I know book lovers will relate; as much as I appreciate ebooks, there are some books I need a physical copy of - to like - tangibly feel (okay, maybe hug a little.) This was one of those books.

I adore books about friendship and sisterhood and The Sunshine Girls is now one of my new favorites. And bonus, it took place in one of my favorite decades - the 1960s!

Two estranged sisters are shocked when movie star Kitty Devereaux walks into their mother’s funeral. It turns out their mom, BettyKay and Kitty were best friends back in the 60s when they met in nursing school.

The timeline shifts back to the 1960s when Kitty and BettyKay were young women. It shows how they supported each other through the good and bad times. The historical backdrop of the Vietnam War and glamorous Hollywood made this feel real and immersive. But it was the characters themselves, their struggles, secrets, and their bonds that made this one so emotional and memorable.

𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘔𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳!

Thank you @graydonhousebooks @htpbooks and @mokeeffeauthor for a spot on tour and a gifted ebook.

BettyKay has passed away and left two daughters, Clara and Abbie. Her two daughters are struggling in their lives and now with their mother gone, they just don’t have anything to hold them together. But at BettyKay’s funeral, the famous Kitty Devereaux shows up. Clara and Abbie are completely clueless. They had no idea their mother even knew this famous actress. But they soon find out secrets upon secrets about their mother and her life.

To say I loved this book is an understatement! This is a story I will be thinking about for years to come. BettyKay and Kitty have a friendship like no other. These two, along with Jenny, met as young nursing students. But as their lives twist and turn, these three have their ups and downs. But they always end up back together, even if it is with a few broken hearts and emotional damage.

I loved how the author unfolded the story. It reads like a mystery but it is so much more! BettyKay and Kitty both grab your heart! The emotions and the strength these ladies have to overcome everything life throws at them, and it throws a lot, is incredible. From Vietnam to Hollywood to a small midwestern town, these ladies are there for each other.

Need an emotional story you will not soon forget…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

In this dual timeline story, two relationships go through many changes. Back in 1967 Iowa, BettyKay and Kitty are roommates after they begin nursing school. They are as different as night and day, but they forge what ends up being a lifelong friendship. In present day, two sisters, Clara and Abbie, have been estranged for quite some time, and the only reason they are together at this point is because their mother has passed away and they are working on settling things.

Although BettyKay and Kitty eventually went their separate ways, it takes BettyKay’s funeral for her daughters Clara and Abbie to learn about that part of her life and how it involved Kitty. What is more, BettyKay and Kitty had an amazing friendship, yet neither Clara nor Abbie knew of her.

BettyKay left a diary and the diary contains years of history that went back decades. In fact, there were secrets that went very, very deep, and it is only Kitty’s presence at the funeral for things to slowly begin to make sense. What are the secrets that Kitty adds to with her own stories that Clara and Abbie learn? In fact, will the distance that the two sisters have begin to close as they learn more about their mother and Kitty?

What a compelling read. I love the relationships in this book, especially when truths reveal that second chances do happen and forgiveness can take place in life. There’s also a strong connection to motherhood, love, friendship and the bond between sisters. Kudos to Molly Fader for writing such a beautiful story.

Many thanks to Graydon House and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/e9x4A0Opdmo

Abbie and Clara have had a difficult relationship as many sisters do, until their mother’s funeral. When movie star Kitty shows up, the sisters have questions about who their mother really was and how Kitty fit into her life. The bond between Kitty, BettyKay and Jenny developed in nursing school in the ‘60’s, a time when the role for women was changing. The look back chapters were some of the most appealing, outlining the challenges of the 60’s. Abbie and Clara have a lot to learn about each other; their lives will change as they accept each other. I highly recommend this novel. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Sunshine Girls by Molly Fader is a beautiful and heartwarming novel about all kinds of relationships: friendships, romantic relationships, and familial relationships. A story with drama, love, friendship, family, and secrets that draws you in from the start, holding you hostage until the last page is sadly turned.

BettyKay, Kitty, and Jenny meet at nursing school in a small town in Iowa during the late 1960s. There was a lot of unrest, as the Vietnam Nam War was occurring, women had few rights let alone career paths, and the young adults were looking for a change. Jenny was a young black woman with more challenges than her friends. BettyKay and Kitty were assigned as roommates. Despite being as opposite as can be, they become best friends, always there for each other through thick and thin; keeping each other’s secrets. The storyline alternates between 2019 and the late 1960s, traveling from small town Iowa to Hollywood to Vietnam and back again. The story begins at BettyKay’s funeral where Abbie and Clara, BettyKay’s daughters, meet Kitty, who they had no knowledge of, and learn that their mother had secrets that she never shared with them. Abbie and Clara begin a journey of piecing together things they never knew about their mother, BettyKay, and to a much less degree their much loved father. Those secrets give Abbie and Clara an understanding of how the unrest of the 1960’s affected and grew the friendship between BettyKay, Kitty, and their third musketeer, Jenny, the secrets that were kept, the reasons why, as they face the truth of decisions made long ago. Hopefully accepting those truths, Abbie and Clara will view their lives anew, with hope and promise.

Ms. Fader wrote this story to the soul; the soul of her characters as well the soul of her readers. This wonderful and amazing story was emotional, tragic, moving, tear inducing, filled with wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters that is must read. I highly recommend The Sunshine Girls to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

As Molly Fader's fascinating character study The Sunshine Girls opens, people in Greenboro, Iowa are gathering for the funeral of BettyKay Beecher, a highly respected nurse who gave so much of her time and talents to her small town.

BettyKay's older daughter Clara has returned home for the funeral. Clara is a successful corporate lawyer in Chicago, where she lives with her wife Vicki. Things are strained back home as Vicki wants to start a family, but Clara is reluctant.

Clara's younger sister Abby is married with two young children. While Clara hasn't been home much, Abby has spent much of her time with her mother following the death of BettyKay's husband, their father, three years ago. Clara tells Abby that she is leaving directly after the funeral, and Abby is dismayed that Clara is leaving Abby alone to clean out their mother's home.

When a stunning woman saunters into the funeral home, everyone is shocked to see that it its Kitty Deveraux, a famous Hollywood actress, who has walked up and placed a pink button in the coffin. Why is Kitty Deveraux at their mother's funeral? Does it have anything to do with the memoir their mother wrote about her time as a nurse in Vietnam during the war?

Clara and Abby invite Kitty back to their mother's home and once there, Kitty tells the women that she knew their mother when they were young nursing students and roommates in nursing school in Iowa in the 1960s. Along with Jenny, a brilliant woman and one of the only Black women in their nursing school, they were inseparable.

I truly loved the story of BettyKay, Jenny, and Kitty in nursing school. This unlikely trio of women became lifelong friends, supporting each other through good times and bad. We see how difficult the life of a young nursing student was, and how their strong friendship sustained them.

Through their discussions with Kitty, they discover things about their mother that they never knew, things that Aunt Jenny never told them. Jenny tells them to beware of Kitty and her stories, but Kitty is determined to tell all of the secrets she has kept about her and BettyKay's lives.

Molly Fader has said that her own mother's stories about nursing school in Iowa in the 1960s inspired this wonderfully moving story, and you can feel that love in the book. The characters feel so real, and their friendship is deeply meaningful. It is a love letter to strong women and how they have to overcome the things that happen to them along the way.

I did wish there was more of BettyKay and Jenny's lives in Vietnam, I feel like that could be another equally interesting book. As a fan of the the 1980s-1990s show China Beach, I found myself wanting to know more about that time in their lives. Fans of The Seven Lives of Evelyn Hugo will want to read this one too.

I loved The Sunshine Girls, and I read it in one sitting not wanting the story of these strong women and their deep friendship to end. I give it my highest recommendation.

Will the real BettyKay stand up? Well as the book starts of course she can't. It begins with her funeral, her two daughters at odds with each other and unbeknown to each on a bit of a precipice in their own lives. And to add drama to the situation, a famous movie star walks into the situation.

We are taken back to the 1960's where Kitty, BettyKay and Jenny meet up as they begin nursing training. It is the beginning of a long ranging friendship, true friendship where they support each other through all kinds of challenges and hardships. At times they fall out and take time - sometimes a long time before the relationship is repaired. The main focus is on Kitty and BettyKay, but I loved the hardworking Jenny and her love and support that she gave as well. As a black woman of that time she faced many challenges but was courageous and made great choices.

The story ranges from a small town to Hollywood and then Vietnam and back again. Slowly Abbie and Clara piece together things they never knew about their mother and to a much less degree their much loved father. The secrets abound, and as they are revealed walls break down around all of the living characters.

This is a book to get immersed in, to feel for the characters and love the friendship of three women and the promise for two daughters, who finally facing the truth, will have new life and new hope.

This was my first novel by this author, and I look forward to more. I was captivated with the characters. A story of an unlikely friendship. I always enjoy a dual time line as I appreciate hearing about the past and how it affects our future.

Today-Two estranged sisters Clara and Abbie are at their mother’s funeral when a famous movie star shows up. Why would this women show up at their mother’s funeral. They had not heard of her connection with their mom. This story line had me hooked right away.

1967-At a nursing school in Iowa, two ladies Betty Kay and Kitty meet and come from very different backgrounds. Kitty relies on looks to get through life and Betty Kay went to nursing school against her parent’s approval. Her dream was to be a doctor, but during those times, it was not accepted. Set during Vietnam era, with family secrets and a little Hollywood glamor, this novel drew me in.

Author Fader captured the expectations of women in the 60’s during the War. I highly recommend this novel. I think it would be great Book Club pick or a movie.

*****Publishing December 6, 2022*****


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ From the writing to the characters to the story, this book will will bring out all kind of emotions, but will leave you feeling satisfied in the end! A book about societal expectations, family, sisterhood, friendships, secrets, and war.

This book begins at Clara and Abbie’s mother’s funeral, BettyKay Beecher, a Vietnam War Veteran, who served as a nurse. Kitty Devereaux, a famous actress, shows up at the funeral shocking everyone. Why did she show up and what’s her intention? What will Clara and Abbie find out and how will they handle it?

This book alternates between BettyKay with her experiences of going through nursing school during the Vietnam War, serving in Vietnam, and life after and 2019 through the eyes of her daughters, Clara and Abbie’s lives and their experiences with coping with their mother’s loss and secrets.

This author captured the ups and downs of life during Vietnam War. Also what the expectations of women coming of age were and how BettyKay pursued her dreams of becoming a nurse even though she wasn’t supported by her parents. It made the friendships that BettyKay made at nursing school were even more valuable to get her through life. A book that is hard to put down and will leave you thinking about well after its done! A must read for those who love Historical Fiction! Great book club pick as well as it will lead to many great discussions!

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing (Graydon House), I was provided an ARC of The Sunshine Girls by Molly Fader via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Sunshine Girls by Molly Fader is a story about friendship, family, and secrets. BettyKay and Kitty meet at nursing school. They are as opposite as two women can be. They become best friends who are there for each other through thick and thin. The pair are best friends for the rest of their lives. BettyKay and Kitty keep each other’s secrets. The storyline alternates between 2019 and the 1960s. I thought the author captured the late 1960s especially the clothing and attitudes. The feelings about the Vietnam War were spot on. The point-of-view alternates between Kitty, BettyKay, Clara, and Abbie which allows us to know each women’s thoughts and feelings. I found myself quickly drawn into the story. I thought it contained good writing with realistic, developed characters. The women are strong, smart, and courageous. We get to see the women go from unsure young ladies into mature, confident women. As the story unfolds, secrets are revealed. In 2019, we get to see how Abbie and Clara, BettyKay’s daughters, react to their mother’s secrets. I admit that I enjoyed the historical timeline more than the present. However, both are needed for the story to be complete. The story has an ending that will leave you smiling. We get to see how the women deal with challenging situations, difficult choices, and tricky relationships. The book does contain foul language, intimate situations, and people taking drugs. It was cute how the friends passed these five ugly buttons back and forth over the years. Kitty and BettyKay came up with unique and amusing ways to pass along the buttons. They keep trying to outdo each other. In The Sunshine Girls we get to see how little you really know about someone close to you. The Sunshine Girls is a story with drama, love, friendship, family, and secrets that will hold your attention until the very last page.

Oh my goodness! Molly Fader really grabbed my heart from the very first page and never let it go! She had my emotions all over the place. Once I started reading THE SUNSHINE GIRLS it was very hard to stop! The twists and turns made it impossible to put down, as I had to know what was going to happen to Abbie and Clara ! I still can’t believe that I have never read Molly Fader before! She writes with so much heart and tenderness that you would think this was her tenth book, not her third! What an awesome story. All of Molly’s characters feel genuine and relatable and put your emotions on one heck of a roller coaster ride.

Once you start reading THE SUNSHINE GIRLS it will be very hard to put down! Molly sure knows how to put a new twist on Historical Fiction. I truly believe she picked the perfect cover too. It screams 1960’s to me. I was fairly young in the 60’s so I don’t remember too much about the Vietnam war and everything else that was going on, but while reading, I felt like I was right there in the thick of it! Molly Fader is now an auto buy author for me. That’s how much I love THE SUNSHINE GIRLS.

THE SUNSHINE GIRLS is filled with faith, tragedy, second chances, love, as well as hurt and anger. If you are a fan of stories that grab your heart and never let you go, this is a story you do not want to miss. Abbie and Clara are mourning their mother, BettyKay and holding her funeral. When a surprise mourner walks in and their lives are going to never be the same. They learn more about their mother as well as their father than they thought possible. THE SUNSHINE GIRLS is told in dual timelines and is very easy to follow. There are so many secrets that the sisters learn, you are going to be pulled in from the very beginning. The life long friendship that BettyKay shared with Kitty Devereaux shocks the sisters and now they want answers!

Abbie and Clara used to be very close when they were growing up, but drifted apart as they got older. THE SUNSHINE GIRLS is without a doubt one of the best Historical Fiction books I’ve read in 2022 so far. I was instantly emotionally invested in all of the characters. Molly Fader is such a wonderful and heart tugging author and she had me laughing and crying on the very same page. She literally had me holding my breath and choking on a sob while I finished reading. I can’t wait to read Molly’s two previous books which I’m going to find right now. If you don’t have a Sunshine Girl in your life maybe you can become one. Everyone could use more sunshine in their lives right? Make sure to read Molly’s note at the end of the book. She explains how a part of THE SUNSHINE GIRLS was taken from her mom’s life.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Graydon House-Harlequin through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

The Sunshine Girls is story of friendship & secrets and I loved this book!

When a famous movie star shows up at their mom's funeral, two sisters learn their mom had some secrets she's been hiding for decades. Told in dual timelines starting with BettyKay meeting Kitty as nursing school students in 1967 and then the present as Abbie & Clara discover their mom's secrets.

I loved the friendship between BettyKay and Kitty. The buttons made me laugh and love the inspiration that the author had from her mom to include this in the story. I like that this story shared a lot about the time period with women and Vietnam.

I really enjoyed reading this book and if you're looking for a wonderfully written women's fiction/historical fiction you'll enjoy this!

Thanks to @htpbooks and @graydonhousebooks for my advanced ebook copy. The Sunshine Girls comes out tomorrow - December 6th!

I fell in love with the cover and then I fell in love withi this story, the characters, and the atmosphere.
It's a well plotted, heartwarming and compelling story that kept me turning pages.
Multiple POVS, dual timeline.
The author is a talented storyteller and I thoroughly enjoyed the story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

The Sunshine Girls by Molly Fader is a heartwarming historical fiction that is so engrossing I could not put it down!!! Told in dual timelines and multiple perspectives, this is one you don’t want to miss. The characters are unforgettable. Molly Fader has a well written story that takes us back to the 1960’s. This is a touching story about nurses, friendship, mother’s love, secrets, loss, sisterhood and self-realization. This is a book you never want to end and cannot put down once you start it! Two unlikely women become roommates in nursing school. This friendship is lifelong!! If you are a nurse or have a nurse in your family, I highly recommend you read this book! This one hit home for me! Molly Fader does a wonderful job, as always with this book!!!

Thank you NetGalley, Graydon House, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Molly Fader for this heartening story. My opinions are my own.
#netgalley #graydonhouse #mollyfader #harlequintradepublishing. #arc. #htpinfluencer

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC of The Sunshine Girls in exchange for my honest review. Pub date is this week - out tomorrow 12/6/22!

I should start off by saying I’m a nurse, so I loved this historical fiction work 10x more, but the idea and plot alone deserves a 5 star review. This story alternates time lines, some in the past and some in the future and surrounds BettyAnn and her friendship with Kitty - while Kitty didn’t make it as a nurse, she becomes a Hollywood star, but both women keep secrets that transcend the test of time. In present day, Kitty shows up to BettyAnn’s funeral and meets Clara and Abbie, her daughters and the secrets start to come out in the open.

I loved this one - such a poignant story about friendship, the lengths you’d go to for a friend, and finding your way with your passion. As a nurse, I found myself rooting for BettyAnn to take her boards and live her dream of helping people, as well as meeting the love of her life and becoming a mom. As a mom myself, I really gravitated towards her. Definitely recommend this one for anyone that loves a mix of contemporary fiction with a historical fiction twist, as well as those that love the genre outside of your standard WWII works. (Don’t get me wrong, I love WWII historical fiction, but there’s certainly a lot of it.)

Again, thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this advance copy! Check this one out this week when it comes out!

Some books defy genre classification, and this is one of them. It’s equal parts women’s fiction, historical fiction, and family drama with a touch of mystery. And it’s all fantastic. The characters are realistic, as are the situations they find themselves in. The author handles sensitive topics with care and dignity while showing that some social issues have been around for decades. Most of all, the lesson that the past shapes but does not define us comes across loud and clear. While I thought Clara and Abbie’s individual journeys were a bit lacking, the way they worked into the overall message was effective. Highly recommended reading. For more details, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from Harlequin Trade Publishing.

This is a book about friendship and perseverance, but it is so much more than a story. It is a look into the hearts of friends and the relationship that develops and endures in spite of differences in lifestyles and choices. Set in the tumultuous era of the Vietnam War and the ensuing generations following, this is almost but not quite like historical fiction. It certainly has that vibe about it as I lived in that time and can recall the draft, the solders leaving for war and not returning and the sacrifices made by those left behind. The story of BettyKay, Jenny and Kitty is memorable not only for the realistic historical details but also because of the characters themselves who popped off the page and into my heart and mind, with their wishes and dreams for a bright future. I really enjoyed reading about how their friendship evolved from not quite trusting to trusting completely with all of the secrets. There were some unexpected revelations made to the reader as well as to BettyKay’s daughters after her death. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the story was intricately and perfectly woven around the lives of the women and then spread out to include the next generation. This is a timeless novel and one that will long reverberate in my heart for the lessons it teaches about moving on, accepting and surviving the unthinkable with grace and fortitude. This book presents women’s fiction at its best!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This was such a heart-warming story. It really shares what true friendship is and how it can last a real lifetime. The author tied the story together in such a warm and tender timeline. Very much enjoyed.

Sisters Abbie and Clara are saying goodbye to their mother BettyKay when a celebrity walks in and places pink buttons in their mother's coffin. Kitty Deveraux has been a star since the late 60's. When the girls get over their shock they approach her to ask what she's doing. Kitty and BettyKay's story takes them back to their early days meeting at nursing school through to the present and the girls learn they knew nothing about their mother and are at a loss. Will this draw them farther apart or forge a new future? The past and present meld together to tell the story of friendship, family and forgiveness.

The Sunshine Girls
Molly Fader
December 06, 2022

Molly Fader’s latest novel is a heartbreaking look back at three best friends' lives. Jenny, Betty Kay, and Kitty are all in nursling school in Greensboro, Iowa at St. Luke’s Nursing School. It’s 1967 and although each wanted desperately to be there, lives were due to change, for good and the rough times to follow. I am hesitant to give many details but this journey is one readers especially women will want to follow.
The Sunshine Girls will be published on December 06, 2022 by Graydon House Books of Toronto, Ontario. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review Fader’s novel via NetGalley. This story is an exceptional tale of fifty years of these women’s lives. It is a well written book that invites itself to be read. I continued to pursue each chapter, enjoying it all. I recommend The Sunshine Girls for any readers who have had the amazing experience of attending schools and finding friends. Their passage into their adult lives is a welcome voyage to travel. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Enjoy!