Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus for the free book in exchange for my honest review.

Its the 1960s and four suburban housewives from different walks of life form an unbreakable bond through their book club, forever altering the course of their lives.

I loved that the first book that the women read is the The Feminine Mystique which focuses on the core issue of these housewives and their dissatisfaction with domestic life. With the radical socio and economic changes headed their way, the reader gets a front row seat into the characters lives as they face motherhood, community and feminism. The Bettys are very likeable and relatable. This is a fast paced and entertaining read!

Highly recommend!

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Format: Audiobook/Ebook (ALC/ARC)
Genre: Historical fiction

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC and ALC for this book. All opinions are my own.

This book follows a group of women in the early 60s who are adjusting to post-war life and considering their place in the world. We see them wrestle with their desires and dreams in a culture that allowed them a bit of freedom when their labor was useful during the World Wars, but now that men have returned home, they were expected to go back to their subservient home-making roles.

Though the themes of this book and the core feminist ideas are nothing revolutionary for historical fiction, this book excels with its characterization and plotting. It does a couple things that I really loved. First, it shows a variety of womens’ wants and goals. There are women who want to be homemakers, women who want careers, and women who want a mix of both. The narrative and the characters didn’t demonize any of these choices that women might make. I also appreciated the array of men and the relationships that the women have with the men in their lives. Some of the husbands are giant pieces of garbage that I despised, but we also got representation of men who grow and change and strive to do better in how they treat their wives and families. The narrative doesn’t shy away from the harmful impacts of the patriarchy, but it also doesn’t demonize all the men in the story. They felt like real characters whose actions have been influenced by being raised in a patriarchal society.

The note at the end that provided context to what was fact vs. fiction was lovely to listen to and the audiobook overall was excellent. I enjoyed the narration and think it’s a great method to read the book.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is an exploration of self-discovery, friendship, and the complexities of postwar American womanhood. Set in 1960s suburbia, the novel follows Margaret Ryan, a seemingly perfect housewife who, despite her picture-perfect life in Concordia, feels a gnawing emptiness of "wanting more". Everything changes when she meets Charlotte Gustafson, a free-spirited newcomer whose arrival sparks the creation of a book club that, unintentionally, becomes a lifeline for Margaret and her new friends - The Betty's!

The story is full of wit and laughter and love but it's also extremely deep and thought-provoking, as the women bond over their shared dissatisfaction with the roles society expects them to play. The reading of The Feminine Mystique at their bookclub becomes a catalyst for the women to confront the dissonance between the American Dream they’ve been sold and the reality of their inner lives. The friendships that form in this book club—Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv—are at the heart of the story, I adored the sisterhood between the Betty's so much.

What makes The Book Club for Troublesome Women particularly moving is its exploration of how women support each other, not just in good times, but in the moments of doubt and crisis that so often accompany personal growth. The women’s vulnerability, their laughter, and their messy, flawed selves make you ache for the kind of friendships that can weather any storm. At times reading this book honestly felt like a warm hug from my best friend.

I also dwelled a lot on the assertion that we are an impatient generation..we're always living for the next best thing, or i am anyway, dreaming of finding the one, moving in, getting engaged, then kids ~ always chasing happiness and fulfilment as if it's a tangible object when it's not, it's a choice, every waking day. "Pinnacle moments are exactly that, pulses of joy that usually don't last and are frequently accompanied by unforeseen complications". If you rely on these pinnacle moments to make you happy you'll spend your life chasing ghosts.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a beautiful tribute to the power of books to bring people together, it reminds you of the strength found in shared experiences, laughter, and above all, sisterhood.

I picked this book up, thinking that it would be something that would motivate a woman. But, guess what?, This is not only about women but about everyone who is struggling with identity crisis or just out there surviving!!

The story is about four women, who start a bookclub, start reading books and realize that they need to find themselves apart from being a wife and a mother. They recognise the need to notice themselves and to be happy.

📚 The story is set in 1963 and showcases that generation where women were considered to play the role of wife and mother only. They didn't even get enough opportunities to do what they wanted to do, so couldn't earn, had to focus on their children, their household and in turn were judged for asking for money.
📚 There are several political indicidents marked in the book, that roots the story back in that generation.
📚 The life of the women back then were tough and the story highlights things such as - Racism, husbands insulting their wives, husbands accepting that they hate their job, children, pregnancies, difficulty in conceiving, depression, sending children off to college, infidelity, fight of being something, marriage fights and struggle to be together, forgiving and the toughest of the times 'getting divorced'.
📚 The plot beautifully covers the story of all four women, giving enough justice to individual stories by connecting them to their past.
📚 The best part is the end, where the character's whereabouts are shown 30 years later. It completed the story in full circle.

I never knew that I would pickup something dated in past era but looks like this story was perfect!!

I wouldn't have lasted five minutes as a 1960s suburban American housewife, lemme tell you..

But oh was this book such a delight. Margaret, Viv, Bitsy, and Charlotte may live in a planned development with cookie-cutter similar houses, but they are all unique and passionate women with their own stories to tell and their own dreams they've been too afraid to share. When Charlotte suggests the first book for their new book club be "The Feminine Mystique", the four women begin to have those brutally honest conversations and become a tight-knit group affectionately called "The Bettys".

Their subsequent books take them through personal and professional ups and downs as they try to find their own version of happiness and fulfillment in a world that is rapidly changing yet still closing many doors in their faces. It made me exasperated and sad but ultimately so thankful for the generations of women before us that kept showing up and pulling other women up along with them. While it was a fictional book set decades before today, I think many modern women will relate to the same struggles and frustrations.

May become one of my most recommended books of 2025!

I adored this book. The friendships were so beautiful and the challenges that women faced in the 1960s were so well conveyed. A group of four unlikely friends start a book club, and so much more. They become intertwined in each other’s lives and important parts of the other's stories.

Thank you to Marie Bostwick, NetGalley, and Harper Muse for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed getting to know each of the ladies and watching their friendship grow throughout this book. Margaret meets Charlotte and invites her join a book club she is forming. Viv and Bitsy and the other members of the book group. Charlotte picks the first book to read which is The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. The book comes into play throughout the whole story. In fact, the group eventually calls themselves The Bettys. Each lady is married with very different lives and relationships that we learn about. The book is set in the 1960s so women's roles were much different. We go through their joys and heartbreaks with them as their lives grow and change. I felt like I was invested in each of their lives by the end of the story.

Very good read by Marie Bostwick. Pick up your copy in April 2025.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨ 4.5 stars

🌟 Let’s start with the title: The Book Club for Troublesome Women. Isn’t it fantastic? Honestly, it made me want to claim my membership in a club like this—both in the 1960s and today.

✨ This book deserves a spot on your must-read historical fiction list, especially at this time. Set in the early 1960s, when society was on the cusp of seismic change, it introduces us to four suburban women who form a book club. Their first selection? Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique (Iconic, right?)

✨ What follows is an inspiring, heartfelt journey as these women challenge the norms, face their own truths, and evolve in ways that feel as groundbreaking as the times they’re living in.

✨ I loved the character development—or lack of it in certain cases, which was deliberate and made a statement. It’s a very character-driven story, but in the best possible way, where you truly feel invested in their lives. And let me tell you, this one was hard to put down!

✨ At its core, this book celebrates friendship, the power of women, and the beauty of lifting each other up rather than tearing each other down. There’s a standout line that resonated deeply with me: *“If women stuck up for each other the way men do, this would be a very different world.”* It’s a sentiment that lingers, long after the final page.

✨ That said, it’s worth mentioning there are some potentially triggering topics, so I recommend checking out content warnings before diving in.

✨ If you love books that highlight the strength of women, rich character dynamics, and the undercurrents of social change (and glimmers of hope in our current dark times), this one’s for you.

Thank you, NetGalley! This book was so good! As a mom of 3 girls, it was so relatable. It's so hard figuring out who you are outside of being a mother. This book isn't just for moms, I want to make that clear. It's for everyone, especially women. It is a beautiful representation of friendship and how powerful it can be.

Brilliant novel about how the rights and roles of women began to change during the 1960’s. It all started with a book and 4 neighbors who started a book club that would change the path of their lives. . The setting of this novel is in a northern Virginia suburb in 1963 ,where Maggie, Charlotte, Vivian and Bitsy form a book club and read “ The Feminine Mystique” which opens the thoughts of why can’t we have it all, who says we can only be mothers and not run companies. I thought the writing was excellent, the story read quickly and the reader could easily relate to each of the characters situations. Thank you Netgalley, , Harper Muse publishing for giving me a chance to read the advance copy. .

DNF - This was really just a case of my not being the right reader for this book. It felt familiar to other recent publications of the genre so I am sure that readers who have found those books enjoyable will also be drawn to this one.

I really enjoyed The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick. The story follows four women in 1963 who, after reading The Feminine Mystique, form a book club that sparks their personal journeys of growth and empowerment. I loved how the novel captured the complexities of women’s lives during that time, and the characters felt so real and relatable. It’s a thought-provoking and engaging read, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone interested in women’s history and literature.

I loved this book. My favorite genre of historical fiction is mid century and this one was just perfect to dive into the lives of four very different friends. Set in the early 1960s, we meet four very different housewives trying to figure out new roles, their identity in the ever changing world of the 1960s. With the creation of their book club by reading the controversial novel of its time, The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, they call themselves the Betty’s and begin to explore what it means to be fulfilled outside of housework and husbands and kids. A topic that still is relevant today.

I love the character development of each woman as they become who they want to be without losing themselves as mothers and wives can do in their families. I didn’t want the book to end and it would be the perfect book for a book club to read and discuss.


Thank you Netgalley to read the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. Will definitely recommend this book to others.

Coincidentally, I began this book at the same time I was repeatedly having thoughts of women in our society, what it means to be a feminist and the countless ways men have negatively impacted society and the lives of women. I really resonated with the Betty's and how the Feminine Mystique was a catalyst for their new lives. I, too, have a book that caused a domino effect of experiences and lessons to come into my life to bring me to where I am today. Watching these women experience this as middle aged mothers (besides Bitsy) and not let their age or the expectations thrusted upon them stop them from making a change truly evoked hope within me. As a college student, people make it seem like your twenties are the years where dreams need to be reached, you need to figure out what you want and get settled with life. Like this book has shown me, I can't say I entirely agree with this belief. I don't see how someone can stop dreaming and learning by the time they are 30 when there is so much life to be lived.

Tying the events of the book to U.S. history of the 60s was very effective and helped create an emotional aspect to the story since I'm sure many readers are familiar with the civil rights movements, the Kennedy's, and the feminist state of the U.S. at that time. Lastly, I appreciate the acknowledgement of the privilege the Betty's have as rich stay-at-home mothers. I definitely did not expect a large focus on minority women but with the characters in the book, Bostwick expressed thoughts that I believe are universally felt by women very well.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a historical fiction novel set in the 1960s. It follows four women—Viv, Margaret, Betsy, and Charlotte—whose lives are changed after reading The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. The book inspires them to challenge the limitations placed on women during that time and sparks a transformation in each of their lives.

The story isn’t just about discussing books—it’s about how reading Friedan's work becomes a catalyst for personal growth and change. The women begin questioning the roles they’ve been expected to play in society and seek more freedom, purpose, and equality. Through their journeys, the novel highlights the inequalities women faced in the 60s—and still face today.

The characters are spunky, determined, and full of drive, making it a story about empowerment, courage, and the fight for change. Many thanks to NetGalleu and Harper Muse for the opportunity to read The Book Club for Troublesome Women.

In historical fiction, I love mid-century-era stories about the moments when women wake up--when they see the world accurately, see what's available to them and start to ask questions about why the rest of the opportunities aren't. This book captured that well. The characters were enjoyable to spend time with; each one had her own satisfying story arc. I loved this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is for the girls who are longing for a book club of their own!

I’m a big fan of historical fiction and this scratches the itch. I felt like the characters were my friends and they a written in a way that makes them all relatable in different ways

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’m excited to read more

Thank you for the opportunity to read!

I did like this book, the characters were pretty well thought out and the story talked about some topics that are still affecting women to this day. It didn't feel special and felt slow in some places. I didn't really connect with any of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Love that this book highlighted some important gender topics that help shed light on issues that continue to affect women and relationships today. We’ve come so far in some ways and not nearly far enough in many other ways.

The character development was lacking in my opinion. I didn’t feel strongly connected to any of the characters. In some ways, I felt that they were caricatures of a generic group of middle class white women in the 60s. Found myself skimming the last few chapters.

This is a fluffy read with nicely fleshed out and likeable characters, but it's just not very special in my opinion. It felt very heavy on wish-fulfilment, with the characters always having the 'cool retort on the spot' and the 'badass walk out while everyone stares open-mouthed'. I appreciate the feminist take this book is meant to be, but it's heavy-handed and has the same level of depth as that one speech in the Barbie film. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not bringing anything new to the table.

If you're just looking for a sweet and easy historical feel-good novel, this might be for you.