Nicola Harrison's sophomore novel The Show Girl is a knockout delight! I couldn't get enough of this story about midwestern singer and dancer Olive McCormick who heads to New York City and secures a role in the glamorous Ziegfeld Follies of the 1920s. Knowing little of the Follies aside from hearing about them in classic movies, I found myself enthralled by Olive's new and glittering world and her alluring life as a show girl.

If you are as new to the Ziegfeld Follies as I was, then know that the Follies were elaborate and glitzy theatrical productions on Broadway in the early 20th century. These shows featured song and dance performed by beautiful women in intricate costumes. In fact, there were some pretty exclusive qualifications that a woman must possess to become a coveted Ziegfeld Girl, and many singers and dancers auditioned for the revue only to have their hopes and dreams dashed with a single sentence uttered from founder Florenz Ziegfeld's lips - "Thank you, but no." Ticket prices for the performances were steep, but considered worth it, as the audience of the Ziegfeld Follies was the place to be in the late 1920s, when this story takes place.

As you can imagine, The Show Girl goes into great detail about what it was like to live and breathe the Ziegfeld Follies as one of its performers. Harrison completely enveloped me in the world of the Follies with her lush and magical writing, and showed just how the Follies were able to captivate all of New York City with their tantalizing, often borderline risqué shows. The determined Olive is the perfect protagonist for this glitz and glamour novel - a woman had to be daring enough to put it all on the line to become a performer, and Olive does not hold back in pursuit of her dream. While she is often selfish, cold, and uncaring, she is also as fascinating a creature to read about as it is purported she was to watch on the stage.

Harrison adds dimension to her novel by also exploring a time period when being a "show girl" was not anything that a respectable lady would be caught doing. Such is the conundrum our headstrong protagonist finds herself in - determined to make it into the Follies, Olive turns her back on her family to pursue her dream - a dream that they consider to be vulgar and disgraceful. Harrison's masterful storytelling shows us what it was like to be a young woman on the verge of greatness, only to find herself butting up against preordained gender roles time and time again. As women living with choice, possibility, and opportunity 100 years after Olive and the other trailblazers of her day, it is sometimes unfathomable to imagine a time when young girls were destined to a life solely as a wife and mother, and that to dream beyond that was unacceptable. Harrison's emotionally-driven storytelling made me feel genuine awe for how far we have come, and made me thankful that we now live in a society where a woman can live the life of her choosing.

This concept is further explored in terms of marriage through the wealthy Archie Carmichael who finds himself enraptured with Olive. As a frequenter of the Follies, Archie loves to watch Olive on stage and begins to pursue her off stage, as well. After the two enter a lively relationship, Olive discovers that Archie, who she thought was a progressive kind of guy, may actually be deeply rooted in tradition. How can she choose between the man of her dreams and the career of her dreams ... and why should she have to? Why can't a girl have it all?

I listened to an audiobook production of The Show Girl, and was pleasantly surprised to find it narrated by Imani Jade Powers. I have listened to several of her audiobooks, and have always found her narration to be an enjoyable experience. Powers' cadence, rhythm, and inflection are always just right for the book she is narrating, and I easily find myself lost in the stories she tells.

The Show Girl combines multi-dimensional characters with rich storytelling to create a memorable tribute to the Ziegfeld Follies and the women who performed on its stage. This book is highly recommended to lovers of historical fiction featuring women's careers; those who love classic films, theater, and Broadway; and anyone who enjoys getting wrapped up in a little glitz and glamour and being thoroughly entertained.

I listened to the audiobook version of this and I will say the narrator did a fantastic job. Not only that, but Nicola Harrison tells a fantastic story of a young woman trying to live her own life during the 1920’s in New York and all of the obstacles she faces.

Olive gets the opportunity to join the Ziegfeld Follies as a show girl and just when things start to look bright for her, she meets a rich man who immediately sweeps her off her feet. Olive will have to come to terms with her new lifestyle and decide if she can face the demand put on her. And as things from her dark past start to show up, she spirals out of control. Can she accept the things she has done and move on?

I think this book was great. The story was very well written and I enjoyed the depth of each character. I really look forward to more from Nicola Harrison.

Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this one. I thought it would pull me in because of the comparison to Elizabeth Gilbert's "City of Girls", but I hit a wall with this book after a quarter of the way through. Not even the audiobook saved it and I did like the narrator's pace and the tone.

The Show Girl was a fun book to listen to you. I enjoyed learning about the history of show girls and the characters were engaging and well developed. The narration was fantastic making it easy to listen to.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Great read! really liked the characters, didnt care for all of it, mostly toward the end but overall an interesting read

This historical fiction takes you back to the days of the Ziegfeld Follies. It’s a fun peek into the sometimes scandalous lives of the roaring 20’s ladies.

Olive McCormick is a young woman living with her family in Minneapolis in 1927. She wants to be a Ziegfeld Follies girl, more than anything in the world, and moves to New York City in hopes of being discovered. Life as a dancer is grueling and she finds that working her way to the top has its challenges and sacrifices. It’s all worth it once she meets Mr. Ziegfeld and soon after earns a highly sought after spot as one of his Ziegfield girls. The work is exhausting, but absolutely thrilling, and Olive loves every minute of being a part of the Ziegfeld Follies.

She meets Archie Carmichael one evening, when he attends a show that she’s performing in. He becomes smitten with her and starts courting her when he is in town on business. Olive it’s totally enamored with him and can’t believe such a wonderful, handsome and successful man would want to be with her. He continues to support her desire to be a Ziegfield dancer and loves her drive to be an independent, modern woman. That is, until after she accepts his marriage proposal. Will she stop doing what she loves more than anything (being a dancer) when they get married, becoming a proper wife and homemaker, like he wants her to? Will she share a secret that she’s been afraid to tell anyone about? Take a listen to this audiobook to find out where this story leads. I think you’ll really enjoy the narrator, as well!

Thank you to Macmillan audio and Netgalley for allowing me to review this audiobook!

I loved listening to this audiobook. The narrator did a fantastic job. I love historical settings and it was so fun to be absorbed in the roaring 20's and all the glitz and glamour. I will be recommending this one to my friends!

Set in the 1920s,The Show Girl is a character-driven historical fiction novel that follows young Olive McCormick. Defying her parents and the odds, Olive moves from Minneapolis to New York City to become one of the famed show girls in the Ziegfield Follies. As a talented singer and dancer, Olive soon becomes one of the stars of the show and enjoys the freedom and party lifestyle that goes with it. However, when handsome, wealthy Archie Carmichael falls for Olive, she must decide what to do about the secrets from her past. ⁣
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I really liked getting this glimpse into what it would have been like to be a show girl in the 1920s. This was a time of newfound freedom for many women, and this story explores both the beautiful and ugly sides of what appears to be a glamorous lifestyle. We also get a glimpse at how women were exploited and abused within the show business industry - a tale as old as time, sadly. The thing that frustrated me most while reading was Olive herself. She is incredibly impulsive and makes a string of poor decisions. However, considering how little worldly education women of that era would have had, it is not wholly surprising. ⁣
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I recommend this book to those who like character-driven historical fiction and stories set in the 1920s.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the early listen. What a wonderful story of a young lady growing up rural MN (in the roaring 20s) and all the trials and tribulations she had to overcome before fulfilling and living her dream. The narrator did a great job narrating.

I truly loved Olive’s coming of age story set in the roaring 20’s. Raised Christian conservative in small town Minnesota while Olives family searches for a perfect marriage match she secretly dreams of life on the stage!

I was enthralled in the details of the lives lead by the famous Ziegfeld Girl. The gruelling schedule, the glitz and the glamour, the camaraderie, they pay, the power, prohibition, the prestige, and the shame. Oh the shame that those girls brought on their families, oh dare they follow their dreams?!?!

And yet it wasn’t all fame and glory. My heart broke as I watched Olives youthful, short-sighted decisions have a lasting impact on her bright future. An emotional journey of grown and development that will have readers grinning from ear to ear and breaking down in tears.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars with a 14+ rating for subject matter and a trigger warning of abuse and rape.

I really enjoyed the narrator for this book ! The narrators voice and expressions in the book really encaptured the characters and kept me wanting to read more

This was a compelling and interesting read! The narrator was a bit hard to listen to for a while, but I think as a physical book I would have enjoyed this more.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story of a “flapper” during prohibition. Her family wants her to marry a good man and be a mother. However, she is all about feminism and goes out and demands a chance to join a chorus of showgirls! She meets a man and falls in love, however he is wanting kids and she is no longer able to have them due to a secret she has kept.
Then the depression hit and changes everything. Wonderful coming of life story with the fascinating background of the late 20’s.

While growing up in rural Minnesota, Olive McCormick dreams of being on stage to sing and dance. She wants to become a famous Ziegfeld Girl. However, her conservative parents believe a showgirl is not a respectable line of work for a lady. They believe respectable women play a domesticated role in society. So without the support of her parents, she leaves to make her dreams come true and live the independent life she’s long desired.

For readers who love coming-of-age stories, Olive’s story feels familiar - poor decisions, profound loss, true love, and the ultimate self-discovery. But what I loved about Olive’s journey is that her youthful, short-sighted poor decisions have a lasting impact on her future. My heart broke for Olive as she dealt with these consequences, all while rooting for her personal growth.

I love the setting Nicola Harrison vividly depicts - the roaring ’20s. The Ziegfeld Girls, with all their fame, glitz, and glamour, are the queens of the nightclubs and speakeasies. Wealthy men freely spend exuberant amounts of money drinking during Prohibition while entertaining these beautiful women after their performances. And when the rich want to escape, they spend summers in the Adirondack Great Camps, but not without booze and entertainment, the Ziegfeld Girls.

I’ve seen this book compared to City of Girls. And I agree that readers who loved City Of Girls will love this one too. I also recommend listening to the audio. Imani Jade Powers, the narrator, did a spectacular job of bringing Olive to life. Her voice offers self-confidence and determination while Olive forges her independence, yet the heartbreak when Olive’s decisions have devastating consequences. Regardless if you listen to the audio or read the book, all historical fiction lovers will enjoy this one!

At 19, Olive becomes pregnant after being taken advantage of by an older man who got her drunk. Her parents are horrified by the news and send Olive away to have the baby then give it up for adoption. The only thing Olive wants to do is to perform – sing and dance. Against her parents’ wishes, Olive heads to New York City in 1927 to become a Show Girl in Ziiegfeld Follies. Olive makes one bad choice after another due to her lack of confidence. She is a Show Girl and good at putting on a show for others around her so no one in her life realizes she is not quite as confident as the woman they think she is. However, she is the essential modern woman of her time who doesn’t accept the norm for women’s role in society. With that being said, Olive does meet Archie and does fall in love with him unexpectedly.

Olive was not the most likeable character, but she felt real. She has many highs and lows throughout her life. She is a young woman who goes for her dreams but has many obstacles throughout that she must overcome. I did feel that the ending was wrapped up with a bow and I wished there was more havoc to go along with the earlier story. This was a story of a young woman trying to find her place in society and her struggle with wanting to be a part of a family or pursuing her dreams of becoming an entertainer.

The year is 1927 and Olive McCormick is a small-town girl that is determined to make it as a professional singer and dancer. She is not without talent and finds herself becoming one of the Zeigfeld Follies. However, the road to get there was hard, and retaining her stardom is harder.

I want to call this a Coming-of-Age story, but it really doesn't span that many years, but a dancer's career (especially is this time period) is not very long and they seem to start at a very young age. I seems like it might fit though. Olive began her career at a young age and, for the most part, didn't know what she was doing. Early in her life, she let her family make choices for her that would alter the course of her life. This choice, of course, is a secret weight that Olive carries through out the story and is later faced with the choice of revealing this secret.

There were times in this book where I felt that Olive was being a complete feminist trendsetter that was paving the way for women in the future. Other times, I felt like she was just being a bratty party girl. I went back and forth with her and even though she was main character and her character development was the most fleshed out, I still couldn't quite decide if I even liked her or not.

3 stars

This one was such a fun read. I love historical fiction and if you follow my reviews you know how much I love historical fiction that takes place in United States. Last year I read a book about showgirls in the 1920s. There I got a glimpse at what it was like during jazz and Capone era.

⭐️So, Show Girls by Nicola Harrison was Another fun read that took on a different perspective of the 1920s. This was a fun adventure spanning from CA musicals to Broadway during prohibition era in New York City and ending with a crash of the stock market in 1929. 🥂🍾

⭐️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.

⭐️From the beginning Olive has an independent nature and passion for her dream and being successful in show business, but on her terms. So no throughout the story she can often be portrayed as the victim, but also the villain in her own storyline. But as the story unfolds, you can’t help but root for her to make her way in New York, and the glitzy world of the Ziegfeld Follies. 👯‍♀️👯👯‍♂️

⭐️Definitely worth putting in your TBR list this Fall. Thank you @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for this honest review.

I absolutely adored this book! I also listened to the audiobook while following along. Thank you @netgalley for the audiobook!!! I highly recommend pairing them! The narrator did a fabulous job!!! I could easily visualize this book and everything as it was happening! Such a fun era to read about! I felt so bad for Olive when she was sent away. I think that would be so hard. I really cared a lot for her character. I love that the author made me feel so much. I look forward to reading more books from this author!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars from me! I recommend this book to anyone that likes a romance set in the 20's. I loved being whisked away to a new era!

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.