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The Dollhouse
The Dollhouse: A Novel | Fiona Davis
"The Dollhouse. . . . That's what we boys like to call it. . . . The Barbizon Hotel for Women, packed to the rafters with pretty little dolls. Just like you." Fiona Davis's stunning debut novel pulls readers into the lush world of New York City's glamorous Barbizon Hotel for Women, where in the 1950's a generation of aspiring models, secretaries, and editors lived side-by-side while attempting to claw their way to fairy-tale success, and where a present-day journalist becomes consumed with uncovering a dark secret buried deep within the Barbizon's glitzy past. When she arrives at the famed Barbizon Hotel in 1952, secretarial school enrollment in hand, Darby McLaughlin is everything her modeling agency hall mates aren't: plain, self-conscious, homesick, and utterly convinced she doesn't belonga notion the models do nothing to disabuse. Yet when Darby befriends Esme, a Barbizon maid, she's introduced to an entirely new side of New York City: seedy downtown jazz clubs where the music is as addictive as the heroin that's used there, the startling sounds of bebop, and even the possibility of romance. Over half a century later, the Barbizon's gone condo and most of its long-ago guests are forgotten. But rumors of Darby's involvement in a deadly skirmish with a hotel maid back in 1952 haunt the halls of the building as surely as the melancholy music that floats from the elderly woman's rent-controlled apartment. It's a combination too intoxicating for journalist Rose Lewin, Darby's upstairs neighbor, to resistnot to mention the perfect distraction from her own imploding personal life. Yet as Rose's obsession deepens, the ethics of her investigation become increasingly murky, and neither woman will remain unchanged when the shocking truth is finally revealed.
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StaceGhost
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Such a sweet gift at such a fun (and busy) time of the year! Graduation for our students was last Monday and the preschool graduation last night. It‘s my favorite kind of milestone!

Thanks to @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks for the teacher appreciation ❤️ hoping to post a review soon! So far, the book is fantastic!

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks You‘re welcome! This is my favorite by this author!! 10mo
41 likes1 comment
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Charityann
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Pickpick

Haven‘t posted much here lately, but read 12 books during February! This was my last read of the month, and I really liked it! The alternating POV‘s between the 50‘s and present day upped the suspense. Both MC‘s were relatable and engaging, and I loved the look into what life was like for women in NYC in the 50‘s. It was a page-turner that I finished in two sittings. I recommend this one to anyone who loves a good story.

azulaco All of her books sound good. Added to my library wish list. 13mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks This is my favorite by this author ❤️ 13mo
57 likes1 stack add2 comments
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keys_on_fire
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Pickpick

My #bookspin for September. I always enjoy Fiona Davis‘ books. I love how she weaves a woman‘s narrative around historical events that I‘m not familiar with. She also has a way of capturing New York City in a way that makes it just as much a character as the people in her stories. 🌟🌟🌟🌟
@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1y
51 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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keys_on_fire
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Updates for August coming soon, but this is my #bookspin list and #bookspinbingo card for September! I started off making 🏈 , but some of them looked nice and others looked deflated 🤣🤣
Tagged book is my bookspin and The Bride Test is my #doublespin.
Plan to color the helmets in when I complete a book. Gonna be a fun month!!
@TheAromaofBooks

KristiAhlers Love your board! And your tagged book is one of my favorites by that author! Happy reading!!! 2y
keys_on_fire @KristiAhlers thank you so much! 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! I love it!!! 2y
31 likes3 comments
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Kshakal
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A perfect evening... book club and sushi!!! #booknerd

Aims42 Yum!! A perfect combination 😍🍱📚 3y
26 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Kshakal
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Pickpick

Fantastic book and I love how seamlessly Davis weaves 2 different time periods together! Loved the characters and didn‘t want the story to end! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

LeslieO I have this one and just got the nonfiction account The Barbizon. Can‘t wait to read them both. 3y
Kshakal @LeslieO you will have to let me know how the nonfiction one is! I would love to learn more about it! 3y
29 likes2 comments
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Dramatictara
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Pickpick

Fantastic book! It‘s full of history and the story between the characters does twist and turn which keeps your full attention.

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Maggie_Reads
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read because it drew me in and kept me interested.

12 likes1 stack add
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Maggie_Reads
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Grabbed this out of my ever growing TBR stack. Hoping this will pull me out of my reading funk.

10 likes1 stack add
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MargaretPinardAuthor
Dollhouse | Fiona Davis
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Mehso-so

Well-crafted structure but somehow the twist and the characters were just okay for me. The whole ‘spices are amazing in 1952‘ thing felt too insubstantial.

This is the Beancat enjoying the first sunlight he‘d seen in a week last Friday. Hallelujah! And the rains begin... 🤗

#fallreads #firesbegone #catsolitsy #sunlight

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LeslieO
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Love these socks and the book! Thank you so much @Mynameisacolour ! #SeptemberSwap

HeathHof Yay! I'm glad you like them😁 4y
45 likes1 comment
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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#3Books oops I just realized there are 4!!

Fiona is named after this author! 🖤🐈

#SetinNewYork

suvata I love Fiona — The name and the author 4y
marleed Oh fun - that‘s so cool. And a beautiful name! 4y
OriginalCyn620 I love when pets have literary names! 4y
See All 8 Comments
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @marleed thank you 🖤 (edited) 4y
Pmak2002 Love 💗 4y
megnews I‘ve only read The Chelsea Girls but I‘ve meaning to read the rest. 4y
86 likes1 stack add8 comments
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Deblovestoread
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#bookreport #weeklyforecast #mashup Most of my reading this last week was unplanned. I enjoyed Florence Adler but the end had me going hmmmmm, really? 3 1/2🌟. The Dollhouse gave me a bingo for August #bookspin 3🌟 A Woman is No Man is brutal. My heart aches for those whose lives are so forcibly restricted and abused. Ayesha is a P&P retelling through the eyes of Muslim culture 3 1/2 🌟 My focus this week is to finish Too Much for #LMPBC.

Cinfhen Lovely 😍I really enjoyed 4y
33 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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Wild card day again! I‘ve never heard of #JasonReynolds 😱 so I‘ll go with #FionaDavis !! I love her, hence Fiona‘s name!! She just didn‘t look like a Beatriz! Yes, I‘m a nerd and talk to authors on Facebook 🤦🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

#AugustAuthors

OriginalCyn620 That‘s awesome! 4y
mrp27 Love it! 4y
Lreads 😻❤️ 4y
See All 6 Comments
Scochrane26 Jason Reynolds is new to me, too, but I want to read more of his books after reading Long Way Down. 4y
tracey38 I've talked to a couple authors on social media! Some are so approachable. 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @tracey38 Beatriz Williams, Kimberly Bell, and Renee Rosen are great!! 4y
75 likes6 comments
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DAB
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Loved this book. It works it was between modern day New York and the past.

SilversReviews LOVED this book. 4y
16 likes1 stack add1 comment
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aroc
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1. USA
2. The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis
3. Length doesn't matter but I do shy away from chuckles.

Thanks! @Allylu for the tag!

#lockdownlowdown @veritysalter

aroc Ha! I meant chunksters! 4y
veritysalter Thank you for playing 📚♥️ 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I love Fiona!! Named my cat after her! (edited) 4y
20 likes3 comments
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aroc
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Pickpick

Success! This definitely helped me out of my funk! (I think the weather helped a bit too 😉)

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I‘m so happy you liked it!! I named my cat after the author 🤣😽 4y
samantharoberts I loved this book! So glad you enjoyed 😊 4y
24 likes2 comments
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aroc
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Took a day off to enjoy this gorgeous day with the family! Skipping ahead on my #BookSpinBonanza list and trying to get out of my book funk! 💛

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I love this book!!! 4y
marleed When I read this I didn‘t realize the author chooses a real NYC building as a character in her books. I really liked the story but kind of want to give it a reread where I recognize the Barbizon Hotel as an actual historical figure. 4y
aroc @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Yay! Let's hope this gets me out of my funk. 4y
aroc @marleed It's a great concept. I have loved her other books. I am looking forward to her new one about the public library. A local bookstore was going to do a library tour and signing in New York, but with the pandemic I don't think it's happening now 😪 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🤞🤞🤞 4y
25 likes1 stack add5 comments
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BekaReid
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Pickpick

This book provided a great escape and was the perfect distraction. I enjoyed the format flipping back and forth between 2 periods and POVs as the story unfolds.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I loved this one!! All of her books are great! 4y
15 likes1 comment
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janeycanuck
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Pickpick

I quite enjoyed this historical mystery - flipping back and forth between past and present day doesn‘t always work for me but it did here. Aside from a few annoyances with Rose‘s back story (such dramatic lead up to the rather disappointing “reveal”) this sucked me right in and kept me turning the pages.

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Tracyantoon
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Pickpick

This was a very compelling historical fiction set in New York in the 1950s. Two timelines (can historical fiction even be told without 2 timelines at this point-this format is so popular). Very well done and I believe this was Fiona Davis‘s debut novel. I have more of her books on my TBR but wanted to start at the beginning. I enjoyed the unraveling mystery and the romance and visiting this cool city in the 50s. Very fun. 4⭐️

LiteraryinLawrence Great review! Welcome to Litsy! 😁 4y
TerriGreen I loved this book too! I‘ve read her second book too and it was just as good. 4y
15 likes1 stack add2 comments
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samantharoberts
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Pickpick

I actually really enjoyed this story! Loved the fact that it alternated between different time periods and had the perfect mix of fun, romance, and mystery. I‘ll definitely be reading more of Fiona Davis!

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️❤️❤️ 4y
41 likes1 comment
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OriginalCyn620
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Mehso-so

I liked this one fine but wasn‘t bowled over. I enjoyed the mix of history and mystery but a couple of the characters got on my nerves.
#booked2020 #hatonthecover

BarbaraTheBibliophage Good pick and lovely rose! 🌹 4y
TheBookHippie I had the same reaction!!! 4y
54 likes2 comments
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OriginalCyn620
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#thoughtfulthursday
🌝 The new year, so far, has been great! I have been keeping up with my resolutions and I hope they become habit!
🌝 I started the tagged book today, and I‘m reading A Tree Grows In Brooklyn and Three Women, both of which are buddy reads.
🌝 Not sure who‘s been tagged already, but if you‘d like to play, consider yourself tagged! 🤗

samantharoberts I‘m currently reading The Dollhouse right now too! 4y
MoonWitch94 Thanks for playing 😘 4y
35 likes2 comments
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Verity
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Mehso-so

Wanted to like this but found it really hard to get into and just didn‘t really connect with it. Which is a shame because it‘s bang in one of my favourite eras and should be right up in my wheelhouse.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I loved this one! ❤️ 4y
Verity @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I really wanted to like it, but I struggled to get into it and never recovered. 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Verity it happens!! ❤️❤️ 4y
21 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Mitch
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What an amazing package 📦♥️📦

Thank you so so much for all the #litsylove - it‘s a book I‘ve had my eye on for a while and the journal too is perfect. You know me well sweet friends xxxxx

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks You‘re very welcome!! I hope you love it! I love this author!! ❤️❤️❤️ 4y
79 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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BridgetteM
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I picked up this beauty in the bargain bin at Office Depot today. Who knew Office Depot even sold books?! 📖😍📚

Jee_HookedOnBookz Whaaaaaat?! I didn't know that! 4y
Jee_HookedOnBookz Thanks for sharing! ❤️ 4y
Prairiegirl_reading I had NO idea!!! 4y
marleed Oh, I liked this book - great find! 4y
64 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Verity
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Latest historical fiction read!

15 likes1 stack add
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ontheBL
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Panpan

Davis had a nice novel until the last five pages when she throws it in the toilet. The ending comes quickly and suddenly. It‘s as if her editor asked her to wrap everything up with a nice bow. It was saccharine and a little vomit inducing how spoon fed it felt. Otherwise, it's a nice story combining a mystery with a touch of love and a lot of independent women searching for belonging.
https://onthebl.org/2019/10/01/the-dollhouse-by-fiona-davis

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ontheBL
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“Not scared of change, like Darby was, but scared of staying put, staying unchanged.”

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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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One of my favorites!! 🏨📚

#Hotel
#LetsTravelAugust

MrBook 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y
OriginalCyn620 Sounds really good! 📚🏨 5y
95 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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MrBook
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Tonight‘s monthly #HughesUnitedBookClub was terrific! It was a big turnout and a fun, lively conversation that went right until the end! Just about everyone loved this book, and a nice thing about it is that we‘re close enough to #NYC for many of our members to have been there during this time. They talked about what it was like, and Davis is spot on in this novel. At least one of them even visited the Barbizon in the ‘50s!

#LitsyLovesLibraries

Eggs 💜💜 Fiona Davis💜💜 5y
Andrew65 Not read this one, but loved her other books. 5y
85 likes1 stack add2 comments
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MrBook
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#BookNBrunch! Late brunch today, and it was goood. Accompaniment this hot and bright early afternoon was: pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, orange juice, and unsweetened iced tea. MMMmmm 😋! Happy reads & happy eats! 😎👌🏻

Andrew65 Making my mouth water! 😋 5y
CocoReads Looks delish! 5y
vivastory That's nearly identical to the brunch I had yesterday 😄 5y
77 likes3 comments
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MrBook
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#BookNDinner! Accompaniment this hot and sunny evening: my stir-fry of broccoli florets, green beans, carrots, and bella mushrooms, sautéed in extra virgin olive oil; rotisserie chicken strips, blacks olives, mozzarella balls, and shaved parmesan and asiago cheeses. And to drink, sparkling mineral water. MMMMmmm ?! #MrBookKitchen. Happy reads & happy eats! ???

? Background music: Spotify playlist “#NYC Jazz—Jazz & Swing of Yesteryear” ?

Julsmarshall Looks delicious! Enjoy! 5y
Carissa-Green-Reads I love knowing that librarians use ILL services too. It feels like a particularly passionate endorsement. (edited) 5y
AmyRebecca Pellegrino! 5y
89 likes3 comments
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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#NewYork
#LetsTravelAugust

Love this author!!

I can‘t wait for Chelsea Girls!! ❤️ 🗽

Eggs Me too👏🏻💗👏🏻 5y
OriginalCyn620 👌🏻📚🗽❤️ 5y
Andrew65 Great choices! 5y
88 likes1 stack add3 comments
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xxjenadanxx
Pickpick

Book 4 of #24in48

In the 50‘s the Barbizon was THE hotel for single women in the city. 60 years later it has been converted to condos but a number of the women have stayed in their home at the Barbizon all these years. When Rose, journalist and resident of 5B, encounters one of these mysterious women on the elevator she realizes there must be a story to be had and begins to dig. What she finds is a story of love, jazz music and tragedy.

Cathythoughts Nice review 👍🏻 5y
64 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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MrBook
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I‘ve signed up for #24in48, but I think the chance of me reading for 24 hours is very slim considering I‘ll be in #NYC all of Sunday, lol. Go onward and upward anyway, I say! 😁

My 3 I‘ll be journeying through. Have you read any of them?!

Nerdy_Bookworm I just finished The Dollhouse tonight. It was pretty good! 5y
janeycanuck Rules of Civility is excellent! 5y
kspenmoll Rules of civility is a great choice- 5y
82 likes3 comments
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Nerdy_Bookworm
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Figured I'd give this a try! I've heard great things about it!

Mitch Oh yes.... you‘ve reminded me that‘s on my TBR - when it came out lots of good stuff said. 🤞🏼 5y
24 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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marleed
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Pickpick

I can‘t resist a story set in 1950s NYC and my physical TBR for this genre is a rather tall stack. This was a fun read even if I did find the 2016 researcher of said story a bit annoying.

marleed And OMG I just realized this matches my post from yesterday - yet another sprite elderly lady with a story to tell. Geez I‘m on a roll with this genre! 5y
59 likes1 comment
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Samplergal
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Pickpick

A fun twisty book. 4🌟

marleed Just stacked! My favorite time period and city for a fun book! And it‘s available soon from my library. I had to put an immediate suspend to it because I also see I have 4 holds dropped in my queue! 5y
102 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Samplergal
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Surprisingly good! I‘m about 1/2 way through.. easy reading. A little history, a little mystery, intrigue.

lynneamch I loved it. This one was really good, too. 5y
Cathythoughts I think I‘d like to give this one a go ... stacked 5y
105 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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laur89
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Pickpick

Throughly enjoyed this story. The history of 1950‘s NYC was fascinating to me, especially the facts about the Barbizon Hotel. The characters were all likable and the format of the book (switching back and forth between 1952 and 2016 NYC) kept me hooked! Quick read, filled with mystery and romance.

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laur89
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“The waiter came with their food, two plates of wobbly green Jell-O mold in which slices of olives, celery, and cheese floated, garnished with lettuce and tomato.”

I can say with confidence that my face looked something like this when I read this line: 😳🤨🤢

I‘m a huge foodie, and I love the 1950‘s, but this is a huge “no” from me. 😂

shellleigh33 🤢 5y
SilversReviews LOVED The Dollhouse, and I love this photo. 5y
15 likes3 comments
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laur89
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Morning plans: Breakfast & check-in at the Barbizon Hotel!
🏨🛎🧳

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laur89
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This has to be one of my favorite things:
>When a book makes a reference to another book (even better when it‘s one I read and liked!)

I was pleasantly surprised to find out this was a historical fiction book. Not usually a genre I read, but I‘m fascinated with the stories about 1950‘s New York, and the true bits of history intertwined throughout!

rethier1 Same for me! It was super interesting learning about the Barbizon! I enjoyed this one. 5y
laur89 @rethier1 I didn‘t even know that it was going to be a huge part of the plot!! It‘s turning out to be very interesting 👍🏼👍🏼 5y
12 likes2 comments
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laur89
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“During high school she‘d preferred novels to her classmates: They were in every way easier to read.”

I can totally relate!
~
A hotel full of young, aspiring women from wealthy families, with a history of housing famous writers and actresses... sounds like a tough crowd to socialize with, if you happened to be from a small town. 😬

Eggs Love this photo🤗 5y
laur89 @Eggs I did too!! Great Google find - there‘s tons of cool pics of the Barbazon Hotel 🏨 5y
13 likes1 stack add2 comments
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laur89
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The #TBR goblet has spoken - I‘m loving having #Libby on this iPad mini!! 🥳

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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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Darby is a little #homesick when she arrives at the Barbizon Hotel in 1952 until she meets Ezme, the Barbizon maid, and is introduced to another side of New York City.
More that half a century later, Rose, a journalist, lives downstairs from Darby in the Barbizon which has now been turned into condos is intrigued by the rumors surrounding Darby and the death of a hotel maid. As she delves into the past neither woman will be the the same.

OriginalCyn620 That sounds good! 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620 all of her books are great!! 5y
See All 7 Comments
litenthusiast This book is so good! 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @litenthusiast it is!! I can‘t wait for her new one !! 5y
SilversReviews LOVE her book...great photo. 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @SilversReviews me too!! Thank you ❤️ 5y
75 likes7 comments
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IamIamIam
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Bailedbailed

I'm done... I didn't like anybody in this book, the was so much superfluous information and the reveal was total crap. I expected so much more and I just don't care about anything. I'm angry that I wasted more time than necessary on these idiots.
#unpopularopinion #IreallyHATEchicklit

Reagan Hahaha I loved the hashtag. It is not a genre that I typically get behind, with very rare exceptions. 5y
IamIamIam @Reagan-reads Lol, occasionally I can get caught up in a sappy story but this was just awful! 5y
37 likes2 comments