“The Last Letter is a haunting, heartbreaking and ultimately inspirational love story.”–InTouch Weekly Beckett, If you’re reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill. You made it. I didn’t. Get off the guilt train, because I know if there was any chance you could have saved me, you would have. I need one thing from you: get out of the army and get to Telluride. My little sister Ella’s … army and get to Telluride.
My little sister Ella’s raising the twins alone. She’s too independent and won’t accept help easily, but she has lost our grandmother, our parents, and now me. It’s too much for anyone to endure. It’s not fair.
And here’s the kicker: there’s something else you don’t know that’s tearing her family apart. She’s going to need help.
So if I’m gone, that means I can’t be there for Ella. I can’t help them through this. But you can. So I’m begging you, as my best friend, go take care of my sister, my family.
Please don’t make her go through it alone.
Ryan
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* A review copy was provided by the author/publisher via Netgalley for the Blog Tour *
~ 3.5 – 4 Heartbreaking Stars ~
Well I don’t really know how to review this book.
The Last Letter was such and emotional and heart wrenching story. I kind of expected this to be a story that would be sad, just from reading the blurb, but I couldn’t have expected this. My heart literally hurts after reading this book.
If you are a fan of the “ugly cry”, then this is the book for you!!! I couldn’t stop the flow of tears that ran down my face. When reading this story make sure you have tissues next to you.
The one question that kept running through my mind while reading this book was, how much pain can one woman suffer and live to talk about it? This question will make sense if you read this book.
I will say that I did like this book, even though it tore my heart apart. I was happy to see that it was sort of put back together by the end. I say sort of because yes there is a HEA to this story, but something happens towards the end that truly broke me. This just wasn’t the HEA I was hoping for while reading this book.
I would recommend this book to many readers. Although I am not sure it is truly a romance novel in the true sense of the meaning. Yes there is a love story built into this book, but it really is more about a friendship and family, then anything else.
There were many things that I loved about this book and that is why I gave it 4 stars. I loved the characters. Ella, Beckett, Maisie and Colt were awesome characters. I loved how the author incorporated the letters between Beckett and Ella. I loved falling in love with them through those letters. This book will definitely suck you in and you won’t be able to put it down until the end.
But with that said, there were some things I didn’t like about the story and that is why the mixed rating of 3.5 -4 stars. I thought the length of the book was a little on the long side which in my opinion slowed the story down. There was some filler I thought could’ve been left out without effecting the main point of the story. The only other thing I didn’t like was what I mentioned earlier in the review. The part that happens towards the end of the story. I personally didn’t think it was necessary to be in there. There is a point when there is just too much grief that pushes a reader over the edge. It kind of took away from the HEA that did happen.
Even with saying that, I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an emotional, cry your eyes out story. This story truly is a story about love, loss, forgiveness and family.
Oh boy this story pulls at all your heartstrings. Ella wants a pen pal, just someone to tell her stories to so her brother Ryan gave her letter to a pal of his Chaos who could use one. Ryan and Chaos are in Special Forces and they don’t get attached to anyone because they never know when it would be their last day but Chaos reads Ella’s letter and decides to write her back. An easy friendship develops and Ella explains her children to Chaos and he tells her about his childhood. When Ella is told her brother Ryan is killed in action and she doesn’t hear from Chaos she assumes the worst, that they both had been killed and Chaos can’t bring himself to read her following letters knowing it’s his fault Ryan is dead. When Beckett shows up at her B & B and pays to stay for seven months she is very attracted to him but she has so much going on in her life she doesn’t dare get involved but Beckett is determined to win her over even though he is hiding a lot of secrets. Ella hates lies and Beckett is full of them but not how he feels about her and I think you will love this story as much as I did.
Reviewed on behalf of Once upon an Alpha
I always anticipate a new story from Rebecca Yarros. A go to author for certain because her military men are bar none. Not sure what lucky star I sailed under but thank you NetGalley for allowing me to advance read this beautiful story of family, friendship and honor.
First let me say that I would probably love any story with a military hero, a single parent and a dog. For me this is like the trope trifecta. (This is my review. Dogs are tropes. Deal with it. Lol) So when I started this story I was so in love already. But then I met these characters and my heart exploded. Ella, Colt and Maisie are so amazing. Their love and connection so evident from the very beginning. The love Colt and Maisie has is so beautiful. This brother and sister would do anything for each other. Their sweet moments and their moments of ridiculous strength made them so lovable. Ella is this fiercely strong single Mom who has been through it but just keeps pushing. Spreading herself thin, riddling herself with guilt but maintaining the best she can.
Then the amazing Beckett Gentry comes to town with his military working dog, Havoc, and the heart of this story just gets bigger. Her brother’s friend sent to her from a letter to watch over her and help her carry this load. I can’t express my love for this soldier. First the noticeable transition he has to make from war zone to civilian life. Then the way he seamlessly starts to carry said load. And the amazing ways he makes a difference throughout the story. His love, his compassion and the way he utterly falls in love with these kids will steal your heart. Oh and about that heart. Yeah be prepared because it’s about to be put through the wringer with this story. So much happens in these characters lives. Some good, some bad and some tragic but in the end you’ll be pieced back together by these amazing characters and the love they share.
“The Last Letter” by Rebecca Yarros
IF you like, or love, to read a story that will run rough-shod over your emotions… then you truly must read this story. It has medical & military, love, family, trust & a whole lot more.. and you will not want to put the book down before your read one more chapter or at least one more page, again and again. Watch for this book at your favorite vendor.
Holy. Book. Hangover!! I am the first to admit that I absolutely love books that make me cry. I love the connection that I feel with the characters and the emotions in me that they stir up. The Last Letter totally hit the mark for me!
Beckett and Ella “met” when she began writing to him at the request of her brother, who was in the same military unit as him. A series of events brought the two together, and saw them through the gamut of highs and lows. Their connection was obvious, but it was the little girl and boy who really kept them connected.
I absolutely loved Beckett and Ella! He loved so deeply, and I loved that about him. I completely understood where Ella had doubts, and Beckett was so patient and understanding of them. But Maisie and Colt? Those two- and their connection to Beckett- stole this entire book! I loved how Beckett interacted with them, loved them beyond reason, and was their peace. He was truly the rock that Ella, Colt, and Maisie needed- and deserved.
I cried through this entire book! It has been so long since I have felt so connected to characters, cared so much about their feelings, and emotions, and outcomes. Rebecca Yarros has done a phenomenal job of developing characters that you care about, having a plot so thought out that it felt real, and tugs at your heartstrings! The Last Letter will go down, I have no doubt, as a top read of 2019. This is a book that I highly recommend!
I rarely quote from books in my reviews, but this one just grabbed me:
“Life was short. Colt taught me that.
Life was worth fighting for. Maisie tuaght me that.
Letters could change your life. Ryan taught me that.
Love- when it was right- was enough to save you. Beckett taught me that every single day. And ours was more than enough.
And so was I.”
Emotional doesn’t describe this book. This new to me author just blew me away with this read. Yeah there were a few spots where I just wanted to take both of the mains and shake some sense into them but then the story wouldn’t have been as good or emotional. While this book is a lot darker, sadder, than I expected it dealt with so much. The angst and guilt of a soldier returning home. The grief and loss that was dealt with and yes the lies and omission that almost undid them. Lots of the actions can be explained by the selective past which is why the book is such an awesome read. The author took the time to develop the characters and the plot and twist that in the process of doing so made sure you understood each action and reaction even though you may not agree. I have to admit this author pulled each emotion out of me down to tears flowing when my heart broke with her and knowing that last letter was what sealed the deal.
WOW. Just…Oh My God…WOW!
The Last Letter by Author Rebecca Yarros will, without a doubt, be a top book of 2019. This was one of the most incredible and emotional books I have EVER read. It has taken me a few hours to sit down to write this review because my scattered emotions from this story. The storyline, the side stories, the deployment letters between “Chaos” and Ella, the cancer diagnosis and treatments, the deaths, the accident…from start to finish it was all so “edge-of-your-seat” “I-cannot-put-this-down” “I-have-tears-streaming-down-my-face”…yeah…this book is all of that and more.
Ella Mackenzie owns and runs Solitude, a beautiful resort in Telluride, Colorado. She is a single mom of 5 year old twins. The father of the children divorced her and disowned the children while she was 18 and pregnant, but she is stubborn and determined and refuses to fail.
YOU ARE ENOUGH
After being abandoned and given up by his birth mother at 4 years of age, Beckett Gentry was then passed from foster home to foster home. Feeling like he had no family and was alone, “Chaos” quickly enlisted in the military at 18 years of age. He became friends with Ryan and they served together in special ops.
While Ryan is deployed, he suggests Ella become a pen-pal with a soldier he knows, his best friend “Chaos”. After a series of letters back and forth, they unknowingly start to fall in love with one another…then suddenly, the letters stop.
Then Beckett shows up at Solitude a few months later, with a letter from Ryan, asking him to go take care of his sister, Ella. He is determined to follow through with his best friend’s request…but doesn’t want Ella to know his secret…that he is actually “Chaos”.
“Say it. I’m not going to believe it unless you say it. Who are you?”
I absolutely LOVED the way Author Rebecca Yarros blended Emma and Chaos’ letters throughout the whole book. I loved reading the letters they shared, I loved the honesty they could send back and forth without judgement, the way they were able to lean on one another…it was just all so deeply touching.
I want to go on and on about this epic book, but don’t feel that I can without spoiling too much. What I can say is that the characters in this book are absolutely incredible…Beckett Gentry AKA Chaos, Ella Mackenzie, Ella’s twins (Maisie and Colt), Beckett’s dog (Havoc), Ella’s brother (Ryan), Larry, Ada, and Hailey (employees of the resort), the ex (Jeff). There are more extras as well and they all blend together so perfectly.
This book gave me such incredibly deep heartbreak. **You WILL need Kleenex while reading this!!** Reading the acknowledgements at the end of the book made it hit home even harder. The author, Rebecca Yarros is a military wife. She is able to write some of this first-hand and on such a personal level. The parents of the children with cancer who shared their stories…my heart goes out to you for what you have to go through. I could not imagine, but I can understand somewhat more clearly after reading this book, and God…you are so very strong! YOU ARE ENOUGH!
I knew that after reading the blur I would cry reading this book and I must say that I did and it broke my heart. This is the book that I will remember as something that touches my heart and in the deepest possible way. I am a mother too and I can not imagine going through all that Ella and Becket went trough. It broke my heart that we see Ella going through all the pain and losing their family members. But the story is not all about sorrow it is also about finding love, the other half that support you and makes pain tolerable. Beckett makes a mistake that Ella can’t forgive him very easy and they lose some very special time together. I liked that the story was unpredictable and keeps you on the toes. It is a story that shows you not to give up and that sometimes something bad must happen to make a place for something new, different and make us stronger in process. Really great read, highly recommended. And don’t forget tissues!
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly
Can ya’ll believe this is only my first Rebecca Yarros ARC? I have some of her books on my TBR-shelf but I’ve just never gotten to start one. My TBR pile just keeps on adding up everyday and the next thing you know you have about 300 books waiting to be read… but I’m so happy to be granted the opportunity to this particular ARC. ARC’s meant there is a due date thus making me start on it as soon as I can even though this book doesn’t release until next year.
Like I said I haven’t read any of her books before so I didnt know what to expect… I’ve read some of the reviews and I got anxious… I didn’t want to read something that’ll gut me, and those reviews basically said to prepare myself because its coming…
So I steeled myself and forged on… At the back of my mind I thought I’d be fine since I’m already anticipating the fact that there will be something tragic in the midst… then only a couple of chapters in and I was already crying…
I was mess. I even thought I wont be able to stop crying at one point. The whole story is just so beautiful—painful and gut-wrenchingly beautiful. I was blown away by its entirety… the way the author wrote the story evokes so much feelings… every tear, every smile, every frustration, every fear… you just feel everything as you turn page after page.
This story will teach you how to hold on when life blows through you like a hurricane… this will teach you about compassion and understanding… and acceptance… about faith and fate. There are just so many lessons you can learn as you read through Ella and Beckett’s journey.
Honestly my heart still hurt like why did it have to happen? There are so many “whys” but like in real life, we don’t have all the answers…
The last time I cried so hard was in 2013 when I read Falling Into You by Jasinda Wilder… it took me a couple of days to be myself again… Yeah sure, I’ve teared-up on other books but I never thought I’d cry as much like how I did five years ago… this book will always stay with me because it’s memorable…
I. Am. A. Wreck! Literally. A blubbering mess. It’s been exactly 6 hours since I finished ‘The Last Letter’ and I’m still struggling to compose myself. How to review a book like this, with so many different facets, a book that made me feel so, so emotional. How can I review without giving away the story, and still give the book the credit it deserves? What a wonderful story, I loved this family as if they were my own, no wonder Beckett was drawn in so deep. The twins were just adorable, which only makes the story all the more emotional. Cute kids, a devoted military dog and two people learning to love and trust each other. Beckett is fighting his demons, Ella is struggling to share the load. How can one woman take so much heartache? A story full of love, loss and family. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.
I have read some books this year that have torn at my heart and whipped my emotions to a hurricane level. But, The Last Letter left me in tatters and is the first one to make me all out cry. The pull your glasses off and hold your face in hands kind.
Beckett, Ella, Maisie and Colt took me on a ride through all of my feelings. This family gave me sorrow, despair, hope and joy. I held my breath and then celebrated with them. I got angry at one adult or the other and moved onto smiles and laughs.
If you read one book this coming year make it this one. You will be glad you did. Rebecca Yarros is a new to me author but she will not remain that way now. Thank you for this painfully beautiful story.
There are some books you read and forget the moment you finish, and there are books that you will never forget. The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros falls under the latter category and you will have a book hangover for days.
You are hooked from the moment you start reading when we meet Ella, a single mother of twins who begins writing letters to Beckett, while he is in the military. Both are struggling. Ella with her twins and running her B&B and Beckett with his lack of self-worth. They find comfort in each other’s letters, even though they have never met.
Once they do meet, secrets are kept and Ella is coping with a seriously ill child. In some ways it is hard to write this review without giving too much of the plot away. This book will have you on the edge of your seat and I would recommend that you keep a box of tissues, nearby.
“Love, when it was right was enough to save you. Beckett taught me that every single day. And ours was more than enough. And so was I.”
Ella is an amazing mother and will fight tooth and nail for her children. Beckett is caring and kind.
This book is an emotional roller coaster, but so worth the ride. A book one should not miss.
This book covers EVER emotion.
The writing is outstanding. The storyline is, simply put, heartbreaking. Should you attempt to read this? YES. Will you find a flaw? Nope. From page one I was entranced. Do I love the ending? No! I wish things were written differently. Yet, that is what makes this book so special. It’s raw. It’s real. It’s devastating. It’s life.
Rebecca took such beautiful care with the main subject. She allowed me…a regular reader…to live and breathe the strength and determination of a family surviving.
On a personal note: last week I thought I read my top book of the year. Not gonna lie…this might just trump it.
Thank you to all the men and women who serve our country. Thank you Rebecca for giving voice to such a terrible disease. You’re research and ability to create a story like this…PRICELESS.
A. Must. Read.
The Last Letter was a freaking emotional roller coaster! Ella and Beckett’s story was one of friendship, grief, joy, loss, and hope. I was in tears more times then I want to admit and they were the big, fat, ugly ones! While events didn’t exactly turn out the way I expected, I am glad I took a chance. This isn’t my usual kind of read, but the summary caught my eye, and well…it was worth the Kleenex box I blew my way through.
I wish I could have written a great review to do justice to just how much this story touched me, but I didn’t want to give anything away! The heartbreaking journey it took me on as a reader…indescribable.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Rebecca Yarros gives us a heartfelt beautiful story in The Last Letter. This story is filled with faith, hope, love, family and devotion like you’ve never seen before. This unique story will take you on a journey that you won’t soon forget, and long after the dust settles you’ll want to read it all over again! Don’t miss this amazing tale of two souls finding their mate in the most tragic of times and sharing a love so deep that you will feel it in the marrow of your bones.
The Last Letter is simply unforgettable, in every way…