After reading the blurb about heroine who gets ditched at the alter and accepts to go to fully paid all exclusive Australian honeymoon with her charming old friend, I high five-d myself and thought I would have a sweet, entertaining romcom experience! But... I got a little disappointed!

If you want to know: at first I have to admit: this is not a bad reading experience. There are so many positive attributes that I fully enjoyed about the story: including side characters starting with heroine’s younger sweet sister, her friends who support her to move on after getting humiliated at her own wedding day. And honeymoon premise of the story, the chemistry between heroine and her old friend/ new potential love interest was flaming hot.

But of course there are so many things put this book at Switzerland border ( I called the books which I didn’t love or hate at the same time as let’s meet in the middle Switzerland reads)

First of all: I found Annie a little disturbing and indecisive. I couldn’t connect with her and her blurry life vision.

Patrick was so much caring, even though he swore not to marry again ( which we learned way too much late) I wish both of them not waste so much time to be together because it was obvious they were each other’s end game so why they procrastinated their HEA!

I was also hoping to read the honeymoon part of the story a little sooner. But it took me so many chapters to read for reaching that juicy part and it ended shortly. I wanted it so much longer. I could have given five stars only for that part of the book.

Overall: it was still well written story even though I didn’t like heroine so much and I thought after returning back to Australia, the book lost its direction and I also lost my interest a little bit because I already guessed the conclusion from the beginning. It was still better read than author’s previous works but I still stick with my three good but it could be better stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Great book! The perfect book to end 2020 and start 2021 with. I loved reading about Annie’s adventures in Australia. I have to be honest - I was quite cynical at the start of the book (for the first half really....). I was thinking:

‘This idiot definitely somehow knew she got jilted and has set himself up for a free holiday.’

‘I’m 30% of the way through and she still hasn’t gone to australia.’

‘WHY would she take him and not her best single friend ? “The core four were not convinced by the whole Patrick shebang” - I bet they werent!’

But. It redeemed itself. Annie is a likeable character (even if I’m not 100% persuaded by Patrick - there’s something weird about him). It made my want to find a personal trainer / bootcamp class to kick myself up the bum for the new year. I am also dying to visit Australia - maybe on a cheaper budget though!

Most of all, the book makes you question what changes you might need to make in your own life - and how you might find the courage to make those changes. Making it the perfect book for the new year.

After being left at the alter by her fiancé, Alexander, who has disappeared without explanation, Annie is left heartbroken in the house they share. To get out of the house, she joins a fitness boot camp, where she reconnects with Patrick, a friend she hasn’t seen in 20 years.Having already paid for the honeymoon and furious that their son left Annie at the alter, Alexander’s parents insist she go without him, so she goes and decides to take Patrick along, as a friend.

You can break the book up into three parts: before honeymoon, during honeymoon, and after honeymoon. The story leading up to the honeymoon felt too long. The book was already 30% of the way through before they even left for Australia. I really enjoyed the honeymoon part of the book and wish there had been more with it. Annie is trying to maneuver single life after being in a ten year relationship and commits to her own happiness by saying yes to every opportunity. After they return, it felt like there was added conflict with Annie and Patrick, just to make there be a conflict. It felt forced and unnecessary, but the conflict goes away almost as soon as it came in. The whole dealing with the fiancée thing and why he stood her up was short, and didn’t feel like a big deal, compared to everything else. The conflict between the MCs gets tied up in the very last few pages of the book and by then, I was just kinda done with it.

I liked the majority of this book, but parts fell flat for me. I thought the story idea was good, but the execution poor. I ended up liking a few of the supporting characters more than I did the main ones and really are the books saving grace for me. I adored her sister, Freddie, and enjoyed the relationships between Annie and her “Core Four” and Adzo. My feelings for Patrick wavered a bit. I thought he was sweet at first, but was annoyed with him by the end (both of them, really). Overall, I think it was a well written book and I would read more from Ms. Williams, but this one was just OK for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon Books UK, and Laura Jane Williams for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve now read three of Laura Jane Williams’ books and this is the best one yet. While ‘Our Stop’ and ‘The Love Square’, were perfectly lovely, something about ‘The Lucky Escape’ made my heart hurt the best way.

It might have been the funny and sweet protagonist I really connected with, or her sweet relationship with her sister, or wonderful Patrick, or the slow build relationship... all these things really worked for me and made this book a wonderful, heartwarming story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise of The Lucky Escape and it got such great reviews, so I was excited to read it. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with the story. I'm bummed it wasn't a better fit for me, but I look forward to trying other books by this author.

Such a cute romantic comedy. Lighthearted and heartwarming. I love the storyline of the cancelled wedding and extra honeymoon ticket, and this book delivered on that!

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!