Thanks to Emma Cowing and NetGalley for this ARC!

I love a book that can use a circus setting well. Despite being historical fiction, this book felt very contemporary in the way it was written and drew me in right away. This book meets some really dark topics and at no point did it feel like it was mishandled, though anyone going into this expecting all smiles will be looking at the wrong book. Really enjoyed this and I think it is a really interesting concept and shows a level of craftsmanship that you don’t always see in debut novels.

I had no idea what to expect of this book when I started it but the story quickly drew me in. Knowing the author has used her own family history as the inspiration for the book only makes it more special.

Firstly thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Inspired by the authors own ancestor, this story takes place in the early 1900s, in the Scottish circus'. It follows the life of 4 woman and their journeys. Beautifully written, a powerful story of the highs and lows of the lives of these four circus woman. Suspenseful.

Please note this book does mention sexual assault and murder, which can be triggering for some people.

I was drawn to this novel by its setting in the world of travelling circuses in the Edwardian era. The story follows Lena who is born into a circus family with a father running roundabouts her mother leaves the family mysteriously when she has a small child. We start the book when her father dies suddenly and she has left to make her own living unusual for the time she decides to run an all female circus develop strong friendships with a trapeze artist, bareback horse rider and a musician.
As a story progresses we get to know more about the other members of the circus. There is a potentially traumatic story of child abuse from which the bareback rider has escaped. This subject is done with this with sensitivity and poise.

This is a highly atmospheric very Visual novel I couldn’t help but think it would make a fantastic TV show ir film.
The author has a flowing easily red writing style. The book is a relaxing easy read.
From very early on reading the novel, I was reminded of the novel Chocolate and it’s sequels by Joan Harris I think if you love those novels, you’ll like this one too
I read an early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK. The book is published in the UK on the 1st of May 2025 by Hodder and Stoughton.
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads, StoryGraph, and my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.Wordpress com. After publication it will also appear on Amazon UK and waterstones

This is a fascinating and original novel set in Edwardian Scotland. The four main characters are strong, independent women who form their own mini-circus and travel around Scotland performing, facing perilous situations on the way. Ringmaster Lena is at the heart of the novel as she searches for her mother. Violet is a stunning trapeze artist, Carmen an acrobat and Rosie, escaping her terrible life on a farm, rides Tommy Pony. The ‘four lassies’ in the ladies’ circus draw us into the narrative and I found the novel quite unputdownable. It’s an entertaining read, stressful at times as I so wanted them all to succeed. There are sad moments but uplifting ones too. I got lost in the drama of this captivating story. Five stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

Not quite a four but i enjoyed it more than books to which I have given a 3.

This is a solid read, a fairly gripping story with very good, strong, well drawn characters, vivid descriptions of show people's lives and lots of drama and secrets in part two. The four main women are sympathetic and realistic characters and their back stories are all different but all too plausible and in some cases distressing., I found the book to be well paced and I liked how the relationships between the four women developed through the dialogue and I enjoyed the plot..

What adds interest to this book is that it is based on a real woman, the great aunt of the author although I assume the fate of the Violet in the book is different from the real Violet. I liked the unusual setting of the circus and, being Scottish myself, it was nice to have all the various places on the fairs routes name checked.

I would say that the first part of the book is perhaps a little predictable but the second part is full of unexpected twists, secrets revealed and drama, including unexpected tragedy. Everything is wrapped up satisfactorily and generally believably in the end

I did keep getting mixed up with the Weavers and the Lindens but, given what we find out, maybe that is what the author intended. Belle is mentioned a couple of times as having second sight but this is not developed, which I thought was a shame.

Two small pedantic note - we read in a couple of places that the farmers were working in the fields of rapeseed and the blazing yellow is mentioned. but oilseed rape was not grown in Scotland until 1983.

3.5 Stars 🤩

Captivating, Heartwarming and also Tragic.

This was a really nice change of pace for me as someone who predominantly reads fantasy and thrillers.

The Show Woman is a good, gentle read where the stakes aren't overly high or intense. it was lovely to read the story of how the ladies joined together and where they all came from. The imagery painted of the fairs and the circus were really well done and I really cared for the characters and their endings.

I would have liked the ending to be fleshed out a bit more, I felt like some of the plot points were a bit rushed but overall it was a lovely read.

A book about strong women, yes please. A book about a travelling show, yes please. A book set in Scotland, definitely. A book about friendship, of course. The Show Woman ticks all of these boxes and more. This is such a beautifully crafted book with strong characterizations and a storyline that kept me reading until the wee small hours.
I loved the time setting of 1910 and the journey taken by the four main characters as they put together an all female act. Life was especially hard back then and the way that the story is told brings a sense of reality to the trials that these women would have had to face. This book is fascinating and the background has been very carefully researched by the author. Altogether a very pleasing read.

We are going to the circus!

In 1910, the wonderful Violet falls.

We are then transported back to six months before the fall.

Lena’s father has passed. And Lena needs to make a choice; keep the carousel or sell it.

In parallels, we follow Linden circus. Serena Linden. Also, a strong woman with painful past.

Lena and Violet meet and hit the road. They are holding auditions, and who is it that joins them?
Rosie with Tommy Pony and Carmen with color and flare.

Mourning the loss of her father, Lena has a new family now, her show. An all female act no less. 😊

With their first night a disaster, Harry helps. Will they scrape enough coins together to get to the next town or fair ground?

This is an emotional tale of four lassies that have to be strong to keep it all together.
I like the characters in our small circus.😊

I love the 1910s era, and here it is beautifully written.
An inspiring book, with strong female friendships, lovable characters, empowerment.

The Show Woman by Emma Cowing is a well researched book into travelling shows in the 1910’s around Scotland..
lena has always lived the circus life with her father and his horse carousel, but it was not the life her mother could live so one day she just left. When her father dies after an accident, Lena finds herself and wilful trapeze artist Violet fronting a ladies only touring act.
Events do not always work out well for the ladies and Lena is always hopeful that she may discover the reason for her disappearance of her mother.
Wonderful descriptions and colourful characters bring this story to life.

A fantastic debut which is evocative and beautifully written. I really enjoyed The Show Woman by Emma Cowing.

Set in 1910 the female characters lives were difficult and the world surrounding them incredibly harsh, but the author still made these characters feel fresh, ambitious and hugely relatable.

The story represented the Edwardian time and the Scottish fairground setting perfectly. I got a real sense of the magic of the fair, but also the darkness which lay beneath the glitz and glamour.

There were some heartbreaking moments which felt so evocative due to the perfectly formed characters who lifted off the page and in Violets case flew through the air!

The story felt so authentic and I love that it was based on the authors real life family. Since finishing the story I have enjoyed reading about the real Violet and the women that the story was based on. Lastly, I love that there was a real Tommy Pony!

Thank you so much for my ARC 🩷

I absolutely loved this book and the portrayal of women in the Circus and how difficult life on the road can be. Even in the early 1900's women were showing how strong and determined they could be to live the life they wanted. Amazing book and a must read for everyone!

Original, well-written and kept me guessing until the end - a brilliant read! All of the characters had such well thought out stories that all came together to tell the story of The Show Woman, and I love that this title could be referring to any one of the female protagonists.

A heartwarming tale of the friendships and hardships of a ladies' circus, this was an enjoyable and fun read. I enjoyed the plot twists, the way the characters grew and changed and stayed the same, and the writing overall. Definitely worth checking out.

The Show Woman by Emma Cowing

I loved this book about four women brought together creating an all female mini circus. Lena is the show woman of the title and as well as managing all their finances and planning, she is the ring mistress. Violet escapes another circus to become their trapeze artist. Rosie is their bareback rider, while Carmen can be a musician, acrobat and dancer whose costume is a swirling rainbow of ribbons. Set in 1910, we meet the Grand Dame of the show circuit in Scotland - Serena Linden. Serena is the show woman behind Linden’s Circus renowned throughout Scotland and the only circus to perform at Balmoral for Queen Victoria and the royal family. Serena is the old guard who has inherited her circus from her father. She is old, arthritic, bitter and quite capable of settling scores with trickery and violence. She particularly likes to thwart those who flee her employ and move to other shows or even worse,start their own.

Lena has always been at the background of the circus and fair ground scene she has lived in all her life. Her mother disappeared a long time ago and she doesn’t remember her. Now her father has died and has left just their caravan and his carousel. She is told she’d better it sell it if she wants to have a life, because her only other options are to find a husband or a factory job. That’s until Violet arrives with a proposition. Violet is known for her flame red hair and her talent on the trapeze, she is known by fairground people as the greatest trapeze artist that’s ever lived, but also for being outspoken and a bit of a loner. What if they started their own show? They’re both outcasts and have nothing to lose. When they start to look for performers they find two more women on the run. Rosie has practiced her bareback riding with her pony Tommy for years. In fact she never imagined escaping her abusive father, but couldn’t stand it any longer. Finally there’s Carmen, a beautiful Spanish girl with luscious black hair and a lot of secrets. She dances and performs acrobatics in her rainbow ribbons. With Lena as ringmaster and an old but serviceable tent can they last the season?

I loved spending time with these wonderful women. I wanted to mother Rosie who desperately needs to let the truth out about her father and the after dark fumbling in the laundry cupboard. Her relationship with Tommy the pony is so beautiful because of the trust they have in each other, so when he fell ill I was so worried. Her burgeoning feelings for Violet are so pure and totally separate from the shame she’s holding onto. Violet is brilliantly herself and never tries to be anything else. She has a preference for women and has years of experience in this world, knowing how careful she must be. She knows that leaving Linden’s was risky so when their show is sabotaged she wonders if it might be Serena’s goons. Especially when they wreak the ultimate revenge on her specifically. Violet doesn’t know how she’ll cope if she ever can’t fly. Carmen keeps her cards close to her chest but somehow finds a home with the other women. She holds a lot of shame, for the years she spent on the streets, destitute and selling the only thing she has left. It’s this past that threatens her place in the show, when a misunderstanding comes between her and Lena.

I really enjoyed Lena, who’s strong and old, perfectly capable of organising three women and travelling from place to place iin season. It’s Lena who gets up early, has a dip in the river or stream then sets up the camp fire and cooks breakfast for the others. I could imagine her in her usual ‘ringmaster’ outfit, with the combination of the masculine clothes her long hair and red lipstick bringing a sass and sexiness to her role. Love is her undoing. It’s an instant attraction between her and Violet’s brother Harry, who no longer works on the shows but has become a music hall singer. He offers advice on the show and protection when a couple of men lurk around the caravan, seeing four women as sitting ducks. When the women’s luck changes and Violet is angry and frustrated she lets slip a secret that breaks Lena’s heart. The women come apart. Can Lena find out about the sabotage and her family history by visiting Serena Linden?

Lena is determined to understand her past , uncovering a kinship between her and one of the others that has been hidden for years. She is also determined to find out who committed the act of sabotage against Violet. Was it about the show or was it more personal? She becomes the head of this family, determined to bring them all back together. A community that fully supports each other, who listen and understand the circumstances and pain that has brought them here. I was rooting for all of these women and not just the show, but their new found independence and friendships. It was those evenings where they were talking in the caravan after a show, too full of adrenaline to sleep. Or the warm and sunny days when they got chance to swim in a local lake or river, to wash their hair. Then there were the joint efforts to save Rosie’s pony. It’s these moments that are very bit as important and magical for these women as the seconds before Violet lets go and flies through the air.

Set in 1910, this rich historical saga tells the story of Lina and Violet, both mavericks, in a world that offers few options to women who don't fit into the roles they are traditionally Asha expected to take on.

Their lives become woven together after a tragedy leaves Lena bereft of both parents. At risk of losing the only life she has ever known, and the circus which has been her home for so long, Lena realises that Violet's daring suggestion that they set up an all female circus act is one of the few options she has left.

Fascinating and insightful, this will hold most readers spellbound, and earns an easy 3.5 stars.

An evocative read about the lives of travelling showpeople in the early 1900's. The author transports you to the cramped living spaces, the lights and colours of the fairground rides and the darker side of life on the road, family feuds and unsolved mysteries.
I thoroughyl enjoyed this book, a peep into a part of recent history I knew nothing about, wound round a fantastic premise.

Excellent first book from Emma Cowing which was written with first hand knowledge of her families life on the fairgrounds of Scotland. A place that is a very tough place to survive in with many risks involved. A moving and tragic tale. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

This is genuinely one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read. The characters are really well developed and we have a compassionate but naive lead in Lena. The search for her mother is one of the storylines permeating the book but the blossoming relationship with Harry and his enigmatic sister Violet are more intriguing. The female friendships dominate this novel. The tragic Violet/Rosie love story had me in tears. Carmen is a secondary but interesting character too. The circus background conjures up colourful pictures and there were more than a few similarities between The Greatest Showman and this. The rich gawp at the poor strange “tinkers” who barely have enough money to eat at times. Simple scenes like Lena having money to make homemade porridge and the camaraderie of them having a “dram” after the adrenaline of a good show are so nostalgic. I can’t praise this novel enough. There’s no truly vile or horrific descriptions (although incest, domestic abuse and suicide is in this book) so you could recommend it to an older relative as well as a friend. A smash. Well done! Thank you for the ARC Hodder & Stoughton and Emma Cowing. Denise