.Where would we be without our female friends? Deb and Quin are unalike and yet they share a treasured friendship. When we spend so much time at work it’s good to have allies. Friends who will tell us when we are out of line or being self-destructive. Deb challenges Quin to do something she doesn’t want to do. In response, Quinn issues a challenge of her own . These take each woman out of her comfort zone. Deb’s teenage daughter Ramona is demanding more freedom, but Deb has reservations about how far she is willing to let Ramona go. Each is searching for something, love, security, family and belonging. Secrets and lies have a way of being exposed. Can everyone have a happy ending? Rachael Johns has produced another pacy and pleasing page-turner.

This was a much anticipated read for me. I have only started reading my way through Rachael Johns backlog of novels in the past couple of years, and had seen snippets of this one related on her social media in the lead up.

For most of us, we spend more time with the people we work with, than we do with our friends and family. Sometimes that can be frustrating, but more often (in my own experience) some of those colleagues become your best friends.

Work wives Debra and Quinn work for an energy drink company. They are from different generations and in most respects are opposites of each other in personality. Quinn, a marketing professional is up on the latest technology including dating apps, which she swipes on regularly. Deb, a single mother of a teenager has dedicated her life to her daughter Ramona.

Ramona, who has recently changed schools is being challenged by that including difficulties with her new peers.

It was a fun and interesting read, and I would recommend it as a light summer read.

Debra Frost and Quinn Paladino both work at The Energy Co, they met when Quinn jammed the photocopier, Debra helped her and the unlikely friendship began. Quinn is a member of multiple dating sites and is trying to find Mr. Right. Debra is a decade older than her best friend, she’s busy juggling motherhood, work and is happily single.

Deb’s daughter Ramona is fifteen, she’s just started at a new private high school and she’s over her mum treating her like she’s still a baby and being a helicopter parent. Deb doesn’t understand what’s happened to her sweet daughter, she doesn’t want to hang out with her anymore and spends most of her time in her room. Deb has spent years protecting Ramona, Quinn assures Deb it’s normal teenage girl behavior and she has no idea why Deb worries so much.

On Ramona’s first day of school, she’s invited to hang out with the cool girls and after being bullied at her previous school she gets caught up in the glory of her new social status. Ramona pesters her mum to be allowed to use social media, Deb reluctantly agrees and despite her concerns. Quinn finds an article in an old magazine, 129 ways to get a husband, and Debra thinks she’s joking when she considers trying some of the crazy suggestions. The Energy Co employs a new director of sales, he’s the man of Quinn’s dreams and Debra’s nightmares.

The narrative is told from the three main characters point of view, and it’s a story about friendship and working together, motherhood, complicated relationships, finding love, the power of social media, raising a teenager and bullying, telling white lies, not dealing with traumatic experiences, living in fear and the consequences.

I received a copy of The Work Wives from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. Another brilliant book by Rachael Johns, in some way, all of us can relate to the topics covered in the story, being a friend and a mother is hard enough and especially when you work with your bestie. I did laugh, cry and form a connection with the Debra and Quinn while reading the book and another winner from Australia's queen of women's fiction. Please read Rachael Johns acknowledgements at the end, as women we need to support each other and know we’re not the only ones struggling and five stars from me.

For fans of Rachael Johns, her latest book The Work Wives will no doubt be an enjoyable romp through the land of romantic semi-comedy, but for me it was, sadly, very much like drinking a mouthful of tea when I was expecting coffee. I like tea, and I like coffee, but when you exchange one for the other without warning it becomes disappointing.
So where did my disappointment stem from. The book was nicely written, but for me it didn't stand up to the title or even the description. I was happy to read it because I thought I would be able to find some touchpoints from my working life. However, there was very little office politics (as promised) or even anything about the actual work they did - one worked in payroll and one in marketing, but that was as far as we delved into their workplace.
The story began with a teaser, then went in to one long flashback. The 'Work Wives' were just two friends, one with a daughter, and the book gave three points of view of the three female protagonists - one of them a teen - who didn't exactly qualify as a workwife. She had an overprotective mother for a 15 year-old, who on the one hand needed a 'baby sitter' and social media restrictions, while on the other was able to develop a relationship with a boy down the road, which didn't make sense to me.
For my taste, there were too many convenient and probably implausible coincidences which were used to bind the story together and lead to the necessary eventual outcome.
I was also a bit disturbed that a reference to school bullying amongst teens saw a threat like - why don't you kill yourself/I hope you die - never being properly addressed and the 'mean girls' simply got away with their bullying on account of having unloving upbringings. Such terrible consequences from this kind of bullying amongst teens should really have come with a trigger warning, as should references to partner violence.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Rachael John's The Work Wives for an honest review.

Rachael Johns can’t write a bad book in my opinion.
The Work wives is all about the complexities of different relationships that women have.
Deb and Quinn are best friends who met at work and despite an age gap and personality differences have come to rely on each other for support. That friendship is tested after someone from Deb’s past arrives throwing Deb into a spiral.
Deb’s daughter is just fifteen and pushing boundaries at home. She’s struggling to fit in at her new school and finds herself torn between being popular or being true to herself.
I liked Deb, and even though I thought some of her decisions were questionable I understood why she did what she did.
Quinn was lovely. Her friendship with her elderly neighbour was a beautiful thing. She seemed a bit flakey at times but she had a big heart.
Ramona for me was the standout, I loved her growth..
Thank you for letting me read this arc.

🌿 The Work Wives 🌿

I was over the moon when I received an early copy through @netgalley to read and review. I was slowly getting through it, as I don't enjoy reading on my Kindle, when a physical copy landed in my mailbox from the lovely people at HarperCollins!! The second half I absolutely blitzed through!

The Work Wives is the December pick for Rachael Johns' Online Book Club.

This book is all about relationships. Mother/daughter, girlfriend/boyfriend, school friends, neighbours and, of course, work colleagues.

Deb and Quinn are work wives, and their lives are about to be turned upside down by the arrival of a new man at the office.

Deb is flawed, but such a strong and formidable single mother who struggles to trust people.

Deb's daughter Ramona is beginning to branch away from her mother, and is thinking more and more about who and where her father may be.

I absolutely loved the character of Quinn, who is so desperate to find love any way possible. I had a different ending in mind for her, so I look forward to chatting in the Rachael Johns' Online Book Club in December to hear other reader's thoughts.

I love any Rachael Johns novel, and this one was no different. I honestly thought I knew where this was headed until one almighty, jawdropping twist (where my jaw literally dropped).

Rachael writes such complex female characters who become like friends to you. I always leave her books with a happy heart and a smile on my face.

Definitely keep an eye out for this one in November 💙

I haven't read any of Rachael's other books, so cannot compare this book to her other work. I loved the pace of this book and could have read it in 1 day if I had the time. I went in with no expectations and enjoyed the read being set in Australia too.

Following the 3 perspectives of the characters really gave time for us to get to know Deb, Quinn and Ramona as they navigated through life, love and relationships. Deb being a single mum centred her world around her daughter Ramona and went to great lengths to protect her daughter. At first I thought it was a bit much, comparing Deb to my own experiences with my mum, but you find out during the read why she did what she did. Reading Ramona's experience was very relatable to when I was a teenager wanting to be my own person, sometimes not listening to my mum and arguing with her at times. I did love Quinn's personality as she was very bright and vibrant, and you could see her getting along with most people. I think the first half of the book, we really got to know these characters.

I did find Deb annoying at times, then felt bad when you find out her reasons as to why as it's due to her trauma. With Deb's trauma, it really is a trigger warning for anyone who has had to deal with a narcissistic, manipulative and controlling partner. When she thought she was running into her past, she also dealt with it by using alcohol, so might not be for everyone to read. It really highlighted some of the issues that us women face and how we may or may not deal with a situation because of fear, not having the right support from authorities, or even just solely being a woman and not being heard. This read was good in that it showcased these ladies dealing with every day life but also dealing with some sensitive subject matter that impacts women.

I loved Quinn as she befriended her neighbour for selfish reasons but in the end became good friends. I liked how Ramona decided to embrace her differences if that meant she didn't fit in with popular school kids. As Deb expanded her life beyond just her daughter, it really showed her growth.

Overall, I enjoyed the read and will check out more from the author.

I’m wincing as I write this review because I am a longtime fan of Rachael Johns, especially her rural romances, but I was disappointed with the The Work Wives.

Mostly because of the plot, though I can’t be specific at the risk of revealing spoilers. I felt the major elements hinged on coincidences that were too contrived, and it had a twist that any crime reader generally regards as a mistake. (And I know this isn’t crime, but it bothered me anyway.) I also found it unnecessarily long at over 500 pages.

I wasn’t that enamoured with two of the main characters either to be honest, though I’m not entirely sure why. Since meeting at the company photocopier, Debra Fast and Quinn Paladino have become good friends, sharing coffee breaks, dim sum lunches, and office gossip. They are friendly outside of work too, but 27-year old Quinn is busy swiping right in a desperate search to find ‘The One’, while 40- something-year-old single mum Deb is content to spend every night at home with her teenage daughter, Ramona. I certainly had sympathy for Deb’ and her history of trauma, I could also empathise with her struggle to accept the change in her relationship with her daughter. Quinn is fun with her ever changing hair colour, and I love that she roller skates everywhere. I also really liked the relationship she formed with her elderly neighbour. Ramona was the strongest character for me. I thought Johns portrayed her teen attitude and ssues authentically.

I’m sure I’ll be in the minority in not really enjoying The Work Wives, I’m still a fan of Rachael Johns, just not of this particular book as a whole.

A wonderful story. This Women's Fiction story has it all. Romance, YA issues along with a bit of suspense.
The story is told with 3 POV's and it works well. First we have Debra, her daughter Ramona who is 15 years old and Quinn, who works with Debra and his her Best Friend.

Another great read from Rachael, I enjoyed how she combined friendships amongst women, enduring life's ups and downs, as well as budding romances.
There is also references to how women, still don't have much of a say in a man's world. Well worth reading. Loved the twist to the story almost at the end.
Another great Aussie story well done Rachael