Book Review for The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison
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I really enjoyed the overall premise and plot of the book. Olive was a feisty and determined protagonist. I loved watching her growth and the friendships she developed with the other Follies girls. I personally felt the middle section of the book dragged a bit and the ending felt incredibly convenient, but I ultimately enjoyed the read.

Come meet the modern girl of the Roaring Twenties, Olive Shine, in Nicola Harrison’s Historical Fiction, “The Show Girl.” The snazzy cover of this book features a show girl, with her twenty pounds of feathers atop her head. America was coming of age in the 1920’s and so were young women like Olive. But new times can mean new challenges.

Olive dreamed of being a show girl and the books begins with her barging into Ziegfeld’s office at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York City to present herself as the next show girl in his famous Follies troupe. Sometime audacity works, and Olive thinks her dream life has begun.

This book will have you totally enraptured with the 1920’s in New York City. The nightlife, the speakeasies, the fancy restaurants, the modern and exciting vibe are all depicted so vividly. The details of Olive’s show girl life and the production of the fantastic Ziegfeld shows are enthralling and well-written.

But there is more to Olive than glitz and glamour. She’s feisty, ferocious about achieving her dreams, and a bit wild and madcap. She came from a staid, middle class family and she harbors a tragic secret. When she meets wealthy and all-around wonderful Archie, she feels love for the first time. But what happens when her life and dreams collide? And we also know something that Olive doesn’t- October,1929 is coming soon. Can Olive the show girl keep her dreams alive or must her dreams change?

“The Show Girl” features a one-of-a kind main character and a lively story. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.

This was an enjoyable story, I liked the time period and learning more about the Ziegfeld follies and the show girls in the 20s.

This is my first read by Nicola Harrison and I LOVED IT. I was super excited to dive into a book that takes place in the Roaring Twenties!! This book was SO engaging and I felt transported back in time!! Overall, the book flowed well, and I really enjoyed reading Olive's Story!!!

An unputdownable historical novel which follows Olive in 1929 NYC . This novel was clearly fastidiously researched as the details were incredibly accurate . This book was graciously provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

All Olive ever wanted to do was perform. She sang and danced in small towns but when she arrived in Los Angeles to make it big, she wound up getting pregnant by someone guy she did not even know. Scared and ashamed, she went to live with her Aunt May. Only her mother knew why she was there. She had the baby, left May's house, and went to New York to be a Ziegfeld girl. She sang and danced her heart out and gathered quite a following until Archie, a successful businessman, claimed her heart. They were set to be married until Olive realized how much Archie wanted children and because of complications during her delivery, that was not something she could give him. I loved the setting! Manhattan and the life of the wealthy vs. the common show girls was informative, the atmosphere around the Ziegfeld Follies was entertaining, and the trips to the Adirondacks were refreshing. I enjoyed the historical perspective of the roaring 20's and the emergence of women becoming independent. Great characters and such fun to live life through Olive as she grew to understand and accept herself. Lots of twists and turns to keep me reading.

The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison is a riveting historical fiction book which features a star of the Ziegfeld Follies and Ziegfeld Frolic, Olive, in the years before the great stock market crash of 1929. While Olive is a fictional character she is based on the impeccable research of Harrison and you are transported into the life of a show girl in NYC. I am an a great lover of this genre as learning something while being entertained and inspired is my favorite pastime. I was unaware of much of the challenges of the attempt to be an independent woman in the 1920s.

Olive has talent and drive in abundance, but what she needs most is for others to believe in her. The challenges she faces would have felled a lesser woman. Olive will be a character that stays with you long after you close the book. Finding love and trying to be independent, while also dealing with a youthful mistake that colors much of her future will keep you eagerly turning the pages,

I loved every minute of it, and did not want it to end. The first part of the book is especially harrowing and full of courageous exploits by Olive as she tests the limits imposed on a young woman by her family and society in the Roaring Twenties. The last part of the book will break your heart and then have you cheering for Olive as she forges her independence. We are transported into life in Hollywood, middle America, NYC, and the great camps of Upstate New York. The author is masterful and weaving this passage of time and location to a satisfying conclusion.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review from Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison takes us back to the 1920's and the world of Ziegfeld follies and showgirls set in New York City. Leading up to the Great Depression the country was seeing freedom like they had never known. Women were becoming stronger in their efforts to maintain independence. Prohibition didn't really seem to slow anybody down. To be a Ziegfeld girl was the height of Independence for young women. Scantily dressed and dancing in public in front of admiring audiences was not what parents wished for their daughters. However for Olive it was all she dreamed of. Not even her parents embarrassment and horror could stop her from achieving her dream. The story itself has wonderful descriptions of the music and costumes and lifestyle of this time.. I will admit I have not read a lot about this era. I was amazed at a lot of the activities, shall we say, that went on in the speakeasies and the big clubs. It was almost as if after the war people did not want to have to worry about anything. They simply wanted to have a good time and spend money. And did they ever in the 1920s!
I enjoyed the story of Olive, not because she was a Showgirl, rather because of her desire to achieve her dream. The effort and sacrifices she made throughout the story was exhausting and heartbreaking. Whether you are interested in the Showgirls of the 1920s or, like me, know nothing about it, I strongly recommend this book. It's a great read.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

When I saw the description for The Show Girl, I jumped at the chance to request an ARC. I spent the better part of my early 20s living in New York and working in theatre. The Ziegfeld girls have always been fascinating to me, the life of what I affectionately call "show trash" is endlessly nuanced and mysterious - who are these people who inhabit this fantasy world on stage after they've stepped out of the footlights? The setting of the late 1920s just added more intrigue.

When Olive, our main character, leaves Minnesota for New York after life deals her a difficult hand, her ambition is to join the ranks of the Ziegfeld girls. From there her life takes off and she's swept up in the glamour of being in one of the hottest tickets in town, living the life of a glamorous showgirl. Her life outside of the show isn't easy, battling with familial drama and a complicated love life. At times, her bullheadedness was slightly off putting and at times Olive was abrasive and a little off putting. But, as most young 20-somethings do, she realizes that it's not everyone else around her that needed to change - it was her. The progression of the character felt real, everyone is flawed in some way and Olive was no exception.

For my first ARC, I could not have chosen better. I look forward to recommending the book to my fellow theatre and theatre-adjacent friends when the publication date arises!

“The Show Girl” was a great historical novel by Nicola Harrison. I adored the book “Montauk” so was excited to read this novel set during the Roaring Twenties.

Olive arrives in New York with aspirations of becoming a showgirl. While working at an event in California, she was approached by Mr. Ziegfeld who asks her to look him up if she ever makes it to the east coast. Yet, Olive’s road to stardom is more than Mr. Ziegfeld merely granting her a wish. Instead, she faces an unwanted pregnancy, estrangement from her family, and plenty of sexual harassment.

While the setting is historical, Olive’s struggles to find herself are authentic. The author did an amazing job in putting the reader right into the culture and world of New York in 1920s. Her descriptions of how a young girl such as Olive would view this world resonate. Even the dialogue rings true of the time. Olive is a dynamic and sassy young woman, who the reader cannot help to root for (even when she makes what appears to be rather apparent mistakes). I could not put this novel down as the author’s style really pulls you in and makes you care what happens to Olive.

Thanks to Nicola Harrison, the publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy.

This is a wonderful story of life, love and second chances set in the glamorous world of the 1920.
The characters were believable, real and the setting was amazing.
I loved this historical fiction read! The way this book was written is what really caught my attention! I mean it's just amazing! Absolutely great quick spring break read!

I was really excited to read this book. I love historical fiction, and I am really interested in stories involving music and theater. To me, it was just ok. The story started with the heroine, Olive McCormick, going to meet Florenz Ziegfeld for a job interview. She doesn't get the job, and I thought that this would be the plot small town girls makes good. Instead it goes back in time, to set up a part of the story line, that is so melodramatic, it borders on soap opera, then forward again to her getting a part in Ziegfeld's Follies. It goes on to have her succeed in show business, meet the man of her dreams, also meet a male opera star who encourages her singing, become engaged to said man of her dreams, break up with him due to a secret she has been keeping, lose family, job, friends self respect and it goes on and on. It is set in 1927-1929, and incorporates real life events and characters.It was just too many situations for one character.I felt like I was reading the plot of a soap opera. I don't want to give away any spoilers or plot lines, but it just was not something I enjoyed.

I enjoyed this author’s first novel so I was excited to be offered this one. This was a well researched enjoyable story about an aspiring performer. The main character was very well written. So much so that her supporting characters paled next to her, which I suppose was the point. I really enjoyed the descriptions of her locations also. 3.5 stars out of 5.

I received a complimentary copy of The Showgirl from NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

As historical fiction, this was a great read! The characters were believable and the setting was pretty amazing. The main character, Olive begins as a reliable narrator, but somewhere in the middle, she lost her bearings. She made some terrible decisions to the point where parts of the novel were more difficult to get through than others! Great book, overall and now I would love to go visit some mountain extravagance!

The Show Girl ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It's 1927 when Olive McCormick moves from Minneapolis to New York City determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. Extremely talented as a singer and dancer, it takes every bit of perseverance to finally make it on stage. And once she does, all the glamour and excitement is everything she imagined and more—even worth all the sacrifices she has had to make along the way.

Then she meets Archie Carmichael. Handsome, wealthy—the only man she's ever met who seems to accept her modern ways—her independent nature and passion for success. But once she accepts his proposal of marriage he starts to change his tune, and Olive must decide if she is willing to reveal a devastating secret and sacrifice the life she loves for the man she loves.

Admittedly I had a love/hate relationship with Olive “Shine” McCormick. I found her to be very shallow and self centered. She only started to bloom once she met Archie Carmichael, but then again she let me down.

Small town girl whose only goal in life is to become a Showgirl. Once she reaches her goal will she find true love and learn there is more to life than being a Pony Dancer?

I received this ARC for free in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you NetGalley, Nicola Harrison and St. Martin’s Press.

Show girls, prohibition, New York, 1920s - this book has so many different aspects for the reader. Olive is a young woman determined to pursue a life as a performer. A talented singer and dancer she talks her way into a job with the famed Ziegfield Follies, against the wishes of her family. Strutting her stuff, she is soon living a life of fame and riches. This book follows Olive's life, her loves and the adventures she goes on. Through good times and bad, her steely determination ensures she will not be ignored or cast down for long. What a character! What a brilliant story, I loved it!

I loved The Show Girl! The combination of the historical background of the Roaring 20's and the Great Camps combined with the "rags to riches' story of Olive and her success on "The Great White Way" as a Ziegfeld girl was very entertaining and endearing.

Successful show girl Olive is romanced by Ohio millionaire Archie whose over the top lifestyle blinds her judgement and their romance's conclusion -- which takes place just after the Crash of '29 kept me engaged and enthralled.

I don't want to give away a lot of the story but the naïve Olive is raped in Hollywood -- resulting in an unwanted pregnancy and is then sent away to a distant relative to have the baby -- a very common story in those days, unfortunately. How Olive deals with the aftermath of her daughter's birth and her own confusion about what she really wants from life is what gives the story its moral compass. There is an HEA (of course) and I recommend The Show Girl highly for anyone looking for a good romance/historical read.

The story of Olive “Shine” McCormick started out in the typical “small town girl moves to the big city” fashion. With a few twists a turns thrown in, like an unplanned pregnancy and a millionaire fiancée, Olive comes out on top. While this story was fairly well-written, it was just an “okay” read. Olive’s character was a bit immature and I found myself rolling my eyes and thinking, “Just get your sh!t together already so I can be finished with this story.”

First of all, I need to gush over this book’s stunning cover! It is perfect for this book. I was also captivated by this story. It captured the feeling of a time and place, both the glamour and the reality of making it on the stage as a star in the Ziegfeld Follies.

I think the first person narrative was a great choice for this book and helped me feel who the main character was. This was a great escape and I highly recommend it.