The book we needed in 2021! This fun, frothy story is exactly what readers looking for an escape from the current day to day need.

This book was very run-down-the-middle not bad but nothing memorable for me. I loved the love interest, but I felt like the main character was very wishy-washy in her beliefs and characterization. I liked how the story heavily followed her emotional journey as she mourns her relationship and gets ready to be in a new one, however I think their relationship began before she was realistically emotionally ready to be in it. I did love the side characters development and I thought overall the pacing and character building was good, this book was just nothing super memorable to me.

Ok. I almost quit this book. I found it very slow paced. (British lit is known for a slower pace ) It got on my nerves how much Annie’s mom messed with her head. In the end I pushed myself to finish.
What I liked about the book was how Annie finds herself again. I found it very moving how she finds the beauty in living life in full happiness and freeness. I also loved how patient and gentle Patrick was with her. He was such a ball of sunshine and his moments stole the show.
I recommend reading this if you don’t mind really slow paced books!

Ah! I LOVED this book!
It was such a fun and cute read!

Annie has been stood up at the altar.
Ouch!
As Annie tries to adjust to life on her own, after being in a relationship since college, she runs into an old friend from her past (Patrick).
He inspires Annie to get out of her comfort zone, to push her limits, and to simply live the life she wants to.
When the opportunity to go on her honeymoon, despite, not having actually gotten married presents itself, Annie decides to listen to Patrick’s advice.
She makes the spontaneous decision to go on her honeymoon and bring her new/old friend with her.
Can these two “friends” keep things platonic on what is obviously a SUPER ROMANTIC honeymoon to AUSTRALIA!?!?
I think it’s obvious that the answer to this question is a resounding NOOOO!
But…
Is this something that can last in the real world? Or was this just meant to be a magical short-lived experience… a side effect of being in paradise?

This was the perfect “escape” (see what I did there?) to read right now.
It was uplifting, funny, cute, and also had very important concepts for women on being independent and not changing their lives to accommodate men.
Woooop! #FEMINISM

This book started off cute and exciting even though it is a concept that has been done before, being left at the altar and forced to go on a honeymoon with someone else. It felt like it was going to be a retelling of The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren.

It was definitely different in a lot of ways, but after the beginning excitement, it continued to drag on and I just couldn't get into it.

I ultimately ending up giving up before I made it to the end so I will rate a little higher giving it the benefit of the doubt. I tried so hard. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

After her fiancé Alexander jilts her on their wedding day via a text message to the wedding planner, Annie goes into a deep funk. She’s so used to feeling like she’s never enough that she blames herself. In the short time she’s with Patrick, who recognizes her at the gym, she realizes that he is very kind and spontaneous and could be a good friend, one who makes her laugh and encourages her to start putting herself first and letting go of the compulsion to mold herself into someone she isn’t in order to avoid disappointing others. Her relationship with her mother has been damaging because she never feels she can live up to her expectations and the casual cruelty has worn her down. As a result, she’s a shadow of the daring young girl Patrick knew who went after what she wanted. With him, she’s starting to rediscover the old Annie and she likes the feeling.

When her near in-laws encourage her to go on the 3-week honeymoon to Australia that is non-refundable, she decides to take Patrick with her to share a platonic trip. He’s dealing with his own demons, so neither of them is looking for a relationship. Of course, it’s inevitable that feelings grow, but is it just a rebound holiday romance or something deeper? When they return to London, will they be able to maintain the fledgling relationship or will Annie’s commitment to improving herself mean focusing all of her attention inward?

Criticisms:

Annie was inconsistent. One minute she’s spouting body positivity to her sister, the next she’s starving herself for the wedding. One minute she’s bored with her job, the next she’s in Antwerp considering a higher-level position doing the same thing. She claims to want to stand on her own two feet, but then talks about needing Patrick in her life after just spending three weeks with him.

Patrick lacked depth. Yes, he was funny, kind and spontaneous, but he had no career path or a strong commitment to anything. Also, when Annie decides to go to Antwerp without consulting him, he gets miffed. Does he assume being her boyfriend comes with the privilege of controlling her? That’s the kind of behavior she’s trying to escape.

Although their friendship is fun, respectful, and endearing, the eventual chemistry is lacking, at least as it’s written. And her female friendships seem under-developed except with work wife Adzo.

This isn’t a light-hearted friends-to-lovers romance. Rather, it’s the story of a woman who has subjugated her own wants & needs, preferring to blend into the wallpaper, all because of some teen bullies and a mother who is vicious with her constant nagging and criticism. Her mother’s total about-face when Annie finally decides to stick up for herself is unrealistic.

Overall, it was fun to take the journey with these two friends who bring out the best in each other and share respect and laughter, but it really fizzles when they return to London. If it weren’t for the clarity her 13-year-old sister brings to the romance, Annie’s self-sabotage would have spelled the end of the relationship. Even the epilogue fails to paint a clear picture of how they get to a happily-ever-after.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Lucky Escape was not exactly what I expected. I think people who go into this expecting another feel good, beach/vacation theme rom com might find themselves getting quite bored at certain parts of the book. I’m disappointed that this didn’t click with me because it had a lot of things that I thought I was going to like but the execution left me conflicted.

The Lucky Escape was a ok read for me but not one that fully grabbed me. I read on to see if I.could get into the storyline. Sadly the pace was just a bit slow and didn’t hold my interest.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

✨The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams✨

🔆Slow burn
🔆Old Friends to Lovers
🔆Broken Engagement

Who says you need to be single to find yourself? The Lucky Escape opens with our heroine Annie getting ready the morning of her wedding to her beau of a decade Alexander. But, once she shows up at the church she sees her wedding planner outside and knew something was wrong. Alexander texted THE WEDDING PLANNER that he couldn't go through with his wedding and hopped a convenient flight to Singapore to work.

Feeling absolutely lost Annie starts to run trying to get out of her former fiancée's home and try to clear her mind. She winds up signing up for an intensive workout class where she reconnects with a childhood friend from Drama Camp, Patrick 😍

With her ex-in laws pushing her to take the honeymoon (3 weeks in Australia 😍) since its paid for she decides to he spontaneous and invite Patrick along with her.

Could this trip be the experience Annie needs to move on? What about Patrick?

Uggghhh I enjoyed this a lot! Took us a while to get to the honeymoon but once we did 💥 Gave me a little bit of Unhoneymooners vibes and I would recommend it to any romance lovers out there!!

👏Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review

#TheLuckyEscape #LauraJaneWilliams #romance #friendstolovers #lovers #netgalley #bookreview #review #NovemberReads #HarperCollins #HC #Avon

The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams is a contemporary romance novel. The story is somewhat one of a second chance romance but not quite as the couple in question did once know each other but not in a romantic way.

Annie is with her family getting ready for her wedding when the wedding planner tells her she has a message for Annie from her fiance, Alexander. You see, Alexander has decided he is not ready for marriage and passed that information on through the wedding planner leaving Annie at the altar alone.

Annie is of course devastated. Hiding away for days Annie doesn’t know what happened or why but eventually knows she needs to get on with her life. Annie decides to start a new exercise class where she runs into an old campmate. Patrick is fun to be around and doesn’t look at Annie with pity not knowing her current situation so when she needs a travel mate for her ruined honeymoon she invites Patrick along.

Being someone that loves to travel I love to also read about characters traveling so The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams immediately caught my attention. Now I’m not a huge fan of a rushed relationship where someone just ended something and immediately meets someone else but for a luxury trip I overlooked that fact in this book. The thing that brought my rating down to three and a half stars with this one really was there just wasn’t enough of the trip spending time leading up to it then it was over in a blink. Annie was also a bit scattered as a character but I’d like to think the author chose that personality due to the break up but otherwise this one was a nice read despite wanting more with the trip.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A fun quick read that is perfect for a weekend read.

Annie gets left at the aisle of her wedding and decides to still go on her honeymoon. She runs into her old "friend" Patrick and they go on this adventure together. I enjoyed this read, and will definitely be checking out the authors over books since this was my first read from her.

The Lucky Escape
By Laura Jane Williams
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
•••
Summary:
Annie is so excited to marry Alexander, her boyfriend of almost 10 years. Her best friend and her little sister have spent the night before the wedding preparing her for her big day. But Annie is humiliated to find out that her groom has left her at the alter. After some time spent sulking, Annie decides it’s time to get her life back together. She starts going to some boot camp workouts and is reunited with Patrick, an old friend from theater camp. Annie is shocked to find out that Alexander’s parents still want her to go on the honeymoon they bought for her and Alexander. Three weeks in Australia could really do Annie some good… but does she really want to go on that trip alone? She does have an extra ticket… maybe she can ask Patrick to tag along?
•••
My thoughts:
I’ve never connected with a character more than I did with Annie when she said “I’m a very mucus-y person”. That is me, sis. 😂 This one honestly gave me Unhoneymooners vibes, but like the European version. It was definitely a cute read, but not my favorite. The ending felt very rushed to me.
•••
Read if you:
- Have morning phlegm (my friends and family can attest that I certainly do 🤣)
- Went to theater camp as a kid
- Enjoyed The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
•••
Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for the opportunity to read an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review! The Lucky Escape is out now.

I absolutely loved this book! What a well written story that made the characters come alive. I smiled, cried, laughed and got angry with them, i was even inspired by them. This is my first book by Laura Jane Williams, but I will definitely be on the lookout for more.

THE LUCKY ESCAPE – Laura Jane Williams

Avon

ISBN: 978-0008365455

November 2021

Contemporary Romance



England & Australia – Present Day



It’s Annie’s wedding day to Alexander and she is ready to go down the aisle. But as she approaches where the wedding will take place, the wedding planner is waiting for her, looking stricken. She tells Annie that there won’t be any wedding and shows her a text from Alexander. Annie is embarrassed, hurt, and angry, especially since Alexander won’t talk to her as to why he no longer wants to marry her. He has instead left the country on some last-minute business trip.



Annie is still on good terms with Alexander’s parents. They had paid for the honeymoon trip to Australia and suggests to her that she go ahead and take the trip—with a friend along for companionship. It so happens that Annie runs into an old childhood friend, Patrick, and they get reacquainted. Annie, while out drinking with Patrick, asks him in a drunken spur of the moment if he wants to come with her on the Australian non-honeymoon trip. As platonic friends, of course. He agrees. Things start off all right in Australia—the accommodations are luxurious—but soon Annie is feeling attracted to Patrick. This shouldn’t happen, right, since she is not yet over Alexander. Soon, the feelings become mutual. Will they become lovers while on their trip? If so, what will happen once they return to England?



Annie feels like her world has collapsed around her in THE LUCKY ESCAPE. But she soon realizes that maybe things were not all that great between her and Alexander after all. They had been together since college and moved in together once they both started working. Marriage just seemed to be inevitable. Without her realizing it, they’d drifted apart. Yet, Annie still wishes that Alexander had talked to her about it. Could it be that she likes to keep her world perfect—and he didn’t want to break the bubble? Patrick turns out to be a good friend even though they haven’t been in contact for years. Annie really doesn’t know what his life has been up to since they last connected, and when he finally reveals it, how will she deal with it?



THE LUCKY ESCAPE is a mix of funny scenes and serious ones as readers get into Annie’s emotional aftermath of being jilted. She and Patrick don’t have to worry about sleeping together since the luxurious accommodations include a two-bedroom suite, but they still run into each other in the morning and that turns out to be more intimate than Annie expected. Along the way, her feelings for Patrick grow from platonic to those of wanting to have sex with him. Even as she tries to hide those feelings, she ends up exposing herself to him. How will he react? Along the way, the two get to enjoy the sights of Australia as they travel and explore the beautiful country. But the end of their trip is around the corner, which means they will have to go their separate ways. Or will they?



A fun tale with a slow burning romance, THE LUCKY ESCAPE should be part of your next book buying trip. Will Annie and Patrick end up with a happily-ever-after? That’s for you to find out.



Patti Fischer

Romance Reviews Today

Will soon appear on the Romance Reviews Today website: http://romrevtoday.com/

This is a cute rom-com with laugh out loud moments. I enjoyed the writing style, most of the characters, and it has the right amount of detail. The only real negative is how the mother/daughter relationship ends.

“There’s no rush like it, when somebody says out loud that you’re the person they want to build something with.”

One cancelled wedding. One unexpected encounter. One spare ticket for a honeymoon. Poor, poor Annie. She is stranded at the alter by Alexander, the man she thought was the one. After a chance meeting with Patrick, an old friend, Annie decides to take control of her own happiness. With a ticket to spare she spontaneously invites Patrick on her honeymoon with her. Can Patrick help mend Annie’s heart?

I was getting some serious Sex and The City: The Movie vibes with this one. Long relationship. Finally engaged. Plan the big wedding. Bride jilted at alter. Goes on honeymoon without groom. Unfortunately for me I just didn’t get the gutted vibes that one should have if they are left in their dress at the alter. Annie just didn’t seem devastated enough, even if things weren’t perfect with Alexander. I could just picture Carrie’s devastation in Mexico and I couldn’t unsee it. The Lucky Escape lacked that kind of emotional pull for me. Overall this was a sweet read, though. I just wish the emotion was a little more genuine to the situation.

“We’re all having bloody iAffairs, too. There’s three people in every relationship! You, them, and bloody technology. We’re glued to our phones and wonder why our partner doesn’t feel glued to us.” Well this is eye opening 😳.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Publishing, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Available now!

I enjoyed this book. It's a quick and easy read about overcoming heartbreak and figuring out what truly makes you happy!

This one just wasn't for me. I DNF'd it. I think the writing style just wasn't meshing with me but the plot still seemed interesting, I would have loved to see how it panned out but I just wasn't enjoying the writing too much.


Thank you Netgalley and Harper 360 for the opportunity to review! All thoughts are my own

🏖🗺New Release Review! 🗺🏖
•
•

The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams

(swipe for goodreads synopsis)

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(3.5)/5

🏖 Best revenge after your fiancé leaves you at the altar? Go on your honeymoon without him! 😂

🏖 I’m unsure about where to start with this book because I have mixed feelings about it, so I’ll break it down:

What I loved:
🏖 The sisterly bond between Annie and her sister, Frederica ❤️
🏖 The idyllic visions of her Australia honeymoon—I want to go to Australia now 😂
🏖 The themes of trust, staying true to yourself, and confidence that flowed throughout the book

What I didn’t love:
🏖Firmly closed door romance. (The door cracks open a tiny bit at one point, then shuts again 🤷🏻‍♀️)
🏖This one dragged a little bit for me. I found myself wanting to finish it toward the end just to be done with it.
🏖 Despite the book starting with mature characters, there were some immature moments that were a little frustrating for me as the reader.

🏖Overall, if you’re a die hard rom-com lover that doesn’t mind closed door romance, you might enjoy this! I still enjoyed it, but it wasn’t my favorite.

🏖What’s your favorite rom-com book you’ve read?!

Happy Tuesday, ya’ll! Am I only the only one in a candy hangover? I swear my body is having chocolate withdrawals because I don’t normally eat sweets. 😆

What is everyone’s first read of November?

I’m posting a mini review of my last book of October by the wonderful @laurajaneauthor

The Lucky Escape
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Unhoneymooners vibes in a holiday to Australia!

Annie gets left at the altar by her long-time fiancé and is second-guessing every choice she’s made in life.

Her ex’s family insists she still uses the honeymoon for an escape, but she brings along Patrick, her childhood drama camp crush (recently reunited in an unexpected way).

The banter and spark between Annie and Patrick are electrifying and comforting at the same time. The journey is atmospheric and the relationship was one you were rooting for—but I honestly couldn’t tell how it would end for a minute there!

You have to suspend reality a bit on just how much of a d-canoe her ex really is, and how awful her mom can be sometimes.

There’s a bit of self-worth issues, grief and learning how to love someone when you still haven’t learned to love yourself.

The first few chapters were a bit slow but once you meet Patrick, it’s a page turner and a love story that leaves you going, “aww.” ♥️ Patrick stole the show and is my new book boyfriend. 😂

HAPPY PUB DATE to this cutie, you can pick up now to shake off all the horror stories from last month and sink in to this book hug..