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rosemwood's review against another edition
4.0
Loved the character development and the plot. Friendship, forgiveness, understanding, trust, love, and secrets. This is a great women stick together story.
jennbear94's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
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.
mbenzz's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up...
This was a sweet, predictable book about friendship. I enjoyed reading about the lives and friendships of Kitty and BettyKay. I much preferred the past to the 2019 story. Clara and Abbie aren't nearly as entertaining as Kitty and Betty.
Some parts of the story are glossed over, like Vietnam. At no point does the story take place in Vietnam. We hear about a small snippet of Betty's time there and when Kitty visited, but that's it. The story takes place mainly in Iowa and Hollywood.
I had figured out the surprise ending about half-way through the story, so there was no real shock there. The syrupy ending was a little much, but again, predictable.
I feel like 2003 23-year-old Mercedes would have loved this book, but 43-year-old Mercedes sees this for the fluff that it is.
This was a sweet, predictable book about friendship. I enjoyed reading about the lives and friendships of Kitty and BettyKay. I much preferred the past to the 2019 story. Clara and Abbie aren't nearly as entertaining as Kitty and Betty.
Some parts of the story are glossed over, like Vietnam. At no point does the story take place in Vietnam. We hear about a small snippet of Betty's time there and when Kitty visited, but that's it. The story takes place mainly in Iowa and Hollywood.
I had figured out the surprise ending about half-way through the story, so there was no real shock there. The syrupy ending was a little much, but again, predictable.
I feel like 2003 23-year-old Mercedes would have loved this book, but 43-year-old Mercedes sees this for the fluff that it is.
kcdokken's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
websterworks's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
slizzo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bargainsleuth's review against another edition
5.0
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The book begins in 2019 with the funeral for BettyKay Beecher, a mother of two and former nurse. Her daughters, Clara and Abbie are naturally struggling with their mom’s death, and it turns out they are struggling with their own relationship, too. One particular guest arrives for the funeral, Hollywood screen legend Kitty Devereaux, and everyone wonders why. Kitty tells the girls that BettyKy was her oldest and closest friend from nursing school back in the 1960’s; Abbie and Clara realize there was a lot they didn’t know about their mother.
In Greensboro, Iowa in 1967, BettyKay, Jenny and Kitty begin nursing school. The three young women are very different from one another, but they create a bond through school and become The Sunshine Girls. The adventures of the women are what take up the bulk of the book. They find themselves in many situations that strengthen the ties among each other, and the bond lasts for more than fifty years.
Through Kitty’s visit the weekend of the funeral, Clara and Abbie learn more about their mother and are surprised by her eventful history, which belied the persona they knew. It was interesting to set the book during the Vietnam War and not World War II as so much historical fiction is set these days. With the 1960’s setting, you get a lot more of the chaos and dissention and differences between parents and their children, as well as young adults and each other.
This book is so well-written. The characters are well developed, and the settings are made vivid with descriptions that bring the reader back to the Vietnam era. Kitty was destined to never finish nursing school, that was just her way out of her southern upbringing. However, BettyKay and Jenny both successfully finish the difficult nursing school and end up having successful nursing careers and families. Kitty’s dreams are realized when she becomes a success in Hollywood. When Kitty, in 2019, reveals a secret of hers and BettyKay’s to the daughters, it’s an earth-shattering experience. They learn that they really didn’t know their mother that well at all.
I listened to this book on audio after an Audible.com book sale. I’m so glad I spent the couple of dollars on The Sunshine Girls. Andi Arndt is a great narrator and gave a great performance. There was no trouble discerning who was speaking once the characters were established. I’m not sure if I’ve listened to too many books narrated by Arndt, but I’ll definitely be looking for more.
The book begins in 2019 with the funeral for BettyKay Beecher, a mother of two and former nurse. Her daughters, Clara and Abbie are naturally struggling with their mom’s death, and it turns out they are struggling with their own relationship, too. One particular guest arrives for the funeral, Hollywood screen legend Kitty Devereaux, and everyone wonders why. Kitty tells the girls that BettyKy was her oldest and closest friend from nursing school back in the 1960’s; Abbie and Clara realize there was a lot they didn’t know about their mother.
In Greensboro, Iowa in 1967, BettyKay, Jenny and Kitty begin nursing school. The three young women are very different from one another, but they create a bond through school and become The Sunshine Girls. The adventures of the women are what take up the bulk of the book. They find themselves in many situations that strengthen the ties among each other, and the bond lasts for more than fifty years.
Through Kitty’s visit the weekend of the funeral, Clara and Abbie learn more about their mother and are surprised by her eventful history, which belied the persona they knew. It was interesting to set the book during the Vietnam War and not World War II as so much historical fiction is set these days. With the 1960’s setting, you get a lot more of the chaos and dissention and differences between parents and their children, as well as young adults and each other.
This book is so well-written. The characters are well developed, and the settings are made vivid with descriptions that bring the reader back to the Vietnam era. Kitty was destined to never finish nursing school, that was just her way out of her southern upbringing. However, BettyKay and Jenny both successfully finish the difficult nursing school and end up having successful nursing careers and families. Kitty’s dreams are realized when she becomes a success in Hollywood. When Kitty, in 2019, reveals a secret of hers and BettyKay’s to the daughters, it’s an earth-shattering experience. They learn that they really didn’t know their mother that well at all.
I listened to this book on audio after an Audible.com book sale. I’m so glad I spent the couple of dollars on The Sunshine Girls. Andi Arndt is a great narrator and gave a great performance. There was no trouble discerning who was speaking once the characters were established. I’m not sure if I’ve listened to too many books narrated by Arndt, but I’ll definitely be looking for more.
laurendz's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25