The Last Party at Silverton Hall is a compelling story with a bit of romance, a lot of mystery, and perhaps equally a bit of history to pull us through the two timelines of Vivian and her granddaughter, Isobel.

This is one of those stories that I don’t want to delve too deeply into information about the story. There are so many secrets here, so much unsaid in both generations, that it almost leaves the heart aching for what remained for these characters. It’s possible to see one character as a bit of a villain, but really, I couldn’t do that. Probably because of the differences between generations, I could fault Max for some things but not everything that happened.

Isabel gets a second chance in many ways when she discovers her grandmother left her home in Isabel’s care and when the man that got away so many years ago for reasons they’d both agreed on comes back into her life now. During the renovation of her grandmother’s home, there will be secrets revealed and mysteries unearthed.

I enjoyed the dual timelines; they made sense of what was happening in some ways and clouded reasons in other ways. As I said, to go too deeply into the storyline would be to spoil it for other readers, and I don’t want to do that.

I’ll simply say that I enjoyed The Last Party at Silverton Hall on so many levels. It’s full of intriguing people, mysteries that need to have answers, and secrets that need to come into the light of day. This is a story that stayed with me as I’d think back and wonder why I didn’t see something or a point was made that I’d almost missed. I love a good puzzle, and that is what this story is in many ways… one that doesn’t always give the expected picture at the ending.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Such an adorable book, the author has a new fan!

The dual timeline was perfect, I thoroughly enjoyed both era’s and was completely sweep along with both Isobel and Vivien’s stories. The settings were so well written I could visualise it all!

A must for historical fiction fans.

Lovely book, with a dual time line which makes for a more indepth read of past times. Well researched and written.

1952: A fateful meeting in the smog-filled streets of London brings Vivien and Max together. City girl Vivien has never met anyone like upper-class artist Max before, and although she is not sure about the differences between the kinds of life they lead, she accepts his marriage proposal after a whirlwind romance. The happy couple then settle down in apparent marital bliss in a little village on the Norfolk coast.

2019: Isobel is unhappy with her life and disappointed in love, so when she inherits her beloved grandmother Vivien's house in Silverton Bay this seems like the chance for a brand new start. The house where Isobel lived as a child needs a lot of work, but she finds an unexpected helpmate in the form of someone she has not seen for eighteen years: Nick, the grandson of Vivien's old friend Spencer, who she has never forgotten.

As Isobel begins to pick up the threads of a life she never thought she would go back to, she comes across a photograph of Vivien at a party at Silverton Hall, where infamous parties were held in the 1950s. The Hall is now a hotel and Isobel is surprised to find that there is a mystery about Vivien's connection to its past. As family secrets are uncovered, Isobel begins to wonder how much she really knows about her own family...

The Last Party at Silverton Hall is an engrossing time-slip novel that flips back and forth between the 1950s from the point of view of Vivien, and the present from that of her granddaughter Isobel when she returns to Silverton Bay. The terms of Vivien's will tie Isobel to the house she has inherited for thirteen months, during which her grandmother hoped her granddaughter would be able to find happiness again - but she did not bank on Isobel's quick attention being drawn to some things abut her family's past that do not quite add up.

Through Vivien's part of the story you follow the history of her early romance with Max, and the halcyon days when they settle down to married life in Silverton Bay. However, things take a turn when Vivien discovers Max has been hiding something from her, on the night of a glamorous party at Silverton Hall - and the secret that he confesses has consequences that ripple through time.

In the present, Isobel is hit with a mass of conflicted feelings about being back in Silverton Bay. Although she has always wanted to return here, and now is the right time for her to make a new start, the addition of Nick to the equation knocks her for six. She has not seen Nick for eighteen years, and yet she has never forgotten the blissful summer they spent together - or the night of the kiss that no one else has been able to measure up to.

The story is a delightful mix of historical fiction, compelling family drama, intriguing mystery, and suspenseful romance. Evocative scenes from the 1950s onwards bleed beautifully into the present, and the threads of both storylines are rich in themes of disappointed love, the difficulty of living up to the expectations of others, complex relationships, and shattered illusions, which are balanced elegantly against more hopeful elements of family ties, new starts, reconciliation, and true love. I adored how Burton also echoes the importance of a single night for both Vivien and Isobel.

I read this book in one highly enjoyable sitting, unable to tear myself away from the stories of Vivien and Isobel. This novel really holds you fast, all the way to a lovely twist of an ending that warms the cockles of your heart. Just the ticket for the perfect escapist read. Rachel Burton, you have a new fan!

A dual timeline with plenty of secrets and not just personal but the town knows them as well. Must be read to learn more and enjoy this well written book. 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

The Last Party at Silverton Hall by Rachel Burton.
I would like to thank Head of Zeus publishing for the E ARC of this book. It was published on the 2nd of March 2023.
This book is a dual timeline story, which I really enjoyed.
We meet Vivien in 1952, she works as a secretary in a lawyer’s office and wishes there was more to her life. One day she bumps into Max, during a particularly bad episode of the London smog. They become friends, enjoy each other’s company and she agrees to marry him. He then takes her to Norfolk where he has a house and they live there.
In 2019 we meet Isobel who has inherited her Grandmother Vivien’s home in Norfolk. Isobel loves the house and intends to live there once she has brought it up to date. She also meets Nick, he is the Grandson of a friend of her grandmothers, whom she met and fell in love with when she lived with her Gran. Whilst sorting through her Grans possessions, she finds a painting of her Gran at Silverton Hall – a place her Gran swore she was never at. The more she searches for answers the more she discovers about her Gran and her family.
I liked the sense of connection Isobel had to her Gran and the house. It was good getting both stories as the plot developed. I enjoyed seeing Vivien as a young woman and dealing with all she had to cope with. As more was revealed you understood why Isobel’s mother was shut off from Norfolk and why she wouldn’t come back. I enjoyed the village atmosphere there was to the story and how people wanted to help Isobel and how she reconnected with friends she had there.
This was a very enjoyable read, enjoyable plot line and good characters.

A beautiful story told over the two timelines. A story of family, secrets and missed connections. I loved the idea of the old photos providing the link for Isobel as she uncovers the truth about Vivien and Little Clarion. Able to make a fresh start herself, the house and the memories of living with her grandmother are a useful distraction for Isabel and I loved her rekindling relationship with Nick and
Spencer. Such a heartwarming story which I devoured in one sitting.

The publishers describe The Last Party at Silverton Hall as ‘Perfect for fans of Rachel Hore, Lorna Cook and Kathryn Hughes’. I haven’t read any of those authors’ books so I can’t say whether that’s a fair comparison or not but what I can say is that, despite my mixed history with dual-time novels and the fact there is a romantic storyline, I really enjoyed it.

The book moves between the present day story of Isobel, returning to Silverton Bay after a period of eighteen years, and her grandmother Vivien’s story starting in 1952.

Viven’s story is one of young woman swept off her feet by the handsome Max and whisked away from her humdrum job, as well as from her family and smog-filled London, to a new life in a grand house by the sea. Suddenly there are little luxuries she could only have dreamed of and glamorous parties to attend at nearby Silverton Hall. True, Max is often absent but, after all, he has an important job in London. If you’re thinking it all sounds too good to be true, then you’d be right because as the teasing opening chapter shows there is something important that Max has kept from Vivien, something that touches upon social attitudes at the time. In fact, there’s more than one thing he’s kept from her, as she will only discover much later. Max could come across as the one-dimensional villain of the piece except for a little nugget of information towards the end of the book that, if not excusing his actions, does give a different perspective on them.

The present day storyline sees Isobel grieving the death of her grandmother with whom she spent much of her childhood and rather overwhelmed by inheriting Little Clarion, her grandmother’s house. That feeling of being overwhelmed only increases when she sees the dilapidated state of the house. Fortunately, also recently returned to Silverton Bay is Nick who is helping in his grandfather Spencer’s shop. Eighteen years before Isobel and Nick were close friends, and on the verge of getting romantically involved, until events got in the way and their lives took separate paths in September 2001. The intervening years have, in different ways, been traumatic for each of them, as the reader will discover. What hasn’t changed is that, for both of them, the other has always been ‘the one that got away’. But is it too late? Has too much water passed under the bridge? Will they still feel the same way about each other once they know the emotional baggage they carry?

Alongside delving into the secrets of her grandmother’s life, the renovation of Little Clarion gives Isobel the project she needs to distract her from disappointments in her life. It helps that Nick is on hand to provide practical assistance and to nudge Isobel into recognising the house can incorporate modern elements without stripping it of the essence of her grandmother. The restoration of the house in a way mirrors both Isobel’s and Nick’s psychological “renovation” as they each discover there is still a chance for them to pursue the things they’ve always wanted to do, rather than the things they were expected to do.

The Last Party at Silverton Hall is an absorbing story of family secrets with a romantic storyline that, for me, remained just the right side of sentimentality. I thought the story flowed beautifully and I liked the way the author adopted a subtly different style for the sections revealing, bit by bit, Vivien’s story. There are some touching moments in the book and those who love a feelgood ending won’t be disappointed.

I was hooked on this book practically from the first paragraph. It is the story of three generations of women in one dysfunctional family told in flashbacks to the 1950s to present day.

After Vivienne dies her granddaughter, Isobel, returns to her childhood home which has been left to her by her grandmother. The house is in need of major repair and Isobel reconnects with the boy she fell in love with as a teen, right before they both left for college in September 2001, her to art school in New York and him on the path to becoming a doctor.

The book was hard to put down. The story of granddaughter and grandmother plus the story of daughter and mother looks at the dynamics of keeping secrets and how damaging they can be.in a family. Add on to that Gina being unable to get on a plane and come visit her mother after 9/11 really brought a sense of realism to the book.

A really good story with a very satisfying ending. It was one of my favorites of this year.

#RachelBurton #TheLastPartyAtSilvertonHall #Romance #HeadOfZeusLimited #BloomsburyPublishingLLC #Aria #FamilyDynamics

In 1952, on the foggiest night in London’s history, Vivien bumps into Max, after a whirlwind romance, Max proposes and Vivien accepts. Max is a banker, he comes from a wealthy family, he sweeps Vivien off her feet and before she knows it their getting married. After the wedding, they move to the Norfolk coast, Max has bought an old house and he calls it Little Clarion.

Vivien loves living in Norfolk and by the sea and she begins her day swimming in the waters of Silverton Bay. The nearby estate Silverton Hall is about to be sold, the last heir Lord Harrington has passed away and an American buyer is going to turn it into a hotel. One last party is held at Silverton Hall, Max and Vivien are invited, she's not prepared for what Max tells her afterwards, it changes her life and their marriage.

In 2019, Isobel is upset when her grandmother Vivien passes away, she left Little Clarion to Isobel and not to her daughter. Gina is Vivien and Max’s only child, she lives in America and with her husband. Isobel resigns from her job as an art teacher, leaves London, she drives to Norfolk and she needs a sea change. She’s shocked by how rundown the house is, it’s been invaded by mice and the electrical wiring and plumbing hasn’t been updated.

Spencer Hargreaves owns an antiques shop in the village called Odds & Ends, he was a good friend of Vivien’s, he’s going to help Isobel with sorting through her grans furniture and his grandson Nick renovates and restores old houses. Eighteen years ago, Nick and Isobel spent a summer together, a teenage Isobel had to leave suddenly and nothing in her life went as planned afterwards. While cleaning out her grandmother’s years of clutter, Isobel discovers an old photograph, it was taken at the last party at Silverton Hall and it makes her question how well she knew her grandmother!!

The story is told from the two main characters points of view, Vivien and Isobel’s and it has a dual timeline that’s easy to follow and the narrative is written seven decades apart.

I received a copy of The Last Party at Silverton Hall by Rachel Burton from NetGalley and Aria & Aries in exchange for an honest review. The narratives main focus is on Isobel trying to discover what happened to her grandmother in the 1950’s, why did Vivien say she had never been to Silverton Hall, when clearly she had and more than once. For Isobel to discover the truth about her grandmother, she needs find out more about her grandfather Max and it's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle that's missing a few pieces.

Isobel eventually uncovers the hidden facts, her grandmother and others were deceived, betrayed, tricked and it affected relationships within the entire family. I enjoyed reading the authors notes at the end, with Isobel’s and Nick’s play list of music, they had great taste in bands and I have read and liked Ms. Burton’s previous book, The Secrets of Summer House. The Last Party at Silverton Hall, is a perfect choice for readers who enjoy dual timeline historical fiction stories, based around an old houses and debt ridden English family estates, with hidden secrets and four and a half stars from me.

The title of this book was what drew me in at first. I imagined a majestic building sitting on a windswept bank overlooking a grey wintery sea. Add to this the romanticism of the 1950's and I was hooked. I was not disappointed.
The setting was an important part of this story and gave it a sense of history, isolation and mystery. The author based Silverton Bay on an actual place, Old Hunstanton on the Norfolk North Coast. The Hall was inspired by The Caley Hall Hotel, both of which I now want to visit.

Told via a dual timeline with Isobel in 2019 and her Grandmother, Vivien in 1952-4 the mystery of Silverton Hall is revealed bit by bit, igniting the imagination but never quite answering all the questions you have. It is similar to the tide receding to expose the shore then just when you think you can see it all, the sea comes rushing back in to hide more secrets, appearing as hazy shapes under the surface.
In this way this story is very captivating, maintaining a steady flow of information but always providing more mystery to keep the reader engrossed.
The time setting of this book in 2019 and it's references to 2001 made it very relatable. September 11 and the lasting affects of the events of that day give this story a grounding and a sense of reality, despite the characters being totally fictional. I did love the playlist the author has included as many of the songs formed the soundtrack to my teenaged years and beyond.
The characters were well developed and easy to like. Both the MCs thought themselves to have failed in life. But this story shows that measuring yourself up against others is not the right way to determine success. Everyone has a dream, a goal and a purpose, you just have to do what is right for you, follow your own dream, not the one someone else has for you.
My favourite characters were the house, Little Clarion and Silverton Hall as well as Spencer. Silverton Bay sounds like a wonderful place to live.

In short, this is a very atmospheric and well written story. It presents a tantalising and glamourus mystery with just a sweet touch of romance. It is a charming and delightful story.

“Life never works out the way we tihink it will when we're young. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be proud of what we achieve.”

The Last Party at Silverton Hall is another great book by Rachel Burton.

The dual time novel follows three generations of women in the same family. Vivien (the grandmother) Gina (the daughter) and Isobel (the grandaughter). The story opens with Isobel inheriting her grandmother’s house on the Norfolk coast. Isobel has fond memories of Silverton the town where she spent her summers and pre-university years when her parents moved to New York.. The house is in need of some serious TLC and Isobel feels overwhelmed and out of her depth. Her grandmother had a codicil in her will that Isobel has to live in the house for 13 months before she could sell it, enter Nick, Isobel’s teen love that got away, He renovates old houses and flips them and offers to help Isobel renovate her grandmother’s house. While renovating the house Isobel finds a strange photograph of her grandmother the date on the back is from when she would have been pregnant with Isobel’s mother, however in the photograph, Vivien is obviously not pregnant. Then there are the photographs of Vivien and her husband Max at dance parties at Silverton Hall, a place that Vivien always refused to go to and seemed to dislike immensely. Isobel knows very little of her grandfather Max and sets out to find out what the secrets are that Vivien kept from Isobel and Gina. With the assistance of Nick and a diary, Isobel learns the sercrets that Vivien and Max took to their graves.

I really enjoyed the dual time period of this novel. The descriptions of the town and the house were compelling and I enjoyed the renewal of love between Nick and Isobel. I would recommend this novel to fans of Rosamunde Pilcher or Erica James. This was a lovely family drama with a mystery thrown in.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher Aria & Aries and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

The Last Party At Silverton Hall by Rachel Burton – PUB DAY!

This book follows dual timelines with Viviane from 1952 who falls in love with a mysterious wealth man and moves to a sea-side town but things are not as happy as they seem. Isobel from 2019 is hoping for a fresh start. She is grieving her grandmother Vivien and trying to renovate and move into her house by the sea. Moving here isn’t as easy as it seems. She runs into her childhood friend and crush unsure of how to process her feelings. She also comes across some family secrets Vivian hid from her. Betrayed and lost, Isobel must try to figure out why The Grand Hotel Silverton Hall seems to be in the midst of her family secrets.

This was such a sweet moving story bout a family’s self-growth and self-discovery. I was truly intrigued and captivated by Vivian and her storyline, I wish we knew more about her and her story. The dual timelines tie in very nicely with each other near the end of the book.

Hope you pick this one up!

Absolutely loved this dual timeline story.
Isobel has inherited her grandmother Vivien’s Norfolk house, Little Clarion, a place where she grew up. Seeing it as a new start, she arrives back in the village of Silverton Bay to discover Nick, her first love of 18 years ago, has also returned . Both have had their fair share of disappointments and bad luck, but whereas Isobel has her eyes set on a new future, Nick is adrift. No longer working as a doctor, he currently lives with his grandfather Spencer, while refurbishing houses.
After the discovery of a puzzling photograph, we follow Isobel as she begins to unravel unanswered questions about her grandmother’s past. Vivien and Isobel’s lives weave seamlessly between 1953 and present day. I loved that step back in time and was saddened that Vivien’s happy ever after with her husband Max wasn’t destined to be. What happened to them both had an impact on both Isobel and her mother Gina.
It’s a lovely, atmospheric novel full of interesting characters, intrigue and surprises. It’s also clear that Isobel and Nick are perfect for each other, but will they get their opportunity for a second chance?

Beautifully written, I loved the unexpected twist at the end. A definite five stars from me.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Rachel Burton and Head of Zeus for an ARC of The Last Party at Silverton Hall in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Character development: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Historical Fiction


Review:
This is a beautiful story, told over a dual time line, one set in the present and one that starts just after WII and finishes in the sixties, an interested but turbulent time period. The characters two strong women each with their own problems but there are also many similarities in their struggles. The book shows that the past tends to haunt us if we don’t deal with things properly; secrets are never a good thing.

The book is very well written, vivid and with great attention to detail. The story flows well and the dual time line is nicely interwoven in the story adding an extra layer of mystery and suspense, it allows the story to slowly unfold. The characters are well developed; enough background information is given in order for the characters to have an authentic feel.


Overall:
A well written and captivating story with great character development and the right amount of mystery and suspense.

A dual timeline story about family, secreats and memories. I enjoyed it and liked the setting. The plot flows but some twists were easy to guess.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

A wonderful tale of love, family and so much more!

Isobel has inherited her grandmother's house and she is looking forward to forging a new life for herself in the house she has spent a big chunk of her life. She thinks she knew Vivien really well but when she finds an old photo of her Nana enjoying herself at a party in Silverton Hall, she realises there is an awful lot she doesn't know. As we follow both Vivien in the 1950's and Isobel in the present day, we begin to understand their relationship.

I've read a few novels by this author but, in my opinion, this is easily the best of them. A gorgeously woven tale of family and so very much more. Beautifully written with cleverly crafted characters, I absolutely loved everything about this one; it's both interesting and rather compelling and I have no hesitation in recommending it. Perfectly finished off, and worth all five stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

I felt throughout this book that it was somewhat similar to author's book The Secrets of Summer House. Both are told over two time periods, both involve questions about the main characters' parents, both have a rich guy/middle class woman romance, etc. Although there were those similarities the actual stories are very different. I found Vivien's story to be both sad and optimistic. Even though she ended up in a very unhappy marriage, she did create a life that she loved once that ended. Isobel and Nick's second chance love story is really well crafted. They had both gone through traumas and lost their way, and although they were a good support system for one another their full recovery wasn't dependent on one another. Rachel Burton also does a very good job of alternating between the two timelines/storylines - in large part because both stories are so interesting. I'm not always a big fan of the drawn out reveal, but I didn't mind it here at all.

Thank you to Amy Watson of Aria Fiction (Head of Zeus) for your invitation to join the blog tour for The Last Party at Silverton Hall by Rachel Burton, and a gorgeous copy of the book to review.

I throughly enjoyed this dual timeline book. Isobel has inherited her grandmothers house in 2019 and finds herself puzzled about why her grandmother avoided visiting nearby Silverton Hall, after seeing photos of her there at a party.

The reader knows that Vivien was at Silverton Hall and that a secret was shared after a party in 1953. A secret that has haunted a family for two generations and kept them apart.

In addition to the mystery surrounding Vivien, Isobel finds herself spending time with Nick, a friend from the past – will they be able to become friends again after the events of September 2021 changed their original plans.

Rachel Burton brings the characters and the house to life in this book.

When Isobel inherits her grandmother's house in Silverton Bay she hope she can make a fresh start in the house she grew up in. She hadn't realised however the house was in desparate need of an upgrade and help with that comes from her old friend Nick.

Because staying at her house is initially not ideal, Isobal spends a couple of nights at Silverton Hall. Here she discovers a photograph of a party with her grandmother in attendance. However, Isobel is sure her grandmother Vivien always told her she had a big dislike for Silverton Hall.

The book is written in a dual timeline, where Vivien is swept of her feet by Max in 1952, and Isobel's quest for answers and reconnecting with Nick in 2019.

I absolutely loved this book. Rachel Burton has a way of weaving these stories together. Her description both of Silverton Bay today and in the 1950s make for a wonderfully paced story with lovely, likeable characters.

Another 5 star read by Racher Burton!