Fair warning if you’re thinking of reading this book: it will probably infuriate you.

Author Marie Bostwick does an incredible job of portraying the issues women faced in the United States in the early 60s, having her protagonists experience several of the common challenges women dealt with. As a feminist who reads a lot of history I was already acquainted with these facts, so while I found it troubling (I had to pause the book several times and read one of the others on my weekly TBR), I didn’t find any of it surprising.

One of the saddest parts about this book, is probably how true-to-life it actually is. In light of what the US is experiencing right now, many women are becoming more familiar with what our mothers and grandmothers lived through, but there are still far too many who either remain unaware or believe that books like this exaggerate the truth when, in fact, the opposite is true; there is even more the author could have revealed.

I found it to be an excellent book; well written and engaging. It’s fast paced, but if you’re like me it isn’t the sort of thing you read in one sitting simply because you want a break from how annoyed you will be with most of the men in the book. The author does also make mention of the fact that the patriarchy harms men, a valid point that I thought well worth including, particularly in the way she wrote it into the plot. I don’t want to put any spoilers in here, but I gotta say that Walt ended up being one of my favorite characters in the book.

Writing the book against the backdrop of major historical events like the assassination of Medgar Evans, the March on Washington, and John F. Kennedy’s assassination while including and humanizing historical figures like the Washington Post’s Katherine Graham and Jackie Kennedy as secondary characters had to have been difficult, but it was a stroke of genius.

I don’t read a lot of historical fiction. I read a lot of history, so most historical fiction, to me, is boring and rife with inaccuracy, and I avoid it. A friend recommended this book to me, and I want to take a moment here, because they’re probably reading this, and say “You were right about this book. It made me mad, but I loved it.”

I would not be at all surprised if, someday in the future when we get rid of the current administration and begin putting the world back to rights, this book ends up on some professor’s required reading curriculum. Before that happens it’ll probably be banned, so get your copy and read it, because every woman should know about what’s in these pages.

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am leaving a voluntary review.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women was an interesting read, but it didn’t quite live up to its potential. At times, the pacing felt slow, and I was left feeling underwhelmed. Every now and then, a plot point would spark excitement, only to fizzle out quickly in a rather anticlimactic way. The title suggests these women are “troublesome,” but only one really fits the bill, and she feels more like a minor character than a driving force.

The premise, where these women are inspired to challenge the societal norms of the 1960s after reading The Feminine Mystique, holds promise. However, their transformations seem to happen more as a result of the men in their lives—whether through abandonment, change, or infidelity—rather than from any personal epiphany or rebellious spirit. By the end, it almost feels like they fall back into the same roles as housewives.

That said, I did find the exploration of women’s roles and boundaries, especially around housewives, to be fascinating. It gave me deeper insight into my own grandmother's experiences. As a story, though, it felt watered down—its potential was much stronger if it had focused more closely on one character's journey rather than trying to balance so many.

"An ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure”

“A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

“You can have it all, just not all at the same time.”

“Somewhere down the road, maybe you’ll help pave the road for somebody else. That’s how the world gets better. One generation helping the next.”

This is the first book by this author that I have read.
An engaging story of four women in the 1960’s who are neighbors with nothing in common form a book club. Calling themselves the “Bettys”after reading ‘The Feminine Mystique’ by Betty Friedman.
Characters that are multi layered, growth, society, era of civil rights, power of sisterhood, rediscovery, friendships. Strong women loyal to each other, as they share challenges. An historical fiction journey worth the read.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for the opportunity to read this thought provoking book.

I LOVED this book. Not only was it well written, the theme resonated with me, having grown up in the 1960's. The author captures the daring of these women to break out of the "this is how it's done jail" of the times. I also really enjoyed Ms. Bostwick bringing in real women who where pioneers in their fields during that era.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women follows four women living in 1960's America. The writing is easy to follow, even with the multiple characters. Even though it probably wasn't planned this way, this book is very timely and a great reminder of the power of women and how you need friends in every season of life to help you through.

This book was not what I thought it would be: namely, that a group of older women would gather as a book club and get into sticky issues to solve together. Not at all.
This book is about young women, most of them struggling with beginning salaries of their husbands. The women do get together as a book club, as I had originally thought, but they bond beyond just reading books. into family crises, disappointments, and successes. The story timeline covers 1960-approximately 2000. The group reminded me somewhat of M. McCarthy's "The Group" but closer to what I had experienced in my younger days as a wife and mother on lower social and economic levels.
I could relate to their book club premise to connect to other women for relief and respite. Many book clubs are not as welcoming to newcomers which seems counter to what women can do for each other.
What I learned in this story was it's ok to look for friends in a book club and enjoy their company beyond that place. Don't get discouraged if you don't find real depth or friendship right away. Sometimes, it takes a while to get to know people.

This was a sweet book--especially in this political climate. I love books about suburban women waking up to the fact that their longing and boredom isn't a flaw but a symptom of the society they're forced into.
The characters were incredibly likeable almost to the point of unbelievability. Margaret, the main character, is relatable in that she longs for more and continues to get shut out in different ways by all of the men in her life. It isn't until she starts a book club to impress a mysterious new neighbor that her life begins to shift in an exciting direction.
I related the most to, and wish there had been slightly more of, Bitsy's storyline. Viv was sweet and it's wild that she was able to hold down a job an hour away with seven children. Charlotte was the mystery of the group and, in the end, wasn't as mysterious as she seemed. Just another woman being held down by the men in her life.
I like that the author gave some of the men nuance and growth while others stayed stagnant. It gave a story about feminism more realistic foes than stereotypical antagonists.
Overall, this was a wonderful story about female friendship and finding community where you least expect it. It was a nice balm to the soul and I recommend this to anyone looking for something cozy with a smidge of suburban rebellion.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Although I enjoyed the idea of this book and appreciated the writing style, the story isn’t one that will stick with me. It’s empowering but in a way that I feel like I’ve read before. This does not mean it’s bad- quite the opposite. For many readers interested in feminism this will be an enjoyable read. It just wasn’t for me, unfortunately. But I can tell that Marie Bostwick did her research & I loved the dynamic between the 4 women.
Overall; would recommend if you like themes of friendship, feminism, books and historical fiction.

I think I liked the concept and the characters of this book more than I liked the book itself, which is a bummer because it had so much going for it. I didn't think it was bad at all, I did still enjoy it, but I felt like the writing style was very in-your-face and on the nose, and the time jumps made it a little hard to follow sometimes. However, I did really enjoy the four main women, although I absolutely hated Walt and I think Margaret should have been meaner to him. But the women had good character development and managed to find their passions and what drove them, and it was fairly compelling to read about even though I didn't totally love the writing style.

If you love Desperate Housewives, Lessons in Chemistry and historical fiction then this is the book you need!!

This book follows Margaret, who starts a book club with the local housewives, Bitsy, Viv, and Charlotte. After their first book read by Betty Friedan, they become known as the ‘Bettys.’ Through their book club discussions, cocktails, and gossiping, they discover that the American Dream and propaganda aren’t what they aspire to as women. As their lives unfold, they experience loss, arguments, and significant emotional transformations. Despite these challenges, the Betty’s remain steadfast in their friendship and support for one another. Their book club evolves into a platform for nurturing their bond, fostering loyalty, and providing a sense of freedom. They never sway from what bought them together originally - books - they continue to choose a new book each month no matter what!

I really loved this book and the comfort it brought that these women were truly supportive in times of fear and loss. The first half of the book was really well written and their personalities were individual and clear of who brings what to the table.

The book began to slow down with not much happening at all, however there were deep conversations around women’s rights whilst they attempted to push the barriers of their freedom doing normal errands we would do today. It opened my eyes to how much they struggled with the simplest of things.

Overall a really good read, just think it could have been shorter or a quicker pace in the middle chunk of the book.

“You know... I don't think so. I'm going to go let my friends
in. This is my house now."

"Calling the shots. And I have to tell you, Edna. It feels good."

“Because I want to. Because you'd do the same for me. Because you're my group."

I just was not able to get into this book. I came back to a few thinking I can do this. It’s absolutely the kind of book that I like the genre that I like and I don’t know what it was, but I just couldn’t get into it. I got about 25% of the way through and finally decided I can’t read this. I might go back. It would be something I might get from the library from a friend. I can’t say I would spend money to try again.

4/5 stars

Trigger Warnings: (from Storygraph) Graphic: Sexism, Infidelity, Pregnancy
Moderate: Suicide, Mental illness, Misogyny
Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Infertility

I really enjoyed this book! I felt invested in the story. I recently saw a play called 'A Taste of Things to Come' and since then, I've wanted to learn more about Women in the 1960's and how they grew as wives, mothers and friends through a book club.

This book is set in the 1960's and spans 8 months. It started with the release of the book 'The Feminine Mystique' by Betty Friedan, and ending with the November assassination of JFK. I really liked how Bostwick brought in real life events to this story to add to the historical aspect.

The characters were a bit confusing at first but after a bit, I got to know more about them and what they each did. I enjoyed learning about their challenges and how they worked to overcome them. I would highly recommend this book for a book club that enjoys female friendship books. Now I want to read more by Bostwick. It would be fun to read a sequel to see where they are 10 years later.

Thanks to @netgalley and @Harpermusebooks for the ARC. Book to be released April 22, 2025.

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

I really enjoyed this one! It is a historical fiction novel about four female women in the 1960s who form a book club, become friends and are there for each other.

I loved the motivational girl power vibes! The four women are loveable characters. I liked that not all of the women were the same age or social class.

My only complaint about this book was how much the author mentioned smoking. I know that women did this in the 60s but how often it was mentioned was distracting to me. This is probably just a me thing since I have not seen anyone else mention it.

I would recommend this one to anyone who likes historical fiction. Release date is 4/22/25. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Firstly, the cover on this is absolutely beautiful and I am absolutely obsessed with it !

The story was a whole vibe from start to finish and I loved it ! .

I would recommend this book to everyone and anyone who loves to read !!

Women (at least some of us) are currently feeling the sting of political unrest and the challenge of rights and freedoms. Bostwick's book takes us back to the 1960s and what lives for middle class women were like back then- the expectations, the lack of freedom or advancement opportunities, the shushing of their own thoughts, dreams and goals.

Bostwick's tale takes us into a middle class suburban neighborhood and introduces us to a group of women in a book club. One woman introduces the rest to The Feminine Mystique and their eyes are opened to their roles in their homes, lives and society in general. They begin, in their own ways, to draw lines and make efforts to establish their own dreams and autonomy. Throughout, they love and support each other as "the Bettys" (after the author of The Feminine Mystique.)

It was fun to read the acknowledgment of various political and social events during that same time frame.

A good read- I recommend it!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley!**

The Bookclub for Troublesome Women is a powerful, feminist read that brings the struggles of 1960s suburban women to life. When four women start a book club and read The Feminine Mystique, it sparks a slow-burning revolution in their lives. Through friendship and Friedan’s words, they begin to challenge the suffocating expectations placed on them—housework, child-rearing, and husbands who take them for granted (which, yes, got on my nerves—as they should).

The story is engaging, uplifting, and refreshingly linear, weaving in real-life icons like Katharine Graham and Jackie Kennedy. While it sticks to a primarily white, upper-middle-class lens, the themes of self-discovery and defiance resonate. It’s not overly dramatic, but the small victories feel real and satisfying.

A must-read for book clubs and anyone who loves a story about women finding their power.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ — Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

I thought this book had a lot of potential with such a great premise and theme. Where the book feel short for me was I felt the author left so much meat on the bone for each main character. I felt that she would be gearing up for a breakthrough and then she would stop just short of really digging deep into the subject matter and revert to fluff. There was a wealth of deep issues the author could have tackled: misogyny in the workplace and in the home life in the 1960s, divorce, mental health and the lack of recognition and resources for women in the era and just as we inched toward each topic she yanked the conversation back. The last little bit got more serious which I appreciated and enjoyed more.

This is such a well-meaning book, but it’s just too earnest and sweet for my taste. We have four featured characters, “the Bettys,” as they refer to themselves because of their first book club pick of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique. The lead character in the story is Margaret Ryan, a graduate of Ohio State University who is now a wife and mother, having met and married a man she met at OSU who was there on the GI Bill and shared her passion for learning. All of the Bettys burned with ambition in their youth, but married and became suburban homemakers. Each is dissatisfied, and frustrated with the societal rules that further circumscribe their lives, such as having to have a husband’s signature to do everyday things like open a bank account.

Now, that’s fine as a setup, but the plot was frustrating to me. It often felt so obvious that the author was cramming in lots of information about American society and its treatment of women in the early 1960s. Like too many writers of historical fiction, this author seemed to want to make sure that everything she learned from her research appeared on the page. It doesn’t make for a smooth reading experience. I was more bothered by the fact that three out of four of these women are married to awful men—well, that is, until <spoiler>one of the husbands miraculously sees the light and becomes the ideal supportive husband, and the other two are conveniently disposed of.</spoiler> The husbands felt caricaturish, and it felt just as contrived when each woman comes into her own and flourishes, after being inspired by each other and the books they read. Too neat, too sweet. This book might spur a good book club discussion, but it will likely be more the book club members talking about their life journeys than about the book.

This is the same read as every other book set in this time period about unfulfilled women. I did finish it to give it a chance to add anything significant, but it just fell flat. In this day and age, we all know that housewives were not always content, nor did they have the means to do anything about it. While the women in this story mostly ended up with an ending they desired, there wasn’t anything seemingly significant about any of their stories.

Anytime a book has the word “book” in the title, I am drawn to it. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres so I was very excited to get my hands on “The Book Club for Troublesome Women.” This book takes place in the early sixties and really showcases how things were for women during the “Leave it to Beaver” time in the United States. If you have ever seen the show you know women were expected to do things at home perfectly all while wearing a dress and heels.
The four women in this novel long for something more than what has been allotted to them. Several real life women were included in the story here and there which really helped to anchor it in the time period. The women fomr a book club and read and discuss “The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Friedan. They name their club the Bettys after this read and rally around each other and the individual goals they each have. The female friendships in this book really shine. Each character is unique and fully fleshed out. I really cared what happened to them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing an ARC for me to review.