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REVIEW: Dare vs. the Doll – S.I. Clarke

Dare Vs The Doll - SDI Clarke

Genre: Cosy Horror, Comedy

LGBTQ+ Category: Queer

Reviewer: Aethena, Paranormal Romance Guild

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About The Book

Who expects a haunted doll to be such a nuisance?

When Dare’s dog discovers an abandoned doll on their doorstep, Dare assumes it’s nothing more than a lost toy… until it begins to talk.

After the doll offers up a string of bad suggestions and unhelpful advice, Dare is left wondering if the isolation of lockdown has finally proved too much.

Struggling to get rid of the bed-tempered toy, Dare has no idea that this not-quite-scary fiend will accidentally change everything.

With a dash of humour, this queer cosy-horror short story is a fun, quirky tale – perfect for readers who like the idea of being scared more than the reality of it.

The Review

The subtitle of this book, A Not-Actually-Scary Horror Short Story,  is a very apt description.  I was surprised at how much creepiness an author can fit into just a few pages.  I was equally surprised at how much characterization and setting can be developed in even fewer pages.  SI Clarke is gifted at creating both.  

This not quite scary story has a couple interesting  surprises that I don’t want to even hint at for fear of giving away too much.  The first surprise is the twist at the end.  The second surprise is explained after the story, so read the acknowledgments!  If you happen to be on a tea break and need a quick story with some bite, I emphatically recommend this book.  You might want to check for any creepy dolls lying about though.  

Five stars.

The Reviewer

Lives in the Pacific Northwest and vacations in the desert as often as possible. She is allergic to garlic, sleeps during the day whenever possible, and breaks out in an allergic rash when exposed to excessive sunlight. She has a degree in engineering, works at a comic book store, and goes for long bike rides at night during the full moon because of the sun allergy. Aethena was forced to switch to mostly e-books and audio books when the last floor to ceiling bookcase started to overflow. She is on her fifth e-reader, and is contemplating using her engineering degree to design an e-reader that can withstand her capacity for destruction. 

The Paranormal Romance Guild was established in 2009 by 8 Indie Authors and one Reviewer to be a constant help for authors. You can be a free author member, submitting your work for review OR become a Premium Author Member for a small yearly fee and enjoy many extra services including Free Beta Reads, Author Giveaways and many others. Your reviews are posted on our 3 FB Sites, Amazon, Goodreads, Twitter and Instagram. WE REVIEW ALL GENRES LGBTQ+ welcome.

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