Excellent collection of short stories to enjoy.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

Thank you Bloomsbury for the review copy.

Tried really hard to get into this one, but it wasn't my cup of tea but I recommended it to a friend who I thought might like it and she's going to pick it up.

Eagerly anticipated, quality short stories with a literary bent from a writer who’s already gained a substantial following. Certainly not an easy, throwaway read, some of these stories need to be read a few times before you ‘get’ them, but are well worth the time & effort. Really excited to see what she produces next: on the strength of this, she’s a mighty talented person headed for prize-winning heights. Bit of an acquired taste, hence the 4 stars.

Show Them a Good Time was one of my most anticipated books of 2019, and after nabbing a sample that blew me away I was eager to read the full spectrum of stories; Ms Flattery certainly didn't disappoint, in that respect, as it turned out to exceed my expectations. I usually read a few anthologies, but this is a selection of short stories with one significant difference: they are all written by the same writer. These are most appropriately described as beautifully written, original and quite offbeat, and being a fan of allegory and surrealist fiction, these indeed appealed to me.

Many of them are subversive and come at the perfect time when stereotypical male/female roles are being questioned and the gender identity barrier being broken down. I loved that each story inspires you to think for yourself, and instead of explaining everything allowed it to be a reader tailored experience sending each intrepid adventurer down a wholly different path. Ms Flattery is a bold writer, unapologetically penning the stories she sees fit rather than writing for the mass market; that has put her firmly in my favourite authors camp. She knows how to upset the apple cart and do it well. A must-read for aficionados of the absurd, and my favourite ever short story collection.

Many thanks to Ros at Bloomsbury & Bloomsbury Circus for an ARC.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy of this book. I loved the look of the covered and the description.

I really liked the authors writing style, which was bold, contemporary and unique. This and the overall quirkiness of the stories made it enjoyable to read.

The stories were definitely wacky and at times I don’t think I completely understood them. I felt a lot was unsaid. However despite this I found that I was still captivated by each story and the beauty of the writing

My consistent issue with short stories reared its ugly head again with this book- throughout each story, you think as though you're missing some kind of important note about each story as you read. I felt kind of stupid reading some of them because I couldn't understand what was going on. and that I was missing the point and message of each story. Most of them end so abruptly, there feels like no natural transistion or connector between the stories. Ultimately, I didn't get on with the writing and the stories were kind of vague, with no connectivity point that linked them together. Not for me.

What a glorious collection of stories. There's a real honesty about the writing that makes you slow down and pay close attention. You want to go with the characters, follow these women on their seemingly aimless journeys to wherever they might be going.

One million stars out of five.