The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison is a stunning new historical novel perfect for fans of Elizabeth Gilbert's City of Girls and Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. Following our heroine into the glam of the Siegfried Follies, The Show Girl was the most heartwarming, fun, and romantic book of the summer. A must read!

The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison brings the roaring 2os to life with the irrepressible Olive McComick (Shine). She is determined to be in show business. She is determined to make her way dancing and singing. She is bold and beautiful, while at times reminding us of how truly young she is on this adventure.

Olive joined the Ziegfeld Follies after a situation was cleared up and she was able to move to New York. Her parents were horrified and wanted nothing to do with a low character like that. The clothes, the dancing and drinking - all too much scandal for them. Olive continued on her path and then met Archie. He turned out to be the one, maybe.

I was surprised at how many poor decisions Olive could make in this book, yet I still believed in her and with her that she would succeed. She was a dichotomy as a person; fearless and fearful, unlovable and loving. Olive needed a journey to find her way.

I found the book ended suddenly. I would have preferred a bit more of the build up at the end. I was glad the author fleshed out some of the characters, so that we could really appreciate how life was for one of the Ziegfeld girls. The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison was a good read.

Glamour - glitz - drama - this book has everything you would expect from a story about the roaring 20s. Olive is a Midwest girl with New York City dreams. She eventually makes her way to the city and lands a part in the Ziegfeld Follies. When she’s not on stage, she’s with her friends out on the town, drinking hooch and having fun. She’s driven and determined to be a huge star. Ultimately a man enters her life and she thinks she can’t have it all. What will she choose?

The author portrays the time period perfectly - the phrases, the behavior, the expectations. Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this!

Captivating! I became so wrapped up in Olive's world of feathers, frills, fringe, and finery. And music too, of course! A little bit of this story WAS predictable, but there were a few things that surprised me. Step back into the 1920s with Olive's coming-of-age story as a Midwest girl becomes a "Ziegfeld girl." You won't be able to put her story down!

Thank you, Netgalley, for my arc.

As Olive McCormick spends her time singing and dancing, she’s invited to New York to work in the Ziegfeld Follies. After a year of seclusion with her aunt, she’s ready to move forward. Her father has obtained a position on Wall Street and Olive’s dreams have come true to move to New York City.

Her first positions aren’t her dream jobs, and she deals with an unsupportive family. When she’s chosen to perform in the Follies, she believes she’s found her dream and changes her name to Olive Shine. The 1920s was quite an exciting time for many with excessive drinking, staying up all night dancing, recklessness and Olive enjoys the attention, fun, receiving extravagant gifts and meeting so many important people. Many of the women have true hopes for a husband and family whereas Olive just wants to perform. Olive seems to live for the moment and spends money as quickly as she earns it and not thinking about saving for the future.

It was interesting to learn about the Ziegfeld Follies and how much work was involved with the shows, all the while knowing the women could be replaced at any time.

When Olive meets Archie, she is smitten until she learns one of his secrets. Olive is chosen to perform in the Adirondacks and while initially wary, comes to enjoy the various camps and atmosphere. She and Archie come to terms and he showers her with attention and gifts as they fall in love. Olive also keeps a secret from Archie which causes great distress for both of them.

The Great Depression hits and it seems that the world is ending for everyone.

I don’t want to spoil the story giving away several of the details but, while the ending seemed rushed, I really enjoyed how the situation worked out for several characters.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this new work.

The roaring twenties, where the lights shined bright, the drinks were underground and dancers stole the stage. The Ziegfeld Follies dancers in New York was the ultimate for a dancer at that time, and for Olive McCormick, a Midwestern girl that was her dream.
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She claws her way to the top, receiving gifts for admirers and buying herself a Chanel dress, but not accepting the advances of her boss means she has to work even harder. She is enjoying everything the Roaring twenties has to offer as a strong, independent woman until the love of Archie sends her flying, quite literally. You’ll see what I mean!
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Archie may be the only man to accept such an independent woman but with an independent woman comes a past and will he be willing to accept that too?
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If you love a good historical fiction, especially the twenties this is for you and I mean the 1920’s because so far these roaring 20’s are nowhere near as fun!

I don't normally read historical fiction, but this was a glittering and insightful portrayal of NYC in the 1920's. I loved the story and felt myself transported.

I didn’t finish this book. It just didn’t grab me.

Thanks NetGalley for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

As a diehard theater lover, I was so excited to read a historical fiction novel based on the famed Ziegfield Follies of the early 1900s and learn more about the behind-the-scenes of the onstage women. The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison delivers an exciting tale of Olive McCormick, soon to become Olive Shine, as she navigates her way in show business while managing a deeply woven personal narrative. When the personal and professional intersect, how will Olive react? And what will she do about the handsome and well-off Archie Carmichael?

I really enjoyed how Nicola Harrison created a whole world for the women of the Ziegfield Follies, giving them personalities and humanity, while not oversimplifying the incredible performances they gave. I also loved Olive's characterization and was absolutely hooked from the very first chapter, which recounts her brazen entrance into Ziegfield's office as she looks to secure a spot on the stage. As for the historical aspects of the book, I appreciated the small touches throughout that led to how the book ends, a trail of breadcrumbs for the knowledgeable reader.

In 1927 Olive McCormick moves from Minneapolis to New York City determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. She is extremely talented in both singing and dancing, and has been working towards this all her life. it is everything she dreamed it would be, and more. She is perfectly content with her life until she meets Archie Carmichael..... once he gets under her skin, she can't seem to get enough of him. When he asks her to marry him, she gives him a resounding YES! But then, he starts making demands about her quitting her career as a show girl. How can she give up the one thing that makes her who she really is?
This book was fascinating. I wasn't really that familiar with the Ziegfeld Follies, so I was captivated by the inside view into that world. The book also showed how entertainment was affected by prohibition and by the great stock market crash. The author did an excellent job researching that era and the subject matter and the book was so well-written I felt as if I was there watching it all unfold. Olive was a bit of a train-wreck, but she was so much fun, and you really wanted her to succeed. If you are a fan of historical fiction, then you will love this one.

I didn’t know what to think about the book when I first picked it up. I have not read many books during the 20’s. I was pleasantly surprised to find I loved the book. I love the period language (captain = great) I think anyway. It is a story of a show girl in the years before the Great Depression. She is a strong female who is doing what she wants and not what her parents or society think she should do. It’s progressive women like this that helped women progress.

If you like strong women, the 1920’s in America, or books true to the time period, you will really enjoy this book.

Olive is a good ole Midwest girl who can sing and dance with the best of them! She dreams of becoming a star in New York City, but her parents have other plans especially after she finds herself in a bit of a pickle. Olive's parents feel she should focus on settling down and find a man to take care of her, but she's too independent to be dependent on a man. Her dream is to be on stage as part of the Ziegfeld Follies, but will she defy her parents to turn her dreams into a reality?!

What a ride this book was! I have not read a lot of books set in the 1920's so I was excited to read something new to me! The author does a good job not holding back any details starting with the show girls' outfits to life in New York City set in the roaring '20's.

I love how independent Olive's character is, and how she never gave up on her dreams to dance even after she was sidelined for a year. Young and full of bad decision making Olive finally finds happiness off stage with Archie Carmichael who loves her for who she is. This is not your typical love story, but it is a fun ride. There is also a good twist at the end that I didn't see coming!

If this sounds good to you, be sure to grab your copy on August 10th!

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours, Author Nicola Harrison and St. Martin's Press for my #copy!

Book Rating: 4/5

Wine Pairing: St Supéry Sauvignon Blanc

My audiobook yesterday was The Show Girl and it was the perfect listen for my day! Set in the 1920s, it’s the story of Olive, a young woman from the Midwest who wants to become a star in NYC. She’s a gifted singer and dancer and she’s determined to use her talents to become a star with the Ziegfeld Follies. When she’s made it and thinks she has it all, she meets handsome and wealthy Archie, and then her plans go sideways.
Where are the historical fiction fans? 🙋🏻‍♀️This character driven novel is absolutely for you. The author has created such a vivid depiction of being a show girl in the roaring twenties. It’s intense and vibrant, emotional and entertaining. There’s family drama, romance, secrets, and trauma, and if you’re an audiobook listener, it’s an excellent narration. And that cover! 🤩
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The Show Girl takes place in one of my favorite times to read about: the roaring 1920s.

Following Olive as she becomes a show girl in Ziegfeld's Follies, we see as she struggles with her past and her family's rejection to find her place in the world.

I could read about the dancing, feathers, and general glitz all day long. Though I have no desire any more to be out dancing till dawn, I still enjoy living vicariously through books. Especially with all the opulence of those around her, private train cars that sounded bigger than my living room and "camps" with bartenders and maids.

Olive is tenacious but a bit self-centered. Understandably, given that this story starts when she's only 18. The ending is a bit pat, but didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

My one caveat is something that can be a bit of a trigger for me. <spoiler>I one hundred percent think that the way Olive was forced to deal with her pregnancy is wrong. She was given no choice but to place her baby for adoption, was unable to keep the baby for any length of time, and had no say or knowledge in where the baby went. This is absolutely wrong. However, when she thinks later about how she "ruined" the innocent baby's life by placing her for adoption struck a chord with me as an adoptive mother. Do my adopted children have an extra burden to carry because of their adoption? Yes. But will I provide a good home for them and do everything in my power to make sure they know they are loved? Also yes. I certainly hope their life is not ruined. </spoiler>

I loved the pace of this book and the writing. I really enjoyed reading about the 20's and the show girls but I really did not like Olive as a character. I also didn't like how the end was wrapped up in a nice bow. I had expected the book to be more about her life in NYC as a show girl in the 20s but it felt more centered around how selfish she was.

This book follows Olive through the 1920s where she has always loved singing and dancing. She had always known she wanted to be on the stage, specifically in Ziegfeld's Follies. She has a chance meeting with him and then runs immediately (after a big secret keeps her with an aunt for a few months) to New York to join. Even though he rejects her at first, she soon joins the show.

She meets handsome Archie and falls in love with him and his bohemian ways. They both have secrets and each chooses to leave each other at one time or another but they always find their way back.

Olive does a lot that she's not proud of. She drinks to excess and doesn't always act the way her family hopes she will, but I love her fierceness and determination to go after what she wants.

I love to learn all I can about the Roaring 20s and this was a fabulous book to dive into.

I wanted to love this book. I wanted to get sucked into the story and the era. But one-third of the way in I still could not connect with Olive enough to care about the rest of her story.

4.0 stars

I received a complimentary Kindle book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Nicola Harrison, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is the second book by Nicola Harrison that I have read. Both were VERY good historical fiction. It is evident that the author had to do a lot of research about the Ziegfield Girls, the Roaring '20s, and the Adirondacks/NYC.

It was fascinating to read about this time period which really hasn't been written about that much as WWII is all the rage. It does sound very glamorous with beautiful clothes, a good economy, and illicit alcohol in a speak-easy. I enjoyed the two main protagonists very much as they were both very developed. I liked the characters even with their assorted flaws very much. I would love to have a sequel to this novel!

DEFINITE RECOMMEND

If I could go back to any past era, it would be the Roaring Twenties. I love the glitz, the fashion, the music and the over-the-topness of everything (yes, I know that's not a word but you totally get what I mean). 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 by Nicola Harrison has all of that and more.

The titular show girl is Olive, who grew up dreaming of becoming a star. When she moves from Minnesota to New York City, she doesn't let anything get in the way of her goal. After landing a job in the Zeigfield Follies and falling in love, it seems like all of Olive's sacrifices will have been worth it. But her parent's disapproval, a buried secret and her fear of losing the independence she fought so hard for threatens to ruin everything.

This book is beautifully detailed and you'll feel like you're on the stage of the New Amsterdam Theater along with the Follies. I loved all of the specifics of the time, from how hooch was hidden in the clubs to the high-end "camps" in Upstate New York where the New York elite would escape in the summer. Harrison keeps the story moving and there are some twists along the way. If you enjoy historical fiction, this is the perfect vacation read. I'm still humming Gershwin tunes just thinking about it...

Thanks to St, Martin'S Press, NetGalley and Suzy Approved Book Tours for the copies to review.

It’s 1927 and Olive McCormick is trying to make it in show business. She can sing and dance. And she is beautiful. She’s from a conservative family in Minnesota and her parents expect her to be spending her time seeking an appropriate, respectable husband. When the family moves to Brooklyn, NY, Olive is confident that she has a shot with the Ziegfeld Follies, her dream. After an initial rejection, Olive Shine (her new stage name) soon gets her big break working for Ziegfeld, much to the chagrin of her family. The Show Girl takes us on Olive’s journey, which has it hardships and triumphs.

In this absorbing book, you will be transported to the 1920s as the Great Depression is lurking in the near future. But before the market crashes in 1929, the wealthy live it up. Spending freely at nightclubs and heading to leisure destinations such as the Adirondacks. Author Nicola Harrison has painted a perfect picture right down to the ornate costumes. Olive makes her share of mistakes but she’s talented, determined and unable to accept the inferior role that women hold in society. She’s someone to root for.