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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
I plucked this book from the new arrivals shelf at the library. I hadn't heard of the novel, but (of course) was intrigued by the notion of a historic Barbizon-set story.
Some characters are magnetic, but too many of them fail to, or are slow to unfold and reveal dimension. Still, I devoured the book in just a few nights' worth of bedtime reading. Once the film adaptation of The Chaperone comes out, this story could quickly follow it to the silver screen.
Some characters are magnetic, but too many of them fail to, or are slow to unfold and reveal dimension. Still, I devoured the book in just a few nights' worth of bedtime reading. Once the film adaptation of The Chaperone comes out, this story could quickly follow it to the silver screen.
Strong character development:
No
Another #ARCAugust read down!
Trigger Warning: Rape
I won a copy from Meaghan Walsh Gerard's ABEA giveaway.
First of all, the blurb is misleading. No, the “rumors of Darby’s involvement” DO NOT haunt the halls. No one knows or gives a shit. Rose only found about it by being nosey with the gossiping doorman.
And glitz? I didn’t see much glitz. There’s like one pricey dinner and a floor full of model ‘gazelles’ and that’s it.
The rest is spent in secretary school, a hotel room, and the jazz club. While the jazz club rocked, it’s drab like it’s supposed to be.
It wasn’t fun finding this out the hard way. My expectations were off and that’s the wrong foot to start on. I didn’t regret reading in the end, but it wasn’t smooth sailing. Hopefully, this helps ya’ll!
The Dollhouse introduces Rose as she’s preparing dinner for her and her recently divorced-with-children boyfriend. It’s a whirlwind romance and he’s coming home with news.
Quickly, it establishes Rose’s shame and mystery regarding why she left her TV station job. Yet I did not care and its subsequent reveal didn’t help Rose’s case.
It’s easy to see through the relationship bullshit while Rose is oblivious and doesn’t listen to her best friend, a catty soap opera star married with step-children. She’s so wrapped up in her romance woes and I did. Not. Get. It. I wasn’t sold on their romance in the first place so it was hard to be sympathetic.
I didn’t like Rose for most of the story. She kept getting worse until she finally crashed into reality.
From there, she made steps in the right direction, I just couldn’t forget everything she put me through. It wasn’t all bad though, I loved her interviews with people, her character progression and standing up to her boss. That glimpse into the startup e-mag was interesting. In the end, I’m glad she screwed her head on straight but I was happier to be done.
Darby’s tale kept the story going while Rose sunk to new lows. I loved Darby’s perspective of coming to New York City from a small town. Watching her explore, survive, and blossom was a thing of beauty. Except the fucking rape scene.
I couldn’t wait to see what she did next. Her love of bepop, relationship with a certain beau, and friendship with Esme were outstanding. It’s too bad Esme wound up as just another Spicy Latina. I didn’t see the twists coming in her tale, until the final outcome.
That’s when these perspectives switched roles: the past was a letdown and the present was pleasantly worthwhile. WC? I called who, how, and why once the drama was amped up and the actual confession reaction? “Oh.” That’s it. No oomph. No feeling. Just oh. Okay, anyways…
But once it’s clear what’s happened, they start wrapping the threads up in the present. It’s sweet and I loved seeing things righted. Not a bad way to end the book, but it didn’t make up for the ride there.
It’s okay, I guess. Nothing wrong with the writing, flow or anything, but I really did not like Rose and her downward spiral, which ended up killing the book.
Unless you have a specific hankering for this time period or Jazz and can like Rose or enjoy her terrible decisions, I’d pass on The Dollhouse.
If you want a contemporary drama intertwined with a historical mystery, I’d recommend June by Miranda Beverly-Whittmore instead.
Trigger Warning: Rape
I won a copy from Meaghan Walsh Gerard's ABEA giveaway.
First of all, the blurb is misleading. No, the “rumors of Darby’s involvement” DO NOT haunt the halls. No one knows or gives a shit. Rose only found about it by being nosey with the gossiping doorman.
And glitz? I didn’t see much glitz. There’s like one pricey dinner and a floor full of model ‘gazelles’ and that’s it.
The rest is spent in secretary school, a hotel room, and the jazz club. While the jazz club rocked, it’s drab like it’s supposed to be.
It wasn’t fun finding this out the hard way. My expectations were off and that’s the wrong foot to start on. I didn’t regret reading in the end, but it wasn’t smooth sailing. Hopefully, this helps ya’ll!
The Dollhouse introduces Rose as she’s preparing dinner for her and her recently divorced-with-children boyfriend. It’s a whirlwind romance and he’s coming home with news.
Quickly, it establishes Rose’s shame and mystery regarding why she left her TV station job. Yet I did not care and its subsequent reveal didn’t help Rose’s case.
It’s easy to see through the relationship bullshit while Rose is oblivious and doesn’t listen to her best friend, a catty soap opera star married with step-children. She’s so wrapped up in her romance woes and I did. Not. Get. It. I wasn’t sold on their romance in the first place so it was hard to be sympathetic.
I didn’t like Rose for most of the story. She kept getting worse until she finally crashed into reality.
From there, she made steps in the right direction, I just couldn’t forget everything she put me through. It wasn’t all bad though, I loved her interviews with people, her character progression and standing up to her boss. That glimpse into the startup e-mag was interesting. In the end, I’m glad she screwed her head on straight but I was happier to be done.
Darby’s tale kept the story going while Rose sunk to new lows. I loved Darby’s perspective of coming to New York City from a small town. Watching her explore, survive, and blossom was a thing of beauty. Except the fucking rape scene.
I couldn’t wait to see what she did next. Her love of bepop, relationship with a certain beau, and friendship with Esme were outstanding. It’s too bad Esme wound up as just another Spicy Latina. I didn’t see the twists coming in her tale, until the final outcome.
That’s when these perspectives switched roles: the past was a letdown and the present was pleasantly worthwhile. WC? I called who, how, and why once the drama was amped up and the actual confession reaction? “Oh.” That’s it. No oomph. No feeling. Just oh. Okay, anyways…
But once it’s clear what’s happened, they start wrapping the threads up in the present. It’s sweet and I loved seeing things righted. Not a bad way to end the book, but it didn’t make up for the ride there.
It’s okay, I guess. Nothing wrong with the writing, flow or anything, but I really did not like Rose and her downward spiral, which ended up killing the book.
Unless you have a specific hankering for this time period or Jazz and can like Rose or enjoy her terrible decisions, I’d pass on The Dollhouse.
If you want a contemporary drama intertwined with a historical mystery, I’d recommend June by Miranda Beverly-Whittmore instead.
Interesting story despite the writing and plot holes. Ending could have been more exciting.
Wow, this was fantastic!! This book has been on my radar for over a year, but for some reason I convinced myself that it wouldn't be something I would like. I'm so happy that it popped up on a list of books to read when traveling to NYC (the author lives there currently and used to work on Broadway!) because it was not only a testament to the city but an empowering book for women. I loved the interwoven story between past and present, I'm happy to see that Fiona Davis keeps that style in her next book because I'm definitely going to be reading more by her!
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fiona Davis continues to be one of my favorite historical fiction authors. I love her unique stories, and how you can feel her love for NYC coming through the pages.
In The Dollhouse, we get to meet residents of the Barbizon Hotel, a former women’s hotel, and follow their journeys for independence, self love, and standing up against systems that try to decide who they are supposed to be. As we travel back and forth between the 1950s and present day, we see the ways some things haven’t changed, but when we take the time to focus on what’s best for us, we may discover new passions, lives, and strength to step out and do something different.
I enjoyed this book - not as much as some of Fiona Davis’ others, but I still tore through it in 2 days. It’s one of her earlier books - I think she’s figured out how to really master her style over the years, and in this one she’s still working it out. It’s kind of fun, though, to be able to see how much she’s grown!
In The Dollhouse, we get to meet residents of the Barbizon Hotel, a former women’s hotel, and follow their journeys for independence, self love, and standing up against systems that try to decide who they are supposed to be. As we travel back and forth between the 1950s and present day, we see the ways some things haven’t changed, but when we take the time to focus on what’s best for us, we may discover new passions, lives, and strength to step out and do something different.
I enjoyed this book - not as much as some of Fiona Davis’ others, but I still tore through it in 2 days. It’s one of her earlier books - I think she’s figured out how to really master her style over the years, and in this one she’s still working it out. It’s kind of fun, though, to be able to see how much she’s grown!
RATING: 4 STARS
2016; Dutton/Penguin Group
The Dollhouse is one of those books, I kick myself for waiting so long to read it. The cover had drew me in, and I requested it early on from NetGalley. I let it sit, and read other books. I saw a newer book by Davis available at my eLibrary on audio, so decided it was time to try Fiona Davis. After falling in love with the writing, research and interesting topics, I was hooked. I went back and read most of Davis's novels. I kept one ([b:The Masterpiece|37504654|The Masterpiece|Fiona Davis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1513199542l/37504654._SY75_.jpg|59112137]) for my "hold one back" novel. I know you have heard me complain about dual-timelines, but Davis does a great job in tying the two stories together. I love the details of the Barbizon Hotel in 1950s, NY and the way "working women" lived and the rules around that. While the suspense for the mystery in this novel gets forgotten at times, but doesn't take away from enjoying the story. I highly recommend this one.
***I received a complimentary copy of this eBook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
2016; Dutton/Penguin Group
The Dollhouse is one of those books, I kick myself for waiting so long to read it. The cover had drew me in, and I requested it early on from NetGalley. I let it sit, and read other books. I saw a newer book by Davis available at my eLibrary on audio, so decided it was time to try Fiona Davis. After falling in love with the writing, research and interesting topics, I was hooked. I went back and read most of Davis's novels. I kept one ([b:The Masterpiece|37504654|The Masterpiece|Fiona Davis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1513199542l/37504654._SY75_.jpg|59112137]) for my "hold one back" novel. I know you have heard me complain about dual-timelines, but Davis does a great job in tying the two stories together. I love the details of the Barbizon Hotel in 1950s, NY and the way "working women" lived and the rules around that. While the suspense for the mystery in this novel gets forgotten at times, but doesn't take away from enjoying the story. I highly recommend this one.
***I received a complimentary copy of this eBook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced