I enjoyed this historical novel about women's struggles in the 1960s. Four women living in suburban Virginia discover friendship by starting a book club. The first book, The Feminine Mystique, serves as the gateway to reflecting on why they decided to get married and how to deal with the boredom of housewifery and all that goes with it. Each woman's passage resonated with me and gave me some good reasons to consider my struggles in the sixties and beyond. Marie Bostwick offers a passage into the female challenge today, as so many aspects of female life continue to require difficult compromises.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is set in 1963 and centered on the impact a controversial book, The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, had on a new group of friends in their book club. Moving through the perspectives of these newly formed friends - Margaret, Viv, Bitsy and Charlotte – as they live the post war housewife roles for the middle-class women. They support one another, give each other the truth and push when needed. We read about their troubles, their triumphs, and transformations. I did enjoy the famous characters mentioned like Katherine Graham of the Washington Post and Jackie Kennedy woven in the story. A good historical fiction read and would make a great book club read.

This was an interesting read at the start, but I lost interest midway. I will not be posting a review on GoodReads as I DNF’ed it, and it would be unfair to leave a review of an unfinished book.

I was very intrigued by the blurb of this book and the start was interesting. I had high hopes for this book and I think I might have had too big of expectations.

The characters and the plot was interesting but I felt nothing was happening after the first quarter of the book and I really felt like I wasn’t progressing in the book.

Then it pick up again and all the characters had something interesting happening and character development was nice.

Ending of the book felt lengthy again. Everything was explained to a detail and I skimmed through the last chapter.

Conclusion recommend if you like historical fiction with female main characters. Give this a try. I did like this book it is just not my favorite book of historical fiction.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women was a surprisingly great read. It was one of the most enjoyable books I have read in a while. It follows four women who start a book club. This book is set in the 1960s and deals with many of the issues women faced during that time. Even though it is set in the past, the themes really resonated with me in the here and now. The characters were well written, and I found myself rooting for their success in life. I loved the author’s writing style, and I loved that this book really captured a range of emotions. I would whole-heartedly recommend this book (and already have to my friends).

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. The book is shelved as historical fiction and I guess that the early 1960’s qualifies, but just. Four “housewives” meet in a highly desirable suburban subdivisions in Loudon County Virginia. They truly couldn’t be much different. Margaret has 3 young children, a husband who is unhappy in his job and even more unhappy than Margaret has procured a job writing for a woman’s magazine. “Pinmoney” he says to a group of men at a party one night. Margaret’s dream is to write. Viv served as a nurse in the war. Betsy has given up her dream to become a veterinary doctor and married one. And Charlotte is no one’s housewife. Eager to form a circle of friends Margaret starts a book club. The first book is The Feminine Mystique. It is a book like no other they have read. Except for Charlotte and her story which takes the reader on a wild ride is not all that different from the other women’s: white men have the power.

The book hits all of the post war, pre women’s lib stereotypes. Women could be teachers, nurses or secretaries. Dinner on the table as soon as the husband got home from work. Margaret is told what to write and as soon as she deviates, she is threatened with the loss of her job. Her husband grows distant as she becomes more engrossed in the writing she is passionate about. What I loved about the book was that the women had each other’s backs. Katherine Graham our country’s first female Fortune 500 CEO (The Washington Post) is written into the book. Bitsy exercises the family’s horses and Mrs. Graham often stops to chat with her, offering advice and kindness. Has Mrs. Graham been deleted from American archives yet? Imagine the backlash she dealt with as a female CEO in the 60’s.

The book is a little too neat. Four women who have formed solid friendships. Four women who choose different paths to achieve their goals. Charlotte and her art takes too much page space. The last chapter fast forwards about 40 years. It isn’t a bad wrap up, but I would have liked to see more of how Margaret’s writing influenced woman. I didn’t expect the four “Betty’s” to change the world by themselves, but a lot happened in those 40 years. How did they make a difference?

You know you're old when the decade of your birth is now Historical Fiction.. It was eye opening to read about the expectations for women in the early 1960s. I was born in 1963 and obviously too young to know about the issues but I was surprised to learn that a married woman couldn't open a bank account without the signature of her husband. I'm happy that I was raised by parents that expected me to learn to do all the things that my brother learned. I was taught to be independent and would probable have been considered a troublesome woman. I liked this book and recommend it!

I really enjoyed getting to know the Betty's in The Book Club for Troublesome Women". Margaret, Viv, Bitsy and Charlotte all have different backgrounds and situations but they are brought together when Margaret forms a book club and they tackle Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" in 1963. They all live in a very idyllic suburb of DC and while some of them work, others are raising children or pursuing a passion. I enjoyed reading how the work of Betty Friedan impacted these fictional characters and allowed them to find common ground and create a support network. All of the characters were well developed and I felt believable as well.

I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a historical fiction novel with a focus on women.

The messaging in this is pretty heavy-handed. Like...a character suddenly muses out loud, with little to no prompting, that The Feminine Mystique should have included more diversity. One of the husbands has a sudden awakening and it's noted that rigid gender roles are difficult on men, too. Things like that. Other than that, it wasn't bad. I liked Viv and Bitsy best, and they got less focus than the other two.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the characterization of the four main women. They were all real to me and watching them grow through their sisterhood was a great experience! They defied society’s expectations/desires as they set off to give more meaning and independence to their lives beyond their roles in the home. I loved it.

I felt like I was one of them, like I was a part of their book club, too! We were all on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment together, rooting for each other the whole way.

The author provided great details—whether they be about food, clothing, events, etc.—to immerse readers into the 1960’s era. She made sure the sexist & misogynistic realities that women faced in the workforce, finance, academia, healthcare, etc. at the time were present.

She also did a wonderful job explaining through one character how Betty Friedan’s book was limiting in its own ways, as it was mainly written for the middle class.

In spring of 1963, Betty Friedan’s classic “The Feminine Mystique” was published. Four housewives in a suburban Washington DC planned community decide to read it in their book club. Ostensibly these women have it made: husbands with good jobs, new homes in a coveted subdivision, not forced to work outside the home … yet something is missing. Their version of the American Dream is not really satisfying.

Margaret aspires to be a writer. When she lands a spot writing a column for a women’s magazine, her husband calls it a “jobette” for “pin money.” Bitsy excelled in biology and wanted to go veterinary school, but her professors would not write letters of recommendation for female students. A woman shouldn’t take a seat from a man, since she would quit practicing once married. Viv was an Army nurse and is now expecting her seventh child. She loves being a mom, but wants to return to nursing. Charlotte is a flamboyant artist whose wealthy father paired her off to a protégé in his company. Both men attempt to control her via psychiatric diagnoses and meds.

The book offered a window into the barriers facing women in that era. (E.g. husband’s permission required to obtain birth control or open a bank account.) I became angry on behalf of these fictional characters. The women’s commitment to support one another as they challenged the status quo was as influential as their reading of Freidan’s book. I also appreciate that the author acknowledges that the 1960s were not easy for men either – trapping some in jobs they disliked due to societal pressure to be the sole breadwinner – and that Friedan’s book left out women of color or experiencing poverty. Their lives were even more proscribed and their choices extremely limited.

A somewhat predictable story, but a good reminder that the nostalgic past is not as rosy as we may think.

Loved The Book Club for Troublesome Women! This book takes a look at the bond of sisterhood that we all crave. Books create conversation and connection that seep into all aspects of everyday life. One book changes the way that this group of women leaves their own mark on the world. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for this advanced reader copy.

I would like to thank Harper Colins Focus and NetGalley for the eARC of this title.

I enjoy slice-of-life historical fiction and I enjoyed this circle of woman as they navigate developing friendships and the changing world around themselves. Gave off the feel of Sex in the City set 60 years ago in the suburbs. My only complaint is the entire vibe felt very Hallmark/Disney/90s sitcom that slaps you in the face with the 'moral of the moment'. A little too on the nose for me and not very realistic for the type of historical fiction that I typically gravitate to.

I would recommend this to anyone who needs a feel good story, enjoys reading about female friendship as well as historical fiction.

I would first like to thank NetGalley, Harper Muse publishing, and Marie Bostwick for the advanced copy of this book. All of the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. I read a lot of books, but I have not read a book that I loved as much as this one in a very long time. It should be categorized as historical fiction, and it truly is that, but the period of history for this novel is during my lifetime. It starts out in 1963 when I was in high school and my mother was a young housewife.

Four women living in a small planned community in Northern Virginia called Concordia are all neighbors and decide to form a book club based on the controversial book, The Feminine Mystyque by Betty Friedman. They call themselves the Bettys and have differing opinions of Ms. Friedman’s book, but they all find the ideas interesting if not challenging. They are all married, although not all happily. As time goes by, the four women become fast friends and support and encourage each other in numerous ways.

The story is very engaging, and I could hardly put the book down. What was so incredible to me, however, was how accurate the descriptions of the rules, attitudes, and indignities that constricted the women in this time of our history. Women were expected to give up their dreams and aspirations and to become dutiful wives, mothers, and homemakers. It was the men who were expected and wanted to provide for their families. For many women, this was fine. All they’d ever dreamed of was finding a good husband and becoming mothers. For others, it meant having to drop out of college when they got married and to start having children, postponing or even killing their dreams of education and careers of their own.

Having lived in the ‘60s I was amazed by the accuracy of the author’s descriptions. From clothing and hairstyles to popular fragrances to cooking (tuna casseroles and meatloaf) and even to the names of children (Bobby, Beth, Susan) this author really did her research. Women could not hold the same jobs as men, and even if they did, they would never have had equal pay or the ability to advance.

While we get caught up in the lives of these four fictitious women, there is the backdrop of things going on in the world at that time. I am old enough to remember when John F, Kennedy was assassinated, and the horror that was felt by the characters in this book was real in my life and in the lives of my family and friends.

Marie Bostwick did an incredible job writing this work of historical fiction, and I applaud her. I highly recommend this book. I will be sharing my review on Goodreads and recommending this book in the Friends and Fiction FaceBook group.

Margaret, Viv, Bitsy and Charlotte are all married women in 1963 in an upscale neighborhood outside of Washington D.C. They (well, Margaret) start a book club, beginning with The Feminine Mystique, and this selection will 'change their lives'.

In theory, The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick should be something that I would love. In reality, it was okay, if not a little obvious.

The perspectives switch between the women as the months of the year go by, and we see their growth from suppressed housewives to something a little bolder.

I'm not ignorant of the limited outlook that Betty Friedan discussed in her pivotal work. And, as it's 2025 and our country is falling apart, I can't help but feel like this is a rather simplified and... white view of 2nd wave feminism.

This was a story about middle-class women. Yes, they had goals...sort of. They each wanted independence, and yes, they found it, but there were still concessions that had to be made to their husbands. The husbands were all caricatures - the older man, the cheating businessman, the handsome Italian, the resistant and eventual supportive husband (insert eye-roll). There were various plot points that were dropped and some real opportunities to insert depth (i.e., abortion, the beginning of the Vietnam War, The Beatles). The mentions of civil rights were comical... Margaret sitting at a drugstore counter and 'thinking about the young woman who sat at that deli counter' was almost offensive to me. BUT, that's neither here nor there.

Troublesome is a difficult word. "Causing difficulty or annoyance" - but none of these women REALLY did this - aside from Charlotte. They were all still mild-mannered, middle-class suburban women.

This isn't going to be on the shelf with The Group, The Feminine Mystique, and The Haidmaid's Tale. It's going to be popular with book clubs but not the kind that would read The Feminine Mystique.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was attracted to this novel primarily due to its title. This book takes place during 1963 when there were still a lot of obstacles for women to succeed in there on right. This book is about four neighbors who form a Bookclub starting by starting by reading Betty Friedan’s .seminal work, The Feminine Mystique. That book and these women’s subsequent friendship changes their lives forever. This book felt like across between Lessons in Chemistry and Kristin Hannah’s The Women. Definitely Bookclub worthy whether you are a millennial or a boomer. Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Such a great book about the 1960’s, women’s rights and more specifically of a group of women who form a book club! I was a young girl during those years so I felt it put me into the mind and everyday life of my Mother and all women of those years. I was appalled that a woman couldn’t open a bank account without a man’s signature. The women struggle, have wins and losses. The ending is fabulous, bringing it all together as they are old women and still friends!

I have mixed feelings on this one. I love the time and place and the idea for the book is great on paper. It’s sadly becoming a relevant topic again and might be important for people who believe in “trad wives” to read and realize that we’ve been there already and it wasn’t that great. However, I wish it was more nuanced and less simplistic. This happens with historical fiction sometimes and it’s a pet peeve of mine. Also, there were a ton of typos that need to be fixed before publication, combining two words that should be separated.

However, I don’t mean to completely bash this. I do think that for the right reader, it could make a difference in their thinking. I only wish it were more polished, complex, and gritty.

I always enjoying a book with a bookclub and strong women friendships. This book delivered both. Reading about the life of women in the 60's was interesting and informative.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

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You will love each of these characters and be so invested in each of their individual stories. This was so well done and I highly recommend it