A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love

By: Alice Murphy

Narrated by: Paige Reisenfeld

Moulin Rouge meets The Greatest Showman in this romance between a vaudeville star and a showbiz tycoon who find love at the turn of the twentieth century—framed by mischievous commentary of a contemporary young historian.

It’s 1897, and a new fashion for thin threatens to end the career of proudly fat vaudeville performer Evelyn Cross. Enter Thomas Gallier, the man behind the new palace of entertainment promising to be the apex of New York City’s theatrical scene. He’s in search of a star for his vaudeville spectacular, and when he hears Evelyn sing, he knows exactly who he needs to grace his stage.


In a grand finale, present-day narrator Phoebe steps in to reveal secrets and show readers what it really means to claim self-love. Inspired by the true story of a Progressive Era troop of plus-size dancers, this is a story about the spirit of community and the power of romance.

Critic reviews

“[A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love] features an excellent historical romance wrapped inside a compelling contemporary . . . saucy, clever, and full of fabulous historical detail, both real and imagined.”—LibraryReads, May Pick

"Readers will be fascinated by the excesses of the gilded age. . . . Not a traditional romance, this memorable tale bounces between then and now."—Booklist

“A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love is a big, bold, beautiful book that delighted me from start to finish. Alice Murphy takes an enormous swing and knocks not one but two love stories out of the park—and I loved every minute of it.”—Sarah MacLean, New York Times bestselling author

“A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love is a clever, empowering, and oh-so swoony dual-timeline romance, packed with Gilded-Age sparkle and modern-day relevance. Alice Murphy’s writing is whip-smart, and her heroines, both past and present, had me cheering. From cover to cover, this book was an undeniable pleasure.”—Mimi Matthews, USA Today bestselling author of The Belles of London series

“A showstopping romance that expertly marries love with ambition and self-acceptance. From the glamour of the vaudeville stage to the faded elegance of a timeless Fifth Avenue mansion, this novel puts a delightful twist on historical romance and kept me up way too late turning the pages.”—Harper St. George, author of Eliza and the Duke

“A heartwarming and heart-wrenching love story (or two!), just as bold and fresh as its fascinating heroine.”—Felicity Niven, author of Convergence of Desire

Cute but almost Mae West plagiarism

This is painfully close to Mae West’s ‘I’m No Angel.’ Cute book. I liked the FMC, but she was Mae West to a t. The MMC was Cary Grant. Would have liked it better if there had been a little more imagination involved. This is another book that reads like fanfic. Better written than most romances and loved the representation and s*x positivity. The spice added to the plot and seemed natural and was spicy and physically possible.