Diane Chamberlain does a great job of taking sticky social situations and addressing them through her characters. She often uses two timelines to tell a story that eventually merges. I have really enjoyed most of her books, and still need to continue reading her backlist.

This book was okay for me...I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. I felt like some the storyline was coerced and didn't fall very natural and I just didn't connect well with the characters. I thought the idea of the book was good but the execution fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and St. Martins Press for the advance audiobook in return for my honest review.

Audiobooks are usually a challenge for me because I find myself tuning out the narration and focusing on whatever it is I’m doing while I’m listening. The multi-tasking always takes precedent over the audiobook. Until now. The Last House on the Street is a riveting novel; a painfully truthful tale of race relations in the south in the 60s interwoven with a modern story. Chamberlain writes brutally honest dialogue for her characters and, in doing so, avoids the potential for the novel to become too preachy. Her characters are flawed and authentic and neither Chamberlain nor her main characters are overtly trying to persuade the reader or the other characters to think a certain way. Rather than lengthy diatribes about right or wrong, bigotry and prejudice are illustrated through actions and words in a way only the most callous could condone. As in a previous novel of Chamberlain’s, I found the historical story and characters more engaging than the modern story for most of the novel. I was deeply entrenched in Ellie’s story from the 1960s and found myself taking the long drive home just to listen to the book in the car a little longer and even woke up super early just to sit quietly and listen without the interruptions of my kids! Ellie’s evolution is powerful and heartbreaking and I didn’t want to leave her for too long. The narrator was adept at the multiple accents and easy to listen to, albeit a bit slow at times (nothing the 1.25x speed option couldn’t fix). A fantastic story to either read or listen to and one you likely can’t put down. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook copy.

4 1/2 ⭐️‘s
In 1965, Ellie has decided to follow in her Aunts footsteps and crusade for civil rights. She’s signed up for a summer project called SCOPE. The program places college students in the homes of black families and the students canvas neighborhoods to register black voters. At the time Ellie has no idea what she will have to give up to help better the cause or the impact it will have on her relationships, but none of that matters to Ellie.

In 2010, Kayla is a recently widowed young woman with a three year old daughter. She and her late husband designed the house of their dreams and its time to move in. As she prepares to move in a mysterious older woman approaches her and leaves her frightened and in doubt. Kayla is soon questioning everything about her choices and ultimately her dream home.

As in many dual timelines one story is much more compelling than the other. That’s the case with this book as well. The 1965 story was a difficult read, but one that had me riveted. Chamberlain tells a tale of racial injustice, impossible love and those that stood up for what they believed in no matter the cost.

Chamberlain weaves a heartbreaking story narrated by a tender voice that leaves the listener wondering just how the two families are connected and asking what really happened on Hockley street so many years ago.

Diane Chamberlain has done it again! Alternating chapters, we learn the story of Ellie and Kayla and how they intersect.

1965: 20 year old Ellie Hockley believes the Black community should have the same voting rights as the White community and goes against her family’s beliefs and values to try to fight with for racial equality of the Civil Rights Movement. As she follows her own path, she’s met with devotion and love while at the same time brings shame and embarrassment to her family and town. Horrible things start happening and then Ellie’s heart is ripped right out of her chest.

2010: Architect Kayla Carter and her husband design their dream house to raise their daughter but then an accident occurs leaving her widowed with a 3 year old. As Kayla gets ready to move into her new home, she’s gets a visit from a mysterious woman who knows every detail of her husbands death, which makes Kayla feel very uneasy but when this woman threatens Kayla telling her she wants to kill someone, Kayla becomes terrified.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book by my favorite author. I give this book 5 stars.

My goodness, this was wonderful, yet hard to read at times. This was the story of a SCOPE civil rights voting volunteer in the summer of 1965. We also hear the story in present day, in which a newly widowed woman is being scared out of her new home. The passion of freedom fighters was described beautifully. CW: racism and violence. It was an amazing reminder of how important it is to vote. Also, overgrown kudzu is pretty creepy and added a lot to the uneasy feeling that the book gave me.

Omg! I loved this book! I have never read anything by her and this one just blew me away! All the emotions and feels of this book are just wow! It's definitely one that I would recommend!
For starters, this book is told by two different women in two different time periods and these two women are connected by more than just being neighbors on the same street.
Kayla Carter and her husband were building a home together and they poured their heart and soul into this home and before it was finished sadly an accident happened at the home and her husband was killed. So now her dream home holds her nightmares about what happened to her husband and now she and her 4-year-old daughter will move into the home. While things seem to be just going for them Kayla has a woman come to her office and basically threaten her but without actually threatening her about her dream home. Then an incident happens with her daughter, and the trash is scattered across her yard it's obvious that someone doesn't what them in that house but why?
Ellie is a young girl in the 1960s and she is going with the change about helping people of color get the same voting rights as everyone else. While her family and friends are definitely against this because they do not want the change and because they feel as if things are fine the way they are and everyone knows their place. Ellie feels soo much different so she joins a program and works in the neighborhoods getting people to sign up to register for voting as well as the different protests going on. While Ellie is on this adventure her eyes are opened up to so many things that she never even thought of and realizes how fortunate she really was. However, Ellie's family is determined to get Ellie back home and to put a stop to her efforts.
Oh man, this book was amazing, but also probably one of the most saddening books I have read in a good while. I loved how the two-point of view are connected and how the whole thing worked out but there was a chapter towards the end I just had to stop for a moment to gather my emotions and thoughts. I would definitely recommend this book!
I listened to the audiobook of this book and it was amazing. The narrarator did a superb job! Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen and review this one!

The Last House on the Street is a heartbreakingly beautiful story about racism, family, love, prejudice, and forging your path.

The story is told in dual timelines of Ellie in 1965 as she spends her summer volunteering with SCOPE and Kayla in 2010, who is struggling to settle into her new house after her husband passes away.

This book highlights the SCOPE project—a voter registration initiative that recruited white college students to canvas rural black areas. I’d never heard of SCOPE before, so learning about this grassroots effort was eye-opening. It brought to mind how timely the issue of voter registration rights is.

Reading a story about the deep South during the 60s invoked feelings of anger, hope, and frustration. It was heartbreaking to read about what some of the characters were experiencing.

While reading, I found myself drawn more to Ellie’s story than Kayla’s. Despite this, I enjoyed reading how both timelines were interconnected.

Susan Bennett wonderfully narrated the audiobook. I loved that Bennett portrayed Ellie’s chapters with a slight southern accent. It really helped to bring the location and time period to life.

I highly recommend this story and feel it would make an excellent addition to any book club.

2.75 stars generously rounding up to 3 stars. I usually LOVE Diane Chamberlain books! She is a master storyteller. But The Last House on the Street was disappointing. Predictable and cliché. The forbidden love seemed forced just for a story. I did not connect with the two main characters. I did like that there was a mystery to the story and the last 10% was a "page turner". It was one of those books I couldn't wait to be done to get it over with. Narrator was just okay...could be better. Towards the end, there were 4 women talking and I couldn't tell who was saying what because the voices weren't distinct for each of them. I had to rewind a couple times to make sure I understood who was talking.

Thank you to #Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener's copy.

Diane Chamberlain has pulled off another outstanding work of psychological fiction. This had all the ingredients of a terrific story: well-rounded, flawed characters; dual time periods creating a plethora of suspense; and an age old mystery, which is not solved until the very end. Chamberlain deftly handles the difficult topic of racism and civil rights in the south, while creating a deep and very interesting story. The audio version held my attention throughout and kept me wanting more and more. The narrator did an excellent job.

Diane Chamberlain writes another thought provoking novel. The story is based in dual time lines switching between the turbulent 60’s to 2010. The protagonists are Ellie and Kayla. Ellie’s story is based on forbidden love. Kayla’s story intersects with Ellie when she moves into her new home down the street from Ellie’s childhood home. The story reminds us of the horrors, of which black individuals had to endure during the early 60’s. It is a forbidden love story filled with rage, sadness and hope. My heart broke for Ellie and her true love Win and for, Kayla who became a young widow. Narrator Susan Bennett made the story come alive. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you #NetGalley, #St. Martin’sPress, #MacmillanAudio, #DianeChamberlain and #SusanBennett for the advance audiobook version for my honest review.

This was just a haunting, sad, and yet beautiful story. Chamberlain is such an outstanding storyteller. The characters are so compelling and impossible to walk away from. Once you start this story, you will need to see it through because there will be so many answers you need! I really enjoyed the dual narrative and timeline to tell this one. It was wonderfully written, and I highly recommend it!

A well written book with two story lines taking place during the Civil Rights Movement and present day that converge seamlessly and emotionally.  
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Despite the book being well-written, I did think the storyline with Ellie participating in the Civil Rights Movement was somewhat cliche and lacked a certain depth that is expected by readers today - perhaps it was not as well researched as it could have been.  
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Thank you to the author, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.  #netgalley #TheLastHouseOnTheStreet
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Rating: 3/5

Very moving historical fiction. Read the entire book in two days. Ellie is a strong lead character with a story and character traits that have remained with me. Relatable supporting characters, some positive and others negative. Suspenseful and surprising. Highly recommend.

Wow. I’m still processing this story.

This was my very first Diane Chamberlain read. I went in mostly blind- just based purely on her reputation. I’m so very impressed with her craftsmanship! Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

The Last House on the Street can fall into a few genres- which just amazed me. It was full of history, mystery, suspense, grief and romance. We are simultaneously learning about two women's stories in two different eras.

We follow Ellie’s youth (in the 60s) as she battles segregation and voting rights for African Americans, as a white teen. Her journey is inspiring and I learned so much. Not only is her story important to our past history but unfortunately still in our current climate. It was at times challenging the read as I was embarrassed people behaved in such racist ways. I also never really thought about African Americans being given the right to vote as a challenge. Of course they were fearful and of course they needed support, yet I had never heard that side of history. Ellie was drawn to help convince them to vote even though it was dangerous. She was so brave to follow this voice inside her that wanted to make the world a better place.

We also follow the current journey of Kayla. She’s tragically lost her husband and is trying to carry on. In doing so she begins to uncover secrets of her town and family. She lives next door to Ellie. Throughout the entire story we’re not sure how they’re connected as we build upon their backgrounds.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator was perfect. In a story that bounces back and forth it can be challenging to keep track of who is speaking but I never had that issue. There was a lot to digest in this book and having this read to me really improved my appreciation for all this story had to offer.

Such a creative way to tell such an important piece of history! I’m in awe of Chamberlains detail and research! This story is heavy but a worthwhile read that you’ll carry with you for quite a while.

This is a powerful and timely story about racism set in 1965 and 2010. I was born in 1960, so I wasn’t aware of many of the Civil Rights activities and tragedies that occurred in the mid-60s. The novel provides a sobering history lesson using compelling characters and a bittersweet romance.

Ellie is a college student in 1965 North Carolina when she joins the Summer Community Organization and Political Education project (SCOPE). SCOPE was a real program established by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Through the program, students from Northern and Western states went into rural counties to educate Black citizens about their right to register to vote. This was taking place as President Johnson was about to sign the Voting Rights Act ensuring Black Americans the right to vote.

Ellie is one of few southern students to participate. Although her family and her best friend Brenda oppose her participation in the program, Ellie perseveres. As she lives with and talks to the poor, rural Black people, Ellie is educated about their way of life and the destructive legacy of racism. As that racism touches Ellie in a personal way, it changes her life forever.

Forty-five years later, two married architects design and build their dream house at the end of the street where Ellie lived. Kayla and Jackson love the vast expanse of trees that surround the property and look forward to moving in with their daughter Rainey. But before they have a chance to enjoy the house, Jackson is killed in a tragic accident (this is revealed in the book’s summary). Then, Kayla is visited by a mysterious redheaded woman who warns her not to move into the house and to tear it down. Kayla ignores the warning, but suddenly her dream house and the lovely wooded lot become a foreboding place.

The novel alternates between Ellie’s and Kayla’s timeframe, with mysteries and suspense woven into both timelines. I didn’t find any of the mysteries to be difficult to solve. I enjoyed Ellie and Kayla’s stories and how their lives intertwined in unexpected ways. Both women are strong and determined despite the challenges they faced. The ending was satisfying, though it felt a bit rushed to me.

Susan Bennett does a fabulous job narrating both parts. The voice she uses when men are talking is compelling and it sounds like a man is narrating these parts.

Special thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for an advance review copy of this audiobook. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This book is scheduled to be released on January 11, 2022.

Told in dual timelines from two women's point of view, this story has the reader guessing how the two stories will intertwine. The characters are three dimensional and their stories are compelling. The subject matter is serious and the lessons about who people are inside and how we see them outside are informative.

Racism in America is, sadly, alive and well. In Chamberlain’s newest novel dual timelines, in 1965 and the present, collide in North Carolina. The Deep South in 1965 is no place for a biracial couple, so when a white college student falls in love with a Black Civil Rights activist, the couple must keep their relationship hidden. They soon discover that absolutely no one can be trusted with their secret. In the present a woman is moving into the house she and her husband designed, but it’s not a happy occasion; her husband has died before they could enjoy their new home. And things only get worse when strange things begin to happen in and around the house, someone doesn’t want her there. But who? And how are they connected to the secrets of the past? Readers will be able to connect with both women as they struggle to come to terms with their loss

Great thriller! Loved the story and plot kept me guessing. Would definitely recommend! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

I loved this book! The writing style was incredible, and I was so engaged from the beginning to end. Kayla suffers from tragedy, but insists on moving into the home that her and her husband built together even though she is warned by several that this home could be haunted. Her neighbor Ellie seems welcoming at first, but then Kayla gets some weird vibes from her, and she wonders if Ellie is hiding her own secrets. This books hops back and forth between two time periods and contains some heavy topics including prejudice, violence, and justice. I loved the historical aspect and the mystery/thriller aspect combined. I have not one critique! The narrator did a great job, and I highly recommend the audiobook as well. This is my first five star rating for books published in 2022!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

The Last House on the Street is told through two POV in two time periods—in 2010 recent widow Kalya Carter 2010 moves into new house in Round Hill, NC, with her four year old daughter. An odd woman warns her not to move in and some strange things are happening at her house. In 1965, Ellie defies her Round Hill family and signs up with the SCOPE Project (Summer Community Organization and Political Education) where white college students lived with rural black citizens to register them to vote. The two women’s story converge in 2010.

I loved Ellie's story and was heartbroken time and time again. Sadly, it is amazing that 56 years later, so many of the social justice issues remain the same.

I highly recommend this book.

I had both the digital copy and the audio book. I preferred the audio book which had excellent narration by Susan Bennett.