I love books about books and this one was great. I enjoyed the character development and the relationships that were built between the characters. I would recommend this book!

The title of Marie Bostwick's upcoming release (4/22/25) was what attracted me to her novel, and I'm sure many book club members will jump at this one. It is a historical fiction, set over 8 months in 1963, beginning with the March release of The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, and ending with the November assassination of JFK.

The book uses the Feminine Mystique and the book club that forms in suburban Virginia to read it as their inaugural book as a vehicle to showcase what being a woman in 1960's America was like. Definitely pre-women's lib. Can't open a bank account without your husband's signature and approval. Expected to have dinner on the table, clean up and put the kids to bed while your husband drinks a 6-pack on the couch. Have men generally put down any educational or career interests from their wives. The book is very white-suburban-fairly upper middle class focused, so we do have a limited viewpoint from the book, save for one Black nurse that has a small but positive mention and an urban health clinic helping the underserved.

So this novel is a chronologically organized narrative, where we follow the lives of 4 women, read about their troubles, and see them develop identities thanks to Betty Friedan and their collective friendship. Some men step up, and some men get left behind. Most of the women get smarter and figure out how to achieve their goals. The group calls themselves The Betty's in honor of Friedan. Their is not a singular 'transformation' point, but many smaller ones throughout the book. The book tells its stories with a lighter hand, so we are spared any violence or extreme situations.

The storyline felt a little too obvious to me, and I wasn't excited at the beginning. But the women grew on me and I became invested in their outcomes. I like how Bostwick weaves in famous real life characters like Katherine Graham of the Washington Post and Jackie Kennedy, among others. I like that the book is very accessible for a wide range of readers, but did feel the story was pretty expected. It was uplifting, and while that was good I would also love to read a bit more drama or something unexpected. I was thankful the author didn't use any timeframe jumps, but kept it linear. 3.5 stars rounded up. I do think it would make a great book club read. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing an ARC to review.

I did really enjoy the plotline of this book and how thought provoking it was to see women back in age that equality was just getting started however I do feel the book could have been structured better as it did feel like it dragged and my interest peaked and drove off sometimes

The Bookclub for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick is a historical fiction set in the 1960’s about four women, living in the same community, who start a book club reading the controversial “The Feminine Mystique.” The four women grow close and develop long-lasting friendships as they navigate their lives within a rapidly changing world.

I really enjoyed this one! It had a bit of a Lessons on Chemistry vibe to me. It’s basically a slice-of-life character-driven story with themes of women’s rights and empowerment. It was a good reminder about the social expectations of women were like in the 60s. I typically enjoy historical fiction and this was no exception and also a bit refreshing and easier to read because it wasn’t focused on wartime.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for granting me a complimentary advanced reader copy of the ebook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and based off of this draft; the final publication may be different. Expected publication date is April 22, 2025.

This novel is fun, thought provoking, and a great look back at the 60’s when women were struggling to find their way in a male dominant world.

Margaret Ryan was bored and wanted more in life, so she started a four woman book club in her elite neighborhood. Each woman is going through her own life troubles, but through friendship and a book called “The Feminine Mystique”, they learn to be more assertive and outspoken. They all had dreams and convictions, and each woman had a voice in the story.

This book is extremely well written, humorous at times, and quite illuminating. Bostwick has always been on my list of must reads and this books cements it. Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus for the advanced reader copy of this 5-star book.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this e-arc! I’m excited to look into more work from this author in the future.

I knew I'd like this book, and I'm glad I read it. It's a story about women who realize they want to be more than just housewives, and them realizing what they can/cannot do to make that happen. I love coming-of-age stories, and it's rare that you get them for characters in their 20s and 30s. The writing was fine but nothing special, and everything worked out a little too neat at the end, which are the reasons this isn't a five-star review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I have written this unbiased review after receiving a free copy from netgalley.

I would probably have not normally bought this book myself due to the old fashioned cover, however, I am very glad I did. I really enjoyed it. If you loved Lessons in Chemistry and The Help then you will probably enjoy this book.

The book centres around 4 women living in a Stepford Wives type community who form a book club following reading a feminist book. This shapes their knowledge of feminist ideas and allows them to consider their own ambitions, opportunities and happiness. All 4 women are very different and within the book , you were transported to America in 1963, learning about how all women, including black women were treated and how this point in history was pivotal to the black liberation movement and women's liberation. It was emotional, thought provoking, humorous and entertaining and I would definitely recommend.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It put me in the mind of The Supremes At Earl's All-You-Can-Eat. I love a good women in friendship and this one made me feel inspired and warm and fuzzy inside.

This was a delightful read about suburban wives in the up and coming 1960's - four neighbors from seemly different walks of life and lifestyles begin a bookclub. We follow their lives, highs and lows for a period of time. The author touches on the challenges women faced in the 1960's as women became more outspoken and demanding of equal rights.

This was a really well done piece of historical fiction. The author not only recreated the 60s accurately but created characters that were distinct and interesting. Watching the friendships blossom and going through the ups and downs of lives and relationships with these women was such a pleasure. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and in particular women's fiction. My only slight criticism is that the ending was a bit rushed. We get a recap of everyone's recent lives all at once, and that wasn't as satisfying as it might have been. But all in all this was a really góod book.

Really loved everything about this novel. Set in the 60s, four women find friendship and form a book club starting with The Feminine Mystique. What they uncover is a reflection on their role in their families, society, and with each other. This is a really fun read and would be great for current day book clubs!

The characters are wonderfully written, each bringing their own quirks and struggles to the table, making them feel incredibly real. The narrative is a perfect blend of humor and heartfelt moments, with themes that resonate deeply. If you’re looking for a book that celebrates strong, imperfect women and the bonds they form, this one is a must-read

Thank you so much for this ARC. I love books that center on women pushing the gender norm. Especially in today’s world, it’s great to be reminded how far we’ve come and to be motivated to continue to push the boundary of gender norms.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel about life for women in the 60s was enlightening and disturbing. I love the characters!

Ah, finally, a great book set in the 1960s! It's my favourite era to read about and yet many novels make the mistake of sounding a bit like a modern day story. Marie Bostwick really nailed the historical fiction element and I loved it. This is a lovely story about four women living in 1960s suburbia. It's more on the slow side in terms of plot (the characters more than make up for this) but I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers.

The sixties was a time of reformation especially for women . The conceived notion that a woman’s place was in the home was being challenged. Four women living in a suburban neighborhood confronted this challenge with determination and a zest to improve not only themselves but other women and , even men who were stagnant in roles they dislike . These four women had careers or dreamed of careers ( nurse , writer, artist , vet) before married life . This book showed that a group of women who valued each other and realized that working together their lives could improve but not without challenges , disappointments and but mostly through hard work .

Suburban mommy drama-- but set it in the 1960s.

This book centers around a small group of women who forma book club to read the new release 'the Feminine Mystique' and it ends up impacting their careers, their marriages, their friendship, their education, dreams and goals.

There was good commentary about how patriarchy and gender roles inhibit women, but also men too because of societal pressures. It was interesting to read about how stifled women were int he 60d and how nearly impossible it was to break out and go against the grain, and the more upper class you were, the more difficult. But ultimately this book just wasn't as interesting or as juicy as it should have been. It took 50% of the way through for anything dramatic to happen among the women, and the pay off wasn't there.

I also would have benefitted from more of an explanation of what exactly is written in 'the Feminine Mystique,' the author made a lot of assumptions that the reader was more familiar with that text than I actually am.

I may come back to this one later, but it just wasn’t holding my attention. It’s one of those books where not much happens, and the biggest problem to me was that it was hard to distinguish between the characters and at times they were overdrawn. Great premise, like I said, and I may come back.

Thank you #netgalley, #harpermuse and #mariebostwick for the early copy of The Book Club For Troublesome Women. This novel is set in the early 60s when housewives were all the rage and women working outside the home was still a bit frowned upon. We first meet Margaret, mother to three and wife of Walt, an unhappy accountant. Margaret is not exactly unhappy but also not fulfilled in her expected role. Then she meets the new wife in the neighborhood, Charlotte and her world quickly changes. In a ruse to get to know Charlotte better, Margaret decides on a whim to start a book club. And the first book, at Charlotte’s suggestion is The Feminine Mystique. The four women in this book club don’t know it, but their lives are about to be turned upside down. I loved this empowering story about the battles women fought to get us to where we are today. Funny and heartwarming read!