A beautifully written and thought provoking book. I absolutely loved it and will be buying it as a gift for friends and recommending it to my book club.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced copy. It’s the early 1960s in a DC suburb, and Margaret is bored. A new neighbor moves in, and as a way to garner her friendship, Margaret forms a book club. The first read will be Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique. It’s a rather bold choice in a neighborhood of women busy pushing strollers and trading jello mold recipes. Can women have it all? Or must they give up their personal needs for their husbands and children? Sixty years later, these are still valid issues for women. Margaret and her club name themselves the Bettys, and they form tight friendships. They see each other through marriage struggles, babies (or lack of babies) and most shockingly, they support each other as some go back to the work force. This was a quick read which I enjoyed. It’s the first book that I’ve read by this author, and I plan to take a look at her other ones as well. Thumbs up! #bookgram #netgalley #goodreads #whatiread #mariebostwick #bettyfriedan #bookstagram #bookworm #housewife #thumbsup #bookclub

Very much enjoyed this book - the characters, the setting, the premise. It felt very plausible and everything didn't end with a contrived happy outcome. I thought the descriptions of the locations, both the local neighborhood and the city of DC and surrounding areas contributed to the storyline. There are believable interactions with actual people (K Graham) interspersed with everyday suburban women. I am tangentially attached to the veterinary world and found the equine vet's behavior, UC Davis, and the portrayal of women in vet med to be accurate for that time period. Finally, as an avid reader, I appreciate the way books can bring disparate people together in conversation.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. So few books look at the 60s as a time period, when so much that is interesting was happening then. As a woman, things were changing at lightening speed, and this book captured that. The women were relatable and all fighting different issues while living in the same neighborhood. It is a story of friendship through difficult times, community at its best. Recommend.

I loved this book a lot more than I thought I would. My favorite part of the book was the lesson that “having it all” looks very different for each person and there is no one right way to be a woman and we’re all just figuring it out as we go along.

The story is told mainly from the POV of the main character Margaret with occasional POVs from the other 3 women in this story. All 4 women are dealing with the expectations that a 1960’s society places on them as wives, mothers and women in general while grappling with having their own desires that may be different from what is expected of them. Even though it is based in the 60’s I think the lessons still ring true to day as we all try to carve out our own paths in life in spite of the expectations from others/society.

You’re not going to find explosive drama in this book that has you staying up all night waiting for the plot twist, but you will fall in love with each of the lead characters and their very different stories. You’ll find yourself rooting for them and maybe even seeing a little of yourself in them. I loved the ending, it’s one of those stories that leaves you feeling satisfied because it wraps up everyone’s story beautifully and you finish the book feeling content. In all, I’d recommend this book, especially if you’re in a transitionary period in your life and love stories of womanhood!

The Book Club for Troublesome Women follows four friends as they come to grips with their realities as women in the 1960s. There is Margaret, initially content with her role as being a housewife and mother but always wondering what might or could have been; Viv, a former Army Nurse Corps nurse and mother to six (soon 7); Bitsy, a young, newly married woman who, without children of her own, works as a stable hand due to her love of horses and in support of both her father and husband; and Charlotte, the debutante from New York, who had a philandering husband and four children.

When Betty Freidan writes The Feminine Mystique, it opens up doors for these four women they never thought would be possible. They begin questioning their role in the world, and why, as women, they are meant to take the brunt of everything. Each of them come into their own in one way or another, living their best lives.

This story really opened up my eyes on what it was truly like for a women in the 1960s. I grew up in a family that always had two working parents, or grandparents, so I never had the pleasure of having someone home to care for me until my grandmother retired when I was a young child and became my caretaker when my mother had to continue working as a single parent. I relate wholeheartedly to these women, though in much more modern times. I am a college educated woman, but also a wife and mother who never wanted to be a stay-at-home mom but found myself in this role. Childcare is expensive these days, and oftentimes isn't available anyway, but I'm also lucky enough that I have a husband who makes enough money to allow myself to stay home. In many ways, a lot of things haven't changed in the 60 plus years that this story takes place in.

Ultimately, I loved the story. It was a bit slow-moving and took me quite a bit of time to finish it when I am normally a book a day (or two) reader. But, I'm so glad I was offered the opportunity to read this story. It was beautifully written.

Thank you to Harper Muse, Marie Bostwick, Netgalley for this ARC. The opinions above are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I can absolutely see this book being a favourite of book clubs everywhere in future - it's definitely a story with a lot of heart, and a really good cast of characters. It feels like the author really took her time with each and every one of the characters here, and each of them gets their time in the limelight with their own issues, troubles, and needs examined in detail.

The focus on women's rights in this era is really interesting - how far we have come, and also, how far we still have to go. It focuses on a horrifying version of normal around reproductive health, divorce, women's rights, and so much more, and deals with these issues sensitively. I think that this book had the potential to really be done badly, but it pulled through really well, and gave each issue and how each character dealt with it nuance and grace.

Charlotte was wonderful and I would have loved to have kept reading about her, but all of the women in this book were passionate and developed in their own right. I do feel like towards the end it got a bit long in the tooth, and I could have done without the Kennedy assassination 'landmark', but all in all this was a really solid read.

I really liked this book! it had some really good themes of persistence, sisterhood, and womens issues. There was also humor tied into this book which is a nice tough to mix it in when there are some serious and heavy topics as the main themes in the book. I liked the premise overall, and I liked the writing style of the author too

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Bostwick conveys the lives of 1960s housewives with great detail, veracity, and insight. It really makes you think about women's rights and how far we have come. The book club started by 4 women acts as a catalyst for potential change. Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv each have their own personal struggles and desires. Their friendship is the driving force behind the novel. Ultimately "the Bettys" are empowering and uplifting. Their personal journeys are inspiring and I loved how they support each other. This is both a story about personal growth as well as friendship. Bostwick balances poignancy with humor in a delightful way.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

A really enjoyable read. All four characters were easy to like. The premise of the book - the women's search for their say in the world and their fight for personal independence - rang true. Some of the experiences faced by women of that era were truly horrendous: the refusal of the doctor to prescribe the pill to a woman without her husband's approval was shocking (and it wasn't that long ago!)

I could find fault with the neat ending (and some of the fortuitous meetings that occurred) but I won't. What is more important is the message of the book and the women's fight for their rights. It's oneI would certainly recommend

It's the 1960's and Margaret has it all... At least according to the women's magazines she reads. She is a housewife with three kids and a husband, but feels like something is missing. Her husband got her a new magazine subscription and that didn't help. She meets her newest neighbor, Charlotte, who is full of everything it seems Margaret is not. Wanting to get to know her, she creates a bookclub, gets her friends Viv and Bitsy to join, and then Charlotte insists they read Betty Friedan's new book. Suddenly everything is changing and this is the story of the Betty's book club. An excellent read where you can't help but root for all four women!

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a historical fiction novel featuring a group of suburban Virginia housewives in the 1960’s. Margaret, Viv, Charlotte and Bitsy bond over afternoon cocktails and books about “having it all”. The characters show how women during this time were marginalized and encouraged to be satisfied with motherhood and caring for their families and their homes. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters (including their fashion, recipes, daily lives and reactions to current events of the time), their individual struggles and their personal growth. I was somewhat disappointed that each of the women is white and privileged, and their struggles are neatly resolved. I think that I had more expectations for these women to disrupt the status quo. Overall this is a well written, slowly paced, character driven novel about female friendship. 3.5/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I’ve really been gravitating towards historical fiction lately, so this one was right up my alley. I really enjoyed the honest look at marriage and motherhood at a time that seems to be glamorized now through the lenses of nostalgia. This felt especially poignant post-election and post-Roe. It was a bit longer than I think it needed to be (I especially glazed over the name dropping in the Kathryn Graham scene towards the end of the book). Charlotte was my favorite character; I would’ve loved to read a novel all about her life. I received a complimentary copy of this book (thanks to NetGalley and the publishers!) and all opinions are my own.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick brings together an unlikely group of suburban women in the 1960s, uniting them through a book club that becomes a foundation for self-discovery and camaraderie. Margaret, Bitsy, Viv, and newcomer Charlotte grapple with the stifling expectations of their roles as housewives and mothers, using Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique as a springboard to redefine their lives.

This is a poignant, nostalgic dive into the transformative power of friendship and literature, set against the backdrop of a changing America. While some readers may find it predictable at times, its charm lies in its heartfelt depiction of solidarity among women. A solid 4.25 stars—perfect for fans of historical fiction and strong female friendships.

Unfortunately I wasn't a fan. It could just be the political climate we're in right now, but reading about women's struggles just upset me.
Read the ending and thought that it was written well.

I LOVED the ladies in this book! I was transported to the 60's and wanted to be part of their bookclub. While it take places many decades ago, the storyline is still timeless. Women still face similar issues and still find themselves wanting more at times. The crux of this book is the strong female friendships which are priceless. Looking forward to when this book comes out so that I can pick it for my own book club!

I loved all 4 of the main characters/"Bettys" in this novel! Each woman had her own life challenges, but the overarching theme of challenging the patriarchal systems of the 1960s was woven throughout. It was refreshing to read about true friendships with challenges where not everything was rainbows and sunshine. I also really liked the growth of each character as she came into herself as a woman. It was a great perspective to peek into life for these women in the 1960s as America seems to be moving backwards in women's rights.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I really related to "The Book Club for Troublesome Women" and hated to put it down each night. Women in suburbia, different from each other in so many ways, yet inescapably bound by the expectations set for them in the 1950s and 1960s. Then along comes a book. Each of the wives in this novel retold part of my own life. The memories of Ms. Magazine arriving in my mailbox every month, along with the self-doubt and second guessing of my choices; Betty Friedan, of course, and the ideas she wrote out loud; the inequalities we are still striving to fix seventy years onward. I need to stress, up front, that this book mostly deals with problems that faced white middle-class women. It is not an accurate account of a multi-cultural area, nor does it deal much with urban issues. In a lot of ways, real-life white middle-class suburbia still doesn't. Intersectionality doesn't really show its face in these pages. This is a novel, and one that is aimed at a particular group of readers.

The protagonists of "The Book Club for Troublesome Women" are strong, vulnerable, loving, loyal, and most of all ready. They're ready to make changes and help one another survive those changes. The men in their lives vary in important ways, but each represents an aspect of the roles men play in our society. Just as the women, not one of them is perfect nor totally evil (though one comes mighty close). Margaret, Viv, Charlotte, and Bitsy are my new best friends and I'd love for them to show up at my next book club meeting. I think this novel will certainly be there!

The writing is sharp, witty, and relatable. I loved how it tackled real-life issues without ever feeling preachy.

This book reminded me why women supporting women is so powerful and why it's okay (necessary, even!) to embrace the "troublesome" parts of ourselves.

Thank you for letting me read this great book! I look forward to more from this author.

I LOVED this book, it was well written and made me once again thankful for all that women in the 60's managed to do to get themselves more fulfilling roles that paved the way for al women today.
The characters were realistic and each had such different experiences but they all wanted 'something more' and managed to get enough traction to follow their passions.
Imagine having six children and being pregnant with the seventh and then going to work. WOW, amazing.
Such a great read and I can't wait to see the movie!