Two women, different generations, very different but yet have much in common. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The characters are complex and well developed. This book is very timely in its view of womens’ issues that are being addressed right now. I highly recommend this book for women of all ages.

From 1941 to 1976, the Miss Subways contest was held monthly to pick a local NYC beauty who took the subways regularly. The contest was managed by John Robert Powers, a top modeling executive. Posters of the current winner were placed in subway cars and encouraged riders to read about her while browsing other subway ads.

This story is about Charlotte Friedman, a senior at Hunter College in 1949, who entered the Miss Subways contest on a whim. The events following that submission changed Rose’s life. Then in 2018 Olivia, an account executive at a struggling ad agency in NYC, learned about the Miss Subways contest while working on an advertising campaign for the NYC Metropolitan Transit Authority. In the course of the research for the ad campaign, Olivia learns that her feisty 90+ year old next door neighbor, Mrs. Glasser, had been
the Miss Subways for July, 1949.

Both Charlotte and Olivia had dreams of working in advertising. However it was much easier for Olivia than for Charlotte. In 1949 it was unusual for a middle class girl to attend college. Female college graduates usually went into teaching before they married and settled down to the life as a wife and mother, far from the work force. The only way that Charlotte could get a job in advertising was to work as a typist. However at age 21, she had difficulty persuading prospective employers that she would be able to work for several before leaving to raise a family. Olivia had a much easier career path but still faced discrimination in the small advertising company where she worked.

The author did her research and was able to accurately portray life in the 1940s and 1950s for a bright, ambitious young girl whose parents expected her to delay her education to work in the family business when needed. Mrs. Glasser was able to explain to Olivia how much progress had been made by women in advertising and other traditionally male fields. Those of us women who came of age in the 60s had an easier time than Charlotte getting jobs and now see the progress our daughters are making in a workplace once exclusively dominated by men.

I enjoyed almost every aspect of this novel except for the romance aspect. It felt forced and unrealistic.
With that said- the characters were very well developed and the historical aspect of this book was well written. Overall, I enjoyed this story.

I really enjoyed this book. The story was very interesting and I would recommend this book to anyone.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s press for an advanced copy of this book.

Subway girls tells parallel storylines of Charlotte, a young woman who would love to break the stereotypes of her generation and Olivia, a Young professional woman still dealing with stereotypes years later.

Through a pitch for her advertising job, Olivia finds research on the former Subway Girls— which Charlotte herself was. Through both stories, we read about the stereotypes women deal with in their lives and choices, as well as, how important it is to make your own choices.

While I found the topic of this book one of interest, I wouldn’t say it totally hit the nail on the head about these can-be heavy topics. I found some of the ladies’ choices predictable and some a little far fetched.

While I think this book was a solid 3 Star read and it was just fine for me, I am sure plenty of others would highly enjoy it!

Who loved Mad Men? Who loves New York City, the 1940's and fascinating women? Now that I have EVERYONE'S attention- let me tell you that THIS is the book for you!

The book chapters alternate between two characters and time periods. Rosemary is a young, fresh, optimistic college woman, in 1949 Brooklyn. Olivia is about 10 years older, an eager and talented woman working her dream job at an NYC ad agency, in 2018.

Charlotte is proud of herself for going to college and she has a plan for her life. She wants to work at an ad agency on Madison Avenue, move to Manhattan and be a success. But her plans have faltered until the day she receives a letter. "Dear Miss Friedman, We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as a finalist for Miss Subways."

I enjoy history, so I was fascinated to learn that there was indeed an actual New York Transit ad campaign in NYC for about 25 years, that featured a "Miss Subway" of the month. Charlotte hopes that winning the Miss Subways contest will be her brass ring for the future. But love and life, and family and societal expectations can be messy.

Olivia, in the present day, is also struggling to achieve her dream life. Again, love and career aren't always smooth sailing. I read eagerly as chapter by chapter Charlotte and Olivia's lives intersected. The author presented the challenges of being a woman in different generations, the challenges of career, life purpose, love and self-esteem.
The love interests of both Charlotte and Olivia are well-developed characters, and each one is different. I agree with other reviewers, that some of the friends were one dimensional and didn't add to the story line. The Author is an adept storyteller and this book will both fascinate and move the reader.

Probably the best thing that both Charlotte and Olivia learned was that "Time has a really incredible way of dulling feelings that you think will be sharp for your entire life." Something for all of us to ponder.

And yes, there's even a positive happy ever after ending with a trip planned to Paris, the city of dreams. But when the main characters are guided by this quote, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined" then you know there will be a satisfying ending to the story of Charlotte and Olivia. I recommend this book. Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martins Press for an ARC.

I enjoyed this book and thank #netgalley for the opportunity to read it.
This is a well-constructed story set in the 1940's and the present day and it is very interesting how the two parts are interwoven together. I found both parts to be enjoyable and read this in one day. I would read more about either characters and will look for more by this author. #thesubwaygirls

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
This was a book I really looked forward to reading, but unfortunately it disappointed me.
The story has 2 protagonists: Charlotte in 1949 and Olivia in 2018. Charlotte enters and wins the Miss Subways contest. Olivia works in advertising and wants to revive the Miss Subways contest.
The romance side of the book felt very unrealistic, the history of the Miss Subways contest was interesting, but I just couldn't get into the characters or the writing, it just didn't do it for me and I have to admit that I flipped through to the end...sorry.

I loved this book. I feel like I could be best friends with Charlotte and Olivia in their respective times. Well written!

Very enjoyable book about women’s roles in society.

I enjoyed reading this book. I knew about the Miss Subways contests and find it to be an interesting subject. I am also interested in New York during this period of time. I generally like the construct of following two stories, one in the present and one past. That worked well in this book. In the end, I wanted a little more of the Charlotte story. The resolution was a bit rushed for me.

Thank you NetGalley for digital ARC. This was an enjoyable light read. A past and present story that merge. I liked the past story much better. The problem with the present story was I did not have a lot of the respect for Olivia the main character and her decision making with regards to her boss. I also didn’t care for her boss or find it at all credible the way he ran the agency. I also didn’t care for the ending, especially with regards with the agency and the outcome of the MTA RFP. Overall promising story that didn’t quite deliver for me. (less)

Very much enjoyed this story, and I was pleased at the end to read the author's note telling me it is based on a true set of circumstances. The story is told from two viewpoints, that of Charlotte and Olivia. Both are young women just starting their adult lives, but Charlotte's story begins in 1949 and Olivia's in the present day. The narration alternates between the two. Both are plucky, admirable girls, faced with challenges that engage the reader. The pace is good, and the story pulled me in. Both girls threw themselves at solutions that failed, but kept trying, and we had a happy ending. The only ding on the writing is that there was quite a bit of telling rather than showing, but still, it was a good story, nicely told.

Solid 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story centers around two main characters, both female trying to get ahead in a male-dominated world. Charlotte in 1949, a college student, trying to break into the world of advertising via the typing pool. And Olivia, an modern-day executive in a small boutique advertising firm, trying to maintain a level of professionalism when surrounded by advertising men who think they are Mad Men (compared a few times in this book).

I enjoyed the time jump and the backstory of The Subway Girls advertising campaign. I thought Olivia's story was okay with the exception of her back story - we are told she is broke and homeless, living in a friend's apartment who is out of town because Olivia paid for her mother's hospital bills suffered at the hands of her abusive husband, Olivia's father. However this detail could have been omitted and the story would have continued on. As well, the coincidence of Ben and the crossover story is a little too much to be believed.

I may not recommend this book to others but that's not to say my opinion will be shared. Read it, enjoy it, and have your own opinion on this. I'm thankful to have had the chance to read it.

OH! How I loved this book!
"I need to make my life happen FOR me, not let it happen TO me" is the theme of this beautiful novel.
The story follows a young woman in 1949 and a young woman in 2018 in New York City..
Though, two very different times, Charlotte and Olivia are fighting for the very same things. They are hoping to achieve their goals and advance their careers.
The world continues to resist their efforts and they both claw their way to make themselves known and to find happiness.
The amazing way this author has been able to bring Charlotte and Olivia together and actually pull the novel to one time period, is absolutely perfect.
This book is not to be missed!

Delightful story. Loved reading about the history of The Subway girls.

The Subway Girls by Susie Orman Schnall is a historical fiction novel that toggles between 1949 and 2018. The overarching premise of the novel is women attempting to dominate a "man's world." It has a definite feminists approach to it, but not in a negative way.

1949 - we meet Claire; a woman attempting to earn a career in the male dominated advertising industry. She meets with rejection after rejection, even to simply enter the typing pool, and finds herself discouraged. She has a doting boyfriend who wants to marry her, but honestly she's not quite sure about the seriousness of his proposal. On a whim, a friend enters her into the Miss Subway contest and she finds herself a finalist. Shocked by this, Claire enters a world of beauty pageant life that she'd never found interesting and it changes her is ways she didn't expect.

2018 - we meet Olivia; a brash and egotistical woman that works in advertising. She consistently pits herself against the men around her and volleys between love interest and arch nemesis. After losing a huge pitch campaign she's down in the dumps drowning her sorrows at the local bar with her gay pal James (this felt a bit contrived) and...wait for it...shockingly meets Jack who happens to be a big whig in transportation and just happens to be seeking a new advertising campaign. Of course he doesn't tell Claire this as he listen attentively to her saga and the NEXT DAY the company she works for is offered a chance to pitch. Hmmmm....

Claire later decides to revive the Miss Subway pageant as a last ditch effort to save face in this industry at which she's failing. Her neighbor just happens to be a former contestant.

So...my thoughts.

I didn't like this book. I wanted to - the premise is sound but the execution is flawed. I found the dialogue clunky, Claire desperate, and Olivia ridiculous and unnecessarily foul at times. The love stories didn't quite add up either and the side story about James felt like it existed for the sole purpose of being able to say "look...I have a gay character in my novel." It wasn't organic and this detracted from the novel.

The writing surprised me for being professionally edited. A lot of trite imagery in the form of unneeded adjectives, adverbs, and similes that often didn't make sense. I understand creating a world for the reader, but this was a world I couldn't get into because it felt false. There was an inauthenticity to this novel I couldn't get past.

I think the juxtaposition between time periods decades apart is a solid idea and I've seen it work - most recently with Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton, but this just didn't connect for me. Claire and Olivia's paths don't merge in the seamless way a "time-hop" novel should and this causes the story to be lost.

I wanted to like this book because I love historical fiction. I wish I had, but I cannot recommend. I give it ☕☕ because the idea is good and the cover is lovely - I just didn't care for the writing or characters.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books like this one make the world a better place! I could not get enough of the lives of either Charlotte or Olivia—whose stories unfold concurrently but in different generational timelines. Charlotte’s excitement begins when she becomes involved with the Miss Subways competition in spring of 1949, while Olivia’s activities and struggles are based in present day. (Both women are centrally located in New York.). After reading this novel intently for a day or two, I felt the need to look up the idea of “Miss Subways”, not realizing that this was an actual segment of New York history! I was pleasantly shocked to discover that this historical and beautiful work of fiction was based on a real contest that ran from 1949-1976! Armed with that knowledge, I devoured the book and loved it all the more! Kudos to Susie Orman Schnall, for reviving this hidden gem and inspiring the same interest in readers as was awakened in herself when she first heard about these women on the radio! I LOVED this novel!

This was a very easy book to read. I finished it over the weekend. It was a wonderful story about the New York MTA's ad campaign called The Subway Girls. Each month a different girl was featured in a poster placed in all the subway cars, along with a brief bio. It was done to increase ridership and interest in nearby ads on the subway cars. This story is about a particular Subway girl and how it changed the course of her life. It was a bit predictable, but still enjoyable. It touched on the hardships of women who wanted careers but were not encouraged to seek out their dreams, due to the pressures of society and also the male-centric nature of the business world. There was also romance and family conflicts. I did like the approach the author took to weave the story from the 1940's into today's time and how the characters were related. My only criticism was that in several places the scene/conversations changed so quickly without a proper seque, so it was a little confusing. Otherwise, it was a delightful story and I learned some interesting things about the 40's in NYC.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Using the true "Meet Miss Subways" posters in the NYC Subways from 1941 to 1976 as background, this book follows two women from different generations. It is interesting to see how women's opportunities and expectations have changed from the 1950's to the present day and how far we have yet to go. The women are strong characters in their respective time frames. The book was engaging and I really enjoyed the characters.