When Isobel’s grandmother Vivien dies, she inherits her home in Silverton Bay. The house is falling apart, and it’s way more to take on than she expected, but Isobel needs a life change and returns to the Bay in hopes that she will find the things she needs there. A second chance with Nick may be exactly what she needs.
When she finds an old picture of her grandmother that confuses her, she spends her time trying to find out the truth about her grandparents and the grand Silverton Hall.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was easy to relate to Isobel. World events changed her life completely. The secrets of her family also turned her world upside down. Rachel Burton does a fantastic job developing her characters and it feels like you know them. I was rooting for Isobel and Nick from the beginning. And I needed to know about the Hall and Vivien.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for my advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentray copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

The scenery of this book was lovely and I could picturee the ballroom at the old hotel. I found the story promised to be bigger and did not follow through. The characters were redlatable and easy to read but there was no great story, no great love, just an enjoyabe story of two people who found one another again after years and lives apart. The story of Isobel's mother was intertesting but I felt that the story had the opportunity to be bigger, to be more interesting. This book kind of fell flat for me, there was no grand mystery just a quiet family tale.

I have read a few books by this author and the others I have read caught my attention way more than this one but I will definitely check out more books by this author. I enjoy her writing style.

I really enjoyed reading this. I love dual timeline books but feel they don’t always work, however this one does. As the story unravels you find out more about the characters, both past and present and start to really care for them and what happens.
You certainly feel like you are transported to Silverton Bay as the author describes everything so well.
With twists and turns and secrets kept through the years, this book with keep you guessing.

This is a story of a family, with secrets.
Aria and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published March 2nd.

The family adopted a child but didn't disclose it. The whole family is messed up. There are men who are married but have lovers. Some relationships get torn apart but then get repaired 18 years later. Some of the men die from natural causes. The women seem to survive.

Some marry without love. It's an odd family.

Eventually they find out the child is adopted. You never know what is coming next...

I have been reading a lot of thrillers and horror books recently so this one was a sort of palate cleanser for me.
The Last Party at Silverton Hall is told from different POVs and timelines, but it remains very easy to follow, which I absolutely loved. There’s Vivien back when she was newly married during the great fog of London and there’s Isobel in the present time.

I feel bad for Vivien because she was thrust into a marriage of convenience and she didn’t have a say in becoming a mother to someone else’s baby. Although she loved Gina with all her heart, the least Max, her husband, could have done was tell her everything before they got married.

In the present time, Isabel is coming to terms with her grandmother’s death and renovating the house that was bequeathed to her by her beloved grandma. While doing so she unearths secrets that have had a huge effect on family relationships for decades and explain a lot of things at the same time.

While grappling with grief, Isobel rediscovers her zest for life, puts a few jigsaw puzzle pieces together, and gets her second shot at love.

The book is beautifully written; it gives you enough information without giving everything away. I have always been a fan of historical fiction and I love old homes because they have so much to say, if they could only talk, and that’s perhaps the reason why Little Clarion was the perfect seaside escape for me.

I am a fan of Rachel’s writing and on this occasion, I really feel she has outdone herself. The Last Party at Silverton Hall is a wonderfully nuanced novel that weaves around a family’s secrets and the impact keeping them can have.

‘How can anyone know what choices they would have made if they had known what was going to happen?’

A dual time narrative detailing a grandmother and granddaughters story. When Isobel is sorting out her grandmother's house, secrets are unearthed that leave her wishing she had asked more questions whilst Vivien had been alive. The grand hall overlooking the bay is newly renovated and its history may hold the key to many of Isobel’s questions. This is an opportunity Vivien has given Isobel to start again, to find happiness if she can only sort through this family mystery.

‘They aren’t failures,’ Spencer said quietly. ‘It’s just life.’

This is a tale that cleverly mixes historical fiction with an intriguing family mystery and just the right amount of romance to flavour. The scenes from the 1950s are expertly portrayed by Rachel as she skilfully interweaves events from the past with their current day impact. Both timelines hold rich storylines with engaging characters working through themes of love and loss, family dramas and reconciliations.

Rachel writes wonderfully warm and captivating tales set against perfect locales that keep me coming back from more. The Last Party at Silverton Hall holds such an atmosphere of mystery and then revelation - I found it to be charming and all I could have hoped for.

‘… the wonderful, awe-inspiring party at Silverton Hall felt as though it would be the last party she would ever attend. The last party where she could ever be the version of Vivien that she wanted to be.’






This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Loved this! I Loved the combination of romance and mystery - it kept me guessing. Loved the seaside setting too and the dual timeline. I'd definitely read more by this author. Thanks for the ARC.

The Last Party at Silverton Hall by Rachel Burton is a mystery story I did not want to put down until I was finished. The story is well written and grabbed my interest from the start. It is the story of two women Vivien in 1952 and Isobel in 2019 and the house that means something to both of them and the man Spencer Hargreaves who comes back into Isobel's life. There is mystery, secrets and romance. The story was well worth reading. .I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

This was such an engrossing read as soon as I started. I was completely invested in the characters’ stories and could not put it down.

The dual timeline narrative is really well done. In 1952, Vivien is swept off her feet by Max. Dashing and rich, she can’t believe her luck, but marriage is not what she had thought it would be.

In 2019, Isobel has inherited the house, ‘Little Clarion’ after Vivien’s death. She returns to the Norfolk Coast for a fresh start but soon finds that the house needs a lot of work and the perfect person to help her is Nick, her teenage crush.

This is a book full of secrets. Vivien has avoided Silverton Hall and swore she had never been, and yet there are photographs of her at the legendary summer parties.

Isobel needs to understand her past if she is going to be happy. With the help of Vivien’s diary, she uncovers the secrets of the past and reconnects with her own mother.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The chapters in the 1950s are beautifully written and atmospheric. And I really enjoyed Isobel’s developing relationship with both Nick and her parents.

Overall, this was a great read that I would definitely recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley for my gifted digital copy.

The Last Party at Silverton Hall features a dual timeline set between the 1950's and today. Vivian, in 1952, is swept off her feet by Max, whom she will later marry. She can't believe her luck, married to a dashing and wealthy man and about to begin living her fairy tale life quickly learns that not everything has a happy ending. In 2019, Vivian's granddaughter, Isobel, inherits the family house and quickly begins to uncover dairies, photographs, secrets and more. If only walls could talk...

This was a quick and delightful read for me. I love Historical Fiction, and while I've been a little burned out on the dual timeline stories lately, this one was a treat to read as it tugged at the heartstrings enough to keep my interested. The author did a wonderful job of showing character development and the storyline moved quickly enough that I never got bored with the story!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my reviews and honest opinions.

When Isobel inherits her grandmother's house, the discovery of a photo makes her question what she really knew about her. Isobel sets off on a journey of discovery with a friend. She finds it difficult to understand why her grandmother lied. Why do we keep secrets from those we love the most? An interesting tale about being duty bound.

The Last Party at Silverton Hall is the eighth book by Rachel Burton. Set in the fictional village of Silverton Bay on England’s Norfolk coast, this is a dual timeline story of Vivien Burke Chambers beginning in the 1950s and her granddaughter Isobel Malone in 2019, soon after Vivien’s death. Rather than leaving her beloved home to her daughter Gina, who lives in New York, the estate is left to her granddaughter. Isobel had lived with her grandmother for several years rather that attending boarding school after her parents had relocated from London. But Isobel had always loved coming to the little village by the sea to visit and was thrilled by her grandmother’s offer.

Isobel’s last summer in Silverton Bay, she met the grandson of the antique store owner, Spencer Hargreaves. Nick was off to medical school at the end of the summer and Isobel was going to art school. They became inseparable over the summer, sharing an intense kiss the day before he left. Isobel put off her schooling when the next day the terrorists flew planes into the Twin Towers as her mother watched from her apartment. Instead, Isobel took a gap year to be with her mother after such a traumatic event.
Now, Isobel has returned to Silverton Bay to accept her legacy. However, she never expected Nick to have also returned, nor did she expect to find clues to a secret long held by both her grandmother and mother.

This is such a good story! As the reader is introduced to Vivien, it’s also an introduction to a different time and the history of this time. As the secret is revealed and the mystery solved, the reader will be surprised til the final paragraph. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

I really enjoyed The Last Party at Silverton Hall. It is a dual timeline story of a granddaughter in modern times and her grandmother, mostly in the 1950s in England. In present day, the grandmother has just died, leaving her large country house to the granddaughter, who is excited to move back to the town where she spent time as a child, and of course her teenage romance has appeared there too. The book reads like historical fiction, but it's not exactly about some big historical point in time, except for a couple of references to the war. It is just a really nice book to read, very well written, likable characters and a bit of a family mystery. I would recommend this one.

If you enjoy slow-paced dual-time stories, this one is worth checking out. It was too slow for me, but the characters drew me back after my attention started to wander.

At the novel's beginning, the past haunts Isobel, Nick, and Gina. Even though time has moved on, they have yet to grow past events from eighteen years ago. As Isobel and Nick reconnect and slowly open up to the future, Isobel's hidden family history comes to light. Flashbacks give a glimpse into that history.

The haunting atmosphere and history between the characters make for a gloomy start to the book. Nick and Isobel are drifting through life and constantly look back to eighteen years ago with rose-colored glasses. While this usually frustrates me, I came to like Isobel and Nick as a couple. Of course, Spencer cheering them on in the background was a bonus. Unfortunately, Vivian and Max didn't fare as well. Multiple characters mention the times and norms were different in the 1950s. Even so, I never came to truly like Vivian.

Silverton Hall and Little Clarion feel like members of the cast. They are refreshed and refurbished as the past comes to light and the air clears. Even Silverton Bay offers another link between the past and present generations. Vivian and Isobel both love swimming in its waters to relax and relieve stress.

Fans of slow-paced, character-driven novels will enjoy this book. While it did not resonate with me, it is still a worthwhile read.

This review will be posted on my blog 3/13/23.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about this book as I was starting it but as I started reading this book I found myself enjoying it. It was a great read. I had basically said i’m reading you please don’t disappoint me. Well the ending disappointed me a little bit but the rest of the story was very well written

This book is told over two timelines as we follow Isobel in 2019 and Vivien in 1952, I was fully engrossed in both these women stories and felt for them. This book is about family, secrets, history and fresh starts, the characters are likeable and well developed and moving between the two timelines works perfectly.

Nick, an old friend of Isobel's reappears into her life and helps with renovating the much loved house that she has inherited from her Grandmother, Vivien. As Isobel is sorting through her grandmother things, family secrets start to come to light and Isobel embarks on a journey to find out the truth. As the story unfolds, pieces of the mystery are revealed but you are still left asking more questions and I was desperate to know what had happened and how the secret affected the family. I liked Vivien's story and how strong she was, I loved the historical element and I enjoyed reading about the different relationships in families and how people see themselves.

This was my first Rachel Burton book and it certainly won't be my last.

Things are not always as they seem, as Isobel finds out when she inherits her grandmother’s house in Silverton Bay. She has wonderful memories of living there before, but as she sorts through the house and her past, she finds secrets. In the other timeline in 1952 is her grandmother Vivian’s story. A little bit of history, a little romance and secrets uncovered.

The Last Party at Silverton Hall by Rachel Burton is a beautiful dual timeline story. It is a story of secrets and lies, of fresh starts and second chances. The story jumps between Vivien’s story in 1952 and her granddaughter Isobel’s story, set in 2019.

In Vivien’s story, she is swept off her feet in a whirlwind of not quite romance by wealthy banker Max. She’s not in love with him but believes love can grow between them. Vivien appears to have everything she wants, but things are not quite as they seem.

In Isobel’s story, she inherits Vivien’s home following her death, and heads to the beloved house in Silverton Bay to strive for a fresh start. She has had a difficult 18 years since she left her grandmother’s home to go to study art, and feels like a failure because she gave up on her dreams of being an artist, and became a teacher instead, and has stopped painting. When she returns to Silverton Bay after 18 years, her summer romance from when she was 18 years old, Nick, has also recently returned, but it appears that he is no longer a doctor as he’d planned before they went to university.

Isobel begins to feel that there are secrets hanging over the family that link to Vivien and so she tries to find out what they are. Add into this a romance that ended with a kiss when she was 18, that neither she nor Nick have ever forgotten, and sparks are sure to start flying. I loved the connection that Nick and Isobel had, in particular the fact that they had both spent the previous 18 years unable to forget one another.

There was a peace and tranquility about the setting of the book, which ran through the entire novel like soft waves against the shore.

The Last Party at Silverton Hall is an exquisitely written dual timeline novel about secrets and fresh starts, that will have you craving to attend a glamorous party in the 50s, and swim in the sea!

I discovered Rachel’s books a couple of years ago and fell in love with characters and small towns they depict. I have been enjoying her move from a modern setting and romance into more historical fiction and have been eagerly awaiting this one’s release- it didn’t disappoint.

Told in a dual timeline we get to know both Isobel and her grandmother Vivien as a younger woman. Both were interesting women and I enjoyed seeing their stories play out. I did find myself more drawn to Isobel’s character as she made a fresh start, had a second chance at romance and found her way again.

You could see the amount of research Burton did of 1950s London and loved seeing references to VE Day, the Queen’s coronation and the pea soupers. The mystery element of Vivien’s life provided for both an engaging read but brought both timelines together nicely as all the secrets were revealed.

I love a story about a grand old house and enjoyed the descriptions of both the village of Silverton and Silverton Hall. The grand parties sounded amazing and I could image in the grand ballroom and everyone in their finery. I could picture Isobel’s house and its crumbling interior and I loved the side characters introduced to help her renovate. The authors note and playlist at the end added a nice touch to a well crafted novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the eARC

A story of love, grief and secrets told in two different times. Vivien in the 1950s and modern day with her granddaughter Isobel. After she inherits the house Isobel is about to learn why her family is the way it is.

This is such a heartfelt story. It has some beautiful moments interspersed with some truly heart breaking one's. I loved the dual timelines and how we slowly learn about the past. It's a slow burn but it's needed for the story. The ending was really done. This does mention an event in recent history that could be a trigger to some readers. I liked Isobel and that she is ready to communicate. The writing ie descriptive and tugs at you. A brilliant read.