Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and author Diane Chamberlain for the advanced copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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Told in dual POV across two different timelines, The Last House on the Street is an engrossing read that doesn’t hold back.

•2010•
Kayla Carter, newly widowed after her husband died while building their dream home, ends up moving in with her young daughter. However, she’s received a threatening visit from a strange older woman not to live there and other strange and horrid things happen after they do. After she moves in, she meets her neighbor, Ellie, who is caring for her brother and mother after being gone for 45 years.

•1965•
Ellie Hockley, a 20 year old university student in North Carolina, decides to spend her summer volunteering with SCOPE (Summer Community Organization and Political Education), a group dedicated to helping Black Americans register to vote. Her family and community are vehemently opposed to the idea, but Ellie continues on with her work. In this time, she becomes close to those she works with and the families she meets, but especially a fellow college student who is Black, named Win.

While at times some of the plot was predictable, I could not put this book down and lost several hours of sleep devouring it. I was mostly compelled by the 1965 chapters, but the 2010 ones helped to see how the stories overlapped together. I appreciated learning about SCOPE, as I was unfamiliar with the group. It was a very heavy read at times, and didn’t gloss over the reality of the time period. I recommend reading the author’s note on Goodreads to learn about her inspiration for the story and the importance of continuing to strive for equal voting rights today.

I liked this book a lot. It touched on so many different topics in a way that felt nuanced and sensitive and timely, but not forced. Strong writing, solid plot, too.

I’ve read a handful of Diane Chamberlain books, and every time, she’s knocked it out of the park. The Last House on the Street continues that streak, tackling themes of racism, grief, and family.

Kayla Carter is grieving over the loss of her husband while their gorgeous new home was being built. She and her young daughter have been staying with her father, but he’s ready to downsize and it’s time for them to move into the house. But Kayla has trepidations about the house that’s surrounded by trees, with its large and abundant windows, the creepy lake on the property, and of course the memory of Jackson’s death.

When a strange woman shows up at her office, knowing details about her life and threatening to kill someone, Kayla becomes even more anxious about the move.

In 1965, Ellie Hockley becomes involved in the Civil Rights movement. As a white southerner, her presence in a group working to help the poor Black people register to vote is dangerous, and her family is dead set against it. When she becomes drawn to one of the Black volunteers, both of their lives are in jeopardy, as the Klan is alive and well in their rural North Carolina county.

The Last House on the Street is a dual POV novel, switching between Ellie mostly in the past and Kayla in the present, but Ellie also turns up in Kayla’s life, as she’s returned home to care for her ailing mother and brother in their family home, down the street from Kayla’s new home. Kayla is intrigued by the older woman, her past relationship with Kayla’s father, and how she may fit in to what’s been going on with Kayla’s new house.

Each chapter is fairly short, and keeps you invested in what’s going on. I found the chapters in the past were more interesting and action-packed as tension due to the racial issues is palpable. Ellie quickly goes from a naïve young woman to someone with a passion for helping others, regardless of what her family and friends think.

The conclusion is powerful and surprising (though I did figure out one or two of the revelations), and definitely a satisfying one, and I recommend The Last House on the Street.

Friendship, family, racism, and big ol' secrets take primary stage in this story of two women. Ellie became involved in the push to register Black voters in the South in the late 1960s before leaving home for decades. Kayla builds a house near Ellie's family home just as Ellie returns home to care for her ill brother and elderly mother. In so many ways this felt like two completely different stories and could have both been stand alones. Often when moving between the two timelines, I had to stop and think about what had been happening when I left it previously. While the book contains several different surprises, I felt most of them were very obvious and I waited to the characters to catch up to my thinking. I say most because there was one thing that did take me by surprise, probably because chances are slim that it would have actually taken place. But this was a solid story about racism and how even individual families were divided over the issue.

I enjoyed reading Diane Chamberlain's The Last House on the Street. I will be looking for more by this author in the future. Four stars.

Review of The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I started off 2022 with a huge reading bang with two back to back 5 ⭐️ reads. This book was so wonderful. I could not put it down and can’t recall the last time I was so invested in a story and the characters. This is just my second book by this amazing author but I’m a fan for life and will be an auto buyer for sure. Can’t wait to get to her backlist too. This one is told in dual timelines and will give you all the feels. Have your tissues ready. It tackles important issues as I now realize her books tend to do which make them all the better.

Quick synopsis: Kayla is about to move into her dream new home she designed with her late husband (who fell in a tragic accident while helping building the new home) when she gets a very odd visit from an even odder older woman. This woman threatens Kayla not to move there and clearly knows all about her and her life. When Kayla and her daughter do move in, terrifying things begin to happen. Down the street is the Hockley family home which used to be the only home on the street. Ellie has returned from CA to take care of her dying brother and elderly mother. Ellie’s story was told in the past timeline describing her time during the most important summer of her life; the summer that haunts her forever.

This was my second book in #theyearofnetgalley challenge being hosted by myself and @abookwormwithwine. (Let either of us know if you want to join the group!). I am looking forward to the buddy read discussion next week! A huge thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and @diane.chamberlain.author for my advanced copy. It’s out January 11, so don’t forget to grab a copy!

I requested this book because I loved Chamberlain’s, Big Little Lies. Having finished The Last House on the Street, I now plan to read all of her books. I alternated listening to and reading this and enjoyed both equally. Susan Bennet narrated and was excellent.

This story is told in dual timelines.
1965 Ellie Hawkley decides to spend the summer working with the SCOPE project. I’ve never been good with history, or American history other than the basics, so I hadn’t heard of this before and had to look it up to see if it was real or part of the story. For those of you like me, wiki explains it better than I could, “The goal was to recruit white college students to help prepare African Americans for voting and to maintain pressure on Congress to pass what became the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Dr. Martin Luther King announced the project at UCLA in April 1965, and other leaders recruited students nationwide.”

2010 Kayla Carter, recently widowed, has moved into her new home on the same street that Ellie grew up in and strange things keep happening.

While the story leans more heavily toward Ellie and her past, the more you read the more you begin to piece together how their lives intersect. This is not an easy read. Chamberlain does not shy away from how the black community was treated during that time. There were a few times where I had an idea of what was going to happen, and I had to just stop reading for a bit because I wasn’t ready. I know this is technically historical fiction, but really, 1965 is basically yesterday, which makes this book even more heartbreaking in my mind.

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the ALC and @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC.

The Last House on the Street is written in two POVs and time periods, Ellie in 1965 and Kayla in 2010. The descriptions were great without being excessive and it was easy to picture the rural North Carolina that each woman lived in. The middle was a little slow, but it never made me want to stop reading. The two women were easy to tell apart. Sometimes switching POVs and/or eras doesn't work, but Diane Chamberlain did both seamlessly.

This is the first book by Diane Chamberlain that I have read, and I look forward to trying more. I recommend The Last House on the Street to historical fiction and mystery fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved the way Diane Chamberlain dealt with heavy issues in The Last House on the Street. The dual timeline worked very well, the characters were well-rounded and felt real to me, and the history and knowledge that was imparted in this story was handled very well.

It was obvious that the author did a lot of research into the Voting Rights Act and the SCOPE Project as well as into the Klan. 1965 was definitely a time of change, upheaval, and racism in our country and the author handled these topics well while not shying away from them. It's always a plus to me when I learn new things while reading and I definitely did when reading this novel.

I didn't want to put this book down once I started reading and highly recommend it to most everyone. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

This is a beautiful story about two ladies whose paths cross in one of the most unlikely ways. The two time lines for Ellie in the 1960's as the civil rights movement is underway and her journey to find her true passion for equality and the pressure she faces from her family, friends and community as she works to help register voters before LBJ signs the official act allowing people of color to vote. The second timeline introduces us to Kayla, a recently widowed now single mom who has moved onto the street in a new development where Ellie grew up. Their two paths cross when someone starts intimidating Kayla into not moving into her new house (which brings a great thriller twist to this otherwise historical fiction novel). As the two get to know each other their paths come together in the most unlikely way bringing peace and closure to Ellie as her past is finally laid to rest and she finds the truth to her unanswered questions about what really happened before she left Round Hill.

I'd probably give this a 3.5. There's a lot going on with my thoughts. First, I feel very overwhelmed with the number of "Last House" "House on the Street" "This Specific House Located in this Specific Place" titles. But that's obviously a personal problem.

I am also finding that, preference wise, I'm not a huge fan of multiple timelines with different POV/main characters in each. That's also a personal problem.

I did find this to be a bit predictable. But overall, Diane Chamberlain is a great writer with some good, meaty plots and stories, and I'd still recommend this to fans of her other work.

I will leave a review on Jan 11, on Amazon or Barnes and Nobles

Diana Chamberlain has such a unique writing style, and one that I love. Having said that I am not a huge fan of using two time zones, and two points of views but for her this always works. Growing up in the South, I have had a firsthand view of racism for a long time. Not to the extent in this book but it was still prevalent as I was growing up. I found this to be and intense read, that made me feel as if I was in the book. How far will people go in hatred toward others, is there a path to redemption. I most definitely recommend this book to others.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and the opinion expressed here are my own.

Ok. I guess here I am with another unpopular review. Hi.

This is not a bad read. It covers some important historical information, it has an emotionally charged plotline, and it has some level of mystery. I think where this just landed into the just ok read category for me is because of a layered set of reasons. In terms of narrative, I could very much see where this was going and how it was going to end up. In fact, a lot of my feelings for this book are similar to what my feelings were for A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler. In fact, in terms of theme, I would argue that they are similar.

Like my feelings about A Good Neighborhood I am not quite convinced these are the voices we need to be highlighting. This is ultimately a historical novel centered around Civil Rights Era and, in particular, the Voting Rights Act. Our protagonist/protagonists are privileged white women and I have complicated feelings about that. One one hand, I appreciate the effort the protagonist is making to be an ally but on the other hand is this really the POV we need in a book about historical events taking place during the Civil Rights Movement? Maybe this is really a publishing house criticism where I need to see more mainstream published historical novels where #ownvoices are highlighted and Black voices are made front and center. I cannot really think of any popular historical novel about this era with an #ownvoice. They may be out there but they are not popping up on my instagram feed or Goodreads feed.

Again, this is not a poorly written story. It just left me with complicated questions about whose voices need to be highlighted. I think this could be a solid companion novel to another book, maybe a nonfiction read such as The Warmth of Other Suns maybe. There is another issue I had with the book that I cannot really get into without spoilers, but again my feelings about this are layered.

All in all, this is not a bad read and I would recommend as a companion read to other books set in the same era. I did not hate it, but I was not entirely sure how I felt about it when I turned that last page either.

Thank you so Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Architect Kayla Carter was thrilled about the dream home she and her husband had designed, until he died in an accident at the house while it was still under construction. Kayla was torn between creating the home for her three year old daughter Rainie and giving up and selling without ever moving in. However, her father had sold his home, planning to move into a small condo, and as Kayla had nowhere else to live she decided to follow her husband’s wishes and move in, though she was apprehensive about living alone on the thickly wooded lot. When she returned to work, she had a visit from a strange woman, with dyed red hair and mirrored sunglasses, warning her about the property and hinting at ominous events better left in the past.

Ellie Hockley was a young woman in 1965, a pharmacology student, with a successful family and a privileged upbringing behind her. Totally breaking character, Ellie decided to work with SCOPE, helping to register Black residents of the county to vote, although being white and Southern was seen as a negative by the program managers. Though the participants were told of the dangers they would be facing, Ellie found it difficult to believe that her friends and family, people she had known her entire life, were members of the KKK, until she was confronted with a burning cross and bullet holes at the SCOPE office.

Told in alternating voices between Kayla and Ellie, The Last House on the Street chronicles life in Round Hill, North Carolina, in 1965 and the present day. I was impressed by Ellie’s courage and her determination to do what she felt was right, though her family disapproved of her decisions and all but disowned her. Kayla, after moving in to their beautiful home, was frightened by the strange occurrences, her daughter’s disappearance, the trash strewn around the lawn, the dead squirrels hung in her tree, and felt powerless to stop them. I loved this story, and appreciated the look into a reality that I knew little about.

Ellie Hockley and Kayla Carter, two women, a generation apart, find themselves bound by tragedy and an unsolved, decades-old mystery in Round Hill, North Carolina.

Ellie, a 20-year-old pharmacy student at the University of North Carolina wants to do what’s right and in 1965 against her parents' wishes, joins SCOPE as a voter registration worker.

Kayla, a 29-year-old widow has just moved into a new home Shadow Ridge Estates with her young daughter after losing her husband to a construction accident.

Absolutely relevant for our current times, Diane Chamberlain takes us on a journey with these two women, through 1965 North Carolina at the dawn of the Right To Vote act and then back to Round Hill, NC a generation later as an architect moves into her dream home, built on the location of former tragedy.

This is my first Chamberlain book and I’m impressed with how this award-winning author was able to weave together social justice, history and mystery in a spellbinding read. Chamberlain developed the dual timelines in such a way that she kept me guessing about how she’d eventually tie them together. The author had an important incident in history to share and developed impressive characters to deliver the story; they were authentic, and I felt a connection to both protagonists. Although Kayla’s plot props up the main plot, the atmosphere and inner conflict are excellent. I was drawn in with the foreboding setting and given a glimpse of the neighbourhood history by the long-time locals. The Shadow Ridge Estates has an ugly history laced with tragedy and Kayla’s dream home is built right on the site of all this heartache. Chamberlain has honed in on Kayla’s grief and inner conflict at moving into a home where her husband died as well as the tension and creepy vibes created when a neighbour sends a warning message. I was anxious to discover how Ellie’s quest for civil rights in the sixties was connected to Kayla and her new home.

Highlighting the progression of race relations in the South, Chamberlain exposes the risks people were willing to take to ensure equality for all and combines it with forbidden love and a great mystery.

Known for writing books that feature ordinary families dealing with life’s struggles and influenced by real events the author remembers from her teens, Chamberlain has offered a stellar read about two families and their search for justice.

I was gifted this advance copy by Diane Chamberlain, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain is a story with a great mix of history and thriller! Told in parallel timelines, we see how old secrets have a way of coming to light in the present. Recently widowed Kayla and her young daughter reluctantly move into the dream home that Kayla and her husband designed together. While bad memories make her want to sell, Kayla is committed to creating the life they dreamed of for her and Rainie. Unfortunately it is not only her internal struggle making her apprehensive but outside forces are trying to convince her she shouldn’t live in the new house.

As Kayla struggles with the mysterious happenings, we learn the story of a local North Carolina girl during the Civil Rights movement of the 60s. Ellie feels drawn to helping with local voting registration and joins the SCOPE organization despite the protestations of her family and friends. As she sees the inequalities of her home state, she is more determined than ever to help those that need it the most. But the people in her hometown don’t like a white Southern girl helping out the Black population and Ellie finds herself in danger from both strangers and people she’s known her whole life.

As the story continues, we start to see clues as to how Ellie and Kayla’s stories are connected. I loved the mixing of the past and present, and as more of Ellie’s story is told, I couldn’t wait to find out how the secrets of the past were affecting the present. This story should appeal to readers of historical fiction and mystery/thrillers!

I feel like I’m a little late to the Diane Chamberlain fan club. This is the third book I’ve read by her and she has quickly become a new favourite author.

The Last House on the Street is a dual time line historical fiction with a little bit of a mystery aspect to it.

In 1965 we are following Ellie a twenty year old college student who is looking to do something meaningful during the summer in between terms. Inspired by her deceased Aunt Carol and against her family and friends advice she joins SCOPE - Summer Community Organization and Political Education. The door to door program is to help provide information and encourage black people in the south get registered to vote. At the time, the Voting Rights Bill Act was soon to be signed by president Lyndon Johnson.

In 2010, Kayla a recent widow is a few days of moving into the house both her and her recently deceased husband designed when a unfamiliar, strange women walks into her office pretending to want to put an addition on her house. The women also knows some personal things about Kayla and her family and making some idle threats. Strange and ominous things begin happening to Kayla and her four year old daughter when they move into their new house. Kayla begins digging to find answers about why some people in this small North Carolina town didn’t want this new subdivision built at the end of this once dead end street.

Diane Chamberlain writing is great and very immersive. I loved reading about the SCOPE organization and the student civil rights workers who set out to make a difference. I much preferred the 1965 timeline over the 2010 one. I really liked Ellie and Win in the early timeline. I suggest reading the authors note as she talks about how this story came about.

I have a few other books by this author on my shelf and can’t wait to pick those up.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins press for the advance readers copy. The Last House on the Street comes out on January 11, 2022.

Thanks #NetGalley #StMartinsPress and#MacMillianAudio for an electronic copy of both the ebook and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Told in dual timelines, The Last House On The Street features Ellie Hockley in 1965 and Kayla Carter in 2010. The novel unravels the tangled history of these two families by uncovering the shocking history of violence and prejudice, forbidden love, and the never-ending search for justice.

This book is my first book by Diane Chamberlain. She seamlessly weaves the past and present. The 1965 timeline retells the struggles of enacting the Voters Right Act. I'm ashamed to admit I knew nothing of the SCOPE (Summer Organization and Political Education) project. But this story felt poignant today as many states try to limit access to voting.

I mostly listened to the book while driving to and from sports, so I had the added pleasure of seeing this story through my teenager's eyes. The anger and heartache we both felt as Black people confronted immeasurable brutality just for the fundamental right to vote. This emotional journey commanded a deep discussion on race, rights, and history.

I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. The story isn't easy. But a necessary one as we confront our complex and often embarrassing history on who we treat our fellow Americans - an ongoing battle still today.

I was far more interested in the historical setting (1965 North Carolina) of this book than in the present day story. Ellie, a 20 year old white, privileged college girl, has her boundaries expanded by a glimpse of the civil rights movement in the days leading up to enactment of the Voting Rights Act. Naively believing that she can change her small minded family and community, she signs up to knock on doors to register black voters. The backlash and violence she encounters eventually estrange her from her family and send her far away from the Carolinas.

In the modern time line of the story, a young architect and her daughter are moving into the same community. The secrets and scars of the 60’s are still haunting Round Hill, though, and may prove to be too dangerous.

Overall, an enjoyable read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Told in a split time line between 1965 and 2010. Chamberlain has another compelling story. I read most of this book with a deep,sense of foreboding. I preferred the modern time because I knew what was going to occur in 1965. I was correct, but even I wasn’t able to accurately depict the horrific truth and events. I think the author wrote a story that will stay with readers for a long time.