Skip to main content

Member Reviews

This was such a refreshing read and Beverly is a FMC you will definitely want to root for. I love how the author wrote a book about strong empowered women who don't fold at the first sign of adversity, but instead rise to the occasion and make one hell of a lemonade when life throws them lemons, because seriously, who run the world? Girls, we run this motha!

Was this review helpful?

Behind Every Good Man was a quick, fun read with heart. I loved Beverly and her strength. I also really appreciated the depiction of strong female friendships and women supporting each other. This was my first time reading a novel by Sara Goodman Confino, but it won’t be my last!

Special thanks to Lake Union Publishing for the ARC via NetGalley.

Was this review helpful?

This author has quickly turned into a must read for me and this book was no different. Her grasp on character development and writing characters that you can’t help but cheer for is so refreshing. Plus I thought this book release was perfectly timed given the current election cycle

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book! I love books with strong female leads and this did not disappoint! I love how we see Beverly grow her confidence - she is strong and feisty! I liked the 1960’s setting as well as the great side characters. Great read!

Was this review helpful?

This was the 3rd or 4th book I have read by Sara and I just love them all. I adored the characters in Behind Every Good Man, but I think I loved the time period even more. Politics during the Kennedy era, just perfect!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in advance for my honest review. I did not get to this one before it came out so I ended up listening to it on audible with my amazon unlimited subscription. Then narrator was excellent and I highly recommend listening to her. This book is about a jewish woman with two small children who one days walks in on her husband having an affair with his secretary. She decides to leave him and get a job in politics: this story is set in the 50s so divorce wasnt easy to come by. She only got her job because her father was a senator. She works on this guys campaign and of course they fall in love. Simple book, easy to read, light story. Four stars.

Was this review helpful?

I could write a novel for how good this book is. Do you have the time? I flew through this incredible read that is so empowering for women. As a mom of three girls, its everything that I want them to know about I am woman hear me roar while it being respectful and tied in with the time period. Sara truly is a talent!! The ending took a beautiful twist that I didn't see coming, but I love how it tied it up with a beautiful bow filled with empowerment! BRAVOOOOO!

Was this review helpful?

Sara Goodman Confino is an auto buy author for me. I absolutely love her style of writing, and love her novels.

Behind Every Good Man is a story of a wife who goes head to head with her cheating husband where she knows she can beat him - at his own job. Why - because he learned everything there is to being a campaign manager from her family. Beverly Diamond finds her husband Larry having too much fun at his office with his secretary…. From that day on, Beverly decides to hit him where it hurts. She goes to the opposition and basically begs for a job while promising the underdog (Michael) she can win him the campaign.

Beverly is a strong mama, dedicated to her children and to winning and SGC’s storytelling gets you looped in from the beginning. Sara’s writing will leave you cheering Beverly on hoping for the winning outcome (in work and in life).

I absolutely loved Behind Every Good Man, and I am so excited that writing is now Sara’s full time career so we can expect more fabulous novels!!

Thank you so much to the publishers Lake Union Publishing, and the author for this ARC - all opinions are my own!

Was this review helpful?

In this fascinating 1960s historical fiction novel, readers follow Beverly Diamond, a DC suburban wife with a former congressman father and a campaign manager husband, as her marriage falls apart with the discovery of her husband’s affair. With no job experience or real-world skills, Beverly does know politics incredibly well and takes her skills to Michael Landau’s campaign (the challenger to the Maryland senatorial incumbent whose campaign her husband Larry runs). If Michael really wants to win the race, he and his campaign manager Stuart need to listen to her, but luckily Beverly and Michael get along in more ways than one. With more than just a Senate seat on the line, Beverly is all in on this campaign to get back at Larry and follow her own dreams. Beverly is a feisty, capable, and wickedly brilliant protagonist, and her journey to independence and personal fulfillment is absolutely fascinating to follow. With her challenges to 1960s conventions, she is a world-shaker for many in her circle, and readers will absolutely be invested in her passion for politics and her righteous anger with Larry. A brilliant, complex, and exciting 1960s historical fiction novel, fans of strong women and political intrigue will love this book and root for Beverly’s campaign for independence.

Was this review helpful?

If you haven’t read a Sara Goodman Confino book before what are you waiting for? Confino knows how to write dynamic women who are so relatable that you see parts of yourself in them.

As a mom who recently went back to work (not because I was in Bev’s situation) I can really relate to Bev’s desire to do something for herself that matters and to show her kids that she can. After walking in on her husband in a compromising position with his secretary, Bev knew instantly her life was about to change but she didn’t know how exactly but she knew she wasn’t going down without a fight.

Sure, Bev’s initial reason for going to work for her soon to be ex husband’s candidate’s opponent was revenge, it turned into a real eye opener and sparked a new direction for her life. She found her confidence in herself and saw how she could make the future she wanted for her kids and herself a real reality. She empowered other women around her to take action and become part of the change and she was able to really see how other women moved through life in various stages.

Another thing that Confino does so well is write awesome side characters. Nancy is Bev’s best friend and everyone needs a woman like her in their lives. Bev’s mom was challenging at times but her heart was in the right place and she was there for her daughter without question. But probably the best side character was Stuart, Michael’s campaign manager, he tried to go toe to toe with Bev with every campaign decision but he quickly realized she was an asset not a threat and changed his tune but not without a few grumbles.


Thank you publishers and netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback

Was this review helpful?

this was a cute story of a women who became more than what she thought she was, after finding her husband in a situation let's just say she decided to get proactive, this was a cute story with alot of fun side characters her mom was definitely funny, the book gave good retro sixties vibes,

Was this review helpful?

So many things I loved about this book. I loved the characters; their strong personalities, their hard working driven selves, the women running the world. I loved so much of this book. If you want something that will make you laugh, feel strong girl power, and give some historical reference, this one’s for you!

Was this review helpful?

Behind Every Good Man by Sara Goodman Confino was SUCH a good book. Had so much fun diving into the world of Beverly Diamond, who decides to get a job after she leaves her cheating husband. The catch - she's working on the campaign of the candidate who's running against the senator her soon-to-be ex-husband works for. This book was fun and kept me reading late into the night. Would highly recommend!

Was this review helpful?

When Beverly catches her husband with his secretary (ala The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), she embarks on a new life as a political strategist. But it's 1962 and that's a bit unheard of. Beverly was raised by a Senator and is at home in the world of national politics and finds a candidate she can believe in and help win.

I loved this historical fiction/ women's fiction book. I've also loved two of Confino's previous books, but this one was my favorite. I loved all the characters (even the ones I loved to hate), and just thought this was a lovely, engaging story and perfect for fall reading as it's set in the world of politics, but not political in nature. I cannot wait to have all my friends read this. Confino is now on my must-read list of authors.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Was this review helpful?

I’ve been looking for my next 5-star read, and… drumroll please, here it is! This book is remarkable, and I don’t even like politics - it shows what a master storyteller Sara Goodman Confino is.

I couldn’t decide if I loved Beverly or her mother more, but both of these women had me laughing. I was so thankful Beverly did not stand by her man when she caught her husband with his secretary. Instead, she decides to go to work for a political opponent, and it’s election season.

Set in the 1960s, Beverly is up against many sexist barriers and societal judgments. She’s been a housewife and a mother; that’s all anyone has seen her as. But now she’s about to show Michael, her candidate, how to win the women’s vote.

I can’t praise this book enough. It has brilliant characters, snappy dialogue with witty humor, and even a touch of romance. It showcases how women still had to be wives, mothers, and domestic caretakers while trying to get a foothold in their careers. Added in are some great Jewish representation and even a few respectable men, making the narrative feel well-rounded and balanced.

I loved that this was about women supporting women and showing that women can be an unstoppable force. Sara, I cannot wait to read what you write next!

Thank you @getredprbooks and @saraconfino for the gifted book and ebook via Netgalley.

Thank you @brilliancepublishing for the gifted audiobook. Helen Laser’s narration was fabulous!

Was this review helpful?

4.5 stars!
I must admit that Sara Goodman Confino has become an auto-buy author for me. Every book I have read from her is just good and it keeps getting better. I was never disappointed with the writing. It is as always full of heart and reality mixed perfectly together.
I literally went in blind and dare I say, I was hooked from the start. The dialogues were captivating, and the humor was superb! I love how feminist this book was and how she perfectly defined the idea of a "man" and "the man" that a woman deserves.
I love the character development, most specially Beverly's! She takes no crap from anybody and was very definite of what she actually wants. I feel her pain when she found herself betrayed and robbed from the opportunities that she should have had she not gave way for Larry. She was smart and dedicated and winning against Larry behind the candidate she believed in was just the perfect retaliation!
I really enjoyed this read and I highly recommend! Special thank you to Union Pub via Netgalley for the ARC provided in exchanged of my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Sara Goodman Confino has quickly become one of my favorite historical fiction writers! I love the time period she writes in, and learning about the role and expectations for women at that time. Her characters are strong, witty females.

In Behind Every Good Man, Beverly catches her husband cheating and finds herself in need of a job. She ends up working for a politician, who happens to be running against a campaign that her ex is in charge of. This book made me laugh, made me cry, and had some awesome Easter eggs from She’s Up To No Good. I recommend this book for anyone who likes The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel or She’s Up To No Good. I also think it would make a great book club book as there is lots to discuss about the time period!

A sincere thank you to Lake Union Publishing for this electronic arc. All views in this review are entirely my own.

Was this review helpful?

Let’s get to it - I loved this book. It had everything, a great protagonist and a very sassy Mother, sleazy creeps galore, including some political hacks, super great kids and more, more, more. I loved BFF Nancy and her admonishes to her children to “fight gently”. Reminiscent of my love of Lessons in Chemistry, Behind Every Good Man had me smiling and grinning while chanting “You go girl!”

It’s 1962 and Beverly Gelman Diamond is about to show many in Maryland the stuff that makes heroines. The writing is smart. There is just the right amount of clever and pissed off and the humbling of finding out what you don’t know, learning from it and swinging the bat into a home-run.

Back to 1962 for a bit and being reminded that most women didn’t work outside of the home and even if it was a necessity, finding challenging work was just that - a huge undertaking and risky. Women couldn’t get a mortgage on their own, so buying a home without a spouse, man, father was almost impossible. Wow, what a look back at the “Good Old Days”. Kudos to Confino for exposing her heroines for the accolades they deserve then and now.

Loved everything about this book and so thankful to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a copy.

Was this review helpful?

Historical fiction
Jewish rep
Politics/elections
Feminist themes
Office romance

I am obsessed with Behind Every Good Man. It's one of my top reads of 2024 so far. It's sharp, captivating, and funny. Although it's historical fiction set in the 1960s, it's timely and relevant, especially in this election year, when women still have to fight for equality and representation. The book is so relevant that it even has a 'tampons in the bathroom" joke. :-)

The main heroine, Beverly, is intelligent and competent; she knows her worth and is not intimidated by men. She is the type of FMC that I love to read about. I also loved Beverly's mother, Millie. She cracked me up. And Beverly's love interest, Michael, is delightful.

I found the writing style very engaging. I was so engrossed in the story I read it in one day. As soon as I finished reading it, I downloaded Confino's previous novel. I cannot recommend Behind Every Good Man enough, especially for readers looking for historical fiction with feminist themes and a great romance.

Was this review helpful?

Sara Goodman Confino’s books are always a must read for me! This one might be the best one yet. Full of powerful woman I couldn’t put it down! I’d highly recommend this book

Was this review helpful?