The following version of the book was used to create this study guide: Moyes, Jojo. The Last Letter from your Lover. Penguin, New York, NY, 2011. Kindle AZW file.

Jennifer Stirling is the epitome of a wealthy, young socialite. She has a handsome, wealthy husband named Laurence, two elaborate homes, and all the money she needs to indulge her desire to shop. The relationship with Laurence, however, is cold and uncompromising. He is openly derisive and critical of her, even in front of others.

Anthony O'Hare is an experienced journalist who has spent years on the front lines of the biggest conflicts. Previously, he had traveled extensively, but health issues have benched him in London. Anthony's boss sends him to interview Laurence, a wealthy mine owner. Anthony ends up at a dinner party where he drinks too much and criticizes the group, not realizing Jennifer is listening. He writes a heartfelt note of apology which she demands he read aloud. She allows him to buy lunch.

Over lunch, Anthony begins to realize there is more to Jennifer than he thought. Over the coming weeks, he pours out his heart to her through a series of letters. Jennifer loves Anthony in a way she will never love Laurence, but divorce in her social circle is not acceptable. She receives another letter from Anthony, saying he is leaving England and wants her to go with him. Knowing her friends and family will ostracize her for the choice, she decides to go anyway. When she realizes she is never going to reach the station on time, she pleads with Anthony's friend Felipe for a ride.

Jennifer wakes in a hospital later. She learns she had been in a wreck, but no one is willing to give her details. She has few memories of her life before the accident. So, she sets out to rediscover who she is. She begins to go through her belongings and discovers one of Anthony's letters. She discovers other letters, and Anthony's words make her realize she loved this man. He has signed them only with a “B,” a symbol of her nickname for him. One day, Jennifer and Laurence argue about the situation, and he says the man she loved died in the car wreck. Jennifer is wracked with guilt and accepts that her life will revolve around the cold husband who can never forgive her.

Four years pass. One night at a party, Jennifer sees Anthony. The memories return in a flood. They spend a wonderful afternoon in bed together. Then, Jennifer rushes away. Anthony is heartbroken when he sees her meet her daughter, Esme. He realizes that Jennifer would never leave her marriage now. Jennifer again tries to settle into her life. However, an unexpected event occurs when Laurence's disgruntled secretary hands Jennifer a list of all Laurence's employees who have contracted cancer from exposure to asbestos. If the list became public, Laurence's business would be ruined. Jennifer also learns Laurence was fully aware that Anthony did not die in the wreck, yet Laurence had allowed Jennifer to feel that guilt for years. Jennifer threatens to make the list public, forcing Laurence to allow her to live separately. Jennifer tries to contact Anthony at the newspaper, but his boss blocks the way because he feels that Anthony cannot handle more heartbreak. She leaves the packet of letters, hoping Anthony will understand her message. Anthony, meanwhile, takes custody of his teenage son after his ex-wife dies. Anthony prepares to settle into a new job at the newspaper but discovers he is no longer able to write. He never sees the letters or learns that Jennifer is trying to reach him.

Forty years after these events, Ellie, a features reporter at The Nation, is assigned to look through items in the newspaper's library for a feature comparing the past with the present. Ellie discovers the letters and sets out to solve the mystery of the writer and the recipient. Her research takes her to a post office box, then to Jennifer Stirling, now a refined woman in her 60s. Jennifer tells Ellie the story, and Ellie discovers that Anthony has been working in the newspaper's library for 40 years. As Ellie deals with personal complications in her own life, she gets caught up in Jennifer's story, writes an incredible feature about “Dear John” letters, and helps Jennifer and Anthony reconnect.