Lovely story as always by Rachael Johns. Great plot, heart warming characters and an easy to read writing style. Highly recommend.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Radio host Harper Drummond lives for her career. Every day she meets fascinating people doing extraordinary things, but has begun to wonder whether there could something more for her out there. She’s financially secure, happily married to Samuel and has a great group of friends — what more could she want? It’s only when she interviews one special couple that she starts to think about whether she could make a different kind of contribution.
Claire and Jasper Beggs are passionate about their thriving hot air balloon business and know they're lucky to find such joy in their work and in each other. But while Jasper has accepted that he will never be a father, Claire has found it hard to come to terms with her infertility. She doesn't want Jasper to regret choosing her over a child in the years to come. Is there a way to give themselves a real chance at being a happy family?
Can they find someone who will give them the greatest gift? Or will it come at a greater cost?

A definite departure from Rachael Johns' earlier rural romance novels, this book shows an marked maturity in her writing. No longer are we getting romance stories of beautiful women and handsome men (although I am sure there will be more to come in the future), this story centres on two women - one who is desperate to have a baby, and the other who never wanted to be a mother - and the greatest gift one woman can offer another.

As previously mentioned, the greatest gift the reader gets in this book is the writing - there is a real connection between the reader and the characters (in my case, Claire and Jasper) and we are pulled into the story easily.

An honest, emotional and stunning novel.

My one complaint was the over-abundance of medical and legal stuff. At times, it really did get annoying and eventually ended up costing this book a star. And the epilogue? Could have really done without that...


Paul
ARH

Well then, why don't we just throw my heart on the floor and stomp on it? Jeez! That is what reading this book felt like. The Greatest Gift was bittersweet. Highlighting a heartbreaking problem for some women who cannot get pregnant, the women out there who donate their eggs and personal tragedies. I personally liked the novel as it was set in Sydney/ Hunter Valley - which I know well, so I felt like I could really picture the landscape. My only wish was that we had gotten to read more of Claire and Jasper's courtship - only the start and then 5 years later - I felt robbed!

The Greatest Gift by Rachael Johns
Account Sam Still Reading
Category Book review

In brief: Harper doesn’t want children. Claire is desperate to, but can’t. What if they combined their strengths to give the greatest gift?
The good: A lot of thorny issues thrown up, plus I just loved Claire.
The not-so-good: My schedule just didn’t allow me enough reading time to devour this book!
Why I chose it: I will read anything Rachael Johns writes.
Year: 2017
Pages: 432
Publisher: HQ Fiction (Harlequin)
Setting: New South Wales, Australia
Rating: 9 out of 10
Rachael Johns. I feel like I say this with every book she writes, but I will follow her writing to the ends of the earth and back again, no matter the genre. She is a writer that I get. Her books never fail to impress me in their skill in telling a story, tugging at all of the heartstrings and considering issues in a new light. Of course, The Greatest Gift is no exception!
The story could be categorised as general fiction/women’s fiction/life lit or you could just say it’s a great read. It involves two women – Harper, a woman certain she doesn’t want kids and Claire, a woman who desperately wants a child, but can’t. Harper is a successful radio interviewer/host and her husband is a lawyer determined to climb the career ladder. They don’t have time for children – really. Claire and Jasper can’t have children because she’s infertile post childhood cancer, but Claire knows that it could happen. She just needs an egg donor. Harper is becoming restless, wanting to do something good like the people she interviews. Why not donate her eggs? Claire and Jasper seem like the perfect couple.
Of course, not everything goes to plan. I was truly shocked at some of the twists and turns! I certainly didn’t see them coming. (Consider yourself warned if you like to read into the night – you WILL be reading longer if you hit one of these crucial points). Harper and Claire were like chalk and cheese to me, even though they are both good people. Claire is radiant, she practically shines off the page. For all she’s been through, she has a determined, optimist attitude. She’s the friend who would never let you down. Harper was a bit more complicated for me. I liked her, but sometimes her actions weren’t all that likeable. She appeared simple and straightforward on the surface, but she had a lot more issues going on underneath which are gradually revealed as the story goes on. I suppose the unmasking of this kind of shattered my illusion that Harper was a 100% good and sweet character. Her reactions on reflection are perfectly normal, but they kind of shocked me at the time. It’s actually this conflict that really got me involved with The Greatest Gift – until the big shock and the aftermath, the story had been cruising along for me. But as everything that was meant to happen failed, I wanted to know exactly what was going to happen next. It was unpredictable and I loved it – blind twists and turns are definitely my thing.
I shouldn’t neglect the main male characters either. Jasper and Samuel are Claire and Harper’s husbands respectively. They too are complete opposites (except when it comes to determination in completely different fields). Jasper is the dream guy. He’s warm, genuine, kind and accepting. Yet he’s also flawed, but in way that does get redeemed. (I’m not going to spoil the surprise). Samuel should be the ultimate Man™. He’s terrifically good looking, intelligent, career driven, good in bed etc. …but he’s also a bit boring. He can be cranky, self-indulgent and just plain mean. As time went on, I wondered what Harper saw in him and wondered if that was enough to sustain a relationship.
Apart from characters I could analyse for pages, there are a number of other fascinating parts to The Greatest Gift. One is Jasper and Claire’s occupation as hot air balloonists. It’s not really something I’ve thought too much about before, but reading about what was involved was really interesting. Harper’s radio career was also interesting for the amount of preparation that was involved. Of course, the biggest thing was the moral dilemma that emerged partway through the story – who is wrong? Who is right? Or is it just shades of grey?
As always, I really enjoyed Rachael Johns’ latest novel. The Greatest Gift proves that she can turn her keyboard to any topic and make a story that is both beautiful and heart breaking.

I love Rachael Johns. Like in a "buy her books the minute they are released" kinda way. You know, without bothering to read the blurb, she's just one of those must-buy authors (although admittedly, as I stalk, opps I mean follow, her on Facebook you do kinda know the gist of the story before it's released).

But see, then I had this problem. I desperately wanted to read this book. Once I've read it though, that's it. You don't get that "first read" experience again. So I stupid left it sitting on the kindle for a couple of weeks. Not because I didn't want to read it, no, because I WANTED TO READ IT TOO MUCH.

And look, it didn't disappoint. Claire and Jasper want kids. Harper doesn't want kids. Harper discovers egg donation, and so the whole story is set in motion.

It's so much more than a story of egg donation (which is an amazing and altruistic gift, and something I think more women should consider. I know I am. Once I get over my fear of giving myself a needle). It's the story of what it means to be a mother. Of what it means to be part of a family.

It was such an emotional and well written book. Rachael has really outdone herself this time, and has proven her amazing writing skills. A must read.

**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Oh my goodness.. have the tissues ready for this one. What an emotional book! So many tears for the heartbreak in this story. My first Rachael Johns book although I had heard of her and seen her books around. Definately will be picking up more. This book was so beautiful and sad and happy.. a rollercoaster of emotions. I read this in one day. Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Fiction for a copy of this book to read and review.

What an incredible story, the amount of emotions I went through reading this, joy, happiness, disbelief, grief and so much more. To donate an egg to someone so they can have the chance of being a parent, it is something that hits close to home and it is such a beautiful thing, that someone can do that for someone else. The characters are real and I was completely invested in them throughout this story, though there was one I completely disliked. So many different relationships and personalities that made this story come to life. The hot air ballooning was a great setting and I can't wait to try it for myself, to feel the peace and joy of being up in the sky. A fabulous read once again

My thanks to Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

In her latest book The Greatest Gift Rachael Johns explores the issues of wanting children but being infertile and the amazing role those who make egg donations take on, to help those who have a strong desire to be a parent. This was actually a new idea to me, not sure why I hadn't heard of it before but I hadn't and so this book was a marvellous way for me to gain insight into it.

Harper is a woman who doesn't want children and neither does her husband Samuel. However Harper does want to contribute and find deeper meaning in her life so she decides to explore the possibility of donating some of her eggs. Thereby creating the greatest gift.

Claire is infertile due to a childhood illness and so when she wants children one possibility is to look for an egg donor. In Australia this is unpaid and donors willingly make the gift. How things follow up in terms of whether the egg donor has any further communication with the new parents was another interesting aspect.

Of course this is a story that does not just go from A to B and new baby and every one goes home happy. Rachael Johns throws in a few curly twists and turns that made for some heart in the mouth reading.

I liked the development of the characters, especially that of Harper - her journey was in the end the one that grabbed me. Jasper - husband of Claire, was another character whose reactions and feelings seemed totally believable. How they change and take up the challenges of the journey they are on made for some very good reading.

WOW this book has left me speechless it is an amazing story of love, of hope, of giving, MS Johns has written about something that is dear to my heart a story of egg donation so as couples can live a life with children in them to feel that in-built nurturing that happens between a mother and her child while she carries them and allow the father to be such a huge part of the process. This book should be read with a box of tissues very handy because all of the characters in this story will become friends and feel like family, well they did for me.

Harper Drummond is a very popular radio host, journalist interviewing a variety of people about a variety of subjects she is happily married to lawyer Samuel and they both live their lives for work, Harper didn’t have the best childhood or mother so having children is not what she wants in life, but after interviewing a couple that are now happily pregnant with a donor egg Harper decides that she wants to help someone as well she feels that there is something missing in her life and is sure this will make a difference, so starts the process of finding people to help.

Jasper and Claire have been happily married for 5 years now yes they knew that Claire was unable to have children because of childhood cancer they work together in hot air ballooning and are having the best time but Claire badly wants a child and knows that Jasper will make the best father. So after discussions an add helps them find Harper and the process begins.

I don’t want to say too much as I don’t want to give anything away just to let you know that I am still crying writing this review, I don’t think a book has left me this emotional for a long time, it is a moving, touching and Poignant story that is beautifully written, the characters Jasper, Clair, Harper and their families I am sure will come to mean a lot to you as you read this one and can I say that I highly recommend this story. I hope that you will read this one as I did, I savoured every word, and thank you MS Johns you rock I loved it.

Harper Drummond and her husband Samuel lived in Sydney and were both career people – when they’d first met, they had both let the other know neither of them wanted children; their busy lifestyles and love for each other was enough. Samuel was an upcoming lawyer looking at becoming a partner in the business, while Harper was a highly successful radio host, interviewing interesting people on a daily basis.

But it was when Harper interviewed a young couple who had been unable to have children, along with another woman who was invested in their future, that Harper’s thoughts changed. She wondered if there wasn’t something more she could do with her life; something to help others who weren’t as fortunate.

When Claire and Jasper met, the attraction was immediate. But Claire fought it, rebuffing Jasper – her inability to have children due to a childhood illness had made her determined never to marry. Jasper’s love for Claire convinced her that nothing was impossible though, so she joined him in the Hunter Valley and began working in the hot air balloon business which had been a part of Jasper’s family for decades.

The discussion about children brought up egg donation – could they do that? Would they qualify? They were excited; ecstatic in fact. It would be the greatest gift from someone – to give them the ability to have a child. But was there anyone out there who would be suitable?

The Greatest Gift by Aussie author Rachael Johns packs an emotional punch which is up there with the very best. A beautiful, inspirational, heartbreaking and moving story, The Greatest Gift deals with motherhood in all its forms and what some will do to become a mother. I loved the characters, especially Claire, and Harper’s sister Willow. Wendy and Joanne were special ladies as well. All in all, The Greatest Gift is a book that can’t be bettered in my opinion. I have no hesitation in recommending it highly, and have firmly lodged this author up with my favourites.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read and review. (And also to the publisher for granting my wish on NetGalley – I was thrilled!)

It’s not often that I delve into and become totally engrossed in a ‘chic’ book. I devoured this book in 2 days and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I think it's fair to say I've been guilty of judging Australian author Rachael John's books by their covers (and/or titles).   Over the years I've had friends ask if I know/like her books.    Usually I've said I know of her work but haven't read any because I'm not really into those outback kind of stories.   I haven't felt bad about this attitude.   I have so many wonderful books on my TBR that I need to be selective. Right?    Maybe not.   Recently I read GR friend Bianca's review of The Greatest Gift by Rachael Johns and felt compelled to read it for myself.   I now see that she has authored in excess of 20 titles and a large number of these are not outback stories.    Not only that, but I have no doubt her characters would be likeable, genuine and fully fleshed out regardless of the setting - outback or otherwise.

At the heart of it, The Greatest Gift was about egg donors and their recipients, the emotions, social and moral issues faced by those going through this experience.       It tells the stories of Claire and Jasper, and Harper and Samuel.    Claire and Jasper are instantly attracted to each other and fall hard and fast.       Claire is reluctant to pursue a relationship knowing she is infertile thanks to a childhood illness.    They decide their love can overcome all obstacles and are soon blissfully married.   Some years down the track they decide to try and create a family and seek out an egg donor.           Harper and Samuel are in their thirties, they are both career driven and successful in their chosen fields - Samuel in law and Harper as a radio presenter.   They are united in their decision never to have children.    After interviewing an egg donor and the recipient couple Harper feels strongly this is something she would like to do.    It's her chance to do something good for others.        This decision is not a small one and is one that will have lasting repercussions in the lives of both couples.    

This story moved me through a range of emotions and I'll freely admit to tears.    I also confess I was wrong to dismiss this author's past work without cause and realise it was my loss.     The Greatest Gift was a lovely, light read; one I'd consider chick-lit or womens fiction.    I'd recommend this title to those who enjoy books by Jane Green (or Susan Lewis or Kristen Hannah) and to those who like contemporary Australian fiction.   In the meantime there are a couple of books in this authors backlist that are going on my TBR to be read as I happily nestle into my comfort zone with a big slice of humble pie.

My thanks to the author, the publishers Harlequin Australia,  and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow, what can I say. Rachael Johns has written an outstanding story that pulls on your heart strings.

This story is about giving the greatest gift!!!

Harper Drummond is a successful radio presenter, with her radio show Afternoons with Harper. She is married to Samuel who is a lawyer. Both are committed to their careers and have both decided that their careers are more important to them then having children. Through Harpers radio show she learns about egg donations and how they help other people who cannot have a child to be able to finally have one. Harper starts to wonder what her life legacy is going to be.

Harper decides she wants to donate her eggs to help another couple to live their dream of having a family. She searches for the right couple and decides on Claire and Jasper.

The story continues with Harper donating her eggs to Claire and Jasper. But I am not going to give anymore away as I don’t want to spoil it for you.

The characters in this story are so realistic and you can easily relate to them. This story focuses on the issues of fertility, relationships, babies, family and hot air ballooning. Rachael Johns has done her research into these topics.

If you are going to read this book you are going to need a box of tissues as well. There are twists in this book that are going to make you cry but there are is also things that you are not going to expect. This book will hold you captivated from page one until the end. And what an ending it has, one I never expected.

This book is going on my top reads for 2017.

Rachael Johns has written many great books but I must say this definitely goes to the top as one of the best.

I would recommend this book to anyone without any hesitation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've met Rachael Johns a few times now and her generous spirit is very much reflected in her storytelling as is her sense of humour and self-effacing attitude in her writing. In fact, I wrote a guest post for a US blogger (the Caffeinated Reviewer) about the fact that I loved Rachael's writing even before I'd read anything she'd written (because I could imagine what her books would be like). In fairness to Johns I've stayed away from her rural romance novels cos well.... I think it's best if I don't move TOO far out of my reading comfort zone but enjoyed her other work including 2016's The Art of Keeping Secrets - which I think and hope is going great guns in the US at the moment.

I enjoyed the majority of this book. And in reality - other than the epilogue (but more on that later) - the bits I wasn't overly fond of had nothing to do with Johns' writing, more the characters and views raised in the book. Which is obviously the purpose of any piece of fiction - to get readers thinking and talking about the book's plot and themes.

For these reasons this would be an excellent book club read as there are some pretty strong views floating about. But more on that later as well.

I initially liked our two early leads - Harper and Claire. Claire remained unsullied in my perception - perhaps a little young initially (cos she was/is) but likeable and earnest. And Jasper, Claire's husband - the third of the characters whose heads we inhabit - is a decent guy. A normal guy. A nice guy.

Harper (however) irked me from a point in the novel I can't say too much about (cos #spoiler), but it's one of those topics that will be hotly discussed at mother's groups or bookclubs. Even I became outraged at her 'sudden' assertion that the baby produced as a result of her eggs, was 'hers' or 'theirs' (which is how she constantly referred to the baby when talking about her and Jasper).

The backcover blurb talks about the mother vs mum thing but we didn't really get to that point and again - I can't go into detail (cos #spoilers) - but I wonder how Harper would have behaved had things worked out differently. I wonder if she would still have struggled with the role she thought she'd accepted.

I know I'm talking about her as if she was / is a real person (which reflects well on Johns' character creation and storytelling) but Harper initially accepted a role because she felt a certain way - about her mother and the lasting impacts her childhood had - so I should be more sympathetic... but it's obvious she spent minimal time with kids full stop, so who's to say she wouldn't have had second thoughts anyway.

And yes... I KNOW SHE'S NOT A REAL PERSON!

I have a very close friend who used donor eggs. It's an open arrangement but the boundaries are very very clear and perhaps I was/am affronted on behalf of my friend who is MOST CERTAINLY the mother of her child. (Okay, rant over!) 

I was relieved that the mother vs non-mother thing wasn't too rampant because there's nothing worse than one group judging the other and Johns treads lightly here, though there's a small clash with Harper's school friends who are mothers...  their perception that non-mothers know little of their hardships and Harper's complete lack of interest in the lives of her friends' children.

I found myself grumpy - as someone who still aspired to motherhood later in life, having finally given up on the Prince Charming thing - that there was a bit of ageism flying about. Again it wasn't Johns, but her characters.... some reticence for Harper to donate her eggs to someone who was 50 or nearly 50 cos she was far too old and a throwaway comment (later in the novel) about someone who was 40-ish and kinda 'obviously' had difficulty getting pregnant cos her eggs were too old.

See, I told you... this topic is fraught. It's akin to a minefield. And one from which barely anyone escapes unscathed.

I raced through the first two thirds of this book in a sitting and had to put it aside until the next day because of other commitments, so it was during the final third that I found myself becoming enraged (often) on behalf of, well... lots of people really.

Obviously Johns is challenging her readers to consider all sides of these sensitive issues and knew what quagmire she was wading into when she themed this book. And as an aside, as there was some debate of 'ownership' in the book, I pondered whether a child (or person) can be a thing.... can even be a gift?!

I like that Johns stays away from cliches with her supporting cast. It's pretty obvious that Harper's husband Samuel isn't overjoyed at her decision to become an egg donor and his constant late nights in the office and lack of interest in her life don't bode well. But she tells us he's still the same man she fell in love with and he has redeemable qualities. I liked Harper's sister and friend (and work colleague) and Claire and Jasper's families were great, surprising me on occasions, when Johns could have easily taken an easy way out with them for the sake of a few extra crises.

There are some deeper themes in this book obviously - the physical and emotional scars we bear from childhood (Claire and Harper being affected by both respectively in a way which brings them together in adulthood), and whether we're able to overcome them. And then there's the issue of motherhood and parenthood. Of unconditional love. Of promises and of faith.

I should mention some of the detail re egg donation and IVF felt a bit text-book-like, though perhaps it's because I already knew a bit about it. And there's an epilogue which I didn't love. I'm not sure it was necessary and wondered if there was any debate about including it. It does tie a few things neatly into a bow, but also lightens / softens the book into something it wasn't.

I think this book will be hugely popular and loved by readers but am interested to see how passionately readers feel about certain elements. Perhaps it's just my overthinking that made me gasp in horror and grimace in anger. And let's not forget the sobbing.

Happily married Harper Drummond is a career radio announcer but after a less than idyllic childhood vows not to have children. Claire had childhood leukaemia and cannot have children but would like them desperately. At a crisis point, Harper wants to do something important with her life and decides to donate her eggs to a worthy couple. Claire and Jasper are the lucky recipients but the act of kindness by Harper sets in train events that will changer her life forever. This book deals beautifully with the issue of egg donation and infertility and we get to learn about the craft of hot air ballooning as well. A warm, rich read.

The story started so well, and Jasper and Claire's characters were a highlight to read. The twists in the story are attention worthy but the story appeared to veer out of control. The story does evoke emotions and warrings within for readers, but it also raises so many questions. The turn the story took and the character actions within that story arc were an in-your-face change that did not benefit the story. Rather it took away a likeable aspect for some of the characters. Clair's character by far was the biggest stand out in the read. The story appeared too unbelievable that swayed too far from the original premise. I have liked the majority of author Rachael Johns books, but unfortunately The Greatest Gift did not meet this reader's expectations. This was a borderline three star read for me.
Review copy received from Harlequin Australia via Netgalley

This was the third novel by Rachael Johns that I read and it’s probably my favourite.

The “greatest gift” refers to the generosity of a woman who donates some of her eggs to another woman/couple so they can have a child.

Harper Drummond is a career woman, who doesn’t want children, but feels compelled to do something selfless, so she decides to donate her eggs. The couple she chooses are the balloonists, Claire and Jasper, who are very much in love but can’t procreate because Claire’s childhood leukaemia treatment that left her infertile.

I loved how Johns juxtapositioned the reality of infertility, the medical procedures involved in egg harvesting and embryo implantation, and the legal and emotional investment from both parties. Egg donation is an utterly selfless gesture, but as you can guess, there are issues that can complicate life, that’s why counselling is demanded before proceeding ahead.

When tragedy strikes, the previously agreed upon stipulations change, as the worlds of both the egg donor and the receiving couple change in unmitigating ways. Nature vs nurture comes into play. Biology’s pull can be very powerful.
I’ll leave it at that, as I don’t want to give away too much of the plot.

The Greatest Gift was emotionally charged and very touching. Be warned – you’ll need tissues. In the end, this is a story about love, generosity and the different types of families, that will leave you feeling grateful.

The Greatest Gift is a heart-warming yet heart-wrenching story with a strong sense of being based in reality.

In this new world, we face questions not asked, let alone answered, perhaps not even dreamed, only 5 decades ago. Couples either had children or they didn't; medicine could do nothing for the childless couple other than suggesting they adopt.

For some, this book will raise ethical questions; men and women will ask themselves "what would I do in these circumstances". For even the most modern woman, the decisions and choices made by Harper and Claire cannot be made without the input of their husbands.

This book needs to be read with an open mind and an open heart.