Okay, admittedly, this is not what I was expecting from the author who brought us the insanely delightful sociopath, Jane Doe.

Having said that, I read many of the reviews before I started this book, so I didn't go in expecting a thriller or suspense story. I went in expecting a family drama...and that's essentially what I got. And it's not a bad story. Not at all. I think folks are simply being thrown off by the synopsis, and the author's previous works.

Told from two points of view, Lauren's in the present day and Donna's in the mid-1980s, the characters were beautifully written and felt very real to me. In Lauren's sections, I enjoyed how her personality came alive when she was "going live" on social media. In Donna's, I loved all the eighties references.

The mystery...yea, it's a bit of a joke. I had this book figured out practically from page one. If it's mystery you're looking for, I'd suggest looking elsewhere. However, if you're looking for a slow-burning, character-driven family saga...I'd say this would be a great choice for a rainy day.

3.5 stars rounded down
Available March 30, 2021

My most sincere thanks to NetGalley and one of my favorite publishing companies, Lake Union Publishing, for my review copy.

Stone writes a twisted tale of a fractured family. Lauren returns to the family home and begins rehabbing it. Her mother, whom she has a challenging relationship with, is upset with her. Lauren begins to investigate a family secret that challenges most of what she has known. The pace of the writing was good. I figured out who was to blame, but the character hides the malice very well. It’s a dual narrative which works. It’s a decent read.

2.5*
Years ago Lauren's mother, Donna, put her cheating boyfriend in jail, claiming he is a serial killer and that he confessed his crimes to her. After he was cleared of all charges, when the real killer came forward, Lauren chose her father and grandmother over her mother. In the present Lauren's grandmother sells her their family home. Lauren is happy to have a place of her own. But her mother is very much against Lauren living in that place and there are other weird things happening.
So, we have a chapter from Lauren's perspective in the present and a chapter from Donna from the time she was pregnant, and they switch back and forth.
I was so torn after finishing this and I ultimately decided to give it 2.5*, middle of the road rating. I Iiked both main characters. They were flawed, messy women with realistic struggles. I could very well picture them living somewhere in this world. But everything else fell flat. For starters, I don't understand what genre this book wanted to be. If it was supposed to be a thriller then it did a bad job at it. The majority of the book was boring, there wasn't anything happening to make you feel on the edge of your seat, nothing thrilling. That took place in the last 20 pages. And frankly, those last 20 pages were not worth it because the reveals were just meh. And the more I think about it the more they don't make sense. For the most part it was a weird slice of life from two women in two different timelines. Lauren was renovating the house and posting stuff on Instagram. Donna was constantly following her boyfriend to see if he is cheating on her, if he is really at work,if he is lying about his wife. She would catch him on a lie, he would come up with excuses and they would make up. Repeat that cycle over and over.
This was not what I hoped for, but I did read it very quickly and I liked the two main characters.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think this idea could have been decent as a short story, but as a full-length novel, it fell short. The premise sounded very interesting - a granddaughter moves into her grandmother's old house and starts renovating it, discovering secrets about her family's past in the process.

However, the dialogue felt very stilted and awkward, the characters were unlikeable, and the plot dragged.

* Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. I only wish I had liked this book better!

The Last One Home is an interesting combination of women’s fiction and thriller that manages to keep its pace tense and its characters interesting, and its unique premise makes it worth a look even though its conclusion is a bit forgone.

Influencer Lauren Abrams is returning home to the family’s California nest to help take care of her grandmother Elizabeth as she recovers from a stroke, and to look after the enormous house and ranch she lives in. Lauren has, for some time, felt like a little bit of an outsider in her own family, feeling that her father and grandmother both favored her step-siblings, so she’s pleased to learn that Elizabeth plans on selling her the house.  Lauren really wants the place, but lacks the cash to buy it outright, so Elizabeth offers to sell it to her in a private deal with a payment plan, promising to give her father his share of the proceeds later.

The family’s history is rather twisted.  Lauren’s father was accused of murder and her pregnant mother gave witness testimony that sent him to prison. All of that seemingly righted itself, though; when Lauren was ten,  new evidence proved Lauren’s father’s innocence and pinned the crime on a notorious serial killer.  Her father left the prison system, and after an erratic early childhood with her mother and a bitter period of shared custody, at thirteen, Lauren went to live with him and eventually changed her last name to his.  Lauren keeps her distance from her mother, and their conversations end in screaming fights over her paternal grandmother and father.  He’s since gotten married again and has two other children, and though the age difference between them is large, Lauren envies her younger half-siblings, who have had an involved and ‘present’ father throughout their whole childhoods.  But clearly Elizabeth’s decision to sell Lauren the house is a gesture of reconciliation and things can begin anew, can’t they?  To do just that Lauren begins to broadcast her renovation of the house of the internet.

Naturally, Lauren’s mother’s take on things is quite different. Back in 1985, thirty-five-year-old Donna Hempstead is living low on the hog – a punk with a crappy LA apartment but a cool boyfriend and a fun social life on the Strip.  That her boyfriend is married and living in Sacramento is less than advantageous, but he’s still a good guy.  When Donna turns up pregnant, Michael is excited at the prospect of a son, and promises to speed his ongoing divorce - which becomes difficult, as she threatens suicide. Or so Michael says. As Michael’s lies pile up, Donna must figure out whether or not to trust him.

When Lauren receives a threatening letter from the person who seems to be the serial killer who ruined her father’s life, she goes into panic mode, and must unravel the mystery behind her birth and her father’s life.  Is her mother lying?  Is her father telling the truth?  Or is reality somewhere in between?

The Last One Home manages to pack some surprising twists between its covers.  It gives us a pair of sympathetic though immature heroines, though I was more closely drawn to feisty and mostly-fearless Donna as she stomps her way through the novel in combat boots.

Lauren’s ex is the most complex of the male characters, while Michael ultimately comes off as a duplicitous rat even when the author tries to make him kinder.  And then there’s Elizabeth, whose layers peel away to reveal something rather horrific.

The mystery itself is fairly mediocre, with the ultimate culprit coming off as an easy, law-of-character-economy choice. The atmosphere is perfectly drawn; all of Stone’s nights – black as midnight and chilling as a snowstorm – feel like they’ve emerged from a neon-drenched eighties noir.

The Last One Home will keep the reader guessing, though it doesn’t pop to life with the intensity of Stone’s other work.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent retailer
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Thank you @amazonpublishing @netgalley for my review copy.

I read Jane Doe a couple years ago and loved it! So I had high hopes for this one, expecting a hard to put down thriller. That wasn’t what this book was at all. I’d categorize it more of a slow family drama/mystery. Which is so not my jam.

Honestly, it was pretty hard to finish. I wasn’t really interested until the last 20% and even then I thought that it was very predictable. If you like slow paced family dramas then you might like this, but don’t pick it up expecting a thriller. ⭐️⭐️

#bookreview #netgalley #arc #ebook #thelastonehome #familydrama #readersofinstagram #reader #bookstagram #thetipsyreader #bookstagrammer #igreads #bookcommunity #bibliophile

This is a gripping story of suspense about dysfunctional families and lies. Lauren returns home to the family estate. Her mother lied and this resulted in her father going to prison. Lauren becomes haunted and troubled by the past and is determined to find out exactly the truth. This was and easy read like the author’s previous books.

Received this book as an ARC via Netgalley for an honest review.

Is it a bad sign when you sit down to do the review yo can't remember anything about this book?

This book had promise. It just turned into a big ol' WTF.

Basically a young women, Lauren goes to live with her dad/grandma after he was falsely accused of a murder by her mother. So once he gets out of prison- 10 years later- she develops a strong and very dependent on her pleasing him relationship (not like that- just will do whatever daddy wants, doesn't want to hurt his feelings type). And by doing this, she cuts off her mother. She is yearning for love and approval- and her grandma gives just that. So much that she is gifted the old farmhouse.

I liked her mom. I wish the whole novel was based in her perspective. Sure she comes off as a bit of a bitch, but she had grit. She ended up getting pregnant in her late 30s from a random hook up, who also was a serial cheater. This guy turned out to maybe be a murder... a lovely scenario for your future daughters' father.

While it was a decent read, I remember thinking the writing style came off as very Young-Adultish. I mean, the whole FB/Instagram stories. Like, I get it. I do them too, but the way its presented... just I dunno really didn't seem necessary at all. And the pettiness of the whole ex thing. I get it. I really do. Just. Yah.

Again, I wish it was Donna's side of the story the whole time, those parts made the rating go up.

3.5 rounded up.

Part of the story follows Lauren Abrahams who moves into her ninety year old grandmother’s house in the Sacramento Valley with the intention of caring for her after she suffers a stroke. Her grandmother offers her the house on very favourable terms and Lauren sets about a renovation project. The second part takes the narrative back to 1985 to Lauren’s pregnant mother Donna who is being made false promises by Lauren’s father Michael .....

I like the premise of the book and it’s very easy to read. The alternating points of view works well as we witness Michael’s behaviour and try to understand his relationship with Donna and when Michael’s mother enters the picture things get very interesting! Between the parallel storylines an intriguing picture emerges, secrets and lies build and all the puzzling pieces fall into place. There are so many dysfunctional relationships here in particular between Donna and Lauren but I like how that is resolved. The suspense and tension build well in the last quarter of the book and the ending is really good and somewhat unexpected!

However, there are some negatives in my opinion. At times in the first 20/30 percent the pace is a bit slow in places and there is some backwards and forwards repetition concerning Michael’s actions. Lauren’s character is a bit bland, I’d have liked a bit more of Donna’s spirit! There is a strand in the storytelling that concerns a convicted serial killer which could have been more effective and that sort of fizzles out.

Overall though, I did enjoy it as it’s easy to read with a very good finale.

With thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc for an honest review.

3-4 stars, but definitely not a thriller in my opinion, but much more of a family drama/suspense. It’s quite slow burn, so if you’re wanting a fast paced thrill ride, this is mot your book. If you are looking for a well written, slow burn, family drama with some suspense, this is definitely your book. It is well written, intriguing, with some suspense, and drama. I would recommend if you’re looking for a quick read, which is easily finished.

I was initially so excited for this book, then dreaded it after seeing some lackluster reviews. I didn’t necessarily dread reading it, but I rarely felt the excitement.

Years ago, Lauren’s father was in prison for murder. He was released when she was 10, after a serial killer confessed to the crime. Lauren was thrilled, except for the fact that her own mother’s testimony put her father in jail in the first place.

Now, years later, Lauren has just moved into her paternal grandmother’s home. Her grandmother is in special care after suffering a stroke. Lauren doesn’t talk to her mother, and can never forgive her for lying. When someone claiming to be the imprisoned serial killer reaches out to her, a series of events are set in motion.

What really happened to the woman who was murdered?

THE GOOD: The premise is exciting, and pretty original for the most part. There are dual storylines...from Lauren’s POV in the present, and her mother’s POV in 1985. I enjoyed parts of each, more so the past. The last 20% revs up and provides the excitement I was waiting for.

THE NOT SO GOOD: I repeat - The last 20% revs up and provides the excitement I was waiting for. That means for about 80% of the book, nothing really happens. While I was never painfully bored, I couldn’t help feeling disappointed after numerous times where I thought, “Oh, this is IT. Something is FINALLY happening”...only to have nothing happen. The characters in both storylines make bad choices that had me rolling my eyes.

All in all, I think a shorter book (or one with a few more surprises) could’ve made a world of difference. While I won’t actively recommend it to anyone, I encourage those who are curious to also read other reviews when determining if this book is worth looking into.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Expected Publication Date: 3/30/2021.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

Interesting read. I found that I was suitably hooked in and wanted to find out more. At times it read like a series follow up so I found I was trying to put the pieces together. I did find it hard to like any of the main characters as well which was interesting. I don't know if you were meant to be rooting for someone but it was not easy!

It's worth a read if you like a thriller /family drama type of book.

A little predictable but overall a decent read. I struggled a bit with the timelines but it not terribly cumbersome.

After her grandmother has a stroke and decides to spend the rest of her life in a care home, Lauren moves into the family home.
Estranged from her mother, whose testimony had put her father in prison for years, Lauren is excited to live in the house of which she has such fond memories. But little does she know that her move in might unearth the family skeletons.

I'm a great fan of Victoria Helen Stone, so I requested her newest book without even reading the blurb.
The story follows Lauren in the present and her mother in the past, and I enjoyed this dual perspective.
At first, when I started reading I was sceptical, the story wasn't one that gripped me right from the start, but it quickly turned out that it was one that sucks you in imperceptibly, and the next thing I knew, I was madly turning the pages.
Overall, it was a really good read. It might be slow to get going, but once it does pick up, the story will keep you in its grip till the end.

Another fab book by Victoria Helen stone. I love her books and this was no exception. Brilliant and I really couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.

Our story begins with Lauren who hasn’t had the easiest of life after her Mother, Donna testified against her Father, Michael about a murder he apparently confessed to her, Lauren who was young at the time at ten years old was away from her father while he was imprisoned until the real killer came forward. Pretty tough for Lauren, so when she’s called back to her child hood home, it can’t be such a bad idea can it, she had some pretty great memories of her dad and her grandmother there, so why is her Mother so against it?

With an estranged relationship with her Mother and her toxic lies, Lauren puts it down to the fact that her mother is more batty than she thought, after she tries to worry her daughter about the dangers of her estate which her grandmother is passing on to her for a dwindled down price of what it is worth when she becomes to sick to look after it.

The characters were dull, each with issues, Donna and Lauren were both weak, Michael was completely and utterly faithless, having a string of affairs including Donna, even though he was married and his Mother, Elizabeth was just vile. I didn’t have any relationship with them and didn’t really care about them either, which indicated to me, it wasn’t going to be one of those books that I would be consumed by.
Character development is a really big thing with me, it’s almost 50% of the whole book in terms of likeability and reader satisfaction.

The story itself was mediocre as the book goes by it flits between past and present narrated between both Donna and Lauren’s point of view, both characters I found irritating and would have liked to have seen them to be stronger women in the present having been weaker in the past. I don’t know, it’d be progression for me, whilst she wasn’t where I wanted her to be by the end of the story, she did improve slightly but mostly she was unable to pick a path and follow it. Donna was much the opposite in this respect until she was pregnant and then she became weedy and dull. Where is the fight, girls? It sure wasn’t in this one.

An easy read however it seemed rushed and the story was slow up until the end and then it seemed kind of fast paced, it was an okay read just not my favourite, I wasn’t obsessed or flying high like I have been on other stories but that’s just the way it is.

I haven’t read Victoria Stone before and would probably give her another go as she has a lot of popularity for her Jane Doe series, which seems to do well. This isn’t one I will recommend however as I found it dull, a real slow burner and not very thrilling at all but that’s not to say others won’t. I much prefer fast paced thrillers that have me captivated from the get go, I didn’t feel that this book did that.

Giving thanks to Netgalley, Victoria Helen Stone, and Lake Union publishers as I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really really enjoyed this book. I thought it started off kind of slow but once it got going, I couldn't put the book down. I loved the twists and turns and didn't see the end coming at all. I even missed a few details until the very end of the book. The writing was really good and I really enjoyed the characters as well. Defiantly recommend this one!!!

The Last One Home was a fun read!! I’d you're a fan if Victoria Helen Stone, you won’t be disappointed with this one. It has her very own signature writing style couple with that edge of your seat suspense, and of course, a compelling protagonist. Can’t wait to read more from this author!!

Every book I have read by Victoria Helen Stone have been great, consistent page-turners. I especially loved Jane Doe, so if you haven’t read that one, be sure to get it right now. Its FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited.

In the upcoming book, The Last One Home, Lauren moves into her elderly grandmother’s mansion after grandma has a stroke. Sounds great but Lauren’s mother, Donna, has told her that grandma is dangerous. Is she a liar? Or is she telling the truth? The book alternates between Lauren and Donna. The family history is complicated and dramatic and I wasn’t sure who to believe.

Check out the synopsis:

Lauren Abrams wants nothing to do with her damaged mother, whose spurious testimony sent Lauren’s father to prison for murder years ago. After a serial killer’s confession to the crime restored justice, Lauren chose to live with her father and grandmother. Now an adult, Lauren has come home to the Sacramento family estate for good, her mother’s lies be damned…

It’s been decades since Donna made her cheating boyfriend pay, but she hasn’t forgotten the past. She knows her estranged daughter has made a terrible mistake by returning to the estate. There’s more to the story of the welcoming old homestead—and her childhood—than Lauren knows.

As Lauren settles in, she is haunted by the questions of what really happened with her father, what her mother might be hiding, and what secrets the family ranch holds. It’s getting so dark, Lauren may not be able to see the truth to save her life.

Going into this book, know that it is not a suspense or thriller, it’s more of a family drama. The last part of the book had me very intrigued!

Coming in March, get it here!

THE LAST ONE HOME is a twisty tale that really sucked me in. Lauren was raised by her erratic and angry mother until her father is released from prison after another inmate confesses to the murder that sent Lauren's father to prison. After that, Lauren goes to live with her father and her grandmother on the family homestead and her life improves immeasurable. But now, all grown up and still struggling to find her place in the world, Lauren is called home by her grandmother, who deeds her the house. Lauren is thrilled until the confessing prisoner , a known serial killer, makes contact in a very personal way. This starts Lauren down a path of discovery she never could anticipated. Alternating between Lauren's modern-day voice, and that of her mother when she was pregnant, Stone does a stunning job of unspooling a fantastic novel of suspense. I loved JANE DOE and THE LAST ONE HOME is equally compelling.