I thoroughly enjoyed this novel by Elizabeth J. Church. The main character Lily/Ruby is a resilient young woman that you find yourself rooting for throughout the book. Church didn't shy away from taboo topics such as incest and abuse, instead used them to showcase the story of a survivor. It was so interesting to learn about the Vegas show business, as this isn't a topic frequently covered in historical fiction novels. I would definitely recommend this book, and am looking forward to reading more of Church's novels.

From the very first pages of this book, I was hooked. My emotions were already at a dead run. Pity. Sadness. Contempt. Revulsion. Kindness. Relief.

After a traumatic childhood (which the author describes fully), with dance lessons under her belt, Lily left Kansas and lived her dancing dream in Las Vegas. For awhile, that is. Until pills turned her dream into a nightmare. All this was before she was twenty. Fast success. Failure. Success again. Failure again.

Important to me while reading a novel is learning about a subject, but it must not be textbook-like. The author definitely knows/researched her stuff. If she hadn’t actually been a showgirl in Las Vegas or hadn’t actually danced with Sammy Davis Jr., I, the reader, would never guess. If she did, good job.

Also enjoyable to me were the friendships and relationships, many good, some not, but all well developed and credible. There was just enough happening in each to keep it interesting without any eye rolling on my part. I’m not so sure the relationship between Jack and the Aviator was absolutely necessary, but it seems most novels these days throw in one of those for good measure. The ending brought the story to a pleasing finish.

All in all, I enjoyed All the Beautiful Girls, and I thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

“All The Beautiful Girls” by Elizabeth Church is a wonderfully written novel. Her writing is full of such detailed, rich description that I felt like I was right there. The reader is able to imagine and immerse themselves in this story very easily. Her characters are well developed and come alive to the point that you are routing for their success and wanting to protect them from their troubles. I felt protective of the main character and felt terrible when things didn’t go her way. The characters and the setting are vividly portrayed. I couldn’t put it down. The book is ultimately about healing oneself. Highly recommend this novel.


I would like to thank the author, Random House Publishing House - Ballentine Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

"A powerful novel about a gutsy showgirl who tries to conquer her past amongst the glamour of 1960s Las Vegas—and finds unexpected fortune, friendship, and love." Um, no. Lily doesn't really find fortune (well, okay, she sort of does, but since she loses it all...) and she certainly doesn't find love. Friendship she does stumble into, I'll grant them that one.

What I liked about All the Beautiful Girls:

It evoked each decade pretty well. There could have been more timely references, but still, good. It was startling to read about someone pregnant drinking alcohol but then I'd think 'oh yeeeah, they didn't know about the effects back then.'

The writing was excellent.

What I didn't like:

Lily came to Vegas with no plan other than 'I'm going to be a Vegas jazz dancer.' No connections, nothing. She was still flicking hayseeds out of her hair. It was dumb luck that Rose and her father weren't slavers because her insta-trust was stupid. Even before that, notice that she didn't even hide her money - all she had in the world - on the bus, even though she was nervous about the other riders? And even when her instincts AND all her friends told her Javier was bad news, she stayed with him. I hate TSTL main characters, and yes, I know that she was abused. I still hate the stupidity.

The book was depressing. Lily/Ruby was not a strong character. and she never really did get her s**t together. Even at the end, she had to be rescued by the Aviator, so this isn't a story about someone prevailing. Her personal life throughout was a mess. The only advice she took from her friends was bad advice (amphetamines are HELPFUL).

Would I recommend this to my friends/family? No
Is it a Kindle keeper? Probably not

3.5 stars, rounded up because the writing was really good.

*ARC via netgalley*

Nicely written with endearing characters. A little predictable in the middle, but a satisfying ending.

What an authentic story line! I really enjoy books like this that have something out of the ordinary for readers to experience. In this story we journey into the life of showgirls, high rolling gamblers and the fast paced life on the Las Vegas strip. There is a dysfunctional family, loss, and love all wrapped together to bring us into the life of Lily/Ruby Wilde.

Lily/Ruby is a strong, lovable character and she had me in her corner from the first page. The story begins when she is around 8 years old and looses her parents. She then goes to live with her dysfunctional aunt and uncle who end up causing her emotional damage that takes her many years to put behind her. She has a strong supportive character throughout the story, enters the Aviator.
When Lily arrives in Las Vegas hoping for a dancing career, she ends up auditioning to become a show girl and her career takes off. She befriends several interesting characters, that add lots of detail to the story. As a showgirl she is very successful and financially comfortable. She ends up experiencing some pitfalls along the way as she struggles with old emotional baggage. You just have to get your hands on a copy of this book and see what happens. It's a great read. Get ready and enjoy the ride. Loved it!

I will definitely be researching Elizabeth Church after finishing All the Beautiful Girls. I enjoyed her writing style immensely and am looking forward to reading her first book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for allowing me to read this book.

I wanted to read this book because of the setting and it did not disappoint. Lily was taken in by her aunt (who didn't know how to love or show love) and uncle who sexually abused Lily as a child.. How she endured her childhood was amazing and showed her resilience. She drowned herself in dance and her dreams to become a famous dancer was granted to her by the Aviator, the man who took away her parents and sister in a fatal car accident. Moving to Las Vegas and staring a new life as Ruby was exhilarating for her. Ruby rose to stardom, had wonderful friends, but it still wasn't enough for her at times. Ruby makes a big mistake that causes her everything, but in the end, she learns that what she now has is more than enough.

I received this book as an ARC from Net Galley.

I really enjoyed following the story of this young girl who was traumatized by an accident, abused by her uncle, and rose to stardom in Las Vegas.

I liked this book! This is the second one in a row that I’ve rated five stars. I don’t do that often. I liked this one because it was such a different story and I liked Lily. Parts of the story are a little far fetched but I still wanted Lily to do well ~to have real friends and a family. She had a hard beginning and deserved to have these basic things in her life. Lily didn’t always make good decisions which sometimes made her life harder. I read this book like I was thirsty for cool water and this was the way to get it. Stay with it to the end and you won’t be disappointed. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review. Yes, I will recommend this book to family and friends.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was unsure if I could finish this book in the beginning. It deals with physical and sexual abuse. Some of the scenes are extremely difficult to read. However, I am glad I stuck with it. Lily, who became Ruby in Vegas, was a powerful and resilient woman. She overcame so many odds to take Vegas by storm in the sixties. This was very well written, and to watch this character change and grow was inspiring. Very well done.

I loved this book. Could not put it down. Thank you net galley for an advance copy. This is the story of Lily. She has to move in with her uncle and aunt at the age of 8. She has a tough life and moves away to Las Vegas with dreams of being a dancer. This book details the story of the ups and downs of Lily’s life. I loved Lily and highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. An engrossing story that I could not put down about a strong, determined and damaged young girl who overcomes unbearable tragedy and abuse to become a successful Vegas showgirl in the 60s. She meets lifelong friends but continued hardships as her judgement is clouded by her damaged psyche. Friendship and guilt are strong themes. An emotional read that warms your heart in the end. I recommend this book for sure.
Note: do not scroll down toward the bottom of Goodreads review page for this book as one of the earliest reviews gives away spoilers which I wished I hadn’t read.

A nice, easy read despite some heady topics ranging from rape, drug use and domestic violence. If you allow yourself to read beyond what some would consider fluff, you can begin to understand the complexities of life. Adults facing the consequences of a poor marital match yet unable to break the vows to save an innocent child. That child believing she is worthless because of treatment from family members tasked to raise her when her family is killed. Lily Decker is the child who survived a horrific car accident only to be slowly whittled away by an aunt unable to truly love her and an uncle bent on molesting her. Her savior quietly maintains a presence in her life, initially out of a sense of obligation for the accident that led to her family's death, but eventually as a friend who admires and encourages her to keep moving forward and ultimately helps her understand how events beyond her control have shaped her life but do not have to define it. Enjoy learning about Vegas showgirl on the 60s and 70s, but allow yourself to appreciate the lessons to be learned from the thoughtful manner in which the author addresses some weighty issues.

A heartwarming story of a young girl who turns tragedy into glamour.
This was an interesting novel. It brings to life the makings of a showgirl in Las Vegas. Not only that it is a story of finding where you home. It tell us us that no matter the experiences in life, good and bad, they all makes us a whole person.
Loved the background information about Las Vegas. Not only riches and glamour, but seedyness of it too. The characters were true to life for that time period. 5 Stars

I was sure I would finish this book but the more I read the more I wanted to know the ending. There were parts that made me cringe, but I kept reading hoping it would get better. The one thing I liked about this book was it did not go over the same part of the story over and over like so many authors do now.

First off, thank you to NetGallery for letting me read this book.

This was the first book by Elizabeth J Church that I’ve read, and it won’t be my last. It was devoured in a weekend.

It’s 1957, in Kansas, and eight year old Lily Decker has to move in with her mothers older sister. Her aunt and uncle don’t know much about raising and loving a child. Lily endures things living with them that a young girl should never have to go through. She’s a smart girl with dreams of one day becoming a dancer. She runs away to Las Vegas after graduating high school. It’s there that she becomes Ruby Wilde. She struggles with finding a job as a dancer, but ends up becoming a showgirl. Ruby is a smart woman and works hard for what she wants. She’s a trusting and kind soul, that just wants a better life. But she carries around dark secrets from her past that sometimes prevent her from becoming the person she wants to be. It’s people that she encounters along the way that help her, through good and bad.
As quickly as I read this book, I really didn’t want it to end.

I absolutely loved this book! I started to love the character Lily/ Ruby right from the beginning as she is taken in by her aunt and uncle in Kansas and then moves on to Las Vegas as a showgirl in the 60’s. Rich with detail of the time period, and beautifully drawn characters ( although some were hateful), the writing was was perfect. ( There was a part where the author described Sammy Davis Jr as he performed in Las Vegas, and for anyone who remembers him, you could absolutely picture him the way she described his appearance and performance,)
I was right there feeling it all right along with Lily. I was brought to tears at times for her vulnerability and all she endured. Can’t say enough about this book and I don’t want to say any more and spoil it for anyone, but I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes a good story and wants to get lost in Las Vegas for a few hours!
Thanks to Ballantine books and Netgalley for the digital review copy!

Elizabeth Church is now one of my favorite authors! Her writing is full of such rich, sensory description that on every page, I felt like I was right there. Kansas in the 50's. Vegas in the 60's. New Mexico in the 70's. From the very beginning, my heart was in sync with the main character, Lily who loses her parents and sister in a tragic accident. I felt protective towards her during the decade she spent with her abusive uncle and evasive aunt. I felt every move she made on that stage and beyond. My heart felt sorrow when things didn't go her way after a while in Vegas, and it felt full and grateful when... well, I won't spoil the ending and the fact that she had someone special looking out for her the whole time. The characters and setting were portrayed so vividly and with so much relatable emotion, I just couldn't put it down! For me, the ultimate theme of Lily's story revolves around the fact that childhood wounds stay with us until we take a few steps back and face them. Lily's journey is ultimately about healing. Highly, highly recommend.