3.5 rounded up. I like Birchall’s writing style, especially that she doesn’t use a ton of British wording so it doesn’t feel quite so foreign. Harper and I would never be friends; she’s a mess, but I respect how the character was written and I think she had decent development. Some of the side stories (namely the parents) got a bit too much airtime for me; the book did feel longer than it needed, but I also didn’t mind spending more time with the characters. Would personally love to see more of Mimi.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy this book! It is a very fun second chance work place romance that actually feels appropriate and has a career driven woman who is a bit messy (something we don’t see nearly enough!). I’d say this has some similarities with Book Lovers or Shipped and I think this is a great fit for any reader

It didn't quite live up to how good The Secret Bridesmaid was for me, but this was still a fun enemies-to-lovers, second-chance-romance, workplace romance all wrapped up in one! Harper is a celebrity journalist who used to work with Ryan when they were interns, and couldn't stop bickering. Now he's back with a new job at her magazine, and they jump right back into their old ways. But you know they will sort it out eventually! I loved the plot lines where she connected with Isabella Blossom and Audrey Abbot to write interviews about them, and how we got to see a side of celebrity journalism that isn't all about tearing people down to get a buck.

The Last Word, by Katy Birchall is a fun easy read that had so much unmet potential.

It is the story of Harper Jenkins a entertainment journalist for a glossy weekly magazine, who is appalled when Ryan Jansson gets a job as the Features journalist for the same publication. They had a burgeoning relationship 11 years earlier, when they interned together, until, Harper felt betrayed by Ryan and never spoke to him again. So, when they are thrown together again, they bicker constantly and disagree about everything, despite recognising their continued deep feelings for eachother.

While I appreciate the enemies to lovers and office romance tropes, I found this story trite. Harper and Ryan felt like teenagers bickering rather than thirty-somethings with the benefits of hindsight, open communication, and emotional intelligence.

The end result is that this story with so much fun-loving potential felt flat and immature.

Thank you so much Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the Arc!

3.75/5 stars! Based on the premise, I was excited to read this contemporary romance. This story felt like another version of The Hating Game, which I loved. I really enjoyed this second-chance opposites-attract enemies-to-lovers romance. Talk about tropes within tropes within tropes! This is a light and fun romance and a quick read, but an enjoyable one.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Harper loves her job as a celebrity journalist, and she is good at it. When she learns that Ryan will be working next to her, she is furious. Ten years ago, they were interns together and she believes he betrayed her. They have not spoken since. I really enjoyed the times Harper was interviewing celebrities and when Ryan and Harper were together enjoying each other’s company. I felt the constant bickering back and forth in the office was tedious and unprofessional. She was so self-absorbed that when she felt Ryan betrayed her, he was just doing his job. I liked Ryan a lot. He was patient, kind, and dedicated. When Ryan and Harper were together without the bickering, the book was worth reading!

The Last Word by Katy Birchall is a fun romantic comedy that will have you hooked from the very first page. Top-notch celebrity journalist Harper Jenkins is at the top of her game as the Celebrity Editor at a glossy weekend magazine. But when her boss hires Ryan as the new Features Editor, Harper finder herself faced with a decade-old hurt.

As Harper and Ryan navigate their work dynamic, their constant bickering and disagreements make for a tense work environment. However, as they spend more time together, they start to see each other in a new light, and the chemistry between them is undeniable. But with layoffs looming, Harper wonders if their love can survive the challenges ahead.

Birchall's writing is witty, engaging, and full of charm. The chemistry between Harper and Ryan is electric, and their interactions will have you laughing out loud. The Last Word is a delightful and fun read that will leave you with a smile.

I read both of Katy Birchall’s other books last year and they were two of my top 2022 reads, so The Last Word became one of my most anticipated reads of the year. This enemies-to-lovers/second chance follows ambitious journalist Harper, a vivacious celebrity editor with a knack for talking to people. But her job gets turned upside down when a new features editor starts and it’s Ryan, someone she interned with years ago and fell into a whirlwind romance with until he betrayed her trust. This workplace romance was addicting. From page 1, you know Harper and I just loved her. I love the frantic messy energy of her, even though it makes me want to clean her apartment and desk. And Ryan is such a strong character too, he is so ambitious and endearing, and I just love how he really shows up for Harper. He’s loyal and kind but in a way that’s honest to Harper. Their banter is so strong and I like how they push each other’s buttons and challenge each other. Their romance is spicy and fun, and their connection felt really organic, the progression from enemies to lovers happening gradually and naturally. The conflict felt real, there was nothing forced and the miscommunications felt understandable. This felt like more of a romance than Birchall’s other books, which have romance but are a little more woman’s fiction, but what I loved too about it is how much it highlighted Harper as a strong woman making her dreams come true. It was witty and romantic and emotional and just truly a fun read.

Thank you so much to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my review. This was such a cute enemies to lovers rom com. Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope and this book certainly did this trope well. I also really enjoyed the dialogue and main character. This was my first book by Katie Birchall, but it won’t be my last. I can’t wait to read more from her. Thank you again for this delightful book. I highly recommend it.

I adored this book. I really did. I loved Harper. I loved how quick witted and funny she was. I almost hated Ryan until his character was brought into the story more, then I loved him. I loved the chemistry between them. I loved the banter. Heck, I even loved her friends that were around through most of the book. I ended up finishing this book in a day because I absolutely couldn’t put it down. I haven’t had a book like that in a few weeks where I couldn’t stop reading and this just made me so happy. I really recommend this book to anyone that needs a happy read. Were there heavy moments? Yes. But overall, the book was very much a feel good book. Not a whole lot of spicy scenes and even the spicy scenes weren’t explicit. Not much cursing either. It was a pretty safe book all around. Honestly, this was just such a fun read. Highly recommend!!!!

**Just ok for me but still a cute read!**

This story of a work obsessed woman named Harper who has to work with Ryan an old colleague and one-time romantic fling was a cute story. I enjoyed the writer's take on Harper and her personality and the storyline was cute but something seemed off about it for me. I didn't dislike it per say but it wasn't a favorite. Like I said I did enjoy Harper's messy personality and passion for her job. She felt like someone I would know and the backstory with her and Ryan was also very believable and relatable. I will say while the book was hard to get into for me the last couple chapters and the epilogue I really enjoyed. It was a good story of a real girl with real life problems making her mark on the world in her terms!

Cute book! I enjoyed it! Pretty easy read that I would recommend! I liked the character and their dynamics!

The Last Word didn't have as much funny as Birchall's previous books but I didn't miss it. The dialogue is just as snappy and the references just as sharp. I was invested in Harper and Ryan from the beginning.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

This was a perfectly cute rom com type book! I love a good enemies to lovers trope and this executed that PERFECTLY!

I really loved this. Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope and this did not disappoint! I loved Harper and Ryan's journey from prickly colleagues to more. Harper was a delight and Ryan was totally swoon worthy. If I have any niggling issues, it's with the black moment. I always struggle when it seems like the character hasn't grown and the catalyst for the black moment is a misunderstanding based on an earlier/past mistake, and this was no exception. The situation was complex enough so I could appreciate both Harper and Ryan's actions, but I couldn't help thinking it could have all been resolved with a conversation rather than falling back into an old pattern. However, that said, the story was a delight overall and a perfect weekend read.

Harper is a popular celebrity editor at a London magazine. She loves her job, but is frustrated that her boss doesn't respect her work, so it really rankles when the new guy, Ryan, instantly becomes the bro favorite of her boss... especially because Ryan is Harper's nemesis from her first internship. You can probably guess where this storyline is going, but I'll avoid spoilers! This was a fun read, but I found Harper's disorganized personality rather annoying, and while the narrative is that she's excellent at what she does, I found that a bit hard to believe with all the examples of her mistakes / lateness / messiness / etc. Still, I enjoyed the slow burn, and the last half of the book picked up considerably and really drew me in.

Katy Birchall delights once more with The Last Word.

Harper is a celebrity columnist for Flair magazine. Her warm personality allows her to dive into celebrity's lives and form actual relationships. Ryan, who interned with Harper, is now the features editor for Flair. Both haven't set eyes on each other in ten years after Ryan's heartbreaking betrayal. As both try to work together and are forced into trips, things may not be what they seem. This time around, Harper is set on having the last word.

I enjoyed reading The Last Word and found myself instantly relating to Harper. I always have things on my desk and have to set multiple alarms for my morning! I admired her gut and warm personality when talking to anyone. While this novel worked well as a single point of view, I was interested to get into Ryan's head and learn how he was feeling throughout. Labeled alike to the Haring Game, this novel has sparks of enemies to lovers but I wouldn't exactly qualify this as enemies but rather second chance. Overall, lovers of Birchall's other works and romantic comedies will enjoy The Last Word.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my earc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

I like Katy Birchall's books, but unfortunately this one fell a bit flat for me in terms of the plot. It felt like I had read this before, and the enemies-to-lovers trope was a bit overdone in this one. I knew exactly what was going to happen, and everything was very predictable. I was highly annoyed by Harper's parents., and I did not think that subplot provided much to the overall story.

I did love the birth scene and how Harper and Ryan worked together; it was super cute. I also liked how Harper and her sister Juliet reunited at the end.

Overall, it was cute in parts but not worth reading again.

The Last Word by @katybirchallauthor
Release Date - May 2, 2023

Harper is a hot mess, hustling, celebrity editor of a glossy magazine. Not interested in writing click bait, she writes interviews with empathy…unusual and refreshing. Ryan is a Type A, gorgeous, smart, sweet, feature editor who comes on board and can’t get enough of Harper, though he’s not exactly sure how to show it.

Forced proximity, and a sexist boss handing Harper’s stories over to Ryan, set these two up for some epic banter and undeniable chemistry. They care about each other, but in and out of office competition make it hard for either of them to give in.

Thank you @NetGalley and (publisher) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
#KatyBirchall #TheLastWord #stmartinspress #stmartinsgriffin #netgalley #enemiestolovers #forcedproximity

I was so excited to read this book but then it fell flat. It was super slow. Harper was super irritating the whole time. I wish the pace would have been picked up a bit and a lot of stuff was included that didn’t really need to be there for the story making it drag out