When I read the blurb of The Last Letter, I knew that it was going to be a good book. A blurb in the form of a last letter? That alone made me go “I need to read this book“. I am so glad that I did because The Last Letter exceeded what I thought about it.

I will warn everyone, you will need tissues while reading The Last Letter. I was ugly crying from the scene where Ella found out that Maisie had cancer to the end of the book. I would invest in a few boxes. You will need them.

I thought that Ella was one of the strongest people I have read in a book to date. Life kept dropping bombshells on her and she didn’t even flinch. She took no flak from people. She also had a softer side. It wasn’t showcased in the book that much but it was there. When it did peek through, I loved it.

I did get annoyed with Ella at several points in the book. Put it this way, she was stubborn and afraid to let someone get close to her. When she did let Beckett in, she did begrudgingly. I did want to smack her upside the head when Beckett had a solution for Maisie’s cancer treatments. If I was in that situation, I would have jumped all over it. I got why she acted that way. Still. I am glad that Ada and Hailey talked some sense into her.

I liked Beckett. He arrived when Ella needed him the most. He stayed through Ella freaking out on him about who he was to Ryan. He was the one who came up with the solution about Maisie’s cancer and insurance. He fell heads over heels for Ella when they were writing letters to each other. He was a nice guy. When he opened up about his past, my heart broke for him.

Like Ella, I did get annoyed with him at points in the book. Like the whole Chaos storyline. How hard would it have been to tell her that he was Chaos? I didn’t understand how that didn’t come up. Ella did point blank ask him how he knew Ryan. That was the perfect time to say “Well, I’m Chaos“. But no, it comes out later in the book. I would have been pissed at him too.

I thought the romance that Beckett and Ella had was a sweet one. Of course, it was bumpy and there was a point where I thought it was over. But it was sweet.

I thought that the storyline with Maisie and her aggressive form of cancer was very well written. The author didn’t paint a rosy picture for us. Instead, she showed the stark realities of having a child with cancer. It was a realistic and heartbreaking look into childhood cancer.

I will say that the storyline with Ella, her ex and his parents made me throw up in my mouth a little bit. How can someone be so heartless? Not once but twice.

I also liked that military dogs are featured in this book. What I liked is that the military let Beckett keep Havoc. Mainly because she only listened to him. I liked how Ella described Havoc and her adjusting to not working. She was being domesticated and learning how to act like a dog.

There was a twist at the end of the book that broke my heart. It was surprised that came out of nowhere. I am not going to give anything away but I will stay that Beckett and Havoc’s training were well used. This is a tissue warning. You will be ugly crying until the end of the book.

The epilogue at the end had me ugly crying. I loved the insight that it gave into Beckett and Ella’s life 4 years later.

This was a very emotional and heartfelt story that kinda left me broken in the end. I would definitely recommend this book because it’s so very well written and beautiful story, but not one I would read again. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Oh wow, this book was SO good. Emotional, and yet with emotional growth. Real struggles convincingly told. Just, you know, keep a box of tissues handy. Has the feel of real life.

Ryan is military through and through. His (ahem) "recruits" his sister Ella to write letters to a guy in his unit who has no family, nothing but the military Sure enough, Ella and Beckett forge a connection through the letters (and accompanying baked goods!) He learns about her fierce love for her twins Maisie and Colt. She learns about his life in foster care and lack of family, his life with his working dog (she sniffs for people and explosives, a rare combination. Getting mail adds something to their lives.

Ryan knows Ella is facing an incredible trial because one of her twins is very sick. One day Beckett is picked for a detail but because of some trauma in the days before, he opts out of this duty. Ryan takes his place. Ryan never makes it back. So, Ryan's "Last Letter" --the letter written in case of his death--is given to Beckett. In it, Ryan pleads with Beckett to go help Ryan's sister Ella and the twins back in Telluride, Colorado. There are moments of frustrating but realistic distance, which makes the good stuff feel miraculous. And oh, I loved the good stuff. I didn't just read this book, I lived through it.

3.5 Stars

I’m so torn about this book. Did I like it? Yes, I did. But, the sadness is overwhelming in this book. Now don’t get me wrong. I knew fully going into this book that there was going to be a death in it. I mean… you get that in the synopsis. I just wasn’t expecting all the other stuff that went on. Then the shocking surprise almost at the end of this book. Dropped my rating for this book. I mean… this book was 5 stars up until the end.
At that point I just felt it was to much.

I mean. Why? It was a little over the top. Man… the only thing I could think of was Ella’s family was cursed!! Seriously! How much bad stuff could she handle.

There’s not a lot I can say without giving anything away. I’ll just say Beckett went above and beyond for Ella. He showed and proved he would always be there for her and the kids. Ella was ok. I think she took things overboard at times when it came to Beckett.

Overall all… I’m kinda upset. I just hated the surprise in this book.

ARC provided by Entangled Publishing, LLC via Netgalley

The Last Letter is my first read of 2019 and the first book I’ve read by Rebecca Yarros. I adored the love story contained in her words. It's beautifully written, seamlessly draws you in, and invests you deeply in every character. It was one of those books I never wanted to end - until it did end and utterly destroyed me and every ounce of well-being I’ve ever felt in my entire life. I cannot come to terms with the trajectory the story ultimately takes and feel compelled to ask the author - are you ok? Because I am definitely not ok. And was this necessary? Just...why? I will never forget this book but I also can't say, in good conscience, that I’d recommend it to anyone because it's so tragic it's disturbing. I’ve read my fair share of stories that broke my heart, put me back together again, and/or left me ugly crying with no sense of closure. but this...this is a whole new level of agony and grief. I loved it and I hated it and that’s really all I can say. I hope I can be brave enough to read another novel by Rebecca Yarros because she’s obviously very talented but can someone please recommend one that won’t leave me with PTSD?

Rebecca Yarros has given me all kinds of swoon-worthy romances to devour over the years but none of them with stick with me quite like this book will. The Last Letter absolutely gutted me. I seriously cried myself to sleep last night and I woke up emotionally hung over - Ella and Gentry’s journey kicked my butt.

Some times when you start a book, you realize quickly that the author is going to put their characters (and you the reader) through the emotional ringer. You know the characters will be tried, and tested - pushed to the brink of what a person take before they break. The Last Letter’s Ella was one of those characters. Her story is filled with heartbreaking tragedies and at times it was overwhelming.

But what might have been depressing book, became the ultimate love story because at the heart of Ella and Gentry’s story is friendship and pure romance. It’s a truly captivating relationship and one that I couldn’t put down.

So if you haven’t already read The Last Letter, I highly recommend one-clicking. This was one of my favorite reads of 2018 and Gentry and Ella’s story is a can’t miss romance.

3.5 stars

Love Rebecca Yarros writing. Love her books. This was a lovely story, but so much sadness and heartache.

*4.5 Stars Rounded Up

Oh mygod. I cried. Like, tears. I kept thinking it wouldn't happen, couldn't. But it did. And I couldn't stop reading but I wanted to. Thankfully, both of my babies are next to me to hug and be glad they are alive and well (This isn't -really- a spoiler. It isn't what you might think!)

I had started this expecting a romance, and will start that this is only just barely a romance. It was about a family dealing with one tragedy after another, being broken and then sewn back together, but not impeccably. It -was- a romance in that it is about a single mother and a man who loves her.

To be perfectly honest, I didn't really care for Ella, the female protagonist, but I loved Beckett (the male lead), and the kids. The bond there was so heartwarming and heartbreaking. I can't go into more without spoilers, but you will cry reading this one.

*** Let me just start out by saying, whatever I say in this review will never be enough good about this book! ***

WHAT AN AMAZING BOOK! (And yes, it deserves the caps there!!)

I have to say hands down this has got the be the best book I have ever read. The impact it leaves on your soul is unmatched by anything I have read so far. Maybe being a mom and a retired military soldiers's spouse helped make me feel so involved with this story, but Rebecca Yarros knows how to write, that is one thing for sure. This story needs to be made into a movie no doubt, but it would be a tear jerker for sure!

The way that this book is presented leaves you feeling a part of this whole world in Telluride. There are letters that start each chapter that are the letters between Beckett and Ella, and one from Ella's brother, Ryan. I love how we got a glimpse into how Beckett and Ella felt for each other while they were writing letters and then we get to see how Beckett is Ella's knight in shining armor per say when he shows up in Telluride. You will quickly fall in love with all the characters of this book and become encompassed in their world. This is one book that once I started, I had to finish. I carried it everywhere with me, appointments, any extra minute in the car that I could steal a few pages and of course to bed staying up way too late.

This is a story that you have to read for yourself. I don't want to give away any piece of it because it is all worth finding out on your own. There were times when I cried and gasped and then there were times when I just felt my heart so full for what was going on with Ella and Beckett. This story has EVERYTHING you could hope for in a good read! You will not regret picking this one up, just be prepared to stop pretty much everything you are doing while you are reading it because you won't be able to put it down. I really hope that Rebecca Yarros gets the credit she is deserved on this one. Excellent job!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy!

Oh, this was a hard book for me to review.
The Pros: The writing is good. The story is interesting, and the pacing is done just right. At least for me. I want the two leads to fall in love and the author does a good job building their relationship, the big reveal, the conflict, and then the final HEA in regards to the couple.

The Cons: There is so much heartache in this story, it caught me off guard. I'm used to reading about difficult situations in romance, but it felt like this book had one too many. So much loss. And it really made it hard for me to enjoy the book because of all the grief. I literally yelled at the book several times, because I was so upset, but not in a cleansing way. More of a why???? did you have to do that??

Yes, there is an HEA at the end, but I felt it should have come with a disclaimer. It read to me like more of a women's fiction than romance, because of all the heartache. With my romances, I really want the demonstrative HEA.

So three stars because the writing is good and there are elements of the romance that are excellent. But I can't give it more because of all the heartache. It just wasn't the book for me.

**** UPDATED ****

The first thing you should probably know is that during my initial reading of this book, I had a sort of visceral reaction to it.

Like, panic reaction. Like, slam the book shut, mark it as DNF, send a note to the publisher apologetically explaining all the reasons my heart couldn't handle this story right now - emotional reaction. It hit me hard, y'all - from nearly the very beginning of the book and I was afraid to keep going.

Then I stepped away and took a breath.
Lots of breaths.
And a little time.

I came back to the book over a month later and was sucked in immediately. I had my big girl pants on, and I rolled with the punches. I'm no stranger to this author. I know she doesn't hold back on the emotional hits, and I love her all the more for it. And for me, there was enough lightness and beauty in the storyline to make enduring those hits worth it.

Mostly.

Until the end.

Y'all, I don't know what to tell you about this book. Objectively speaking it is amazing. It is so beautifully written and so brutal in its honesty. But it left me feeling...bereft. Despite the fact that the ending is technically "happily ever after", there is no emotional high here. I have no giant beaming smile. No warm fuzzy feeling. The ending is more bittersweet than happy, and I'm left feeling wrung out and sad.

So, what does this mean?

It means I have a whole bunch of mixed emotions about this story. Was it beautiful? Yes. Absolutely. This story was so much bigger than a romance. The love in this story was all-encompassing and incredibly powerful. The writing was stellar. The storytelling was compelling. It was gritty and emotional and my heart attached itself completely to Ella and Beckett and every primary and secondary character that surrounded them.

But it hurt. And as someone who reads to escape the hurt, someone who reads to feel good, I'm having a hard time processing it. So, bottom line? If you're not afraid of some intense emotional punches, then do not hesitate to grab some kleenex and pick this one up. Ms. Yarros write a heck of a book, even if this one might not have been for me.

*** ORIGINAL FEEDBACK ***

I have loved - L-O-V-E-D - every single thing I have ever read by this author. I would consider Rebecca Yarros one of my top five favorites. And the writing in this book demonstrates why. From the very first pages it's brimming with emotion, but in a way that was easy to relate to and invest in. I already know that this story is going to be incredible and I already want to dive in, heart and soul, to Beckett and Ella's love story.

Only, that's not going to happen. I'm putting this one down early because - while I think I can easily roll with the punches of the love story - my mama heart can't deal with the other storylines swirling around in this mix.

I want to be a stronger reader than this, but even in the first 10% of the book we're dancing around some hard limits for me. Things I can't read without hurting - and I don't want to hurt or feel anxiety or relate this to my own family life. So, I'm respectfully putting it down. Maybe I can read this someday when my children are grown.

For now, I'll patiently wait for the next book because I will 100% be back for more by this author. I adore the writing, and her gift for storytelling. This is just one story my heart can't handle right now.

Grab tissues and settle in for the long haul because you won't be able to put this one down, and I guarantee you'll finish it crying. But please don't let that stop you from reading this beautifully written, emotionally charged story that now sits on my Favorites Shelf. It's truly an experience - a deeply rooted, character-based story that pushed all my buttons. The title, The Last Letter, is woven into the storyline in more ways than one. I found myself sitting long after I finished - thinking about this story and its relevance. Please avoid all spoilers and read this book. I don't think it'll be the same if you know how the story plays out when you begin.

I'll briefly set up the story by saying that Beckett and Ryan are friends serving in the military - hard-core special ops service men. Ryan suggests to his younger sister Ella that she should write deployment letters to Chaos (Beckett's call name) because he has no one. She begins sharing the highs and lows of her life through letters to Chaos - without ever knowing his real name or seeing a picture of him. Eventually, events lead Chaos to start writing her back, and a life altering connection is gradually forged. As you can tell from the synopsis/blurb, Ryan doesn't make it home, but he leaves a letter for Beckett asking him to take care of his sister, Ella, and her five year old twins, Maisie & Colt. It's complicated as Beckett/Chaos is carrying a lot of guilt and baggage. I'm not going to say more about the story that develops. It has so much more depth and meaning than I first imagined as it explores love, loss, perseverance, survival, heartache, and the trust and courage it takes, in yourself and others, to accept what you can't change and search for a way out of the darkness when your load becomes too heavy. It's a story with great passion exploring the many different connections that occur between different people, and the lasting effect they have on their lives - including the rich rewards and high price of loving with everything you've got. I know I'm being vague, but as I said earlier - there's a reason for that. Read the book. I'll share one quote:

"I'd forgotten what this feels like."
"Being hugged?" My voice was sandpaper-rough.
"Being held together." (Quote from The Last Letter)

I don't want to leave the impression that The Last Letter is all sadness and tears, it's not. There's so much love and laughter in heart-touching scenes with a broken but strong hero and heroine, adorable, scene-stealing children, a protective but lovable military dog named Havoc, passionate romance, and a support cast that lends so much to the telling of the story. The writing is beautiful and the tie-in of the letters, revealed to readers at the beginning of each chapter, is genius. Souls are bared, hearts are lost, tears are shed . . . and hope springs eternal. In my opinion, Yarros does a brilliant job of handling the difficult subject matter thus bringing awareness to a subject near and dear to many parents' hearts. I highly recommend this book. It is on my Favorites Shelf. An undeniable Must Read!

This story is amazing!

A
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I realize it is only January 3rd, but this is my best read of 2019!!!
I have a hard time believing any book can beat this one. It has everything I look for in a wonderful story. Everything! I was happy and sad so many times over while reading this one.

This story starts with Ella and Chaos becoming pen pals. Her brother, Ryan, had asked her to write him because he had no one at home to help keep him grounded. A beautiful friendship develops between the two and both are looking forward to meeting each other in January when him and her brother come to visit while on break. I should mention Chaos and Ryan are best friends.
And then bad happens.
Ella's daughter is diagnosed with an illness, bills are overwhelming her and she loses her brother to war.
And then one day a few months later, Beckett shows up at her 'hotel' and plans to stay for 7 months. He allows her to read the letter her brother left for him explaining how he wanted Beckett to help take care of Ella even when she acts like she doesn't need it. Because she does.

I'm not going to write anymore - I don't want to ruin this story for you.
This author is new to me, but I can assure you I will be reading all her other stories.
I HIGHLY recommend this one!
You will not be disappointed.

this book is a tear jerker. But it is a great book and well written. This book is jam packed with so much love and emotions, I didn’t get much else done while I read this! It’s one that’s not going to be forgotten soon. I wish I could give it more then 5*.

A heartfelt touching journey of lost and love in The Last Letter will be felt by anyone who reads this book. There will be tears of sadness, grief and happiness to go around. I am a military wife and this book really hits home for me and I know other wives and family members of soldiers are going to feel the same way. Ella and Beckett are two people who needed someone and when they start a pen pal relationship their life takes on a new meaning. They both have been through so much in life that they look forward to each letter they receive. Ella is a single mom and business owner all at such a young age. She has been through so much in her short life and life is about to get even more stressful for her. With her brother being deployed, she writes to him asking for another person to write to and he gives her Beckett’s call name (Chaos). When Beckett receives her letter, he is reluctant to read it but one night he can’t take the suspense. After that first letter, they keep on writing and getting to know one another. Each letter brings them closer together and they develop a relationship no one saw coming. Then life gets in the way and Ella and Beckett are hit with blows to their hearts. What happens when tragedies of life keep piling up and all you feel is hopelessness and grief at all turns? Ella and Beckett must find a way to fight through all the heartbreaks in their story to find the other side of happiness.

Rebecca you have made me cry, laugh, and smile through this whole story and that is a feat with me. The Last Letter pulls you in right from the first page with it’s two characters giving you their stories. Then when they come together on paper you can see the friendship brewing but in person their chemistry is intense. The Last Letter is heartachingly sweet and sad. The children in the story brings about a bond you don’t get to see everyday between brother and sister. It’s is a gripping addition to the book and you will find that you want more of them than the adults in the book. This story has some of everything and nothing overshadows, it is a great balance of family, friendship, small town life, second chances, love and grief. When you pick up this book you will not want to put it down because it will hook you right from the first page.

Touching story. Military of any kind pulls at my heart strings in every way imaginable. There is just so much heartfelt feelings there.

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!

This book was so emotionally draining! It was about grief, heartache and love. It was farther into the romance genre than I typically go for, but the focus and characters and family kept me interested. I loved the character development, and the use of letters throughout worked.

I was annoyed with some of the plot points that brought tension. Like with Beckett, I just found myself yelling at him in my head the entire time!

But oh the grief! This book really makes you feel it! Which is cathartic, but make sure you’re emotionally ready!

This is one of my favorite books in some time. Ella writes to a special ops member, Chaos, at the urging of her brother who is in the same company . Ella is raising 6 year old twins, Maisie and Colt and Maisie has just been diagnosed with neuroblastoma. Through their letters, they share their lives and when her brother is killed in action, Ella is left alone until Chaos comes to Telluride to fulfill her brother’s last wish. Only problem is that Chaos gives his real name, not his nickname and Ella doesn’t realize who he is, thinking Chaos also died. But that’s just the beginning and there is so much more to this book that I just can’t give it away. The type of ending you never expected and are truly surprised at and cheer for the underdogs. A MUST read!

I just can’t even describe how much I loved this book. I loved the characters, and walking through their stories. There were some parts that were a little predictable, but some parts that I never saw coming that made up for that. This book took me on an emotional journey that I am so glad I took.

I saw a lot of similarities between myself and Ella, so maybe that’s part of the reason that this book just really struck a chord with me. I wish this story never had to end.