Annie is left at the altar but the man she thought she was meant to be with. Her would-be-in-laws want her to go on the honeymoon anyways. Then, Annie meets Patrick, a guy from her past, and decides to go with him on the honeymoon.

The story was divided into 3 parts: left at the alter, honeymoon and after Australia. I REALLY loved the first two parts. I loved the introduction of Patrick and their days in Australia, but I felt like I needed more of the honeymoon part. These two parts were a 5☆.

I was, however, disappointed with the third part of the story. I liked the conversation of how it's okay to change your career when you're 30. But, I hated that she started doubting her relationship with Patrick because of what her mom, which is known to not be supportive of her daughter, which made 0 sense to me. Also, the ending felt lacking.

Review based on an ARC provided by the publishers.

Another wonderful story from Laura Jane Williams.

After being jilted at the altar, Annie grieves the loss of her long term relationship to Alexander. She tries to get back on her feet, which leads to her meeting an old friend from her teenage years, Patrick. One wine-fueled evening out and Annie and Patrick travel to Australia together for Annie's three week holiday.

Of course sparks fly. However, just because Annie promised herself to say "yes" to opportunities coming her way from now on, doesn't mean this holiday fling would work out back in London. Especially not when Annie is faced with even more "yes-worthy" opportunities.

As mentioned above, I read an ARC of this book. I thought the last 20% were a bit rushed, but this might be smoothed out before the book hits the market. I'm looking forward to close my talons around a final copy of this book and adding it to my hoard - I mean shelves.

This was my first book by Laura Jane Williams, and though the flow wasn't all there, I enjoyed it overall. The beginning dragged a bit, it definitely could have been cut down and lessened the 400 pages. Australia was such a good time-- great communication, fun flirting and banter, and a nice vacation to different spots with minimal facts about them. I appreciate when the characters are being tourists but I don't feel like I'm reading a tour guide book with all the information being thrown at me. It felt disjointed when the relationship stuff started, especially after they returned to London. The characters personalities seemed to keep changing in the last bit and they weren't consistent with each other or what was said during their great communication on the trip. As I said, the middle part was great, but the start and finish definitely needed some work.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley!

This book was soooo good! OMG, I was laughing so hard in some parts I snorted, that’s how good this hook was!

I received an ARC copy of The Lucky Escape and I am oh so glad I did! I have not read any of Laura Jane Williams’ other books and I loved coming into this with a completely open mind. This is heartwarming story of bouncing back and finding love after feeling like you’ve lost it all. I loved everything about Annie’s character and in some ways I could directly relate. I couldn’t quite get on board with Patrick (I found him annoying), but their relationship evolved effortlessly, and I think he was exactly what Annie needed. Overall, it was a light hearted and enjoyable romantic comedy that will be at the top of summer beach read lists!

This is a story in three parts: before a honeymoon, during a honeymoon, and after a honeymoon. It is a bit all over the place for me. I felt like we had so much lead up to the honeymoon, I found that portion of the book to be so long and hard to get through. I did enjoy the honeymoon portion, but then the afterward section, again, didn't work for me.

I liked some of the characters, but I didn't find myself connecting to Annie, and that really made this book a bit more difficult for me. Truly, I found so many of the characters to be inconsistent. It wasn't that they had character growth, it was like they were indecisive about things that should have been the same throughout the story for them. It just didn't sit well for me.

Overall, this was an okay story that might be a good beach read for people.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

What do you do after you are left standing at the alter? That is the question Annie finds herself trying to answer. After a chance meeting with Patrick, an old friend, Annie realizes that maybe she is not leading the life she really wants to. She decides that she is going to start saying Yes to chances that come along. One of those chances is going on what would have been her honeymoon in Australia with Patrick. This is her chance to find herself and possibly Mr. Right.

Publishing 6/10
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#NetGalley #TheLuckyEscape
#2021reads #readinginohio #bookstagram #booknerd #reading #readinglife

I received an advance copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This is the first book I've read y Laura Jane Williams and I promise to read more as this was such a fun read! I personally loved this book. It was a great "beach" read in the middle of a snowstorm for me so It was a great escape to Australia. I loved the storyline and how hard Annie worked to find happiness after being left at the alter. I highly recommend this book!

The Lucky Escape is a sweet rom-com about a woman named, Annie who is jilted at the altar. Heartbroken she decides to go on her Australian honeymoon with a newly re-connected friend from childhood, a single man named Patrick. I loved that the relationship builds from Annie and Patrick's friendship. They had chemistry from the very beginning.

I Laura Jane Williams has done it again. The Lucky Escape is funny, romantic, heartbreaking, and sweet.

ARC generously supplied by the publisher Harper Collins and NetGalley, this review is my honest opinion and completely unbiased.

When Annie arrives at the church ready to marry Alexander she receives the news that he's cancelled the wedding and has disappeared. Confused and heartbroken Annie has no idea what caused Alexander's change of heart.

Deciding not to waste the honeymoon, she suggests that Patrick, an old friend, accompany her instead of her missing ex-fiancé. Leaving for a two week, luxury non-honeymoon in Australia they agree to be merely friends sharing a trip of a lifetime. After all Annie has just been jilted and Patrick insists he doesn't want a permanent relationship.

I didn't mind that the plot was foreseeable, reading about sunny Australia during a winter lockdown was a delight and a means to ignore the cold rain outside.

An enjoyable, easy to read romance, with likeable characters.

This book is about Annie Wiig, devastatingly dumped on her wedding day she has no idea what to do with her life. She throws herself in to boot camp where she reconnects with an old friend from drama camp, Patrick Hummingbird, who she hasn’t seen for twenty years. They decide to go on her honeymoon together as an adventure and to recover from past traumas, because Patrick too has some old wounds to heal.

I don’t think it will come as a huge spoiler to reveal that Annie and Patrick start to realise an attraction to each other, but will the path of true love run smooth??

I was lucky enough to read an advance copy of this book via @netgalley and was thrilled as I had really enjoyed Our Stop by this author. The Lucky Escape is not as good! I didn’t warm to the characters, and stupidly named Patrick Hummingbird made me cringe, I’m afraid. The plot is very predictable and although the deviation of a trip to Australia was nice I found it a bit of a stretch to imagine the potential mother in law would fund a 5🌟 all expense paid trip to Oz for her son’s jilted pride and her potential new love interest 😂

Overall this was a fairly pleasant, easy read that took my mind of this dreary lockdown for a bit.

The Lucky Escape was the perfect “escape” from a snowy January day.

Annie is left at the alter by her college sweetheart. Devastated, embarrassed and heartbroken she sinks into the pits of depression. Until one day she discovers a workout class that begins to pour back the life into her. At said workout class, she reconnects with a childhood friend, Patrick. Her would be in-laws insist she take the honeymoon to Australia that they has already paid for. At first she refuses, but before she knows it she’s on a first class plane ride to paradise with Patrick by her side.

The book is a little bit like a Hallmark movie in that you just know that Annie and Patrick will end up together. Patrick is the male lead that every woman drools over. He’s funny, charismatic, chivalrous, and the perfect travel companion.

The Australian setting made me jealous and itching to travel. I know I’ve added Sydney to my travel bucket list after this read.

The novel read a bit differently for me because it was London based leading roles. I liked hearing from a different perspective than the American one.

If it weren't for my inability to not finish a book, I could have easily put this one down fairly quickly. I'm glad I didn't, because I did enjoy the story once it truly got going, but it really did take a_long_time to get Annie moving along post-Alexander leaving her at the alter. It's a decent rom-com and would be a great beach read, if only the first third of the book were slimmed down.

A joyful easy read that follows the story of Annie who unwillingly escapes a longstanding relationship with her childhood sweetheart Alexander. Annie rediscovers herself and the joy of living life on her terms coupled with an unexpected new relationship, flat and reflections on her chosen career.

Laura Jane Williams portrays the importance of always putting your happiness first, letting go of self-doubt and fears to live your best life.

This was a quick read for me. Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced reader copy- loved it!

The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams is a masterpiece of a novel. I haven’t spent an all-nighter reading a book in a while, but I found that I just couldn’t put this one down. From the emotional struggles and self-discovery arc, I was captivated. I even found that the storyline was not as predictable as I find a lot of contemporary romances and was not able to figure out what was going to happen until the very end. There were a few things that made me a bit skeptical, but without getting into any spoiler territory, they seemed to be resolved and explained. Overall, this book is one of the first five star reads I’ve had in a while and helped me get back out of a reading slump.

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book however it was somewhat all over the place in the beginning. I think part of that has to do with the heroine being relatively all over the place too. Which truthfully was hard to connect with. Other than that it was a good light story.

Fun, sad, heartwarming and laugh out loud till you cry , this book was all of these things. A delight to read about love, loss and friendship with some travel as well.
Highly recommended for these troubled times.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

The Lucky Escape
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“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…”

I was in two minds about reading this, The Love Square was my first read of the year and I loved it so I was worried this might not live up to its predecessor.

I needn’t have worried. I adored it!

I have this pre ordered on @amazonuk and can’t wait to gift it to some friends.

This was a decent read. Nothing special, revolutionary or innovative, but enjoyable all the same. Easygoing and just what I needed.

I didn't feel any real connection to the characters. I wan neither sad nor happy for them, I just couldn't connect.
And for some reason, I just couldn't take Patric seriously.

Some of the side characters were really cool, though. Like the little sister, for example.

I would like to add that I really don't like the parents. The mother is presented like a real bitch, while the dad is all cool. But I really don't think he is. If your spouse is doing everything but abusing your child and you just keep silent, you are not a good parent.

The spry was pretty slow for my liking, and the main part was just too short. I wanted to "see" more of Australia and the adventures.

The writing was really nice, I'll give you that. The conversations are natural, the situations are natural. There was nothing sloppy or forced about the delivery, really. I just wish there was more going on apart from all that meek "do I like you or don't I like you, should I take the job or shouldn't I".

A miserable humiliation becomes the best thing that ever happened to Annie, the thirty-two year old brilliant but woefully lacking in self-confidence heroine in this charming story. The novel traces her gradual coming back to life as she journeys to Australia on the honeymoon paid for by her prospective in-laws that she was meant to be taking with the long-term lover who ditched her almost at the altar.
Having recently become re-acquainted with a happy-go-lucky old friend from her youthful days in summer theatre, she takes him along as her “plus-one” on the once-in-a-lifetime trip. While readers may predict the happy ending, the adventures and epiphanies that come in between make the novel an enjoyable read. The tone is light-hearted and witty, but there are also some very relatable family relationships, particularly Annie’s with her mother, that pack a more serious punch. Readers will cheer as Annie learns self-acceptance, forgiveness, and the joys of living in the present moment in this warm and life-affirming story. If Nora Ephron-style rom coms are your thing, I definitely recommend that you look for The Lucky Escape when it comes out in June 2021.