I have heard nothing but rave reviews for Sara Goodman Confino’s other books, so when I saw this book available, I knew I had to read it. WOW I was blown away. A perfect combo of women’s and historical fiction with a sprinkle of romance. It’s awesome to see this strong female lead take charge of her life and the opposing campaign to her cheating husband’s candidate.

Behind every good man is an even better woman.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this amazing book.

Beverly Diamond catches her husband, Larry (who runs the campaign for the current MD senator), in a compromising position with his secretary..so what does she do? What any daughter of a former congreman would do, get a job for the opponent.

Fantastic frun read! I love Sara Goodman Confino. Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy.

4.5 Cheaters Never Win

Beverly Diamond is a top-notch mother and wife. She’s just baked a batch of cookies to deliver to her husband’s office of hard-working aides for a Maryland senator. She should have called ahead because what she discovers changes her whole world. However, maybe it was the best thing to happen instead of being in the dark about how her husband spends his time at the office with his secretary.

I admire Beverly for kicking her cheating husband to the curb and fighting back. Of course, Larry wants her forgiveness and promises it won’t happen again. Beverly gets back in the best possible way by using her political skills to go to work for the competition. She learned it all growing up in a political family herself.

This one featured a lot of behind-the-scenes of how campaigns work, and I loved that part of the book. I rooted for Beverly to succeed with this campaign job and navigate a new world of divorce where she had to prove infidelity by getting someone to testify about it. What on earth?

Beverly is working for a candidate named Michael. I loved the banter between Beverly and Michael’s Campaign Manager. It was also fun seeing how Beverly helped shape Michael into a winning candidate, going after women and minority voters. Plenty of other great characters in this one, including Beverly’s mom, who moves in to help Beverly!

This was another winner from Sara Goodman Confino. I loved “Don’t Forget to Write,” and I now want to read her whole backlist!

Author Sara Goodman Confino writes another mashing hit with Behind Every Good Man featuring Beverly, a 1960s housewife who walks in on her cheating husband and finds herself a job in politics as revenge against her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Larry. I loved how well researched Confino's books are, how each character plays such a vital role in the storyline no matter how big or small a part, and the ease in which it is to read her writing. Time just passes and I become so engrossed in the book that I don't even think to come up for air. I thought the mother and daughter relationship between Beverly and Millie was a standout in the book, and I love how Confino weaves in characters from her other books in such a seamless way.

I could write for days on how much I loved this book, but I'd be writing for hours and frankly, I just think everyone should read it! Thank you Lake Union for the gifted ARC.

When Beverly finds her husband Larry in an unfavorable position with his secretary, what is a good housewife to do in 1962? Well, she decides to beat him publicly. Since Larry is the campaign manager for the incumbent Senator, Beverly decides to join the opposing campaign of underdog Michael Landau. As she gets Michael to appeal to the needs of women, she might just get the recognition she deserves. Beverly is a whip smart protagonist that I was rooting for the whole time.

Like all of Sara’s books, this novel is smart, heartfelt and hilarious. If you have not yet read any of Sara’s books, please run to do so asap! I promise you will love them! Of all the books I have read (and you know it’s a lot of them!) these are my most loved, the books I recommend most, and the ones I have bought multiple copies of for friends and family.

4-4.5 stars. If only modern political races were like the one in this book. Beverly Diamond did all the right things a wife was supposed to do and yet her husband still cheated on her. Thankfully Beverly is intolerant of Larry's infidelity and takes matters into her own hands. In the era of President John F. Kennedy, this historical fiction has a wit and charm about it that made it hard to put this book down because I was advocating so hard for Beverly. She's the kind of heroine we could all aspire to with her forward thinking, moxie and poise.

Not wanting to settle for being a stay at home mom, especially now that she may need a job to support her children, Beverly relies on her upbringing as a powerful senator's daughter to champion her cause as campaign manager for Michael Landau, who is running opposite of the senate candidate that her soon-to-be ex husband works for in the state of Maryland. What better way to prove herself by helping this underdog rise up to the occasion and secure more votes to win the election, in addition to making positive changes for the citizens in the state.

There are a lot of issues tackled in this story, including stereotypes of women, other religions and races and the perception of marriage. I loved how Beverly advised Michael in garnering more support, especially in the voting populations that previously received less focus. Beverly could single handedly run the whole show, but it truly does take a village and a team, and Beverly's mom Millie deserves credit, too. As for Michael, I appreciated his progressive thinking and open mindedness and if we had candidates like him now, it would be no contest. Sara Goodman Confino does not disappoint and is quickly becoming one of my auto-read authors.

Behind Every Good Man is part historical fiction/part romance. Set in the early 1960s, the main character, Beverly, finds out that her husband is cheating on her. Larry, her now estranged husband, is the campaign manager for the incumbent state senator. Beverly decides to join the underdog's campaign in part to seek revenge against Larry. There's a great mix of laughter, tears and heartfelt moments in this book. It tackles heavy topics, like women's rights and antisemitism, but there are plenty of lighthearted moments in there as well. If you loved Sara's other books, this one will not disappoint! Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this book!

Set during the 1962 Maryland senatorial election, Behind Every Good Man was a heartwarming story that was hard to put down. Early on I feared it was going to be predictable, but I should know better with Sara Goodman Confino - there were plenty of twists I did not see coming. I just love how Sara writes confident, witty, inspirational woman that are so much fun to root for.

Be sure to read Don’t Forget to Write first or some major plot points will be spoiled.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

I think I can now officially say that Sara Goodman Confino is one of my favorite authors. If she writes it, I'll read it. 

In Behind Every Good Man, we get everything we've come to expect and love from Sara's novels: a strong, witty female character set on knocking down gender barriers, a heartwarming familial relationship and joyful Jewish representation. But the novel's 1960s DC setting and the conflict of ex-spouses turned political rivals gives it a fresh and exciting spin. 

Look no further for the perfect summer read. Fans of the TV show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel will especially love this one.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. Behind Every Good Man will be out 8/6.

Behind Every Good Man is an incredible read that takes place in 1962. It combines women's fiction and historical fiction.

The book focuses on a Maryland senatorial campaign. And it features amazing Jewish rep.

The main character is 27 year old Beverly Diamond. She is a wife and mother. Honestly I would not have thought that I would have loved a book taking place in this time period and focusing on politics. But somehow I could not put this book down. I loved absolutely everything about this book. It was just amazing.

The characters were so great. I was obsessed with Bev. But I also adored all of the supporting characters, especially Michael Landau (running for senator), Stuart (running his campaign), Nancy (Bev's best friend) and Mildred (Bev's mother).

The book has quick short chapters. And amazing cameos from some favorite characters from Don't Forget To Write. There is also some romance, which was perfection.

Overall, I just loved getting to see Beverly thrive. This was such a good book! I highly recommend it!

4.5 ⭐️ Behind every good man… is an even better woman! Sara Goodman Confino is my go-to for strong, sassy, independent FMCs, and Beverly was no exception! After catching her husband with his pants down (literally!), she seeks revenge in the best way she knows how— to stick it to him in the upcoming election. This book gave major Mrs. Maisel vibes, which I loved. Some of the election/political pieces resulted in my attention and investment dipping (perhaps due to my anxiety about the upcoming election?). Still, this was another stellar book from SGC with all of the girl power!

Sara Goodman Confino has quite the following of fans in a Facebook group that I belong to, so when this book became available as an option to read, I jumped at the chance. I found Behind Every Good Man to be an easy and enjoyable read. Sara writes with her voice and makes her characters relatable. I enjoy books that are based in the past, so I appreciated the 1962 timeframe of this story. If you are looking for something light, that has some history to it, and want to feel reminded about the power of women, please read this book!

Behind Every Good Man, is an even better Woman. (The secret to his success)

It’s 1962 and Beverly Diamond has decided to deliver fresh baked cookies 🍪 to her husband Larry at his office! But, when she opens his door- the surprise is on her! Larry has his pants around his ankles and his secretary is providing more than dictation. Oops!

What a cliché!

Larry may run the Maryland senatorial campaign for the incumbent candidate, Sam Gibson, but Beverly’s father had been a popular Congressman until he retired two years ago, so she grew up in the Political World.

And, she has some ideas of how his younger, underdog opponent can win.

So, she asks her Mom, Millie (a scene stealer!) to watch her two young children-planting them in front of the 📺 where “Captain Kangaroo” will keep them occupied, and sets out to get herself a job as the campaign manager for the opposition-Michael Landau.

REVENGE is a dish best served cold, but Beverly might just serve hers in a Corning Ware Cornflower casserole dish!

May the best man or WOMAN win!!

This FEEL-GOOD historical fiction read, is full of humor and 60’s nostalgia!

Though I have had my fill of today’s Politics, this was one candidate I could easily cast my vote for! 🗳️

Be sure to read the AUTHORS NOTE at the end of the book to learn who the REAL WOMEN were who inspired this book!
AVAILABLE August 6, 2024.

A buddy read with DeAnn so be sure to watch for her review!

Thank You to Lake Union Publishing for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. These are my candid thoughts!

I was really excited to read this book because I loved the author’s last novel, Don’t Forget to Write. Her writing style is one of my favorites as she somehow mixes wit and humor with serious topics for this perfect blend that makes you feel like you’re watching the story unfold in front of you.

As in her other books, she has strong female characters who are very likable- I especially liked Beverly and her mother. I also liked the unique plot line of woman in politics in the 1960s. I absolutely loved the reappearance of some characters from her last book as well. On the negative side, I could’ve done without the romance aspect and didn’t feel it added anything. I also felt like the book as a whole was missing a little something and my attention wasn’t grabbed like it was with her last novel.

Overall, I liked the book and would recommend it if you’re looking for an easy palate cleanser. I would put Don’t Forget to Write above this one though.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Beverly, our FMC, is such an empowering female lead. She’s not afraid to get her hands dirty (even if her mother is) and go after what she wants and deserves. There were so many moments in this book that I actually pumped my fist in the air because it was just such a good, gratifying moment. The characters were all well thought out and fun to read about. Confino deals with issues like infidelity and child custody with a levity and grace that is hard to do.

Beverly’s mother reminds me a lot of Emily Gilmore in the best way and I loved her character so much. I loved her character arc almost as much as Beverly’s.

My only gripe with this book is that I wished we got to see more of the romance for Beverly - maybe even just an Epilogue. I think the story would have been even more rich had more scenes of them been included.

All in all, this was a super fun, light read. I always enjoy Confino’s books and this was no exception. Her ability to write a strong, funny female lead is unmatched. I loved the time frame this was set in and it made a senatorial race interesting (hard to do for this reader.) Pick up this book! You won’t be dissapointed!

Another gem from Sara Goodman Confino
Thank you, Lake Union Publishing, for the gifted copy of Behind Every Good Man {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Trope: Historical
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 8.6.2024
Pages: 349
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

"He told us to look at ourselves in the mirror every single morning and ask ourselves what we were going to do to make the world better that day."

Last year, I read (and loved) Don't Forget to Write by Confino. So I was thrilled to have a chance to read her newest novel, Behind Every Good Man.

Similar to her last novel, Conino created a tapestry of strong-willed women trying to find their voice in a world that constantly wants them to stay quiet at home. To drive the novel's plot, Confino added just the right amount of historical context throughout, bringing all the characters to life. It served as a reminder that the 1960s were not that long ago and that the women before us fought hard for their right to have their voices heard.  

As for the characters, I loved the MC, Beverly Diamond; she was a force to be reckoned with and wasn't afraid to stand her ground against her (soon-to-be) ex-husband. But there is also something to say for the cast of supporting characters written into the story as they helped to bring everything to life.  I would love to have a chance to meet them again in Confino's next novel. After all, we did have an opportunity to revisit some of the characters in Don't Forget to Write 😉

Read if you enjoy:
👀 Behind the scenes of running a campaign
🗓️ 1960'S DC settings
✡️ Jewish representation
💪🏼 Stories about female empowerment
📖 Historical moments mixed into fiction

I recommend reading Behind Every Good Man if you're looking for an empowering book this year.

I loved this book!! This was my second read from Sara Goodman Confino and I will be for sure reading more. Her stories bring you back in time, not too far back, when women were expected to be homemakers & mothers. Her main characters in both novels I read were strong women who break out of this expectation and find themselves along the way.
I enjoyed following along a campaign of a younger, lesser known candidate in this story. This book was a quick read for me and great for summer.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy for review.

FABULOUS FABULOUS FABULOUS! It grasped me in the early pages. Beverly is a force and all women should look up to her. Her perseverance and never backing down is truly courageous. She is VERY relatable, as is her situation in today's day and age. I COULD NOT put this down. A+ to Sara on this one.

Sara Goodman Confino is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! And that is after only having read two of her books so far!

Behind Every Good Man will be a journey down memory lane for older readers and an eye-opener for younger readers. Let’s go back to 1962, when things were changing, but not quickly enough for a lot of people. Beverly Diamond is a homemaker, mother of two young kids, wife to Larry, who is a professional political campaign manager. They live in a lovely house outside Washington, DC, in Maryland. Beverly does everything she can to make Larry’s life easy and comfortable, even waking up an hour before he does, so she can shower, put on clothes and make-up and make him a good breakfast. But her world is upended when she catches Larry cheating on her, with his secretary, no less. She kicks him out, instead of accepting his behavior - which was a fairly unusual thing to do back then.

With their marriage on the rocks, Beverly figures she will need a job and can’t think what she’d be qualified for, other than maybe selling cosmetics at a local department store (she went to college but didn’t finish). Then she realizes that she grew up with politics, her father having been a long-term representative in Congress. She knows politics and she knows campaigns. When Bev learns about Michael Landau, who is running against the incumbent (Larry is the incumbent’s campaign manager) for US Senator for Maryland, she decides to work for Landau and to make sure he wins the Maryland Senate seat, partly because she thinks Landau will be much better than the incumbent and partly to get revenge on Larry.

This was such a great story! Even though I’m a fair bit younger than Bev, I related to her situation so much. More than a decade after this timeframe, I was furious when I could not get a department store credit card in my own name, while my husband, who was a full-time student at the time, was able to open one with no problems! In 1962, there were even more barriers to women working, being independent, owning a home, and more.

I loved all the focus on politics and the untapped power of women voters, plus all the Jewish representation. I had to laugh several times, including how important it was to be seen at synagogue on Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year).

If you’ve read Confino’s book, Don’t Forget To Write, you’ll love the cameo appearance of Marilyn from that book (and other references), but you won’t miss anything important if you haven’t.

Bev’s mother was a stitch! I absolutely adored her and Bev’s friend, Nancy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Right now this is at the top of my list for favorite book of 2024! While you don't have to read Don't Forget to Write before this one, it does help to catch a few characters being mentioned. I loved those little crossovers. Beverly Diamond is a force with the grit you can't help but love in a female character. She is a character you won't soon forget. This story moved along so quickly, that I was sad it was over so soon. I will definitely be recommending this to everyone - no matter what type of reading you enjoy. It can't be put into one category - at least not in my mind. I can't wait to see what Sara Goodman Confino comes out with next. She has risen to the list of must-read authors!