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Wet Ink
Not yet published
Expected 23 Feb 27Housewife and mother of two, Mitzy Barlow is tired of the stifling monotony of her everyday life. With a husband who brushes off all affection and a routine that leaves her bored out of her mind, playing pretend is no longer enough.
To help make ends meet, she hosts Tupperware parties, selling plastic promises of the perfect home. But her true escape has always come when scribbling fantasies in her journal each night to soothe the ache of a loveless marriage.
Soon she begins typing up her own stories, rewriting the endings of classic novels with bolder and steamier scenes, much to the delight of the neighborhood women who start sending in requests of their own. Under the safety of her new pseudonym 'Queen B', Mitzy creates an air-tight system to deliver her erotica, slipping stories into Tupperware containers and taking discreet orders at her parties.
Demand is high, and as her secret career starts to blossom, Mitzy allows herself to dream of a different kind of life. But when whispers of indecent, unmotherly conduct start to spread that could put her family's livelihood at risk, is Mitzy too naïve in thinking she can rewrite the ending of her own story before it's too late?
Blending wit, warmth, and rebellion, Wet Ink is a story of desire and embracing ambition, set in 1969 London, in which the indomitable Mitzy Barlow builds a Tupperware empire by slipping erotic short stories in with her orders, accidentally sparking a feminist revolution among the housewives of her London suburb.
To help make ends meet, she hosts Tupperware parties, selling plastic promises of the perfect home. But her true escape has always come when scribbling fantasies in her journal each night to soothe the ache of a loveless marriage.
Soon she begins typing up her own stories, rewriting the endings of classic novels with bolder and steamier scenes, much to the delight of the neighborhood women who start sending in requests of their own. Under the safety of her new pseudonym 'Queen B', Mitzy creates an air-tight system to deliver her erotica, slipping stories into Tupperware containers and taking discreet orders at her parties.
Demand is high, and as her secret career starts to blossom, Mitzy allows herself to dream of a different kind of life. But when whispers of indecent, unmotherly conduct start to spread that could put her family's livelihood at risk, is Mitzy too naïve in thinking she can rewrite the ending of her own story before it's too late?
Blending wit, warmth, and rebellion, Wet Ink is a story of desire and embracing ambition, set in 1969 London, in which the indomitable Mitzy Barlow builds a Tupperware empire by slipping erotic short stories in with her orders, accidentally sparking a feminist revolution among the housewives of her London suburb.
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 25, 2027
About the author
Abigail Avis
1 book14 followersAbigail Avis is a London-based author with a keen interest in women that fell between the cracks of the swinging sixties, especially those who initiated domestic revolutions in surprising and brilliant ways. Her love of saucy stories began early, sneaking books from the adult section of the library as a curious pre-teen and she still proudly uses the Tupperware inherited from her Nan’s 1960s party stash. She has two young children, and studied and taught English literature before entering a fellowship with the Royal Literary Fund, which facilitated the writing of Wet Ink.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 11, 2026
Who knew Tupperware could be so empowering?
Mitzy Barlow, housewife and mother of two, is tired. Tired of her every boring everyday life. Tired of her unaffectionate husband. And tired of not being appreciated. She begins selling Tupperware to help ends meet, but at night- she finds her mind wandering and fantasying of what a relationship could be if a woman’s wants were considered. To encourage Tupperware sales, Mitzy begins writing stories for other women, and delivering them in the Tupperware- and unexpectedly starting a movement.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. This one did have a slow start, but once it took off, I was hooked!!
Mitzy Barlow, housewife and mother of two, is tired. Tired of her every boring everyday life. Tired of her unaffectionate husband. And tired of not being appreciated. She begins selling Tupperware to help ends meet, but at night- she finds her mind wandering and fantasying of what a relationship could be if a woman’s wants were considered. To encourage Tupperware sales, Mitzy begins writing stories for other women, and delivering them in the Tupperware- and unexpectedly starting a movement.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. This one did have a slow start, but once it took off, I was hooked!!
August 31, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this unique story that every woman should read! This story took me by total surprise, and it became a totally entertaining experience where I couldn’t stop talking about the book as I was reading! So many parallels with women’s struggles today and the invisible labor load we all take for granted. It was a literary novel woven into a feminist tale of survival that I just adored. If you don’t feel empowered after reading this, you read a different book. Well done!
TikTok review: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTDEhNp8a/
TikTok review: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTDEhNp8a/
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
this premise was amazing, it's execution was not. honestly, it really just left me wanting more. it felt like a rag i was trying to squeeze any drop of water out of but ultimately being left with nothing.
the characters, story, and writing all felt extremelyyyy cliche. i knew exactly what was going to happen and when it was going to happen because the women followed the most basic (feminist) tropes. i know that mitzy represented real women of the 1960s(?), but the author leaned into that character form just a litttle bit too much. i wanted a unique perspective that added something fresh, but everything felt stale...insert tupperware joke here.
this is a personal gripe, but mitzy was supposed to be an erotica writer, but the samples we're shown in the book of her writing were simply not that...erotic. it felt very safe and watered down. perhaps that was the point considering the time period and a reflection of the fact she had to hide her writing? not sure exactly but everyone was talking like it was absolutely scandalous stuff and it was just..... not.
it was also incredibly sad? like depressing that people had (have?) relationships/marriages like that. how many times can you scream “GIRL LEAVE HIM” before it gets old? honestly who wants to read that?? i just really couldn’t stand that there wasn’t one depiction of a normal, healthy romantic relationship. all the men were shit, but honestly that tracks.
it was interesting enough, but nothing enough to wow me.
thanks to net galley and the publisher for my e-arc!
the characters, story, and writing all felt extremelyyyy cliche. i knew exactly what was going to happen and when it was going to happen because the women followed the most basic (feminist) tropes. i know that mitzy represented real women of the 1960s(?), but the author leaned into that character form just a litttle bit too much. i wanted a unique perspective that added something fresh, but everything felt stale...insert tupperware joke here.
this is a personal gripe, but mitzy was supposed to be an erotica writer, but the samples we're shown in the book of her writing were simply not that...erotic. it felt very safe and watered down. perhaps that was the point considering the time period and a reflection of the fact she had to hide her writing? not sure exactly but everyone was talking like it was absolutely scandalous stuff and it was just..... not.
it was also incredibly sad? like depressing that people had (have?) relationships/marriages like that. how many times can you scream “GIRL LEAVE HIM” before it gets old? honestly who wants to read that?? i just really couldn’t stand that there wasn’t one depiction of a normal, healthy romantic relationship. all the men were shit, but honestly that tracks.
it was interesting enough, but nothing enough to wow me.
thanks to net galley and the publisher for my e-arc!
August 10, 2026
I am the daughter of a woman who like Mitzy, bringing up two children as the 1970s decade started, who needed to earn money to make ends meet. With a breadwinning husband who liked spending on new cars every two years my Mum also turned her attentions to earning money like having Tupperware parties, hosting other parties to earn commission, shoes, underwear etc and being an Avon lady. The historical accuracy drawn by Abigail Avis is truly an authentic voice in Wet Ink. It was not difficult for women to fall into domestic drudgery, taken absolutely for granted by their husbands and scorned by other women who ‘didn’t have to work.’ Neither was divorce a realistic option for women wanting to escape a loveless marriage in which the men would turn round and say to their wives ‘well you wanted children. You should look after them.’ An era when women couldn’t have their own bank accounts as a general rule or their names go on property.
The opening of the story with the Tupperware therefore awakened nostalgia for my childhood. However, in mine Tupperware was not quite the revolution that Mitzy awakens. Well done for Abigail Avis in drawing a parallel between growing women’s awareness, community and solidarity with Tupperware as the premise. Mitzy was believable. I don’t think her friends were simply caricatures of the time either.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loved Lessons in Chemistry or Jennie Godfrey’s books. Four stars. Nostalgia aroused by Tupperware will never be quite the same!
The opening of the story with the Tupperware therefore awakened nostalgia for my childhood. However, in mine Tupperware was not quite the revolution that Mitzy awakens. Well done for Abigail Avis in drawing a parallel between growing women’s awareness, community and solidarity with Tupperware as the premise. Mitzy was believable. I don’t think her friends were simply caricatures of the time either.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loved Lessons in Chemistry or Jennie Godfrey’s books. Four stars. Nostalgia aroused by Tupperware will never be quite the same!
August 26, 2026
Abigail Avis you are a gem. This novel starring the fabulous Mitzy Barlow is now my favorite character of the year. In 1969, London, Mitzy is unhappy, unsatisfied, and unable to live the lie of her marriage anymore.
At the rise of women’s liberation, Mitzy must take it upon herself to create an income as her dispassionate husband’s job is cut in half. Mitzy starts hosting Tupperware parties all the while writing fantasies about love and sex in her personal journal.
Mitzy begins building her Tupperware empire by slipping erotica stories by request of the women, into the sealed containers they buy.
Mitzy writing under the pseudonym, Queen B, begins to rise, her stories so popular that she finds it hard to keep up with the demand. Her already shambling marriage begins to break as her secrets are brought to life, and her true self is revealed to her husband and community.
With wit and aspiration, Mitzy finds her true calling in her new life as a writer, as she wills a way not to hide, and emerge into a truer self with ambitions and desires. This story is an inspiration to women’s empowerment in that time, and the examination of sexual desire and the shame that was attached to it. Mitzy’s stories are nothing to be ashamed of, but to be celebrated. Queen B’s stories that are scattered throughout are true erotica and fierce.
I loved this story of a woman’s struggle and ultimate triumph.
“What is life, if you’re not allowed to be yourself in it?”
Thank you to edelweiss and the publisher.
At the rise of women’s liberation, Mitzy must take it upon herself to create an income as her dispassionate husband’s job is cut in half. Mitzy starts hosting Tupperware parties all the while writing fantasies about love and sex in her personal journal.
Mitzy begins building her Tupperware empire by slipping erotica stories by request of the women, into the sealed containers they buy.
Mitzy writing under the pseudonym, Queen B, begins to rise, her stories so popular that she finds it hard to keep up with the demand. Her already shambling marriage begins to break as her secrets are brought to life, and her true self is revealed to her husband and community.
With wit and aspiration, Mitzy finds her true calling in her new life as a writer, as she wills a way not to hide, and emerge into a truer self with ambitions and desires. This story is an inspiration to women’s empowerment in that time, and the examination of sexual desire and the shame that was attached to it. Mitzy’s stories are nothing to be ashamed of, but to be celebrated. Queen B’s stories that are scattered throughout are true erotica and fierce.
I loved this story of a woman’s struggle and ultimate triumph.
“What is life, if you’re not allowed to be yourself in it?”
Thank you to edelweiss and the publisher.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wet Ink is a bold, brave, and empowering story about friendship, independence and finding courage.
The main character Mitzy, is doing everything she can to support her family and put food on the table. What begins as an attempt to make extra money by selling Tupperware turns into something so much bigger.
I loved the plot of this book; it was incredibly original unlike anything I have read before. Mitzy’s character was believable, and I found myself rooting for her throughout the story, willing her to be brave and take control of her own life.
The friendships between the women were one of my favourite aspects of the book. They were bold women who valued friendships. In contrast, many of their husbands were truly horrible, which made reading the women's independence more satisfying to read.
I did feel that the book could have been just as enjoyable without including the stories Mitzy wrote. I think leaving some of those details to the reader’s imagination might have made them more intriguing. I also didn’t find the stories particularly erotic, despite their importance to the plot.
If you have read the blurb and found yourself intrigued by this book, I don’t think you will be disappointed. It is an original, entertaining story with plenty to say about friendship, independence and finding your voice.
Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for letting me read this book.
The main character Mitzy, is doing everything she can to support her family and put food on the table. What begins as an attempt to make extra money by selling Tupperware turns into something so much bigger.
I loved the plot of this book; it was incredibly original unlike anything I have read before. Mitzy’s character was believable, and I found myself rooting for her throughout the story, willing her to be brave and take control of her own life.
The friendships between the women were one of my favourite aspects of the book. They were bold women who valued friendships. In contrast, many of their husbands were truly horrible, which made reading the women's independence more satisfying to read.
I did feel that the book could have been just as enjoyable without including the stories Mitzy wrote. I think leaving some of those details to the reader’s imagination might have made them more intriguing. I also didn’t find the stories particularly erotic, despite their importance to the plot.
If you have read the blurb and found yourself intrigued by this book, I don’t think you will be disappointed. It is an original, entertaining story with plenty to say about friendship, independence and finding your voice.
Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for letting me read this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Oh, the misogyny of the 60s, and the way women were expected to quietly accept the lives they were handed. I’m not going to lie, I was hoping for a little more erotica, a little more steam, a little more hot and bothered. I think I was expecting a bit more from the story overall.
That said, I did enjoy the idea of Mitzy quietly pushing back against the rules of the time in her own way. There’s something wonderfully satisfying about a woman being told to stay in her lane and instead deciding, “Actually, I’ll be starting my own erotica business, thanks.” I just wish the book itself had been a little more spicy. For a story about secret smut, I was expecting to need a cold shower. Still, a fun premise and an interesting look at women finding little ways to claim some freedom of their own.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for providing me with a digital ARC prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.
That said, I did enjoy the idea of Mitzy quietly pushing back against the rules of the time in her own way. There’s something wonderfully satisfying about a woman being told to stay in her lane and instead deciding, “Actually, I’ll be starting my own erotica business, thanks.” I just wish the book itself had been a little more spicy. For a story about secret smut, I was expecting to need a cold shower. Still, a fun premise and an interesting look at women finding little ways to claim some freedom of their own.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for providing me with a digital ARC prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have been a Tupperware Lady for 39 years. I knew I had to read this. My head is exploding in several directions.
First and foremost this is a story that starts out in 1969. It is a story of regular families needing more than one income. It is a story of men and women, perceived roles, roles we want and roles we are assigned. It is a story of double standards. It is awesome.
Second, the Tupperware party. I loved it. I could hear myself saying some of the same things. I could hear the peddling of the plastic. (Mine were not delivered with erotica, although we sometimes heard some pretty juicy stories at parties.) Remember what happens and is said at the Tupperware party, stays at the Tupperware party!!
Growing pains, maturing, discovering what you want and need and remembering that you are also leading the next generation, ah, all of that and then some is in here.
My only complaint is that it ended too quick. It was satisfying, but I would have liked a tad more.
First and foremost this is a story that starts out in 1969. It is a story of regular families needing more than one income. It is a story of men and women, perceived roles, roles we want and roles we are assigned. It is a story of double standards. It is awesome.
Second, the Tupperware party. I loved it. I could hear myself saying some of the same things. I could hear the peddling of the plastic. (Mine were not delivered with erotica, although we sometimes heard some pretty juicy stories at parties.) Remember what happens and is said at the Tupperware party, stays at the Tupperware party!!
Growing pains, maturing, discovering what you want and need and remembering that you are also leading the next generation, ah, all of that and then some is in here.
My only complaint is that it ended too quick. It was satisfying, but I would have liked a tad more.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Date Read: 23 July '26
⭐️3 | 📖
This was good, but I feel like maybe I was the wrong audience for it. There are a few things in the book that I’m not really a fan of, that maybe other people wouldn’t mind.
Things I liked:
> The story was interesting
> I loved the setting
> The writing itself was good
> Everything felt very well thought out, and I liked how the story progressed
> I love the cover
Things I didn't like:
> The pacing is very slow for what the story gives us
> We had so many filler sentences and paragraphs that those 400 pages could’ve easily become 200. There’s nothing wrong with a writing style like this, I’m just not a fan of it.
> There’s a lot of feminine rage in this, which again, I’m not a fan of (I have plenty of that in me 🤷♀️)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
⭐️3 | 📖
This was good, but I feel like maybe I was the wrong audience for it. There are a few things in the book that I’m not really a fan of, that maybe other people wouldn’t mind.
Things I liked:
> The story was interesting
> I loved the setting
> The writing itself was good
> Everything felt very well thought out, and I liked how the story progressed
> I love the cover
Things I didn't like:
> The pacing is very slow for what the story gives us
> We had so many filler sentences and paragraphs that those 400 pages could’ve easily become 200. There’s nothing wrong with a writing style like this, I’m just not a fan of it.
> There’s a lot of feminine rage in this, which again, I’m not a fan of (I have plenty of that in me 🤷♀️)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
August 10, 2026
Review of an advanced copy received from NetGalley.
This was a great story about women’s strength, determination and fight against the patriarchy. I don’t often get on with stories set in this era (50s/60s) but Wet Ink was really easy to read & thoroughly enjoyable. Mitzy was a strong main character with relatable traits and I loved her fierce need to fight for what she wanted and what made her happy.
Some of the other female characters I feel could have had a little more depth to them but overall everyone seemed to have their rightful place in the story. The husbands didn’t overshadow the women’s roles (even though they tried - looking at you Tony!) and I found myself really rooting for the wives.
Overall I really liked Wet Ink & I’m so grateful to have been chosen to read this in advance of its release next year!
August 20, 2026
I was kind of thinking (hoping?) this would take a bit of a thriller twist part way through and all of the husbands would be victims (:
This was such a fun concept and the way that all of the women (even those who you may not expect) rallied for each other when it came down to it. There was subterfuge, and caring for each other, and supporting of their sometimes dangerous hopes and dreams. Meanwhile the men are causing all of their problems and getting mad at them for adapting. Typical!!!
The amount of anxiety building up in me the more Mitzy added to her plate could have powered a small building. Ma’am that’s enough slices. Please check your paper both sides!!!!! I AM SO STRESSED.
Also, can we please appreciate that this is the world some people genuinely want to go back to and then consider my thriller-twist idea.
This was such a fun concept and the way that all of the women (even those who you may not expect) rallied for each other when it came down to it. There was subterfuge, and caring for each other, and supporting of their sometimes dangerous hopes and dreams. Meanwhile the men are causing all of their problems and getting mad at them for adapting. Typical!!!
The amount of anxiety building up in me the more Mitzy added to her plate could have powered a small building. Ma’am that’s enough slices. Please check your paper both sides!!!!! I AM SO STRESSED.
Also, can we please appreciate that this is the world some people genuinely want to go back to and then consider my thriller-twist idea.
August 7, 2026
Update:
Finished and a solid 5 stars. I loved the writing style, the accurate depiction of marriage and women in the 60’s. No further comment on what I’d said below.
—
Currently reading and enjoying this. Halfway through, and the depiction of 60s British housewives is bang on. I'm a child of the eighties, but I grew up around my grandmothers and heard plenty from my mother about what her own mother's life was actually like.
Some readers seem to be reading this as leaning into a trope. It isn't. It's an accurate account of what marriage looked like for women of that generation.
Same with the erotic passages. Women then had no access to Fifty Shades-style material. What reads as vanilla in 2026 was their idea of spicy, and writing it any other way would be false.
Probably lands best with Gen-X/millennials and older. My mother will love it.
Full review to follow.
Finished and a solid 5 stars. I loved the writing style, the accurate depiction of marriage and women in the 60’s. No further comment on what I’d said below.
—
Currently reading and enjoying this. Halfway through, and the depiction of 60s British housewives is bang on. I'm a child of the eighties, but I grew up around my grandmothers and heard plenty from my mother about what her own mother's life was actually like.
Some readers seem to be reading this as leaning into a trope. It isn't. It's an accurate account of what marriage looked like for women of that generation.
Same with the erotic passages. Women then had no access to Fifty Shades-style material. What reads as vanilla in 2026 was their idea of spicy, and writing it any other way would be false.
Probably lands best with Gen-X/millennials and older. My mother will love it.
Full review to follow.
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September 2, 2026Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Publishing for the eARC!
The premise of this book sold me on reading it. The gumption of Mitzy and her friends made me love it! I loved the way these women came together to create change in their own lives and bravely pursue the freedom of desire and autonomy. It is often discouraging to look at all the ways women are still not treated equally, such as the right to make decisions about her body and the pay gap. This book is a little reminder that we've gained some freedoms such as the right to write and read our own stories. The romance genre is often seen as kitschy or without intellecutal merit, but any media where a person can see themselves or their desires lived out, is worthwhile. Who says learning and growing has to be boring. Let romance live!!
The premise of this book sold me on reading it. The gumption of Mitzy and her friends made me love it! I loved the way these women came together to create change in their own lives and bravely pursue the freedom of desire and autonomy. It is often discouraging to look at all the ways women are still not treated equally, such as the right to make decisions about her body and the pay gap. This book is a little reminder that we've gained some freedoms such as the right to write and read our own stories. The romance genre is often seen as kitschy or without intellecutal merit, but any media where a person can see themselves or their desires lived out, is worthwhile. Who says learning and growing has to be boring. Let romance live!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In theory this is everything I would want from a novel;‘book club read’, untold stories of lives of women, kitchenwares (!). In reality it just did not deliver for me. I felt that our main character was not developed enough early on which left me not really invested in her character as I would like to be, also the erotica wasn’t terribly erotic. I believe that the TV or film rights have been sold already and I’ve no doubt this will make a really fun adaption on screen but the book isn’t one I’ll be recommending unfortunately.
Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.
Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.
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July 3, 2026Wet Ink by debut author Abigail Avis is published by Hodder & Stoughton - Dutton.
Housewife Mitzi is bored. Her husband is indifferent, so she hosts parties selling household items.
When she gets a chance at a co-writing job she starts re-writing endings of classics after her own gusto and soon she's successful.
An entertaining read with some lengths, but well written and I liked the story and characters, 4.5 stars.
Housewife Mitzi is bored. Her husband is indifferent, so she hosts parties selling household items.
When she gets a chance at a co-writing job she starts re-writing endings of classics after her own gusto and soon she's successful.
An entertaining read with some lengths, but well written and I liked the story and characters, 4.5 stars.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I liked the premise of the book but ultimately for me the execution didn't work. I found it all a bit bland and two dimensional, which made it hard to care about the characters. I also found the male characters to be pantomime levels of villains and with no dimension to them at all. Overall it was very disappointing
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews