The Lucky Escape

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!

This book is absolutely stunning.
The storyline really drew me in and I became so invested, it’s genuinely laugh out loud funny and gave me all the feels.
LOVE that Carrie Hope Fletcher is the narrator.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Thank you @netgalley and @avonbooksuk and @laurajaneauthor for the advanced copy of the lucky escape.

Really loved the narration by Carrie Hope Fletcher.

Annie is ditched at the altar on her wedding day and is now rebuilding herself back up.

Whilst exercising she meets up with Patrick. Someone from her past and invites him to join her in Australia.

One cancelled wedding, one unexpected encounter and one spare ticket for honeymoon.

Annie has the opportunity to rebuild her life and be able to do things for herself. Along the way there are decisions to be made and learning to do things that make her happy.

I really enjoyed the book and it was nice easy light hearted 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.

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.

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!

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.