I was so intrigued by Olive’s story! It was the engrossing escape I needed. It helps that this novel is all of my favorite things: historical fiction, 1920s, strong female characters, glamour, coming of age… Olive is so focused and determined to become a star, I became 1000% invested in her journey to becoming a Ziegfeld girl. She is not afraid to speak up for what she wants, whether that is in her professional or personal life. Many women of this era, and present day, are afraid to ask for what they want and need. It was so refreshing to see this in a woman of the 1920s, making me reflect on my own decisions and assure that I am advocating for myself and what I need. Thank you @netgalley for providing this free copy in exchange for my honest review.

THE SHOWGIRL by Nicola Harrison will immerse you in the late 1920’s New York City and the life of a determined show girl as she follows her dreams and embraces her life as a member of the Zeigfeld Follies. Harrison paints a vivid picture of the life of a NY City showgirl in in the final years of the roaring ‘20’s: both the glamorous and the tough, as well the excesses of those surrounding them.
Olive loved to sing and dance, and when she has a chance meeting with Florenz Ziegfeld on a tour through California, she knows that she is destined to be a Ziegfeld Girl, despite her parents’ wishes that she find a good job until she marries and settles down. Once she joins the show, Olive embraces the life and can’t understand why the other girls are marking time until they find a man to take care of them, something she has no intention of doing. Best-laid plans and all that. Enter Archie Carmichael: older, successful, and ready to give Olive the world. Archie loves Olive for who she is, so as far as she’s concerned, nothing needs to change. Right?
Olive is a well-written character, fully realized and I found her both naïve about the world and self-centered. She is a woman with attitudes ahead of her time and it was interesting to watch her try to reconcile her attitudes and expectations with those of the people around her, as well as watching her trajectory and, truly, grow up. It was also interesting to see the excesses of those that have more than expected and then as the spiral of the crash begins and those on top start to lose everything.
Set in a time period I haven’t explored much, THE SHOWGIRL is a book I enjoyed curling up with and was eager to get back to when life interfered.
Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#TheShowGirl #NicolaHarrison #StMartinsPress

I really enjoyed this story of a “flapper” during prohibition. Her family wants her to marry a good man and be a mother. However, she is all about feminism and goes out and demands a chance to join a chorus of showgirls! She meets a man and falls in love, however he is wanting kids and she is no longer able to have them due to a secret she has kept.
Then the depression hit and changes everything. Wonderful coming of life story with the fascinating background of the late 20’s.

For this one I felt the story was a bit long. It did take me a while to get into this one. Once I did though, I enjoyed it. The writing really helped transport me back in time and I really enjoyed that. Overall a solid read!

This was an unexpected delight. I knew I'd like it, but not as much as I did. It felt good to have a happy ending, given the state of the world recently.

The Show Girl is an effervescent and dazzling historical fiction that brings to life the 1920’s in New York City.

I have always been so intrigued by the glamour and prosperity of the “Roaring Twenties” so as soon as I read the synopsis for The Show Girl, I knew I wanted to read it. The first 30% was pretty slow for me and it took me a little while to become invested in the story, but I’m glad I stuck with it because I ended up really enjoying it!

Olive’s story is one of freedom, discovery, family, and romance but it also was a coming-of-age story. I loved the family drama, the romance, and learning more about the Ziegfeld Follies and the showgirl lifestyle of the time.

The Show Girl felt very reminiscent of City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert with some similar themes but they are set in different decades so I do feel like The Show Girl stands on it’s own and is worth the read! I definitely recommend this one to historical fiction fans. Be prepared to strap on your headdress and heels and dive into the Jazz Age!

Thank you so much to Let's Talk Books Promo, St. Martin's Press, KCCPR and Netgalley for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison was a lesson in the 1920s of America. A young girl dreams of being a Ziegfeld girl in New York City and will do almost anything to make her dreams come true. Olive has some bumps along the way, such as a traditional mother and father who want her to give up the stage and settle down with a nice man who will provide for her as she settles into domestic life. But that is the last path Olive wants to follow, as she sees how much her own mother had to sacrifice and obey her husband. Olive becomes a Ziegfeld girl, rising to the top and becoming a star in the Midnight Follies during prohibition, enjoying late nights filled with speakeasies and debauchery. But deep down, she does dream of meeting someone and falling in love, and it happens in the form of Archie Carmichael, a handsome, wealthy, and independent businessman, As they fall in love, Archie proposes and describes a life together of travel and adventure. When he slowly starts to change his tune, hoping Olive will leave the stage and become a mother, Olive must decide if she will reveal a devastating secret and sacrifice everything for the man she loves over her love of the life she thinks she wants.

I highly enjoyed The Show Girl as it gave a glimpse into the nightlife happening during prohibition. I knew of the Ziegfeld girls but did not what that meant for a girl. Speakeasies were common but I didn't know of the various nightclubs, high class or seedy, that existed during the time period. I found the book entertaining if somewhat of a fantasy, because how many men really did end up marrying a show girl they met? Yes, they may have been on stage and glamorous but there was still the idea of those girls being closer to a prostitute over marriage material. I thought the book could have been a little shorter, as the love story between Olive and Archie dragged on, before the book rushed to its conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Olive has given herself all the opportunities she can to become famous in New York and she is almost there. Then she falls in love with a wealthy man who seems all to perfect. That is until they are engaged then his true colors began to show. He does not want her to be famous or follow the dreams she has been working her life towards. How will she choose between two lives she desparetly wants.

I absolutely loved this book. Complete review will be on Rebecca_well_read.

I absolutely adore Nicola’s historical fiction. She seems to always perfectly paint the picture of the period.

Olive has just moved from Minneapolis to NYC in the 1920s. She has big dreams to be a star of the Ziegfeld Follies. Once she finally makes it RS better than she could have imagined. When olive meets the older and seemingly prefect Archie she thinks she has met her match. He seems to respect her dreams and they become engaged. As it turns out they each are keeping their own secrets from the other.

I love the way Nicola portrays the Gatsby era in the novel. The glitz and glamour of the party and what inevitably comes next. I can not wait to see what comes next from Nicola.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁
-19-year-old Olive McCormick arrives in New York City in 1927 determined to become a star in the world-renown Ziegfeld Follies, much to the disapproval of her parents—especially her father.

-While many of her fellow showgirls seek the glamour, lavish gifts, and hopefully a wealthy husband down the road, Olive (now stage named Olive ) loves being a Follies girl and doesn’t mind the long rehearsals and late hours. She quickly becomes a star of a new, more risqué show, the Midnight Frolics.

-Olive catches the eye of the handsome and wealthy Archie Carmichael and is soon enjoying the lavish lifestyle that being on the arm of an admiring and rich man brings.

-Eventually, decisions she made in the past come to a head with her relationship with Archie, while the looming financial crash will bring changes that force her to risk everything to save what’s most important to her.

𝗜 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁
-I often find novels that occur in this era irresistible, and this one is no exception. The author’s research is thorough, and her detailed descriptions put you in 1920’s New York down to the details of Olive’s beautiful wardrobe.

-Through Olive’s experiences, you feel the giddiness of these young women who are enjoying the independence that their own earnings afford them as well as the bleak reality that this won’t last forever. Women have earned the right to vote but still are stifled by society’s rules and expectations.

-I loved the character of Olive. She made some frustrating choices, but she was also young and judged and criticized for every decision she made by those important to her: her parents, Ziegfeld, the men she dated, the man she fell in love with, and society at large.

Thank you to @letstalkbooks, @kccpr, @nicolaharrisonauthor, and @stmartinspress for the gifted eARC of this book. Opinions are mine.

Striving for your dreams, perseverence, and hard work. Olive works to become a Ziegfield Follies dancer. Loved following her on her journey to reach her dreams. Loved reading about women's place in society in the 1920's.

Wow! Show Girl absolutely exceeded my expectations. Not that they were low mind you, I've read Harrison's work before, but this novel is her best yet.

The pacing is expertly done, keeping the plot quick and moving but also giving rich detail to the protagonist's life and the time in which she lives. The research that went into creating such a great portrait of New York City just before the kick-off of the Great Depression was fantastic. I felt all the magic of the city in that time as I read, all sparkling and laughter and lights through the eyes of Miss Olive Shine.

Ah, Olive. The star of the show in every single way. I adore her in the way you adore a younger sibling: excited faith in their ability, absolute love through their mistakes, and the occasional temptation to strangle them. That's how I feel about Olive. I rooted for her in every instant, I fell in love with her drive and her devotion to her talent, and I wanted to pull my hair out at *many* of her choices. She's an imperfect, messy, exasperating woman and I wouldn't change a thing.

While all of it is fantastic in my opinion, it was Olive I read for and Olive that I'll miss now that the story is done. She's one of those protagonists that I like to imagine what her life was like into the future, after the epilogue. As a reader, you don't get that connection often and I love that. Obviously I'd recommend this book to any reader but those who enjoy show business, NYC, the 1920s period, and strong women will get something extra from the story.

Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

Although a bit heavy at times and a slightly intimidating page count, this was well written and clearly carefully researched for authenticity.
I would recommend for any historical fiction lover.

The Show Girl takes place in the 1920s in NYC and follows a girl in her early 20s as she dreams of making it on the stage. I really enjoyed this book - actually much more than I expected to. I am a fan of historical fiction but did not expect to enjoy the show girl aspect of the story. The author did a great job of making it about much more than that, although it did cover aspects of that life.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This novel was so much fun to read. It is set in the late 1920’s and has a strong sense of time and place. Olive is a great character who experiences tremendous personal growth over the course of the novel. She is ambitious and independent, striving both to be a star on the stage and to live life on her own terms. Sadly, she was misunderstood and underestimated by so many in her life. Ultimately, she gets one heck of a happy ending. It was a little too neat and tidy for my taste.

My favorite parts occurred at The Pines, a rural luxury get-away.

This was four stars for me! Olive was such a strong, independent and resilient protagonist. I love historical fiction set in the prohibition era. Something about the idea of being courted by men and drinking martinis at speakeasys sounds like the dreamiest way to spend your twenties. The romance between her and Archie was beautiful as they both fully loved each others with all of their flows. Thanks to publisher for the ARC.

I absolutely adored this book! I also listened to the audiobook while following along. Thank you @netgalley for the audiobook!!! I highly recommend pairing them! The narrator did a fabulous job!!! I could easily visualize this book and everything as it was happening! Such a fun era to read about! I felt so bad for Olive when she was sent away. I think that would be so hard. I really cared a lot for her character. I love that the author made me feel so much. I look forward to reading more books from this author! 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars from me! I recommend this book to anyone that likes a romance set in the 20's. I loved being whisked away to a new era!

I love how this book manages to mix fiction with some history, building a story about a young show girl that has no idea of what to do with her life and ends up getting caught up with the 1929 market crash. Olive Shine wants to perform and be a star, but she doesn’t really know what to do with her life beyond that. I like how this coming of age book shows how she figured out herself and at the same time revealed how the show girl life would have been back in the 20s.

I enjoyed this book very much. The combination of history, drama and romance had me taken in right from the beginning. I also found the culture of women’s issues at the time fascinating. As with many girls of the time, Olive was drawn to performing, with an ambition to go to New York to be part of the Ziegfield Follies. With a background of a very strict family, Olive had quite a bit of drama in her life prior to moving to New York. As she became a Ziegfield star, she was living a glamourous life. There is much more to her story than appears on the surface. I found it hard to put down.

Delightful. An inside look at a Ziegfeld girl at the height of their and his career. A scrappy resilient woman, who enjoys all that being a Ziegfeld girl can offer. In love with a scoundrel, with interesting business ties in a time when the world was on fire commercially and socially. You will delight in her escapades.