The Beantown Girls by Jane Healey is another wonderful contribution to this sub-genre of women’s contributions to the WWII war effort. The Red Cross Clubmobile initiative sent young American women to areas where Allied military were deployed, including the front, to distribute donuts, coffee, cigarettes, etc. in order to raise morale. Although it may sound frivolous, it was often hard work and dangerous, depending on where the women were sent.

Healey allows the reader to see how the women change and grow as they work together. Each develops new skills and strengths as they perform their duties. The author also makes crystal clear the random horror of the war, in which any moment can become a question of life and death. Several times, my breath caught, and my eyes teared up.

This novel is liberally seasoned with romance. Fortunately, it does not overwhelm the story of the women’s mission, and in fact, may add to it. I highly recommend this book and thank the author for bringing to light a new aspect of the war effort.

Thanks always to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A group of young Boston women wanted to do their part to help Britain in their fight for their island. They were not happy to find themselves making doughnuts for canteens where soldiers came for the company and a break from combat. in the end, they did find they had a purpose after all. A simple story about a tragic time.

It’s the first book I read by Jane Healey but I’m sure I’ll read as much as I can get from her.
I was drawn right in, feeling like part of the crew. I could envision it all easily. I didn’t know about the Clubmobile Girls at all and it was interesting to learn about them. You learn a lot in this book without having the feeling to be taught. I know it’s historical fiction but it is well researched. It’s easy to read, easy to lose yourself in this book. You get to like the charming characters and you want to read on and on to know, what life holds for them. It’s good entertainment with a solid storyline, even though it is highly emotional in parts and there’s no whitewashing of the cruelties of war. The characters are described in rich detail which I like a lot. Though the writing may be a bit simple, the story doesn’t suffer from it at all. I really highly recommend this book!

4.5 stars
Three best friends from Boston, sign up to be Red Cross Clubmobile girls. Clubmobile girls travel to different military bases to boost morale through music and food. Fiona sees this as a chance to travel to Europe to try and find her MIA fiancé. Viviana wants some adventure before settling down. Dot is hoping that being a Clubmobile girl will help her be more confident around adults. Their friendship helps them survive the realities of war. I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel, the characters were likeable and interesting. I also learned about the Red Cross Clubmobile program. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will want to read Beantown Girls.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5 rounded up

I don't read a whole lot of historical fiction, but man, The Beantown Girls by Jane Healey is a MUST read if you are a historical fiction fan and are interested in reading about World War II.

What it's about: Based on the Red Cross Clubmobile girls, The Beantown Girls focuses on 3 friends that decide to join - Fiona, Viviana, and Dottie. Fiona's reason for wanting to join is different from her friends, her fiancé Danny has gone missing in the war and Fiona is determined to find out what happened to him any way she can. These 3 friends will see a lot and go through a lot, but the happiness they bring to the men on the front lines, and the friendships and relationships they will foster may just help them make it through the war.

I have so much love for this book. The story was amazing, and I bawled my eyes out more than once. I really don't know enough about history, and reading historical fiction like this just truly opens my eyes to the past. I had no idea the Clubmobile girls even existed and I loved reading about what they did for the war. They were right in the middle of everything, and I can't imagine how brave all of those girls must have been.

The story is told only from Fiona's POV, but it worked very well for this novel. Her search for what happened to her fiancé was heart-wrenching, but I loved how her friendships helped to get her through.

Final Thought: The Beantown Girls is sad for sure, but it also has wonderful moments that made me laugh out loud and overall was very inspiring and positive. I would highly recommend to any historical fiction fan! Healey has become an instant auto-buy author for me, and that is really saying something when HF isn't what I read the most of.

“...because he was my soldier.” For me this quote sums up this wonderfully emotional journey of The Beaton’s Girls by Jane Healey. The story of these women who served our soldiers and nation in World War II is emotional, heartbreaking, and hopeful all at the same time. To read their journey has only propelled my new found enjoyment of historical fiction and Jane Healey’s vivid writing pulls you right into the war torn 1940’s ! I had no idea the ClubMobile Girls of the Red Cross even existed, now I just want to read more about them!

The Beantown Girls is a novel set in Europe toward the end of WWII. The plot follows a group of three friends from Boston who volunteer to be Red Cross clubmobile girls. They join to help with the war effort and to find out information about one of the girls’ missing-in-action fiance. The story follows their adventures, in war and love, as they continue their mission on the front lines.

The book is loosely based on the true story of the Red Cross clubmobile girls, who travelled around Europe offering coffee and donuts to Allied soldiers. It sounds a bit frivolous, but once you get deeper into the book it’s obvious that these ladies played a pivotal role in brightening the spirits of the soldiers when they most needed it.

Although it took me a few chapters to become invested in the girls story, Healey finds a good rhythm and made this a difficult book to set down. This is a dialogue heavy, plot driven, historical fiction novel with a side of romance. The author does a great job of making it feel like you were right there in 1944 with the girls, using language and cultural references that feel right out of the wartime era. I don’t read many light hearted historical fiction books like this one, but in the end I was drawn into the story of these three friends and their adventures in Europe. Although the book is about WWII and there are sad parts (yes, I cried!), it is ultimately an uplifting book about bravery, friendship and love.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of The Beantown Girls. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This story takes place in 1944 during WWII. Fiona Denning thinks she has her life all figured out, but then her fiancé is reported missing in action. In an effort to find him, she and a couple of her friends join the war as workers in the Red Cross Club mobile program-delivering coffee and doughnuts to soldiers as well as just letting them see a familiar face from home. The author does a brilliant job of incorporating the horrors of war into this story, and these women learn so much about themselves. I had never heard about the women who volunteered to do this so it was just a fascinating story for me. Highly recommended!

The author did a brilliant job of capturing the time period in this novel. The characters and plot were also well written. This was a great piece of historical fiction!

Author Jane Healey brings another group of girls to life in her sophomore novel, The Beantown Girls. Focused on the little-known Clubmobile Girls of World War II, this novel explains the motivations, training, experiences, and impact of the women who joined the Red Cross war effort.

We meet the three main characters -- Fiona, Viv, and Dottie -- as they travel to England after their initial training. While the first half of the book focuses on their training and time in England, we get to know many of the other characters, including the young soldiers to whom the Clubmobile Girls are like older sisters. The real highlight of the first half of the novel was watching true friendship develop between the Beantown Girls and the young soldiers who's spirits they are trying to lift as they travel from base to base throughout England, as well as seeing the relationships between the the various cohorts of Clubmobile Girls and the relationship between Fiona, Vivi, Dottie and their respective love interests.

Once the Beantown Girls travel to France and are thrown into the war, the novel really picks up -- the stakes are high, the danger is real, and the girls are pushed both mentally and physically. I couldn't put the book down once I was into the second half. Heavily researched, the novel does a great job of showing the realities of friendship and love in a time of war. Whether it's sleeping on the ground with the sounds of battle not too far in the distance, cold showers, of getting trapped behind enemy lines, Healy has brought the war to life for the Clubmobile Girls!

Highly recommend for fans of World War II historical fiction!

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. It allows me to experience a time that I know little about and I always learn something. This book tells the story of the Red Cross's Clubmobile girls who were recruited to increase the morale of the American troups in WWII. The girls were originally assigned to make donuts and coffee for the soldiers. But it turns into so much more as they find themselves in many unanticipated situations. This is an entertaining and interesting read that takes you on the adventures of this group of young women and let's you experience the war from their unique perspective. If you are a fan of historical fiction, give The Beantown Girls a read.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read Beantown Girls by Jane Healey. The story of the Red Cross ClubMobile Girls was amazing and one I had not heard of before. The way Ms Healey wrote about them in this book made them come to life and the fact much of the book is based on real incidents makes it all the more riveting. Once I started the book, it was hard to put down.

The only criticism I have is that sometimes the dialogue got in the way of the book and tended to read like a sitcom, however, as I read the book, I could visualize the events like I was watching it play in my head.

Thank you again for the opportunity to preview this book.

The Beantown Girls was wonderful! I enjoyed the way that the novel was written. I liked the way the women were portrayed, their relationships and what they experienced during the war. Fiona and her friends, Viviana and Dottie, decide to volunteer to be Red Cross Clubmobile girls. They will travel to different countries where the officers are during World War II. They, along with the other Clubmobile volunteers, will provide coffee, doughnuts, and cheer to the officers. Fiona’s fiancé has been declared missing and she hopes to find out what happened to him while they are overseas. The story is full of beautiful writing that describes the emotions of the girls’ experiences so vividly. I felt swept into the girls’ days - the joyful days, the difficult days, the new friendships, the losses, and the romances.

3.5 STARS - Even as an avid reader of WWII Historical Fiction I was surprised that I had never heard of the Red Cross Clubmobile girls and their influence on the war effort. This was a group of young, educated American women who were sent overseas to bring a little bit of home to the men on the front lines. While their main duties included serving donuts and coffee to the men, their morale boosting presence was what benefitted the soldiers the most.

The story is well-researched and benefited from the author's use of journals from real Clubmobile girls. While the story deals with war, The Beantown Girls is a lighter Historical Fiction read so readers who don't want too much violence and gore, and don't mind a few sweet, sentimental moments, should enjoy this book.

Through her charming characters, who go from naïve to knowledgeable to independent and brave, Healey broaches topics of sexism and gender roles in war as well as friendship and the sacrifice that so many gave to end the war. Healey's writing style had a casual feel but felt like it relied too heavily on dialogue to fill the pages. A lot of 'she said this' kind of thing which isn't my favourite style.

Overall, The Beantown Girls is an interesting read that gives readers a look at another aspect of WWII (with a clearly American perspective) that focuses on a small group of women who helped in the war effort. It's Historical Fiction, with a strong romantic focus but it's also a book about friendship, sacrifice, loss and hope in the bleakest of times.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Another wonderful historical fiction novel. I am always amazed that despite reading quite a bit of WWII fiction, I am constantly learning new stories. The Beantown Girls centers on the lives of three Red Cross Clubmobile Girls and is equal parts friendship, romance, and heartache.

I enjoyed that this book was from the women’s perspectives and their experience being near the front lines. I shed a few tears during this book as some parts were so emotional it felt like you were transported to the field. The strength of the soldiers who were involved in the war shines in this book, especially the women who made the choice to go overseas. I received an ARC of this book via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to this book, I plan to learn more about the early history of the Red Cross. In 1944, three 25 year old best friends apply for and meet the rigorous demands to become Red Cross Clubmobile girls, whose job it is to help raise morale of the men fighting in the war. Fiona wants to make it to France because her fiance was shot down over Germany months ago and is missing in action. Becoming a Clubmobile girl will get her closer to her fiance, if he is still alive, and give her a chance to do something for the war effort, as she waits to hear any new about him.

First the trio has to learn to drive heavy vehicles, make donuts with the explosion prone donut machines, learn to maintain and repair vehicles, learn first aid and how to don gas masks and prove they can keep a smiling and happy demeanor for the shell shocked soldiers, no matter how they are feeling and how their day is going. Fiona, Viv, and Dottie have very distinct personalities and looks so it's easy to follow their path through this time, along with the other Clubmobile girls they meet along the way. Through all of this, it's necessary for Fiona to put aside her heartache and worry about the fate of her fiance and put the welfare of the men fighting the war, ahead of how she is feeling.

The sacrifices that these women make are incredible, even during a time when women couldn't be soldiers. These woman end up facing the fact of bombs being dropped all around them and living in tents, on K rations, so far from home, giving their all to help the men who've lived the horror of war. There are memorable side characters, both real and fictional and I especially liked reading about Mrs. Tibbetts, whose three sons were at war while she opened her home to Clubmobile girls. Then there is Jimmy English, who has already lost so much in this war but still serves, as a driver and helper to the Clubgirls. The book is both funny and sad and I'm so glad to have learned about these brave women who gave their all to help others during the war.

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

I adore historical fiction. I think it’s so important to put faces and stories to the many who suffered during the dark times of war. I particularly enjoy stories of light and hope in the midst of such darkness. This wonderful novel was no exception and I absolutely loved it!
****
Fiona has her whole life mapped out with her fiancé until life derails and her fiancé is declared missing in action. Determined to help the war efforts and find out what happened to her fiancé, Fiona heads overseas with her best friends to become Red Cross Clubmobile girls. Clubmobile girls were tasked with bringing hope, treats, and encouragement to the men overseas.
****
I loved reading about the Clubmobile girls for the first time and learning about this aspect of the war. This was a beautifully written novel about hope, courage, and love in the midst of darkness. The characters were well developed and the setting details extraordinary. This fantastic story will run you through the gamut of emotions and leave you closing the book with a smile on your face. Thank you @amazonpublishing for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Historical fiction at it's finest. I loved this book and learned so much about these brave women, their amazing friendships and the Red Cross Club Mobiles in WWII. There are so many unsung heroines in history and this author shows us a wonderful crew of them. You'll want some kleenex handy in the best of ways. The imagery and historical research are fantastic and you'll be thinking about his book for a long time to come. Bravo, Jane Healy. It was a treat.

I love historical fiction and this novel did not disappoint. I learned a lot about what the Red Cross did during the war. This was a dazzling tale of love, friendships, heartbreak and transcendence. Harley has written a novel that sparkles with vitality and truth. Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from Netgalley.com and Lake Union Publishing.

The Beantown Girls is a novel about the strength of friendship during traumatic times. Three women set off to become Red Cross Clubmobile girls in World War II. One is determined to find her MIA fiancé and her friends join her to be able to do something to help the war effort. Of course, as the story develops, the girls make friends, meet servicemen, fall in and out of lust and love.

This fully researched, historically accurate novel is detailed without becoming muddled. Romantic without melodrama. Emotional and heartfelt. An excellent read.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended. #thebeantowngirls