The book I didn’t know I needed. Could not let this book out of my sight till I finished it. The writing the characters it is absolutely everything! When you got to buy it buy two copies because you are going to want to pass it on to your best friend.

When I picture the beautiful neighborhood utopia described in this book, I see freshly painted homes, manicured lawns, picket fences and problems firmly staying within the confines of those freshly vacuumed rooms. That is, until three current residents create a bookclub with the new neighbor to discuss The Feminine Mystique. These women: Margaret, an aspiring writer, Viv, a nurse, Bitsy, a young bride who hopes to someday finish school and Charlotte, a free spirited writer, forge a bond initially based on books that quickly becomes an unstoppable friendship.

Through conversations over coffee and sidecars, they support each other through the small and big issues of life and are an excellent example of what a powerful source of comfort friends can be. Grab your book club or besties and read The Book Club for Troublesome Women.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus/Harper Muse for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was a perfect blend of things I love in a story: books, friendship, and the 1960s.

Margaret Ryan, the typical 1960s housewife and mother, starts a book club, and with their first book, The Feminine Mystique, the four ladies realize they are all unsatisfied with their lives.

While this was a fantastic trip back to the early ‘60s, I loved becoming engrossed in the lives of each of these women. The author did an excellent job of making them dimensional characters; they were wives and some mothers, but they all had dreams and desires that had been brushed aside. As friends, they were sometimes brutally honest with one another, yet they were also supportive and longed to see each other succeed.

I loved how the books they read were integral to their friendship, binding them and inspiring them. They even named themselves “The Bettys” after Betty Friedan, author of The Feminine Mystique.

Even with the historical references to popular culture and societal norms reminding me of the time and place, this incredible story of marriage, motherhood, feminism, and friendship was remarkably relatable at times. I didn’t want it to end; I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with these ladies and being part of their book club, even if only within these pages.

Thank you @mariebostwick @uplitreads and @harpermusebooks for these gifted books and ebook via #netgalley.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

*Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.*
When I see a "book about books" with a historical setting and strong female characters, I'm immediately excited to read it. The Book Club for Troublesome Women checked all these boxes and more for me! I found the four main characters delightfully unique from each other and interesting to spend time with. Maggie, Charlotte, Viv and Bitsy are northern Virginia housewives who form a book club in the 1960s, beginning with Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique, and along the way become close friends who empower each other to strive for more than the roles of wife and mother that society wishes to limit them to. I thought the characters' struggles with career, ambition, balancing priorities, and independence were realistic and relatable. I was also impressed by how funny some of the dialogue was, even as they dealt with serious issues (infidelity, suicide, alcoholism, pregnancy, and more). I would recommend this to fans of Natalie Jenner's Bloomsbury Girls, and Jennifer Chiaverini's Canary Girls. 3.75/5 stars

EXCERPT: At age seventeen, Margaret had promised herself that she would grow up to be nothing like her mother. After a promising start, the fruit of her early efforts had shriveled. Now, at age thirty-three, Margaret sometimes wondered if every woman was destined to become her mother eventually. Recently, however, things had started to shift.
And not just for Margaret.
As with any seismic occurrence, the impact would be felt more keenly by some than others, and responses to it would vary widely. Some would embrace the change. Some would decry it. Some would avert their eyes and pretend nothing had happened. It didn't come all at once of course, Meaningful change rarely does. But in the fullness of time, no one could deny that landscapes and lives had been irrevocably transformed.
Nevertheless, Margaret didn't fully appreciate that yet. Neither did she understand that the impulses she'd given in to over the last three months, and the secrets she kept - including the rented seafoam-green typewriter she'd hidden in the far reaches of the linen closet - would alter her family, her future, and her sense of self. Today she was just excited about the book club, thrilled to be the point of connection for the other three women who had agreed to take part, some more reluctantly than others, and determined to make their first meeting memorable.

ABOUT 'THE BOOK CLUB FOR TROUBLESOME WOMEN': Four dissatisfied sixties-era housewives form a book club turned sisterhood that will hold fast amid the turmoil of a rapidly changing world and alter the course of each of their lives.

By early 1960s standards, Margaret Ryan, Viv Buschetti, and Bitsy Cobb, suburban housewives in a brand-new "planned community" in Northern Virginia, appear to have it all. The fact that "all" doesn't feel like enough leaves them feeling confused and guilty, certain the fault must lie with them. Things begin to change when they form a book club with Charlotte Gustafson--the eccentric and artsy "new neighbor" from Manhattan--and read Betty Friedan's just-released book, The Feminine Mystique.

Controversial and groundbreaking, the book struck a chord with an entire generation of women, helping them realize that they weren't alone in their dissatisfactions, or their longings, lifting their eyes to new horizons of possibility and achievement. Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv are among them. But is it really the book that alters the lives of these four very different women? Or is it the bond of sisterhood that helps them find courage to confront the past, navigate turmoil in a rapidly changing world, and see themselves in a new and limitless light?

MY THOUGHTS: I fell in love with this book early one when one of the characters states, 'Mother wanted me to be a lady, but the only thing I cared about was horses and books.' Hello, me! But what really made me fall in love with this book were the characters - Margaret, Charlotte, Viv and Bitsy - and the mutual support club they become. Everyone needs friends like these, and everyone will be able to relate in some way to the struggles and triumphs of these women.

I read The Book Club for Troublesome Women in less than twenty-four hours, unable to put it down. I was born in the 50s and grew up in the 60s, so a lot of this was familiar territory to me. My mother played tennis two afternoons a week, the neighborhood coffee morning rotated from one house to the next, the phone would ring hot with the latest gossip or a warning that 'so-and-so' was on her way . . .

But if this sounds somewhat idyllic, it wasn't. A woman couldn't open a bank account in her own right without either her parents' or husband's permission. Higher education for women was discouraged - seen as a waste of time because they were only going to get married and have babies. Contraception was difficult to come by and unreliable, divorce shameful, and infidelity (as long as you were a man) and domestic abuse considered acceptable - because men were just, well . . . men. And women were popping 'happy pills' in their hundreds and wondering what was wrong with them. After all, they had nice homes filled with labor saving devices - what did they have to be unhappy about?

The four women at the centre of this novel are all very different in both character, circumstances, and where they are at in their lives. And yet they all have this one thing in common - they all feel unseen and dissatisfied. They want more than housework and childcare. They want to use their minds and improve both themselves and society.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is very different to Marie Bostwick's usual writing, which I have always enjoyed. This I LOVED.

And please, do make sure you read the note about how this book came about. It is very special.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A couple of quotes I particularly liked: Novels force you to think - to make your own conclusions about characters and themes, and decide if they're valid or relevant or true or good, or the opposite or maybe somewhere in between.

Most people are a bundle of walking contradictions.

#TheBookClubforTroublesomeWomen #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Marie lives in Washington state with her husband and a beautiful but moderately spoiled Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

When not curled up with a good book, Marie Bostwick can usually be found in her office, trying to write one.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins Focus, Harper Muse, via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Four Sixties-era housewives, all a bit dissatisfied with their lives get together to form a book club to discuss a brand new, ground-breaking book called The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. These ladies barely knew each other, or had never met yet, but their journey together discussing this book and getting to know each other and the struggles in their lives, bring them together in a wonderful way.

I personally was so invested in each of their stories, I could not put this book/ audio down until I had finished!

My thanks to Net Galley and Harper Muse for an advanced copy of this e-book and audiobook.

The subject matter and time period of this book by Marie Bostwick really intrigued me, and I am happy to say I quite enjoyed it. Set in 1963 in a Northern Virginia suburb, the book tells the story of four women who create a book club that reads feminist literature. The reading enlightens them and leads them to take some steps in their lives and marriages that will ultimately make their lives more fulfilling.

The four main women in this book each have a unique struggle within their marriages. Societal expectations have kept them from following their desired academic, career, and social paths. While they are not all unhappy in their marriages, they all feel held back from reaching their potential and living a life of which they can feel proud. I found myself sympathizing with these women. I am very grateful that I did not live in a time that was so limiting to women.

This book is emotional at times and explores important topics and themes around women's rights. It even explores the idea of societal pressures on men and the unfairness attached to them. I would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction set in the 1960s and focused on female protagonists.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is such a feel-good, empowering read! I loved following Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv as they slowly realized that the "perfect" lives they were expected to live weren't really making them happy—and how a simple book club ended up changing everything. Their friendship felt so real, full of laughter, tough conversations, and lots of heart.

Marie Bostwick did a great job capturing the vibe of the 1960s without making it feel too heavy or preachy. Some parts were a little predictable, but honestly, I didn't mind because I was so invested in the characters. It's one of those books that reminds you how powerful it can be when women come together and start asking "what if?"

If you like stories about friendship, feminism, and finding your voice, definitely give this one a shot! Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an early copy!

When life gets messy, four women form a book club and end up rebuilding their lives too. Full of humor, hope and unforgettable friendships, this story proves it's never too late to find your people.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Such a fun read! This is the story of a group of traditional housewives in the early 60s who come together to form a book club. Their first book selection is The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. The book opens their eyes to many new ideas, and each character is spurred into her own transformation. The ladies form strong bonds of friendship and start calling themselves The Bettys. This book is a celebration of the power of friendship among women. It's a great reminder of how far women have come and how far they have to go and it also delves into how expectations and traditional roles have impacted both men and women. It captures a specific moment in time when society as a whole was undergoing some momentous changes. I really enjoyed it!

It was enlightening to learn about the basic rights that women didn't have, like opening a bank account or getting a prescription filled. However, thinking about the actual story, I didn't get that much from it. Not all the women seemed to face the challenges the book highlighted; just Charlotte did. The pace was also too slow. Thank you, NetGalley.

This book definitely gets off to a slow start, but I found myself getting very invested in the characters and their relationships. It's 1963, Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique has just come out, and four women in a suburb of Virginia start a book club inspired by it. Margaret has three kids and a relatively good relationship with her husband, but she craves a writing career. Viv has six kids and is expecting a seventh, is madly in love with her husband, but misses the purpose she felt when she was an army nurse during World War II. Bitsy is twenty-three, newly married, and sad that no veterinary schools would take her since she's a woman. And Charlotte is estranged from her husband and has no idea what she wants out of life. Together, they try to figure out their next steps and find meaning.

This book is very sweet and earnest. It started out kind of feeling like an afterschool special, but as the story went on it became less cliche and felt more nuanced and real. It was really fascinating to follow along as these women navigated the constraints of their lives in different ways, and I loved their friendship and how they supported each other. It's not a revolutionary book at all, but I enjoyed it :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader's copy of this book. Unfortunately at this time I will be unable to give it my full attention, so I will provide a starred rating and return when I can give it a proper review.

I really hoped I would love this book, but unfortunately I dnf’d at 30%: I couldn’t connect with the characters and I felt like the book addressed some topics in a too distant way, and the writing style made it feel forced through the story.

just not my cup of tea! but still a big thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is one of those books you would like to see turned into a movie. I loved the message behind this book. I thought The Book Club for Troublesome Women was a beautiful story about the power of a book and how it can inspire and change the course of people's lives. I liked that this book revolved around four women. Throughout the story, we get glimpses of each of the woman's lives. Each woman's story was interesting and inspiring. Despite having many similarities, each of their stories were unique. I was intrigued by all of their stories. I liked Margaret's writing journey, Viv's desire to go back to work, Bitsy's path back to school, and Charlotte's breakthrough. It was empowering to watch each woman start to pushback at society and their relationships. Some of the men in this book were horrible. At first, I couldn't stand Margaret's husband, Walt. I hated how he treated her and belittled her jobs as a writer and stay-at-home mom. It was disheartening to see that a belief from the 1960's still holds true for some today, that stay-at-home moms aren't "working." Bitsy's husband was the worst out of the lot. His behavior at the stalls and further down the road was disgusting. I liked that the author included Tony in the story to showcase that not all men were bad. What I enjoyed so much about this book was the way the author highlighted the issues women faced in the 1960's. As someone who was born thirty years later, it's still hard for me to wrap my head around all of the barriers' women faced. This book really opened my eyes to the things my grandmothers were dealing with. How many women were denied career paths like Bitsy because a male advisor wouldn't write them a letter of recommendation? How many women like Viv ended up pregnant because a doctor wouldn't prescribe them birth control without their husband present? How many women like Charlotte were told to fall in line and be happy with their unsatisfying role in life? I was surprised to learn that some colleges required women to take courses in marriage and family studies. A big topic of this book was the first book club book, The Feminine Mystique. I liked that the author addressed the limitations of the book and how it left viewpoints out. I also liked that she highlighted how men could also be trapped in societal norms like Walt. I was happy that she discussed the experience of black women nurses during WWII. The writing was smooth, the character development was spot on, and the pacing was just right. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ARC.

[Disclosure: Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for providing this book for early review consideration. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.] Maire Bostwick's book portrays the power of women-centered stories. With the vibrant voices of Bitsy, Charlotte, Margaret, and Viv, four suburban women who join a book club and incite a lifelong friendship, this novel is an unforgettable foray into the trials and joys of life in post-World War II America. The Bettys, as they come to call themselves after reading Betty Friedan's groundbreaking /The Feminine Mystique/, band together through limitations placed on women, both concrete and perceptive. In a world which limits female capability, they persevere, chase careers, confront stubborn mindsets head-on, and move forward together, using the bond of shared experience to drive them on. Bostwick's writing leaps from the page, fresh and evocative, and her characters speak directly to the reader, vivid and lifelike. This novel is an essential portrait of mid-twentieth-century America, but also of women and the distinctly female experience so often overlooked in our current world. Through Bitsy's equestrian capabilities and veterinary aspirations, Viv's selfless nursing career, Charlotte's perseverance in the face of infidelity and dedication to uplifting women, and Margaret's passionate love of writing, the novel presents women's stories in a genuine, unforgettable light, cementing this novel as an essential addition to women's fiction and the historical fiction oeuvre.

Couldn’t get into this. Quit at about 8%. Characters and story seemed forced, writing was blunt and not very nuanced.

★★★★☆ (3.5 rounded up for content and purpose)
The Book Club for Troublesome Women (Marie Bostwick - released 2025)
e-ARC Book Review

✧ Read with me ✧ Instagram ✧| @haileydianereads

A massive thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Focus, Harper Muse, and Marie Bostwick for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest book review! 🥰🙌

“Examining thoughts and ideas that can impact your life is the whole point of reading, especially a book like this.” 📚🤔

“There was no question about it; had a writer with talent and drive equal to William’s been born a woman, the world would have been robbed of one of its greatest literary voices.” 🖋️👩

“Even in moments of despair, that hardwired, hard-learned hatred of inconveniencing others isn’t easily pushed aside.”</i></b> 🤦‍♀️😫

“If women stuck up for one another the way men do, this would be a very different world.” 👯‍♀️💛

“Open a magazine or turn on the television, and you’ll find yourself bombarded by images of perfect, perfectly satisfied women. Which means the problem must lie with us, mustn’t it? Perhaps we are weak, neurotic, selfish, or ungrateful. Or simply lacking… something. And so we buy the product, hoping it will fill the void or dull the ache. It never does.” 📺 💄

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy…
- Historical fiction set in the 1960s
- Feminist literature
- Books about books
- Friend groups forming and enduring
- The Feminine Mystique

I’ve had so many ARCs to get through in 2025 and I’ve been looking forward to Marie Bostwick’s novel all year! Years ago, I read almost exclusively historical fiction, so it’s always been a genre near and dear to my heart. Add to the historical setting a book club of housewives who are living in 1963 on the cusp of the feminist movement really gaining momentum, and you get a book that speaks hard truths about being a woman in the mid century era. This is an well written and researched novel that women in modern times can still relate to and learn empathy for choices that were made by our mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers.

RATING SYSTEM: I rate my books by 5 literary element groupings: plot and pacing, characters and development, setting and world building, dialogue and writing style. See below for a full review:

📖Plot and Pacing
It’s 1963 and four women find themselves living in the brand Concordia. It’s a new development with different home models, HOAs, and businesses that all opened on the same day. Margaret, Charlotte, Viv, and Bitsy are all housewives who are longing for more and with the recent publication of The Feminine Mystique, they might find that changing their circumstances isn’t as impossible as they might have once believed. As the four begin to get to know each other more and understand the intricacies of their families lives and responsibilities, while holding space for their dreams, friendships form that will leave them all changed. While the plot is superb, the pacing is inconsistent at times. There are moments in their stories that lag a bit, but I’m so glad I stuck it out as this book is truly feminine magic.

🧞‍♀️Characters and Development
As mentioned, this novel follows Margaret, Charlotte, Viv, and Bitsy. Each is carrying marriage and motherhood in one hand and their dreams in the other. Bostwick masterfully creates stories for each that challenge the characters to grow and push themselves. From fear, neglect, disappointment and hurt, readers will enjoy the journey as the characters develop and find new meaning in their lives while acknowledging the love they have for their families.

🌇Setting and World Building
It’s evident that Bostwick researched not only the books and their impact, but also the mid century era, thoroughly. From the language she uses throughout the book to the recipes we all wonder how they ever became popular, Bostwick immerses readers into the 1960s with ease. As the book progresses and events of the year come to fruition, Bostwick successfully brings readers on a journey of a time that, for some of us, seems arcane given all of the restrictions that women faced.

🗣️Dialogue
Most of the dialogue in the book takes place between the women in the book club with smaller scenes involving their families and other neighbors appearing intermittently. One thing that I loved about the women and how they spoke to each other is that it was never condescending. This is not a toxic or gossipy group of women - although women are often portrayed that way. Yes, they may share the details of their marriages or child rearing, but any concern or reproach is from a place of love and adoration.

📝Writing Style
Bostwick is careful to ensure that every detail of this book is doused in 1960s paraphernalia. Is that AquaNet I smell? Consideration for the setting is not the only concern. Bostwick also identifies novels that were instrumental in bringing about change and put them in the hands of our four housewives. The change may not have been overnight, but by reading these books, the women began to dream bigger and see that another path forward was possible, even if the road was rough. A woman becomes much more troublesome when she knows her worth and refuses to settle. Bostwick delivers a memorable reminder, even if fictional, of our foremothers who dared to dream.

❉BONUS❉: Emotional Connection
For me, the emotional connection that I feel to this book is the realization that while we have come so far in our fight for equality since 1963, we still have a long way to go. More than that, women must acknowledge that some of the same tactics used in the 1963s are still being used today. For example, one theme is that of consumerism and the role women play in buying products that are packaged as a way to make us “better”, “prettier”, “more alluring”, etc. While in the 1960s, this was primarily through magazines and TV, it’s no different than what is peddled to us today via the internet and social media. Buying these products will never leave us satisfied. Rather, we need to do the interna work to dismantle the generational fear we have been passed down regarding perceptions, beauty, status, worth, love, etc.

😤The Flaws
There are two flaws that I had with this book that resulted in my rating of a 3.5. I easily think this book could’ve been a 4.5 or 5 star book for me personally. However, the pacing of this book is not consistent throughout and I really had to power through portions of this book. Bostwick’s exceptional writing and passion fueled my desire to finish the book. The second flaw I had with this book was the length. I think that this book could still have delivered an emotional and triumphant ending with less pages. Combined, a faster pacing and fewer pages, this would’ve easily been a top notch book for me. The plot and characters do not disappoint.

Margaret, Charlotte, Viv, and Bitsy will be hard to leave behind. Bostwick manages to do the herculean task of making all four women likeable heroines in their own right. Readers of feminist literature and/or historical fiction will be wishing they could join the Betty’s for a Vodka Stinger.

Gratitude, always.
- H.

3.5 stars rounded up

Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv are suburban housewives in a 1960s “planned community.” They get together to read newly released The Feminine Mystique, and end up forming a bond beyond books.

Books have brought some of my favorite people into my life. Bookstagram led me to some incredible friendships, and my real life book club, who I thought of constantly while reading.

I enjoyed this story of womanhood, motherhood, friendship, and finding purpose. It was predictable in a comforting way, and well written. It did feel like there was a lot going on between the four characters, there wasn't time to settle in before the story moved on, so they kind of stayed one dimensional even though their circumstances evolved.

Sometimes it seems like the 60s were so long ago that we’re so far removed from women just like these characters in the book. In some ways, women's rights have come a long way; it’s unnerving that we’re currently seeing some of those same rights sliding back.

Women inspire. We uplift. We innovate. There's no saying what can be accomplished with a group of women by our side.

🎧 Lisa Flanagan narrated wonderfully and kept me engaged in the story.