BOOK CLUB: The Marriage Sabbatical

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Thank you to Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read The Marriage Sabbatical by Gemma Johns.

Sophie, Charli, and Alice are the Wilson sisters.

Sophie is married to her high school boyfriend. They have been together for 30 years. She is a busy lady as a mum to four children, and a career as a doctor. She has very little time to herself. She had always thought that once the kids became teenagers she could reclaim her time, but she has more demands, not less.

Charli has a management role and is happily married to Monique. They have been married for 23 years and have two girls who are close to leaving home. Monique has just been promoted.

Alice, a journalist is married to Jason. They have been married for 5 years. Alice hasn’t yet decided if she would like to have children. Jason is devoted to her, however, she is questioning if he is the one for her “forever”.

Monique is handed 12 months away from her normal work…a sabbatical…to do research.

Charli’s world is turned upside down when it turns out that Monique plans to do her research in Europe and on her own. She wants to take time to “really focus on me and find out what would my potential have been if I wasn’t married and had kids”. In fact, Monique suggests to Charli that she also take a “sabbatical” herself! To take her own discovery time.


A year out of their marriage? How would they ever come back from that?

Charli shares her “ Marriage Sabbatical” news and announces that she herself now plans to spend time in Queensland.

Alice makes a decision to join her. And when Alice’s boss hears about this unusual “Marriage Sabbatical”, he signs her for a book deal. She is to write a book on her experiences!


With the two sisters making plans and then leaving, Sophie is quite envious. Shortly after Phil suggests that she join her sisters. “To get back to the old you”.

Throughout their journeys, we really get to know the sisters and their families. They are lovely and relatable characters.

What escapades do the ladies get up to while they are away? What did they discover about themselves? Will any of their marriages survive?


I thoroughly recommend this book. Firstly, for the engaging story of the three women on their journey of self-discovery.

Secondly, this book is actually two books. Another book within the book. Cleverly, Alice’s research for her book is entwined in the story. Twelve excellent and valid tips on relationships and life. So you’re actually reading a self-help book without realising it.

Thirdly, this book has been written by a Beauty and Lace Club member, who has had the courage to be herself and follow her dream of becoming a writer. I know we will be reading many more of her books in the future.

Congratulations Gemma Johns on your success.

A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club members are reading The Marriage Sabbatical by Gemma Johns. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.

26 thoughts on “BOOK CLUB: The Marriage Sabbatical

  1. Thank you for the opportunity to read ‘ The Marriage Sabbatical’ . I absolutely loved it. the characters were engaging, funny and relatable, and their relationships were all so interesting. It certainly makes you look at your own relationship- I have suggested to my sister that maybe we need to go on our own Sabbatical! I highly recommend this book!

  2. Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Gemma Johns for allowing me to review The Marriage Sabbatical.
    I absolutely loved it. I found the three sisters, Sophie, Charli and Alice to be very likeable.
    I really enjoyed everything that happened along the way for the girls, it kept me hooked and taught me things that I really didn’t know existed.
    I highly recommend reading The Marriage Sabbatical.

  3. Thanks to Beauty and Lace and Gemma Johns for the opportunity to read The Marriage Sabbatical.

    Who wouldn’t love the idea of a sabbatical from life, I know I would, but I don’t think it is something I could ever do which may have impacted my enjoyment of the book.

    It took me a little bit to get into the book, but once the ‘sabbatical’ got started I was keen to see what happened and enjoyed following the characters and their experiences.

    As other have said I would enjoy reading more about the sisters and will look out for other books by this author.

  4. I really enjoyed The Marriage Sabbatical by Gemma Johns.

    It is about three sisters- Sophie, Charli, and Alice who are all at different stages in their lives and love lives!

    When Charli’s wife announces she wants to take a sabbatical from ‘life’ for a year to discover herself it leads to the three sisters heading up North to Qld to do the same.

    The three go on self discovery with a little help from some people they meet and their Aunty Carole along the way. Will they end or mend their marriages? A great read.

    Thank you Beauty and Lace!

  5. This is a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about three sisters who go on a sabbatical. Charli, Sophie and Alice all have their reasons to go on a sabbatical from their day to day life after Charli’s partner goes away on sabbatical to focus on herself for several months. I found the angst and experience each woman experiences to be interesting. I think Gemma has shown that stereotypes often get in the way and particularly female roles can be quite different. This books breaks through many of them and there is a fair bit of relationship advice thrown in!

    I also loved seeing beautiful Brisbane described in the pages.

    Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this book.

  6. I really enjoyed ‘The Marriage Sabbatical’ by Gemma Johns, I was not familiar with Gemma’s work, thank you again Beauty and Lace for introducing me to another new author. This was a frolicking good read for me, I loved the adventure up the East Coast with the sisters, staying in a myriad of resorts along the way as well as a rent-free stint in Aunty Carole’s gorgeous apartment.

    The girls learn a lot about each other, their various marriages/relationships, quirks, truth and lies, the trip instigated by Charli’s wife, Monique needing to take a twelve month sabbatical in Europe away from work and Charli and their daughters, prompts the siblings to take a mini six months sabbatical of their own, albeit closer to home. Monique intent on finding herself, has insisted on minimal contact with Charli and their girls whilst she’s away, this doesn’t sit well with Charli and Charli dwells on it, until free spirit Emma takes Charli’s mind of it. I liked Emma’s character the best, Emma lives in the moment and enjoys each day as if it’s her last.

    The trip hits a bump in the road when Sophie, a Doctor, who finds it hard to unwind and totally relax, so much so, has taken up casual work along the way, and when she has to take an emergency flight back home, all is not as it seems, and someone isn’t telling her the truth.

    I loved this e-book by Gemma, and I felt the characters all differed greatly, their lifestyle, their take on the world, their marriages, and I feel the Wilson sisters have plenty more stories to tell and I felt this was Charli’s story and I can see both Alice and Sophie itching to tell stories of their own.

  7. The Marriage Sabbatical by Gemma Johns is a heart-warming and twisted take on everyday life, marriage, children, family and work. It gives you pleasure to read about others lives (though in an unconventional way) and that they go through the same slumps and humps as all of us.

    Sophie, Charlie and Alice are sisters with very different lives. Charie is the first to experience an out of the blue proposal that throws her life into complete and utter chaos as she works to make sense of it all and make choices that not only affect her but also her children. Next comes Alice, confused, unsure and unsatisfied with her life she jumps at a chance to escape, write a book and discover things about herself long forgotten or unexplored. Sophie is pushed into the sabbatical and does not take to it easily. She finds herself struggling with down time, missing her family and confused by her thoughts.

    The sisters spend time together away from their wintery homes in sunny QLD and find plenty to fill in their time. Including getting to know the real Great Aunt that they never knew as young children. They learn some interesting things about her life and how she struggled in private for a very long time.

    The sisters continue with their journey with some bumps along the way. The sisters continued self-discovery, bonding and support for one another makes this novel heart-warming, personal and a joy to read.

    Thankyou Beauty and Lace for the chance to have a read .

  8. The Marriage Sabbatical by Gemma John’s is a refreshing take on women’s fiction. It takes the reader on a journey with the 3 sisters Charli, Sophie and Alice. The author has a wide scope to work with with the 3 characters, their marriages and families and she does this very well. This is a fun, easy read and coming into summer would be perfect to read on the beach or under a tree. Thanks Beauty & Lace and Gemma John’s for a chance to read this book, it was great fun

  9. Thanks for the opportunity to read this book. All the characters were relatable. This was very easy reading a.s well as interesting. It was lots of fun going on each of the sisters journey and how they coped. There were bumps along the way on their journey, which is what made it even better. Learning about their family while spending time with their great aunt added to the dynamics if the story. I loved the setting and everything about this book. Thanks again for the opportunity.

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