I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I did not finish this one. I loved the idea of the story but I just did not hold my interest.

Read this if…you like light, fluffy second chance romcoms set in vacation destinations.

After waiting a decade for her too-good-to-be-true boyfriend to move their relationship to the next level, thirty-something Annie Wiig is abandoned at the altar on her wedding day. She doesn’t know why her fiancé left her without so much as a call or text. Obviously devastated and humiliated, Annie struggles to cope with the loss of the future she saw for herself. Going to a fitness boot camp class at the local gym is the only time she can focus on something besides her grief.

It’s at the gym where Annie runs into Patrick. He recognizes her from a summer camp they both attended when they were kids. The two immediately develop a friendship that includes witty banter and cautious flirting, but Annie makes it clear she’s not interested in anything more. When she is encouraged to take the honeymoon to Australia that she planned with her ex, Annie decides to go with Patrick as her guest. The two leave the friend zone pretty quickly. With him by her side, Annie learns to loosen up a bit and start living life for herself instead of everyone else.

I don’t feel like I’m hard on romcoms, but I didn’t love this one. From the very beginning it felt like the author was trying too hard to include diverse minor characters simply to check off a box. Annie’s 13 year-old sister talked and acted like she was 5, which was very annoying. The names of a lot of the characters were also odd. Patrick Hummingbird, really? I know that doesn’t determine whether a story is decent or not but all of the poor character choices made this feel so unauthentic to me.

There were some good things about this book, such as the cheeky banter between Annie and Patrick throughout. There were some funny parts that made me laugh and some sad parts that made me feel for the characters. The author does a great job of setting the scene, especially during the honeymoon in Australia. Those things kept me reading, but in the end, this one was just so-so.

Thanks to @netgalley, the author, and Avon for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Requested this as an ARC but couldn’t wait for an approval or decline so I decided to just buy it when I realized it was already available! I had never read a book by Laura Jane Williams, but let me tell you, I’m following her now and she will forever be on my must read list! There is something so effortless about her writing style that has you hooked from the beginning. The story she tells, the slow burn, the character development. Makes for the perfect beach or vacation read! Absolutely recommend!

3.5 Stars. This was a very charming story about a woman, Annie, who gets jilted on her wedding day and who essentially from there has to figure out how to start her life over. I really loved the portion of the story that took place in Australia. The scenery was beautiful and created the perfect setting for Annie to piece her life back together. Unfortunately, the rest of the direction the story took felt frustrating to me. I understand that there needs to be some sort of conflict, but it just didn't flow for me and felt forced. Overall, this was a cute and uplifting read though. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC.

I enjoyed it! Definitely a nice summer read, but I felt that it dragged a bit. I think the bits leading up to the honeymoon could’ve been spend along and that would’ve helped the pacing of the book.

I really liked Patrick as the love interest, and I didn’t feel that it was unbelievable for her to start feeling things for him so quickly! Yes, their relationship was a bit of a whirlwind, but I think she’d been unhappy with Alexander for a lottttt longer than she wanted to let on, so it all made sense to me.

All in all it was a solid second chance romance, but I think some of the plot detracted from the main love story and that’s why I had to take off a couple stars.

“The Lucky Escape” was a pleasant escape from my normal cozy mysteries and thriller genres. I found it to be funny, light and fluffy. Perfect for taking a little break from seriousness.

I wanted to love this book! It had an interesting premise and absolutely love the cover but
I felt like I spent a really long time just waiting. Waiting for something to happen.


I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper360!

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

REVIEW FOR THE LUCKY ESCAPE

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars

This book had all the moments you like in a well rounded novel- it had humor, it had melancholy, it had anger and frustration. I thought the character development of the two main characters- Annie and Patrick- was honest and comprehensive. I think the author really stuck to the themes of the book (new beginnings, etc) and they were done tastefully.

The book started a bit slow for me, but really started to enjoy it towards the middle. Having just gone through a wedding I couldn’t imagine experiencing what Annie experienced- being left at the altar was my biggest fear. HOWEVER, I liked that the author explored different relationship dynamics and how each relationship begins uniquely; I saw many parallels in my life that were in this book and I really appreciated those experiences.

All in all, a very well written book that almost is a “coming of age” novel to us millennials. Would definitely recommend for people who enjoy light hearted reading with a bit of romance and a lot of hope

I feel like this book wasn’t giving what I wanted. I felt like I was waiting for something exciting to happen but there was no push. It took me a while to get into it, and some of the characters annoyed me.

I would say that it took me forever because there really was no goal. It was just more of a rebound from my point of view than a romantic love story.

The Lucky Escape was a quick DNF for me. So many corrections needed.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

The Lucky Escape started out a bit slow but once it got started I really enjoyed it!

Annie and Alexander are supposed to get married but when Annie shows up to the church her wedding planner tells her that Alexander texted her saying he wasn’t going to be there. Her ex in-laws insist she still on on their honeymoon. And when a friend from the past joins her on the trip of the lifetime everything changes.

I loved watching Annie grow from the heartbreak to being a strong person who lives life to the fullest in and in the moment. And doing the things that make her happy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for a copy of The Lucky Escape for an honest review

I’m becoming a fan of this author book. This was good. Really enjoyed this story. I will read more. Go read This now. I will read more from her.

I love the trope where almost strangers go on a honeymoon together (The Unhoneymooners), and this book does that trope quite well. I thought it was sweet and cute while being adventurous as well. I loved the Australian setting and found the descriptions well written.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper360 for making that happen.

I wanted to like this book. It had an interesting premise and a lovely cover, and I really found myself drawn to it. But honestly? I don't know how you can sell me a romance with someone who was jilted at the altar and then a handful of weeks later is with someone else. It reeks of rebound, and honestly, I didn't find it endearing or engaging.

Patrick also rubbed me the wrong way, like he was a teenager stuck in a 30 year old's body, and his laissez-faire attitude about life. I appreciate that Annie looked to him to reassess her own buttoned-up life, but I found him grating.

Not the book for me.

This book made my heart full. I love the dynamic between all the characters and I think the story and pacing flowed quite nicely. My only qualm was (SPOILER ALERT!) that the make up scene at the end seemed a little rushed and not as well thought out as the rest of the book. Still, this book warmed my heart and is definitely making me consider a career change like Annie...

A great read with great characters and plot. A pleasurable read with a lot of fun antics!! Enjoyed this book from this new author.

I felt like I spent a really long time just waiting. Waiting for something to happen. Waiting for the characters to find their direction.
And unfortunately, I am not a patient person, so all that waiting was a pain for me.

This was a lighthearted, quick read. It was more slow paced than I would have liked and the storyline was lacking just a bit. The characters were okay but I didn’t feel myself connect to them at all. I just didn’t feel the sparks between Annie and Patrick. This book would be a good poolside read for someone looking for an easy, romance book. Overall, It was a decent read and I would give it 3 stars.

Thank you Net Galley and Harper 360 for an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There is something charming and cozy about The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams - I had read her debut novel, Our Stop, which was equally British and delightful, and was excited to read this book, which will be published on November 2. Thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollins360 for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

Annie is pulling up to the church, ready to marry her fiancé, when she is told by their wedding planner that he has left her. She is obviously devastated, but is persuaded to go on her 3 week honeymoon to Australia. She is joined by an old classmate she reconnected with, Patrick, who has his own reasons for wanting to live life in the moment.

The title - The Lucky Escape - can refer to the extravagant vacation taken, a reprieve from everyday life. Annie eventually also recognizes that through her fiancé’s terrible actions, she is able to escape living a life she is not meant to live, with someone she wasn’t meant to live with. “The Lucky Escape” can also mean freedom from your own trauma, your unrealistic expectations of your own life. In this, Annie’s struggles to find herself and heal herself are most poignant. In a way, this story feels more like women’s fiction, as Annie finding herself is really the central theme of the story.

However, Patrick is also a lovely, cinnamon roll of a beta hero. He has a tragic backstory, and might be a little too perfect - but I love how the author portrays him first as a little more cute than average, until finally he is the most gorgeous man to the heroine as they get to know each other.

Overall, this is a well-written story, that follows a woman’s journey to finding who she was always meant to be.