POV: Single (Harper)
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️.5

With London as a backdrop to the fast paced life of a celebrity journalist, this book transported me across the pond and charmed me with its fun cast of characters and witty banter. While it falls under a romcom with the tropes of second chance and enemies to lovers, it really does read more like women's fiction as the romance seems to be secondary to the story and not the main focus, at least until the end.

Ryan and Harper are great characters and definitely opposite of each other with Harper being a lively people person and Ryan being quiet and reserved. I would've liked to get to know Ryan a little better, and there were times when I was frustrated with them both, but all works out in the end. There is technically an open door scene, but it is not very descriptive so it really is more like the door is opened just a little bit and not completely closed!

This is my first book from the author, and I really appreciated how she wrote Harper's character, who is strong and has no issue standing up for herself. I really loved how everything works out for her in the end!

This is being compared to The Hating Game, and I have to agree with this enemies to lovers workplace romance.  At times, Harper was a little immature in her arguing with Ryan just because she had to be right (even if she was wrong).  This, however, led to her having great growth throughout the book to truly find herself and learn to stand up for herself. 

I enjoyed seeing Harper in her element at work.  She was a go-getter and would get high profile celebrities to interview because of her character and determination. I LOVED this part of the book!  You get flashbacks of when Harper and Ryan met to learn how they came to be and how they became enemies (although I think it was more Harper holding a grudge for 10 years). The first half was a bit slow, but I adored the second half so much!

I had to laugh at myself during some scenes in the book due to Harper being so competitive because I could totally see myself doing the same thing.  She was late all the time, forgetful, and what I like to call an organized mess…which is me in a nutshell!

I read this with Andrea, and we both read it pretty quickly!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫
Do we have a new favourite author? The answer is YES! After throughly enjoying the Wedding Season and the Secret Bridesmaid, we were beyond ecstatic to get an ARC for the Last Word.

As Celebrity editor at a newspaper’s weekly magazine, Harper can score interviews with any closed off celebrity by charming the right publicist. She is a workaholic who loves her job, even though her awful boss just hired her nemesis Ryan. They interned at the same newspaper ten years ago and had a whirlwind romance until Ryan betrayed her. They clash until they’re thrown together for a romantic work trip and finally talk about the past.

Katy Birchall writes FMC’s we are invested in from the start. Her books always have the perfect mix of self discovery and romance. You see the FMC’s journey without losing her to the romance of it all.
Despite being totally opposites, Harper and Ryan’s attraction is undeniable. It’s the classic, he falls first and she doesn’t realize it, which we love! Their love story made us feel warm and fuzzy!

Many thanks to @smpromance + @netgalley for the e-book ARC in exchange for our honest review.

What we liked:
▪️Enemies to lovers & workplace romance
▪️Flashback chapters
▪️all the sarcastic banter & bickering
▪️Getting the last word in arguments
▪️loved Mimi’s commentary

What we didn’t like:
▪️Harper’s grudge against Ryan (same mistakes being repeated was a bit frustrating)

This was a fun workplace romance! Loved the dialogue between the two main characters. I enjoy a solid enemies-to-lovers and second chance romance! And I always enjoy stories with a setting involving the publishing industries. The story takes place in London and the two main characters are Harper and Ryan (total cinnamon roll) and they have some great banter! I will definitely read more from Katy Birchall! What a fun, light read!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital copy to review! 4 stars out of 5!

Star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating: 🌶️
Tropes: Enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance, second chance romance, grumpy x sunshine, slow burn

Things I enjoyed:
- The book was not heavily focused on the romance aspect
- The characters were realistic, imperfections and all
- The FMC was not constantly described as short throughout the book (big pet peeve of mine)
- How the FMC's work ethic was described using positive adjectives throughout. Typically women who are driven are "bossy and B*&chy" and men are "assertive and driven" and it was so nice to read about a woman who is very driven and also great at her job
- The banter was fantastic!!!


Things I did not enjoy:
- How the FMC was constantly described as messy and unorganized. It went into too much detail and was described way too often for my liking. About 1/2 way into the book I was like "Omg i get it, she's messy...can we move on?"
- The slow burn was too slow for me. Even though they did get together for that one kiss at his flat and then again in Florence, she broke it off right after and the characters didn't get back together until the last chapter. I was expecting more romance and a little less focus on the workplace.

In the middle:
- Cosmo...first off I did not like his name. Maybe it's a British name but in America that's more of a dog's name than a persons name so I found that odd. And I was annoyed at how obnoxious the boss was....although that is probably realistic so I will let his character slide
- I also thought the FMC was annoying how over the top her personality was with always needing to have the last word, picking a fight over a "non-issue", and refusing to see the MMC's POV, just always assuming he is "out to get her". I appreciate that the FMC was not perfect and actually had character, but toward the end I wanted to scream at how irrational her behavior was.

This is typical British romcom with bit of subtle humor, two guys liking a girl. A guy who actually knows her and the other obviously using her to get what he wants. Who would she choose. Add to this mix is the celebrity element. Harper is celebrity journalist who is passionate and loves interviewing celebrities. Ryan is features editor who joins the team. They meet each other 10 years after an incident. The writer hints at this event through the book. This lovely book is fun book and I loved it!

The Last Word is being haled as a new version of The Hating Game and that's a tall order. The Last Word lives up to the enemies to lovers troupe but it was not without it's issues. The first quarter of the book felt disjointed from the rest. It serves mostly as the background explaining Harper's career. This means the hero and heroine were barely on page together. Once they start interacting the book picked up.

Harper and Ryan have a history. The reader gets more details of that history and where things went wrong in flashbacks sporadically throughout the course of the book. Harper hasn't seen or heard from Ryan in ten years. She walks into the breakroom at work and is shocked to find Ryan. They decide not to let people know of their past association and go head to head over every minute detail. Their attraction is once again instant but Harper can't seem to get over the betrayal she felt in the past.

This was not my first Katy Birchall book and I liked it quite a bit more than the last I read, The Wedding Season. Harper was kind of insufferable the first half of the book. I found the way she interacted with Ryan immature especially when it comes out what is the past betrayal. I really liked Ryan and his parents. He seemed like such a good guy and was so sweet. I loved that he would remember the smallest details and bake desserts for work. He was gone for her from the first time they met.

Thank you to Katy Birchall, NetGalley, and St Martin's Press for an eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
#netgalley #TheLastWord #katybirchall #stmartinspress

This was an enjoyable read. It started a little slow but picked up. The banter between Ryan and Harper kept me entertained. This is my first read by the author and I will definitely check out her backlist. The character development was on point keeping me engaged throughout the book.

I love an enemies to lovers trope, those are so fun because their chemistry build up is always great and when they finally feed into their urges its explosive. Harper and Ryan were just IT. This is so a slow burn, but they are so funny with their banter and competition. They have history, they used to date so many years back and their breakup was life changing on how Harper sees relationships. But when she realizes that he was never the enemy, she has a change of heart and BOOOMMMM!!! We finally get to the good stuff. I adored these two though.

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Harper is a true work-a-holic, a career driven woman who is underestimated constantly by her boss based on her role as a celebrity editor. She is used to using sheer determination to get to where she is in her career and isn't going to let anything deter her, even her new co-worker, Ryan .But, Ryan isn't quite "new" to Harper. Throughout the story, we find Ryan and Harper have quite the history; a history, it seems, Harper has yet to let go of...and neither has Ryan...

This enemies-to-lovers, second chance, office romance had all the makings of a romance I would truly love but, I struggled with Harper's competitive nature. She was always skeptical of Ryan's motives as he desperately tried to make up for their tumultuous history and prove to Harper he was a changed man. A man who desperately wanted another chance I did, however, adore Ryan! His efforts to win over Harper, regardless of her attitude, were sweet and swoony. Overall, this romance fell a bit flat and the connection between the characters wasn't completely believable until the very last pages of the story

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The overall premise of the book is cute; it's a second chance/enemies to lovers' workplace romance. However, for me, there isn't enough romance, and there isn't enough personal growth or depth to the story to be a strong women's fiction. I'm never a fan when someone has a boyfriend over halfway through the book (which is not the love interest). The "first boyfriend" Liam is sort of a throwaway, and I'm not sure he really adds much to the storyline. I would have enjoyed seeing Harper and Ryan getting past their disagreements and miscommunications sooner and getting to re-know one another on a deeper level. I didn't really feel either of the characters were completely fleshed out, as they both sort of felt like caricatures of "messy, creative woman" and "type A man" with not much else. All that being said, I think if you're after a "new adult" type British workplace drama/romance, you may enjoy this! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press Group for the ARC!

The Last Word is an enemies to lovers, office work place romance that's reminiscent of The Hating Game. I really enjoyed the first half of the book and enjoyed the women's lit fic of Harper. Her career as a celebrity journalist was inspiring.

I think well fell a bit short for me was the romance. The banter/bickering was a bit immature and a bit much for my taste which made me disconnect in believing the chemistry between the two. I was actually more invested in Harper's career rather than her romantic relationship with Ryan.

Overall, a fun romcom if you're looking for a beach read this summer!

Another fun story Katy Birchall. Each book I've read has been better than the last. This is such a great second chance romance hidden in a enemies-to-friends rom-com. The whole story just made me feel good. Ryan and Harper don't seem like a great fit but they were perfect for each other. I found the story to be generally fun and heartwarming at the same time. It was a perfect balance. I totally recommend this for a mood lifting read. Get ready to fall in love with both Ryan and Harper. I did! I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

**Thank you to Katy Birchall, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to receive an ARC of The Last Word in exchange for an honest review!!** This book is so interesting! I am not a huge fan of second chance romances so it definitely took me a bit to get into the book. I really adored the relationship between Harper and Ryan. Their banter was so great!! I really enjoyed their bickering in the present. I also really enjoyed Harper's friendships with Rakhee and Mimi, it really helped that this book was moreso about Harper than it was really about her romantic relationships. Harper is definitely relatable when it comes to her behavior and her messy life. I think this is a great book if you want to see a female lead try and make her way in an intense industry!

Thank you SMP for the eARC. 💖

I've been a Katy Birchall fan since her debut adult novel, The Secret Bridesmaid, so I was thrilled to get my hands on an early copy of The Last Word.

This book was so much fun! It has some of my favorite tropes: enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract, forced proximity, and workplace romcom. It's clever, witty, charming and has fantastic banter! I also really enjoyed the depth here, as in addition to the love story, there are subplots of tumultuous family relationships, workplace issues, and a great deal of character growth.

Birchall is such a reliable author. I always know I'm going to enjoy whatever she writes. Well done. 👏🏻

I had SO much fun with this book!! I loved the pacing from the begging and getting to know Harper's character was so refreshing, ie. who she is without the love interest involved.

THE BANTER, the chaos between Harper and Ryan was hilarious. Ryan is also just hilarious and pairing the two of them together made for a great dynamic. I also love how fleshed out the supporting characters felt, especially in a workplace romance like this.

“Peace time was nice while it lasted.” Meeee too Mimi, because when it got to the slightly annoying parts of whY they kept coming back to the same argument, I was a bit frustrated with how they handled dealing with their conflict. Overall though, I had a great time with this and definitely look forward to reading more from Katy Birchall!

A cute rivals-to-lovers workplace romance—like The Hating Game with actual build-up and reasoning for the rivalry. This was a breezy, fun read with lots of traveling and banter; definitely the perfect beach or poolside romance for the summer.

To be clear, I don’t think that there’s much that sets this book apart from those with similar concepts, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. It’s still an enjoyable read, and if you’re a big romance reader who knows (and loves) the tropes, this will be a great comfort read to get through any slumps.

The book does feel like it drags a little at points, especially since the characters are constantly going to big events and traveling for their busy journalist jobs. I appreciate how the romance and chemistry are interwoven with the big events, but I do feel like moments could have been condensed here and there. The beginning was especially slow at times as we wait for the big reveal for why Harper and Ryan are “rivals” at all.

The protagonists, Harper and Ryan, are fine. I really wish that I had more to say about them, but that’s really all that they are. Their chemistry is decent—maybe a little overhyped at the beginning by other characters—but by the 27% mark I was rooting for them. I liked that they had a background with each other, though I do think that the circumstances are a little overblown. (I totally get why Harper was upset at Ryan for what he’d done, but eleven years of silence felt like a long time to go without much self-reflection or growth on her end. And Ryan’s undying attraction and emotion also felt pretty silly.)

Overall, this was a light, enjoyable read. I think plenty of people will love the banter and tension between the main characters, and I especially loved the messages of “working for yourself” and forgiveness at the end of the book.

actual rating: 3.5/5

I would call The Last Word a nod to classic romcoms. I predicted everything that happened, but I still had a great time reading it. It wasn’t riddled with twists and surprises, but it had plenty of funny situations that kept me entertained.

I really enjoyed seeing Harper and Ryan’s relationship grow throughout from the past to the present and the present from the beginning to the end. I appreciated the time the author took to give us personal growth for Harper apart from Ryan. Harper’s journey was really inspiring to me and came at the perfect time for me as I’m just now entering the workforce.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffith for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Word by Katy Birchall is a charming enemies-to-lovers romcom that will have readers hooked from the very beginning. Birchall masterfully weaves together a tale of two former interns who reunite as colleagues in a newsroom, where their dynamic is a total disaster. Harper and Ryan can't seem to agree on anything and their constant bickering is both infuriating and entertaining.

The enemies-to-lovers trope is executed brilliantly in this book. The tension between Harper and Ryan is palpable, and readers will be rooting for them to overcome their differences and find their way to each other. As they spend more time together, Harper starts to see a different side of Ryan and the chemistry between them grows stronger.

The Last Word is a hard-to-put-down book that will keep readers engaged until the very end. Birchall's writing is witty and engaging, and the story is both heartwarming and hilarious. The book is a solid four-star read that romance fans are sure to enjoy. Overall, The Last Word is a delightful romcom that is perfect for fans of The Hating Game and Beach Read.

I really needed something quick, funny, and upbeat after reading an exceedingly well-written but grim WW II bio, and this enemies-to-lovers romance fit the bill soooooo well.

Harper was an absolute gas of a heroine, with her twenty alarms, and her constant chaos and mess. I loved her hard-working, good-hearted self, always there with a great one-liner.

Ryan was the classic enemies-to-lovers hero--apparently a jerk at the beginning, but hot. The banter was fantastic. I loved the way the two navigated their feelings and came around. I loved the side characters. Really, it was just an overall fun read.

This is the classic case of: you know how it's going to end. The fun is in how we get there.

Looking forward to this author's next.