Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes life just doesn't work out the way you thought it was going to, and that is exactly what The Lucky Escape by Lauren Jane Williams is all about! Shout out to Annie for saying yes to everything after being left at the altar!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
***SPOILERS***
Even after sitting with it a few days I'm still conflicted about this books. The writing is really really good (besides some minor errors that I hope will be fixed in a last edit) I'm just not sure about the storyline. With someone just coming out of a relationship I think it's always hard to find the right balance of them staying independent and going all in with the new one. I liked the period before the honeymoon and the honeymoon itself very much but afterwards it started to slip. I'm not a huge fan of one love interest having lost their previous partner, especially if they were really in love. In the beginning Patrick makes it clear that he will never get married again but then suddenly he is way more invested than Annie. In my opinion he shouldn't have been as angry with her about talking about Alexander. He was a huge part of her life for so long and I think it would have been healthy for Patrick and Annie to discuss which issues she still has after such an unhealthy and unequal relationship. It is very clear that in trying to change Annie goes a little too far and does not consider Patrick at all when it comes to big life decisions. At that point it isn't about asking for permission but discussing with your partner that you have been offered a huge job opportunity in another country. Patrick was right to be upset especially because she only told him after running into him. The whole job storyline was a bit of a mess for me. Why was she suddenly considering this, falling in love with the city and then just saying no? What was up with the super flirty colleague all of a sudden?
I wish she period after returning from the honeymoon would have been a bit more straight forward. Annie was very clearly doubting the relationship without real reason and for a while I even thought they weren't getting back together because Annie didn't really seem into it anymore. I think the last leg of the storyline could have done with a little less drama and it would definitely have been a four or five star read because the characters were really quite good.

This was a fun story with great characters. The plot was a bit different than many popular tropes. Great story nevertheless.

I absolutely adore Laura Jane Williams' books - and I think that this may be my favourite one yet.

Annie is a strong character -- one who is flawed, yet believable, and who honestly feels like she could be your BFF. I also loved the way that the reader got to see her through different lenses: the Annie who was out with the Core Four, the Annie around her mum, the Annie around Freddie, the Annie at work and the Annie with Patrick.

It all begins when she's set to marry Alexander, but she's left standing at the altar by her 'Mr. Right'. Unsure about how she got things so wrong, Annie runs into an old friend - Patrick. He reminders her of how she used to be, and she makes a big decision to say yes to every opportunity from then onwards. Which makes things a bit more complicated when he offers to come with her on her not-a-honeymoon-honeymoon -- after all, there's a spare ticket now, right? And she did promise she'd say yes to everything...

The story between Patrick and Annie developed in a way that actually seemed very realistic, given the circumstances that they found themselves in. I loved the way that the characters grew - both as individuals and as a couple - and absolutely flew through this in a day. It's the kind of warm, comforting read that we definitely need.

Spurned by her fiancé on her wedding day, Annie ends up reconnecting with an old friend and taking him on her honeymoon where, in the heat of Australian sun, she realises that maybe her life wasn’t so perfect after all...
This was an unexpected surprise in my inbox, but unfortunately I just wasn’t taken by this latest offering from Laura Jane Williams. The characters were fun, particularly Annie’s younger sister, and there was a pleasing amount of diversity, but I found the plot formulaic and a little too predictable.

This book is going to be a huge summer hit. I devoured it so fast. As you have come to expect from a Laura Jane Williams book it’s full of action, emotions and a cracking plot. 100% recommended.

Fab quick read about a girl who is jilted at the altar. This is a lovely piece of escapism, set mainly in Australia as she heads there on her honeymoon (without the groom).

I found it really enjoyable, fun and with the perfect happy ever after.

I would recommend, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Annie has been left jilted at the altar by Alexander and weeks later, has a chance encounter with Patrick, an old friend from summer camp. When her ex-in-laws embarrassed by their son's behaviour, encourage her to take the honeymoon, she takes Patrick along in an effort to let go and have some fun and possibly mend her broken heart.

I am a huge Laura Jane Williams fan - Our Stop and The Love Square were brilliant and this is her best yet. These characters are so incredibly likeable and I found myself rooting for them all the way through. This was funny, cute and soppy. A perfect read.

When Annie is jilted on her wedding day she is lost and doesn't know what to do. Off work, she joins the local boot camp, where she bumps in to Patrick, an old friend from their childhood drama camps. They soon become friends again and he joins her on her honeymoon in Australia so she doesn't have to travel on her own. They are havin a great time, but will they become more than friends?

The lucky escape is just what it entitles! A perfect way to escape the madness of Christmas and get lost in a book. Annie is a wonderful girl who is relatable to most, she spends all her time and efforts trying to please other people and be who they want her to be. That is until Patrick comes along and fills her world with colour. I love Patrick and I think if you don’t fall a little bit in love with him yourself, there is something wrong! He is charming and kind hearted, which is a lovely to see the male stereotype challenged! I would definitely recommend this book! I read it in one day!

I was really excited to read this book, despite it definitely not being the season for a summery read! I really enjoyed the concept behind this book as it could have led to some great romantic moments however, I think the execution fell slightly flat. The book itself was incredibly slow. It took some time to get to the actual honeymoon part of the story and I wish the honeymoon was a bigger part of the story. I found myself losing interest every so often because of how slowly the book was moving. In comparison, the climax of the story, when they return from Australia, happened too quickly. She was struggling with major life decisions but I would have liked longer for her to think about her options. Another reason why this book slightly disappointed me is because of the main character. I found her to be quite unlikable and selfish. Patrick was a wonderful love interest but towards the end, she was horrible to him for no real reason.
Overall, I enjoyed this story as it was fun to read, but it is not a book I will reach for again.

The Lucky Escape provides a fun, light read. After being left on her wedding day, but still gifted her Honeymoon, Annie is given a second chance at finding herself.

I enjoyed the characters and the overall plot, however, the three segments of the story don't really flow as a whole as well as I would like.
The post wedding disaster phase is expected, but Annie seemed to move on and forget about it fairy quickly and suddenly. I really enjoyed the traveling antics and getting to follow along as Annie got to know Patrick, but the return to London felt jaring and slapped together as too many choices are suddenly the focus.

Overall an enjoyable HEA

Fun, clever, witty and wonderful... there's a reassuring warmth and wisdom to LJW's story-telling that enfolds you from the onset one and carries you throughout. She has done it again! Absolutely brilliant. Highly recommended.

Out June 24, this will make the perfect summer read! The Lucky Escape is funny, sweet, romantic and is all about second chances! I haven’t read anything else by Laura Jane Williams, but I loved her writing!!

I really loved the main character, Annie, and her willingness to start over and take chances, even though her life was turned upside down. She was really relatable and I was rooting for her throughout the whole story!

I thought Annie found her perfect match in Patrick. While his past was heartbreaking, it helped explain who he was and his outlook on life. I loved how he challenged Annie and made her look at life differently than she ever had. I loved the way the author developed their relationship. It didn’t feel forced or cheap, as is often the case in most romance novels.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was a really quick read and I’ll definitely be checking out more books from this author!

Thanks to Avon for letting me read Laura Jane Williams's third novel The Lucky Escape! Although I don't always love her books, she writes intelligent and fun rom-coms that are very rooted in the modern world so I know I'll always request one on NetGalley when it pops up.

The Lucky Escape follows Annie, who has just been jilted at the altar by her fiancé, Alexander. Depressed and uncertain, she's encouraged into going on her Australian honeymoon by Alexander's (very rich) parents, and - in a moment of spontaneity - she decides to take along Patrick, an old friend from summer drama camp, with whom she was recently reunited. I suppose my main issue with this book is that I'm pretty bored of the trope of 'young woman realises she's been conditioned to people-please and that she's been taught never to take up space, but then suddenly has a revelation that causes her to change her life'. I feel like it's a bit overplayed, and I'm not interested in reading superficial analyses of characters' personality traits - especially as Annie's constraints feel a bit unrealistic for reasons I won't go into now. (And her mum is portrayed like a pantomime villain.) It also took Annie an unbelievable amount of time to realise she fancied Patrick. But regardless of any criticisms, I did enjoy this - I flew through it, I really liked the dynamic between Annie and Patrick, and the moments of connection felt genuine. I know I can always rely on Laura Jane Williams for an entertaining read. 3 🌟

Four heartfelt + wanderlust + darling stars to this novel by Laura Jane Williams. I loved her previous book, Our Stop, and was thrilled to receive the advance reader copy of her latest work. Due out next summer, this sweet and smart novel is the perfect escape! Annie, a London scientist, is due to marry her uni sweetheart, Alexander, when he leaves her at the altar....crying in her wedding dress and all. Her life is turned upside down as she reevaluates all the choices she’s made and things she thought she knew. By chance, she runs into an old friend from high school, Patrick, and on a whim, invites him to accompany her on her dream 3 week honeymoon in Australia. Patrick is suffering from his own losses and together the two help each other heal by recognizing the joy, wonder and beauty of new experiences and travel. They each embrace that hope can exist simultaneously with grief- a poignant message that really resonated with me given our current world.

I flew through this one- loved the messy, imperfect characters, the personal growth they experienced, the chemistry between them, and the gorgeous descriptions of Australia. This book filled my heart and made me yearn for travel!

Put this on your TBR list and check out the author’s other books too- you won’t be disappointed! Thank you to Netgalley + Avon Books UK for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I quite liked both Our Stop & The Love Square - both lovely reads with superb helpings of romance. Whilst The Lucky Escape follows similar patterns, it's solely a romance - one which doesn't really make for the most gripping reading. It gets off to a good start, but as soon Patrick appears it all gets a bit dull. Although the romance genre isn't best known for being realistic, this one is the points of far-fetched. There's little more to it than the characters on a road trip realising they're in love with each other. All the characters are somehow too sketched out yet remain one dimensional. Some nice ideas, but the execution is really missing something.

The Lucky Escape was a quick, easy read that was somewhat predictable, but that I actually really enjoyed. It was a breath of fresh air from what I normally read, and it kept my attention throughout the whole story. I liked the characters and found myself rooting for them from the beginning. Definitely would recommend!

The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams was at first glance a fluffy chick lit book. But, at the true heart of the book were great truths shared that we all need to hear. Annie was on the brink of finding her happily ever after with her boyfriend of nine years, Alexander. He changes his mind and Annie falls to pieces.

This leads Annie to take a literal journey far from home, but also to undergo deep reflection. Annie examines everything about herself from where she works, lives, exercises, and even her relationship with her mother. She wonders about her nature as a people pleaser and decides to not let her fears stop her from finding love again. I know my default is to prove my worth by how well I look after those in my care and often on the list of priorities I come in last. Annie’s courage rubbed off a bit on me and I have moved my needs way up on my long to-do list.

I also loved this advice from her grandmother about how “life’s lows are so entwined, the happiness and sorrow is so interconnected that it’s impossible to be totally happy or totally sad....we can’t outrun the crappy, awful, horrible stuff. So the job of our lives is to let it exist alongside the good stuff, making the good stuff so much sweeter.”

This book had an enjoyable cast of characters with sometimes laughable and sometimes heart wrenching side storylines. I enjoyed seeing how her friends and family grew and changed throughout the story. Her friends and family were true to life and reminded me of people I have known and loved. They all had satisfying character arcs, and were very well written.

At the end of the book I felt almost as if I had attended a few counseling sessions as the struggles Annie has are relatable to most women. But, the book at its true core was entertaining and a fun read, not a preachy self-help book. It was another excellent book from the author of Our Stop and The Love Square. Laura Jane Williams will become one of your favorite new authors also.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Avon Books UK in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

The Lucky Escape is a journey of self-discovery after the end of a relationship. Laura Jane Williams writes beautifully and tells a story of personal growth beautifully.

I was given a NetGalley Arc in exchange for review.