Loved The Book Club for Troublesome Women! This book takes a look at the bond of sisterhood that we all crave. Books create conversation and connection that seep into all aspects of everyday life. One book changes the way that this group of women leaves their own mark on the world. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for this advanced reader copy.

I would like to thank Harper Colins Focus and NetGalley for the eARC of this title.

I enjoy slice-of-life historical fiction and I enjoyed this circle of woman as they navigate developing friendships and the changing world around themselves. Gave off the feel of Sex in the City set 60 years ago in the suburbs. My only complaint is the entire vibe felt very Hallmark/Disney/90s sitcom that slaps you in the face with the 'moral of the moment'. A little too on the nose for me and not very realistic for the type of historical fiction that I typically gravitate to.

I would recommend this to anyone who needs a feel good story, enjoys reading about female friendship as well as historical fiction.

I would first like to thank NetGalley, Harper Muse publishing, and Marie Bostwick for the advanced copy of this book. All of the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. I read a lot of books, but I have not read a book that I loved as much as this one in a very long time. It should be categorized as historical fiction, and it truly is that, but the period of history for this novel is during my lifetime. It starts out in 1963 when I was in high school and my mother was a young housewife.

Four women living in a small planned community in Northern Virginia called Concordia are all neighbors and decide to form a book club based on the controversial book, The Feminine Mystyque by Betty Friedman. They call themselves the Bettys and have differing opinions of Ms. Friedman’s book, but they all find the ideas interesting if not challenging. They are all married, although not all happily. As time goes by, the four women become fast friends and support and encourage each other in numerous ways.

The story is very engaging, and I could hardly put the book down. What was so incredible to me, however, was how accurate the descriptions of the rules, attitudes, and indignities that constricted the women in this time of our history. Women were expected to give up their dreams and aspirations and to become dutiful wives, mothers, and homemakers. It was the men who were expected and wanted to provide for their families. For many women, this was fine. All they’d ever dreamed of was finding a good husband and becoming mothers. For others, it meant having to drop out of college when they got married and to start having children, postponing or even killing their dreams of education and careers of their own.

Having lived in the ‘60s I was amazed by the accuracy of the author’s descriptions. From clothing and hairstyles to popular fragrances to cooking (tuna casseroles and meatloaf) and even to the names of children (Bobby, Beth, Susan) this author really did her research. Women could not hold the same jobs as men, and even if they did, they would never have had equal pay or the ability to advance.

While we get caught up in the lives of these four fictitious women, there is the backdrop of things going on in the world at that time. I am old enough to remember when John F, Kennedy was assassinated, and the horror that was felt by the characters in this book was real in my life and in the lives of my family and friends.

Marie Bostwick did an incredible job writing this work of historical fiction, and I applaud her. I highly recommend this book. I will be sharing my review on Goodreads and recommending this book in the Friends and Fiction FaceBook group.

Margaret, Viv, Bitsy and Charlotte are all married women in 1963 in an upscale neighborhood outside of Washington D.C. They (well, Margaret) start a book club, beginning with The Feminine Mystique, and this selection will 'change their lives'.

In theory, The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick should be something that I would love. In reality, it was okay, if not a little obvious.

The perspectives switch between the women as the months of the year go by, and we see their growth from suppressed housewives to something a little bolder.

I'm not ignorant of the limited outlook that Betty Friedan discussed in her pivotal work. And, as it's 2025 and our country is falling apart, I can't help but feel like this is a rather simplified and... white view of 2nd wave feminism.

This was a story about middle-class women. Yes, they had goals...sort of. They each wanted independence, and yes, they found it, but there were still concessions that had to be made to their husbands. The husbands were all caricatures - the older man, the cheating businessman, the handsome Italian, the resistant and eventual supportive husband (insert eye-roll). There were various plot points that were dropped and some real opportunities to insert depth (i.e., abortion, the beginning of the Vietnam War, The Beatles). The mentions of civil rights were comical... Margaret sitting at a drugstore counter and 'thinking about the young woman who sat at that deli counter' was almost offensive to me. BUT, that's neither here nor there.

Troublesome is a difficult word. "Causing difficulty or annoyance" - but none of these women REALLY did this - aside from Charlotte. They were all still mild-mannered, middle-class suburban women.

This isn't going to be on the shelf with The Group, The Feminine Mystique, and The Haidmaid's Tale. It's going to be popular with book clubs but not the kind that would read The Feminine Mystique.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was attracted to this novel primarily due to its title. This book takes place during 1963 when there were still a lot of obstacles for women to succeed in there on right. This book is about four neighbors who form a Bookclub starting by starting by reading Betty Friedan’s .seminal work, The Feminine Mystique. That book and these women’s subsequent friendship changes their lives forever. This book felt like across between Lessons in Chemistry and Kristin Hannah’s The Women. Definitely Bookclub worthy whether you are a millennial or a boomer. Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Such a great book about the 1960’s, women’s rights and more specifically of a group of women who form a book club! I was a young girl during those years so I felt it put me into the mind and everyday life of my Mother and all women of those years. I was appalled that a woman couldn’t open a bank account without a man’s signature. The women struggle, have wins and losses. The ending is fabulous, bringing it all together as they are old women and still friends!

I have mixed feelings on this one. I love the time and place and the idea for the book is great on paper. It’s sadly becoming a relevant topic again and might be important for people who believe in “trad wives” to read and realize that we’ve been there already and it wasn’t that great. However, I wish it was more nuanced and less simplistic. This happens with historical fiction sometimes and it’s a pet peeve of mine. Also, there were a ton of typos that need to be fixed before publication, combining two words that should be separated.

However, I don’t mean to completely bash this. I do think that for the right reader, it could make a difference in their thinking. I only wish it were more polished, complex, and gritty.

I always enjoying a book with a bookclub and strong women friendships. This book delivered both. Reading about the life of women in the 60's was interesting and informative.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

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You will love each of these characters and be so invested in each of their individual stories. This was so well done and I highly recommend it

Book clubs are near and dear to my heart, so it's not shocking that I liked this book. Anytime women get together to read books, things are bound to happen! Reading about the 60s reminded me how far we've come for women's rights--including the right to open a bank account without a signature from your husband. The ending was a little too perfect to be true, but otherwise, good read!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In the early 1960s, Concordia housewife Margaret Ryan knocks on the door of a newcomer to the estate, welcoming her and inviting her to the coffee klatch, but at the last minute, confronted by the bold, artistic Charlotte, Margaret quickly changes the invitation to a hastily conjured book club instead. Margaret, and her friends Bitsy and Viv take up the challenge by Charlotte to read "The Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan as the first book for the club, and find their lives irrevocably altered by both the new friendship and the revelations inspired by the book.

Sharing cocktails and secrets, the four women discover they can be so much more than "just" a housewife and mother - dusting off old aspirations and pushing their own personal boundaries past breaking point to fulfil their dreams. Margaret invests in a typewriter and enters essay competitions, Viv dreams of going back to nursing, Bitsy longs to attend Vet school, and Charlotte aspires to be a respected painter.

Amidst it all, the book club - known as The Bettys - support each other through devastating lows, celebrate the soaring highs, battle conflicts, witness major global events, and offer that example of golden, true friendship that lasts a lifetime.

The book pushes back against the conservative middle-class, mid-century housewife "ideal" and leans into the themes of Freidan's words: “You can have it all, just not all at the same time.”

A fabulous book of women's strength and friendship and ambition, set in mid-century suburbia. Loved it!

The audiobook, narrated by Lisa Flanagan is excellent, and Ms Flanagan brings life and warmth to these complicated, heartfelt women.

~This is a NetGalley title. All opinions are my own.~

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick
Publishing date - 04/22/25
Rating (4/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley For this eARC. The Book Club for Troublesome Woman is a heartwarming story of female friendship set during the 1960s in a DC suburb. Loved the characters and the plot! If you enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry and have enjoyed any books by Kristin Hannah ; you will love this one. Highly recommend this one when it releases April 22nd.

This book struck a chord with me. The women who read The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan started a revolution that opened doors for me and several generations of women in this country. In the book, four women decided to start a book club and they chose to read The Feminine Mystique. All of the women were educated and smart. All were limited by society, and maybe by their husbands and fathers, as to what they could expect of and for themselves. They were raised to run a household, take care of their husbands and children and not to have any aspirations for themselves. But they did want more. That book opened their eyes and told them that they could be more. I have always acknowledged and have been grateful for the women who were a generation before mine, as well as women who continue to fight for the rights of women.

These fictional women started knocking down doors for women like me. They were wives, some were mothers. Each had a reason to want and need changes in her life. There were some real-life women who made brief appearances in the book. Younger women might be surprised, even shocked at how low the opportunities were for women. And how women were expected to be financially supported by their husbands as well as being supportive. And the stress that often caused for the men. Did you know that married women needed their husband's signature to open a bank account for themselves. Or to get their husband's approval to get birth control? This book is great from an historical perspective, as well as being a great story. It brought tears to my eyes at the end. Well done, Marie Bostwick!

I had both the e-book and the audio book. The narrator is great.

Heart warming story of female friendship set during the 1960s in a DC suburb. Very likable characters that grew during the book. Showed what challenges the average woman faced during the time period. It was an emotional story.

“If women stuck up for one another the way men do, this would be a very different world.”This quote not only sums up the book perfectly but it rings just as true now as it did for our characters in the 1960s. I’m very partial to books that center reading or books in a plot so I was drawn to this book based on the title and description. But this book is so much more than a story about a book club. There are all the elements of female autonomy (a difficult task in the 1960s), pursuing true passions, friendship, and found family. The Book Club for Troublesome Women is engaging, witty, and thought-provoking. Marie Bostwick brings to life four strong female characters with Viv being my absolute favorite. I could have continued reading about these women for every decade following the 1960s, which is not a flippant comment as this book is 384 pages! It felt like their stories became the most entertaining right as the author chose to end them. If you love Kristin Hannah’s historical fiction, and especially her female characters, but want something a little lighter, this novel is for you. Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for providing this book for an honest review!

I really enjoyed The Book Club for Troublesome Women! It’s a much-needed reminder of the struggles that women before us have faced and the ground they’ve broken to get us to where we are today. In a world where we sometimes take progress for granted, this book makes it clear that it is the result of countless battles fought by brave women.

The characters are truly what made this story so captivating. Each one felt deeply human and relatable, with unique strengths, flaws, and complexities. What I loved most was how these characters’ lives intersected in unexpected ways, creating a beautiful tapestry of different perspectives on womanhood. I found myself seeing parts of myself in several of them, whether in their frustrations, their triumphs, or their quiet acts of rebellion. I truly believe that every woman will find a piece of herself reflected in at least one of these characters.

What I found especially powerful is how the book addresses the importance of community and how women often navigate both personal and systemic challenges together. This collective strength is at the heart of the book, and it serves as a poignant reminder of how vital it is to support one another.

In conclusion, The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a brilliant exploration of women’s resilience, solidarity, and empowerment. It’s a book that doesn’t just entertain but also challenges us to reflect on how far we’ve come and how much further we still have to go. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a read that will stir your emotions, ignite your passions, and make you proud of the trailblazing women who paved the way.

In 1963, in a newly developed suburb of Washington, D.C., Margaret, Viv, Bitsy, and Charlotte form a book club and choose as their first book Betty Friedan's daring treatise "The Feminine Mystic". Only the glamorous Charlotte has read it from cover to cover and the other three have mixed feelings about what they've read. However, as they get to know one another better, they begin to understand Betty Friedan's arguments and awaken to the things they'd still like to do in life despite society's expectations.

Margaret married young and started a family, but has always aspired to be a writer. Viv was a nurse in WWII and although still deeply in love with her husband and six children, she misses the fulfillment she felt as a nurse. Bitsy is newly married to the much older veterinarian "King" who desperately wants children. Bitsy had wanted to go to veterinarian school herself, but was denied a recommendation from a close-minded professor. And Charlotte is in an unhappy marriage with the philandering Howard who works in her father's bank.

Together, these four women start to question whether marriage and motherhood is the only path to happiness and support each other as they reach out for new opportunities to explore their passions.

I thought Marie Bostwick did a fine job of developing the four main characters; they seemed like real people. And I liked that the husbands were all as different as the wives.

Being a boomer, I enjoyed all the product references of the time from frozen orange juice cans to Tang to Wind Song perfume!

I thought it was a nice touch to briefly add real-life personalities Katharine Graham and Jackie Kennedy to the story as well.

I think this would be a wonderful book club selection!

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Focus for an ARC ebook of this tremendous novel.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women, by Marie Bostwick, is a feel-good novel about a group of 4 women in a book club. Though they are individually different from each other, they form long-time friendships through their support of each other in daily life events.
I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

A perfect story to be read in March as it introduces us to four American women in the 1960s who confront prejudices and sexist stereotypes that still exist. A book that I really enjoyed and that also deals with the power of reading in social struggles.

This was a fun read that covered many aspects of the beginnings of the women’s movement in the early 1960s. The members of a suburban women’s book club formed in 1963 to read Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique bonded as friends as they gained independence and self-awareness. I was inspired by the choices these women made, and somewhat saddened that it is all still so relevant.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.