Books Inspired by The Life of a Showgirl Track Titles

Track 2: Elizabeth Taylor

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Year: 2017

Genre: Historical Fiction

Spice Rating:💋💋

Age Range: 16+

Plot

A tell-all about a fictional Elizabeth Taylor-esque celebrity’s rise to Hollywood stardom, her seven husbands, and the true love of her life.

Evelyn Hugo has asked an unknown reporter, Monique Grant, to write her life story in a no-holds-barred book. There is a bit of mystery around why Monique was chosen and Evelyn certainly has her fair share of hardships as she claws her way to the top.

The drama and suffering add dimension to the story that makes it so much more than fluff, though the inner workings of Hollywood were fun to read too. The story seems so candid that I forgot that Evelyn Hugo was not a real celebrity.

Trigger Warnings

Domestic Abuse, Homophobia

Why Kirsten loves it

Taylor Jenkins Reid slays with this story finding the perfect balance of glamour and grit. Evelyn seeks to change her life and in doing so, changes for the better. Every person who has read this book at my recommendation has loved it

Adaptation Information

Not much is yet known about the movie adaptation except that Maggie Betts is set to direct while Liz Tigelaar is working on the script.

Find this book in: Best Romance Novels of All Time / Best Books to Read on Beach / Old Hollywood Books / Taylor Jenkins Reid Books Ranked / Epistolary Novels / Books Becoming Movies / Hollywood Novels / Books Inspired by The Life of a Showgirl

Find books similar to this in: Books like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Track 3: Opalite

Fourth Wing

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Year: 2023

Genre: Fantasy Romance

More info: Empyrean Series Book #1 of 5

Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

If you have not heard of this book and love fantasy, this is the book for you. Don’t be intimidated by the length of this dragon book. I started and finished this 528-page bad boy in a day and a half. I cannot remember the last time I did that!

Violet Sorrengail had spent her life studying to be a scribe until her father died and her mother, the commanding general, ordered her to join the dragon riders. Violet will become one of the hundreds of candidates who fight to the death to be a part of this elite group.

Unlike the other candidates who have worked towards this their whole lives, Violet is small and brittle and never meant for this to be her path. And other candidates do not have the children of rebel leaders waiting to take revenge.

This adult fantasy book has everything that you would want in a fantasy from epic world-building to amazing abilities, magical creatures, non-stop action, and romance.

Trigger Warnings

Graphic sexual content, death

Why Jackie loves it

I loved every second. It lives up to the hype and then some. The world-building is amazing and the book pulled me in from the first page. Usually the story begins with an event and the story commences after this catalyst moment. Fourth Wing begins after that crucial moment so I felt I was immersed in the story from page one.

Why Kirsten loves it

I don’t know why I waited so long to read this book, but Jackie was right when she told me how much I would love it. Even though I do not usually love world-building, fantasies like this, the plot line and romance throughout this book, kept me hooked the whole time.

Adaptation Information

It’s early days yet, but the rights to turn this book series into a TV series were acquired by Amazon Prime Video. The show will be produced by Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society production company.

Find this book in: Adult Fantasy Books / Fourth Wing Series in Order / Adult Fantasy Romance Books / Best Books for Book Clubs to Read / Best Adult Fantasy Novels / Books Like A Court of Thorns and Roses / Dragon Books for Adults / Books Inspired by The Life of a Showgirl
For More Books Like This: The Best Books Like Fourth Wing

Track 4: Father Figure

Queen of Thieves

Author: Beezy Marsh

Year: 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

More info: Queen of Thieves #1

Age Range: 16+

Plot

Set in 1946, this gritty novel is about Alice, her band of female thieves, and Nell, the newest member of the gang. Nell is pregnant and trying to survive after her parents kick her out, but after Alice gets her locked up and she’s forced to give away her baby, she vows revenge on Alice. Nell needs to keep her enemy close, so soon she’s back doing Alice’s bidding as she plots her revenge.

Trigger Warnings

Sexual Assault

Why Kirsten likes it

The story was fun – the perfect reprieve for the stressful last week of school. This is a fun historical fiction mob novel.

Find this book in: Books About Con Artists and Thieves / Books Inspired by The Life of A Showgirl

Track 5: Eldest Daughter

Spectacular Things

Author: Beck Dorey-Stein

Year: 2025

Genre: Fiction

More info: July 2025 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 13+

Plot

In their small town in Maine, Cricket and Mia Lowe are the closest of sisters – banding together with their single teen mom to support one another. Mia is the smart, responsible sister who looks after Cricket, a rising soccer star, even if it means sidelining her own dreams.

Opening with Mia’s desperate need for a kidney, which might derail Cricket’s soccer career, the story immediately catapults back to their childhood. Told over the course of their life, we see how the sisters’ relationship went from the closest of confidants to strained and a bit distant.

Trigger Warnings

Grief, Death of Parent

Why Kirsten loves it

Flashing between past and present, this story will grip you and never let you go. The characters were richly developed in a way that had me feeling like I grew up with them. I was initially unsure of a plot that revolved so heavily around soccer, but I found it compelling because of the emotional depth the author achieves with this plot. #Gifted by Penguin Random House

Find this book in: Reese Witherspoon Book Club List 2025 / Books About Women in Sports / Best Fiction Books of 2025 / Books Inspired by The Life of A Showgirl

Track 6: Ruin the Friendship

Heart the Lover

Author: Lily King

Year: 2025

Genre: Literary Fiction

More info: New York Times Bestselling Author of Writers & Lovers

Spice Rating:💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

This coming-of-age tale is told in three parts as our intrepid narrator (nicknamed Jordan) tells the story of her time in college, impacted by the relationships she has with Sam and Yash – best friends who let her into their off-campus world. Told with astounding insight with prose that will have you highlighting each page, Jordan’s college life is as mundane as it is monumental – especially in the decisions she makes after graduation.

As time progresses, Jordan shows us the beginnings of her marriage and early parenthood when an unexpected visitor comes to see her, and then a brief, but earthshattering few days in the future that collide with the ripple effects of her post-graduation choice.

Trigger Warnings

Cancer

Why Kirsten loves it

I started this book at 9:30 at night, forced myself to stop 2 hours in, and had it finished by 10am the next morning. When I say I couldn’t put it down, I mean it. I was reading it while brushing my teeth, walking on the treadmill, and eventually I turned off notifications on my phone so I could devour this incandescent story without distraction.

I ran an emotional gauntlet while reading this story, and even at the 95% mark, I was still on pins and needles with so much anxiety I could scarcely breathe. It is a hauntingly beautiful tribute to the impact of first love. It would make an EXCELLENT book club book too, because I bet people will have FEELINGS about some of the choices our dear heroine made. #gifted by Grove Press.

Find this book in: Best Fiction Books of 2025 / Best Books for Book Club / Books Set in College / Books Inspired by The Life of A Showgirl / Giftable Books / Best Books of 2025

Track 7: Actually Romantic

Paper Princess

Author: Erin Watt

Year: 2016

Genre: Romance

More info: The Royals #1

Spice Rating:💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Orphan Ella is sent to live with the Royal family, friends of her deceased dad. The Royal brothers all want Ella gone – out of their home, out of their school, out of their life! But Reid and Ella’s spark makes it hard for him to stay away.

Trigger Warnings

Bullying

Why Kirsten loves it

I’m obsessed with this series. Teen angst, snobby classmates, ridiculous storylines, this is the best fluff there is! And it is the perfect example of a pick for a list of enemies-to-lovers books- Ella and Reid cannot be more extreme in their feelings. This is one of the best books to read in one sitting (and it does get a little steamy).

Find this book in: Enemies-to-Lovers Books / High School Romance Books / Best YA Romance Books / Books Inspired by The Life of A Showgirl

Track 8: Wi$h Li$t

These Summer Storms

Author: Sarah Maclean

Year: 2025

Genre: Fiction

Spice Rating:💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Alice Storm has not returned to her family’s private island vacation home since she wanted a life outside of the Storm family’s billions and her father’s control. When her father dies unexpectedly, she returns home to for his funeral and discovers he has plans from beyond the grave. He had created an inheritance game where Alice, her siblings (Greta, Sam, and Emily), and her mother must complete tasks to earn their inheritance, and they ALL have to complete their tasks or no one receives anything.

Alice’s task is to remain on the island for a full week – a challenging task given that her family hasn’t spoken with her since her father cut her off. Secrets will be revealed, and the family will either come together or split for good. And when her father’s second-in-command shows up to enforce the rules, the chemistry he has with Alice might become a problem.

Why Kirsten loves it

Every member of this uber-rich family is INSUFFERABLE in the absolute most delicious way possible. If you like shows like White Lotus or The Sirens, I think you will be able to picture exactly the kinds of people I’m talking about. I loved Alice’s struggle to do what her moral compass was telling her to do (run for the hills) and wanted to stay to give her family what they so desperately wanted – the money, when really she just wants to feel important and valued.

The romantic element of the story was steamy and quite a great sidequest, but it was the family struggles that had me squirming in my seat with anxiety, flipping through the pages at warp speed. This is a DELICIOUS summer read.

Find this book in: Beach Reads 2025 / Family Dramas / Best Fiction Books of 2025 / Books Inspired by The Life of A Showgirl / Family Inheritance Novels / Best Books of 2025

Track 9: Wood

Tempt Me

Author: K. A. Tucker

Year: 2015

Genre: Erotica

More info: The Wolf Hotel #1

Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Abbi is an innocent, virginal young girl whose long-time love recently dumped her to see other women. Heartbroken, Abbi takes a job for the summer at a Wolf Resort in Alaska, as far away from her home state of Pennsylvania as she can get.

She thought the time away would help heal her heart and open her life up to new opportunities – she did not expect one of those opportunities to begin as the personal assistant to Henry Wolf, billionaire playboy heir to the Wolf Hotel fortune. Henry is trying to impress his father into handing over the reigns of the hotel business with this Alaskan venture, but his attraction for Abbi might just get in the way.

Why Kirsten likes it

I was instantly sucked into this fast-paced novel. It was cheesy, steamy, predictable, and exactly the kind of book I love to read on vacation. When I finished the first book, I immediately started in on the rest of the series.

Find this book in: Billionaire Romances / Hotel Novels / Books Like Fifty Shades of Grey / Books Inspired by The Life of A Showgirl

Track 10: CANCELLED!

Everyone is Lying to You

Author: Jo Piazza

Year: 2025

Genre: Thriller

Spice Rating:💋💋

Age Range: 16+

Plot

Lizzie and Bex were best friends until Bex disappeared after college graduation. Now, fifteen years later, Bex has transformed into a “traditional” wife and influencer with millions of followers, a ranch, a husband named Gray, and a brood of children. When Bex calls Lizzie to invite her to do an exclusive interview, it may be the big break her career needs.

Curious about not just the exclusive, but also why Bex abruptly ended their friendship, Lizzie heads to the MomBomb conference to reconnect with her. But when Gray is found murdered and Bex goes missing, Lizzie finds herself in a world of momfluencers and backstabbing.

Trigger Warnings

Infertility

Why Kirsten loves it

A #tradwife murder mystery from the amazing Jo Piazza? Yes, please!!! Jo is a genre-shape shifter who can effortlessly amp up the suspense factor while pulling back the curtain of influencing. I’m not sure what impressed me more, that BANANAS ending or the social commentary on Tradwives and the lies we are all sold by the influencers of the world.

This is the chocolate-covered bonbon of a book that only Jo could write. I guarantee you will be on the edge of your seat as you reevaluate all you know about influencers. #gifted by Dutton

Why Jackie Loves it

I do not know how Jo does it! Every book she writes is directly on the pulse of what is going on in the world. This book had EVERYTHING I could have hoped for from Jo and more. The book is fast-paced, the characters are so much fun to read and the social commentary is just beyond. #gifted

Find this book in: Beach Reads 2025 / Best Thriller Books of 2025 / Books Inspired by The Life of a Showgirl / Giftable Books

Track 11: Honey

One Golden Summer

Author: Carley Fortune

Year: 2025

Genre: Romance

More info: #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Alice is a photographer who has lost her drive and vision for her art. She longs for the inspiration she felt when she was behind the lens the summer she was 17. That summer, she spent time at the lake with her Nan and took a photo of three teens in a yellow boat – the picture that ultimately changed her life and jump-started her career.

Now, her Nan is recovering from a broken hip, and Alice takes her back to the lake at Barry’s Bay so Nan can recover. Alice immediately sees Charlie, one of her photography subjects, in the same yellow boat. She is shocked to discover he is helping out as her rental cabin’s caretaker for the summer. When he discovers her summer bucket list to restart her inspiration, he is determined to help her check off every box.

Why Kirsten loves it

I’m clearly living under a rock because I didn’t realize that this is the same Charlie from Carley’s breakout hit Every Summer After. I ADORED this book just as much as I adored that one. Alice and Charlie’s chemistry was organic and off the charts. Both characters showed so much growth throughout the summer that I couldn’t help but cheer them on and it was great to get a peek at what Percy and Sam are up to as well.

Why Jackie loves it

I adore Carley Fortune. Her stories and characters are fantastic and I love that she is true to her Canadian roots. The fact that this story is centered around Charlie from Every Summer After is an added bonus. Every time I read one of Carley Fortune’s books, I swear it is my favorite because of how easily the story flows and how strongly I am invested in the characters.

Find this book in: Carley Fortune Books in Order / Best Beach Reads 2025/ Best Romance Books of 2025 / Books Inspired by The Life of a Showgirl

Track 12: The Life of a Showgirl

The Favorites

Author: Layne Fargo

Year: 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 16+

Plot

This fantastic story is about Katrina Shaw’s rise to the Olympics alongside her ice dance partner, and sometimes boyfriend, Heath Rocha. It’s told in a multi-narrator documentary style reminiscent of Daisy Jones & The Six.

It starts when Katrina is a motherless 10-year-old girl, captivated by Sheila Lin, an Olympic Gold Medalist. Heath is a foster child, enamored by Kat and willing to do anything to be in her orbit – including becoming her ice dance partner.

When their chemistry and technique capture the attention of Sheila and her twins, they begin to train at her facility – a dream for Katrina. But Kat’s drive for gold threatens her relationship with Heath.

Inspired by Wuthering Heights, this retelling is epic in scope and creative in execution. The secondary characters (particularly the Lins) are each as fascinating as the main protagonists, and being able to hear from them as narrators really enhances the story.

Why Kirsten loves it

There is love, passion, betrayal, death, breakdowns, comebacks, rebellion, and so much more in this riveting story. The book (I recommend consuming it on audio) captured my attention and never let me go.

This one is going to be a massive hit, and it’s well-deserved. Now, who is gonna buy the series rights? Cause I’m ready to see it on the screen.

Find this book in: Books About Female Athletes / Books About Sports / Best Romance Books of 2025 / Books Inspired by The Life of a Showgirl / Best Books of 2025