Harper Jenkins is a well-known journalist with a knack for getting celebrities to open up. She loves her job as a celebrity editor, but then her horrible boss went and hired Ryan Jansson. Harper met Ryan years ago when they were both starting as interns, and despite being complete opposites, the pair quickly started a whirlwind romance--until Ryan betrayed Harper, and the two haven't spoken since. Now they're thrown together again and butting heads at every turn. But somewhere between bickering over articles and who's going to what event, that spark starts to reignite and comes to a head when they're both sent on a romantic press trip abroad. With rumors of layoffs at their office, will Harper and Ryan maintain their air of professionalism, or will they give in to their desires?

As soon as I saw this described as a mix between The Hating Game and Beach Read, I knew I had to pick it up. Sadly, it didn't work for me. It wasn't a bad book; it just never piqued my interest. It was my first book by Birchall, and I don't think her writing style is for me. Do you know those chatty co-workers who never know when to stop talking? That's what the writing felt like to me. I also found the characters to be meh. Neither one stood out to me. For being an enemies-to-lovers trope, I expected the banter to be better. I wanted it to be snappy and witty, but it often came across as immature. I know the whole opposites attract saying, but Harper and Ryan felt so different that I didn't find their relationship believable. The story had a lot of potentials, but I found the execution lacking.

Thank you to Net Gallery and the publisher for this eARC.

First, I love Katy Birchall's "The Secret Bridesmaid" and "The Wedding Season". I really enjoy Katy's writing style and had very high expectations going into this book. This book did not disappoint, but my expectations are just super high because the previous books I read by Katy.

This book follows Harper Jenkins, a celebrity journalist at a magazine. She's a workaholic and thrives at her job, but also does not have her life together. She's dating some guy who's just using her for her industry contacts, always late, and messy (in the unorganized way). While her job is going super well, minus her horrible boss, that horrible boss decides to hire her nemesis from her past, Ryan. Ryan and Harper interned together years ago, and he's the complete opposite of her, neat, introverted, great relationship with his family. It also turns out they had a fling all those years ago. So if you're a fan of enemies to lovers and second chance romances this one is for you.

Some quick thoughts:
1. There's a lot that is annoying about Harper, but I like that she's an independent career woman that is good at her job and she knows that she's good at her job. Also, love that she's able to comeback from a set back at the end.
2. Harper rebuilding a relationship with her sister at the end. Very minor, but I love the family happy endings.
3. I mostly liked Ryan. He was definitely a jerk following their internship and needs to learn to stop keeping big secrets from the person he "loves" but overall I think he's a good person. He has a little growing to do, but I think he deserves a little more than Harper.
4. Harper's parents UGH. That's it, don't need anymore. Ryan's parents on the other hand was the sweetest humans.
5. And of course, need to give an honorable mention to the taxi cab driver. My favorite scene was Ryan and Harper delivering the celebrity's baby, and the taxi cab driver's complaints throughout that scene. Ryan and Harper were cute then, but the taxi cab driver just added the comedic element that I thought perfected the scene.

The Last Word is definitely a fun read reminiscent of The Hating Game with the fun work place setting and all the intense banter.

This book reminded me of another book from St. Martin’s Griffin, The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe that I really enjoyed! They’re definitely picking up some great rom-coms right now!

If you want a hardworking, quirky, yet insanely kind FMC and a second chance romance, you would definitely love this book. I really loved Harper and her integrity. She was inspiring throughout the book and very relatable.

This was a cute story and I’ll definitely be looking for more books from this author.

Thank you to the author and publisher for my ARC of this book. This in no way impacted my review.

I am a big Katy Birchall fan and this book didn't disappoint! It was a change from her past two books, but just as engaging and well written. This one is more romance focused than the past two which featured friendship more than the love story.

This book tells the workplace enemies-to-lovers story of Harper and Ryan. They have a past relationship but things went wrong, and now they are competitors especially since their terrible boss has been degrading Harper's work.

This book was so charming! It was an easy, entertaining read with lots of fun banter. The relationship was sweet and steamy at times. I wasn't really expecting an open door scene, but it was well done. I love their chemistry and the opposites attract element of the story. There were also great friendship and work story lines that really added to the depth of the book. The one thing I could have done without is the boyfriend. I think the story would have been just as satisfying without him and it takes out one slightly questionable scene.

I will eagerly await whatever Katy Birchall writes next. She is definitely on my must read list!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this title. All opinions are my own and are honestly given.

When celebrity journalist Harper learns that Ryan– with whom she once interned and had a whirlwind romance before it all went wrong– will be joining her publication, she is determined to not let him throw off her game. After some initial bickering leads to returning feelings, Harper and Ryan consider giving things another shot until threatened layoffs mean that only one of them might be left standing…

The Last Word was so fun and charming– the perfect summer romcom and another winner from Birchall! I loved sunny, determined Harper and reserved, kind Ryan. The characters, plot, and tension were all well drawn, and I found myself staying up way too late to finish this one. This is a definite purchase for us in physical and digital formats, and I’m really looking forward to reading what Birchall has next. 4.75 stars.

Harper is the Celebrity Editor and absolutely loves her job...that is until Ryan is hired as the new Features Editor. Not everyone in the office knows this, but Harper and Ryan worked together as interns and even had a fling until he betrayed her. Now that they are having to work together again, they are forced to spend more time with each other and even have desks next to each other. The fight and argue all the time and to make it worse, Cosmo, Harper's boss starts giving more of Harper's work to Ryan. They both end up on a press trip and reconnect, but when they go back to the real world, Harper feels betrayed again and is not sure she will ever be able to trust him again.

The chemistry, even while arguing, between Harper and Ryan was so hot. It was like the Hating Game, but with history. I loved getting to see the past and how Ryan still cared for Harper even when she acted like she hated him. Their work friends being involved in getting them back together was so cute and I loved how it showed that actors can trust good journalists. The story of delivering the baby was hysterical.

Fans of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne won't be able to get enough of this second chance romance meets enemy journalists to lovers story weaved wonderfully by Katy Birchall.

Grumpy x sunshine, second chance romance, workplace enemies to lovers, dual timelines, he fell first, pining, and oh my god the banter was incredible. This book had all the tropes to keep me completely hooked into the story.

This story also dealt with feelings of inadequacy, difficult relationships with family, and fierce female friendships. I laughed, I cried, I went through the full range of emotions. Harper & Ryan both showed me how hard it can be to articulate your feelings, and how sometimes it can take something truly awful like losing your job to really re-evaluate yourself and become the best version of you.

Big thanks go out to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read this lovely book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 22% = THE LAST WORD comes across as juvenilely written and poorly plotted. I attempted to read this over the course of a three hour flight for my spring break trip, hoping a romance would be the perfect thing to capture my attention during my travels. Suffice it to say, I was disapointed to be caught in airplane mode with nothing else at the ready and no way of downloading a new ebook without paying $10 for wifi. Highway robbery.

“The Last Word” by Katy Birchall is a cute, enjoyable romantic comedy. Part second-chance romance and part workplace love story, the novel follows celebrity editor Harper Jenkins as she tries to deal with her newest co-worker—features writer Ryan Jansson, with whom she had a fling eleven years prior when they were both interns at another publication. It’s a pretty classic use of the “opposites attract” trope. She’s disorganized and chronically late, yet warm and likable. He’s sensible and quiet, yet observant and thoughtful. They butt heads frequently over their differing approaches to work and to life in general, but they both admire each other’s talents and share a palpable chemistry. The plot is pretty straightforward and a bit predictable, but overall it’s a good comfort read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. My review was posted online on March 30, 2023 to https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5430689015.

Like this author's other books, I truly enjoyed this story. Harper is an entertainment journalist who has put her career above all else. She's a trustworthy reporter and has a great reputation. Too bad the editor in chief at the magazine she works for doesn't appreciate her. Her parents don't understand her career choice either. She's dating a guy, Liam, who seems to be more interested in her connections than her. Ryan is a journalist who recently came to work at the magazine and ends up becoming the features editor. He's new to the magazine, but not to Harper. They had met over a decade earlier when they both interned at a newspaper. I love that Ryan's feeling for Harper were strong enough that he ended a relationship when she re-entered his life even though she thinks she hates him. Such a good read - 4 1/2 stars!

This book is a little hard for me to rate. I felt like the book took a while to get in to. I really enjoyed Harper a lot, she was a fun character. And Ryan was sweet. But this book felt really long for some reason. And the ending wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be.

Rival journalists (and exes) Harper & Ryan find themselves thrown together at work when Ryan takes a job directly adjacent to Harper. Try as she might, Harper can’t deny that she feels things for Ryan even a decade after their short lived, ill fated love affair. They manage to get under each others skin all day with crackling chemistry that everyone but them can see. As their work undergoes massive changes Harper and Ryan have to decide if they can work together and trust each other before it’s too late.

I really enjoyed this one! You will too if you enjoy:
🥈second chance romance
🏙️ fast paced London entertainment world setting
⚡️rivals to lovers to enemies to lovers
📰 workplace romance
🚪 open door non-explicit romance
💨fast paced witty repartee
🧔🏼‍♂️👩🏻 opposites attract (he’s neat, she’s chaos. He’s quiet and introspective, she’s the life of the party and everyone loves her)

This was just ok? Not bad but also ugh.

This is a hard review for me to get out. The Wedding Season was possibly my favorite romance book of last year and so I had very high hopes for this new book by the same author. However, this feels like the author did a full 360 and honestly it didn't feel like the same authors writing. But let's forget about the writing for a minute and talk about the story.

This book suffers from the well known and often hated trope of miscommunication. Our heroine literally did not talk to this guy for like 11 years based off something that he had no control over honestly. I don't want to spoil for those who are interested in picking this up and I encourage you all to because it's actually an ok romance and an even better friendship story.

The friendship plotlines were my absolute favorite part of the entire book. We follow two journalists who work for a major company and honestly following this woman around listening to her day of work was so cool. She meets and becomes friends with so many agents of celebrities and such because she's just that good at her job and more power to her! She rocked at her job. Her bffs all work with her or around her and they were all literal a1 friends. So supportive and caring.

Anyways, this is a good book if you go into expecting more of a women's fiction than a rom com even tho there is a romance eventually.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy.

This was such a charming, emotional, and funny book. I resonated a lot with the Katy Birchall’s obvious respect for features writers and the power of the written word. It’s a testament to how good her own writing is that I knew exactly how the ending would play out, and yet she still managed to tug on my heartstrings and throw in a small surprise or two.

The Last Word is a workplace, enemies to lovers romance. This story is about Harper and Ryan. Harper is at the top of her game working a talented journalist, she writes the stories of celebrities, while being respectful and caring. She loves everything about her job, until Ryan, her nemesis starts as the features editor. As they are forced to spend time together Harper remembers the time they worked together and feels the spark growing between them. Harper has to decide if she can trust and give her heart to him.

The banter and chemistry between Harper and Ryan is top notch! Even when they are hating each other, the sparks are flying. I did find Harper to be a bit immature when they were fighting as if she was just continuing to fight, for the actual fight. Even up to the third act break-up/conflict she was still struggling to listen. She did seem to grow after that, and come to a better headspace where she could forgive and move forward.

I did really enjoy this book though. It was a slow burn, and we really got to know the characters both separate and together. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

Arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was pitched really well, and it was so close to meeting my expectations. I’ve never read another of this author’s work, but the hating game meets beach read was an enticing pitch.
I feel the biggest problem was i couldn’t really sympathize with harper, the main character, which led to me being less invested after the 80% mark. I did. enjoy the relationship dynamic between harper and ryan, but i wish i could’ve felt more for them each as individuals.
There was a bit of pacing problems, but not enough to distract from the quickness of the story. At the end of the day, it was a fun and easy read that did leave me smiling for a little while after.

The Last Word by Katy Birchall is a romcom book following Harper, a successful celebrity journalist who is constantly looking for the latest scoop and inside access to what is going on in the entertainment world. She has a cute boyfriend and besides her annoying boss, her life is looking pretty perfect. Until a nemesis from her past starts working with her. No one in the office knows about Harper’s history with Ryan and she intends to keep it that way. But close quarters cause sparks to fly.

I will admit-it is rare for me to pick up a traditionally published romance from an author I haven’t read from these days. But seeing this one compared to The Hating Game and Beach Read had me intrigued. I don’t see Beach Read in here that much but I definitely get The Hating Game! Just make it British and add some more comedy. This was the exact book I needed when I picked it up. It read like a romantic comedy. I don’t think it is really a groundbreaking book but it was a fun time!

Harper is passionate about her job while being considerate to the people she is working with. She is also a mess who has to set five alarms to get out the door in the morning. Ryan is very neat and orderly and my favorite kind of cinnamon role hero. The side characters complement the story well; all the way from Mimi, Harper’s best friend and key instigator to Cosmo, who will infuriate anyone who has ever had a bad boss.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is just looking for a cute fun time with mild drama. This is also a fade to black romance which I know people are always looking for in the time of romances trying to be super spicy. I would definitely read other books by this author!

If you like enemies to lovers or workplace romances - The Last Word would be a perfect fun read for you. Harper is a strong heroine - she has made a name for herself as a celebrity journalist and is well-respected by celebs and agents and other writers. She may not fit into her parent's view of success or be the most organized in any aspect of her life (leading to some humorous situations) - but she excels at connecting with people, allowing people to trust her and show their true selves. The Last Word is funny, sad, romantic, inspiring, and heartwarming, This was the first novel I'd read by Katy Birchall but I'm looking forward to checking out her backlist titles now. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.

When I read the description and it said Beach Read meets The Hating Game I was instantly drawn to the book, and I enjoyed both of this. I was definitely let down. I found the main characters so annoying, that I didn’t even want to finish it. I honestly was not a fan of this book…at all.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was the perfect weekend read! The relationship between Harper and Ryan unfolded at just the right pace, intermixing present day with flashbacks. I enjoyed seeing Ryan's personality develop throughout the story. You quickly see that his attitude is a front for his insecurity/uncertainty. All of the side characters including Ryan's parents added to the plot as well. I hope for a sequel to keep in touch with these characters I have grown to love!