This is essentially The Hating Game, but set in London. Colleagues who becomes instant enemies, he’s a silent brooding type and she’s chaotic and lovable. It was a little hard not to feel like I’d read it before. It was still entertaining, and I liked the family history to round out Harper’s character.
The book could’ve easily been 80 pages shorter, and the slow burn was wayyy too slow. I also think the tense changed a few times throughout but I can’t be sure. Hopefully that’ll be ironed out before publication! I foresee a lot of people loving this one.
Thank you NetGalley, Katy Birchall and St. Martin’s press for the arc!

First off I had so much fun reading this book. Harper who is a a celebrity journalist in love with her job and amazing at what she does, is a loveable character despite the fact she is incredibly, hilariously unorganized in every aspect of her life meets Ryan who is the polar opposite, type A, and very very sweet and adorable and is now her new coworker. Their banter and arguments throughout the book is hilarious but the author was very good at writing enemies to lovers but still making the characters lovable with some flaws. I found myself feeling so angry at some of the "villains" in the books and i am absolutely obsessed with the ending of the book. I literally can't get enough and i need to talk about this book with everyone!!! Not is it an adorable romance, but it does touch on sexism in the workplace and double standards, which I really enjoyed reading about that as well!!

I love Enemies to Lovers and I love Katy Birchall’s first two novels so I was super psyched to get an ARC of The Last Word from @netgalley! Sadly, this book did not have an weddings (boo) but it was still fun. It started off a bit slow but luckily as I became more invested in the characters, it picked up.

Harper is a hot mess and I found myself frustrated with her on a regular basis. I am type A so her lack of planning and overall sloppiness gave me hives. However, it was her need to jump to conclusions that annoyed me most. I related to Ryan better and I enjoyed their budding romance. I actually liked her friendships and how she handled her career and family issues more than I really found myself invested in their love story. Overall an enjoyable read but not my favorite.

This book is an office enemies to lovers rom com. Harper and Ryan have been enemies since they were both interns at the same publication years ago. Now forced to work together, sparks start to fly due to their diametrically opposed approach to journalism and their sizzling chemistry,

I enjoyed the details of Harpers job, especially her passion for writing stories about celebrities that weren’t superficial or salacious. She seemed very warm, and really cared about her telling the true story of her subjects life and career. Ryan seemed like a decent guy as well, but I feel like we really didn’t get to know him as well.

I felt like the chemistry between Harper and Ryan was 4/5. I personally would have liked a bit more sizzle.

The plot was decent, if somewhat predictable.

Overall this was a well written light rom-com. I would definitely consider reading more titles by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and review.

Katy's The Bridesmaid and The Wedding Season were two of my favorite reads in 2021 & 2022. This one is a little more romance than TWS which was more than TB. Outside of that, I find that Katy's voice is easily bingeable and would be a one-sitting kind of read if I was capable of that. Harper is the celebrity editor at The Narrative and loves her job. She has a couple of great friends who support each other at work with the only pain being Cosmo, their boss. When one friend leaves for a promotion with another publication, the new hire is a face Harper has been avoiding to great lengths. She can't stand stick-in-the-mud and neat-freak Ryan. They've only gotten on well for a short time years ago but she'll never forget their big blow up. It's more than infuriating that the sparks persist between them.
I loved the tension and chemistry between Harper and Ryan. Their constant bickering and need to have the last word was relatable even when it got to be a touch too much. I wanted to have Ryan's POV because he was such a sweet cinnamon roll even through Harper's less than positive viewpoint.
Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Harper Jenkins is at the top of her game. A brilliant, determined journalist with a well-known knack for getting tight-lipped Hollywood stars to open up to her. But when her awful boss hires Ryan to be the new Features Editor, Harper is furious. The two of them have a past no one in the office is aware about. kTheir dynamic is a disaster from the start. They can’t agree on anything and bicker constantly—Ryan can’t bear how chaotic and messy Harper is; Harper finds Ryan’s condescending nature infuriating. They clash over who’s writing what article, and fight over who’s going to which event. Yet as they’re forced to spend more and more time together, Harper realizes she may have misjudged Ryan and can’t help but feel a spark growing between them. Long buried feelings start to resurface and, when they’re thrown together on a romantic press trip abroad, their chemistry comes to a head. But all is fair in love and magazines, and with the news that layoffs across the department are imminent, Harper is left to wonder: who will get the last word?

I've only read one Katy Birchall book before and I was a bit neutral on it, so I almost didn't pick this one up when it came into my email, but I am SO GLAD I did! This was such a fun read. I loved how past and present came together and how the puzzle pieces fit together so satisfyingly. This is classic enemies to lovers opposites attract romance paired with a fast paced news room and a ton of celebrity gossip. I love the secondary characters that Harper and Ryan worked with, minus Cosmo, but I think he was written that way for a reason. I couldn't put this book down. Two nights in a row I stayed up waaaaaay too late to see how this book ended, and it did not disappoint!

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 5/2

Enemies to lovers, workplace rivalry, and side characters you love (and loathe) made this book a fun read. I have to say, I felt like the first half was slow, but it picked up momentum during the second half. I enjoyed the characters but found Harper a bit frustrating and immature at times....and honestly found it hard to find any fault with Ryan - he was my favorite and the epitome of what we want in a romcom book boyfriend.

If you like closed-door romcoms with quite the slow burn, I think you will enjoy this, just know it takes a bit to get going, in my opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
3.5 stars
Loved the character of Ryan. But Harper? Not so much, and I didn't love that she redeemed herself so quickly at the very end. For most of the book I thought she was immature and, in the office (not so much at her interviews), unprofessional. I loved her "found family" of friends, though, and how she interacted with them. It was slow for the first 25-30% but did move along faster after that. Their banter got funnier too. A highlight for me was the race to the train station early on - laugh out loud funny. The whole book had a "Moonlighting" vibe (if you're old enough to remember that TV show) which isn't a bad thing.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

This thing with "The Last Word" is that - yes, it's a romcom (closed door romance) - but it is so much more.

This is a story about Harper - a journalist who profiles celebrities for a weekend magazine. She takes pride in the stories she gets to tell - that she gets to showcase individuals in a way that the public might not have been privy too. Harper in work mode = BRILLIANT.

But work is not always perfect - and when the features editor leaves for another job - the person who replaces happens to be Ryan - the same Ryan she had interned with years earlier at the start of her career. The same Ryan she had caught feelings for. And the same Ryan who betrayed her.

And so begins the basis of this book - Harper and Ryan - not only are they on the same team at work, but they sit next to one another. They are constantly being thrown together - and SPARKS fly.

I loved their banter. I love the personal growth. At times Harper felt a little immature - but she was able to acknowledge that.

This book made me smile, it was so good that I didn't want to put it down (stayed up late to finish it as quickly as possible). Harper and Ryan made me feel warm and fuzzy - I loved it ALL.

It is a PERFECT comfort read - entertaining, well written, well paced and delightful.

4.5 star read. recommended.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Enemies to lovers? Say less.. (this is one of my favorite tropes)
This book was a lot of fun to read, Quirky female MC with an awesome
friend group that I wish I was a part of, this slow burn enemies to lovers was
everything I hoped it would be.

I loved the Hating game (book, not movie) and was super excited to be able to read this, especially because I also really enjoyed The Secret Bridesmaid, and unsurprisingly, this book did not disappoint!

The playful office banter, the tumultuous history, the secret looks - I loved it all! This book, albeit quite long, did an excellent job of providing details into the different characters, their motivations, their passions, and most of all, their love for each other. I loved reading about who they are, even from Harper's POV. Which, her ability to be able to seamlessly connect with her interviewees was pretty cool. I loved how she effortlessly broke down their walls to allow them to feel comfortable enough to share their stories with her - it was a great way to further showcase Harper's love for her job and storytelling.

Overall, this story won't disappoint at all!

Although the heroine/narrator got on my nerves a bit as she jumped to negative assumptions about Ryan, an old flame who broke her heart a decade ago, I ended up really enjoying the story. I liked that she stood up for herself and her chosen profession of reporting on celebrities but doing it with heart and not just out to dish dirt and gossip. And it was so clear that Ryan was crazy about her. This turned out to be an enjoyable enemies-to-lovers story.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

When I saw the description said Beach Read meets The Hating Game, two of my favorite books, I was SO excited to be an early reader, but it was a bit of a let down. There wasn't anything very unique or drawing me into the story and I was a bit bored. I ended up forgetting about it, so after reading 1/3 of the book I decided to DNF...maybe I'll pick it back up in the future when I don't have other books on the shelf I want to read more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to be an early reader!

4 Stars A great workplace enemies-to-lovers, second chance rom com reminiscent of The Hating Game! Ryan and Harper had such fun banter and their chemistry on the page was palpable. I love second chance romance stories and this one was great! There's also a secondary plot with Harper's family, who have never respected her career, and she must choose what kind of relationship she wants with them moving forward. The side characters were fun and eclectic. A great read!

The Last Word is a story about workplace enemies turned lovers. With dual timelines and lots of unanswered questions the book quickly became a page turner for me.

Harper and Ryan worked together as interns. After becoming more than co-workers a secret tears them apart. Now they’re crossing paths again and just when you think all’s well that ends well…it might not. She has some trust issues and lots of self-doubt. He is shy and always tries to do the right thing but it backfires on him.

Sometimes dual timelines are not my favorite but this was written perfectly and held my attention. I enjoyed the side characters from friends/family and felt they added to our understanding of Harper. We even meet Ryan’s parents and that was a great addition as well.

Overall this was a really fun read and I feel lucky to have received an ARC. Thank you @netgalley and @katybirchallauthor!

🌟The Last Word is out May 2nd🌟

What didn’t work for me

The classification of romance: This is me being nitpicky at this point because I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but it was said to be a romance and though there is obviously a love story, it’s not very steamy and a bit of a slow burn. I wish it were spicier, though there were definitely some sexy parts.

What I liked

Enemies to lover trope: Yup, as always, I’m totally on board for this. In this case, it was even more realistic than normal as to why they didn’t get along, and they didn’t fight their feelings for far longer than was necessary. It was a slow burn, as I mentioned above, but everything seemed balanced.

The humour and the banter: Though Harper was a little bit too much for me (we’re just very different people), she was funny and I laughed out loud a few times at some of the things that she said or thought. And then her banter with Ryan was amazing. I didn’t click that the title of the book was about how they each liked to get the last word in an argument until much later (duh!), but the dynamic between them was super entertaining. I love it when smart people can fight about smart things.

The celebrity stuff: I have never interviewed a celebrity before, but I have friends who have and I love that Birchall shows just how normal it can be—they are regular people after all. Things go off the rails in some cases for entertainment purposes, sure, but how Harper handles herself in these situations was a win for journalists everywhere. Plus, I love celeb gossip—real or not.

Fans of The Hating Game or Book Lovers will enjoy this for sure.

4 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Griffin for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I love a work enemies to lovers trope and this one was great. I really like Harper as the FMC. She is a “chaotic shiny star” but has a heart of gold. She comes off a little immature especially in the beginning but she grows a lot. Ryan is sweet and gorgeous but also a little aloof personality and socially awkward. The banter was good but the chemistry was hot. This is pretty low on the steam scale with most sex being fade to black. There is one sex scene on page but light on the details. This was a fun and quick read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy for my review.

4.5 stars 🌟 OH MY GOD I LOVED THIS SM 😊🙌 ryanharper hold the crown for the best banter EVER 🔥 as individual characters i adored them 🫂 ryan was such a sweetheart and harper was so chaotic and kindhearted 💘 i do wish we got more of them actually together but their constant fight to have the last word was so freaking adorable 🤝

a special thank you to netgalley and st martins press for the arc in exchange for an honest review!!

Witty and engaging. The love story was a little generic and nothing really stood out, but I don't regret reading it for a lighthearted read.

Katy Birchall's The Wedding Season was one of my favorite reads and I was very excited to read The Last Word.

Harper's story is one of second chances and believing in oneself. Harper loves being a writer but hates her family's constant belittling of her chosen profession and to make matters worse, Ryan Jansson, the man who betrayed her ten years ago is now working for the same publication. Life is a bit tough for Harper.

In The Last Word we get to see Harper and Ryan bump heads professionally while avoiding discussions of their disastrous shared past, but as they are forced to work closer together, the chemistry they always shared is still there. Harper constantly battles her inner voice that tells her she should not trust her heart to Ryan Jansson ever again, but it's harder than she expected.

I loved the growth Harper experienced through her story; finally deciding that she was not going to spend any more time chasing her family's approval, understanding that holding a grudge for mistakes made ten years ago was not a healthy life choice, and finally believing in her talent as a writer.