I haven't read anything by this author, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised! This book was such a cute, vacation read. I loved the premise. It reminded me a lot of Christina Lauren's The Unhoneymooners, just with a friends to lovers spin rather than enemies to lovers. I think Williams does an amazing job of showing growth in her characters. We do not finish the book with the same Annie that we started with and you can really see how throughout the story. This book also really explores how grief can come and go, and how there is no right way to move on. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend as a cute beach read for the summer!

The book's premise hooked me in. Jilted on your wedding day but still taking the honeymoon sounds great.
The book starts with Annie having arrived at her wedding, ready to walk down the aisle, only to be told the groom, Alexander, won't be coming. Devastated, Annie struggles to understand what happened. Burying herself in fitness, she runs into an old friend, Patrick, After a few beers, and the blessing of the grooms' mother, Annie and Patrick head off for a non-honeymoon together in Australia.

I enjoyed the Lucky Escape and the author gave me enough information about Alexander for me to dislike him, but not question why Annie was with him. The non-honeymoon in Australia was paced just right for me, with Patrick and Annie becoming friends and having wonderful experiences together. first. The ending was a little unfocus or rushed. A lot happens in a very short period of time. Overall, this is a great story and a fun read.

Thank you, NetGalley for the arc. This is my honest review.

Can someone please book me on this trip to Australia?!?

This book can only be described as the perfect summer read and for those of us who just aren't ready to attempt travel yet, it provides the perfect escape.

The story begins at the wedding of Annie and Alexander. As Annie arrives at the church, her poor wedding planner has to tell her that Alexander has texted her to say he won't be coming. Annie is absolutely devastated. In order to try get over it all, Annie joins bootcamp, where she meets an old friend, Patrick.

Alexanders parents manage to persuade Annie to go on her honeymoon, but she doesn't choose one of her best friends, she ends up on her honeymoon with Patrick.

Now, yes, we all know where the story is going. Is it cheesy? Of course it is. Do I care? Not one jot!! There is nothing better than chilling out with a classic rom-com and for me Laura Jane Williams writes some great characters.

Definitely one to read over the summer!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Laura Jane Williams and Harper Collins for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is due to be published on 10 June 2021.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC.
3 Stars!

It was hard to put this book down.
I was hooked from the first chapter.
Well written, well plotted, engaging characters.
his book was basically three parts: before the honeymoon, during and after.

This was a fun book. Light and full of travel and romance. I enjoyed the characters and their growth. Great beach read!

Remember last week when J.Lo, who had recently split from ARod, was spotted with her ex-boyfriend, Ben Affleck and everyone said “slow down girl and take a minute for yourself!!” Well, that’s how I felt about the main character in this book- Lucky Escape.

Annie is getting married. She arrives at the church only be told by the wedding planner that her shitwit fiancé isn’t coming and the wedding is off. Annie falls into deep despair since she gave the last decade of her life to her asshole ex-fiancé. Shortly after being jilted, Annie meets an old friend, Patrick, from drama camp when they were 15. They strike up a friendship, get drunk, and Annie invites him to join her on the honeymoon in Australia “as friends”. Patrick manages to get three weeks vacay at a moment’s notice- no red flags there, Patrick! They go to Australia, Patrick doesn’t murder her and stuff her body in his suitcase, but he does help her get over her fiancé and shows her that she’s a better person than she believes. Obvi they slowly fall for each other and decide to be BF/GF by the end of the trip. Slow down, JLo!!

I enjoyed Annie and Patrick’s time in Australia, but the reality of their life after the “honeymoon” phase became tedious and frustrating. When they return to London, Annie becomes insufferable bc she doesn’t know what she wants- new job, move to another country, break up with Patrick, stay with Patrick, I’m strong, no I’m weak, new haircut, become a counselor...no girl, you need to go SEE a counselor and just breathe for a minute!! While not an axe murderer, Patrick was pushy with a woman who’s decade long relationship just went up in flames. Slow your roll, Patrick! Overall this book was “meh”.

***I received this book as an ARC courtesy of @avonbooksuk via @netgalley

Smut- 1 star (Totally closed door sexay times is a real let down for this smutty perv)
Romance- 3 stars (add a star if you consider not being stuffed in a suitcase on one’s honeymoon romantic).
Story- 3 stars
The HR vacation policy at Patrick’s job- 5 stars

I am reading slowly, as it is not my native language, but so far I am enjoying the story, it is light and fun.

Rating: 2.5*

I can definitely see how people might find this book enjoyable, and I would recommend it if you’re looking for an easy beach read type of book. However, personally it just wasn’t for me and I was left feeling slightly disappointed.

My main problem was that I disliked the two main characters, both Annie and Patrick. Their characters really annoyed me and I felt no attachment to them at all which prohibited me from properly enjoying the book. The plot also felt quite inconsistent, and at some points it was as though I was dragging myself through certain chapters just to finish the book.

I really loved the idea of this book and still enjoyed the authors writing, even if it’s not one of my favorites.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams was a cute and engaging romantic book. This would make a great beach read! I did not want to put it down.

I'm definitely familiar with the authors works but this is the first I've read for myself and I really enjoyed it. It was easy to read, wonderfully written, gripping and captivating. Would definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were likeable and the story had me hooked. I enjoyed seeing the friendship develop between them in Australia, and the holiday itself sounded dreamy! I hadn’t read any of Williams’ books before and will now be searching for more so I guess that says it all! Would definitely recommend.

Thank you to the publisher Avon Books UK and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are exclusively my own.

Publisher Description
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 not her husband…

My Thoughts - https://pjsandbooks.wordpress.com/2021/05/18/the-lucky-escape/


This book is the perfect Summer read and I would highly recommend this to be added to your packing list. The eARC had some formatting issues but I am sure this will be sorted before publication day and did not spoil my overall enjoyability. This book tells the story of Annie who is told by the wedding planner as she arrives at her wedding that her future husband has text and will not be marrying her! She is then encouraged by her would be in-laws to still go on her Australian honeymoon. Annie finally decides to go and her company a man she knew from drama camp when she was a teenager! The story had a commonly used romantic novel formula but this was completed about three-quarters through the novel and then Annie had some more choices to make. I definitely was rooting for Annie initially but then I was team Patrick 'Pongy Paddy' Hummingbird.

I give this Summer read:
🧡🧡🧡🧡🤍


Overall, I enjoyed this read and I definitely recommend this book as your holiday book for 2021.

The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams is due for release June 2021.

The Lucky Escape

There’s not much to say about this other than ‘what a roller-coaster of a book’. The two main characters, Annie and Patrick, meet each other after a number of years, when each of them are hurting because of past events in their lives. This explores their relationship amid the story of a non-honeymoon in Australia, and the change this has on their personal lives. Did they end up together? You’ll have to read the book to find that out.

The Lucky Escape is the story of Annie, a jilted bride, who randomly runs into her childhood friend Patrick, and they embark on what would've been her honeymoon to Australia (minor spoilers ahead).

I love a good rom com and thought the premise was interesting (I also lived in Australia for 3 months and LOVED it). Unfortunately, this novel didn't quite do it for me; it could be because I was coming off of a high of reading another contemporary romance that I really loved and had really high expectations. The chemistry between Patrick and Annie was just okay and I felt like the dialogue was a bit cheesy at some points. For me, the characters lacked depth so I wasn't 100% invested in them or their story.

I couldn't really relate to Annie, whose character is around my age, and I was getting really frustrated with her towards the end. I felt like she was so fickle and was treating Patrick horribly - seemingly loving him one minute but then annoyed with him the next because he could potentially get in the way of a new job. While I still think this book was cute and a quick read (definitely a good beach/vacation read), it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for providing me with an eARC of this book!

Get me to Australia please 😭

I ended up really enjoying this book, I have to admit it was a little slow starting for me, but once we met Patrick I couldn’t put it down! I loved coming along the journey with Annie as she slowly realised the toxic relationship she’d been in. Her disbelief that everyone except her had seen it was really relatable, and I loved her character development that comes from it.

Patrick and Annie’s chemistry was one of my favourite parts of the books, There was a lot of funny moments that made me laugh out loud during their time in Australia, and easy banter between the two. The eventual love story is done perfectly and with care, navigating all the baggage the pair carry. The book also deals with some heavier themes, which I felt was navigated really well, It was nice to have another element to the romance plot.

Once they got back from the holiday the book slowed pace a little again for me, which is why I have dropped a star. But overall I really enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it as a summer beach read!

When Annie’s fiancé leaves her at the alter, she is devastated. She decides to go on their honeymoon anyways as a chance to escape, however, she doesn’t go alone. She goes with an old friend she has recently reconnected with. That was so absurd to me. Take a girlfriend with you, or be brave enough to travel alone, don’t take a man you knew 20 years ago from camp.

Learning to live life and learning to be happy for what must be the first I mean in 10 years, it’s really nice watching Annie grow and move forward. Some of the plot felt forced and rushed. Overall a cute story with more depth than originally imagined.

I have been looking for a book that would get me out of the current rut that I have found myself in, I have been reading books and not totally enjoying them, sat with my kindle reading but the percentage of the book that I am reading never seems to increase or does so at such a slow pace. That is until I have found this book, what a total joy that I have whizzed through it and loved every minute of it.
Annie finds out on her wedding day that her fiance isn't turning up to the wedding, leaving her abandoned there in her wedding dress, this understandably leaves her devastated. She decides to join a local boot-camp, she finds solace in exercise and it is here that she meets Patrick Hummingbird. Annie and Patrick had known each other since they were 14 years old and attending a drama school together.
When Annie's ex in-laws want her to go on the honeymoon that they had arranged, a drunken decision lead to an amazing holiday. I loved reading about Australia, remembering the times from my own honeymoon, however, it wasn't as lavish as this one, this honeymoon sounded amazing. This is the story of 2 people trying to leave their past behind to form a new future and you are left routing for them from the start. All the characters in the book are strong and Annie has an amazing support network. Her relationship with little sister Freddie is really special and she has the Core Four to support, even though they are all at different stages of their lives.
I am new to Laura Jane Williams but I am going to make sure that I read her others, this book is so good, if you are undecided, give it a go, I promise you will not be disappointed!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Avon books for the opportunity to read this book as an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I was provided with an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to the author, the publishers and NetGalley.

I really wanted to like this book. But I didn't.

The premise is this: A woman, Annie, gets left at the altar by her fiance and decides to go on the honeymoon anyway with an old male friend Patrick. 3 weeks of adventure in Australia? Sounds good right? What it fails to mention is that the old friend is actually someone she met at drama school as a teenager and hasn't seen in about 15 years. They reconnect at a fitness class after the break-up and she decides to go on the honeymoon with him in the 3 weeks between the planned wedding date and the honeymoon departure. I know books don't always have to be realistic but come on. Annie is also so confused that her friends and family don't think it's a good idea. Oh and her exes parents who are paying for it all? Totally chill with it.

Overall, I thought this was a generic holiday romance that just ended up being far too slow and annoying for me. The characters were cringey and frustrating and I just didn't click with the story at all. This is a shame as I enjoyed the author's previous fictions.

Something that I had a personal gripe with, as a scientist, is that the main character and her best friend are both theoretical physicists. Great, some representation of women in STEM. However, I think the author has perpetrated some negative stereotypes. First of all, the main character says that she only really went into the field because it was so well funded. I mentioned this to the theoretical chemists I work with and we all had a good laugh. Science is not well funded, that's a myth. Sure it gets a lot more funding than the arts, but it's more expensive to do and the salaries of UK scientists are far lower than in the US and continental Europe. Also theoretical work is generally looked down on because it doesn't always have direct practical applications and is generally less well funded than experimental work.

And then both of the female physicists admit that they don't actually like their jobs and wish they could do something else. There's a massive problem with women in STEM leaving the fields. There are many reasons for this and it's really heavily influenced by sexism. I think it's fair to say that a lot of women do want to leave science but for it to be a minor plot line, seems more damaging to me than good. Sure, show that it's ok to change careers but why have both of your female scientists hating their job? Why not have at least one positive role model? In my opinion, it's a bit of an insult to the women who love science but get pushed out of it because of sexism/racism. It was quite clear that their roles weren't well researched either.

The Lucky Escape - Laura Jane Williams

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review thanks to Avon Books UK and Netgalley.

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.

This is a feel-good, light and easy romcom to read, perfect for a summer escape. Throughout this book, Annie is reevaluating what she wanted to do with her life following being left at the altar. Annie is developed in a subtle way; she starts out afraid to take risks and as the plot develops she becomes more confident.

From the beginning I found myself wanting Annie to get the happy ending that she deserved.

Rating 4/5

3 to 3.5 stars.

A great, escapist summer read.

After Annie gets dumped at the altar, she's convinced to go on her Australian honeymoon anyway and ends up taken an old friend she's recently re-met, Patrick. The new friendship and break gives her a chance to reexamine the person her relationship had made her into and her life in general, against the backdrop of sunny Australia.

There was a lot to enjoy about this book: the fact that Annie's whole life and relationship with herself is explored, not just the romantic part; a main character that is bossing it at her job, even if she has doubts about it (not that common for a millennial lead in my experience); a great cast of supporting characters and believable relationships, such as that between Annie and her mother. At first, given the cutesy nicknames, I thought I'd find Freddie (her younger sister) annoying but Annie and Freddie's relationship ended up being one of my favourite parts of the book. I also liked Adzo, though she did fall a little into the Magical Negro trope. Oh and then there's Patrick - I've seen some reviews saying he has no redeeming qualities, whereas I felt the opposite and loved him, including the faults that make him more believable as a person. (Given his history, you've got to expect some things bubbling under the surface).

Oh, and I want to visit Antwerp now.

The downsides? I'd have loved more time actually exploring Australia, especially Sydney - I felt like we got a lot of detail about the lovely hotels and spas which was nice, but the bits I enjoyed most was when we got to experience some of the country with Annie and Patrick and there wasn't enough of that. I also felt like her relationships with her uni friends weren't fully explored, but what we did see was believable and relatable for a friendship group of that type and more description might have made the book feel a bit too slow. Talking of pacing, this was an unusual book where sometimes I couldn't put it down and others I was quite happy to leave it for a little while.

Overall though, this was a fun, escapist read with a fun, enjoyable cast of characters and premise. I just wish I'd been reading it on an Australian beach!