The book opened as a feel good rom-com, and the entire storyline of the holiday in Australia was a fun, escapist plot that I really enjoyed listening to.
The section of the book after Patrick and Annie arrive back in the UK I found to get a bit tedious to be honest - the narrative of Annie having a bit of a quarter life crisis (who am I? Why doesn't everyone love their jobs?) Went on a bit too long for me and the friction between Annie and Patrick felt a little bit forced a this stage of the book.
Having said that, I thought it ended strong in a predictable, yet enjoyable rom-com style ending with a big proclamation and happy ending and overall, it felt like a nice holiday read that was entertaining for what it was.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher + author for the advanced copy and congratulations!

Narrator 5 stars

Story 4 stars

I got right into this story from the go. The characters were lovable (even the friends) there were some serious laugh out loud moments. Absolutely enjoyed it.

I don't want to spoil the plot for anyone, but I absolutely loved this book. Laura Jane Williams was a new author to me, and I will be searching out more of her work. It was an endearing story of Annie, her childhood friend from drama school Patrick who she meets again by chance, Carol the dog, Annie's little sister Freddie and an aray of other characters. It was a big page turner and kept me interested in their adventures from beginning to end. The narator on the audio was excellent, a really good book.

Annie is left at the altar by her finance, Alexander and she was so sure he was Mr Right.

She bumps into an old friend, Patrick, who reminds her of who she used to be. When Annie has the opportunity to take her honeymoon in Australia, she decides to take Patrick with her

This is a feel good beach read. It's all very nice but there's not much depth to the characters (I would have liked them better if they hadn't been so perfect and nice). I enjoyed the middle part of the book when they were in Australia but I even started to get a bit sick of that. Everything changed in the final section of the book – it was almost like there were whole new characters! I found I liked them more after their total personality change. Though it still had a predictable feel-good ending.

I would recommend it if you want a light-hearted, easy read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for my audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Lucky Escape - Laura Jane Williams

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review thanks to Avon Books UK and Netgalley.

ONE CANCELLED WEDDING

When the day finally comes for Annie to marry Alexander, the last thing she expects is to be left standing at the altar. She was so sure he was Mr Right. Now, she has no idea how she could have got it so wrong.
 
ONE UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

After a chance meeting with Patrick, an old friend who reminds her of who she used to be, Annie takes a vow of her own: she’ll say yes to every opportunity that comes her way from now on.

This is a feel-good, light and easy romcom to read, perfect for a summer escape. Throughout this book, Annie is reevaluating what she wanted to do with her life following being left at the altar. Annie is developed in a subtle way; she starts out afraid to take risks and as the plot develops she becomes more confident.

From the beginning I found myself wanting Annie to get the happy ending that she deserved.

I listened to this as an audiobook and Carrie Hope Fletcher did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life.

Rating 4/5

This is a light hearted ‘beach read’. It’s frivolous and as with many of these types of novels it is utterly predictable. However that doesn’t take away from the narrative of the story. It is engaging, fun, and witty. The perfect escape for when you want something to make you smile.

The Lucky Escape is a great holiday romance read (if your lucky enough to get on holiday these days!)

The narrator, who I am a big fan of on stage, was a bit intense and passive aggressive at the start and it almost put me off continuing however, the character is a bit passive aggressive at the start having been left standing at the alter so I persevered and I'm glad I did!

Really enjoyable audiobook that I devoured in a few days. Always eager to see what would happen.

A Raucous Romp....
Some heart warming and wholly entertaining escapism in this fluffy, fun Romcom that you just cannot help but enjoy. A likeable protagonist and a colourful cast of supporting characters populate the plot. The audio version is well done, narration well paced with good intonation and very enjoyable indeed. A raucous romp with some armchair travel included. A great stress buster.

The book launches us into the morning of Annie’s wedding. Arriving at the church, she realises she’s been jilted. And for some inexplicable reason, her would-be in-laws insist on paying for her to go on the luxurious honeymoon they’d organised - even when she decides to bring along another man... Suddenly Annie and hunky-yet-basically-a-stranger Patrick are travelling around Australia together.

...and we all know how that will end.

Maybe I’ve read too many cheesy romance books lately, but this was just one step too far. I didn’t take to Annie at all, I found her incredibly impulsive and reckless. All the supporting characters felt one-dimensional and stereotyped.

I also really struggled with the audiobook format of this. It was full of stereotyped, whiny, and downright awful accents that really detracted from my enjoyment of the whole book.

That said, this was definitely a feel-good read. It’s one of the kind of romance books where you know how it’ll end, but it honestly doesn’t matter. It also gave me some serious wanderlust!

ONE CANCELLED WEDDING

When the day finally comes for Annie to marry Alexander, the last thing she expects is to be left standing at the altar. She was so sure he was Mr Right. Now, she has no idea how she could have got it so wrong.

ONE UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

After a chance meeting with Patrick, an old friend who reminds her of who she used to be, Annie takes a vow of her own: she’ll say yes to every opportunity that comes her way from now on.

ONE SPARE TICKET FOR THE HONEYMOON

Could a spontaneous trip with Patrick be the way to mend Annie’s heart? She’s about to find out as she embarks on her honeymoon – with a man who’s not her husband…
I was lucky enough to get an audio version of lucky escape by Laura Jane Williams and time seemed to stand still just listening to this absolutely gem of a book. Now ordering a copy for a friend who I know will enjoy it just as much as I did. Fully recommend listening in and being taken away on a lovely journey.

Annie and Alexander have been together for 10 years, until he jilts her on their wedding day. Then unexpectedly, Annie bumps into an old friend, Patrick.

Annie ends us going on the fully paid 3-week honeymoon with Patrick and the rest is a lighthearted story, perfect for reading by the pool on holiday. Given the current climate, it’s also great to read in the garden or bath 😉

I’d give it a fun 3.5/5 stars.

I read the ebook and listened to the audiobook. The audiobook is narrated by Carrie Hope Fletcher. I enjoy Carrie’s work as an author, singer, actress and content creator and she did a great job of bringing this book to life. I don’t think there’s any benefit of the audiobook over the ebook or vice versa, it’s personal preference.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Jane Williams and Avon Books UK for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I was fortunate enough to have this book in a digital and audio format. I loved the digital copy but the narrator really bought the book together.

The characters are loveable and so relatable. This book covers heartbreak, friendship, betrayal and love. It’s a lovely summery book. This is going to make every reader want to go on a trip to Australia. I think this will be the book of Summer 2021.

Sorry. I don't utilise audio books and mistakenly downloaded it. I did not listen to it. It would be my kind of book to read though. Apologies.

I’d like to thank Harper Collins UK and Avon for approving me for an ARC of this audiobook.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I started this one but as soon as I saw that Carrie Hope Fletcher was the narrator I knew it would be a great listen. And I was right! Carrie Hope Fletcher delivers an outstanding performance and she is without a doubt my favourite narrator. She has a way of keeping my attention, delivering funny lines flawlessly and making me fill with emotion.

The Lucky Escape was a fun and easy listen that dealt with a lot of issues without being morbid and depressing. I can’t imagine how anyone must feel to be jilted on what should be the happiest day of your life. Annie was clearly in shock and seemed very calm whilst she tried to process what Alexander had done. I loved her attitude of just getting on with life and channelling her energy into the gym, getting her body fit whilst her mind played catch up.

Overall I found Annie to be very likeable and relatable. She had a fun personality that had been squashed by either Alexander and her mother over the years. Once she was out from under their control she really let go and I could feel the tension easing out of her. What I liked most about Annie was her relationship with her sister Freddie and the positive effect she had on her views and opinions. They had a lovely sisterly bond considering the age gap between them.

Patrick was an absolute sweetheart. From the moment he rescued Annie from her jumper I just knew they were a great match. They had a chemistry that was undeniable and were so comfortable around each other. Perhaps the idea that Annie would take this guy, who she hasn’t seen in years, on her honeymoon is a little far fetched but hey, this is the world of fiction where anything is possible. I loved the damaged, grieving part of Patrick, it explained his live for the moment outlook on life.

I was very jealous of their holiday to Australia, it is on my list of places to visit and all the different things they did sound incredible. As the holiday progressed I could feel that sexual tension building between Annie and Patrick and there was only one way it could possibly go. The scene at the spa gave me the giggles and I could not help but laugh out loud at the hilarious antics.

Once Patrick and Annie returned home it was good to see a few hiccups along the way. When we finally meet Alexander he is everything I thought he would be; pathetic, rude and entirely wrong for Annie. It was great to see Annie standing up for herself in all aspects of her life and finally living life how she wanted not how she thought she should.

This was the perfect summer read to escape to, especially as travelling seems to be off the cards at the moment. Filled with fun, excitement and refreshing characters this is sure to bring a smile to your face.

This was my first ever audio book and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed listening rather than reading!

Annie is jilted on her wedding day by groom Alexander. His parents had planned and paid for an amazing honeymoon in Australia for them, and they insist she still goes. Newly rediscovered old friend Patrick is the perfect person to accompany her - how will their relationship alter as time goes on?

I struggled to like main character Annie, I found her very indecisive and a bit irritating if I'm honest! However I loved Patrick, a perfect "chick lit" leading man. Annie's younger sister Freddie was also a fantastic character - many a wise word uttered from the young teen in this book! A lovely summery story, I can imagine laying by a pool, cocktail in hand, enjoying this one.

Carrie Hope Fletcher was the perfect choice as narrator for the audio book, she was very easy to listen to - although she could have perhaps left the Aussie accent out!

Thank you to Net Galley & Harper Collins UK Audio for gifting me an early release of this audiobook, written by Laura Jane Williams.
The Lucky Escape follows Annie, who’s just been left by her fiancé Alexander, of nearly 10 years - on their wedding day - by a text to the wedding planner!?
We see her navigate the next chapter of her life as a newly independent woman, with her learning who she really is and who she wants to be with, now she’s free of the constraints her relationship with Alexander unknowingly had on her. But with the help of an old friend Patrick, who she convinces to join her on what should have been her 3 week honeymoon in Australia, her eyes are opened to the possibilities her future can hold.
This is a lovely story with lots of lovely characters, I really enjoyed the narration by Carrie Hope Fletcher giving each character a different voice.
This is the only book of Williams I’ve read, but I think she has done a great job of adding different curveballs to Annie’s life, giving her options and making us - the reader, ponder over how it’s going to end; it can be boring to read some romcoms which are so cliche and obvious, this however does not fall into this category.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book and would recommend it as a great holiday book to read or listen to!
I’m also going to look at Williams other books as if they are like The Lucky Escape, if sure I’ll enjoy them too!

Bit of a chick lit to remove yourself from everyday life, ideal holiday read. Predictably a love story after loss and being jilted, how everything happens for a reason. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

I was really hopeful when I read the description of the book and it started off really well. I loved the premise of the book and the story had loads of potential but I really struggled to connect with the main character.
Some of the supporting characters were much easier to like, including her immediate family.

The audiobook was perfectly narrated and the story was well written.

I would definitely try other titles from this author in the future.

Could there be anything worse than being left standing at the altar? Maybe, if the man you were supposed to marry turned out to be a spineless coward. Annie decides that she has plenty of things to be happy about, in spite of being dumped and vows to say yes to all the opportunities that come her way. The first is a doozy, a chance encounter with old friend Patrick leads her to invite him along on her “honeymoon”. And she may just discover that the day she got jilted was the luckiest day of her life. Delightful fun amidst second chances

I have loved everything Laura Jane Williams has written - this book is no exception.
I was totally engrossed and fell into this world. One of the things I love about Williams novels is they just feel so real! I sometimes find 'chick-lit' a little far-fetched or overly dramatic. This book just felt so real and I felt so connected to the central character of Annie. I really felt for her, and could see a lot of myself in her. Laura Jane Williams definitely knows how to write realistic, yet loveable characters.

I also had the chance to listen to the audio book version (as well as the kindle version) and that was superb!! Carrie Hope Fletcher reads so well, and I think her narration really helps me to fall in love with the characters. Fletcher is superb - even if her Australian Accent is a bit hit and miss!

This book is the perfect summer read. The book spans months, and locations. I was gripped from the start and I will be recommending this book to chick-lit and non chick-lit fans alike! Just brilliant!!
If you can I would recommend reading this via audio book too. Just has helped me to delve into Annie's world! I sped through this, and genuinely felt a bit sad when it was over.

Another hit from Laura Jane Williams and I can't wait for her next novel!