4.5/5
This book was an interesting read for me. I will be very honest- I hated Olive. With a passion. She is selfish and immature and manipulates every situation. I appreciate that she found herself in a very difficult situation at a young age, but she didn't appear to learn anything from it for 95% of the book. (You can't essentially call yourself a feminist and then admit to yourself it is just so you aren't embarrassed...) HOWEVER- I could not stop listening to this book, and that is a true testament to Harrison's writing. I think that she wrote the worlds of the Follies and the camps in the Adirondacks and New York City so well, it felt like you were standing in the stage wings. This is not a period that I know overly well, and I wasn't taken out of the book at all.

Imani Jade Powers was a FANTASTIC narrator. There were many, many times that I wanted to reach into my phone and strangle Olive. However, I couldn't stop listening, and that is largely due to Powers' narration. She conveys so many different emotions without sounding fake or laboured. I will definitely be looking for more of her work.

I was initially interested in reading The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison for two reasons. First, I am a former professional dancer and a current dance teacher. Show business and the performing arts are always fun for me to read about! Second, I had previously read and enjoyed "Montauk" by Nicola Harrison a couple years ago.

The Show Girl is about a woman with the stage name "Olive Shine" who would do anything to perform on the New York City stage. After being picked up by the Ziegfeld Follies she is swept into the showbiz scene, at the expense of disappointing her family back home. She quickly embraces the fame and the lifestyle of being a Ziegfeld girl, and meets her love interest Archie. Archie provides an alluring future, but how will the secrets of her past and her dreams of performing impact their future?

I liked the descriptions of the performances, costumes, and the glimpse into the behind the scenes life of being a stage girl. I also liked Olive's ability to embody being a "progressive" woman, to a degree.

What I found extremely frustrating was Olive's character. She is naive, impulsive, egotistical, and selfish. Most of the book, while moving quickly, follows one reckless decision after the other. To me this made her too difficult to relate to. At first I wrote her off as young and immature, but she doesn't gain any kind of sense of maturity or empathy for others until the last ten percent of the book. Even at that point, I felt like her decisions were borderline selfish and absolutely impulsive.

I would rate this book a 3.5 out of five. While definitely along for the ride, once I got to the end I couldn't look back and say it was incredibly enjoyable.

reading Olive's journey from living with her traditional minded family to becoming an independent working woman. The feminism undertone is nicely done, and does not push me away. You can tell the author did a lot of research before writing this book. It includes how often the Follies girls practices, their after work fun, living arrangements, struggles, and etc.
5 out of 5 Stars

I saw this cover and I just KNEW this would be as good of a book as City of Girls. I think I am a full fledged Nicola Harrison super-fan now because I could not put this book down and devoured this book at the same insane rate as her first. This book follows a young hopeful as she goes to the big city of NYC to become a glamorous member of the Ziegfeld Follies. This book just feels couture or expensive. The writing is so next level and the plot is so elevated and swanky with that Roaring 20s vibe. All that glitters isn't always gold though, and Harrison explores the darker side to the life of a woman of the 20s. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Thanks so much @macmillan.audio for providing an ALC on NetGalley!

Pub date: Aug 10 (available now)

One sentence plot summary: Singer/dancer Olive finds her calling in the Ziegfeld Follies - but will the societal pressures of the 1920s force her to give it all up?

This audiobook took me only two days to finish - I absolutely loved it! Narrator @imanijadepowers brought Olive to life - I loved her joie de vivre, determination, and wit. Olive is such a strong and determined woman fighting against societal stereotypes - I think lots of women will identify with her. Her one-liners kept me laughing.

I felt so immersed in the glamorous world of the Ziegfeld Follies - a great distraction from everyday life. If you like historical fiction about strong women, definitely check this one out! I've had Nicola Harrison's previous book Montauk on my TBR for awhile, and I'm excited to read that one too!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook.

The Show Girl is an incredibly immersive historical fiction story that follows a young girl as she falls into the glitzy world of NYC in the 1920s.

Ah. What a smooth audiobook! The narrator executes the innocence and naivety of the main character perfectly with clear reading and wonderful vocal variations. This story comes to life even more with every chapter.

I enjoyed the setting of the 1920's in this book. The narrator did a fantastic job of portraying Olivias challenges and the fun she had. I also liked her family dynamics and the push and pull throughout.

This was a wonderful and deep book. A captivating read with amazing character development. I enjoyed the strong female leads and the grit of the main character. Highly recommend!

"Flapper Girls" of the 20's
I absolutely loved this historical fiction book. The descriptions of the costumes, dances and drama in the novel were first-rate.
This is the first book I read by the author and will definitely seek out more.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I really wish I could give this a higher rating as I love historical fiction, especially set in the 1920s, but I just couldn’t get fully invested in the characters - especially Olive. I liked her tenaciousness for her goals but it was this tenaciousness and single-mindedness that also turned me off; she came off as selfish and, at times, vapid like when Archie is trying to explain himself about him and Louise. I got whiplash with Olive’s snap emotions. She did redeem herself by the end but it was too late for me, I stopped caring a long time ago.

Wow! Loved this book! I love historical fiction, especially books about time periods I hadn’t read about before. This book follows Olive as she reaches adulthood and has dreams of becoming a show girl. She overcomes obstacles along the way and works for what she wants in a new age of women’s rights. This book was so good, and gave a fun glimpse into the past! I haven’t read any books similar to this in the past and thoroughly enjoyed it. Once I got halfway into it, I couldn’t put it down!

Interesting look inside the world of the Ziegfeld Follies and the Roaring Twenties. The protagonist is multi-faceted and quite interesting. Her 'tragic backstory' makes the story more compelling.

I really enjoyed listening The Show Girl. Author Nicola Harrison sets the novel in 1927, at the height of success of the Zeigfeld Follies in New York City. Olive McCormick was determined to make it as a dancer / singer. Along the way, she faces some insurmountable obstacles, but almost nothing would stop her from achieving her dream of making it in the world of entertainment, not her parents, and not even Zeigfeld himself. Olive would not accept NO for an answer. Even when Olive succeeds, in performing, life throws other challenges in her path.

Harrison recreates the period so realistically, and I found myself rooting for Olive throughout the story. Imani Jade Powers does a wonderful job bringing Olive to life. This book/audiobook shows how difficult it was for women to step outside the "expected" norms to achieve their dreams. Thank you #netgalley and @macmillanaudio for the complimentary audiobook in return for my honest review. #5stars.

This was a great audiobook. The descriptions and the attention to detail were so vivid and fresh that I felt transported to New York in the 1920s. A glittering Gatsby world that impresses young Olive McCormick to much for my liking but i don’t need to like the main characters choices to be along for the ride that turns her away from her family but toward fame with the Ziegfeld Follies. The characters were richly portrayed and felt authentic. Despite her flaws and poor choices, Olive shows her strength and resilience as she tries to break through the limits placed on women during this time. I enjoyed this well-researched and well-written novel !
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced audio in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely LOVED this 1920s historical fiction book about Olive, a show girl whose passion for life is dance. She gives up a chance at the typical get married young life to move to New York City and pursue her dancing dream joining Ziefeld's Follies. The author does an amazing job to bring the time period to life and the ways that women's choices were very limited and the sacrifices anyone who defied the norm had to make to go after what they wanted. Olive is part of the movement of women who were slowly starting to reject societal expectations in the post-war years. HIGHLY recommended for fans of The lonely hearts hotel, City of girls or Wild women and the blues. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy.

I adored this book. Olive the main character is really easy to connect with, especially when she is young and making mistakes.

In 1927, Olive moves from Minneapolis to New York and she is determined that she will be a star in the famous Ziegfed Follies. Her family is less than supportive but she is determined to overcome anything in her path to success.

I really enjoyed the showbusiness side of this novel. It makes me want to read more books about Ziegfeld and his showgirls. This book would also adapt really well into a movie.

If you liked City of Girls or books set in the 1920s, I highly recommend checking this one out.

This was a fun novel to listen to! Not only did I like the voice actor and her lively storytelling, but I found the pace and the language appropriate and engaging.
Historical fiction is probably my favorite genre, but I was getting tired of the abundance of Holocaust stories and this was a pleasant diversion.
I was, of course, familiar with the time period, the Ziegfeld Follies, and the resorts in the Adirondacks, but had never read anything set here before. I didn’t know about the men behind the headlines and the early days of the “camps, and I enjoyed learning a bit of that history (although … Ziegfeld was a gross, dirty old man!).
I liked Olive and her varied cast of characters, they were portrayed very true to life and with flaws and all. Although her mother wasn’t likeable, she exemplifies women of the time - her admitting some regret was lovely and a bonus to the character portrayals. I admired Olive’s independent ways, despite the troubles they led her to.
But, perhaps best of all, I finally got the happy ending that I’ve been searching for in all my recent reading endeavors.
Due to the subject matter, this is not something I could have in a classroom, nor recommend to my students, but it is a perfect holiday read for the adults with whom I share my reviews. It would also make a great book club selection - there’s lots of social commentary that could be discussed!

I loved the narration and storyline of this book. Olive did everything she could to become famous and as her dream comes true she finds herself suffering a unspeakable tragedy. This changes everything for her. While she looks within herself to make choices that will not be easy or anything she ever imagined she finds herself. I loved the characters and storyline. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.5 ⭐️‘S
The year is 1926 and Olive McCormick is performing in a traveling opera company in California. She loves the theater and has great aspirations of becoming a Ziegfeld girl and performing in the Follies in New York City, especially after meeting Florence Ziegfeld. After a life changing setback in California, her plans are put on hold for a year, but in 1927 she makes it to New York. Using her good looks, charm and spunky attitude she gets a spot in the Follies and later becomes a star of the Midnight Frolic. Loving the limelight she never wants to be anything else but a singer and a dancer. When she meets Archibald Carmichael, she falls in love and is happy that he doesn’t want to change her lifestyle. As their relationship blossoms and they plan to marry, Olive’s past comes back to haunt her. Can she have the life and love she desperately craves or will she lose it all? Set in New York and the camps of the Adirondacks, this novel gives us a glimpse into the Ziegfeld Follies and the roaring 20’s. Filled with family drama, the entertainment industry and the devastation of the stock market crash, this book was entertaining from start to finish. The voice on the audio brought Olive’s naïveté, joy and heartbreak to life and fit her character beautifully.

I just loved this book so much!!!! This would be an amazing movie! It was beautiful, emotional, creative, and spectacular!

I fell in love with Olive's determination. She was such a strong character and how she was brought to life in these pages really rang true to me. I felt her emotions, and also the way she would just turn them off. I love that she fought to be strong and was determined to get the things she deserved.

This was a coming-of-age drama filled with heartache and joy and all of the emotions that are true for a 20 something woman in this world.

I really didn't know too much about the Ziegfeld Follies until reading this book and I did go and look it up. I even found that Lucille Ball was briefly a Ziegfeld girl! Thank you so much for the opportunity to enjoy this book before it is released!!! This was an amazing story for lovers of historical fiction, romance and a strong female lead!