This was a miss for me. The pros were I enjoyed both perspectives/timelines. The writing was solid. The cons were I was bored about 80% of the book. The pace picked up the last 20%. Overall this book had an interesting premise but did not deliver for me

After many years writing women's fiction, Victoria Dahl became Victoria Helen Stone and started writing mystery/thrillers. In THE LAST ONE HOME, we feel the legacy of women's fiction as Ms Stone builds her characters, their back stories and the community in which they currently reside. This young woman has chosen to move into her family's home/mansion to care/bond with her Grandmother and learn to let go of the past that has kept her from "dealing" with her mother for so many years. In return, the mother feels as if she is still trying to protect her daughter from a family that wants more than her time. While a good, not great, book, I didn't get the thriller feel until most of the story had been told. I'd read it again, just maybe not expect the "who done it" I usually get from this genre.

I could not get into this book, ultimately it was not form me and I could not finish it. It may be one for other readers

I loved the cover and concept for this book. I really wanted to love this book - it just fell flat for me. Laura and Donna did not carry the pace very well. First they were not likeable characters - which can work. Yet the slow pace and their constant focus on themselves did nothing for this plot.

I would rate this book 3.25 out of 5 stars.

Overall this was an enjoyable thriller but it was quite slow going and really predictable.

This was quite a slow burn and took a while for me to feel engaged with the plot, I liked the dual timeline and the plot and themes on this book but did feel like it was missing a little something

This was a slow burn of a novel that I could not get into. I gave it a chance but I could not get into it even with the intertwined narratives

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A good drama/suspense novel that is a perfect read.

A pulsating family thriller filled with deception, a dark past, secrets and betrayal. This was a gripping read that takes some time to play out but it is all worth the wait. Who knows what to believe in this psychological mind twister that has you on your toes until the very last page.

The Last One Home Victoria Helen Stone
I enjoyed this book, and enjoyed it from Lauren and Donna's point of view.
The book is well written in two timelines, and great tension in both narratives. I loved how we were able to imagine Lauren's life, by getting pieces from her past and present.

Great plot to get yourself lost in. This book has everything. A real fast paced thriller. Will get your heart racing on more than one occasion. Very well written. Highly recommend this book

If you want to read a page turning hair raising story then look no further. Mothers, fathers and daughters oh my! This is a must read for sure!! Thanks Victoria for such a good book!

I connected with her other books more than this one, but still enjoyed it! I think it was the subject matter that I struggled with more than her other novels. Maybe it just wasn't for me.

The Last One Home by Victoria Helen Stone is a thriller novel. The story in The Last One Home is one that is told by changing the point of view between the characters and also by alternating between a past timeline and the current timeline.

Lauren Abrams has always had a rocky relationship with her somewhat erratic mother but now she is choosing to leave her for good. Lauren’s mother had once put her husband, Lauren’s father, behind bars but after all that time a serial killer admitted to the very crime Lauren’s father had been accused of so Lauren is going to live with her father and grandmother.

Having read Victoria Helen Stone before and really enjoying her work I was surprised to find myself having a hard time connecting to The Last One Home. The story was an incredibly slow build in my opinion as it flashed between the past and present timelines. When finished I didn’t think this was a bad read but I was left with wanting more as I had found it before with the author pulling me in with her work.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This slow burn of a novel was a good read. I struggled at times to connect with the characters, so it was not as much of a page-turner as I was hoping. Overall, the plotline and character development were good, and the twists kept me going. I look forward to reading some of the author’s other books.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Victoria Helen Stone for an advance copy of this book.

Thanks Netgalley for a free copy! I loved it! Quick paced book and I couldn't put it down. I rate this book a 3.8

This is a slow burn book, with a slow start that makes the reader a bit on i want something to happen the overall storyline was good and the character development was good as well although it was a bit hard to get with them at the start too similar but with proper time there was a connection with me. There were lots of twists and turns and the action at the end of the book was really well done, it had me on the edge of my seat but it wasn't a thriller that is going to stand out for me and was a bit similar to others that i have read before although the twists were very well executed.

Lauren Abrams grew up without a father after her mother Donna's testimony sent him to prison for murder before Lauren was born. Years later, another man confessed to the murder, setting her father free. Lauren chose to live with her father and grandmother on the family ranch, unable to forgive her mother for her lies. Now she has returned to the ranch to care for her grandmother who suffered a stroke. She still has questions about what really happened all those years ago, but does she really want the answers?
This book jumps from past to present, with each chapter dragging you deeper into the mystery.
From Donna when she was pregnant to Lauren in the present, living on the ranch. I was tearing through the pages, anxious to find out what happened next.
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

This is a Thriller/Mystery. I found this book hard to get into at first because the book jump between Lauren (Now) and Donna (Then). It took me a little bit to put together it was jumping back in time, and it took me a little to figure out what Lauren and Donna as to do with each other. I do not think this book as I big twist, but it is more of a slow burn reveal. This time of thriller is not my favorite type of thriller, but I really enjoyed this book. The characters where hard to understand at first, but I feel the characters grow on you the more you read. This is not a fast pace book or a book that will pull you in from the beginning. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Lake Union Publishing) or author (Victoria Helen Stone) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

This is a book about the Sacramento heat driving people to terrible things

I enjoyed this immensely because it took place locally & that’s always fun. I also appreciated the exploration of the simultaneous desire to be visible and connected in a parasocial manner, and to hide from the world.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Lake Union Publishing for the eArc!