By Ella Hawkins, Fiction Reviewer
A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love by Alice Murphy follows the story of Evelyn Cross, a fictional plus-sized vaudeville dancer in New York at the turn of the twentieth century. Her tale is told through the perspective of Phoebe Blair, a historian who is paid to chronicle Evelyn’s wild love affair with the owner of her show and theater, the handsome and wealthy Thomas Gallier. It’s a simple and unique love story with a captivating historical backdrop.
The book is written in a unique style, with chapters from Evelyn’s time period and chapters in the present day about Phoebe and her blossoming relationship with Thomas Gallier’s grandson, Armitage. In between there are ‘Notes from the Historian’ which provide extra context and editorials from Phoebe. Because of the somewhat fragmented structure, the story is fast-paced and easily digestible. It’s perfect for light, casual reading for anyone who is looking for a straightforward and leisurely book.
Most of the story takes place in the 1890s, in the strange and fascinating world of vaudeville shows and burlesque theaters. It also touches on some of the historical tensions of this time, such as racism, homophobia and corruption in the police. The diverse and risqué entertainment at this time was suffering under the weight of new conservatism. Evelyn herself mentions this in a bit of dialogue, saying, “People used to love us for being so delightfully scandalous. Now they think we’re unfashionable or dangerous or both” (21).
While I am glad that Alice Murphy acknowledges these things, and provides a glimpse into this setting and time, it is not an in-depth exploration of the culture. The plot rests firmly with Evelyn and her relationship with Thomas and only mentions the historical backdrop in passing. According to Murphy, she wrote this book because she was inspired by a real vaudeville act about a chorus line of plus-sized girls, the Billy Watson’s Beef Trust. She claims in her acknowledgements that she was drawn by the ‘vibrant and diverse’ culture of the theater. However, it’s little more than set dressing in this book.
To my disappointment, we don’t really see any of the delightful scandal she mentions. The entertainment scene at the turn of the century was filled with so-called ‘immoral’ acts that showcased marginalized people that had never been able to take the stage before. Some of this diversity is mentioned in the book, like Jules the ‘female-impersonator’ and the famous illusionist who used a wheelchair (both these characters were based on real-life people, and more.) But we don’t get to explore their stories in this novel or see how they overcame their struggles and the constant criticism and disapproval they faced.
The book entirely centers around Evelyn and her relationship with Thomas. Thomas is straightlaced, reserved, and struggling to fit in with high society in New York. He instantly falls for Evelyn, whose confidence and sensuality both attract him and threaten to break his strict self-control. As Evelyn gradually pulls him out of his shell, and he starts to get to know the more vulnerable side of her, they let down their walls and turn their witty flirtations into a meaningful and honest relationship. Phoebe and Armitage, in turn, mirror their relationship as Phoebe learns to be self-possessed like Evelyn, and Armitage fights against his wealthy family’s strict expectations.
The true focus of this narrative and character development is self-love and learning to be confident in one’s own skin. Both Phoebe and Evelyn are big, beautiful girls who are unapologetically themselves and fight for their autonomy as well as their romance. The theme of body positivity, while a little ham-fisted at times, is admirable and refreshing. Phoebe relates to Evelyn because she has a similar body type. We learn that Phoebe once had an eating disorder, but after seeing a picture of the lovely Evelyn on stage, she immediately decided to get counseling and overcame her disorder. She still faces some issues with low self-esteem, but these issues are only vaguely mentioned and not addressed in-depth.
This story is a little shallow and reduces the struggle for body acceptance to simply getting inspired by a single pretty girl in a picture. Though it is not very realistic and does not fully encompass such a serious and complex issue, it is still nice to see representation of different body types in romance books. Especially since both Evelyn and eventually Phoebe are strong, independent women who are happy and proud of their looks.
Personally, I thought the writing could be clumsy and corny in places. This could be because A Showgirl’s Rules is Alice Murphy’s debut novel, but the emotional moments can be predictable and painfully sincere. For example, when Thomas begins falling for Evelyn, he says that he might become “an irretrievable immigrant to the country of her heart” (148). Some of the dialogues are odd and unnatural like this. However, the romance is grounded, honest, and realistic.
Evelyn and Phoebe put themselves first before making a commitment to their respective love interests. Thomas and Armitage both must learn to be honest with themselves and their partners. In the end they are still working to build their relationships, rather than simply solving all their issues and getting an easy happily-ever-after. Both Phoebe and Evelyn’s relationships have open communication and believable resolutions, which is a nice change of pace from most drama-filled relationships in contemporary romance books.
Though it does not have much complexity or historical depth, A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love is a unique twist on a love story with fun and flirty women and an interesting background. This book is for anyone looking for an easygoing, period themed, and sentimental story about acceptance and curvaceous girls.