A great enemies to lovers romance.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a fun romance. I really enjoyed watching the relationship between Harper and Ryan. The way they pushed each other’s buttons. I really enjoyed watching Harper at work - how she looked for articles and connected with her interviewees.

I feel like the secret Ryan kept from Harper in the past wasn’t such a crazy thing. But I can also understand the feelings Harper was dealing with.

Overall enjoyed this one.

I love Katy Birchall’s books. I’m always excited to see what she’s going to come up with next. I love how she lets the heroine come into her own and find her own way. I cannot wait to read more of her books.

I loved Harper. Absolutely adored her. I loved that she was a celebrity journalist for the celebrities and how easy she made everyone feel.

I really enjoyed the interactions with Harper and Ryan. I love how Katy laid out their past for the readers while also getting what was happening in the present. The bickering between these two? So perfect. I would actually have loved to be in Ryan’s head for some, if not all of this book.

If you haven’t read anything by Katy Birchall yet, y’all are missing out. I will say her first two are more women’s fiction with a little romance and this one definitely straddles the line more evenly, with a heavier focus on the romance.

This one is out now, so go grab it and enjoy it🩵

DNF @ 2%.

yall. its 2023. why are white women using the term "kohl" to describe eyeliner. Especially when you're going to say "black-kohl eyeline" it's redundant and ignorant. I may check in the published version to see if that was updated because I sincerely hope another arc reader caught that. I may later if this was changed.

I love enemies to lovers stories and this one was pretty good.

Harper and Ryan are forced to work together although they have quite a past when they dated almost a decade ago when they were first beginning their careers but Harper let's us know that Ryan betrayed her. As they work more and more together things start heat up again between the two of them.

Would be better if this book had been dual POV I find it hard to read a longer book on single POV and it makes that character grate on my nerves sometimes.

Harper and Ryan both competed as interns for a job at a newspaper publication. In the midst of their competition, a relationship bloomed, until Ryan got the job and kept it from Harper. She writes him off and vows to never speak to him again. Years later, Ryan starts working at Harpers current magazine. She completely ignores him until they start fighting and sparks start to fly again. Harper starts to think Ryan might be the one for her. But when something comes up at work and Ryan starts to keep secrets from her again, she has to decide if things are different this time, or if it’s deja vu.
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💭Thoughts💭
This romcom was so cute and well written. I loved both Ryan and Harper so much. Their connection was simple palpable and you wanted to root for them. It had a lot more substance than the usual romantic comedy I read, and I loved the aspects of Harper’s job as a celebrity editor. The author also did a great job of showing the main character’s flaws in a very realistic way.
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⌛️Favorite Moment⌛️
Without giving up too much information, Harper and Ryan make an unexpected celebrity delivery. This part was hilarious, relatable, and made me cry happy tears. SO cute!
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🎉 Theme Ideas 🎉
Harper loves a flat white while Ryan likes a mocha. Get your own fave coffee and read some fun celebrity magazines. Or listen to a fun celebrity gossip podcast.

This book is an absolute blast! It's the kind of book that grabs hold of you and doesn't let go until you've devoured every single page. Seriously, I couldn't put it down. I was hooked from the very beginning, and there were moments when I couldn't help but burst out laughing like a maniac. I mean, who knew a book could be this hilarious?

Now, I have to admit, the plot was somewhat predictable, but you know what? That didn't take away from the sheer enjoyment of the ride. It was like being on a roller coaster, where you know what twists and turns are coming, but you still find yourself screaming and laughing with delight. And let me tell you, this book had me grinning like a Cheshire cat the whole way through.

One of the things that I absolutely adored about this book was the friend group. They were like a family, always there for each other through thick and thin. It warmed my heart to see how they supported one another not only in their work lives but also in their personal lives. It reminded me of my own tribe of friends, and it made me appreciate them even more.

Now, I have to be honest here. There were moments when I found Harper a tad bit childish. But you know what? It didn't bother me all that much because I understood where she was coming from. Her complicated relationship with her parents had a profound impact on her, and it was fascinating to see how that played out in her life. It added depth to her character and made her journey all the more relatable.

Oh, and let's not forget about the chemistry between Harper and Ryan. Their witty banter had me grinning like a fool. The tension between them was electric, and I found myself rooting for them from the very beginning. If you're a fan of office romances and the whole enemies-to-lovers trope, then this book is an absolute treat for you. And hey, the spicy scenes aren't too heavy, so it's the perfect balance of sizzle and sweetness.

To sum it all up, this book is a delightful romp that left me wanting more. The author has a knack for storytelling that had me completely captivated. I'm already on the hunt for more books by this talented writer because if they can deliver this level of fun and entertainment, then I'm in for a wild ride. Trust me, this book gets my stamp of approval with a resounding 100% recommendation.

Interesting premise but this just felt kind of flat. I couldn’t get into it after 25% in and I didn’t feel compelled to keep going.

I really enjoyed this one! Full of classic tropes - enemies to lovers, second chance & workplace romance, I was hooked right away and found the dual timelines equally interesting. I loved how smart, strong and determined Harper was and thought Ryan was a swoony MMC; I would have loved to have his POV! I also loved the London setting and side stories about celebrities and Harper’s family. Overall I would recommend this one!

I am a huge fan of Katy Birchall’s writing and storytelling, and The Last Word was no exception!

Harper is a journalist with a knack for getting celebrities to open up to her. When there is an opening on the reporting team, her awful boss hires Ryan to join the staff as the Features Editor. Harper is furious but doesn’t tell her boss that she already knows Ryan…and they have a messy history. Layoffs loom over their team and the last thing Harper needs is an ex showing up to steal the spotlight.

Forced to spend more and more time time together on assignments, Harper and Ryan are forced to revisit painful memories, confront misconceptions, and decide whether to acknowledge the sparks between them.

I love a workplace romance. Throw in the second chance trope and journalism, and I am sold. The interactions between Harper and her coworkers were excellent, and I love when authors seamlessly integrate multiple forms of communication like Slack and texting into a story.

I really enjoyed the banter between Harper and Ryan, as well as their need to have the last word (thus the title 😉). The romance was lovely, and I believed in the chemistry.

I highly recommend The Last Word (and honestly anything by Katy) to anyone who loves the women’s fiction and romance genres.

Thanks to the publisher for the gifted e-copy.

The Last Word is a fun romcom with major The Hating Game vibes. Harper works as the celebrity editor at a weekend magazine, and it just so happens that her nemesis from her intern days, Ryan, is the new features editor. We get the story of what happened when they were interns in bits and pieces, mixed in with present time.

I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at Harper's job in the celebrity journalism world. I liked her character a lot, and thought her work ethic and personality were on point. I loved how she had such great rapport with the PR people and agents, and she worked hard at keeping that up. It seemed that she really loved the world she worked in - minus her giant d**khead of a boss, who I wanted to smack. He was the WORST.

Ryan seemed a little emotionally immature, with all the things he kept from Harper, and that irritated me. I did like his character overall though, and his banter with Harper was adorable. I loved their clean freak/organized mess pairing/opposites attract match up.

As always, I'm looking forward to seeing what this author writes next!

3.5 stars

I could not finish enough of this book to be able to leave a comprehensive review, but I hope it finds its audience and I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Harper is very happy in her job as a Celebrity Editor at a magazine until Ryan is hired as the Features Editor. They clash over virtually everything until their work forces them to collaborate more and get to know each other. Although they seem to be getting along better, Harper refuses to trust Ryan again because of what happened last time they worked together many years ago. Is she right to assume Ryan will betray her trust again or is there a future for them?

What I loved:
-Harper’s character. She had so much integrity and I loved all the descriptions of her interviews
-Well written side characters
-Evolution of Harper’s relationship with her family
-Enemies to lovers and second chance romance

Overall, this was a beautifully written book. However, I found that there was SO much miscommunication between the two main characters which is a pet peeve of mine. Despite feeling somewhat immature at times, I did end up rooting for Harper and Ryan and enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced reading copy!

Harper is a celebrity editor for a magazine who is known for getting even the most private stars to open up in interviews. She is shocked to meet the magazine’s new features editor, someone she has to work with very closely, is actually someone she knows. Ryan is the man she interned with years ago, the man who not only broke her heart, but also betrayed her. Now they are working together again and those feelings start to come back.

I really enjoyed this fun rom com set in the chaotic world of journalism. I loved that Harper was killing it at her job and approached celebrity interviews with so much compassion. She was incredible at her job and I loved seeing her shine from the beginning. I appreciated the little glimpses into their past that really showed the miscommunication that caused their relationship to fall apart. It made me appreciate Ryan and want them to work things out. This book was another win from Katy Birchall.

I thought Karen Cass was a great narrator and really captured Harper’s spunk through her narration.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance copies.

If you liked The Hating Game, you'll love this! This workplace romance had me hooked from the very start, and I read it all in one day - seriously could not put it down. The conflict between Ryan and Harper was completely believable, and the two characters kept me sucked in from start to finish. I loved the 'second-chance' aspect of the book, it made the chemistry that much more real! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

This book checked all the boxes for me! Office romance, enemies to lovers, and a London setting had me loving this one from start to finish. Loved hearing both of their perspectives and the writing was very well done. Harper is my new girl crush.

Harper Jenkins is a personable, celebrity writer. She’s making connections but can’t get in the approval from her boss Cosmo. He doesn’t get the appeal of celebrities. Harper is also dealing with the contentious relationship with her parents and older sister who don’t approve of her career path. When Harper sees the new office hire, Ryan, their history comes back to her. She plays it off as if meeting Ryan for the first time, but can she put their past truly behind her? Seeing Ryan also makes Harper re-evaluate her relationship with boyfriend Liam, that is going ok, but isn’t perfect. When Cosmo gives Ryan and Harper a joint assignment with a trip, will their past resurface? As we learn the detail of their past relationship, will history repeat itself? I’m a fan of all things Katy Birchall – love her writing style. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for an advanced reader copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“For fans of The Hating Game and Beach Read”???? SIGN ME UP!

This is the second book I have read by Katy Birchall and I am in love with the mix of women’s fiction and romance.
The book has some amazing tropes that I believe were executed well. But seeing Harper grow? That put the biggest smile on my face. She always stood her ground and was a very likeable character. Ryan is just the sweetest and such a wonderful man. HE’S A GOOD MAN SAVANNAH!! A GOOD MAN!!

Overall, I really enjoyed the story. Would definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

The Last Word by Katy Birchall is a wonderful enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance. I love when the author brings the characters to life and you laugh along with different situations. This book has a lot of fun banter between Harper and Ryan with a clever way of telling their story. The story explores themes of love, forgiveness, and second chances, as the two characters navigate their complicated past while trying to balance their professional lives.

3.75 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for the E-ARC. I really enjoyed the story of Harper and Ryan and I aint gonna lie there were a couple of times that I took out my popcorn and threw it at the my tablet/phone because the bickering was on Fire!!!!!!!!!!!. I loved the friendships that Harper had with her girlfriends and I loved how she grew as the the story progressed. I loved how Haper was portrayed in what she did and it shows how what our families thinks of us affects us always.