ARC Review: The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams (11/2/21)

The Lucky Escape by Laura Jane Williams – Expected publish date: November 2, 2021!
Verdict: a touching love story through Australia

Recommended: yes!
For a fun travel adventure, for a cheeky attempt at no-strings-attached fun, for the “vacation with a stranger” trope that’s a little less scary because they were classmates way back when

Summary

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…

Thoughts

In short, yes, read this book. ^.^

This is a travel book, and a romance book, and a finding-yourself book. It’s a couple of stories woven together, and it’s seamlessly done. Things move pretty quickly too, so you don’t have to wait much to really get into the action and fun.

Because there are so many themes to the story, I got to know the characters really well. I loved them both so much, and I really enjoyed them together as they reconnected and built a relationship (even if they didn’t always know what kind of relationship they were building). These folks had literal baggage for their trip, plus the emotional baggage to boot. Slowly cracking them open and watching them light each other up, and heal, and figure out what they wanted and needed in life, was sweet enough to make me smile with every page.

Plus it didn’t hurt that they had the dope backdrops of Australia for most of the story. The travel aspect was so fun! They go all over the country, and Australia has a lot of variety. If you’re coming into this for a fun little romp around the continent, you’ll mostly get it. Unsurprisingly it’s primarily spent on the Eastern coast, but you get a good bit of everything.

There is some time before & after where they aren’t in Australia though, and I particularly appreciated the time and effort given to the “after” period. It’s easier for the characters to ignore any big questions while on the trip because they’re outside their standard lives. Regular concerns just don’t matter at that point. But once they’re home, what exactly is the plan? It was handled beautifully, and painfully, and it was one of those resolutions that felt very human. It hurt all the more because of it. Excellent wrap to this one.

Thanks to Harper 360 and NetGalley for a free advanced copy of this title. This is my honest review!