“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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This book slayed the hell out of me.
A couple of things you should know about me and reading:
1. I do most of my reading on a treadmill or just before I go to sleep.
2. I cry at pretty much every Disney movie. I also cried all the way through the movie Wonder.
As someone who writes primarily romantic comedy I enjoy a good angsty read that makes me tear up. That being said, I cried through a good 50% of this book, which as you might have guessed, makes running and reading nearly impossible and also slightly dangerous. Also, crying in public as an adult is embarrassing.
Hence the reason I had to stop reading on the treadmill. Instead I found myself staying up way too late, trying to silent-cry beside my blissfully oblivious and happily snoring husband so I could finish this heartbreakingly gorgeous story.
Every time I try to talk to people about this book and I’ve choked up and done that flaily hand thing where I wave it in front of my face as if that’s going to help keep my emotions from leaking out of my eyes.
The Last Letter isn’t just a romance, although there are certainly all the romantic elements that get your heart racing, starting with Beckett Gentry who is absolutely gorgeous and also absolutely broken. He’s the most swoon worthy hero in the history of Alpha(ish) heroes.
But beyond the hero you will most definitely fall in love with, is a story that is so heartbreaking I often had to read a chapter and set the book down so I could just . . . breathe for a minute. Ella, our heroine is just as broken as our hero, she’s lost her entire family, her brother and as if she hasn’t been through enough already, she’s dealt yet another blow that could devastate her entire world.
I don’t think I’ve read a story with so many threads crossing over each other, such an intricate series of lives and events that have brought these two lost souls to each other. I’ve never been so gutted, so heart wrenchingly devastated and just so mesmerized by the incredible storytelling, and the emotional knife that I was balanced on so precariously throughout the entire story.
The Last Letter is so much more than a romance. It’s a testament to the strength of bonds forged from trauma and loyalty. It’s an exploration of motherhood and the importance of family. But above all, it’s a story of survival, forgiveness, and the healing power of unconditional love.
I’m forever changed by this story. Arm yourself with tissues and some chocolate, it’s worth the roller coaster ride of emotions.
A heart-wrenchingly beautiful story!
This is probably the hardest review I’ve ever done. How do you explain a book that will without a doubt leave you heartbroken and crying ugly tears, yet at the same time be filled with the power of love?
This is a story unlike any I’ve ever read. The premise is about a soldier and the letters he receives from his best friend’s sister, first, as a gesture of kindness, then increasing as a genuine connection is formed between the penpals.
Chaos (Beckett) isn’t used to caring about anyone other than his MWD and his best friend, Ryan, but finds he looks forward to the letters from single parent, Ella in Telluride. When one of her five-year-old twins develops a rare form of cancer, Chaos makes it his mission to help any way he can. When Ryan is killed in battle, this becomes even more important an assignment.
Ella is used to going it alone, and she’s managed just fine until now. Her baby girl has cancer. Just thinking the words is enough to weaken her knees just when she needs to be stronger than she’s ever been before. The treatments are brutal. The only thing that gives her hope is that her brother should be home soon to help and the letters she receives from the mysterious Chaos.
Until Ryan comes home in a coffin.
Then Beckett arrives, like a guardian angel, and takes over some of the burden she’s been carrying. But all is not what it seems, and soon Ella is faced with life-changing decisions she’s ill-equipped to handle.
The end of this book was unexpected. I don’t want to ruin it for readers, suffice to say the bonds of love shine in this novel of strength against all odds, and the undeniable connection between twins and a mother who just won’t give up.
This is so much more than a romance. It’s tragedy, destiny, and fate entwined with an unbreakable thread of hope that will remain with you long after turning the last page.
I give The Last Letter 5+ lovely kisses- Best Reads!
Get your tissues ready for this amazing 5 star read!
The Last Letter wasn’t a book; it was an experience. It was an emotional rollercoaster, that as a mom, will rival no other book. This book captured me from the beginning, stole my breath, ripped a chunk of my heart out, and left a deep and heavy ache in my chest. This author has always had an ability to put words together and create masterpieces, with her attention to detail being unmatched. This book especially has the most tragic but majestic formation of words even though Yarros is trying a slightly different genre. No worries to those who love or need a little steam in their books… as usual Yarros hands us some steamy scenes ready to make you reach for that cold beverage. Not to mention… the overall message and theme of this book is one for the ages and was done better than any other like it.
“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 my favorite mom ever written, despite her flaws. Her momma-bear fierceness knows no bounds. Her most interesting characteristic is the simultaneous fearlessness and gut-wrenching fear for her kids. She will slay any dragons that come to her door for her kids, but those very dragons create a fear and anxiety in her that make her rely on Solitude’s (her super awesome B&B/resort) bubble for their safety. That inner conflict is what drives her. She is the most stubborn and dedicated mom I have EVER read.
“Damn, I wanted her. Wanted every aspect of her—her laughter, her tears, her kids, her body, her heart. I wanted everything.”
Beckett is strong, stubborn (makes for some fun adult conversations), and loyal… almost to a fault. This is not the first military man we have had from Yarros, but he is certainly one of the best if not THE best in the honor category. His dedication to his missions and his best friends (Ella’s brother and his dog Havoc) have soared above any others. He is my favorite type of broken: having no family and still finding a way to make his own.
This book will linger long after it has been read. It will dig deep into your heart and nest there. This book is for those who want to read about a mom who loves her children dearly. This book is for those who love characters with burning hot passion for not only their loves, but a deep love for those who surround them. This book is for anyone who loves a book that will make you feel. The Last Letter is for anyone who loves love even through complicated and bittersweet stories.
Beautiful, poignant, and a story worth telling. This book exposes every emotion, and takes the reader on a journey they’re not likely to forget anytime soon.
“—I liked a little bit of tarnish. It gave depth to the lines and made the shiny parts all the more eye-catching. Ella was beyond beautiful for what she’d been through. Tragedy hadn’t broken her, it had refined her.”
Leave it to me to choose this novel as my introduction to the writing of Rebecca Yarros. Yes, I read the synopsis so I knew I was in for some sadness. I had my tissues nearby, ready for action. I thought I was prepared… I wasn’t.
Beckett went into the Military broken, it wasn’t something that happened as a result of his time in the army. He was raised in the system. He’s a loner. He has nobody worried about him or waiting for him. He met his best friend in the worst of conditions, but they had years together to build trust between them. When Beckett read ‘the last letter’ from Ryan, he couldn’t deny his request. He was going to Telluride to be there for Ella, whether she wanted him to or not.
Ella was dealt a shit hand in life. Nobody should have to bear the load she had to carry. When she lost her brother at the time she needed him most it was almost too much for her. But she had two kids depending on her and no backup so she does what she has to do like she always does. And when help shows up she doesn’t trust it. Nope, he’ll just leave her like everyone else has, right? It would be stupid to accept his help and come to depend on him.
“Broody Beckett, I adored. Protective, playful Beckett, I loved. But that Beckett who winked and kissed my palm? Yeh, I was lucky I hadn’t spontaneously combusted and burned down my business.”
Yup, you guessed it. The chemistry between them was explosive. But she resisted with everything she had for as long as she could. She pushed him away and denied herself, but how could she deny her kids? I’m sure you can imagine how irresistible it is to see a big, muscled, badass sexy military man with those adorable twins, right? Yeah, my ovaries exploded just reading about it.
But that’s not all that happens. There so much between the covers of this amazing book that I can’t tell you about. Things that you need to discover on your own. Things that will stay with you for a long time afterward. So many… things.
This is the best book that I have ever read, you will feel everything! Elizabeth @ Carolina Chic’s Read
This review will be a little different than my other reviews, why you ask? This is due to the fact that The Last Letter has taken the top spot as the best book that I have ever read! You will experience so many feelings in this book. Sadness, Joy, Love, Laughter, and Soul Crushing Grief! This is all done in the search for Happy! Her Happy, His Happy and their lives and journey to have their Happy! Through the grief you will experience the loss of innocence, the connection of soul mates and your soul will be cleansed.
You will fall for this entire cast and their dog!
**Warning… This book may take your top spot for favorite books ever.**
5+ Broken Heart Stars
It has been a while since I read such a gut wrenching, angst book!
How much heartbreak can one endure in ones life time and still be standing tall and positive? This is the question you will be asking throughout the book. The story of Ella and Beckett is not a bed of roses. They are two broken souls who, “meet” initially through letter writing to each other, and open up about their pasts and share their innermost thoughts.
The characters in this story are so realistic, loveable and well developed.
This is a magnificently written book, which is so heartfelt and will bring a smile to your face as well as make you ball your eyes out. It is a rollercoaster of emotional feels and definitely unforgettable.
The Epilogue brought a smile to my face but I still have a huge lump in my throat!
Thank you Rebecca for bringing us the story of Beckett and Ella. I absolutely loved this book and I hope many people read this wonderful emotional story.
The Last Letter is a beautifully written book that will tug on your heartstrings & give you ALL THE FEELS! It’s one of those books you can’t stop reading & then think about long after you’ve devoured the last chapter.
You’d better be ready for an emotional roller coaster ride when you begin this story. Some of the reviews say this is slow-moving, but I disagree. It is true that there isn’t a lot going on action-wise. No, the movement is more on the emotional side. Chaos and Ella “met” through Ella’s brother, Ryan. Ryan and Chaos were brothers in arms and in every other respect except blood. Chaos grew up in the foster care system and has never known a family or had any ties to anyone. He needed something, or someone, to connect to besides his unit. That is what caused Ryan to ask Ella to start writing to Chaos. Through their letters, they grew to know one another and all the secrets that were buried deep. They were even planning to meet after Christmas when Ryan and Chaos had leave. Instead, Ryan came home in a box to be buried next to his parents. Chaos never came at all.
Then one day, Beckett Gentry shows up on Ella’s doorstep saying the was sent by Ryan. In Ryan’s last letter he asked Beckett to take care of Ella and her twins. He was there to fulfill Ryan’s last wish and his duty. Ella is having none of it. She has never had anyone stay, has always had to figure it out on her own, and knows that anyone who says they are here to stay is lying. She knows that she is the only one she can depend on, the only one who can take care of her little family. To say she has trust issues is a vast understatement. To say that Beckett has staying issues is another understatement. Both of them are determined to prove the other wrong.
Not only is there a relationship growing between Beckett and Ella, but there is also one growing between Beckett and the twins, Maisie and Colt. There is so much going on in this story. The heartache, the grief, the joys, the small celebrations, the gut-wrenching tears (and yes, I don’t cry very often over a book but I cried over this one), the day-to-day living. Throughout it all, relationships are building and bonds are forming. This book is a story of everyday life and how to bear more pain than any one person or family should. It also is about the triumphs and joys of life and how rich it can be.
Have you ever read a book that seemed to capture your soul from the first words and hold it hostage, long after the book had ended? That’s what The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros did for me. When this book came out everyone I knew in the book community was raving about it. Not just the normal release day mentions, it was literally everyone shouting READ THIS BOOK. So I thought, alright let me see what’s so special about this book. After reading the blurb I decided to sample the first two chapters before buying and it didn’t take long for me to realize I had to own this book — best decision ever.
Describing a book as horribly perfect isn’t probably the best way to write a six-star review, but that’s what every gut-wrenching word was, just horribly perfect. The characters Rebecca Yarros creates feel like you have known them your entire life and the story is so brokenly beautiful. While I was reading I felt like it WAS my life, that it was happening to me not some imaginary person on the page. By the end of the book I was so wrapped up in the emotion that I couldn’t seem to bring myself back to reality.
I’m not going to give anymore information than what Rebecca provides in the blurb, because if you decide to read this book I want you to truly experience it. Don’t skip over words or through chapters, make sure you take in every moment on the page. Lastly mentally prepare yourself and get out the kleenex, you are about to experience a book hangover that will last for days.
“The minute I read your first letter, that all changed. I changed. If I never told, then let me say it now. Your words saved me. You reached into the darkness and pulled me out with your kindness and your strength. You diferentes The impossible and touched my soul.”
Beckett Gentry is a tormented man. He never had a family or a home. Abandoned as a child, he carries with him secrets and guilt that he does not share with anyone. Until his best friend and battalion colleague brings him a letter that can change his life in ways he never imagined.
Ella is a hardworking woman. Single mother of two wonderful children, the twins Maisie and Colt, she takes care alone of her children and the inn inherited with the death of her parents and grandmother. Her children and her brother Ryan are the only family she has. And despite the losses and departure she has suffered, her sweetness and gentleness are able to touch the darkest of souls. Even miles away, through the lines of a letter.
Congratulations, Rebecca Yarros, you made me cry. And that’s not an easy task. At every turn of this beautiful, profound and extremely moving narrative, the soul of the reader is touched in such different and intense ways that it is even difficult to explain.
The book is suitable for lovers of good drama. It talks about family, loss and abandonment. It shows that life may not be fair and that unforeseen things can appear to rip up our happiness abruptly and unexpectedly. But that love is always good reason to fight, to survive. To breathe once more when life seems to take away everything, the air, the ground.
By the end of this reading I can only say what I feel. I feel that five stars is little to define my experience. A whole galaxy of stars may not be able to express how much this reading was special to me.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest Review *
Gutted, ya’ll! Such an emotional read.
I originally said I wasn’t going to review this book because of how it completely devastated me, but then that goes against everything I’m always preaching when it comes to reviews- how it’s unfair to other readers if there are only glowing reviews for a book. So this is me, trying to write a review without raging like I did on Goodreads, or spoiling any of the actual story. At least on GR I could rant under the spoiler tag so if no one wanted to be spoiled they could ignore.
Another reason I’m posting a review is because I really think I need closure from this book. I’m hoping this will help purge the overwhelming anger I’ve been feeling. Although every time I see this book pop up the anger starts boiling over again.
The Last Letter had the potential to live up to the 5* reviews I read. It had the potential to become a favorite. It was heartwrenching for sure, but I was invested in, and enjoying, the story – Beckett was so, so wonderful, like bbf material wonderful, the kids were darling, and Ella was such a strong character. And no doubt the writing itself was beautiful. But then I got to the most devastating, heartbreaking, shocking, and yes traumatic, scene I have ever read in a book, a scene that I will never be able to unread, a scene that completely and utterly ruined this book for me and literally broke my heart. I honestly will never, EVER, understand why the author felt it necessary to go the route she did, as the story was enough of a roller coaster of emotions as is, without that added heartbreak.
I feel utterly manipulated, not only by the author, but by all the 5* reviews that talk about how beautiful this story is, how it’s a must-read, how it’s a journey not to be missed. This is a journey I wish I had never taken.
This book was so hard for me. I loved every painful minute as much as I loved every joyful one. The Last Letter had me fighting tears when I read the blurb. I knew it was going to be tough. I knew I needed tissues. I thought I was covered. I was wrong. Falling in love with these people was as easy as turning the page. I fought with them, I clung to them, and I sobbed with them.
Rebecca Yarros delivered a family to all her readers. Whether or not you needed one, you now have the best kind in your hands. A loving example of all the best while fighting the worst.
I won’t tell you to hold onto your heart because you’ve already lost it when you decided to read this book. But I promise it’s in good hands! Ella, Chaos, Havoc, Maisie, and Colt are all going to make you apart of their story. You are going to love them long after you close this book.
I say that with a smile on my face and tears pouring down. You are going to love them!
I’ve attempted to write this review so many times and just haven’t been able to find the words. I also had to come back to my rating. Initially it was 5 stars because, while I was heartbroken, it was beautifully written and kept me glued to the story. But as the days went on, and the more I thought about it, I had to drop a star.
I’m used to angst from this author. All of the books I’ve read by her are pretty angsty but this book is on a whole other level. There are a lot of heartbreaking events in this story. There’s a lot of loss. It made it read more like women’s fiction than romance. There was one event toward the end of the story (that I won’t spoil for anyone else) that is what ultimately made me drop the star. It felt like gratuitous heartbreak. It didn’t, for me, add anything to this story other than let’s punch the reader in the gut. Other than that one thing, I loved this book. The letters, the strength, the growth: it was all so amazing. I was immediately connected to all of these characters and I wanted everything to work out for them. There were parts that were light and funny and helped balance the incredible amount of angst in this story.
*this is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*
The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros is a gripping standalone. I recommend go into this book blind, don’t read the blurb or an spoiler-ish review, just pick it up and start reading. It’s so worth reading.
Meet Beckett Gentry. He’s special ops and has no family. His best friend Ryan convinces him to take his little sister as pen pal.
Ella MacKenzie is a single mom, owner of a B&B and works hard to make ends meet. Beckett becomes her sounding board and somehow the two fall in love through their letters. But what she doesn’t know, yet, she’s in for the fight of her life.
And Chaos – aka Beckett – the broken wonderful soul stands by her side through thick and pretty much thin. The hits keep coming and somehow Ella has never the time to take a breather.
The Last Letter is a intense, gutting, heartwrenching read that had me in tears more than one time. It’s an ugly cry story that put me in an emotional rollercoaster, whirled me around and then spit me out.
The writing is excellent and the story is addicting. I read the book,cover to cover in one sitting. I simply could’t put it down. My heart was aching for the characters and I wished for a beautiful and well deserved HEA.
I highly, highly recommend the book and wish I could give more than 5 stars.
Could the tears rolling down my cheek be an indication of just how deeply The Last Letter affected me??
When a soldier gives each assignment everything he can, what does he have at the end of the day? For Chaos – there was no one to write home to. A soldier without a family that devoted everything he could to his military family. Ryan is one of the soldiers in Chaos’ platoon with a family waiting at home. A simple suggestion from Ryan for his sister Ella to write to Chaos, opened a door that began to creek open on its rusty hinges. A connection that Chaos never expected, but quickly realized that he couldn’t stand to do without.
Those words upon paper from Ella began to appear without cause. Moments that Chaos learned of Ella’s life with her twins and their newly thriving business. The two began conversing and sharing as much as Chaos was allowed to divulge. As the highs and lows in Ella’s life transpired across the miles, Chaos found himself looking forward to each letter that came his way. Then tragedy changed the course that these two had embarked upon’ leaving them both broken and shattered. What neither realized in that moment was how Ryan would once again lend his brotherly guidance in a way that both desperately needed.
The Last Letter is the latest release from Rebecca Yarros, and it is one I will not forget anytime soon!! With a plot that embroils itself into the lives of soldiers, The Last Letter is also a journey of faith and love. It’s the type of book that you think you are ready to begin, but quickly find that it sears your soul with the heartbreaking story that unfolds with the turn of each page. The story is ruthless, inspiring, and one that will grab your soul and spit it back out. Yeah…..it’s going to be a ride that you definitely will never forget!
While I am determined to make sure I don’t spill the beans on any of the details in the plot, I will share with you the emotional rollercoaster that I found myself pulled towards. The story is one that is full of hope, longing, tragedy, and rebirth. There isn’t really any emotion that skipped out on me while reading this book! My heart took a tumble and then was lifted up time and time again. A true roller coaster that left me wrung out from the journey.
One thing is certain – The Last Letter is unlike any other book Yarros has penned to paper. Every ounce of love, desperation, devotion, and heartache is delivered through the words that flow so freely in this book. An unforgettable story that left me with tears clinging to my lashes, but I wouldn’t trade that feeling in a million years!!
Rated 4.5 Stars
The Last Letter is an emotional rollercoaster. It’s beautiful too and heartbreaking. This story broke me into so many pieces that I won’t ever be the same again but I don’t regret this experience at all even though it brought me to tears. I know that this journey that these characters went on and the characters themselves will live within me forever. I highly recommend this to those who love emotion heavy stories with a side of my fave trope, best friend’s younger sister. Be warned that you will no be the same after reading this book.
Copy provided by publisher through Net Galley
I fell in love with this family and I’m heart broken, but I would completely recommend. The bond you get to see grow between these characters is truly something special.