Like many of Lisa Unger's works, this examines the dark side of relationships and has great characters. I would've liked a full-length book to have time to build the suspense and learn more about the backstory.

Love a creepy short story. Thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend if you are a fan of unger. I would recommend if you are a fan of her work.

This was a quick fun read.
Right away our main characters are moving into a new home after a recent passing of a loved one.
Mom is to look to the future respectfully, her daughter, not so much.

The new fiance is a great guy. Very successful, wealthy, respectful that the daughter is still grieving her father, has welcomed them into his massive home and made his space their space, customized special areas for each of them to foster their creativity.

Everything is perfect, right?

Who is this random woman who keeps appearing around the property? Who is humming 1am when everyone should be asleep? AND why does this "Alexa" wannabe of a smart house seem so judgy...rude!?

There’s something about Lisa Unger’s books that pull me in and keep me begging for more.

Even when they’re about the last topic on earth I want to read about: creepy dolls.

This was the perfect novella to read for the spooky season, and it was a quick one too. Beyond the fact that it’s a novella, it’s also one you won’t be able to put down!

This was fine. Wildly predictable. But as far as shorter stories go, it would be a good one for someone just starting out in the thriller/horror department. For me personally, I felt like it was lacking in a lot of information and depth.

It is not impossible to write a gripping, thrilling short story, see everything short ever written by Daphne du Maurier or Shirley Jackson. It is a challenge, however, to build up characters, arcs, inciting incidents, etc. over a short story in a way that makes the reader commit to it the way they would with a full novel. I really enjoyed the premise of Lisa Unger's The Doll's House, with Jules trying to move on from the death of her husband and Scout, her daughter, dealing with the loss of a parent and now change. The story is also told through their dual perspectives. There is a lot of emotional intensity to mine there, and Kirin as the "too good to be true" new partner could also work really well, especially with the combination of his work and the new house. Added to that is the history of Kirin's sister. This, however, is a lot for a short story. It's almost as if a full-length novel was trimmed into a short story and as a consequence, all subtlety or nuance was lost. The story begins with Jules and Scout moving into Kirin's house and then, from there, I don't think more than a week passes, if even that. The developments that take place, especially in Kirin's character and Scout's was too quick for me to be able to suspend my disbelief. On top of that, there were a lot of elements that felt a little over-the-top, although I probably would have accepted them in a novel where they had more time to be established. For me, The Doll's House just simply wanted to do too much all at once. I probably would have enjoyed it more if either it had been either down, significantly, by focusing on just one perspective for example, or stretching the time period it covered, so that it doesn't all feel quite as sudden.

Reviewed alongside 'The Lover' by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

This was such a fun and fast read. I was intrigued throughout the story and I definitely recommend it!

Lisa Unger is one of my faves and the The Doll's House didn't disappoint! It's a short story and I was captivated from beginning to end. It was both chilling and creepy, making for an thrilling read.

I appreciate the ARC

The Doll's House is a short story, but wow it does not disappoint. I was hooked from the beginning and was so thankful I could read this in one sitting.

Jules is trying to move on after the death of her husband. Scout, her teenage daughter, is not happy about her mom not only dating again, but moving them out of their NYC apartment to an upstate mansion, a new school her senior year, a new place to live, a new guy for her mom.

Kirin is a doll maker.... and shortly after they move in weird things start to happen.

Thank you Lisa Unger, Amazon Original Stories, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Doll's House
Lisa Unger

A really well written, spooky little tale ...
A mother, who's moving on after the death of her husband with her daughter and new boyfriend, begins to experience spooky stuff ... Is this really happening? Could it be stress causing her imagination to run amuck?

The story kept me intrigued. I enjoyed the writing, and I thought the characters were well fleshed out. I think it certainly could have been longer, giving more space to expand. (And more time for the events within to take place, which could have benefited certain aspects.) Instead, it got right to the point ... and I respect it.

An hour well spent.

4 / 5

Chilling and very gripping. I love Unger's writing style. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the free eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This is a fantastic short story! There is an ominous tone created throughout the entire story. The ending was good. I would love to read a sequel! If you like dark unsettling stories, this is perfect for you! Special Thank You to Lisa Unger, Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

"The Doll's House" is a short story that captivated me from beginning to end. It was both chilling and creepy, making for an excellent read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

ARC Review 💌 (I'm sorry it's so late. I was unable to read this at the time, but I finally got to it and still wanted to leave a review)

This short story is about a widowed mother, Jules, who is ready to give love another chance. She moves into her fiancé's smart house with her teenage daughter, Scout. But as they try to build a future together, the past refuses to let go.

I was quite surprised by this story. I don't generally go for short stories but this sounded really interesting and I wanted to give it a try. It started off really well, very easy to get into and I liked the main characters. The plot was also really good. The book was progressing very well and I was certainly entertained. I listened to the audio version and I feel like that already made the experience better (I liked the narrators).

Throughout the story I kept trying to figure out what happened to Kirin's sister, and I had my own new theories after every chapter, however, I must say near the end of the story I felt things happened a bit too fast. I know it is a short story, but I feel like even with maybe 2 or 3 more chapters it would've been better. The ending was also slightly predictable but, I still liked it and I was shocked at it regardless.!

The concept of this story is great. I think it's very creative and I really did enjoy reading The Doll's House. Other than the pace at the end, and the ending being a little predictable, I really had fun with this one.

Thank you Lisa Unger and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this short story🫶🏼

Format: Kindle / Audible
Rating: 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: -

Book Review:
Title: The Doll's House
Author: Lisa Unger
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

This was a creepy little tale that I listened to during the spooky season last month. Jules Cranor is a widowed woman with a teenage daughter, Scout.
Kirin Winslow, a single, handsome puppet and doll maker, manages to sweep Jules off of her feet even though she's still in mourning. Scout is determined to not let this new situation progress easily. After Jules and Scout move into Kirin's mansion, the Winslow House, Scout comes across a handmade doll.

Kirin created this doll in memory of his sister, Emma, who went missing and presumed dead, although her body had never been found. Kirin gifts the doll to Scout. That's when strange things begin happening. Scout starts to see a young girl with dark hair, crying, in what is called "The Grief Garden," which was created by Kirin and Emma's late mother. The Emma doll and this ghostly girl seem to be trying to send Scout a message. Maybe Scout should look into the stories of Kirin's dolls?

There were definitely some creepy parts in this novella, especially since dolls were present. A quick read!

Published: September 12th, 2024

Thank you, @netgalley and @amazonoriginals, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was my first book from this author, and wow was i pleasantly surprised! I thought this book was absolutely fantastic, especially for a novella.

I love a fast paced, short chapter, quick to point kinda book and this delivers!

The ending twist was predictable but still done very well, however, one of the little twists did surprise me and I was not expecting it at all!

I will definitely pick up more books from this author now I’ve had a taste of her writing!

This was a short story that made you want to keep reading til the end. If you are a lover of Lisa under then you will not be disappointed. If you have never read her you will become a fan. This is a good mother daughter book

Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for a chance to review this eARC!

This was the perfect novella for spooky season! It delivers all the chills!

Jules Cranor, recently widowed and a mother to a teenager Scout, meets Kirin Winslow and falls helplessly in love. Kirin is a doll and puppet maker, rich and soon asks Jules and Scout to move in with him. Although Kirin's house is modern and equipped with the latest technology, Scout finds a doll resembling Kirin's late sister Emma. Scout is unable to escape the feeling that a danger lurks in the house…and its gaze is fixed on her mother.

Short stories are usually a hit or a miss for me. Unfortunately, this is a miss.

This novella manages to give off a creepy vibe. However, I wish the scenes with the dolls were creepier. Maybe it's because it is a short story. Perhaps if this was longer and it did a deeper dive into character development this would have worked out better.

I like the pacing. For a short story, it was well paced. The opening dives right into the book and I was immediately intrigued.

I could guess of the plot points and twists so this spoils the fun a little. Some parts are clichéd. I was left with so many unanswered questions and that was disappointing.

All in all, this was a decent read. Entertaining but without the wow factor. Maybe it's just not for me.
𝓜𝔂 𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰: ⭐⭐⭐/5

Thank you NetGalley @netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for my complimentary copy.

This is such a fun short story! I honestly felt like it. Plus have been extended into a full novel. It uses suspense masterfully to create tension and leave you on the edge of your seat. The hints are all there… such a good spooky read!