This was a beautifully written tale about a young woman growing up and finding how to love herself and others after a traumatic childhood.

The book opens with the loss of Lily’s parents and sister in a car accident. She is taken in by her aunt, a cold woman, and her aunt’s husband, who abuses Lily for most of her young life.
Dancing, though, saves her. As does the mysterious Aviator, the man involved in the accident that kills her family. Thanks to dancing, and with some financial help from the Aviator, Lily escapes Kansas and goes to Vegas, where she reinvents herself as Ruby Wilde and becomes a Show Girl!

Glamourous and not always as gritty as it could be, she is surrounded by friends who love her. She also makes some poor choices, as would any young woman with her background.

When she eventually leaves Vegas, she finds a path towards loving and forgiveness that can only be learned by living life. A satisfying read. I love how her relationship with The Aviator was woven throughout, especially at the end.

The ONLY reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is that some of the descriptions of abuse were a bit hard to read and could trigger anyone that was abused by a trusted family member. I will continue to look for Church's future work as she writes well thought out books with intriguing characters.

Thanks to Ballantine Books, Net Galley, and Elizabeth Church for the ARC. All Opinions are my own.

All the Beautiful Girls by Elizabeth J. Church

Scrappymags 3-word review: Unmasking Vegas glamour

All my reviews available at scrappymags.com

Genre: Contemporary Fiction (1960’s), Women's Fiction

Shortest summary ever: Lily Decker is just a small town girl (insert Journey lyrics) wanting to make it somewhere - ANYWHERE away from her trapped-in-the-impossible life. And she deserves it. Orphaned by an accident that took her parents and sister, she is forced to live with an aunt with no feeling for motherhood and a devastatingly abusive uncle. The only thing Lily has going for her is dance, so at 18 she flees Kansas in the night and is thrust into Vegas showgirl life, reinventing herself as Ruby Wilde. But being a showgirl ain't easy. Old demons haunt. Overcoming adversity isn't always a story book, and life can change on a dime.

What’s good under the hood: As I started reading, I felt a sense of dread, that eye-rolling“oh poor pretty girl has problems” sort of feeling. SHAME ON ME, because Lily DOES have legitimate problems and compassion grabbed hold of me because Lily is likeable. And normal. And finding her way. I found myself cheering for her, and it taught me immensely about making swift judgements just because someone is pretty and chooses a career based on aesthetics. Instead, like I do with so many books, I tried to put myself in her head - in her place in life, how it would feel, the power to feel beautiful in gorgeous costumes and elegant style. Incredible. And Church completely captured that fascination in the 60's of the Vegas showgirl. I adored walking the stage...

What’s bad or made me mad: I'm a feminist, so there's a part of me that screamed "CHOOSE EDUCATION!!!!", but feminism is about making choices, and Lily made her choices. I had to make my piece with that.

Recommend to:
The “it” and “now” book readers.
Book clubs, circles, groups, etc.  - lots to talk about in regards to women since the 60's and the choices Lily makes.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine and Ms. Church for an advanced copy (and allowing me to strut my stuff - mentally - in a skimpy Vegas costume. To applause and not laughter) in exchange for this completely h

All the Beautiful Girls is at heart a romance novel, not a romance between two people, but a woman learning to love herself. I particularly enjoyed the Las Vegas section of this book, the behind the scenes look at the show business world, but also the camaraderie between the women. Hang in there through the rather harrowing early scenes; like all romance novels, this one has a happy ending.

The plot and story felt rushed to me. The initial start in childhood with the abuse just didn't work for me.

All The Beautiful Girls tells the story of Lily and her search for a happy life following a tragic childhood. Lily leaves home and steps into a life of glamour and finds that all that glistens isn't gold. Her life continues on its tragic course until a surprise acquaintance steps in and helps her find true happiness.

This story is light and simple and would be good reading for a vacation.

I must admit I found this book quite difficult at first, it wasn't an easy read and I wasn't sure it was really my sort of book. There was child abuse which I didn't like, and a small animal was (in my opinion) unnecessarily killed (if I know an animal will be killed I won't read a book!) so I did speed read through the first part in the hope that it would get better, and luckily it did.

Lily was orphaned at a young age when her parents and sister were killed in a car crash that she survived, and she went to live with her uncaring aunt and abusive uncle. Luckily the one constant in her life was The Aviator, who was the guy driving the car which killed her family. The accident wasn't his fault but he always felts guilty, especially as he was driving very fast, and he was always watching over Lily from afar.

Once Lily left home to pursue her dream of dancing it got so much better and I was really glad I'd persevered. Lilly/Ruby was so lucky to meet a few people on her arrival in Las Vegas who helped her out and became friends, as I don't think she realised quite what a jump into the unknown it was moving from Kansas to Las Vegas. But she certainly managed it and ended up becoming a showgirl, which she resisted at first because of the partial nudity. There was a real over the top, show-business feel to the book that was extremely entertaining, with Ruby working alongside many stars of the day, Sammy Davis, Dean Martin etc. and you could just imagine what it was all like in the sixties when everything was still relatively new there. She even went out to entertain the troops with Sammy Davis. The middle part of the book was definitely my favourite.

Poor Ruby certainly had real highs and lows and managed to get through it all, but her childhood affected her and her relationships with men. I did feel she was very naive in parts and I wanted to shake some sense into her, as did her friends, but she eventually managed to get through it all, with the help of The Aviator, and end up in a better place.

Very entertaining story that I really enjoyed.

Lily's life takes a tragic turn when she is just 8 years old & she is forced to live with her rigid Aunt and Uncle. From that moment on she finds it hard to trust and is desperate to get out of the small Kansas town. Dancing is her salvation and ticket out. After high school graduation she escapes to Las Vegas and searches for a job dancing. A story of a woman trying to find her way in the world and learn how to trust and love.

Looking for a book to breeze through although it does contain serious topics? Look no further, as All the Beautiful Girls provides a secret voyeuristic pleasure. Eight year old Lily is forced to live with her stern aunt and perverted uncle when a man kills her parents and sister in an automobile accident. Life is difficult but due to the kindness of the man behind the wheel, his contributions to her life turn it around. Dancing is her life, and she enrolls in classes . However, it leads her to Las Vegas where she becomes a show girl at the Tropicana. It was fascinating to get an inner glimpse of the life there but also the downside of the job. Church expertly leads us to explore the ramifications of abuse and the choices one makes in life when one is psychologically damaged. Yet, as she redefines the meaning of family she triumphs in the end. One caveat being that the ending jumped ahead too quickly for me for I needed a more gradual transition.

All the Beautiful Girls by Elizabeth J. Church is a gem. The story of Lily/Ruby is told so beautifully. An indication on Ms. Church’s excellent skill as a writer is one particular segment of Ruby’s life with Javier. I was so involved with the story I was experiencing all the emotions expressed by Ruby’s friends. Very rarely do I become so personally involved in a story line. Thanks to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to experience this awesome book.

Beautiful Lily endures so much heartache throughout her life.. She flees to Vegas to live her dream to be a dancer. This novel is about the strength and misfortune of bad choices in life.

Well written but at times hard to read, All the Beautiful Girls tells the story of Lily Decker from age 8, when her family is killed in a car accident, and what happens as she develops into an adult. I enjoyed how historical events are woven throughout the story, as it added depth and a better understanding of the time period. This is an adult book, and not a lighthearted read for everything she goes through.

Ruby Wilde ne. Lily Decker is a character you pull for as the book progresses. It starts in 1950s Kansas as Lily suffers a paralyzing loss of her immediate family. She is taken in by her aunt and deplorable uncle.
She yearns for more than a miserable existence like her aunts and believes she has the skills to be a troupe dancer in Vegas. The book follows her journey as it changes from what she thought she wanted, to what she found, and to who she becomes. It really is a book about finding oneself. That seems so trite to say and way too simplistic to capture all Ruby goes through.
There are parts of this book that are very visual and graphic in terms of sexual abuse. How Lily turns to Ruby, struggles, fights to move past, and find who she is are all parts of what makes this book so moving.

Amazing story that keeps you reading long after you should have put the book down. Her characters are warm and smart and totally engaging. and unforgettable. Wonderful read.

A horrible turn of events causes Lily to live with her aunt and uncle; two people who should never have been allowed to raise a child. The emotional and physical damage Lily endures focuses her on the goal of leaving her hometown far behind. But leaving doesn't end her problems and we journey with Lily through hectic post-high school life. This novel explores the damages that Lily faced and shows that simply changing location and your name won't heal the scars of the past. As we all do when first on our own, Lily makes mistakes and learns from them but the true lessons and healing only come after she leaves the life she escaped to behind. The author does a good job exploring emotional and physical trauma. Her main characters are developed but the minor characters seem shallow. This book is a thoughtful look at a troubled young woman's life. Believable, relatable and honest. I enjoyed the journey.

I love the descriptions in this book. You cannot help but feel involved in the life of Lily Decker because she is so vivid, so real. It doesn't hurt that she is such a likable character. From lonely, abused little girl in Kansas with no family to highly regarded Vegas showgirl, Lily's life will capture your interest. This book doesn't lose steam as it goes either. You will be enthralled until the end!

I really enjoyed this book and reading about Lily. I thought that the three sections of it were well-written and helped reflect the different parts of Lily's character. I also appreciated the realistic struggle she experienced as a sexual abuse survivor. She felt real and it made for a wonderful character. The best part of this book was really the parts about her life in Vegas- the behind the scenes peek into the life of a showgirl was fascinating. The end might have been a little too perfect, but after all the trauma of the rest of the book, it was well deserved.

I loved this book from the beginning to the end! Some of the chapters, in the beginning, are tough to read as they deal with death and child abuse, but the book moves on as you see how important that topic is to the main character, Lily. Her parents were killed in an auto accident and she was adopted by her aunt and abusive uncle. The only bright spot in her childhood was the Aviator, who was the man who caused the car accident. He gave her books and told her she was beautiful, and basically gave her emotional support until she left home.

Lily takes the trauma of her childhood and uses it as her biggest strength, while not realizing it's also her biggest weakness. She goes from a small town girl in Kansas and transforms herself into a famous Las Vegas showgirl. Her psychological makeup is fascinating, and Elizabeth Church does an amazing job describing Lily and her inner life. The plot and the book were so well written.

I highly recommend this book. Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After a slow and horrifying start, a poor and broken Lily reinvents herself as flashy Ruby and moves to Vegas to pursue her dream of dancing. Here her life as a show girl gets interesting, until a series of unfortunate actions change her world forever. I wanted to like this book. Great premise, fascinating period in modern history. Even a likable protagonist. However, I found myself repulsed by the harsher sides of reality displayed, or shocked at how foolish the protagonist could be. Even the sappy happy ending seemed implausible.

Lily Decker was the lone survivor of an accident that killed her mother, father and 10 year old sister. At the age of eight she now lives with her aunt and uncle. An aunt who is emotionally challenged and cannot give Lily the love she needs and an uncle who sexually abuses her. The only person who actually gives her the support and kindness she sorely needs is the man who was involved in the accident and killed her family, known to Lily as the Aviator. We follow her life in Kansas until she graduates from High School and takes her dream of becoming a dancer to Las Vegas. It is the 60's and Las Vegas is at the top of its game. Lily's dream of becoming a dancer never comes to fruition. Now known as Ruby Wilde, the 18 year old finds herself as a Las Vegas showgirl. With her abundant red hair, statuesque figure and beautiful face, she easily fits the mold. We take a behind the scene look at what it is to become a Vegas showgirl, a woman who not only parades her body practically in the nude, but also entertains the many men who come to the casinos and hotels to find a little pleasure and dream a little dream of a beautiful girl on their arm.

Yet the past is always with Ruby, the secrets she keeps hidden from her friends, the reality of her childhood always there, never leaving. We read as she navigates the bumpy road of life, her success as well as her mistakes. Ruby will never find peace until she forgives herself, until she confronts her past and understands what it takes to find happiness in her future.

This book was written at a time that is so very much at the top of our current events today. My kudos to Ms. Church for giving us such a wonderfully crafted novel. My thanks to NetGalley for the privilege of reading this novel in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley#All The Beautiful Girls

Lily's story in All the Beautiful Girls begins in heartbreak. The reader can see how the events of her childhood shape her choices in young adulthood. I cried with Lily, rejoiced in her triumphs, and was proud of the woman who emerged in the conclusion of her story. The writing style of this book is very relatable. It is easy to get drawn into the story, and moves at a steady pace. Some of the subject matter is emotionally heavy, but it was overall an enjoyable read. Trigger Warning: child abuse, sexual abuse