Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. couldn't put this book down! And I thought I had it all figured out, but NOPE. I got it all wrong.

Evocative psychological thriller set in a dysfunctional family (aren’t they all) by a brand-new author.

This is a story of two sisters, Corinne and Ashley. Ashley is happily married with a teenage daughter, a primary school son and a baby girl. Corinne is desperately trying to have her first child with her live-in boyfriend Dominic using in-vitro fertilization. Corinne receives an anonymous gift that looks like an item from the doll house that her father built the sisters when they were children. As the book continues, more doll house items mysteriously appear at Corinne’s work and on the kitchen counter inside her apartment. Is this really happening or is Corinne an unreliable narrator due to her mental health issues with coping after her father’s recent death. Her boyfriend, Dominic, doesn’t believe Corinne and instead thinks that Corinne’s hormones from the IVF are negatively impacting her judgement. Even Corinne begins to doubt herself,

It must a coincidence. I haven’t seen the house in years, we don’t even know where it is.  I’m imagining things, the way I do when I’m anxious.
The Doll House is narrated alternately by the sisters and occasionally by a secondary character.  In addition, at the end of most chapters, the “villain” narrates in italics. There were not many options for the villain making the a-ha moment at the end rather underwhelming.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good psychological thriller that also contains dysfunctional family dynamics. The Doll House is much better than some of my favorite author’s first novels.  I am looking forward to many more novels in the future from Ms. Morgan. 4 stars!

Thanks to the publisher, HQ Digital, and netgalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Since it's fall now, basically everything I'm reading is either horror or thrillers. The Doll House by Phoebe Morgan is definitely a thriller. I finished this book in just one day. It's a page turner and while I wouldn't say it's my favorite book of all time, it for sure wasn't boring. I'll tell you the synopsis and then my thoughts about it.

No Spoilers

The Synopsis

Corrine and Dominic are a couple who seems to have everything. Corrine is from a wealthy family that she's very close to. Her father passed away almost a year ago but besides that everything looks perfect. However, Dominic and Corrine are struggling to have the one thing they want the most in life, a baby. After three failed rounds of IVF they've decided to give it one more chance. Soon after, Corrine finds a piece of a dollhouse chimney pot outside her door. It looks just like a piece to an old dollhouse that her father built her and she takes it as a sign that this time the IVF will be successful. Soon after, more and more dollhouse pieces begin to show up and Corrine realizes that someone knows too much about her life and childhood. The pieces even look like they came from Corrine's actual dollhouse that she hasn't seen in years. As the tension builds and more sinister, strange things happen Corrine becomes paranoid. She wonders who is watching her and how they know so much. Eventually she'll have the answers she's looking for but they're almost too strange to believe...

My Thoughts

As I said above, this is a page turning, suspenseful, thriller. I really enjoyed it and not a single part bored me. To be honest, my only "complaints" really are not a big deal. My first being that no reason is ever given for why Dominic and Corrine have to have IVF. As someone that is currently dealing with infertility, IVF is usually the last resort. The book never gives any insight into why they're having fertility issues. I feel the author used the infertility and IVF treatments as a way to make Corrine an emotional/hormonal person, which is fine, I just wish there was more detail given. My second issue was Ashley, Corrine's sister, says she's (Ashley) an atheist at one point but later in the book it mentions her thanking God and praying. I just thought it was a strange inconsistency but not a big deal. That was really my only issues. I felt the biggest "mystery" of the book was very easy to figure out but I didn't figure out everything so parts were still shocking. It was a very well written story with likable characters. 
'"
If you like psychological thrillers like "Gone Girl", "The Girl on the Train" or "Behind Closed Doors" you will enjoy this book. This review will also appear on my blog in October.

I received this ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. So thank you netgalley and publishers. This story is about Corinne and her boyfriend Dominic, they have been trying to have a baby by doing IVF. Corinne works at an art gallery and Dominic works as a journalist. Dominic decides to take Corinne to visit Carlington House which is a 200-year-old home that is currently being renovated. Dominic is writing a story about the history of the home. Corinne sees a face in an upper window which freaks her out! ( it would freak me out too! ) She is a very nervous person in general. Ashley is an exhausted Mom to three children. ( I only have 1, but I feel her pain lol )  Ashley's husband James is always working ( I feel your pain girl, I really do! ) ( I identify with Ashley quite a bit! ) Except I'm a stay at home mom and Ashley works part time during the week at a cafe which Allows her to get out. Ashley and Corinne are sisters and when they were little they would spend hours playing with a doll house that their dad built for them. Their dad died about a year ago. Ashley is convinced that her husband is having an affair. He’s working long, late hours and he appears to be distant to her. Then she starts getting phone calls where no one speaks, and just breathes. Her young teenage daughter starts getting into trouble and her baby has problems sleeping, the doctor thinks there migtht be other problems. Corinne starts finding pieces of the doll house that someone has left for her. Has someone been in her house? Her fear increases and she doesn’t like to be alone. ( I identify with corinne a lot as well )  As things escalate, it is clear that there is danger but who wants to terrorize them and why? This is a Great  mystery. I really enjoyed it and so will you! :)

Corinne and her boyfriend, Dominic, have been trying to have a baby via IVF. Corinne works part time at an art gallery and Dominic is a journalist. Today, Dominic is taking Corinne to visit Carlington House, a 200-year-old place that is being renovated. Dominic is writing a story about the history of the place. Corinne is frightened when she sees a face in an upper window. She has always been a nervous person.

Ashley is an exhausted Mum to three children. Her husband, James seems to work more and more. Ashley works part time during the week at a cafe which gives her a chance to get out. Ashley and Corinne are sisters and when they were little, they spent hours playing with a doll house that their father built for them. Sadly, their beloved father died nearly a year ago.

Ashley is convinced that her husband is having an affair. He’s working long, late hours and he appears to be distant to her. Then she starts getting phone calls where no one speaks, just breathes. Her young teenage daughter starts getting into trouble and her baby has problems sleeping and the doctor suspects there may be other problems.

Corinne starts finding pieces of the doll house that someone has left for her. Has someone been in her house? Her fear increases and she doesn’t like to be alone.

As things escalate, it is certain there is danger but who wants to terrorize them and why?

This is a good mystery. I understand that it is the author’s debut novel and she has done a good job. However, I think that the ending could have been explained just a bit better. I did not care for Corinne. What a “Wendy Whiner!” Ashley is my favorite character as she is portrayed very well in her role. I’m sure that readers will enjoy this story as it certainly keeps the reader’s interest.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Realistic characters and enjoyable storyline where I wasn't sure what was going to happen and who the person writing about the last was.

An enjoyable read , you never know what secrets people are hiding and how they can come back to haunt your loved ones! i especially enjoyed the ending of "the dolls house!

Yikes! What a total creep-fest. When I was younger, I used to really dislike people watching me. Not that I was ever interesting enough to look at, but I just didn't like the idea of someone watching me eat, drink or read when I was completely unaware. So the strapline of The Doll House attracted my attention immediately as you really don't know who's watching you.

Corinne and Ashley are sisters who are both grieving for their father and struggling with troubles of their own. Corinne is desperate for a baby whereas Ashley has 3 children and, although she loves Ashley's children, it's getting harder for Corinne to cope being around them. Corinne is naturally very fragile and her partner, Dominic, is a reporter so he never seems to be around to support her. When Corinne finds a piece of a doll house at her front door, she doesn't feel threatened...but she should. As more pieces start to arrive: at her work and inside her home, the already fragile Corinne feels as if she's falling apart...and that puts her just where her tormentor wants her.

I literally couldn't put it down, so I read The Doll House in a day as I was immediately drawn into the web of intrigue that Phoebe Morgan has created. Seriously? Is this a debut? I had to double check as it is such a top quality psychological thriller. There is so much tension is all relationships that I suspected everyone of tormenting Corinne. After all who would have access to the old doll house? We are also shown glimpses into a story from the past, but whose story is it?

I read most of The Doll House covered in goosebumps and if that's not a sure sign of a five star book, I don't know what is! A highly recommended read - it will definitely get under your skin, play with your mind and creep you out.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

This is a fantastic debut psychological thriller from Phoebe Morgan. "The Doll House" is a tense and atmospheric read which I throughly enjoyed.
I was first drawn to the book by the title and eerie looking house on the azure blue cover. It grabbed my attention instantly and I knew it was a book I must read!
The characters took it in turns to narrate the story, the two families plus a yet "unknown" voice. I didn't guess who the mystery character was until almost the last chapter or so, then all the clues made sense!
I would like to thank the author, the publisher - HQ Digital - and Net Galley for granting me the fabulous book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I look forward to reading more from this talented author. Highly recommended.

Thanks to HQ Digital and Netgalley for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.

Do you want a fantastic psychological thriller? Well look no further! This debut novel by Phoebe Morgan, THE DOLL HOUSE, is unnerving and I could not put it down. This has everything us thrillers fans want, unreliable narrators, red herrings, and the unknown storytellers (always adds an element of mystery!)

We follow two sisters, Ashley and Corinne. They recently lost their father and are trying to cope. Ashley is a mother of three, but suspects that her husband is having an affair. Corinne appears to have the perfect life. Little does everyone know, she's experienced three failed IVF treatments and it's her last opportunity to have a baby. She finds a small part of a doll house outside of her apartment one day - it must be a sign. Slowly more and more pieces start to appear and she realizes they look eerily familiar. They resemble the doll house that she and Ashley had growing up - who could be sending these?

This thriller moved at a fast pace and it kept me on my toes! We jump between perspectives - one of them being from an unknown narrator. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep even the most seasoned of thriller readers on their toes! Not only was this a well-written story, but the characters were well-developed and complex. You feel for Corinne and Ashley. You understand Corinne's resentment towards women with children because of her struggle with infertility. It was interesting seeing how the different characters dealt with loss and seeing the story from different perspectives. Especially the unknown narrator.

Overall, if you want a thriller you won't want to put down, then this is the next one on your TBR. The author keeps you guessing and the build up leads to a great ending. Great characters and a dark and eerie atmosphere are the perfect storm for this creepy debut!

I give this one 4.5/5 stars!

An enjoyable read which was fairly fast paced. However I found Corrine rather irritating and much preferred Ashley's story feeling much more realistic. Her over reaction to finding bits of the doll's house furniture was completely unrealistic in my opinion. However what I found to be completely irritating was the description of the mother who at 65 was described as a doddery old woman with gummy eyes,a shawl and old lady shoes. She is 65 not 85. I wanted to shake the author for stereotyping a woman of that age as that of an old woman.

A little creepy, slightly unnerving, and a bit crazy. Here's a great fall read.

This one kept me reading. Lots of things I liked, a few I didn't, but the story is strong. Just when I started to have doubts, it delivered one of the strongest endings of anything I've read lately!

The sisters:

Corinne
I mentioned this fact in updates for the book as I read... this character is a mess. She's a ball of nerves and was actually stressing me out as I read. Some of this is due to her hormones: she's been undergoing IVF as she and her long-term boyfriend Dominic try to expand their family. They both desperately want a little one to love and care for. Corinne has a hard time, feeling envious of mothers and saddened when she feels they're taking their children for granted. She still remains hopeful as they start their third round of treatment, but suddenly her fertility isn't the only thing she has to worry about. She finds a little tiny chimney pot by her door. It looks almost as if it came from her beloved doll house her father built her and her sister when they were children. She takes it as a good sign, encouragement from her father who has passed on. Then she finds another bit she recognizes... in her house.

Ashley
Ashley is a busy mother of three. Her husband makes good money, and she only works a part time job as a little break. Yes... her job is her break. Her oldest child is smack in the middle of her terrible teenage years, her son is a little wild but probably the easiest to handle, and the baby girl still isn't sleeping through the night. She dotes on them all, leaving little time for herself. Husband James seems to be home less and less, making the gap between the couple wider and wider. She begins to worry about where her hubby is spending his time, just as she begins to get strange phone calls where no one says a word. Could it be another woman?

I had a few problems with the characters... sometimes they came across as a little too damsel in distress, especially Corinne. There also seemed to be a lot of screaming. It's mentioned that Corinne and Dominic aren't married because they cannot afford it, but they're trying to have a child and Corinne didn't take her job seriously at all. That part didn't seem to fit. I also found myself wishing she could do something, anything (phone the police or the locksmith, for example) on her own, but she was very reliant on him. It's 2017, C.

Despite my hang ups with the character, I really appreciated the story and how it ended. This is a strong book and I think a lot of people will really love it.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and HQ Digital, than me you! My review is honest and unbiased.

Having read quite a few 'gentler' novels lately, I was looking forward to getting my teeth into something a bit stronger, especially when I read there was a good twist.
However, due to the minimal amount of characters in this book, I worked out fairly quickly who were the guilty parties and what was going on - despite not being the kind of reader who usually thinks ahead, normally taking a story as it unfolds in front of me. From then on it was just a matter of completing the book to check my deductions were correct.
I'm quite disappointed that it was so easy and obvious. A few more characters to pad out the possibilities would have helped, but as it stands it doesn't come very high on my list of good reads.
I received an arc via NetGalley in exchange for my honest, original and unbiased review.

Atmospheric, dark and haunting, I could not put this book down. Morgan's story of love, lies and betrayal is utterly enchanting in such a dark and twisted way. The family dynamics surrounding Corinne are so skillfully written, it's hard to believe this is a debut novel. It's difficult to give a full account without spoiling the story but I absolutely loved the chapters from the young woman who was watching from afar. I thought I had figured out who it was only to be thwarted each time. Each time a piece of the doll house turned up, it kept me gripped to the story even more. Mark my words, this author will go far. I highly recommend The Doll House and I cannot wait to read her next book.

Corinne is a woman desperate to start her family. Her sister Ashley is desperate to keep hers together. Their beloved father has died, and as they are getting their normalcy back, pieces of a dollhouse from their childhood start appearing at Corinne's door.

It is becoming increasingly rare for a mystery/suspense/thriller novel to surprise me. I generally figure out the whodunit within the first handful of chapters. That doesn't mean I don't still enjoy the ride, because the 'why' is always more interesting than the 'who'. But surprises, and good twists, are getting harder to come by.

This one? Yes. This one did a fanbloodytastic job of surprising the hell out of me.

To be clear, chapter 6, 14% into the ebook, I made one note in the kindle app. Three words. I had the why. Not the who, but the why.

On top of knowing that, I also had some issues with the writing of the book. There's some heavy descriptors at the beginning that had me staring for a minute and worrying I was about to deal with a real pain in the ass of a book. On top of that, Corinne's poor pitiful me-ness throughout had me rooting for the as yet unknown bad guy.

Not to mention the other note I made in the app, "Your red herring is showing. Badly."

I've included all of this negativity because I need it to be understood that with as many problems as I had with this book, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This plot is both original and unoriginal.

The dollhouse is not a major plot point here, we only get to see four pieces from it. I actually thought that was going to be a bigger thing. But by the time you get to the final climax, you understand the real importance of it, and the entire crooked line suddenly straightens and stands tall.

There is a bunch wrong here, but there is so much right. It really comes together so well, and is a truly delicious read.

This review is written with thanks to HQ Digital and Netgalley for my copy of The Doll House.
Corinne and her partner, Dominic, have had a difficult year. They have been undergoing IVF treatment and grieving for Corinne’s father, who was a well known architect. In the months leading up to his death, Connie finds tiny parts of a doll house left outside her flat, and realises that someone has been inside her home and wants to leave her a personal message. But what could the message be, and what does it mean?
The Doll House is told from several different perspectives, including Corrine, Dominic and Corinne’s sister, Ashley. There are also sections told from the perspective of an unknown person, who remembers her childhood at the beginning of the novel, and gradually becomes older as the novel progresses. In the beginning, it is not clear who the unknown person is, and this created a sense of intrigue for me. She often appears neglected by her mother, and her family life seems somewhat unstable. This is a far cry from what the reader learns about Corinne and Ashley’s relationship with their family, and as such, it is difficult to see how the characters could be connected. I wanted to keep reading and discover the relationship between them for myself.
Morgan’s writing is very descriptive, which makes it easy for the reader to picture the surroundings in which The Doll House takes place. I was drawn in by the description and it made me more able to relate to each character.
It was not until about two thirds of the way through The Doll House that I started to piece together what was happening. This means that the climax of the novel is very tense, and there are several incidents that increase this effect. However, as the different strands of The Doll House came together, I couldn’t help feeling that the ending was tied together very neatly. This seemed at odds with the more chaotic nature of the rest of the novel, and I would have perhaps liked the conclusion to provide more questions and food for thought.
Overall, I enjoyed The Doll House and found it to be a very tense and gripping read.

The Doll House is a tale of two sisters; Corinne and Ashley. The story focusses mainly on Corinne and her boyfriend Dominic, with her sister, Ashley and husband, James playing a smaller yet necessary part in proceedings. I want to get this out there as early on as possible and say that I found Corinne hard to like. She felt a little…weak and whiny to me. She couldn’t be in an unexpected situation without the support and reassurance of her boyfriend. Others won’t, of course, feel the same as I do. In fact, I’m pretty sure she will be loved by many readers. At times I wanted to give her a good shake and remind her that we live in the 21st century and woman do not need a man riding to their rescue on a white steed. As I progressed through the book though, I got the impression that the author had written Corinne’s character to be exactly as I had experienced her. She certainly lacked a backbone…until it was needed. Until everything she believed in and loved was on the line. Then, and only then, did Corinne shine for me. Saying that, if I found myself in some of the situations Corinne does, then who knows how I would cope!

I found it much easier to relate, and like Corinne’s older sister, Ashley. Ashley is the mother of three children; one baby, one eight-year-old and one sulky teen. In order to ‘adult’ she works part-time in the local cafe, which is pretty much the only grown-up conversation she has, as her husband works from dawn till night in publishing. Or that’s what he tells her anyway (NB. my husband does not work such long hours nor do I suspect him of extra-marital doings so I may relate, but not totally, lol!). I liked Ashley. She didn’t moan, she wasn’t a daddy’s girl like her younger sibling. She just got on with life and that made her my favourite character in this great book.

Corinne and Dominic’s life is controlled by the need for a baby. After several failed IVF attempts the couple are reaching the end of their very worn tether. Whilst this subplot was interesting I did feel it took over the story a little at times. I wanted a little more threat and impending doom, a little less longing and heartache. But that’s just me and my bloodlust! I did enjoy the way in which Corinne’s fear built as she started to receive the tiny doll house furniture pieces. I loved the way she was the only character in the entire book to see something wrong and sinister with them whilst her loved ones fobbed her off, thinking she was being over-sensitive and hormonal.

The Doll House contains some chapters which are split into the present and the past. I loved the ‘past’ sections as they had a sinister edge to them. You weren’t sure who was narrating these sections but you were fully aware that they were doing something they shouldn’t have been. I loved the way the narrator of these sections aged throughout the book. It’s obvious to the reader that they are very young to start with but as you approach the end, this character is no longer a child and is hellbent on one course of action. Brilliant, and wonderfully intense!

Would I recommend this book? I would. I promise I’m not being derogatory when I say the end of this book was my favourite part. It was action packed, a little bit violent (but not too violent for the squeamish readers) and incredibly satisfying. I can’t go into details but oh my gosh, what a gratifying conclusion. Phoebe Morgan is certainly an author to watch out for based on this, her debut. I’m looking forward to reading more.

Four stars out of five.

I chose to read and review an ARC of The Doll House. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Doll House plays out as a psychological thriller, mixed within a contemporary family drama setting - but I was left feeling unsure as to whether it really 'thrilled' me.

The Doll House follows the lives of two sisters, Ashley and Corinne. Ashley is a married mother of three, with a husband who suddenly seems distant - working late at the office and easily distracted. Is he hiding something? When Ashley starts receiving mysterious phone calls, where the caller never speaks, she becomes deeply paranoid that her supposedly happy family might not be so perfect. Corinne is desperate for a baby after several failed IVF attempts. With one last shot on the horizon, can she finally become the mother she's always wanted to be? When she starts finding pieces from her old family doll house left around her flat and workplace, she starts to feel that something sinister is afoot. Will delving into her past help her uncover a secret best left forgotten?

The narrative for this is split mainly between the two sisters, with a few chapters also told from Dominic's (Corinne's partner) point of view. Interspersed throughout is also a narrative told from an unknown third person (at first a child), mainly as memories from the past. As the story progresses, these segments begin to intertwine with the sister's history, as well as the history of a house we are first introduced to in the first chapter. I thought this was an interesting premise, as it gave us an insight into the sister's minds, but also this unknown character with a very chequered past. I was desperate to know who this person was, and what their relationship was with the other characters in the novel.

The overall plot was ok. I felt that at times, although there was always a small amount of underlying tension, nothing really progressed as rapidly as I would have liked. The doll pieces are only deposited every now and again, and because of this they felt more like a far off threat. They definitely played more of a secondary role to the overall story arc involving Ashley and Corinne's paranoia and family dramas.

I also would have liked to have had more of a background story surrounding Ashley and Corinne. We never really get a feel for their history, or see their childhood from their perspective other than in brief glimpses. As the story progresses, and the past seems to play more of an integral part to the story, I felt this would have been helpful to further understand certain characters motives.

I was definitely more invested in Ashley's story line over Corinne's. I liked the relationship between Ashley and her children, and the normal struggles she faces as a mother of three. Her paranoia felt natural given her surrounding environment, and I was really invested in her. However, I did feel that most of the tension left Ashley's narrative half way through as her conflict with her husband reaches its natural conclusion. It was my interest in the mysteries surrounding baby Holly and Lucy that kept me reading to the end, and I will say that the climax to her story line was very well done. It was dramatic, suspenseful and shocking. I did not see it coming - which is always a big plus to my very cynical and calculating mind. I'm normally very good at guessing an ending. This time I didn't. Corinne's story, in comparison, felt very flat. I felt that as a character she was very over the top and dramatic, compared to Ashley's more composed nature. I also found the conclusion to her arc was over extremely quickly and felt a little rushed. I found that I wasn't really that bothered about what happened to her.

The premise for this was good, and at times I was really invested in certain characters and their story lines, however in the end it was the consistencies in the narrative that ended up being The Doll House's downfall.

When Corinne begins finding bits of dollhouse furniture outside her apartment, she recognizes them as fragments of her own childhood. Those broken pieces of furniture are the most intriguing part of the book. I found it easy to confuse the two female characters and the suspense just wasn't that suspenseful.

OMG!!! This book!!! THIS is how to write a psychological thriller! I had absolutely no idea where this one was heading until it hit me smack bang on the head, surprising me and making sure I trusted no one until that very last page. And did I mention it’s a DEBUT!? Phoebe Morgan has joined that exclusive list of authors where I know I will buy their next book without even reading the blurb. This author totally understands what us psychological thriller fans really want and she has certainly piled it on in spadefuls!

Everything you need in your psychological suspense is here. Unreliable narrators, unknown storytellers, red herrings, creepy houses (real and miniature!) and family secrets hidden around every corner all conspire to make this a high tension read that had me full of nervous anticipation pretty much all the way through. And for someone who claims to guess plot twists within the first 20% of a book, I was so frustrated as I could not work out where this was heading or how these intricately plotted threads were connected. I love being surprised by plot twists and this one had twists and turns aplenty to keep me happy.

I thought the characterisation of Corinne and her sister Ashley was perfectly crafted. I was full of empathy and understanding for Corinne with her desperation to become a mother. Her attitude towards women who had become mothers themselves was quite extreme as it even included her own sister, but this was a brutally honest portrayal of a woman on the edge and every emotion was captured with a flawless insight. The theme of loss criss crosses through all our characters lives but they all handle their reactions to it in VERY different ways.

This book was an accomplished debut written with a natural flair and a true understanding of what readers want from this genre. It was dark, creepy and atmospheric and gave me such an intense feeling of anxiety that by the powerful denouement my blood pressure was sky high!

One of my favourite books of the year so far. Very highly recommended by me.