Annie is someone who has lived her life by being in the shadows, doing everything that is expected of a person who is in her thirties. But on her wedding day, she gets left at the altar by her fiance and she deals with the aftermath of her life turning upside down. She bumps into her friend from drama camp about 10 years ago and the sparks fly instantly, she soon decides to go on the honeymoon anyway with this new guy friend, Patrick. The trope this book follows is of estranged friends to lovers.

The juicy bits are explored when the couple is in Australia. They work on their relationship as well as themselves as individuals and find that they complement each other very well. TW: death of a spouse. The book does explore grief and loss through Patrick. The book has excellent female friendships and does a very good job in the portrayal of sibling relationships but at times I found that the chapters were unnecessarily long and prolonged. some of them I was skimming through because of how predictable it was. So this will definitely be a 3/5 star book for me. thank you NetGalley and Avon books for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you want to feel love radiate off the pages you read- this is the book for you! Adorably captivating, this book is a story not only about mending a broken heart, but learning what it means to feel ones self again! From the moment Annie's heart breaks to her healing by reconnecting with an old friend- you feel the emotions stem from each page you turn. Patrick is an old camp friend Annie met in high school, and after she is left at the altar, he becomes the medicine to heal herself. Annie has always fought herself on her means to be happy- always listening to the negativity of her mother, being bullied at school. and finally giving all of herself to a man not worthy of her love. Patrick knew her before she became a shelled up version of herself- and watching Annie grow into the person she is meant to be is inspiring and heartwarming. I whole heartedly recommend this book not only for the romance novel lover, but for those who feel like they have lost themselves!

It’s a cute story, with a likable heroine and a sweet hero, though it does drag in some places.

So we have Annie, stood up at the altar. And her old friend (from waaay back) Patrick who she bumped into about a month (?) after the incident. They reconnect, and in one reconnect moment, decide to take up her ex’s parents’ offer to go on the honeymoon still, to Australia. Together.

Annie is always better with Patrick around. It took a while to lead up to Patrick and after the trip, her alone, without Patrick...well I kinda skipped past those parts. It was taking a bit too long for her to realize and actualize her HEA.

But their Australian honeymoon were the best parts for me. I really am missing traveling. Haven’t been to Australia and Annie and Patrick had a great time there. I took notes on what they did. 😂 So that’s one nice takeaway from this.

Oh and I listened to the audiobook more than I read the ebook. And forgot to tag a nice quote from the book. Read along it while they were in Australia. But went back solely to the audiobook. I liked it better that way. Liked the narrator, she did good.

Thank you Harper Collins UK Audio, Avon and NetGalley for the arc and the audiobook. It can be a beach read.

This is the third book of Laura’s that I’ve read now and unfortunately I have the same comment on every one. The pace is very slow moving and the writing style is very flowery, leading to quite long books with a plot that could have been carried out in a far shorter number of pages.

The premise of this storyline was good and I liked the characters quite a lot to be honest but I’m really not a fan of “woke” books, whereby it feels like everything is a bit exaggerated to ensure everyone knows the book is set in present day. Overall I liked it more than our stop but probably wouldn’t read any more now.

The Lucky Escape had a good storyline and for the most part I liked the characters. It did drag a little for me and I was hoping for more depth. It’s a fun short read. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review after reading this arc.

The book title is a good description. Annie is about to marry Alexander but is jilted in the worst possible way.....at the alter. She's devasted but after bumping into a male friend she once knew as a teenager and the persuasion to go on the honeymoon that was booked for her and her new husband, she takes her old friend. It's a journey to the other side of the world of self discovery.
She learns that she has indeed had a lucky escape and that her husband to be wasn't right for her. The main characters are likeable but Annie needed to find a back bone when it comes to her mother!
The book is slightly predictable but funny in places and there is some good sexual tension. It's an easy and pleasant read and provided a form of escape without having to think too much. Easy to put down and pick up again. Good holiday read down by the pool or on the beach. Sweet romcom.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest review. Schelded to released 10th June 2021
Also [osted to Goodreads.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Avon Books UK and Laura Jane Williams for an e arc copy of this book.
The premise of the book is that Annie is due to be married but something happens that she doesn’t. She is devastated and can’t see a way to get out of the way she feels. To try and help she goes to a gym and joins a bootcamp. She meets someone from her past and they re connect.
However, there is still the Honeymoon waiting for her. Should she go or just stay home? She is persuaded to go and takes her long-lost friend with her.
This is a story of finding yourself, standing up for yourself, being the person, you want to be.

Unfortunately, DNF'd at around 20%. The main reason why is just it was just simply a bit boring, and even though it is not a long book I felt like the beginning just dragged on. Even though there was all this drama and set up happening I just didn't feel invested or interested in the main character. I agree with the other review here on GR that their were contradictions in her personality, and I wasn't rooting for her. I did love the idea of this novel though, maybe I will try again with this author in the future. Maybe.

Sometimes, a bad thing can turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to you, as is the case with Annie. She is left at the altar when her decade-long boyfriend changes his mind at the last minute. His parents are mortified, and urge her to take the elaborate Australian honeymoon they'd planned as their gift to the couple. She decides to go, and in a wonderful twist of fate, reconnects with Patrick, a childhood friend, and invites him to come along. Patrick turns out to be a recent widower, and also the world's most perfect person. Their romance progresses against the wonderful backdrop of an incredibly luxurious, first-class vacation. This is the perfect escapist romance for summer reading!

This is the first book I've read by this author and I definitely want to read more. It's light-hearted, and funny and romantic, just what I needed to read right now.
Annie gets jilted at the altar and heartbroken, she has to put the pieces of her life back together. She meets back up with Patrick, a childhood friend. Her ex in-laws, horrified and ashamed of what their son has done, insist she still goes on her honeymoon, with a ticket spare.
It's a predictable ending but so much fun. A perfect summer read.

Thank you so much to Avon Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adore Laura Jane Williams’ writing - I’ve read The Love Square and loved it so when I got approved for this arc I was thrilled! This book is amazing, I love the writing style and it is so easy to read and digest, the perfect summer chick lit read. This book also covers on some heavier topics such as self identity and made it feel quite relatable.

The characters and places were written very well and some parts were absolutely hilarious! Will definitely be picking up a copy and I look forward to more writing from LJW in the future

I enjoyed the writing of this book, I’ve never read anything else by this author but I found myself reading quickly as the writing was easily digested which I really enjoyed.

In terms of the plot, yes it’s slightly unrealistic and if I’m being picky, I would have loved Annie to have been single for a bit longer to just enjoy her life but that’s a bit of realism and not always the way chick lit plays out!

*Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one quite honestly took me a bit to get into. I was struggling to connect with Annie, probably because I too struggle with my own self identify and I often read to get away from that. Once we got into the actual trip to Australia though, I was hooked and blew through the rest.

Patrick and Annie are so lovely together and this book was just the perfect amount of warm and fuzzies. Annie's growth was inspiring.

Fun and an easy read for the summer. It didn’t tax too much to read it and it was nice that it had some exotic settings.

The Lucky Escape is Annie's story after she's jilted and left at the church doors without a groom. I really enjoyed this book and thought parts of it were hilarious. The growth of Annie as a character was lovely to read and I liked how her relationship with Patrick developed, and Patrick was such a great guy. The descriptions of the locations and activities they both took part in when in Australia were so brilliantly done, it made me want to be there. What I found particularly beautiful was how Annie gradually drops all her 'baggage' whilst she's out there and finds herself.

After being left at the alter, Annie encounters an old friend and spontaneously decide to take her honeymoon trip together.

I liked the storyline for this one, but unfortunately didn’t like the pacing. It felt a bit dragged out without any significant activities filling in the gaps or justifying the length.

I liked Annie and Patrick’s characters and their growth as they try to move on from their pasts and prioritize themselves over others. I also loved the honeymoon in Australia and was so envious of their luxurious trip. It’s a cute second chance romance that makes for easy beach reading.

Wish it was shorter, but still recommend if you’re looking for a beachy/vacation read!

Thank you Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall rating: ★★★★

Annie is set to marry her longterm boyfriend, Alexander, but on the day of the wedding he doesn’t show up. In the upcoming weeks Annie is trying to pick herself back up and move on with her life. At the new fitness class she started, she bumps into an old friend, Patrick, and they end up talking more and more. Suddenly Alexander’s parents offer Annie an opportunity to go on her honeymoon (all expenses paid). Annie is reluctant to take the offer, but after a few drinks at the pub she ends up deciding to go and inviting Patrick along. So now Annie finds herself in Australia with Patrick, on the honeymoon she’s was supposed to be having with Alexander. Will this be exactly the trip she’s been needing or will it be the worst mistake of her life?

“I’m more of a best friend pretty than a leading lady knockout."

Oh my, I loved this book. I finished it in two afternoons whilst enjoying some sunshine and honestly it was the perfect little holiday in these difficult pandemic times. To me, this book was a reminder to just enjoy life when and where you can and to try to live life to the fullest. It also reminded me not to care too much about what other people think because you’re living your life for you and not anyone else.

"Assuming makes an ass out of you and me.”

Annie is flawed and far from perfect, but that is what makes her feel so realistic and it’s what made me like her and root for her. She goes through a whirlwind of life changing events in this book, and her character development and growth is amazing. And then there’s Patrick. Oh, Patrick *happy sigh*. He's so dreamy, and I really wanna know where I can get my own?! He was an absolute delight, and a breath of fresh air. So adventurous and such a great influence and motivator for Annie (and maybe for the reader as well). Patrick is currently living rent-free in my mind and I think he'll linger for quite a while.

If you're in the mood for a little holiday-esque escape, this feel-good romcom is definitely the way to go!

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon Books UK and Laura Jane Williams for giving me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. (Thanks for the free escape to Australia!)

“Think about it: if we are all disappointing ourselves over and over in order to never upset anybody else, aren’t we putting the same pressure on them? If we all put ourselves first, wouldn’t that give permission for other people to put themselves first? Wouldn’t we all be happier?”

Annie is over the top excited to finally realise her plans and mary her long time boyfriend Alexander, she's had a girly night with her best friends and is ready to celebrate the way she's planned for so long. However, things don't follow the plan and Annie is devastated finding everything out of her control and somehow feeling the blame. Whilst trying to regain control she encounters Patrick, an old friend from when everything was simpler and fun and decides to throw caution to the wind and just go for it. Laura Jane Williams certainly knows how to express the highs and lows of feelings and brings us on a rollercoaster of emotion. Fun read.

I was drawn in by the premise of this book. Annie is left at the altar by her fiancé, and they've been together for 10 years. She happens to run into her old friend Patrick, and they end up going on Annie's honeymoon trip together, with full intentions of it being platonic - two friends who enjoy spending time together, on vacation. That doesn't last long.
I loved exploring Australia with Annie and Patrick, and the trip parts of the book were fun. Poor Annie really did need an escape from both her fiancé and her mom. Parts of the book just didn't feel plausible to me, and there were some things that happened that didn't seem realistic.
The book was interesting, but I'd hoped for a more exciting ending.

The Lucky Escape drew me in with the cover and the premise of being lucky to have been left on your wedding day.

I thought it was clever to have Annie run into someone, Patrick, that she used to know. It gave us a connection fo reignite and it didn’t seem as crazy when she asked Patrick to go on her honeymoon with her. I liked the honeymoon scenes, but wished they had arrived sooner.

I felt like some parts of this story dragged on, while others just seemed to be there and didn’t move the story forward. I felt like Annie was difficult to understand and would contradict herself.

I wanted and hope for more from this book then I got.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review