Last year I had the great pleasure of meeting Rachael Johns and spending some time with her discussing her novel The Greatest Gift.

This novel told the story of two women; one who longs to be a mum and the other who can think of nothing worse. It was a most poignant and somewhat unexpected book which, I thought, raised as many questions as it answered. Our Starts at 60 reviewer, Lorraine Parker, wrote a perceptive review of The Greatest Gift which you can read by clicking on the title.

The core of Rachael Johns’ latest novel,  Lost Without You is a wedding dress and she weaves her tale around the people who wore this particular dress, starting with the heroine’s mother. Following is the media release:

“On a special night that is supposed to be a celebration of new beginnings, Paige MacRitchie’s joy quickly falls away when her mother collapses during the speeches at her book launch. In the aftermath, and terrified of losing her, Paige decides she wants to make the ultimate tribute to her parents’ perfect marriage: she will wear her mother’s wedding dress for her own big day.

There’s just one problem – her mum, Rebecca, no longer has the dress.

As Paige tries to track down the elusive gown, she discovers that Rebecca has a long-hidden secret that, if revealed, could blow her whole family apart. Her new friend Josie is at a crossroads too. She met her husband Nik when she was singing in an eighties-themed bar, but now she’s lonely, yearning for a family and wondering if Nik understands her at all. 

And then there’s nurse Clara. When she married Rob Jones, an up-and-coming rock star, she thought she was in it forever. But now Clara needs to make a new life for herself and Rob can’t seem to understand that it’s over. 

When the fates of these four women intertwine in an unexpected and powerful way, none of their lives will ever be the same again.”

It sounds like another involving read from this very talented author. 

Thanks to our sponsors, HQ Fiction, we are privileged to have copies for you to read and discuss online, but only for members of The Book Club – A Startsat60 Club which you can join for free by clicking on the link.

The Book Club is a great place to exchange views with people who, like you, love their books. Membership comes with a warning, however: you will quickly build a TO READ list that is never-ending and will take approximately 1,000 years to read! 

Lost Without You, by Rachael Johns is available from the publisher HQ Fiction in digital or printed editions