Fishnets & Fantasies: A Novel

by Jane Doucet

Wendy Hebb has been a fisherman’s wife for forty years. She has also been a mother, a yoga instructor, and part-time soap maker. She loves her life in picturesque Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, but it’s just not enough anymore. With a burning entrepreneurial desire, she decides that when her husband, Paul, retires, it will finally be her turn to live out her dream. The catch: her dream is to open a sex shop. While Paul begrudgingly goes along with Wendy’s “half-cocked” idea, it’s out of a sense of guilt; a recently spilled secret has their marriage on the rocks. As soon as the townspeople get wind of Wendy’s plans, it opens up a whole other can of worms—and Paul finds himself bait for the local rumour mill. Her silent, “invisible” partner in the project, he secretly hopes her plan for the shop will fail.

Orbiting around Paul and Wendy’s story is a motley crew of characters, including the Hebbs’ daughter, Ellen, a feminist academic who catches the eye of a lady-killer coworker while home for the summer; Wendy’s best friend, Betty, a chain-smoking seamstress with secrets of her own; the local minister and her husband, who secretly indulge in role play; and the wealthy Sonya and Booth, who will stop at nothing to make sure the shop never opens its doors—as long as they can avoid discussing their failing marriage.

An irreverent novel full of heart and humour, Fishnets & Fantasies is a story of love and lust at any age, of old grudges and older secrets, and of the relationships that make all the awkward fumbling worthwhile.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Book Club, Romance

272 pages, Paperback

Published July 13, 2021

About the author

Jane Doucet is a Canadian journalist whose articles have appeared in myriad national magazines, including Chatelaine and Canadian Living. She lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Canada's East Coast with her husband.

In 2017, Jane self-published her debut novel, The Pregnant Pause, about a married woman who is turning 37 and trying to decide whether or not to have a baby. In 2018, The Pregnant Pause was shortlisted for a Whistler Independent Book Award.

In 2021, Vagrant Press, the fiction imprint of Nimbus Publishing, released Jane's second novel, Fishnets & Fantasies, about a married couple in their late 50s who open a sex shop in tiny, tourist-friendly Lunenburg, Nova Scotia (population 2,300).

In spring 2023, Vagrant Press re-released The Pregnant Pause, and in fall 2023 published her third novel, Lost & Found in Lunenburg, which combines characters from her first two books. Jane's fourth novel, Blood Typed, a contemporary murder mystery, will be released by Vagrant Press in 2026. Learn more at www.janedoucet.com.

Reviews

[Jane Doucet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodreads asked me to review this novel so I think I will, although I'm completely biased because I wrote it ;-) This story is a riotous romp with mostly middle-aged and older characters, and unless you have a stone-cold heart, you'll laugh out loud at some of the passages. But hey, don't take my word for it — read it yourself, then post your own review and star rating. Have fun and enjoy!

[Barbara Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I try to read as many local authors as I can. This is Jane Doucet’s second novel. I read her first, The Pregnant Pause.
As a member of the Dartmouth Book Exchange book club, I received an advance readers’ copy. A book club that reads and reviews books by Atlantic Canadian writers.
I also received a copy of this book for Christmas. That is the copy I chose to read.

This book was interesting to me on several levels. First, since I enjoyed Jane’s first book. I was sure I’d also like this one. Second, the subject matter is an interesting one. and so is the setting.
Third, I know Lunenburg not as a tourist, but as a woman who grew up in the area.
A woman who sat on the docks watching her husband’s boat set out to sea, and again to pick him up when he landed.

My home was on the other side of the town of Mahone Bay. This area is very familiar to me. Unlike the lobster fisherman in Jane’s book, my husband was a deckhand on scallop and fishing draggers.

Doucet introduces us to numerous characters. Both young and old. Those who left Lunenburg and returned, and those that never left, and those that come-from-away.

There are many comic scenes in the book.
Lots of little fun sex related tidbits.
Those for a “sex shop” in their neighbourhood. Those against it.

The ending I felt wrapped up nicely. I especially liked the appearance of Rose Ainsworth, the main character from The Pregnant Pause showing up in Lunenburg.

I thought the use of an anchor as an ampersand on the sign for the Fishnets & Fantasies shop clever. As well as on the book cover.

This would make a great screenplay. A CBC half hour comedy series. Hopefully that may someday happen. Lunenburg no stranger to the film industry. And most of the sets already there for filming.

There are also many fun little things, such as when Fred thinks his dog Buddy has Leprosy. Which was really leptospirosis.

Congratulations to Jane Doucet. Looking forward to her next creation.
If you’re looking for a fun, light read with some sea air mixed in, give Fishnets & Fantasies a read!

[Lynnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! Let’s make it a TV series, such great characters and an east coast twang😊

[Tim Covell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A retired couple opening a sex shop in a small town is a great comic premise, and Doucet explores every humorous aspect of this. There's a large cast of characters, though the sexual escapades and other secrets of the mostly older characters, and the relatively easy resolutions of all conflicts, push the work towards farce territory (not a bad place to be). Despite all the humour, there were several incidents that, at least from my perspective as a come-from-away, perfectly captured the flavour of small town Nova Scotia.

[Liz McCoombs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by local author Jane Doucet, and set mainly in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, this is a rollicking good tale of a fisherman's wife who brings her fantasies to reality.

Let's face it, we all have fantasies ... and Wendy Hebb's are somewhat unconventional, especially for a small town like Lunenburg.

As secrets are revealed, there are lots of ups and downs in Wendy's marriage as well as in her relationships with others in her town.

However, she perseveres, and against all odds, she succeeds.

Jane Doucet has created lovable characters, sure to give you some giggles. I highly recommend this one.

[Amy McIsaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up to 5
Staff reads #3-I read this book several months ago but the characters were so good and the book so enjoyable I still often think about them. It's so great to read a book that's set in a locale you are familiar with. I found myself saying "I know this place', Or 'I know what you mean' when the characters had some of the same experiences with aging! I couldn't help but keep picturing them in one of those weekly CBC shows I used to enjoy 'Schitt's Creek'. Loved that show and loved this book. Highly recommend.

[Natalie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok!! So this book, I was reading this book just for the title alone and also the fact that it is a local author… and also that it was based in a town I absolutely love to visit. Lunenburg is SO BEAUTIFUL!! I am so glad that my local bookstore gave me this ARC!! I absolutely adored this book and all of the characters.☺️☺️ All of them were so interesting and intriguing. I kept laughing out loud and had to read tidbits to my husband. I definitely want to get my hands on her other book!! I most definitely will be buying an actual copy of this book once it is released

[Nicola Davison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad I read this before Christmas because it gave me a chance to grab an extra copy for my mother-in-law before the big day. You'll want to read it out loud so you can share the laughs.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fishnets & Fantasies was my book club's read for May 2022 and this right here is precisely why I love being part of a book club! I never would have picked this off the shelf myself. I don't read a lot of light, contemporary fiction and a book about opening a sex shop probably wouldn't have made my shortlist ... but I ended up really, thoroughly enjoying this. Such a loveable cast of characters. A fun, small-town setting. A unique plot and quality writing. Several passages literally caused me to burst out laughing. A solid 4.5 star read for me. Highly recommend to anyone looking for something funny and heartwarming to kick off their summer reading.

[Ramona Jennex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheeky! A very well crafted and cheeky romp in the beautiful town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. This book shines a light on many different relationships and although the main theme is the opening of a "sex shop"(Fishnets and Fantasties Adult Emporium) it examines authentic characters with hopes and dreams.
There is no question this book will make you laugh out loud. And, it will touch your heart. And it was refreshing to read a bawdy book that was respectful to the characters and to the reader. When Jane Doucet wrote that this book was dedicated to lovers of all ages- she hit the nail on the head.

I was laughing at myself when I looked up a passage in Ezekiel...you need to read the book- no spoilers from me!
But I will share the first line in the book.
"The first time Mary Lohnes and Lorne Pictou tried to have sex it was a disaster. To be fair, the tick that Lorne plucked with tweezers from between Mary's ample breast was mostly to blame."
This book is warm, funny, heartfelt and sassy.

Brava Jane Doucet. You are one cheeky writer! I will be very disappointed if this treasure isn't made into a series or a movie.

[Hope Dalvay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've watched author Jane Doucet in several interviews and found her to be witty, down-to-earth, and oh-so-refreshingly candid. I was so intrigued that I picked up a copy of "Fishnets & Fantasies" for myself. And guess what? Her writing is just as charming and funny as I hoped it would be. I blushed on occasion, but more often I smiled and chuckled over the author's clever turn of phrase and knack for placing her characters in awkward but authentic situations. I can't wait to read her next book!

[Sam Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book ☺️It was nice to read a novel set in the Maritimes with a loveable cast of characters who felt like they could be anyone I know plucked from my life and placed directly into the story. The writing was simple and easy, but heartfelt, and full of expressions and idioms that I’ve grown up hearing my parents and grandparents use all my life. It felt like home. The story itself was a hoot and I found myself giggling constantly. I’m really looking forward to reading the author’s other books!

[Anne O'Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can only imagine how much fun the author had writing this because it was a joyful read! I laughed and grinned like a fool throughout the whole book. Who wouldn't love to see a sex shop in Lunenburg?
The characters were so real and I became quite attached so I'm watching for the sequel!

[Alisa (Li) Pothier-Merrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much to say... Fishnets & Fantasies is funny and made me laugh out loud many times.

The characters feel very true to the South Shore and, in fact, the people of NS. If I were living away and read this, it would take me home.

It's a beautiful illustration of friendship, love and community winning out over past lives lived and decisions made. It warmed my heart. Thank you!

[Craig Pothier · Rating 5 out of 5]

The colourful cast of likeable characters makes me wish I lived in this small town. The story has humour and heart. It ended too soon! I want more!

[Lana Shupe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, well, well. Jane Doucet you have done it again. Just like your first novel, The Pregnant Pause, you have given your reader delightful, multi-faceted characters and laugh out loud passages that made this reader blush. The title of this book could not be more appropriate for what a reader will encounter within it’s 267 pages.
Hilarious scenes involving backs being “thrown out” and adult children catching their “aged” parents in the act” are tastefully written. There is no need for a reader to fear any graphic details. The author is clearly making the correlation between sex, consequences of the act and the deeper feelings that are often overlooked when discussing sex. The author has taken the “taboo” out of talk about sex among the geriatric set.
As Wendy Hebb and her “silent partner husband” Paul, prepare to open an “adult emporium” in a small town, they face the varying reactions from all sectors of the town. Prudish high rollers, uptight locals and even the silent partner husband Wendy gets lots of support, however, from some she never, and this reader would never, have expected to give that support. I grew up in small town Nova Scotia and could easily imagine the reactions of people I knew there would be similar to the reactions of the people in Fishnets and Fantasies. Fishnets and Fantasies could not be a more fun name for the shop or the book.
The cast of characters here includes an irreverent, female Reverend, a geriatric mayor and a chain-smoking seamstress with a secret past. Characters who live in small towns everywhere. Characters who never get suspected of leading lascivious lives behind closed doors! “The last time I checked, Thou shalt not impersonate a member of the clergy for carnal pleasure wasn’t one of the Ten Commandments. And anyway, it’s not like I’m holding tarts-and-vicars workshops in the church basement after Sunday Service.”
Jane Doucet has a flare for writing the inner dialogue of characters as they struggle through their triumphs and challenges. The character’s inner dialogue establishes the unspoken thoughts and feelings that ensure the reader can follow along with why they react the way they do. Each character’s backstory here leads the book through to what this reader felt was a satisfying and believable conclusion.
Well paced, funny and full of slap-stick comedy this book makes perfect reading in the privacy of your own home, but I encourage you to read it at the beach or while waiting at the doctor’s office. I would love to be a fly on the wall when you give your answer to the inevitable question - “what’s that book about?”

[Amy Pulsifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

On one hand, this cast of characters feels familiar to anyone who has spent time on Nova Scotia's South Shore, right down to their "less conservative than you think" side. On the other hand, the book leaves me wanting to know them all better! With lightness and humour, Fishnets & Fantasies shows us that love and relationships come in all shapes and sizes.  And ages! And that intimacy, in whatever form, isn't reserved for the young.  A great escape from the last 15 months and something WAY more interesting to think and talk about! I'd love to be a fly on the wall at Book Club discussions! Well done again, Jane! Taking a sometimes serious and uncomfortable subject and presenting it in a way we can all talk about! In my mind's eye I would tune in every week faithfully to see our talented Canadian actors bring these characters to the small screen! What a hoot that would be!

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fabulous! Laugh out loud. Great to read something from a local author.

[Pascale · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do I like best about a novel? One that is not predictable. Let me tell you, Jane Doucet accomplished this and also managed to make me laugh! I can't wait for all of my friends to read it so we can finally discuss it!

[Amy DeWolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there is a book set in Nova Scotia that talks about lobster fishing, you know I'm going to read it.  I picked this up at the Dartmouth Book Exchange and had it read in under 24 hours.

Wendy Hebb has been the wife of a lobster fisherman for forty years. When her husband retires at sixty, she decides to follow her dreams - which just happens to be opening a sex shop in picturesque Lunenburg.

This was such a fun book and very true to how things are in small town NS. I loved the gossipy bits and could only imagine what it would be like if someone opened a sex shop in my area!

It was funny and light-hearted, even in the saddest of moments. The author really paints a vivid picture of Lunenburg (so much so that I realised I haven't been there for years and booked a trip there right after finishing the book haha)

The only con is that I wish it was longer and talked more about Wendy running the shop - it would be interesting (and hilarious) to see what the townsfolk would get up to in there.

Also, is it sad that I, a twenty-five year old, while reading about the characters throwing out their backs during sex and all their aches and pains was nodding along and thinking 'mm, same'? 😅

(And to the ladies at the DBE, unfortunately it didn't mention any fish themed toys, but I like to imagine Wendy ordered some once the shop was up and running - if only for the tourist season 😂).

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It made me laugh and cry at one point. I grew up in a small village on Cape Breton so I loved seeing the relationships and the characters in the setting of Lunenburg. I wondered what kind of reception my little hometown would give to someone who wanted to open a Sex Shop. I would be curious and maybe pleasantly surprised as I was with some of the characters in the book. I enjoyed how this book challenged some of the myths society has about sexuality for those over a certain age. That is why two of my favourite characters were Eric and Margot. I think this books challenges assumptions. I will definitely read Jane’s book The Pregnant Pause and hope for a third book with characters from the two books. As I was reading Fishnets and Fantasies I kept thinking what a wonderful play it would be for live theatre. Neptune Theatre in Halifax would be a great stage.

[Sue Slade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just adored Jane Doucet’s fun, small-town Nova Scotia novel, Fishnets & Fantasies!!! Since most of the books I’ve read lately, the main characters seem to be in their 20s, I found it quite refreshing to read about people more my age and older. Jane’s characters were so well developed that you just want to go, grab a bottle of wine, and join their book club meeting. I must admit that there were spots in the story that I had to stop reading, pull myself together, and share them with my husband so that we both could have a laugh. I really liked the fact that at the end of the story, we see the main character from Jane’s first novel make an appearance. Can we hope that Jane is maybe setting us up for another story about Fishnets & Fantasies???

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opening an adult emporium in the middle of any town in Nova Scotia would be an interesting story. Opening it in Lunenburg is brilliant!! Ordinary people with very ordinary lives...or at least that's the perception of most small coastal towns. Until Jane Doucet pulls back the curtain and introduces us to people who are anything but ordinary! To people whose lives are filled with love, loss, hope and desire! This is a warm hearted story about the courage it takes to realise your dreams. Loved it!

[Jen Robley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally the first sentence made me laugh ! I hope there are more books about the characters and the shop . I was so invested in this book to the point where my husband and I were out for a drive close to Lunenburg and I almost said “ let’s continue on so I can check out the new store“. Caught myself ! I still half expect to see the sign hanging on a street corner . The characters are so real and feel like they could be part of my social circle. I laughed , I cried then laughed some more.

[Sarah Butland · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful and tantalizing look at love, and yes, sex, in the senior year's. How this young Canadian author got into the minds, and beds, of the older generation and worded it so fantastically is beyond me.

I don't think many want to imagine a world without love making and, with Doucet's help, we really don't have to. A small town setting with some giant hearts, big characters and wit that had me laughing from page one, Fishnets & Fantasies hooked me, sank me and pulled me back up from the depths again very quickly.

A most delightful read for anyone wanting to take a safe risk.

[Emilie Pothier · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know a book is funny when you laugh at the first sentence, read it aloud to your roommate, and then end up reading out the whole prologue because it just keeps getting better! Jane Doucet had me instantly immersed in Fishnets & Fantasies with a cast of vivid characters that grabbed me right from the start. Hilarious and human from start to finish, it's a wonderful nod to the South Shore that had me turning pages eagerly until the very end.

[Jody Boogaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read and enjoyed Jane Doucet’s first novel, The Pregnant Pause, I was eager to read this one.

Although the story has a distinctly Nova Scotian flair, it’s small town setting could be anywhere in Canada.

The characters all felt very real and I liked the way their lives and stories were intertwined as many are in a small town.

The story was honest and cheeky, with many laughs and a few surprises throughout. It was a great read and I had a hard time putting it down.

[Cindy Campbell-Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fishnets and Fantasies was hilarious! Loved the characters and didn't want the story to end. I really appreciated the local setting in Lunenburg and knew many of the places that were mentioned in the book. I am giving gifts of this book to friends. Well done, Jane Doucet!

[Heidi Rushton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED Fishnets & Fantasies. I flew through it in a weekend. Fun, fast-paced writing and it was so nice to read about people living their best lives who were past the age of 45 - something you don't see nearly enough of in novels! Thank you for a great read. I've already recommended it to many others.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know things have moved on when CanLit can produce a very CanLit-style novel about aging people having sex and opening sex shops in rural Nova Scotia. A gentle, movie-of-week style tale full of charm that just happens to feature a cast of very horny people. It was certainly an entertaining experience.