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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book took place in two different eras, 1950 and present day. I usually don’t like historical fiction but lately i've been liking it more and more. Rose, a journalist, is the newest resident of the Barbizon hotel. When she meets one of her neighbors she decides to write a piece about her, an alderly women who has been there since the 1950s. Rose slowly uncovers the secrets of the past. The author did a great job switching between both eras and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
I really liked this book. I was unsure how I would feel but I grew more and more intrigued as I read it and I appreciated the ending although it felt a bit cliché.
I read this now because it was one of the books on my Goodreads TBR the longest (since 2016!) It had a lot more emotional heft than I was anticipating. Page-turning historical fiction that will move you but not gut you.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
More like 3.5 stars. A enjoyable historical fiction novel that alternates chapters between the 1950s and present day. The perspective of young, single women living in the NYC Barbizon Hotel was the more engaging of the two stories and a sole focus on the historical storyline would have been more compelling.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A mystery, dual timelines, and dual POVs? Sign me up!
While The Dollhouse didn't have the strongest start for me, the first chapter did leave me wanting more, which was enough for me to keep going.
As we navigated between Darby in 1952 and Rose in 2016, I couldn't help but wonder how their stories were going to connect, or how the mystery was going to come into play. The two women are connected by the building - the Barbizon. Once a hotel for women, it's gone condo. Rose lives in a condo a floor above Darby, who was a long-time resident of the Barbizon.
Rose is fascinated by Darby - or Miss McLaughlin, as Rose knows her - and wants nothing more to get at the heart of her story. For work. But where we see Darby starting her new life in New York City in 1952, Rose seems to be in a position to be starting over in 2016.
The deeper Rose gets into the story of the women of the Barbizon, the more questions pop up rather than answers. Rose wants to know what happened to Darby, and what her story is. And I can't help but feel like Rose is finding herself again through Darby. Rediscovering what she wants from her own life, what her goals are, after erasing herself for the sake of a relationship (been there, done that, burned the marriage certificate in a bonfire).
This was a slow-burn mystery, and the payoff was more than worth it. I became emotionally invested in the characters, and was rooting for all of them, in their own ways. Through the red herrings, twists, and turns, I really wanted Rose to unravel Darby's story. And she really did, in a big way.
But she also got to tell her story, too. And her story is only just beginning.
While The Dollhouse didn't have the strongest start for me, the first chapter did leave me wanting more, which was enough for me to keep going.
As we navigated between Darby in 1952 and Rose in 2016, I couldn't help but wonder how their stories were going to connect, or how the mystery was going to come into play. The two women are connected by the building - the Barbizon. Once a hotel for women, it's gone condo. Rose lives in a condo a floor above Darby, who was a long-time resident of the Barbizon.
Rose is fascinated by Darby - or Miss McLaughlin, as Rose knows her - and wants nothing more to get at the heart of her story. For work. But where we see Darby starting her new life in New York City in 1952, Rose seems to be in a position to be starting over in 2016.
The deeper Rose gets into the story of the women of the Barbizon, the more questions pop up rather than answers. Rose wants to know what happened to Darby, and what her story is. And I can't help but feel like Rose is finding herself again through Darby. Rediscovering what she wants from her own life, what her goals are, after erasing herself for the sake of a relationship (been there, done that, burned the marriage certificate in a bonfire).
This was a slow-burn mystery, and the payoff was more than worth it. I became emotionally invested in the characters, and was rooting for all of them, in their own ways. Through the red herrings, twists, and turns, I really wanted Rose to unravel Darby's story. And she really did, in a big way.
But she also got to tell her story, too. And her story is only just beginning.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
I enjoy Davis' writing style. I usually have a love/hate relationship with books that switch back and forth between characters and/or time periods. Davis does both and my relationship with it is all love and no hate! It's quite a masterful combination of perspectives between Rose and Darby, which also integrates the history of the Barbizon Hotel. (I'm going to have to seek out this building the next time I'm in NYC to satisfy my curiosity!)
I have two pet peeves about the story:
1. The relationship between Rose and Darby was wrapped up a bit too nicely. I suppose it's not surprising given Darby's personality, but she was too forgiving of Rose's trespassing.
2. The fight between Esme and Darby. How did Darby's face become so injured? The novel refers to Esme hurting her arm, but I completely missed any reference to her facial injury.
With that being said, though, I really enjoyed this novel. This was a quick-read, and I would suggest it to someone who was looking for a relaxing but interesting vacation book. I am definitely going to read Davis' other book, The Address. (I did see The Dakota the last time I was in NYC!)
I have two pet peeves about the story:
1. The relationship between Rose and Darby was wrapped up a bit too nicely. I suppose it's not surprising given Darby's personality, but she was too forgiving of Rose's trespassing.
2. The fight between Esme and Darby. How did Darby's face become so injured? The novel refers to Esme hurting her arm, but I completely missed any reference to her facial injury.
With that being said, though, I really enjoyed this novel. This was a quick-read, and I would suggest it to someone who was looking for a relaxing but interesting vacation book. I am definitely going to read Davis' other book, The Address. (I did see The Dakota the last time I was in NYC!)