Behind Every Good Man is part historical fiction/part romance. Set in the early 1960s, the main character, Beverly, finds out that her husband is cheating on her. Larry, her now estranged husband, is the campaign manager for the incumbent state senator. Beverly decides to join the underdog's campaign in part to seek revenge against Larry. There's a great mix of laughter, tears and heartfelt moments in this book. It tackles heavy topics, like women's rights and antisemitism, but there are plenty of lighthearted moments in there as well. If you loved Sara's other books, this one will not disappoint! Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this book!

Set during the 1962 Maryland senatorial election, Behind Every Good Man was a heartwarming story that was hard to put down. Early on I feared it was going to be predictable, but I should know better with Sara Goodman Confino - there were plenty of twists I did not see coming. I just love how Sara writes confident, witty, inspirational woman that are so much fun to root for.

Be sure to read Don’t Forget to Write first or some major plot points will be spoiled.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

I think I can now officially say that Sara Goodman Confino is one of my favorite authors. If she writes it, I'll read it. 

In Behind Every Good Man, we get everything we've come to expect and love from Sara's novels: a strong, witty female character set on knocking down gender barriers, a heartwarming familial relationship and joyful Jewish representation. But the novel's 1960s DC setting and the conflict of ex-spouses turned political rivals gives it a fresh and exciting spin. 

Look no further for the perfect summer read. Fans of the TV show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel will especially love this one.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. Behind Every Good Man will be out 8/6.

Behind Every Good Man is an incredible read that takes place in 1962. It combines women's fiction and historical fiction.

The book focuses on a Maryland senatorial campaign. And it features amazing Jewish rep.

The main character is 27 year old Beverly Diamond. She is a wife and mother. Honestly I would not have thought that I would have loved a book taking place in this time period and focusing on politics. But somehow I could not put this book down. I loved absolutely everything about this book. It was just amazing.

The characters were so great. I was obsessed with Bev. But I also adored all of the supporting characters, especially Michael Landau (running for senator), Stuart (running his campaign), Nancy (Bev's best friend) and Mildred (Bev's mother).

The book has quick short chapters. And amazing cameos from some favorite characters from Don't Forget To Write. There is also some romance, which was perfection.

Overall, I just loved getting to see Beverly thrive. This was such a good book! I highly recommend it!

4.5 ⭐️ Behind every good man… is an even better woman! Sara Goodman Confino is my go-to for strong, sassy, independent FMCs, and Beverly was no exception! After catching her husband with his pants down (literally!), she seeks revenge in the best way she knows how— to stick it to him in the upcoming election. This book gave major Mrs. Maisel vibes, which I loved. Some of the election/political pieces resulted in my attention and investment dipping (perhaps due to my anxiety about the upcoming election?). Still, this was another stellar book from SGC with all of the girl power!

Sara Goodman Confino has quite the following of fans in a Facebook group that I belong to, so when this book became available as an option to read, I jumped at the chance. I found Behind Every Good Man to be an easy and enjoyable read. Sara writes with her voice and makes her characters relatable. I enjoy books that are based in the past, so I appreciated the 1962 timeframe of this story. If you are looking for something light, that has some history to it, and want to feel reminded about the power of women, please read this book!

Behind Every Good Man, is an even better Woman. (The secret to his success)

It’s 1962 and Beverly Diamond has decided to deliver fresh baked cookies 🍪 to her husband Larry at his office! But, when she opens his door- the surprise is on her! Larry has his pants around his ankles and his secretary is providing more than dictation. Oops!

What a cliché!

Larry may run the Maryland senatorial campaign for the incumbent candidate, Sam Gibson, but Beverly’s father had been a popular Congressman until he retired two years ago, so she grew up in the Political World.

And, she has some ideas of how his younger, underdog opponent can win.

So, she asks her Mom, Millie (a scene stealer!) to watch her two young children-planting them in front of the 📺 where “Captain Kangaroo” will keep them occupied, and sets out to get herself a job as the campaign manager for the opposition-Michael Landau.

REVENGE is a dish best served cold, but Beverly might just serve hers in a Corning Ware Cornflower casserole dish!

May the best man or WOMAN win!!

This FEEL-GOOD historical fiction read, is full of humor and 60’s nostalgia!

Though I have had my fill of today’s Politics, this was one candidate I could easily cast my vote for! 🗳️

Be sure to read the AUTHORS NOTE at the end of the book to learn who the REAL WOMEN were who inspired this book!
AVAILABLE August 6, 2024.

A buddy read with DeAnn so be sure to watch for her review!

Thank You to Lake Union Publishing for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. These are my candid thoughts!

I was really excited to read this book because I loved the author’s last novel, Don’t Forget to Write. Her writing style is one of my favorites as she somehow mixes wit and humor with serious topics for this perfect blend that makes you feel like you’re watching the story unfold in front of you.

As in her other books, she has strong female characters who are very likable- I especially liked Beverly and her mother. I also liked the unique plot line of woman in politics in the 1960s. I absolutely loved the reappearance of some characters from her last book as well. On the negative side, I could’ve done without the romance aspect and didn’t feel it added anything. I also felt like the book as a whole was missing a little something and my attention wasn’t grabbed like it was with her last novel.

Overall, I liked the book and would recommend it if you’re looking for an easy palate cleanser. I would put Don’t Forget to Write above this one though.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Beverly, our FMC, is such an empowering female lead. She’s not afraid to get her hands dirty (even if her mother is) and go after what she wants and deserves. There were so many moments in this book that I actually pumped my fist in the air because it was just such a good, gratifying moment. The characters were all well thought out and fun to read about. Confino deals with issues like infidelity and child custody with a levity and grace that is hard to do.

Beverly’s mother reminds me a lot of Emily Gilmore in the best way and I loved her character so much. I loved her character arc almost as much as Beverly’s.

My only gripe with this book is that I wished we got to see more of the romance for Beverly - maybe even just an Epilogue. I think the story would have been even more rich had more scenes of them been included.

All in all, this was a super fun, light read. I always enjoy Confino’s books and this was no exception. Her ability to write a strong, funny female lead is unmatched. I loved the time frame this was set in and it made a senatorial race interesting (hard to do for this reader.) Pick up this book! You won’t be dissapointed!

Another gem from Sara Goodman Confino
Thank you, Lake Union Publishing, for the gifted copy of Behind Every Good Man {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Trope: Historical
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 8.6.2024
Pages: 349
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

"He told us to look at ourselves in the mirror every single morning and ask ourselves what we were going to do to make the world better that day."

Last year, I read (and loved) Don't Forget to Write by Confino. So I was thrilled to have a chance to read her newest novel, Behind Every Good Man.

Similar to her last novel, Conino created a tapestry of strong-willed women trying to find their voice in a world that constantly wants them to stay quiet at home. To drive the novel's plot, Confino added just the right amount of historical context throughout, bringing all the characters to life. It served as a reminder that the 1960s were not that long ago and that the women before us fought hard for their right to have their voices heard.  

As for the characters, I loved the MC, Beverly Diamond; she was a force to be reckoned with and wasn't afraid to stand her ground against her (soon-to-be) ex-husband. But there is also something to say for the cast of supporting characters written into the story as they helped to bring everything to life.  I would love to have a chance to meet them again in Confino's next novel. After all, we did have an opportunity to revisit some of the characters in Don't Forget to Write 😉

Read if you enjoy:
👀 Behind the scenes of running a campaign
🗓️ 1960'S DC settings
✡️ Jewish representation
💪🏼 Stories about female empowerment
📖 Historical moments mixed into fiction

I recommend reading Behind Every Good Man if you're looking for an empowering book this year.

I loved this book!! This was my second read from Sara Goodman Confino and I will be for sure reading more. Her stories bring you back in time, not too far back, when women were expected to be homemakers & mothers. Her main characters in both novels I read were strong women who break out of this expectation and find themselves along the way.
I enjoyed following along a campaign of a younger, lesser known candidate in this story. This book was a quick read for me and great for summer.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy for review.

FABULOUS FABULOUS FABULOUS! It grasped me in the early pages. Beverly is a force and all women should look up to her. Her perseverance and never backing down is truly courageous. She is VERY relatable, as is her situation in today's day and age. I COULD NOT put this down. A+ to Sara on this one.

Sara Goodman Confino is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! And that is after only having read two of her books so far!

Behind Every Good Man will be a journey down memory lane for older readers and an eye-opener for younger readers. Let’s go back to 1962, when things were changing, but not quickly enough for a lot of people. Beverly Diamond is a homemaker, mother of two young kids, wife to Larry, who is a professional political campaign manager. They live in a lovely house outside Washington, DC, in Maryland. Beverly does everything she can to make Larry’s life easy and comfortable, even waking up an hour before he does, so she can shower, put on clothes and make-up and make him a good breakfast. But her world is upended when she catches Larry cheating on her, with his secretary, no less. She kicks him out, instead of accepting his behavior - which was a fairly unusual thing to do back then.

With their marriage on the rocks, Beverly figures she will need a job and can’t think what she’d be qualified for, other than maybe selling cosmetics at a local department store (she went to college but didn’t finish). Then she realizes that she grew up with politics, her father having been a long-term representative in Congress. She knows politics and she knows campaigns. When Bev learns about Michael Landau, who is running against the incumbent (Larry is the incumbent’s campaign manager) for US Senator for Maryland, she decides to work for Landau and to make sure he wins the Maryland Senate seat, partly because she thinks Landau will be much better than the incumbent and partly to get revenge on Larry.

This was such a great story! Even though I’m a fair bit younger than Bev, I related to her situation so much. More than a decade after this timeframe, I was furious when I could not get a department store credit card in my own name, while my husband, who was a full-time student at the time, was able to open one with no problems! In 1962, there were even more barriers to women working, being independent, owning a home, and more.

I loved all the focus on politics and the untapped power of women voters, plus all the Jewish representation. I had to laugh several times, including how important it was to be seen at synagogue on Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year).

If you’ve read Confino’s book, Don’t Forget To Write, you’ll love the cameo appearance of Marilyn from that book (and other references), but you won’t miss anything important if you haven’t.

Bev’s mother was a stitch! I absolutely adored her and Bev’s friend, Nancy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Right now this is at the top of my list for favorite book of 2024! While you don't have to read Don't Forget to Write before this one, it does help to catch a few characters being mentioned. I loved those little crossovers. Beverly Diamond is a force with the grit you can't help but love in a female character. She is a character you won't soon forget. This story moved along so quickly, that I was sad it was over so soon. I will definitely be recommending this to everyone - no matter what type of reading you enjoy. It can't be put into one category - at least not in my mind. I can't wait to see what Sara Goodman Confino comes out with next. She has risen to the list of must-read authors!

This was my first book by Sarah Goodman Confino even though I have “ Don’t forget to write” on my TBR. The author is a favorite in the PMBC Facebook group and so I was excited for the opportunity to read her latest as an advanced reader copy.

The setting is Washington DC in 1962. Beverly is the daughter to a former senator and is married to a campaign manager for a current senator. When Beverly walks in on her husband cheating on her with his secretary she is faced with the choice to either live with it or divorce her husband. She decides to divorce her husband and this story is how she navigates finding herself as a woman, mother and partner in the 1960’s. I really enjoyed this story and am excited to read her backlist titles.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

This is the second book by Sara Confino that I read and really enjoyed. Her characters are very relatable. The women in her books are strong and independent. I will recommend this and her others to many.

I loved this book! One of my all time favourite books is Lessons in Chemistry from the year 2022 and will always recommend that book. With Behind Every Good Man I’m sure this will happen as well! I thoroughly enjoyed Beverly as a character and her story was very engaging and kept me reading. The book was basically unputdownable for me. The banter between Beverly and her Mum Millie was amazing and also with Michael and Stuart. I just loved the characters.

About the characters in more detail: Beverly is strong, intelligent and has her own mind! I loved how quickly she decided that Larry has to go and she will get divorced, even though the social norm is to keep calm and carry on. I loved how she didn't give up in any fight or struggle but made the best out of the situation. Michael is a great character and believably honest, which I appreciated a lot. He is the good guy. I liked him a lot. Stuart is an amazing counterpart as original campaign manager of Michael who doesn’t think it’s a good idea to hire Beverly. But he is so funny in being so stubborn! Without Stuart the book would only be half as funny to me. And last but not least, Millie, Beverly's mum, is the best side character and she is just so funny as well. She is very surprising at times and I felt her love and support for Beverly to be very believable and real.

All in all I find the book has real character development and offers a great story to any reader. Hence, just as expected: this book gets my full recommendation!

This is my first time reading a book by Sara Goodman Confino (SGC). I have loved seeing her books grow in popularity among the niche Peloton Mom’s Book Club and have had her other books on my TBR for ages. When I saw an opportunity to request an ARC for her newest book, I decided it was meant to be and requested a copy.

Behind Every Good Man is a historical women’s fiction novel with a side of wholesome romance. This book gives off major Marvelous Mrs. Maisel vibes; you have a strong female lead hell bent on breaking down the patriarchal systems in the 60s, Jewish representation, and political history. I am convinced that SGC firmly pulled inspiration for Beverly Diamond’s character development from Miriam Maisel and you cannot convince me otherwise.

I adored this book, it was rich in history, humor, politics, Jewish identity, female empowerment, etc. I have since learned that SGC’s most recent book published last year, Don’t Forget to Write, is a tie-in to this new book and I have already snagged a copy so I can read more about the elusive and equally interesting Marilyn Kleinman. I really need to hear more about this window shattering kiss with the rabbi’s son.

If you like historical, women’s fiction with romance, and Jewish representation; this is a book you absolutely should check out. Behind Every Good Man comes out on August 6th. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book; all opinions are my own.

Sara knows how to write a strong female character! I love her female leads, they’re strong, persevering and inspirational. I will always pick up one of her books when I’m in need of a fun, heart warming, pick me up. This one took the cake and is my favorite so far!

When Beverly Diamond surprises her husband at the office, she finds him and his secretary in a most compromising position. Devastated by his betrayal, his bags are packed and Larry finds himself on a friend’s couch before the day is over. Feeling embarrassed and confused Beverly doesn’t see many options as a woman in 1962. Although she was an excellent student, Beverly gave up college and career to be a homemaker, a perfect wife and mother to her two young children. Now in her late twenties, Beverly refuses to let this man ruin her future. She chooses to use the lessons she learned watching the repeated success of her politician father and strong, competent mother. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, Beverly realizes winning would be the sweetest revenge. As Larry runs the senatorial campaign of a two faced liar, Beverly weasels her way into the offices of an opponent. A young candidate named Michael Landau. He is smart, handsome and most importantly - breathtakingly honest. But Landau’s campaign has no money, no traction and very little direction. Well, she intends to change all that. Using every lesson and connection she has in her arsenal, Beverly turns the entire race upside down. Witty, fun and fast paced, this author once again brings us into the not so distant past when women looked the part but were not yet leading the way. They were entirely dependent on their husbands and the male counterparts of their families. The fight for independence and equality were hard won battles that are still in motion today. Do not miss this entertaining original novel and remember who you are when you vote this November.