Lost Without You in Aussie Readers

Oct 31, 2018 Brenda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, read-on-kindle, net-galley, 5000-books, aussie-authors, 2018-release, arc, own-read

With the devastating diagnosis of Paige MacRitchie鈥檚 mother, Rebecca鈥檚 diagnosis of kidney failure, life changed for them all. But it also gave Rebecca a severe jolt 鈥� the secret she鈥檇 hidden since she was fifteen years old was eating at her. It had never let her go, but she hadn鈥檛 even told her beloved husband Hugh, and certainly not her daughter. So, should she tell them now? Or should it remain a secret forever?

Paige with her boyfriend Sol 鈥� who was days away from being her fianc茅鈥� had discu ...more

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Oct 14, 2018 Bree T rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: family-saga, australian, arc, contemporary

I tore through this almost 500p book in a few hours in an afternoon. It鈥檚 a complex story but also an easily read one, with relatable characters and although some of the situations rely on coincidence and close proximity, it鈥檚 easy to set this aside and just enjoy the story that is being told here.

Paige is a devoted daughter to Rebecca and Hugh and when Rebecca falls ill at Paige鈥檚 book launch and is diagnosed with quite a severe illness, Paige has the bright idea to wear her mother鈥檚 wedding dr I tore through this almost 500p book in a few hours in an afternoon. It鈥檚 a complex story but also an easily read one, with relatable characters and although some of the situations rely on coincidence and close proximity, it鈥檚 easy to set this aside and just enjoy the story that is being told here.

Paige is a devoted daughter to Rebecca and Hugh and when Rebecca falls ill at Paige鈥檚 book launch and is diagnosed with quite a severe illness, Paige has the bright idea to wear her mother鈥檚 wedding dress to her own up and coming wedding. Honestly Rebecca must have the only 80s wedding dress that transcends that decade because my mother got married in the 80s and her dress was definitely not something I could鈥檝e worn at my 2011 wedding without looking like I was playing dress up! But the idea is lovely and Paige is singleminded in her attempts to track down the dress.

Whilst Paige is busy with all that, Rebecca is ruminating on a deep and dark secret she鈥檚 been keeping for 35 years and having regrets brought on by her diagnosis. She knows that it鈥檚 time to come clean but when she does, it鈥檚 going to have devastating repercussions for her family. For me, this was a seriously strong part of the book. Both Rebecca鈥檚 daughter and her husband react strongly to Rebecca鈥檚 news and the fact that she鈥檚 kept it a secret for so long and their reactions are ugly and bitter and hurtful and well, real. It鈥檚 how I think I鈥檇 imagine reacting if I found out my husband or parents had kept something from me like that, because I鈥檓 the sort of person that knee-jerk reacts to something and then has to calm down. I found it so sad for Rebecca at times, but I could also understand the intense hurt and frustration from both Hugh and Paige at discovering this news. It鈥檚 raw and for me, believable and true. It takes a while for each of them to work through their feelings and you can tell that it is something they do have to really work at. Rather than just being shocked and then being fine with it moments later.

Rebecca and Paige meet Clara and Josie throughout the book (and Clara and Josie also meet through other avenues) and the four of them become incredibly entangled in ways that strengthen them individually and also together as they forge friendships but there鈥檚 also a lot of hidden secrets that come tumbling out which also complicates their connections as well as changing and evolving them. I loved some of the reveals in this, they were all so well done and (I have always said this) show how well Rachael Johns excels at writing relationships and interactions between people. She just gets the way that people connect and also how they fall apart. There鈥檚 a lot of emotion in this book but it never feels over the top or cheesy, not does it feel contrived. There are several couples in this 鈥� two already married, one engaged and one couple are divorced. The couple that are divorced, Clara and Rob, have endured a lot of loss and heartache in their lives and Rob in particular has never quite been able to learn to cope with that or find a successful way to deal with the feelings it evokes in him. He turns to the bottle and when he and Clara eventually divorce (at Clara鈥檚 instigation) it seems that Rob continues to spiral downward, clinging to Clara and what they shared (and lost) while Clara just wants to move on. She wants a clean break, a fresh start, the potential for companionship and laughter again. Rob, although he only really appears in the book a couple of times, was very well written. His dependency on alcohol is given background and context and he becomes a truly sympathetic character as the depth of his regret and pain is realised. I feel as though the choice for him was the brave one, but the right one in terms of the story being told and the set up. It seemed the only (unfortunately) logical conclusion and because of that, it would allow the other characters to connect and move forward.

This was beautifully heartwarming and full of emotional depth. There are a few coincidences pinning the story together, not going to lie but they鈥檙e easy to just go with because the story is so well written. A good book can make you believe anything and this book had no trouble convincing me.

***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review*** ...more

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Dec 03, 2018 Helen rated it it was amazing

WOW MS Johns what a story you blew me away, you just have the best voice I felt so close to the four woman in this story, they were like friends I shared their heartache and their joy, there were tears and smiles, I recommend clearing the day when you pick this one up and you should because you won鈥檛 want to put it down once you start it.

This story brings together four woman and a wedding dress, Paige is filled with joy at the launch of her book, her loving boyfriend Solomon is there as are her ...more

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Nov 10, 2018 Tanya rated it really liked it

I remember lying in a hospital bed a few years ago, post lumbar puncture, when a nurse and I got in a conversation about books. She recommended a book called Jilted, by a new WA author Rachael Johns. A few weeks later I got that book, and have been hooked on the works of her ever since.

Johns' stories have changed a bit over the years, going from rural romance into the life lit category. Lost Without You is her latest work.

It tells the story of four women:
Rebecca, a woman who collapses at the bo ...more

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Nov 21, 2018 Janine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Another excellent novel by Rachael Johns. Such great characters in this book covering some realistic and serious subject matter.

I was particularly touched by the adoption story as it totally resonated with me and I understood how the character felt. I loved the way Rachael gradually reeled you into the story and how all the characters came together. They all had their stories told and how one dress played such a big role in their lives.

Highly recommended for those who love stories about families ...more

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Nov 07, 2018 Nicola Marsh added it

Shelves: aussie-authors, women-s-fiction, read-in-2018

A poignant story about secrets and the far-reaching consequences they have on families.
Really enjoyed how the characters interwove and linked up.
Adoption, alcoholism, miscarriages and depression are approached in a touching yet realistic way.
Good read.

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