This started off a little slow with much of the initial setup focusing on Harper and her career as a celebrity editor for a magazine.

But with that said, it does make sense. Harper loves her job! She’s great at it. She knows its worth, despite misjudgement from others. A true workaholic whose entire sense of identity is wrapped around her career. So really, I get why much of the story highlighted the ins and outs.

I was excited when the romance started to trickle in—an enemies-to-lovers, second chance romance with the new features editor, Ryan Jansson. Being complete opposites AND having a concealed history, it was immediate fun bickering!

With flashbacks thrown in from eleven years ago, it slowly reveals the reasoning for their bitterness—or shall I say Harper’s bitterness …

As I kept reading, I was left more and more frustrated with Harper. I think her attitude towards Ryan was unfair given the circumstances, both in the past and in the present. It was tedious to see history repeating itself with these two.

There are sweet moments intermixed that definitely proved their genuine connection, but I wasn’t overly in love with this romance.

Harper is a celebrity journalist able to get access to celebrities like no other, because of her integrity and empathy. She prides herself on her job, and works hard ... and is shocked to see a blast from the past she'd rather forget as a new co-worker.

Ryan broke her trust and things never recovered... will it change or stay the same now that they are in the same high pressure publication?

Katy Birchall's writing made this an easy read - you root for Harper and also wince or get frustrated, as we do day to day. This checks the boxes of a couple of tropes and is an entertaining summer read!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and to Netgalley.

The Last Word by Katy Birchall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A big thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC. This one comes out May 2.

I have enjoyed Birchall since The Secret Bridesmaid. Her previous two books were women’s fiction while this one landed squarely in romance. I think I missed a little bit of the themes from the previous books, but I still enjoyed this slow-burn romance.

The characters were well-developed and quirky. I found that I connected more to Ryan, who was the male lead. He was serious but sweet. A little funny and a lot misunderstood. Harper, the leading lady, drove me crazy with her messiness and constant ability to be late everywhere. This was absolutely an opposites-attract, enemies-to-lovers romance.

As far as plot, this one was a pretty typical romance (or at least as far as the ones I’ve read). A happenstance introduction, some past business, close proximity forced interaction, chemistry, a miscommunication, and a come back together moment. It didn’t deviate but that made it all the more cozy and comfortable.

All in all, this one, while predictable, is a cozy romance with some quirky characters.

The Last Word is a triumph of a romance novel. Well-written, with engaging characters and a snappy plot that never feels contrived, forced, or cheesy. While I, personally, would have liked more on the romance side, and I felt that the beginning was slow to get moving, I was left quite satisfied by the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

I thoroughly enjoyed this enemies to lovers trope; co-workers who find themselves working together again, 10 years after a falling out. It takes awhile to find out what happened between the two (through flashbacks) but it was such a great story that you just had to keep reading to see what happens next between the two. A fun spicy romcom that I highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced review copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 stars

The Last Word had a lot going for it, enemies to lovers, second-chance at romance and a workplace romance all rolled into one with a healthy dose of misunderstood lovers sprinkled on top! Harper is a bit of a hot mess; a lot of frenetic energy & so much fun. Ryan comes across as more of a strong silent type. The two co-workers have a secret shared past together and Harper tries to avoid Ryan at all costs until they are thrown together on a work trip weekend away and Harper starts to see Ryan in a different light.

I enjoyed reading this one, even if it was a bit predictable. I loved escaping into Harper's world for a little while.

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for an advanced e-copy in exchange for my review.

The Last Word's blurb drew me to this light romance set around two journalists who have some serious emotional baggage and find themselves working at the same publication eleven years after an event fractured their relationship.

This slow burn opposites attract/second chance romance follows Harper, a celebrity editor who is respected by British celebs for her compassionate writing and likeable demeanour. But personally, she's a mess - perpetually late, disorganized and chaotic. She's the opposite of Ryan Jansson, her introverted, organized new coworker (and not-very-welcomed blast from Harper's past).

I liked Harper's professional side and how she handled her clients but in her personal life she was immature and her resentment for Ryan and how she was offended by ev-ery-thing he did became more frustrating and exasperating as the story progressed. The reliance on the miscommunication trope (my least fav trope) and the use of bickering instead of banter didn't endear me to this book, but I enjoyed seeing Harper stand up for herself.

This story had a very slow start and despite the cover and blurb, I would call this a contemporary fiction read, not a RomCom since the romance comes very late in the story and there's really no comedic aspects. But it does have a bit of heart and is an easy-going, light and predictable read.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to St Martin's Griffin for the complimentary advanced copy which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️

It reminded me in a lot of ways of the Hating Game, but I’m totally okay with that since I loved it too!

Harper & Ryan meet as interns in 2012, and are then working together in the present. We get a dual timeline, showing what happened between them in the past.
They go from enemies to lovers to enemies to strangers to enemies to lovers again!

Ryan & Harper are both journalists, with different styles - total opposites - that teach each other along the way. Their banter is so fun, in your typical enemies to lovers way.

Besides the romance, it also told Harper’s story of growth in her career and her life. We see how she deals with lack of support from so many in her life - her parents, her sister, and even her own boss.

Read if you enjoy:
⭐️ Second chance
⭐️ Romcom
⭐️ Enemies to lovers
⭐️ Workplace
⭐️ Banter
⭐️ Opposites attract
⭐️ Dual timeline
⭐️ Slow burn
⭐️ He falls first
⭐️ Single POV/first person

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy to review. All opinions are my own!

There's little I love more than an enemies to lovers workplace romance. I was super invested in the romance between Harper and Ryan right from the start - and I think it played out really well and I was happy with their ending. The banter was exactly what I wanted from a light and easy weeknight read, while the actual plot was interesting and dynamic! I haven't read anything else by Katy Birchall, but will definitely be rectifying that in the future!!

Thank you so much NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Giffin and Katy Birchall for access to this e-ARC!!

Having read The Wedding Season by the author I was very excited to read The Last Word. This is another funny and sweet story from the author. If you liked The Hating Game, this has a similar work place rivalry vibe. Harper and Ryan are very opposite, but their interactions are written in a way that it is easy to see the attraction at play between the two. The romance is slow burn, but the overall story was captivating and kept me engaged. I especially loved Harper's friends. Katy Birchall is a must read author for me now.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced copy to enjoy.

Thank you to the publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was super cute! A fun, easy read and I loved it!

Ah- enemies to lovers with a twist of second chances! Harper is a celebrity journalist par excellence, largely because she threw herself into her work after a romantic disaster with- wait for it- Ryan. And then Ryan turns up at her - and she does think of it as her- magazine. Everyone thinks he's great but Harper is carrying a chip. These two bicker really well and they compete even better, which makes their eventual thaw even sweeter. There's more to him and to what happened between them all those years ago than Harper knew. This is admittedly one big trope but the characters are delightful and it's entertaining. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

"I thought I made this clear ten years ago, but maybe you didn’t believe me or you weren’t really listening. You have no idea what you do to me. You’re beautiful, but it’s so much more than that. I’ve never been able to talk to anyone the way I could talk to you. Since Adam died, I’d always felt so closed off and alone and irrelevant. Then I met you and you made everything feel warm and open and alive. The world seemed okay again.”

I really enjoyed this read! It’s funny because a few of my Bookstagram friends didn’t like this book. I’ve always known that Katy Birchall’s Books are a little slow to get into. But once you make it a few chapters in, you’re invested! For the most part I really liked Harper. I loved how as being a reporter she really, and truly wanted to show the good side to everyone she interviews. I loved how comfortable she would make the people feel. How they trusted her. It really showed how well she does her job. I loved every bickering moment Harper and Ryan shared. I’m not the biggest fan of multiple timelines, but I liked how we get to see their history. I loved Ryan. I found him very sweet and you can tell that he was a bit shy. I only had a little bit of an issue with Harper not letting things slide and not really listening to someone’s other side of the story.

Read if you like:
Heroine’s POV
Workplace romance
Second chance romance
Banter for days
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Mostly closed door romance

“He called me a chaotic, shiny star. My heart just might burst.”

Harper is an incredible journalist who’s able to get tight-lipped celebrities to talk to her. She loves her job as a Celebrity Editor, but her awful boss makes everything difficult. Especially when he hires Ryan as the new Features Editor, and Harper is furious. She and Ryan have history. They don’t get along and fight constantly, but the more time she spends with him, the more she can’t help thinking she misjudged him.

This is everything I wanted from a rom com. The banter is absolutely outstanding and it made the chemistry between Harper and Ryan simply oozes off the page. I loved that it’s told from Harper’s first-person POV, and we get a clear picture of her character. We are with her chaotic mind and thought process, and it’s honestly so funny. I found myself laughing constantly. Birchall is so good at writing funny inner dialogue that feels so relatable.

Harper and Ryan’s relationship also develops beautifully through moments where she keeps seeing him in a different light. He is endlessly supportive of her and so proud of her. He’s the support system she needs, as we get details about her condescending parents and how difficult that is for her. It’s also easy to see why she’s distrustful of Ryan, especially with his betrayal years prior. We really see how her relationships with her parents and sister have affected her in how she portrays herself at work, It's not surprising to see how hard she works and how seriously she takes her job.

The overall conflict isn’t anything super deep, but considering Harper’s character her reactions make sense. She is impulsive and has poor time management, and it’s obvious that her relationship with her parents has greatly affected her. Her growth is substantial and I adored the ending!

3.75 stars

The Last Word is a sweet and funny romance. I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Katy Birchall wrote them very well, as well as their development throughout the story. The story itself was a bit slower than what I typically prefer. It took a while for the actual romance to start, more than half way through the book. It really focused on their careers and their bantering, and there was a lot of banter/arguments. There was also a bit of a dual timeline. Sometimes the book jumps back 10 years to when the main characters worked on an internship together. I really liked the plot, former colleagues become colleagues again after a decade and they are completely opposite. So they butt heads on everything and always fight to have the last word. It’s great! It was just a bit too slow for me, it felt almost like it was dragging out the story and waiting till the near end to get the romance. I wish there was more of Harper and Ryan’s romance because their chemistry was written so well and I would have loved more of that!

I really enjoyed this read! I thought it was a perfect, enemies to lovers, second chance , slow burn, romance! Most of the book was pretty fast paced but there were a few lulls as well. All in all, definitely recommend this read!

I’m kind of disappointed with this book as it sounded like I would really enjoy it. My problem with it is simple that the two love interest are simply not compatible, like at all. Sure they have one or two cute moments but the rest of the time I couldn’t stop thinking how they would absolutely get divorced in three months tops.

Katy Birchall hits it out of the park again. I loved her previous two books and this one was maybe even better. Birchall writes romances set in London, but with a cast of characters and friends that adds so much depth and heart to her stories. Harper and Ryans enemies to lovers romance was fun and smart and a little swoony. I was worried about the glimpses of their past taking up more space in the book, but they were just the right amount of then to the bulk of the now story. GIve me romances across Europe, dishy celebrity fun and romances that make my heart happy any day.

I’m such a fan of Katy Birchall’s books, so I was really excited to read an advance copy of her latest!!

I ended up with mixed emotions about The Last Word, but overall enjoyed it. It’s an enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance set at a newspaper magazine. Harper is the celebrity columnist, who is well-connected and great at her job. Ryan is new at the company, but has a bumpy history with Harper.

My main issue was that the past between this couple is slowly revealed between chapters. Sometimes this structure works, but here it made me feel a bit disconnected from the characters and their feelings, and Harper in particular came off really bratty. It was harder to root for them getting back together.

But, there were many cute moments between them that I really enjoyed. And, I loved all the parts about Harper’s job and seeing her succeed at it. When Ryan and Harper were getting along and working together, the story shined. And, the book really began to pick up for me about halfway through.

Overall, this was a fun book! The romance is more a focus in this book than it was in Birchall’s previous books, and I especially recommend it for those who like slowburn and workplace romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC. This is my honest review.

This is an enemies to lovers, workplace, second chance romance between Harper and Ryan.

Harper and Ryan both work for the same publication, but in different divisions. When one of Harper’s coworkers takes a new job somewhere else and Ryan steps into that role Harper isn’t exactly pleased. You see, about 10 years ago Harper and Ryan were interns for the same company and things…didn’t end well.

So now we get to follow them as they try to reconcile their past and work together.

Harper is an absolute mess! She is always running late, she is sloppy, and a bit scatterbrained, but she is a fantastic journalist! Ryan is her exact opposite (except he is also a great journalist).

I thought that they had great chemistry, but even knowing that they had a past I felt like it took too long for Harper to realize that Ryan is a great guy and has always been a great guy. It also took until about 20% before Ryan was really a main fixture in the book.

Overall, a book that I really enjoyed!