Member Reviews

Thank you Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Natasha Boydell for this Arc of The Doll's House.

Here I sit a few hours after finishing this book, trying to figure out what to say in this box....
Although I can't distinctly pick out anything I didn't like about this book, my feelings are quite complicated.. I think my rating is more of a 3.5 rounded up than a 4. I just feel kinda Meh..

The Prolouge grips you up, it draws you in pretty quick, it's a very fast paced, easy story to read. I found myself falling asleep and waking myself back up saying come on just a little more, I didn't want to put it down, I probably read about 2/3rds of the book then finished the rest in the morning. All that makes it sound like I loved it right.. ehhh there wasn't much to love about it honestly, it was all pretty predictable from the start, you kind of found yourself saying "duhh" to the main character, like hello how did you not expect that to happen next right!? It would be hard for me to think of a character I actually really liked in this story, I mean besides her and her family which is obviously set up to make you feel that way, but all of her friends were pretty generic, none really stood out to make you root for anyone, at one point even the husband was kind of questionable.

One thing I did REALLY LOVE- The second you thought you had it figured out the Author smacked you in the face with another twist. I really loved that, that made a really great ending. But I mean should you have to read a whole book just to finally have an "aha moment" at the end!? No you should be excited about what you're reading all the way through and I just didn't feel it, at the end I was kinda like really!?! Just forgive everyone just like that !? Like i felt like her and her kids were owed a lot more, they kind of went through hell just to get out of it not really gain anything spectacular.. then again the ending where Summer is writing grips you up again and makes you want more. I felt like maybe if we had more of her POV the story might have been a little more exciting.. or maybe confusing.. lol but still it would have gripped you up a bit more.. like what is this wacko going to do next!!?!?!

Funny thing is, with all that said, I can't really think of anything that could have happened to make the story better imo, I felt like everything happened that should have, it's wrapped up. Let's move on the the next

Was this review helpful?

Two days till Christmas, and boy, are we busy here at my house getting things ready.
But I just had to finish this amazing thriller before doing anything else!

From the first page, I was completely drawn into the story and was so hooked that I couldn't put it down.

They say Imitation is the sincerest form if flattery, but is it really when someone is trying to steal your life out from under you, and has you questioning your own sanity?

This psychological thriller has an intricately woven plot, creative and compelling characters, suspense, stalking, and gaslighting, which made for an intense and intriguing read.

I normally can guess how most thrillers are going to end, but the final twist in this book staggered me, and the last few pages of the epilogue were just chilling. I think it definitely needs a sequel 👀

I highly recommend 4/5 🌟

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for my copy. My review was voluntary



Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DD7puhfyJGv/?igsh=MWxodzJxNzdpMWNqZg==

Was this review helpful?

This is a tense read that had me screaming at the characters to open their eyes. I couldn't believe how easily they were taken in. I really admired Naomi's determination to track down the truth even in the face of several shocks. This is a good read with a couple of great twists from an author who is new to me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

Was this review helpful?

Loved it.... Simply put. Recently I've found it hard to find a thriller that I can't put down but this was one of those that you're like "just 1 more chapter" and before you know it, it's 3am.
I could identify with your main character, mum Naomi. If you've ever had primary school aged children you know the dreaded school runs, cliques of mums, PTA crew, the awkward where do I stand and wait etc. The author got this perfectly, I just know she's spent many an awkward year doing those awful pickups/drop offs. I just felt so connected to Naomi which to me makes you care about that main character and I felt the same frustration and hurt that she did when all of her so called friends turn against her.

I will certainly be adding #NatashaBoydell to my favourite author list. However, my only negative would be the books title #TheDollsHouse as I don't really think that it was too relevant to the plot.

Such a great unpredictable read, especially for mums. We all hate the Christmassacre of the school fayre too....

Was this review helpful?

Finished this one as well, and I loved breezing through this one because it was such a page-turner!
Naomi finally sold her home to Summer, a friendly single mother, and her own family moves to their dream home close by. But it looks like Summer is trying to get a bit too friendly to the extent that she is copying Naomi.
Is this really happening, or is it simply in Naomi's head?
This thriller kept me on the edge and I had to know what happens next! It was a great read right till the very end and certainly one of the best books I read this year.

Was this review helpful?

this book was a very addictive read this authors book are just so addictive. Naomi and her husband Oliver are selling their house for their dream home more room for their two daughters. then the buyer pulls out. and then they have another buyer Summer and her daughter, Naomi helps her as she new to the area. she introduces her to her friends. then things start to go wrong the house, and someone is watching them saying no more it's a very gripping read.

Was this review helpful?

Fantastic, Creepy, Mysterious, Appalling …. All emotions I felt while reading this book. Gave me serious “single while female” vibes (which I loved). They say Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but is it really? Especially when you are essentially trying to steal someone’s life. I hated how her husband questioned her sanity, how her friends didn’t defend her feelings. She keeps trying to prove her suspicions for them to be twisted against her. What an exciting and thrilling psychological read.

Was this review helpful?

The Dolls's House kept my head spinning until the very last sentence. There were easily a minimum of 4 twists throughout this story, and I was constantly reeling over what was happening. I could feel Naomi's anxiety when people wouldn't believe her, causing her to question her own sanity. This one had me hooked.

Was this review helpful?

2.5 Stars. I regret that I am in the minority here. I failed to engage in this psychological thriller as I found most characters despicable, including the main character, Naomi. She was obsessive in her thoughts and impulsive in her actions. Her overwhelming stress bordered on paranoia. Her longtime circle of friends ignored her concerns and excluded her from their activities in favour of a newcomer. She was quick to anger, and it seemed unrealistic that everyone was so quick to forgive. The only character who seemed decent was Naomi's husband, Oliver. He was very patient and supportive of Naomi's complaints and moods, but I kept wishing he would boot her out of their home and lock the door.

Naomi and Oliver lived in a cramped apartment, too small for themselves and their two daughters, Freya and Bella. They were overjoyed when their apartment was sold to a woman named Samantha. This gave them the ability to buy a house with a backyard. Naomi then started viewing her former apartment with rose-coloured glasses while complaining that their new house required too much renovation. In her mind, leaving the apartment was a mistake.

Samantha shows up at her house, befriends Naomi, and is pleasant with her friends. She begins copying Naomi's mannerisms, clothes, hair colour and style. She has a daughter, Luna, and enrolls her in Freya's class. When Naomi confides in her friends her suspicion of Samantha's intent, they feel that Naomi's stress contributes to her feelings and believe Samantha's side of the story. Now, Samantha has inserted herself into the group of Naomi's former friends who exclude Naomi from their activities. Freya is unhappy at school, as her best friends have switched to Luna, and there are reports of fighting between Luna and Freya at the school. Which girl is to blame for incidences of bullying? Naomi confronts the classroom teacher and others at the school, although Freya begs her not to do so. Luna is kept home by her mother, Samantha, causing Naomi to lurk around their home, peering in windows. She concludes that Luna is being mistreated and reports her suspicions to authorities. Because of her own outlandish behaviour, very few accept her concerns. She feels that she is being stalked and that her home and her father's have been entered and small items missing. Samantha has a doll house that is weirdly made to resemble her new house. After an ugly, disruptive encounter with Samantha in front of the school, Naomi confronts Samantha privately and learns that her own past is not what she thought. This results in anger toward her father and an encounter with a woman she never knew existed. This woman reveals some of Samantha's long-held secrets and Naomi's past.

She learns that her 13-year-old daughter Bella has dropped out of an afterschool class that was preparing her for her future goal of performing on stage. Bella has been taking private lessons from Samantha instead and has been told not to tell her family. She also learns that Samantha and Oliver have been exchanging text messages and that they were observed kissing. She now fears that Samantha is planning to take her place with Oliver and her daughters and could be planning to murder her. Is this more paranoia, or is her life endangered? Who would believe her fantasies?

This is a book with many twists and turns. The revelation in the last passage is a shocker and begs for a sequel. The Doll's House includes obsession, jealousy, false identities, lies, secrets, fear, danger, gaslighting, and unknown pasts.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this suspenseful, intense story with unreliable characters. Publication is due on January 13th, 2025. Recommended for readers who enjoy psychological drama with unforeseen twists.

Was this review helpful?

A real page-turner about a wife and mother who tries to befriend a new woman who then tries to ruin her life. Naomi has just sold her flat and moved into a bigger house with husband Oliver and daughters Freya and Bella. She works part-time as an accountant and has a lot of friends with the parents of her daughter's school mates. The woman who bought her flat is Summer and she and her daughter Luna will be going to the same school and want to be friends with Naomi and her family. At first everything seems great, but then Naomi notices that Summer seems to be copying her clothes and hairstyles, asking Naomi's friends for get togethers without inviting her and she even shows up with some of Naomi's belongings which she somehow stole.

This is a story about gaslighting and I felt sorry for Naomi as no one believed her, her young daughter Freya was being accused of being a bully and she slowly lost all of her friends to Summer. Even her own husband struggled to believe her as she became more and more anxiety ridden sure she was being followed and someone was in their home. I felt a lot of frustration that Naomi's long-time friends, her husband and her 13 year old daughter all believed someone they barely knew over Naomi. Lots of suspense and a few twists made this a quick and suspenseful read. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for a copy of this ARC for review.

Was this review helpful?

This was a really intense read. But I really enjoyed the story, the flow, and the characters. The twists were really good! 👍🏻
Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this

Was this review helpful?

The Dolls House by Natasha Boydell, When the book starts Naomi learns someone has agreed to purchase their terrace apartment which means they can move into her dream home, a couple of blocks away. The woman buying her home is named Summer and she’s strikingly attractive, and seems like the nicest person Naomi has ever met. After the move, however, Naomi starts learning strange things about the woman. First of all she told the school that Naomi insisted she sent her daughter Luna there because that’s where Naomi‘s daughter Freya goes. then she shows up with her hair, cut exactly like Naomi and slowly, but surely summer also infiltrates Naomi‘s friend group and isolates her. she even gets her daughter Luna to make up lies about little Freya and get her in trouble at school. Naomi knows she is being targeted by summer, but it seems every time she says something summer comes out looking like the victim and Naomi like a crazy person. it isn’t until Naomi be friends the one person she also isolated from her friend group Angie, that things start to happen but when she finds Angie having coffee with summer, she believes she’s been betrayed. Naomi wants to know why summer is doing this to her from creeping around her home coming on to her husband and making up lies about sweet little Freya and stealing her personal items and by the time Naomi knows the truth she may not live to prove she was the victim. once again, I couldn’t make up my mind if I loved this book or didn’t even like it because although the book was thrilling and had twist, they all just felt like OK kind of twist. Not to mention who’s friends with somebody for four years and then has some newcomer coming to the mix and they totally sway you to believe things about your longtime friend… Really? I mean her husband‘s reactions to her accusations were believable and on point, but her friends not only believe what they say about her but about her daughter Freya. I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to know how the story ended, because I did. I do think this author is a great writer and I do recommend this book because people seem to like it. I just thought it was only OK. #NetGalley, #NatashaBoydell,#TheDollsHouse,

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Doll’s House.

I definitely enjoyed this one. I think my first by this author. We were straight into the action more or less from page 1, and it didn’t really let up all the way through.

I didn’t guess the twist and the final line had my jaw on the floor! A cliffhanger to finish!

Will be reading more by this author for sure! The only thing I was a bit confused about was the title of the book, as the dolls house only played a very small part in the storyline, seemed a bit of a strange choice for the title of the book. But still a solid four stars for me.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved loved loved this book!

Perfect to get you out of a reading slump or if you're looking for a fast Paced book

It keeps you engaged/hooked from start to finish!

Was this review helpful?

We've all had a friend that copies your lifestyle (or bits of it) this book explores that perfectly and even had me questioning what was "truth or fiction"
Highly recommended.

Was this review helpful?

I read this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review, so thank you NetGalley!!!

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

Where to start with this book… I absolutely enjoyed it! I love that it wasn’t super fast paced, but it also wasn’t losing my interest.

The beginning started out with Naomi finally getting an offer on her flat and moves her family to another house. A woman, Summer, bought her house. At first, she seemed very sweet and genuine. But there was something… off… about her, and Naomi couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Then, she got the same haircut as Naomi, enrolled her daughter to the same school, bought the same dress, and Naomi’s things start to go missing.

It was an eerie read for sure, I absolutely enjoyed every chapter. When Naomi felt like she was alone and going crazy with her own thoughts, I also felt like this. I was waiting for the “twist”. But the twist was NOT what I expected at all!

I think I enjoyed this book partially because of the non traditional structure. There were some creepy and spooky parts of this book, but the end wasn’t JUST the end. Usually, in books I’ve read, someone tries to kill someone else, and then it ends. Then the story jumps to “2 years later” and everything is explained.

This novel, however, has the unfolding happen, then a quick(ish) scene of attempted murder, THEN Summer STILL tries to play the victim. I love that this novel shows how life is like right after the event. Then pretty much everything is explained, and the twist didn’t stop there. When Naomi went to meet her bio mom, another twist is revealed, that Summer isn’t actually Summer. It’s Christina. Then in the prologue we get a POV from Christina tying up loose ends.

I will definitely be checking out more books by this author, and thank you again NetGalley for accepting me to read this wonderful novel.

Was this review helpful?

I have been very fortunate to read some excellent books this year, and this is by far, one of the best psychological thrillers I have ever read. This is my first book by Natasha Boydell, and I now know what a 5 ⭐️ read is. This was a rollercoaster of a ride, and I was gripped throughout, from beginning to the brilliant, and creepy end.

Naomi is a mother to two daughters, Bella 13, and Freya 7. She’s just found out that the buyers for her flat have pulled out, but thankfully for Summer Caldwell, who’s original offer was turned down, has now been accepted. Everyone is happy, and Naomi and her family can now move to their big house a few streets away.

That’s all I’m going to say about this brilliant book, because the suspense was off the scale, and you just have to read it for yourself.

Thanks to Natasha Boydell, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley, for providing me with this free ARC, with which I leave a voluntary review.

5 ⭐️

Release Date: 13th January 2025

Was this review helpful?

A riverting psychological thriller with single-white-female/Motherland vibes. A page-turner that’s definitely worth a read.

Was this review helpful?

Quite a creepy psychologocal thriller. It had that slightly wrong-footed feeling you get with a narrator you aren't completely sure of. Really added to the creepiness. Recommended for readers who like this sort of thing.

Was this review helpful?

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Doll’s House’ written by Natasha Boydell in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Naomi, Oliver and their daughters Bella and Freya are moving to a larger house nearby and sell their flat to Summer and her seven-year-old daughter Luna. Naomi likes Summer and believes they can be friends but doubts start to emerge when Summer changes her hair style to match Naomi’s, wears an identical dress, and has a doll’s house that’s a replica of their new home. Then the school mums ignore her in the playground and she’s worried that Summer could spreading lies about her.

‘The Doll’s House’ is an addictive psychological thriller that’s had me gripped from page one. The story is well-written with an intricately woven plot, compelling characters, and lots of suspense, drama and intrigue that’s kept me reading well past my bedtime. The final twist was staggering and threw out all my preconceived ideas of how it was going to end and the final pages of the epilogue were so chilling I was left open-mouthed in trepidation. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading this thriller, my first by this author, but hopefully not my last as I’ll be looking out for more by her.

Was this review helpful?