I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. As a woman and a full-time working mom, this book angered me, touched me and resonated with me. It was politically timely, with some deep and subversive themes that really made me think. When I finished this book, I walked away with a long reading list of books referenced in this one. What I also enjoyed about this book was its depiction of ideal female relationships—women supporting women through all odds. This was an inspiring and deep piece of historical fiction that will stick with me for a long time.

This book was an opportunity for me to review for NetGalley and I have to say - I really enjoyed this story! It was well written and definitely an eye opener to how much has and has NOT changed in society since the 40's, 50's, 60's or even 70's for women. The "Bettys" were an eclectic group that alone may not have been enough to carry a storyline as their own character, but the experiences they shared with one another helped each one to grow and learn in different ways and view life from different perspectives, which was amazing! Empowering for women AND for men, as was evident from some of the husbands in the story, who were not afraid to show the societal burden they carried as well to be someone they didn't necessarily want to be, even though it was expected from them as men of a certain era. Equality doesn't have to be a battle - based on merit instead of gender, it is amazing what each of us is capable of accomplishing! Definitely recommend! Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity!! 4.5 Stars!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7268008853

The book explores the meaning of friendships and building each other up as women. This is about housewives in the 1960’s who become closer through motherhood, community and feminism. The 1963 northern Virginia suburb setting felt super raw and real. Marie Bostwick did a phenomenal job making each woman feel real and distinct, and I was completely engrossed in their journeys. The frustration of where women were and are now is palable but also sad because as far as we have come there is so much more to go. The characters show how women during this time were marginalized and encouraged to be satisfied with motherhood and caring for their families and their homes. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters (including their fashion, recipes, daily lives and reactions to current events of the time), their individual struggles and their personal growth. There are many other historical references in the book, such as Margaret being unable to cash a check in her own name or open a bank account without her husband signing the bank card, as well as historical events surrounding JFK and Dr. Martin Luther King. The way each of the women fights for their own independence while also supporting their family and, in some cases, seeing things from their husband's perspective too makes this such an interesting read. It is not at all a book about bashing men or husbands. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher.

Perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand's "Summer of '69", this is a great book about female friendships, romantic relationships, living as a woman in the 1960s, and how we all have different dreams in life.

Margaret, Viv, Bitsy, and Charlotte are all fantastic characters with vastly different stories and backgrounds, and somehow they come together to form a bookclub to discuss the newly released (and very controversial) "The Feminine Mystique". They don't know it at the time, but this will start them all on a path to becoming more comfortable in their own skins and changing their lives.

I think my true rating for this story is a 3.5 rounded up to 4, because I did really and truly enjoy this book! The characters were all enjoyable, there was enough plot and character building to keep me coming back, and I truly did care about what happened in the end. I knocked off some points for the fact that I think there was more that could be done regarding Viv and Bitsy. While they had chapters dedicated to them, Margaret was definitely the star of the story, with Charlotte taking a close second. It felt like we could have gotten a little more background from them, as well as more information about Bitsy's life in the epilogue since she's the one whom we know the least about.

Overall though, this was a really enjoyable book that I think most women will enjoy reading (maybe even as a bookclub pick!). Definitely give this one a try if you like women's historical fiction!

Historical fiction about a group of suburban housewives who form a book club in a "planned community" in Virginia in 1963. Margaret, Viv, Bitsy and eccentric Charlotte, a New Yorker who has recently moved into the neighbourhood, decide to get together and form a book club choosing The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan as their first read. The controversial and groundbreaking book which had just been published in February strikes a chord with the four women who each have been feeling dissatisfied and longing for more from their lives but didn't realize that there were other women who felt the same. Calling themselves 'The Bettys", the fledgling book club leads to the formation of a close friendship that provides support for each of the women over the course of the year.

This is an interesting work of historical fiction about a time when the world was rapidly changing particularly in relation to women's rights. The novel takes place over several months in 1963 leading up to the assasination of JFK and is the story of four suburban housewives trying to break free of the limitations placed on them because they were women and the challenges they faced in that regard. It's an enjoyable story about the power of books and female friendship as well as a good reminder of the progress that has been made in the past 60 years that needs to be protected in today's political climate.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3,5/5 stars

I'm thankful to NetGalley and HarperCollins/Harper Muse for the ARC

Marie Bostwick's The Book Club for Troublesome Women introduces us to four sixties-era housewives who, in their quest for more meaningful lives, form a book club that evolves into a profound sisterhood. Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing America, the novel delves into themes of self-discovery, persistence, and the power of female friendship.

While the narrative offers a nostalgic and thought-provoking exploration of women's roles during a pivotal era, it occasionally feels a bit forced in its portrayal of the characters' transformations. The pacing can be slow at times, allowing for deep character development, but it may test the patience of some readers. The humor and heartfelt moments are present, yet they sometimes come across as contrived.

Overall, The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a charming read that celebrates the bonds of sisterhood and the journey toward self-empowerment. However, its execution may leave some readers desiring a more organic and engaging narrative.

Just okay for me. I appreciated the time period and characterization. But it was a bit didactic and preachy.
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Harper Muse, Harper Muse Audiobooks and NetGalley for sending me an ARC and Audio-ARC of The Book Club for Troublesome Women in exchange for review.

Firstly let me just say, I absolutely adored this book and am very grateful I not only got to read it but then immediately after I finished was able to listen to the audio version as well.

This book is a wonderful combination of women of different backgrounds coming together to form a strong bond and endure life’s injustices. It’s hilarious and sad, with the perfect amount of feminine rage.

Being born in the 90s I very luckily missed this time of cruelty towards women of the 1970s. However does it really ever end? We still are fighting for our rights. Though these days we ARE able to open our own bank accounts.

The stories of each of these women being based in truth makes it feel so real. Along with the writing, I felt like I knew these women. I could picture each of them and their struggles. The narrator also did a wonderful job differentiating between voices for each of these women so if you want to read or listen to this book both ways are fantastic.

I felt on a high listening to the end of Charlottes story. It was just so good. They all took back their power in the most meaningful ways. I can’t stress how much I liked this book enough! They were all so relatable.

Thank you so much for the magnificent read!

When a book club decides to read Betty Friedan's groundbreaking The Feminine Mystique, their lives are changed forever in big ways and small. A timely novel about women's place in society.

I was drawn in by the book title and stayed for the characters!

As a book club member myself, I was intrigued to read a book on the topic. I walked away with a few book recommendations from the Bettys book club and I'm not mad about it!

Margaret, Viv, Charlotte, and Bitsy were all well-written characters and I loved watching their growth throughout the novel - both individually and as a group.

I love the 1960s as a history teacher and I enjoyed how the author wove the major events from this time period into the plot. Would definitely recommend this to my students to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can't recommend it enough! I really enjoyed this book, I couldn't put it down, I finished it in a couple of days!

There aren’t enough stories about female friendships, and the Bettys are a group of women looking for their place in the world - and they found each other. A book about a rebellious, feminist-fueled book club who challenge the world around them and dare it to bend to their new perspectives was a fun story to read. It successfully highlights the struggles women faced in striking out with their own independent pursuits, and reminded the reader of the power of women who come together to build each other up. A great read!

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, the characters were well developed. I'd recommend to friends once published.

Interesting book about a time in history that I am not very familiar with. and it took me a while to get used to the time period. , but once she started getting into the characters in their lives it improved. Interesting premise and good character development.

I honestly didn’t think I was going to love this book as much as I did. I picked the book up not really knowing what to expect but it was wonderful. You follow four friends and the lives that they have built for themselves. It was moving, it was tough, and as a wife myself, certain parts were still a bit relatable.

NetGalley also gave me a chance to listen to the audiobook, so following along with the ebook made the experience more vibrant. I really liked the narrator, she did a good job of bringing each character more animated. The audio was clear and the narrator was easy to follow. I definitely enjoyed listening to it.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick is a heartwarming and empowering story set in the 1960s. It follows Margaret, a suburban housewife who seems to have it all but feels like something is missing.

This book is all about friendship, self-discovery, and pushing against society’s expectations. Bostwick does a fantastic job capturing the struggles and strength of women during that time. If you love stories about strong female bonds and personal growth, this one’s definitely worth a read!

This will definitely make the book club rounds. We've got four women (all with different color hair!) who are all married in the 1960's, who meet each other at a neighborhood mixer and decide to start a book club. The "Samantha" of the group suggests reading The Feminine Mystique and this starts some things off.

All of the women end up re-examining their lives to some extent and make decisions that they might not have made if they didn't have each other as support. One goes back to work for a while. One writes a column in a women's magazine and eventually tries to go beyond the tripe that she's expected to write. Two get divorces and careers.

Only one of these women has what I'd consider to be a good marriage, although one ends up being reparable in what feels like a frankly unrealistic realization that the husband comes to.

I think what I liked about the book is that it's one of those books where everyone gets their version of a happy ending. This is meant to gently challenge traditional (patriarchal) assumptions with everything carved out so black and white that there's no doubt what you're supposed to think as the reader. This is no Feminine Mystique, Women's Room, or any of the other literature name-checked in the book. It's training wheels consciousness raising. I suppose the sad thing is that this is probably all that a lot of its readers might be ready for. We haven't really come all that long a way from the 1960's in terms of misogyny, even thought I'd like to think differently.

But if what you want to read about is developing friendships and things all working out okay with maybe a little bit of a message, this will do just fine.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is an enjoyable visit to 1950s America, where women stayed home to keep house and raise children while husbands brought home the bacon. When a group of women stumble across Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique, they begin to question how much autonomy they actually had when making the choices that defined their lives.
Bostwick created a fun, likeable and relatable group of women to read, debate, and grow together. Each woman looks back on her life and the choices that shaped it, some opting to swap that life for what they hope will be a happier one. As a Women's Study minor in college who has read all the books mentioned in the novel, it was fun to revisit the classroom conversations and debates they sparked.
I enjoyed the book up until the end, where the author goes pulls it all together at a reunion where we learn what became of the book club "Bettys". The ending felt detached from the style of the rest of the book, and a bit rushed as well. Perhaps letting the reader imagine what became of each Betty may have been a more effectual choice. The ending knocked it from four stars to three.

What a great book! I absolutely loved how twisty and clever this one was! I was totally engrossed from beginning to end and would definitely read from this author again, So, so, so good!

I really enjoyed this book! It activated my feminine rage without a doubt. This is such an important read because we need to remember how much women before us have fought for us to be where we are today.

I fell in love with the characters and they were so relatable in so many ways. I think every woman will be able to identify one way or the other with one or several of these characters.

Marie is an incredible writer and I was completely enthralled from start to finish! This was such a wonderful read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, HarperCollins Focus, Harper Muse and Marie Bostwick for giving me an ARC of this incredible book!