ALL THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS by Elizabeth Church

Vegas showgirl life, definitely not in Kansas anymore. Ruby is a brilliantly sympathetic character, resilient despite the odds, stubbornly determined, learning to make her way in the world with the help of friends and timely books.
Real people and history add realism to the fiction. (I kept thinking of where I was for the mentioned years and events). Difficult but important subject matter is written of with compassion and honesty.
This beautifully written story carries the reader along with gorgeous descriptions:
“. . . she sensed the threads between them multiply and strengthen, as if a rope of immense tensile strength were being woven . . .”
“. . . maybe everyone who lived in the city was there only by chance . . . Vegas was chance made tangible.”

An ending and beautiful novel. I loved this story and the characters in it!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

I was looking forward to this book after The Atomic Weight of Love, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the glitz and glamour of the Vegas setting, the content of this book was tougher to read (thematically, not stylistically) than I was expecting. I can see this was well done, but I am not the right reader for this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"All The Beautiful Girls" by Elizabeth Church was an interesting & addictive read about the showgirl life, Las Vegas & the different stars that were there during this time period of the 1960's.
I would definitely read another book by Ms. Church.

This is the story of a woman who goes to Vegas during the Rap Pack era. She becomes a showgirl and lives a life of excitement and glamour. However, as she lives her life, she begins to wonder "Is her life full, or is she missing something"?

I unfortunately could not get into this book. It wasn’t my cup of tea. This was a “did not finish” for me.

This historical novel is set in 1950s and 60s Kansas and then 60s Las Vegas. The first section of the book, in which, after her family is killed in a horrible car accident, Lily lives with her cold and distant aunt and sexually abusive uncle was seriously hard to read at times. The bulk of the book, when Lily becomes a Vegas show girl, was pretty interesting though. The characters never really felt fully real to me though.

In the world of Vegas, we see a side to All the Beautiful Girls represented, by a showgirl who finds unexpected fortune and friendship. Lily has had a hard life until now, and she seeks a place that will allow her to be free from her past. There is definitely something to be said about overcoming such a hard life, and childhood.

Thanks go to Elizabeth Church, Ballantine, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased review. All the Beautiful Girls is a transformation story not only of the physical sense, but also of the spirit. Lily Decker lost her family in a tragic accident and was reared in a negative home environment. All she wants to do is dance. And dance she does-as a Las Vegas showgirl. Her professional life is a hit; it's her personal life that's the pits. When tragedy strikes once again she is rescued by a man from her childhood who gives her unconditional love and allows her to find the good in herself. Church grabbed my attention with her descriptions of Vegas and the costumes and settings. The dance numbers were quite vivid. The friendships between the dancers were amazingly without cattiness too. The man with whom Lily has her main relationship is spiteful and definitely violent, but he didn't do anything that's never been written. I respected Lily's adventure to Vietnam and her desire to make a change. It reflected her need to make a change within herself, which she was just not strong enough to do. I have a feeling this was indicative of 1960s Las Vegas: the glamour, the drugs, the shallowness. Lily was lucky to have such a support system. The book was a bit altruistic. But it was a good read.

Felt intrigued by All the Beautiful Girls! An incredible story of a young woman (Lily), and her journey in life, while overcoming childhood traumas. A fun glimpse into the glamourous Vegas life of a showgirl. Wonderful characters, some that nearly destroyed her, and some that were a part of her saving. Was very hard to put down. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the reviewer e-copy, all opinions are my own.

Very hard read. Child & animal abuse and terrible loss. It was well written and I'm sure it will appeal to a lot of readers but it was just to heart wrenching for me.

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

In the 1950s in Kansas, Lily Decker is the sole survivor when her family is killed in a terrible car accident when she's eight years old. She goes to live with her aunt and uncle and faces years of neglect and abuse. The only thing that gets her through is her love of dancing.

So after she graduates from high school, she changes her name to Ruby Wilde, heads to Las Vegas and during the 1960s is a highly popular showgirl at many of the different casinos.

I loved reading about the showgirl life, about Las Vegas and the different stars that were there during Ruby's time there.

This is a tale of loss, of abuse, of friendship, of betrayal, of love. This is also during the time of the Vietnam War and of the hippie movement.

I enjoyed this look back at a time when I was growing up. The author also did a wonderful job with creating Ruby's character. She is multi-dimensional and was a pleasure to read about.

I received this book from Random House through Net Galley and also the Amazon VINE program in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Elizabeth Church gives readers a unique perspective on a small town girl made good in "All the Beautiful Girls." Lily Decker overcomes a traumatic childhood to become Rose Wilde, a gorgeous show girl in Las Vegas. Along the way, Lily/Rose faces the consequences of an abusive childhood, a thieving lover and an unexpected pregnancy. While Church could have played up show girl stereotypes, the author instead delved into her heroine's many insecurities and even greater inner strengths. She gives readers a character with depth and devotion, especially to her special protector who accidentally start Lily/Rose down a dark path.

I could not finish this book. It just dragged too much for me to enjoy it. I also was not a big fan of the main character, who seemed a bit shallow.

I liked aspects of this novel but was turned off by the intense scenes of child abuse and sexual assault, I can't read about things like that it is too disturbing....

I absolutely LOVED this book and couldn’t put it down! It would be great if Elizabeth Church wrote a sequel! Thanks for a truly wonderful & inspiring story!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and the author Elizabeth Church for giving me an ARC in exchange for my candid opinion.

I really enjoyed this book and found it a compelling read. It is a combination of a period piece (early 1960's in Las Vegas) and a story of overcoming a troubled childhood. I found the stories of Las Vegas in the early days to be fascinating and eye opening. The story was told from the perspective of a girl who longs to dance and ends up as a showgirl in Las Vegas. Her story and that of her friends and relationships were real and well done ---I would love to have her friends as my friends.

The book was excellent at evoking the period of the 1960's--singers, movie stars, test pilots and astronauts, atomic bomb testing, the clothes, the drugs, the make up styles, the clothing, etc. It was like opening a time capsule.

The story of her childhood and growing up was sad and impacted the balance of her life. It is a story about how we all relive our childhoods and learn to outlive them.

I would highly recommend this book---it would be a great one for a Book Club selection.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
Beautifully executed, lyrical prose that leads one through topics that are not beautiful. The characters are well developed and I couldn't help but love the women. The book deals with child sexual abuse when has caused women with triggers to not finish the book. This is unfortunate as they could probably gain insight into their own lives as they watch Lily deal with the results in hers. I found the plot twists towards the end to be a bit manufactured. I didn't hate the ending but gave 4 rather than 5 stars.

I loved the beginning...it made me want to keep reading. Alas, my interest waned by the middle. Well written and organized, but it just didn't grab me all the way through.

A heart wrenching premise and a strong character should make All the Beautiful Girls by Elizabeth J Church a moving, emotional read. It is that to an extent. Lily aka Ruby is a sympathetic character, and I want things to work out for her. However, the book corrals the topic into too neat a package. Life, as we know, is not that simple, and I am left wanting something more.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/06/all-beautiful-girls.html.

Reviewed for NetGalley