ARC received by NetGalley. Thank you!!

This was not the storyline I expected based on the description but was still an absolutely great and highly recommended read.

Radcliff in the 1950s provides the opportunity for higher education for ladies-some want to learn, most are torn between an education and the socially acceptable "MRS degree." A women's best place is in the home raising a family, right? Hmmm.

The Radcliff Ladies Reading Club follows the story of four very different Radcliff students and Alice, a woman with her own story trying to make it on her own by purchasing a bookshop. Alice advertises for a reading club and the Radcliff students (Tess, Caroline, Evie and Merritt) begin attending. Alice attempts to gently lead them to opening their minds to new ideas by proposing books that encourage them to consider options that may be available to them.

Without spoilers the girls all have their own journeys and lessons to learn. The book is well written and had me turning page after page with no desire to put down my book until I reached the end.

As many may remember, Radcliffe was once the women’s college affiliated with Harvard University. As such, it was one of the prestigious seven sisters schools.

As this novel, set in the 1950s, opens four young women are enrolled as Radcliffe freshman. They each arrive at school with their own family history. Tess hopes to be a writer and is happy to leave an unhappy home life behind in order to be a scholarship student at the school. Tess’s roommate, Caroline, is a wealthy young woman with a voluminous wardrobe. She seems less interested in academics than in dating and having fun. There are then Merritt and Evie rounding out the group.

A new bookstore has opened in Cambridge. The slightly mysterious owner, Alice, is planning to have a monthly book group with the first selection being Jane Eyre. Our four protagonists join.

I enjoyed this book’s setting and the way that the gracious life of a 1950s women’s school was brought to life. I could completely visualize the common room’s sofas and the dorm dining room where waitressed meals were served. These details accurately reflect the novel’s time period. I also enjoyed and eagerly waited to see which book would be discussed each month.

Many things happen to and around these four young women. They go through some difficult times on their way to adulthood. No spoilers so those who are interested, put this one on your calendar.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this title. All opinions are my own.

This was a charming historical fiction novel set in Cambridge (USA not UK) in the 50s. It sets out the beginning of a college adventure and friendship for four young women from very different lifestyles. By chance, they join a book club at a local bookstore. Alice Campbell, the owner, who has had her own non-traditional path in life, selects books with the hopes they teach the naive girls some life lessons. (Spoiler alert: She wants them to be more than just housewives!). I do wish the book devoted more time to the book club meetings. Alice was the most interesting character in my opinion. She pressed the girls to think for themselves and to reflect on their value systems as not something merely passed along, but genuinely owned and considered by oneself.

The book has an unexpectedly dark twist which saved it from being too trite. While I enjoyed the book, I did feel as if I had read it before. For that reason, it gets 3 stars from me. It’s an easy read that is doable in a weekend.


Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced copy.

A coming-of-age period piece set in the mid-1950s, the book covers freshman year for four young women at Radcliffe College in Cambridge, MA. Two pairs of roommates in the same dormitory, they bond over books at Alice Campbell's local store. Alice has left her previous life (and husband) to strike out on her own, and one of her goals is to encourage girls to have their own ideas, dreams, and goals, even though society will urge them to marry early and take on a domestic role instead. In her monthly book club meetings, Tess, Caroline, Evie and Merritt have the opportunity to read thought-provoking books and discuss their feelings about them and how they might relate to their own lives.

The girls couldn't be more different--from beautiful, wealthy Caroline to buttoned-up, mousy scholarship student Tess--and although they become a group of friends, their experiences at Radcliffe and nearby Harvard are quite different. And in the latter part of the book, there is real trauma and loss for more than one of them.

The writing is largely unembellished, and I would have preferred more nuance in the characters, but It is an effective story of historical fiction, especially when compared with the current mores and zeitgeist. And I felt the ending was just right.

My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

I do love a good book about books! More than being “about” books, though, “The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club” by Julia Bryan Thomas is about female friendships and young women navigating their independence - in a time when it was assumed and expected that many women went to college solely to get their “MRS degree.” Set in mid-1950s Cambridge, Massachusetts, primarily at Radcliffe and a local, independent, bookstore owned by a not-quite-as-young woman, with occasional peeks at the young womens' lives back at home. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy (in exchange for an honest review).

Evie, Tess, Caroline and Merritt are college freshmen in 1955, testing their independence while attending Radclilffe University for women. These young women come of age in this novel assisted by the owner of a local bookstore and the book club discussions they have about several classic books that challenge their way of thinking.

These girls come from very different walks of life which leads at times to much difficulty understanding each other especially when one of them goes through a traumatic event. I found the story slow going initially although it does pick up, and readers need to be aware that it does cover some difficult topics with triggers for violence against women.

Thank you to Net Galley and Source Books for this advance copy for an impartial review.

A group of first years at Radcliffe college join a bookclub at a new local bookclub. The owner of the bookstore is hoping to help encourage the opinions of the young women through her book selections, but the women have their own drama that interrupts the club.

I love books about books! The bookclub selections were fun. I liked hearing their opinions on the books and the quotes they would read. It was particularly fun since I've read some of the books, so I felt like an extension of their bookclub. That choice was fun!

Even though, I liked the concept of the plot, I found the characters frustrating. I could have used more characterization since I still needed to remind myself of who was who near the end of the book.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Cozy story about friends…loved the setting…talented author…enjoy this before a warm fire with a cup of herbal tea…be transported into the lives of these friends.. the good…the bad…friends have a book club with store owner…that is only a part of this story…growing up in the 1950’s…college…

They say that a book is a dream you hold in your hand and this couldn’t be truer for Caroline, Merritt, Evie and Tess. These four young women are embarking on a dream of studying at Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the mid-1950s - a pivotal time in American history. The Radcliffe Ladies experience the push and pull of societal expectations placed on them and seek to understand their feelings by joining a book club. It’s here they can examine their experiences through the lens of classic literature.

While much of the discussion at book club was over my head because I hadn’t read some of the classics, I could appreciate their need for a safe space to vent and discuss their dreams and hopes for their future. The fact that this place was a bookstore run by Alice, a wonderful character, was a bonus. As the Radcliffe Ladies struggled with loss and heartache, the bond between them and the bookstore grew. Just as the books were there for them when they needed them, their friends, too, were there for support through thick and thin. I found it interesting to see the grassroots of the movement and the frustration at being held back by expectations. It was good to be reminded of the things we take for granted and realize that they came at a price through women such as these four.

Those of us who understand the power of a book will love the message shared by this very capable author, Julia Bryan Thomas and those of us who see parallels between this book and recent news, will be shocked. I hope we haven’t taken strides forward in women’s equality, only to be losing foot now, decades later. Only time will tell.

I was gifted this thought-provoking book by Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I absolutely loved this book! The first half, in particular, was wonderful. It reminded me of living in the dorms and made me want to move in next door to these women. Alice, the bookshop owner, is an intriguing character with an element of mystery in her past, and she's leading an unconventional life for that era. I loved the juxtaposition of her with the four young women just dipping their toes into independence for the first time. At the beginning of the book, I thought I connected a bit with one character but by the end of the book, it was a totally different one. This is a thought-provoking read that looks at women's rights from the character's point of view, but also through the book club choices and discussions.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

As a member of a book club myself, any book where the storyline centres around a book club will typically appeal to me, which is why I was very interested in this.

This lovely story was set in Massachusetts during the 1950s, and it warmed my heart. I warmed to the atmosphere and the characters very quickly. I appreciated all of the references to well-known literature, and all of the discussions about books that occurred amongst the characters.

I felt that this book was about more than just a book club. It was about friendship, and young women with hopes and dreams. At some point while I was reading, I became quite emotionally involved, and very concerned about the fate of one particular character.

The book club in this story was nothing like mine, but I appreciated it in the same way. I may recommend this book to some of my fellow book club members who enjoy historical fiction. I also plan to recommend it to a friend of mine that I think may enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

A gem of a novel,I loved the bookstore the owner Alice the young women who join the bookclub.The author writes each character their story it brings them alive.I was drawn into this novel and was sorry when it ended.#netgalley #sourcebooks.

I'm very conflicted in writing this review. First, I would like to thank Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

"The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Group" is a coming of age novel that follows four girls as they try to carve out their own identities in a world that often expects them to conform. As part of their book club, the girls discussion is around many books which I have not had the chance read yet. Their discussion, at times, lost my interest and I think my reading experience overall would have been better if supplemented by the reading of their book club books. It was interesting, though, to see how the different character's interpretations of the books provided insight into that character themselves--the reader could figure out, through their reactions to the books, more about each girl's personality, their goals, and how they view the world. I almost wish I joined the book club alongside the girls.

However, I think I may have been the wrong target audience, and it's hard for me to critique a book I feel wasn't written for me. This book felt like it was a young adult book and quite below my reading level. On other the hand, I only say "I think" because this book dealt with some heavy topics (TW: sexual assault, teenage pregnancy, depression). But, if viewed as a young adult book, I would happily recommend this book to young girls in high school.

My review is found on my Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5147552403

I really fell into this book. The bookstore became a haven for Alice as well as the girls to find their true selves, not what society expects of them. Julia Thomas writes with such beautiful descriptions, I watched the story unfold in my mind. I could see the bookstore and smell the books. I will definitely continue to follow this author.

Books about books are my favorites. The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas tells the story of Alice Campbell and her newly-founded bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her bookstore becomes a safe place for founding fierce, female friendships in a society that would much rather see women in the kitchen. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance e-galley.

This was a wonderful story not only about what book vlub and how books can relate to everyone but also about overcoming obstacles and the faith to move on. Thus book was approved by netgalley and the publisher.

The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas is a great post WWII historical fiction that I really enjoyed.

This gem takes place mainly during the academic year of 1954-55 in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Radcliffe College. Here four young women, unique in their personalities, life circumstances, pasts, walks of life, hopes, and dreams, are brought together as roommates, classmates, dorm mates, and potential friends. Their ideas of duty to family, society, each other, and themselves are tested for the first time in a world unknown and also after joining a small book club by a woman starting afresh from her own past.

It was interesting to read each young women’s thoughts as they navigated this uncharted territory and how they decided to what degree they would accept or reject the different facets of the expectations, societal roles, and constraints that were placed upon women during this time.

We also see a glimpse of the bookshop owner, Alice, as well, but the four young women: Caroline, Merritt (my personal favorite), Evie, and Tess were the stars of the show. I would have welcomed even more of Miss Campbell and her story as well, to be honest, but it was still great nevertheless.

There were a few surprises along the way, but mostly it was a coming of age story involving the pivotal time period of America in the 1950s before the true revolution of the 1960s really took off. The ending was promising and satisfying. I really enjoyed this.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Sourcebooks Landmark for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 6/6/23.

1954 Cambridge; Alice Campbell has turned a decrepit building into a bookstore. This is not the life she had planned for, but Alice knows all too well that books are balm to a troubled soul and a broken heart and she sets out to make her shop a place that will transport her customers to other worlds. In a time when women were expected to find fulfillment in front of the kitchen stove or beside a baby’s crib, four young college graduates, Evie, Caroline, Merritt and Tess find solace in Alice’s bookshop. This book is arresting, not only because of the close friendships of women in a world that has cast them as second class citizens, but because we find ourselves, nearly seventy years later, in a country that seems to be rapidly regressing in the area of women’s rights

My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas.

Ms Thomas so perfectly captures women and their boundaries in 1954.

I loved this book.

Alice Campbell, newly arrived in Boston, opens the bookstore of her dreams. She, and the bookstore, become a haven for four young Radcliffe women.

I would love seeing Alice and her bookstore become a premise for a series.