This is my first book by Diane Chamberlain and I was impressed. I quite liked her writing style, it was easy for me to become fully engrossed with this story from the very beginning. It revolves around two separate story lines: one taking place in 1965 at the height of the civil rights movement, and in 2010 with a young widow getting ready to move into the dream house she and her recently deceased husband built.

I didn't realize before I started reading that this book would be so rich with historical information about what was happening during the civil rights movement when Dr. Martin Luther King and other prominent black activists were trying to hard to get the voting rights bill passed so colored people could start voting. This was definitely a very contentious and hot button back then, especially in the southern states, like North Carolina where Ellie was living with her family. Initially I was a little tempted to just skim through those parts because I was here for the mystery and suspense that was supposed to be happening! But I really did get caught up in everything that Ellie was experiencing in trying to be a freedom fighter and help the black people gain voting rights and some independence. I was trying to jump ahead and figure out how the past was interconnected with the present, and it didn't take long at all for me to start figuring out what characters from that timeline were in the present day timeline with Kayla.

The present day timeline with Kayla offered that suspense I was looking for, with her first interaction in the book being with a very strange woman who shows up in her office one day, warning her not to move into her newly finished house. And then throughout the story, other strange things occur, all seemingly wrapped around that red haired woman who issued the ominous warning. All of it was an apparent attempt to get her off the land she and her husband had built their house on, but the question remained as to why? Why did someone want her off that property?

I really couldn't wait to see how the two timelines converged together, and when they did, it was not what I was expecting at all. It was so much more than I could have guessed! The puzzle pieces all started falling into place and I commend Ms. Chamberlain for crafting a complex, interwoven story that I really could not put down!

I had a few lingering questions that weren't answered by the time the story wrapped up, so I know those will be nagging at me for a bit, and is really my only criticism for this story. I've seen some other reviewers complain there was way too much time spent in the past chapters talking about the events during the civil rights movement that Ellie was dealing with, but I felt like so much emphasis was put on what she went through because those events, and that period in time, shaped her entire life from that point on. What occurred then is what caused her to leave home and never come back, not until she was 65 years old and her brother needed her.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story, it wasn't what I was expecting as I started reading, but it really turned out to be a story I won't soon forget.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Last House on the Street is a wonderfully written story about love and loss. With dual timelines each told from a different person's perspective, we are thrown into two separate worlds that are connected, yet worlds apart.

In one perspective we follow Kayla in 2010. She and her daughter move into a house that her husband died in while building it. In the other we have Ellie in 1965 as a young girl who is trying to make a difference in the world by volunteering with the SCOPE project. Throughout the story we experience a piece of each woman's life as she navigates through her own trials and tribulations until finally their two worlds collide.

This book is wonderfully written. The story captivates you as it breaks your heart and teaches you about true healing.

My favorite point of view was Ellie's. While both were good, I found Ellie's brought out the heartbreak and emotion in me much stronger than Kayla's did.

This is my first Diane Chamberlain novel and I can't wait to read more.

3.5 stars

The Last House on the Street is told in dual timelines, alternating between the civil rights movement in 1965 and modern time 2010. This book is historical fiction blended with a domestic thriller. I typically gravitate towards historical fiction novels but found myself more motivated to read the chapters written in modern time. I found the book to be a little slower pace until the last 100 pages or so. Overall, I do think the author did a great job blending these stories together and I really did enjoy how she wrapped up the ending. This book was heavy to read, but it is one that will stick with me for awhile. This book releases January 11, 2022.

Thank you to NetGalley, Diane Chamberlain and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC I’m exchange for an honest review.

The Last House on the Street takes place in the South during two time periods. In 1965, the main character is being raised by a proper Southern family but Ellie has her own opinions on her future. When she begins college and decides to spend her Summer volunteering to help black voters register, she quickly sees another side of the world and soon learns of her neighbors true feelings about civil rights.

During 2010, Kayla and her daughter are set to move into the dream house she and her husband designed. After her husband suffers a tragic accident at the house, neighbors warn her against living there and she begins to learn about the secrets haunting the property.

Diane Chamberlain weaves these two storylines together to gradually reveal the plot and hooks readers into a riveting story. This is my first novel by Diane Chamberlain but it won’t be my last.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this novel before it’s release.

The Last House on the Street was an enjoyable dual timeline read but not the can’t-put-it-down page-turner that I was hoping for. It does however meet an ambitious goal of merging historical fiction set in the civil rights era with a modern-day thriller. I liked that the older storyline was set in the 1965 just before LBJ signed the Voting Rights Act. It felt like a detailed and accurate depiction of that time and the characters were well developed – though it felt a little bit slow. The modern storyline set in 2010 had some tension and mystery and a satisfying ending. I will definitely pick up books from Diane Chamberlain’s backlist and watch for any future books. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early copy to read and review. This book will release in just a few weeks in January 2022.

Told in dual timelines, both equally enthralling, I could not put this down. Themes cover racial prejudice, interracial relationships, forbidden love, resentments, small town community, love, loss, death, activism, social justice, family, friendships, heartbreak, warmth, and humor. Many feelings ran through me as I read this novel. As one can imagine, 1965 in a Southern state does not make for an easy read. The books portrayal of the characters really brought them live and made them memorable and highly believable. The characters actions and impact that they brought to the story as well as what they went through, brought to life the emotional crisis and times of the 60's rallies.
The year was 1965. Ellie was twenty years of age. She was home from the University of North Carolina for spring break. Ellie was in a five year pharmacology program. She still had two years more to go. Usually during summer breaks - home from college, Ellie worked at the local pharmacy owned by her father. This summer was one that changed the course of her life. Many white students from Northern and Western colleges were spending their summer in the Southern states registering Negroes to vote. This story explores Ellie's summer and the impact on her life.
2010 Kayla Carter, an architect, had been designing a dream home for seven years — along with her husband Jackson, who was also an architect. Jackson died from an accident while building their new home. Kayla had many reservations about moving forward with her daughter - moving into the house without her husband. Then things started to happen. People still living in the area in 2010, thought the area might be haunted, some tragic history lived in those woods….history that Kayla was unfamiliar when picking out a location. .
This gripping story involves romance, tragic deaths, prejudice, intrigue, and a decades-old mystery with its shocking conclusion. The storytelling is brilliant.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, who kindly provided me with a widget of the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 1/11/22.

I really enjoyed this book. The content was hard to read but undeniably part of history and I can't imagine how hard it would have been to live through those circumstances. I thought the tough topic of KKK and hate crimes were tactfully handled and didn't create a sense of hate for one side or the other, but rather tried to give understanding to both sides of the awful situation. There is always going to be animosity from both sides of this time in our history, but I truly think the answer to mending the hate is knowledge and understanding. Good job Diane Chamberlain.

Diane Chamberlain can tell a story! I loved this mystery that has historical significance. It took a minute to see how the two storylines were going to intertwine but once it did, it was great! Don't miss this one!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the early listen and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. I finished this book a few days ago and had to process what I had read/listened too. Wow what an amazing read! The depth the author went to to tell this amazing, sad, mysterious and thrilling story. Loved reading about all the characters in this story. The narrator did a fantastic job telling the story, Highly recommend!

While I have really enjoyed Chamberlain's previous works, this one was just ok for me. I felt the story was too forced and predictable. I guessed the ending from the premise of the book and honestly it was just too "easy" in that way. I wish there was more suspense with the "haunted" woods, but unfortunately it just wasn't there. The dual timelines almost seemed disjointed in this one as well. The current day timeline lacked purpose and wasn't well flushed out. And the historic timeline was too basic. Just not for me I guess.

The Last House on the Street is Diane Chamberlain at her best.
Set in 1965 and 2010 in the south.
In 1965 Ellie has joined the SCOPE project, encouraging black people to register to vote.
In 2010 Kayla is moving into her new home set in the woods.

This is an emotional book to say the least. It is not any easy read due to subject matter, but one very worth reading. I felt so many things while reading it. The characters all seemed so real. Some, like Ellie are very involved, some are just bystanders looking the other way.

Chamberlain once again tackles the difficult subjects with as much sensitivity as possible while still getting the message across.

I was very invested in seeing how the two timelines would connect and boy did they.

Expect to feel deep sadness for some and outrage at others actions and so very much more.

A book that would have been relevant back then and unfortunately is still relevant today!

Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

What’s it about (in a nutshell):
The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain is a powerfully haunting story about love, loss, and racial divides told through two timelines and two narrators.

What I Enjoyed:
I loved the mystery storyline that runs throughout the tale and both timelines. The suspense that the mystery created kept the pace fast throughout, and even in the few lulls, the compelling story filled in and kept my attention unwavering.

I also loved how the mysteries and timelines came together and intermingled flawlessly. There is a connection between the timelines from the beginning. As the true nature of the relationship slowly reveals, it truly amazed me how well the integration of the two lines complements each other.

The 60s timeline tells a compelling and profoundly moving story around the efforts to register voters in the black communities in the US south. I felt the dangers of such work were so well told that I found myself worrying for the characters more and more as the story progresses. I’m not sure how well it aligns with facts from that period. Still, it feels authentic, so I was more than happy to suspend any disbelief and let myself be taken back in time so fully and completely, hating the bigotry of large parts of society and championing the people who wanted to make a difference.

The current timeline tells the very emotional story of Kayla, the recent loss of her husband and father to her daughter Rainie. Her emotional journey as she determines whether or not to live in the house she and her husband designed together is touching and heartfelt. It also feels acutely authentic that it is easy to empathize with her and the decisions she must face.

Characters:
All of the characters are relatable and deeply sympathetic, and they jump right off of the page and into your heart in the most profound ways.

Ellie, the narrator of the chapters from the past, came into adulthood in the ’60s and has dedicated her life to bridging the gap between the races that make up our country.

The narrator of the more recent story, Kayla, lost her husband and struggled to determine the right path for her and her young daughter, Rainie.

What I Wish:
I can’t imagine any ways that this story could be improved technically. It awed me how well it handled all aspects, even the ones that are notoriously mishandled in other books by other authors.

To Read or Not to Read:
If you are looking for a story that will not only keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end but will also leave you with the feeling that you have been immersed in something bigger than any one person, The Last House on the Street should be the next stop you make.

I requested this book from Netgalley after seeing a lot of positive reviews and talk about it. It's classified as a thriller which isn't my usual fave genre to read. I was very pleasantly surprised to find after I started reading that it has a lot of historical fiction in it which is totally my jam!

The Last House on the Street alternates between two characters' stories- Kayla in 2010 and Ellie in 1965. Kayla is widowed when her husband is injured while building their new home in a secluded new neighborhood. She encounters all sorts of scary, odd and disturbing things when she and her young daughter move in, including the abduction of her daughter. Kayla questions her husband's decision to build in the neighborhood and that particular location which has a haunting past.

Ellie in 1965 is a young adult who feels a passion for civil rights and joins a group called SCOPE. This group's mission is to encourage and enable poorer black families to vote so their voices can be heard in the era of the KKK. Even though it was extremely dangerous and against all of the rules, Ellie falls for a young black man who is part of SCOPE. This relationship causes a domino effect of events and a mystery that isn't solved until the end of the book. Ellie in 2010 is actually a neighbor to Kayla and her family used to own the land that Kayla's house is on. Her experiences in 1965 aren't resolved until she has Kayla's help.

I really like the blend of mystery thriller and historical fiction. A lot of problems in Ellie's life really struck me- the severity of racism and inequality in the past was difficult to read in parts. I felt more connected to 1965 Ellie than any of the other characters and I loved how she was always dedicated to her passions. It was very clever how the author used little clues in the book to lead to the ending. She wrote about things that seem almost insignificant until the truth about everything is revealed. The story was layered well and had so much depth that it drew me in and kept me guessing until the last chapter.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. This review will be posted to Goodreads and my bookstagram today and will be posted to Amazon upon publication.

I read this one in just a couple sittings and although I enjoyed it overall, I thought the ending was a bit over-the-top. Definitely not my favorite Chamberlain novel I've read, but it's not the worst.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.

Pub Date: 1-11-2022
3.5/5⭐️

In this dual timeline story we are transported to the tiny town of Round Hill, North Caroline. A current day death and threatening situations reveal there is more hidden in this town than anyone ever expected.

I really enjoyed both timelines but the flashbacks felt the most engaging. At the beginning (as I read the 1965 timeline), I got to the end of the chapter and had to check the genre. I had thought it was just a mystery but it’s a combo of that and historical fiction. The content was so poignant and continued to be that way throughout the story.

I thought the historical areas that discussed the Voting Rights Act and the kids canvassing to register voters was incredible. Being transported to that time period in the south was a very emotional experience.

I can’t really explain why without giving things away, but there were a few areas that didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t feel as connected to the characters as I’d hoped and felt terribly frustrated with one of the characters on multiple occasions. I know so many have loved this one, and I definitely enjoyed a lot of what was written, it just didn’t live up to the hype for me.

*A lot of the creepy backyard wooded vibes hit home. I lived in Maryland as a child and had a densely wooded backyard filled with poisonous snakes. I ran through it daily and built forts with my friends. So crazy to consider doing that now! 😳

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Readers who enjoyed Dianne Chamberlain’s Big Lies in A Small Town will very likely enjoy this latest release just as much. Once again, Chamberlain merges past and present from two storylines.

In the present day, Kayla Carter has just moved into the dream home that she and her late husband built. The move was an emotional one and Kayla questioned if she should just sell the house and not move in. But it’s so beautiful and it was a project she and her late husband built together, so for that reason, she goes ahead and moves in.

Not long after the move, some things happen that are very unsettling and make Kayla question her decision. During this time, she meets her neighbors who live down the street in an older home. The home is owned by the Hockley family. Ellie Hockley lives there temporarily, taking care of her elderly mother and an older brother.

As Kayla and Ellie become acquainted, they begin to realize they have a connection. Reluctantly, Ellie tells Kayla of the past history the land holds and how Kayla’s father and Ellie are connected, as well as why Ellie left the area.

There is some shocking race-related violence in the story, but nothing is extremely graphic. Set in 1960’s North Carolina , knowing how the social mores were at the time, should be a clue to what secrets this book will reveal about Ellie Hockley’s life.

This was a wonderful mix of historical fiction and mystery that I think readers will find compelling.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review.

Tears are still gathering as I sit to write my review for The Last House on the Street. This book unleashed all my emotions at once. It left my heart in tatters, my head spinning with anger, and a spark of hope that there are people willing to give up everything to help. Diane Chamberlain does a superb job of tackling a tough topic to write about, race, and all that encompasses that one word. It is told in a dual timeline, both stories will keep you enthralled, as do the richly developed characters. Chamberlain effortlessly takes you between 1965 and 2010, interweaving these two stories effortlessly. As soon as you begin reading you will become invested in this astounding tale of hate, power, horror, friendship, and love. There are deeply guarded secrets that are uncovered and an ending that shook me to my core.

Ellie Hockley is a 20-year-old pharmacology student. She comes from a well to do family, who has deep roots in the small town of Round Hill, NC. She is determined to do some good in her life and once she hears about SCOPE, she knows this is her calling. She will go into black communities to get the word out about the Voting Rights Act, what this means for them, and how they can register to vote. Not only do they get into the communities, but they are also living with different black families. This is an eye opening, life changing experience for Ellie and for everyone around her. Fast forward 45 years later to the same street Ellie grew up on. Kayla is still trying to get her life on track since her husband's accidental death at the construction site of their dream home. She is coming to terms with moving into this home without him. There is something off about the land and someone does not want her and her daughter living there. Ellie has come back to Round Hill to take care of her dying brother and mother. Her and Kayla have an instant connection, which is tarnished just as quick as it begins. Can the history of this place come back to haunt them both?

The Last House on the Street will bring to light the horrific atrocities that occurred during our history. If you think about it 1965 was not all that long ago. My father was a sophomore in high school, while the civil rights movement was in full swing. It was not until 1967 when the Supreme Court finally ruled that laws banning interracial marriages were unconstitutional and illegal, thank you to the Lovings! If it were not for these strong-willed people, my marriage would be illegal. This is a hard read, you will cry, you will be terrified, you will be filled with anger, and yet there is still love and grace. Thank you to Diane Chamberlain, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this astonishing read.

This was my first book from author Diane Chamberlain, though I will admit I have several of her novels in my TBR pile. This was an ebook I downloaded from Netgalley without really knowing too much about it. I knew it was historical fiction so I swooped it up. I am so glad that I did.

This book alternates timelines between 2010 and 1965. It is apparent from the start that both stories take place in a small, southern town, but what kept me interested in the 2010 timeline was how exactly the two stories are connected.

The 1965 timeline seems to dominate the story and to be honest, it was the most interesting of the two timelines. Although I am biracial, SCOPE wasn't a program I was familiar with. It wasn't taught in school and it isn't something my family ever talked about. I truly enjoyed the history woven into this storyline.

The 2010 timeline was still interesting to me. Like I said before, figuring out who was who from the 1965 timeline and how it related to the 2010 troubles is what moved this storyline along and kept me interested.

The ending wasn't predictable and I did enjoy finding out how all the characters came together. I did feel it was a bit rushed and wrapped up way too neatly. I also feel it was very vague in showing how certain main characters from 1965 turned out in 2010.

I feel like I am rambling, but I am truly trying to not give any spoilers away. I went into this novel knowing very little and I think all readers should do the same. It was a wonderful read!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for allowing me a digital copy to read and give my review. It was a 4 star book for me!

"The Last House On The Street" is set to be released on January 11, 2022 here in the U.S. so pre-order now!

Happy Reading!

So very different than the other books I’ve read by Ms. Chamberlain but still keeps her excellent storytelling. Alternating between 1965 and 2010 we get he story off Ellie and her summer in the SCOPE program getting people registered to vote. Flash to 2010 when Kayla built her house in a forest of trees that are kind of creepy but also filled with history.

A novel about the past can haunt us and how the truth really does set us free.