Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

Enemies to Lovers? Workplace romance? Forced proximity? Sign me up for all three in @katybirchallauthor latest book!

Harper and Ryan met 8 years ago as interns. Despite Harper’s need to have the last word, they became so much more, until the day it all fell apart. Now Ryan is back and their competitive natures draw them back together as they fight for the same job.

It’s fun. The characters are entertaining. This is a great read for the summer!

4 stars

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This was a super cute enemies to lovers and second chances romance. I loved both Harper and Ryan's characters and what they brought out in each other and their chemistry was electric. Loved how all the scenery in the book was described as well. I really enjoyed this. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Not my favorite book by this author, but I’m still an overall fan of her work! I don’t think this book quite developed the characters enough for me to feel attached to their story, but Katy is still a fantastic author and I will continue to support her! I love reading her books every year.

"The Last Word" by Katy Birchall is a charming and whimsical young adult novel that transports readers into a world of mystery, friendship, and the delightful chaos that ensues when a group of teens set out to solve a puzzle. This novel is a delightful blend of humor, adventure, and the power of teamwork.

Birchall's writing style is engaging and lighthearted, immersing readers in a world of witty banter, quirky characters, and puzzling mysteries. The chemistry between the main characters is palpable, and their journey toward solving a series of riddles creates a dynamic that is both entertaining and heartwarming.

At the heart of the narrative is an adventurous exploration of friendship, loyalty, and the joy of unraveling clues to uncover hidden secrets. The author skillfully weaves together elements of mystery and teamwork, creating a narrative that keeps the reader engaged and eager to follow along.

"The Last Word" successfully balances humor with moments of genuine emotion, resulting in a narrative that is both entertaining and resonant. The themes of friendship, problem-solving, and the importance of embracing one's unique strengths add depth to the story.

In conclusion, "The Last Word" is a delightful and entertaining read that delivers a perfect mix of laughter and adventure. If you're looking for a book that offers a feel-good escape with characters you can't help but root for, this novel is a wonderful choice that will leave you with a smile on your face.

A beach read worth, enemies to lovers, office romance. Harper Jenkins is at the height of her career as a celebrity editor at a top magazine when her nemesis, Ryan, is hired as the features editor. Try as they might, the two can’t seem to make it work. When layoffs happen, it’s up to Harper to take a chance on herself, her future, and Ryan.

I quickly found myself attached to and rooting for Harper as she navigates the professional world. A perfect summertime romance read, fall in love with Ryan and Harper and they discover themselves and each other in a whole new way.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

The secret bridesmaid was my first, and favorite by this author. It was laugh out loud funny and I binged it because I loved the characters soo much. This felt different to me, I had a hard time getting invested in the characters and their lives, and the romance just didn’t work for me. I did like the celebrity aspect, because I’m always a fan of celebrity culture, and liked to see the MC perform well at her job and make a great name for herself.

That being said, I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next!

Such a fun read. I love a good enemies to lovers romance, and throw in an office setting - I'm a total sucker. Great characters, great rom com.

The Last Word is a cute and fun romantic comedy that has great main characters. I really loved Harper. She was a great lead and even her flaws like tardiness and messiness were just charming and adorable. I loved reading more about her interviews and career than even the romance. Ryan was nice and sweet, a little on the bland side but I forgive it. The book was slightly on the long feeling side but very enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this rom-com. I enjoyed the second change from romance to enemies to lovers and workplace romance. I enjoyed that it was easy to read and finished in one day.

Overall, this was entertaining, but moreso for the work environment than the romance itself. Although I've never worked in a newsroom, Harper's work as a celebrity journalist took me back to my old days working in public relations. As two journalists working at the same company—one on the newspaper side the other on the magazine side—I found Harper's and Ryan's work rivalry to be more fun and engaging than anything else. I liked how different their approaches to writing was. Harper was very charismatic, comfortable mingling and networking among strangers—and friends! Ryan was more reserved, composed, and organized. Yet both were so passionate about their work and believed in the power of storytelling. That passion is what connected them and solidified their bond in the past and present.

When these two were in sync, they were cute. HOWEVER, the constant office bickering quickly became tedious. Their professionalism was seriously questionable, and I'm sorry but Harper's constant lateness was not cute! Their workplace interactions gave me serious The Hating Game vibes (I did NOT like that book) with petty arguments and the (spoiler alert, kinda) "I never hated you, I was in love with you the entire time, duh" plot. Their third act break up was incredibly frustration because it (spoiler alert, kinda) was a repeat of their breakup 10 years ago! Way too much miscommunication for my tastes.

Otherwise, like I said, this was pretty entertaining. It was fun and lighthearted, and even though the romance didn't do it for me, the actual workplace plot and the English countryside/city backdrops made the story enjoyable.

Unfortunately this one was a miss for me. I'm not usually a fan of enemies to lovers so I was a little apprehensive from the start, but I tried to give it a fair shake. It just didn't quite hit the spot.

Sadly I ended up DNFing this book at 25%. I just could not connect with a single character, and that far in, it felt like nothing had even happened. It just fell flat for me, but I may try something else from this author one day.

Harper Jenkins is a journalist that cares about the celebrities that she interviews. However, her boss is a terrible man that doesn't see any value in what she does. All of a sudden the new Features Editor is her arch nemesis Ryan. Ryan and Harper have history from one they were first starting out in the field. Harper feels like Ryan betrayed her when they were interns.

I really enjoyed the way that the story unfolded and it kept me captivated.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy.

I am totally in love with this book and Harper and Ryan; if Ryan Jansson has 1 fan it’s me, if he has 0 fans I’m dead! The rivals to lovers to enemies to rivals to lovers gave everything and I was laughing out loud at the ridiculous little spats they’d get into. Harper is unabashedly stubborn, perpetually late and supremely passionate; living in her head made me want to give it all up and become a celebrity journalist in NYC. Ryan is so endearing whilst being slightly neurotic and I just want to put him in a washing machine to watch him spin. The Last Word was charming, entertaining and is a guaranteed good time!

This was a fun one and I really enjoyed it. I loved this author's last book so I knew I would like this one and it didn't disappoint. I can't wait to read more from this author.

such a fun little workplace romance! I loved the characters and was totally rooting for them the whole time!!

It took me a while to read this book; I found I struggled to get into it and even then, I ended up flipping to the end to see how it ended.
I have enjoyed previous books by the author and I like her writing style, so I really think it was the premise of the book. I just don't enjoy workplace drama and stuff and I found it challenging to be sympathetic with the main female character.

Even though I'm not a fan of this book, I will definitely try out more books by Birchall!

Harper is a celebrity editor at Narrative and is great at her job! When Ryan (another editor who Harper has history with) gets hired at narrative Harper can’t seem to get used to the idea that she will have to work along side her arc-nemesis.

10 years have passed since Harper and Ryan have seen each other. The last time they spoke they both ended up heartbroken and disappointed. They get a second chance to rekindle what they had once started but history seems to be repeating itself.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martins press for my complimentary copy of The Last Word

The Last Word
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Katy Birchall

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: 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, Harper loves her job as Celebrity Editor at a newspaper’s glossy weekend magazine and has the best contacts in the business.

But when her awful boss hires talented reporter Ryan to be the new Features Editor, Harper is furious. Because the two have met before: a decade ago, they were interns at the same publication, where they fell into a whirlwind romance…until Ryan betrayed Harper, and they never spoke again.

Thrown together in a busy newsroom, their 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?

My Thoughts: This was a slow burn romance novel. The tropes are enemies to lovers (my favorite) and office romance.

The story is narrated by Harper and Ryan, in their respective POVs. I loved the author’s realistic and authentic approach to journalism. I really loved Harper’s ethics in journalism and can hope that more journalists carry her same work ethic. Harper was immature and a workaholic in the beginning, but she really evolves throughout the story. Ryan seems reserved and unapproachable to begin with, but when you get to know him, he is kind and compassionate. The characters were developed well with depth, had growth, witty banter, chemistry, and were creative. The author’s writing style was complex, humorous, swoony, and keeps you engaged.

I would recommend this book to other readers. I had both the digital ARC and audiobook and I preferred the audiobook.

Slow and long. I am more than a quarter this novel (after several hours worth of reading), just barely met the main male character and just don’t really care for anything that’s happening here.