Great historical fiction that develops themes of friendship and feminism. Touches on problems that women faced back in the day over all very interesting read.

This novel is set in the 1960s, and follows four traditional housewives. They formed a book club together, and the books they read challenged their perspectives of the world, their roles as women, and what they can be. The book follows these women's stories as they change, grow, and take steps towards their own autonomy. It was a good glimpse into the struggles of that day. A good reminder of how much we have to be thankful for the work feminists have done to bring us to where we are today.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Marie Bostwick's *The Book Club for Troublesome Women* is a humorous and thought-provoking novel set in the 1960s. The story follows four suburban housewives who form a book club and discover the transformative power of Betty Friedan's *The Feminine Mystique*. As the women grapple with their personal struggles and societal expectations, their bond and the book spark significant growth and change in their lives. Bostwick's engaging writing style and well-developed characters make this a compelling read that explores themes of self-discovery, friendship, and the complexities of postwar American womanhood.

I listened to the audiobook, the performer bought the variety of characters to life.

I recommend this to fans of historical fiction and stories about female empowerment will find much to appreciate in this wonderful story.

This book is exactly what you think it should be, and it’s absolutely perfect! The wit of the women coming together is genuine, sassy and definitely bad-assy.
It’s sad to think, that the ideas in this book still have a role in our world 60 years later. Women must always stand together and come together for a greater cause.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity with this ALC!

Four women read The Feminine Mystique and take action in their lives as they think on and process what the book means to them and how it can effect or change their lives.

This is an excellent beach read! It was light, a good story (love these “book club” books), and included some WW2 history. However, it did feel a bit corny, wrapping up feeling a little too perfect and there is a tiny blurb to acknowledge intersectional feminism but thought they could have added a little more to that sorry line.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. This was a fun read! I was honestly worried it would be very very liberal feminist book, but at times it was but I was happy with how the author incorporated how men were expected to have a good job and all the weight on their shoulders to support a family etc. I did like the female friendships and how they all came together and bonded and became such good friends and how encouraging they were to one another. I read this book in a day as I could not put it down. I was also talking to my mom not to long ago who was a late teenager at the time this book takes place. And she remembers how hard it was for a woman in some areas even though she is pro housewife stay at home and always took care of us kids while my dad went to work and provided for the family. I highly recommend this novel! It was a fantastic read! The narrator did a great job!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to this audiobook.
The book was ok, I don't think anything extreme happened so it just didn't do it for me.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a thought-provoking and still highly relevant exploration of women's rights, set against the backdrop of the 1960s. The story follows four dissatisfied housewives who are grappling with the struggles of not being able to access birth control without their husband's permission, needing their husband's signature to open a bank account, and generally feeling undervalued for the constant work they do.

I absolutely loved this book! While it shines a light on the challenges these women face, it also beautifully highlights the power of communication, friendship, and love. It's a powerful reminder of how far we've come and how much further we still have to go.

An excellent read that blends history with emotion and reflection—highly recommend!

The narrator, Lisa Flanagan, performs perfectly and adds much to the story!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for the opportunity to listen to this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Three women, Margaret, Viv, and Bitsy are living in a "planned community" in Northern Virginia and seem to have it all. It's the early 1960's and they are all homemakers taking care of their children and hard-working husbands. When a new artsy neighbor from Manhattan, Charlotte, moves in, the 3 women invite her to join their new book club. She agrees but only if she can pick the book they read, The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. While all the women had privately wanted more from life, the book opened the door for them to realize that they weren't alone in those feelings. The new bond of sisterhood helps them to support each other and navigate a rapidly changing world.

This was a great historical fiction that gives a look at the standard woman's world in the 1960s. The four women create a beautiful community with each other coming closer through motherhood and feminism in a time when the expectations of a women's role were being challenged. While WWII had given them a small look at a bigger picture since women were helping support war efforts, afterwards, they were expected to go back to being wives and homemakers. I really enjoyed this story, and it was very well written. Listening on audiobook, I was kind of losing track of what character was who at first since it is written from a 3rd POV and there are quite a few names to keep track of. A great read for historical fiction lovers!

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for the audiobook for review! Expected publication is April 22, 2025.

Historical fiction isn’t typically one of my interests, and while this book may be classified as such, its theme of women’s empowerment, female friendships and relationships is relevant and relatable today. I literally gasped out loud when basic choices related to contraception, working outside the home and opening a bank account without your husband’s permission were called into question. I often wonder about ‘simpler times’ and think back to the 50s and 60s but this book made me realize that while they may not have had the same challenges of today, they had their own and it was in no way easier. I loved this book and could not help but feel pride for the women that helped to make the choices and rights I have today possible.

*As a side note I’d like to include that I listened to the audio book and Lisa Flanagan was perfection!

Thank you to #netgalley #harpermuse #mariebostwick for an ARC!

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 ALC of this incredible book!

I enjoyed the portrayal of the everyday ways that sexism and misogyny permeated society in the 60s. I chose this book because Arlington is my hometown. I think there is ample opportunity for promotion in the DMV. If I had to guess, Concordia would be McLean…but can’t say for sure! Loved the characters, loved the story, loved the redemption of the characters and realistic portrayal of relationships both romantic and friendly.

Omg! I can't begin to express how much I loved this book. I'm part of 2 book clubs and the book club from this book is all I've ever dreamt of. Female friendships between the lost improbable of characters, deep connection and personal growth. Also, the historical setting that makes us realise how far the feminist cause has come as well as is still lagging behind... I'll gather my thoughts in the next few days and try to do this book justice. For now, just know you should run to buy it as soon as it comes out.

A very enjoyable listen with the issues of the day neatly intertwined with a heartfelt story of friendship amongst women. It’s good to be reminded that the issues of the 1960s, told in this way, can indeed be described as historical fiction and yet were those confronted by our mothers, aunts and grandmothers. It should give us hope that things can change for the good.

This felt dated and out of touch. I wasn't surprised when Betty Friednan's "The Feminine Mystique" emerged as the centrefold for the group of privileged white ladies and their book club. Everything speaks "second wave feminism" and I found myself asking "why?" What more do we need to learn from this period of time? What stories are left untold?

Not these, I think. We have bored housewives, cheating husbands, glass ceilings, imposter syndrome, sexist bosses, internalized sexism and conformity ... and a dawning awareness that women deserve more and better. All things we already know. And centred on privileged white ladies from a time long past ...

... Or maybe an era about to re-emerge, given the Trump election and apparent bamboozlement of a critical mass of Americans. Hm, maybe this one <em>is</em> timely, after all. The idea fills me was sadness and dread. We've not stepped back; we've fallen down the stairs.

I listened to the audiobook. The narration by Lisa Flanagan is superb.

What a sweet novel of four newfound friends who joined together to form a bookclub and nicknamed themselves “the Betties” after the author Betty Friedan who wrote The Feminine Mystique. This Nobel follows tremendous growth and empowerment of each Betty. Though set in the 60s a lot of these themes sadly ring true today. No matter the time or the obstacle, there is no limit to how much we can accomplish together as women ! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of this delightful story!

The Book Club for Troublesome Women uses Betty Friedan’s [book:The Feminine Mystique|17573685] as both a catalyst and a framework to explore the reality of women’s lives in 1960s suburban America. Set in Virginia, the book introduces a group of women who come together to read Friedan’s groundbreaking work and, in the process, begin to redefine their own identities, expectations, and futures.

Firmly rooted in a pre-women’s liberation era, the novel highlights the societal limitations placed on women—where opening a bank account required a husband’s signature, career ambitions were often dismissed, and domestic responsibilities were non-negotiable. Through the lens of these four women, we see the slow unraveling of these restrictive norms as they learn to articulate their frustrations, claim their independence, and support one another in ways they never imagined possible. Some of the men in their lives rise to the challenge, others can't be bothered, but the women themselves evolve, in small but meaningful ways.

The characters’ transformations don’t hinge on one defining moment but rather on a series of small realizations, each nudging them forward. The inclusion of real-life figures like Katharine Graham and Jackie Kennedy adds a layer of authenticity, grounding the story in historical reality.

With so much feminist historical fiction out there, you might wonder—do we really need another one? But books like this matter. They remind us that these struggles weren’t that long ago, that a lot has changed, and yet, so much still feels relevant today. Maybe it won’t become some timeless classic, but if it makes us stop, think, and see things a little differently, maybe that’s more than enough.

I received this ARC as an audiobook, so let me quickly note that Lisa Flanagan has a very nice voice to listen to and makes the book really come to life with her voice changes for different characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus for the digital copy of this audiobook; I am leaving this review voluntarily

I just know that this book will be showing up on a lot of people’s reading lists this year; it seems very timely despite the fact that the story takes place over eight months of 1963. Betty Friedan’s landmark book, The Feminine Mystique, has just been released.

There are three main characters to the story: Margaret, a woman completely overtaken with how she and her family appear to everyone else. Endless amounts of time is spent creating the perfect looking home, perfect meals, and perfect looking family. She’s also got a terribly horrible husband that came out of 1950s central casting. As you can imagine, she’s very superficial and very judgmental of everyone. However, throughout the story, with the aid of her book club friends, she blossoms into a much more caring and empathetic person.

Charlotte is a bit over-the-top and wholly unlikeable at the beginning of the story. As for Viv, she is portrayed as a not-so-typical woman during these times: she’s independent and strong and pushes back on society’s standard of normal for a woman. Bitsy does not feel her worth and value as a woman. Their stories are also very interesting, with Charlotte’s arc being the most satisfying and uplifting, although all the women’s stories are great.

I think now more than ever, we need stories like this, especially in the United States, where a sect of people think women should go back to these times, when they couldn’t open their own checking account without their husband’s signature, even if the checks are written out to them. Women also couldn’t get their own credit card if they were married. Through the stories of the book, you can feel the women’s conflict over pushing back from their suffocating confines. We women are pushing back to prevent this from happening again despite what the regime in power wants. We will not go back.

I thought a lot about my mother when listening to this book, because she lived through these times. I thought the narrator of the book, Lisa Flanagan, did an admirable job of creating distinct voices for each of the characters. I would listen to something narrated by her again.

Ultimately, this book shows how important it is for women to read! This would make a great book club read. Highly recommend!

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick is a heartfelt and compelling read that stirred a whirlwind of emotions in me—happiness, sadness, and even moments of pure rage. The pace is a bit slow at times, but it allows for deep character development and gives the story space to breathe. The complex emotions and the way Bostwick captures the struggles and triumphs of the women in the book really stuck with me long after I finished it. This is a fantastic pick for a book club, as it offers rich themes and plenty of discussion material, from women's friendships to societal challenges. I didn’t love every moment, but overall, it’s a thoughtful, engaging read that I’d recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for the ALC in exchange for this review.

This book was so special.
I love a good 60’s era story. This one shed light on how hard it was to be a woman during that time, and the expectations they dealt with on the day to day. These smart and capable women were told what they were best for was supporting their husbands from the home. Now, I am an old fashioned girl at heart, but watching these characters navigate the times was emotional and difficult.
The characters were layered and complicated and beautiful and the friendship they form over the book club is more beautiful still. Love this book. Will read more Bostwick for sure.