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"The Trouble with You" follows Fanny Fabricant, a wartime bride and mother. The majority of the book takes place after World War II, when Fanny is torn between two worlds: that of a wife and independent woman. Encouraged in both paths by her cousin Mimi and aunt Rose, respectively, she finds herself uncertain of how to proceed as herself in 1952 New York City. I appreciated that Fanny was uncertain when her life took an unforeseen turn. However, I did wonder at the vast difference between who she is as the book begins and who she could have been. I found it hard to connect with Fanny and the staid plot until approximately the middle of the novel. I think we could have benefited from more depth of character and her history. The book delves into McCarthyism, HUAC, and the Red Scare as it influenced radio programming with appropriate inclusion of actors and actresses.

The Trouble with You was released in the U.S. on February 20, 2024. Thanks to Recorded Books and NetGalley for this audio ARC given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.5⭐️s. I listened to the audio on this and thought the narrator did a great job. The book is a little bit of a different story line of post-ww2 women trying to navigate jobs in the 40s/50s after being widowed while gender roles were sort of stuck in the past but opportunities were opening. I think the conflict of that was well done between Fannie, Ezra and others’ perspectives. The Blacklisting and anti-communist witch hunt was also crazy and well portrayed. I sort of wish more of that was in the book.

Overall the book was a little slow and the romance predictable, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are mine.

"The Trouble With You" by Ellen Feldman is historical fiction set just after World War 2 ended in 1945. There was McCarthyism where many people in the US were (often unfairly) accused of being Communists. In this setting, Fanny Fabricant is a young widow with a young daughter. Chloe. As a single mother she has to get a job. She finally lands a job as a secretary for radio serials. There are two men who fancy her and she has to decide between them.

Kathryn Markey did well with the narration and the many character voices.

I enjoyed this book. It was like a fictional memoir.

Characters 5/5
Writing 5/5
Plot 4/5
Pacing 4/5
Unputdownability 3/5
Enjoyment 4/5
Narration 4/5
Cover 3/5

Thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Fanny has had to reinvent her life. She has been raised to be a “good wife”. But life throws her a curve ball and she has to get a job and create a whole new world for herself and her daughter.

If you follow my reviews at all, you know I am a big fan of strong women characters. And Fanny is just that! It takes her a little bit. But when she jumps into the workforce, nothing stops her.

This book is very close to a 5 star read. The only reason it is not is that it slows down a bit in the middle, or rather, it could have been a bit shorter maybe. But, you can’t go wrong with it. The story of Fanny definitely keeps you entertained from start to finish.

I love how once she became dependent on herself, she was not going back. And she had an opportunity or two to get married and become the “good wife” she was raised to be. She outgrew this thought and the constraints of the time period.

The narrator, Kathryn Markey, is the perfect voice of Fanny!

Need a good historical fiction…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

The Trouble With You was the second book I had the pleasure of reading by Ellen Feldman. It was well written and well plotted. The Trouble With You took place during the years of World War II and then through the decade of the 1950’s in New York City. The men that had served in World War II had either come home or had unfortunately died and had not returned from the war. There were so many women who had rushed to marry their husbands before they were sent off to fight in the war only to learn that they were widows before their lives together had even had the chance of starting. It was a time when women were expected to be housewives and mothers first and foremost. Women who chose to work outside the home during this time were frowned upon. Suspicion of Communist ties was becoming increasingly common especially among the men and women who worked in the arts as actors, writers or producers during this time period. During the McCarthy era, people were often convicted of having ties to the Communist Party with very little tangible proof. Those people were most often fired from their jobs and blacklisted so that they never worked in the industry again. During the 1950’s, Polio also became a real scare. Parents avoided letting their children swim in public pools and took other precautions as well. The Polio vaccine had not been discovered yet so it was a serious threat. This was the era that Fanny Fabricant, her husband Max and their young daughter Chloe lived in.

Fanny attended one of the seven sister colleges and met her husband, Max there. In those days, most women who attended college went for the main purpose of finding their husband and getting married. Fanny succeeded in doing just that. Max was to become a doctor. They married and had Chloe. Max was one of the lucky ones who returned unscathed by the war. Fanny’s cousin had lost her husband in the war. Max and Fanny were well suited for each other. One night they attended a wedding while a major snowstorm hit. Chloe who was five years old at the time had been a flower girl in the wedding. The storm made it extremely difficult to drive home. They had just barely gotten home from the wedding safely. A little after Max and Fanny went up to their bedroom and were preparing for sleep a terrible and unexpected thing happened. Max had died suddenly and with no warning, leaving Fanny and Chloe to live their lives without him. Fanny was distraught and inconsolable. She had lost the love of her life. Fanny’s life was about to change drastically.

Fanny sought help and guidance from her beloved Aunt Rose. Fanny knew that she had to find a job but what could she do? She tried working at a department store initially but that was not working out for her. She was actually let go from her position. Fanny next went on an interview for a secretary job to a woman who produced serial radio shows or soap operas. She somehow got the job, made several good friends and became good at what she was doing. During that time, two very distinct men came into Fanny’s life. There was Ezra, the pediatrician doctor who had known Max from Medical School and the war and Charlie, one of the writers for the radio shows. Ezra was the type of man she would be expected to end up with. Charlie, on the other hand, signaled danger, the type of man Fanny should avoid. There was so much pressure on women to do the right thing and avoid scandals during those years. What would Fanny decide to do? Would she listen to her heart or be led by what she was expected to do?

The Trouble With You by Ellen Feldman was a well written historical fiction book about a time I can relate with. I remember as a young child standing in line in my school gymnasium waiting to receive my first dose of the Polio vaccine. One of my parents very close friends was a victim of Polio. I remember asking my parents about why he walked funny. I never knew anyone who was blacklisted or accused of being a Communist. That might have occurred a little before I was old enough to be aware of it. When I attended elementary school, I came home everyday for lunch. My mother was always home and had a yummy lunch waiting for my brother and myself. She was a stay at home mom until I was in high school. That was just how it was in the 1950’s and 1960’s. I felt that Ellen Feldman captured that time period perfectly. The characters in The Trouble With You were believable and well executed. I listened to the audiobook that was superbly narrated by Kathryn Markey. Overall, I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of The Trouble With You by Ellen Feldman and highly recommend it.

Thank you to RB Media/ Recorded Books for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Trouble With You by Ellen Feldman through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Trouble With You is about an interesting period in time, when women were expected to exit the workplace after working through the war.

But that's not an option for Fanny, whose husband tragically dies shortly after the war ends. She ends up working as a secretary for radio serials (basically soap operas), which is an interesting job and industry to learn about. Charlie Berlin is also a compelling character who comes alive on the page and makes being a writer during the Red Scare feel real and suffocating.

The pacing of the story was quite slow and I struggled with Fanny's reluctance to do anything, realistic though it may be. Apart from Charlie, most of the characters were not particularly interesting. That said, the second half of the book became much more engaging.

Thank you RB Media, Recorded Books for allowing me to read and review The Trouble With You on NetGalley.

Published: 02/20/24

Narrator: Kathryn Markey

Stars: 3

A miss for me. I wanted intricate details of Fanny's work. At 12+ hours, this audiobook is long. I felt like I was hearing notes. Albeit cohesively, I mentally pictured footnotes and asterisks where I wanted more information.

A woman becomes a widow with a child to raise during a period where males didn't want to raise someone else's child and wanted to marry virgins. That's the story summarized. Of course World War II is ending, politically people are being blacklisted, and women are working in fields other than prostitution.

Unfortunately, this just didn't work for me. I think it was the male/female thinking -- subject matter. You may have a different experience.

Unfortunately, this book did not do it for me. The storyline was not that captivating, and the entire time I kept trying to figure out the meaning of the title. The narrator was good though.

I won't be recommending this book.

"The Trouble with You" is an engrossing look into New York City following World War II, as Fanny Fabricant struggles to remake herself in the face of social expectations. Feldman skillfully weaves together themes of ambition, morality, and resilience while navigating Fanny's journey. Although there are occasional lulls in the pacing, the story picks up steam and draws readers into Fanny's world of radio serials and the harsh realities of the blacklist. Feldman creates a realistic portrayal of a lady ahead of her time, making difficult decisions in a difficult times, through well-developed characters like Fanny and her charming daughter Chloe. This novel, which showcases Feldman's superb research and storytelling prowess, will appeal to followers of historical and women's literature equally and has a satisfying finish.

I liked, but didn’t love this book. A significant problem may have been that the audiobook did not properly download, and if I was away from WiFi and listening on my phone it would cut off at the end of the chapter (and I would have to wait to pick it up again). This meant that it was hard to fully engage. While I was listening it was an interesting story, albeit rather slow to unfold. The story is essentially about Fanny’s awakening, as her world is upended and she must make a new life in post-WWII New York. I was frustrated by her at first, but I came to like her character more as the book progressed. The resolution of the story was wonderful, although it came about very quickly, given the slow pace of the majority of the book, and left me feeling as if it was too rushed. I did like the narrator and appreciate the opportunity to review the audiobook through NetGalley.

I loved the plot, the characters, and the story. The narrator was delightful. It was heartfelt, moving, and thought provoking. I absolutely would recommend on my. platforms.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction book set mainly in 1950s New York City that sees a widowed single mother trying to make a career as a writer in the radio play industry. Great characters, a moving story and highly relatable focus on trying to balance motherhood, marriage/dating and a career as well as the terrible censorship of McCarthy era America.

Great on audio too and definitely recommended for historical fiction fans looking for a great non-WWII era read. Fans of the movies, Mona Lisa Smile and Good night and good luck are sure to enjoy this novel. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Although the premise for the book was good, it kind of fell short for me. 😕

World War II era, and jobs are scarce. Fannie is married and has a young daughter…and then the unthinkable happens…

Fannie is thrown back into a world she doesn’t recognize anymore…

But, things start to look up. You see she has an aunt and a cousin looking out for her…although I feel like it was the devil on one shoulder and the Angel on the other… 🤣

She ends up being a secretary for a “soap opera” and gets thrown into that world…and meets people from same…and her life begins to change.

At the same time she meets someone who she may be interested in…

Slow progression and somewhat bland at times…but then terrific with shots of energy interspersed…. Strange!?!

I loved the independence and strength of Fannie (at times) and her terrific role model (Rose)… but then at times Fannie was just too wishy-washy for me.

All in all I did enjoy it, but just not my favorite…

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RecordedBooksMedia for an ARC of the audiobook which will be released on 2/20/24.

#TheTroubleWithYou by #EllenFeldman and narrated nicely by #KathrynMarkey.

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IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr or
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Thanks so much for reading!📚⭐️📖

Set in New York City in the aftermath of World War II, when the men were coming home, the women were exhaling in relief and everyone was having babies, this is the story of Fanny Fabricant. After her circumstances change and her life is turned upside down, she gets a job in radio serials (don't call them soaps!) and comes face-to-face with McCarthyism and the blacklist which is wrecking lives.

This book reminded me of some of those old movies produced in the 40s and 50s starring Cary Grant and the like. No bad language, cute wisecracks, and definitely any sex was behind closed doors and probably in twin beds! I enjoyed the book and the characters but it was a little predictable (probably from watching all those old movies). Simpler times but so much prejudice and so frightening for some due to HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) and the "Red Scare". I enjoyed the characters as well as the story itself. I even got a little teary-eyed at the end.

I read some of the book on my Kindle but mostly listened to the audiobook and preferred it to the Kindle edition. The narrator, Kathryn Markey, did a remarkable job and I could almost picture Fanny as a sort of Mrs. Maisel. Her New York accent seemed very authentic to me!

Thank you to RB Media for access to the audiobook version. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication: February 20, 2024

At first I wasn’t sure how I was going to like this book. I felt I wasn’t a total fan of the narrator at first.

As the book progressed I enjoyed the narration and the story had me sucked in.

I was on the edge of my seat to see how things would work out.

This book goes they war, marriage, loss, heartbreak and new love.

I enjoyed that it was about life post war as many books are not.

I liked the premise of this story. Writing about after the war is not usually what authors choose to do, so I liked the different perspective. I liked the main character. She was likeable and relatable. I liked the messages about women standing up for themselves. I do think he story was drawn out a bit, but overall it was enjoyable.

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book to review)
******************************************************
In an exuberant post-WWII New York City, a young woman is forced to reinvent her life and choose between the safe and the ethical, and the men who represent each.

The historical aspect of the story was more of a background feature and most of the narrative was about a character’s journey through grief after losing her husband.

I thought the book was slow paced and the main character Fanny wasn’t the strongest. If she had been more like her Aunt Rose, I would have liked her more. Overall, I’d put this book squarely in the average category. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

THE TROUBLE WITH YOU
Ellen Feldman

This is the third Ellen Feldman historical fiction novel I have read. It will be released tomorrow, February 20, 2024. Have you heard of it? Will you be picking it up?

In THE TROUBLE WITH YOU, we are following Fannie (Florence). She met and married her husband Max with a second world war on the horizon. Her job when he shipped off was to give him something to fight for and someone to return to.

While he is gone, she does her best to be what she is supposed to be. Do what she is supposed to do. Amidst the struggle, she takes a job. Over time, it starts to feel like a career and something she sees value in.

One day after the war he returns, and she finds herself fighting a war between who she wants to be and who she needs to be. Will she take the path others have laid out for her or will she make her own?


THE TROUBLE WITH YOU is a long story, spanning an entire life. It felt like a huge chunk of time because it was. For the story to span such a long time there wasn’t much to it. The plot points are there: A country rebuilding itself, a woman defying gender role stereotypes, and how those two concepts run parallel. Something in the building of the world and the characters felt hollow.

I’ve read Feldman before, and she usually keeps it interesting. This one felt a little like doing homework. By the end of the audiobook, I became bored, and impatient, and regretted picking it up. It could have been the characters; it could have been how the storyline played out, but I was overall disconnected from both.

Next time will be better.

THE TROUBLE WITH YOU will be released tomorrow, February 20, 2024.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, RB Media, and Recorded Books for the advanced copies!

THE TROUBLE WITH YOU…⭐⭐⭐

This book was smart, funny, and a breath of fresh air! I loved hearing about women getting to use their voices in a time where this was just not common. Thank you for the advanced reader! The twist of romance was beautiful and without giving any spoilers I liked the end result! Great narrator for the audio version as well!

The Trouble With You- Ellen Feldman 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you liked Lessons in Chemistry, you’ll like The Trouble With You. I actually liked it better.

Publish Date: 2/20/24

Synopsis: In post-World War II New York City, Fanny Fabricant finds herself unexpectedly widowed with a young daughter to support. As other women are leaving the workforce to get back to their pre-war lives as housewives and homemakers, Fanny begins working as a secretary for a radio network. Over time, Fanny finds a new normal at work and in her personal life. But as McCarthyism sweeps the nation, her relationships at the radio station pull her into the upended world of blacklisted actors and writers. Soon Fanny will need to choose what she wants for her own future and that of her daughter. Take the safe and expected route or take a risk and follow her own journey.

Review: The book begins with multiple quotes that are both infuriating and beautifully illustrate how far women’s issues have come in 70 years, even as we are still fighting for equality. A great way to amp up the reader and prepare them for what’s to come.
It took a few chapters for me to get into this story, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. The cast of characters are portrayed with so much realism. The secondary characters add some color that is lacking from the setup chapters, but there are no exaggerated characters or situations. The story is full of wonderful female relationships— mothers, sisters, aunts. And while I wouldn’t characterize this book as a romance, Fanny’s romantic relationships further the character’s journey to finding her own way.

The audio for this book was very slow and felt normal-speed at 1.5x. The voice changes were also difficult to follow at times. I found myself backing up to determine who was speaking— I’m not sure if that was due to the narration or the writing.