groom is nowhere to be found.

This is a wonderful little story about finding yourself, reconnection, and learning how to be a bad ass rather than a doormat. Annie has spent too long mourning the loss of the life she thought she wanted. When she kicks into gear and joins Barry's boot camp, she meets an old friend from camp Yak Yak. He changes her perspective on life. Annie takes Patrick to Australia for the honeymoon she was supposed to go on with Alexander, and falls in love all over again. There is so much sweetness in that story. Patrick, who believes in love, despite his tremendous loss. Freddie, Annie's younger sister, who is her best friend and their relationship is so enviable. And we can't forget about the core four, Annie's close friends, who consistently remain there for her throughout her journey.

I loved this story and found Annie's reactions and feelings very realistic. It is well written and kept me engaged.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I have to say, when I first started this book, I was skeptical and worried I would not like Annie. But by the time we got to Australia and Annie started to come into herself, I was definitely convinced otherwise. I definitely found this to be such a great read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone considering it!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

There are so many things I love about this book. I feel like it's a combination of women's fiction because we're on a journey with Annie and a rom-com because of her growing friendship with Patrick. It's a delightful and refreshing combination with thoughts on living life.

The protagonist is great! Annie is confused, uncertain, but trying to find her way through life and the hand it's dealt her. I thought her sadness was so realistic and pulling herself out of it was palpable. Life is full of conflicting emotions and this was handled so well.

I also felt for the love interest, Patrick. His situation with love in the past was just as heartbreaking. Even though I couldn't live "in the moment" as much as he did, I can see why he adopted that as his life's philosophy and mode of operation. He offered something to Annie that she didn't know she needed or had lost - her sense of spontaneity. I also loved how he was justly hurt and confused about what was going on.

There is some sex on the page - though not overly, overly detailed. And it's not like characters just jumped in the sack randomly with people. There's a little bit of cursing. No violence or domestic abuse.

I recommend this book for readers who are ready to delve into life's questions with Annie as she rediscovers who she really is.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The word escape in the title was very appropriate because the book was a great escape from the stresses of the world. It would be the perfect book to read on vacation.

The Lucky Escape is a romantic comedy with a twist. The main character Annie lives in London, and is about to get married to her college sweetheart. Except the wedding does not end up happening. She is heartbroken and reeling after being left at the altar. While getting over losing her fiancé she runs into an old friend from her theatre camp days. Enter Patrick. They strike up a friendship and before you know it he is accompanying her on the honeymoon she was supposed to go on with her husband. Three weeks in Australia on what is supposed to be a trip for husband and wife, and they are going as friends. I loved the writing, it was funny and moving. The characters had depth that went beyond some more typical rom-com characters. I think that is the kind of rom-com I like, where it is not hyper focused on the romance. I do however wish it was a little more steamy! I really enjoyed the character development that took place throughout the story. All around a great read that I would totally recommend! Thanks Netgalley and Harper 360 for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

So I wanted to love this book more than I did, and it definitely had the potential but there was just missing something. I loved the idea behind the story and plot, the wanderlust aspect, who the main characters/love interests where to each other, and their personalities/history. But their connection was just missing some oomph. It didn’t make me feel all tingly and I couldn’t grasp their chemistry. Overall, it was a good read but I wish it would have made me feel a little more.