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His Doll
A haunting love that knows no boundaries. But will it last?
-Her-
My life wasn’t easy. It had never been. Being dragged away from the only person I could trust, and sent to a house far away from society, taught me something; never trust anyone.
They took me to a place filled with nightmares and terrors, a place where children were forced to behave like dolls. There was no mercy in the doll master's heart. He only wanted us to suffer. Then a man with amber-colored eyes came and stripped me away from my freedom once again. I never anticipated my feelings for him, something that would surely pull me under the surface. He wasn't the hero in my dreams, he was the villain.
-Him-
Anger. That emotion was all I could feel as I drew her into me—the girl who became my doll. The shadow inside of me tells me not to hurt her, but I can't seem to stay away. I was never supposed to fall for her, she was supposed to remain as my doll forever. I can not give in to my deepest desires. There is only one way to drown my feelings for her. One last game is all it takes for me to let her sleep, forever.
Author's Note: His Doll is a dark gothic standalone romance. Full trigger warning is available inside the book.
-Her-
My life wasn’t easy. It had never been. Being dragged away from the only person I could trust, and sent to a house far away from society, taught me something; never trust anyone.
They took me to a place filled with nightmares and terrors, a place where children were forced to behave like dolls. There was no mercy in the doll master's heart. He only wanted us to suffer. Then a man with amber-colored eyes came and stripped me away from my freedom once again. I never anticipated my feelings for him, something that would surely pull me under the surface. He wasn't the hero in my dreams, he was the villain.
-Him-
Anger. That emotion was all I could feel as I drew her into me—the girl who became my doll. The shadow inside of me tells me not to hurt her, but I can't seem to stay away. I was never supposed to fall for her, she was supposed to remain as my doll forever. I can not give in to my deepest desires. There is only one way to drown my feelings for her. One last game is all it takes for me to let her sleep, forever.
Author's Note: His Doll is a dark gothic standalone romance. Full trigger warning is available inside the book.
417 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 17, 2023
81 people are currently reading
1051 people want to read
About the author
Rainelyn
8 books194 followersRainelyn is an independent author whose books explore themes of darkness and gothic, as well as troubled characters and their unusual love stories. With her writing style and twisted stories, she is well known for making her readers' hearts swell with all the emotions and imagery she evokes in her books.
She loves to write anything that involves steam, danger, depraved darkness, and morally ambiguous characters that ride the line between good and evil.
When she’s not writing, she enjoys cuddling with her dog and partner, aka her real-life book boyfriend. She is a sucker for gaming, listening to music, and creating new book adventures.
She loves to write anything that involves steam, danger, depraved darkness, and morally ambiguous characters that ride the line between good and evil.
When she’s not writing, she enjoys cuddling with her dog and partner, aka her real-life book boyfriend. She is a sucker for gaming, listening to music, and creating new book adventures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
February 19, 2023
RATING: 3 'Pretty Doll' HEARTS!
His Doll is a wonderfully imaginative read, filled with intrigue, an eerie atmosphere, and an unconventional yet sensual romance.
While overtly simple in its execution, the enigma surrounding the characters and the twists and turns are more than enough to keep us absorbed—even more so as the delicious tension between Aurora and Him builds. Rainelyn’s storytelling is easy to enjoy, however, there’s a great deal of potential for emotional complexity in this story that remains untapped especially given the sensitivity of the characters’ personal struggles, much to the chagrin of an emotional reader like myself.
A dark tale oozing secrets and danger, His Doll will leave you desperately turning the pages till the end, a debut that should not be missed.
IF YOU LOVE:
♥ Psychological Thrillers
♥ Forced Proximity
♥ Morally Grey Heroes
♥ Gothic Elements
*𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.
Posted: February 19, 2023
February 17, 2023
I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
His Doll is the debut novel by Rainelyn. A dark romance with gothic tones dripping from end to end. When teenage Aurora thinks her days and nights of being kidnapped by an abusive older man are over, it turns out she swapped one maniac for another. As Asher tries to complete his promise to his own brother, to save Aurora from the dreaded Grimhill Manor, he finds that keeping her alive and unharmed is a different matter altogether.
This debut novel was a mixed bag for me. It was an exquisitely ambitious reach of creativity, marred by the inexperience to follow through toward fruition. My first critique is that there are so many instances where Rainelyn chooses to have her main characters remember an event. It happens so often that it becomes off-putting and grating. At times it is chronological incongruent, where an action is mentioned that wasn’t referred to before, and continues as if it had been written out all along.
My compliment is how well the mental instability of both Aurora and Asher are put onto paper. From Aurora’s Stockholm Syndrome, to Asher’s Multiple Personality Disorder. At first reading it was confusing and aggravating, but upon some re-reads of the first couple of paragraphs pertaining to each respective character, (and once the realization set in) it made much more sense how and why they had the thought patterns that they did.
My second critique is more about word usage. Typos aside, there are so many times where certain words were so jarringly unfitting for the person using them. Or even entire phrases that didn’t belong to Aurora at all. Which is also something troublesome I noticed: there were a couple of times where I honestly couldn’t tell if it was Aurora thinking a particular sentence, or if it was Rainelyn writing out the narrative perspective based on a story outline. It derailed my already lack of immersion to read how something was inorganically placed. As if plucked from the sky. I had to reread many sections to make sure I didn’t miss something, only to realize there was no mention of it previously.
My next compliment is just how good the balance is between describing the actions and thoughts of the MCs and the environment they’re in. Neither overshadowed the other when they happened to be written juxtaposed or in tandem to the MC’s moods. In an impeccably gothic style. It’s sad to see not enough of these happening, but I believe that more has to do with the genre style than a flaw.
One final big gripe is just how inorganic much of the story felt as I read it. As if multiple sections of the narrative were purely made to make sure the overarching plot was satisfied. The contrived story beats felt like they came from other stories and media. They felt so tonally familiar that it was almost too suspiciously similar, and not like an homagé. It robbed the story of its uniqueness. It was trying hard to be something else, that it wasn’t given room to be its own story.
And that’s a shame. The premise and overarching narrative of this story is the absolute gem that held out, and I kept forcing myself to read to the end, and I’m glad I did. The way Aurora and Asher fit each other as they grow to get to know one another, was the most satisfying part of the novel. I honestly have never seen or read this done in this way and I’m impressed at how Rainelyn created these two peas in a pod. I cannot wait to see what other characters she has in her.
The ending made it all worth it. It was a story beat that hit hard and deliciously. Along with the satisfactory sex scenes, I wanted the story to be more like the ending. Where there was more weight to the actions of the characters and not because they themselves said it. While chained to the narrative in torture through it’s flaws, the freedom of the end gave rise to a bittersweet exhale. I’m pretty sure this debut novel just wasn’t for me, so I don’t recommend it, especially with its truly triggering content. But I would say, give it a try. Though, with that said, I honestly can’t wait to give Rainelyn’s future books a try as well. Wholeheartedly.
His Doll is the debut novel by Rainelyn. A dark romance with gothic tones dripping from end to end. When teenage Aurora thinks her days and nights of being kidnapped by an abusive older man are over, it turns out she swapped one maniac for another. As Asher tries to complete his promise to his own brother, to save Aurora from the dreaded Grimhill Manor, he finds that keeping her alive and unharmed is a different matter altogether.
This debut novel was a mixed bag for me. It was an exquisitely ambitious reach of creativity, marred by the inexperience to follow through toward fruition. My first critique is that there are so many instances where Rainelyn chooses to have her main characters remember an event. It happens so often that it becomes off-putting and grating. At times it is chronological incongruent, where an action is mentioned that wasn’t referred to before, and continues as if it had been written out all along.
My compliment is how well the mental instability of both Aurora and Asher are put onto paper. From Aurora’s Stockholm Syndrome, to Asher’s Multiple Personality Disorder. At first reading it was confusing and aggravating, but upon some re-reads of the first couple of paragraphs pertaining to each respective character, (and once the realization set in) it made much more sense how and why they had the thought patterns that they did.
My second critique is more about word usage. Typos aside, there are so many times where certain words were so jarringly unfitting for the person using them. Or even entire phrases that didn’t belong to Aurora at all. Which is also something troublesome I noticed: there were a couple of times where I honestly couldn’t tell if it was Aurora thinking a particular sentence, or if it was Rainelyn writing out the narrative perspective based on a story outline. It derailed my already lack of immersion to read how something was inorganically placed. As if plucked from the sky. I had to reread many sections to make sure I didn’t miss something, only to realize there was no mention of it previously.
My next compliment is just how good the balance is between describing the actions and thoughts of the MCs and the environment they’re in. Neither overshadowed the other when they happened to be written juxtaposed or in tandem to the MC’s moods. In an impeccably gothic style. It’s sad to see not enough of these happening, but I believe that more has to do with the genre style than a flaw.
One final big gripe is just how inorganic much of the story felt as I read it. As if multiple sections of the narrative were purely made to make sure the overarching plot was satisfied. The contrived story beats felt like they came from other stories and media. They felt so tonally familiar that it was almost too suspiciously similar, and not like an homagé. It robbed the story of its uniqueness. It was trying hard to be something else, that it wasn’t given room to be its own story.
And that’s a shame. The premise and overarching narrative of this story is the absolute gem that held out, and I kept forcing myself to read to the end, and I’m glad I did. The way Aurora and Asher fit each other as they grow to get to know one another, was the most satisfying part of the novel. I honestly have never seen or read this done in this way and I’m impressed at how Rainelyn created these two peas in a pod. I cannot wait to see what other characters she has in her.
The ending made it all worth it. It was a story beat that hit hard and deliciously. Along with the satisfactory sex scenes, I wanted the story to be more like the ending. Where there was more weight to the actions of the characters and not because they themselves said it. While chained to the narrative in torture through it’s flaws, the freedom of the end gave rise to a bittersweet exhale. I’m pretty sure this debut novel just wasn’t for me, so I don’t recommend it, especially with its truly triggering content. But I would say, give it a try. Though, with that said, I honestly can’t wait to give Rainelyn’s future books a try as well. Wholeheartedly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2023
This was conflicting! It was what I wanted, but at times not what I wanted. But in the end, I enjoyed it, and it feels like a book I’ve been looking for for a while! I felt like I knew this book before I read it. A great dark romance read
3.75/5⭐️
3/5🔥
3.75/5⭐️
3/5🔥
February 19, 2023
This was a lot. In the best way possible.
The self discovery within these pages was slow yet impactive.
The journey these characters had to go through was dark and disturbing - but it’s like I couldn’t look away.
Aurora went through so so much. I hurt for her but she kept her heart and used that to guide Asher. Connecting them outside of their trauma.
It took me a while to have any feelings besides hate towards Asher. He is twisted and so misunderstand.
“And yet, I still held on.”
Aurora would do anything for him and vice versa. That ending had me close to tears!
A must read if you love dark romance.
The self discovery within these pages was slow yet impactive.
The journey these characters had to go through was dark and disturbing - but it’s like I couldn’t look away.
Aurora went through so so much. I hurt for her but she kept her heart and used that to guide Asher. Connecting them outside of their trauma.
It took me a while to have any feelings besides hate towards Asher. He is twisted and so misunderstand.
“And yet, I still held on.”
Aurora would do anything for him and vice versa. That ending had me close to tears!
A must read if you love dark romance.
May 10, 2023
The amount of heartache I felt for Aurora during reading this was something out of this world.
Also can we please talk about the fact that it's so well written specially all the mental illness things & The epitome of Aurora comparing herself to nature.
Although I still do have a love-hate relationship with Asher, but yes I understand his side of story too.
I'm so happy I found Rainelyn on insta and gave this book a try.
Also can we please talk about the fact that it's so well written specially all the mental illness things & The epitome of Aurora comparing herself to nature.
Although I still do have a love-hate relationship with Asher, but yes I understand his side of story too.
I'm so happy I found Rainelyn on insta and gave this book a try.
February 17, 2023
✨ 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 ✨
i have to say this book was unexpected!! I knew i was gonna love but this felt so different and dark. My new fav 🫠
𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙚: ★★★★★
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨: 🖤🖤🖤🖤
𝙀𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜: HEA
𝙋𝙊𝙑: Dual
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: Dark Gothic Horror Romance
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚: forced proximity/ emotional scars/ morally grey characters
𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨: praise kink
𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜: abuse/ sex trafficking
𝙈𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬:
i rarely read gothic romance but this book is an exception. The story and plotline is very dark and it keeps getting darker *lemme tell u, i devoured every sec*.
There were moments were i hated Asher untill i understood him completely. The story he has kept a secret and how he trusted Aurora was beautiful. Draven & Everlee so so adorable.
The setting was so haunted and dark. I had to look behind me everytime even now im writing. It's so thrilling but heartwarming at the same time.
⛔ 𝙈𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙩, 𝙧𝙖𝙬, 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙘, 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨. ⛔
⚠️ 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜
i have to say this book was unexpected!! I knew i was gonna love but this felt so different and dark. My new fav 🫠
𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙚: ★★★★★
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨: 🖤🖤🖤🖤
𝙀𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜: HEA
𝙋𝙊𝙑: Dual
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: Dark Gothic Horror Romance
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚: forced proximity/ emotional scars/ morally grey characters
𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨: praise kink
𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜: abuse/ sex trafficking
𝙈𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬:
i rarely read gothic romance but this book is an exception. The story and plotline is very dark and it keeps getting darker *lemme tell u, i devoured every sec*.
There were moments were i hated Asher untill i understood him completely. The story he has kept a secret and how he trusted Aurora was beautiful. Draven & Everlee so so adorable.
The setting was so haunted and dark. I had to look behind me everytime even now im writing. It's so thrilling but heartwarming at the same time.
⛔ 𝙈𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙩, 𝙧𝙖𝙬, 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙘, 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨. ⛔
⚠️ 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜
February 16, 2024
R E V I E W ✨️🖤
🖤His Doll by @authorrainelyn 🖤
RATING ~ 4.5 Stars
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
SPICE LVL ~
🌶🌶🌶
This book was definitely a lot to take in , in a good way, though!
Everything these characters had to go through was so dark and very disturbing at times . This book was so very hard to put down, though 🖤🖤
The amount of tears I shed during this book I can't even begin 😭 the hurt , all the hurt these two went through, especially Aurora 💔 😢 & the ending just did me right in 😩😭
I recommend this read 1000%
#bookishcommunity #canadianbookstagram #canadianbookstagrammer #romancebooks #romancereadersofinstagram
🖤His Doll by @authorrainelyn 🖤
RATING ~ 4.5 Stars
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
SPICE LVL ~
🌶🌶🌶
This book was definitely a lot to take in , in a good way, though!
Everything these characters had to go through was so dark and very disturbing at times . This book was so very hard to put down, though 🖤🖤
The amount of tears I shed during this book I can't even begin 😭 the hurt , all the hurt these two went through, especially Aurora 💔 😢 & the ending just did me right in 😩😭
I recommend this read 1000%
#bookishcommunity #canadianbookstagram #canadianbookstagrammer #romancebooks #romancereadersofinstagram
April 12, 2023
Wow. When I say this book made me feel everything, I mean it. Words can not express my love towards this book, just know it’s a great amount.
Him (don’t want to spoil with the name!)
The dynamic of Him was so different from anything that I’ve ever read before. I wanted love and happiness for Him, and I was so anxious to see what became of his situation. Seeing him go through his issues and finding the source of these issues was so incredibly heart wrenching. I’m happy that Aurora was strong enough to do the things she did for him and see him as his TRUE self. I love how he helped Aurora fight her demons, even while battling with his own. He showed her strength, love, and compassion. I’m so proud of him.
Aurora
Aurora had it so fucking rough, you find that out in the first 2 chapters of this book. My heart ached for her to find happiness and freedom. She is so incredibly strong throughout this entire story, and makes some hard fucking decisions. He doesn’t want to be the way he is, and Aurora cares for him feeling enough to know this and help him through this even when she’s trying to cope herself. You could see her confidence growing throughout this book, and that, was truly stunning to see.
The way he and Aurora share such a strong connection, is so evident and tangible. This is more than trauma bonding, this is soulmates. Making the best decisions for each other that they possible can even if it hurts them to do so. These characters will forever be embedded into my soul, never to be forgotten.
Rainelyn has an incredible talent, and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!
Him (don’t want to spoil with the name!)
The dynamic of Him was so different from anything that I’ve ever read before. I wanted love and happiness for Him, and I was so anxious to see what became of his situation. Seeing him go through his issues and finding the source of these issues was so incredibly heart wrenching. I’m happy that Aurora was strong enough to do the things she did for him and see him as his TRUE self. I love how he helped Aurora fight her demons, even while battling with his own. He showed her strength, love, and compassion. I’m so proud of him.
Aurora
Aurora had it so fucking rough, you find that out in the first 2 chapters of this book. My heart ached for her to find happiness and freedom. She is so incredibly strong throughout this entire story, and makes some hard fucking decisions. He doesn’t want to be the way he is, and Aurora cares for him feeling enough to know this and help him through this even when she’s trying to cope herself. You could see her confidence growing throughout this book, and that, was truly stunning to see.
The way he and Aurora share such a strong connection, is so evident and tangible. This is more than trauma bonding, this is soulmates. Making the best decisions for each other that they possible can even if it hurts them to do so. These characters will forever be embedded into my soul, never to be forgotten.
Rainelyn has an incredible talent, and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!
April 10, 2023
4.5🌟
this book was somehow so unexpected, but also needed in my life. coping — and also struggling — with mental illnesses is a huge and very important topic, and seeing it being a main topic of a well-written book warms my heart.
it was very interesting to read about a story in which children are made real-life dolls. although, i particularly enjoyed reading about the mmc’s story. in my opinion it was so interesting to see how the past can affect and reflect on the present and potentially the future. i would’ve like to see a little more struggle with his very own kind of darkness throughout the middle part of the book.
i’m not quite sure whether i would count the missing pieces history and also mystery of Grimhill Manor, which were only presented in glimpses, as something i missed. though i do feel like there would have been some aspects i would have loved to know more about!
the romance was so fulfilling, but personally i thought without portraying those struggles the mmc had for the reader to see it was a little quick. which might have been the intention, because there is a soulmate-y touch to the relationship, and i’m not at all mad about it, because it makes a lot of sense throughout the story!!
this book will hold a special place in my heart, and in some ways probably even helped me realise a thing or two!
[a huge thank you to the author for providing me an ARC copy!!]
this book was somehow so unexpected, but also needed in my life. coping — and also struggling — with mental illnesses is a huge and very important topic, and seeing it being a main topic of a well-written book warms my heart.
it was very interesting to read about a story in which children are made real-life dolls. although, i particularly enjoyed reading about the mmc’s story. in my opinion it was so interesting to see how the past can affect and reflect on the present and potentially the future. i would’ve like to see a little more struggle with his very own kind of darkness throughout the middle part of the book.
i’m not quite sure whether i would count the missing pieces history and also mystery of Grimhill Manor, which were only presented in glimpses, as something i missed. though i do feel like there would have been some aspects i would have loved to know more about!
the romance was so fulfilling, but personally i thought without portraying those struggles the mmc had for the reader to see it was a little quick. which might have been the intention, because there is a soulmate-y touch to the relationship, and i’m not at all mad about it, because it makes a lot of sense throughout the story!!
this book will hold a special place in my heart, and in some ways probably even helped me realise a thing or two!
[a huge thank you to the author for providing me an ARC copy!!]
February 19, 2023
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review
What a spectacular debut Rainelyn had with His Doll!
The plot of this book was really interesting, heartbreaking and VERY moving. I LOVED the way Rainelyn developed the story of traumas for both main characters, the struggles they go through throughout the book, especially HIM, the secrets we discover of both of them as the story progresses, sometimes in the form of flashbacks, something that I loved about this author's writing, the bond that unites the lives of HIM & HER and how together they find the way to start living again .
Also, I really enjoyed how the love story between the protagonists unfolded: in a complex way, sometimes confusing, but it makes a lot of sense with each new chapter, with moments that broke my heart and others that made me fall madly in love with HIM because he's the most tender, sweet, attentive and adorable, but HER was not far behind, she's a strong, brave character, capable of being vulnerable, who has a great growth throughout the book and that I loved reading, especially towards the end of the story.
In short, His Doll goes to the list of the best debuts I've read and I'm already looking forward to what Rainelyn will surprise me with in her next book.
❤️🩹He: 5/5
❤️🩹She: 5/5
❤️🩹Plot: 5/5
❤️🩹Love story: 5/5
❤️🩹Secondary chacarters: 5/5
❤️🩹Cover: 5/5
🌶️: 4/5
🇪🇸
ARC amablemente proporcionada a cambio de una reseña honesta
Que debut tan espectacular tuvo Rainelyn con His Doll!
La trama de éste libro fue realmente interesante, desgarradora y MUY conmovedora. AMÉ la manera en la que Rainelyn desarrolló la historia de traumas de ambos personajes principales, las luchas por las que pasan a lo largo del libro, especialmente él, los secretos que vamos descubriendo de ambos a medida que avanza la historia, algunas veces en forma de recuerdos, algo que me encantó del la escritura de esta autora, el vinculo que une la vida de ÉL & ELLA y como juntos encuentran el camino para empezar a vivir de nuevo.
Además, disfruté mucho como se fue dando la historia de amor entre los protagonistas: de una manera compleja, a veces confusa, pero que va cobrando mucho sentido con cada nuevo capitulo, con momentos que rompieron mi corazón y otros que me hicieron enamorarme perdidamente de ÉL porque es el más tierno, dulce, atento y adorable, pero ELLA no se quedó atrás, es un personaje fuerte, valiente, capaz de mostrarse vulnerable, que tiene un gran crecimiento a lo largo del libro y que me encantó leer, especialmente hacia el final de la historia.
En resumen, His Doll va a la lista de los mejores debuts que he leído y ya estoy deseando saber con qué nos sorprenderá Rainelyn en su siguiente libro.
❤️🩹He: 5/5
❤️🩹She: 5/5
❤️🩹Trama: 5/5
❤️🩹Historia de amor: 5/5
❤️🩹Personajes secundarios: 5/5
❤️🩹Portada: 5/5
🌶️: 4/5
What a spectacular debut Rainelyn had with His Doll!
The plot of this book was really interesting, heartbreaking and VERY moving. I LOVED the way Rainelyn developed the story of traumas for both main characters, the struggles they go through throughout the book, especially HIM, the secrets we discover of both of them as the story progresses, sometimes in the form of flashbacks, something that I loved about this author's writing, the bond that unites the lives of HIM & HER and how together they find the way to start living again .
Also, I really enjoyed how the love story between the protagonists unfolded: in a complex way, sometimes confusing, but it makes a lot of sense with each new chapter, with moments that broke my heart and others that made me fall madly in love with HIM because he's the most tender, sweet, attentive and adorable, but HER was not far behind, she's a strong, brave character, capable of being vulnerable, who has a great growth throughout the book and that I loved reading, especially towards the end of the story.
In short, His Doll goes to the list of the best debuts I've read and I'm already looking forward to what Rainelyn will surprise me with in her next book.
❤️🩹He: 5/5
❤️🩹She: 5/5
❤️🩹Plot: 5/5
❤️🩹Love story: 5/5
❤️🩹Secondary chacarters: 5/5
❤️🩹Cover: 5/5
🌶️: 4/5
🇪🇸
ARC amablemente proporcionada a cambio de una reseña honesta
Que debut tan espectacular tuvo Rainelyn con His Doll!
La trama de éste libro fue realmente interesante, desgarradora y MUY conmovedora. AMÉ la manera en la que Rainelyn desarrolló la historia de traumas de ambos personajes principales, las luchas por las que pasan a lo largo del libro, especialmente él, los secretos que vamos descubriendo de ambos a medida que avanza la historia, algunas veces en forma de recuerdos, algo que me encantó del la escritura de esta autora, el vinculo que une la vida de ÉL & ELLA y como juntos encuentran el camino para empezar a vivir de nuevo.
Además, disfruté mucho como se fue dando la historia de amor entre los protagonistas: de una manera compleja, a veces confusa, pero que va cobrando mucho sentido con cada nuevo capitulo, con momentos que rompieron mi corazón y otros que me hicieron enamorarme perdidamente de ÉL porque es el más tierno, dulce, atento y adorable, pero ELLA no se quedó atrás, es un personaje fuerte, valiente, capaz de mostrarse vulnerable, que tiene un gran crecimiento a lo largo del libro y que me encantó leer, especialmente hacia el final de la historia.
En resumen, His Doll va a la lista de los mejores debuts que he leído y ya estoy deseando saber con qué nos sorprenderá Rainelyn en su siguiente libro.
❤️🩹He: 5/5
❤️🩹She: 5/5
❤️🩹Trama: 5/5
❤️🩹Historia de amor: 5/5
❤️🩹Personajes secundarios: 5/5
❤️🩹Portada: 5/5
🌶️: 4/5
February 19, 2023
4⭐ 3🌶️
“That was the day I met the devil for the first time, the man who was determined to change my entire life. I wish I had anticipated how his influence would turn my life upside down. I knew from the moment I saw him that things would never be the same.”
This was a fantastic debut novel from Rainelyn. I went in relatively blind, knowing only that it would be a dark gothic romance and I was really blown away. With elements of paranormal, trauma, and suspense, I simply couldn’t put this story down. From the very beginning, I was drawn in and the intensity just kept building as the plot progressed.
“Looking at her gives me peace of mind. She calms the flames itching inside my skin. She absorbs the darkness only to turn it into light. She is the angel I never knew I needed. She keeps the pain away.”
Aurora was fascinating to me. She had such a sweet spirit and, at times, innocent soul despite all of her trauma and past torture. She was so incredibly smart, strategic, and strong and I loved watching her protect those around her that needed it most. Her inner conflict over how best to protect Asher and the persistent “what did I do” feeling she always circled back to was heartbreaking. Her final acts of strength in protecting Asher, and ultimately herself, cemented her as one of my favorite FMCs I’ve read so far this year.
“He was the most handsome man I had ever laid my eyes on. The most beautiful creatures were always the most evil ones. And this creature took me in his embrace, sang to me like a siren, drowned me in his eyes.”
Asher was beautifully charcoal and his character totally unexpected. His inner demons kept breaking free at the most unexpected moments and when they first surfaced, I was in utter shock and confusion. I really enjoyed learning further about his past and his own trauma, getting a deeper understanding of why he was the way he was. Asher’s inner turmoil over how he treated Aurora was so well written and I loved seeing the tender moments woven intricately with his cold side, making him feel so complex and real.
“We are finally free, my love. At last.”
I really appreciated the overall haunted house feel and the paranormal aspects that were interlaced throughout a lot of the book but this really fell off around halfway through and my only wish is that these elements lingered longer, even if at a lower degree. I love how the climax built and the eventual resolution felt so original for a dark romance and it really was a satisfying ending. Seeing Asher and Aurora save one another in their own unique ways was truly beautiful. Rainelyn has shown us that she’s got some immense talent ready to shine through and I can’t wait to see what she brings us next!
**I know I’ve read a lot of reviews lately mentioning DNFing 3rd person POV…while I’m hoping anyone would try to stick it out a little longer anyway because the story and writing are both fantastic, I did want to note that ONLY the first two chapters (a sort of prologue) are in 3rd person POV and the rest of the novel is in 1st person from dual POV and absolutely worth the read.
“That was the day I met the devil for the first time, the man who was determined to change my entire life. I wish I had anticipated how his influence would turn my life upside down. I knew from the moment I saw him that things would never be the same.”
This was a fantastic debut novel from Rainelyn. I went in relatively blind, knowing only that it would be a dark gothic romance and I was really blown away. With elements of paranormal, trauma, and suspense, I simply couldn’t put this story down. From the very beginning, I was drawn in and the intensity just kept building as the plot progressed.
“Looking at her gives me peace of mind. She calms the flames itching inside my skin. She absorbs the darkness only to turn it into light. She is the angel I never knew I needed. She keeps the pain away.”
Aurora was fascinating to me. She had such a sweet spirit and, at times, innocent soul despite all of her trauma and past torture. She was so incredibly smart, strategic, and strong and I loved watching her protect those around her that needed it most. Her inner conflict over how best to protect Asher and the persistent “what did I do” feeling she always circled back to was heartbreaking. Her final acts of strength in protecting Asher, and ultimately herself, cemented her as one of my favorite FMCs I’ve read so far this year.
“He was the most handsome man I had ever laid my eyes on. The most beautiful creatures were always the most evil ones. And this creature took me in his embrace, sang to me like a siren, drowned me in his eyes.”
Asher was beautifully charcoal and his character totally unexpected. His inner demons kept breaking free at the most unexpected moments and when they first surfaced, I was in utter shock and confusion. I really enjoyed learning further about his past and his own trauma, getting a deeper understanding of why he was the way he was. Asher’s inner turmoil over how he treated Aurora was so well written and I loved seeing the tender moments woven intricately with his cold side, making him feel so complex and real.
“We are finally free, my love. At last.”
I really appreciated the overall haunted house feel and the paranormal aspects that were interlaced throughout a lot of the book but this really fell off around halfway through and my only wish is that these elements lingered longer, even if at a lower degree. I love how the climax built and the eventual resolution felt so original for a dark romance and it really was a satisfying ending. Seeing Asher and Aurora save one another in their own unique ways was truly beautiful. Rainelyn has shown us that she’s got some immense talent ready to shine through and I can’t wait to see what she brings us next!
**I know I’ve read a lot of reviews lately mentioning DNFing 3rd person POV…while I’m hoping anyone would try to stick it out a little longer anyway because the story and writing are both fantastic, I did want to note that ONLY the first two chapters (a sort of prologue) are in 3rd person POV and the rest of the novel is in 1st person from dual POV and absolutely worth the read.
February 17, 2023
OMG! As a debut story this one was extremely emotional, dark, depraved and twisted. The story instantly grabs your attention with its dark, creepy and gut-wrenching start, and it continues to keep you enthralled throughout its entire length. This is definitely not a simple dark romance, this is something that crawled out of a rabbit hole of unimaginable debauchery and corruption. It was one hell of a twisted rollercoaster ride that I couldn’t let go of in the end.
Aurora has been through the unthinkable at a very young age and has had to learn quickly how to endure the wickedness that is now trying to consume her. She’s a survivor, she’s resilient, and she’s smart but still maintains the innocence and naivety of a young woman who’s been through hell. There were so many times that her story stabbed me in the heart, and I wasn’t sure she was ever going to have any kind of happiness in the end. But over the course of this story, you slowly see her growth in maturity and the confidence in her self getting stronger.
Asher is an enigma. He seemed like a nice guy when we first meet him but slowly, we come to realize that he is carrying around some very dark and demented demons on his back. Asher is trying to fulfill his dead brothers wishes and he will do anything and everything in his power to so, even if this means losing his soul along the way in order to give into the demons, then that is what he will do. Asher is definitely unhinged, possessive and depraved but underneath all of that there is a wonderful man who just needs his person to help battle his demons with him.
Aurora and Asher have a unique connection that grows stronger as they learn more about each other and eventually let their walls down. When secrets get revealed for both of them, it allows them to finally start to heal together. But nothing is ever easy, and things will get darker before they can get better.
I devoured this story and let it consume my every thought. It was filled with emotional turmoil, heartache, pain, passion and some very steamy and very titillating moments and I could not get enough of it. It was a well written dark romance with an unexpected but fantastic ending.
Aurora has been through the unthinkable at a very young age and has had to learn quickly how to endure the wickedness that is now trying to consume her. She’s a survivor, she’s resilient, and she’s smart but still maintains the innocence and naivety of a young woman who’s been through hell. There were so many times that her story stabbed me in the heart, and I wasn’t sure she was ever going to have any kind of happiness in the end. But over the course of this story, you slowly see her growth in maturity and the confidence in her self getting stronger.
Asher is an enigma. He seemed like a nice guy when we first meet him but slowly, we come to realize that he is carrying around some very dark and demented demons on his back. Asher is trying to fulfill his dead brothers wishes and he will do anything and everything in his power to so, even if this means losing his soul along the way in order to give into the demons, then that is what he will do. Asher is definitely unhinged, possessive and depraved but underneath all of that there is a wonderful man who just needs his person to help battle his demons with him.
Aurora and Asher have a unique connection that grows stronger as they learn more about each other and eventually let their walls down. When secrets get revealed for both of them, it allows them to finally start to heal together. But nothing is ever easy, and things will get darker before they can get better.
I devoured this story and let it consume my every thought. It was filled with emotional turmoil, heartache, pain, passion and some very steamy and very titillating moments and I could not get enough of it. It was a well written dark romance with an unexpected but fantastic ending.
April 23, 2023
I really enjoyed the story and personally liked the characters a lot. Yes, the characters are a bit twisted with all their struggles, but I think that's perfectly normal with their past. I feel like it was a slow burn, which is not 100% my thing. So in my opinion, we could have had a little more physical contact in the first 30% of the book (but I have to say that I understand why it fit the story better that it was a slow burn). The tension was definitely there from the beginning, that’s something I love in books. I also really liked chapter 17 and wished we would have gotten more like this from the start.
It was a dark, mysterious Gothic Romance and even after a week I'm still thinking about the story (which tells you I really liked it). All in all, it's a really good book and since it was Rainelyn's debut, it was a really good start and she will go more wild next time.
It was a dark, mysterious Gothic Romance and even after a week I'm still thinking about the story (which tells you I really liked it). All in all, it's a really good book and since it was Rainelyn's debut, it was a really good start and she will go more wild next time.
February 17, 2023
My heart broke for our FMC and our MMC. 😭
Sometimes, the scenes were descriptive enough with the flashbacks that it felt like I was there myself.
It was heavy with human trafficking and the trauma. Reading about Aurora adjusting to the world afterward made me feel for her, and then I began to feel like the MMC, wanting to hug comfort into a fictional character 😔
On the other hand, some things I found repetitive, but it didn't steer me away from reading and finishing. 😊
I enjoyed the spice towards the end (last 25%) and the MMCs Identify Disorder, PTSD too. The trauma seemed like it came from a real place and I felt like it shined through.
It was nice to see the growth in the characters and the sweet little happy ending after so much darkness from them both.
🥹
Sometimes, the scenes were descriptive enough with the flashbacks that it felt like I was there myself.
It was heavy with human trafficking and the trauma. Reading about Aurora adjusting to the world afterward made me feel for her, and then I began to feel like the MMC, wanting to hug comfort into a fictional character 😔
On the other hand, some things I found repetitive, but it didn't steer me away from reading and finishing. 😊
I enjoyed the spice towards the end (last 25%) and the MMCs Identify Disorder, PTSD too. The trauma seemed like it came from a real place and I felt like it shined through.
It was nice to see the growth in the characters and the sweet little happy ending after so much darkness from them both.
🥹
September 11, 2024
Enjoyed this more than the other 2. I like how this intertwined with some characters from the other 2. I still believe there is alot of metaphors and not needed extensive descriptions of some parts however, that said it is not to the extent if the first book. Can definitely tell this writer as grown in time.
February 13, 2023
His doll is a dark romance and please read the trigger warnings before reading.
I liked the eerie gothic atmosphere of the book and I loved the vague supernatural theme. I thought that the premise was interesting but it took me a while to connect with the main characters. I just couldn't understand the insta lust, especially under the circumstances. I prefer a bit more built up in a romance, even a dark romance.
The ending was satisfying though and I liked how things worked out in the end.
I received a free ARC of this book from the author and this is my honest review.
I liked the eerie gothic atmosphere of the book and I loved the vague supernatural theme. I thought that the premise was interesting but it took me a while to connect with the main characters. I just couldn't understand the insta lust, especially under the circumstances. I prefer a bit more built up in a romance, even a dark romance.
The ending was satisfying though and I liked how things worked out in the end.
I received a free ARC of this book from the author and this is my honest review.
February 28, 2023
It was decent but didn’t hold my attention the way I wanted it to.
February 8, 2024
Dark Romance? Morally grey chatacters? Haunted houses? Touch her n you die???? Count me innnn!!!!
Loved this book sm🖤
Loved this book sm🖤
February 9, 2024
So dang good. I couldn’t put it down
February 20, 2023
4/5✨ 2/3🔥
“It was a kiss of poison masked as sugar, making you savor death's taste. A taste I never would get enough of.”
This was an absolutely amazing dark, haunting read. Both our main characters had an awful childhood and this story was about them saving each other and helping each other heal.
The first few chapters of this book had me questioning if I was going to continue, so I’ll get this massive trigger warning out of the way. If you’re triggered by on page murder of children, be aware that this has quite a bit of it in the first few chapters.
Once I got past that, I absolutely loved this book. Asher saved Aurora from a trafficking ring and brought her to live with him. In the beginning of her being with him, he was battling his own darkness and wasn’t good to her. But once he overcame that, he became what Aurora needed and helped her work through her demons. And in the end, she helped him work through his as well.
“I would never forget the time when Asher made me feel again. When he brought the spark inside of me back to life. When he eased the demons inside my head.”
Overall, if you’re a lover of dark, gothic romances I highly recommend picking this one up!
Read this if you like:
- Dark Romance
- Gothic Romance
- Broken MC’s
- Healing
- Forced Proximity
- Morally Grey Characters
“It was a kiss of poison masked as sugar, making you savor death's taste. A taste I never would get enough of.”
This was an absolutely amazing dark, haunting read. Both our main characters had an awful childhood and this story was about them saving each other and helping each other heal.
The first few chapters of this book had me questioning if I was going to continue, so I’ll get this massive trigger warning out of the way. If you’re triggered by on page murder of children, be aware that this has quite a bit of it in the first few chapters.
Once I got past that, I absolutely loved this book. Asher saved Aurora from a trafficking ring and brought her to live with him. In the beginning of her being with him, he was battling his own darkness and wasn’t good to her. But once he overcame that, he became what Aurora needed and helped her work through her demons. And in the end, she helped him work through his as well.
“I would never forget the time when Asher made me feel again. When he brought the spark inside of me back to life. When he eased the demons inside my head.”
Overall, if you’re a lover of dark, gothic romances I highly recommend picking this one up!
Read this if you like:
- Dark Romance
- Gothic Romance
- Broken MC’s
- Healing
- Forced Proximity
- Morally Grey Characters
January 15, 2023
I loved this book and I had the privilege to read it before it got published.
Rainelyn my new favorite author and I cant wait to see what else she has in store for us❤
REVIEW coming closer to the release
Rainelyn my new favorite author and I cant wait to see what else she has in store for us❤
REVIEW coming closer to the release
January 25, 2024
"Losing yourself was the worst kind of pain, when you knew you had tried to fight to get out of the prison inside your head, yet it wasn't enough."
This book was an interesting read. Lots of gothic vibes throughout. I was super intrigued through the first 25% and then it fell a little flat for me. We meet Aurora in the very beginning at Grimhill manor. We are immediately thrown into chaos that ensues at the manor. It's a dark and dreary home for the children that live there. They are all there after being kidnapped from their families very young. We get a little bit of a back story about the manor and how it came to be. The owner has a fascination with dolls and lives out his dark and depraved fantasies by making the kidnapped children into real life dolls. Interesting right? I thought so too BUT the story isn't really about that. It's something we read about in the first few chapters but it doesn't play a large role in the story which was a little disappointing.
Aurora is the fmc of the book. She's 19 years old and has lived at the manor for the majority of her life. She is the oldest girl there that has survived Fredricks twisted ways. Asher is our mmc. The first quarter of the book was entertaining. There was always something going on. Asher has some interesting personality traits but it felt like a tease. I wish the book focused more on his "darkness". Instead, it focused on the relationship between Asher and Aurora.
There is a childhood trauma piece kind of lingers in the background. There are a few smutty scenes with Asher and Aurora. My two favorites are the park and their first time. I wasn't able to really connect with the characters though. I felt like I was being told the story rather than experiencing it or watching it unfold. I wanted a lot more from this book. I need more substance, more darkness, and more plot to keep my mind busy and engaged.
All in all, it was an interesting and unique concept. I was just left wanting more.
This book was an interesting read. Lots of gothic vibes throughout. I was super intrigued through the first 25% and then it fell a little flat for me. We meet Aurora in the very beginning at Grimhill manor. We are immediately thrown into chaos that ensues at the manor. It's a dark and dreary home for the children that live there. They are all there after being kidnapped from their families very young. We get a little bit of a back story about the manor and how it came to be. The owner has a fascination with dolls and lives out his dark and depraved fantasies by making the kidnapped children into real life dolls. Interesting right? I thought so too BUT the story isn't really about that. It's something we read about in the first few chapters but it doesn't play a large role in the story which was a little disappointing.
Aurora is the fmc of the book. She's 19 years old and has lived at the manor for the majority of her life. She is the oldest girl there that has survived Fredricks twisted ways. Asher is our mmc. The first quarter of the book was entertaining. There was always something going on. Asher has some interesting personality traits but it felt like a tease. I wish the book focused more on his "darkness". Instead, it focused on the relationship between Asher and Aurora.
There is a childhood trauma piece kind of lingers in the background. There are a few smutty scenes with Asher and Aurora. My two favorites are the park and their first time. I wasn't able to really connect with the characters though. I felt like I was being told the story rather than experiencing it or watching it unfold. I wanted a lot more from this book. I need more substance, more darkness, and more plot to keep my mind busy and engaged.
All in all, it was an interesting and unique concept. I was just left wanting more.
February 17, 2023
I’m gonna start by saying that I’m a relatively fearless person. However, I am super creeped out by those old Victorian style dolls and various other types of dolls. Should I have considered that fear when picking this up? Probably. There were definitely some scenes that gave me the heebie-jeebies…
His Doll follows Aurora as she tries to put the horrors she experienced at Grimhill Manor behind her, only to find herself in an unfamiliar place with a man she isn’t sure she can trust. She finds herself drawn to him, even though it may not be safe for her here either.
The book is a dark romance and has a lot of gothic and eerie vibes throughout the entire book. Some parts don’t make complete sense at first, but that seems to be intentional as you learn more as the story goes. It took me a little bit to get into the book, but once I got into it, I didn’t want to stop. I really enjoyed the depiction of mental illness that came with both Aurora and Asher. Both characters have a lot of trauma to work through and it was interesting seeing how they worked together.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but the ending was wholly unexpected, but a breath of fresh air nonetheless. The concept for the story is fresh and unlike anything I’ve read before. I feel like knowing what I know now, a reread would be even better. The two characters are completely different by the end because of how much they have grown.
Overall, it was a solid read and if you like dark romance with some spooky vibes and main characters with really messed up traumatic paths that find healing together, you’ll probably enjoy this one.
His Doll follows Aurora as she tries to put the horrors she experienced at Grimhill Manor behind her, only to find herself in an unfamiliar place with a man she isn’t sure she can trust. She finds herself drawn to him, even though it may not be safe for her here either.
The book is a dark romance and has a lot of gothic and eerie vibes throughout the entire book. Some parts don’t make complete sense at first, but that seems to be intentional as you learn more as the story goes. It took me a little bit to get into the book, but once I got into it, I didn’t want to stop. I really enjoyed the depiction of mental illness that came with both Aurora and Asher. Both characters have a lot of trauma to work through and it was interesting seeing how they worked together.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but the ending was wholly unexpected, but a breath of fresh air nonetheless. The concept for the story is fresh and unlike anything I’ve read before. I feel like knowing what I know now, a reread would be even better. The two characters are completely different by the end because of how much they have grown.
Overall, it was a solid read and if you like dark romance with some spooky vibes and main characters with really messed up traumatic paths that find healing together, you’ll probably enjoy this one.
February 17, 2023
4*/5*
I'm so grateful I was one of the lucky people who received an ARC from the author. Thank you so much!
And if you're interested in it, the book's OUT NOW!
Now back to the book. I haven't read many dark romances so far so I was a little bit scared that it wouldn't end up being my cup of tea. But the synopsis were so intriguing and I knew I had to read it! And I wasn't disappointed at all.
As a big fan of thriller films, I really enjoyed that darker sides of the story. In fact, that was one of the reasons I read it.
Let's talk about the romance though, which was probably my favourite part. I loved it! It gave me soulmates vibes which I'm not used to but somehow it managed to capture my attention and I fell in love with Asher and Aurora's relationship. The way they both dealt with mental health problems and after everything they'd been through, they could still see the light in each other and that was so heart-touching.
The writing style. Wow. I'm amazed by how beautiful it was. Is this really a debut novel? Because while reading it, I could only stare at the talent of the author. The way she was able to describe all the feelings from both POVs was so good and it made me feel like I was part of the story.
And as a bookworm I can't forget to mention that our main heroine was a bookworm too! That was such a pleasant surprise while reading it.
Overall, if you're a fan of dark romance, thriller, soulmates, mental health, a bookworm MC, you can't miss out this book! Make sure to check the trigger warnings though.
I'm so grateful I was one of the lucky people who received an ARC from the author. Thank you so much!
And if you're interested in it, the book's OUT NOW!
Now back to the book. I haven't read many dark romances so far so I was a little bit scared that it wouldn't end up being my cup of tea. But the synopsis were so intriguing and I knew I had to read it! And I wasn't disappointed at all.
As a big fan of thriller films, I really enjoyed that darker sides of the story. In fact, that was one of the reasons I read it.
Let's talk about the romance though, which was probably my favourite part. I loved it! It gave me soulmates vibes which I'm not used to but somehow it managed to capture my attention and I fell in love with Asher and Aurora's relationship. The way they both dealt with mental health problems and after everything they'd been through, they could still see the light in each other and that was so heart-touching.
The writing style. Wow. I'm amazed by how beautiful it was. Is this really a debut novel? Because while reading it, I could only stare at the talent of the author. The way she was able to describe all the feelings from both POVs was so good and it made me feel like I was part of the story.
And as a bookworm I can't forget to mention that our main heroine was a bookworm too! That was such a pleasant surprise while reading it.
Overall, if you're a fan of dark romance, thriller, soulmates, mental health, a bookworm MC, you can't miss out this book! Make sure to check the trigger warnings though.
February 20, 2023
HIS DOLL by Rainelyn
I loved this novel, it was filled with so many ups and downs. One moment your like YASS the next moment you're like NOO. I loved how there was the Dual POV in the novel. Any novel that has more than 2 pov's is always bound to interest me.
PLOT: If you like a mix of dark/thrilling/psychological romance, this book is for you. The novel keeps you at your toes for the entire novel, from the first chapter until the last one. The plot is filled with dramatic scenes that has your eyes bulging from its place.
CLIFFHANGERS: Filled with so many of them. You really never know what is going to happen next. THAT'S HOW MANY CLIFFHANGERS ARE THERE!
SPICE: IT WAS SPICY SAUCY IN THE RIGHT PLACES AND I LOVED IT! Not every books gives you that longing need for the spice scenes because you know the characters deserve it.
DETAILS: It was a very detailed novel. I remember having a back and forth with the author about the details. The details were detailed😂I could imagine the smell of the house and the touch of the sharp edge graze. It was that descriptive.
EMOTIONS: Yall, I cried. Okay. I cried. The writer has you stuck up in the emotions of the characters from the very beginning.
CAN WE JUST FANGIRL ABOUT THE COVER FOR A MOMENT?! It is gorgeous! I love it and love the colours used for it
All in all, i recommend this for anyone who wants an interesting plot with darkness. I believe fans of Gothikana will love this novel😍
I loved this novel, it was filled with so many ups and downs. One moment your like YASS the next moment you're like NOO. I loved how there was the Dual POV in the novel. Any novel that has more than 2 pov's is always bound to interest me.
PLOT: If you like a mix of dark/thrilling/psychological romance, this book is for you. The novel keeps you at your toes for the entire novel, from the first chapter until the last one. The plot is filled with dramatic scenes that has your eyes bulging from its place.
CLIFFHANGERS: Filled with so many of them. You really never know what is going to happen next. THAT'S HOW MANY CLIFFHANGERS ARE THERE!
SPICE: IT WAS SPICY SAUCY IN THE RIGHT PLACES AND I LOVED IT! Not every books gives you that longing need for the spice scenes because you know the characters deserve it.
DETAILS: It was a very detailed novel. I remember having a back and forth with the author about the details. The details were detailed😂I could imagine the smell of the house and the touch of the sharp edge graze. It was that descriptive.
EMOTIONS: Yall, I cried. Okay. I cried. The writer has you stuck up in the emotions of the characters from the very beginning.
CAN WE JUST FANGIRL ABOUT THE COVER FOR A MOMENT?! It is gorgeous! I love it and love the colours used for it
All in all, i recommend this for anyone who wants an interesting plot with darkness. I believe fans of Gothikana will love this novel😍
February 23, 2023
I found this book while browsing through peoples stories. 🤷♀️ I loved the cover so then I proceeded to go down the rabbit hole with the authors teasers. Needless to say I threw caution to the wind and dived in. So let’s talk about it. 😉
His doll is about two broken people who heal each other while also finding themselves. This book is dark and gives you insight into mental Illnesses and a depraved and chaotic world out there.
I LOVED this book. It had me hooked from the first chapter. I loved all of the spooky gothic vibes of this book. The imagery the author used made this whole thing play out in my head like a dang movie! The plot was phenomenal. I loved the twists and turns and heart wrenching scenes. This book was not very spicy, they didn’t even do the deed until 70% in. Did I care? NOPE. I was entertained regardless. And that’s what I love most. Asher & Aurora made my heart pitter patter with their love for each other. Aurora went through some deep shit before Asher found her. But he helped piece her back together. Asher also went through some deep shit before he found Aurora. Although she tried to help, she also showed that it’s not weak to ask others for help. She got him the help that he needed and that’s what love is. Even with the darkness within Asher Aurora still loved him because she knew that wasn’t him. 🥺 Fuck I loved this book so damn much. 🥺🖤
Plot: 5⭐️
Spice: 2.5🌶️
Overall: 5⭐️
**Please check TW’s on this one. This does contain child d3ath scenes.**
His doll is about two broken people who heal each other while also finding themselves. This book is dark and gives you insight into mental Illnesses and a depraved and chaotic world out there.
I LOVED this book. It had me hooked from the first chapter. I loved all of the spooky gothic vibes of this book. The imagery the author used made this whole thing play out in my head like a dang movie! The plot was phenomenal. I loved the twists and turns and heart wrenching scenes. This book was not very spicy, they didn’t even do the deed until 70% in. Did I care? NOPE. I was entertained regardless. And that’s what I love most. Asher & Aurora made my heart pitter patter with their love for each other. Aurora went through some deep shit before Asher found her. But he helped piece her back together. Asher also went through some deep shit before he found Aurora. Although she tried to help, she also showed that it’s not weak to ask others for help. She got him the help that he needed and that’s what love is. Even with the darkness within Asher Aurora still loved him because she knew that wasn’t him. 🥺 Fuck I loved this book so damn much. 🥺🖤
Plot: 5⭐️
Spice: 2.5🌶️
Overall: 5⭐️
**Please check TW’s on this one. This does contain child d3ath scenes.**
April 9, 2023
📖 𝕖𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 📖
· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·
𝙏𝙞𝙩𝙡𝙚: 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘋𝘰𝘭𝘭
𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧: 𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺𝘯
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
𝙋𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨: 377
𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·
*** Thank you to the author @authorrainelyn for giving me a change to read this book.***
__________💭𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜💭___________
𝘼 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙣𝙤 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙩 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩?
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩:
✔️ Morally gray characters
✔️ Dark setting
✔️ Forced proximity
✔️ Is all as it seems?
✔️ Healing
✔️ Emotional scars
"𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦, 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘈𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵."
𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙡𝙡 is an amazing debut book written by the lovely @authorrainelyn. This story is truly a dark one (please CHECK TW BEFORE READING), but I really enjoyed it. At first some parts of the story didn't really make sense to me, but the more you read the more you figure out stuff. Nothing is really as it seems and I love that about this story. I always loved those type of books and this one sure did deliver on that.
“𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺.”
I don't wanna share too much, but let me just tell you that you won't expect the ending. You think you know how it ends, but let me tell you that you don't. Overall, if you’re a lover of dark, gothic romances I recommend you read this book.
· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·
𝙏𝙞𝙩𝙡𝙚: 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘋𝘰𝘭𝘭
𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧: 𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺𝘯
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
𝙋𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨: 377
𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·
*** Thank you to the author @authorrainelyn for giving me a change to read this book.***
__________💭𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜💭___________
𝘼 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙣𝙤 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙩 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩?
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩:
✔️ Morally gray characters
✔️ Dark setting
✔️ Forced proximity
✔️ Is all as it seems?
✔️ Healing
✔️ Emotional scars
"𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦, 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘈𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵."
𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙡𝙡 is an amazing debut book written by the lovely @authorrainelyn. This story is truly a dark one (please CHECK TW BEFORE READING), but I really enjoyed it. At first some parts of the story didn't really make sense to me, but the more you read the more you figure out stuff. Nothing is really as it seems and I love that about this story. I always loved those type of books and this one sure did deliver on that.
“𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺.”
I don't wanna share too much, but let me just tell you that you won't expect the ending. You think you know how it ends, but let me tell you that you don't. Overall, if you’re a lover of dark, gothic romances I recommend you read this book.
September 23, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️.5 /5
“And yet, I still held on."
To be completely honest, I had no idea how I was going to feel about this one when I started it but I really enjoyed it. It is a story of emotional scars and healing, and my heart broke and healed with these characters - the amount of tears shed was no joke. Both Aurora and ‘Him’ went through so much shit and learning about their trauma was gut wrenching. The way they both tried to help each other fight their demons, I just wanted to reach through the pages and wrap them up in a huge hug. Also I loved the overall haunted house feel and the paranormal aspects that were sprinkled throughout the book. The resolution and the ending was once again devastating but beautiful and I would’ve loved if we got more into how they managed after everything that happened. The connection between the characters was everything, it was more than trauma bonding - it was soulmate level. I think these characters and their story are going to stay with me for a long while.
"That was the day I met the devil for the first time, the man who was determined to change my entire life. I wish I had anticipated how his influence would turn my life upside down. I knew from the moment I saw him that things would never be the same."
🖤 morally grey characters
💜 forced proximity
🖤 healing
💜 emotional scars
🖤 dark gothic setting
“And yet, I still held on."
To be completely honest, I had no idea how I was going to feel about this one when I started it but I really enjoyed it. It is a story of emotional scars and healing, and my heart broke and healed with these characters - the amount of tears shed was no joke. Both Aurora and ‘Him’ went through so much shit and learning about their trauma was gut wrenching. The way they both tried to help each other fight their demons, I just wanted to reach through the pages and wrap them up in a huge hug. Also I loved the overall haunted house feel and the paranormal aspects that were sprinkled throughout the book. The resolution and the ending was once again devastating but beautiful and I would’ve loved if we got more into how they managed after everything that happened. The connection between the characters was everything, it was more than trauma bonding - it was soulmate level. I think these characters and their story are going to stay with me for a long while.
"That was the day I met the devil for the first time, the man who was determined to change my entire life. I wish I had anticipated how his influence would turn my life upside down. I knew from the moment I saw him that things would never be the same."
🖤 morally grey characters
💜 forced proximity
🖤 healing
💜 emotional scars
🖤 dark gothic setting
February 24, 2023
🖤🕯️𝑯𝑰𝑺 𝑫𝑶𝑳𝑳, 𝐵𝓎 𝒜𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝑅𝒶𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓁𝓎🕯️🖤
Ok, as debut novels go His Doll, by author Rainelyn was a twisted delight. I love the whole aesthetic of this book! And being a bit of goth at heart myself. I revelled in the atmospheric nature of Aurora & Asher's story. This chillingly dark romance isn't for the faint hearted and Rainelyn acts as the puppet master pulling on the heart-string of her readers.
Aurora and Asher's story is one caked in blood and filled with tragedy. It's really not hard to want these two to triumph over adversity. Asher was a bit of conundrum that was begging to be solved by Aurora, their love was at times toxic, all-consuming and incredibly beautiful. They both held keys to one another's salvation. I really appreciate the sheer amount of research undertaken By Rainelyn for creating these complex characters.
The world building in this book was phenomenal. I really enjoyed this book and it was definitely impressive for a debut author. I am interested to see what the future holds for this author. I'm sure it will be promising...
𝓟𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰, 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓭𝓲𝓼𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓲𝓼 𝓪𝓭𝓿𝓲𝓼𝓮𝓭!
Ok, as debut novels go His Doll, by author Rainelyn was a twisted delight. I love the whole aesthetic of this book! And being a bit of goth at heart myself. I revelled in the atmospheric nature of Aurora & Asher's story. This chillingly dark romance isn't for the faint hearted and Rainelyn acts as the puppet master pulling on the heart-string of her readers.
Aurora and Asher's story is one caked in blood and filled with tragedy. It's really not hard to want these two to triumph over adversity. Asher was a bit of conundrum that was begging to be solved by Aurora, their love was at times toxic, all-consuming and incredibly beautiful. They both held keys to one another's salvation. I really appreciate the sheer amount of research undertaken By Rainelyn for creating these complex characters.
The world building in this book was phenomenal. I really enjoyed this book and it was definitely impressive for a debut author. I am interested to see what the future holds for this author. I'm sure it will be promising...
𝓟𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰, 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓭𝓲𝓼𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓲𝓼 𝓪𝓭𝓿𝓲𝓼𝓮𝓭!
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December 2, 2024It took me 2 weeks to finish reading this and its only 30 chapters.. I think its pretty obvious that im not a fan. Not even going to give it a star. Given that... the story has potential.. but my god.. the writing style is not it. Im not a fan. She's reading then all of a sudden transported in her crying puking mess scene then to a sex scene... like wait, hold up. I couldnt even say its fast pace, speedy pace? I guess.. I want to savor their emotion, go through with it but its not giving.. Ijust want to connect with their emotion, man... and its not building up for me if its speedy.
Also the characters dont have any chemistry buildup.. its just pure stockholm syndrome. If you like dark, then its dark... Also the diagnosis of him?? Nope. His not just bipolar, darling. He has multiple personality disorder.
It sad because i like the theme (Dark romance, psychological, thriller, spicy)
The ending chapter is nice though... I like that part not gonna lie. But should i recommend this? no.. unless it was rewritten and the style of writing changes. I wanted to read her other book but if it has the same writing style and pacing. she's not the author for me, sadly.
Also the characters dont have any chemistry buildup.. its just pure stockholm syndrome. If you like dark, then its dark... Also the diagnosis of him?? Nope. His not just bipolar, darling. He has multiple personality disorder.
It sad because i like the theme (Dark romance, psychological, thriller, spicy)
The ending chapter is nice though... I like that part not gonna lie. But should i recommend this? no.. unless it was rewritten and the style of writing changes. I wanted to read her other book but if it has the same writing style and pacing. she's not the author for me, sadly.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews