Member Reviews
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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,
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
A riverting psychological thriller with single-white-female/Motherland vibes. A page-turner that’s definitely worth a read.
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.
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.
The Doll's House by Natasha Boydell is creepy, filled with suspense, lots of mysteries. The writing has gathered the environment in a way that describes the story well, keeps you turning your pages and wanting the conclusion of the story, the characters were so intense, and complex. This followed two women - Naomi and Summer, Summer is the last who bought the old flat of Naomi and lives with her daughter there. Days pass, and Naomi feels something weird and odd about Summer's behaviour, Summer is a cheerful woman, and gets close with everyone Naomi is close with. She copies Naomi's style, and everything.
This makes Naomi cautious, later things happen in her house as well, her relationship with her daughters kind of loosens, and she becomes worried but when she tells about it to anyone, they don't believe her and one day Naomi and Summer confront each other, then the truth unfolds which is very twisty and shocking.
When it actually did, I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.
The writing style made it more perfect. I liked it ‼️‼️
Thank you Netgalley and Natasha Boydell for the ARC copy of this book.
I absolutely devoured this book—it had me hooked from the very first page! The story is packed with suspense, mystery, and some truly wild twists that I didn’t see coming. Just when I thought I’d figured it all out, I’d be completely thrown off track, which made it such an exciting read.
Naomi’s situation really hit me. You could feel her excitement about finally moving into her dream home, only to have it all start crumbling around her. When Summer, the sweet and helpful woman who buys Naomi’s old flat, begins to creep into every part of her life, it’s so unsettling. The frustration Naomi feels as her friends doubt her, and her growing sense of helplessness, really got under my skin. I even found myself wondering if she was just imagining things—it was written so well that I was questioning everything right along with her.
The relationships in the story added a lot of depth. It was heartbreaking to see Naomi’s friends turn on her so quickly—it felt so unfair and made me angry for her. The book also explored so many layers of family, friendship, and the hidden cracks in seemingly perfect lives. Every character felt so real, with their own secrets and flaws, which made the story even more gripping. I just wish some of the side characters had been a bit more mature in how they handled things!
This is one of those books that kept me up late, needing to know what would happen next. If you love psychological thrillers with jaw-dropping twists and plenty of emotional depth, I highly recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Amazing!! Gripped me right from the start! I’ve never read anything by Natasha Boydell, and I absolutely need to read more of her books. This book pulled me in immediately, and kept me hooked throughout, I found this very hard to put down! Finished in less than 24 hours.
The Doll's House was such a good read. This psychological thriller had me completely invested in Naomi's story. The mystery and the suspicious events that kept happening to her and her family had me questionning if everything was really related to Summer. I was hooked and definitely surprised by the plot twist at the end. It was my first read by this author, but not the last for sure!