The Last Letter

A Novel

By: Rebecca Yarros

Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Jennifer Stark

Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's Summary

“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

©2019 Rebecca Yarros (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

What in the actual f@#k!

I don't mind reading or listening to books with heartbreak as long as there's a happy ending. If I knew this book had so much I'd never have listened. There's a thing as too much pain. Neither Ella, Masie nor Beckett deserved such heartbreak, they've already been through enough. This is fiction not real life. After Me Before You I never read another book by that Author again, it will be the same for this one. I read books to escape the real world not to have my heart break to pieces.

Unbelievable

This review will contain spoilers. First let me start by saying, OMG this book contained so much turmoil and heartache and not enough HAE. This book is mislabeled as a love story...There is a love story in there and it is a good one but the heartache and sadness overshadowed it, About 90% into the book just when things started to look up the author threw in a plot twist and a mudslide of emotions happen. One minute you are on cloud nine and then quickly one is brought down to the pits of despair.

I was originally recommending this book to people and was getting ready to give it 5 Stars until the author threw that unnecessary and dreadful twist. The twist was gut wrenching and will make you cry. I was really upset and mad at this author because the death was so unnecessary. Frankly Ella (and I) have had enough sadness to last a lifetime because of this twisted book. I read/listen to love stories so they can take me to a happy place but this book took me to a depressing corner. I am a mother of two and this book resonated with me because the things Ella experienced with her children can happen to anyone's child. I can understand the dramatic turn of events with the cancer diagnosis and the fight from hell but really why throw in that twist?

I do not recommend this book to listeners who want a happy love story because this is definitely not a happy book. I do not recommend this book to mothers with small children either. This is not a good love story although it is labeled as one. I am glad it was under Audible Escape and I did not use a credit for this book. I would not spend a credit on this book or give it time had I known the twist was in there. I did not read the reviews prior to listening and if I did I would NOT have listened. Too bad this book could have been a gem with characters like Becket and Ella. The author developed the pain and despair more than the love story. I will not be looking to read/listen anything by this author anytime soon. It was a bit too much Ms. Yarros! It was too much!

Almost Perfect

Beautifully narrated.
Beckett was luscious, perfect hero, in all aspects. The twins, Maisie and Colt, are delightful children and their impact on this story is tremendous.
My major problem with the story is Ella. She's the mom extraordinaire who struggles with single motherhood and making a go of her "luxury" resort inherited from her grandmother. Kind of clueless in her expectations of relationships.
Beckett doesn't reveal what he thinks is a problem that will end Ella's love for him. And darn, he's right. What kind of idiot woman negates all Beckett does for her and the kids, and trust me, it's a bunch? Ella that's who. She just didn't behave rationally. Made me dislike her.
At the 90% mark, fasten your seatbelts. I can't remember the last time I totally lost my mind reading a book. I wanted to hate Rebecca Yarros at this point, really. Why?
The story could have resolved without the bomb planted at that point.
Beckett deserved a more mature partner and a better ending. Just saying.
I'm a huge fan of Yarros. But this one is not a favorite.

Seriously Depressing

This book is about a young woman who has more tragedies happen to her that at he end you begin to question the author. Really, why would she think that we would want to read/listen to that? And Ella is comes off as just whiny and weak. I really wanted to slap her many times.

The Last Letter

******Spoiler Review*******
I am PISSED.
I haven’t written a spoiler reviewing in so very long but I can’t, not speak my full mind with this book.

Now don’t get me wrong I like a good heartfelt story like the next girl but this was just too freaking much tragedy for one book.

Ella’s a great character and I was rooting for her through all this heartache, she was still A strong and not a whinny character. The loss of her parents, her brother (Ryan), and then her child fighting A rare form cancer all of it she was strong, I don’t know how she will be after the tragic loss of her son because I can’t listen anymore.

Beckett was an interesting guy and I like that he stepped up and put his money where his mouth is so to speak. Did he feel guilty about the way he lost his good friend Ryan, sure but I think he would have stepped up wither Ryan asked him to or not. He was already half in love with Ella from their letters (they wrote while deployed).

Here is where I get pissed, we have tragedy, and more tragedy and then heartbreak and just when you think they are all finally, finally, after all this get there head the you add more tragedy!!!

IN NO WORLD CAN I READ ABOUT A CHILD FALLING OFF A MOUNTAIN, THEN TO BE FOUND… BUT THEN ONLY SECONDS FROM BEING RESCUED ONLY DIE AND YOU STILL WANT ME TO LISTEN TO 40 MINS TO GET TO A HEA…
SCREW THAT!

The narrators were perfect by the way.

Tissues were needed for this book

If you are looking for a book to make you cry actual tears, give this a read.

I honestly don't know what to say now that I have finished The Last Letter It was heart wrenching. There was so much pain and devastation. Too much, perhaps.

The connection that Ella and Beckett had was immediate and deep but Ella annoyed me at times with being so self righteous in her whole, refusal to see beyond her own pain and poor circumstances to the fact that Beckett was also in a lot of pain and had very real feelings of loss and signs of PTSD from all he had been through.

This book was pretty close to being over the top for a lot of the book. Ella's parents died when she was a kid. Then her grandmother who raised her and her brother, Ryan, died. Ryan joined the military and was constantly deployed for Special Ops. Ella got married at 18 and immediately pregnant with twins and her husband packed up and divorced her when she refused to have an abortion. So she had twins by the time she was 19. Then her brother, Ryan died. She assumed Ryan's squad mate/friend, Chaos, also died with him and she had started falling in love with him as a pen-pal. Around this same time, her 6 year old daughter is fighting for her life to get through stage 4 cancer. So as if that wasn't enough, there is something that happens at the end of the book that just took it too far. That is where the author lost me. Don't get me wrong, that part was well written and I was full on crying, but it was too much, too OTT due to everything else that had already gone wrong. Ella must seriously be the most unlucky person to ever walk the earth. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near her out of fear for what might happen.

Spoiler Alert about the dog, Havoc. The dog lives and nothing bad happens to her at any point. Surprising, based on all of the other bad stuff in this book, but I was very thankful for that.

Overall, this book was well written. A few spots in the middle got a bit long winded but it got back on pace pretty easily. I was annoyed at the angsty part of Ella's relationship drama when she pushed Beckett away and beyond pissed that she let that impact the kids lives. And again, by that last thing that happened, I was like, okay this is too over the top. Besides all of that, I did enjoy the book quite a bit.

Audible: The narrators did a good job. This is good as an audio book. The voices from the female narrator weren't as varied as I would have liked but it was still enjoyable. The pacing was all good and they both were easy to understand.

Just too much

Spoiler Alert:
This was unnecessary. How did this advance the story or develop the characters? My kids are girl/boy twins, and I found the description of the two a little romanticized but fairly accurate. I'm angry - I could have just read the news for sad stories. I read books for a little escape from reality. Might as well have Beckett and Havoc die in a helicopter crash and Maisie have a relapse just so Ella can be completely alone in the world. Seems that the author really didn't like her protagonist. I have to admit, when she realized who Beckett was and turns him away, I didn't like her much either.

Terrible female character

Dr. miss Yaris, I have to say that if it was not for Teddy Hamilton narrating your male character, I would have burned my i-pad after listening to the stupid choices you gave your female character. my God in what world would a mother choose their pride over her supposed loved child life, what a load of crap.

It’s been a long time

It’s been a long time since a story has evoked so many emotions
I would definitely put this book in the same category as PS I Love You and Me Before You. It was a real tearjerker. I was sobbing for the last 10% of the listen.
The author as usual did a fantastic job in developing the characters so that you felt all their emotions.
It is absolutely worth the credit for the story, and narration, but if you are not into sad stories, I would not recommend this book. If, however you enjoy a story that pulls you in and makes you feel all the feels then this is definitely one you don’t want to miss.
I would have preferred it if the main characters had their HEA and say the Ex and his parents had a visit from Karma instead. It was just a bit too much heartache for anyone to be still standing at the end of.
This is a story that will be with me for quite some time as I don’t think I will be able to shake it off any time soon.

Too heartbreaking

So disappointed b/c I loved the entire book so much until the last hour and a half. It was one of my favorite stories until the end. The story was heartbreaking enough without a awful ending like that! I was sobbing and felt sick. Write it again with a happier ending please, then I’d read it again.

Overwhelmingly heartbroken and heartwarming

I loved this story though I wished that I had decided to listen to this at a time where my mental health was better. This made me laugh and cry and want to throw my phone away from me.

I won't be forgetting this in a hurry

The narrators are amazing I think they helped bring more life into the characters. And I definitely have a crush on Teddy Hamilton's voice.

Tissues at the ready

I cried a lot, not my sort of book. If you need a good cry get this book

heartbreakingly beautiful

I loved this book ,
heartbreaking in places but uplifting and joyful in others .
A must read..

WOW

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A BOOK THAT WILL STAY WITH YOU FOR A WHILE THIS IS THE BOOK. TOTAL ROLLERCOASTER OF EMOTIONS FROM HEARTBREAK TO LOVE, SADNESS AND JOY. WITH MY COLD HEART EVEN I SHED MANY TEARS THROUGHOUT AND WITH AN ENDING THAT COMES FROM NOWHERE. WOW HIGHLY RECOMMEND AND EASY IN MY TOP 5 FOR THE YEAR. THIS BOOK WAS WELL NARRATED AND WITH TEDDY AND JENNIFER YOU CAN FEEL EVERY EMOTION THROUGH THIER VOICES.

Real tear jerker

Loved this book. Was expecting a run of the mill heartwarming romance but this is so much more. Read with a box of tissues because this book will tear your heart out in places but it is worth the read even if it's not the usual hea you'd expect.

Fantastic book

This story is more than 5. Heartbreaking and emotional. Exceptional narration. This is one of
My all time favourite reads.