Wowzers. Sara Goodman Confino has does it again with her newest book, Behind Every Good Man. Beverly is the idyllic stay at home wife and mom to two kids. When she is scorned by her husband, she doesn't follow 1960s behavior and take him back. Instead, she washes that man right out of her hair and takes on politics in a hysterical and meaningful way. You'll love this one as much as her earlier works. GREAT writing by this amazing author!!

I very much enjoyed this big-hearted novel! The story of a wife learning her husband is a cheater and deciding to participate in a political campaign as a result is fun and original! A great storyline!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

What a good book! It did take me a few chapter to get in to it but I am glad I stuck it out because it ended up being a really good book. I recommend.

Behind Every Good Man is a great title for a great book about female e.mpowerment. I adored Don't Forget to Write and am so happy that Behind Every Good Man is just as entertaining and enjoyable. Fellow Fans of Don't Forget to Write will be pleased that Marilyn plays a small role in this book and Great Aunt Ada is mentioned several times throughout the book. Sara Goodman Confino accurately portrays 1960s politics and expected gender roles. I especially enjoyed the ending when they were anxiously awaiting the election results. Bev and Michael get my vote!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Imagine this: gran from Gilmore Girls + Lorelai from GG x Mrs. Maisel in a '50s Maryland setting against an upcoming election race- how awesome is that?!
W a whopping, well deserved 4.73 rating on GR, Behind Every Man is a book justifying its praise. A wronged wife goes toe to toe w her cheating husband at the polls but this story is about SO MUCH MORE. 😳🤯

I adored the sweet revenge plot esp cause it's the empowering kind, written w/o any fluff = amazingly edited. W its themes of feminism, diversity, 1950s women's empowerment & A ROMANCE SUBPLOT, it's a whirlwind. It's impressive how the author managed to juggle so many elements w/o losing focus.

Literally the best aspect to this book - every character is worth your time; downright lovable. From Bev being a force of nature to her mom being the perfect 'can't live with em, can't live without em' clever supportive lady, this one's got PERSONALITY.
P. S. Someone get me a personal Nancy, please?🥹🩷

If you thought female relationships are good, the opposite gender dynamics will take you by surprise. Bev & her father made me long for non-daddy-issue-life, while Bev & Stuart made me howl w laughter. Their banter provides SO MUCH depth to an otherwise 'message-heavy' plot. Stuart is the perfect COCONUT.
LAST & THE BEST: MICHAEL 'QTπ' LANDAU. The standard. The definition of a good man, had me giggling at 3 AM. It hurts me he's in the 50s (& fictional). ❤️
(kudos to the author for not describing him as a hunk w muscles who never goes to the gym - like I said this one's pure substance & heart💜)
I found it so cute that along with the reader, the side characters root for these 2 too! In those stolen glances & moments of longing due to a forbidden romance, the author won me over.

Ultimately, somewhere in those short chapters written w impeccable wit paralleled by a wonderful conversation w the author @saraconfino , I realised I finished the book in under 4 hours. I knew at the 40% mark, this was a 5 ⭐ read for me & like every serial reader, I knew I wanted a physical copy. Surprise? The paperback is not available in India (slide 2). *SIGH*

Are you convinced yet or should I ramble on? PICK THIS BOOK UP NOW!!

This is my first book by this author and I will definitely be reading her backlist.

Mrs. Beverly Diamond comes from a political family. Her husband is now running for senator in Maryland. They have young two children, and she is the perfect 60’s wife. She makes sure her husband has dinner on the table, their children are taken care of and the house is run smoothly.

When she catches Larry in a compromising position with his secretary, changes are bound to happen. She finds herself a job with the help of her mother watching her children. She finds herself working for Larry’s opponent, Michael Landau.

Her background, attention to detail and her personal skills help Michael run his campaign.

I love how sophisticated, savvy and determined Beverly is. Can she help Michael win the campaign? Will she decide to get a divorce?
Thank you Lake Union/GetRedPr for this gifted copy. I really could see this as a movie. I love that era.

I've read several of this author's books and have never been disappointed. One thing that struck me while reading this one was the difference between women's roles and rights between then and now. This was 1962, when John F. Kennedy was president, there was talk of putting a man on the moon, yet women's options were still limited by custom if not by law. I felt grateful for all the women and men who worked to give women the options we have now.

Beverly Diamond is a stay-at-home mom with three children. Her family is Jewish. One day she walks into her husband's office, meaning to surprise him by bringing him lunch, and finds him in an unmistakable and compromising position with a young secretary. They were certainly all surprised.

Beverley herself is a surprise from the start. Her husband works as campaign manager for a man running for reelection for a state Senate seat. Beverley prefers his opponent and joins his campaign staff despite opposition from his official campaign manager, who disapproves of women in politics. Beverley proposes that they go after the women's vote.

It's a fascinating story and I enjoyed every word of it. The characters were unforgettable, and the campaign was exciting and close. I liked that Beverley was so clear-eyed about everything; for example, she helped the young girl who had an affair with her husband after he fired her.

I received an e-arc from Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley and voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

The main character of this book has Jessica vibes from Love is Blind: Season 6. That combined with Sara Goodman Confino's classic and clever style is all you need to know. I loved this one!

4.5 out of 5, loved it! Another book by Sara Goodman Confino you cannot put down, a ‘just one more chapter’ type of book and before you know it, it’s midnight. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors

“…Behind every good man is an even better woman.”

Beverly is a perfect 1960s homemaker and wife until she finds her husband Larry in a compromising position with his very young secretary. Larry is a campaign advisor to senator Sam Gibson, a career developed on the coattails of Bev’s family political ties and decades of connections. As a single mother, Bev now needs a job and uses her upbringing around politics to get back at Larry by (demanding to) join the political campaign for the competing new senator, Michael Landau. In a time when it’s a men’s world, how will the campaign team react to a strong, fiesty independent woman?

I was hesitant to read this as it’s hard to make politics fun and captivating, but this book delivers. SCG has such wonderful writing and storytelling with an dynamic, funny characters. I loved Stuart’s snark and we all need a supportive bestie like Nancy! This book has gentle uplifting undertones that you think about after the book is finished and makes you want to be a better person—to do more for your community, for what is right, to be a better friend. I loved the nods to Don’t Forget To Write, and while you do not have to read it beforehand as they are both standalone books, it makes the story so much better!

Great storytelling, with witty, dynamic characters with some sweet romance but no spicy scenes!

Thank you NetGalley and the Lake Union Publishing for this ARC, it made my day!
Pub date: Aug 6, 2024

Beverly is furious when she walks into her husbands office to find his secretary doing…well, something NSFW. It’s 1962 and everyone encourages her to forgive him and move on. Beverly is not that kind of woman though. She knows that her ideas have greatly helped her husbands political career. So what does she do? Joins the campaign for the opponent obviously! Little does she know that she will end up truly loving the things that Michael stands for. Going through a divorce, trying to care for her kids, and win an election is no easy feat, but Beverly isn’t one to back down.

Gah I just loved Beverly. Seriously I wish we could clone her and get her and more of her to run right now because our country is currently headed back to even before the 1960’s! I loved how strong and sure she was of herself, even when she questioned her decisions, she never considered going back to her jerk of an ex and I can’t even describe how great that was. I read my first book by Confino recently and damn, I wish I started sooner! She is so talented and I can’t wait to read the rest of her backlist!

I LOVED Sara Goodman Confino’s DON’T FORGET TO WRITE, so was really excited to read this companion. I didn’t adore this one quite as much (perhaps because of the characters’ life stages) but still really enjoyed it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a ARC of this book.

Sara does it again! I couldn’t wait to read this book, I have loved all of Sara Goodman Confino’s books, and “Behind Every Good Man” did not disappoint!

Beverly is the daughter of a lifetime politician, also married to a man in politics. The book begins with her expression of feeling a bit stuck in her life of just trying to do everything to keep her husband happy, when she catches him cheating with his secretary. She refuses to take him back after the indiscretion, and out of spite joins the campaign of the Senate candidate running opposite to her husband’s boss. What starts as a way to get back at her husband turns into a career that Beverly didn’t know she wanted or needed, and leads to her finding herself in so many other ways.

This book kept me engaged from start to finish, to the point that I had chills waiting for the results of the election! I loved how the main characters were related to Marilyn from Don’t Forget to Write, and how this book, like many of Confino’s others, focused on what it was like to be a Jewish woman in the 1960s who did not fit the typical expectations of the times. Sara’s strong FMCs are inspiring and bring so much to her novels. The relationship between Beverly and her mom made me both laugh out loud and tear up at times. This author has a gift for making you feel connected to her characters and invested in their stories.

I highly recommend this book to those who already know and love Sara Goodman Confino, and to those who don’t so they can be introduced to her world. One of my current favorite authors, read this book and you’ll understand why!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of Behind Every Good Man by Sara Goodman Confino, in exchange for my honest review.

Another 5-star read by Sara Goodman Confino!

I have loved every one of Mrs. Confino's books! I especially love the strong female characters, the witty dialog, and endearing, unforgettable secondary characters.

If you hesitate to pick this book up due to the political theme, you will have missed a phenomenal story.

Gave me Mrs Maisel meets Mad Men vibes and I am here for it! I very much enjoyed the banter between family members and friends. I wanted more chapters truly to get to know the characters even better. Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. This author is becoming a go to read for me!

Another amazing book from Sara. Once I started reading, I was drawn into the story and could not stop reading. Behind Every Good Man is not to be missed! I am calling it, but this book will be a best seller and one that every book club will be talking about.

Bev is the type of woman that you envision when you think about woman empowerment! Instead of allowing her estranged husband's affair to define her, she paved her own path of independence. I love how supportive Bev's mother was and Michael. He did not downgrade Bev's intelligence but together they shined. If I had been in that time period, I would have voted for Michael.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sara Goodman Confino for this arc of Behind Every Good Man, out August 6,2024! Grab it for pre order now!

📝 Quick Summary:
It is the early 1960s, and Beverly is a homemaker to her two children and husband Larry. After unexpectedly, catching Larry in a rather startling predicament with his secretary, she knows she needs to make a decision for herself. Her overbearing, rude mother, does not support her need for a divorce. And while she battles this turbulent relationship with her mother, she also realizes she needs her more than ever right now. However, Beverly wants to stick up for herself and her family, by supporting herself. Thinking of the perfect way to get back at her husband, she gets a job helping Michael run for office, who is her husband’s opponent.

💡 Thoughts and Feelings: This book was quirky right from the start, and I absolutely loved it. I devoured her poetic writing, the beautiful prose about this time frame and its nuances, and loved Beverly’s character. I came to enjoy her parents and their relationship, even though there were major flaws. I felt like they had a lot of learning to do from the inside out, and it helped that their daughter was such a go getter.

“Behind every good man, is an even better woman.”

“What’s not worth much to us, may be worth a lot more to others.”

👍🏻or👎🏻: yes, yes, and yes! 🙌🏼 This will be one of my top favs of this year!

⭐️ Overall Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

*This novel was provided by the publisher, Lake Union, via Net Galley, in exchange for my honest review.*

This is the first book by the author that I read, and I loved it! The book reminded me of the story of Clementine, Winston Churchill's wife. The story goes that while out on an outing, she talked to a garbage truck driver. When Churchill found out he was her ex, he told her she could have been a garbage truck driver's wife today. Clementine gently answered: "Oh no, my love, if I had married him, he would be the prime minister today."

The book follows Beverly Diamond, a Jewish wife of Larry, a campaign manager, mother to two young children, and daughter of a retired congressman. The story is set in the early 1960s when women in the US had fewer rights than today. Larry runs the Maryland senatorial campaign for the incumbent candidate, Sam Gibson.

Beverly tries to be the perfect wife. She wakes up an hour before her husband to get the house ready and breakfast on the table, takes care of all his needs, and creates the illusion of a perfect household. It's when he goes to work that the kids cause havoc. After catching her husband in a compromising position with his secretary, she kicks him out. She is done being the perfect wife! Afraid of losing her home, she decides to look for a job, not an obvious thing for this period and class.

After several false starts, she decides to work for Sam's opponent, Michael Landau, to show her husband she is more than a pretty face and to get one over on him. Before Michael and Stuart, his campaign manager, know what hit them, she starts running the show. After all, “Behind every good man is an even better woman."

I am not a fan of political books, but I flew through the pages. Sara Goodman Confino sure knows how to write! I finished the book in a couple of days; it was that good. In times of increasing antisemitism and where evil is perceived as good, it was nice to read about simpler times and a Jewish character who is proud of her heritage and isn't shy about it. Not that there wasn't antisemitism then (Jewish people weren't welcome in some clubs, for example), but it wasn't as overt.

Beverly wasn't the only strong heroine. I enjoyed reading about the other heroines, her interactions with her parents, and the way she turned her life around. I admired her guts and drive and rooted for her. The mother, Millie, was great as well, and I grew to like her. In fact, the characters came to life on the page, and even the supporting characters were well-rounded.

This is more a story of relationships and love than a political one. There is some political talk, but it isn't heavy-handed or the main point of the tale. The author manages to explore themes of politics, family, female empowerment, values, and civil rights while telling a good tale with humor. I loved the book and highly recommend it. It is incredibly well-researched and intriguing to even a casual reader with little to no interest in politics or history. Full stars for an excellent book!

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

I loved every character in this book! The story flowed and the writing kept me engaged throughout. Sarah Goodman Confino does it again with witty, relatable, characters.

When Beverly Diamond discovers her husband in a compromising situation, it signals the end of the marriage.
With two young children, Beverly seeks employment to get her through until matters are settled. Due to her
background, she has the knowledge to run a political campaign for the underdog opponent. It just so happens that this will pit her against her husband, the campaign manager for the incumbent. Keeping in mind what she learned from her father, a retired politician and mother, she convinces her candidate to focus on women and minority voters who have been ignored by the opponent. A woman coming into her own.
#BehindEveryGoodMan #LakeUnionPublishing #NetGalley

This was a great book. I connected with the characters. I felt engrossed with the plot. I would read another book by this author.