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A review by em_thebookish_girl
Dollhouse by Kyla Faye
4.0
*Slight spoilers*
Dollhouse is Kyla Faye's debut novel and book #1 in the Down We Go series; it's a *very* dark and steamy RH romance. Yes, there are some unsettling scenes/incidents, hence it might discourage you from reading this book. But please try to keep an open mind because personally, it's a compelling story with all of its gut/heart wrenching incidents and circumstances. Witnessing what the heroine experienced in the past: her despair, pain and sorrow was vivid and heartbreaking to see. I don't easily get affected/triggered but... it was intense. Nevertheless, Kyla Faye pulled me into the story; addressing these sensitive subjects so well. And as the storyline started to unfold, I wasn't disappointed! The drastic change of events completely caught me off guard!!! I loved the sudden shift, it exceeded my expectations!! And it got better and better as I turned each page. It was captivating; I was unable to put it down. And don't even get me started on the plot twists! The suspenseful ending though! My gosh! I hope book #2 will be released soon. All the characters have great relationship dynamics with each other. But they sure do have dark fantasies/desires (please check triggers before reading). I enjoyed seeing their interactions and internal dialogues, even when they were remembering/talking about their painful memories.
A story of five characters intertwining together: Eli, King, Rowan, Lee and Tate. Each characters' build up to their backstory was amazing! Flowing effortlessly as the plot unravelled. Finding herself in a difficult situation Tate is trying to understand these men's motive(s). Despite the circumstances, from the moment they met, King and Tate hit it off instantly creating a connection. King is the most expressive one out of three; he is not afraid of expressing his emotions. Hence, he made it clear that wanted Tate from the start. Eli is reserved and guarded; he doesn't easily react, he's always in control. It took a while for Eli's character to unravel; to let down his guard. And Rowan, well, he has a temper; he's hot-headed and he acted a complete j*rk towards Tate. But he had his reasons. Rowan constantly had an internal battle with himself. And Tate had these lethal men wrapped around her little finger; they adore her. With everything Tate lived through, it pushed her to be the person she's today. She's stronger than she realized.
Lee can be seen as a fragile and delicate character, but she's a fighter through and through. I mean, she endured all the pain inflicted on her for so many years. Lee is well aware of her situation; she's not in denial but it was impossible to leave. Ever since she was a young girl, Lee has had a fascination and fixation with death. And being trapped in an abusive relationship Lee's "dark thoughts" increased tenfold. To the outside world, she has a perfect marriage: a loving, caring and successful husband who is well known in the community. But that's far from the truth. No one is aware of the dire situation she is in. Then there's Tate, she's dark and gloomy; she is not much of a "people person" preferring her own company. With a fresh start in a new city, Tate is working at "Sinners", a well known elite exclusive club when her path crossed three mysterious men. She was automatically drawn to them. Tate doesn't know how powerful these men are, but she's about to find out. Eli, Rowan and King rule the city; they are ruthless, brutal and dangerous. What do Tate and Lee have in common? Well... you are going to have to read and find out.
*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest
**trigger warning dub/non-con and mature/disturbing situations, graphic violence, emotional and physical abuse and mentions of suicide/overdose
Dollhouse is Kyla Faye's debut novel and book #1 in the Down We Go series; it's a *very* dark and steamy RH romance. Yes, there are some unsettling scenes/incidents, hence it might discourage you from reading this book. But please try to keep an open mind because personally, it's a compelling story with all of its gut/heart wrenching incidents and circumstances. Witnessing what the heroine experienced in the past: her despair, pain and sorrow was vivid and heartbreaking to see. I don't easily get affected/triggered but... it was intense. Nevertheless, Kyla Faye pulled me into the story; addressing these sensitive subjects so well. And as the storyline started to unfold, I wasn't disappointed! The drastic change of events completely caught me off guard!!! I loved the sudden shift, it exceeded my expectations!! And it got better and better as I turned each page. It was captivating; I was unable to put it down. And don't even get me started on the plot twists! The suspenseful ending though! My gosh! I hope book #2 will be released soon. All the characters have great relationship dynamics with each other. But they sure do have dark fantasies/desires (please check triggers before reading). I enjoyed seeing their interactions and internal dialogues, even when they were remembering/talking about their painful memories.
A story of five characters intertwining together: Eli, King, Rowan, Lee and Tate. Each characters' build up to their backstory was amazing! Flowing effortlessly as the plot unravelled. Finding herself in a difficult situation Tate is trying to understand these men's motive(s). Despite the circumstances, from the moment they met, King and Tate hit it off instantly creating a connection. King is the most expressive one out of three; he is not afraid of expressing his emotions. Hence, he made it clear that wanted Tate from the start. Eli is reserved and guarded; he doesn't easily react, he's always in control. It took a while for Eli's character to unravel; to let down his guard. And Rowan, well, he has a temper; he's hot-headed and he acted a complete j*rk towards Tate. But he had his reasons. Rowan constantly had an internal battle with himself. And Tate had these lethal men wrapped around her little finger; they adore her. With everything Tate lived through, it pushed her to be the person she's today. She's stronger than she realized.
Lee can be seen as a fragile and delicate character, but she's a fighter through and through. I mean, she endured all the pain inflicted on her for so many years. Lee is well aware of her situation; she's not in denial but it was impossible to leave. Ever since she was a young girl, Lee has had a fascination and fixation with death. And being trapped in an abusive relationship Lee's "dark thoughts" increased tenfold. To the outside world, she has a perfect marriage: a loving, caring and successful husband who is well known in the community. But that's far from the truth. No one is aware of the dire situation she is in. Then there's Tate, she's dark and gloomy; she is not much of a "people person" preferring her own company. With a fresh start in a new city, Tate is working at "Sinners", a well known elite exclusive club when her path crossed three mysterious men. She was automatically drawn to them. Tate doesn't know how powerful these men are, but she's about to find out. Eli, Rowan and King rule the city; they are ruthless, brutal and dangerous. What do Tate and Lee have in common? Well... you are going to have to read and find out.
*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest
**trigger warning dub/non-con and mature/disturbing situations, graphic violence, emotional and physical abuse and mentions of suicide/overdose