Enemies to lovers is my absolute favorite romance trope, and when it's in the workplace? Even better.

These characters are a lot of fun, and I was completely invented in them right from the beginning. I also really liked the side characters; they added a lot to the story without taking the focus off the MCs. I liked Harper's character arc - it is so much more fun to read about characters who aren't perfect.

A note - it's pretty light on the spice, but it's sweet and a lot of fun.

Harper Jenkins loves her job as as a celebrity journalist for a popular magazine. She is at the top of her game and has the best contacts in the business. But when her boss hires Ryan to be the new Features Editor, Harper is furious. Because she and Ryan have met before, a decade ago. They had both been interns at the same publication, where they fell in love, until Ryan betrayed Harper. Now, a decade later, thrown together in the newsroom, they are a disaster. They don’t agree on anything and constantly argue. But, despite their disagreements on just about everything, Harper feels a spark and thinks maybe she misjudged him.

I love stories where the characters are journalists! I find the business fascinating and always enjoy that as a setting. Although this was a slow-burn romance, I found myself invested and rooting for Harper and Ryan. Overall, a fun rom-com that would make a great read for summer :)

Thank you to Katy Birchall, St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for the ARC! “The Last Word” is out now.

REVIEW: The Last Word ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"You light up every room you walk into. You somehow turn everything that's great and orderly into a colorful, giant jumble. You're like this…. Chaotic, shiny star." -Katy Birchall.

When I saw this new book from Katy Birchall available, I knew I wanted to read it. I have read two other books from her, The Secret Bridesmaid and The Wedding Season, which I both absolutely loved! I was curious how this book would be since this one was not wedding themed.

One thing Birchall is really great at is developing characters. She adds so much background and personality to them that you feel like you know them personally. The chemistry of the main characters in this story was very strong. It also helped that I love a great enemy to lovers trope.

Our main character, Harper, is a very career driven journalist and is super unorganized. Our other main character, Ryan, is quiet, serious, and super organized. Working next to each other is causing some issues, especially when they have some past together. This story reminded me a lot of The Hating Game in the best way!

There were a few times that issues seemed a bit forced into the story to cause problems for the characters. They didn't feel natural so it threw it off a bit. It also got a little repetitive at times, but not enough to distract from the story.

Overall I really enjoyed the story. The Last Word is a perfect novel for anyone who loves a romance with a strong female character and an enemy to lovers trope. I enjoyed this story from beginning to end.

Oh No, not the dog...As soon as I read that just couldn't not go further. I am sad to say it just left me sad and upset and could not get past it. It's ok I did read online that the dog was oK in the end but I just couldn't read again.

Harper Jenkins is a journalist and celebrity editor at Narrative magazine. A job she absolutely adores. Her outgoing personality and sense of humor endears her to celebrities that would otherwise never speak to journalists. She just so happened to score a coveted interview with a famous actress that hasn't spoken to the public in over 15 years after a very public fall from grace. This exclusive could really make her career. Things are looking up!

That is until a new editor is hired at Narrative. Ryan Jannsen. That awful, despicable man that broke her heart 10 years earlier. Now they have to sit side by side day in and day out and... work together? Impossible!!!

These two are like night and day. She's chatty, boisterous, and unabashedly disorganized. Ryan is quiet, thoughtful, and a total neat freak. Let's just say these two rarely see eye to eye. Let the bickering begin!

This book was a hoot. The bickering banter kept me entertained from the beginning to the end. I admit that at times I felt Harper was a little bratty but then I'd laugh at something she said and all would be forgiven. Ryan was perfection through and through. I'd say this book is more *com* with the *rom* coming in at around 70%. That didn't bother me in the least because I was having so much fun reading this. Be prepared for some miscommunication which I think is a common theme in an enemies to lovers / opposites attract scenario. There also weren't many surprises to be had here, though I find most rom-coms to be fairly predictable, so I find that enjoyable characters are what make or break a book in this genre. Birchall succeeded! 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for my complimentary copy.

I was so excited to receive this as an egalley from NetGalley and St Martin's Press. I greatly have enjoyed previous novels by Birchall.
This one is for all the enemies to lovers, workplace romance readers! I love the power dynamic between Harper and Ryan. The story includes flashbacks to when they were interning together and then back to present day. The energy was great, the book was an exciting and a quick read for me.

Despite being brilliant at her job as celebrity editor for her magazine, able to get exclusive interviews from even the most elusive of stars, Harper struggles to gain respect from her boss and even her family. To make matters worse, her old nemesis Ryan has been hired on as the features editor and soon they're bickering constantly. They worked together ten years before as interns competing for the same position, giving in to their attraction for one wonderful weekend... until she found out a truth that felt like betrayal and blocked him from her life. Now those feelings are starting to resurface as she realizes she may have misjudged him. But can she really trust him when cuts at the magazine are starting to feel like déjà vu?
This was a slow burn romance with flashbacks to their time as interns that reveal why Harper dislikes Ryan so much in the beginning. I like her strong and confident, yet disorganized and scatterbrained character and how she relates to the stars she interviews. Ryan was such a cinnamon roll character, shy and awkward except with Harper, hiding his feelings so he didn't get hurt again. After a bit of a slow start, once Ryan made his appearance in the story i was hooked!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a fun book! We have two journalists, but that’s where the similarities end. Ryan is reserved and keeps to himself. Harper interviews celebrities for a job and fits in magnificently. She is outgoing and isn’t afraid to go after what she gets. 10 years previous, they were both interns and going for the same job, but also falling fast for each other. When Harper is betrayed, she bails and leaves him in the dust. Fast forward to current day, and Ryan is hired in the same department that Harper is in.

When thrown together again, old feelings start to resurface and bygones start to be just that. Their relationship was a slow simmer but I don’t feel like it dragged. Ryan was so sweet and he just wanted to be in harpers good graces. But they butt heads and Harper brings out the worst (or best, depending on how you look at it!) side of him. He gets competitive, and they both need to have the last word. It was such a sweet story of second chances and forgiveness!!

In spite of her terrible boss, Harper loves her job. She’s worked her way up to being one of the premiere Celebrity editors in the newspaper business and is well known for her great rapport with even the most difficult actors and musicians. The only one standing in the way to her further success is the new Features editor Ryan. They are as opposite as can be but she’ll need to find a way to get along with him before she loses all her best pieces.

The Last Word is a stand-alone workplace romance. Readers know from the blurb that the MCs previously knew each other as interns but their history together is sprinkled throughout the storyline. It takes quite a while before we actually find out what caused their falling out.

I enjoyed the author’s previous books (The Secret Bridesmaid and The Wedding Season) but this one fell flat for me. The first half of the book is rather slow with a lot of background information. I’m glad I stuck with it though as the second part is much more engaging and the pacing is better.

If you’re a fan of the workplace rivals trope this may be a great fit for you. Overall, a decent read. It’s just very different than the author’s previous work.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press (St. Martin’s Griffin)!

This was a super cute romcom! The banter in this was SOO good and had me laughing for most of this book. Harper was such a fun character and I loved her enthusiasm for life and her career. Her bubbly personality really leaps off the pages and made me feel a little happier, too. I adore Ryan and how sweet he is once he opens up. He’s such a nerdy, shy, cutie pie and I actually ended up liking him more than Harper. The book was a little slow in the beginning, but it picks up quickly and flys by. I really enjoyed this and it’s perfect for a day at the beach!

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙯𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙚, 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩. 𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙯𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙩𝙤𝙤. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙄’𝙢 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙯𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙤𝙬.”
___

Reminiscent of Mhairi McFarlane, I absolutely loved The Last Word and I highly recommend experiencing it in audio. The narration was absolutely fantastic! I can’t tell you how many times I laughed out loud while listening to this. The constant back and forth between Ryan and Harper was hilarious. Even when it got ridiculous, I still found myself grinning from ear to ear.

I really enjoyed the flashbacks that carefully unfolded Ryan and Harper’s past relationship and fall out. It really helped me to understand Harper better. I really related to her organized chaos and I love that she was the exact opposite of Ryan. Harper was a little difficult toward the end, BUT after experiencing one meeting with her parents, I totally understood why she acted the way she did and put up so many walls. Imagine going through that scenario repeatedly, every few months. No wonder Harper’s self worth was so low. I truly understand why she did certain things to protect herself, and I’m so glad Ryan stuck it out to be there for her. He was the perfect man to balance her out. What a doll. I just loved him so much!

This story is filled out so much heart, humor and hilarity. I really enjoyed Harper’s friends, and some further reconciliation that takes place at the end. This story is filled out so much heart, humor and hilarity. I’m so excited to go back and read Katy Birchall’s other books on my backlist after loving this so much!!

Thank you to Macmillan audio for an ALC and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy. My thoughts are my own.

I love enemies to lovers romance, especially when it’s in the office setting 😏 I love how Harper and Ryan’s relationship developed throughout the book. They grew from their separation and learn what they wanted ❤️

This was a well written love story between two young lovers who grow in their lives to be better for themselves and each other.

4.75
I’ve said it once I’ll say it again.
Book Lovers meets The Spanish Love Deception meets The Hating Game

-EXTREME slow burn
-enemies to lovers
-second chance

This book took by surprise. I absolutely love every single second! The tension, the banter, the characters, everything!

Harper is literally a walking tornado (in the best way). She is organized chaos and I love her unapologetic manor. And Ryan is me near freak strait laced hard worker. Natural born enemies.

And gosh Ryan just does the sweetest things and you can see their banter but the care!! This is a second chance romance and the timeline was written really when in there sense that nothing was given away. But there were some too-fast paced movements in the present timeline that could have been slowed down to provide useful tension in the story. As well as at the end I NEEDED some more grovelling. Something hard hitting and sweet bc Ryan and Harper would be the type!

But overall I absolutely love every second of this!

Also an absolute sucker for women’s fiction

The Last Word by Katy Birchall is a contemporary romcom. I was intrigued by the comparison of The Hating Game meets Beach Read, add comedic relief and I'm all for it.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. I ended up stopping at chapter seven, so please check out other reviews from readers who completed the novel. I wasn't connecting to the main character, Harper, the way I had hoped. I'm also not sure exactly what pinpointed the inability to connect but the humor wasn't hitting and she didn't have a relatable persona for me as a reader.

Typically main character connection is not needed for me to enjoy a book and I'll keep going but my other drawback was the plot. It is very focused on Harper's job in those first few chapters and while I love a powerful woman in the workforce, it wasn't enticing to read. I hated that I wasn't sucked in for this one and that I felt it wasn't moving towards something more exciting.

As I mentioned, I highly recommend seeing other reviews for this release especially if you love Birchall's work and novels like The Hating Game! Thank you St. Martin's Griffin for the gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

⭐️Enemies to lovers/ office mates
⭐️Forced proximity (work trips)
⭐️A sexist boss that causes banter and commodity
⭐️Spicy RomCom

I’ve enjoyed both of Katy Birchall’s previous books and enjoyed this as well. It wasn’t wedding themed but a “romance column” journalist at the top of her game. But her sexist boss is a pain. Ryan is her work enemy that she has tons and tons of banter with. It’s very much a spin-off of “The Hating Game” with Ryan being so Type A and neat. And I’m so so happy this book got spicy faster than her previous and I was rooting for their connection.

The Last Word is a cute and fun Rom-Com. I loved Harper! This is a perfect by the pool summer read. Magazine editors have a past and now are working together. Laugh out loud moments

Aww this one was so cute! I really enjoyed every second! It has some enemies to lovers and it is done so well! Some highlights are HEA, a cute epilogue, and some swoon worth quotes. Also it has adorable quotes, like this one- "It was the easiest answer I've ever had to give."

2.5 Stars ⭐️

Harper loves her job as a celebrity editor for a magazine. She is thriving in life, and everything is going fine at the magazine until her boss hires Ryan as the Feature Editor. She and Ryan share a strong past. Years ago, the two were in an intense relationship. Harper really thought she had a future with Ryan, but he ended up betraying her.

Harper and Ryan can’t seem to agree on anything. They are at odds, and Harper realizes they have little in common when it comes to their work style. This is her career, and she will not jeopardize that by fighting with Ryan.

Honestly, though this is probably one of my favorite tropes, it didn’t give me the feels that I wanted. The romance is a slow burn, and while I normally don’t care for that, I have learned to appreciate them when they are done correctly. In this case, the author uses the beginning of the story to focus solely on Harper to give readers insight into her personality. I might have enjoyed this more if I got to get a little of Ryan as well.

I also felt the romance is very light. It takes a long time for them to connect as older adults. Harper kept going back and forth. She blamed Ryan for every single offense imaginable. I had a very hard time connecting with her. She is a bit of a mess, both professionally and personally. Ryan isn’t much better. He doesn’t communicate well, and it’s frustrating. The two seem to go in circles, almost reliving their past mistakes.

Overall, this is a case of a strong premise that was not executed properly. I would still give this author another chance.

~ Samantha

I received this book from NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.

I really really really liked this book. The enemies to loved is so nice, both characters are enjoyable. I love how Ryan is a soft and a bit insecure. This shows other men - who generally are the tough ones - that it is okay to be sensitive and have feelings. I really enjoyed that part of the book. Harper was great, I could not with her being that chaotic, but it gave her some character.

Really enjoyed the writing style. I even found myself reading during work hours a few times. Writing is quick and I flew trough the book.

This was a well-written, entertaining book. It was fun and held my interest. I enjoyed this book and would read others by this author.