The character development was exceptional, and I found myself deeply invested in the story by the halfway point. However, I am not awarding a 5-star rating, as I felt the narrative truly gained momentum only after this point. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed every character in the story.

I was drawn to this book initially for the title, and enjoyed the audiobook so much! The book is set in in 1963 over 8 months, beginning with the release of The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, and ending with the November assassination of JFK. The release of The Feminine Mystique prompts a neighborhood book club among the housewives. There are so many topics covered in this story around gender roles & expectations of women in 1960s suburban America, and it was sooo interesteing and tragic (at times) to read. We see the story from four different POVs of the women in the book club, and there is a satisfying epilouge to tie it all up. I really appreciate the level of detailed writing that goes into historical fiction novels, and this one is no exception. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for this audo ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A friendship develops between women who are struggling with various issues back in the 50’s. Housewives, who aren't just satisfied with being homemakers and mothers. They are ok with that but want more out of their lives. When they first start the book club they are strangers but through the books, bonding and growing together they find a special friendship that helps them all. Each woman has a different struggle and each one wants to encourage and help the other. They are no longer just a book club they are stronger and going after their own goals and aspirations while maintaining their self, families and what is right for them. Well written by Marie Bostwick
I read the book and listened to the audio. I prefer the audio for the narrator, Lisa Flanagan did an amazing job of depth of feelings in her voice and you felt the struggle and frustrations. The story is heartfelt and gives you a look into what women had to go through back in the 50s if they wanted more than a husband and children. Many wanted that and a career which was not the norm in those days. It was slowly evolving. Truly a good book to show awareness on how life for women evolved to choices opening slowly for them in work and career opportunities.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for the eARC and audio version of The Book Club for Troublesome Women. I do recommend this book as a good read it's informative accurate and heartfelt. This is my honest opinion.

After reading the first 30 pages of this book, I did not expect to like it. It was weird reading that the time I grew up in is now considered Historical Fiction. I was actually fifteen in 1963 but still...
I was very pleasantly surprised to find myself liking the book quite a lot. The four women kept reminding me of Sex in the City but a very different generation. They had that care and affection and loyalty one to the other.
I thought the comparison and assessment of why the women in The Group (Mary McCarthy) didn't have happy endings was spot on. Friendship and connection works. The women were well flushed out and the husbands, though taking back seats, welded their power.

I think this is a good book to read to learn about the 50s. As unbelievable as it is and how much things have changed and how much they haven't.
It's a quick read and captures true current events and the impact on these women.

A beautifully written story about a group of women who start the kind of book club I would like for myself. The start was I little slow, but it wasn't long before I was completely pulled in by the truly compelling characters.

BOOK REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received an ARC of “The Book Club for Troublesome Women” from @netgalley to review. These are my honest opinions.

“The Book Club for Troublesome Women” by Marie Bostwick is a thought provoking novel that touches on controversial social, political, cultural, and economic issues – ones that were prevalent in the 60s, during which the book is set, but also still exist now in 2025, although perhaps in more subtle ways. The oppression of women is nothing new, and readers will have the opportunity to see glimpses of what this looked like for previous generations while getting lost in the detail-rich imagery that the book provides. Bostwick’s writing beautifully captures the essence of the 1960s, like travelling back in time and getting lost in the stories of these fascinating women.

#bookreview #netgalleyarc #netgalley #thebookclubfortroublesomewomen #mariebostwick #arcreader #justfinishedreading #bookstagram

I felt transported to the 60s in this book! We follow the lives of 4 women, not only are the in a book club, but we get to read about their ups and downs in life and love. This book is about friendship but also strength and growth!
The four suburban housewives in this book are Margaret, Viv, Bitsy and Charlotte. I feel like I am living their life 60 years later. Thankfully I have lots more freedoms than they experienced (getting a bank account on my own, and being. working mom without judgement, and I have a degree!). These ladies are representative of the ones that paved the way! I enjoyed each of their stories and how they came together too.
The narrator of this audiobook did a fantastic job and I loved her narration! I highly recommend this book!

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is told from the perspective of 4 dissatisfied housewives, Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv. They start a book club where they read The Feminine Mystique, inspiring them to challenge their traditional roles and change their lives.

This audiobook immediately sucked me in; it was my first read by Marie Bostwick and definitely won't be my last. I love reading books from that time period and felt totally immersed in that world; it's fascinating to see how far we have come and how much farther we have to go as women. It makes me want to join a book club!

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Muse, for the audiobook arc of The Book Club for Troublesome Women.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women transports readers back to the 1960s, where four women serendipitously come together to start a book club together and begin to question everything society has taught them about the "American Dream" and their roles in it.

Author Marie Bostwick did a really good job of building up all four characters and their lives. As this was an audio ARC, I worried I may have trouble keeping each character straight, but I quickly fell into the world of Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv. Each woman was in a different place in their lives, but each one yearned for something that was missing. When the club reads "The Feminine Mystique", they are empowered to redefine their goals, follow their hearts, and question society's rules.

Narrator Lisa Flanagan was a fantastic reader for this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed her reading, with nice pacing and excellent dialogue. The storyline was full of 1960s nostalgia, bringing the suburban housewife stereotype to life.

This was my first book by Marie Bostwick - but not my last!! Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for this advanced audiobook. I will absolutely be recommending this to my library patrons and suggest they request it now!

The Book Club for Troublesome Women
Author: Marie Bostwick
Publication Date: April 22, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley @harpermusebooks @harpercollinsfocus and @mariebostwick for this audiobook ARC! I enjoyed every second of it…so much so that I listened to it twice! I preordered a signed copy and am excited to add this beautiful book to my home library 💛

A thought-provoking and relevant story about the healing power of fierce female friendships.

Set in the 1960’s, we meet Margaret, Viv, Bitsy and Charlotte, who, through a book club, form a small neighborhood group known as “the Bettys”. After reading The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan as their first book club pick, they all find that this book challenges their ideas of the role of women. We get to follow along as each of these women go on individual journeys of self-discovery, together. With their strong support system, they each learn that it’s ok to dare to dream of a different life.

This is the first book I have read by Marie Bostwick and I know that I will be reaching for her other titles after loving this one so much! I listened to this story as an audiobook narrated by Lisa Flanagan. Lisa did such an outstanding job, she really always does! I gave this book 5 stars and will highly recommend it!

#BookReview #TheBookClubforTroublesomeWomen #NetGalley #HarperMuseBooks #MarieBostwickAuthor #MyBookshelf #BookNerd

A fun read (listen) with some themes that are honestly still applicable today - even though this book is set in the 1960s. The women are relatable, and though they have their own unique perspectives and trials, they come together as a strongly-bonded group supporting one another through the ups and downs of their daily lives. This would be so sweet to choose as a book club read. 🤍

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The housewives of Concordia, Virgina, are the picture-perfect women their husbands dreamed of. They deliver the children to school, the dinner to the table promptly as the men arrive home from work, and support their husband’s aspirations through their social adventures. But when the women form a book club, they find they share more than just a love of books – a shared need for independence and self-worth. Carreers outside the home, a need to contribute to society and be more than just a mom are at the center of their dreams, but their husbands disagree. Will the women win their fight for purpose, or will they end up bending to the will of their husbands again?

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is Marie Bostwick’s historical fiction novel that will transport readers to 1960’s Virginia. In a Stepford Wives meets Golden Girls type narrative, Bostwick weaves a plot of unlikely friendship and women empowering each other that will remind readers how far we’ve come in women’s rights…and how far we have left to go. This is a story about finding your community and support system wherever you land, but also about advocating for your dreams and not allowing anyone to ruin that for you.

I give The Book Club for Troublesome Women 5 out of 5 stars. If you have been following me here long, you know I am a sucker for a good book that tackles mental health issues, and Bostwick does that here with polished ease. Looking at underlying conditions and situational challenges, as well as substance abuse, these characters exemplify the dangers of mental health in motherhood that are often overlooked and discounted as just “emotional women”. I also really appreciated the historical look at the fight women had to be relevant in society – the things women could and could not do without their husband’s approval in the 60’s like bank accounts or owning assets. It is easy to forget that just a few decades ago, women faced a very different world than what we see today and books like this are a great reminder of how easy it would be to go back to that environment.

If you are a fan of the way Fredrik Backman tackles mental health in his writing – you’ll love this book. If you like the way Patti Callahan Henry or Marie Benedict transport readers to past eras in their historical fiction, this is definitely the book for you. However, with themes of substance abuse, mental health struggles, and emotional abuse in marital relationships, this may not be a book for all audiences and may be best directed to more mature readers over 16.

I was excited to see this book as a NetGalley option. The title and cover captured my attention right away – I think my grandmother had the same couch when I was growing up! Once I reviewed the publisher’s description, I knew I had to read this book – book clubs and strong female friendships are right up my alley!

The Book Club for Troublesome Women will release April 22nd. You can pre-order your copy today on our Bookshop.org page!

This was a lovely historical fiction about a group of strong women growing together through a book club in the 60s. I loved all the characters and everyone's arc. The book dragged at points though and I was bored quite often, but it was heartwarming how everyone's story wrapped up.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the arc :)

Sex in the City but make it DC and set in the 60s and they have a book club.

Well written historical fiction. I enjoyed it. It covered a ton of women’s issues but I liked the “show don’t tell” of the many things a 60s woman went through that we don’t have to worry about. They walked so we could run.

Historical fiction isn't usually my genre of choice, but this synopsis and some good reviews convinced me to request it. What a treat!

📖: It's the early 1960s, and four suburban women decide start a book club. Margaret, Charlotte, Viv, and Bitsy start with the controversial The Feminine Mystique. As the story progresses the friends encourage and support each other through the seasons of life, especially when it comes to breaking the mold of the typical 1960s woman.

🤝: This may be a good fit if you enjoy:
- strong female friendship
- books that hit all the feels
- polite female rage 😆

💭: I went into this book with zero expectations, and I had such a lovely experience. I don't read much historical fiction, yet I connected with this one right away. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I related to these 1960s housewives with their ambition and persistence. They didn't want to sit silently in a system that didn't work for them. I was touched by their friendship, angry at their obstacles, and inspired by how the women advocated each other.

🎧: Lisa Flanagan reminds me a bit of January LaVoy, and that is a high compliment in my book. I highly recommend this format if you're an audiobook fan.

Rating: I really liked it! (4.5 rounded up)

Thank you to HarperCollins Muse and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a phenomenal read! Margaret, Bitsy, Charlotte and Viv were the epitome of what a book club in the 1960s would look like. Faced with real life issues, in and out of the household, these four women find friendship, support, and a place to share their personal thoughts and feelings that society had led them to have long kept to themselves.
This book was the whole package. It's very rare that I finish a book and don't have a single thought of what I wish was done a bit differently, but this book was absolutely an exception. Very well-written, moderately paced, and full of juicy gossip that kept me wanting 'just one more chapter'

Set in the 1963, this book gives a view of what it was like to be a woman in this time: traditional roles and limiting laws but feeling the need to be something bigger and knowing we deserve it. I really appreciated the historical elements that were weaved into each characters lives and honestly, some of the sentiments explored can ring very true for being a woman in today’s age. I found myself nodding in agreement with their views on friendship, family life and their frustrations with the culture around them. Really amazing read! The narrators voice was also amazing. The character voices were also a plus!

Great book that explore female relationships within the context of a book club. Highly enjoyable

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

This book took me completely by surprise and is easily the best book I’ve read this month!

The women of Concordia, a brand new planned community in Northern Virginia in the 1960s, are living the dream: beautiful new homes, successful husbands, children they adore. It’s not until four of them find themselves members of an impromptu book club that each woman realizes she’s not the only one with a nagging feeling that something is missing.

True confession time. From the description, I half expected this to be a man-bashing reading experience. It is NOT. Yes, The Feminine Mystique is the first book the ladies read, and all that follows stems from there. Yes, there are some painful actions, words, and attitudes toward women, often from their husbands. Yes, female empowerment is certainly a theme in this book, but marriage and families are not made the enemy. These women find friendship, they find their footing and their purpose, they make their precarious way through the frenetic changes of the time, and they hold on to – or let go of, when necessary – the good in themselves, their families, and each other.

This is a perfect book club pick – especially if you have a multi-generational group! – there is so much to talk about here.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women will be published April 22, 2025, so get your pre-orders or library holds in now.

This was my first book by Marie Bostwick – it will not be my last!

Thank you to @harpercollinsfocus, @netgalley, and author @MarieBostwick for the complimentary copy. It was my pleasure to write this candid review.

This book blew me away. 4 women form a book club in the early 1960's that ends up being a support system as well as pushing them to examine their thoughts and push societal boundaries. I loved how clearly defined these women were, while allowing for changes and growth. The backdrop of the 1960's and how culture was changing just intensified what was going on in their families. I listened to the audio version and the narrator was engaging and showed a different perspective for each character. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes history, feminism or book clubs!