I read this book as part of a group promotion, which includes a buddy chat. I enjoyed the book, it was a quick read.

Katy Birchall is a favorite of mine after reading The Secret Bridesmaid and her latest did not disappoint! This second chance/enemies to lovers storyline following Harper and Ryan checked all the boxes for the perfect romance read. With Harper's role as a journalist, the British backdrop, and the wit throughout the book, it felt reminiscent of Bridget Jones in the best possible way. This was a delight from beginning to end and I enthusiastically recommend. 5 shining stars!

DNF

It's hard to say no to "enemies to lovers rom-com." I really thought this book was going to be good.

Unfortunately, I lost all interest after the first few chapters. This read like a manual for some reason. I don't know. The story just wasn't clicking with me.

A workplace enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance set in the publishing industry of London, The Last Word is a fun and entertaining read!

Harper has a really cool job, which she is extremely good at. Like, really good. She has a special way of making her interviewees feel comfortable and willing to share. The behind-the-scenes look at the publishing world was very eye-opening. Frankly, her sexist boss is a fool for not seeing how gifted Harper is. She’s met so many people in the entertainment industry, but her life isn’t as glamorous as it sounds. She is in a cutthroat industry, and between the competition, misogyny, and total lack of support from her family, she often faces the pressures by herself and with her very close friends.

I loved Harper. She’s so kind and thoughtful, and she’s a great journalist who always goes the extra mile when interviewing and working with people. And she has such a positive attitude. I can’t imagine being as upbeat as her if my livelihood was threatened, an old love became my biggest competition, and my parents always disparaged me. Harper, however, is determined and independent, and she’s learned how to stand up for herself and what she wants in life. There are a few moments, especially with her parents, where I wanted to stand up and cheer for Harper.

Ryan’s great too, and though the story is told from Harper’s perspective, I feel like you really get to know him. He’s very much Harper’s opposite. A bit more uptight and formal, he’s organized, whereas she’s messy. He’s a planner, and she’s way more impulsive and free-spirited. But they’re both caring and thoughtful people. His parents are also great and such a contrast to Harper’s elitist and demeaning ones.

Harper and Ryan have a contentious relationship, and several flashbacks shed light on what happened between Harper and Ryan and why they haven’t spoken for many years. They have a complicated past, and some of the issues they had bleed into their present relationship. It’s interesting to see how they deal with miscommunication, work pressures, and more now that they are a bit older and wiser. There were parts of the story where I wanted to shake both of them and tell them to stop their constant bickering and be more open with each other, but I could totally understand why each was so hesitant to be more vulnerable with the other. They had fantastic chemistry, and, oh my word, some of their moments together are so comical. (The scene when they are driving the woman in labor to the hospital is hysterical!!)

I enjoyed the story. It’s an entertaining contemporary romance with bickering banter, great friendships, an independent protagonist dealing with drama in her work and personal life, and some great messages about taking charge of your life, setting boundaries, and forgiving.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of the book. all thoughts are my own.

Overall I thought this was a quick read but started off very slow. I didn’t really feel the connection between Harper and Ryan and just wish there was more to this story

Reading The Last Word was a great way to spend the afternoon. I really enjoyed this book, but would definitely describe it more as a woman’s fiction book than a romance - I think the romance was one of the things I liked least about this book. Harper was an excellent main character and I loved seeing her come into her own and finally realize her self worth. It was easy to root for her and I wanted her to succeed. I thought the behind the scenes look into the publishing world was interesting and felt very authentic. I only wish we could have seen more of Harper’s relationships with her friends - I would have loved more time with Mimi and Rakhee

I would recommend this book if you like:
Strong female main characters
Slow burn
Second-chance romance
Opposites attract
A London setting

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin's Press for the gifted e-book ❤️

Read if you like: Enemies to lovers, work rivals, second chances, strong female lead, London setting, slow burn

I'm a huge fan of the Hating Game and Beach Read, so I hoped that this was similar to them since it was compared to them. Not quite. Erase those books from your mind. This book was very slow. Far too slow. It takes a bit to get to the actual romance, and even then, it's not super forward. This read more like women's fiction with a dash of romance. I was left wanting more. I liked the behind the scenes of journalism. Harper was mostly likable, but she treated Ryan really unfairly at times. It would have benefited from dual POV. This just wasn't it for me. You may love it, of course.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. martin's press for the ARC for my honest review. This is my first novel by Katy Birchall. I really liked Harper, our heroine. She is great at her job as a "nice" celebrity interviewer, But, the love interest, Ryan? No thanks. I did not get any chemistry from them, and I think even taking him out as a plot point would have been perfectly fine.

This was a good book. I felt the Liam storyline may have lasted a touch too long, but I was happy when that was resolved. I am kind of over storylines where the main character is a journalist/author/editor it just feels too common. With that being said, this was not the usual story of the main character. It was nice that Harper was not all about her work through the whole book, she actually had some personality outside of that. I liked the ending of the book. It was easy to predict what would happen with Ryan and Harper, but not in a bad way. I am looking forward to reading more by Katy Birchall. I would like to thank Netgalley, Katy Birchall and St. Martin's for the ARC of this book.

I devoured The Secret Bridesmaid and The Wedding Season and this book wasn't quite that for me. This book was a lot more relationship based than other other books and I think that might be where the disconnect was for me. The Secret Bridesmaid felt more friendship based and The Wedding Season was more about finding out who she wanted to be after this relationship that spanned her entire adult life fizzled out.

This book was centered more on the relationship but she did heavily invest her time and self into her career. She was a dang good, trustworthy journalist and put people at ease quickly and did good work. Her relationships with her subjects were lovely to see and I liked seeing them pop back up as the story went along.

I'm just going to go ahead and say that I don't think what Ryan did was wrong. I think he took her anger and heartbreak on because he loves her and that wasn't fair. I feel like she needed to do some serious groveling and we never really got to see it. Since the groveling was minimal, the epilogue felt abrupt.

The narrator did a great job.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
The Last Word by Katy Birchall is an entertaining enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy that pulls the curtain back on journalists and their approach to stories.

My Reading Experience:
Enemies-to-lovers is my favorite trope, so I happily jumped into this story. What I liked best was its behind-the-scenes look at journalism and people in entertainment. What makes Harper stand out among her peers is the fact that she doesn't take every opportunity to sensationalize stories. This approach gives her much respect in the entertainment world full of people who often find themselves humiliated in the most public ways possible because of journalism. The human aspect is forgotten in the drive to sell newspapers and magazines. I loved Harper's approach, which always kept the human factor on top and all that it brings her.

The romance grated on my nerves. Harper and Ryan just bicker all the time over nothing and end their bickering with an angry "Fine." This bickering isn't witty at all. As a matter of fact, I would even say that it's immature – like two kids fighting in the back seat of a car. I liked them as a couple, but I didn't care for the path the story took to get them there. And even though I like a happily ever after, I felt that it was too abrupt in this story. It didn't feel natural at all.

I do have a bunch of little niggles about this story, but overall, I found it entertaining and fun to read, despite those issues.

Characters:
I admired Harper. She always stays true to herself no matter what anyone says, even her parents (who are not friendly people). Her chronic lateness annoyed me as much as it did the other characters. Still, she'd unapologetically explain that it was just her and that something always managed to delay her. She lives in a creatively chaotic world and loves it.

Ryan is Harper's opposite, chronically neat and punctual, and thrives in order and cleanliness. It's no wonder they fall in love, don't you agree?

Narration & Pacing:
Harper tells this tale in first-person narration, which should make the pace relatively quick, yet it was a medium speed at best. I don't know what slowed the pace, but I would guess it was the annoying bickering.

The story is also told in dual timelines, with the current one being the most prominent. August 2012 is the second timeline, and it is when Ryan and Harper first met, fell in love, and parted in a very "I never want to see or talk to you again" manner. The second timeline explains what happened that has Harper in the snit since Ryan started being in such close proximity to her again.

Setting:
London is the setting for the story, but I felt it could have been utilized more. It could have been set in any significant entertainment hub and been the same story. Even the way the characters spoke sounded more American to me than English. Yet, neither of the main characters was American.

Read if you like:
Enemies-to-lovers trope
Entertainment industry
Mostly closed-door romances (there is one open-door scene)

I really do enjoy enemies to lovers and this book definitely has that feeling to it. If you enjoyed The Hating Game, I think you might like this book too. I’m always happy to read the book and fall into it and see that hours have passed. That definitely happened with this book.

This is just what I needed!! This was such a great read and I love Harper and Ryan. They had such great banter in the newsroom. I also enjoyed the London setting. I for sure recommend this one.

Katy Birchall has become a favorite author. Sometimes you need a fun, smart feel good story and she doesn’t disappoint. Harper loves her work. It fuels her. That is until her boss brings in the one person she hoped to never see again truly thinking that never would still be way too soon for betrayal runs deep and is unforgivable. They are thrown together way too often for either of their tastes in too small a newsroom. They are polar opposites and the animosity, okay, maybe more like total hatred they feel for each other is palpable. How long can they fight their attraction? It’s a fun, witty laugh out loud will they, won’t they before they drive each other crazy read.

The premise was interesting but the execution fell flat. I really didn't like the main character, I don't think she had a super valid reason for hating on Ryan for so long and it felt like she was starting arguments just to start them.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I enjoyed The Last Word so much, and I’m not the biggest fan of enemies to lovers, but this was so well done I was hooked from the get-go!
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Harper is a celebrity reporter with integrity. Ryan is also a reporter and her nemesis. We learn they have a history through clearly labeled alternating timelines. Ryan joins the paper Harper works for and sparks of contempt fly…and eventually they become work friends and then more. I loved the characters - they were full of depth, and the storyline was unique and fun to read. Romance lovers, I think you’ll enjoy!
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Thank you @smpromance and @netgalley for the ARC!

You can always sign me up for an enemies-to-lovers romance, and this one did not let me down! Harper is such a relatable and lovable character, especially with her flaws and messy life. I appreciated her work ethic, and enjoyed rooting for her professionally and personally. I thought Ryan was such a soft and adorable character, but to be honest, I was more invested with Harper and her career. Go boss babe, go!

I’m looking forward to reading more from Katy Birchall! 4/5 ⭐️

Read this if you love:
💕Strong female MC
💔Enemies to lovers
❤️Second chance romance
🤣Laugh out loud banter

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars
This is such a fun, entertaining, witty and funny book. I laughed out loud at some of the things that where going on in this story and felt tugs on my heart at others. Ryan and Harper are such interesting, engaging and relatable characters. This story had my attention from the start and held it until the last word of the last page. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Many of the secondary characters were interesting and added to the fabric of the story. I love that we got an epilogue that shows the main characters months later. The more I read Birchall the more she captivates me and brings me into the world that she’s created.

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

I couldn't put this down! I loved this story. I was nervous at first; the chemistry between our two characters didn't sit well with me at the beginning. I knew this author would deliver though, so I kept with it. I do think it probably would have been easier to label the character as ADHD instead of all the descriptions of her forgetting stuff and losing stuff; that got really stressful to read about! It spiked my anxiety a few times. I did end up loving the chemistry between Ryan and Harper, but.I do think there could have been a more mature break up; this wasn't so much miscommunication as it was a failure to allow a character to communicate, so that was frustrating.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I read 40% of this book and did not finish. It just was not the book for me. While I really liked the female MC the story was failing to grab me.