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The Women of Wild Cove
After global collapse, the island of Newfoundland in the warming waters of the North Atlantic has survived under female rule. Children are raised by a network of caregivers, guided by the principles of " It Takes a Village." But the civilization is threatened when its birth rate suddenly stagnates. Eighteen-year-old Kat knows she needs to stay on the good side of her elders until her coveted job on the island' s livestock ranch becomes a reality. One morning, she stumbles upon a man in the woods— an injured mainlander named Marcus who has wrecked his boat on the shore. Kat knows he will lose his freedom under the matriarchy if discovered. When he pleads for help, she faces a turn the rogue in, or listen to her heart and help him get home. But Marcus is captured. Then Kat is shocked when the elders lower their breeding program' s enrolment age to include her, and if she declines, her dream job will not only be delayed but revoked. While she looks for a way out, Marcus confesses his dire mission. Torn between sympathy for him and loyalty to her people, Kat is moved to act. But is his urgency a ruse and part of a strategy that could threaten her village and ultimately, the future of the entire island? THE WOMEN OF WILD COVE is a survival tale of divided loyalties, love and sacrifice, gender equality, and uneasy alliances in a climate-changed world.
- GenresDystopia
293 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2025
8 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Kelland Perry
4 books87 followersJennifer Kelland Perry is a Canadian blogger, devoted reader and animal lover.
Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, she left the city in 2010 for the rural writing life and is loving every moment. Calmer Girls (2016) is Jennifer’s debut novel, the first in a two-book series. The sequel, Calmer Secrets, was released in 2017. She is a member of WritersNL and took part in the multi-author Literary Events NL Book Tour in 2017.
Jennifer’s third novel, The Women of Wild Cove, was released on September 1, 2025 by Running Wild Publishing. She lives by the sea with her husband and their two extremely spoiled cats.
Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, she left the city in 2010 for the rural writing life and is loving every moment. Calmer Girls (2016) is Jennifer’s debut novel, the first in a two-book series. The sequel, Calmer Secrets, was released in 2017. She is a member of WritersNL and took part in the multi-author Literary Events NL Book Tour in 2017.
Jennifer’s third novel, The Women of Wild Cove, was released on September 1, 2025 by Running Wild Publishing. She lives by the sea with her husband and their two extremely spoiled cats.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 17, 2025
A timely book. This take on how global warming could wipe out civilizations around the world is a bleak one that should make us try harder to save our precious planet. The novel focuses on a community in Newfoundland, in northern Canada, where there’s a ray of hope far from the equator. That’s where a matriarchal society is struggling to survive with the “help” of men who are kept as well-treated slaves for their labor and breeding services. It’s an interesting depiction of how even well-intentioned leaders can set up a government that tramples the rights of the many. Besides the oppressed male population, this also includes all the communally-raised girls who are told what they can and cannot do, with precious little room for personal choice. It’s a system ripe for revolution.
18-year-old Kat is something of a rebel who secretly helps Marcus, a “rogue” who arrives from farther inland, even though she’s been taught that men are evil. Will Kat risk her community’s welfare and go against lifelong anti-male indoctrination to help him? Will Marcus succeed in his urgent mission to find medicine to take back to his dying family? The story is told in an unhurried fashion so it takes a while to learn the answers. And the ending leaves open the possibility that the story could continue.
A novel for readers who enjoy dystopian fiction and the “what ifs” that hang like storm clouds over the increasing threat of runaway climate change.
18-year-old Kat is something of a rebel who secretly helps Marcus, a “rogue” who arrives from farther inland, even though she’s been taught that men are evil. Will Kat risk her community’s welfare and go against lifelong anti-male indoctrination to help him? Will Marcus succeed in his urgent mission to find medicine to take back to his dying family? The story is told in an unhurried fashion so it takes a while to learn the answers. And the ending leaves open the possibility that the story could continue.
A novel for readers who enjoy dystopian fiction and the “what ifs” that hang like storm clouds over the increasing threat of runaway climate change.
August 30, 2025
In a post-apocalyptic future in which the earth's oceans have risen and climates worldwide have warmed to almost unrecognizable environments, a society on the island of Newfoundland persists under a strict matriarchal authority. Women hold all positions of power and decision-making, while men serve in one of two roles: manual labor (peons) or skilled labor/reproduction (consorts). Hundreds of miles away, desperate to save his family from a fatal disease sweeping their region, Marcus sails a small boat toward Newfoundland in search of medicine. When 18-year-old Kat spies a Marcus in the woods she tries to help him and doesn't tell anyone about his presence at first, but soon enough the elders find out and Marcus is captured for assimilation.
Though there are some sizeable plot holes (where do laundry carts, medical equipment sophisticated enough to research and develop medicines, or even clothing come from? there is no mention of factories or mills), I enjoyed Perry's writing well enough to remain engaged throughout. At first the society seems idyllic, but when the youngest women are instructed to begin "breeding" against their will, I found it unbelievable that at no point does anyone make the connection that they have merely exchanged one kind of control for another. Some of the characters suffered from one-dimensionalism, most obviously Marcus' brother Trent, whose psychopath-level of evil came out of nowhere and was frankly unbelievable. His lines and mannerisms sounded laughably melodramatic, right down to the sinister "Well, well, well..." It was fun to imagine an independent society like this one, but given its size, relative comfort, and the technology available, a fair amount of suspension of disbelief was required.
I received this ARC via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
Though there are some sizeable plot holes (where do laundry carts, medical equipment sophisticated enough to research and develop medicines, or even clothing come from? there is no mention of factories or mills), I enjoyed Perry's writing well enough to remain engaged throughout. At first the society seems idyllic, but when the youngest women are instructed to begin "breeding" against their will, I found it unbelievable that at no point does anyone make the connection that they have merely exchanged one kind of control for another. Some of the characters suffered from one-dimensionalism, most obviously Marcus' brother Trent, whose psychopath-level of evil came out of nowhere and was frankly unbelievable. His lines and mannerisms sounded laughably melodramatic, right down to the sinister "Well, well, well..." It was fun to imagine an independent society like this one, but given its size, relative comfort, and the technology available, a fair amount of suspension of disbelief was required.
I received this ARC via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
September 21, 2025
This dystopian novel is an ambitious book that delivers on all fronts. I easily got lost in its pages. Great world-building, vivid descriptions, and dimensional characters who are easy to root for. I loved the feminist bent as well, along with the Eastern Canadian setting. All in all a great read!
September 4, 2025
Great read start to finish!
This author, J. Kelland Perry, has a style that makes you keep the pages turning and want to find out more of this world in the future. A story of a “What if” scenario that is filled with rich details of survival and growth by a matriarchal society on an isolated island. I would love to see this book turned into a movie.
This author, J. Kelland Perry, has a style that makes you keep the pages turning and want to find out more of this world in the future. A story of a “What if” scenario that is filled with rich details of survival and growth by a matriarchal society on an isolated island. I would love to see this book turned into a movie.
November 5, 2025
he Women of Wild Cove by Jennifer Kelland Perry is a striking and imaginative post collapse novel that redefines the dynamics of survival and power. Set on a matriarchal island off Newfoundland’s coast, the story fuses speculative world building with intimate emotional depth. Perry crafts a society led by women, sustained by cooperation and communal caregiving then boldly explores what happens when that balance begins to falter.
Through Kat’s journey, readers are drawn into a moral crossroads where compassion and conformity collide. Her secret encounter with Marcus, a wounded outsider, forces her to question the ethics of her people’s rule and the boundaries of love, freedom, and sacrifice. The novel’s tension between idealism and control between nurturing and domination gives it rare philosophical resonance.
Perry’s prose captures both the serenity and volatility of her world, reflecting the beauty and fragility of a civilization rebuilt on principles of equality. The Women of Wild Cove is both a compelling survival tale and a reflective social allegory one that lingers as a meditation on what humanity must protect to endure.
Through Kat’s journey, readers are drawn into a moral crossroads where compassion and conformity collide. Her secret encounter with Marcus, a wounded outsider, forces her to question the ethics of her people’s rule and the boundaries of love, freedom, and sacrifice. The novel’s tension between idealism and control between nurturing and domination gives it rare philosophical resonance.
Perry’s prose captures both the serenity and volatility of her world, reflecting the beauty and fragility of a civilization rebuilt on principles of equality. The Women of Wild Cove is both a compelling survival tale and a reflective social allegory one that lingers as a meditation on what humanity must protect to endure.
July 14, 2025
I got this advance reader copy for my review. Set in the future, this post apocalyptic novel is about a community on Newfoundland that is a matriarchal society. Men are used for their strength and for breeding but they don’t really have any rights. Everything is run by women. I read a couple books about matriarchal societies before and in those books it didn’t work out so well. This one actually seems like kind of an idyllic society. I liked the characters and the story.
September 1, 2025
This post-apocalyptic novel reminds me of the young adult book The Chrysalids by John Wyndham.
After global collapse, the island of Newfoundland has survived though it is diminished in size. Women rule the various villages; they have all the power and make all the decisions. Men are subservient, indoctrinated as either peons (used for manual labour) or consorts (used primarily for breeding). One day 18-year-old Kat stumbles across an injured mainlander who wrecked his boat trying to get to the island. Despite what she has been taught about outsiders being a threat, she decides to help Marcus return to his home. He is captured, however, and his assimilation begins. When he finally confesses the true nature of his mission, it may already be too late for both him and the islanders.
I disliked the portrayal of all men as untrustworthy and irresponsible unless they are indoctrinated to totally accept women’s leadership. The community leader tells Marcus, “’Why should you feel entitled to such license after the havoc your gender has wreaked on the planet? Entire countries have met their end because of your careless stewardship, your greed for money and power and your propensity for violence and aggression. The division and strife you’ve created, the effects of global warming – worldwide floods, famine, disease – caused by man’s heedless practices, have brought us to the absolute brink of extinction. And let’s not forget other life forms.’” At meetings, women listen to passages read from journals written by women who were abused by men so the male gender is equated with abuse. All men are held responsible for the past actions of men and therefore are given no power or even choices over their destinies.
The leaders speak of their idyllic villages, but life is not perfect. Children are raised by caregivers in a village other than the one in which they are born. Because there have been a large number of infant deaths, the leaders decide that younger women must now begin breeding at 18 years of age and must bear two children. If they do not agree, all privileges and the vocations they have chosen for themselves will be revoked; in other words, they are coerced into complying with the directive to reproduce. There’s concern about the consorts; Kat asks, “What was with these dudes? What had happened to their masculinity? Along with aggression, had too much testosterone been bred out of them as well?” And men of course are virtual slaves; their compliance is aided by an elixir given to all men to drink.
There are several weaknesses in the novel. There are a lot of information dumps providing background about what happened. On the other hand, there is insufficient explanation about where the islanders get what is needed to carry out medical research. Some characters are one-dimensional; Trent, for instance, is a cartoon villain complete with leers and dialogue like “’Well, well, well . . . We’ve been expecting you.’” They supposedly possess scientific knowledge but have no understanding of the menstrual cycle because Kat is expected to have sexual intercourse immediately after her period ends until she conceives.
There are other plot holes that break the internal logic of the narrative. Why doesn’t Marcus tell Kat the reason for his venturing to Newfoundland? Since time is of the essence, why doesn’t he tell the truth immediately because it would most likely convince Kat to give him what he needs? The passage of time is unclear. Days seem to pass, yet then we’re told that is not the case. The ending is too pat with its almost miraculous, just-in-time discovery – too deus ex machina for my liking. And then Kat gives up on her dream, the dream that is of such importance to her?!
I found this book rather amateurish. It has an interesting premise, but the execution is weak.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) or substack (https://doreenyakabuski.substack.com/) for over 1,200 of my book reviews.
After global collapse, the island of Newfoundland has survived though it is diminished in size. Women rule the various villages; they have all the power and make all the decisions. Men are subservient, indoctrinated as either peons (used for manual labour) or consorts (used primarily for breeding). One day 18-year-old Kat stumbles across an injured mainlander who wrecked his boat trying to get to the island. Despite what she has been taught about outsiders being a threat, she decides to help Marcus return to his home. He is captured, however, and his assimilation begins. When he finally confesses the true nature of his mission, it may already be too late for both him and the islanders.
I disliked the portrayal of all men as untrustworthy and irresponsible unless they are indoctrinated to totally accept women’s leadership. The community leader tells Marcus, “’Why should you feel entitled to such license after the havoc your gender has wreaked on the planet? Entire countries have met their end because of your careless stewardship, your greed for money and power and your propensity for violence and aggression. The division and strife you’ve created, the effects of global warming – worldwide floods, famine, disease – caused by man’s heedless practices, have brought us to the absolute brink of extinction. And let’s not forget other life forms.’” At meetings, women listen to passages read from journals written by women who were abused by men so the male gender is equated with abuse. All men are held responsible for the past actions of men and therefore are given no power or even choices over their destinies.
The leaders speak of their idyllic villages, but life is not perfect. Children are raised by caregivers in a village other than the one in which they are born. Because there have been a large number of infant deaths, the leaders decide that younger women must now begin breeding at 18 years of age and must bear two children. If they do not agree, all privileges and the vocations they have chosen for themselves will be revoked; in other words, they are coerced into complying with the directive to reproduce. There’s concern about the consorts; Kat asks, “What was with these dudes? What had happened to their masculinity? Along with aggression, had too much testosterone been bred out of them as well?” And men of course are virtual slaves; their compliance is aided by an elixir given to all men to drink.
There are several weaknesses in the novel. There are a lot of information dumps providing background about what happened. On the other hand, there is insufficient explanation about where the islanders get what is needed to carry out medical research. Some characters are one-dimensional; Trent, for instance, is a cartoon villain complete with leers and dialogue like “’Well, well, well . . . We’ve been expecting you.’” They supposedly possess scientific knowledge but have no understanding of the menstrual cycle because Kat is expected to have sexual intercourse immediately after her period ends until she conceives.
There are other plot holes that break the internal logic of the narrative. Why doesn’t Marcus tell Kat the reason for his venturing to Newfoundland? Since time is of the essence, why doesn’t he tell the truth immediately because it would most likely convince Kat to give him what he needs? The passage of time is unclear. Days seem to pass, yet then we’re told that is not the case. The ending is too pat with its almost miraculous, just-in-time discovery – too deus ex machina for my liking. And then Kat gives up on her dream, the dream that is of such importance to her?!
I found this book rather amateurish. It has an interesting premise, but the execution is weak.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) or substack (https://doreenyakabuski.substack.com/) for over 1,200 of my book reviews.
October 20, 2025
The future looks bleak for most of humankind. Almost 200 years from now, climate change has devastated the world—destroying food sources, breaking down societal norms, and allowing disease to spread. One part of the world is managing better than most – the island of Newfoundland in Canada.
There, a matriarchal society dominates, relegating men (called peons) to manual labor or to roles as consorts for breeding purposes. Once a day, they’re fed a serum that tempers their masculine natures. Women are fully in charge, allowing men few rights, chemically controlling them, and expecting full compliance.
Katrina (Kat) is eighteen and grew up believing that men are reckless, violent, and the cause of the world’s collapse. Then she meets a “rogue,” a man who slipped onto the island, seeking a cure for his three-year-old son’s disease. She must decide whether to turn him in or defy her community and help him. Kat and Marc (the rogue) are the most nuanced characters with the richest personalities and emotional backstories. They share the POV.
The plot is straightforward, and the story moves at a clip with some slower moments to get to know the characters and the island society, which includes a complete dismantling of the family unit. What I found most interesting was the author’s attention to gender-based power structures, including the obvious role reversals. Women, for so long treated as second class citizens and victimized by men, are now the oppressors.
Perhaps out of necessity, the elders of Wild Cove also exercise rigid control over the community’s girls and women, including Kat, who are assigned tasks and career placements with little or no input. To address a rise in infant mortality, teens are coerced into breeding. The female elders seem to think this is all for the good of humankind’s survival, and I’m curious to see how this plays out as the series continues.
Highly recommended to readers who enjoy post-apocalyptic and dystopian thrillers that raise some interesting questions about human nature, power, and control.
There, a matriarchal society dominates, relegating men (called peons) to manual labor or to roles as consorts for breeding purposes. Once a day, they’re fed a serum that tempers their masculine natures. Women are fully in charge, allowing men few rights, chemically controlling them, and expecting full compliance.
Katrina (Kat) is eighteen and grew up believing that men are reckless, violent, and the cause of the world’s collapse. Then she meets a “rogue,” a man who slipped onto the island, seeking a cure for his three-year-old son’s disease. She must decide whether to turn him in or defy her community and help him. Kat and Marc (the rogue) are the most nuanced characters with the richest personalities and emotional backstories. They share the POV.
The plot is straightforward, and the story moves at a clip with some slower moments to get to know the characters and the island society, which includes a complete dismantling of the family unit. What I found most interesting was the author’s attention to gender-based power structures, including the obvious role reversals. Women, for so long treated as second class citizens and victimized by men, are now the oppressors.
Perhaps out of necessity, the elders of Wild Cove also exercise rigid control over the community’s girls and women, including Kat, who are assigned tasks and career placements with little or no input. To address a rise in infant mortality, teens are coerced into breeding. The female elders seem to think this is all for the good of humankind’s survival, and I’m curious to see how this plays out as the series continues.
Highly recommended to readers who enjoy post-apocalyptic and dystopian thrillers that raise some interesting questions about human nature, power, and control.
December 10, 2025
he Women of Wild Cove surprised me with how deeply it explores loyalty, identity, and survival. Kat is an incredibly compelling protagonist, torn between the expectations of her community and her own emerging sense of compassion and independence. The tension around the matriarchal system, the collapsed world, and Marcus’s arrival is handled in a way that feels both emotionally grounded and morally complex. The story balances world-building with real human stakes, and the final choices Kat faces are both heartbreaking and believable. A powerful, thought-provoking read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews