I'll admit, I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much it resonated with me. At its core, it's a tale of unexpected connections and the power of friendship to sustain us through life's toughest challenges.

The story revolves around two women who, on the surface, couldn't be more different. Yet, through a series of chance encounters and shared experiences, they form a bond that proves to be transformative for both of them. It's a testament to the author's skill that she is able to breathe life into these characters, making their friendship feel authentic and deeply meaningful.

What struck me most about this book was its portrayal of community support. Set against the backdrop of a small council estate, it paints a vivid picture of a tight-knit community where neighbours rally together in times of need. From lending a listening ear to offering practical assistance, the residents of the estate exemplify the true meaning of solidarity and compassion.

Through its nuanced exploration of friendship and community, this book reminds us that even in our darkest moments, we are not alone. It's a heartwarming and uplifting read that reaffirms the power of human connection to heal, inspire, and uplift us.

I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Women Who Wouldn’t Leave is the third novel by British journalist and author, Victoria Scott. After two years of hell that forced her to give up her London PR job, twenty-nine-year-old Connie Darke has retreated to her childhood home at Number three, Roseacre Close in Stonecastle, Worcestershire, to live with her mum, Ellen. Connie’s routine now involves pre-dawn walks, resisting Ellen’s exhortations to get out and about, then days in bed with vodka and Gilmore Girls on Netflix. Anything to avoid the world.

After more than six decades at Number four Roseacre Close, ninety-year-old Matilda Reynolds has a routine too: up with the rooster (Brian), feed the girls (Jennifer, Ruth and Helen), her many cats, and Eddie and Clarrie, the goats, tend her veggie garden, open one of the many tins of food she has handily stacked for a meal, repeat in the evening.

Then a mishap with those food tins sees Matilda in hospital and a reluctant Connie feeding her animals. “Close up, the goat smelled slightly sweet, if anything, and as she patted its coarse brown hair, she felt her breathing slow and her soul swell. This was how she felt when she was out walking in the fields, she realised. It was a peace she had never experienced in London, and it was why she had come back here. There was undoubtedly solace to be found in nature. Natural things didn’t argue with her, or abuse her, or shut her down.”

Of course social services poke their noses in, and the reclusive elder with a hoarding problem faces relocation: what will happen to her animals, to her life? She can’t ever reveal the true reason she can’t leave.

Connie is surprised to find herself not only doing what she can to help, but asking other nearby neighbours to lend a hand. In the process, she discovers that the assumptions she made about the people living in Roseacre Close were mostly wrong and sometimes unkind. And both Connie and Matilda realise that they perhaps have more in common with each other than they realise: “They were both incredibly stubborn, instinctively insular, and, she thought, rather damaged.”

For one “her daily routine was a brilliant brick wall she’d constructed to keep her memories at bay. But being in here, devoid of any purpose, meant that chinks of light were beginning to break through that wall, and she was deeply unsettled by that” while for the other “the forcefield she had worked hard to erect around herself was vulnerable, and she knew that if she shared too much of her past, she might damage it.”

The immediate threat is averted with some generous help from neighbours who are handymen, plumbers and electricians, while Connie manages to make the inside liveable without disturbing too many of Matilda’s precious things. But Matilda is uneasy about the unnamed man who accompanied Mrs Social Services on the inspection: with good reason, it eventually transpires…

It soon turns out that all of the council’s tenants in Roseacre Close have a fight on their hands if they don’t want to be tossed out when a greedy developer enters the scene. But neither Connie nor Matilda is willing to give up easily, and a combination of traditional and modern methods see their protest gaining media attention.

That attention is a problem for Connie, who has tried to stay under the radar. If her secrets come out, the friends she has made are sure to abandon her, and she couldn’t blame them! Can this small community take on local government and big business, and win?

Scott gives the reader a topical, moving and heart-warming read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Aria and Aries.

A very funny and illuminating story of two very different women who are both fiesty and spirited neighbours who form the most unexpected friendship!
I thoroughly enjoyed this, I loved the human relatable themes of warring neighbours who when in need comes to each others aid. Connie and Mathilda are funny, fiesty, genuine, relatable and likable women who I instantly liked and backed from the first page.
This is a easy light read, full of charm and funny moments and huge amount of heart, definitely recommend, perfect for those lazy weekends!

I absolutely loved The Women who Wouldn’t Leave.

The story is told from Matilda and Connie's points of view via alternating chapters.

The two women are neighbours who don’t really know each other but they have a lot in common.

Both women are hiding from life and their issues, have deep seeded secrets and keep themselves to themselves.

Their worlds collide when Matilda has a fall at home and Connie reluctantly takes on the responsibility of looking after Matilda’s beloved animals and garden.

Connie is struggling with alcoholism and mental health issues and looking after Matilda’s garden and animals becomes the best therapy for her.

Once Matilda is discharged from hospital, they slowly strike up an unlikely friendship and the community they have tried so hard to hide away from becomes their solace and purpose in life.

Victoria Scott has a wonderful way of making her characters' lives feel very real and I connected to these wonderful characters, flaws and all.

I was rooting for them from start to finish.

Connie, Matilda and the residents of Roseacre Close take on a David and Goliath challenge of a community vs the local council, as they fight against the selling off of their council homes to a property developer.

There’s themes of abuse, sexual assault, death, mental health, hoarding, as well as love, friendship, community, and hope.

I loved seeing the transformation in both Connie and Matilda as the story unfolds.

And I really enjoyed the supporting characters - the residents of Roseacre Close and getting to know them and how they have been quietly supporting each other in the background.

This was such a poignant heartwarming story and once again Victoria Scott moved me to tears.

Without a doubt five stars.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful story of unlikely friendships, building communities and fighting for what you believe in. I was completely engrossed in the journey that the characters went on to save their homes and their village. A beautifully uplifting story

In this touching tale, Connie seeks refuge in her childhood home after life takes a toll. Her observant walks reveal the lives of neighbors, including Matilda, an elderly recluse surrounded by cherished memories. Forced by circumstances, Connie cares for Matilda's animals, forming a heartwarming bond. As the threat of eviction looms due to council and developer plans, Connie and Matilda rally the community in a fight for their homes. The narrative beautifully explores themes of friendship, resilience, community, and overcoming trauma. Compassionately told, it serves as a poignant reminder to be kind, showcasing the power of human connection. An insightful, engaging, and uplifting story of standing up for what's right and finding solace in unexpected places.

I absolutely adored this wonderful book that told a beautiful story about resilience and hope.

Connie has returned home to live with her Mum in a small village. She's hiding from the world.

Elderly neighbour Matilda has been hiding from the world for a long time.

When their two worlds collide a friendship forms that made my heart burst with emotion.

And when the council attempt to evict all the residents, the community musters in a way that heals everybody.

A book that epitomises the power of friendship and community, it is a welcome antidote to the spiky world we live in.

"The Women Who Wouldn't Leave" by Victoria Scott is a riveting psychological thriller. Scott's writing is intense, creating a chilling atmosphere as the story unravels. The characters are shrouded in mystery, and the suspense builds throughout. This novel is an enthralling exploration of the complexities of human behavior and the consequences of obsession.

Wow. What a book, an incredibly emotional and moving read and I absolutely loved it.

The Women Who Wouldn’t Leave follows Constance who is in her late 20s and had returned to her childhood home on a council estate, she lives next door to Matilda who is 90 and somewhat of a mystery to her neighbours.

As events draw the two women together they find out they have more in common than they thought - and are both hiding big secrets that are on the verge of being found out.

As someone who grew up on a council estate, and has seen places I spent my childhood become gentrified beyond recognition - I recognised so many of the characters and the stories they lived with. I adored all of the characters and their stories and found it incredibly moving. It’s a story of friendship and community - but most of all - a story about love.

This is all about discovering inner strength and going out of your comfort zone. I found both Connie and Matilda to be unlikeable at first, then I got to know them better and am glad I stuck around. Matilda's animals add a quirky element to the book that only a goat could.
I love these stories of age gap friendships and bonding with a community. I loved the rural Worcestershire setting. I love the community members standing up to the local council (a la The Lido) and the stubborn bond these two ladies have.
A feel good, heartwarming and uplifting read (maybe a little longer than needed).

When their council housing is threatened with being usurped by a development firm, the residents of Roseacre Close take action! While each family struggles with their own internal battles, the neighbors band together to save their beloved housing. In the process, secrets are revealed, love blooms, healing occurs, and friendships form. This novel shows that love and hope triumph over all obstacles. Be ready for the twisty ending! Readers should be aware of the frequent use of profanity by the characters.

I received this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This is a warm and cosy hug of a book, perfect for snuggling up with this autumn.

Two women with very different stories at surface level are thrown together and start to realise they may share more of life's tapestry than they'd thought.

It's a story of secrets, baggage and escape, but also of the coming together of a rural community in a truly triumphant way.

Put simply, I absolutely loved it.

This storyline centres around the unlikely friendship of 20 something Connie, who has recently come back from London to live with her mum and is struggling with depression and alcolism, and her eccentric hoarder neighbour Miranda, who is in her 90s.

After Miranda has a fall Connie finds herself becoming close to the older lady and falls in love with her pets (two goats, several cats and chickens) She also starts to realise how much loves her home town and reconnects with some friends. However when their little community comes under threat froma developer the residents look as though they will lose everything.

A lovely book focusing on strong women, family and friendship.

A bit slow to start and hard to understand the characters backgrounds, the story picked up then and developed into a warm story of strong women who rallied for fairness and kindness from others and as a result discovered that when you gave of yourself, others responded in kind. I loved the relationship that Matilda and Connie shared. Both broken, and with closely guarded secrets, they learned that they needed each other more than they thought. With animals as a healing balm, they shared this in common. Emotional and yet heartwarming, I found that the author portrayed the characters as true. What a great and caring mom Ellen was to Connie. This was a satisfying book to read because when you root for the underdog, you want them to come out on top. Many thanks to #netgalley #victoriascott #thewomenwhowouldntleave for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a poignant, and in many ways, a hard read.

It maybe could add some trigger warnings for those who might be affected by the content.

I usually prefer less emotional turmoil and rather 'fluffier' plots but this story had me captivated and I had to finish it to find out what happened.

I felt sad that Matilda was so utterly alone and isolated even though she lived in the middle of a community.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Connie and Matilda grown and could see how they were so good for one another.

It reminded my of the power of nature and animals to be so healing, along with the strength that comes when humans care for one another.

Powerful stuff.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC to review.

This is yet another great book about women and their strength and the strength of their friendships. This is a heart-warming and lovely story full of emotion, showing that no matter what differences there are friendship lives on.

The friendship between Connie and Matilda is wonderful and the community they strive to save is a place you would want to be. This story will lift you up and warm your heart. And although it is quite a long book it doesn't feel it as it is well written and flows so well you won't be able to put it down.

Thank you NetGalley and Aria & Aries for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Women Who Wouldn’t Leave is uplit at its finest. Full of heart, hope, and humour, it is a remarkable tale about the power of human connection and community, and the resilience of the human spirit.

The story follows two very different women - Connie and Matilda - as they fight to save their homes in a small, peaceful Worcester village. Matilda lives a secluded but contented life with only her menagerie of animals for company. Connie is living back at home with her mum as she tries to recover from trauma. The two are reluctantly thrown together when Connie is asked to care for Matilda’s animals while she recovers in hospital from a fall, and though reluctant at first, she soon discovers they help her to heal. When Matilda returns home the two women develop an unlikely friendship which they use to bring their entire community together in order to try and save their homes from greedy developers.

I became an instant fan of Victoria Scott after reading her debut novel, Patience, and had high hopes for this book. She exceeded them all. The Women Who Wouldn’t Leave is a beautifully written story that I got lost in. The characters and community felt authentic and were a joy to read, and the plot kept me hooked with its elements of mystery that left me desperate to know what secrets Connie and Matilda were hiding. I was addicted and devoured it quickly, reading it in under a day.

One of the things I love most about Victoria’s books is that she always includes a character with some kind of health condition - whether it is physical or mental health. In this book she explores themes of trauma, anxiety and depression, all things I’ve personally dealt with and I appreciate the way she writes them with such sensitivity while also making them achingly real. She also takes you on an emotional rollercoaster as she fills the books with very real human emotion and experiences, which in this book include love, loss, loneliness, anxiety, regret and fear. But overall, it will lift your spirits, warm your heart, and restore your faith in community.

Narrators Matilda and Connie seem very different at first glance, but have more in common than they care to admit. These fractured and flawed women have put up a wall around themselves to try and protect themselves from further pain. They are both stubborn, spiky, solitary, and untrusting, fearing what will happen if they let people in. But I loved these characters, jagged edges and all, but there was a special place in my heart for Matilda. I loved their relationship, their banter, and how they helped each other to live a fuller life once again. There were also some great background characters though and I have to give a shout-out to Connie’s mum, Ellen, who was such a kind, caring and sweet character who perfectly balanced the spikier narrators.

Warm, witty, moving, and intriguing, The Women Who Wouldn’t Leave is one of those books that warms you from the inside out.

There are two parts to my experiences with books. One is the story (the characters and twists are part of that), and the other is the writing style. Sometimes, I find myself in the strange position of not enjoying one as much as the other.
This story has the entire package that makes for a good, uplifting community story. We have two women who live next door to each other (and have for several years) but have never communicated in any appreciatable manner. Matilda has been a recluse for a long time, and to the children growing up in the area, she has been the rumoured witch. When she falls and blacks out, her neighbour (who is hiding from her own problems) ends up finding her and calling for an ambulance. Matilda survives, but this incident lets people into her life - both the good and the bad. The cascading sequence of events that follows threatens the lives of everyone who lives in the council estate.
We get almost equal time with both Matilda's point of view and Connie's. Connie has been making assumptions about everyone she sees from a distance, and she is soon to learn that she has a lot left to grow. I did not like Connie much, but the plot is engaging and realistic.
Something about the writing style did not endear me to the people as much as I would have hoped, given the turns the story took. This is an entirely personal thing, and I do not think this would impact many others' experience with the book. I would highly recommend this to fans of such stories.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

A lovely light hearted story about council house living with a few twists. How a community come together and protect each other.
Characters in the story are like you would get in real life, a mixed bunch

I would like to have read something happened to Alex and his friend for their actions to Connie. Feels like they got away with it.

The Women Who Wouldn’t Leave is an absolutely beautiful book. And will be in my top 12 books I’ve read this year.

Yes, the writing and the flow are fantastic, making it an easy read, but it’s the characters that completely captivated me.
I fell in love with Connie & Matilda from the moment I met them and knew by the end of chapter two I was going to adore the journey they would embark on together.

Matilda is this wonderfully eccentric & stubborn women. Her eccentricity stretches to having farm animals in her garden. (No pigs though *sad face* lol)
Connie (Constance) is this shy, timid young woman who has moved back in with her mum after, what appears to be, a break up with her boyfriend, but as with Matilda, not all is as it seems.
Your heart will ache, but (as many reviews have said) it will also uplift you and make you laugh & smile.

An aspect that I loved is the 3 interconnecting stories; Matilda & Connie’s friendship. The untold truths surrounding Matilda & Connie. And the new battle with the Council to keep their homes. They are woven together effortlessly making it impossible to put down.

Victoria Scott also manages to deal with some emotional and hard hitting issues in a tender and sensitive way. And I’m not ashamed to admit that it brought a tear (or two), to my eyes. Both happy and sad tears.

This is a tale where you will be rooting for, not just the main characters, but the whole community.

I loved it. Thank you, Head of Zeus, for inviting me to read this beautiful book, and to NetGalley, for making it possible to download.

This is one book I cannot wait to add to my physical collection.