Alice Murphy’s debut novel, A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love, is nothing short of a literary triumph that defies easy categorization. This ambitious work weaves together two parallel love stories separated by more than a century, creating a tapestry rich with themes of self-acceptance, courage, and the timeless nature of human connection. Murphy, writing under a pen name and known for her work as a Hallmark screenwriter, has crafted something far more complex and emotionally resonant than her previous commercial work might suggest.
The novel operates on two distinct timelines: 1897 Manhattan, where we meet Evelyn Cross, a proudly plus-sized vaudeville performer fighting for relevance in an increasingly thin-obsessed world, and contemporary New York, where historian Phoebe Blair uncovers Evelyn’s story while conducting research for the enigmatic billionaire Armitage Gallier. This dual narrative structure serves as more than mere literary device—it becomes the very heart of the book’s exploration of how society’s attitudes toward body image, love, and power remain frustratingly consistent across time.
Evelyn Cross: A Heroine Who Refuses to Disappear
The historical storyline centers on Evelyn Cross, a character who blazes across the pages with the force of a woman who knows her worth in a world determined to diminish it. Murphy has created in Evelyn a heroine who embodies everything we rarely see in historical romance: she’s fat, unapologetic, sexually confident, and refuses to be anyone’s secret. Her romance with Thomas Gallier—a mysterious theater impresario with secrets of his own—unfolds against the backdrop of New York’s vibrant vaudeville scene, a world Murphy renders with stunning authenticity and attention to detail.
What makes Evelyn extraordinary isn’t just her refusal to conform to society’s beauty standards, but her complexity as a character. She’s vulnerable yet fierce, calculating yet generous, experienced yet capable of profound innocence when it comes to love. Murphy avoids the trap of making Evelyn’s size her only defining characteristic; instead, she’s a fully realized woman whose body positivity feels genuine rather than performative.
The supporting cast of vaudeville performers—Jules Moreau, the female impersonator; Annie Parker, the disabled escape artist; and the entire motley crew of The Empire’s entertainers—creates a chosen family that celebrates diversity in all its forms. These characters feel historically grounded while addressing contemporary concerns about inclusion and representation.
Thomas Gallier: Complexity Behind the Mask
Thomas Gallier proves to be equally compelling, though his characterization requires more patience from readers. Murphy gradually peels back his layers, revealing a man whose entire identity is performative—not unlike the vaudevillians he employs. His true backstory, when finally revealed, adds genuine pathos to what could have been a standard “wealthy man learns to love” narrative.
The relationship between Evelyn and Thomas crackles with chemistry that extends beyond the physical. Their banter feels natural and unforced, their conflicts arise from genuine character flaws rather than manufactured misunderstandings, and their eventual separation carries real emotional weight because Murphy has invested the time to make us care about both characters as individuals.
The Contemporary Mirror: Phoebe and Armitage
The modern-day storyline featuring Phoebe Blair and Armitage Gallier serves as both a mirror to and commentary on the historical narrative. Phoebe, like Evelyn, is a plus-sized woman whose intellect and passion make her irresistible to a powerful man who should be out of her league. The parallels between the two relationships are deliberate and mostly effective, though occasionally heavy-handed.
Murphy’s decision to have Phoebe narrate the historical story while living through her own version of it creates an interesting meta-textual element. Phoebe’s voice as historian-narrator is engaging, bringing both scholarly credibility and personal investment to Evelyn’s story. Her growing identification with Evelyn adds layers of meaning to both timelines, though some readers may find her frequent interruptions disruptive to the historical narrative’s flow.
The Writing: Wit, Warmth, and Occasional Indulgence
Murphy’s prose style deserves particular praise for its versatility. When writing Evelyn’s sections, she adopts a more ornate, period-appropriate voice that still maintains accessibility for modern readers. The contemporary sections feature Phoebe’s conversational, often humorous voice that includes delightful anachronisms and pop culture references. This stylistic flexibility demonstrates Murphy’s range as a writer, though occasionally the tonal shifts can feel jarring.
The author’s background in screenwriting shows in her excellent dialogue and cinematic scene construction. The climactic wedding/theater opening sequence is particularly well-orchestrated, managing to be both historically plausible and dramatically satisfying. Murphy has a gift for balancing intimate character moments with larger set pieces, creating a narrative that feels both personal and epic in scope.
However, the novel isn’t without its weaknesses. At nearly 400 pages, certain sections feel indulgent, particularly some of Phoebe’s contemporary workplace drama that doesn’t directly serve the larger themes. The research process sections, while interesting for book lovers, occasionally slow the romantic momentum. Additionally, some of the parallels between the two timelines are drawn so explicitly that they border on heavy-handed.
Historical Authenticity Meets Contemporary Relevance
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its historical research and attention to period detail. Murphy clearly invested significant time in understanding vaudeville culture, turn-of-the-century New York, and the social pressures facing women of different body types throughout history. The vaudeville world feels authentic, populated with characters who reflect the diversity of performers who actually worked in these venues.
The book’s treatment of body positivity feels genuinely revolutionary for historical romance, where heroines are typically described in frustratingly similar terms. Murphy doesn’t shy away from depicting the very real challenges fat women faced (and continue to face), while also celebrating their sexuality, intelligence, and worthiness of love. This isn’t inspiration porn or trauma tourism—it’s a genuine attempt to center fat women’s experiences in a genre that typically erases them.
Comparisons and Context
A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love most readily invites comparison to books like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid or The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer—novels that use historical settings to explore contemporary themes about identity, love, and self-acceptance. Murphy’s work also echoes Courtney Milan’s historical romances in its commitment to featuring diverse characters and challenging genre conventions.
For readers seeking similar themes of body positivity in historical settings, books like An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole or A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall might appeal, though Murphy’s focus specifically on fat acceptance feels unique within the genre.
The Verdict: A Bold, Imperfect, Essential Read
A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love succeeds brilliantly at its primary mission: creating space within historical romance for women whose bodies have been erased from the genre’s traditional narratives. While the book has structural flaws and occasionally suffers from its ambitious scope, Murphy’s commitment to authentic representation and genuine emotion elevates it above many of its contemporaries.
The novel works best when it focuses on Evelyn and Thomas’s relationship, which feels both historically grounded and emotionally contemporary. Their love story is earned through genuine character development and mutual respect, creating a template for how historical romance can evolve to be more inclusive without sacrificing the genre’s essential romantic elements.
Final Thoughts
Murphy has created something special here—a historical romance that doesn’t just include diverse characters as window dressing, but centers their experiences and celebrates their worthiness of love. While not perfect, A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love represents an important step forward for historical romance, proving that the genre can expand its boundaries while maintaining its emotional core.
This is essential reading for anyone interested in seeing historical romance evolve to include previously marginalized voices, and for readers seeking stories that celebrate love in all its forms. Murphy has announced this as her first book under this pen name, and if this debut is any indication, she’s an author worth watching.
