Stevie‘s review of The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
Contemporary Military Romance published by Entangled: Amara 26 Feb 19
I’m a great fan of epistolary relationships in fiction, whether romantic or platonic, and am always intrigued to see how they might develop once the writers meet in person. In this case I was a little irked that one protagonist concealed aspects of their character and background – previously revealed in their letters – back from the other when they were thrown together in the real world, although I could empathise for the reasons why this came about. On the other hand, I did like the concept of two people, each alone in spite of being surrounded by others, being able to reveal their true feelings to each other if not to their geographically closer companions.
Ella MacKenzie is raising her young twins by herself after her husband walked out on their marriage before the children were born, and also running the resort she inherited from the grandmother who raised her. Her older brother, meanwhile, has followed their father in pursuing a military career and is rarely back home to help out. When he suggests that one of his buddies might be in need of some mail and home-baked cookies, Ella is only too happy to start sending letters and parcels, even though she has vowed to never get romantically involved with a military man. As time passes, she finds herself pouring out her worries about her finances and her daughter’s health to a stranger who is rapidly becoming a friend, but when her brother is killed in action, the letters dry up, and Ella assumes that the two men died together.
Beckett ‘Chaos’ Gentry grew up in the care system and has no trust of, or need for, attachments. At first he is reluctant to write back to his best friend’s sister, but when one of their comrades is killed, he turns to her letter for comfort and soon finds himself drawn into her world and keen to write back and learn more about her. Although Beckett tries to support Ella through the ups and downs of her life that she reveals in the letters, he later blames himself for her brother’s death. While he doesn’t want to break his promise to take care of Ella and her children on her brother’s behalf, he is reluctant to reveal that he is the man she was writing to, and so introduces himself by his given name rather than the call-sign by which she previously knew him.
Ella is glad to have help around the place and soon finds herself leaning on Beckett, where she would previously have told all her worries to Chaos. When her difficulties threaten to overwhelm him, she accepts his very generous offer of help, still without realising or being told who he really is. Of course, it’s all going to come tumbling down in the end…
While I felt that the big reveal was handled reasonably well, it came a little too late in the day for me, and the long road to reconciliation for our protagonists was paved with a few too many additional tragedies for my liking. Having said that, I was more taken with the protagonists than with the secondary characters, which is probably how these things ought to go. All in all, this was an enjoyable read, if not entirely to my tastes.
Grade: B
Read Sandy M’s review here.
Summary:
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
Read an excerpt.
