This is my first Diane Chamberlain book for a while and it was worth the wait.

I enjoyed the dual timeline aspect of this story and became fully invested in the parallel storyline.

There were times, in the historical timeline, where I felt uncomfortable. But for me, that just shows that attitudes and beliefs have progressed and improved although more progress is always welcome.

This was an enjoyable read that totally captivated my attention.

A contender for best book of the year for me.

Diane Chamberlain creates characters full of life who are relateable if not all are likeble. The story she weaves around Ellie and Kayla covering different generations will pull you in. There are twists and turns and just when you think you know where the story is going there are more.

I was given a copy of The Last House on the Street by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbaised review.

I love Diane Chamberlain's books, and this one is up there with the best. It is told in dual timelines in America - 2010 and 1965, and the 1965 one is really evocative of the deep South in America at that time - where prejudice was rife, and your neighbours could easily be in the KKK. It is a cleverly woven tale which leads to some shocking conclusions, maybe just ahead of the main characters.

In 2010 Kayla's husband has died helping to build their dream home in Shadow Ridge Estates. She is nearly put off moving in to the house by some mysterious warnings, but decides it's what her husband would have wanted, so she and her 4 year old daughter move out of her father's house and into their new home - the first one finished on the lot. The only other house inhabited is a very old house, incongruous in the new development, where she learns Ellie has come back from up North to look after her mother and brother who are both seriously ill.

In 1965 a young Ellie can't bear the predjudices around her in the deep South, so decides to join SCOPE, an organisation to tackle the inequalities of voting rights. Most of the SCOPE workers are from the North so Ellie is a bit of an anomaly, and has to prove herself, but is soon immersed in the organisation, much to the chagrin of her family.

The story cleverly weaves between the two timelines, linking the young Ellie with her older counterpart, bringing the story to its shocking conclusion. A very well researched book, very evocative of the times in America, but almost inconceivable to those of us growing up in the UK. Well done Ms Chamberlain - I couldn't put it down. An excellent novel.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4459009854

Amazing, fantastic, unputdownable! Just a few words to describe this wonderful book.
The story is of Ellie set in the 60s and Kayla set in present time. Kayla and he daughter have just moved into a fabulous house designed by her architect husband and herself also an architect.
When Kayla meets Ellie who lives at the other end of the street it soon becomes clear that Ellie has many secrets she’s not ready to share about the past.
Ellie lived in the house in the 60s with her parents and brother Buddy before going off to fight for civil rights.
She never expects to meet and fall in love with a black man Win!
When the past and present meet will Ellie finally get answers to what happened in her past.
When I started this book I wasn’t sure it was for me, I didn’t know anything about the subject and wasn’t sure I was going to understand it but how wrong I was. I’ve not been able to put it down.
Well done Diane I think it’s my favourite book of yours and I’ve read them all.
Thank you Headline and NetGalley for an ARC of this amazing book.

Unfortunately I have to say this wasn't my favourite Diane Chamberlain book.  As much as I enjoyed the 1st half I found around the middle I started to struggle a bit, maybe due to the long chapters.  I just don't feel that I had that 'I'm loving this' feeling with it.  I enjoyed how the dual timelines came together, and I particularly enjoyed the last 25% I found that really gripping and read most of it in one sitting.
It was an interesting and at times heartbreaking read, and as usual with Diane Chamberlain written beautifully.
Reading other reviews I'm definitely in the minority here so don't let me discourage anyone from reading it.
3.5 ⭐ rounded down to 3

I've loved every one of Diane Chamberlain's books and this was another top notch novel albeit quite different to her previous work. Set in two timelines, 1965 and 2010 with the protagonists Ellie and Kayla respectively telling their stories. The story revolves around the Civil Rights Movement which Ellie joins in the 60's much to the fury of her family who fear for her safety as she faces great dangers in her work among the black community as she canvasses for them to get them to register to vote. In the current timeline Kayla lives in a beautiful house but one that is surrounded by mystery, eerie happenings and an underlying fear of what happened there in the past. I enjoyed how the two time frames came together and especially at the end where mysteries were solved and surprises came thick and fast. Prior to reading this book I had very little idea about the SCOPE project and Civil Rights or the Ku Klux Klan and I learned a huge amount - most of it heart-breaking but the book handled the subject really well and Diane's writing, as always, is superb. I'm not sure how to sum up this book in just a few words. 'Enjoyable' seems entirely inappropriate as the subject matter is so dark and at times horrible and extremely hard to read. Gripping, Educational, Eye Opening might all be better words. I was totally engaged throughout by the story but also very much affected by it and I came away from this book with feelings of horror, sadness and the knowledge that this is a story that will stay with me for a very long time. Maybe not a book to read if you are in a bad place at the time. Nevertheless, a fabulous and educational story from this exceptional author. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Headline and Diane Chamberlain for this ARC in return for my honest review. I've been a huge fan of Diane's for many years and this book didn't disappoint. A dual timeline story, told from the perspective of two women, a generation apart. Both Ellie and Kayla had been impacted by personal tragedies, their stories were compellingly told. Very engaging and captivating both. One that I'll definitely recommend.

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain
I give this book 4.25 stars

A small town divided by prejudice. A family torn apart. A secret that won't remain silent.
Decades later, past and present are set to collide in the last house on the street...

This is my first book by this author and definitely won’t be my last it gave me so many emotions while reading it. A fantastic dual timeline flows between Ellie in 1965 ( this was my favourite) and Kayla in 2010. The storytelling is well written, evocative and powerful it tackles the issues of American civil rights and prejudice and also a widowed mother and her daughter moving into a new house but someone doesn’t seem to want them there. I was completely drawn in to this absorbing read and totally caught up wondering just how the two stories would eventually collide which caused me to stay up way too late just to finish it!
What a wonderful read!
With thanks to Netgalley,Diane Chamberlain and Headline for my chance to read and review this book

Diane Chamberlain has been a favourite author of mine for many years and this book lives up to my expectations. The setting is expertly described and the reader can’t help but become engrossed in the lives of the characters. It’s a story told in two timelines and tells of brutal racism and how a family is torn apart by events from the past. I enjoyed it immensely and can recommend it to anyone who enjoys a gritty story of family relationships.

My thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

This was read by my wife and she thoroughly enjoyed it. She has read most of, if not all of Diane Chamberlains books and has not been able to put any of them down.

A two stranded story that inevitably comes together by the end. I found myself more drawn to the 1960’s timeline rather than the more modern one and although not a subject matter I know much about I thought it was interesting if harrowing.

A gripping and richly atmospheric piece of fiction right from the outset. The characterisation was top notch, the storytelling compulsive and the atmosphere created was chilling. Highly recommended.

An emotive and wonderfully written book spanning 2 timelines and following 2 people ( one in the 60,’s and one in the 80’s ) everything about the book is brilliant and without doubt will read more from this author

I had not really read or understood the blurb about this book before I started reading it. Being from the UK and not knowing much about history in America makes me ashamed after reading the last house on the street. The story of brave Ellie and how she stood up for her beliefs only to fall in love with the wrong person. Not wrong for her bu wrong for societies beliefs at that time. Excellent written story that not only educated me but had me gripped. Yes it’s not a big thriller and yes the chapters are a little long at times but it was a page Turner. Very well written and handled a difficult period of American history sensitively. A must read.

Another new author for me, I’d heard of Diane Chamberlain but, had never read any of her books. This one was extremely good. A dual timeline story set in present day and in the 1960’s during the troubles in the US regarding segregation. At times this book was harrowing but, having watched series on television about the riots in the 60’s I wasn’t surprised. Although this is my first read by this author it won’t be my last. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I went in to this book quite blind as I hadn’t really heard much about it beforehand and I was really pleasantly surprised. I’m new to Diane Chamberlain’s work but I will for sure be looking to read more of her books because I absolutely loved the way this one was written.

The Last House on the Street is made up of two timelines - 1965 with 20-year-old Ellie as the narrator, and 2010 through Kayla’s eyes, a recently widowed mother in her late twenties. Although I did feel invested in both women, I had a stronger pull toward the 1965 era and would have happily read the whole book in that time period but Kayla’s chapters are obviously necessary for the narrative.

My favourite thing about this story was how much it taught me. I’d never even heard of the SCOPE Project before so I did a LOT of googling in between reading. It was a civil rights movement, founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, that took place in 1965-1966 across southern states in America where mainly white college students were recruited to inform, educate and help prepare black people for voting, as well as peaceful protests and marches with the aim of putting pressure on Congress to pass the law that would enable black people to vote freely.

As well as being incredibly educational and informative, this story captured and then broke my heart. I adored Ellie as a character and her blooming love with Win was beautiful. There were some truly emotional and heart-wrenching moments and this is one of those stories that will stay with me.

Thank you to Headline and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You can always rely on Diane Chamberlain to write great family drama with immersive storylines, relatable characters and a bit of intrigue thrown in for good measure. And here she delivers on all fronts.

Set partly against the American civil rights movement of the mid-1960s and mysterious events in the same small North Carolina town 45 years later, The Last House on the Street is a story of prejudice, violence, and forbidden love and how their impact extends and reverberates down the years.

It tells of two women, a generation apart, both touched by tragedy.

There’s Ellie — white, privileged and naive — and Wim — black, driven and idealistic, who meet and fall in love in 1965 while working together amongst the local black community, in anticipation of the passing into law of the Voting Rights Act..

And there’s Kayla, a recently widowed young mum, caught up in a campaign of fear directed at the siting of her new-build dream home and the woods that fringe it.

The narrative flows seamlessly back and forth between the dual timelines, all the while keeping you in suspense about how they’re going to intersect. I particularly enjoyed the historical element of the story and how well Chamberlain evoked the zeitgeist of the American south.

The plotting and pacing are spot on, gradually revealing the secrets of the past and unpicking the mystery of the present. I found myself emotionally invested in both women’s stories — but especially that of Ellie — and struggled to tear myself away as the narrative built towards its shocking climax.

This was such an enjoyable read, but over and above the escapism of the story, what I really liked was the underlying message about the divisive nature of prejudice, which continues to this day to cause untold damage among families and society.

Another winner from Chamberlain, if not one of her very best.




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If you like to read books with duel timelines, have historical as well as present-day mysteries, including prejudice, political and social injustice, violence, mistrust and love, then this is a book that should definitely be on your radar.

This is set in North Carolina. The present-day setting is of Kayla and her daughter moving into their new home. It is one that Kayla and her late husband designed and built, so it is a bitter/ sweet occasion. The past is set in the same area and of a young woman Ellie who decides that rather than just report about the social injustices occurring in the US in the '60s.

How the two connect is something that becomes apparent as the stories start to delve into emerging. As much as I really enjoyed the present-day setting, I found it was the historical setting that I found the most addictive. The author portrays so well the decisions of Ellie and how she felt so moved to stand up for what she believes in. This was also the harder of the two stories to read. It shows so many different aspects of life in the US at the time.

Without giving too much away, the 1960s in the US was a turbulent and troubled time. It was an era that challenged peoples perceptions, rights and beliefs. Protests, speeches, demonstrations during the Civil Rights Movement and the backlash from the KKK is something that is very hard to read. But I do think that the author has tackled this very well within the context of the story.

The present-day setting is still an amazing section, it is harrowing and how it is connected to the past is something that again has been done so well. ASs a reader you see links, but it is often why things are linked that keeps you reading. This is where the author has really excelled, bringing the mysteries of the past to the present makes for extremely addictive reading.

This really is a fabulous story to read, it is harrowing and also shows discrimination as its worst. It is one that I found to be addictive and heartbreaking. A mix of past and present that I would definitely recommend.

This is my first read from Chamberlain and it won’t be my last. This has a dual timeline and viewpoints - the 1960s following Ellie as she battles against societal and her family’s bigotry during the civil rights movement and the 2010s following recently widowed Kayla as she and daughter Rainie move into their new home and strange things start to happen.

I wasn’t sure with this at the start - Ellie’s story was the most appealing to me, but I was really curious as to how the two timelines and viewpoints were connected. As the timelines converged, it really starting pulling me in and I was hooked. The big reveal at the end was a stroke of genius.

I don’t want to reveal too much, but parts of this are not easy to read. I will say that certain characters in this story really had my blood boiling and I really wanted them to get their comeuppance. Grrrrr! Great plotting!

This is a really interesting and thought provoking book written over two timelines, 2010 and 1965. It is set in the USA and both timelines features the same families and looks at how actions in the past have changed the lives of those so much in the future.

In 2010 we meet Kayla, a young wealthy widow with a young daughter who is moving into a home she designed with her architect husband prior to him falling to his death there. Kayla’s father Reed has lived in the area since the 1960’s and tried to warn the couple to look elsewhere. One of Kayla’s neighbours is Ellie, who is recently returned to the neighbourhood and Kayla finds was her fathers first love.

In 1965 Ellie defies her family and joins Scope, a project designed to help ensure black citizens were able to vote and be treated as equals once the Voting Rights Act went through. Ellie meets Win and although their lives are very different and their love is frowned upon they are very much in love, despite the issues a mixed race union causes.

The story highlights the appalling differences in lives of people with white and black skin and the treatment of those dealt with by the KKK and their sympathisers.

The storylines were really interesting, especially the 1965 one and it was not at all what I was expecting from this author. It’s a really well written and hard hitting book with its basis in fact.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.