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Hope Junction #2
The Road to Hope
Bestselling author Rachael Johns takes you back to Hope Junction and the characters from Jilted.
Nurse Lauren Simpson is known in Hope Junction for the wrong reasons – and she’s over it. Watching the man she’s always loved marry someone else is the last straw – she decides to get out of Hope. But her resolve is tested when the hot new locum doctor arrives in town.
Doctor Tom Lewis also has skeletons in his closet – including a painful breakup and devastating family news. He’s hit the road with his vintage ute and surfboard, to travel the outback and live in the moment.
When Tom and Lauren meet the attraction is instant, but for Lauren Tom threatens to be just another fling and Tom has his own reasons for hesitating. Everyone else – their friends and patients – can see how perfect they are together, but just what will it take for them to admit this to themselves?
A brand new Hope Junction story of fresh starts and second chances.
Nurse Lauren Simpson is known in Hope Junction for the wrong reasons – and she’s over it. Watching the man she’s always loved marry someone else is the last straw – she decides to get out of Hope. But her resolve is tested when the hot new locum doctor arrives in town.
Doctor Tom Lewis also has skeletons in his closet – including a painful breakup and devastating family news. He’s hit the road with his vintage ute and surfboard, to travel the outback and live in the moment.
When Tom and Lauren meet the attraction is instant, but for Lauren Tom threatens to be just another fling and Tom has his own reasons for hesitating. Everyone else – their friends and patients – can see how perfect they are together, but just what will it take for them to admit this to themselves?
A brand new Hope Junction story of fresh starts and second chances.
352 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2015
32 people are currently reading
620 people want to read
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July 26, 2019
Watching the man you love marry someone else is never easy, but that’s just what Lauren Simpson did. Lauren knows it’s time to let the past go and move on with her own life. Working as a nurse in the small country town of Hope Junction keeps her days busy and stops her thinking of what could’ve been.
When Lauren crosses paths with Doctor Tom Lewis the pair feel an instant attraction, only it appears neither of them are ready to move on their feelings. Will time bring this pair closer together or will they maintain their distance from each other?
I just know when I pick up a book written by Aussie author Rachael Johns I’m going to enjoy it and this book was no exception. I never grow tired of reading Australian rural stories as there is so much description in them it makes you feel like you are right at that place with the characters. The Road to Hope was another wonderfully written story and one in which I have no reluctance in recommending especially to those who enjoy reading rural romance.
When Lauren crosses paths with Doctor Tom Lewis the pair feel an instant attraction, only it appears neither of them are ready to move on their feelings. Will time bring this pair closer together or will they maintain their distance from each other?
I just know when I pick up a book written by Aussie author Rachael Johns I’m going to enjoy it and this book was no exception. I never grow tired of reading Australian rural stories as there is so much description in them it makes you feel like you are right at that place with the characters. The Road to Hope was another wonderfully written story and one in which I have no reluctance in recommending especially to those who enjoy reading rural romance.
September 2, 2022
This was a surprising hit for me. I don’t often go for the rural romance theme! Nurse Lauren becomes smitten with Doctor Tom. They resist the attraction. Lauren has just had a little bit of a heartbreak seeing the guy she loved marry someone else, and Tom has some family issues to contend with. Tensions certainly simmer! Lots of descriptions about Tom in his black board shorts and his nice physical form.
I didn’t like how the small country town were judgmental toward Lauren; it was quite evident that she had a reputation and others were not afraid to say it. I’m not quite sure if this was a new release that this would be so readily accepted. Female town residents were even commenting on this directly toward Dr Tom, and he wasn’t happy with this at all.
Lauren’s self-esteem wasn’t great, and we saw the reasons for this, it was good Tom was able to help her see sense. She was a capable nurse who loved her patients, spending quality time with the elderly residents. Tom was just as committed, playing board games with them; they were both great at their jobs.
This was very much a feel good romance, with likable characters and an easy going storyline. I’m getting through my owned to be read pile via the audio format and passing these books on to others while I’m at it.
Recommended reading to feel good, which was a welcome change of pace to other more serious themes I have been reading.
I didn’t like how the small country town were judgmental toward Lauren; it was quite evident that she had a reputation and others were not afraid to say it. I’m not quite sure if this was a new release that this would be so readily accepted. Female town residents were even commenting on this directly toward Dr Tom, and he wasn’t happy with this at all.
Lauren’s self-esteem wasn’t great, and we saw the reasons for this, it was good Tom was able to help her see sense. She was a capable nurse who loved her patients, spending quality time with the elderly residents. Tom was just as committed, playing board games with them; they were both great at their jobs.
This was very much a feel good romance, with likable characters and an easy going storyline. I’m getting through my owned to be read pile via the audio format and passing these books on to others while I’m at it.
Recommended reading to feel good, which was a welcome change of pace to other more serious themes I have been reading.
June 6, 2018
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Australian rural romance extraordinaire Rachael Johns, returns to the place of her first novel, Hope Junction, which initially featured in her debut novel, Jilted. The Road to Hope follows the journey of Lauren, a secondary character from Jilted. Lauren was a rather unlikable protagonist in Jilted, but Johns casts Lauren in a very different light in her 2015 release, The Road to Hope.
Leading the story in this Rachel Johns dazzler, The Road to Hope, is Lauren Simpson. Lauren has quite the reputation in Hope Junction and has been the prime target for unsavoury rumours circulating around town. Lauren is at breaking point and decides enough is enough, she must leave Hope Junction before it breaks her. Adding fuel to the fire is Lauren’s heartbreak over watching the man she desperately wanted to marry walk down the aisle to his happily ever after – with someone else. However, as quickly as Lauren makes plans to leave Hope Junction, her move is blocked by the arrival of new locum doctor Tom Lewis. But Tom has his own issues, he is travelling around Australia filling in his time with locum positions in an effort to escape his own painful relationship breakdown and some more related personal issues. When Lauren and Tom cross paths, they are immediately attracted to one another. While Lauren seems afraid to delve into yet another fling that won’t go anywhere, Tom is also hesitant to commit to anything with Lauren. The two dance around one another, while those around them can’t understand why they won’t get their act together and give in to their desires! Hope Junction serves out a healthy dish of romance and new beginnings this time around.
Those who follow my reading habits, reviews and recommendations will not be shocked to learn that Rachael Johns is by far one of my favourite Australian authors. For reasons unknown to me, The Road to Hope, Johns 2015 rural romance release, has been hiding away on my sagging TBR shelf. An opportunity to finally read a classic Rachael Johns novel via a challenge I am completing with a bookworm friend, presented the perfect opportunity to indulge in a non review book read!
I will state clearly that although The Road to Hope is a sequel of sorts to Rachael John’s debut novel Jilted, it is not essential that you read Jilted before The Road to Hope. It reads perfectly well on its own. I read Jilted back on holiday a few years ago now and I adored it. It is understandable why Jilted kick started the career of Rachael Johns and why so many readers petitioned Johns to return once more to Hope Junction, the small community featured in her first novel.
Johns is so skilled in bringing to light the feelings and everyday experiences of living in small and isolated country community. It is like stepping into the shoes of a country dweller for a day when you read any rural based novel written by Johns. The Road to Hope illuminates the drawbacks, as well as the positive aspects of living in rural based Australian towns, such as Hope Junction.
What I loved most about The Road to Hope was the sense of redemption I felt the character of Lauren received. Painted in a negative light as the meddling and nasty nurse in Jilted, we get to see Lauren in a completely different light. Seeing Lauren in action in the job she clearly loves excels at and is devoted to, allowed me to view Lauren with an alternative lens. Johns pairs Lauren with a great hero and potential love interest. I liked Tom’s back story and I also enjoyed unpacking his reasons for travelling around Australia to escape his past actions.
For those who love a spot of romance, The Road to Hope offers a finely tuned rural romance. This time around, instead of the romance being based on a city girl grappling with a country boy, it is almost the other way around. Lauren is a country girl through and through. Hope Junction runs through her blood and it is Tom who is almost the fish out of water. I liked the interplay between Tom and Lauren, their hesitations, the will they/won’t they scenario, the slow friends to lovers style romance and their eventual union.
Johns ensures that The Road to Hope is not simply passed over as a romance novel, it offers much more. In this engaging novel, Johns puts the spotlight on core rural based and Australian wide issues. These issues extend to; medical care in the country, aged care, serious illness, past mistakes and emotional baggage. I was impressed by the sensitivity and insight Johns dedicated to each of these subject areas.
The Road to Hope reminded me of why I continue to lap up very single Rachael Johns book I pick up with a sense of fervour . The Road to Hope represents a great addition to the Rachael Johns library. It is a book I highly recommend, especially to fans of Australian rural fiction.
The Road to Hope is book #58 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge
*Book ‘J’ of the a-z author challenge 2018
Australian rural romance extraordinaire Rachael Johns, returns to the place of her first novel, Hope Junction, which initially featured in her debut novel, Jilted. The Road to Hope follows the journey of Lauren, a secondary character from Jilted. Lauren was a rather unlikable protagonist in Jilted, but Johns casts Lauren in a very different light in her 2015 release, The Road to Hope.
Leading the story in this Rachel Johns dazzler, The Road to Hope, is Lauren Simpson. Lauren has quite the reputation in Hope Junction and has been the prime target for unsavoury rumours circulating around town. Lauren is at breaking point and decides enough is enough, she must leave Hope Junction before it breaks her. Adding fuel to the fire is Lauren’s heartbreak over watching the man she desperately wanted to marry walk down the aisle to his happily ever after – with someone else. However, as quickly as Lauren makes plans to leave Hope Junction, her move is blocked by the arrival of new locum doctor Tom Lewis. But Tom has his own issues, he is travelling around Australia filling in his time with locum positions in an effort to escape his own painful relationship breakdown and some more related personal issues. When Lauren and Tom cross paths, they are immediately attracted to one another. While Lauren seems afraid to delve into yet another fling that won’t go anywhere, Tom is also hesitant to commit to anything with Lauren. The two dance around one another, while those around them can’t understand why they won’t get their act together and give in to their desires! Hope Junction serves out a healthy dish of romance and new beginnings this time around.
Those who follow my reading habits, reviews and recommendations will not be shocked to learn that Rachael Johns is by far one of my favourite Australian authors. For reasons unknown to me, The Road to Hope, Johns 2015 rural romance release, has been hiding away on my sagging TBR shelf. An opportunity to finally read a classic Rachael Johns novel via a challenge I am completing with a bookworm friend, presented the perfect opportunity to indulge in a non review book read!
I will state clearly that although The Road to Hope is a sequel of sorts to Rachael John’s debut novel Jilted, it is not essential that you read Jilted before The Road to Hope. It reads perfectly well on its own. I read Jilted back on holiday a few years ago now and I adored it. It is understandable why Jilted kick started the career of Rachael Johns and why so many readers petitioned Johns to return once more to Hope Junction, the small community featured in her first novel.
Johns is so skilled in bringing to light the feelings and everyday experiences of living in small and isolated country community. It is like stepping into the shoes of a country dweller for a day when you read any rural based novel written by Johns. The Road to Hope illuminates the drawbacks, as well as the positive aspects of living in rural based Australian towns, such as Hope Junction.
What I loved most about The Road to Hope was the sense of redemption I felt the character of Lauren received. Painted in a negative light as the meddling and nasty nurse in Jilted, we get to see Lauren in a completely different light. Seeing Lauren in action in the job she clearly loves excels at and is devoted to, allowed me to view Lauren with an alternative lens. Johns pairs Lauren with a great hero and potential love interest. I liked Tom’s back story and I also enjoyed unpacking his reasons for travelling around Australia to escape his past actions.
For those who love a spot of romance, The Road to Hope offers a finely tuned rural romance. This time around, instead of the romance being based on a city girl grappling with a country boy, it is almost the other way around. Lauren is a country girl through and through. Hope Junction runs through her blood and it is Tom who is almost the fish out of water. I liked the interplay between Tom and Lauren, their hesitations, the will they/won’t they scenario, the slow friends to lovers style romance and their eventual union.
Johns ensures that The Road to Hope is not simply passed over as a romance novel, it offers much more. In this engaging novel, Johns puts the spotlight on core rural based and Australian wide issues. These issues extend to; medical care in the country, aged care, serious illness, past mistakes and emotional baggage. I was impressed by the sensitivity and insight Johns dedicated to each of these subject areas.
The Road to Hope reminded me of why I continue to lap up very single Rachael Johns book I pick up with a sense of fervour . The Road to Hope represents a great addition to the Rachael Johns library. It is a book I highly recommend, especially to fans of Australian rural fiction.
The Road to Hope is book #58 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge
*Book ‘J’ of the a-z author challenge 2018
April 1, 2015
In The Road to Hope, Rachael Johns revisits the small Western Australian town of Hope Springs featured in her debut novel, Jilted.
The Road to Hope opens at Flynn and Ellie's marriage ceremony with Lauren Simpson watching jealously from the pews. Still bitter about losing the love of her life, and tired of being fodder for the town gossips, Lauren decides it's time to start afresh, but the temptation of the locum doctor, Dr Tom Lewis, may be just too good for a bad girl to resist.
Lauren was cast as somewhat of a villain in Jilted, painted as petty and promiscuous, but Johns does an admirable job of redeeming her in The Road To Hope. We learn that Lauren's behaviour in large part stemmed from her unrequited crush on Flynn, and her promiscuity has been driven by a real desire for true love. As a nurse, Lauren proves she is also kind, capable and dedicated and it's these qualities that Johns draws out so that we find Lauren both a sympathetic and likeable heroine.
Tom Lewis is easy to like - a hot, surfing doctor traveling Australia in a vintage ute as a locum - but he has a devastating secret that complicates his life. He's attracted to Lauren, but he feels he can't consider anything more serious than a fling given his situation. Johns handles Lewis's dilemma well without minimising the reality of the situation.
I really enjoyed the chemistry and slow burn romance between Lauren and Tom. Despite their immediate sexual attraction, both have good reasons for refusing to acknowledge it. They develop a friendship which is really sweet, even with the undercurrent of heat and I was delighted by the way their relationship worked itself out.
It's not necessary to have read Jilted to read The Road to Hope but I enjoyed revisiting the town and people of Hope Springs. I read this in a matter of hours, enjoying the warmth, humour and romance of a this well written story.
April 9, 2015
I was first introduced to Lauren in Jilted – and felt sorry for her, as she had a reputation of being a ‘good time had by all’ girl who was trying to stop Flynn and Ellie from getting together – but she is misunderstood. Come on now, let’s get real – she always loved Flynn and when she had a chance to get him when his heart was broken she took it – who wouldn’t. But the truth of the matter is if anything she was the victim as Flynn was using HER rather than the other way. So ROAD TO HOPE opens with Lauren at Flynn’s wedding and naturally she is very upset as she can’t turn her heart off, and it hurts to see the man she still loves, despite of everything, marrying someone else.
Somehow she has a reputation of being man hungry and running after any available man! She is single – why is this bad? As Hope was a small town I’m not sure if there would have been a lot to run after! OK she might hop into bed with them fairly early on in the relationship, but that seems to be the norm nowadays so it doesn’t make her a tart. And once the relationships ends, as relationships do, and the ex’s go on and marry someone else, well that isn’t her fault either! Lauren realises that to leave this unfair reputation behind – she is going to have to go as the town is not going to change. This is one disadvantage of being in a small town – yes there is mateship and support – there is also nasty gossip and rumour mongering.
So the very day she decides to leave town and start a new life, and decides she is not going to sleep with the wrong sort of men again – locum Tom arrives. What’s more he’s a friend of Lauren’s brother and is staying at the family home. The attraction between the two is immediate – it’s just the wrong time. He is not looking for commitment or love, but she is, and this time she wants her own happy ever after. So what follows is a fun story of two people tiptoeing around each other as they share a house and try so hard not to fall in love with each other. But by doing this they end up talking to each other, doing things together, getting to know each other – no strings attached. This slow approach to the growing romance, against undeniable simmering lust, is lovely.
Lauren’s character demonstrates what a loving and caring person she is, and devoted to her job of nursing. In the opening scenes despite her issues with the family of a patient (Flynn’s grandmother) she focusses utterly on her patient and her well-being with all personal feelings put aside. And as I commented on at one point if I ever have to be hospitalised in the old folks section then I SO want Lauren and Tom to be my carers. As for Tom – I loved him too. He is a very good doctor and practices wholesome medicine – that is not just giving medicine but trying to help the mind and spirit as well. And did I mention he is hot? And has most of the female population drooling after him – and me? Tom hit the road as a locum to see Australia and get away from a family tragedy in Adelaide. While he helps his patients in Hope, he comes to realise the importance of family and that he shouldn’t assume that everyone will react to the secret he is hiding the same way.
Once again Rachel Johns has demonstrated why she is a much in demand writer – her writing is flawless and the stories have humour, drama, passion and a feeling that you have joined your mates at the local pub for a catch up session. The reader is included and not an onlooker. Looking forwards to whatever she is going to come up with next.
July 23, 2015
It took me a while to really get invested in 'The Road to Hope' but once I was about a quarter of the way in, I was officially converted.
I read this novel as a stand alone piece, and feel that the background crossovers were explained well and weren't confusing at all. I felt for the lead character, Lauren - and the way the rest of the characters in Hope Springs really helped paint a picture of the town itself.
The hot doctor thing - well, yeah, it's a little cliché (of course he's hot!) - but he's got a lot more to him than his looks!
The theme of moving on/away vs standing still is pretty pertinent all the way through the book, even as it reaches its conclusion. I do feel that it ended in a way that made sense, and made me wish both of the lead characters luck on their journeys.
Makes me want to go and hunt down the first book now, too! :)
I read this novel as a stand alone piece, and feel that the background crossovers were explained well and weren't confusing at all. I felt for the lead character, Lauren - and the way the rest of the characters in Hope Springs really helped paint a picture of the town itself.
The hot doctor thing - well, yeah, it's a little cliché (of course he's hot!) - but he's got a lot more to him than his looks!
The theme of moving on/away vs standing still is pretty pertinent all the way through the book, even as it reaches its conclusion. I do feel that it ended in a way that made sense, and made me wish both of the lead characters luck on their journeys.
Makes me want to go and hunt down the first book now, too! :)
March 8, 2015
Nurse Lauren Simpson has just watched the man she loves marry someone else. She’d wanted Flynn ever since high school but after the arrival of Ellie she never stood a chance – not then and not when Ellie came back to Hope Junction. Now Lauren has decided that she’s tired of being notorious around town for all the wrong reasons. She grew up in Hope Junction and then came back after university and has worked at the local hospital ever since. It’s time to move on.
But just as she’s ready to do so it seems that fate throws the perfect man onto her doorstep – literally. Dr Tom Lewis is a locum filling in for a local doctor who has gone on a holiday. Friends with Lauren’s older bother who is overseas, Tom was told he could stay with Lauren in the family home. But Lauren’s brother forgot to inform Lauren she’d be getting a new housemate until Lauren came home and found Tom making himself comfortable.
The attraction is immediate but Lauren is turning over a new leaf. No more sleeping with the wrong men. From now on she’s looking for the one, the one that loves and cherishes her as much as she’s seen that Flynn loves and cherishes Ellie. Lauren might want to jump into bed with the hot new doctor and the whole town might think she has already done so but she’s holding out. This time she wants a future. But Tom is dealing with a secret, something that makes him utterly convinced a long term relationship isn’t for him. He’s here in Hope Junction for a good time, not a long time as he’ll be moving on soon. He has a lot of chemistry with Lauren and he’d love to take things a step further but ultimately, Tom is convinced he cannot give her what she wants…..even though Lauren is pretty sure that he could, if only he’d just let himself and believe in her as well as the future they could have.
In her latest release, Rachael Johns takes readers back to Hope Junction, the setting for her first novel Jilted. Many will remember Lauren as the woman Flynn tried to use as a bit of a distraction really, when his teenage love Ellie returned after jilting him at the altar and leaving 10 years previous. In some ways Lauren was the antagonist but she was almost more a victim really, because although she had feelings for Flynn, he didn’t really return them and was really only attempting a relationship with Lauren to avoid the feelings he still had for Ellie. If anything I more felt sorry for Lauren than disliked her and it appears I’m not the only one because there were plenty of requests for Lauren to receive her happy ever after as well.
The book opens with Lauren as a guest at Flynn and Ellie’s wedding, watching the man she has always wanted marry someone else. She’s feeling more than a little sorry for herself and it’s sort of the catalyst for her to decide that it’s time for her to leave town. Lauren had a bit of a reputation in the way that can happen in small towns and Johns takes time to establish her background and childhood and how so much of Lauren’s worth was tied up in her looks and her attractiveness to the opposite sex. I think both that and her devotion to her job really establish Lauren as a character, especially what goes on beneath the rather brittle exterior she tends to project. I really enjoyed seeing Lauren in her professional environment and her dedication to her patients. It was quite clear that many of them were more than that to her, as her weekly manicures with the elderly hospital/nursing home residents proved. In some ways Lauren seemed to lack for female company. Her best friend Whitney is a newlywed and also fully focused on attempting to conceive. Whitney also wants her to make an effort to befriend Ellie, which isn’t very easy for Lauren although she does attempt to do her best. The arrival of Tom and her attraction to him definitely helps with her feelings for Flynn and give her a way to move on but it’s still awkward for her.
I loved Tom. A hot, surfing doctor who takes the time to get to know his patients and plays monopoly with the elderly residents – what’s not to love there? Tom has jacked in a permanent job in Adelaide, where his family are and is travelling Australia, taking casual positions here and there so he can see as much as the country and experience as much as he can. His family has been rocked by some tragic news, something that affects Tom perhaps a bit more than the rest and I think I could understand his motivation in distancing himself from his family and hitting the road. He has something potentially hanging over him and he wants to live as much of his life as he can in a short amount of time. However there was definitely the feeling that he was also cutting himself off from experiences (and potential experiences) too, just not a possible relationship with Lauren. They both were very attracted to each other but Lauren wanted to feel like it could go somewhere, like they had a future. Tom, in trying to protect Lauren (and perhaps himself) was closing himself off from a huge part of life and he definitely needed to be shown that he could enjoy life and share it with someone as well, regardless of what may happen in the future.
I’m a fan of the slow-burn romance, the couple that takes time to get to know each other and I think this one is a great example of that. Because of Lauren’s turning over a new leaf, she refuses to jump into bed with Tom (although she wants to!) and because of that they do friends first. They watch movies, they talk, they learn things about each other. And even though there are still some secrets, it’s obvious that they do come to trust each other with a lot of personal information. I think Lauren probably wasn’t going to be an easy character to tackle but she was made someone the reader could identify with and even sympathise with as she struggled to find her place and happiness.
But just as she’s ready to do so it seems that fate throws the perfect man onto her doorstep – literally. Dr Tom Lewis is a locum filling in for a local doctor who has gone on a holiday. Friends with Lauren’s older bother who is overseas, Tom was told he could stay with Lauren in the family home. But Lauren’s brother forgot to inform Lauren she’d be getting a new housemate until Lauren came home and found Tom making himself comfortable.
The attraction is immediate but Lauren is turning over a new leaf. No more sleeping with the wrong men. From now on she’s looking for the one, the one that loves and cherishes her as much as she’s seen that Flynn loves and cherishes Ellie. Lauren might want to jump into bed with the hot new doctor and the whole town might think she has already done so but she’s holding out. This time she wants a future. But Tom is dealing with a secret, something that makes him utterly convinced a long term relationship isn’t for him. He’s here in Hope Junction for a good time, not a long time as he’ll be moving on soon. He has a lot of chemistry with Lauren and he’d love to take things a step further but ultimately, Tom is convinced he cannot give her what she wants…..even though Lauren is pretty sure that he could, if only he’d just let himself and believe in her as well as the future they could have.
In her latest release, Rachael Johns takes readers back to Hope Junction, the setting for her first novel Jilted. Many will remember Lauren as the woman Flynn tried to use as a bit of a distraction really, when his teenage love Ellie returned after jilting him at the altar and leaving 10 years previous. In some ways Lauren was the antagonist but she was almost more a victim really, because although she had feelings for Flynn, he didn’t really return them and was really only attempting a relationship with Lauren to avoid the feelings he still had for Ellie. If anything I more felt sorry for Lauren than disliked her and it appears I’m not the only one because there were plenty of requests for Lauren to receive her happy ever after as well.
The book opens with Lauren as a guest at Flynn and Ellie’s wedding, watching the man she has always wanted marry someone else. She’s feeling more than a little sorry for herself and it’s sort of the catalyst for her to decide that it’s time for her to leave town. Lauren had a bit of a reputation in the way that can happen in small towns and Johns takes time to establish her background and childhood and how so much of Lauren’s worth was tied up in her looks and her attractiveness to the opposite sex. I think both that and her devotion to her job really establish Lauren as a character, especially what goes on beneath the rather brittle exterior she tends to project. I really enjoyed seeing Lauren in her professional environment and her dedication to her patients. It was quite clear that many of them were more than that to her, as her weekly manicures with the elderly hospital/nursing home residents proved. In some ways Lauren seemed to lack for female company. Her best friend Whitney is a newlywed and also fully focused on attempting to conceive. Whitney also wants her to make an effort to befriend Ellie, which isn’t very easy for Lauren although she does attempt to do her best. The arrival of Tom and her attraction to him definitely helps with her feelings for Flynn and give her a way to move on but it’s still awkward for her.
I loved Tom. A hot, surfing doctor who takes the time to get to know his patients and plays monopoly with the elderly residents – what’s not to love there? Tom has jacked in a permanent job in Adelaide, where his family are and is travelling Australia, taking casual positions here and there so he can see as much as the country and experience as much as he can. His family has been rocked by some tragic news, something that affects Tom perhaps a bit more than the rest and I think I could understand his motivation in distancing himself from his family and hitting the road. He has something potentially hanging over him and he wants to live as much of his life as he can in a short amount of time. However there was definitely the feeling that he was also cutting himself off from experiences (and potential experiences) too, just not a possible relationship with Lauren. They both were very attracted to each other but Lauren wanted to feel like it could go somewhere, like they had a future. Tom, in trying to protect Lauren (and perhaps himself) was closing himself off from a huge part of life and he definitely needed to be shown that he could enjoy life and share it with someone as well, regardless of what may happen in the future.
I’m a fan of the slow-burn romance, the couple that takes time to get to know each other and I think this one is a great example of that. Because of Lauren’s turning over a new leaf, she refuses to jump into bed with Tom (although she wants to!) and because of that they do friends first. They watch movies, they talk, they learn things about each other. And even though there are still some secrets, it’s obvious that they do come to trust each other with a lot of personal information. I think Lauren probably wasn’t going to be an easy character to tackle but she was made someone the reader could identify with and even sympathise with as she struggled to find her place and happiness.
November 26, 2017
Another enjoyable read by Rachael Johns. I really enjoy her writing and descriptions of characters and life in rural Australia.
March 20, 2015
Readers were first introduced to Lauren Simpson in Jilted, not in a particularly favourable light I must say, I don't have time for spoilt bitches but figured that somewhere underneath all the makeup was a decent person. She's a nurse, not that that's a given for decency but she's a deeply caring and highly skilled nurse so that's got to say something. Rachael Johns does a fabulous job of showing some of Lauren's more endearing qualities.
You probably don't have to read Jilted first but I really liked seeing the growth in Lauren's character, growth that was handled realistically, in a way that elicited empathy rather than eye-rolls ... not that I'd expect anything less from Rachael Johns. Besides I loved Jilted (Ellie and Flynn's story) so why miss out on a good thing.
The chemistry between Lauren and locum Dr Tom Lewis is evident from the start but like any new relationship they have their challenges ... emotion-charged issues and the highs and lows of living in a small community where everyone knows your business or thinks they do.
The sweetest part of this story and my favourite was Lauren and Tom's interactions with the elderly in the residential wing of the hospital ... now that was heart-melting good. And funny, Barbara and May cracked me up with their irreverent humour.
With trademark humour, passion and emotion I've come to expect from Rachael Johns, The Road to Hope is a lovely way to spend a few hours.
You probably don't have to read Jilted first but I really liked seeing the growth in Lauren's character, growth that was handled realistically, in a way that elicited empathy rather than eye-rolls ... not that I'd expect anything less from Rachael Johns. Besides I loved Jilted (Ellie and Flynn's story) so why miss out on a good thing.
The chemistry between Lauren and locum Dr Tom Lewis is evident from the start but like any new relationship they have their challenges ... emotion-charged issues and the highs and lows of living in a small community where everyone knows your business or thinks they do.
The sweetest part of this story and my favourite was Lauren and Tom's interactions with the elderly in the residential wing of the hospital ... now that was heart-melting good. And funny, Barbara and May cracked me up with their irreverent humour.
With trademark humour, passion and emotion I've come to expect from Rachael Johns, The Road to Hope is a lovely way to spend a few hours.
May 30, 2017
Talk of the Town is a small town romance, with a heroine who feels the weight of all of her previous transgressions hanging over her like the Sword of Damocles, and a hero with enough things on his plate that the ping of romance has no place in it:
I read the first part of this book thinking to myself “Yep, standard small town romance – country bloke hero, broken heroine looking for redemption, bitchy townswoman panting after the hero” – but there are a few surprises that changed my mind on this one when I reached a little further into it.
I don’t cry at books. I will blubber like an idiot at the TV or at a film, but books very nearly never bring me to tears. This one – well, an interaction between father and son had tears springing to my eyes. I can’t tell you any more than that because it would ruin it, but I warn you – there are likely to be tears. There will also be open mouthed moments, and spooky feelings between your shoulder blades – did I mention there’s a ghost?
I love Rachel’s way of writing, it’s always so comfortable and, well, Australian. And she has a style that evokes emotions with only a few words – no flowery purple prose here!
I read the first part of this book thinking to myself “Yep, standard small town romance – country bloke hero, broken heroine looking for redemption, bitchy townswoman panting after the hero” – but there are a few surprises that changed my mind on this one when I reached a little further into it.
I don’t cry at books. I will blubber like an idiot at the TV or at a film, but books very nearly never bring me to tears. This one – well, an interaction between father and son had tears springing to my eyes. I can’t tell you any more than that because it would ruin it, but I warn you – there are likely to be tears. There will also be open mouthed moments, and spooky feelings between your shoulder blades – did I mention there’s a ghost?
I love Rachel’s way of writing, it’s always so comfortable and, well, Australian. And she has a style that evokes emotions with only a few words – no flowery purple prose here!
March 27, 2015
I am a big fan of Rachael Johns and was very excited to receive her latest. I hadn’t read Jilted but it didn’t cause any confusion throughout. The Road to Hope was a fabulous Australian read and I loved the fun characters and the small town know all gossip. As always, Ms Johns has a fabulous writing style, I was totally addicted and with realistic emotions I was caught up in Lauren’s drama.
Lauren Simpson is a nurse at the local hospital and loves her job. She doesn’t feel appreciated and the town believes she’s the “town slapper”. Seeing the love of her life walk down the aisle with another woman, Lauren is determined to change her ways and become a good girl. She has made a plan to leave the small town of Hope Junction and move onto bigger and better things and hopefully find the love of her life in the process.
Living by herself with her parent’s overseas and her brother, Frank, in Nepal, Lauren feels all alone. Her best friend has her mind stuck on babies and doesn’t seem to realise how hurt Lauren is.
Just as the ceremony ends, the Grandmother of the groom takes a turn and Lauren goes to the rescue. Thinking it could be dehydration and heat related, she is taken to hospital to get checked out. Dr Bates is heading on holidays and the new locum, Dr Tom Lewis will be taking over. He was tall, dark, broad-shouldered and extraordinarily handsome. But Lauren is determined to be the good girl.
When she arrived home after the wedding reception, she found a strange Ute in her driveway and the lights on inside. Lauren grabbed her jack out of the car and headed inside ready to whack the intruder. When the door opened, there was a hot man standing there wearing only boardies. It took her a minute to recognise the man as Dr Lewis, the new locum.
It appears Lauren will be having a visitor for a few months and now maybe regrets the change of rules with this hot eligible doctor living in her house. But she’s still determined to stick to her guns. Trying everything she can to deter Dr Delicious from flirting, Lauren carries on with her daily routine.
The more time they spend together the stronger their feelings and attraction become. But Tom is hiding a massive secret of his own and knows he doesn’t want a long term relationship. The see-saw of feelings and actions towards each other would give anyone whiplash, but can these two overcome reputations and secrecy to be together?
What is Tom hiding? Will Lauren end up leaving Hope Junction? Can she continue to be the good girl with Dr Delicious in her house?
Watch the relationship unfold and discover the strength that people find once they’ve found love. I adored the older patients in residential care at the hospital and the antics they get up to. From painting nails to dancing to playing board games, it was inspirational and light-hearted fun. I am certainly looking forward to reading more fun romances from Ms Johns, with the next being, The Patterson Girls due out in October 2015.
Lauren Simpson is a nurse at the local hospital and loves her job. She doesn’t feel appreciated and the town believes she’s the “town slapper”. Seeing the love of her life walk down the aisle with another woman, Lauren is determined to change her ways and become a good girl. She has made a plan to leave the small town of Hope Junction and move onto bigger and better things and hopefully find the love of her life in the process.
Living by herself with her parent’s overseas and her brother, Frank, in Nepal, Lauren feels all alone. Her best friend has her mind stuck on babies and doesn’t seem to realise how hurt Lauren is.
Just as the ceremony ends, the Grandmother of the groom takes a turn and Lauren goes to the rescue. Thinking it could be dehydration and heat related, she is taken to hospital to get checked out. Dr Bates is heading on holidays and the new locum, Dr Tom Lewis will be taking over. He was tall, dark, broad-shouldered and extraordinarily handsome. But Lauren is determined to be the good girl.
When she arrived home after the wedding reception, she found a strange Ute in her driveway and the lights on inside. Lauren grabbed her jack out of the car and headed inside ready to whack the intruder. When the door opened, there was a hot man standing there wearing only boardies. It took her a minute to recognise the man as Dr Lewis, the new locum.
It appears Lauren will be having a visitor for a few months and now maybe regrets the change of rules with this hot eligible doctor living in her house. But she’s still determined to stick to her guns. Trying everything she can to deter Dr Delicious from flirting, Lauren carries on with her daily routine.
The more time they spend together the stronger their feelings and attraction become. But Tom is hiding a massive secret of his own and knows he doesn’t want a long term relationship. The see-saw of feelings and actions towards each other would give anyone whiplash, but can these two overcome reputations and secrecy to be together?
What is Tom hiding? Will Lauren end up leaving Hope Junction? Can she continue to be the good girl with Dr Delicious in her house?
Watch the relationship unfold and discover the strength that people find once they’ve found love. I adored the older patients in residential care at the hospital and the antics they get up to. From painting nails to dancing to playing board games, it was inspirational and light-hearted fun. I am certainly looking forward to reading more fun romances from Ms Johns, with the next being, The Patterson Girls due out in October 2015.
March 11, 2015
Another great story from Rachael. Catching up with the characters from Jilted was interesting. I really enjoyed this and got through it in a couple of sittings.
May 11, 2021
Nurse Lauren Simpson has quite the reputation in her hometown of Hope Junction. And it's not too complementary at all.
Lauren has always been known as the local 'slapper'. For years she was happy to take on this personia, but watching her high school crush marry someone else gave Lauren a hard wake up call.
Deciding to stay away from men turns complicated when the sexy new locum Dr Tom Lewis arrives in town... And he's Lauren's house guest.
💙💚💛💜🖤💙💚💛💜🖤
I really loved the blossoming relationship between Lauren and Tom- they both have personal issues that keep them from commiting- and when they do cross that line, boy is it hot!! 🍆 Lauren was a character that piqued my interest in 𝗝𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗱. I'm glad that she got her own book!!!
A real highlight is definitely the oldies in the nursing home- some of the residents absolutely have no filter and are the biggest Tom and Lauren shippers ever. It was also really sweet to read how beautifully Tom cared for them all and the other patients he came across in his short tenure. He's really Dr. Delicious!
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 brought back the beloved characters from 𝗝𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗱. It was lovely to catch up with them all, especially Flynn and Ellie! I'm still laughing about how they wrote her out of her soap- absolutely ingenious and so different!!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
Lauren has always been known as the local 'slapper'. For years she was happy to take on this personia, but watching her high school crush marry someone else gave Lauren a hard wake up call.
Deciding to stay away from men turns complicated when the sexy new locum Dr Tom Lewis arrives in town... And he's Lauren's house guest.
💙💚💛💜🖤💙💚💛💜🖤
I really loved the blossoming relationship between Lauren and Tom- they both have personal issues that keep them from commiting- and when they do cross that line, boy is it hot!! 🍆 Lauren was a character that piqued my interest in 𝗝𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗱. I'm glad that she got her own book!!!
A real highlight is definitely the oldies in the nursing home- some of the residents absolutely have no filter and are the biggest Tom and Lauren shippers ever. It was also really sweet to read how beautifully Tom cared for them all and the other patients he came across in his short tenure. He's really Dr. Delicious!
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 brought back the beloved characters from 𝗝𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗱. It was lovely to catch up with them all, especially Flynn and Ellie! I'm still laughing about how they wrote her out of her soap- absolutely ingenious and so different!!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
June 13, 2025
I found it a little difficult to reconcile this Lauren with the utter bitch in the first book.
August 5, 2015
I had been meaning to read Jilted for quite some time (ever since it was released on eBook) so, I was rather excited to receive a hard copy version of it in the mail during January this year. Unfortunately with my reading schedule the way it has been over the last few months, it’s been a bit difficult to pick up my “favourites” and just read for the sake of reading.
Although I have now read it, I won’t be reviewing the novel as it has been out for quite a while already and has had some great in-depth reviews written but, let me just say I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Ellie and Flynn’s journey to their HEA.
For those of you who haven’t yet read Jilted, please don’t feel compelled to do so as these two books can be read as stand-alones although you will get a better feel for some of the characters in this sequel.
In this second novel in the loosely linked Hope Junction series, The Road to Hope, Rachael Johns brings us the story of a woman I grew to despise in Jilted when Ellie and Flynn were trying to patch things up and, to tell you the truth, I had no idea how she was going to turn my opinion of Lauren around – but that she did!
After seeing the man that she has loved since childhood get married, Lauren Simpson decides that she’s had enough of small-town life (and the gossip-mongering about her being the “town slapper”) resolving to get out of Hope.
Taking steps to carry through this resolution as well as her decision to become a “good girl”, however, proves to be a lot more difficult than she first thought when firstly, her manager rejects her resignation on the basis that the hospital cannot afford to lose a staff member over the Christmas holiday period and secondly, the locum, Dr Tom Lewis, who is running from his own demons, comes to town.
Unbeknownst to Lauren, the biggest test of her life is about to unfold when she discovers that “Dr Delicious” is a friend of her brother, Frank, who has invited him to stay in their house - with her, alone!
There are a number of things I love about Rachael’s writing – her well-crafted characters (think Nora Roberts) and settings. These settings are memorable in that she re-creates small-town living in rural Australia that both Australian and non-Australian residents will be able to identify with and, in this novel I especially loved her depiction of life in the nursing home attached to Hope Junction Hospital where Lauren works as a nurse.
The nursing home is where, for me, Lauren’s character really came to life as Rachael turned my unjust opinion of her around by treating me to a side of this young woman that hadn’t been totally apparent before then, thanks to the way she came across in Jilted as well as all the gossip! Beyond that gossip is a girl who is passionate about her job, both caring and compassionate towards her patients but at the same time just aching to be loved in return by a man who will marry her and raise a family together – like her friends are doing!
Beyond her characters and settings, Rachael has a sympathetic eye for human nature in general and doesn’t shy away from the bigger issues such as aging and age-related diseases while bringing us a story of heartache, loss, fresh beginnings and ultimately hope.
There’s no doubt in my mind that you, like me, will fall in love with Hope Junction and its residents and enjoy the time spent there. I know I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to the little town and am hoping that somewhere along the line, Rachael will give us Frank Simpson’s story!
Although I have now read it, I won’t be reviewing the novel as it has been out for quite a while already and has had some great in-depth reviews written but, let me just say I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Ellie and Flynn’s journey to their HEA.
For those of you who haven’t yet read Jilted, please don’t feel compelled to do so as these two books can be read as stand-alones although you will get a better feel for some of the characters in this sequel.
In this second novel in the loosely linked Hope Junction series, The Road to Hope, Rachael Johns brings us the story of a woman I grew to despise in Jilted when Ellie and Flynn were trying to patch things up and, to tell you the truth, I had no idea how she was going to turn my opinion of Lauren around – but that she did!
After seeing the man that she has loved since childhood get married, Lauren Simpson decides that she’s had enough of small-town life (and the gossip-mongering about her being the “town slapper”) resolving to get out of Hope.
Taking steps to carry through this resolution as well as her decision to become a “good girl”, however, proves to be a lot more difficult than she first thought when firstly, her manager rejects her resignation on the basis that the hospital cannot afford to lose a staff member over the Christmas holiday period and secondly, the locum, Dr Tom Lewis, who is running from his own demons, comes to town.
Unbeknownst to Lauren, the biggest test of her life is about to unfold when she discovers that “Dr Delicious” is a friend of her brother, Frank, who has invited him to stay in their house - with her, alone!
There are a number of things I love about Rachael’s writing – her well-crafted characters (think Nora Roberts) and settings. These settings are memorable in that she re-creates small-town living in rural Australia that both Australian and non-Australian residents will be able to identify with and, in this novel I especially loved her depiction of life in the nursing home attached to Hope Junction Hospital where Lauren works as a nurse.
The nursing home is where, for me, Lauren’s character really came to life as Rachael turned my unjust opinion of her around by treating me to a side of this young woman that hadn’t been totally apparent before then, thanks to the way she came across in Jilted as well as all the gossip! Beyond that gossip is a girl who is passionate about her job, both caring and compassionate towards her patients but at the same time just aching to be loved in return by a man who will marry her and raise a family together – like her friends are doing!
Beyond her characters and settings, Rachael has a sympathetic eye for human nature in general and doesn’t shy away from the bigger issues such as aging and age-related diseases while bringing us a story of heartache, loss, fresh beginnings and ultimately hope.
There’s no doubt in my mind that you, like me, will fall in love with Hope Junction and its residents and enjoy the time spent there. I know I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to the little town and am hoping that somewhere along the line, Rachael will give us Frank Simpson’s story!
April 13, 2015
Lauren is a nurse in a small-town southwest hospital. Her most recent romantic interest has just married another (see Jilted for details, but this isn’t mandatory in order to enjoy The Road to Hope). She is feeling down about her life, and making plans to leave Hope Junction.
Town doctor Hannah Bates has left on holiday, and in blows locum GP Tom Lewis. He’s gorgeous, compassionate, and he can cook. Tom and Lauren, forced into shared living quarters, start a hot-and-cold romance. Why is Tom so reluctant to get involved in anything deeper? And what is going on with his family back in Adelaide?
THIS is what I really like about full-length Aussie rural romance, compared to shorter category type romance! We get not just a love story, but other stories with complex inter-weaving storylines, social issues, all spiced with a great sense of place (which I love).
Yes, it’s is a male-doctor-female-nurse love story, but it’s not a hackneyed one. Lauren is portrayed as a professional in her own right, not a handmaiden. Yes, she paints the nails of the resident elders in the hospital, and she is also on the ball co-operating in the treatment of major traumas and being a first responder. The elderly residents of the nursing home wing of the hospital are also drawn as people in their own right, with histories and love stories and personalities - something you don’t see all that often in any fiction, let alone romance which tends to focus on the young. This story shines a light on the impoverished lives of many nursing home residents, and on the simple ways in which treating them as people can be so enriching.
And most interestingly, Lauren isn’t a chaste maiden, or even thereabouts - she starts the book with a reputation as the town “slut”. I like that her history of multiple partners isn’t treated in the narrative as a terrible thing. She is looked down on by some of the townspeople, yes, but this is portrayed as the prejudice and sexism that it is. I like that. A lot.
What I could do without: “sassy” and “curves in all the right places” made me roll my eyes. I also found the sex scenes to be rather formulaic - I like a book where it isn’t all nipple, nipple, a bit of oral, simultaneous copulatory orgasm, best sex ever.
But overall, this was a great read.
Town doctor Hannah Bates has left on holiday, and in blows locum GP Tom Lewis. He’s gorgeous, compassionate, and he can cook. Tom and Lauren, forced into shared living quarters, start a hot-and-cold romance. Why is Tom so reluctant to get involved in anything deeper? And what is going on with his family back in Adelaide?
THIS is what I really like about full-length Aussie rural romance, compared to shorter category type romance! We get not just a love story, but other stories with complex inter-weaving storylines, social issues, all spiced with a great sense of place (which I love).
Yes, it’s is a male-doctor-female-nurse love story, but it’s not a hackneyed one. Lauren is portrayed as a professional in her own right, not a handmaiden. Yes, she paints the nails of the resident elders in the hospital, and she is also on the ball co-operating in the treatment of major traumas and being a first responder. The elderly residents of the nursing home wing of the hospital are also drawn as people in their own right, with histories and love stories and personalities - something you don’t see all that often in any fiction, let alone romance which tends to focus on the young. This story shines a light on the impoverished lives of many nursing home residents, and on the simple ways in which treating them as people can be so enriching.
And most interestingly, Lauren isn’t a chaste maiden, or even thereabouts - she starts the book with a reputation as the town “slut”. I like that her history of multiple partners isn’t treated in the narrative as a terrible thing. She is looked down on by some of the townspeople, yes, but this is portrayed as the prejudice and sexism that it is. I like that. A lot.
What I could do without: “sassy” and “curves in all the right places” made me roll my eyes. I also found the sex scenes to be rather formulaic - I like a book where it isn’t all nipple, nipple, a bit of oral, simultaneous copulatory orgasm, best sex ever.
But overall, this was a great read.
March 24, 2015
4.5 Hopeful Stars
Wow, what a fabulous Australian read this was. Full of colourful characters and a small town where everyone knows you and the gossip is always at full flurry.
This is the first Rachael Johns book I have read, and I must say – I absolutely loved it. Her writing style is flawless and completely captivating. I was trapped within the pages of this book feeling every single emotion these characters went through with all the drama they entailed.
Lauren Simpson does not have a good reputation in this town. And boy do people talk. As the blurb says – she is determined to make a new start of her life, move out of Hope Junction and change her ways. But will it be that easy?
Enter Dr Tom Lewis. He is tall, handsome and oh so sexy. Will Lauren be able to control herself? Will she be able to be a good girl?
Dr Tom has a past he is running from. He just wants to have a little fun. Live life a little. But will his secrets be his undoing?
The circumstances of these two coming together was fun and flirty. The more time they spent together the more chemistry they developed. The attraction they share is also strong and sexy.
Lauren has a hard time being a good girl. Dr Tom has a hard time not flirting with Lauren. How will these two survive living together?
They are constantly up and down with their feelings for one another. So many things they are hiding from each other. Will they both be able to let go of their pasts, shed their reputations and move on together?
What will be the breaking point that these two endure to move past all the baggage they both have?
I loved watching this relationship between Lauren and Tom develop and unfold. The strength they find once they realized that it may be love is so promising.
It was a beautiful, lighthearted, fun read. It will totally absorb you into the lives of Lauren and Tom. Two slightly damaged people looking for a second chance. Who doesn’t love a second chance at love? Everyone deserves a second chance at love.
I really enjoyed this story, these characters and Rachael John’s flawless writing style.
Copy kindly provided by Harlequin Books Australia for an honest review.
Wow, what a fabulous Australian read this was. Full of colourful characters and a small town where everyone knows you and the gossip is always at full flurry.
This is the first Rachael Johns book I have read, and I must say – I absolutely loved it. Her writing style is flawless and completely captivating. I was trapped within the pages of this book feeling every single emotion these characters went through with all the drama they entailed.
Lauren Simpson does not have a good reputation in this town. And boy do people talk. As the blurb says – she is determined to make a new start of her life, move out of Hope Junction and change her ways. But will it be that easy?
Enter Dr Tom Lewis. He is tall, handsome and oh so sexy. Will Lauren be able to control herself? Will she be able to be a good girl?
Dr Tom has a past he is running from. He just wants to have a little fun. Live life a little. But will his secrets be his undoing?
The circumstances of these two coming together was fun and flirty. The more time they spent together the more chemistry they developed. The attraction they share is also strong and sexy.
Lauren has a hard time being a good girl. Dr Tom has a hard time not flirting with Lauren. How will these two survive living together?
They are constantly up and down with their feelings for one another. So many things they are hiding from each other. Will they both be able to let go of their pasts, shed their reputations and move on together?
What will be the breaking point that these two endure to move past all the baggage they both have?
I loved watching this relationship between Lauren and Tom develop and unfold. The strength they find once they realized that it may be love is so promising.
It was a beautiful, lighthearted, fun read. It will totally absorb you into the lives of Lauren and Tom. Two slightly damaged people looking for a second chance. Who doesn’t love a second chance at love? Everyone deserves a second chance at love.
I really enjoyed this story, these characters and Rachael John’s flawless writing style.
Copy kindly provided by Harlequin Books Australia for an honest review.
March 15, 2015
The Road to Hope by Rachael Johns takes up Lauren's story, we met her in Jilted where she was the one who didn't get the guy! She wasn't seen in the best light either. However this time we are able to grasp a better picture of Lauren - and it's a good one!
I found the first part of the story moved a little slowly but once I hit the halfway mark I was fully engaged and feeling for the characters. Lauren has decided that it's time to have a change and she is on the verge of handing in her resignation at the hospital where she works. She wants to make a new start. She has had a rather loveless past growing up and doesn't have a high self esteem. Everyone around her seems to have a happy relationship and she is feeling somewhat out of it. Even her relationship with best friend Whitney seems to have changed.
Tom has taken on a locum job, he's great looking and a very good doctor. He and Frank - Lauren's brother, have been good friends and so Tom makes himself right at home with Lauren. However Tom is running from something, he has a warm loving family, but is on the outer with them at the moment. He has also experienced a relationship turning sour and it's made him somewhat wary and determined that love and a relationship that matters is not for him.
I loved the elderly patients at the hospital, and the way in which Lauren and Tom went beyond the job in being with them and making sure that they were treated as people who had needs and feelings. I also liked the exploration of a disease that robs people of their memory and the effect this has on a family. When I read a book I always like something more than a romance - I want challenges and issues that might strike anyone to be taken out and looked at. Whatever the future holds for us, it's today and love that matter. That's the message in this book. It's a good one.
I found the first part of the story moved a little slowly but once I hit the halfway mark I was fully engaged and feeling for the characters. Lauren has decided that it's time to have a change and she is on the verge of handing in her resignation at the hospital where she works. She wants to make a new start. She has had a rather loveless past growing up and doesn't have a high self esteem. Everyone around her seems to have a happy relationship and she is feeling somewhat out of it. Even her relationship with best friend Whitney seems to have changed.
Tom has taken on a locum job, he's great looking and a very good doctor. He and Frank - Lauren's brother, have been good friends and so Tom makes himself right at home with Lauren. However Tom is running from something, he has a warm loving family, but is on the outer with them at the moment. He has also experienced a relationship turning sour and it's made him somewhat wary and determined that love and a relationship that matters is not for him.
I loved the elderly patients at the hospital, and the way in which Lauren and Tom went beyond the job in being with them and making sure that they were treated as people who had needs and feelings. I also liked the exploration of a disease that robs people of their memory and the effect this has on a family. When I read a book I always like something more than a romance - I want challenges and issues that might strike anyone to be taken out and looked at. Whatever the future holds for us, it's today and love that matter. That's the message in this book. It's a good one.
March 6, 2015
The Road To Hope is the highly anticipated sequel to Johns’ first rural romance and her first print book, Jilted. It was the second chance at first love story of Flynn and soap star Ellie. If you haven’t read it I suggest you get yourself a copy, it has just been re-released with a hot new cover. I reviewed it when it was first released. If you haven’t read it and you don’t want Jilted spoilers then perhaps you need to come back after you’ve read it because I can’t leave them all out.
Jilted introduced us to Lauren Simpson, born and raised in Hope Junction and a hot topic of conversation with the local gossips. I didn’t mention her in my Jilted review but she was the hot nurse trying to exorcise the memories of Flynn’s first love, unsuccessfully. She wasn’t painted very sympathetically but many readers contacted Rachael begging for a follow up to Jilted and voicing a desire to see which direction Lauren’s life took.
To read my review in its entirety head to: bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/book-revie...
Jilted introduced us to Lauren Simpson, born and raised in Hope Junction and a hot topic of conversation with the local gossips. I didn’t mention her in my Jilted review but she was the hot nurse trying to exorcise the memories of Flynn’s first love, unsuccessfully. She wasn’t painted very sympathetically but many readers contacted Rachael begging for a follow up to Jilted and voicing a desire to see which direction Lauren’s life took.
To read my review in its entirety head to: bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/book-revie...
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March 18, 2016Another great book by Rachael Johns. I would recommend this book to my friends to read. I enjoyed reading this story about Lauren Simpson a nurse at Hope Junction and the new doctor who replaces their local doctor his name is Tom Lewis while she on leave. This book has characters in from her book Jilted. I was fun to see that there was follow on from that book. This follows their story of how Lauren the nurse who was once attracted to Flynn Quartermaine but in Jilted he fell for Ellie Hughes.
The books starts at Flynn and Ellie's wedding where Flynn's grandmother takes ill and is rushed to the local hospital. Tom has already arrived to the hospital to work it is there they meet. So there begins there story. Tom learns about the locals that live in Hope Junction that come to meet him at the local practice and the elderly in live in section of the hospital that Lauren enjoys caring for them. Best friend Whitney husband is hurt seriously as well. It is a book that I could put down from start to finish.
The books starts at Flynn and Ellie's wedding where Flynn's grandmother takes ill and is rushed to the local hospital. Tom has already arrived to the hospital to work it is there they meet. So there begins there story. Tom learns about the locals that live in Hope Junction that come to meet him at the local practice and the elderly in live in section of the hospital that Lauren enjoys caring for them. Best friend Whitney husband is hurt seriously as well. It is a book that I could put down from start to finish.
August 17, 2016
Another of Rachael John's books that I thoroughly enjoyed. Rachael mentions that she has the task of changing the towns peoples view of Lauren. I think she does this very well. I would like to think that there may still be a couple of "old dears" out on farms who would still look down upon Lauren. I'm sure there would have been in the small town I grew up in.
I wonder who is the real Lauren? Is she the girl who slept with everyone, drank and generally led a wild life? Or is she the girl she became in this story when she met Tom? I like to think the latter. I'm sure her 'wildness' was her search for happiness as Whitney and Rats have.
I found the fact that Tom 'ran away' a little cowardly at first. But then finding out that he may become ill like his Father would be a shock for anyone. His fiancée must have been a very self centred woman.
Thank you Rachael for another great story set in a small WA town.
I wonder who is the real Lauren? Is she the girl who slept with everyone, drank and generally led a wild life? Or is she the girl she became in this story when she met Tom? I like to think the latter. I'm sure her 'wildness' was her search for happiness as Whitney and Rats have.
I found the fact that Tom 'ran away' a little cowardly at first. But then finding out that he may become ill like his Father would be a shock for anyone. His fiancée must have been a very self centred woman.
Thank you Rachael for another great story set in a small WA town.
March 2, 2015
What a fantastic read. The book follows the story of Lauren and Tom. Lauren is a country nurse living in Hope Junction and always looking for love in the wrong places. Tom is a relief doctor working at Hope Junction hospital for a couple of months and he is running away from family and a diagnosis.
At first sight there is an instant connection between Lauren and Tom. Although she is trying to stay away from Tom to change her reputation and improve her self esteem. Tom is also trying to stay away from Lauren as he feels he doesn't deserve her. But fate has other ideas.
This story is the sequel to Jilted. Please note: You don't have to read Jilted to enjoy this story.
The story will have you smiling, laughing, crying and angry through the journey. Please read this book, as I know you will love it as much as I did.
A must read by a fabulous author.
At first sight there is an instant connection between Lauren and Tom. Although she is trying to stay away from Tom to change her reputation and improve her self esteem. Tom is also trying to stay away from Lauren as he feels he doesn't deserve her. But fate has other ideas.
This story is the sequel to Jilted. Please note: You don't have to read Jilted to enjoy this story.
The story will have you smiling, laughing, crying and angry through the journey. Please read this book, as I know you will love it as much as I did.
A must read by a fabulous author.
March 5, 2015
Couldn't wait to read this once it hit the NZ bookshelf. Funnily enough I had just received my copy of Jilted back from my sister. I remembered Lauren as the conniving tart who tried to get between Ellie and Flynn. Such a great ability that Rachael possesses to be able to turn thinking about a character around, she convinced me to really show empathy for Lauren's character and cheer on the sidelines as she restored her moral values to move beyond the snide comments of the community. As for Doctor Tom, move over McSteamy ... he's the sort of guy you dream of falling in love with (in books only to my gorgeous Australian husband).
A wonderful continuation of the personalities of Hope Junction. Please keep writing, you are an inspiration and I only wish my day job (teacher) gave me time to write as you do. One day...
A wonderful continuation of the personalities of Hope Junction. Please keep writing, you are an inspiration and I only wish my day job (teacher) gave me time to write as you do. One day...
April 1, 2015
Really loved this book, I mean what's not to love about a Rachael Johns book? Being a nurse myself this book reminded me a lot about my work. And I've come across a couple of doctors that fit the Dr Delicious category too! :) Every time I read about the Hope Junction hospital, I kept picturing the Casterton Hospital ( a rural hospital in Victoria) where I did a placement as a student. Being a nurse is not an easy job at times, and Alzheimers and dementia is quite common among patients we treat. Never liked Lauren's character in Jilted, but she really grew on me in this story. And, what girl could not fall in love with Dr Tom Lewis? This book is going to be stuck in my head for awhile I think. LOVED IT! :)
April 4, 2015
THE ROAD TO HOPE
This is one of those beautiful books you want to curl up with on the couch, and not leave, not even for sustenance, until you close the final page. I adored the story. I love the Hero and the Heroine, and all the many supporting characters Rachael has created to fill my imagination with Hope Junction’s fun and frivolity, drama and angst.
Rachael will make you laugh, and she will make you cry. . . but my oh my, it’s worth the tears.
Have tissues handy, and you will be fine.
I know this is a book I will hold aloft in my memory for a long time to come. I can guarantee you will love Tom, and will welcome him into your heart.
This is one of those beautiful books you want to curl up with on the couch, and not leave, not even for sustenance, until you close the final page. I adored the story. I love the Hero and the Heroine, and all the many supporting characters Rachael has created to fill my imagination with Hope Junction’s fun and frivolity, drama and angst.
Rachael will make you laugh, and she will make you cry. . . but my oh my, it’s worth the tears.
Have tissues handy, and you will be fine.
I know this is a book I will hold aloft in my memory for a long time to come. I can guarantee you will love Tom, and will welcome him into your heart.
August 29, 2015
I really enjoyed this.
It was easy to read, and the characters were well developed and likeable.
One thing, and I never thought I would ever have anything so much in common with a novel, was Tom Lewis' storyline. I won't spoil it, but, I have a close friend who is going through the same thing, and it really, really sucks.
When I started to work out what Tom's story was, it threw me, and I have to say, I read it very seriously after that, because it made me think of my friend too.
I can understand why Tom Lewis is so reserved, but, at the same time, my thinking is that you should love while you can.
Thank you for this novel, Rachael.
It was easy to read, and the characters were well developed and likeable.
One thing, and I never thought I would ever have anything so much in common with a novel, was Tom Lewis' storyline. I won't spoil it, but, I have a close friend who is going through the same thing, and it really, really sucks.
When I started to work out what Tom's story was, it threw me, and I have to say, I read it very seriously after that, because it made me think of my friend too.
I can understand why Tom Lewis is so reserved, but, at the same time, my thinking is that you should love while you can.
Thank you for this novel, Rachael.
January 31, 2015
I read this from start to finish last night, while in the car on the way to the Border. I was totally absorbed in Lauren and Tom's story. Wonderful, real characters and a beautifully written romance - you probably don't have to read Jilted first, but then again, you'd be missing out! No shying away from the tough stuff, and certainly not short on that special brand of humour and emotion that Rachael brings in every book.
I will pop up a proper review closer to publication.
I will pop up a proper review closer to publication.
April 13, 2015
This book took me while to get into, but that was only because it was hard to change my opinion of the main character. In jilted we were led to not like Lauren and think of her as a not so nice person. In this book we were given an understanding of Lauren and I loved her by about half way through. Great story I can't wait for the next book....
March 27, 2015
I really enjoyed this book that I luckily won. After enjoying 'Jilted' so very much it was nice to read that Lauren had found someone to love that loved her back in the end. It was very well written and I enjoyed the suspense of waiting to find out if they were made for each other.
February 25, 2015
The Road To Hope by Rachael Johns stood tall on its own for this reader. The characters are delightful with a touch of simmering feelings and the scenes are fetching and emotional with a captivating story that made for a beautiful read.
4 Stars
*Review copy received from the publisher
4 Stars
*Review copy received from the publisher
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews