I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love (thank you, Union Square & Co and Alice Murphy), and honestly? This one surprised me in the best way. It’s not my usual read, but the dual timelines and layered love stories totally pulled me in.

The story moves between the glamour and grit of the Gilded Age and the voice of a present-day historian uncovering a long-lost legacy. If you’re into stories with heart + a bit of a tease + a strong sense of identity, this one stands out.

What impressed me most was how well the two timelines work together. The historical narrative is lush, dramatic, and emotionally rich—filled with ambition, showbiz politics and real longing—while the modern timeline adds clever commentary and personality. Both explore themes like self-worth, ambition, and love in ways that feel earned and resonant.

The writing itself is sharp + romantic + funny and heartfelt. The characters are thoughtfully drawn, with a strong emphasis on body positivity and representation. It’s a story that celebrates women who take up space in a world that often asks them to shrink. And it hits a lot of emotional notes without losing its joy.

My only small critique is that the pacing slows down a bit midway, but the emotional payoff more than makes up for it. It’s smart, layered, empowering, and wrapped in just the right amount of sparkle.

If you love historical fiction with feminist energy, complex characters, and romance that takes its time, A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love is absolutely worth picking up—especially if you’re into stories where a present-day historian and a showgirl from the past have more in common than you’d expect.

What a refreshing book! This was really a fun book full of a lot of witty banter and love. Thats not to say that there aren't a lot of really hard topics both on and off page in this book. It is the late 1800s America after all. Even so the amount of representation and inclusiveness in this book is all encompassing and nice to see. I loved the love story within a love story and I loved the world building that was done here. It was so easy to get immersed in the story. I also loved the Parts that were Pheobe her quirky candid parts were really fun.

There's a dearth of historical romances set in this time period, so I'm glad to see this one. And I love how much representation it has when it would be very easy for the author not to include the diversity, given the time period. The book jumps between present day and the historical setting. There's a historical story, a present day story, and notes from the "author." The historical parts are framed as a story told by the "author," a character in the present day. The "author" speaks directly to the reader to explain her decisions and thought process as she wrote the historical story. It's a unique setup, but I'm not sure that it quite works. The switching between time periods and POVs is sometimes confusing and doesn't always seem necessary to advance the plot. I did really love the historical parts. It's clear that the author did a lot of research for the story.

I was hooked from the tagline "Moulin Rouge meets The Greatest Showman" it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed in this type of book. It was so well written in the historical romance element that I was wanting and enjoyed in this type of book. The characters were so well done and was invested in what was happening to them, it uses the vaudeville element perfectly and am excited for more. Alice Murphy was able to write a strong book and was glad I got to read this.

I was really put off by this book almost immediately because it really felt like Phoebe was just too "quirky" and I found myself rolling my eyes at her personality. I really wanted to like this because the concept was super interesting to me and I have been hearing about it nonstop, but I just couldn't get over Phoebe for some reason.

This book let me speechless. If you like Moulin Rouge and Greatest Showman this book is for you. A romance between the lines of rules and decorum, between two different people. Was amazing, beautiful described and written.
It’s all about two love stories set in different timelines, and we feel like we are traveling through this centuries.
The setting was perfect. Me as a biggest fan of Moulin Rouge felt I was reading another side story of that setting, another love story. It might feel strange at first like the movie, but then catch you by the surprise and there you are in the middle of this beautiful chaos.
The characters are raw, real, cinematic.
I wish I could say more, but I can’t without ruining your experience. Just be read to be in love, and feel like this book consumed you like time.

Murphy’s writing is breezy yet grounded, filled with sharp dialogue and rich historical detail that captures both the glamour and the grit of the era. Vera is a delight—fierce, funny, and refreshingly self-aware. The romance is swoony with just the right amount of slow-burn tension, but the real standout is the way the story blends themes of female empowerment, reinvention, and chosen family.

Readers looking for something fresh and fun but with a feminist backbone will find a lot to love here. It’s not just about falling in love—it’s about claiming your space in a world that wants to define you.

4.5/5.

Heat Index: 6/10

—romantic historical AND contemporary fiction

—dual love stories

—two plus size heroines for the price of one

—the grand Gilded Age stage

The Basics:

Budding historian Phoebe has been charged by handsome billionaire Armitage Gallier to trace the history of his ancestor Thomas—and Thomas's illicit affair with stage siren Evelyn Cross. As Armitage and Phoebe grow close in the present day, Thomas and Evelyn work together to bring a legendary vaudeville show to life... and everyone has their hearts on the line.

The Review:

There's one word I would immediately use to describe this novel, and it's "cinematic". It really didn't surprise me to find out that Alice Murphy is a prolific screenwriter, because, like? Of course. From the descriptions of sumptuous scenery to the witty dialogue to the way moments flowed into each other, A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love played like a movie in my head. And it was a delight.

Although Thomas and Evelyn's romance in the past takes a bit more of the center stage, Phoebe and Armitage's love story packs a punch. I should be clear and say that while these are love stories, this isn't quite a conventional romance... and at the same time, it's got enough hope and passion to appeal to many romance readers, I'm sure. It reminded me a lot of Daisy Jones and The Six (my personal favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid), with this sort of center focus on the complexities of love. And with the degree of metatextual play involved, of course.

Essentially, Phoebe is writing a fictionalized history of Thomas and Evelyn's real romance, right? But she's also interjecting with her own notes, and we're seeing her fall for Armitage in real time. And that's influencing the way she views Thomas and Evelyn's story. It's all very clever, and it adds humor to the bittersweetness of the past. Which isn't to say that Armitage and Phoebe don't have their fair share of angst.

The thing is that Evelyn has the confidence and brassiness that Phoebe wants to have, embracing her fatness and her sexuality with verve and a demand for the love she deserves. And yet... there's still an aching vulnerability to her. A wistfulness. Phoebe realizes this as she gets to "know" Evelyn in this narrative—she realizes this woman, for all that she was an icon, was also a human being.

Don't get me wrong, though—for all that this is deep and complicated, it's also a lot of fun. I felt transported to the theater, like Evelyn's act was at my fingertips. I was swept up in her RIDICULOUS sexual tension with Thomas (and his impressive erection). And there's something rather adorable about Phoebe's interplay with stuffy Armitage, who's clearly obsessed with her from jump, too. You truly get swept up in the emotion in this book, you feel the passion, and God—it's a good time. True escapism with wit.

Sometimes, you want a book with Big Feelings. A book that makes points about our world while telling an epic story. A book that doesn't tell a simple story about people who always make the right decision, but about people who make REAL and human decisions (and mistakes). This is a book for that mood, and it's really good.

The Sex:

While the format of "historian tells the story of a 'real' person" means you don't get like, a ridiculous amount of sex on the page... You still get some ridiculously hot scenes. A few of which depend on the tension, and the aforementioned impressive erections. A few of which depend on... more explicit content. They're all deeply effective.

The Conclusion:

An unusual, all-encompassing, complicated dual love story, A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love packs a punch. It reminds me of everything I love about a romance that isn't straightforward—and comes with sacrifice. And it's an ode to kickass women who refuse to live on the sidelines.

Thanks to Union Square & Co. and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

La parte storica di questo libro è preponderante ma soprattutto ben inserita nel contesto del romance. Non è un libro qualunque, è quanto di più simile a una meta-storia ci sia attualmente. A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love è un romance ma con dietro una situazione di ricerca profonda nella storicità della fine dell'800, È davvero come se The Greatest Showman e Moulin Rouge avessero avuto un figlio, anzi, una figlia, e che questa figlia fosse perfettamente reincarnata in Evelyn Cross.

Imperdibile per chiunque ami la storia e le storie, e soprattutto per chi ha bisogno di una lezione di self-love da una artista del vaudeville della fine del diciannovesimo secolo.

Rating: 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley, Alice Murphy, and Union Square & Co. for a copy of this book.

Content Warning: Homophobia, Violence, Some Blood, Fatphobia/Body Shaming, Racism, Alcoholism, Police Brutality, Violence Against Women, Ableism, and The Late 1800's Negative Slang in General.

Have you ever finished reading a book and thought instantly, "Boy, this would make a great musical?" That was the exact thought I had once I had finished Alice Murphy's "A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love." It is a story told through multiple lenses--a modern day romance between a historian/narrator and a rich guy longing to learn more about his family's history; and then the romance between one Evelyn Cross and one Thomas Gallier, both of whom have chapters dedicated to their individual thoughts and feelings during their whirlwind relationship.

"A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love" takes place during the late 1800's when vaudeville acts are starting to be seen as unsavory, especially in high society. Evelyn has always had her luck stacked against her--not only is her weight considered distasteful for the time period, but her career as an alluring vaudeville starlet has come to a standstill. Enter Thomas Gallier, a rich man from across the pond looking to open a pleasure palace where patrons can be entertained on a daily basis. The moment he sets his eyes on Evelyn, he is done for. She doesn't think he's a bad catch, either, and so the two become so intertwined in one another that love can be the only proper ending--even if there are forces at work behind the curtains, playing Thomas like a puppet as his reputation hangs in the balance.

I really liked this novel. I thought the characters were well fleshed out (even if some felt forgotten after their introduction, only to make a comeback at the end). My main gripe is the gripe I have with most romance media--there is an unneeded tension. I understand that there must be some kind of misunderstanding or secret in order to keep the plot moving, but at some point it starts to feel overdone. Still, it is unfair for me to unload my ire of the genre onto "A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love." I do think it is a very good novel, especially with the representation of LGBTQ+, BIPOC, disabled, and body positive characters, and with the overall pacing of the story.

At the end of the day, "A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love" is a love story within a love story. Should it ever become a musical, count me as first in line to purchase tickets.

When I came across this on Netgalley and seen that fabulous cover, I couldn't resist requesting it. Moulin Rouge meets The Greatest Showman? Yes, please!

This was such a great read I loved Evelyn Cross as a character she was truly undeniable. I also loved the notes from Pheobe our historian as she was discovering more and more about Evelyn and Thomas. A strong romantic debut!

The vibes I got?! Immaculate!
Doesn't have the queer of Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but we have a plus size FMC (two, of we count the two love stories we follow) and, as a plus size woman myself, I was OVER THE MOON seeing fancy men drooling over our FMC.

I was so ridiculously excited for this one. I mean look at the cover!

The dual timeline aspect of this one was an interesting approach. It did take me out of the historical aspect of it and felt a bit choppy. The fact that we don't get an HEA between Evelyn and Thomas was also frustrating, being that it's a trademark of the genre.

2.5/5

This was such a fun, romantic debut! One of my absolute favorite tropes is a frame narrative/split timeline, with a contemporary narrator discovering/researching the story of the past. Alice Murphy is a talented writer and I loved learning about her inspiration for this book, a real-life vaudeville dance troop of fat women. We need more romance with historically underrepresented characters!

**I will say that my arc formatting was abysmal, but that's not the author's fault

DNF ~26%. I’m sure others will like this book, but it’s not for me. I found the fatphobia expressed by villainous characters to be distasteful and distressing. The main characters are manipulative, and I just didn’t connect with them. I didn’t respect their goals, and ultimately, I didn’t care what happened to them.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

It was definitely and interesting and unique read. The cover was genuinely stunning and the love story was okay. I really wanted now from this book. But I am glad I read it.

A DELIGHT. This book beautifully weaves together contemporary and historical romance plotlines and I was completely hooked with both of them. The writing is witty and gripping; I found myself cheering for every character that crossed the page. A delicious must-read for every romance reader.

Wow. Wow. Wow. I finished the book about an hour ago and am still blown away by how smart it is. I seriously had trouble putting it down Structurally it's a dual timeline romance with two stories (one set historically and one set in modern time). But the two pair so well and intertwine (in ways I cannot talk about without spoiling what makes the book so freaking great!). I don't think I can fully gush about how brilliantly written this book is without spoiling the ending, but this book was a fabulous read. I have been telling everyone about it pretty much since I started but I'm pretty sure I'll end up shouting about it for a while now.

One of the things I really loved was how Murphy breaks the third wall with her contemporary heroine, and really sweeps us all into the story that she (the heroine) is weaving. I am always a sucker for a split timeline--but especially love it when a book successfully manages to marry the timelines so well it blurs the line between past and present. Anyway. I would give this ten stars if I could.

Thank you so much for an ARC of this book. I will share a review of the book on instagram in a reel format on May 13th. Additionally, I will review the book in my April wrap-up on YouTube. This will go out at the beginning of May.

Book Review: A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love by Alice Murphy

A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love is a sparkling and empowering read that celebrates individuality, self-expression, and the courage to follow your heart. It’s one of those books that leaves you smiling—and, more importantly, feeling a little more confident in being yourself.

The novel unfolds through a dual timeline, following a modern-day historian, Phoebe, as she researches the life of 1920s showgirl Evelyn Cross. While the structure brought a unique twist and cleverly explored how the past continues to influence the present, I found myself much more emotionally connected to Evelyn’s story. Her voice felt vibrant and full of life, and I was completely drawn in by her journey.

Evelyn Cross is a standout character—bold, charming, and unapologetically herself. Her romance was fun and heartfelt, and I especially loved the element of mystery surrounding Tom Gallier. His backstory added depth and made him all the more likeable. While Phoebe’s perspective offered an interesting lens into the past, I didn’t feel I had quite enough time to fully connect with her character in the same way.

This book strikes a wonderful balance between fun, glitz, and a deeper message. The theme of self-acceptance is powerfully done, and the importance of friendship—particularly during life’s more difficult moments—is beautifully portrayed.

And of course, I have to mention the cover—it’s absolutely stunning and captures the glamour and charm of the story perfectly.

3.75 stars.

This book was such a vibe. I picked it up for the fat showgirl in the spotlight and stayed for the emotional tenderness, archival mystery, and layered storytelling that made my heart ache in the best way.

In the 1897 timeline, we follow Evelyn Cross, a fat, fabulous vaudeville performer who knows her worth and refuses to play small. There is so much joy in seeing fat characters take up space, especially in historical romance. Evelyn’s confidence, her wit, she is everything. And Thomas? Quietly intense, respectful, full of admiration. Their chemistry is a slow burn, but once it hits, it hits. I loved how he saw her, truly saw her, and how Evelyn never once gave up being herself.

The present-day POV belongs to Phoebe, a young historian working in New York who stumbles upon Evelyn’s story and slowly begins piecing it together through letters and records. As Phoebe uncovers Evelyn’s truth, she starts to face her own. I really connected with her-there’s something tender and raw about trying to understand your place in the world through someone else’s legacy. That sense of searching for belonging and finding it in unexpected places really hit.

This book is about love, yes, but it’s also about visibility. About whose stories get told and who gets remembered. It celebrates fat joy, longing, ambition, grief, and the power of claiming your story onstage and off.

If you love historical romances with depth, dual timelines that connect across generations, and heroines who take up space without apology, this one belongs on your shelf.

Someone please adapt this for TV so I can watch Evelyn slay the stage in a feathered corset. I will bring snacks and tissues.