This is my first time reading the author. I’m not sure I would read any more of her work. This book contains a lot of scenes that could be a trigger for child abuse and sexual assault. I’ve never experienced either of these things myself but the book contains graphic accounts of both that I wasn’t expecting. I have no issues with an author using abuse as a theme in a novel. I’ve read more than my fair share. It’s the way it’s sometimes presented in the book that shocked me. It was too much at times and put me off. At times, the scenes between Lily and her uncle added nothing more than shock value. The book comes into its own when Lily, grown up and using the name Ruby Wilde becomes a showgirl. I loved this part of the book. I’ve never read books about Las Vegas in the time the book is set so this was really interesting at times. Unfortunately, Ruby meets a sinister man and things go awry and abuse rears its ugly head again. It was too much for me. The book is well written and I liked the characters but the storyline did not gel for me.

I wasn't able to finish this one, the themes and abuse at the beginning is very graphic in its detail and a warning would have been helpful to me. I couldn't read much further than the first couple of pages as it was too confronting and uncomfortable. I don;t know whether the story develops into something I would like and appreciate and whether these early passages are necessary to the plot but it was all a bit too confronting as a reader.

A real “pull yourself up by boot straps” book. Well written, and I loved it! Well described, and the problems can be put in context today as well.

Whilst it took me a while to get into this book, I was drawn to the main character from the start.
The books tells the story of a girl whose normal life was ripped apart at the tender age of 10.
It follows the turmoil that followed and the struggle to leave behind the life she had been forced into.
As a young adult she leaves behind the town she's always known and heads for the bright lights of Las Vegas. Here tells the story of the months of desperation looking for work and what happened when she finally did.
The detail of the life in Vegas is amazing. I felt like I was actually living it with her.
I found the book uncomfortable to read at times with the unfortunate events that were described, but I became so attached to the lead character it equally made my heart sing in other places.

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and the author, Elizabeth J Church.
I am a little ambivalent about this one. I enjoyed certain parts, and it was certainly a very easy book to read, but I never felt totally absorbed by the story.
The book begins quite slowly, then picks up pace in the middle, to the point where at times it feels as though resolutions to each issue or problem are slightly rushed and hurried.
An interesting plot line however, with vivid descriptions, so would recommend for an easy holiday read.
3 stars.

Glamorous, glitzy and hugely entertaining. I really enjoyed this insight into the dazzling history of Vegas, beautifully written. Highly recommend!

I was attracted to this book by its promise of a glimpse at old school Las Vegas glamour and it didn't disappoint me. The authors attention to detail and references to known Las Vegas names really does bring this era to life.
The main character Lily / Ruby heads to Las Vegas to make it as a dancer determined to leave her damaged childhood behind her, this she manages but its not all easy going & glamorous as she battles with herself as much as circumstances and others.

All the Beautiful Girls is a nice little historical fiction coming of age following a Las Vegas showgirl and her transition from a traumatized child to a traumatized but strong adult. Church is good at period pieces that don't shy away from the interior lives of her characters

Lily, orphaned as a child, sets out to escape a troubled childhood to become a dancer in Las Vegas. The glamour and glitz of Vegas really bring the book to life. I loved the description of the showgirls’ lives, the shows, the famous faces, all served to really bring the story to life. I was fascinated by Vegas and Lily’s Showgirl lifestyle. Would she be able to leave her childhood behind her and make it big? Would she ever find real happiness? A great read. I was really invested in Lily and her story. Highly recommended.

At times I wasn't sure how I felt about this book, Lillys early life makes for though reading. I struggled with it about 50% through , I felt the scenes around Las Vegas went on a bit too long and would have like if Lillys early childhood was dealt with more, but was glad I stuck with it. It picks up pace again and the last part of Lillys story is a lovely heart warming tale.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how Lily/Ruby had a duality to her persona and the way that she developed from the child morning her parent's death to the new mother and ex-showgirl. I, like Lily, am enthralled by the lavish costumes and showgirls of Las Vegas, however, I would not work there. I really liked how the story played out and the development of the characters was done very well. Church creates a rich and vivid world of Las Vegas and Lily's home state and this helped sell the story to me. One of the best parts of the novel was the relationship between Lily and the Aviator. I loved how they became one and they really understood each other.

I loved this book because it tells a story so well.I loved the main character,Lily/Ruby and the way she changes from a small town girl to a Las Vegas showgirl.She is such a sympathetic character,brave and kind,but not without her flaws which makes her seem even more real.
It would make a fabulous film- just a great read!

This book had me intrigued from the start, the main character, Lilly; endured so much as a young girl and her trials and tribulations continued into her later life. The storyline with all it's twists and turns had me hooked, I found each new development as interesting and shocking as the last. I felt a real empathy for Lilly and later, true admiration for 'Ruby'. This book is well written and certain.y engaging, it prompts you to question what you are hoping to achieve from your life and what has led you to desire the need to achieve such aspirations.

A great book by the author of "The Atomic Weight of Love", which I also enjoyed. Lily Decker is a complex character living at a time of change in America. She breaks boundaries and defies convention, which is risky but lovable. Her battle to overcome the traumas of her childhood is at the heart of the book but there is so much more to it than that. There is a great cast of characters, mostly fictional but also a sprinkling of real-life people. The descriptions of Las Vegas do not make me any more inclined to visit the place but it is possible to see the attraction to a certain type of person. Highly recommended.

As a small child Lily Dexter is orphaned in a car crash and sent to live with her Aunt and Uncle. Her Aunt is strict, her Uncle abuses Lily and Lily's only escape is dance class, paid for by The Aviator, the man driving the car that crashed into her family. As soon as she can Lily leaves Kansas and reinvents herself as Ruby Wilde, glamorous 60s Las Vegas showgirl. However Lily (or Ruby) learns about love the hard way before finding peace.

For all its big themes, this reads as a 'light' story - a 'Valley fo the Dolls' for our times. However Church is such a good writer that actually the light touch works really well. Nothing is drawn in detail, child sexual abuse, self-harm, drug-taking, violent relationships all seem to happen without huge amounts of detail being made, yet the story is readable and enjoyable.

It took me a while to get involved in this story. I found Lily Decker rather an abrasive character to start with, although that was hardly surprising, given the appalling events that had overshadowed her young life. She had two bright spots in her life, dancing lessons and her relationship with a man she called The Aviator. She didn't see him often, but they wrote to each other, and he would send her books to read. He had been involved in the motoring accident that had killed Lily's parents and sister, he felt guilty and tried to make it up to her as best he could, but she did not blame him, she regarded him as a loving friend. Lily had to live with her Aunt Tate and Uncle Miles, but their relationship was very strained, and as soon as she was old enough she ran away, to Las Vegas, to try her luck as a dancer.

In Vegas she calls herself Ruby, and she absolutely fails in her attempts to become a real dancer. She makes some good friends, and when she has no money left she has to go against her own prejudices and become a showgirl. It is not such a seedy life as she always imagined, she wears glamorous, if skimpy, costumes, and earns a lot of money. She does have to mingle with casino guests, but is able to do so on her own terms. This part of the story is very interesting, Lily/Ruby grows up, she learns to read people (or thinks she can), and receives many gifts of jewellery and fur coats from punters who she regards as friends. She leads a glamorous life, meeting many stars of the time (the seventies) like Sammy Davis Junior and Tom Jones.

Of course, it is not all sweetness and light, and Ruby makes some serious errors of judgement, she cannot read people quite as well as she thought, and her life takes a serious nose-dive. The final section of the book is about Ruby accepting the mistakes she made, and moving on to a contented life..
You learn a great deal about life in the seventies in this story, about how black people were treated, even if they were big stars, how homosexuality had to be a closely kept secret, especially if you were in the military. You don't hear very much about the mafia influence in Vegas as it doesn't particularly affect Ruby, but you do learn about problems with drug-taking, and the difficult consequences of that. Quite a thought-provoking story.

A young girls struggle to cope with tremendous hardships. Ruby/Lily is a great character who shows great strength. An interesting look at the world of the showgirls.
An enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this book, and whilst it was in parts cliched and predictable, it had enough heart to keep me reading. A good holiday read.

Although this book is basically the story of Lily/Ruby a successful show girl in Las Vegas in the 1960s it is so much more.
It is a brave book which deals with subjects that are normally taboo child sexual abuse and domestic violence.But detailed in such a way that the reader is living Ruby,s life with her and how strong human nature is to overcome these abusers.
This is also a social commentary of life at that time for example a famous star like Sammy Davis Jr who although had star billing had to enter where he was appearing via the kitchen and not the main entrance.
It deals with attitudes to homosexuality and the horrors that male couples had to go through to hide their love and of course the main attraction Vegas and its show girls and the position of women as play thing for rich elderly men.
I loved this book and found it very thought provoking as to how far and how little society has progressed over the decades.

The film Showgirls meets Valley of the Dolls. Fab!