Jane, Fenna, Bev and Tilly, all very different women facing their own challenges whose lives collide in Watervale Downs, a quiet hamlet which exists in the constant threat of bushfire. I felt the country town vibes were painted so perfectly! And as a country lawyer the matters Tilly encountered in Watervale reminded me of so many of my own.

Laugh out loud funny, heartwarming whilst heartbreaking at times. It is a story of the beauty of friendship found in unexpected places. I found myself invested in all of the characters but Bev was a standout! I couldn’t get the start out of my head waiting for that to unfold.

A moment for the cover which is just perfection! Thank you so much to @harpercollins for the eARC and a huge congrats to @mettemenzies for such a wonderful story!

The Watervale Ladies' Writing and Firefighting Society by Mette Menzie

I requested this book for two reasons: one, the cover art is lovely! The flowers, the handbag, the colours; perfect. Two, I liked the premise that the title (and the blurb) promises "The Watervale Ladies' Writing & Firefighting Society, is a celebration of friendship, second chances, and the quiet strength of women who show up-for themselves and each other."

Strong female leads, writing and fighting fires! Let's go!

Four women enrol in a creative writing course in the library of a small town in the heart of South Australia's wine country. The writing group classes become country fire service training sessions after the teacher becomes ill, and a new teacher has to take over.

Unexpected friendships develop alongside a very slow-burning romance, secrets emerge, books are written, and an endless amount of coffee, avocado toast, and wine made by monks is consumed, all under the threat of the upcoming bushfire season.

Body count = spoilers!

If you like your books cosy, set in small towns and strong female leads who don't let boys get in the way, then you'll enjoy The Watervale Ladies' Writing and Firefighting Society by Mette Menzie. Thumbs up!

Side note: Mette Menzies is the pen name of writing partners, Steven Reynolds and Viktoriya Butler.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Australia for providing me with the EARC of The Watervale Ladies' Writing and Firefighting Society in exchange for my review.

@harpercollinsaustralia #harpercollinsaustralia #TheWatervaleLadiesWritingandFirefightingSociety @mette_menzies_books #NetGalley @NetGalley #deevaadoesbrunch #brunchismyfavouritemeal #DesignandLattes #BooksandLattes #AustralianAuthor #AussieAuthor #CreativeLife  #DesignInspiration  #SupportArtists #ArtAndDesign #Chicklit #Romcom #Bookish

Tilly is sitting in the airport lounge awaiting her flight to Washington - with her identical lawyer posse - when she is suddenly re-routed to Adelaide and instructed to close a property deal that will be the making of her career.

But, of course, things are never that easy!

Enter Bev, Jane, Viv, Fenna and dreamy Xavier - the backbone of Watervale Downs. What ensues are chance friendships, heartbreaking decisions and more pro bono work than Tilly could ever have imagined. Of course, these locals are going to get under her skin - isn't that always the making of a great narrative?

I stayed up well past my bedtime to finish this one. A great holiday read.

EXCERPT: 'Righto, ladies,' Viv barked, 'given the unfortunate condition of Mr Veal, I'm taking over. This is clearly a group of intelligent and capable women, given the way you dealt with Roger, both before and after his unfortunate turn. I'm proud to be leading you. I'm also teaching Positive Psychology and Abseiling for Beginners on Wednesdays, if you're at all interested.'
Tilly wondered if they were two courses or one - with Viv at the helm, anything seemed possible.
'Pottery is on hold this term, given the fire risk from Brenda's kiln. We hope to have it back next winter. But we're not doing anything in here,' she said, looking around the room. 'I can't have you spending the twelve weeks staring at that spot on the floor where Roger almost died. Bad energy, as you'll learn if you enrol in Feng Shui and the Modern Workplace. I've ha word this afternoon that we can relocate to the Arts and Recreation precinct, which is handy to the firefighting training ground, where you'll be joining me on Saturday week for your first practical session.'
'Firefighting? I thought this was a writing class!' said Tilly, her irritation rising. She didn't have time for any of this.
'It's both, young Marr. Council took an important decision last month. Given the ongoing risk of bushfire, every class on the Adult Education calendar will include a thirty-minute component of fire theory, followed by two hours of practical fire safety training every second Saturday. Other people from the town will be joining us for the practical sessions.'
'I can't fight bushfires! This is ridiculous!' said Tilly. The weekends were when she might have a chance to catch up on her real work and defend herself from Georgia's white-anting. 'Don't you have professional firefighters for that?'
'What do we wear?' asked Fenna.
'Not that,' said Bev, nodding to Fenna's elegant attire.
'Ladies, ladies,' Bev said, raising her palms. 'We'll explain everything in due course, but I assure you the commitment is non-negotiable. Fighting the next fire when it comes - and it will - might be voluntary, but there's nothing voluntary about this training. We have to be prepared. To answer your question, young Marr, we do have a wonderful Regional Fire Corps - run by volunteers. Jane here is a trained radio operator . . .'
Jane gave a modest nod.
'And Bev is a champion fundraiser and Brigade Patron. It might be news to those recently arrived from the big smoke, but around here we have to help each other. Is that understood?'
Tilly and Fenna nodded meekly.
'Righto - follow me,' said Viv and marched out of the room.

ABOUT 'THE WATEVALE LADIES' WRITING AND FIREFIGHTING SOCIETY': It's never too late to start over - sometimes all you need is a spark.

Four very different women are thrown together in a creative writing course in the library of a small country town.

When international lawyer Matilda 'Tilly' Marr is summoned back from London to a small town in South Australia's wine country, she expects to close a billion-dollar deal in a matter of days. Instead, she's handed an ultimatum: stay for a month and serve as the town's only solicitor, or watch the opportunity slip away. Setting up shop in the Beechwood Cafe, Tilly braces for a brief detour, but life in Watervale Downs soon proves to be anything but simple.

Drawn into the orbit of three very different women - fierce matriarch Bev Jackson, fallen TV star Fenna de Vries, and warm-hearted librarian Jane Robertson - Tilly unexpectedly finds herself joining a local writing group and training with the country fire service. Slowly, friendships form, long-held secrets surface, and the rhythms of country life begin to change her in ways she didn't anticipate.

As the season turns and challenges mount, each woman finds herself at a crossroads. Bev must confront a past she has kept hidden for sixty years, Fenna must decide whether she is ready to stop running, Jane must summon the courage to reimagine her future, and Tilly must ask whether the life she has built is truly the one she wants. And in the meantime, bushfire season is approaching, and a day of reckoning is coming for them all.

Sparkling, warm, heartfelt, wise, and irresistibly uplifting, The Watervale Ladies' Writing and Firefighting Society is a story of friendship, second chances, and the bravery it takes to begin again. For anyone who has ever felt stuck, adrift, or quietly wondered, 'Could there be more to life for me?', this novel will feel like an open door.

MY THOUGHTS: I'm so glad I wandered through this open door - what a delightful, uplifting, heartwarming debut novel.

But it's not ALL warm fuzzies. The Watervale Ladies' Writing and Firefighting Society encompasses the very real and serious topics of bushfires, which each year seem to become bigger and more frequent; professional integrity; infertility; closed adoption; domestic abuse and more . . .

Structured around friendship and community, Mette Menzies (a writing duo, but more about them later) have constructed a chore character base of four very different women - Tilly, Bev, Fenna and Jane - very different and yet all with something missing from their lives. Tilly and Fenna are the newcomers to town, Tilly intending to stay only long enough to complete the task her father has set her, Bev and Jane long-term residents.

There is a romantic thread running through the narrative, but it is not the reason for the book. This thread is entertaining and felt totally right and natural.

I was engaged and absorbed from the opening chapter and read well into the night, absorbed in and enchanted by the storyline. The setting is so realistic I felt I was living in Watervale right along with these characters. I was rooting for each of them as they faced their personal demons. Do they emerge unscathed on the other side? Not telling. What I will say is that I finished this read late last night with tears trickling down my face; some of sorrow and some of joy. A beautiful read.

The Watervale Ladies' Writing and Firefighting Society is a stunning debut novel and I will be first in line for more from this duo.

Some quotes which touched my heart:
We all have our own lives, our own dreams and preoccupations. But we survive and flourish when we reach out to each other and offer encouragement and support, and when we help without the expectation of anything in return. It's a myth that this comes naturally in the bush, or anywhere. Community is a choice we make, and something we need to work on every day.

We're all wearing armour . . . We put it on because we need it to survive. But there comes a point when all it does is keep us hidden. It's too tight. We can't grow and it stops us from accessing our gifts. Keeping it on is a choice (we) can make, but it's not without penalty.

Real friends are fierce. . . They hold you accountable for your bullshit, and you do the same for them. That's rare and we should be grateful when we find it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#TheWatervaleLadiesWritingandFirefightingSociety #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHORS: METTE MENZIES For best friends Viktoriya Butler and Steven Reynolds – who write together under the pen name Mette Menzies – a love of storytelling has turned into an extraordinary partnership. These pals are now co-authors of their debut novel, The Watervale Ladies’ Writing and Firefighting Society.

Both Viktoriya and Steven work full-time in corporate roles, so writing fits into evenings and weekends – often over FaceTime if one is travelling. “It’s not glamorous,” Viktoriya laughs. “A lot of edits were done while I was in Singapore, red pen in hand, with Steven on screen beside my salt and pepper tofu.”

Still, deadlines and discipline have served them well. “A contract is a powerful motivator,” Viktoriya admits. And for Steven, limited time keeps him productive. “If you’ve only got a few hours, you have to get on with it. No procrastinating! Writing can be a lonely business, but there’s something magical about working as a pair. We can create entire worlds over a few glasses of wine!” (SOURCE: Australian Writers' Centre - abridged)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers Australia via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of The Watervale Ladies' Writing and Firefighting Society by Mette Menzies for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Thank you HarperCollins Australia and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Set in South Australian wine country, a pretty cover and promises of a feel good read were all I needed to be drawn to this book!

Bev, TIlly, Jane and Fenna find themselves together in a writing class in Watervale. Bev and Jane have been in Watervale for years and are part of the geography, Fenna and Tilly are thrust into the community and both have big adjustments from their previous city dwelling experiences, mot at least with their usual clothing choices. Things are slower and more laid back here as Tilly and Fenna are about to find out.

Through their writing class we learn of their sadnesses and pain throughout life, we learn the coming together of females to prop one another up and offer support, love and fresh starts in the most unlikely places.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were well developed and I particularly liked Tilly, although sometimes I wondered why she did some of the things she did.

The ending was a little different from what I expected, I was anticipating a significant tie-in but that didn’t occur.

This was a book I didn’t want to end. Highly highly enjoyable and I could feel myself in the heat of the fires and the chill when Tilly was near her father and her fiancé (who is so despicable I’ve wiped his name from my mind !!).

What really stands out and sets this book apart however is the at is is written with dual authors.
Mette Menzies is the pen name of two best friends and writing partners; Steven and Viktoriya. I was really taken back to discover that this fabulous book was the brains trust of two friends, written and inspired together. I am so intrigued as to how this occurs as the writing is so seemless and shows no hint of being more than one author.

I highly recommend this fabulous book.
4.5 stars.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and provide my honest review.

The Waterdale Ladies’ Writing and Firefighting Society by Mette Menzies is an interesting and heart warming story.

Set in a small rural town in South Australia the story oozes the familiarity that comes from living in a community where everyone knows everyone and everyone knows everything! Four women are the main characters and their individual journeys and that of them as a group is the storyline and a delightful storyline it is!

Told with simple but compelling language and imagery, this is a novel to sit back and enjoy. A story of loneliness, companionship and support.

Highly recommended read.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from HarperCollins Publishers Australia via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#TheWaterdaleLadiesWritingandFirefightingSociety #NetGalley

This book is marketed as general/women's fiction which is a genre I enjoy but really I was attracted to the quirky title, pretty cover, and an interest in fire fighting as my partner is a volunteer firefighter.
The story follows four woman of various life stages thrown together in the small, rural town of Watervale Downs. Their lives become intertwined as they all find themselves enrolled in a writing class and what develops is a friendship none of them expected, but they all needed.
I loved the four main characters who are all vastly different but relatable. They each bring their own issues and together overcome adversity and find the strength and resilience to go after what they want.
While it is a lighthearted read it still explores some tough topics in a thoughtful way. Overall I really enjoyed this book, a heartfelt and funny story of female friendship, second chances and the importance of community.

This is a book about life, changing, starting over and more importantly friendships and family. Our main character is Tilly, an international lawyer who has her life mapped out for her. But when her father sends her to country South Australia to procure some land for a client she never thought she would fall in love with the place and the people.

This is not just her story but a story of the people and I loved the South Australian connection as I could relate to the places, the wines, the country and the bushfires. This brought all of that together into a wonderful story. I love that Tilly fell in love with this place and its people but she went through a lot to get to this point.

This is a book that is very easy to read and I enjoyed it from start to finish. It kept me engaged and I really enjoyed the quirkiness of the place and the characters. A great read and I look forward to seeing what this author will write in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This debut novel by the writing duo known as @mette_menzies_books is the perfect coffee shop read and really should be accompanied by a vanilla slice big enough to share! I enjoyed the little escape to the township of Watervale Downs and the stories of four very different women from vastly dissimilar backgrounds - Tilly, Bev, Jane & Fenna whose lives become entwined when they join a writing class and unintentionally find themselves training with their local fire authority. Each of the women have had challenges in their lives, there are long held secrets and questions surrounding their futures. However, it is their newly formed bond of friendship and the strength that they draw from it, that allows them to reconcile with the past and forge new beginnings. I loved the contemporary and distinctly Aussie setting of the story, it truly was a lovely warm, witty and uplifting book to read. The Watervale Ladies’ Writing & Firefighting Society is due for release 26th August, look out for this fun title and cover in your favourite bookshops, I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I did. Thank you @harpercollinsaustralia & @netgalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy, much appreciated.

I think I could quite happily move to Watervale Downs South Australia, the central location in this story, as it has everything that a woman needs - a great coffee shop with super food and a rather delicious barista, superb wine created by the local priesthood, a well stocked library, a night sky so clear that all the stars can be counted and a diverse range of women waiting to potentially be friends. This was a gentle story that took a little time to get going but once you were immersed in the lives of the four women. Bev, Fenna, Jane and Tilly, the book is built around, you were all in. I must admit while Tilly was the central character of the four and she was great, it was Jane that I really came to love and feel for the most. I do have to give an honourable mention to Viv, mayor of the town and the driving force behind the volunteer fire fighters, she was a very endearing character. The Australian landscape was a super backdrop for all their stories. You could certainly taste, smell and see the bushfires as they consumed and transformed the land. The writing partnership of Steven Reynolds and Viktoriya Butler using the pen name Mette Menzies - really works as they have created a really engaging book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this arc in return for my honest opinion.

I very quickly settled into this book and enjoyed the warmth, hope and friendship of a Aussie based community. The banter was light and fluffy while the happenings in the characters lives was quite serious. But at the end of the day they were there for one another because that is what we do. A masterfully told tale.

Set in the heart of South Australia’s wine country, The Watervale Ladies’ Writing and Firefighting Society brings together four very different women whose lives unexpectedly entwine in a small country town. When high-flying international lawyer Tilly Marr is forced to trade London skyscrapers for the quiet streets of Watervale Downs, she thinks she’ll be in and out in days. Instead, she’s drawn into the town’s daily rhythms — helping out as the local solicitor, joining a writing group in the town library, and even training with the local fire service.

There’s much to enjoy here: the warmth of country life, the growing friendships between Tilly, matriarch Bev, former TV star Fenna, and librarian Jane, and the individual stories that gently unfold as each woman faces her own reckoning. There are moments of heart, humour, and hope, all tied together with a distinctly Aussie flavour.

That said, I found it a little slow to get into, and it didn’t quite capture me in the way I’d hoped. It’s a bit different to what I usually read, and although I did enjoy it once I settled into the story, it felt a touch too long for the type of book it is. Still, it’s a light and pleasant read — one that could suit readers after a feelgood story to pass the time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️½