Rebecca Yarros

“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 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

The Last Letter

Eva Marquant

'Besides, regret doesn’t really get us anywhere, does it? There’s no point rehashing things that have happened when we need to move forward.' - Ella

Ms. Mint

“Sometimes you have to leave so you can know what it is you left. You don’t really value something until you’ve lost it.”

“Sometimes bad things happen. And there’s no blame to be placed. You can’t reason with the universe, no matter how sound your logic is. We are imperfect people made that way by an imperfect world, and we don’t always get a say in what shapes us."

KathyDeVries

A soldier falls in love with his battle buddy’s sister through their letters and returns home from Afghanistan with a secret that could destroy their fragile relationship.

no, i have no other words 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

༒︎

✨I’ll save you a seat on the other side, brother, but take your time. Take every single second you can. You are the only brother I would have wished for, and my very best friend. And just in case no one ever told you—you’re worthy. Of love. Of family. Of home.

✨She’d kept me alive. She’d given me gravity when everything went sideways. She’d opened the window to show me another life was possible.

✨There’s no point rehashing things that have happened when we need to move forward.

✨“I didn’t want to lose,” he whispered, like it was a dirty secret. “No one does, Colt. But I can tell you sometimes the losses are just as important as the wins. The wins feel really good and let us celebrate what we did right. But the losses, they teach us more. They teach us to see where we can improve, and yeah, they feel pretty darn bad, and that’s okay.

✨As you get bigger, you’ll see that it’s not how you handle the wins that make you a good man, it’s how you handle the losses.”

✨He had a way of stripping away my defenses, leaving me open to the elements. But I didn’t know how to trust the appearance of sunshine after living in a perpetual hurricane. Not when there was the overwhelming possibility that he was simply the eye of the storm.

✨“I would do anything for you.” His eyes locked onto mine in the dashboard lights, intense and a little hurt. “What is it going to take for you to believe me? To trust me? You want my background checked? Do it. You want my credit score? Awesome. My bank accounts? I’ll add you on. You have my word, my body, my time, and I’m standing here offering my last name. What else can I give you?”

✨“You’re stunning. You don’t need makeup. There has never been a moment since I met you that I saw you as anything less than an incredible, exquisitely beautiful woman. But I understand that you don’t feel the way I see you. So yes, I’m sure.”

✨Time moved slower when you missed the person you love.

✨I’d learned a few months into our relationship that love was mostly about compromise, but it was always about acceptance. There were dozens of little things about him that could annoy the socks off me, and the same went for him, but for the most part, we were who we were, and we loved each other. There was no point trying to change each other, we either wanted to grow or change ourselves, or we didn’t. After you accepted that about someone and still loved them, you were pretty much indestructible.

✨Love for them was the monorail. You are the first person I’ve ever loved, and the first woman who has ever loved me. You’re the roller coaster.”

✨“I had to earn your trust. But you’ve had mine since day one. You already had a key to me. I know the attic door is a little jammed, but just give it some time.”

✨But the months had given me just enough time that every second didn’t belong to my grief. And I knew that time span would only grow. It would never leave entirely, but at least I wasn’t capsizing on that ocean of grief with every heartbeat anymore. The waves still came in. Sometimes they were predictable, like the tide. Other times they hit me with the force of a tsunami, sending me tumbling so deep that I felt like I was at day one again, instead of day 105.

Mariaaa

✨I’ll save you a seat on the other side, brother, but take your time. Take every single second you can. You are the only brother I would have wished for, and my very best friend. And just in case no one ever told you—you’re worthy. Of love. Of family. Of home.

✨She’d kept me alive. She’d given me gravity when everything went sideways. She’d opened the window to show me another life was possible.

✨There’s no point rehashing things that have happened when we need to move forward.

✨“I didn’t want to lose,” he whispered, like it was a dirty secret. “No one does, Colt. But I can tell you sometimes the losses are just as important as the wins. The wins feel really good and let us celebrate what we did right. But the losses, they teach us more. They teach us to see where we can improve, and yeah, they feel pretty darn bad, and that’s okay.

✨As you get bigger, you’ll see that it’s not how you handle the wins that make you a good man, it’s how you handle the losses.”

✨He had a way of stripping away my defenses, leaving me open to the elements. But I didn’t know how to trust the appearance of sunshine after living in a perpetual hurricane. Not when there was the overwhelming possibility that he was simply the eye of the storm.

✨“I would do anything for you.” His eyes locked onto mine in the dashboard lights, intense and a little hurt. “What is it going to take for you to believe me? To trust me? You want my background checked? Do it. You want my credit score? Awesome. My bank accounts? I’ll add you on. You have my word, my body, my time, and I’m standing here offering my last name. What else can I give you?”

✨“You’re stunning. You don’t need makeup. There has never been a moment since I met you that I saw you as anything less than an incredible, exquisitely beautiful woman. But I understand that you don’t feel the way I see you. So yes, I’m sure.”

✨Everything was Ella.

✨Time moved slower when you missed the person you love.

✨I’d learned a few months into our relationship that love was mostly about compromise, but it was always about acceptance. There were dozens of little things about him that could annoy the socks off me, and the same went for him, but for the most part, we were who we were, and we loved each other. There was no point trying to change each other, we either wanted to grow or change ourselves, or we didn’t. After you accepted that about someone and still loved them, you were pretty much indestructible.

✨Love for them was the monorail. You are the first person I’ve ever loved, and the first woman who has ever loved me. You’re the roller coaster.”

✨“I had to earn your trust. But you’ve had mine since day one. You already had a key to me. I know the attic door is a little jammed, but just give it some time.”

✨But the months had given me just enough time that every second didn’t belong to my grief. And I knew that time span would only grow. It would never leave entirely, but at least I wasn’t capsizing on that ocean of grief with every heartbeat anymore. The waves still came in. Sometimes they were predictable, like the tide. Other times they hit me with the force of a tsunami, sending me tumbling so deep that I felt like I was at day one again, instead of day 105.

gabes

Rebecca. When I catch you, Rebecca--

Sobbing mess. 

This book CRUSHED MY SOUL. It absolutely would've been five stars if not for the ending..it feels like RY literally just wrote that ending to make the reader cry. Regardless, I loved this story and the characters. I recommend if you need a book to give your heart a kiss and then light it on fire and then give it a hug and then put it in a blender and so on. 

Jillian Roberts

I’m a sucker for a book that can make me bawl my eyes out as if a close family member has passed and this book did just that. With all the reviews I’ve seen, I went in expecting it BUT nothing could have prepared me for how it broke my heart. This book is phenomenal and one of my favorite reads so far! 

My recommendation is that you drop everything and read it right now!

Sam Sibilia

I’m a sucker for a book that can make me bawl my eyes out as if a close family member has passed and this book did just that. With all the reviews I’ve seen, I went in expecting it BUT nothing could have prepared me for how it broke my heart. This book is phenomenal and one of my favorite reads so far! 

My recommendation is that you drop everything and read it right now!

Literally balled my eyes out the last half of the book 

Erinn Costa

radhika dhawan

i really really loved parts of this book but also really really hated parts of it. so 3 stars it is

alexandria slocum

I am still in tears over this book. I knew it would crush me, but wow, it definitely did the job. Rebecca Yarros first captured me with fourth ring, but this book- wow I have no words. you will easily fall in love with every character and cry as they experience heartbreak and heartbreak, yet won’t be able to put this book down. Ella did bother me at times because girl, you have the best possible man yet you’re pushing him away? ugh. The Last Letter makes you feel every kid of emotion while giving you a good cry. 10/10 book🙌🏻

Well, this book is incredibly sad and will rip your heart out and into 1 million pieces, it tries to put it back together again. Rebecca Yarros is a master at tragedy and tugging on your heart strings. This is my 1st non-fourth wing book by her and I will definitely be going back for more because I'm a glutton for punishment.

Well, this book is incredibly sad and will rip your heart out and into 1 million pieces, it tries to put it back together again. Rebecca Yarros is a master at tragedy and tugging on your heart strings. This is my 1st non-fourth wing book by her and I will definitely be going back for more because I'm a glutton for punishment.

Check 👏🏼 the 👏🏼  CW 👏🏼

I love these books from Rebecca! Beautiful and emotional🥰

Emma Kamer

Didn’t think a military romance was on my bingo card this year but here we are. Writing was solid, characters were cute and the ending was heart breaking. I don’t think it’s anything special but I had a good time. 

Valentina Williams

Phew.
 

That was... I don't know what that was, I'm still processing. All I know is that it's not for the fainthearted. If you want your romance fluffy, this one is definitely not for you. In fact, scratch that, if you want to read just about romance, this one isn't it.

Because this isn't just about romance. It's a heartwrenching story about this woman named Ella, who has been given the shortest end of the stick in this game called life because I can't decide if Fate is a nasty shrew or she just hates Ella that much. And if it's the latter, it's probably justifiable seeing how frustrating of a character Ella is sometimes. 

Anyway, yeah, I'm still processing. This wasn't an easy read. In fact, it was a distressing read. In the end, it left me feeling like my heart has just been scammed, my mind screwed, and like I've just been reduced to a smouldering wreck. 

Still, I can't not give it the 5-star rating it deserves. Because despite all that, this story is also epically beautiful. Rebecca Yarros can write, and that's no secret, but more than that, there are just some profound things in this book that speak to me. 

This book is not for everyone. Some will downright hate it, as many have already done, based on the many 1-star ratings the book has gotten. So, if you decide to give this book a go anyway, I'd say... proceed with caution. Again, this is not just romance, and (if you go into this blindly, without having read any spoilers), it will knock you sideways. But just like me, I hope you'll also be able to see the beauty in the message it's trying to convey, which is, imho, pretty much this:


  
    "Sometimes bad things happen. And there’s no blame to be placed. You can’t reason with the universe, no matter how sound your logic is. We are imperfect people made that way by an imperfect world, and we don’t always get a say in what shapes us."
  



Trigger warning: The ugly consequence of war, death of loved ones, pediatric cancer, death of a child.

Best book I’ve read this year. The ending shocked me and this book for sure changed me

Abby Elmore

celene

dnf @ 77% uggh i know i know im almost finished,,, i just cant take it anymore,,, i was getting bored,,, but i was interested yet im not invested (if that makes sense lol) for awhile then,,, yeah,,, :// the stars are for the kids,,, i wasnt really feeling the mcs,,, there’s just this,,, disconnect,,, maybe it’s just me,,, anyway,, goodbye

Would have been a 5/5 if it wasn't for that goddamn ending. Haven't cried this hard in a long time. Thanks for nothing, Rebecca Yarros.

Devansh Patil

The first book I read by Yarros moved me and had me wanting to read more of her books. A recommendation from a member of the COYER community recommended that I read The Last Letter. She warned me of the possibility of needing a box of Kleenex. Now that was an understatement. The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros is a poignant tale of love, pain, loss, regrets. forgiveness and healing. This story has the power to lift you while leaving you emotionally drained at the end. It will elicit laughter, but it will also cause heartbreak and lead one to shed a multitude of tears. It possesses the power to utterly destroy you, while affording you a glimpse of hope.

At the bittersweet ending of the story, I kept asking myself why did Yarros take that route. Just when I thought all would end well, she ripped the rug from under my feet. The horrible, brutal and painful twist of events came out of left field, knocked me off my feet, left me utterly bereft of words and in Only the callous of hearts would not hurt at the turn of events. I am not sure how soon I will recover, if at all.

One thing is for certain, I will not be forgetting this book soon. Amid the pain and heartbreak, there was beauty and heart in this story. The romance which developed between Ella and Beckett will warm the coldest of hearts. Its authenticity flowed from the pages. Beckett is one of the best romance heroes I have met to date. He made mistakes, and one can relate and understand his reasons for his actions. The steps he took to ensure Ella and her children were cared for warmed my heart

From the very first page, the story pulled me in. I established a connection with the characters and soon they became a part of me. Their pain, triumphs, heartbreak touched me. I loved them all, and they each earned a spot in my heart. 

Now The Last Letter is not for everyone because of the emotional punches it packs. If you are triggered by stories  with cancer and death of a child then avoid, however for readers who are affected by these triggers, then The Last Letter with it beautiful and  poignant storying would make a great addition to your reading list.

Totally Addicted to Reading

The first book I read by Yarros moved me and had me wanting to read more of her books. A recommendation from a member of the COYER community recommended that I read The Last Letter. She warned me of the possibility of needing a box of Kleenex. Now that was an understatement. The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros is a poignant tale of love, pain, loss, regrets. forgiveness and healing. This story has the power to lift you while leaving you emotionally drained at the end. It will elicit laughter, but it will also cause heartbreak and lead one to shed a multitude of tears. It possesses the power to utterly destroy you, while affording you a glimpse of hope.

At the bittersweet ending of the story, I kept asking myself why did Yarros take that route. Just when I thought all would end well, she ripped the rug from under my feet. The horrible, brutal and painful twist of events came out of left field, knocked me off my feet, left me utterly bereft of words and in Only the callous of hearts would not hurt at the turn of events. I am not sure how soon I will recover, if at all.

One thing is for certain, I will not be forgetting this book soon. Amid the pain and heartbreak, there was beauty and heart in this story. The romance which developed between Ella and Beckett will warm the coldest of hearts. Its authenticity flowed from the pages. Beckett is one of the best romance heroes I have met to date. He made mistakes, and one can relate and understand his reasons for his actions. The steps he took to ensure Ella and her children were cared for warmed my heart

From the very first page, the story pulled me in. I established a connection with the characters and soon they became a part of me. Their pain, triumphs, heartbreak touched me. I loved them all, and they each earned a spot in my heart. 

Now The Last Letter is not for everyone because of the emotional punches it packs. If you are triggered by stories  with cancer and death of a child then avoid, however for readers who are affected by these triggers, then The Last Letter with it beautiful and  poignant storying would make a great addition to your reading list.

Tristen D’Amico

Rebecca does it again 😭 LITERALLY RIPPED MY HEART TO SHREDS, I CRIED THE LAST 1/4th of the book. SO GOOD YET SO 😭

Candyce Kirk

The Last Letter isn't your typical romance story and if that's what you're looking for, this book isn't for you! If you're looking for a book that breaks your heart, makes you smile, restores your faith in love, has humor, romance, two great kids and just makes you feel so much, please read this book!

I made the mistake of taking The Last Letter on the train with me when I started it. Within the first four chapters this book had me in tears! This author makes you feel every little thing, of course it helps she's a mother of six and has a husband in the military. She knows what she's talking about and you can feel that in her writing.

The Last Letter is over 400 pages and still wasn't enough (okay, my heart couldn't take much more). I don't want to talk to much about the actual plot, because it's so much more than the blurb. I loved all of the letters we read at the beginning of the chapters. A letter can change your life in more ways than one and this book sends that message clearly.

Ella needs Beckett even though she doesn't want to and Becknett needs her and the children more than he realizes. Maisie and Colt are so cute and play such a crucial role in this book in my opinion. This isn't an instant romance and at times these characters frustrated me so much. Life is short, so why make it so difficult? Both of these characters are so strong, more than they believe!

This book proves that family is more than blood, having faith isn't wrong, life is too short to sweat the small things and to enjoy everything, especially the small moments! The Last Letter was an ugly cry book for me though. Just when I thought things were looking up, the last I'd say 10% of the book came crashing down. I've never cried as much as I did! I had to stop a few times, because I couldn't see the pages anymore!

 The ugly cry is a compliment to this writer, because if an author can make me feel so much for her characters, I'd say that's a job well done. The Last Letter doesn't have the typical happily ever after we're used to, but it's beautiful. Life isn't always happily ever after in the ways we want, so this book fits that perfectly! Life isn't always fair, but it gives us things that make the journey worth it!

Tayler Park

This book has been in my head for the 10 months. It’s a really great book. Made me cry and I loved the romance and the kids. 
I still think about it from time to time. Probably one of my favorite romances ever

Cat Nunez 

This book is so heartbreaking 😭 This was my first read by the author and by the blurb I knew it was going to be a good book but I wasn’t prepared for so much suffering. 

The heroine Ella has lost a lot of people in her life and she finds it difficult to trust people because eventually they all go. Her brother Ryan is in the army so she starts sending letters to a friend of him and we start reading those letters between her and Beckett in between their real interactions after another tragedy strikes her life and he decides to go help her. 
She’s also a single mom to 5-year-old twins and owner of a B&B so she definitely had a lot on her back, especially after she’s hit with devastating news regarding her daughter. Her kids were amazing, I fell in love with them from the beginning and it was so sad reading about Maisie and all she was going through. Her bond with her brother Colt was so special and I loved how close they were.

Beckett joined the army at 18 because he never had family and it was all he knew for 10 years. His pen pal relationship with Ella was the one thing helping him move on from his past and the tragedies he went through. He was an amazing person, he cared a lot for the kids and he definitely was the best dad they could’ve asked for. 

It was really hard reading about Maisie’s treatments and how hard it was for them to stay strong for her. I loved how Beckett always helped Ella and how little by little her walls were crumbling down thanks to him. 

This book had the potential to be a 5-star-read for me but reading the last chapters devastated me. That loss was something I never saw coming and I just wanted for all of them to be happy after all the heartbreak they went through. Ella suffered so much losses and I felt her pain like it was mine, it’s been a while since I’ve cried with a book like I did with this one. That ending was so sad and I wish the author had just made a HEA for the four of them🥺.

It hurts me to DNF this book as Rebecca is one of my favorite authors. The Last Letter is beautifully written. I was connected to the characters. I was totally invested in the story. I made it to 31% before getting a bad feeling and skipping ahead to the end. If something bad was going to happen, I had to gird my loins, so to speak. 

I knew I'd be in for a whirlwind of emotions with this book. I thought I was mentally prepared for them. But, I wasn't. I was here for the budding romance between Ella and Beckett. I loved the idea that her brother had brought them together, even after he died. It was the rest of it that I couldn't take. Spoilers below. 

MAJOR spoilers. Seriously.
Do not read if you don't want to know.

(view spoiler)[In hindsight, I probably should've stopped reading when Ella's daughter Maisie was diagnosed with a rare cancer. I like my romance without characters fighting a disease like cancer. Especially when we're talking kids. BUT, I thought "No, she wouldn't. It'll be a fight, but she'll be ok." In no world did I see what was coming in the last few chapters of the book. I just... can't. If it'd been Maisie, it would've been horrifically sad and I would've been destroyed. But what happened to Colt was inexcusable to me. I don't understand WHY. IMHO, there was absolutely nothing gained by it. I was a disaster reading it and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. Distraught is one word I could use. (hide spoiler)]

I thought MAYBE now that I knew what happened, now that I ripped off the bandaid so to speak, I could go back and read the parts I skipped over. But while I was trying to fall asleep last night, I had second thoughts. I know myself. There's no way I can read more knowing what's coming. 

I won't tell you not to read this book. That's unfair. I know I'm a sensitive reader. There are parts of the book that are gorgeous. Most of what I read was gorgeous, in fact. For me, however, the bad cancelled out the good. I love Rebecca. I support an author's right to tell the story they want to tell, but this one just so isn't for me. This might be unfair, but I felt emotionally manipulated — kinda like when I used to watch This Is Us each week — and while I enjoy emotional reads, this particular variety of angst is not my preference. I like happy endings. It's why I read romance. (view spoiler)[I don't believe there's any true happiness to be found in the tragic death of a child. (hide spoiler)]

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Jolie

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.

The Last Letter

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