Set in the 1960s, this book follows a group of housewives living in a small town who come together when they form a book club. I found this relatable with a lot of parallels to women's lives today who also struggle with trying to balance marriage, motherhood and their own dreams.

The first book the women choose is Betty Friedan's classic, The feminine mystique, which was a new release at the time and quite controversial. Okay on audio read by Lisa Flanagan, I did wish that there had been a full cast of narrators to help distinguish each of the main characters better for listeners.

Recommended for fans of books like The Martha's Vineyard beach and book club by Martha Hall Kelly. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

First and foremost, I want to express my sincere gratitude to Netgalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for this Audio ARC of "The Book Club for Troublesome Women" by Marie Bostwick @mariebostwick.

Audio Review ~
I give 5 stars to any narrator who takes on the challenge of voicing multiple characters. I truly appreciated her dedication and the depth she brought to each character, bringing them to life.

Thoughts ~
Marie Bostwick is a new author for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Set in the 1960s, it offers an enlightening perspective and serves as a reminder of the progress women and society have made. I appreciated the story of these women and how their friendships blossomed, showcasing their courage, strength, support, and mutual questioning, which ultimately led to significant personal growth and deep connections.

I wanted to love this book, but it felt like very introductory/surface-level feminism to me. None of the women were especially "troublesome," and they were all white and seemingly pretty well-off. I actually found some of the side characters more intriguing, like Charlotte's daughter Denise, and wish we had gotten more of their stories. It also felt pretty unrealistic at times (I know, it's fiction) with how quickly the women became friends, subscribed to Friedan's ideas, and began pushing back on the men in their lives. There were also passing mentions of several historical events like MLK's March on Washington and the JFK assassination that could have provided great context for the novel, but were not fleshed out enough to really add anything to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with the audio arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I love reading about book clubs, book stores and libraries. So I was extremely excited about receiving an advance audio copy for this book. I absolutely loved it! Already ordered a finished copy. This is definitely a book. I would recommend to my friends and family.

Meet Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy and Viv or "The Bettys" as they are know around town. Four women who share one thing in commen - their love of books. What starts as a typical book club for ladies turns into friendships that last a lifetime. These four women go through so much after they meet and their only way to cope is to read books and, eventually, learn to lean on one another. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel written during the Sixties as it adequately portrayed what women went through during that time period. It's unfathamable to me that I would need my husban'd permission to open a checking account! Although I knew this, it was still just one of many interesting tidbits the author included. I loved learning about these characters and watching them grow into to strong, beautiful women.

Title: The Book Club for Troublesome Women
Author(s): Marie Bostwick
Narrator(s): Lisa Flanagan
Genre: Fiction, Historical
Date Published: April 22, 2025
Date Read: April 5-6, 2025
Format: Audiobook
Free?: This book was received as a an eARC audiobook courtesy of NetGalley.
Overall Rating: ★★★/5

Setting Rating: 📍📍📍/5
Conflict Rating: 💣💣/5
Tear Rating: 💧💧/5
Humor Rating: 😆/5

-ˋˏ✄ᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧᐧ⇢

🔍 TL;DR
⤷ In the early 1960s, three suburban housewives and an unconventional newcomer form a book club that challenges their views and awakens a deep sense of dissatisfaction with their seemingly perfect lives. As they read The Feminine Mystique and share their personal struggles, the women form a powerful bond that helps them navigate the cultural upheaval of the era. Through friendship and self-discovery, they each begin to redefine what fulfillment means—and what they’re truly capable of becoming.

📣 Favorite quote
⤷ Acquaintances abound, but true friendships are rare and worth waiting for.

🎥 Synopsis
⤷ In a Northern Virginia suburb of the early 1960s, three housewives—Margaret, Viv, and Bitsy—seem to have everything, yet quietly grapple with a sense of emptiness they can’t explain. Their lives take a turn when Charlotte, an artistic and unconventional newcomer from Manhattan, moves in and suggests they start a book club. The group’s first read, The Feminine Mystique, opens their eyes to a shared, unspoken dissatisfaction and sparks a journey of questioning, growth, and solidarity. As the women confront personal struggles and societal expectations, their bond deepens into a transformative sisterhood. Together, they discover that real change doesn’t come from a book alone, but from the courage to reimagine their futures—and support each other through it.

📋 Review
⤷ This novel painted a hauntingly sad—and beautiful—image of women fighting for their place in the world in the 60s in their own ways, from financial independence to equal partnerships to respect and fair treatment in the workplace.

⤷ The story was at times difficult to read, as the issues they faced were trying and infuriating (like, you couldn’t open a bank account without your husband’s approval?).

🌟 I wish…
⤷ I wish the pacing had been more consistent. The ending felt both rushed and overstuffed with events, compared to the rest of the book’s slower pace. I also felt that some issues the women had with their spouses/partners blew over much more quickly than was realistic, though maybe that’s due to my perception of the world now versus what it was in the 60s.

👍🏻 Recommend?
⤷ Mostly, yes. If you enjoy a historical fiction set in the 60s, of suburban housewives itching for women’s liberation while struggling with their own personal traumas and life’s ups and downs, then I would recommend this book.

I’ve been telling everyone to read this book. It’s historical fiction set in 1963 in an early planned community not far from Washington, DC.

Four women that live in the neighborhood form a book club and the first book they read is
THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE by Betty Friedan. THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE captured the frustration (such as a married woman unable to open her own bank account without her husband’s signature) that the 4 women in this book are feeling.

I loved each of the four main characters in this book. Each woman is different. They are going through different things, but they begin to stand together to support and nurture each other’s dreams.

This is such a great book for discussion. Even if historical fiction isn’t your normal genre, I think it’s an important book for women to see exactly how life was for a woman that would be your parents or grandparents age.

I also at least want to look through THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE to see what caused such a stir 60 years ago.

This was a heartfelt story where you could really feel connection to the characters. Beautifully written and well narrated. Thank you!

The premise of this is phenomenal, but I think it didn't 100% stick the landing in a few regards. For one, the title had me excited to see a bunch of 'troublesome' women, but in my opinion most of our gals only really changed as a result of the decisions of their MEN and I think because of that the wind left my sails a little.

I think this book did execute a lot of great food for thought but that it didn't entirely deliver on the premise that it advertised.

As a professional woman who has benefited from the struggles of generations of women before me, I found this audiobook fascinating. It's nearly impossible to believe that just a few short decades ago, women could not get in to medical / veterinary schools, open bank accounts or seek birth control pills without the consent / involvement of their husbands. The author adeptly weaves her message of equality into a story about 4 women in the 1960s, each with different skill sets and family situations. Each of the four women is extremely likable in her own way. As a female physician, I especially liked a few of the side characters - for example, the character of Francesca, a lady doc ahead of her time. I also really liked the character Helen, the bookstore owner. There's also a cameo by someone famous, which was really enjoyable - no spoilers though.

Each woman has a husband, and these men are bound by the constraints of societal and cultural norms. Each of them responds differently as their wives start to become more and more empowered. It was fascinating to see how this all played out. We still have a ways to go in order to truly be equal, but we have come a very long way already.

Regarding the audiobook in particular, I found the audiobook narrator's tone a little bit "preachy" at times (for lack of a better term), but she did a great job bringing the characters to life.

Very enjoyable, and I'd definitely recommend the book!

I love historical fiction, but I don't read many books set during the 1960s. I usually pass those on to Susan, but since this one had a book club in the title, I thought I would give it a try. (I've been on this kick of reading books about books, libraries, book stores, and book clubs lately.)

There wasn't anything groundbreaking about this novel. The characters are stereotypical of housewives in the 1960s. They want more from life than just being wives and mothers. I liked that they aren't extremely radical. They aren't burning their bras. But at the same time, they don't just accept that this is their fate.

This book is definitely all about the characters, and I liked the characters. Whenever Charlotte appeared in the story, I pictured Phryne Fisher from the British detective television show Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. The book is equally about the 4 women, but I think it focuses a little more on Margaret. It could be because she is seen as the leader of the Bettys (that is what they call their book club).

I thought their lives were a little easier than what many of the women in their position experienced. Margaret's and Viv's husbands are pretty progressive for the 1960s. While it seemed like Margaret's husband would be difficult in the beginning, he recognized and voiced what he was feeling, and they worked through it. Viv's husband was always on the same page with her - whatever made her happy, he was supportive of. Charlotte's and Bitsy's husbands are largely off the page, so we really only know what Charlotte and Bitsy tell us about them. If you've seen the television show Mad Men, I think Charlotte's husband would fit right in with them. I felt like Bitsy's husband was there just because she needed a husband (which I guess is true for Bitsy in that she married him because she needed the security of a husband after her father died, and King was willing to marry her).

In a world where women are often competitive with one another, it was nice to see four women form a true friendship where they are supportive of one another.

This is an easy book to listen to as an audiobook. Lisa Flanagan did a great job with the voices. Bitsy is from Kentucky, and she had a bit of a southern twang. Viv had a bit of a Brooklyn accent. It helped to distinguish the characters but also fleshed them out a little more.

This is the first book I've read by Marie Bostwick, and I will definitely keep an eye out for more historical fiction from her.

I think this would be a great book to read with friends or to take on a vacation with you - maybe a girls' weekend!

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/04/the-book-club-for-troublesome-women-by.html

1960’s housewives, Margret, Viv, Bitsy and Charlotte start a book club by reading the Feminine Mystique. For those that don’t know, this book was a well-known novel that created a second wave of feminism because it explored the gender roles of staying at home and raising kids and how not all women were fulfilled by doing so. This book would change the lives of these four women forever. I love historical fiction and this was a good one. Each of the women changed and grew throughout the story. Some of their spouses were not OK with the change and others were. The writing was wonderful and I quickly became absorbed into the story. I loved the sisterhood shown and the women in the story that became strong and learned how to stand up for themselves in what they want in life.

I was able to listen to this book thanks to Netgally. Going into this book blind, I expected it to focus in on the lives of the bookclub members, but I didn’t realize just how much I would fall in love with the characters. The story was told through multiple POVs and you see the character development through each. It helps you to understand what it was like to be a woman in the time period and the outrageous sexism. Listening to this unfold was so great.

I first heard about this book because of the author event at Powell’s. The title drew me in as I love a book about books. The central read is The Feminine Mystique and the time is the 1960s. While I appreciate the historical fiction component (Kennedy presidency), I don’t think this adds much to the era’s plight and told experience of the housewife. This story follows four women and feels a bit fragmented and all over the place. A few moments were poignant, for example, “She hadn’t even left a note, only a full refrigerator.” Many moments felt scripted around expected hurdles and conflicts, causing the story to drag on a bit. I listened to the audiobook via an ARC from NetGalley. Lisa Flanagan’s narration was fine. This was solid but maybe a bit underwhelming for my high hopes- 3.5 stars.

A thoughtful, timely read that had so much power—until the ending dropped the ball.

Set in 1963 Virginia, this follows four women who form a book club and read The Feminine Mystique. What starts as small talk over books turns into a full-blown awakening. Each woman wrestles with identity, lost dreams, and the crushing expectations of being a "good wife" and "good mother" in a world that wants them quiet.

The pacing picks up once they start reading Friedan. I devoured the second half and wanted to cheer—and scream. I adored all four women and loathed (deeply) some of their husbands.

But the ending? Way too rushed, with real-life historical figures shoehorned in and an unnecessary fast-forward that didn’t land. The story didn’t need a tidy bow—it deserved the messiness of real life.

What hit me most was how relevant this 1960s story feels in 2025. We're still fighting the same fights. Still shrinking women's dreams. And that’s the scariest part of all.

“‘Do you know why money matters? Because it buys power. Power to influence outcomes and break people, power to bend the world to your will. And who has the money? The power? The control?’ ‘Men.’”

I was expecting this to be more of a Book Woman Of Troublesome Creek book with the focus being on the book club and the books themselves. But it ended up being more about women in the 60’s fighting for the right to work and find some balance in that regard. And marital drama. A lot of marital drama.

I really did enjoy the narration of this one. You can really feel the emotion of these characters, and there is a lot of emotion in it.

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

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Focus, Harper Muse, and the author for the ALC and ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3.5 stars⭐! Thank you to @harpercollinsfocus for the advanced audiobook copy.

📆 Pub date: April 22 ✨

I loved the premise: four dissatisfied 1960s housewives start a book club that becomes a sisterhood, helping them reckon with the constraints of their lives.

In their suburban community, Margaret, Viv, and Bitsy seem to have it all: homes, husbands, stability - but something’s missing. Enter Charlotte, the eccentric new neighbor, and a copy of The Feminine Mystique.

As they read, the women confront traumas, cracks in their marriages, and long-buried desires.

I really appreciated that the novel doesn’t shy away from the era's oppression - married women couldn’t even open bank accounts or access birth control without their husbands’ permission.

I also appreciated that Bostwick acknowledges the limits of The Feminine Mystique. Friedan’s ideas mostly applied to middle-class white women, while many others were already working to survive.

That said, for a book called The Book Club for Troublesome Women, I didn’t think the women caused much trouble or talked about the books enough. These are iconic feminist titles, and I wanted radical awakenings. But their takeaways felt tame.

The stakes often felt low, and the resolutions too tidy. I wanted them to shake things up and burn it all down. Instead, most life shifts seemed to happen to them, not because of them, which undercut the agency the book was celebrating.

I truly hated the husbands lol. One has a miraculous breakthrough and transforms into the perfect man overnight. I couldn’t have cared less. I’m tired of women having to teach men not to be misogynists and then applauding them for doing the bare minimum. That dynamic softens the tensions the novel was supposed to explore.

Overall, this novel is a heartfelt tribute to female friendship. I really appreciated the character development and exploration of distinct personalities. I just wish it went a little further.

Also, this book puts the “trad wife” trend into perspective. Women fought for every right we have. Nothing was handed to us - we had to take it. So wanting to go backward and idolizing 1950s housewives is INSANE.

Wow, I loved this book. I was drawn to it after reading another (unrelated) book with “Troublesome” in the title, and this did not dissapoint.

Sure, it was saccharine and cheesy at times, and it has kind of a giant plot hole in the form of an ad that would never get run, but I love a book club, I love an unlikely friendship, and I love a story of women building each other up.

If those are things you like too, absolutely check this one out.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick takes place in the early 60s, a time of change, both cultural and legal, in the United States, for women as well as others. I was a young teen when all this was happening so I was aware on the fringes. My mother had always been independent and my father had adjusted, mostly. These four women led very different lives but all lived in the same “planned community.” The book, Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan brought them together and had varying amounts of influence on each of them. It was more their lives that wrought the changes for them, who had become fast friends. They were forced into them by circumstances. It may have been the change in society that allowed them to follow the paths they did, which did include being a wife and a mother.

I think it would be hard for a young women to understand what these women went through, having never lived it. It was their grandmothers. It was a good book, with each reader bleeding along with each of the women as they faced what they must. It coved racism, cheating, “having it all,” as well well as sexism. But, it was the time. These women fought for what we have today. It is hard to imagine that in a time as close as the 60s, women could not open their own bank account, or be prescribed birth control without their husband’s signatures. That is exactly the way it was and was described in this book. Excellent retelling of a monumental time in history as close and as unbelievable as it is.

The narrator is Lisa Flanagan who did a more than credible rendition of this lovely novel. She infused it with warmth and caring and did justice to each of the four stories while remaining impartial and true to her art.

I was invited to both listen to and read The Book Club for Troublesome Women by HarperCollins Focus. Always interesting to compare the two. All opinions and thoughts are mine. #Netgalley #HarperFocus #MarieBostwick #LisaFlanagan #TheBookClubForTroublesomeWomen

This might be one of my favorite reads this year! The Book Club for Troublesome Women is set in the 1960s, and all the women start out as housewives, but equipped with the knowledge from their reads, chart new courses for their lives such that they are so much more fulfilled beyond what society says is their wifely duties. Even though this book was set in the 60s, which had different expectations for women, so many of the messages of this book were still relevant today.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.