Thank you Harper Audio for providing me with an ALC for review consideration.

It was a nice story, rich in history, but I just don’t think it’s my kind of book. Those who enjoy historical fiction and literary fiction would likely love it more than I did. I did like the narration though, found the book very enjoyable to listen to. The story itself was fascinating but I feel like it could have been more detail-rich, specifically with the dollhouses and miniature items. I’ve always found dollhouses to have a haunting beauty to them and wish we could’ve delved deeper into that.

"Nonsense! Libraries are the perfect place to grow up."

Set in alternating time periods, Tildy uncovers a mysterious room of dollhouses. She sets on a quest to uncover the creator, the history, and a solution to save the Belle.

This book was quick moving and pulled me out of a reading slump. It is a beautiful tribute to art, friendships, relationships, and literature. Some of my favorite things were included: my favorite children's novel, Disney, research and libraries. It was beautiful to watch the characters develop and learn so much about themselves through this. Readers will be inspired to reflect on their own growth, as well as ways to leave a legacy for the future.

Thanks to @williammorrowbooks, @harpercollins, and @netgalley for this advance listening copy in exchange for a fair review.
For those interested in historical fiction, dual timeline stories, architecture, and books that slowly unfurl their secrets, this one is for you.
It was a slow simmering sweet book as a young librarian slowly unravels what's behind a hidden room, and the connection between a dollhouse and her mother. It has all of the elements to capture your imagination and even enough history to google while you're reading - I especially enjoyed learning about Queen Mary's Dollhouse!
The narrator on the audiobook did a fine job capturing the characters and pacing. Of course I never listen to anything on 1.0 speed but certainly the accents and style enhanced the quality of the book. I would recommend it to patrons who enjoy a clean book with a slow to medium pace.
3*

The Library of Lost Dollhouses is a dual POV historical fiction following two women, one in present time and one in the 1910s. I loved learning about the history of dollhouses and picturing the ones Cora made. However, I struggled to connect with the characters for some reason and hoped for more depth in either the plot or the characters. This was a fast and easy read, so I would still recommend the Library of Lost Dollhouses to people that enjoy historical fiction.

I enjoyed the narration by Emily Rankin and Caroline Hewitt.

i received an ARC and ALC from William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks and HarperAudio Adult | HarperAudio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars.*

So much about this book appealed to me.

A multi-generational story of women who keep secrets, create history and protect one another, The Library of Lost Dollhouses tells the story of a young librarian who discovers a hidden room in the historical library where she works that houses two spectacular, detailed dollhouses. Her journey to find the provenance of the houses leads her to discover her own history and the story of the woman who built the houses and kept the secrets while preserving the stories of the women she met along the way.

My daughter has been making tiny doll things and fairy houses for as long as I can remember and I couldn't help but think that she would have made a perfect apprentice to Cora Hale.

I liked this one a lot.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Told in dual POV, as well as various time periods, The Library of Lost Dollhouses follows Tildy, a librarian at a beautiful and renowned library, and Cora, an artist with a mysterious past. When Tildy discovers a hidden room in her beloved library containing intricate and pristine dollhouses, her curiosity and excitement are ignited. The library is facing a financial crisis and desperately needs something to draw interest and funding. Convinced the dollhouses are the key to the library’s survival, Tildy goes on a quest to discover anything she can about the artist, Cora Hale. Cora’s story is one of adversity, determination, talent, love, and loss. We follow her life spanning decades and see how her art and her courage left a legacy that deserves to be shared.

The Library of Lost Dollhouses is a love letter to art and to gifted women whose stories are not always shared and celebrated. The writing is beautiful, the characters are enchanting, and the audio was fantastic. I can’t recommend this enough.

The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper is a historical fiction about a young librarian, Tilly, who discovers historic dollhouses in a hidden room, leading to questions about the library, maker of the dollhouses, and her own family. She embarks on an unexpected journey that reveals surprising secrets about the lost miniatures and leading to her own personal growth.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. The dual-timeline story was interesting, learning both about Tilly in present day and Cora Hale during the WWI and WWII timeframes. Sometimes historical fiction novels are very emotional but I found this one to a fast-paced heartwarming story that didn't cause me to "boohoo" cry (some early reviews are critiquing this saying it lacked depth because of it's pacing but I appreciated it because sometimes I want to read something historical but not be emotionally broken because of it). There were both elements of mystery and love, however nothing graphic. This would be a good option for readers who enjoy historical fiction but don't necessarily want to feel heartbroken.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.</i>

2.5 stars rounded up

I’m having a hard time explaining why this didn’t really hit for me - but I think it came down to not really getting the level of detail or investment in the characters. I was interested in the all the little details of the dollhouses but didn’t get that sort of development when it came to the actual story.

This book had an intriguing premise, but it struggled to find its identity. It shifted between romance, mystery, and historical fiction without fully developing any of them. The story introduced multiple mysteries but lacked a central focus, making it difficult to stay engaged. Some plot points were exaggerated, while others were brushed aside, and one character seemed to defy time itself. If the novel had centered on the mysteries within the dollhouses, it could have been a compelling read. Unfortunately, the lack of focus and emotional connection left me feeling detached, and by the end, I just wanted to finish it.

The narrator of the audiobook made it difficult to listen too. I had to speed it up to 2x because I felt like she read too slowly. Also, many times I was lost on who was talking because so many characters sounded the same.

I loved the story line. The connection to secrets hidden in dollhouses, the history and research put into the story, the time and patience that goes into building. I truly thought it was incredibly well done. It switched between different POV and timelines, yet I was never confused and I found that the book moved seamlessly and perfectly. It was easy to differentiate the characters and timelines. It was a quick read - I switched between audio and ebook and both were enjoyable. My only complaint is that the story was so focused on the dollhouses, both past and present, that I felt like I did not get enough from the characters' stories. It felt very flat and surface level... and I wish there was a better balance of the two. Overall, a quick and enjoyable read! 
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

I loved every second of this book. It is truly a beautifully written story that sucks you in from the first chapter. Working in a library myself, I loved Tildy's character and related to her so much. I also loved that it takes place in 2024 so it is very relatable and you don't feel disconnected. The pacing is perfect. Even with jumping between characters and time, you never feel disjointed while reading it. I love the way the story builds as you read and you discover Cora's life alongside Tildy. The author does a fantastic job of describing without feeling that you are being bogged down with details. This is the perfect book for fans of historical fiction as well as those that like some mystery elements included!

I absolutely loved this book!
And, I have to say that the cover totally drew me in! 😉

Imagine finding a hidden room in a place you've been working at... for a long time.
Then, imagine finding a collection of miniature dollhouses within this room. And... that these little houses actually HOUSED secrets of their own!!! 😮🫢

That IS: The Library of Lost Dollhouses!

Additionally, we get multiple POV's that span over quite some time. Like… a century…
We begin locally, to then Paris, and England...and even to Walt Disney!!! I mean, seriously, what an imagination!!!
And, I'm glad the author added a note at the end stating that it was all fiction, because she must've known that that was exactly what I was going to do.... start looking people and things up! Although she states that it is loosely based on some REAL people!!

This is Historical Fiction at its best!!
And, tells the story of MULTIPLE people along the way, so you are involved in the story throughout...
And… the secrets… At times I felt like I was reading The Rose Code!!

And the ending... just priceless! Especially since I became fond of all those involved and intricate to the story itself!!

4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me, happily rounded up to 5!!

#TheLibraryOfLostDollhouses by #EliseHooper and narrated beautifully by #EmilyRankin and #CarolineHewitt.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #HarperAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.
*** Release date was yesterday, 4/1/25, so look 👀 for it on shelves now !! ***

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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance review copy of this audiobook. I was captivated by the premise of the “Library of Lost Dollhouses” and thoroughly enjoyed the dual timeline structure. The meticulous attention to detail in the dollhouses and the intriguing mystery added a unique charm to the story. However, while the audiobook narrator performed well, I found her delivery less engaging, which caused my mind to wander at times. The pacing felt a bit too slow for my taste. All in all, I would still recommend this book but I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I read the print copy

Absolutely beautiful book. I loved how it focused not only around these beautiful hand crafted dollhouses but associated them with the war as well. Two timelines and POV, but both were easy to follow and eventually put together. Such a unique idea for a book and very creative. The details and descriptions of the dollhouses made me feel like I could see them. Phenomenal writing by the author. Great narration. I loved the ending.
This book has a bit of everything, a mystery, woman’s history, a bit of a love story and all around great writing.

5/5 for the lesbian undertones.

This is a beautiful story! The cover is beautiful, the narrator was great and I really enjoyed this story.

I wasn't certain what I expected when I picked up The Library of Lost dollhouses, however the story was so much more emotional and information than anticipated and I loved it. You won't get any supernatural or magical realism, but you will get a bit of a love story woven into a narrative about fierce, intelligent women in history who made their own contributions to the arts.

We meet Tildy who is the head curator of a small library in San Francisco, however the library has fallen out of the public's interest and is struggling financially. Yet one day, Tildy is n a storage room and discovers a hidden space with two intricate and exquisite dollhouses which has been hidden away for most of their existence. She starts to wander down the rabbit hole of the creator, Cora Hart, and who she was as an artist as well as how she ties into the life of Belva LeFarge, the heiress who established the library with the dollhouses.

the story is wonderfully woven and I loved the idea these women existed in history in some way. The author's afterword helps the reader understand that though the story is ultimately fiction, many of the characters references within are based loosely on true women in history. Once I finished the story, I wanted to know more about the real women who inspired this story. This historical fiction hit me in all the right places to make me feel connected to the story and people. I was fully invested in their story though the end.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. I was attracted to the cover and I was really enjoying this book until the lesbian undertones started coming in. I wish that this was mentioned as I do not read that kind of books. So that was a negative for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperAudio Adult & Elise Hooper for the chance to listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a historical tale that will send you to google to research the strong and resilient women that the author was inspired by. The dual timelines brought each mystery to light in a beautiful way.

The dual narration for each timeline/POV was really well done.

Tildy Barrows, Head Curator of a beautiful archival library in San Francisco. She accidentally comes across a hidden door and discovers two never before seen dollhouses. This send Tildy on a hunt to discover their history and possibly save her library.

Tildy is a bit of a mouse at first. But let me tell you, before this story is over, she roars. She is determined to find out about the history surrounding these doll houses and how her own mother’s picture is in one.

Y’all know I love a book with secrets and this novel is full of them. Not only that…she has STRONG women characters that you will want to know more about. This story had me researching because not only does it have great women it is full of history!

I have read one other book by this author, Fast Girls. I highly recommend that one as well!

Need a novel full of secrets and great female characters…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

5 Stars!

Thank you to HarperAudio Adult for the ARC of this audiobook on NetGalley! All opinions in this review are my own.

Tildy works as the Head Curator at a library in the Beaux Art building, and her life takes an expected turn when she discovers some never before seen dollhouses, and learns the library is on the brink of bankruptcy. Upon discovering the dollhouses, Tildy and the library reach out to the public for more information, and Tildy starts to learn her family history is connected to the Beaux Art building in ways she never anticipated. This story is told from two different time periods, with Tildy in present day, and Cora, our other narrator and creator of the houses, from pre-WWI to the 1970s.

What drew me into this book and made me request the ARC was that I grew up with a beloved dollhouse my grandpa built for me. Since then, I’ve had a love of miniatures and historic dollhouses, so I felt I could relate to Tildy’s passion for learning more about the houses in this book. This book was so much more than I thought it would be and I absolutely loved it! I loved learning the history of dollhouses woven through the story, from trying to bring joy to a town, and telling one's personal history through the houses.

What I loved most about this book was that it was a story of uncovering a woman’s talent who had been forgotten to history, while also revisiting history that might be difficult to share and setting the record straight. History, especially family history, can be messy and complicated, but Tildy faces these issues head on and works to correct the story to remember talented women like Cora.

I also thought the narrator did a perfect job portraying both Tildy and Cora in this audiobook!