The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros

The Last Letter

by Rebecca Yarros

One letter. That was all it took for Beckett Gentry to fall for Ella MacKenzie, his buddy Ryan’s sister. Through her letters, Ella spoke to his heart, fueled his dreams, and made his days in Afghanistan bearable. Until Ryan’s life ends and so do the letters.

Leaving the military, Beckett heads to Colorado with one destination in mind - Ella. Despite the guilt Beckett feels over his friend’s death, he’s determined to carry out his promise to watch over Ryan’s sister and never tell Ella he’s the one she’d been writing to.

At twenty-six, Ella has lost almost everyone she loves - and now one of her precious twins is battling cancer. When Beckett walks into her tiny town - all six-feet-plus of dark, brooding, gorgeous man - Ella barely takes notice. Okay, fine, of course she takes notice. He’s come with the last of Ryan’s letters and the promise that he’d made to watch over her, but he’s insanely tight-lipped about everything else. Now Beckett is everywhere - and the most irritating part is that she likes him, despite his tough-as-nails exterior.

Reviewed by Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading on

4 of 5 stars

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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.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 10 August, 2022: Finished reading
  • 10 August, 2022: Reviewed