Reviews with content warning for Torture - The Last Letter

This book depicts grief in such a way that will leave you with tears rolling down your face but continuing to read the pages and having the need to read more. There is love and loss and hope and despair in almost every chapter.

Ella and Beckett were the perfect pair and Ryan just knew they were what each other needed. I couldn't get enough of their love for each other and their need to keep each other. Love this little family and I am thankful that Colt and Maisie finally got to have a dad.

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mahoner's review against another edition

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emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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jade_sanderson's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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amanda_reads13's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

***Please check the warnings if you have any triggers involving children. This book should come with trigger warnings!!!

Beckett's if fulfilling his best friend, Ryan's, last wish. In his last letter, Ryan asks Beckett to get out of the army and go to take care his sister, Ella, and her children.

I don't think I have sobbed do hard reading a book. I loved this book up until about the 90% mark (see next paragraph). This is not your typical romance, you don't get a heartwarming HEA. This book is an exploration of motherhood, of loyalty, and of bonds forged through trauma. It is a story of forgiveness and the healing power of unconditional love.

I really thought this was going to be a 5 star for me. And then the last 10% happened. I knew something big was coming

when they were getting their HEA with 4 chapters left. In one way I was completely blindsided, but in another way I had a feeling that something would happen to Cole. But man, that scene when Beckett finds Cole at the bottom of that landslide destroyed me. It was gut wrentching, absolutely devastating. BUT here is my issue: it didn't add anying to the story and did not need to happen. Yes, tragedies happen, but this last 10% was added for shock value and I don't like that. Haven't they been through enough? Ella has literally lost her entire family and went through her daughter almost dying of cancer, only for her son to be killed off. Why? They couldn't just get their HEA? This whole part should have been cut out.

Beckett is broken, raised in the foster system, he joined the army as soon as he could. He has never known love or emotional connection until he met his best friend Ryan. That connection altered the course of his life forever. Ryan lead him to Ella, who showed him what it was like to truly be part of a loving family.

Ella has not only lost her entire family, but now her daughter is fighting for her life. She is an incredibly strong mother who puts everything into protecting her children. She has major trust issues and has never felt like she has been able to depend on anyone. That is until Beckett. These two help each other heal and support each other through their grief and trauma.

Of course I can't not mention Havoc... The best doggie ever! I loved her and her connection to all of the characters.
Tropes: found family, brothers best friend, forced proximity

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kaytee_murphy's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book gave me emotional damage

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maggieleeanne's review

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challenging emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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bookkatbaddie's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I made it through a very good amount of this book without getting too emotional. The end ruined me. I do feel like in the end it was a bit forced but it was also devastating and beautifully horrible. I don’t think I can even talk about this book out loud yet without crying. This book makes me furious for Ella and felt so real to me that I mourned her heartbreak like my own.

My issues lie mainly in the dialogue of this book and is the main reason I couldn’t give 5 stars. The twins especially -though I understand they are meant to be wise beyond their years- are seemingly just there to give these deep, teaching moment dialogues even though they’re 6. They don’t lash out or argue with the mom or behave in anyway normal to 6 year olds to the point of diminishing their character realism. The second main reason is the lack of focus on Beckett’s grief and trauma from his unit and his life. He’s not given any focus really on how he actually copes and pulls himself from grief. Especially with the ending, I feel he was robbed of being allowed to fall into the grief that any person in his position would have fallen to.

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