All Dolled Up!

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Nestled in the serene countryside, in a town called Pine Grove, lies an old house with a peculiar reputation. Charlie, a disillusioned nurse, was unaware of the history of the house when he bought it. He was simply seeking an escape from his old life and was captivated by the promise of a fresh start held within its walls. However, from the moment that Charlie steps over the threshold, strange occurrences begin to unfold. He also finds a strange porcelain doll in one of the rooms and quickly finds out that this doll, named Charlotte, is anything but an ordinary doll. Every night under the gentle gaze of the moon, she comes to life! To add to the mystery, Charlotte was not always a doll. She had been a young woman who had tragically died in the year 1906, only to wake up in the same house she had lived in all her life, only now empty, and with no idea as to what had happened to her.

Initially, Charlotte wants nothing more than to kick Charlie out of her house, but slowly grows to accept him as she begins to see him not as an intruder, but as a friend- and eventually, as a lover. But can this paranormal romance between a man and a woman turned into a doll stand the test of time?

The story is written from both Charlie's and Charlotte's point of view, with their names in bold over each section denoting whose viewpoint we are seeing for that section.

The story is now complete!

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2024
Author: drechenaux

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.8/ 5.0
Followers: 228
Views: 113,976

What readers say about All Dolled Up!

“This story is a fun mix of the ordinary and the downright eerie, told through two very different characters. First up, there's Charlie, who’s just a normal bloke trying to get by in a crumbling old house he’s inherited, while juggling a new night shift job.…”
BardLyreRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“Style/Story: The style appears to be in first person and switches POVs of the characters. The POVs do change often in chapters which I know can get confusing at times. The author does a decent job at separating the POVs by a page break that indicates whose…”
RavensFantasyRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

BardLyreRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story is a fun mix of the ordinary and the downright eerie, told through two very different characters. First up, there's Charlie, who’s just a normal bloke trying to get by in a crumbling old house he’s inherited, while juggling a new night shift job. He’s got that dry, self-deprecating humour going on, which makes him really likeable. His life isn’t going to plan, but he’s sort of rolling with it, cracking jokes about instant ramen and dodgy housing projects as he goes.
Then, there's Charlotte, who steals the show. She's a cursed doll (yes, you heard that right), and her chapters are a brilliant mix of creepy and oddly sympathetic. She’s still clinging to her human identity while trying to figure out how to deal with Charlie. The scene where she’s holding a knife and fretting about how to scare him off without getting herself thrown in the bin is both tense and darkly funny. Her awareness of her limitations as a doll makes her attempts at intimidation kind of adorable and tragic all at once.
The writing style is easygoing and chatty, and it switches nicely between Charlie’s laid-back vibe and Charlotte’s more anxious, methodical approach to her weird existence. There’s just enough tension simmering beneath the surface to keep you hooked, without ever getting too heavy or grim. The balance of humour and suspense is spot on, with the mundane world of warehouse jobs and unpacking boxes constantly being interrupted by Charlotte’s bizarre little schemes. It’s a slow burn, but in a good way, with both characters building towards what feels like an inevitable clash – or, who knows, maybe they’ll just end up weirdly cohabiting! All in all, it’s a clever, funny, and just creepy enough to keep you reading.
RavensFantasyRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Style/Story: The style appears to be in first person and switches POVs of the characters. The POVs do change often in chapters which I know can get confusing at times. The author does a decent job at separating the POVs by a page break that indicates whose point of view it is in. In all the chapters flow well, in my opinion, even with the POV shifts.
The story is that of a haunting tale, one that follows a doll and a man on the night shift. The dolls' mischievous ways and curiosity towards the man makes for an interesting tale. The man, completely oblivious to the doll's interactions so far, makes for an interesting tale as it makes one wonder how he will react when he realizes the truth. The author does a good job at describing the scenes as they unfold, making a unique story come to life.
In all, the story is written decently well as I enjoyed the POV shifts and descriptions that were present in the story.
Grammar: I noticed very little to no grammar mistakes within the story. I did notice a few missing capital letters here and there as I read the story.
Characters: The story follows two characters one named Charlie and one named Charlotte. Charlotte appears to be that of a haunted doll and Charlie is a normal human being. So far, they don’t have much of a connection but one can be sure that Charlotte may have possible slight feelings for Charlie as he had complimented the doll. However, her actions towards Charlie within the first eight chapters make it seem otherwise, as Charlotte likes to have a bit of fun and play a few tricks on him. Charlie, is oblivious to this of course and will be interested to see his reactions when he finds out it has been a doll this whole time. Charlotte’s personality so far is a good contrast to Charlies. As she is fun and mischievous and he is a hard working individual.
Charlie is like every night shift worker. Doing the time to just earn the money. I’ll be interested to see how the story captivates nightshift life as so far it is d
S.D. HussRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Finding this story on RR was like picking up a jacket you haven’t worn in forever and found a crisp $100 bill inside. I want to start by saying that I am so glad I found it. It’s extremely well thought out, yet simple in it’s execution.
Style: The author’s style is very easy to read. The structure and organization of each chapter makes reading it a breeze. The descriptions and overall tone also keep you fully engaged and eager for the next chapter. I often found myself so engrossed that the chapter ended without even realizing how much I had read.
Story: The story follows Charlie, a night shift nurse, who buys an old fixer-upper mansion that has a secret. Charlotte, is a young woman who died in 1906 and is somehow now cursed to live her life as a doll within her family’s estate. I love the dynamic between the two characters. How they had a funny little cat and mouse game at the beginning, before they met. Then finally becoming friends as he introduces her to the outside world. Everything from Cigarettes to VR headsets and TV. It’s an endearing story. And one I am invested in at this point.
Characters: To rehash. There is Charlie, who’s the main, male, protagonist. And Charlotte, the female protagonist. Each of them are WELL fleshed out and relatable. There is a clever mystery that the author places around the characters, and I love the way he’s doing it so far!
Grammar: No problems here that I could see.
Overall this is a story that I would highly recommend. And I WILL recommend it to people I know who would love it. I can’t wait to see what comes next!
doratheexplorerRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A Lighthearted Take on the Story So Far (4th of July, Part 4):
I found this chapter to be an exceptionally engaging exploration of two characters from vastly different worlds and eras. Despite their glaring differences, their mutual admiration is beautifully portrayed. From the start, the narrative captivates, making it nearly impossible to set the story aside. The initial tension between them, gradually softening into lighthearted exchanges and ultimately harmonious coexistence under one roof, is truly delightful.
What makes this tale even more compelling is its fresh approach to the familiar theme of friendship. While it tells the story of a bond between an apparition and a human, it defies convention by delving into the deeply humane aspects of their relationship. This makes the story surprisingly relatable, drawing the reader in with ease. The chapters are infused with impeccable comedic timing, adding to the story's overall charm.
I particularly enjoyed the perspective shifts, which add a unique layer of depth. The contrasting views of the same situation by two different individuals enrich the narrative and make it even more intriguing. With flawless grammar and punctuation, this story is truly a reader's delight. I found myself completely immersed in its highly engaging storyline.
The anticipation of whether their relationship will remain within the bounds of companionship or evolve into something deeper keeps us eagerly awaiting the next chapter.
As always, outstanding work, @Drechenaux!
longwindedone1Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This review comes after reading the prologue and the first seven chapters of "All Dolled Up!" I apologize for any spoilers.
Story:
This story follows Charlotte (a sentient porcelain doll) and Charlie (a man who recently inherited the property). As Charlotte seeks to drive Charlie out of the house, he is oblivious to her true nature. The tension between the two builds as Charlotte desperation to rid her home of this invader, while Charlie becomes more suspicious of the strange events in the house. T
Style:
The story has an eerie sort of vibe, like one from a gothic horror story. You got a mix of other tones because the story shifts between points of view. Charlotte POV expresses a haunted sense of possessiveness over the house. Charlie is a more grounded MC, with some cynicism that keeps things from feeling to heavy.
Grammar:
No issues, listening to this story using the RR app. But I don't normally notice little errors (since I'm not reading the actual words). That said, nothing in this text took me out of the story.
Characters:
I've already mentioned Charlotte and Charlie. As well, there are Dylan and George (Charlie's coworkers) and Stuart (Charlies manager). The main focus of the story, of course, is between the two MCs. The scene with the knife in the floor was probably the most fun/intense, and I think it hints at more things like this to come. 5/5
xXSB101XxRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
The only real complaints were a couple of instances of grammar mistakes, and feeling like more could have been shown on the side of culture shock and showcasing more speak that one would expect of a woman from the early 1900s. Outside of that, a good book. 9 out of 10.
133,510 words.
Daniel ZRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
This is a gentle and easy urban fantasy romance. It is generally well written, the motivations generally make sense, and the mc-s are likeable.
Without giving away spoilers, I did feel the transition between different phases of the mcs' interactions with each other a bit too quick- both in terms of plausibility and in terms of fun shenanigans that could have otherwise taken place. I also find the world around the mc-s somewhat small and undefined. But, on this second point, we are still early in the story. Overall, I remain interested in what comes next.
GromelonRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
The story does fall off a bit after starting strong. Mostly because author is great at scenes and inner monologues but is often unable to make interaction between characters engaging - they feel a bit flat in both dialogue and reactions during it. Both in moments of casual banter and in crucial moments. As soon as initial set up is over and day to day interaction between main characters start - you can tell. It feels as if author was writing essays for a decade and it’s the first attempt of expanding into making a novel.
That said, it’s the only flaw I can find in the story and writing so far and the only reason it is not a full five-star rating. The premise is great, story is paced properly and it’s fairly obvious main premise is planned from start to finish instead of being invented “on the go”. Story is mostly a slice of life with tiny bit of romance (so far as of chapter S-Sam VI) and a tiny bit of mystery. Worth a read, worth a follow if this type of slice is your thing - you won’t feel like you wasted your time reading.
tl;dr a nice slice of life if you don’t mind certain writing flaws
YoharikoRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
The premise of this story is unique and interesting. It blends supernatural elements with more emotional moments, which gives it a nice balance. At times, the eerie atmosphere gave me chills, while other moments had a more heartfelt tone, thanks to the character development.
Style: The writing style is solid. The author switches between points of view within chapters, and while they mention this in their notes, I thought it worked fine. It added some tension and kept things moving.
Story: The concept is creative and different from what I’ve seen before. The idea behind the story is fresh and stands out in its own way. It’s a rare experience to feel like you’re exploring entirely new ground in a story.
Grammar: I didn’t notice any significant grammatical issues, which made it easy to read. It was very easy to read and understand what was going on.
Character: The characters are well-developed. The alternating perspectives help build the tension and bring the story together. Each character has their own distinct voice, which the author handles well.
Conclusion: Overall, I would recommend this story. It’s an enjoyable read, with a good balance of suspense and character growth. I’ve only read the first 10 chapters, but I will continue reading. The author came up with such a unique premise is something to truly admire!
ReallyObnoxiouslyLongNameRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
TL;DR
This story is well written, with interesting characters, and was a good read. Not my favorite book, but still good.
Style
The style was great. It's fairly standard English, so it's very easy to parse, and it fits the time period well.
Grammar
Great, no errors that I can recall. Certainly nothing major.
Characters
Very good. Nothing to complain about. Some of the side characters are a little bland, but so much of the focus is on the main characters' interactions that you barely notice. Charlie and Charlotte are both very well done. They both have decent backstories that unfold nicely. The side characters that do get some focus are also well done.
Story
It's very good for what it is. The main issue I had with it, is that I didn't see the tragedy tag until I was already pretty invested. That said, it's very well written, and as far as tragic events go, it's not too bad. Aside from that, I don't have any major issues with it. The pacing felt a bit strange sometimes, but nothing too bad.
Final Thoughts
Again, this is a good book, and if you're going in with the proper expectations, it's great. It's not really to my taste though.
Have a wonderful day.