What a creepy little read! I've never read anything by Lisa Unger, but this story makes me want to pick up more by her. I liked the use of dual POVs because it allowed for more exploration of the setting and themes than would have been available through just a single one. I would have loved to have seen if there were something more sinister lurking it Kirin's other creations, though.

I love a good short read. However, the way the author wrote this made me want a full book. I have so many questions that need answered. I enjoyed this so much. It was quick to reel me in and honestly I did not see the ending at all. I have never read anything by the author and I will now be reading all her books.

Quick little creepy read! Perfect for a commute or evening by the fireplace. Second chances at love are never easy or expected. Wealth and privilege are not a guarantee of bliss. When a mother and daughter find themselves inside an AI run mansion of secrets, the past haunts them and no one is safe.

This quick novella by Lisa Ungar will 100% get you ready for the upcoming spooky season! This story follows Jules (mom) and Scout (angsty teenager), as they overcome the loss of their husband/father and attempt to move on with Jules’ new love, Kirin. Can Scout overcome her anger and despair to allow her mom to move on to a new love? There’s way more to it than that guys, like seriously. The whole time I was reading it, it took me back to an episode of Charmed (circa 1997) and I swore I knew how it would play out. Was I disappointed when it didn’t? A smidge. But it kept the book less sci-fi/paranormal and more practical- mostly! Absolutely recommend this to anyone and everyone!!

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this amazing ARC! The opinions and rating are my own and have not been biased in any way!

Once again, Lisa Unger offers readers an entertaining, expertly crafted and compelling story with The Doll's House. This eerie thriller arrives in time for Halloween, featuring a young widow's fresh romance with the seemingly perfect man. Unger's modern gothic short story offers a fresh take on familiar themes. We want the relationship to be everything Jules and her daughter Scout need to flourish in their new life with puppet artist, Kirin. If he and his spectacular home seems too good to be true, we could be wrong, couldn't we?

This reviewer absolutely loved this story. Jules is relatable and worthy of our empathy. (Plus, dolls and puppets are awesome!) A recommended read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing an advance copy of the book to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews.com at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

This is a short but sweet mystery that kept me engaged throughout. Unger masterfully creates an atmosphere of suspense and unease, weaving together the seemingly innocent with a dark, underlying menace.

The characters are well-drawn, especially considering the short format, and the pacing is just right—building tension with each page until the chilling conclusion. Unger's writing is vivid and evocative, making it easy to picture the unsettling world she creates. It’s perfect for spooky season, offering just the right amount of creepiness to get you in the mood for Halloween.

Overall, "The Doll's House" is a haunting and thought-provoking read that lingers in the mind long after you've finished it. It’s a perfect choice for readers who enjoy suspenseful, dark tales with a psychological twist. Highly recommended for a quick, spine-tingling read!

A widowed mother Jules moves into her artist fiancé Kirin’s old family mansion with her teenage daughter Scout. Scout finds a beautiful handmade doll belonging to Kirins late sister Emma and he gives the doll to Scout. Scout becomes curious about Emma and her disappearance years ago.
The story incorporates old tradition of doll making with technology. The story is about motherhood and childhood, grief and loss, hard choices and how memory haunts us.
This is a short story. It’s a perfect spooky story. I loved the creepiness. The characters were well developed and the story had an atmospheric setting. It had an emotional aspect with a mother daughter grieving the loss of a husband/father. There’s a mystery involving a missing girl.
Thank you #lisa Unger , #netgalley

“A good mother is only as happy as her unhappiest child. There is nothing more painful than when your child is hurting.” Ugh. This pulled on my mama heart.

This was a fun, twisty, paranormal short story. It honestly felt like an episode of Black Mirror. I enjoyed the setting in an old manor-style home with modern amenities including a seriously impressive AI/security system. There is another fun use of a futuristic technology system that MC Jules’ daughter,
Scout, utilizes. As a psych major, I could really go all in and analyze this story and its characters and discuss so many psychological disorders, but alas I wouldn’t want to spoil it. Read this one! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

This was a good short story. I feel like this could have definitely been a novel, the premise could have expanded alot. But for the purpose of a short story, I liked it overall.

An enjoyable short scary story if a little bit predictable

I really enjoyed the middle of the story but was hoping for a little bit more from the ending

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the early release of Lisa Unger's newest short story "The Doll's House". I think this spooky short story will be great for the fall and spooky season. It was fast paced and short. I don't necessarily love supernatural elements in stories and books and this does have somewhat of that element in there. I did not love this but I did not hate it either. I think a lot of people will enjoy this one for the upcoming spooky season it just was not exactly for me. I will still recommend this to readers and fans of Lisa Unger.

This was such a fast read and I really enjoyed it. I actually was sort of bummed that it wasn't longer because I wanted to keep reading! It wrapped up so nicely and had the perfect amount of detail for such a short story. The only reason this wasn't a 5 star read for me is because it did feel predictable. I guess I hoped for a little more of a shock factor to it. Overall, still such a good read and would recommend to anyone needing a short story that still will hook them. Nothing too graphic in my opinion, I wouldn't worry about trigger warnings. It's about what you'd expect with a thriller novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Originals for the ARC of The Doll’s House by Lisa Unger.

This short story by Unger was absolutely amazing. It was such a quick and fun read, and I couldn’t put it down.

Leslie is a widower after her husband takes his life, leaving her and her teenage daughter Scout to start over. A short time later, Leslie meets Kirin and she couldn’t imagine a more perfect scenario.

Kirin is an artist who is not only gorgeous and famous, but seems to want the best for Leslie and Scout. Leslie sells her apartment and she Scout move to Kirin‘s mansion . Kirin has a dark past filled with his own family secrets, and a sister, Emma, who went missing several years ago. They believe that she took her own life but never got the real answers they needed. Both Emma and Kirin were tortured artists; and he used her disappearance to perfect his craft.

After a short time in Kirin’s home things don’t seem to be adding up. Scout has her own views on the situation and when she meets new friends, they help her shed some light on the potential dangers of her new home.

Scout is determined to find out what happened to Emma and protect her mother at all costs.

Pub Date: September 12, 2024
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Creepy! This short story has all the complexities of a full length novel. Jules didn’t expect to fall in love again after being widowed. But she sold her apartment and she is taking her reluctant teen daughter, Scout, to live with her new fiancé, Kirin. They arrive at his home and Scout is appalled at the magnificent estate. Kirin is a successful artist who makes dolls and puppets and his mansion is a smart house run entirely by Vivi. But all is not as it seems in this palace where everyone is being watched. This is the perfect little sinister story to read during spooky season! Thank you Netgalley, Amazon Original Stories and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This novella will be released on September 12, 2024

I went into the story knowing it was a short story. I really wish there was more to it tho.
I liked the characters you really got a good feel for Jules and Scout. Right off the bat you don’t want to stop reading. Unfortunately it was very cut and dry. There is zero twists you know the story right off the get go. I really wish there was more to the story. But if you’re looking for a good easy and fast read I definitely recommend reading this one.

The Doll's House: A Short Story by Lisa Unger is expected to be published on September 12, 2024 and is about Jules and her daughter Scout moving in with Jules' fiance named Kirin. Like Jules and Scout, he's lost loved ones and wants to make them feel safe and secure. However, strange things start happening in the house and on the property. Is Jules imagining it, or is it real?

I'd like to thank NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy ARC of this short story. I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. Lisa Unger is one of my favorite authors and the cover art is amazing, so I was excited to read this latest story by her.

Told from alternating perspectives of Jules and Scout, the story was engaging and hard to put down. It has a familiar feel to it, and I let my mind go wild with different theories of where Lisa Unger was going with it. None of my theories panned out, which I'm glad about.

Since The Doll's House is a short story, the author had to get to the ending quickly. However, I wish it had been a full fledged novel because it could have been fleshed out more and much spookier. I just wanted more to the story than what we received. Four out of five stars.

This is one I had to read with the lights on. It's a short story, but isn't short on the creepiness. I'm a huge fan of Lisa Unger and this was a great little read. I don't typically go for short stories, but this is one I would recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC

A semi-spooky story about motherhood and grief, all taking place in a smart house. I had a good time with this.

Quick short read but was such a creepy well written story. To think k your life is going to be great again then things happen. I really enjoyed this book.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

Scout is forced to move in with Kirin, her mother's new boyfriend. Scout is still trying to grieve the death of her father and is not happy to be leaving her friends and the city to live on a secluded estate. Kirin ends up giving Scout a doll he made in honor of his sister Emma who is missing but presumed dead. Scout begins to feel that there is something wrong and is determined to find out what happened to Emma.

This is a fast, short story thriller. I enjoyed this book but thought it was rather predictable. The story could have been a bit longer to dive deeper into the characters and build more suspense. I also thought it was weird that a 17 year old girl would be excited to receive a doll. Overall, I liked the story and I think it would be a good read for people who like short thrillers.