📚 The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick
Sometimes, all it takes is one good book and a few brave women to change everything.

Set in 1963 suburbia, this story follows Margaret—a picture-perfect housewife who’s quietly unraveling. When a new neighbor, Charlotte, arrives with bold ideas and a copy of The Feminine Mystique, Margaret finds herself at the heart of an unexpected revolution. Enter the Bettys: a book club that becomes so much more than talk over coffee.

This is a warm, empowering story of friendship, finding your voice, and rewriting the rules—one page, one choice, one woman at a time. If you’ve ever felt like you were made for more, this one’s for you.

“The Book Club for Troublesome Women” is a feel-good, yet empowering historical fiction of life in America in the 1960s for four white women. (I would have loved for Marie Bostwick to have depicted a woman of color as well, as her story would likely have been very different during this time than that of the four protagonists!) Entertaining and insightful, this story follows four housewives who are tired of the status quo and craving a change in how society views gender roles. The four eclectic characters with very different personalities decide to form a book club and read Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique.”

Woven through four narratives and different journeys as a 1960s woman, “The Book Club for Troublesome Women” artfully depicts this (adult) coming-of-age tale, with strong themes of resilience, friendship, and challenging the narrative.

Thank you to Marie Bostwick, HarperCollins, & NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

A book club book for a book club? Yes.

Marie Bostwick has crafted a compelling novel centered on the lives of four very different women living in the newly established suburb of Concordia. Each of them seems content—until they’re not. But Bostwick subtly challenges whether they were ever truly content in the first place.

I’ve read a lot of historical fiction lately that features multiple women’s stories, but this one surprised me. About 20% in, I began to worry: would I stay invested in a plot that didn’t have a dramatic twist like a murder mystery? But my concern quickly faded. As the lives of Margaret, Charlotte, Viv, and Bitsy unfolded, it really highlighted for me the vital importance of characters driving a plot.

Their challenges and aspirations were distinct yet tied together by a shared hunger for more. The pacing was fluid, with their arcs weaving in and out seamlessly—just as one woman found success, another faced a new obstacle. The others would rally to support her, creating a steady rhythm that kept the story moving and emotionally grounded. The rapid changes in their daily lives over the course of months felt realistic and engaging, and I loved watching them grow and find resilience after each stumble.
Bostwick was smart to include women of different ages and economic backgrounds within the same idealised community. She highlights how the same societal expectations and gender norms of the 1960s impacted all women—though not equally. The novel acknowledges broader social changes in America and touches on how those changes affected women of various racial and ethnic backgrounds, keeping the bookclub grounded as but one experience in the greater American landscape.

Overall, I truly loved this book. It wraps up in a way that’s satisfying—perhaps idealistic, but fitting. I understand that some outcomes may feel a bit optimistic for the era (like when Margaret forges her husband’s signature to open a bank account), but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. At its heart, this is a story about friendship, and those connections keep the narrative grounded from beginning to end.

My book club read this novel and we had some mixed reactions. I was one of the few that truly enjoyed it. This is historical fiction, set in the early 1960s and the start of the women’s lib movement. In the novel, the 4 main characters each have their own challenges—returning to the workforce, choosing to be stay at home mothers, going through a divorce, but also why started as a casual get together monthly turned into true friendships that supported each other through the trials and tribulations. It seemed very fitting as women are once again protesting for their rights.

⭐⭐⭐.75 | 3.75 stars rounded up

This is not my usual genre, but I really enjoyed it. Set in Virginia in the 1960s, this story follows four women - each discontent in one or more ways - who form a bookclub. I loved getting to know Margaret, Viv, Bitsy, and Charlotte. I thought I may get bored, but the more I got to know each woman, the more I became invested in their lives. This was a really touching story about female friendship, the need to do what is right, and the importance of prioritizing oneself first and foremost.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars.

This book was good like there was nothing wrong with it but it just didn’t grip me the way I wanted it to. The ending felt kinda rushed to me too, just felt like all this development and lead up to wrap everything up extremely quickly.

The author focuses on a group of women reading The Feminine Mystique. Through their discussions, they realize their lives are not as fulfilling as outsiders think. Set in the 1960's the author captures the nuances of the era when women began to questions the repsect they received and the fact that they could contribute more to society that just the tradional roles that came before. Bostwick shows the personal turmoil of the characters and their self discovery. A good read.

Historical fiction, fans of Kristin Hannah will likely enjoy this. Unfortunately, the development of the characters didn’t quite do it for me - I expected more rabble-rousing based on the title.

This is a book every woman and young girl must read to fully understand why we stand up for our women's rights today. This is an outstanding read that focuses on the lack of rights of women in the sixties. The writing is excellent and captures the reader. Each character is done to perfection for the era. I found myself reflecting on the stories my mother told of being a woman in the sixties and how far women have come. As we all stand today and fight for our most basic of rights, we must remember that those that are destroying women's rights are setting us back generations to this era where white republican men controlled every aspect of a women's life. This book is a perfect example through women's fiction of how women are treated like property and breeders in this county.

Margaret is a wife in the sixties. She is suffocating among the lack of rights she has. Her husband is a control freak and even provides her with reading material on conformity. Fighting for her own rights as a person she forms a book club with other women seeking friendship and freedom from the restrictive lives they lead. They read "The Feminine Mystique" first and find their voices. Soon Margaret begins to write for a magazine and the others find their courage amid the rapid discrimination against women of the time.

This is a example of women's courage and bravery breaking through discrimination and antiquated beliefs. This reader cheered for these women as they found themselves and put the confines of men's restrictions behind them to gain success and freedom. I loved this book and found it to be very timely to what women are suffering through now with our rights being taken from us. Thank you with gratitude to the publishers, Net Galley and the author. I highly recommend this book .

Interesting story involving women in a book club set back in the day when women were to be in the home. Many characters and story lines which at times was hard to follow. Slow start and almost did not finish it, but it got better.

I wanted to like this one. The setup sounded like the best kind of feminist fiction—women forming a book club in the 1960s to read The Feminine Mystique? Yes please. Give me the quiet rebellion, the consciousness-raising, the whole “books will save us” energy.

But instead, I got a slow, meandering story that never pulled me in. The characters felt flat, the dialogue lacked spark, and the pacing just dragged. I kept waiting for the moment it would grab me—and it never did. I put it down, thinking I’d pick it up again. I didn’t. And honestly? I didn’t miss it.

"The Book Club for Troublesome Women" is a heartwarming, easy read about four housewives in the 1960s who form an unlikely friendship—and a book club. As they read the radical "The Feminine Mystique", their perspectives begin to shift, and they start questioning what it really means to be a woman in traditional, conservative suburbia. As the women open up to each other, we get to see the unique struggles they each face—whether it's an unfulfilling marriage, a lack of independence, or the quiet ache of feeling stuck. It's nice to see how these sometimes polar opposites begin to support one another, cheering each other on as they set new goals and take real steps toward personal growth, even when it's messy or uncertain.
The story flows easily and is very accessible. It’s sometimes a little predictable—you can guess where a few plot lines are headed—but that doesn’t take away from the story overall. I generally found it to be an enjoyable, feel-good read with a thoughtful message about friendship, identity, and finding your voice.

“The Book Club for Troublesome Women“ by Marie Bostwick” is set in the 1960s—and is exceptionally well written. I appreciated how the storylines played out in a thoughtful way. The richly detailed setting and strong character development kept me fully engaged throughout. Bostwick did an excellent job addressing micro aggressions against a women’s book club, and how women challenged social norms in an oppressive era. This had similar vibes to Lessons in Chemistry. Fans of historical fiction should add this one to their TBR.
Thank you to NetGallery and HarperCollins Focus for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Loooooove this story! Not a huge historical fiction fan however the writing in this makes it feel like I am right there with the ladies in the story. Each character has such a great storyline where I can visualize their day to day back in this timeframe. Not only does it give you all the feels but it makes me grateful that I am living in the current times.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the advanced reader copy of this novel--all opinions are my own.

Well, its been quite some time since I cried at the end of a book, but that is what happened here. The Book Club for Troublesome Women was such a beautiful story about a group of indepently-minded strong women in the early 60s, frustrated by where their lives had led them, stifled and longing for change. Really adored all the twists and turns the characters lives took, and was tremendously sad to see the book end. Highly recommend.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women has an interesting plot and portrays an important period of history that is still relevant. The issues with its writing and characterization render its treatment of the subject more trivial than it deserves.

4.5 stars! I loved these women and their stories & friendship. The writing was great. I only drop it half a star because the conclusion ended everyone's stories a little too perfectly and it didnt feel as realistic as the rest of the novel

This is the story of four very different women who formed a life long bond after joining a book club in 1963. This was nearly a decade before I was born and during a time where women were not allowed to do things independently and needed their husband’s permission for many things that I’ve taken for granted. I really learned a lot about this time period in Northern Virginia.

This was an excellent story that I listened on audio during my morning walk as it’s very well narrated. I love being able to listen to an engaging narrator when I am not able to sit down and read it. While I was walking and listening , I ran into three older ladies in my neighborhood. I told him all about this book and shared a few of the events that ocurred. This sparked a conversation and added an additional 30 minutes to my walk when I butted in on their walk! The stories they shared during this time period when they were young women were just so eye opening. They were genuinely interested in reading this book and took a picture when I pulled it up on my phone to show them. I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC and the audible version. I truly enjoyed both reading and listening to this well written story of these four amazing ladies and their families. The opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed the era, the 60's, in this novel. I also loved the personal meaning this book had to the author. I loved getting a glimpse of life for a woman in the 60's. This book reminds me a little of the show Mad Men. I guess the only thing that I did not really enjoy about it was just the strong feminist approach. I think it was just overdone here for some reason. 3 stars.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is one of those rare, quietly brilliant reads that feels like it was written just for you. It’s funny, sharp, and filled with heart, wrapped in a kind of rebellious charm that had me grinning through most of it. The women at the heart of the story are refreshingly bold—perfectly imperfect and unapologetically themselves—and their friendship feels like an electric current running through the book.

What I loved most was how it balanced wit with wisdom. Beneath the sarcasm and banter are moments of real emotional depth and strength—especially in how these women lift each other up through life’s messier moments. It’s like spending time with your sassiest, most loyal friends over wine and stories, the kind that make you laugh till you cry.

If you love stories about strong women who dare to disrupt the status quo—and look fabulous while doing it—you’ll want a seat at this table. It’s a total gem.