I've read several Rachael Johns books and I very much enjoy the depth of the story as opposed to other women's fiction/romance.

The Work Wives follows three characters, Deb, Quinn (Deb's work friend) and Deb's daughter Ramona. Each of the women are at different stages in life though they all intersect in more ways than one. I enjoyed Ramona's storyline and understand what drove her narrative. The desire to find her father was an interesting path to follow. I liked Deb as a character too, she is good mother who works hard to give her daughter everything without coming across as a victim of her own circumstances. Quinn's POV was also enjoyable with her dating app addiction and her quest for love.

This would have been a five star for me if I wasn't for the twist at the end. The evil twin trope isn't something I enjoy and would have preferred it if Deb's ex, Oscar really was the villain rather than miscommunication. The second half of the booked was more of a drama/toned-down thriller and it added to the overall story.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an excellent contemporary novel from an experienced author with a good eye for relationships, particularly female friendship.

Debra doesn’t love her job in payroll, but she’s good at it and it pays the bills. It also doesn’t require too much emotional energy. Which is handy, because her teenage daughter Ramona requires a lot of emotional energy. Debra and Ramona are particularly close, as Debra’s a single mum.

Ramona, however, is starting to find the closeness stifling. Debra wants to know everything about every aspect of Ramona’s life, and Ramona wants some privacy – especially as she knows Debra will disapprove of some of the things she’s up to with her new friends. She’s also starting to think about her unknown father, and whether she wants to try to find him.

Quinn works in digital marketing in the same firm as Debra. Like Debra, she’s good at her job, but has landed there accidentally rather than because of any great passion or interest. Instead she’s heavily invested in her love life – with multiple apps and multiple men on the go at all times, surely soon she’ll meet the man of her dreams?

All three find their lives upended when a mysterious, handsome man starts work at Debra and Quinn’s firm.

Johns balances multiple perspectives here, and in doing so gives us a well rounded understanding of each character. Even if you don’t identify with one of the characters, you’ll likely empathise with all three. Despite Debra and Ramona’s clashes, we can see both sides; neither is entirely wrong or necessarily unreasonable. Quinn is at a life stage that sits more or less between them. While she doesn’t exactly provide a bridge between them for the reader, she does provide a different perspective.

Because the lives of the three women are strongly interwoven, so are the stories told here. The connections are believable and well drawn, as are both the points of conflict and agreement between the characters.
Between the three, Johns canvasses a good deal of ground on the subject of modern relationships. It’s realistic but not cynical, and there’s an underlying optimism that many readers will find attractive.

I had two minor quibbles with this novel. The first I can’t be specific about, because I don’t want to spoil a plot point that arises late in the novel. Suffice to say that the novel briefly devolved into “movie of the week” territory, and I found it a little difficult to maintain my belief in events. However, my interest in the characters carried me through the slightly unlikely turn of events.

The second is even more minor: I don’t think the title really suits the novel. Others will disagree; it depends on how you define the term “work wife”. My feeling is that since Debra and Quinn didn’t work closely together, it doesn’t fit.

But these are pretty minor complaints, and overall I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. Johns has an easy writing style which also makes for easy reading. Most of the plotting is well done, the characters are strong, and there’s emotional substance to the novel.

I recommend this to readers interested in strong, realistic contemporary novels about the emotional lives of women.

I discovered Rachael’s contemporary fiction books a couple of years ago and eagerly devoured her back catalog. They combine relatable characters and explore some difficult topics in an engaging story. This one was no exception.

The prologue lures you in immediately and you’re keen to find out what happened. Told from three points of view we get to know our each of our protagonists- Debra who is dropping her daughter off to a new school and hints of secrets, Quinn who is seat for Mr Right and Ramona, Debra’s daughter, fashion mad and trying to make a fresh start. Each were relatable and I enjoyed getting to know them and seeing them grow over the novel. I particularly enjoyed Debra and Ramona’s relationships and the difficulty of navigating mother- daughter dynamics over the teen years.

It covers a number of tough topics sensitively- teens and social media, misogyny in the work place, friendship bombing and abusive relationships. It did seem like it was going to quite a nice, predictable story with a few secrets being revealed along the way. However, I was quite blindsided by some twists at the end.
Another fabulous novel by Johns.

EXCERPT: As Deb headed into the kitchen, Quinn picked up an old magazine from a neat stack on the coffee table. She guessed it belonged to Ramona - she loved how Deb's daughter was obsessed with all things vintage. She flipped through the pages, shaking her head at the images of women in aprons, pearls and pretty dresses advertising kitchen appliances alongside slogans like 'wifesaver' and 'my washdays are now holidays'. As if these ads weren't preposterous enough, an article about romance made her laugh so hard she almost spilt her drink.

'What's so funny?' Deb asked, returning with a plate of cheese, crackers, dip and carrot sticks.

'Have you seen this? It's an article about how to get a husband. Seriously, no wonder I haven't found Mr Right yet. Turns out I've been doing it all wrong.'

ABOUT 'THE WORK WIVES': How well do you really know the people you work with?

For work wives Debra and Quinn, it's a case of opposites attract. They are each other's lifelines as they navigate office politics and jobs that pay the bills but don't inspire them.

Outside work, they are also friends, but where Quinn is addicted to dating apps and desperate to find love, Deb has sworn off men. Although Deb is not close to her own mother, her teenage daughter is her life and there's nothing she wouldn't do to protect her. But Ramona has other ideas and is beginning to push boundaries.

Life becomes even more complicated by the arrival of a new man at the office. One woman is attracted to him, while the other hoped she'd never meet him again.

But when Deb, Quinn and Ramona are forced to choose between friends, love and family, the ramifications run deeper than they could ever have expected.

MY THOUGHTS: I blew hot and cold throughout The Work Wives by Rachael Johns. There were parts that had me chuckling and amused, parts that had me scratching my head, and a couple of times I flirted with the temptation to simply close the covers and not reopen them.

The Work Wives covers a lot of topics - far too many - and a lot of pages - again, far too many at 500+. Topics: romance; bullying (in just about every form imaginable); abuse; misogyny; identity theft; rape; early onset Alzheimer's; aging; family and friendship. And there's probably more. For me, it just didn't work. There's too much going on, and it all takes far too long to explain and evolve.

Ramona, Elijah and Lucy are the outstanding characters. Tristan was too nice and good to be true, and Deb - I could neither warm nor relate to her. I often didn't understand her decisions. Quinn was zany and entertaining, but again . . .

If you are looking for an entertaining rom-com, you're only going to find it sporadically here. No matter what you're looking for, you're only going to find it sporadically.

Overall - disappointing. This was my first book by Rachael Johns, and although I didn't much enjoy this, I've been assured by friends who are solid admirers that this isn't her best, so I'm sure that I will be reading more by her.

⭐⭐.2


#TheWorkWives #NetGalley

I: @rachealjohnsauthor @harlequinaus

T: @HarlequinAUS

#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #friendship #romance #womensfiction

THE AUTHOR: Rachael Johns is an English teacher by trade, a supermarket owner by day, a mum 24/7, and a writer by night. She lives in rural Western Australia with her hyperactive husband and three mostly-gorgeous heroes-in-training. (RachaelJohns.com)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA via Netgalley, for providing a digital ARC of The Work Wives by Rachael Johns for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Rachael Johns is one of my favourites and The Work Wives did not disappoint!
Debra and Quinn – work wives navigating office politics, drama, love and friendship.
Debra is a happily single mum to fifteen-year-old Ramona and will do anything to protect her daughter. Ramona loves vintage clothing and is on a scholarship at an exclusive girl’s school for their fashion course. While Debra and her daughter are close, the one thing Ramona doesn’t know is who her Dad is.
Quinn is young and bubbly and addicted to dating apps to find herself a man. She gets around the city on her roller skates!
Deb and Quinn’s life changes when a new guy is hired at work. Quinn is immediately drawn to him and Deb wants nothing more than for him to leave. This is the beginning of a raft of secrets which begin to unfold.
The story is told from the view of Debra, Quinn and Ramona and is one of friendship, worklife, motherhood (and raising a teen), relationships, social media and bullying – just to name a few themes!
I loved all the characters and felt like I really got to know and love them throughout the book. I felt all their emotions!
A great read (again) delivered by the wonderful Rachael Johns.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review this book.

What a beautiful book about a little bit of everything, Rachel Johns’s books are beautiful and touching. This is the journey of three different people, narrated in three POVs where we get to not just witness but to live the lives of the main three protagonists.

Debra and Quinn work at the same office and an unexpected friendship blossoms. Although having different ages and different lifestyles, they both become best friends. Quinn is walking through life trying to find the perfect husband for her while Debra, a single mum is having troubles with her teenage daughter Ramona. Ramona feels that she is being treated like a baby and enters into the world of teenagers and start wondering about her father despite the helicopter parenting style of Debra.

But things start to go downhill when a new guy starts working at the office. Debra stays away from him while Quinn is attracted to him. Secrets came out into the light and things start to look messy than perfect.

So much drama, emotions, love and mystery surrounds the three main characters and it’s so satisfying to read such realistic depiction of different lifestyles.

i did enjoy this latest instalment from Rachael Johns but I must admit I’m more partial to Rachael’s rural themes rather than the ‘life lit’ genre of this story.
I started to write a short synopsis of the story but feel I’ll leave it up to the blurb as it just seemed too much for me to tie together. There were a multitude of themes running through is book and it did work although I feel it did lose momentum in some places.
I’m still giving it 4 stars purely as it is good escapism and sometimes it’s exactly what we need.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

The story opens with best friends Debra (Deb) and Quinn attending an after work staff meeting. There they are introduced to a new male manager, Oscar, who subsequently brings complications for the friends. Quinn wants to marry him and have his babies, while Debra wants to avoid him at all costs. After his introduction the story goes back to three months prior to the staff meeting and gives us a back story of what was happening up to this point. Then the story returns to post introduction and progresses from there with hidden secrets from the past coming out into the open with a twist that I didn’t see coming quite the way it did.

Quinn is playing the field, she is obsessed with dating aps and arranges many dates each week - sometimes a few on the same day - she commits to no one determined that the best person is the next one. On the other hand Deb doesn’t date at all because Deb is a single mum to 15-year-old Ramona (who was my favourite character) Ramona’s father was a sperm donor and has never been part of the family.
While Quinn gives up her mindless dating and actively hunts Oscar, Deb resigns from her job to avoid the stress of having to work with him but decides to tentatively dip her toes in the dating pool. But it is Ramona’s story that had me turning the pages. She starts a new school and is befriended by the cool kids - all filthy rich - who cause her to question her past and search for her sperm donor father. Ramona needs the strength to work out who to be friends with, deal with bullying, and like her mother tiptoe into having a boy that is a friend. Author, Rachael Johns, has brought a living breathing vulnerable teen into her pages with all the confidence and insecurities that comes with such a being.

So any negatives? Well only one, which is a case of “it’s not you it’s me” at over 500 pages I found it a long read. Again I enjoyed the story but I struggle with books over 400 pages - this was a marathon read for me and evidence of how well written and compelling the story was to keep my attention.

This story has a bit of everything in it and I loved it, I loved getting to know Debra, Quinn and Ramona as they navigate through life, come along and meet them and join in their journey to find how they work through the problems of life and see how they all fair, once you pick it up you won’t want to put it down.

Debra and Quinn work for The Energy Co and have been friends since they met in the photocopying room not only at work but outside work as well, both so totally different but they have become the best work wives, they are there for each other and they are always open with each other, or are they?

Debra is a single mum to fifteen year old Ramona and has no plans on finding a man, she is more than happy being single and she and Ramona have a wonderful relationship, she is determined to be a great mother and will do anything to protect her daughter, anything.

Quinn is young and looking for her forever man, she works in digital marketing and is totally addicted to dating apps, she is bright and bubbly, moves around the city on roller skates, and she comes from a big family and knows what love can be, one day she will find her own love.

Ramona, loves vintage clothing, finding friends at school with the amount of times they have moved is not easy but when she wins a scholarship at an exclusive girl’s school for their fashion course things are sure to change for her, but one thing that she really wants is to know who her father is.

Life changes for Quinn and Deb when a new guy is hired at work, Quinn is drawn to him and Deb wants to stay well away, his arrival opens up a can of worms for all of them, secrets are uncovered, and friendships are put to the test, plenty of emotion and hurt come to the surface and lots of digging to get to the bottom of this huge change in their lives.

This story has emotion, drama, mystery, it takes in teenage year’s motherhood social media and it is all done so well. Will they find the love and happiness that they all deserve, and will the friendships last? I loved Deb, Quinn and Ramona they are fabulous characters that were easy to get to know and like, This is a story that I would highly recommend, another keeper Rachael Johns you never disappoint, don’t miss this one.

My thanks to Harlequin AU for my copy to read and review

Debra and Quinn were good friends at the office after their initial meeting at the copier, and their relationship extended to after hours as well. But although they were similar in some ways, in others they were nothing alike. Quinn was searching for a man, using dating apps constantly - but after a date or two, she'd go on to the next. While Deb was single mother to fifteen year old Ramona, and had no interest in finding a man. She and Ramona were happy with each other. But Ramona was beginning to push at the barriers that Deb had surrounded her with, and the start of a new school where she made friends with three girls in the "elite" group saw her beginning to question her past, and the fact that she was created by donor sperm. As the school friends began turning on each other, and Ramona's determination to discover who her father was ramped up, Deb and Quinn were having problems of their own. What would be the outcome for these three different women?

The Work Wives by Aussie author Rachael Johns is written in the author's usual inimitable style, but proved to be a disappointment for me. I have thoroughly enjoyed much of Ms Johns' previous works but this one was straight chick lit, which isn't my favourite genre. I also found it overly long. But having said that, I'll definitely be checking out the author's next offering and I know many others will love this book - it just wasn't for me unfortunately.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a longtime fan of Rachael Johns dating back to Jilted and recently while stranded at home amidst the floods i have been re reading all her old novels. So it was a no brainer to request her new book 'the work wives'.' I enjoyed this book I really did, but i found myself craving her usual outback romance style which I have come to absolutely adore. I think the work wives caters for a different type of audience and i actually forgot I was reading Rachael Johns throughout this.

This book I had a twist that I was struggling to figure out the whole time, wondering how on earth it was going to be wrapped up. I was getting huge Erica Bana/ Dirty john vibes from one of the main characters which was a nice image to picture in my head.

A great, new book depicting the challenges and a few laughs of juggling motherhood, office life and a return of someone from your past that isn't welcome. Will forever be a Rachael Johns fan.

Rachael Johns has done it again! I took The Work Wives on holidays and it was the perfect read by the pool. I loved Deb and Quinn's relationship - having had many work wives in my life I found their relationship so realistic. I won't give spoilers but Rachael definitely kept me guessing throughout with many plot twists and turns. I love how Rachael's stories are inclusive of women of all ages.

Rachael Johns sure has the knack of getting you invested in the story right from the start. She always writes friendship and modern drama in a relatable way, and even topics that may seem a little off the grid are very believable.

The two main characters, the work wives Debra and Quinn were interesting and I could relate to both of them in different ways, but it was Deb's daughter Ramona, and her storylines that I was invested in the most.

I didnt get the same emotions that I get with a lot of her work (especially her rurals which never fail to make me cry at some point) but it still had me turning the page. If you are a fan of Rachael Johns (like I am) you will enjoy this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Work Wives by Rachael Johns. I have to say I enjoyed this book and I found it an easy to read story.

Debra and Quinn and work friends who are very different but still manage to become close while working for the same company and support each other through life ups and downs. Their friendship extends to their private lives where Quinn is searching for a partner and Deb is trying to avoid men. Deborah has a teenage daughter Ramona who is starting to push the boundaries as she looks to establish her identity. Throw in a new attractive man into the office and we have the foundations for a cracking story!

Told through the eyes and perspectives of Deb, Quinn and Ramona, The Work Wives is an interesting ride through female friendships and relationships, being a parent, being a teenager in the modern world and finding love.

Enjoyable and easy to read - you know where this is going but the journey is still fun and I found it hard to put down.

Thanks again!

To be honest I feel really bad about giving Rachael’s new book ‘The Work Wives’ only 3 stars. I did enjoy the story but found I could easily put the book down for a few days before coming back to it. It didn’t grab me as much as her previous books. I also felt the story didn’t really relate to the title of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved ‘The Work Wives’ by Rachael Jones, I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy from NetGalley to review, a slightly different flavour to Rachael’s previous style, but, loving mixing it up – it just works.

What’s not to love about these couple of Work Wives, so different in many ways and yet they both share the same unique qualities run throughout all Rachael’s characters, I'm also loving all the names Rach choose for this particular group of gals.

Scary world of on-line dating, what a mind field, I’m sure Rachael had heaps of fun with this aspect of the story, and all the detailed research it involved.

I loved the dynamics, mother / and daughter, Ramona, who sometimes tries too hard to fit in, work / colleagues / best friends, Quinn is such a breath of fresh air, and so much more of a risk taker than Deb, and because we absolutely spend more time with our work colleagues than our family, theirs is such a strong bond, one I can definitely relate to.

I can’t wait till Rach’s Online December Book Club where we’ll all champing at the bit to discuss ‘The Work wives’ complete with ‘Spoilers’

Thank you so much Rachael once again for a cracker of a story – this was definitely a ***** star read for me

The Work Wives by Rachael Johns is a marvellous read!

Absolutely loved the story and the characters.

The story is centred around a single mother, Deb and her teenage daughter, Romona and Deb’s friend at work, Quinn (hence the title work wives). The characters are well developed and interesting as is their interrelationships. This is about friendships, about seeking love and dealing with families; it is also about bullying amongst teenagers, frustration at having to work in a job you aren’t passionate about, about violence against woman and the role of technology in our lives especially social media and dating apps.

This was an easy read that kept me interested and intrigued as the plot got more and more complicated with unexpected twists.


This review is based on a complimentary copy from Harlequin Australia via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


#TheWorkWives #NetGalley

Deb and Quinn are work best friends. Quinn has been unlucky with online dating and thinks the new manager might be an answer to her problems. Deb has a teenage daughter who believes she was born via a sperm donor, as the truth is just too hard to share. But Ramona wants to find the father her mother won’t tell her about. She is also navigating a new school and the difficulties of teen friendships.

I really enjoyed this read. Best book by Johns I’ve read yet. Trigger warning for domestic violence. I like that the title centres the focus on Deb and Quinn’s friendship. It’s great to meet new kindred spirits in the workplace, but how much do you really know them? And what secrets might they be keeping? And conversely, sometimes you can’t trust everyone with the truth when you first meet them. When do you tell them the full story? I did hold some frustration with Deb’s actions when Oscar turned up, but it was well enough written and I was quite invested in the story so I was able to persist.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Another hit book for Rachael Johns!

The work wives is told from the perspective of Deb, her daughter Ramona and her "work wife" Quinn. Although there is an age gap between the older women they develop a firm friendship that extends outside of work. Quinn is a serial dater who is on the hunt for The One and Deb hasn't allowed herself to focus on anything other than her daughter since she was born.
Deb is very protective of her teenage daughter Ramona and is struggling with the idea of letting her grip loosen to allow Ramona some freedoms. This of course makes Ramona want to push further as she struggles with a new school and building new friendships.

The story is relevant in the current technological generation and covers a lot of issues children and parents alike face with the ever present social media.
I did feel that Quinn's character could have been given a little more depth. But maybe she'll get a story of her own in the future??
Overall a fantastic read that has substance but doesn't strain the brain to follow it.

Even though I’m a fan of novels by Rachael Johns, this one left me feeling ho-hum. The title didn’t reflect the story. Although Debra and Quinn worked at the same company and socialised outside work, I expected more focus on how they supported each other in the workplace.

Debra is an overprotective mother, while Quinn is the quirky, younger woman. When a new manager joins the company, Debra wants to avoid him while Quinn is romantically interested in him. Eventually the reason for Debra’s obsession with keeping away from him is revealed, then comes the most disappointing part of the novel – an old plot trick, straight out of ‘Days of Our Lives’ (no spoilers here).

The Work Wives was an easy read yet failed to engage me. I'm looking forward to reading the author's next novel.

Thank you to Harlequin Australia and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.