Book Review: Just One Wish by Rachael Johns

Just One Wish

by

Rachael Johns

Publisher: Harlequin Australia
Publication date: 21st October 2019
Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Women's Fiction
Pages: 496
Format read: Paperback
Source: won

Three women, three secrets, one life-changing journey. Alice has always been a trailblazer as a scientist, activist, and mother. She knew her choices would involve sacrifices, but now, on the eve of her eightieth birthday, she's beginning to wonder if she's sacrificed too much.


Alice's daughter Sappho rebelled against her unconventional upbringing, choosing to marry young and embrace life as a homemaker, but her status as a domestic goddess has recently taken a surprising turn.

Ged has always been the peacemaker between her grandmother and mother. A tenacious journalist she knows what she wants in life and love, yet when everything in her world starts falling apart, she begins to question whether she really knows anyone at all.

At a crossroads in each of their lives, Alice, Sappho and Ged embark on a celebratory trip together, but instead of bringing them closer, the holiday sparks life-changing consequences and lifts the lid on a fifty-year secret.

With a feminist pioneer for a grandmother and a domestic goddess and instagram sensation for a mother Ged is stuck in the middle trying to appease them both.

Each woman has a secret, some more potent than others. Ged has a secret that will unite them as a family but Alice’s secret could tear them apart.

Ged, Alice and Sappho’s stories will have you wondering what you would do if you were in their shoes as each of them face dilemmas relevant to women everywhere.

Just One Wish was an easy, quick read but an easy or light read doesn’t mean it can’t deal with some pertinent issues, especially relevant to women today. The story touches on issues such as single parents, gay parenting, feminism, abortion, DNA testing, co-parenting, women’s rights, euthanasia and adultery. For me personally I think there were too many issues explored in this story.

Just One Wish was an enjoyable read. My main disappointment being the number of errors in the book. Things that should have been picked up during editing.

I have read Rachael John’s rural romance offerings and absolutely loved them so I was a bit disappointed that this book didn’t wow me. I am looking forward to reading Lost Without You, also by Rachael Johns, which I have waiting on my shelf.

My rating 3/5        ⭐⭐⭐

Photo credit: Goodreads

Rachael Johns is an English teacher by trade, a mum 24/7, a chronic arachnophobic, a Diet Coke addict, a podcast junkie and a writer the rest of the time. She rarely sleeps and never irons. A lover of romance and women’s fiction, Rachael loves nothing more than sitting in bed with her laptop and electric blanket and imagining her own stories.
In 2016 The Patterson Girls was named General Fiction Book of the Year at the Australian Book Industry Awards. Rachael has finaled in a number of other of competitions, including the Australian Romance Readers Awards. Jilted won Favourite Australian Contemporary Romance for 2012, The Patterson Girls won the same award for 2015 and she was voted in the Top Ten of Booktopia’s Favourite Australian Author poll in 2013.
Rachael lives in the Perth hills with her hyperactive husband, three mostly gorgeous heroes-in-training, two ginger cats, a cantankerous bird and a very badly behaved dog.

This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie author challenge

and Australian Women Writers challenge