I tried this one but it felt so slow. I normally love DC and some of her books are my favorite, but this one was not for me.

I’ve read quite a few good books lately that have taken some time to get into, this is absolutely not one of those books. Diane Chamberlain had me entranced after the very first chapter and I couldn’t put it down.

The book has two timelines/points of view; Ellie in 1965 and Kayla in 2010. I loved following along as the connection between these two women and their families became apparent. I found myself equally sad and excited every time the point of view would change. The 1965 timeline was, of course, emotional and compelling, but I also enjoyed the switch to 2010 to continue uncovering how the people and events of the past are connected with the characters in the future.

Chamberlain did a fantastic job tackling events surrounding the Voting Rights Act and the SCOPE project. I felt like I learned so much about the history of this time, while still being emotionally connected to the story and the characters.

I don’t think I realized when I started this book just what an important read it would be. I will be thinking about The Last House on the Street for quite a long time I am sure.

Two stories- one in 1965, another in 2010. in 1965 Ellie is a volunteer working to enroll Blacks for voting.
In 2010, Kayla her family move into a new house that seems to have "secrets". The two stories intertwine for a
successful read.

I really enjoyed this one! The dual timeline was very well done and it felt like I was watching a movie as I read it. Awesome job! Loved it so much!

The Last House on the Street is a book with parallel timelines, we follow Ellie in the 60's and Kayla in 2010. Both have clearly experienced personal tragedy and find themselves neighbors with Kayla in a newly built, one time dream home and Ellie coming home to take care of her dying brother and mother. The two have intersecting lives thanks to this small town and a 45 year old mystery for Ellie is stirred up.

I have to be honest, I didn't reread the synopsis of this book before I picked it up to read and I think that was a good thing. Sometimes I steer away from emotionally heavy topics until I feel prepared to take them on and I don't know that i would've started this yesterday had I realized the timeline with race relations and freedom fighters. I am so glad I started this, I couldn't put this book down. I live in NC, where the main characters are from and still sometimes feel quite naïve about what other races and cultures experience in rural, small town life. The story is so well written and though there is no shortage of heartbreak, you have characters you love and are hoping are truly as decent as they seem and some characters that are just difficult to like at all.

This may be the book that I recommend to people over and over again this year.

I requested this title because I have really enjoyed the author's prior work, and I enjoyed this one as well. The story is a mystery told in dual timelines. In the present, a recent widow is trying to decide whether to continue building the house she and her late husband started. In the past, a young woman joins the Civil Rights movement against the wishes of her family, with terrible consequences that tie into the present timeline. I loved the themes of social justice that the author wove throughout. This book reminded me a little of Dreamland Burning, by Jennifer Latham.

Another compelling story from Diane Chamberlain! It is told on two timelines:

2010: Kayla and her husband are building their dream home in North Carolina but while it is being built her husband is killed there in an accident. Right before Kayla and her three year old daughter move in a strange woman visits her at work and warns her not to move into the house. Shortly after they move in they begin to be plagued by vandals. And they find the woods behind their house are said to be haunted. Kayla wants to live in the house she and her husband so lovingly designed and built, but are they safe there?

1965- Ellie was raised to be a Southern lady. Her future is all planned out-following college she will be married to her banker boyfriend and establish a home in her North Carolina home town. But Ellie becomes aware of the racial injustice that exists in her community. She decides to spend her summer break volunteering to register Black voters, in spite of the adamant opposition of her family and friends. Because of her work she sees the prejudice of those around her, even those she loves.

The author blends these two stories in a powerful way and you will continue to think of this story long after you finish it.

My thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Wow! This book was totally not what I was expecting, but it was so much more. Told in dual timelines by two different women, this is a story that grabs hold and won’t let go.

In 2010 Kayla Carter and her husband, both architects, were building their dream home in Round Hill, North Carolina when he fell on the stairs and died. Kayla moved into the house with their young daughter, but there is no excitement only trepidation. The surrounding woods feel claustrophobic and malevolent. A strange woman gives her a mysterious warning and strange things begin happening that cause her to rethink moving into the house.

On the same street in 1965, Ellie Hockley, a young college student struggles to go against the norm. She doesn’t want to settle down and get married; she wants to join the Civil Rights movement against her family’s wishes. When she joins the crusade, her parents disown her, but she continues wanting to make a difference.
When the connection between their two stories is finally revealed it is explosive and heart-wrenching. I won’t kid you, this book touches upon a hard subject and the end broke my heart. However, this is an important story and Diane Chamberlain does an incredible job bringing it to life. It’s one I won’t soon forget.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review. I gave this five stars!

This was a very good story that kept my attention. It had a duel timeline and POV. I much preferred Ellie’s story of her past. To me, that was the main story. I felt the present day storyline wasn’t really necessary except for at the end.
Even though the ending wasn’t necessarily a surprise, it still was delivered with a gut punch and was absolutely heartbreaking.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

This is a story that will stick with me for a long time. Highly recommend adding The Last House on the Street to your TBR. Looking forward to more books from the author.

Another great book from Diane Chamberlain! I always love more than one POV in a book, and the history was so good. I really enjoyed this!

I was taken with this book from the start. What an emotional narrative with dimensional characters fanning the fire. Chamberlain crafted a story with such feeling you are completely enthralled as well as deeply affected, at least I was. Excellent job on the dual narrative, although I preferred Ellie’s story timeline the best. Social injustice always stirs my feathers and with such an intense storyline I was beyond moved and disturbed. Exceeded my expectations with certitude.

This book was a bit of a slow start for me, but once I got in to it, I was hooked. The character development was very good and I enjoyed the dual storyline which wove together at the end perfectly. I was guessing until the very end at the outcome and was quite surprised at the reveal. Highly recommend. Five stars. Thank you to Netgally for the ARC of the ebook.

Diane Chamberlain has been a long time auto buy author for me. I have met her once and have enjoyed all that goes into her book writing - from research to the plot lines. You can truly tell she goes above and beyond for each book and I always feel like I learn a lot as I'm reading. When I met her she was in the midst of writing this one - from everything she said, I knew it was one I was going to want to read. This proved to be true. This book deals with heavy subject matter and she handled it so delicately and well. I think making up a town was the best bet for this book and yet, I felt like it could have been many towns in NC at the time. Each character was so well developed and their relationships felt so authentic. I have recommended this powerful book to so many people since reading it. As always, I loved it and can't wait for her next one.

Tragedy strikes Kayla's family right before they're supposed to move into their dream home. Kayla is now alone with her 4 year old daughter.. she decides to move into their new home anyway. Life must go on. But a strange old woman delivers a sinister warning.. DO NOT MOVE INTO THAT EVIL HOUSE. Should Kayla brush is off and move on? Or does this warning carry any weight?

This book was received as an ARC from St. Martin's Press through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

The stories of Ellie and Kayla are brilliantly conveyed and constructed by the brilliant Diane Chamberlain. First in 1965 during the Civil Rights Movement, Eliie was on a mission to make a different for her people. Leaving her glamorous life behind, Ellie took a big risk to volunteer to increase black voters and discovered some secrets that unveiled the truth about her family leaving her feeling alone and knowing the truth of the Round Hill community. Flash foreword to 2010 where Kayla stumbles upon Round Hill newly constructing her dream house for her and her husband so they can raise their child. She finds out that her neighbor is an elderly Ellie and Ellie unveils the truth and secrets to Round Hill that turn Kayla's world upside down. The stories of Ellie and Kayla are compellingly addicting unlike anything I have ever read before.

Two lives colliding to unlock the truth and gain the justice they deserve is nothing but a super-compelling story. This book deserves 5 stars.

The Last House on the Street is the third book I have read by Chamberlain and it is my favorite. I think Chamberlain did a great showing the struggles and fears of African Americans during the 1960s trying to get voting rights. It is no surprise that Chamberlain did a fantastic job with the dual timeline but I did find myself wanting more from 1965. I felt 1965 had more of impact on the story even though I did like Kayla perspective.


Thank you, St. Martin and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge fan of Diane Chamberlain and I felt that this book was very well researched and written.
Most of the story takes place in 1965, where race issues and racial tension are at an all time high.

A white young woman joins a protest group who try to persuade more colored persons to vote, but are met resistance and even had violence from other white individuals.

Some of the book is set in 2010, when a widowed woman moves into a house near the family home of the young woman who had joined the protest so long ag0.

I felt like the author really brought the 2 time frames together very well, and really made the book hard to forget. It's nice to read a book without having the author try to sway your opinion one way or the other.

This book was amazing and I truly enjoyed the story! I also learned a lot about the Voting Rights Act movement history and everything that people had to go through in order to make it happen.
In 1965, Ellie is a young college student who has decided to spend her summer working to help Black people to understand the Voting Rights Act and guide them through what it entails. Growing up in North Carolina, Ellie understands the intricacies of race division and civil rights, and she wants to fight for Black people's right to vote even though her own family doesn't think she should get involved in the movement. As she gets to know the other students from other more progressive areas, Ellie falls in love with a Black young man. And as her feelings grow deeper, she also has to face the realities of segregation and living in an area heavily influenced by the KKK. In the present time, Kayla has just moved back to the place her dad grew up in the 1960's. Her late husband had designed the beautiful home in a revamped neighborhood just a few blocks from her father's home before tragically passing away in an accident. But the home she loves so much has also brought her negative attention from someone in the community. This person has threatened Kayla and her daughter and hindered her sense of security at her own house. While Kayla investigates who is behind the threats, she discovers the dark secrets that the community has kept while getting to know Ellie, who has come back to the place that stole everything from her.

I truly loved this book and enjoyed the dual storylines much more than I expected. The story is told from Ellie and Kayla's POVs. Ellie's story is focused on her life as a Civil Rights movement activist and the struggles she faced as a white young woman falling in love with a black man in the peak of this historical political movement. At first, I wasn't clear about Kayla's part in Ellie's story, but as the story progresses it becomes clear how their lives intersect. I was in awe how Chamberlain wrote such an interesting story implementing historical events and writing well-rounded characters, I truly loved this book and can't wait to read more of this author's work.

I know that a lot of people loved this book, but for me it was just ok. I found the historical part with the history of racial injustice sanctimonious and the modern storyline didn't pull me in.