Well what a debut! I absolutely loved this brilliant book full of strong women, amazing female friendships and with a good bit of mystery too!

I was initially drawn in by the cover, which I think is gorgeous, but the characters kept me hooked - Lena, Violet, Rosie and even Carmen (who has less time on the page) were so brave despite all the adversity they’d faced in their lives. There were some heartbreaking moments, but there was also so much fun and love. And I absolutely did not see that shocking reveal coming! Definitely recommend grabbing a copy of this one, or the audiobook narration was also fantastic.

Thank you to Netgalley, Emma Cowing and Hodder & Stoughton for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to start off this review with something of a disclaimer - this book just wasn't for me. I loved the idea of an all woman circus but this is really more of a historical novel about the lives of a group of women in Scotland whose lives are tied to that of the circus and each other, and so overall it just wasn't my cup of tea. Despite this though I think this was a well written book and I highly recommend listening to the audio version for those who would want to try this as Samara MacLaren does an amazing job, breathing life into this story. I found it an easy read and her Scottish accent really lends itself well to the characters.

I liked the first half of the book more than the second half I would say as this focuses more on the women getting to know one another and forming their circus but the second half of the book takes a much darker turn into realism and personally I started to lose enjoyment at this point. Again, this is more that this type of book is just not my thing, not that it was bad. I'm giving this book a 3 star in terms of my personal enjoyment but for a fan of this type of genre, I could easily see it being a four star as it's an interesting story and sheds some light on a time and place which haven't been written about overly before.

I adored this book! I especially loved seeing small Scottish villages featured (I'm looking at you, Galston!) It's the ultimate tale of girl power, enduring female friendships, love, jealousy and triumph in the face of adversity.

I listened to the audiobook, which was brilliantly narrated by Samara MacLaren. I look forward to hearing more from Emma Cowing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emma Cowing and Hodder & Stoughton for this audiobook ARC.

The magic and whimsy of the circus drew me into this book, but the beautiful relationships between the women of the “Lassies Circus” was what made me stay.

Lena, Violet, Rosie and Carmen all bring something different to the table, and every one of them feels “real” - they are likeable for the most part, but each one has their weaknesses.

I loved the strong imagery in this book, and especially felt that the descriptions of the show grounds were very vivid - I could really feel the atmosphere, with the sights, sounds and smells all being described in such detail. I would have loved to experience more of the shows themselves within the story!

When the tragedy happened my breath actually caught in my throat and I could feel the different pain of all of the women. You could really feel the tone shift in the book.

Some great twists and turns as well!

Desperate to avoid marriage, abuse or worse, a group of young women in 1910 form their own circus. The general public is intrigued by 'The Women's Circus', however, the group faces hostility from a number of sides.

The Show Woman by Emma Cowing was an enjoyable listen, offering a fascinating glimpse into an unusual lifestyle. Wonderful narration from Samara MacLaren really helped immerse me in the story, allowing me to feel like a member of the audience at one of the shows.

The Show Woman in question is Lena, a young woman who has spent her whole life traveling the country with the circus and helping her father run his carousel. When her mother disappears and then her father dies Lena is left with some difficult choices. The only options that are offered to her are to marry someone within the circus community or leave and find work in a town or city.

Another performer, Violet, suggests a third option - set up their own circus featuring women only. Violet is desperate to escape the confines of her close-knit family and make a name for herself as the world's greatest trapeze artist. Aided by the money from the sale of her father's carousel Lena and Violet form 'The Women's Circus' and are quickly joined by horsewoman Rosie, escaping abuse by her father, and acrobat Carmen. The women quickly learn that everything isn't straightforward.

Despite Lena and Violet having spent their whole lives as part of the circus they haven't thought through the logistics involved in running their own show. Thankfully, they have enough money and some support to help them solve the problems they encounter. Fortunately, audiences are fascinated by the idea of a circus featuring women only.

I was completely absorbed by the highs and lows of life on the road for the four young women, learning their backstories and how they overcame the obstacles life threw at them. The animosity shown towards them from the general public was one I expected, alongside the perception that those working in the circus are dirty. When some of the women are in the city they are dismayed at the dirty, smog-filled streets, a world away from the clean open air that they are used to.

The aspect that surprised me was the prejudice within the traveling community. Sexism is rife, with the women being harassed because they didn't have a male escort. Even greater danger lurked as a result of jealousy, leading to repeated attempts to sabotage their show. I was shocked by the completely unexpected turn the story took and the aftermath.

Time flew as I listened to the story of the four brave entrepreneurs, I was so mesmerised by the story that I could easily have listened to hours more, filled with optimism and encouragement as they pushed boundaries, determined to find success and acceptance.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook ARC of The Show Woman 🎪🎧

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up for me!

Positives:
- Absolutely loved the narration, I’m Scottish and it just feels so cosy to listen to another Scot (The book is set in Edwardian Scotland)
- Strong female characters, I loved the bond between everyone in the all female circus and following them through their highs and lows
- The book was well written and really easy to follow. Atmospheric and engaging.
- I enjoyed the twists (although did find it difficult to follow the family tree towards the end lol) but also didn’t expect them which was great.

Negatives:
- Not enough emotion between the characters for me!! I would have loved to have seen more of Violet and the other characters bond, especially Rosie’s. I think it would have made the outcome hit harder. It wasn’t even completely obvious they had a romantic bond to me until after. Similarly with Lena and Harry.

Overall a great debut novel, thoroughly enjoyable and would recommend!

Thank you for the Arc of this audio book. The narrator was absolutely fantastic and brought the characters to life. I really enjoyed the story. Being Scottish it was a relief to have a Scottish narrator for a Scottish story.
I really enjoyed following the friendships and troubles faced while the FMC established their circus.
There is friendship, hardships, highs and lows and I really enjoyed it all!
It's fast paced, thought provoking and tense.
I do feel this book needs to come with some trigger warnings. There are mentions of child abuse, child SA, murder and suicide which took me by surprise. Although not graphic depictions of these events, I do still feel a warning to the reader is required.
All in all an amazing debut novel! Will absolutely recommend this book.

I went into this book with an open mind and also not quite knowing what to expect and I was left pleasantly surprised. This was a completely different read to anything I have picked up before diving into the world of Lena and Violet who start their own all women's circus show in the Edwardian era. We as readers are taken into the world of the Circus life especially in the unique perspective of women in a time that didn't favour them. One of the things I liked most about this book was the different kinds of women we are introduced to. It told a fresh story of womanhood while shining a spotlight on varying different kinds of women from some strong and determined to some vulnerable and gullible. Emma Cowing done an incredible job brining these women to life introducing us to their back story and characters in a way that made us feel emotionally connected to them, pulling for them like we know them in our real lives. There was also no shying away from the difficulties women in this time and particularly women in the world of the Circus scene were treated.

The drama this historical fiction book presented us with kept me glued! The relationships between these characters were fresh and complex, we explored rivalries, enemies, love, and admiration in a way that was truly captivating. There were several very difficult topics touched on including sexual assault, suicide, child abuse, and violence so be sure to go into this with that in mind and know that it can be a tough read in moments. However, the harrowing moments and backgrounds explored saw us feel deeply emotionally connected to these characters and provided a darkness to the book and harrowing reality that I did not originally expect to see.

As for the audio narration, I felt as though it was executed perfectly. I was able to follow along very well, the Scottish accent made everything feel even more real to the characters and the performance over all was brilliant.

This was drama filled debut novel I would highly recommend especially if you are looking for a fresh take on the historical fiction category.

The Show Woman by Emma Cowing tells the story of four women who come together to create their own all-female circus act in the early 20th century.

All four women have a story, and a talent of their own, to tell the world about in this historical fiction debut from Cowing.

This book is fun, raw and fascinating, and widened my knowledge of a part of Scottish history and culture I wasn’t aware of.

It reminded me of the King’s Witches and The Maiden by Kate Foster in bringing to life formidable women who you find yourself rooting for throughout.

Lena, who has known the circus her whole life, finds herself lost after the death of her father, already reeling from the disappearance of her mother years earlier. When she becomes an orphan she is encouraged to leave the only life she has known and sell up the carousel she inherited.



But instead, she teams up with her friend Violet, a trapeze artist known far and wide across Scotland for her talent. Both young women are feisty, independent and not sticking to the status quo for young women at the time by getting married and having children.

Alongside the pair, they recruit Carmen and Rosie, a bareback horse-rider, who has escaped from her abusive father to discover and make a new life for herself.

Together, the women support each other and fight to make their name across Scotland.

I loved this book, its so different in the story its telling about a world which often gets overlooked. You could really sense the history and the life these women were leading, which was far from easy, living in tough conditions and with little money. I really enjoyed how you got a tour of Scotland through all the places they visit, and as a born Aberdonian the reference to the north-east and Doric was appreciated!

For a debut, this novel is so fresh and different and you find yourself really wanting these women, who have come out of such hardship to do well and find a new life for themselves.

The plot also has quite a few twists to it that I hadn’t expected and I thought it was really cleverly interwoven in to the plot. You really got a sense of the setting and the way in which these women loved and were loyal to one another while also making each other furious at times.

I think this book will do very well and I can imagine it being adapted into a series!

What a vivid and compelling piece of historical fiction. The writing is gorgeous and it has lots of mystery and twists.

I enjoyed this book a lot until the ending.
I thought this book was great. There was a great mix of characters. There a lots of strong females which I enjoy, and although there is some romance I like that it wasn’t the focus.
Unfortunately it lost me when it got to the end. I don’t know if that would have been different if I read a physical copy rather than audio but I couldn’t follow all the relationships between people when it was all told so quickly.

The Show Woman follows Lena's life the year following her fathers death, as a show woman in early 20th century Scotland. As a Scot the premise really intrigued me. Show people are very much part of British cultural history , but are often overlooked. As I know part of the story is inspired by the authors own family, I was trying to work out how much (if any) of the story was true and there is very little information available. Cowing does have a very vivid writing style, it was so easy to picture Lena and her friends travelling around Scotland with their act. If I wanted to be critical some of the plot twists were quite predictable but the book was so well researched it is easy to forgive. I read about 15% of this book and listened to the rest and I didn't enjoy listening as much as reading. The authors words jump off the page at you , whereas the narrator was slow and deliberate. She was however talented and had a wide range of voices . I just felt that this is very much a book to be read rather than listened to. A lot of books set in Scotland tend to have a dark, gritty feel like our winters; however despite mostly dealing with personal tragedy this book always felt like there was hope and love underneath and I really hope that someone with a nice big budget wants to turn this into a tv series and focus on our bright long Spring /Summer days

4.5 stars for book rounded up to 5 Audio solid 4

Loved loved LOVED this audiobook! Such a captivating story/concept. This isn’t a typical read for me and yet I loved everything about it. This was so beautifully written and I loved the twist and turns and hidden secrets throughout. I enjoyed the time period in which it was set and the way it was written to reflect that. I do wish that romance between two certain characters (I won’t give away who) was explored a bit more though. Was such a gripping and face pace listen/read. It was narrated beautifully too.

This is a fabulous audiobook that tells the story of an all female circus act during the Edwardian Era in Scotland in 1910. First of all I loved the author Emma Cowing’s descriptions of the circus - the animals, the settings - it was all so well portrayed, as if you were are right there actually in the audience. Enjoying the show. The characters were interesting too each one with a backstory and I was impressed with the strength of unity and support between the women - they really had each others backs. But even so there are sad dark moments in the book that are humbling.and tragic. The audiobook is narrated by Samara Maclaren who brought this enchanting novel to life - and what a journey it took me on! I enjoyed it from beginning to end - this is a brilliant audiobook and I highly recommend to all.

3.5 stars ✨ Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton Audio via NetGalley for the ARC of this book 🎧
The Show Woman was a fast paced, well written debut novel with lots of character. I loved the concept of the all girl circus act, the setting, and was really rooting for the ladies. I’m not totally sure why but I struggled to become fully invested in them, and that took away from the potential impact of some of the book’s events. I also would have loved to read more of the ladies circus having success and just thriving before the story’s major conflict started, I think then it would’ve packed a little more of a punch. However, the audiobook narration was fab and I liked the twists towards the end. Excellent stuff! 🎪🐴 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🤹🏻‍♀️🌌

Absolutely captivating; what an incredible debut. Skilfully plotted with a lilting written style, I listened to the audio version and completed in almost a single sitting. This is a world I know little about; as a child I enjoyed the circus and remember looking forward to the annual visit of the circus. It’s different now and rightly so, but Emma Cowing appears to have captured the very essence of the travelling show.

Lena, Violet, Rosie and Carmen, the central characters, all have a strong back story. They form a ladies circus, unheard of at the time where, as usual, women were treated with indifference and scorn. It’s a fitting tribute to the power, determination and resilience not only of these characters, but women in general, that they persevere and overcome the difficulties encountered. This is a novel brim full of life and colour. There’s heartache too as we learn of sexual abuse, violence and loss. My heart was almost breaking for little Rosie and To my pony as she arrived to audition her bareback pirouette act. It was so visual, I could almost see her perform. There’s a strong sense of show traditions and the difference in lifestyle between the travelling people and the flatties, those who live in houses. Emma Cowing has taken me on a wonderful journey, some nostalgia as she travelled to various Scottish towns and produced a memorable take. A great new voice and one I’ll look out for.

All the fun of the fair!

Inspired by her own ancestry, Emma Cowing skilfully transports us back to Scotland in the early 1900’s. We meet Lena, who upon the death of her father is advised that she must sell the families beloved carousel and go and find a life outside her community. Lena is bereft and struggling her way through until Violet turns up with big hair a big mouth and a big plan, they should go it alone with their own Travelling show.

After recruitment the little group consists of Lena, Violet, little Rosie and Carmen, each has a past, secrets and a reason to run, but the past has a habit of turning up in the present. There is trouble ahead, trouble mixed with solid friendship, true love and female solidarity and a massive sense of sisters doing it for themselves.

Thought provoking. Inspirational uplifting and upsetting. Perfect for women’s history month.

Samara MacLaren narrates beautifully 🎧

Huge gratitude to Hodder & Stoughton Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧