I devoured The Secret Bridesmaid and The Wedding Season and this book wasn't quite that for me. This book was a lot more relationship based than other other books and I think that might be where the disconnect was for me. The Secret Bridesmaid felt more friendship based and The Wedding Season was more about finding out who she wanted to be after this relationship that spanned her entire adult life fizzled out.

This book was centered more on the relationship but she did heavily invest her time and self into her career. She was a dang good, trustworthy journalist and put people at ease quickly and did good work. Her relationships with her subjects were lovely to see and I liked seeing them pop back up as the story went along.

I'm just going to go ahead and say that I don't think what Ryan did was wrong. I think he took her anger and heartbreak on because he loves her and that wasn't fair. I feel like she needed to do some serious groveling and we never really got to see it. Since the groveling was minimal, the epilogue felt abrupt.

The narrator did a great job.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
The Last Word by Katy Birchall is an entertaining enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy that pulls the curtain back on journalists and their approach to stories.

My Reading Experience:
Enemies-to-lovers is my favorite trope, so I happily jumped into this story. What I liked best was its behind-the-scenes look at journalism and people in entertainment. What makes Harper stand out among her peers is the fact that she doesn't take every opportunity to sensationalize stories. This approach gives her much respect in the entertainment world full of people who often find themselves humiliated in the most public ways possible because of journalism. The human aspect is forgotten in the drive to sell newspapers and magazines. I loved Harper's approach, which always kept the human factor on top and all that it brings her.

The romance grated on my nerves. Harper and Ryan just bicker all the time over nothing and end their bickering with an angry "Fine." This bickering isn't witty at all. As a matter of fact, I would even say that it's immature – like two kids fighting in the back seat of a car. I liked them as a couple, but I didn't care for the path the story took to get them there. And even though I like a happily ever after, I felt that it was too abrupt in this story. It didn't feel natural at all.

I do have a bunch of little niggles about this story, but overall, I found it entertaining and fun to read, despite those issues.

Characters:
I admired Harper. She always stays true to herself no matter what anyone says, even her parents (who are not friendly people). Her chronic lateness annoyed me as much as it did the other characters. Still, she'd unapologetically explain that it was just her and that something always managed to delay her. She lives in a creatively chaotic world and loves it.

Ryan is Harper's opposite, chronically neat and punctual, and thrives in order and cleanliness. It's no wonder they fall in love, don't you agree?

Narration & Pacing:
Harper tells this tale in first-person narration, which should make the pace relatively quick, yet it was a medium speed at best. I don't know what slowed the pace, but I would guess it was the annoying bickering.

The story is also told in dual timelines, with the current one being the most prominent. August 2012 is the second timeline, and it is when Ryan and Harper first met, fell in love, and parted in a very "I never want to see or talk to you again" manner. The second timeline explains what happened that has Harper in the snit since Ryan started being in such close proximity to her again.

Setting:
London is the setting for the story, but I felt it could have been utilized more. It could have been set in any significant entertainment hub and been the same story. Even the way the characters spoke sounded more American to me than English. Yet, neither of the main characters was American.

Read if you like:
Enemies-to-lovers trope
Entertainment industry
Mostly closed-door romances (there is one open-door scene)

I really do enjoy enemies to lovers and this book definitely has that feeling to it. If you enjoyed The Hating Game, I think you might like this book too. I’m always happy to read the book and fall into it and see that hours have passed. That definitely happened with this book.

This is just what I needed!! This was such a great read and I love Harper and Ryan. They had such great banter in the newsroom. I also enjoyed the London setting. I for sure recommend this one.

Katy Birchall has become a favorite author. Sometimes you need a fun, smart feel good story and she doesn’t disappoint. Harper loves her work. It fuels her. That is until her boss brings in the one person she hoped to never see again truly thinking that never would still be way too soon for betrayal runs deep and is unforgivable. They are thrown together way too often for either of their tastes in too small a newsroom. They are polar opposites and the animosity, okay, maybe more like total hatred they feel for each other is palpable. How long can they fight their attraction? It’s a fun, witty laugh out loud will they, won’t they before they drive each other crazy read.

The premise was interesting but the execution fell flat. I really didn't like the main character, I don't think she had a super valid reason for hating on Ryan for so long and it felt like she was starting arguments just to start them.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I enjoyed The Last Word so much, and I’m not the biggest fan of enemies to lovers, but this was so well done I was hooked from the get-go!
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Harper is a celebrity reporter with integrity. Ryan is also a reporter and her nemesis. We learn they have a history through clearly labeled alternating timelines. Ryan joins the paper Harper works for and sparks of contempt fly…and eventually they become work friends and then more. I loved the characters - they were full of depth, and the storyline was unique and fun to read. Romance lovers, I think you’ll enjoy!
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Thank you @smpromance and @netgalley for the ARC!

You can always sign me up for an enemies-to-lovers romance, and this one did not let me down! Harper is such a relatable and lovable character, especially with her flaws and messy life. I appreciated her work ethic, and enjoyed rooting for her professionally and personally. I thought Ryan was such a soft and adorable character, but to be honest, I was more invested with Harper and her career. Go boss babe, go!

I’m looking forward to reading more from Katy Birchall! 4/5 ⭐️

Read this if you love:
💕Strong female MC
💔Enemies to lovers
❤️Second chance romance
🤣Laugh out loud banter

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars
This is such a fun, entertaining, witty and funny book. I laughed out loud at some of the things that where going on in this story and felt tugs on my heart at others. Ryan and Harper are such interesting, engaging and relatable characters. This story had my attention from the start and held it until the last word of the last page. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Many of the secondary characters were interesting and added to the fabric of the story. I love that we got an epilogue that shows the main characters months later. The more I read Birchall the more she captivates me and brings me into the world that she’s created.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I couldn't put this down! I loved this story. I was nervous at first; the chemistry between our two characters didn't sit well with me at the beginning. I knew this author would deliver though, so I kept with it. I do think it probably would have been easier to label the character as ADHD instead of all the descriptions of her forgetting stuff and losing stuff; that got really stressful to read about! It spiked my anxiety a few times. I did end up loving the chemistry between Ryan and Harper, but.I do think there could have been a more mature break up; this wasn't so much miscommunication as it was a failure to allow a character to communicate, so that was frustrating.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I read 40% of this book and did not finish. It just was not the book for me. While I really liked the female MC the story was failing to grab me.

Harper is a celebrity editor for Narrative, a magazine. Her desk is messy & chaotic, she’s always late for meetings, etc but she’s very hard working and loves her job. She genuinely cares for the people she interviews and doesn’t write the gossip. Ryan is more reserved, keeps everything neat and organized. He also has a passion for his job as an editor. So basically complete opposites!

I liked the flashbacks from 11 years ago sprinkled throughout when they both were interns for the same publishing company.

But I didn’t love the constant bickering. Harper was always wanting the last word with Ryan with every. single. thing. That got so old after like the first 25%. I struggled with Harper with her attitude towards Ryan both in the past and present.

They had a good connection though. Super sweet moments together. He’s been crazy about her since they first time they met and I just melted right there when he said that.

Read if you like:
•second chance romance
•enemies to lovers
•workplace romance

Overall, I didn’t LOVE this one but found it still enjoyable!

[ Thank you to the publisher & netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own ]

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This was my first book by Birchall so I didn’t know what to expect for writing style. I think the description of “The Hating Game meets Beach Read” actually hindered my experience. It set the bar high for romance and this one didn’t really meet that for me. The book was kind of slow, the FMC wasn’t all that likable and I didn’t feel the romance/connection. This one just wasn’t for me.

This one has several classic tropes—second chance romance, enemies to lovers, opposites attract and office romance. It is written well and the arguing between the two main characters is really fun! Definitely gave me Hating Game vibes!

A pair of interns hook up and find themselves working together 11 years later. Both have not forgotten the time they spent together and are trying to be successful at the magazine that they work for. The editor is a nasty man that continues to put them at odds with each other. Will they be able to put the past behind them or will those unresolved feelings surface ?

This is a straightforward romance that is predictable but enjoyable all the same. I enjoyed The Secret Bridesmaid and The Wedding Season a little more just because they were more unique. I do enjoy Birchall’s writing style and characters and look forward to reading more by her.

3.5 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #TheLastWord #KatyBirchall

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

DNF @ 20%

I’m starting this review by saying I am very much in the minority here. Before I DNFed I read other reviews and almost everyone else seems to like it so PLEASE try this book for yourself if you think it sounds good. I just didn’t vibe with the main character and found it really difficult to get into this book. Everything I read dragged, I found the banter too snarky, and the FMC is a bit of a hot mess which I just couldn’t seem to find endearing. However, as I said, a lot of other people like this so just because it isn’t for me doesn’t mean it’s not for you!

3.5 Rounded up to 4. Thanks to Katy Birchall, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this one was cute and fun. I'm a big fan of enemies to lovers so I jumped at the opportunity to read this book. Harper Jenkins is a brilliant journalist that has a knack for getting celebrities to open up and share about their lives. Her boss, however, doesn't see the point in her job even if she's getting big interviews with famous celebrities. When her boss hires someone from her past, she's furious and not sure how to make things work. Harper and Ryan bicker endlessly in the office, but others see flirtation. What her coworkers don't know is Ryan left Harper heartbroken after a office competition turned into romance. Harper still holds a grudge and wants to focus on her job. As Harper and Ryan spend more time together, their office rivalry turns into more.
I liked the banter between Harper & Ryan.

I liked the concept of the story. I enjoyed all of the extra characters and I felt they brought some fun moments to the story. There were a few things that fell a bit short for me. Harper, at times, felt really immature with her bickering with Ryan. Some of it felt unnecessary and childish. Especially the third act break up. I understood the reasoning, but the ultimatum made by Harper felt immature. The story was enjoyable and it is one I would suggest to readers.

3.5 stars
I really liked Birchall's other two adult books, and I was excited for this one. The first half of the book goes back and forth between present day and some snippets from 10 years ago when Harper and Ryan first met. Unfortunately, it felt like things in both timelines were moving very slowly. Current day, there was LOTS of bickering. Perhaps even too much.
I enjoyed the second half of the book better, as the characters opened up more and got along better. There were great scenes between them, family members, and friends. I wish the second half had started sooner.
Overall it was a cute story, I just would have liked the emphasis to be on other things in some parts.

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

3.5/5 ⭐️

Tropes

Enemies to lovers
Workplace romance
Second chance romance
Slow burn

Review:
The last word by Katy Birchall was a fun and cute romantic comedy. The start of the book focused on Harper and her career as a celebrity editor for a magazine and although it was interesting it was sometimes too slow for me. But it was understandable since Harper loves her job a lot. The romance was well done and it was interesting. I liked Harper and Ryan as a couple and was interested to see where it would go. I liked the flashbacks of what happened to them and how it slowly revealed the reasoning for theme being “enemies”. Toward the end I did feel frustrated with Harper and how she treated Ryan. And they stopped being good as a couple for me because of her but nonetheless I did enjoy this book. I did love how good Ryan treated Harper and how soft he was towards her. He was the part that redeemed this relationship. Overall I would recommend this book since I think it is was an enjoyable read.

The Last Word was just what I needed! Nothing too serious or scary. Harper is a hard working, independent woman who loves her job and is determined to not let anything get in her way. Not even the only man she has ever fallen hard for. Ryan seems like the perfect guy- except he keeps getting in the way of Harpers career. And they both like to have the last word. I enjoyed their feisty interactions. Plus there are some great life lessons learned along the way. Put this one in your beach bag!

Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for the copy of this book!

I've loved Katy Birchall's last two books and was very excited to read this book based on "The Hating Game" x "Beach Read" vibes... but I think that what I didn't have in mind and what I forgot to adjust my expectations to is that Katy Birchall writes contemporary fiction with a side of romance, meaning there's not going to be as much interaction with the couple and as much tension and love in her books. That being said, I think the comparisons put in the description hurt my experience of this book, because I was bored and wanting more from the characters together.