The Last Letter (2019) is a military romance novel by Rebecca Yarros. It follows the love story between a single mother, Ella, and her brother’s best friend, Beckett, when the latter fulfills his friend’s last request to take care of Ella after he is killed in action. The book explores the themes of trust, vulnerability, and commitment; the healing power of love; and resilience in the face of tragedy. Rebecca Yarros is an American author who has penned numerous romance novels. She is best known for the Empyrean series, a romance fantasy series whose first book, Fourth Wing (2023), was an instant bestseller.

This guide refers to the 2019 Entangled Publishing Kindle Edition.

Content Warning: This book features depictions of torture and the death of a child.

Plot Summary

Ella, a single mother to twins, begins a written correspondence with her brother Ryan’s friend and member of the same special operations unit, Beckett Gentry, upon her brother’s request. Ella only knows Beckett as his call sign, “Chaos.” Ella and Beckett correspond for months, both falling in love with each other. During this time, Ella’s daughter, Maisie, is diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and must undergo intensive treatment. Ella relies on the letters from Chaos for emotional support. Ryan and Beckett make plans to visit Telluride where Ella lives and help her out when they get out on leave in January. However, on New Year’s Eve, Ella receives news that Ryan has been killed. The letters from Chaos stop, and she believes him dead, too.

Months later, Beckett arrives in Telluride with his dog, Havoc. Ryan’s last wish, communicated to Beckett in a letter, was for the latter to go to Telluride and help Ella out however he can. Beckett stays in a cabin at Solitude, the bed and breakfast that Ella runs. He tells Ella that Ryan sent him but not that he is Chaos. Ella is initially wary of him, but Beckett’s consistency and eagerness to help eventually wear her down, and she begins to trust him. The twins, Colt and Maisie, also instantly bond with him. Beckett takes Colt to soccer practices and spends time with him when Ella has to travel with Maisie for her treatments. Becket also helps Ella out with hospital stays and logistics for Maisie. Contrary to his previous nomadic existence, Beckett puts down roots in Telluride, even getting a job along with Havoc in the mountain search and rescue crew. Beckett and Ella both acknowledge the mutual attraction they feel, but Beckett refuses to act on it for fear of ruining things.

Maisie’s chemotherapy stops working, and when her doctor suggests a more expensive form of treatment, Beckett learns that Ella’s insurance doesn’t cover it; Ella is too financially strained to afford the treatment out-of-pocket either. Beckett, who is on disability leave from the military, realizes his insurance will cover the treatment, and he asks Ella to marry him so he can help Maisie. Ella refuses, wanting marriage to be about love, but she allows Beckett to adopt the twins instead. After they sign the adoption papers, Ella and Beckett begin a romantic relationship; however, Beckett still doesn’t tell her that he is Chaos.

An insurance agent comes investigating when shortly after the twins’ adoption, Beckett’s insurance racks up huge bills for Maisie. The agent demands that Beckett show proof of a preexisting relationship with the children before Maisie’s diagnosis. With no other choice left to him, Beckett shows the agent the letters from Ella to Chaos. The agent is satisfied, but Ella is hurt and angry at this discovery. Beckett explains that he hid the truth because he believes Ella would push him away if she learned what happened. He holds himself responsible for Ryan’s death: Beckett accidentally killed a child on a mission and was so shaken up that he couldn’t go on the next one. Ryan replaced him during the next mission, and he was caught and killed.

While Ella still loves Beckett and doesn’t blame him for Ryan’s death, her trust is broken, and she ends their relationship. Beckett moves into the house that he has been secretly building for Ella and the kids on the outskirts of Solitude. A month later, he is called into school to pick up Colt after the boy gets into a fight. Beckett takes Colt to his place and apologizes for suddenly dropping out of the twins’ lives. Ella and Maisie come by to pick Colt up. Ella is shocked that Beckett is still in Telluride and realizes he is making good on his promise to stay. Although she has still not forgiven the lie, she allows Beckett to be a part of the twins’ lives again. Beckett and Ella successfully co-parent for months. Maisie’s tests and scans finally come up clean, and she is officially declared in remission. Beckett and Ella are thrilled and relieved, and they rekindle their relationship that same night.

The next morning, the twins go on a hiking trip from school. Shortly after, Beckett gets a search and rescue call from the same trail. He arrives with Havoc to discover that in the process of protecting another classmate during a landslide, Colt has fallen off the trail. Beckett and Havoc manage to find Colt, but his injuries are too severe, and he dies. In his last breaths, Colt expresses his love for Beckett, Ella, and Maisie and his joy that he finally found a dad in Beckett.

Ella is devastated after Colt’s death. After the funeral, she learns that Beckett has quit the military and taken up a permanent job with the search and rescue team in Telluride. The brief joy she feels at Beckett’s decision to stay convinces her that, with him and Maisie, she will be able to find joy again. The epilogue shows Maisie, cancer-free for five years, visiting Colt’s grave to update him on her life. Beckett and Ella are still happy together, and their family has grown to include a younger brother and sister. Maisie promises Colt to live life enough for the two of them.