Molly Fader's The Sunshine Girls is the story of a lifelong friendship with hidden secrets. It is set in alternating timelines between present and past events during the 60's. While the background is centered around historical fiction, contemporary issues are also addressed.

Synopsis:
As two sisters mourn their mother's passing, they are shocked when a famous actress shows up at the funeral. Although she tells the sisters that she was best friends with their mother, why did their mom never mention her name to them? Is the actress keeping a life-changing secret?

The Sunshine Girls by Molly Fader is available on December 6th, just in time for Christmas. Molly Fader's story is interesting and the writing is well developed. This novel will be a hit with historical and women's fiction fans. For book groups, there are discussion questions included at the back of the novel.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing (Graydon House), for sharing this book with me. I appreciate your kindness!

The Sunshine Girls has a well-woven plot and well-built characters. Set in Iowa in the late 1960s and the 1990s, the novel tells the story of three nursing students who take separate paths to success, from Vietnam to Hollywood, and back to Iowa. Upon the death of BettyKay, her two daughters begin to unwind their mother's untold story, only to find a carefree young woman who had a lifelong friendship with Kitty, a glamorous Hollywood star. Add in the story of Jenny who becomes a high-ranking military nurse. The Sunshine Girls is for readers who enjoy novels of women who are not afraid to challenge the status quo, especially in the 1960s. The novel is ideal for new adult readers as well as book groups. Discussion questions are included.

On the day they said goodbye to their dear mother, Abbie and Clara learn that she was keeping many secrets from them... main one being that she was longtime friends with Hollywood starlet, Kitty Devereaux. The two met in nursing school and shared many memorable and life changing moments together. As Abbie and Clara unravel all of these pieces of their mother's life that they never knew they are hit with so many emotions and questions... did they really know their mother at all?

The pages of The Sunshine Girls take you on a journey that alternates between past and present and introduces you to two generations of admirable women struggling to find their way in life. It's an engaging story brimming with drama that will keep your eyes glued to the pages and riddled your mind with it's air of mystery. Once I started reading this one I couldn't bring myself to put it down, I had to know more about these women... and what I found did not disappoint! Highly recommend!!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

Loved this one, family secrets, romance, dual timeline, multiple perspectives, intrigue, Hollywood, it had everything I love in a book. I do think it's a little weird that it's being released in December, it definitely feels more like a summer beach read to me - but then again, it's the perfect Christmas pick me up.

The Sunshine Girls by Molly Fader This is moving and engrossing story of friendship, family, love, and secrets. Told during two timelines, the 60's and present day with multiple POVs. Kitty, Betts and Jenny are very reliable. Really enjoyed the pink button travels and the author's notes on how they came to be part of the story. Highly recommended.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

The Sunshine Girls is a beautifully written story about love, friendship, struggles, and perseverance. I enjoyed Molly Fader’s writing style, weaving together present day with flashbacks to the 1960s and 1970s. The characters are well developed, focusing on 3 women who meet in nursing school and following their journeys to present day.
I don’t usually like historical fiction, but I really enjoyed reading this book.

Sisters Clara and Abbie are in for a big shock when the famous Kitty Devereauz, Hollywood starlet shows up at their mother’s funeral. Why would a famous star care about their mother? Thus, starts the story of how BettyKay and Kitty met and the parts of BettyKay the sisters knew nothing about. Secrets are revealed and drama will ensue.

This remarkable story of love, friendship and true devotion is told in dual parts, 1967 during the Vietnam war to present day. The characters are real and vulnerable. You will laugh along with them and also cry as their stories unfold.

I loved the story and highly recommend this book. Thank you NetGallery and the publisher for my ARC.

A beautiful cover sets the stage for an enjoyable read. This is a story about three women from different backgrounds attending nursing school. It's a book about secrets told in two timelines, present day and the sixties.
The three women all take different paths in life and then fifty years later one of them dies and secrets come to life. Clara and Abbie are mourning the loss of their mother, BettyKay, when a stranger named Kitty shows up. through diaries and flashbacks we learn about their loves, friendships, heartaches and many secrets. Well developed characters made this an interesting story. #TheSunshineGirls #MollyFader #NetGalley

This book was fabulous and I am so happy I actually got to read it while vacationing at the shore!! I honestly can’t begin to write how much I loved this book, the characters and the story!! Kudos to a Molly Fader for sharing her story loosely based on her mothers life.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review. Family dynamics…secrets…friends…love and romance…this is a story of two sisters who are surprised at what life throws at them…their mother has died and they don’t understand, at first, what is happening…the story moves slowly at times…

When Clara Beecher goes home to bury her mother, BettyKay Beecher, sisters Abbie and Clara are in for a big surprise. A famous movie star attends their mother’s funeral, what is she doing here and why? How did Kitty Devereaux know their mother? Told in two parts, 1967 – the past of how BettyKay and Kitty met and the present time line where the sisters meet Kitty as she divulges stories and secrets about their mother..

When I first started reading this story, I wasn’t sure if I would like it. However, as I got further into the story, I was hooked. I wanted to find out about BettyKay and Kitty, what had happened between these two women? I wanted to see how the past influences the future and how did it affect Clara and Abbie. The writing is wonderful, at times I laughed with the characters, by the end I was crying along with them. The story draws you in, as if you were witnessing the story moment by moment. You can see how each character develops, how they share bonds, keep secrets, shed tears, and how it ultimately builds a wonderful foundation of a story. I would highly recommend Molly Fader, she tells a good story, develops characters you want to know and provides you a book you want to snuggle down in a cozy chair and spend the day there.

I loved this story! THE perfect beach read. I'm not normally a historical fiction gal, but this one kept me interested. All the characters were so relatable, but in different ways.

Oh my! This is my new favorite book. Such a good read. Kitty, Betty Kaye, and Jenny are amazing, true to life, characters. It’s a story you don’t want to end. You feel like your right there with them, living each moment. Clara and Abbie, Betty Kaye (Betts) daughters go on an emotional, coming to reality journey, starting at the funeral of their mother when movie star Kitty arrives to mourn the loss of their mother. Kitty reveals that she and Betts had been the best of friend, unbeknown to the girls. What unravels from this meeting is the beginning to learn that theirs and their Mothers life was totally different then what they believed they had lived. Such a warm, heart touching book.
Thank you Molly Fader for sharing a small part of your Mothers life by adding in glimpses of story’s from her life weaved into this lovely story. I was given an advanced copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a good book. It is about girls training to be nurses at the beginning of the Viet Nam War so the storyline is a little different. The book focuses mainly on 3 girls, their families and how they met at the beginning of school and their lives afterwards. The characters are fairly well developed and the storyline is interesting. I actually finished the book late last night. I’m sorry to say that I’m having a little difficulty remembering what stood out to me. This makes me a little sad because I did like the book and will recommend it but it was nothing special. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

“The Sunshine Girls” by Molly Fader is listed as a historical fiction book - and it is - but I’d label it under family drama. Three women, with seemingly nothing in common, meet in nursing school around the time of the Vietnam war. While the majority of the past story focuses on BettyKay, I wish that Jenny’s story had been further expanded - except that by doing so, the main over-arching story would’ve been so much different. Anyway, BettyKay and Kitty are room mates in their nursing school and friends post-nursing school. They are two very different characters, but are generally there to help the other one when needed. In the present day, Abbie and Clara (BettyKay’s daughters) are dealing with the death of their mother. Both daughters have their own backstories while they’re dealing with the grief of their mother’s passing and trying to untangle some of BettyKay’s secrets, brought to light by Kitty appearing unexpectedly at BettyKay’s funeral. I found myself more interested in the older story - Jenny and BettyKay serving in the military at the time of an unpopular war but doing it anyway - and Kitty during the crazy days of Hollywood in the late 1960s/early 1970s. There’s family drama, there are family secrets, there are tears, there are things done in love that are misunderstood - thus why I consider this more a family drama, than historical fiction (because the Vietnam war isn’t the main focus). I liked the idea of this book and found it a quick read (though it did take me a while to keep the sisters apart). There are some triggers (drug use among them) and one scene/situation is very timely as this review is being written (JUL 2022). I liked the friendship BettyKay, Kitty, and Jenny had through this book. A solid 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4.

The Sunshine Girls is a story of women of the 1960s, their friendships, family, and place in the world. It's also a story of secrets, sisters of the heart, acceptance, and love, as well as how one generation's decisions and choices can affect the next. Ms. Fader created a beautiful tapestry of the lives and choices of three extraordinary women and their daughters.
Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Sisters Abbie and Clara are stunned when Hollywood starlet, Kitty Devereaux waltzes into their mother’s funeral. They’re stunned to find out that this woman, who they only knew from the silver screen, knew their mother and was actually one of her dearest friends. They never expected that saying goodbye to their mom would unlock so many secrets from the past.

Set amongst the early days of the Vietnam war and present day, The Sunshine Girls tells a remarkable story of two women who have absolutely nothing in common and their life long devotion to each other and the secrets that only they shared. A generational time hopper filled with secrets, drama and the bonds of friendship and family…this is a great weekend read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Molly Fader for early access to this ray of sunshine story! It gave me a chance to read a bit about the Vietnam war era which is a new facet of historical fiction for me!

Grieving the death of their beloved mother, Abbie and Clara are hit with a huge secret when movie star Kitty shows up at their mother’s funeral. The women are mystified as to why Kitty is there. Kitty knows her information and history with their mother will be an enormous shock.
The story of Kitty, BettyKay, and Jenny is one of friendship and care. It is an engaging tale of bonding, of support, and of secrets. Very, very enjoyable.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Sunshine Girls is such a wonderful book and I enjoyed it so much more than I could have anticipated! Having never read the author before I wasn't sure if this book would be for me but she exceeded my expectations in the best of ways! I highly recommend this one to those who enjoy reading about friendship, family, and love (both modern and historical!).

First of all, don't you just love this cover? It's so gorgeous. And the title couldn't be more perfect. Swoon-worthy for sure. Thankfully, the story is a winner too.

Perfect for fans of dual timelines, THE SUNSHINE GIRLS is a compelling and ultimately heartwarming story, going back and forth between the Vietnam era and present day. When Kitty, a Hollywood star, showed up at BettyKay's funeral, I was so curious to learn more about her story and her connection to this family. The reveal kept me turning the pages. Fader's characters are well-drawn and interesting and the ending provides a satisfying conclusion. This is a great novel that explores themes of sisterhood, motherhood, family, and friendship.