I read this purely to tick it off my list. I am actually a lot better now about not picking books like this. Emma Donoghue really kicked off a trend with Room. But whereas that book seemed to be genuinely trying to offer an insight into how someone might survive that kind of abuse, Baby Doll seemed to belong more to the category of those attempting to titillate the reader with the details. Admittedly, we don't get precise information. But what we get is enough. This was not a particularly mature exploration of the issue and I would not recommend this book on my platform.

Very easy to read. Reminded me of the book Room if you liked that one you will enjoy this.. Got through this one in just two sittings.

Plot seemed a bit predictable but I enjoyed the style of writing and would read more from Hollie Overton in the future. Nice character descriptions and was a pleasant narration.

Took me longer than I thought to get into reading it, but once I did it was a good read. One of those that you could see yourself lazing on the beach while experiencing a thrill at the same time.

Sorry this review is so late it’s another of the books I read absolutely ages ago and just missed sending the review. Luckily I do at least have a couple of short notes on my kindle about my views on it. An entertaining but at times very difficult book. I built up no great liking of the characters though. On the whole I fear it did not live up to the hype.

My biggest issue with this book was that i never connected with any of the characters, especially the victims and with that i just did not care a lot about them and what happened to them. I also wasn't interested in at least have of the POVs and while i found the others interestingly enough since i was not at all interested in some of them i found myself losing interest in a good amount good amount of pages throughout this book.
All that sounds as if it is a bad thriller, it's not. It has its moments and i am sure its audience, i just expected a lot more from it with the comparison it was getting -which is a big issue in my eyes in marketing since it just makes the reader expect a lot from a book if you compare it too some very well loved and sold thrillers!

It was a nice enough read but nothing overly special, but also not a bad thriller.

TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR ABDUCTION, AND SCENES OF SEXUAL ABUSE AND PHYSCIAL VIOLENCE.

So I decided to get to this one early for part of the #ayearathon this month and it's actually a book I requested from Netgalley years ago and didn't get to in time (could only read from my PC at that time and it expired before I got to it) but I'm glad to have got to it now.
Straight away I enjoyed reading from the different perspectives. I'd say we have an array of people all connected to Lily, but the cast isn't a very diverse one.
I loved being chucked right into the story of Lilly's escape. You do get a background briefly of the lead up to her abduction 8 years ago but for the most part it focuses on the "now", so for that I can't really call it a thriller because we didn't have the "thrill" of being targeted and pursued... If that makes sense.
As the story progressed I enjoyed and was fascinated to learn about each characters perspective. The descriptions from Lily's captor was one of the most interesting as, as you can imagine, it was unsettling. Different relationship dynamics had me questioning how this would impact Lily's already overwhelming life and I found myself really caring about what happened to her.
The pacing of the story was fast, but I think it worked for this plot and I flew through this book because of that. The basic writing style added to that but I found it odd that although it was written in 3rd person, it always said "mom" instead of "her mom"/ "Lily's mom" etc.
I feel like the author missed a chance at exploring the topic of having a child grow up being the result of sexual abuse and how the characters would handle it but it seemed to steer away from that heavy topic and started catering towards winning back a lost love, which I felt was a little unfortunate as more important topics could have been discussed.
There was a part, a few chapters before the last, where I actually would have been content if that were the ending, but what happened next was, in my opinion, a really interesting plot twist!
Skimming over the acknowledgements, I like that the author used some of her loved ones names for the characters in this book.
I don't find it really to be a thriller as we don't really follow the build up to the kidnap. It's more about the escape, the after math and trying to move forward whilst expressing the horrible things Lily went through. An entertaining read that I'm glad to have finally read.

I normally dont enjoy reading books about twins because they always make me think about the twins from the Shinning but this book didnt do that thankfully. I really enjoyed this story of Lily and Abby. Read it over 2 days as work got in the way. I enjoyed reading the different perspectives it gave it a different feel. Rick was a right bad man and very unsettling. Enjoyed this book and would pick up more by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Initially, I was so pleased to have my request approved for this book. However, it took two false starts before I bit the bullet and actually read this book in its entirety. I was spurred on by all the fabulous reviews and hype surrounding this particular book. It must be one of those Marmite books because I struggled to finish it.

In my opinion, the writing was not what I am used to. It seemed frivolous and completely unbelievable for the majority of the story. I know it's just fiction, but come on...

I was pretty disappointed with this book on the whole.

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this book. It threw me at the beginning when It started with a young girl who had been held captive for 8 years in one room. I kind of thought it might have built up to this towards the end, but it was brilliantly done, and helps captivate you from the word go.

The book starts with her finally escaping, finally getting out of the hell she has been in over an 8 year period. 
​She realises one day that her captor has made a mistake, and she knows he doesn't do this, is it a trap? Either way she is forced to try, to give it her all, to finally get out of this place. 

After being mentally and physically abused every day since you were sixteen years old. Now 8 years later and you are out of that one room. What does life hold in store for you? How much has changed in those 8 years?

​Life will never be as it once was, and the story takes you on a journey, a journey of survival. How things have changed, not just with you as a person but with your whole family. 
Now it's time to deal with the aftermath of what has happened with you. 

​This book was a great read, Interesting and thought provoking. It really did make me think, not just about the story but how it would have changed you as a person, changed your family. Them not knowing where you had gone, what had happened. When something like this happens it doesn't just change the one person who went missing, it changes whole lives. 
​Brilliantly written and put together. I look forward to hopefully reading many more books by Hollie Overton.

A harrowing start with a building storyline. Baby Doll takes you beyond hope and back. Smashing book.

There are quite a few books around at the moment with main characters being victims held in captivity. This is one thing f the better ones as there are so me twists to the main plot. It was a little slow in places, but still an enjoyable read.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Lily is 16 years old when she is kidnapped and held in a basement for 8 years. She has a daughter that she had with her capture, but one day he accidentally leaves the door unlocked and Lily and her daughter make their escape.

At first I thought this book sounded a lot like 'Room'. Both spent years captive, both suffered daily abuse, both had no access to the outside, both give birth to their captives baby, both escaped. But this book is different to 'Room'. This also tells the story through the eyes of Lily's twin sister, Abby, her mum, her childhood sweetheart and her abductor.

When Lily escapes, the live she left behind is gone. Her dad died a few months after she was kidnapped and her her school sweetheart is now with her twin sister who is also pregnant with his baby. So not only does Lily have to cope with everything she went through, now she has to adjust with the fact people moved on with their lives. It was really heartbreaking to read about lily boyfriend was now with her sister. But I really liked this about the story, as I could she something like that happening in real life. They were both helped each other with their grieve and ended up in each others arms.

The best thing about this book was reading what Rick, the abductor's, point of view. We get to see what really goes on in his head and how sick and twisted a person can actually be. I thought the ending to this book was really great, one of the best endings in any book I've read. I would give this book 4.5/5 stars.

An intriguing thriller about a young girl’s years spent in captivity and the difficulties of readjusting to normal life, this book is different from other thrillers in that the catching the culprit is not the sole aim of the plot. What’s more important is the life of the victim involved, and how what has been done to her has led to her needing to rebuild her life from scratch. The psychological states of those involved are well created and it is easy to understand each character, yet still knowing that any one of them could snap at any time. This gives an edge of unpredictability throughout the book, with a number of twists to keep you hanging on.

*Full review available on the blog*

Well, such a lot happens in this book that it really is an emotional roller coaster from the very beginning. It starts with the escape of Lily, and her daughter, Sky, from the place they have been held captive for several years. By the end of the first chapter I was already geared up for it to be a little bit predictable, but I couldn't have been more wrong. The story really takes off and leads you into some fascinating situations, all of which are delivered with a really fine eye for special little details.

To say too much about Baby Doll would really lessen the effect of reading it for yourself. In many ways, it's not a comfortable read, and as the different narrators get going, you start to see the story emerge from different perspectives, which is quite compelling. I thought Lily was a feisty and determined heroine, her love for Sky is commendable and yet, her sister, Abby's story is also equally fascinating. Rick, the man behind the abduction comes across as cold and manipulative and is every bit as dangerous as he appears. As for how the story plays out, well, that's for you to find out for yourself..

This is definitely one of those stories that stays with you for a while after you have finished reading, which can only be the sign of a good story, well told.

This book had me hooked from the first couple of pages.
This is the first book I have read by Hollie Overton and it definately won't be the last.
The book has two main characters which are Lily and Abby that are twins and know each other inside out. Lily and Abby have an argument and Abby doesn't see Lily for years as after the argument Lily was abducted, kept hostage, raped, abused, had a daughter and had almost given up hope of seeing her family again. Until one day when a mistake us made by her captor and lily and her daughter escape. The book follows Lily, Skye, Abby and her mothers journey of self recovery, it follows the aftermath of this horrendous tragedy and how each person deals with it.
I liked how the mum and two daughters get their own chapters that are told from their thoughts and feelings so you get a real connection to the characters. The story moved along at a good pace and kept me gripped all the way through as the story twists and turns and leaves you not wanting to put it down.
I would like to thank netgalley for this opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

A disturbing story, not of the kind I would normally read. However, it was interesting and well written for a first book. Reading the author's bio makes a little more sense of it, being a twin and with the family history. I was a little exasperated by the boyfriend ending up with the twin - I guess this is understandable but I felt it had been done a little often before. If you like this subject matter, it is a well written book with interesting twists. I had a review copy.

A young teenager who was abducted and held captive for 8 years until one day her abductor makes a mistake and she manages to flee.
A fab story with lots of twists that I wasn't expecting. Great book and I struggled to put it down.

Dark subject matter and a very good debut novel.this kept my interest throughout I wanted to know where this was going I found it to be very original and thought provoking.Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.