Okay, so I'm going to be completely honest and admit, although it took me a little while to get into, once I finally DID, I absolutely fell in love with this book! 
 It's right up there with Between and Between as a favorite recent read. It's a beautiful piece, gritty and raw and realistic in that it doesn't sugarcoat the disappointments an unfortunate set of people can go through in life, but also shinning with a beacon of friendship, romance, love, happiness and hope at the end of the Rainbow (pun intended). 
 And yes, it really is told almost ENTIRELY through letters, emails, and messages! There is no real prose until the very, very end. 
 I particularly loved Rosie's character. She wasn't perfect, which would have been boring anyway, but she was wonderfully likable and brave and enduring and, despite falling into it at a young age, a good mother to boot! 
 Alex was cool too, and I liked him, but I felt sorrier for Rosie because despite all the bad stuff Alex went through, it kinda seemed like it was worse for her. Yes, he worked hard and ended up in two bad marriages, but let's think about this for a minute. He still had his dream job, which he didn't have to give up, the way Rosie always had to give up her dreams, and a stable place to live... Whereas poor Rosie was bounced around a lot more. Also, I was FURIOUS with Alex for running back to Bethany just because Rosie had to stay in Ireland so Katie could be near her father. It wasn't like she was MARRYING Katie's father. I wanted to scream, "you nitwit, you could still be with her! What's WRONG with you???" at the book. 
 That said, after all the sadness, both Alex and Rosie get their happy ending. The only downside? They're freaking FIFTY years old. And yes, it's beautiful, but when I finished the book I felt kinda depressed despite my love of the story. 
 All I could think of was a quote from "Anne of Avonlea" which I will put here because I think it's important: 
 Anne: "Isn't it beautiful to think how everything has turned out...How they have come together again after all the years of separation and misunderstanding?" 
 Gilbert: "Yes, it's beautiful, but wouldn't it have been more beautiful still, Anne, if there had been NO separation or misunderstanding... If they had come hand in hand all the way through life, with no memories behind them but those that belonged to each other?" 
 And that, sadly is the entire MORAL of "Where Rainbows End" in my opinion. What else is there to say? We start off with these beautiful young people who because of misunderstanding and bad situations wound up being unhappy for years on end. 
 Yes, it's beautiful, but think! How many years will poor Alex and Rosie have together after this? Even if they both live to be 90 something, they won't get back what they missed out on, and they'll be old and have health problems and probably no children together... 
 So it's very bittersweet. Still I love it, though it depresses me deeply, so five stars well, well earned and I'll have to see the movie version sometime soon!