Book Review: The Work Wives by Rachael Johns

The Work Wives

by

Rachael Johns

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

 

Publication date: 3rd November 2022

 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

 

Pages: 528

 

RRP: $32.99 Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of The Work Wives

The Work Wives is narrated through three very different, yet connected, women. Debra, a single mum in her early 40's, Quinn, a 27 year old dating app addict and Ramona, Debra's 15 year old daughter.

 

Debra and Quinn work together and are best friends. 

When the tall and handsome new Director of Sales is introduced Quinn is instantly keen to get to know him better, only Debra already knows him, they have history.

 

Being a SAHM for decades now I'd never heard the term 'work wives' but I enjoyed the pair's work antics with emails and meet-ups in the photocopy room. I liked that Johns included an age-gap friendship between Debra and Quinn and how they encouraged each other to do things differently. But it wasn't all plain sailing between them, there was also plenty of friction which kept the story interesting. I also enjoyed the generational friendship between Quinn and her elderly neighbour. Quinn really was an exceptional character, young and full of life but also caring and a little lost.

 

With themes of romance, misogyny, bullying, teenage dramas, cancel culture, gaslighting, friendship and social media Rachael Johns has packed a lot of drama into The Work Wives. It's a long book but it moves along at a fast pace.

It might come across as a little contrived but I loved it anyway and couldn't put it down, reading late into the night.

My only let down was the plot twist - I may have even groaned.

I loved that it was set in my home town of Sydney, with lots of local landmarks, and I think Rachael did a fabulous job of the setting. 

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Rachael Johns is an English teacher by trade, a mum 24/7, a Diet Coke addict, a cat lover and chronic arachnophobe. She is also the bestselling, ABIA-winning author of The Patterson Girls and a number of other romance and women's fiction books including The Art of Keeping Secrets, The Greatest Gift, Lost Without You, Just One Wish, Something to Talk About, Flying the Nest and How to Mend a Broken Heart. Rachael rarely sleeps, never irons and loves nothing more than sitting in bed with her laptop and imagining her own stories. She is currently Australia's leading writer of contemporary relationship stories around women's issues, a genre she has coined 'life-lit'. Rachael lives in the Swan Valley with her hyperactive husband, three mostly gorgeous heroes-in-training, two ravenous cats, a cantankerous bird and a very badly behaved dog.Rachael loves to hear from readers and can be contacted via her website rachaeljohns.com. She is also on Facebook and Instagram.