This book had the tears flowing and heart hurting. I would say Rebecca Yarros best ever. Second chances are real!

I should've known better after reading the dedication at the beginning of the book that tough times were coming. Yet, I was not prepared for the heartache I felt after reading The Last Letter. My heart was broken in tiny pieces.

The Last Letter was so well written that it felt real. The emotions, the characters, the military romance were all "possible". They had a ring of truth to them.

What's The Last Letter about?

Ella lives in Telluride, Colorado. She runs a Bed and Breakfast place. She's divorced but has a pair of twins, Maisie and Colt. Her brother Ryan is overseas. She doesn't know where he's at but when she asks him if any of the guys in his team needed some mail, Ryan told her to send letters to "Chaos", one of his teammates.

Not too long after establishing a pen pal relationship with Chaos, Ella learns that one of her children is very sick but she doesn't have time to be shocked. She needs to do whatever is necessary to help her child. Then, more devastating news is given to her.

Beckett (Chaos) didn't have a happy childhood. He joined the military and Ryan became his friend but his best friend is his special ops dog. He would do anything for her. After the death of a teammate, Beckett is ready to leave the military and go in search of Ella. When he gets there he doesn't want to tell her he's Chaos. At first, Ella is not happy with someone coming to "watch over" her but after a while, she starts trusting him and caring for him. Her children also get attached to him.

So what could go wrong?

For Ella, lying is not forgivable and as the reader you know, Beckett has been lying to her. It won't be pretty when she learns the truth.

The Last Letter is more than a military romance. It's about loss, regret, sickness, grief, hope, and forgiveness.

Cliffhanger: No

A complimentary copy was provided by Entangled via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 Fangs

The Last Letter is a book that will stay with you for a long time. It weaves an intricate story that binds the lives of people that are bound through a letter. It is heart-wrenching yet inspiring at the same time. It is not the type of romance you probably will be expecting. It is a romance based on the story telling not the people in the story. From the first page you feel for all the characters and you will not want to put it down.

I hope that if you decide to pick up this book it will talk to you as it did for me.


** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review**

I was able to read this ebook through NetGalley!

Romance a la Nicholas Sparks— I DNF it. I was cringing so much at the dialogue and the stereotypical characters. Just not my type of book.

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.

It was very difficult to write the book review or I came to the conclusion of what note I should give because this book has brought me many conflicting feelings.

When I read the synopsis of the book I expected drama and an emotional book and the author gives us just that. But I think it has a level for drama and in my opinion here had an unnecessary excess of unnecessary dramas and only with the intention of adding more drama to the lives of these characters, as if they had not gone past enough.

So, despite having enjoyed the author's writing, the main characters and the relationship built by them and generally finding that the book was good, where the author added more drama (which I felt was unnecessary and heartbreaking), it was which motivated my note.So I can only say that I like the author and hope to see more of her books in the future but this book unfortunately didn't work for me.

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.

As soon as I read the synopsis for The Last Letter, I knew I had to read it. The synopsis itself brought tears to my eyes. It had everything I crave in a book. So many feels!
The check list includes:
✅ A wonderful single mom of 2 kids
✅ A smoking hot Soldier
✅ A lovable dog

The Last Letter is my first Rebecca Yarros book and hot damn, she has made an impact on me. Her talent is evident. This book was beautifully written with loveable and memorable characters. All of it touched me deeply. The often heartwrenching storyline put me through the ringer. I love angst and drama and this book had me in tears right from the start. I was delighted with how well fleshed out the storyline was. Nothing was glossed over. There were many peaks and valleys throughout. The budding love story between Beckett & Ella had filled me with hope and finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I was honestly LOVING IT and I was totally invested. Then something happened and I nearly DNFed. I wanted to put the book down. I was that shocked! I kept thinking, this is NOT happening.... Why? Why? Why? It made no sense to me. I did however pull myself together and finish it. I found the epilogue beautiful, but it still did not erase what happened. My heart is still a mess over it.

It was a 5 star... Now I'm thinking 3.5 or 4. I think Rebecca should put a warning or trigger.

There it is … read the blurb … start crying now. But, don’t stop reading after the blurb. Keep reading The Last Letter. I promise, guarantee you, you will not be disappointed in the least. This is the most beautiful emotional, extraordinary, haunting, gut-wrenching story that Rebecca Yarros has written.

Beckett and Ella. There is no way to describe them, their relationship, what they meant to each other before and after the last letter. Beckett had a tortured past. Ella was having a tortured present. He has a secret, she’s an open book. Together they could overcome all odds. Apart, the ghosts haunt and life is truly difficult. But, as the story continues and we really get to know both of them and the children, you know that life is either going to tear them apart or solidify their love. Read on to find out how life does both.

I was not surprised with how wonderful this story was. Rebecca Yarros knows how to breath life into her characters and embed them into your heart. Her writing is amazing. She knows how to write emotions and brings them across so fluently that you can’t help but feel them. I have not idea how to get across what this book did to me. Yes, I cried. But, I smiled too. There were so many poignant moments that will have your heart breaking only to have it patched back together again later in the story. But, honestly, this book took a lot of out of me. There was no possible way to pick up another book to start reading. It took me several days to even think about reading something else. I sat and thought about this story and wondered how people make it through what they went through. I thought about our Military families and cried for those that were left behind. I was truly lethargic when I finished reading The Last Letter for the first time. Yes, I actually read it a second time. I didn’t want to stop … I didn’t want it to end. I knew that I would ugly cry again but I had to reread it. I can honestly say that this is one of the best stories that I have ever read. I know that it will be number one on my Best Reads of 2019. Don’t miss out on this beautiful, perfect story that deserves more than 5 stars.

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 not even sure where to start... This book has affected me in ways I can't even describe, and I can't put together a short summary/synopsis because I know I would never do this story justice. The love between Beckett and Ella is so pure, so amazing, and so beautifully written. Yarros has captured love and passion between two people like I've never seen in a book. Add in the love both Ella and Beckett have for Ella's twin children, Maisie and Colt, and the five-star rating isn't enough. The way Beckett becomes a dad to those kids, and how they loved him in return, left me speechless. The way Beckett loves Ella with all that he is and all that he has, left me breathless. The way Ella is able to be so strong in such painful and trying moments, left me in awe. And the grief they all share, that left me absolutely devastated. I found myself with butterflies in my stomach for Beckett and Ella's love, with tears in my eyes for each struggle and loss they suffered through, and with my body humming with nervousness more times than I can count. I cannot do justice for how incredibly moving this book is. It's going to stay with me a long, long time. I'm not even sure how to pick up another book after this...

No Rating

*******SPOILERS DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW******************



Sorry. I can't do it. DNF at 9% That's right 9%. Why you ask at only 9% would I quit on a book. Well let me tell you. I signed up for a heart melting and maybe a little breaking book about two army friends and one dying and the other taking care of the dead one's sister. I knew going into this the brother would die. But 7% into it and I could already see where this book was going and I didn't like it. Still I held out hope. At 9% when the drs tell Ella that her 5 year old daughter has a very aggressive and advanced cancer, I stopped reading and headed to goodreads for some spoilers. Because I knew, I just KNEW that a child was gonna die. Sure enough Three spoiler reviews later and I knew I could not finish this book. NOPE! I can read dark, dark books. I can handle rape, torture, murder, dead, sadness you name it but I can't do children's deaths. I just can't it's a hard red line for me. I don't want to read a book that makes me depressed.

I'm a mom of a child who has lots of health issues. I remember sitting in the hospital waiting as my son at one years old, got MRIs CAT scans to see if a brain tumor was causing his seizures and it was one of the worst time of my life. Thank the Lord he didn't have a tumor, but he still has PVL, epilepsy, and mild CP. I don't want to be reminded of that time in my life when I sat around wondering what was wrong with my baby. Doing the what ifs. I don't want to live that kind of sadness. Also I want to just add a small note to all authors. I understand that no one wants to give away spoilers in their books, and I am not a reader that thinks everything should have a trigger warning but when it comes to child death I think there should be a small warning on the synopsis. I don't know how it can be worded so that it doesn't give away major plot lines, but as a reader I felt blindsided by this book. I have to say that if I had read the whole book I would have been mad. If I had known there was a child's death in this book I would never had requested it from netgalley. I hate DNFing books, but I just can't with this subject!

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion. The Last Letter is the most emotionally riveting book I have read so far this year.

A soldier and a single mom connect via letters and soon the soldier returns but doesn’t tell her who he is.. I also love how the author intertwined the letters throughout the whole story. This love story was so touching and even though there was much heartache it had a very nice ending.

Five stars!

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 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


*********************************************************************************************

Review

This was the BEST book that Rebecca Yarros has written EVER!!! I literally cried from start to finish which also made me hate her a little. However, people don't realize what's given up as a military family. There are so many things that are in this book that just makes you want to read it again and again. I am not giving anything away but there are some really sad parts in this book so get your kleenex ready because you're going to need it. At one point, I had to put it down and take a breather because I was so overwhelmed by the story...it was THAT good. Pick this up and you will not be sorry. This is actually one book that I signed up immediately to get a signed book.

I’m going to be completely honest and say that I’m really torn about how I feel about this book. On the one hand, I really enjoyed most of the book. Then again, there are two really big things that bothered me.

Lying to protect the other person, or lying for any reason really, has become a really big pet peeve of mine in romance books. I struggled with that in this book. Whether it is lying by omission or straight up lying, it’s just not necessary. Beckett was holding something back from Ella because he was certain that if she ever learned the truth then she’d kick him out and never speak to him again. Well, the truth always has a way of coming out. Ella wasn’t angry about the truth that Beckett was hiding/keeping from her. She was angry because he LIED. Especially in this case, you don’t lie to a woman that already has trust issues. Ella and Beckett lost a pretty good amount of time together because of this. Not only that, but Beckett and the kids lost precious time together as well. It was just such a huge waste and could have been avoided.

My second thing that really bothered me is the tragedy near the end of the book. This entire book was full of one tragedy after another, but you could at least see where they fit into the story. This last one didn’t need to happen. There was no reason for it. It definitely had the emotional impact that I’m sure was intended though. I don’t remember the last time I cried that hard while reading a book. After reading those heart wrenching words, I literally put the book down, threw my head back, and sobbed for a long time. I had to calm myself down before I could pick the book back up and finish it.

With all of that said though, there were still many parts of the book that I loved. I enjoyed getting to see Ella and Beckett getting to know each other through their letters. Other than Beckett not being upfront about things from the start, he was a good character. I love how devoted and determined he was to show Ella that he wasn’t going to leave, even after she sent him away. Colt and Maisie were amazing kids. Their bond warmed my heart so much. I don’t have any siblings of my own, so I always enjoy reading about strong sibling bonds like these. Ella was amazingly brave and strong for everything that she had to go through. I literally don’t know how she was able to handle all of it.

This book was raw, gritty, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and real all at the same time.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sandy M’s review of The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
Contemporary Romance published by Entangled: Amara 26 Feb 19

My heavens, this book punches you in the gut and doesn’t let up until the end. Loss, grief, guilt, deception, lust, and yes, love is entwined in every page of this story. I picked it up because I like the cover. There’s something quite poignant about those dog tags alone in the sand, all the while letting you know there’s more to the story when you finally see the couple in the background. I had no idea, however, of everything that would be thrown at Ella and Beckett – and me.


Ella has suffered plenty of loss in her young life – her parents, though that wasn’t as devastating as the loss of her grandparents; then her brother went into the military where he’s worlds away and her husband of very short duration walked out when he learned she was having twins. Neither one of them ever looked back. Ella got the better end of the deal, of course, with Colt and Maisie, her endearing and entertaining children. Ryan, her brother, has hooked her up as a pen pal to one of his brothers-in-arms. And this is how they get to know one another from the beginning of the story, writing letters and revealing more and more little by little.

Chaos – his call sign – at first doesn’t really want anything to do with a pen pal, even if it is his best bud’s little sister. But eventually he answers her first letter and the world begins to change for him. He’s never been a people person, never been loved, always moved from foster home to foster home as a kid, so the service has been a blessing for him. When his world really does explode and he knows he can’t stay in the Middle East any longer, Chaos gets out. He’s emotionally spent and feels he can’t face Ella, despite the fact she’s the one who would help him most. He just has too many secrets.

But one day a soldier shows up on her doorstep, when she’s still dealing with her new loss, someone who served with her brother. She tries to take Beckett with a grain of salt, but the man says he’s there to stay, to help in any way he can. But as far as Ella is concerned, men don’t stay. So Beckett is out to prove her wrong. And he does an admirable job of that vow. So much so you can see the love blossom between them. Especially when tragic circumstances hit Ella again. This time it’s little Maisie who will pull your heart strings so you end up misty-eyed. Through it all, Beckett stays by Ella’s side, giving her miracle after miracle.

Until it all falls part, because his deception has to come to light, of course. What I love the most about him is, even then, he doesn’t leave. Which is the best thing that could ever happen to Ella, because the hits keep on coming, and the last one is the worst of them all, and I couldn’t believe it happened. Of course, the human spirit survives even the worst, and this part of the story is lovely and wonderful despite the world changing for them all once again.

I love Ella and Beckett. And Colt and Maisie. They’re all wonderfully written. The story is heart-wrenching and full of hope at the same time. And even though you feel like happy will never make a visit again, that’s when these characters show you honor and resilience no matter what. And in the middle of that is love. To me, Beckett is the one who epitomizes love in this book.

I hope you will read this one.

Grade: A

As an avid relationship angst romantic reader, I’m used to a punch or two to the heart. Honestly, I can take it, folks. What I have no desire in handling is overkill of tragedy after tragedy after tragedy heaped onto the main couple, especially when it is completely unnecessary to do so. I want to feel uplifted by the end, not filled with sadness and despair.

I wish this author continued writing success and hope others enjoy this book. For me, the choices she made, especially near the end, were the last straw. This type of depressing content is not what I want or expect in my romantic reads.

Title: The Last Letter, Author: Rebecca Yarros, Pages: 432, NetGalley ARC, too depressing for my taste.

(I received an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for these comments, nor is there any affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)

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

I don't really have the words to say how wonderful and haunting this book is. Once you start reading this book, you are drawn in and are heartbroken when it ends. So very wonderful.

Let me just say... if you love heart wrenching, thought provoking, emotionally charged novels. this one is right up your alley. A letter... a last letter signed by a dead soldier to his best friend pleading with him to go take care of his little sister. A best friend devastated by the loss of his friend and in need of someone, going to mourn with the only family his best friend left behind... a novel that will have you crying ugly and reaching for a box of tissues.... WOW!