The Lucky Escape

Despite having ‘Our Stop’ sitting on my kindle for ages - I’ve still not read it. So I started my foray into Laura’s books with this - The Lucky Escape. Annie is jilted at the alter by Alexander and throwing caution to the wind she goes on her honeymoon without him - taking along an old friend she has recently reconnected with. Annie is a good girl - she goes what is expected of her and tries to keep the status quo and keep everyone happy. Patrick has a lighter outlook on life. So together they take on Australia.
I found this a bit of a slog at first. It just didn’t feel like it was going anywhere fast. However once the story picks up in Oz it was much easier to breeze through. Some bits actually made me laugh out loud. For that I’ve given it 4 stars. I think this book is hard to put in a category - it’s sort of a soul searching/finding yourself/rom com story all bundled it one. I enjoyed it none the less and I’m looking forward to finally reading ‘our stop’.

Wasn’t that just a cute story 🥰 it gave me a sense of a holiday that so many of us want right now 🌎

This was a light story with some important topics sprinkled throughout. Annie’s journey of self discovery, her willingness to experience new things, & her promise to live her life on her terms, made her VERY relatable & real ♥️ And Patrick’s past helped mold him into the person who lives for every moment 🥰

I also really liked Annie’s bonds with her little sister Freddie, & her group of friends (the core four) 💕 the loyalty made their relationships more real.

After a little bit of a slow start, this one dragged me in until the end 😊

This was my first Laura Jane Williams book and while I liked it, I didn’t love it. It was cute and an easy read - I just don’t think it’s a book that will stick with me beyond today. And that’s okay because we all need books like this sometimes.

Annie gets left at the altar by her fiancé, Alexander (whom she had been dating for over 10 years). He didn’t even have the decency to let her personally know - instead, he texted the wedding planner and then he disappeared off the grid and out of the country leaving Annie to pick up all the pieces. After Alexander’s horrified mom convinced Annie to still go on the honeymoon, she agrees - and then she asks someone to join her - a man she recently ran into again after not seeing him since theater camp when she was 14. We find out later that the man she asked, Patrick, is a widow and still grieves his wife.

You can see where this is heading - after a three week honeymoon in Australia, these two “fall in love” with each other. But seriously - can someone really jump from a 10 year relationship being dumped at the altar to a new relationship where that person is in love? I guess you will need to read it to find out. But the title is appropriate - Annie did have the “lucky escape” by not marrying Alexander.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

Another hit by Laura Jane Williams. Laugh out loud but covers serious subjects with sensitivity. Always love her books and can't wait to read whatever she writes next.

Much better than The Love Square - there were sections that were really hot and where I felt like I genuinely connected with the characters.

What a fun, exciting and captivating summer read. If you’re lucky enough to be jetting off for a vacation this year TAKE THIS BOOK WITH YOU. It’s the perfect mix of cute and steamy in a twist to the usual friends to lovers tropes. Williams once again kills it with creative spin on a modern day romance (I also loved Our Stop by LJW).

This book has got all the relatable female friendship and dating moments alongside a totally unrealistic romance plot. It makes it all the more fun!

I feel like I could be Annie, our main character, she was relatable and goes on a journey of self-acceptance and being the best version of herself, and we love to see it. I loved the sister relationship with Freddie and her female friendships. I HATED Alexander, which was obviously the point. And then there’s Patrick… the dream guy - a fun, easy going old friend. I start off loving him but then I totally got the ick about 70% of the way through the book? I’ve never got the ick from a fictional character in a book like this, but when you know you know… (totally only my opinion though, as expected Annie doesn’t think the same and typically with such a book there is of course a happy ending)

On a final note, this book got STEAMY and I was here for it. Some of those Sydney hotel scenes, I mean 🥵🥵🥵

The perfect feel good summer romance novel I devoured whilst on my own little staycation in Scotland.

#theluckyescape #laurajanewilliams #avonbooksuk #netgalley oh my heart. It’s been a tough few months for me personally. But. This book made me forget it all and it truly was a lucky escape #punintended what a sweet endearing book this was. Poor Annie. Set to get married only to find out from her #weddingplanner that the groom is mia and not even coming. At. All. Cue the depression and the sadness until her were to be in-laws insist she take the #honeymoon and SHE DOES. Ugh. If only #reallife was this good. Pick it up. Fall in love with Annie and discover yourself all over again #chicklit #netgalleyreview #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #bookrecommendations #beachreads #summerreading

I absolutely loved this, everything about it was all I ever want in a romance book.
The characters were instantly likeable, not only do you have the romance element you also brillilant friendships and family dynamic too.
I read this super quickly as I didn't want to put it down.
The plot was engaging and moved at a good pace.
I'd 100% recommend the book and I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for sending me the eARC of The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams in exchange for my honest review.

Last year, I listened to the audiobook for Our Stop, by Laura Jane Williams, and although it was by no means groundbreaking, I still enjoyed it enough to want to pick up her latest release. In The Lucky Escape, Annie has just been left at the altar and starts trying to pick her life back together. After a reencounter with an old childhood friend, she decides to take her would-be in-laws offer to still go on the Honeymoon, all expenses paid. So that's when she and Patrick fly all the way to sunny Australia and the cutest beach read begins.

This is the perfect rom-com to read by the pool or by the ocean. It has a great romance, with amazing chemistry between the characters, and it's great to go through this journey with Annie and Patrick. Both of them have to do a lot of growing and getting to terms with their life and, although we only see Annie's perspective, I really enjoyed seeing them both rediscover themselves.

Laura Jane Williams' writing is brilliant and it sucked me right in. I was entertained from the start and flew through the book, which was perfect since I've been on a reading slump. What I loved about this (and have been reading more and more of) was seeing characters in their late 20s/early 30s still discovering things about themselves, exploring new possibilities and seeing that, maybe, they don't have their lives figured out. After reading so much about people in their early 20s that have a perfect career, relationship, and lives (which is completely unrealistic in the grand scheme of things), it's completely refreshing to see people struggling with their place in the world.

The characters had great banter back and forth and that really pushed the story for me. My favourite part of the whole book was definitely their trip though. I wish we'd gotten more chapters in Australia because those were incredibly fun. The luxurious trip, the characters getting closer to each other, and the bliss that only comes with being on holiday.

Especially because, when we went back to London, I felt like Patrick's entire character went away and their chemistry and relationship simply vanished. I get that relationships can go through some struggle once you leave the vacation bubble and go back to normal life, but they seemed like completely different people and that kind of diminished my love for this book. I feel like it was an attempt to create conflict but it wasn't that well executed. We could've had the predictable conflict, but I needed it to feel real which it didn't.

Besides that, I still had a great time reading this. The writing was great, I overall loved the characters and, even if the whole story felt a little superficial (I wish it'd gone deeper at some points) it was exactly what I was looking for. A light, fun, fluffy, and the best page-turner to get me out of a reading slump. Highly recommend it if you're looking for a cute summer romance.

After reading (and throughly enjoying) Our Stop, I had a feeling that Laura Jane Williams was one to watch. Whilst I haven’t read The Love Square (yet), I knew I had to read this one and – let me just say – I’m so glad I did.

In a world where we’re lucky for any kind of escape (I’m choosing books, and whatever requires as few nasty Covid tests as possible 😂), it was nice to switch off for a moment and forget my problems. Of course, Annie’s circumstances at the beginning of the book are less than ideal. Her fiancé Alexander jilts her at the altar, with no explanation. What follows, at least for the first half, is a great sense of loss, confusion and a woman taking the time to put herself together again.

The pre-holiday part of the book did drag a little bit but I think it was important to read as so many of the same books have something bad happen and then the protagonist just gets on with it?? It was nice to see Annie’s friends and family rally round here and – when she’s reunited with an old friend – the book really picked up.

What follows is what I’d call an “unhoneymoon” as Patrick and Annie journey through Australia. Not only did this part showcase some gorgeous locations, fabulous food and some crazy characters, it also allowed the reader to see growth of a relationship and self discovery which I absolutely loved.

Williams is brilliant at creating connections and this book is no different. It’s a gorgeous bit of sun, sea and self acceptance.

I started off really enjoying this read and overall I’m giving it 4 stars. It was a predictable story of romance and adventure which was very enjoyable to read. My only qualms with it were finding Patrick a difficult character and so I wish the ending was different. Apart from that it was a very positive read that kept me interested.

This book as an intriguing premise--a woman is left at the altar and decides to go on her honeymoon anyway, taking along a childhood friend she recently reconnected with (who happens to be a hot, single man). But something felt missing, and I can't quite put my finger on it. Was it that it felt too similar to previous novels (e.g., The Unhoneymooners)? A slightly strange voice (which may just be because it's British)? Or unusual pacing (the characters return from the honeymoon, and there's still a third of book left)? I'm not quite sure. I can't put my finger on something specific I'd change, but there was something just, I don't know, off. I liked it fine enough, the characters were interesting, and boy does it make me want to vacation in Australia (though maybe not on their exorbitant budget), though.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 6/10

Left at the altar on what should have been her wedding day, Annie is unsure what went wrong with Alexander. Together for 9 years, she thought marriage was the next logical step in their lives but obviously Alexander thought otherwise. ⁣
⁣
In an effort to move on with her life, Annie decides to go ahead on her fully paid honeymoon, inviting an old friend Patrick along for the trip, the first spontaneous decision she hopes will be the first of many.⁣
⁣
This book had a synopsis very similar to The Unhoneymooners so I went in with high hopes but sadly, I struggled with this one. There were times that I felt the book just dragged on a bit. I didn't love either of the characters all that much and I was a tad confused at how they ended up where they did at the end.⁣

While this book started off promising... the plot of a bride getting jilted at the altar and then using that event to re-evaluate the trajectory of her life and going on her would-be honeymoon with a childhood friend that she reconnected with... it started off so good, but once they returned from the honeymoon/vacation to Australia, the book just seemed to drag on. While I enjoyed the (eventual) ending, there was unfortunately a rather large chunk of the book that I just didn't enjoy as much.

A nicely written romantic comedy with good character development for the main protagonist, a lovely setting and a positive conclusion.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I hate to be ruthless and give this book a one star but here we are.

This book had all the potential to be a book I loved but sadly its a book I will likely forget by the end of the week.

The book follows Annie who gets left at the alter obviously has a breakdown (as you do) then she's runs into an old friend from her past and decides to make some impulsive choices (all for it).

So it had the self discovery, midlife change, second chance at love (ish) and travel aspects that drew me in to want to read this but I honestly felt like none of it followed through. It was all there but slightly and it had the potential to be good but didn't hit the mark.

Probably the most interesting and thought provoking thing about this book for me was the relationship Annie had with her mother. It was dysfunctional and probably the only relationship in the whole book that had depth and meaning.

I love a book with some great strong female friendships in it and this multiple female relationships in it but they all seemed pretty surface level to me. The relationship with Patrick didn't have the chemistry it needed and honestly just seemed like a really odd situation.

I'm really sad I didn't love this book, I wanted to which is why I pushed through and completed it.

Thanks to netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

This was a cute read. Annie is left at the alter. She is sad and confused and down and decides to go to the gym to lighten her mood. She runs into an old high school friend Patrick. Their goofy friendship lands them both on the honeymoon that Annie was supposed to go on with her husband. The trips becomes a place of healing where Annie realizes she has been hiding from herself and not living life how she wants but how everyone else wants or expects.
I enjoyed this book. It was a nice light read. I feel like it was a little on the long side for the story line though and I found myself trying to hurry up and finish. If your looking for a slower paced rom com. This is a god one to pick up.

What an absolutely delightful read I jumped into! I looooved Our Stop when I read it last year, and found myself equally in love with The Lucky Escape! This is not your typical sexy romance romp, there’s a hell of a lot more to it!

Starting out in the UK, we meet Annie as she is jilted on her wedding day and then follow how she deals with this grief with the helping hand of a chance meeting with an old friend, Patrick. It turns into an impromptu “honeymoon” around Australia starting in Western Australia, which I thoroughly enjoyed as I read this on a work trip to Perth. The trip is full of raw moments of emotion, personal growth, and lessons about taking leaps of faith, but also some seriously laugh out of loud scenes!

If you need a feel good and fairly sexy romance to get yourself out of the winter blues, I highly recommend The Lucky Escape! I’m not a massive romance fan, but this was heartfelt and hilarious, with some serious topics thrown in there as well which were all executed extremely well.

Five stars from me and I can’t WAIT for Laura’s next book!

Thanks to @netgalley and @avonbooksuk for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

{Thank you @netgalley and @avonbooks for this e-copy of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺 𝘌𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦!}⁣
⁣
After being left at the altar, Annie's not-to-be in-laws encourage her to go on her 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 honeymoon to Australia. But she won't be going down under alone.⁣
⁣
This book. From the synopsis and front cover, I went in expecting this to be a rom-com but found it to be much more of a women's fiction. I think this is the reason that I didn't really jive with this story. ⁣
⁣
I was expecting funny antics and witty banter more on par with 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴. Instead, I got a women's journey on her road to self-discovery. I think by the time I switched gears in regards to the genre, I wasn't overly drawn to any of the characters. I feel like my experience with this book was definitely tainted by my own incorrect assumptions.⁣
⁣
I think this will be an enjoyable read for people who go in knowing it's not a rom-com. ⁣

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

Even though I received a copy from Netgalley I knew that reading this book in audio form was the best way for me, and I was right.
I don't think I would have liked the story so much or read it so fast if I hadn't read it via audiobook. So I highly recommend this book's audiobook to you.
I really liked the book about the book, like a lot, but mostly I liked the characters, everyone is amazing even the secondary characters conquer you.
But I really liked our main character and all the development she goes through in this book, she grows a lot during the story, and I loved seeing her learning to love herself, be confident, fight for what she wants, and not let others treat her badly.
The romance is cute, and here we have an incredible love interested, but the author also shows the difficulties that relationships can have making it clear that no one is perfect and that everyone makes mistakes but it is possible for you to have a healthy relationship.
I think it's a book that talks about relationships, your relationship with yourself, with your friends, family and lovers and how all these relationships have good and bad parts!