Annie is tired of feeling like she's behind in life compared to her friends. She's delighted to be finally getting married to her long term boyfriend Alexander, only to be crushed when on the day of the wedding, he sends a text to their wedding planner to say he won't be going! His parents have paid for an amazing trip around Australia for the honeymoon which they can't get a refund for and embarrassed by how their son has behaved, encourage her to go on the trip. After the non-wedding, Annie has bumped into Patrick at the gym, a friend she knew from a summer camp in their teens. On a whim, Annie asks Patrick to go with her to Australia!

The premise is fun, a jilted bride who's reinventing herself and having an amazing holiday. The book is broken into 3 parts: before the honeymoon, the Australia trip and what happens after. I felt like the 1st 3rd was a bit slow in pace, because the storyline of meeting Patrick and getting to know him again has to be built up. I've read other books that have a similar beginning (like I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk and The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren) and the part of getting on a plane is a lot quicker in these books so the pace moves a bit faster. I liked the trip to Australia, with Annie and Patrick getting to know each other a bit better and seeing the flirting getting more intense and the start of the relationship. And the descriptions of the holiday were amazing as well! Pure escapism. Unfortunately the last part fell a bit flat. I did like Annie as a character and I was rooting for herself, especially when she returns from the trip and is trying to get her life back in order. Patrick's character lacked consistency, he is all about 'going with the flow' but then completely acts different back in London after the trip. And is kinda childish as well. It was frustrating so when everything wrapped up, I felt like I wasn't that invested in the characters and their outcomes.

I did enjoy the narration in the book, Carrie Hope Fletcher does a good job and I had listened to her narrate a previous Laura Jane Williams book (Our Stop) which was part of the reason I requested this on audio.

The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams

When Annie is jilted at the alter she has to re-evaluate her life; embarrassed and humiliated what can she do next?

Annie throws herself into an exercise class, no one knows her there; and whilst focusing on sweating she isn't remembering being dumped on her wedding day.

But when Patrick does recognise her, someone she hasn't seen since she was 14 years old; it might be all that she needs to reminisce about a time when she felt truly herself, carefree and happy.

I enjoyed the second half of this novel more than the first; the beginning was obvious, the reader knew the two characters would get together. The flirting scenes were a little cringing; but, I believe this is what Williams wanted.

This author lures us into a false sense of security, the happy-ever-after we all want in any romance story; but, then Williams throws in a spanner and our heart slightly breaks. We question what's happening (or at least I did). But we also question the outcome, both choices could be the right one.

This author definitely kept me on my toes, and I enjoyed it. This isn't your stereotypical romance /chic lit with a straightforward narrative; this narrative has a couple of twists and turns, ups and downs and shows a character who comes out the end with true strength.

Some people may question this narrative to be unrealistic, but actually, I went on holiday with someone after knowing them for 6 weeks, being apart for 6 months and then flying to across the ocean to meet them; because why the hell not! Take the risk, as what do you have you lose? (And my ending is that I married him!)

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, not 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.

I was lucky enough to receive an the audiobook version of The Lucky Escape to review.

I haven't read anything from this author before but I LOVED this book. Carrie Hope Fletcher is the narrator for the book and she has a very gentle voice.

Being left at the alter has to be every brides nightmare (I remember the first thing I asked when I arrived at the church was "is he here?"!) but for Annie it is the start of an adventure that changes her life.

She gets to go on a lavish honeymoon without the dead wood of Alexander and have the time of her life.

The people from her past that come back into her life lead her on a new path.

Definitely a great read for the summer.

I really enjoyed this book, listened to the audiobook which got a little cringe at times, listening to some audio narration of some sex scenes. I really enjoyed this heart-warming happy story and was rooting for the characters! I loved that it was about a lot more than romance, and the protagonist started to open her eyes more to how she had been treated by her fiancé.

My first Laura Jane Williams book, though I have both Our Stop and The Love Square on my TBR, I just haven’t quite made it round to them yet.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

I found this one great to listen to and was unable to turn it off - it was just what I needed!

A wedding day is supposed to be perfect... but it was anything but for Annie when she was left by her soon-to-be husband on her big day. And over text too!

Distraught, Annie retreats into herself and the sometimes overbearing company of her parents and sister. But, can a chance meeting with childhood friend, Patrick, and a free honeymoon paid for by her (would have been) in-laws, change Annie’s future?

A lighthearted listen and a reminder we are all in control of our own happiness!

This was the first book I have ever read by this author and I must say it was not a bad first. The story itself was in between 3 and 4 stars from me, but the narration (I listed to the audio book) was so good that I rounded it up to 4 stars.

The story is similar to many other books that have come out recently, with a bride that is jilted. In this story Annie, the jilted bride, decides to go on the honeymoon herself, together with a male friend that she has only just reconnected with after nearly 20 years. I recently read another book that was all about the stood up bride going on her honeymoon alone so this was similar, only this story is only partially about that and even more about what happens when she returns to her "real" life back at home.

I felt like I really got to know and understand the main characters Annie and Patrick and I loved her little sister, but the rest of the supporting characters didn't really stand out all that much.

Overall I really enjoyed this rom-com, with the great narration and will be looking for more books by this author in the future.

I would like to thank the author Laura Jane Williams, the publisher: HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for the chance to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Who doesn’t love a sweet love story from time to time?

Annie is left at the altar and her world stops. Or so she thinks!

What a refreshing story! I was craving for the sun, the holiday, but obviously for what she has with Patrick! Who wouldn’t ?!

Her relationship with her little sister is also really heartwarming.

But it’s not just about her love and her family life. Because of Alexander leaving her, she gets out of a stuck feeling with work and other things.

Although she has Patrick from early on, it is also a good reminder that she needs to decide on things for herself and not depend on someone to take decisions that matter to her.

All in all, a very heartwarming story, giving me some hope and chills as well 😅😊

I got a free copy of the audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked this! I went in thinking it would be a romance, and while it was to an extent it was really more a coming of age story for someone in their late twenties. Really great cast of (diverse) characters and just a great exploration of someone with a lot of anxiety and uncertainty about themselves realising that they are a great person and to stick up for themself.
The romance in this was lovely but I was a lot more invested in the rest of Annie's life - I was really rooting for her happy ending, whether or not that was with Patrick.
I've not listened to an audiobook of a book I've not read before in absolutely years, but I think I'll do it more as this was so enjoyable. I didn't realise before I started listening that it was narrated by Carrie Hope Fletcher - such a great choice, her voice is lovely and she's great with accents.

I really enjoyed this book. Having read Our Stop before, I knew that I loved the authors writing style, so I was very excited to read some more of her work.

It was a really quick and easy read, I read it all in one day. The relationship was easy to root for. Annie in particular was a great character that I found rather relatable as someone of a similar age, who also questions whether she should have everything figured out by now.

My only issue really was that I found the story lost steam a little bit once they got back from the "honeymoon" to Austrailia. It felt a little like it fell into the trap of creating conflict for the sake of conflict. Some of the issues were understandable but I felt that the way it played out just seemed a little repetitive and then miraculously solved in half a page.

The audiobook was great. I love Carrie Hope Fletcher and will always listen to books that she is narrating. This one in particular showcased her acting skills with a variety of accents that was fun to see.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any fan of cute, contemporary romance.

Note: A big thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK Audio and the author, Laura Jane Williams, for providing me with a copy of The Lucky Escape in exchange for an honest review.

- Book In One Sentence

*The Lucky Escape*, by Laura Jane Williams, demonstrates the life of Annie and how one heavy incident encourages her to come out of her shell and be true to herself.

- Introduction

Superficially, Annie Wiig has everything - she is engaged to a handsome boyfriend of 10+ years, is a theoretical physicist at a reputed institution, and has a supporting family. However, all hell cuts loose when her fiancé, Alexander, gets cold feet on the day of the wedding and ditches her. Naturally, Annie is devastated and humiliated. After bad days, she realises that she hadn't been living her life the way she wants. She plans to go on her honeymoon alone. However, an old acquaintance from her teenage days comes up and she brings him along. A vacation on the opposite side of the world helps her get some perspectives in order and she realises that not only she responsibilities for others but also herself.

- Themes

> Romance

Romance is a major part of the story. It starts with Annie being engaged to Alexander, only to be jilted by him on their wedding day. She ends up meeting Patrick, an acquaintance from her teenage years, and goes on the honeymoon trip with him. In the end, they end up falling for each other. Patrick makes Annie take on a new view of life and Annie helps Patrick come out of his shell that he developed after his wife, Mala, died. Both make each other a better person and compliment each other in the best way possible.

> Modern Fiction

It is no surprise that *The Lucky Escape* is modern fiction. It showcases the modern times and the struggles and stories of people in recent days. The entire story has been set in a modern setting. The characters, struggles, and solutions are fairly modern. I developed my interest in contemporary fiction at the beginning of this year and it was great to read about modern struggles and topics, from the period I am in.

> Finding Oneself

Annie seemingly had it all. However, she still feels like something's missing. After she was left by her fiance on her wedding day, she decides to focus on herself and her happiness. Despite the questions and doubts, she invites Patrick on a vacation and goes to Australia. There, she finds herself opening up and enjoying life. She accepts that she was missing out and trying to conform to the societal norms with Alexander. She also accepts her unbalanced relationship with her mother. She comes back from Australia as a whole new person. However, her growth does not just stop there. She takes steps to find happiness, in both her personal and professional lives. We also get to see her taking strides in determining if her career is right along with her relationship with Patrick.

- Things to Note

> Sisterly Bond

One of the most important relationships showcased in the story is the sisterly bond between Annie and her sister Freddie. They are as thick as thieves and do everything to comfort as well as support each other in times and need. It was really commendable to see Freddie stand up for her sister every time her position is challenged. Both of their love for each other is shown throughout the novel and it is nice to see two siblings getting along.

> Forced Diversity

The book tries to enforce some diversity into the story — in terms of race, gender identity, and sexual orientation. However, it felt more like ticking the boxes to get it over with. The diversity does not play any role in the entire story apart from being mentioned. For instance, Annie and Patrick goes to a massage place, and the people there introduce themselves by their names and pronouns. Add this to other mentions of the black best friend, the bisexual friend, the friend who wants to adopt and be a single mother, and the sister wanting to fight the unequal gender pay gap (*she is 13, by the way*). All these could have been developed into a full-fledged narrative to add flavour to the story. However, it only felt like adding a list of instances for the sake of inclusivity and feminism.

These instances are later contradicted by the author herself:

"I actually found huge comfort on the age-old tradition of a conventional wedding day and gave in to almost all of them without much of a fight."

Nothing wrong with a traditional wedding. However, do not go on to justify being a strong, independent woman, who does not care about what the world thinks!

"He smelled manly. Potent. Paddy Hummingbird."

This one does not settle well with me. It literally contradicts Annie's monologue of being an open-minded woman, not fazed by the societal tags and labels.

> Mental Conflict

The latter half of the story shows Annie second-guessing her decisions and undergoing some kind of mental conflict. While I believe that such a phase was essential as Annie has spent most of her life attaining what the society puts forward to her, the timing felt a little off. The first and the middle part of the story cruised by smoothly with Annie embracing the changes without much trouble. However, after accepting them, she starts doubting her stances later. This can be justified by the fact that she comes back to a familiar setting, where she was not used to putting herself first.

- The Ending

As with every other feel-good romance story, I expected a happy ending and I was definitely not disappointed. I was satisfied to see that the story did not end with every piece falling together magically. Rather, the characters are seen to make a conscious effort to make a change and be happy along the way.

- Significance of the Title

Laura Jane Williams' *The Lucky Escape* shows how the protagonist, Annie Wiig, was living a life based on societal expectations. However, it took one "lucky escape" of being left on her wedding for her to break out of her shell and bring value to her existence.

- Final Take

All in all, I am okay with the story. Overall, the story is good for some light reading. If you are into romance stories where the missing puzzle piece falls back together in the end, this one is for you. The gaps I found in the story were outshone by the light undertone and seamless narratives. The characterisations are great and consistent. It is definitely an okay summer read.

I feel I am a bit too old for this book however I can't say it stopped me from wanting to finish. It is a chic-lit romance novel with a lot of self-discovery going on. Personally, I wish I had read something like this when I was younger as it might have woken me up. I admit to having some laugh out loud moments and the author definitely has a sense of humour. It is rare that a fiction novel makes me chuckle and that was lovely.

It should have been the happiest day of Annie’s life .When her feckless fiancé Alexander, backs out of the wedding via text and flees the country, Annie is lost. Her entire future has disintegrated. Weeks after being jilted, she signs up to a boot camp and is reunited with Patrick, a friend from her teenage years. Catching up with Patrick feels like no time has past and reminds her of who she was before she felt she had to fit in and please everyone. On a whim after a drinking and crazy golf marathon, she decides to go on her honeymoon with Patrick who is coping with his own heartbreak. But what happens when you go on your honeymoon with another man?

I enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator is very engaging and I loved that she was able to change her voice for the various characters. She seems the perfect narrator for the plot and her narration made the charactor of Annie all the more relatable.

It’s lighthearted and funny. It’s one of those stories where you can see how it’s all going to play out but that doesn’t detract from your enjoyment at all. I was happy to be along for the ride whilst Annie picks herself up, dusts herself off and starts afresh. The chapters in Australia were pure escapism and I loved reading about Annie’s transformation whilst she travelled with Patrick. The pace and feel of the book definitely changed once they return back from the trip and I felt impatient for the end.

All in all it’s a perfect for listening to as you sunbath this summer and I’d recommend to fans of the romance genre.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed it!

I'll be honest, this book was probably too fast on a lot of fronts, but since I listened to all of it, and listened to it over 7 days (it usually does not take me this long to get through books), it seemed a lot slower to me, which is probably what added to my enjoyment of this book. I can guarantee that the insta-love would have irritated me a lot more had I read this.

I loved the premise of this; I really need some escapism in my life right now, having been cheated out of so many vacations by now, and this really delivered on that front. The audiobook did an amazing job really immersing me into Australia, and now I really want to visit the places I read about some time after this pandemic.

The romance was something I wasn't completely keen on? Like yeah, I get where this was coming from, but I had numerous bones to pick it.

The first and foremost was that why would a woman invite a man she hasn't known for some 20 years, and at the 20 years past time we're talking about was when they were children, with her on a vacation. Disregarding all the issues about not knowing the person, why does she not have any care for her safety? Do people really invite long lost friends to expensive honeymoons?

The second issue I had was that the vacation didn't actually take as much of the book as I had been hoping and expecting it to take up. We came back to real life pretty fast, and we spent quite a lot of time in London after, and before the vacation. While I stand by the opinion that this did wonders for the story, making it more realistic and plausible by exploring all the downsides to a whirlwind relationship, I was also promised a getaway, and the synopsis makes you think that that getaway would start within the first 10-20% of the book, and end near 90%, which is not exactly what happened.

Another issue I had, which is more a personal failing, was the dealing with grief part. I personally avoid books that deal with grief unless I'm in the correct mindset for it and actually go out and request the book despite it. So, the whole grief aspect really threw me off because I was not expecting it. Still, I felt it was done very well, and did not make me feel as depressed and awful as I sometimes end up feeling with books that deal with grief.

Now, the romance itself: I was completely happy with this not remaining a romance, okay? I get that I only picked this up for the romance, but some halfway though this, I really only wanted the friendship. The romance didn't even take up as much of the book as I expected it to, and so it didn't feel as authentic and enjoyable to me.

I loved the friend group that Annie had, her relationship with her family (more or less excluding her mother, more on that later); I really enjoyed the platonic and supportive friendships this book had, even with Annie's sister Freddie, who was probably my favourite character. Which is also one of the reasons I only wanted Patrick's relationship with Annie to stay a friendship, because this book was really doing good with that.

Now, Annie's relationship with her mother: I did enjoy their journey, but I didn't completely love the resolution of it? I related quite a bit to it, and sometimes I was even agreeing with her mother because she was making sense, like in the instances of when she said Annie's romance was too fast. Still, I didn't completely love that she didn't completely understand how hard she was making Annie's life, how hard she had made Annie's childhood. Everyone has a slightly difficult relationship with their mothers, I think that's just the way it is; we will always disagree on something under the sun. So, that was very relatable, but the resolution of their fight was a bit underwhelming.

I also think that Patrick forgave Annie a bit too fast, because she was seriously messing up her relationship with him and definitely not being sensitive (which I'm glad she realised it later), but I would have liked a bit more hammering into Annie's head.

I simply loved the audiobook narration, I will definitely be checking out more books with the narrator, Carrie Hope Fletcher, the pacing was absolutely perfect (I usually have to speed up the narration for me to not get distracted, but this was the perfect pacing), and I loved the way different voices were done, because it really let me have different voices in my head. Even now, when I reread my status updates to write this review, I could recall to astonishing detail the way those dialogues were said the first time I listened to them.

On the whole, an amazing book, with much-needed escapism and awesomely done found family and friendships. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys vacation rom-coms, focus on mental health, books dealing with grief, and do check out the audiobook if you can, it's worth it.

If your looking for a light and easy read then you might enjoy this book, unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

I liked the set-up and premise, Annie is left at the altar but ends up going on her honeymoon anyway. I also appreciated that it wasn’t all about the romance but we genuinely got to see Annie grieve her previous relationship and reevaluate her life as a whole. However it all felt very formulaic.

I particularly didn’t like Annie’s new love interest, Patrick came off a little creepy at first and even after his backstory is revealed his connection with a Annie felt forced. In general, Annie’s relationships with other characters, her parents, sister, friends and work colleagues felt underdeveloped. There was some effort to add depth to some of these relationships and perhaps if there were less secondary characters this might have been achieved.

I did enjoy the narrator and thought she did a brilliant job bringing the book to life.

It was a quick read and just engaging enough to keep me reading to the end. I’m sure plenty of people will like this more than I did and would find it a great summer read!

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

The Lucky Escape
by Laura Jane Williams

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"If you could just put yourself at the centre of your own world for one second you'd see how much you deserve to be there."

🏖 Annie Wig - soon to be McKenzie - has it all. A gorgeous fiancé, a lovely home and an amazing job. Except that she doesn’t. Because on her wedding day the unthinkable happens. She’s been jilted. The home she’s been living in and paying for for years is his not hers and she realises that actually she’s not that into her job. The McKenzie’s tell her to go on honeymoon anyway, it’s the least they can do. While she’s away will she find more than a way to mend her broken heart? Could she end up discovering who she really is? With a little help from a friend from the past this honeymoon could end up changing Annie’s life! 🏖

This book is the epitome of a feel good rom com - I listened to it in audio (narrated by Carrie Hope Fletcher). I really loved Annie’s character and most of the supporting characters too. In particular, Patrick, I may be biased but he reminded me so much of my husband and I found myself falling for their romance.

The only parts I wasn’t so keen on were those that involved ‘the core four’ - the friendships seemed paper thin and didn’t really add anything to the story. I’d expect to feel more of a connection with a friendship which is described as core. Annie’s friendship with Adzo felt so much more real.

There are laugh out loud funny bits, emotional elements and some slightly spicy bits too. I’m really keen to read more by this author now.

Thank you Net Galley and Harper Collins Uk Audio for this gifted audiobook!

Review of The Lucky escape by Laura Jane Williams - Audiobook

Annie gets dumped in the worst possible way, she is left outside the church in her wedding dress after being told by their wedding planner that the groom isn’t coming. Trying to put the pieces back together she has a chance encounter with an old childhood acquaintance, Patrick. While never really friends in childhood they soon hit it off as friends and make the rash decision to take her unused honeymoon together to Australia for three weeks...
Really enjoyed this book. Great characters and character development along with a good story arc. This was the audiobook version which was very well read and enjoyable to listen to. The narrator got the emotion and voices of the characters across very well. Recommended

Really brilliantly read, The Lucky Escape is full of deep characterisation and clever observation. It made me think about the relationships between men and women and how much we do just because it’s the expected next step and, conversely, what we let fall through our hands because it seems like the wrong time.

Brilliant audio book, I laughed and cried with Annie throughout. Carrie Hope Fletcher read brilliantly. A really good summer read. Annie is due to marry Alexander but when things don’t go to plan abs she ends up on honeymoon with another man things are hopefully looking up.

I loved this book. I’ve enjoyed every one of Laura Jane Williams’ books so far and can’t wait for her future novels.

This story is about how something goes majorly wrong ends up right.

Would be a great beach book!