The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis

In the 50's there weren't many safe places for young women to stay alone in New York City but one place was the Barbizon Hotel. Nicknamed "The Dollhouse", this is where Darby comes to stay wide-eyed and innocent of what dangers the city has to offer. She doesn't fit in with the glamorous society wannabees but does make friends with a young elevator girl who introduces her to singing and nightclubs. Fast forward to modern day where the Barbizon is now an expensive apartment building for men and women except for one floor which is reserved for the few matrons from its past. Rose has just been booted out of her boyfriend's apartment in the Barbizon and committed to dog walking while one of the elderly ladies upstairs is out of town. While squatting in her apartment she uncovers the history of the hotel and a mystery of a tragic accident. She begins researching the story for an article only to drag herself into the thick of it as if solving the mystery will heal her own broken heart. The story flips back and forth as we follow the lives of these young women looking for love and adventure that usually ended in heartache and the search for the truth about what happened that night on the roof. The search for love and happiness knows no timeline nor does survival in the big bad city of New York.