Book Review - The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis

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In 1952, Darby McLaughlin decides to leave her home to enroll in secretary school in New York City. She arrives at the Barbizon Hotel and realizes that she is surrounded by beautiful women. While she considers herself to be very plain looking.  Darby becomes homesick and falls prey into her roommates' cruelty. When she befriends Esme, a maid at the hotel, she is exposed to a different side of New York City. Esme takes Darby to downtown jazz clubs, where the music causes Darby to feel things she keeps bottled up.

Half a century later, the Barbizon hotel is converted into condos. However, the infamous incident involving a hotel maid falling to her death still taints the hotel's history. When Darby crosses path with journalist Rose Lewin, Rose becomes obsessed with finding out about Darby's past. Rose welcomes this distraction as her personal life starts to fall apart. As Rose digs deeper into Darby's past her true motives become muddle with her search of the truth. 

I have read "The Address" and enjoyed it. The book was well written and the premise was interesting. However, I thought the plot was a bit dull and found that some of the characters to be very basic.  As a person who went through a recent heartbreak, I couldn't picture myself simply falling for a new person in less than a week. It took time to mourn and even understand what exactly went wrong. While this book was disappointing, I am looking forward to reading other books by the author.

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Book Review - The Address: A Novel by Fiona Davis

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After a failed sewing apprenticeship and consistently disappointing her mother, Sara Smythe has worked her way up to the head housekeeper at a posh London hotel. When an accident occurs, Sara crosses path with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house, the Dakota. Grateful for her help, Theo offers Sara a job as a manager of the Dakota.  Excited about the opportunity to start over and filled with possibility, Sara decides to take the position as the manager of the building. Sara loves that Theo understands her like no one else but, Theo is a married man with three young children.

Bailey Camden is fresh out of rehab and she is eager to start over. She is homeless, jobless and without a penny to her name. Baily is desperate for any opportunity to help showcase her decorating skills. Her grandfather was the ward of Theo Camden but, without the genetic match, Bailey won't be able to get a  part of the Camden's estate. Her cousin, Melinda is Camden's biological great-granddaughter who will inherit everything. When Melinda offers Bailey the job to renovate her lavish Dokata apartment, Bailey jumps at the chance to prove herself. However, the pair has different views on the renovation of the apartment. Melinda wants to make the apartment more modern, while Bailey wants to keep the historic charm.

 

Sara and Bailey lived over a hundred years apart but, both are tempted and struggle again the excess of their world. Sara struggled with the opulent world ruled by the rich while Bailey struggled with free-flowing drinks and drugs. They both take refuge at the Dakota to find peace.  When Bailey finds a chest with secrets from the past, she realizes everything she thought she knew about her family might be wrong.

I found the book to be an entertaining and easy to read. I love the details about the Dakota and the historic details.  While the book was a good read, I found the story to be a bit predictable. This would be an ideal book for readers who like historical fiction but, not for readers who want to be in suspense.

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