She's a Doll

by Barbara Truelove

Lucy isn’t a normal girl. Ghost. Victim. Killer. She’s a doll on a mission—to find the man who killed her and return the favor.

Lucy McQuinn has been murdered, but she’s not about to go quietly.

If she doesn’t get to keep breathing, then neither does Kyle, her killer. Possessing the body of an antique doll, she sets out on a quest for revenge. But it’s hard when you’re eighteen inches tall and made of porcelain.

For help, she turns to Nicola, a human and fellow outsider with her own reasons to hate Kyle. But in their small idyllic town, no one wants to hear the truth, especially not about such a promising young man. If they can’t expose his crimes, Lucy will have to roll up her lacy little sleeves and teach him a lesson the old-fashioned way—as slowly and painfully as possible.

From LA Times bestselling author Barbara Truelove, She’s a Doll is a ghoulish and gleeful tribute to the unstoppable power of female rage and a love letter to the friends who have our back—in this life and the next.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Adult, Queer, LGBT, Fantasy, Thriller

336 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 8, 2026

About the author

I write about werewolves and sometimes other things.

Reviews

[Seri ❤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!
Murdered girl's soul possess a creepy porcelain doll with the intent to kill her killer.

You know what I didn’t expect in a book about death and doll possessions? One of the best female friendships between an inanimate object and an outcast that I’ve ever read. They’re snarky to each other AND both hella twisted in the head, but there’s no denying that Nicola and Lucy are ride or die! The fact that they both hate the same person is simply fate at its finest! ✨✨

A funny interaction that perfectly sums Lucy and Nicola’s relationship:
“Have you considered eating real food?” (About a McDonald’s milkshake)
“Have you considered that you’re still on thin ice, you porcelain piece of shit?”

The second half of this book was UNPUTDOWNABLE! I lived through the murder with Lucy and watching her chase after revenge was like chicken soup for my soul. The first half, however, was tedious with LOTS of talking, being stuck in display cases, and reading about a porcelain doll shattering and being hot glued back together. Trudge through that part to get to the riveting and ohhhh so satisfying second half!

Overall it’s a solid book. Interesting premise for those looking to read about revenge, female friendships, and creepy dolls possessed by a sarcastic dead girl on a murder mission. 😈

*For anyone horror adverse like myself:
This book is NOT scary at all! The descriptions are NOT overly gorey or gross. The horror is NOT traumatizing. (IMO)
My credentials? I’m a scaredy cat. 😅

Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books for the arc! All opinions are my own 🩵

[Liana Gold]

Imagine being mauled by an antique doll. How hard might this be if you're only 18 inches tall and made of porcelain?




Many thanks to NetGalley, Bindery Books and the author, Barbara Truelove for an early copy.

Publication date: September 8, 2026

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨🩷 She’s a Doll 🩷✨

Oooof this one was devastating.

I came for the feminine rage and stayed for the emotional damage 😭💔

This book absolutely wrecked me. The anger, grief, and sadness throughout the story was so deep and consuming. 😭😭

I do think the ending and epilogue kept this from being a full 5 star read for me though. I’m not even fully sure what I needed from the ending, but I wanted just a bit more closure after everything. And I am not sure I liked Lucy's situation.

🔪 What to Expect
• Possessed doll FMC
• Revenge
• Female rage
• Small town secrets
• Murder mystery
_ _ _

⭐ Final Score: 4.5 Stars
📅 Pub Date: September 8, 2026
📝 Thank you to Bindery Books, Ezeekat Press, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s only natural to jump into a doll body when you’re being murdered, right?
Right?

In horror movies being a hunted doll always looks so easy. I mean, look at Chucky.
But after being murdered and sticking her soul into a bride doll, Lucy realizes it’s damn hard.
Time is not on your side (literally) and it takes a lot of work to move.
But rage, real unfiltered rage gets you moving. As good as revenge does.

A book full of female rage, female friendship and badass woman.
This book not only made me smile, but also made me oh so mad at the world.

I had so much fun reading it, I flew through it in under 24 hours.

For all my horror loving girlies (and boys etc), try this one out.
You won’t regret it!

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

She's a Doll follows Lucy McQuinn, who is not like other girls main characters. Even though she's smart and sweet, Lucy doesn't quite fit in with her contemporaries.

The thing that really sets her apart though, happens after she's murdered by a vile man named Kyle. At the time of her death, her soul takes possession of an 18-inch porcelain doll and she's ticked.



Vowing to get revenge, Lucy, in her new form, wants to find Kyle and end his life like he ended hers. That proves tricky though. Her size and the fact that she's made of porcelain, it all works against her. She's gonna need some help.

Lucy turns to Nicola, a gal she knew in life, a fellow outsider, and someone who also hates Kyle. Understandably, it's initially difficult to get Nicola to believe what she's hearing and seeing. I mean, can you imagine a doll coming to you and proposing you work together to kill someone?



We then follow their friendship and their mission, as both women grapple with the unfairness of it all. Will Lucy be able to find the peace she deserves, or will she be forced to stalk the Earth an angry doll forever?

This is such a creative story. I enjoyed it so much. With the synopsis, I wasn't sure how campy Truelove would end up taking it, as I've never read from her before, so was unsure of her style. I was impressed with the nuance in the story, and appreciated all that Truelove brought to the table here.

It's actually a really nice blend of humor with darker, more serious topics that were thoughtfully explored. It actually packs quite the punch emotionally, and had quieter moments that definitely pulled at my heartstrings.



The audiobook, narrated by Tegan Bourke, was super fun and I definitely recommend that format if you have it available to you. Tegan's accent and delivery were perfect for Lucy's character. The narration added such life to the story, and I found it very believable.

Overall, I think this is a great book, offering up much more depth than I initially anticipated. Readers are going to love it. A perfect read for your Spooky Season.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media and Bindery Books, for providing me with copies to read and review. I'm so stoked to read more from this author!

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

”But I guess that’s what death is. A conversation interrupted. A thread left hanging.”

She’s a Doll was such a blast! A dead girl possessing a doll to get revenge on the guy who killed her??? Say less. Easily one of my top 5 books of 2026.

I do have to admit I did went into this expecting something a bit more dark and serious. Don’t ask me why. But the book leans a lot more into absurdity and humor, which was fun! It was definitely a breath of fresh air. It made it weird, ridiculously entertaining and genuinely funny.

I adored Lucy and Nicola’s relationship and how it evolved throughout the book. Their dynamic carried a lot of the story for me. The banter was sooooo good and that damn toy car had me crying every time it appeared.

”But without a body, I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t test my hypothesis. I was stuck. Trapped. Reduced. All because of him.”

The pacing was amazing. I loved how unpredictable it started to become the more I read it. I ended up reading half the book on a saturday because I genuinely couldn’t put it down. And I needed to know what happened at the end!!!

My only “complaint” is that I wish Lucy’s revenge was a bit more impactful. I was waiting on more rage, maybe a little bit of gore, perhaps more horror… Some parts of the ending felt a biiiiit rushed compared to the rest of the story’s pacing. But honestly I had so much fun with this book I barely cared.

A thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

[verynicebook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spooky, funny heartwarming, sad and twisty! Absolutely devoured this one. From start to finish (and I mean the verrrryy end.. skip nothing) this was so entertaining and unputdownable. Not that I had any doubt but of course I would love a story about a vengeful haunted porcelain doll. Thanks so so much to the publisher for my review copy!

[CJ Alberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for work, only Ms Truelove could make a freaked out haunted doll story both earnest and hilarious

[liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
This was so fresh and well done. I was endlessly enamored by these quirky, queer, nuanced characters.

It’s really such a perfectly well balanced blend of dark humor, satire, and also serious themes of death, grief and the power of friendship.

I was really blown away by the author’s ability to make you really look into the tragedy of what occurs on one page and laugh out loud at a dark joke on the next page. Every joke landed perfectly. I was really impressed by the fact that this never felt out of place or forced. Hats off to the author, Barbra Truelove for finding such a charming and sincere balance of all these overarching themes.

A quick plot:
Lucy was a 20 year old girl who was gruesomely murdered and instead of dying, her soul is latched onto a doll. Yes she is a doll. With the help of an old friend she meets at an antique shop and a magical hearing aid, she is determined to seek vengeance on the man who killed her.

I was immediately sold from the last line of the content warning page.
“This is Lucy’s story, and Lucy’s a liar. She’s one of those sneaky sorts of liars who’s straight up with the big things, the important things, but will get a little slippery when it comes to the small stuff, the details.”

I love an absolutely chaotic unreliable female narrator more than life itself. And I really loved Lucy.

Highly recommend this to anyone who loves dark humor, campy plot points, and chaotic feminine rage.

Thanks so much to Barbra Truelove, Bindery Books & NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my sincere review.

[Jenna (out touching grass & tech detoxing!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, full disclosure: LOVE a Haunted Doll! I’m already a member of that fandom. So a haunted doll book? Consider me sold! Nonetheless, even without my established enthusiasm and predisposition to favor a haunted doll book, I still think this book succeeds in a number of notable ways. To paraphrase the protagonist, a haunted doll is “not a typical girl,” and rather than just coasting on the merits of its sexy haunted doll concept, this book works hard to provide a different perspective — and specifically, to illuminate precisely how and why a haunted doll is not your typical girl.


Folks, be forewarned that this makes for some dark reading: what makes this a better book also makes it a more tragic one. Despite many moments that are on the witty side or may be humorous to envision, overall I found that this book is quite (appropriately) sad and serious and can be a hard read at times as a result. The book does not gloss over the horrible reality behind how Lucy became a haunted doll in the first place, ripped from her life at a critical point in her identity formation and young adult development, and all the grief and loss she and others experience as a result.


Additionally, the book very imaginatively and in great detail illustrates the complicated process of becoming different iterations of a functional and interpersonally relating, continuing-to-evolve haunted doll over time. People, there’s a lot of logistics and engineering and emotions and innovative communication efforts and ongoing personal growth and identity development involved in all this: it’s not just, hurrah, I’m a haunted doll now, period, problem solved! Becoming a haunted doll is no easy respite or reprieve, but rather only the first step in a grueling new journey. (As luck would have it, being a woman just can NEVER be easy, unfortunately even for a woman who is a haunted doll.) In many ways, this book offers what could be considered a true and deep character study of a haunted doll rather than the usual facile depiction, and I really appreciated this!


In addition to all this unexpected depth, the book of course also explores themes the reader is likely hoping for, including and especially (justified) female anger as well as dynamics of friendship, trust, and love between women. And at the end of the day — it IS still a fun book about a haunted doll doing haunted doll things, and haunted dolls are inherently awesome! — even if it’s not easy being a haunted doll.


A must-read for spooky season or anytime that gives a favorite trope the thoughtful and creative attention it deserves. My big thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Bindery Books/Ezeekat Press for the ARC of She’s a Doll, scheduled for release on September 8, 2026!

[The Morbid Mama ☠︎︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’d been murdered.
And now I was in the body of a doll.
A. Fucking. Doll.”

After a disastrous tea party, Lucy is at home trying to forget all about it. But she gets an unexpected visitor and gets murdered. But before she can move on, she gets herself trapped in a doll and that doll then ends up being donated to a thrift shop and Nicola joins the chat. Turns out Nicola can hear Lucy through her hearing aid and that is when our road to revenge begins 😈

This was such a unique spin on the haunted doll trope! It had all the female rage and revenge a girl could want. The creativity was immaculate and it had the PERFECT balance of dark humor and seriousness. I adore Barbara’s writing style and felt so in sync with it every step of the way. This book is EASILY my top read of 2026 so far!

She’s a Doll will be released on 9/8/2026 so be sure to preorder your copy now!!

So grateful to NetGalley for giving me an ARC!!

[Bhavya (mostly-offline) · Rating 5 out of 5]

8/6/26: 5 stars! RTC

...................

4/6/26: got approved for the ARC! So intrigued by this one 👀

[Chris | Company Pants]

Stick with me here, please.

There’s a moment in one of Markiplier’s playthrough videos for the 2021 horror masterpiece Resident Evil Village where having finally gotten his bearings straight after guiding the game’s hapless protagonist through it’s infamous labyrinthian Castle Dimetrescu where Mark becomes patently aware of what the next segment of the game will be asking of him. From the castle, you cautiously wander through a dilapidated graveyard littered with the scattered remnants of various dolls and soon enter a residence known as House Beneviento and at first glance, bear witness to a comically oversized painting of a young girl and her doll. And this is the moment that I’m referring to. That exact instant where Mark realizes that this is a house that he will not be able to escape until he goes up against the haunted doll featured in the painting. Five years after watching this particular video, I can still hear and feel the weight of his extended sigh. A sigh that wearily said, “why did it have to be a haunted doll?” without ever having to utter those words out loud.

I bring this up because that plaintive sigh resonated deeply with me from the very first moment that I sat down with Barbara Truelove’s She’s A Doll. Those who know me well know of my…let’s call it “hesitation” to be in any room that is inhabited by any sort of doll, let alone one that has been deemed haunted or possessed. And don’t get me wrong, I eagerly chose to read this book. Not only that, I requested an early copy of this book and began reading it voraciously just mere moments after it arrived in my possession. Because despite revolving around a main character that is the manifestation of something that I might just be a tad bit terrified of, the premise for She’s A Doll was just too delicious to ignore and after having read Barbara’s utterly fantastic Of Monsters And Mainframes last year, I feel like she could weave a story focused on my very deepest fear and I would gladly jump in for the ride. But just to be safe, let’s never make her aware of that specific fear. Just in case.

Before the first chapter even begins, we are treated to a brief note that informs us that every single thing that we are about to be told by our upcoming narrator, Lucy, is wrong, made up, exaggerated and hopelessly altered in order to make certain that she comes out looking better than anyone else who becomes involved in what is her story. In a literary world rife with unreliable narrators, both intriguing and frustrating, it admittedly sent a little thrill up my spine to be told so blatantly that we should throw out all of our belief in what we are about to be told before we’ve even met our principal tour guide to this new world. But just like in the real world when a friend attempts to warn you about some new figure on the horizon of your life who appears to be wildly deft in the arenas of charm and spin, it becomes nearly impossible not to buy into everything and feel sorry for and defensive of Lucy within a matter of pages.

“Now, here’s the real deal.”

To understand the story of Lucy without giving away too much and spoiling the total non-stop joyride of anger, frustration and hilarity that radiates from this book, it’s important to know a few things: Lucy lives with her grandmother in a hoarder’s paradise and has been somewhat aimless since finishing school, choosing to occupy most of her time either at home or with her best friend. It’s not that Lucy has been unlucky in love or had any sort of disastrous relationships, but more so that she hasn’t been totally honest with herself about who she is or what she wants, if she even wants anything at all. And finally, at the start of the novel, Lucy is murdered and in a last ditch effort at some sort of survival, her consciousness is transferred to an old doll sitting on a shelf in her grandmother’s house. It is from this vantage point that we view Lucy from here on out, through the eyes of a doll hellbent on ending the life of the man that murdered her.

It would be extremely easy to classify She’s A Doll as a whip smart story of well-earned feminine rage and beautiful, luxurious revenge because ultimately, that is the seductively sweet candy shell that wraps itself around this particular story. But what grabbed me, pulled me in and had me frantically moving through each page with a need to keep going and going was the character of Lucy being forced to re-examine herself and what she had always fiercely believed the rest of her friends, her classmates and even her family thought about her. Being stuck in a limbo of sorts in the form of inhabiting a doll’s body pushes her to confront her own perceptions of herself and take into account just how twisted her sense of self had been before having her life taken away from her by force. Lucy has spent a lifetime choosing which doors to open and close, which paths to take and which to avoid all based on her own funhouse mirror ideas of who everyone else believes that she is.

But these revelations do not come easily for Lucy. In the aftermath of her human life, she is singularly focused on her revenge and makes a series of choices that go far beyond the realm of casual selfishness into something decidedly more harmful and dangerous both to herself and to the only person alive that knows the details of her situation and has offered any sort of help, an old school acquaintance named Nicola. And despite the initial hesitance on the part of Nicola to not only help Lucy, but suspend her own tether with reality long enough to believe that she can communicate with a doll inhabited by her former classmate, this is the relationship at the heart of She’s A Doll that elevates this story into something MORE for me. Because their friendship never rests on calm footing; it is emotional and filled with battles and betrayals that you feel deep in your heart that you’d never be able to recover from given that it was you facing the same situation. These two women push each other and at times enrage each other, but there exists an honesty between them that pushes them away from each other and pulls them back together in equal measure.

In the end, She’s A Doll is the kind of story that makes it remarkably easy to forget all the other things that you’re supposed to be doing in your daily life as you ache to push yourself towards those final pages in hopes of finding that sweet resolve of comeuppance that feels just barely out of reach. Barbara Truelove has crafted a wild ride filled with the frustrations and the excitement that come with exacting revenge on someone that fully deserves it, but she’s also found a way to explore identity, perception and relationships through a truly unique lens that allows her characters to fall down and make mistakes, to not always be perfect in their own skin or perfect in the way that they interact with each other. This one is well worth your time if you’re looking for a dip into horror that makes you laugh, if you’re looking for something that goes several levels deeper down into a dark night of the soul or, if you’re like me, you love when it all collides and mashes up into something that allows you to feel a little bit of everything all at once.

Thank you so much to Barbara Truelove, Bindery Books, Ezeekat Press and NetGalley for being so kind to provide me with a digital advanced reading copy of She’s A Doll for me to read and review.

[J. Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books (Ezeekat Press) for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Everyone in this book lies to you, they’re all liars and nothing is true but everything still happens. You want unreliable narration? THIS is the book for you, because by the end it’s hard to tell what actually happened even when you know the outcomes. And on this note, make sure to read the book club discussion questions after the acknowledgements — treat it like a post-credits scene in a movie and keep your ass seated!

Did Kyle deserve it? I mean, his name was Kyle so yeah he’s already starting with some suspicion.

What I liked though is that the book isn’t trying to moralize, and when characters do go down that road it feels jarring rather than appropriate. Simply put, this is a book with bad people getting revenge on worse people. But it plays with justification at the same time, as we see with how Lucy and Nicola interact with each other, with how Krissy acts on her podcast, the town’s assumptions about Lucy’s grandmother and about Nicola, and even Ginger’s initial appearance compared to the ending.

From a critical perspective, I do wish there was more detail in places or regarding certain elements. For example, Lucy’s time manipulation — what role did it play, why did it never get under control, did I miss something or was this another way of creating believable unreliable narration, etc. Likewise, while it’s spooky and atmospheric in that way, we don’t really see much of the settings — so, it’s hard to fully enter the world they’re operating within.

[Erin Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨✨✨Chucky but make it hilarious and also a bit heartwarming!✨✨✨

I really enjoyed She’s a Doll ! It’s a very fast-paced and fun read. This book has a lot more humor than I was expecting for a book about a girl that gets murdered and her spirit ends up inside a doll. Oh and she is planning to kill the guy that killed her!! I really love female rage!!! 👏 I absolutely loved the banter between Lucy and Nicola!! The friendship between them was super cute too! I absolutely loved the ending and overall just had such a good time reading this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released September 8, 2026 .

[mo • lesmotsdemo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a really good time with this book. After some heavier and longer reads I really needed a shorter read that packed a punch. And I’m so glad I chose this one, because it was exactly what I needed. I flew through this book, the writing had a compulsive quality to it that I really liked. The plot was unhinged in the best of ways, and delivered on the revenge and the satisfaction that comes with it (I love a revenge story, and I support women’s wrongs). Lucy was a good main character, her relationships with the other women in this book were pleasant to read. Overall, it was a very fun and unhinged novel that I highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply said: this was FUN and I loved every moment. I did not really perceive this as a horror novel, and sure in a way it is, but it’s about so much more. I did not expect a story about friendship, grief, and revenge. I’m not sure what I expected, but it got topped easily. I felt many emotions while reading - and I hope you do to because this is really one you wanna pick up! Weird girl lit lovers this one is for you!

“I wanted to smash my porcelain head against the bookshelf and scream until all my stuffing burst.”

[Queralt✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent, excellent, excellent

When I was a kid I used to be obsessed with Chucky and this sort of reminded me of it (thought it was quite the opposite). I loved the emphasis on friendship and just how entertaining it was.

This is my second time reading the author and my second time giving them five stars 🤯

Anyways, review to come later.

*ARC received for free, this hasn’t impacted my rating.

[Shae Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️ - I had an absolute blast with this one. It was brilliant! A murdered woman trapped inside a doll, hell-bent on getting revenge against the man who killed her? That's exactly the kind of ridiculously unhinged premise that has me sold immediately. 😂

We follow Lucy, who after being murdered finds herself stuck inside a doll with no way to communicate or move properly. That is, until Nicola, a woman whose hearing aid allows her to hear Lucy, comes into her life. Together, they set out on a very unconventional revenge mission and I had the BEST time watching this chaotic duo figure it all out.

This book was the perfect mix of dark humour, female rage and genuine emotion. I went in expecting a fun revenge horror story, but I didn't expect to become so invested in Lucy and Nicola's relationship. The banter was hilarious, their dynamic felt so natural and I loved watching two very different women find strength in each other. Lucy’s anger and grief were so powerful, but the book never lost its sense of humour.

I also loved how fresh this take on the haunted doll trope felt. Barbra Truelove somehow managed to balance complete absurdity with some really heavy themes around death and grief and it worked so well. We all know how much I adore a good revenge story and I'm always here to support women's rights (and wrongs). Easily one of my favourite books I've read this year!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC!

[Chandra Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can confidently say I am a huge Barbara Truelove fan now.

I adored ‘Of Monsters and Mainframes’ and I absolutely adored this.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!!

Ghost Possessed Doll + Revenge + Ride or Die Friendship + Queer

Lucy is being murdered and at the last moment while her soul is leaving her body, she makes eye contact with one of her grandmother’s vintage dolls and gets sucked into its creepy little body. She gets packed up and sent to an antique store and displayed for sale for several months. While on display she discovers an employee, Nicola, can hear her through her hearing aids. After many weeks, she finally wears Nicola down and goes home with her, where they begin their revenge plot for Lucy’s killer.

This book was so much more than meets the eye. It explores life after death and provides a window of how life continues on and how family members have to pick up and keep going after the death of a loved one. It also talks about the death of a pet, this had me sobbing like a baby late into the night.

One of my favorite things about this book was the unlikely friendship between Lucy and Nicola. Both drawn together by shared experiences and being the “weird girl”. These two ended up being thick as thieves and their connection was beautifully built.

I thought the discussion of Nicola and Lucy’s sexualities was a meaningful addition to the story. Lucy died when she was 20, still in the process of learning about herself, and she never got to explore her sexuality. I was angry about that experience to be taken away from her.

This was such an emotional, funny, wild, unique ride.

This book was sent to me by NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy 5 stars. Barbara Truelove has done it again. Seriously. She knocked this one completely out of the park.

She’s a Doll might actually end up being my favorite book of the year, and it’s only because I’m trying to show restraint that I’m saying might. And honestly… I did not expect to have this many feelings about a possessed, revenge-filled doll. Yet here we are. Somehow the author managed to take a premise that sounds wild on paper and turn it into something emotional, funny, and weirdly heartfelt. And some of the parts were so relatable that I had to have a talk with myself in the mirror.

Big thumbs up from me and an easy recommendation.

Okay Barbara… what are you writing next? Because I’ll be first in line. 👀

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery for the amazing eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Katie Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. I loved it so much!

I loved the friendship between Lucy and Nicola and how they both needed each other. It was very touching.

This was probably one of my TOP favorite reads this year thus far.


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley as always!

[Trisha]

this cover is so good and I love how fun this one sounds! A killer porcelain doll looking to find her killer and return the favor! I love it! Can't wait for this release: Pub date: 10/2026!

[Hoarding Wyrm | Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5/5⭐️ This was such a fun, sweet, and surprisingly emotional read! I went in expecting something campy (I mean, the premise has a young woman possessing a porcelain Bride doll after being murdered and wanting revenge), but it turned out to be such a sweet story about found family, women supporting women, and female friendship, with a lot of sharp humour, self-reflection, and personal growth. And a very satisfying good-for-her moment. I would've liked a bit more background/reasoning as to why things happened the way they did, but then again, you don't always get that kind of closure in real life either. Also, I loved (and hated) how well the community mentality was portrayed here, and how that can impact someone's standing the moment they start sharing things the community may know to be true, but doesn't necessarily want to hear.

A big thanks to Bindery Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

[Jeanie ~ Fables.and.fur · Rating 5 out of 5]

After receiving an online vocational training certificate she isn’t very proud of, Lucy goes inappropriately dressed to a tea party of “mean girls” and gets teased online. She tries calling her best friend, but creepy brother Kyle answers the phone and is weirdly consoling. Kyle then shows up at Lucy’s house and brutally murders her.

After her death, Lucy is inhabiting a porcelain doll that was in the room where she was killed. She’s left with three burning questions. 1) Why did Kyle kill me? 2) Why didn’t I stop him? 3) What happens now?

Lucy is a great FMC. She’s likable and has a wonderful, macabre sense of humor. When she meets Nicola, she finds the one person who can hear her. They have more in common than Lucy thinks and together they plan to get revenge on Kyle. The friendship between these two was beautifully depicted.

She’s a Doll is crafted in such a way that I truly believed Lucy was now a doll. That takes a lot of talent on the part of the writer. I also thought the author handled Lucy’s death with respect. We didn’t need all of the details. If gore in the horror genre bothers you, it’s light here and leaned a little more thriller for me.

Thank you @bindery_books for an ARC of She’s a Doll. I enjoyed it so much that I purchased a hardcover copy through @aardvarkbookclub

[Samantha Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read, but that's about the extent of it.

This wasn't nearly as horror filled & unhinged as I was hoping/expecting. The whole story, Lu kept talking about how "spooky" is her "brand" but she was anything but.

While I get that some men are just terrible & do terrible things, I do wish that there would've been more of an established relationship between Lucy & Kyle, or an actual motive behind him murdering her. Her murder happens early in the book, but that whole scene felt out of place & rushed. I think adding more dimension in their relationship/that scene would've added more of an emotional charge to Lucy wanting & finally getting her revenge. She was rage filled, sure, but it didn't feel like there was any substance behind it.

Unfortunately, I felt that the plot became repetitive & bland. While I absolutely loooooved Lu & Nicola's relationship, most of the story was just them arguing back and forth about doing Lucy's 'Plan A' or Nicola's 'Plan B'.

I loved the feminine rage, the found family, the exploration of sexuality & all of Lu's body changes, but most of this fell flat for me.

Overall, She's A Doll was an adequately competent read.

[Book Night Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god!!! What did I just read!!!!
This was a Child's Play kind of story with women leading the story and a lot of humour!

"She's a doll" deals with the story of the narrator, Lucy, who has unfairly lost her life in the hands of Kyle. Years later, no one knows what happened and no one mistrusts Kyle and he became an upstanding citizen! But Lu isn't ready to leave without a fight!

This story was so good! While reading the synopsis, I had expectations which was rightfully delivered. The book went through so many phases - the horror of what happened to Lu, her pain of being tied to a doll, and her need for revenge; all while maintaining the pace and suspense as to what would happen.

There were times when I too felt hopeless. Like what can Lu or Nicola do to bring down Kyle. I could see it was pointless! Other times I cried when her lost opportunities were revealed.

Mostly I was satisfied with the fast pace and first person narration that the book takes on. The ending also deserves praise as it ended in a way that won't disappoint the readers.

In conclusion, I was deeply satisfied with the story and the writing style, quickly earning a place in my heart...

[Madame Strange · Rating 5 out of 5]

“She’s A Doll” - Remind me to never fully trust anyone who puts hazelnut syrup in their coffee.

★★★★★

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, I leave this review voluntarily.

The promise of a haunted doll was enough to peak my interest and I didn’t expect to fall in love with this story as much as I did.
Lu will haunt my mind for a while, because after finishing this novel I realise I’m not ready to let her go. This story had me hooked and it delivers, female rage, a haunted doll (duh), vengeance, grief, friendship, hurt and a great dose of humour that made me smile even when things were sad.
Easy 5 stars, loved it and now I have to decide what object my spirit will inhabit im case someone decides to end my life.

[Lorin (paperbackbish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Bindery and Dreamscape Media for my free ARC of She's a Doll by Barbara Truelove — out Sep 8!

» READ IF YOU «
🪆 want a haunted doll revenge story with genuine emotion
😤 can't get enough unfiltered, unapologetic female rage
🎧 love an audiobook narrator who fully embodies the characters

» SYNOPSIS «
Lucy was looking forward to a quiet night in when she suddenly finds herself murdered and trapped in the body of a porcelain bride doll. What the hell? But she knows who did this to her, and she's not about to rest until he gets what he deserves. Though...she might need some help. She is technically a ghost and only eighteen inches tall now, after all. But wait, can that girl hear her?

» REVIEW «
Wow, so I actually loved this book even more than I thought I would. Truelove takes a "Chucky" premise that could've stayed ultra light and campy, but gives it some real emotional punch behind the glee. It's a rage story, yeah, but it's also about found family and justice and complicity and friendship. For me, Lucy's bond with Nicola is the real heart of the story—it's realistically messy and I was fully invested in them making it out in one piece. Well, with superglue's assistance.

If you're considering the audio, absolutely go that route—narrator Tegan Bourke does an incredible job of bringing Lucy's many facets to life. Plus, an Aussie accent always thrills me, especially for a wild story like this. This book is revenge horror with a soul and with things to say, and it'll stay with me for a while to come. Lucy is pure sass and heart and rage, she's perfection.

» RATING «
🪆 I'm Possessed 🪆

» READ-A-LIKES «
• This B Just Won't Die! by Tanya Pell
• A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara
• Bride of Chucky (1998 film)
• Bad Dolls by Rachel Harrison