A new short story about a mom and daughter who move into a famous puppeteer's house.

I enjoyed this, but I thought it was too short (I understand it's a short story, but I wish it had been a tad longer)! There were some things that felt a little rushed or I wish had been allowed to build a little more. It was a really quick, suspenseful read though!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Unger does a fantastic job setting a mood and sense of place. In the case of the short story A Doll’s House there’s always an underlying sense of unease and creepiness. The characters and story are well developed so much so I wished it to be longer with more backstory. Furthermore, it’s a highly enjoyable story that had just enough supernatural and eeriness to maintain my interest.

Read this if you like:
-creepy smart house setting with equally creepy puppets
-touch of supernatural
-sense of doom and tension
-people with secrets
-short chapters and quick read
-past unsolved missing person
-multiple POVs
-satisfying ending

My rating 4 out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this eARC that will be published September 12 2024,

The Doll's House written by Lisa Unger was an action packed spooky novella filled with supernatural vibes and contemporary feels. This novella was only ninety-eight pages, but it was filled with so much action and thrilling moments where it felt like my heart was going to drop out of my chest. The Doll's House was so creepy that my jaw was on the floor a numerous amount of times. Although this short story didn't give me nightmares like I thought it would, it still made me keep a flashlight next to my pillow when I went to sleep at night. I loved this short novella, but the reason I gave it four stars is because I feel like it needed to be a full novel, and the ending was ended abruptly. When I saw the cover for The Doll's House, I knew I had to get my hands on this novella immediately and I'm so happy I had the privilege to read this story because it definitely amazed me, I was NEVER once bored. If you are looking for a spooky read for this Halloween season, look no further than The Doll's House written by Lisa Unger, I just can't stop recommending this short story. The body chills were CHILLING. Ladies and gentlemen, if you do decide to read this novella, think twice about keeping a flashlight next to you at night.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND AMAZON ORIGINAL STORIES FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!

"There was no tomorrow when the person you loved most died."

"Embrace the new. Let the old fall away like a shed skin. Be the new."

"Predators and abusers can sense your pain and weakness. It's their gift."

Jules Cranor is widowed at the age of thirty-seven and a single mom to her seventeen year old daughter, Scout. After losing her husband Doug, Jules has sworn off love, but that's until a handsome artist sweeps Jules off of her feet in a fairy tale romance. When Jules falls in love with this handsome stranger, she wants to pack up and her and Scout's lives in the city and move into a once lonely mansion with her new love bug, Kirin Winslow. Scout and Jules used to be super close, but now that Jules wants to up and leave their lives in the city, Scout looks at her mom like she's a rival gang member. Scout doesn't want to leave her friends behind, but does she really have a choice at seventeen years old? Scout was super shy, but she had a fireball of a personality, her smart ass comments always had me giggling. Doug Cranor was a famous novelist, he battled severe depression. Doug committed suicide in his hotel room in Los Angles when he was on the road for one of his book events. I just wanted to reach into my kindle and hug Jules and Scout after everything they have been through, it was truly heart breaking hearing them talk about their lives after Doug's passing left them heart broken and alone.

Kirin Winslow is a world renowned puppet and doll maker, Kirin's doll's and puppets all have names and stories behind their creations. Kirin also owns Winslow House which is a castle/country manor. Winslow House is a smart home and Vivi is the voice of the smart house, Vivi controls the lights, the temperature, and the locks on every single door. Kirin has also made accommodations to meet Jules and Scout's needs and of course Vivi knows their names. One night when Scout can't sleep, she decides to walk through Winslow House and check every room. Scout stumbles upon this room with pink carpeted floor and a doll sitting on a shelf, somehow Kirin finds Scout wandering the halls and he tells her the story of the doll. Kirin had made a doll of his sister Emma to honor her life. Emma was presumed dead, but her body was never found and she has her own room in Kirin's mansion. This doll of Emma is kind of creepy. The doll's dress is made out of an old shirt Emma owned, the doll's shoes are made out of Emma's homecoming dress and many more of the doll's features are made out of Emma's things. One day, when Jules is in The Grief Garden she sees a girl with dark hair, torn black jeans, a tattered t-shirt, and tears of mascara running down her face. The Grief Garden was built by Kirin and Emma's mom, it's a place to decompress and pray.

Ooohh ... This was really good! What started as a seemingly normal, typical life story evolved into an eerie, darkly magical, but scary tale. Jules and her 17 year old daughter, Scout, are dealing with a major life transition after the death of Doug, Jules' husband and Scout's father. As they are starting anew, there are some odd and creepy happenings in their new surroundings. What is real and what is imagined? Who can they trust? What exactly is going on? This was a quick, engrossing read, and I really enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the digital ARC.

Thank you for this early copy of the story.Lisa never let’s you down .It was fast paced and a page turner .The characters were lovable .Her description in the story was spot on .Definitely a good thriller book for spooky season .

THE DOLL'S HOUSE has the perfect amount of suspense and creepiness that I would expect from a novella. I liked the quick pace and the alternating chapters with the points of view of Jules and Scout. I'd say this is a great little story to read for spooky season or if you just like horror novels. Although the story was not scary to me personally, you won't find any dolls hanging out in my house anytime soon!

Many thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

This review will be shared on my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

The Doll's House
by Lisa Unger
Pub Date: Sep 12 2024

The Doll's House is the first short story I have read from Amazon Original Stories. At only 98 pages this story is a quick read but also an awesome read! A great read with the Halloween Season coming up! I'm excited to read more of these short stories from Amazon Original Stories!

Synopsis: A widowed mother, ready to give love another chance, moves into her fiancé’s old family home with her teenage daughter. But as they try to build a future together, the past refuses to let go in this haunting short story.

Many thanks to #TheDollsHouse #NetGalley and #AmazonOriginalStories for providing me with an E-ARC of this 5 STAR short story!

I'm a Lisa Unger fan and the fact this this is a short story, I felt that it was too short and as creepy, dark, and suspenseful as it was, it could have been even more so in a longer edition. That being said, The Doll's House was a good read.

Jules is widowed, when she found the perfect guy to restart her life. She moves into a beautiful mansion in New York. Her teenage daughter is not over the moon to have her dad replaced and her life upended. I was looking for more resistance and angst from her, but instead she makes friends easily and is on a mission to find out more about the new man in their lives.

A bit supernatural here and there, so suspending belief is a must to enjoy this story. Unger fans will enjoy this short read break.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for early access.

The Dolls House is the perfect short story to indulge in over Halloween.

There are scary dolls and puppets. An unsettling owner of an isolated mansion with secrets to keep. And Jules and Scout - the main protagonists of the story.

As their story unfolds you learn that neither Scout or Jules are being totally honest with each other.

You also learn that the house is full of secrets waiting to be told.

And perhaps most unsettling is the house AI who just sets the unsettling edge on the narrative.

I really enjoyed this and its a 4 stars - it was a pity it was a short story and not a novel as I was sorry to finish it so quickly.

Put this on your Halloween TBR list! The plot is twisty, and the main characters are engaging and more complex than one typically finds in a short story.
Much to her surprise, Jules has fallen head-over-heels in love again despite still morning the death of her husband. Much to her daughter's chagrin, they are moving into Kirin's mansion, where he has spared no expense on renovations to welcome them. But is Kirin too good to be true? (Cue creepy music) A quick and entertaining read, spooky, but also a bit too "out there" for me (which brought my rating down a bit).

I have previously read other books by Lisa Unger and really enjoyed them. When I saw she was coming out with a short story, I was so excited. This was a quick, suspenseful and eerie. I found that even though this was a short story, it was detailed and had a great storyline. The characters were well written and this short story really packed a punch. I would definitely recommend!

I always look forward to Amazon Original Stories and this one did not disappoint! I will be waiting for release day so I can also listen this one. We'll done!

Spooky. I've never read any of this author's other work but I am considering picking up her other work. Honestly, would read an entire series centered in this town with those creepy puppets forever. I am only given the short story a minus star because I thought the reveal was a slight letdown, and thought the author could go off the walls with the puppets if she wanted to. Though the ending was super fun, and definitely leads to more questions than answers.

This book is only 98 pages but packs a punch. Creepy dolls, creepy house and some supernatural beyond the grave vibes. This is definitely one you want to read. Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC in exchange for my review.

I’m never sure how to review short stories. I ended up giving this 3 stars. I did enjoy it, however I felt it would have really been a great novel if the story had been fleshed out more.

This was a such a fun little short story! Lisa Unger can really weave a story with just a few short lines. I loved the mystery - the creepy dolls and Vivi. I liked the idea of how small this academy and area felt - because everything was a bit exclusive. I liked how light and respectfully some really tough mental health things were tackled. Quick and creepy, this was a fun and perfect fall read!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Nice little palate cleanser, surprisingly thorough for a short story! Perfect for busting a reading slump and totally appropriate for spooky season

When reading short stories, I usually end up feeling rushed and unsatisfied. This story is not that case. This author did a wonderful job of creating this intricate, fast-paced, yet thrilling story. Between the AI house, the girl in the garden, and the replica doll of the dead sister, this book definitely had its spooky moments. This book is labeled as horror but is more a fast-paced mystery/thriller. Is perfect for a quick palate cleanser.

While this might be a short story it really packs a punch. Well-developed characters & an eerie plot. The perfect read for spooky season.

★★★½ ROUNDED UP ⬆️⭐️
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I want to thank NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the opportunity to review this book.

I don’t know how the author did it, but she managed to fit an entire novel into a short story! I didn’t want to finish this! Action, suspense, and drama….all packed into a story that’s done almost as soon as you e started it. Loved it!