Thank you, Katy Birchall, St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for the gifted eARC.

Harper Jenkin's is a successful celebrity editor at a weekend magazine that's owned by a newspaper company. When the magazine hires Ryan Jansson as the new Features Editor, she's livid. Harper used to intern with Ryan ten years ago at another newspaper. They had a brief relationship until Ryan betrayed her. They haven't spoken to each other since. Now they have to sit beside each other, work together, and things are tense. They argue all day, don't agree on anything, and can't get along. But the more time Harper spends around Ryan, the harder it is for her to deny the feelings she feels for him. When they go on a work trip to Florence, their feelings for each other come to the surface. With layoffs at the magazine looming, will they find a common ground, or will one of them be left with the last word?

The Last Word is an enemies to lovers, second chance, opposites attract, slow-burn romance. It's full of witty banter and a lot of charged chemistry between Harper and Ryan. This book started out a little slow for me and read almost like a woman's fiction, but a quarter of the way through the story starts to get momentum and then reads more like a romance. I found myself rooting for Harper and Ryan to have their HEA from the beginning because both of their characters were so likable. Harper's outgoing, chaotic, disorganized, full of life personality meshed so well with Ryan's introverted, organized, shy, thoughtful personality. This is one of those books that you can binge in a day because it's so good (in fact, that's exactly what I did). I adore Katy Birchall's writing style. I don't know why her other books have been sitting on my bookshelf unread, but I need to remedy that issue very soon.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin, Katy Birchall, and NetGalley for this e-arc of The Last Word! It was such a cute second-chance romance with the best kind of HEA.

Harper Jenkins, the FMC, is a journalist at a magazine called The Narrative and is on top of her game. She's able to secure interviews with almost any local celebrity and earn their trust while doing so. Unfortunately, her boss doesn't see her job as that important (and neither do her parents). When Ryan Jansson is hired as Harper's new coworker, she does not know how to cope without getting into arguments with Ryan every chance she gets.
Ryan and Harper worked together years prior as interns and shared an intimate weekend together, which they both hoped to continue. While Ryan got the job at the end of the internship, he also messed up his relationship with Harper and betrayed her trust. Working together, a decade later, will either give them the second-chance they were looking for, or prove once and for all that they can never be anything more than journalists working in the same city.

This was my first book by Katy Birchall, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Overall, both MCs were very likable in my opinion (even if at times their bickering could cease if they just took a moment to breath and think), and their banter/chemistry didn't feel forced at all. Their bickering was funny, and it added overall to their history and relationship. The side characters were also a great addition to the cast, and they were lovable when needed or extremely annoying (I'm looking at you Cosmo). Told in a single POV, The Last Word hit all the right tropes: second-chance, forced proximity, workplace romance, and just a hint of spice. If you're a sucker for any of those tropes, and want a romance that doesn't overdue the spice and hits on character growth throughout the plot, then The Last Word is the book for you!

"He called me a chaotic, shiny star." GAHHH this line.


guys i will forever be a sucker for an office romance... but adding in past lovers who bicker nonstop, sign me up!!!!! the banter was EVERYTHING.

i genuinely loved both harper and ryan so much. ryan is such a sweetheart. these characters were written so beautifully. i would've done ANYTHING to get a ryan pov though... like just imagining what was going through his mind all the times they were together just has me like omg!!!!

i really liked how this book shed light on not only how hard pursuing journalism can be, but how hard it is for women in that industry as well. it was written and incorporated very well. i love how female centered and uplifting this book was.

overall this was such a wonderful book and thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc.

Thank you Katy Birchall, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC!

wow I loved this! has everything I could ever want in a rom-com, enemies to lovers workplace romance. i adored Harper, loved reading about how she's was not your typical journalist and really making a name for herself that way.

this was just so fun and refreshing to read!

"The Last Word" by Kate Birchall is a romance novel about Harper and Ryan, former news interns who fell in love but then fell apart. Years later, they are reunited as colleagues at a magazine, and their competitive banter turns into sparks once again. The author does a good job of portraying the characters as competent journalists, with Harper's love of storytelling shining through despite her sexist boss. Ryan's inability to stand up to the boss makes him more realistic but less of a dream boyfriend.

3.75 stars

I want to start of by saying that I enjoyed this book. It was pretty funny in places, it had heart, and it had great ending, but I feel like the synopsis was slightly misleading. It gave the impression of being a great enemies-to-lovers workplace romcom, and that is only partly true. I feel like the romance was a side story, while the main focus of the book was more women’s fiction than romcom. It was a really entertaining and inspiring story, but it also wasn’t entirely what I thought it would be.

However, I blew through the book after just a few hours of reading, and I was laughing my butt off at this one scene that I don’t want to spoil (it involves a taxi and a celebrity giving birth and it’s hilarious). I thought Harper was cute and driven, and I loved her growth at the end and the way her story changed. I liked Ryan, but I feel like I didn’t connect with him as much as I have with other book guys in the past. I loved the flashbacks though, and I do like how everything worked out between them.

I also really loved how big the journalism world was in this big, and I actually really liked all of the focus on Harper’s work and the things she was accomplishing. It made me like her more and really believe in her as a character.

Overall, it was a good book, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you were looking for a classic romcom. If you are looking for women’s fiction with a romance subplot, I think this is a great option!

Harper Jenkins puts her heart and soul into her work as an editor and journalist covering Hollywood's hottest celebrities. She is somehow able to put the most famous celebrities at ease in interviews like no one else can and she is fiercely dedicated to her work. When her boss hires Ryan Jansson to be the Features editor, working at the desk right next to her, Harper is less than thrilled. Not only do they constantly fight with each other, but this is not the first time they have met. 10 years ago, Harper and Ryan interned at the same publication and got swept up in a whirlwind romance. Everything was perfect until Ryan betrayed Harper and she stormed out of his life for good. Now that he's back in her life, Harper has to come face-to-face with those feelings again that she felt for him so long ago.

This enemies-to-lovers story had me reading all day long just so I could finish it and find out what happened! I loved Katy Birchall's "The Secret Bridesmaid" so I was thrilled to be able to read this one. It was everything that I wanted it to be. Harper and Ryan's back-and-forth banter was hilarious and their chemistry was undeniable! I love how we got to see Harper's confidence grow throughout the book and see more of Ryan's personality with Harper bringing him out of his shell more and more. If you've loved any of Birchall's previous books, you'll love this one too!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC! Look for The Last Word on shelves on May 2nd!

Perfect vacation read. Interns to enemies to lovers to co-workers to enemies to lovers. All at the office, of course.

If you liked The Hating Game (WHO DOESN'T? I WILL FIGHT YOU) you will love this story. Harper and Ryan are journalists. Harper writes celeb pieces and is an excellent interviewer - seriously, that was my favorite part of the book, her interviews. Ryan is a the Features Editor and of course they sit right next to each other. Except, they interned a lifetime ago together and have a little bit of a backstory. Their banter is the absolute best and while Harper can be a tad annoying at times she comes around and can admit when she's wrong and I wound up loving that about her.

Forced Proximity? Sign Me UP!

This was sharp and witty while being fun and felt fresh. I find fresh is so hard to find in books anymore and this one nailed it!

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Last Word releases May 2, 2023

Holy smokes, I found Harper to be such an irritating character! And since this story was so character driven from her perspective, it definitely impacted my overall reading experience.
She’s a journalist and celebrity editor at the <I>Narrative</I> magazine. A highly disorganized, often tardy, workaholic. Her dialogue towards Ryan came across snarky and it put me in the worst mood. Harper was always trying to one up him when he was just minding his own business and getting his work done. She constantly had to have the last word which gave off a superiority complex.
Why was she <I>so</I> pressed about him bringing homemade cookies into the office? Like what did he ever do to you to make you so incredibly angry?
I don’t like people that continually show up late while acknowledging it, yet doing nothing to change the habit. It’s so rude.

Harper and Ryan are presented to us as rival workmates with an obvious past, although they’ve made it seem like they’ve just met each other to the rest of their friends and coworkers.
There are some flashbacks interspersed from 11 years ago when they first met as interns.

I don’t believe that they were compatible at all.
Ryan is a reserved and quiet man, has good intentions, a clean workspace — I can’t for the life of me see what he saw in Harper.

I’m shocked that this barely managed to get by with an HEA. It felt like there was maybe, at best, 2 full chapters of romance for the entire book.
It just was not believable. The pacing was incredibly off. Nothing was shown until well into the second half of the story.

I despise the use of cheating as a plot device, so it’s no surprise that I didn’t like it here either.
The conflict was an exact repeat of what happened 11 years ago between Harper and Ryan and their workplace positions which felt like a sick punch to the gut.
I was not rooting for a love story here.

Engaging, charming, and sassy!

The Last Word is an amusing, feel-good, enemies-to-lovers romance that takes you into the lives of both Harper Jenkins, a young woman who loves her job as a celebrity journalist and who is determined to prove to her family no matter what that it’s a worthy career, and the reserved, handsome Ryan Jansson who may finally have a shot at expressing his true feelings to the one woman he’s loved since he beat her out of a permanent position at an internship more than ten years ago.

The writing is humorous and light. The characters are hardworking, passionate, and stubborn. And the plot is a push-pull tale full of familial strife, workplace drama, tender moments, competitive rivalry, witty banter, expectations, friendship, chemistry, and love.

Overall, The Last Word is another sweet, spirited, highly entertaining read by Birchall with characters I couldn’t help but root for and a happy-ever-after ending that left me smiling, smitten, and more than satisfied.

Thank you to Katy Birchall, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I liked this one. It was a slow-burn romance, but it was worth the wait. Both Harper and Ryan were likable characters. The title makes sense when you read it because there is a lot of back-and-forth banter, each trying to get the last word.

This is one that I would recommend.

Harper Jenkins is a celebrity editor. She loves going to press junkets and movie premieres. You can really see her character shine when she is interviewing a celebrity. You see that she knows just how to ask the right questions at the right time.

Ryan Jansson interned at the same company as Harper had 10 years ago. She had hoped to never have to see him again. Until now, when he gets a job on her team seated right next to her. I laughed out loud when Harper gets mad that he comes in bareing homemade cookies on his first day.

I loved the stubborn nature they both had with one another. They were complete opposites at times with Harper’s messy desk overflowing onto Ryan’s very neat desk.

You then start to learn about their romantic past and unfinished feelings they both felt for one another. I definitely started to like Ryan more as the story went on.

This is a great enemies to lovers story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

This one took me a minute to get into because of the journalism aspect. Once I finally got into the cute banter and romance aspect, I was hooked.

Harper is a real likable main character. Yes she was a chaotic mess half the time, but her love for her job and telling people stories just made the read come alive. She is really relatable at times.
Ryan was the complete opposite from Harper. He is a real neat freak and always has a strategic plan. Never lives in the moment.
Both Harper and Ryan was a great match and I loved reading their banter. It was also nice reading that ryan supported harper and her career. Never judged her and made her feel seen.
This was a real cute book and the writing was great. If you like enemies to lovers, second chance love, with cute banter then this book is for you.

I love rom-coms! That’s a fact and I love talking about rom-coms. The amount of joy rom-coms bring to my life is indisputable. This one was so great and I’m going to write the worst review ever because I don’t have the words to describe the emotions I felt while reading but I will try my hardest. This was a fun, enjoyable, lovely read and I’m so glad that I got to read this. This is my first Katy Birchall novel and I can’t wait to dive into her other books.

There are a bunch of tropes within this book like second chance and enemies to lovers. I really got How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days vibes because the main character Harper is a journalist. She’s really good at her job and loves what she does. She is defiant and finds true joy in being a celebrity journalist. Her boss hires a reporter, Ryan, whom she has a lot of history with. The story divulges into their dynamic working together.

There is a dual timeline which helps us understand why Harper and Ryan do not get along. There was so much humor in this book. I was laughing on the bus, in my room, and I couldn’t stop smiling at how Ryan treats Harper. He’s so lovely. I was understanding of Ryan when he messed up the first time which led them to stop talking but when he messed up again, I had to put the kindle down. I was flabbergasted.

One of the things I loved about Harper is that she stood up for everything she believed in. Towards the end, she created a safe space for herself and made drastic changes to who she is and what she wants to do with her life. She is an inspiring character and I think she’s my favorite character ever. Theres so much that happened but I don’t want to spoil it so I’ll leave you with this note: READ THIS PLEASE!!!

Loved this book!! It was such a sweet romance! I really appreciated the character development, especially for Harper. She felt like a real person, not just a character. Very cute read!

The Last Word is my first book by this author and I’m looking forward to reading more of her work. This is an enemies to lovers, second chance, workplace romance. It is light and fluffy and the banter between Harper and Ryan had me laughing out loud several times…I love banter in a romcom! I enjoyed the dual timelines and a look into their pasts. Harper’s character did get on my nerves at times but I adored Ryan so much! Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I can’t wait to read more of this author’s work!

I LOVE THIS BOOK!! You follow Harper, a celebrity journalist who works for this magazine called Narritive. Everything in her life is going well until unexpectedly her old collegue (fling) shows up and starts working in the same office, right beside her. The twist tho, they've worked together before. It ended brutally, will this time be any different?

I freaking loved Harper. She was an amazing journalist, was always able to bring out the best in everyone she talked to and she was a just all around a super fun character to read about. AND RYAN?? Lord where do I find me one. He may have messed up a couple of times, but he always had her best interests at heart and thats what matters. Harper and Ryans were literally made for each other, shes super messy and hes a neat freak, he always has to schdule things while she just does it on the fly, I LOVE them.

I also really loved the whole atmosphere of this book, and since Harper and Ryan were both journalists we get to see them interview famous people as well as take trips and write about it! (I mean they got to go to florence for free?? Now where do I sign up???)

Overall I really did enjoy this book throughly, it has second chance, polar opposites and a little (ok fine a lot) of miscommunication which I didn't particularly like but I understand why it was necessary. Definitly recommend :)

(Thank you so much to the publishers for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!)

MV Rating: 8/10
This is my number one romance so far this year. I loved every minute of reading this. The characters are so well written, the story is fun and engaging. You just can’t beat it!

I so badly wanted to like this one 🫣🫣🫣

I think it’s so hard to find a good romance lately. I was stoked when I got approved for The Last Word but I was sadly disappointed. The characters were flat and I just didn’t care about them. I didn’t feel bad for Harper and her issues with her parents, nor did I really care about the issues between her and Ryan. I also thought that much of the plot was predictable. It followed the cliche romance plot development to a T and many of the “problems” I inferred were coming. There just wasn’t enough uniqueness in this one for me.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC in return for my honest review.