What do you think?
Rate this book
Alles, was ich geben kann: The Last Letter
Ella hätte nie gedacht, dass sie als Brieffreundin eines anonymen Soldaten in diesem einen wahren Freund finden würde. Dennoch entwickelt sich eine tiefe Zuneigung zwischen ihr und "Chaos" � vielleicht sogar mehr. Dann treffen Ella mehrere schwere Schicksalsschläge und als auch die Briefe von »Chaos« ausbleiben, muss sie glauben, dass sie allein auf der Welt ist.
Obwohl er sie nicht persönlich kennt, hat Beckett alias "Chaos" sich in die Frau hinter den Briefen verliebt. Ella, die Schwester seines besten Freundes. Als dieser im Gefecht fällt, bittet er Beckett Ella beizustehen. Beckett wird alles tun, um Ella zu unterstützen, aber er wird ihr niemals sagen können, wer er wirklich ist, und Ella hasst nichts mehr als Lügen.
Obwohl er sie nicht persönlich kennt, hat Beckett alias "Chaos" sich in die Frau hinter den Briefen verliebt. Ella, die Schwester seines besten Freundes. Als dieser im Gefecht fällt, bittet er Beckett Ella beizustehen. Beckett wird alles tun, um Ella zu unterstützen, aber er wird ihr niemals sagen können, wer er wirklich ist, und Ella hasst nichts mehr als Lügen.
Audible Audio
First published February 26, 2019
37.2k people are currently reading
349k people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Yarros
57books163kfollowersRebecca Yarros is a hopeless romantic and coffee addict. She is the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels, including Fourth Wing, The Last Letter and The Things We Leave Unfinished. She’s also the recipient of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence for Eyes Turned Skyward. Rebecca loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years. A mother of six, she is currently surviving the teenage years with all four of her hockey-playing sons.
Want to know about Rebecca’s next release? Check her out online at .
Want to know about Rebecca’s next release? Check her out online at .
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38,031 reviews
February 24, 2019
This book slayed the hell out of me.
A couple of things you should know about me and reading:
1. I do most of my reading on a treadmill or just before I go to sleep.
2. I cry at pretty much every Disney movie. I also cried all the way through the movie Wonder.
As someone who writes primarily romantic comedy I enjoy a good angsty read that makes me tear up. That being said, I cried through a good 50% of this book, which as you might have guessed, makes running and reading nearly impossible and also slightly dangerous. Also, crying in public as an adult is embarrassing.
Hence the reason I had to stop reading on the treadmill. Instead I found myself staying up way too late, trying to silent-cry beside my blissfully oblivious and happily snoring husband so I could finish the heartbreakingly gorgeous story.
I’ve tried to talk to no fewer than half a dozen people about this book and I’ve choked up every time and done that flaily hand thing where I wave it in front of my face as if that’s going to help keep my emotions from leaking out of my eyes.
The Last Letter isn’t just a romance, although there are certainly all the romantic elements that get your heart racing, starting with Beckett Gentry who is absolutely gorgeous and also absolutely broken. He’s the most swoon worthy hero in the history of Alpha(ish) heroes.
But beyond the hero you will most definitely fall in love with, is a story that is so heartbreaking I often had to read a chapter and set the book down so I could just . . . breathe for a minute. Ella, our heroine is just as broken as our hero, she’s lost her entire family, her brother and as if she hasn’t been through enough already, she’s dealt yet another blow that could devastate her entire world.
I don’t think I’ve read a story with so many threads crossing over each other, such an intricate series of lives and events that have brought these two lost souls to each other. I’ve never been so gutted, so heart wrenchingly devastated and just so mesmerized by the incredible storytelling, and the emotional knife that I was balanced on so precariously throughout the entire story.
The Last Letter is so much more than a romance. It’s a testament to the strength of bonds forged from trauma and loyalty. It’s an exploration of motherhood and the importance of family. But above all, it’s a story of survival, forgiveness, and the healing power of unconditional love.
It's been nearly a month since I finished reading The Last Letter and I still tear up when I think about it. I'm forever changed by this story. Arm yourself with tissues and some chocolate and I'll hold your hand through the experience.
A couple of things you should know about me and reading:
1. I do most of my reading on a treadmill or just before I go to sleep.
2. I cry at pretty much every Disney movie. I also cried all the way through the movie Wonder.
As someone who writes primarily romantic comedy I enjoy a good angsty read that makes me tear up. That being said, I cried through a good 50% of this book, which as you might have guessed, makes running and reading nearly impossible and also slightly dangerous. Also, crying in public as an adult is embarrassing.
Hence the reason I had to stop reading on the treadmill. Instead I found myself staying up way too late, trying to silent-cry beside my blissfully oblivious and happily snoring husband so I could finish the heartbreakingly gorgeous story.
I’ve tried to talk to no fewer than half a dozen people about this book and I’ve choked up every time and done that flaily hand thing where I wave it in front of my face as if that’s going to help keep my emotions from leaking out of my eyes.
The Last Letter isn’t just a romance, although there are certainly all the romantic elements that get your heart racing, starting with Beckett Gentry who is absolutely gorgeous and also absolutely broken. He’s the most swoon worthy hero in the history of Alpha(ish) heroes.
But beyond the hero you will most definitely fall in love with, is a story that is so heartbreaking I often had to read a chapter and set the book down so I could just . . . breathe for a minute. Ella, our heroine is just as broken as our hero, she’s lost her entire family, her brother and as if she hasn’t been through enough already, she’s dealt yet another blow that could devastate her entire world.
I don’t think I’ve read a story with so many threads crossing over each other, such an intricate series of lives and events that have brought these two lost souls to each other. I’ve never been so gutted, so heart wrenchingly devastated and just so mesmerized by the incredible storytelling, and the emotional knife that I was balanced on so precariously throughout the entire story.
The Last Letter is so much more than a romance. It’s a testament to the strength of bonds forged from trauma and loyalty. It’s an exploration of motherhood and the importance of family. But above all, it’s a story of survival, forgiveness, and the healing power of unconditional love.
It's been nearly a month since I finished reading The Last Letter and I still tear up when I think about it. I'm forever changed by this story. Arm yourself with tissues and some chocolate and I'll hold your hand through the experience.
January 21, 2024
SPOILERS AHEAD
The tragedy in this story is overkill. I expected it to be emotional and even upsetting. Her brother, a special ops soldier, had just died during his assignment, she grew up without her parents - they'd died when she was a toddler, her grandmother has passed away only a short time ago. Then another strike - she learned that her daughter had cancer. This all in itself is a lot to deal with for a single mom. And I would have been fine with Ella dealing with her lot.
But: in the last ten percent she had to deal with another loss, one that totally blindsided the reader - it came completely out of no-where and added nothing to the story or the character growth. And that made me so freaking mad, I can't even. This last tragedy was added only for tragedy's sake, for it to become a sobfest and I really think it was a cheap shot only for the benefit to make more money.
I also didn't think it was realistic. I know nothing in life is guaranteed but this really went overboard with tragic themes. Did Rebecca Yarros have a list she could check off the tragedies?
I know there will be people who will enjoy The Last Letter but I wasn't one of them.
This book should come with a trigger warning. There are mothers out there who have to deal with the loss of a child or whose children are battling cancer. They shouldn't go into this book without knowing what to expect.
The tragedy in this story is overkill. I expected it to be emotional and even upsetting. Her brother, a special ops soldier, had just died during his assignment, she grew up without her parents - they'd died when she was a toddler, her grandmother has passed away only a short time ago. Then another strike - she learned that her daughter had cancer. This all in itself is a lot to deal with for a single mom. And I would have been fine with Ella dealing with her lot.
But: in the last ten percent she had to deal with another loss, one that totally blindsided the reader - it came completely out of no-where and added nothing to the story or the character growth. And that made me so freaking mad, I can't even. This last tragedy was added only for tragedy's sake, for it to become a sobfest and I really think it was a cheap shot only for the benefit to make more money.
I also didn't think it was realistic. I know nothing in life is guaranteed but this really went overboard with tragic themes. Did Rebecca Yarros have a list she could check off the tragedies?
I know there will be people who will enjoy The Last Letter but I wasn't one of them.
This book should come with a trigger warning. There are mothers out there who have to deal with the loss of a child or whose children are battling cancer. They shouldn't go into this book without knowing what to expect.
February 22, 2019
4.5 stars
Wear waterproof mascara while reading this book. Seriously, waterproof mascara and tissues. If you need a good cry, read this book. Anyone remember seeing Tammy Taye Bakker cry with mascara running down her face on TV? That was pretty much me while reading this book. Cry-a-rama occurred at my house today.
So yeah, I bawled. I also really enjoyed this book that ripped my heart out. Plus, this was a romance book folks. Geeze Louise is all I can say. This one had heart and soul. The long and short of it is that Ryan and Chaos (Beckett) are best friends serving in the military. Ryan decided to have Beckett write to his sister Ella (and vice versa) as Beckett did not have any family and received no letters. So, a pen pal relationship began. Beckett is used to being alone but loves receiving the letters as he learns that being connected to another person is not a bad thing. That it is possible to connect with someone he has never met.
Ella is a single mother to twins who is devastated when her daughter is diagnosed with Cancer. She is trying to hold it all together, take care of her children, fight with insurance, run a business and write to Chaos (Beckett). She is used to doing everything on her own, but maybe this time, she might need someone to hold her up and lessen her burden.
WOWZA! Is all I can say. This book is told in the present and each chapter also has a letter either written to Chaos from Ella or to Ella from Chaos. When Beckett shows up at her door, the reader knows he is Chaos, but Ella does not. As I stated this is a romance, but it is also so much more.
I inhaled this book and I am so glad I did not mull over too many reviews before reading this. The reviews are mixed, and I get it. This is an emotional book which leaves the reader wondering, just how much more can one person take? The main characters in this book are extremely like-able and I rooted for every single one. Which is what pulls on the heartstrings during this book. Their actions and reactions felt real and believable. Ella and Beckett are both good people, the kids are adorable and Havoc, the retired Military dog could warm anyone's heart. Yarros knows how to write characters that will steal the readers heart, right before she rips it out, then places it back in your chest.
The writing was also wonderful and pulled me into this story and deposited me in Telluride next to the lake. So, I mentioned the crying, but it's not all sad. There are happy moments and fun moments. Moments I wanted to cheer with the characters and moments I was happy that good things were finally happening. But this book is about the good times and the love that can come out of heartache. It is about loss, family, love, falling in love, responsibility, grief, heartache and hope. The Author tackles may heavy subjects in this book with grace. This is a gritty, soft, warm, emotional, devastating, sad, hopeful, heartbreaking, sweet and riveting book. I could not put this book down.
Loved this book. I have a feeling I will be thinking about this book for some time. Romance/women's fiction/cry fest...call it what you want. I thought it was fantastic and boy did it pull at my heartstrings.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Wear waterproof mascara while reading this book. Seriously, waterproof mascara and tissues. If you need a good cry, read this book. Anyone remember seeing Tammy Taye Bakker cry with mascara running down her face on TV? That was pretty much me while reading this book. Cry-a-rama occurred at my house today.
So yeah, I bawled. I also really enjoyed this book that ripped my heart out. Plus, this was a romance book folks. Geeze Louise is all I can say. This one had heart and soul. The long and short of it is that Ryan and Chaos (Beckett) are best friends serving in the military. Ryan decided to have Beckett write to his sister Ella (and vice versa) as Beckett did not have any family and received no letters. So, a pen pal relationship began. Beckett is used to being alone but loves receiving the letters as he learns that being connected to another person is not a bad thing. That it is possible to connect with someone he has never met.
Ella is a single mother to twins who is devastated when her daughter is diagnosed with Cancer. She is trying to hold it all together, take care of her children, fight with insurance, run a business and write to Chaos (Beckett). She is used to doing everything on her own, but maybe this time, she might need someone to hold her up and lessen her burden.
WOWZA! Is all I can say. This book is told in the present and each chapter also has a letter either written to Chaos from Ella or to Ella from Chaos. When Beckett shows up at her door, the reader knows he is Chaos, but Ella does not. As I stated this is a romance, but it is also so much more.
I inhaled this book and I am so glad I did not mull over too many reviews before reading this. The reviews are mixed, and I get it. This is an emotional book which leaves the reader wondering, just how much more can one person take? The main characters in this book are extremely like-able and I rooted for every single one. Which is what pulls on the heartstrings during this book. Their actions and reactions felt real and believable. Ella and Beckett are both good people, the kids are adorable and Havoc, the retired Military dog could warm anyone's heart. Yarros knows how to write characters that will steal the readers heart, right before she rips it out, then places it back in your chest.
The writing was also wonderful and pulled me into this story and deposited me in Telluride next to the lake. So, I mentioned the crying, but it's not all sad. There are happy moments and fun moments. Moments I wanted to cheer with the characters and moments I was happy that good things were finally happening. But this book is about the good times and the love that can come out of heartache. It is about loss, family, love, falling in love, responsibility, grief, heartache and hope. The Author tackles may heavy subjects in this book with grace. This is a gritty, soft, warm, emotional, devastating, sad, hopeful, heartbreaking, sweet and riveting book. I could not put this book down.
Loved this book. I have a feeling I will be thinking about this book for some time. Romance/women's fiction/cry fest...call it what you want. I thought it was fantastic and boy did it pull at my heartstrings.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 17, 2024
Hey so I cried harder reading this than I have in months. Good good.
January 29, 2019
If you've read this book then you know that the last 10% are garbage.
February 26, 2019
*I'm still having such a hard time with this book, weeks later. I originally wasn't going to give this a star rating, or post my review on any retail sites, but that honestly goes against everything I'm always preaching about when it comes to reviews. I think it's unfair to other readers if all they see is glowing praise. And yes, everyone will relate and react to a book in different ways, but that's exactly why we shouldn't be afraid to post our thoughts, even if they are the complete opposite of everyone else. Just because someone adored a story doesn't negate the fact that I, or other readers, will have the complete opposite reaction. While I will not be posting what's under my spoiler tag on any of the other sites, I will be sharing some of my thoughts and feelings, and that this book was a journey I wish I had never taken.
Nope, nope, nope.
I'm about to go drink a big bottle of wine to try and block this book from my memory.
Days later and I'm still so angry about this book. I wish I could delete it from my memory as easily as it was deleted from my Kindle.
Nope, nope, nope.
I'm about to go drink a big bottle of wine to try and block this book from my memory.
Days later and I'm still so angry about this book. I wish I could delete it from my memory as easily as it was deleted from my Kindle.
Read
July 10, 2021No 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, death, 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!
Read
November 10, 2023� 𝟧 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗌
“𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚� 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣’� 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫� 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙩.�
this review is gonna be so hard for me to write because this book truly shattered my heart into pieces, i love this book with my whole heart. everything about this book isn’t fair, but that’s life. 💔
“𝙄� 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧� 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨, 𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙝, 𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙝. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩-𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙞𝙩. 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’�.�
summary;
𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘁 met his best friend 𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗻 in the army. ryan is the closest thing to a family beckett has ever had, well except for beckett’s work dog 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗰. one day beckett gets a letter from ryan’s little sister 𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮, and ryan insists on beckett answering back, so he does. beckett and ella have never met, but they fall in love through each other's words. until one day when ryan gets killed in the field, and everything changes. ryan’s last letter is also his last wish, and he wishes for beckett to go back and take care of ella and her kids for him, now that he can’t. problem is just that for beckett to make ryan’s last wish come true, he can’t go back as the man ella knows him as “𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀�, he has to go back as 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 a complete stranger to ella.
𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮 became a mother at the age of 19, her so-called “fiancé� left her during pregnancy. ella was pregnant with two angles 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝘁 and 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗲, god bless those kids. when ella’s fiancé 𝗷𝗲𝗳𝗳 left her, he didn’t just leave her with two kids to raise on her own, he also left her with major trust issues. so all of a sudden when this “stranger� stands at ella’s workplace and reserves a hotel room for 7 months, and tells her he’s in town to help her, because that was her brother's last wish, she doesn’t know what to do.
characters;
𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 / 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀 ❤️�
my sweet man. god, i love beckett with my whole heart. he deserves to finally be happy and have a family. this man would do anything and everything for ella, maisie and colt. this man used to say he wasn’t sure he’d want kids because he didn’t have a dad, he had a father but not a dad. but the way he was with maisie and colt was incredibly humbling, so many men / fathers could learn from this man. he loved maisie and colt so effortlessly, and he loved them as if they were his own. don’t even get me started on ella and beckett, because gosh this man would do anything to see ella smile.
“𝙄𝙩’� 𝙤𝙠𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧� 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚. 𝙄𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧.�
𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗲 🫂
this woman is living every mother’s worst nightmare. and my heart goes out to every mother who has experienced anything like ella, because idk how ella made it through all that, i don’t think i would’ve tbh. ella’s daughter maisie was diagnosed with cancer, they found a tumor in her hip i think (correct me if i’m wrong) the way ella made sure to always be there for both maisie and colt was amazing, she’s such a great, loving mother. not only was there a big chance for her daughter maisie to die, but she also received a letter from the army telling her that her brother / best friend had died in the field. everything ella went through was so unfair because she truly couldn’t do anything about it.
“𝙄’� 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚, 𝙄’� 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙮.�
𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 / 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗲 ❤️�
my precious little girl, gosh girl is so fucking strong. she fought cancer like it was her bitch, and i love her for it. while I read about maisie fighting cancer i thought to myself “she’s somebody’s little girl� and that thought had me bawling my eyes out at 3am. because life can be so unfair. maisie went through so much in just a year or two, she fought for her life every second of the day. i prayed for this little girl in every page of the book. maisie’s journey made me so fucking emotional, especially because i myself lost someone to cancer, and i know many others have too. and i’m so proud of this little fighter.
“𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨� 𝙄’� 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧𝙨. 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩’� 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙧� 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙡� 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙪𝙥.�
𝗰𝗼𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 / 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝘁 👼🏼
my little angel boy. every time i think about colt i cry. this little man deserves everything and more. seeing this little man watching his twin sister fight for her life every day was so unfair. colt is probably the sweetest and most humble kid I’ve ever read about. colt’s relationship with havoc (beckett’s dog) was so touching to me (i’m a dog human through and through) dogs are truly the human's best friend, and this book really showed a perfect picture of the friendship between agood human and a dog. colt was such a clever boy, some of the things he said, god you’d think he was 60 years old or something. i feel robbed after the ending of this book, colt deserved so much better ! 💔
“𝙄� 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚?�
“𝙒𝙝𝙖� 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚?�
“𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣� 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙙?�
you know how i said i wanted a book to break my heart ? well, you best believe i got what i wanted. i can’t stop looking at the book, and every time i look at the book i just feel so empty. i feel like everything is so unfair because this book isn’t just fiction, it’s real life for some people. and my heart goes out to everyone who’s either a beckett, ella, maisie, or colt in real life <3
“𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨� 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙢𝙮 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚.�
now i need to know who thought the ending was a good idea / plot twist ?!because i hope your pillow is warm on each side ! the ending broke my heart like it’s never been broken before. i’d do anything for a different ending of this book, but at the same time, i see why they decided to go with this ending. the ending made this book real because everything in life isn’t always as you think it’s gonna be, sometimes unfair things happen to people who don’t deserve it.
“� 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨, 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙩. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚.�
i’m not gonna list the tropes in this book, because that would be a spoiler. but if you’re a mother i’d recommend you look the tropes up before reading this book, because it will most definitely break your heart.
romantic moments between beckett and ella;
“𝙂𝙤�, 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧.�
“𝙔𝙤𝙪’� 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚?�
“𝙄’� 𝙙𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪.�
“𝙄’� 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙀𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚.�
“� 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧.�
songs / lyrics;
𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝘆 𝘅 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗿𝘀
� 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯, 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦
‘𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴� 𝘪’� 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺
𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 �
𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗵
� ‘𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴� 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴
𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 �
𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗲
� 𝘪’� 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯� 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’� 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦
𝘪 𝘥𝘰𝘯’� 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘣𝘺𝘦, ‘𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴� 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘹-𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘵’� 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘳
𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪 𝘢𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 �
“𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚� 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣’� 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫� 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙩.�
this review is gonna be so hard for me to write because this book truly shattered my heart into pieces, i love this book with my whole heart. everything about this book isn’t fair, but that’s life. 💔
“𝙄� 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧� 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨, 𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙝, 𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙝. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩-𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙞𝙩. 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’�.�
summary;
𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘁 met his best friend 𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗻 in the army. ryan is the closest thing to a family beckett has ever had, well except for beckett’s work dog 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗰. one day beckett gets a letter from ryan’s little sister 𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮, and ryan insists on beckett answering back, so he does. beckett and ella have never met, but they fall in love through each other's words. until one day when ryan gets killed in the field, and everything changes. ryan’s last letter is also his last wish, and he wishes for beckett to go back and take care of ella and her kids for him, now that he can’t. problem is just that for beckett to make ryan’s last wish come true, he can’t go back as the man ella knows him as “𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀�, he has to go back as 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 a complete stranger to ella.
𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮 became a mother at the age of 19, her so-called “fiancé� left her during pregnancy. ella was pregnant with two angles 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝘁 and 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗲, god bless those kids. when ella’s fiancé 𝗷𝗲𝗳𝗳 left her, he didn’t just leave her with two kids to raise on her own, he also left her with major trust issues. so all of a sudden when this “stranger� stands at ella’s workplace and reserves a hotel room for 7 months, and tells her he’s in town to help her, because that was her brother's last wish, she doesn’t know what to do.
characters;
𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 / 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀 ❤️�
my sweet man. god, i love beckett with my whole heart. he deserves to finally be happy and have a family. this man would do anything and everything for ella, maisie and colt. this man used to say he wasn’t sure he’d want kids because he didn’t have a dad, he had a father but not a dad. but the way he was with maisie and colt was incredibly humbling, so many men / fathers could learn from this man. he loved maisie and colt so effortlessly, and he loved them as if they were his own. don’t even get me started on ella and beckett, because gosh this man would do anything to see ella smile.
“𝙄𝙩’� 𝙤𝙠𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧� 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚. 𝙄𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧.�
𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗲 🫂
this woman is living every mother’s worst nightmare. and my heart goes out to every mother who has experienced anything like ella, because idk how ella made it through all that, i don’t think i would’ve tbh. ella’s daughter maisie was diagnosed with cancer, they found a tumor in her hip i think (correct me if i’m wrong) the way ella made sure to always be there for both maisie and colt was amazing, she’s such a great, loving mother. not only was there a big chance for her daughter maisie to die, but she also received a letter from the army telling her that her brother / best friend had died in the field. everything ella went through was so unfair because she truly couldn’t do anything about it.
“𝙄’� 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚, 𝙄’� 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙮.�
𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 / 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗲 ❤️�
my precious little girl, gosh girl is so fucking strong. she fought cancer like it was her bitch, and i love her for it. while I read about maisie fighting cancer i thought to myself “she’s somebody’s little girl� and that thought had me bawling my eyes out at 3am. because life can be so unfair. maisie went through so much in just a year or two, she fought for her life every second of the day. i prayed for this little girl in every page of the book. maisie’s journey made me so fucking emotional, especially because i myself lost someone to cancer, and i know many others have too. and i’m so proud of this little fighter.
“𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨� 𝙄’� 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧𝙨. 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩’� 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙧� 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙡� 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙪𝙥.�
𝗰𝗼𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 / 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝘁 👼🏼
my little angel boy. every time i think about colt i cry. this little man deserves everything and more. seeing this little man watching his twin sister fight for her life every day was so unfair. colt is probably the sweetest and most humble kid I’ve ever read about. colt’s relationship with havoc (beckett’s dog) was so touching to me (i’m a dog human through and through) dogs are truly the human's best friend, and this book really showed a perfect picture of the friendship between a
“𝙄� 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚?�
“𝙒𝙝𝙖� 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚?�
“𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣� 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙙?�
you know how i said i wanted a book to break my heart ? well, you best believe i got what i wanted. i can’t stop looking at the book, and every time i look at the book i just feel so empty. i feel like everything is so unfair because this book isn’t just fiction, it’s real life for some people. and my heart goes out to everyone who’s either a beckett, ella, maisie, or colt in real life <3
“𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨� 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙢𝙮 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚.�
now i need to know who thought the ending was a good idea / plot twist ?!
“� 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨, 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙩. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚.�
i’m not gonna list the tropes in this book, because that would be a spoiler. but if you’re a mother i’d recommend you look the tropes up before reading this book, because it will most definitely break your heart.
romantic moments between beckett and ella;
“𝙂𝙤�, 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧.�
“𝙔𝙤𝙪’� 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚?�
“𝙄’� 𝙙𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪.�
“𝙄’� 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙀𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚.�
“� 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧.�
songs / lyrics;
𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝘆 𝘅 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗿𝘀
� 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯, 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦
‘𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴� 𝘪’� 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺
𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 �
𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗵
� ‘𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴� 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴
𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 �
𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗲
� 𝘪’� 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯� 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’� 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦
𝘪 𝘥𝘰𝘯’� 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘣𝘺𝘦, ‘𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴� 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘹-𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘵’� 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘳
𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪 𝘢𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 �
December 25, 2019
This book, or I should say this author, made me really upset. The Last Letter is one of these books where the writer puts their characters through every horrible thing they can think of to make the story very dramatic. And when you think that after everything the characters endured they will get a happy ending, they don't! I feel so cheated!
I was actually enjoying this book despite all the tragedy that was happening to Ella and her family because it was an interesting and emotional story. I was looking forward to Ella and Beckett getting their HEA after all they've been through. And around 90% of the book things finally started to look up for the couple but instead of ending it on a happy note, the author decided (for an added shock value) to dump another unnecessary tragedy on them. It really pissed me off. This book went from 4-5 stars to 2 stars in a span of few pages. I enjoy heartbreaking books and I can accept tragic endings when they make sense within the story. It wasn't the case with The Last Letter. I feel cheated because this book is marketed as romance and I expect a romance to have a happy ending. This book does not!
So if you want to read a romance where characters get their HEA after going through hell, avoid this book like a plague. But if you want to read a tragedy where bad things happen to characters over and over, you may proceed. Also this book has a lot of glowing reviews so maybe don't listen to me!
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley
I was actually enjoying this book despite all the tragedy that was happening to Ella and her family because it was an interesting and emotional story. I was looking forward to Ella and Beckett getting their HEA after all they've been through. And around 90% of the book things finally started to look up for the couple but instead of ending it on a happy note, the author decided (for an added shock value) to dump another unnecessary tragedy on them. It really pissed me off. This book went from 4-5 stars to 2 stars in a span of few pages. I enjoy heartbreaking books and I can accept tragic endings when they make sense within the story. It wasn't the case with The Last Letter. I feel cheated because this book is marketed as romance and I expect a romance to have a happy ending. This book does not!
So if you want to read a romance where characters get their HEA after going through hell, avoid this book like a plague. But if you want to read a tragedy where bad things happen to characters over and over, you may proceed. Also this book has a lot of glowing reviews so maybe don't listen to me!
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley
February 7, 2025
5 stars, but I did not have a good time
July 30, 2023
This book deserves every single star! Everything from the storyline, to the characters, and the layout was utter perfection. Although this book left me feeling like I needed therapy, that goes to show how deeply I felt for this book. I can’t describe the feeling of connecting with this book in a way that can truly encompass everything that I feel. You know when you start reading a book and you just know this book is it for you? You just fall so hard and never want it to end? That’s how I felt for this book.
Beckett and Ella’s relationship was one that dealt with such hardships but one that is undeniably real and raw. The kind of love that can make it through anything. I fell hard for Beckett just as fast Ella did. The notes they sent one another were so beautiful I can’t even handle it. Something about written notes just means so much to me and I love that this book centered around their notes to one another while he was serving time in the army.
If you want to read this book just know it is definitely emotional and heartbreaking but in a beautiful way. It portrays family and tragedy in the most authentic way. The love that circulates this book is like no other.
Definitely recommend but be prepared for pain ♥️♥️
Beckett and Ella’s relationship was one that dealt with such hardships but one that is undeniably real and raw. The kind of love that can make it through anything. I fell hard for Beckett just as fast Ella did. The notes they sent one another were so beautiful I can’t even handle it. Something about written notes just means so much to me and I love that this book centered around their notes to one another while he was serving time in the army.
If you want to read this book just know it is definitely emotional and heartbreaking but in a beautiful way. It portrays family and tragedy in the most authentic way. The love that circulates this book is like no other.
Definitely recommend but be prepared for pain ♥️♥️
August 13, 2024
I usually have a rhode that book makes me cry. Then it automatically gets five stars, however, this one is an exception. Did I cry yes, I did but do I think the scene that everybody cries over is uncalled for/ very out of pocket? Yes I just feel like the scene was put into the book to just make everybody sob it felt very rushed, and the next chapter was literally the epilogue, like what?
February 24, 2019
”You don’t really value something until you’ve lost it.�
OH MY WOW!!! OH MY FEELS! Oh my tears! So many tissues from tears of the heart, tears from ugly crying, tears from Rebecca Yarros� THE LAST LETTER. Tears still fresh and still real from one of the realest stories I’ve met. A story that still dances in my dreams. The best and most moving military romance I’ve ever met. A heartbreaker in the best of ways. The Last Letter took me on the biggest emotional journey, bringing words like honor, sacrifice, duty, and courage—the creed of my soldier and all soldiers—to life. I LOVED this romance and emotional journey so much!
As both a military wife and mama, I felt a deep and indescribable connection to these characters and this story, a military romance with one of the best heroes and heroines ever written. A story where I fell hard in love with the hero, Beckett, and heroine, Ella. A story of a hero and heroine saving each other. A story so raw and real. A story that stripped me bare where I was broken and bleeding, nearly brought me to my knees.
”I would take on armies for her, kill for her, or die for her.�
My heart was ripped out of my chest—yet my soul swooned in a romance that touched every part of me. The pain became almost unbearable to read at times, feeling all too real, but that pain brought immeasurable pleasure too. I caught myself smiling through the tears, and holding my breath again and again. I was DESTROYED ... DECIMATED! I cried my way through this book as my heart both shattered and soared. I felt every word. I FELT EVERYTHING!
He used both hands to hold my head and kissed me until I couldn’t remember my own name—only that I belonged to him.
The writing? It’s off-the-charts powerful. I was so in awe with this author’s superb storytelling. Rebecca Yarros has set the bar so high for military romance that you’d be hard-pressed to find another writer who gives you a bird’s eye view of the battlefield, the aftermath of war, the employment of courage and sacrifice, the fragility of friends and family, and what it truly means to love a soldier. Yarros pulls out all the emotional stops—delivering big time in a DEVASTATINGLY BEAUTIFUL BOOK that shows the bravery among the broken.
”In case no one ever told you—you’re worthy. Of love. Of family. Of home.�
ACHINGLY EMOTIONAL and EXQUISITELY RAW, The Last Letter is a rip-open-your-heart roller coaster of a romance with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. An epic story of love and loss with substance and soul. TRULY EXTRAORDINARY. Unequivocally beautiful. Unparalleled. Unforgettable. Unlike anything I’ve ever read. I’ve never met a more stunning and soulful military romance.
”Just be my happy, and let me be yours.�
There aren’t enough stars in the universe for this heartfelt and soul-striking story. Prepare to be blown away by this tear-jerker of a tale told in passionate and poignant love letters. The Last Letter is THE best military romance and Rebecca Yarros� best book yet!!! A heartbreakingly beautiful book that I will forever feel. I just want to read it and feel it again and again.
A must-read, top 2019, and lifetime romance!!!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 soul-striking stars but worth all the stars in the universe
▶️
Website:
Facebook:
Readers Group:
Twitter:
Instagram:
July 6, 2024
I’m beat and broken rn. 😭
Thanks for the Buddy Read Brittany & Cara
Thanks for the Buddy Read Brittany & Cara
Read
March 4, 2019Rating Pending...
93 percent of the book was AMAZING - 5 Star read - favorite shelf. Then the last 7 percent happened and I didn’t like the turn of events and I’m on the fence what to rate and quite honestly I’m left with the why’s of why the author would do this and why would her Betas would give a green light on it.
93 percent of the book was AMAZING - 5 Star read - favorite shelf. Then the last 7 percent happened and I didn’t like the turn of events and I’m on the fence what to rate and quite honestly I’m left with the why’s of why the author would do this and why would her Betas would give a green light on it.
March 25, 2025
I felt like I was hit by multiple trains while reading this book 🫠
This is not a fluffy romance book!! Read this if you want to cry!!!
SPOILERS BELOW
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR KILLING COLT REBECCA?!?! Did you just want us to hurt?!?!
I almost didn’t give this 5 stars because of that & I honestly was so upset I almost dnfed the book at 90%, but a book that makes me feel such visceral emotions has to be 5 stars
This is not a fluffy romance book!! Read this if you want to cry!!!
SPOILERS BELOW
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR KILLING COLT REBECCA?!?! Did you just want us to hurt?!?!
I almost didn’t give this 5 stars because of that & I honestly was so upset I almost dnfed the book at 90%, but a book that makes me feel such visceral emotions has to be 5 stars
February 25, 2019
THE LAST LETTER: Is a full length romance novel by new to me author Rebecca Yarros. Spoken in ‘Dual POV’s.
MY REVIEW: can also be found on my blog:
Chaos is a special ops with his trusty Labrador retriever Havoc by his side, being abandoned by his mother he bounced from foster home to foster home most of his life, until he was of age to enlist, having no family of his own his best friend Ryan also serving time in the military convinces his younger sister Ella to write deployment letters to Chaos since he receives no letters from the outside world.
Ella MacKenzie is a twenty-four year old single mother of two five year old twins (a girl Maisie and Colt a boy One soul split between two bodies), and owner of a quaint B&B with fifteen secluded cabins on a vast two hundred acre property called Solitude in Telluride Colorado, which she took over when her Grandmother died.
It was via these letters that these two connected, by words alone they became each others confidante, which Ella needed more than anything in the on coming months when things get turned upside down as she confesses all her highs and lows to a man she has never even seen a photo of and only given his call name Chaos.
Somewhere between letter number one and letter number twenty-four, I'd fallen in love with her. Fallen for her words, her strength, her insight and kindness, her grace under impossible circumstances, her love for her children, and her determination to stand on her own.
As the synopsis divulges, Ryan is killed in active duty where he leaves his last letter to his best friend Beckett pleading that he look after Ella and the kids which sees Beckett staying in one of Ella's cabins for the next seven months where he slowly infiltrates himself in Ella's and the kids lives. Beckett is a godsend, he steps in and becomes her pillar of strength during a time of need, because she's going to have to lean on him to get through what life has thrown at her.
I’m a sucker for military reads, they always tend to hit the heart hard. This book was one of my most highly anticipated books of February, from a new to me author. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down, I devoured it, inhaled it, gobbled it up like I’d not eaten for years, loving the words this author shared with us.
Reading through this I knew that I was going to be in a world of pain, and then just when I thought we'd put all that behind us I was hit with a whammy, the pain that shot through my heart was unbearable, it made for hard reading, the tears came quickly, my heart broke in half, how much could one character endure because this book was brutal, it took no prisoners, just loved ones. It definitely put me through my paces, threw everything it could at me, all the feels and heartbreak walked hand in hand as it brought me to my knees, nothing prepared me for this book.
I cried, I sighed, I swooned, I raged, I loved..
This is just the beginning for me when it comes to this author, I can’t wait to read more by her.
* Teaser is off the authors facebook page *
MY REVIEW: can also be found on my blog:
Chaos is a special ops with his trusty Labrador retriever Havoc by his side, being abandoned by his mother he bounced from foster home to foster home most of his life, until he was of age to enlist, having no family of his own his best friend Ryan also serving time in the military convinces his younger sister Ella to write deployment letters to Chaos since he receives no letters from the outside world.
Ella MacKenzie is a twenty-four year old single mother of two five year old twins (a girl Maisie and Colt a boy One soul split between two bodies), and owner of a quaint B&B with fifteen secluded cabins on a vast two hundred acre property called Solitude in Telluride Colorado, which she took over when her Grandmother died.
It was via these letters that these two connected, by words alone they became each others confidante, which Ella needed more than anything in the on coming months when things get turned upside down as she confesses all her highs and lows to a man she has never even seen a photo of and only given his call name Chaos.
Somewhere between letter number one and letter number twenty-four, I'd fallen in love with her. Fallen for her words, her strength, her insight and kindness, her grace under impossible circumstances, her love for her children, and her determination to stand on her own.
As the synopsis divulges, Ryan is killed in active duty where he leaves his last letter to his best friend Beckett pleading that he look after Ella and the kids which sees Beckett staying in one of Ella's cabins for the next seven months where he slowly infiltrates himself in Ella's and the kids lives. Beckett is a godsend, he steps in and becomes her pillar of strength during a time of need, because she's going to have to lean on him to get through what life has thrown at her.
I’m a sucker for military reads, they always tend to hit the heart hard. This book was one of my most highly anticipated books of February, from a new to me author. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down, I devoured it, inhaled it, gobbled it up like I’d not eaten for years, loving the words this author shared with us.
Reading through this I knew that I was going to be in a world of pain, and then just when I thought we'd put all that behind us I was hit with a whammy, the pain that shot through my heart was unbearable, it made for hard reading, the tears came quickly, my heart broke in half, how much could one character endure because this book was brutal, it took no prisoners, just loved ones. It definitely put me through my paces, threw everything it could at me, all the feels and heartbreak walked hand in hand as it brought me to my knees, nothing prepared me for this book.
I cried, I sighed, I swooned, I raged, I loved..
This is just the beginning for me when it comes to this author, I can’t wait to read more by her.
* Teaser is off the authors facebook page *
February 2, 2019
Review posted on Les Romantiques � le forum du site
Reviewed by Rinou
Review copy by the publisher
Be careful this review contains spoilers!!
Let’s begin with a rant. I read romances for the certainty that it will end well, and if I can accept a lot of things to get there, there are a few things I don’t want to read about. So when at only 10% of the book the heroine learns her 5yo daughter has an advanced stage of cancer with only 10 percent chance of surviving the year, I can say I was very tempted to close the book, when I can count on the fingers of one hand the books I didn’t read entirely. So yes it exists in reality, even with younger kids, and yes we’re in a romance so I was almost sure everything would be alright, but I read to relax, not to feel depressed. I also think to all those who have gone through this or are currently going through this, I don’t think they want to read about the same ordeal. Some warning in the synopsis would be a good thing.
Second point that I didn’t like: it’s written in the first person POV, and those who know me know that I don’t like that. Here we alternate between the hero and the heroine, at a rate of one chapter each in general, with one of the letters they exchanged during the months before their meeting as a chapter opening. The name of the character who’s going to speak may be written as a chapter header, it took me several lines to determine who was “I�.
There are a lot of repetitions in the main characters� thoughts. Bennett feels guilty for Ella’s brother’s death, and he often thinks if she learns who he is and what he’s done she would send him away and he couldn’t help her anymore. Ella as for her thinks he will leave at the first opportunity like all the men in her life (that is her father, her ex-husband and her brother, not a flock of guys). She tells him the same several times.
Both seem likeable, but I must admit I missed out on their love story. I was more interested in the relationship between him and the twins, and mostly my attention was monopolized by the little girl’s illness. It has to be said that the author doesn’t spare us anything: diverse medical examinations, chemotherapy, hair lost, vomiting, general infection, surgery� not to forget awkward reaction by random people. I hope for the author her knowledge comes only from research.
When things progress between them, there’s first Ella discovering Bennett is the one she wrote to for months, so she ditches him after saying he lied to her and she will never trust him again, when he’s been bending over backward for her and her kids for months. It takes six months for him to gain her trust again, but we only know about it through a chapter header reading �6 months later� and two or three sentences summing up what happened. To see the couple’s evolution it’s tough.
And most of all, when everything seems to get better for the couple and for the little girl’s health, the author decides to have them live the most horrible ordeal by killing Ella’s second kid in an accident. WHY? What’s the point of this? Didn’t they suffer enough? It’s a gratuitous death and that made me rage (after I finished crying my eyes out).
So as I said at the beginning, I read novels to relax, and especially I read Romance for its promise of a happy end. The Last Letter doesn’t keep its promises, I will avoid this author from now on and I don’t recommend this book to anyone.
One star is too much for what I feel.
Reviewed by Rinou
Review copy by the publisher
Be careful this review contains spoilers!!
Let’s begin with a rant. I read romances for the certainty that it will end well, and if I can accept a lot of things to get there, there are a few things I don’t want to read about. So when at only 10% of the book the heroine learns her 5yo daughter has an advanced stage of cancer with only 10 percent chance of surviving the year, I can say I was very tempted to close the book, when I can count on the fingers of one hand the books I didn’t read entirely. So yes it exists in reality, even with younger kids, and yes we’re in a romance so I was almost sure everything would be alright, but I read to relax, not to feel depressed. I also think to all those who have gone through this or are currently going through this, I don’t think they want to read about the same ordeal. Some warning in the synopsis would be a good thing.
Second point that I didn’t like: it’s written in the first person POV, and those who know me know that I don’t like that. Here we alternate between the hero and the heroine, at a rate of one chapter each in general, with one of the letters they exchanged during the months before their meeting as a chapter opening. The name of the character who’s going to speak may be written as a chapter header, it took me several lines to determine who was “I�.
There are a lot of repetitions in the main characters� thoughts. Bennett feels guilty for Ella’s brother’s death, and he often thinks if she learns who he is and what he’s done she would send him away and he couldn’t help her anymore. Ella as for her thinks he will leave at the first opportunity like all the men in her life (that is her father, her ex-husband and her brother, not a flock of guys). She tells him the same several times.
Both seem likeable, but I must admit I missed out on their love story. I was more interested in the relationship between him and the twins, and mostly my attention was monopolized by the little girl’s illness. It has to be said that the author doesn’t spare us anything: diverse medical examinations, chemotherapy, hair lost, vomiting, general infection, surgery� not to forget awkward reaction by random people. I hope for the author her knowledge comes only from research.
When things progress between them, there’s first Ella discovering Bennett is the one she wrote to for months, so she ditches him after saying he lied to her and she will never trust him again, when he’s been bending over backward for her and her kids for months. It takes six months for him to gain her trust again, but we only know about it through a chapter header reading �6 months later� and two or three sentences summing up what happened. To see the couple’s evolution it’s tough.
And most of all, when everything seems to get better for the couple and for the little girl’s health, the author decides to have them live the most horrible ordeal by killing Ella’s second kid in an accident. WHY? What’s the point of this? Didn’t they suffer enough? It’s a gratuitous death and that made me rage (after I finished crying my eyes out).
So as I said at the beginning, I read novels to relax, and especially I read Romance for its promise of a happy end. The Last Letter doesn’t keep its promises, I will avoid this author from now on and I don’t recommend this book to anyone.
One star is too much for what I feel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2019
The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros is as much a heartbreaking as it is heartwarming contemporary romance. For anyone not familiar what the title, The Last Letter, is referring to the book is about a soldier who was killed in duty leaving a letter to be read after his death.
Beckett and Ryan were best friends serving together in the military with both men not having much in the way of family. Ryan did have his sister back home though and seeing Beckett with no one to communicate with he set up Ella and Beckett as pen pals. When Ryan was killed in active duty he left his last letter to his best friend asking him to take care of Ella.
Ella is a single mother to twins, a boy and a girl that she lives her life for and would do anything to protect. Having been left alone and pregnant and her only family left in her brother that joined the military Ella has had to fight to get where she is in life. Now Ella is also fighting for her daughter’s life when she’s diagnosed with cancer.
The story in this one actually begins with briefly showing Beckett and Ryan serving and the letters to Ella beginning but then heads to Beckett’s arrival in Telluride in the present time. As the chapters begin happening in the present readers still get to read the letters written in the past between the chapters to get the backstory of how Beckett, Ryan and Ella all came to know one another.
The title alone hints of this being an emotional story but even with that hint I wasn’t prepared for just how emotional it really was. Needless to say a box of tissues needs to be on hand while reading this book and each time you think the roller coaster of emotions is going to end it heads back up the hill to come crashing down yet again. I was hooked on every single page of this one and would highly recommend buckling up for the emotional ride.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit
Beckett and Ryan were best friends serving together in the military with both men not having much in the way of family. Ryan did have his sister back home though and seeing Beckett with no one to communicate with he set up Ella and Beckett as pen pals. When Ryan was killed in active duty he left his last letter to his best friend asking him to take care of Ella.
Ella is a single mother to twins, a boy and a girl that she lives her life for and would do anything to protect. Having been left alone and pregnant and her only family left in her brother that joined the military Ella has had to fight to get where she is in life. Now Ella is also fighting for her daughter’s life when she’s diagnosed with cancer.
The story in this one actually begins with briefly showing Beckett and Ryan serving and the letters to Ella beginning but then heads to Beckett’s arrival in Telluride in the present time. As the chapters begin happening in the present readers still get to read the letters written in the past between the chapters to get the backstory of how Beckett, Ryan and Ella all came to know one another.
The title alone hints of this being an emotional story but even with that hint I wasn’t prepared for just how emotional it really was. Needless to say a box of tissues needs to be on hand while reading this book and each time you think the roller coaster of emotions is going to end it heads back up the hill to come crashing down yet again. I was hooked on every single page of this one and would highly recommend buckling up for the emotional ride.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit
March 20, 2019
CW: pediatric cancer, grief, death of a loved one
There are three things you need to know about this novel:
1. It has a major pediatric cancer subplot. Since you probably want to know:
2. If you like Nicholas Sparks or Jodi Picoult novels, you might like this.
3. This was marketed to me as a contemporary romance and while it technically meets those requirements, I’m not convinced it is or that the Happily Ever After is real because of what happens in this story.
Additionally, before I address why this book did not work for me, you need to know I would not have agreed to an advanced copy if I’d known there was a pediatric cancer storyline in it. I used to be a pediatric oncology/hematology social worker. I have also walked alongside dear loved ones whose children have had cancer. This is a world I know very well and most authors get it so wrong. This was proved true once more with this book.
I wish so badly Yarros had given us what I thought I was getting: a military romance with an epistolary literature framing device. That part of the story was strong. The letters Ella and Beckett exchanged while he was deployed were touching, banal, funny, real. We get the letters out of order, which was a nice touch. If the story had simply been Beckett coming to help Ella out after her brother is killed in action, I might have enjoyed this one. Although it’s just as possible I might not have, as Beckett decides to hide his true identity from her and I tend to hate lie of omission plots. Indeed, I really struggled with his decision.
But for me the hardest part by far was the misinformation about pediatric cancer and the emotionally manipulative plot. In the acknowledgments, Yarros says she based Maisie’s cancer timeline on her friend’s child’s experience and she also discussed following cancer blogs and forums. Let me say two things about this. First, if what happened to Maisie is exactly what happened to this other child, their pediatric cancer team failed them. I highly doubt that. No team is perfect but I can’t imagine any children’s hospital not rising to the occasion, just as my own team did.
Second, and this could get dicey so I’m using my words with care, pediatric cancer blogs and forums are not the best source of information. There’s a reason I’m leery of most family fundraisers unless I personally know the child or family. It’s not clear whether Yarros interviewed any medical professionals—they’re not thanked in the acknowledgments.
My guess is she heightened and dramatized these experiences because she thought it would make a better story. However, this is why she lost me. I abhor being emotionally manipulated. There’s a world of difference between authors who ask themselves “How can I tell the best story?� and those who ask “How can I make readers cry?�
There were so many medical inaccuracies, it’s not worth examining them all. A diagnosis and prognosis conversation would have never happened that way. School attendance would have already been addressed by Maisie’s team. Ella would have talked with the school liaison and a plan would be in place. I can’t imagine any principal behaving the way this one did. Most schools are understanding and accommodating, especially when the child is in kindergarten. Any financial concerns would be addressed by the social worker at Children’s. And the hospital would also have people who could help Ella figure out the insurance issues. Treating cancer is expensive, no doubt about it. But there are better options than Ella and Beckett committing insurance fraud.
Speaking of Ella’s financial woes, it made even less sense that she never received child support from Jeff. No matter how brief the marriage was, he was responsible for those kids and he should have at least paid up. And then when Beckett essentially strong arms money out of Jeff, Ella goes ahead and rips up the half million dollar check. This made no sense. All she does is worry about her debt and she rips up the check because of misplaced pride? But much of what she did made little sense anyway.
This book is like a Hallmark or Lifetime version of grief. Packaged and in no way approximating reality. But also infuriating because after the spoiler events occur, Ella essentially says, “Maybe it was always supposed to happen this way.� Because somehow brought Beckett to her. No one who has ever
is incredibly stressful on even the most committed relationship. Given the ups and downs of Ella and Beckett’s new relationship, I’m not confident they’ll stand the rest of time. And giving them an HEA so soon after the is insensitive at best, offensive at worst.
Additional CW:
Disclosure: I received an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
There are three things you need to know about this novel:
1. It has a major pediatric cancer subplot. Since you probably want to know:
2. If you like Nicholas Sparks or Jodi Picoult novels, you might like this.
3. This was marketed to me as a contemporary romance and while it technically meets those requirements, I’m not convinced it is or that the Happily Ever After is real because of what happens in this story.
Additionally, before I address why this book did not work for me, you need to know I would not have agreed to an advanced copy if I’d known there was a pediatric cancer storyline in it. I used to be a pediatric oncology/hematology social worker. I have also walked alongside dear loved ones whose children have had cancer. This is a world I know very well and most authors get it so wrong. This was proved true once more with this book.
I wish so badly Yarros had given us what I thought I was getting: a military romance with an epistolary literature framing device. That part of the story was strong. The letters Ella and Beckett exchanged while he was deployed were touching, banal, funny, real. We get the letters out of order, which was a nice touch. If the story had simply been Beckett coming to help Ella out after her brother is killed in action, I might have enjoyed this one. Although it’s just as possible I might not have, as Beckett decides to hide his true identity from her and I tend to hate lie of omission plots. Indeed, I really struggled with his decision.
But for me the hardest part by far was the misinformation about pediatric cancer and the emotionally manipulative plot. In the acknowledgments, Yarros says she based Maisie’s cancer timeline on her friend’s child’s experience and she also discussed following cancer blogs and forums. Let me say two things about this. First, if what happened to Maisie is exactly what happened to this other child, their pediatric cancer team failed them. I highly doubt that. No team is perfect but I can’t imagine any children’s hospital not rising to the occasion, just as my own team did.
Second, and this could get dicey so I’m using my words with care, pediatric cancer blogs and forums are not the best source of information. There’s a reason I’m leery of most family fundraisers unless I personally know the child or family. It’s not clear whether Yarros interviewed any medical professionals—they’re not thanked in the acknowledgments.
My guess is she heightened and dramatized these experiences because she thought it would make a better story. However, this is why she lost me. I abhor being emotionally manipulated. There’s a world of difference between authors who ask themselves “How can I tell the best story?� and those who ask “How can I make readers cry?�
There were so many medical inaccuracies, it’s not worth examining them all. A diagnosis and prognosis conversation would have never happened that way. School attendance would have already been addressed by Maisie’s team. Ella would have talked with the school liaison and a plan would be in place. I can’t imagine any principal behaving the way this one did. Most schools are understanding and accommodating, especially when the child is in kindergarten. Any financial concerns would be addressed by the social worker at Children’s. And the hospital would also have people who could help Ella figure out the insurance issues. Treating cancer is expensive, no doubt about it. But there are better options than Ella and Beckett committing insurance fraud.
Speaking of Ella’s financial woes, it made even less sense that she never received child support from Jeff. No matter how brief the marriage was, he was responsible for those kids and he should have at least paid up. And then when Beckett essentially strong arms money out of Jeff, Ella goes ahead and rips up the half million dollar check. This made no sense. All she does is worry about her debt and she rips up the check because of misplaced pride? But much of what she did made little sense anyway.
This book is like a Hallmark or Lifetime version of grief. Packaged and in no way approximating reality. But also infuriating because after the spoiler events occur, Ella essentially says, “Maybe it was always supposed to happen this way.� Because somehow brought Beckett to her. No one who has ever
is incredibly stressful on even the most committed relationship. Given the ups and downs of Ella and Beckett’s new relationship, I’m not confident they’ll stand the rest of time. And giving them an HEA so soon after the is insensitive at best, offensive at worst.
Additional CW:
Disclosure: I received an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 27, 2019
� 3 STARS �
▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆�
MY GOD!
It's been a long time since I've cried so much.
Livros envolvendo militares são os que eu mais gosto de ler! Eu estava à espera deste há meses, por isso assim que pude, comecei a leitura.
Ella e Beckett foram personagens da qual senti simpatia logo de início. Embora entre os dois, o meu preferido tenha sido ele. Personagem maravilhoso, que mesmo com seus defeitos, falhas e culpas, ainda assim ao meu ver de modo geral, foi perfeito.
Não que eu não tenha gostado da mocinha, pelo contrário, como mãe, foi impossível não me colocar em seu lugar ou sentir suas dores, seus medos e suas lutas. E mesmo me conectando com ela, em alguns momentos senti uma breve irritação pelos seus atos e o modo como lidou com alguns acontecimentos.
Eu gostei bastante de como o relacionamento deles iniciou e como foi progredindo ao decorrer da trama. Especialmente em acompanhar a interação do Beckett com os gêmeos.
Apesar de eu ter curtido muito a história de maneira geral, ficou difícil de ignorar os pontos que me incomodaram. A escrita e narrativa em si são boas e livro tem um ritmo razoavelmente bom. Entretanto, pra mim, houve uma certa repetição, por exemplo, muitos pensamentos internos repetitivos e isso acabou tornando a leitura um pouco cansativa.
E eu não sei se é exatamente por esse motivo que achei que a história se arrastou demais em partes relativamente desnecessárias, enquanto que nas que eram e seriam realmente importantes quase não há muita elaboração.
Eu gosto de um bom drama, mas aqui eu tive a sensação de que um drama foi se empilhando em cima do outro. Sabe quando estrapola e fica exagerado?
Mesmo depois de muitas lágrimas, inúmeros soluços e mais lágrimas. Mesmo após meu coração ter ficado estraçalhado e em mil pedaços, ainda assim, não concordo e aceito o motivo que me fez sentir tamanha dor.
Pra mim não houve lógica ou coerência. Não era necessário. Claro que a autora teve seus motivos e nem todo livro é de fato do jeito que esperamos ou queremos, porém até agora eu não consigo digerir isso.
Se esse livro foi especial? Não sei ao certo dizer até que ponto ou o quanto foi. Foi uma leitura que ao finalizar não me deixou aquele sentimento feliz, sabe? Me deixou em conflito e dividida... Não detestei, porém não amei tanto quanto imaginei que iria.
A única certeza que tenho é que alguns personagens se tornaram preciosos e ganharam um espaço enorme no meu coração.
▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆�
“I didn’t know how to trust the appearance of sunshine after living in a perpetual hurricane.�
MY GOD!
It's been a long time since I've cried so much.
Livros envolvendo militares são os que eu mais gosto de ler! Eu estava à espera deste há meses, por isso assim que pude, comecei a leitura.
Ella e Beckett foram personagens da qual senti simpatia logo de início. Embora entre os dois, o meu preferido tenha sido ele. Personagem maravilhoso, que mesmo com seus defeitos, falhas e culpas, ainda assim ao meu ver de modo geral, foi perfeito.
Não que eu não tenha gostado da mocinha, pelo contrário, como mãe, foi impossível não me colocar em seu lugar ou sentir suas dores, seus medos e suas lutas. E mesmo me conectando com ela, em alguns momentos senti uma breve irritação pelos seus atos e o modo como lidou com alguns acontecimentos.
Eu gostei bastante de como o relacionamento deles iniciou e como foi progredindo ao decorrer da trama. Especialmente em acompanhar a interação do Beckett com os gêmeos.
Apesar de eu ter curtido muito a história de maneira geral, ficou difícil de ignorar os pontos que me incomodaram. A escrita e narrativa em si são boas e livro tem um ritmo razoavelmente bom. Entretanto, pra mim, houve uma certa repetição, por exemplo, muitos pensamentos internos repetitivos e isso acabou tornando a leitura um pouco cansativa.
E eu não sei se é exatamente por esse motivo que achei que a história se arrastou demais em partes relativamente desnecessárias, enquanto que nas que eram e seriam realmente importantes quase não há muita elaboração.
Eu gosto de um bom drama, mas aqui eu tive a sensação de que um drama foi se empilhando em cima do outro. Sabe quando estrapola e fica exagerado?
Mesmo depois de muitas lágrimas, inúmeros soluços e mais lágrimas. Mesmo após meu coração ter ficado estraçalhado e em mil pedaços, ainda assim, não concordo e aceito o motivo que me fez sentir tamanha dor.
Pra mim não houve lógica ou coerência. Não era necessário. Claro que a autora teve seus motivos e nem todo livro é de fato do jeito que esperamos ou queremos, porém até agora eu não consigo digerir isso.
Se esse livro foi especial? Não sei ao certo dizer até que ponto ou o quanto foi. Foi uma leitura que ao finalizar não me deixou aquele sentimento feliz, sabe? Me deixou em conflito e dividida... Não detestei, porém não amei tanto quanto imaginei que iria.
A única certeza que tenho é que alguns personagens se tornaram preciosos e ganharam um espaço enorme no meu coração.
February 27, 2019
I finished this book nearly 2 weeks ago. Fourteen days and my heart is still shattered, yet so full of love for this story. It is so hard to put into words what this book is for me. And the love that I have for this author. I have followed Mrs. Yarros for years, read her books, loved them, and followed her blog on her life adventures. Let me say this, if you haven’t read this author, you are truly missing out. There is so much heart in her stories, she lays her heart out in her words. And this book, by far my favorite so far.
I fell in love with words just like Beckett and Ella did. I fell for these characters, all of them. They all play and hold such an important part to the story. Beckett I love your commitment, i adore your love and passion. You stand true with your words, and do what you need to do to make up for your one mistake. I envy your patience and absolutely love your heart. Now Ella, I can say I’ve never loved the strength of a character as much as I do yours. You have so much strength, your heart is huge, it’s battered, broken, shattered, yet it’s so strong. So very strong that you still love with a light that is breathless. Keep finding your happy Ella♥️
In this book my heart was always on Maisie & Colt. Innocent, sweet, so lovable, and so deserving of a full life and loads of love.
It’s hard to write a good review of this book without giving anything away. So let me end this little review with saying this, I am a mom to three beautiful children. I’ve learned from personal journeys that life is indeed short, to cherish every moment, and to never leave my children mad. Live for today and dream of tomorrow.
Well done, Mrs. Yarros you did so damn well, I’m in complete hangover mode 😍♥️😘 Hands down a book I recommend to all of you that love a good romance. Some angst, lots of love, and yes loads of sobbing, but that once in a lifetime love that carries you.
September 14, 2023
This book broke me, I couldn’t put it down until it was finished and it had me up at 1 am sobbing like a baby 😭 Going to be thinking about this one for awhile.
February 18, 2019
2.5 Stars
The Last Letter is well written and emotional, however it just puts too many issues into one book. Ella is a young single mom of twins (aged 5-7 throughout the book), she owns a B&B in Colorado, her parents are deceased, and her brother is in the military overseas. We open to that, which is already a handful for a person, but Ella's problems and tragedies keep growing. Within the first few chapters her brother is killed in action and Maisie, one of her kids, gets diagnosed with a rare cancer, which of course her insurance covers little of the treatment. To top it off, she's developed an intense pen pal relationship with a comrade of her brothers and she believes he died with her brother since his letters abruptly stop around the same time.
Enter Beckett. As readers, we know he is Chaos, the same man that Ella has been writing to. But he doesn't tell her that. Instead he shows up at her door with a letter from her brother saying that he is here to take care of her. Of course, they fall for each other, and of course, Ella's biggest peeve/unforgivable curse is lying. Which is exactly what he is doing by not telling her who he really is. While this is going on, they are dealing with Maisie's illness, running the business, and trying to keep involved with Colt, her other kid's, life. Beckett also has a few issues- he grew up in foster care and his time with the elite military team he was on causes nightmares, etc.
After Ella and Beckett fall in love, the truth about him being Chaos comes out and Ella ends things. Months pass (in which we are not privy to what goes on) but they reconcile eventually and get back together. But this book is not made for happy moments. Immediately after this happens, tragedy strikes again.
At this point, I can't even conjure up the required emotions for all that has happened. It's too much. It's too unrealistic. How can anyone survive this many tragedies in such a short period of time? I'm too busy trying to calculate the probability of all of these things happening and I'm pretty sure you have a better chance winning the lotto than to have this many, and this rare, of things happen to just one person in this little of time.
The problem is, I really liked the writing. I thought (for the most part) that the characters were well-written and developed. Sure the kids seemed older than their age, but maybe circumstances forced that. And while there were times that Ella annoyed me, she felt human. But I just couldn't get over the amount of catastrophic events that happened to her. It's surprising she didn't become catatonic.
I would still recommend this to people. I think someone who doesn't need their romances based soundly in reality and those who love tragedy with their romance will like this. It wasn't a bad book, just too much for me.
The Last Letter is well written and emotional, however it just puts too many issues into one book. Ella is a young single mom of twins (aged 5-7 throughout the book), she owns a B&B in Colorado, her parents are deceased, and her brother is in the military overseas. We open to that, which is already a handful for a person, but Ella's problems and tragedies keep growing. Within the first few chapters her brother is killed in action and Maisie, one of her kids, gets diagnosed with a rare cancer, which of course her insurance covers little of the treatment. To top it off, she's developed an intense pen pal relationship with a comrade of her brothers and she believes he died with her brother since his letters abruptly stop around the same time.
Enter Beckett. As readers, we know he is Chaos, the same man that Ella has been writing to. But he doesn't tell her that. Instead he shows up at her door with a letter from her brother saying that he is here to take care of her. Of course, they fall for each other, and of course, Ella's biggest peeve/unforgivable curse is lying. Which is exactly what he is doing by not telling her who he really is. While this is going on, they are dealing with Maisie's illness, running the business, and trying to keep involved with Colt, her other kid's, life. Beckett also has a few issues- he grew up in foster care and his time with the elite military team he was on causes nightmares, etc.
After Ella and Beckett fall in love, the truth about him being Chaos comes out and Ella ends things. Months pass (in which we are not privy to what goes on) but they reconcile eventually and get back together. But this book is not made for happy moments. Immediately after this happens, tragedy strikes again.
At this point, I can't even conjure up the required emotions for all that has happened. It's too much. It's too unrealistic. How can anyone survive this many tragedies in such a short period of time? I'm too busy trying to calculate the probability of all of these things happening and I'm pretty sure you have a better chance winning the lotto than to have this many, and this rare, of things happen to just one person in this little of time.
The problem is, I really liked the writing. I thought (for the most part) that the characters were well-written and developed. Sure the kids seemed older than their age, but maybe circumstances forced that. And while there were times that Ella annoyed me, she felt human. But I just couldn't get over the amount of catastrophic events that happened to her. It's surprising she didn't become catatonic.
I would still recommend this to people. I think someone who doesn't need their romances based soundly in reality and those who love tragedy with their romance will like this. It wasn't a bad book, just too much for me.
September 25, 2023
for anyone wondering, ITS NOT REMOTELY AS BAD TO THE RACIST TRAIN WRECK THAT WAS IN THE LIKELY EVENT.
tldr of the review i’m not going to write: it’s sad, for sure. but not good either.
tldr of the review i’m not going to write: it’s sad, for sure. but not good either.
July 31, 2018
This book is indescribably beautiful. The sheer genius of how Rebecca weaves the letters into the story to match up w/the poignancy of the corresponding chapters... I have no words. None that would do it justice, anyway. This book will most definitely rip your heart out. But then it puts it back in & sweetly sews you back together. It will leave its mark on your soul, as Rebecca intended, & hopefully you’ll be all the better for it. I know I am. 💕
July 7, 2024
I’m so numb right now. Why was this such a rollercoaster ride. My eyes are so swollen 😭
Thanks for the buddy read Cara and Meagan 😭💖
Thanks for the buddy read Cara and Meagan 😭💖
January 20, 2025
primer 5 estrellas del año.
NO ESTOY BIEN.
NO ESTOY BIEN.
February 3, 2019
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. ~ Shelly, 3.5 Stars
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. ~ Shelly, 3.5 Stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38,031 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.