Set in the 1960s suburban Virginia, this character-driven historical fiction follows four housewives who form a book club dedicated to reading The Feminine Mystique and other feminist literature of the era. As they gather monthly, they open up about their dreams, frustrations, family, and the societal roles that constrain them. Without a central plot, the novel instead focuses on the intertwining of lives as ideas and friendships begin to reshape their worlds.

The novel excels at portraying each woman’s emotional journey from the pressure of being the “perfect” suburban wife and mother to the quiet rebellion of seeking more from life. Each character is given their own space to grow as we move from woman to woman, subtly showing how their family roles and societal expectations conflict with their desires, and ultimately, their changes throughout the book.

At its heart, the story is a testament to female solidarity. The book club becomes a crucible for transformation, where shared books, honest conversations, and emotional support forge enduring bonds.

The only complaint I have is that this very much reads as white woman feminism. While there are brief mentions of what is happening in the world around them, none of these topics are deeply delved into. I still enjoyed this read and would recommend for those who enjoy historical fiction, but I’d also suggest to mix in more inclusive literature in this same era to get a more wholistic view of the world and the true struggles existing then and now.

Ultimately, this is a homage to middle-class 1960s women discovering their voices. It warms with the strength of evolving friendships and the small, profound moments of personal revolution. A great read for any book club typically enjoying other stories that blend historical detail with emotional resilience. I would definitely suggest!

This was not a book for me, the writing was not up to the standard I enjoy, telling and not showing and very much not trying to be literary. I'm sure other readers will love it, but I DNFed this as it was poorly constructed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Warm, nostalgic, and empowering—The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a heartfelt tribute to friendship, feminism, and finding your voice. A charming story of four women who discover that sometimes, a book club can change everything.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen!

I was a little nervous this would end up being a cringey white feminism take on the early ’60s, especially with the opening chapters. But as the story progressed, the characters gained depth and complexity, and the themes expanded to explore the nuances of the harm of our patriarchal systems.

I was pleasantly surprised how the story became inclusive of recognizing the role of racism, capitalism/consumerism, etc. It ended up being more down to earth than it appeared at the beginning, which I appreciated.

📚 Title: The Book Club for Troublesome Women
Author: Marie Bostwick
Genre: Historical Fiction / Women’s Fiction / Friendship

“Acquaintances abound, but true friendships are rare and worth waiting for.”

A nostalgic, empowering story of four suburban women finding courage, voice, and each other in the 1960s—and igniting quiet revolution through books. In 1963 Northern Virginia, Margaret starts a book club with three neighbors—Viv, Bitsy, and Charlotte—centered around The Feminine Mystique. As they read and debate, their lives begin to shift. From household frustrations to secret dreams, this “Troublesome Women” club becomes a lifeline in their journey toward self-discovery and empowerment

Mood: 📚✊👯‍♀️🌅
📚 Books fueling ideas and change
✊ Quiet rebellion, solidarity, and feminist awakening
👯‍♀️ The deep bonds of sisterhood
🌅 Hope, fresh starts, and new horizons

Warm, nostalgic, and richly feminist, this is a love letter to the power of female friendship and literature. Think Lessons in Chemistry meets suburban sisterhood—uplifting, smart, and deeply satisfying.

I really liked the premise of this book. I struggled to get through it though, it started really strong and then fell flat for me. Strong plot lines, but I felt like the development of it dragged.

📚 The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick
Sometimes, all it takes is one good book and a few brave women to change everything.

Set in 1963 suburbia, this story follows Margaret—a picture-perfect housewife who’s quietly unraveling. When a new neighbor, Charlotte, arrives with bold ideas and a copy of The Feminine Mystique, Margaret finds herself at the heart of an unexpected revolution. Enter the Bettys: a book club that becomes so much more than talk over coffee.

This is a warm, empowering story of friendship, finding your voice, and rewriting the rules—one page, one choice, one woman at a time. If you’ve ever felt like you were made for more, this one’s for you.

“The Book Club for Troublesome Women” is a feel-good, yet empowering historical fiction of life in America in the 1960s for four white women. (I would have loved for Marie Bostwick to have depicted a woman of color as well, as her story would likely have been very different during this time than that of the four protagonists!) Entertaining and insightful, this story follows four housewives who are tired of the status quo and craving a change in how society views gender roles. The four eclectic characters with very different personalities decide to form a book club and read Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique.”

Woven through four narratives and different journeys as a 1960s woman, “The Book Club for Troublesome Women” artfully depicts this (adult) coming-of-age tale, with strong themes of resilience, friendship, and challenging the narrative.

Thank you to Marie Bostwick, HarperCollins, & NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a warm, empowering historical novel set in early 1960s America. Margaret, Viv, Bitsy, and Charlotte—four suburban housewives confronting dissatisfaction and societal pressure—form a book club that blossoms into a life-changing bond.
Sparked by reading The Feminine Mystique, they begin to challenge norms and reclaim their dreams. With wit, nostalgia, and uplifting charm, Marie Bostwick celebrates friendship, feminism, and the quiet courage of women daring to change their lives.
The novel balances emotional depth with moments of humor and triumph, making it a compelling read for fans of character-driven stories and book club fiction. It’s a celebration of female resilience and the transformative power of connection.

This is a Historical Fiction novel which took place in the 1960s with four ladies who formed a bookclub, all from different backgrounds. Everyone brings their own story to this and it is such an eye opening experience. I loved this story and it was such an easy read.

A great story! It has similar time period vibes to Lessons in Chemistry, so if you enjoyed that, you’ll like this one as well. The audiobook is narrated by Lisa Flanagan, and she is very good.

I loved the friendship of the four ladies and how they strengthened and supported each other. But I also appreciated that they acknowledged men have a story too. Definitely one that still has me thinking about it days later.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Didn't take long for this story to capture my attention - and it never let go. A compelling, fascinating historical about change, becoming your own person, and the struggles of women in particular during the early 60's. Four VERY different characters all brought to life through Bostwick's prose. You will cheer for each one as you see that we HAVE "come a long way, baby." Live through the tumult, changing roles, and power (and lack thereof) of these women. Highly, highly recommended.

This was a slow start for me and it took me a bit to get into the story because there are at least 4 POV and usually don't like more than 2 unless they are completely distinguishable.
However, at some point I got hooked and couldn't put it down. A beautiful story of friendship, ladies from different backgrounds and coming together to lift each other up. I lived and cried toward the end.
A reminder that we only have one life to live and we must take advantage of it.
I rate it 4.5

This is the story of four very different women who formed a life long bond after joining a book club in 1963. This was nearly a decade before I was born and during a time where women were not allowed to do things independently and needed their husband’s permission for many things that I’ve taken for granted. I really learned a lot about this time period in Northern Virginia.

This was an excellent story that I listened on audio during my morning walk as it’s very well narrated. I love being able to listen to an engaging narrator when I am not able to sit down and read it. While I was walking and listening , I ran into three older ladies in my neighborhood. I told him all about this book and shared a few of the events that ocurred. This sparked a conversation and added an additional 30 minutes to my walk when I butted in on their walk! The stories they shared during this time period when they were young women were just so eye opening. They were genuinely interested in reading this book and took a picture when I pulled it up on my phone to show them. I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC and the audible version. I truly enjoyed both reading and listening to this well written story of these four amazing ladies and their families. The opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed listening to The Book Club for Troublesome Women. Marie Bostwick creates such warm, relatable characters, and the story has a cozy, inviting feel. The narration is well done, bringing the characters to life and making it easy to get immersed in the book. While the plot moves at a comfortable pace and offers some nice twists, there were a few moments that felt a bit predictable. Still, the overall message about friendship and community is uplifting. A great listen for anyone who loves a heartwarming, character driven story with a touch of life’s ups and downs.

I loved the premise—feminism blooming over cocktails and controversial reads in a prim-and-proper suburb—but the execution didn’t quite pull me in. The characters and setting had charm, and the nod to The Feminine Mystique and 1960s social upheaval is engaging in concept. But despite the book's potential, I found myself drifting and didn’t quite feel invested enough to finish. A great idea that just didn’t fully land for me.

This was a good book but not one I was dying to finish. The characters were all very kind and likeable.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women was no trouble at all! This book was a well written, well thought out, well researched delight to read and listen to and even to think about in a lingering way. It actually took me a week to review after I finished because that felt like it would mean I was officially done with these characters and I do not want to be done with these characters. I miss them still, I wish I had a book club like theirs!

This story is right up my ally, though I think it will appeal to a wide demographic, a little something for everyone. I do think it benefited from a modern hindsight of sorts, which is needed to cushion how adverse situations were for these women and their families as the feministic viewpoint and awakening opens to an egalitarian partner. This may have felt pedantic or reactionary under someone else’s pen but Marie Bostwick’s talent really shines in keeping it smooth and just. She did not leave any character behind while also making them all memorable. So much so that I cried several times throughout the book from the hard times and life passages my favorite characters faced and had to go through.

Historical fiction is new to me and if the genre is akin to this book I will have found another reading home. I enjoyed how Betty Friedan and her Feminine Mystique were characters in this book by setting the space and tone in much the same way that New York City is a character in Sex and The City/And Just Like That. I played a little game with myself while reading where I tried to guess who was or would grow into an historical figure. Obviously, I didn’t need to guess with the circle of actual journalists who are already well known to famous and they were so naturally placed in this story that it was a celebration to read.

Marie Bostwick’s story and her author’s note were both crafted beyond a high bar. And Lisa Flanagan’s narration was perfection. It is always nice to hear an author read their work but not every author can sustain a narration, which is a different art form, of their own work. Lisa Flanagan does such a stellar and seamless job it will make you think she is the author who was a narrator before she was an author. My only wish is that we were further along with this fight or journey to make these characters and all the people they represent who have helped us to get to where we are now, truly understand how worthwhile their fights and lives were.
Sincerely, sm for BB.

It is 1963 in a new and exclusive town called Concordia. Margaret initiates a bookclub. Charlotte, Bitsy and Viv join. All four have different personalities and their own struggles in a time when housewives are expected to care for their households whilst having little freedom outside of their marriages. Including and not limited too, the ladies cannot open their own bank account without their husbands signature nor obtain a script for birth control pill from their gynaecologist without their husband present. The first book they read is a recent release, The Feminine Mystique by feminist Betty Freidan. Exploring the ideologies of the book they've read and sipping Charlotte's cocktails close friendships are formed. The four ladies each begin a journey to self-love and self-empowerment as their collective name becomes The Betty's.

The Bookclub for Troublesome Women is an uplifting historical and at times humourous novel. The characters are on a wild ride transforming their lives and they took me with them. All four Betty's are relatable, likeable and increasingly inspiring.

Thankyou to #Netgalley and #HarperCollinsFocus / #HarperMuse for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What it’s about:
In a shiny new 1960s suburb, Margaret, Viv, Bitsy, and newcomer Charlotte come together for a book club—and unexpectedly, for something much more. As they read The Feminine Mystique, they start questioning the lives they’ve been told they should want. Through books and budding friendship, they begin to wake up to the idea that maybe there’s more out there—for all of them.

3.5-star review of The Book Club for Troublesome Women
I loved the concept and the era—it had so much potential. The book really captured the frustration so many women must’ve felt back then, boxed into roles that didn’t reflect their full selves. But I wish the characters had been more distinct and fully developed. Even by the end, I was still mixing a few of them up. The pacing felt uneven, and while there were definitely entertaining moments, I just wanted a little more—more growth, more connection, more impact.

The narration was good!