"The Last House On The Street" By Diane Chamberlain

 

When Kayla Carter's husband dies in an accident while building their dream house, she knows she has to stay strong for their four-year-old daughter. But the trophy home in Shadow Ridge Estates, a new development in sleepy Round Hill, North Carolina, will always hold tragic memories. But when she is confronted by an odd, older woman telling her not to move in, she almost agrees. It's clear this woman has some kind of connection to the area...and a connection to Kayla herself. Kayla's elderly new neighbor, Ellie Hockley, is more welcoming, but it's clear she, too, has secrets that stretch back almost fifty years. Is Ellie on a quest to right the wrongs of the past? And does the house at the end of the street hold the key? Told in dual time periods, The Last House on the Street is a novel of shocking prejudice and violence, forbidden love, the search for justice, and the tangled vines of two families. ~taken from Goodreads

This was my first book from author Diane Chamberlain, though I will admit I have several of her novels in my TBR pile. This was an ebook I downloaded from Netgalley without really knowing too much about it. I knew it was historical fiction so I swooped it up. I am so glad that I did. 

This book alternates timelines between 2010 and 1965. It is apparent from the start that both stories take place in a small, southern town, but what kept me interested in the 2010 timeline was how exactly the two stories are connected. 

The 1965 timeline seems to dominate the story and to be honest, it was the most interesting of the two timelines. Although I am biracial, SCOPE wasn't a program I was familiar with. It wasn't taught in school and it isn't something my family ever talked about. I truly enjoyed the history woven into this storyline. 

The 2010 timeline was still interesting to me. Like I said before, figuring out who was who from the 1965 timeline and how it related to the 2010 troubles is what moved this storyline along and kept me interested. 

The ending wasn't predictable and I did enjoy finding out how all the characters came together. I did feel it was a bit rushed and wrapped up way too neatly. I also feel it was very vague in showing how certain main characters from 1965 turned out in 2010. 

I feel like I am rambling, but I am truly trying to not give any spoilers away. I went into this novel knowing very little and I think all readers should do the same. It was a wonderful read! 

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for allowing me a digital copy to read and give my review. It was a 4 star book for me! 

"The Last House On The Street" is set to be released on January 11, 2022 here in the U.S. so pre-order now! 

Happy Reading!