“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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I truly enjoyed this book, I had lots of mixed emotions throughout but overall it was good. There was so much heartache and devastation that at times I couldn’t even breathe, all I could do was cry. There were times I was so angry with Ella that I wanted to fling the book across the room. This is definitely not a typical romance book, I felt this book so deep because I’ve experienced so much of this. This book is such a reminder that not everyone lives the perfect life, that some people go through so much in their lives it’s a miracle they are still standing.
This book is NOT for everyone, it has many different kinds of things happening and can be very hard to process for some. This can cause major triggers for some….
Without giving anything away this book is amazing. 5 stars for sure.
This military romance was out of my normal reads I was skeptical but I am sooo glad I read this book. Through most of this story I had a lump in my throat, my stomach was in knots and tears in my eyes. Despite having cried all my make-up off this was a truly amazing story.
This book was everything I have heard about it and so much more. The emotional roller coaster that this author takes you on, is one amazing ride. One of those books you don’t want to put down for anything, but you don’t want it to ever end either. I can’t recommend this story enough.
Wow! I am not sure what I was expecting when I started this book, but I can promise this beautifully emotional journey was not it! Amazing! I loved every bit of this story! I am new to the author, but I can’t wait to read more!
Where do I start? This is my first book by this author.
I think the thing that I kept with me after finishing is that through loss there is love. There is a lot of loss in this book. There is sadness and happy(ish) ending.
Her writing is beautiful, heartfelt and real. I connected instantly and found myself flipping pages way past my bedtime. You’ll cry – believe me.
I finished The Last Letter at 12:50am this morning, with red and puffy eyes, barely being able to breathe. It was a beautifully written book that broke my heart. I was warned by a good reader friend that this book would make me want to stop reading it. That it would be too hard. She was 100% correct. But I’m not a quitter… and I do love a good ugly cry. I’m surprised that I didn’t wake up my entire household last night while reading the last 10% of this book. It was everything I was hoping it would be and more. I’m not going to spoil the book. But this is one that I will be thinking about for some time to come. It’ll probably be one of my favorite reads of 2019 and I don’t say that lightly. If you like to read about a loner military man, a single mom with a set of twins and so much heartbreak that you feel it with every word that you read, this book may be for you. Just make sure you stock up on tissues and wine, because you’re going to need them both.
Where to start…. Wow! Just wow! This story grabbed me and never let go. Every character has their own special part. The strength Maisie had. The strength and determination Ella had. The devotion Beckett had…. I’m at a loss of words, and I don’t want to give anything away. You will cry, that’s for sure. I absolutely loved reading this book, and this is the first book I’ve read by this author.
THE LAST LETTER
by Rebecca Yarros
5
Oh my heart. Grab your tissues because you will definitely need it. This book had my heartbreaking multiple times. It is such an emotional read.
The characters were amazing and you felt like you were there with them. Going through all the motions and feelings between Ella and Beckett.
I am at a loss for words with this book. It was everything I never expected. I decided to give this book a go as I saw it all over social media and didn’t even bother reading the synopsis. The last letter will have you on a rollercoaster of emotions. I highly recommend The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros.
This has to be the most heart-wrenching, beautiful story I’ve ever read. It will rip your heart out. But it is a perfect story. I became so attached to the characters and their stories that I felt like I was their best friend listening to them tell me personally. This is a very hard review for me to write. It’s so beautifully tragic I don’t want to spoil anything by describing anything about the book. I’ll say it’s about two broken souls that find each other through letters. These letters save them, destroy them, then bring them together for the long haul. This author is incredible with her ability to tell this story. Don’t miss out on this book.
REVIEW: How do you rate heartbreak on a scale of 1-5?
“Funny thing about broken hearts – only the living have them.”
I feel like I need to preface this review by saying that even though the teasers show romance, and the romance community spread this book around and embraced it, this is not a romance. This will not read that way either. There is a romance element, and it is beautifully romantic in hindsight, and in truth, and in reality…..but it’s a very painful, sorrowful read.
I just finished this book and I will never be the same. This is a spoiler free review straight from my emotionally broken and torn heart, but it’s going to be jumbled and raw and honest. For that, I apologize in advance. Only two other times have I audibly cried like I did with this one. It’s rare, but I’m exhausted now…
I can honestly say I feel depressed.
I’m staring out the window.
The snow is falling.
I’m sitting on the couch, letting the tears fall down my cheeks untouched. Why stop them when more will come?
Staring off….not focused…..not even sure where to begin.
I know I always say I’m not a crier. I don’t cry and I am usually strong enough to get through most subjects. But as cold-hearted as I pretend to be and as strong as I try to be while reading, this one broke me. The one recommendation I got for this book was to FEEL. And FEEL I did. I am pretty sure I swore I’d never read a book with this subject matter, and I’m confident it was because I was too afraid to FEEL this heartfelt pain. But the way Rebecca wrote this journey, the way her words invited me along to FEEL, I had no other choice but to cry it out. To suffer through the agonizing emotions. To FEEL. But I’ll never willingly read a book with this subject matter ever again, though. Ever. She either set the bar really high, or scarred me very deeply….either way, never ever again.
I had to take a few breathers while I was reading this. Heartache, pain, and crazily enough: fear. Those are just some of the emotions I felt in spades, and they were accompanied by more, you guessed it – tears. The notes I took while reading this one now seem so inconsequential in comparison, after it’s all said and done. But while I was reading it, I was sad, then happy. Angry at Ella and sad for Beckett. I was fuming because her rationale was way off. Yet, if I sat back and thought about it, I could understand where she was coming from because I am just as stubborn as she is. Her courage was beyond anything I have ever read and could imagine dealing with. Beckett’s strength was probably the best book boyfriend material I’ve ever read. His allegiance and his honor, his truth in his understanding of love and loyalty. He was perfection, but he had a very selfishly-stubborn, or stubbornly-selfish, side to him that was admirable and I loved it. Moving. Painful. Heartbreaking. Compelling. The emotions I felt ran the gamut, of that I can’t lie. I fell in love with their love. I cried when they hurt. I was angry at the universe and shocked at ‘fate’. I have no words.
I can’t recall the last time I wanted to DNF a book so late in the game, but I couldn’t put it down because I was too freaking invested. There was a sad reality to the guilt, the regret, and the requirement to push through. I’m not sure I was willing or even ready to face the guaranteed heartbreak I was sure to receive. But I can’t lie and say that the place that Rebecca came from, and the story that she gave me? That is why I read the heavy stuff. That is why I like the deep reads. The intricacies in the story, the love that is unwavering, the pain that is indiscriminate….it was all dished up with a healthy dose of reality.
But if I could emote the beauty in her words, and how well she flowed, I’d be proud to have been able to share that much. With a fractured soul and a broken heart, I can tell you I won’t recover from this one anytime soon. It’s almost a hollow, sad feeling in my chest – resigned….as if I went through this entire ordeal myself, and I have no recourse. I’m tired and I feel like I could sleep for a week straight. But again, the power in Rebecca’s words are written with the tears falling down my face.
I want to be mad, but I’m sad.
I want to be sad, but I’m angry.
I want to be angry, but I can’t stop crying.
I can’t.stop.crying…..
This is NOT a romance, but that love story was so beautiful.
This is NOT for the faint of heart, and I’m not sure I’m going to ever be the same.
I’m not sure I can recommend this book to many people in the romance community without a heavy warning. Again, it’s not a romance and it’s not something I would willingly spring on anyone without a warning, but I can’t ruin the journey for someone who understands that this is Contemporary Fiction. I likened it to Contemporary Depression.
These aren’t the kind of emotions I enjoy from a book. These aren’t the kind of tears I enjoy from reading a book. But, having said that, I am glad I weathered through it. I’m glad I felt it. And if I’m honest with myself, I loved the journey. But again, never will I ever read this subject again.
This story was a lesson on living in the now. This was a lesson on seeing the truth in a love destined to withstand life’s curveballs. But most of all, this was a lesson to never take anything for granted. Hindsight is always 2/20.
To borrow your words, Rebecca: You don’t know me, but you touched me.
“You can’t reason with the universe, no matter how sound your logic is.
~BEE
The first thing I ever read of Rebecca’s was this blog post she posted on Twitter recently. I came across it and after reading it, I knew that not only was this story going to be an emotional one, but it was going to be told with intimate knowledge of many of the scenarios and circumstances that came into play in this book. My hats off to her. Much respect to her. My thankfulness knows no end.
I’m still reading but it’s amazing.
OMG–this book. It absolutely killed me. It’s a beautiful story about inner strength, grieving, moving on, second chances, and love in all its forms. This review is going to be light on details–but trust me, you’re going to want to find them all out for yourself in real time, and I don’t want to take that opportunity away from you.
All I’m going to say is I cried almost as much as I laughed out loud, and I swooned just a little more than I sighed in despair. Ms Yarros definitely knows how to tug at your heartstrings, and she does it over and over again here. There were times I had to put the book down for a few minutes–sometimes because my heart was just too full, and other times because I was afraid she was going to go there. (Spoiler: she did, at least once. It’s brutal.)
The letters–all of them, last or otherwise–are brilliant; perfect complements to each chapter.
Do yourself a favor: read this one ASAP…but not until you buy yourself an extra-large box of tissues (or two. Or seven..)
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This book had me from the first letter to the very last! It broke me and put me back together only to break me again. Read this book, it won’t disappoint!!
I have never cried so much while reading a book; it feels like my heart was pushed through a grinder, it was so broken. Definitely this book requires a box of tissues while reading!
The female character in this book, Ella MacKenzie is a warrior. She overcame the death of her parents, she married and her husband dumped her when she got pregnant with twins at eighteen, and when her grandmother died, she took over her B&B and managed it while raising her babies. Meanwhile, her brother was serving in the US military special ops. And all this is at the start of the book.
Ryan, the brother, asked Ella to take on another pen-pal in his band of brother warriors. The guy he chose was his best friend, code name Chaos, a guy who lives disconnected from any friends except Ryan. A product of foster homes, he’s a stranger to love and affection. However, although initially reluctant, he read Ella’s first letter and fell victim to her charm, her sincerity, generosity, vivacity and peanut butter cookies. After another two tragedies befall to Ella, he resigns from the army and comes to help her, but hides his identity due to guilt. You need to read the book to find out why.
What comes after this is a roller coaster of emotions and dramatic situations for both. Chaos has already fallen in love with Ella, now he falls in love with her kids. Both Maisie and Cole are awesome kids, with the special communication twins have. Maisie is very sick and is taking a lot of Ella’s attention and energy. Insidiously, Chaos, who is going by his given name Beckett, gets involved in Ella’s life and her kids. With his awesome dog Havoc, he wins over the kids and wins Ella’s trust with the kids. Ella is stubborn and independent, worries over giving her best to her children and is having financial troubles. She’s falling in love with Beckett but has trust and abandonment issues. Their love story is epic and fraught with worry, suffering, and the tension that comes from dealing with a seriously sick child. At times, I felt that Ella was being unreasonable and hurtful, and Beckett was over the top understanding and patient. For a man who had problems connecting with people, he certainly did a 180 with this family.
I loved the Cole, Maisie, and Havoc moments, and rooted for this couple who walked through a path of fire to get their HEA. The story moved me to an extent that it took me a while to overcome the emotions that flared while reading this emotionally intense and wonderfully sweet book.
I absolutely loved this book. The letters starting each chapter were such a great way to bring the insight of their time before meeting into the story a little at a time which is cool, vs a couple of chapters talking about letters then jumping forward. Rebecca did an amazing job with such difficult subject matters I cried quite a bit as a mother and all the feels I have about everything that happens in this book but it is amazing how the story unfolds and I wasn’t even sure what to expect. The twins special bond was even more beautiful to my heart, I love how authors bring the magic to life in stories especially about twins. I loved the letters and how they tied in but such difficult subjects handled beautifully I’m sure many will read and feel everything you wrote. This is going to be a top read for 2019!!
Okay so let me start off by saying my best friend got me this book. I read the back thinking okay this is going to be a good book. So yeah it was an amazing book. I couldn’t put it down . Two people who think they have to do everything alone. To come together to help each other threw some really bad times in there life. But learn to lean on each other to get threw the tragedy’s they are living threw. So far warning if you read this book you are going to need a box of tissues !! Yes I laughed and cried my eyes out reading this. Thank you Rebecca for an awesome read !!
This book! I can’t even with all the heart wrenching emotions I am still feeling after reading The Last Letter. Rebecca Yarros did an amazing job with Beckett and Ella’s story. It completely obliterated and exceeded any expectations I had going into the story. I seriously couldn’t put it down. If you only read one book, make it this one. You don’t want to miss it!
The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros is packed with true emotions.
Yarros takes her readers on an emotional roller coaster, that completely define what this family and friends are facing.
You will find yourself drawn to these characters. Especially the children, Maisie & Colt. I truly feel these two stole the show. Their connection is something magical.
I loved Beckett and admired both him and Ella so much.
Ella defines what a true Mom is.
And Beckett defines what true friendship and sacrifice stand for.
“Sometimes you have to leave so you can know what it is you left.”
I want so bad to give this book 5 Stars. The only thing holding me back is the last 10%. Which I wish was completely dropped from the book.
The first 90% or so is pure magic. It’s heartache and joy and emotions that will steal your heart.
So for this reason alone, I’m going with 3.5 Stars. I feel that the end took away from the perfection that was the first 90% of the Book.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a book that pushed me so over the edge emotionally that I was affected for a long time after finishing it. The Last Letter was an emotionally packed roller coaster that crossed so many themes. From motherhood to finding your soul mate, to tragedy and heartache, this book has it all.
Beckett is a complex military man, whos job gave him purpose in life. He’s got every marking for a book boyfriend you can swoon over. His love and compassion are unrelenting, real and raw.
Ella is maybe the strongest woman I have seen in a book. She’s everything you need in a heroin that will fight for her kids, and when life hands her a blow she faces it head on to take down anyone or anything that will try to harm her family. As a mother myself it’s hard to fathom some of those blows Ella faces, and until you’ve walked those paths you never would know the strength needed to overcome.
Maisie and Colt are the highlight of the story for me. That have this connection that you feel right from the begging. Their bond is unshakable and unbreakable. This book truly have multiple hero’s but you’ll have to read it to see why!
Pick up The Last Letter today and let yourself open up to the beautiful words written between Beckett and Ella’s letters. Take a ride you won’t soon forget, and remember it. Or about the destination it’s about the journey to get there. Rebecca Yarros’s word will have you captivated page after page. And don’t work if you have to put it down and walk away a minute… we’ve all been there with this one… but I promise in the end you will feel fulfilled with a story unlike anything you’ve read before. It’s poetic and powerful and her best book to date!
5 Stars
I am utterly speechless. This book is like none I have ever read before. You will feel so many emotions throughout this entire novel that I cannot even describe them all. Rebecca Yarros has created a cast of characters you will love, situations that will make you smile, make you cry, break your heart wide open and stitch it back up again. This is hands down one of the most amazing books about love, and loss and life that I have ever had the honor to read. If you pick up one book this year, it needs to be this one.
Cara – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog