This was a solid read for me. It offered a blend of workplace drama (my fave!) and a cute romance. I also loved seeing the publishing world from a magazine standpoint rather than books!

I felt that the main characters had great chemistry, and I adored their witty banter and work-place dynamic. The tension between their past and present was chef kiss and added a depth to their arcs.

It was is a fun and light read, particularly for fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope and second-chance romances. While it didn't blow me away, Birchall's sharp writing and the engaging central relationship make it worth a read

I would say this was a solid 3.5 book, one I enjoyed which has bits of humour and bits that made you smile as it was so sweet but ultimately it was a little bit slow for me and I wanted more chemistry and a bit more pizzazz! It was easy to read but just a lot slower speed than I would’ve preferred!

I love enemies to lovers so I knew that I would love this and I did. A quick, easy and hilarious read that made me laugh out loud

I loved this. I devoured this in a day! I loved Harper and Ryan. I loved their friendship group too. This kept me turning the pages needing to know what happened next. Definitely will recommended to all I know.

This is a cute enemies to lovers, second chance romance. Harper and Ryan have history that ended badly, and she’s furious when he comes into her newsroom as a new editor. They clash over everything, Harper is messy and Ryan is neat, he gets the articles she wants to write and on and on.

When their editor puts them on a story together Harper is angry, but as they spend time together they remember the reasons they liked in each in the past.

I didn’t love Harper’s snarky attitude, it got old for me. Otherwise a fun read, 3.5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Definitely not my favourite read. On one hand, I enjoyed the sizzling chemistry between Harper and Ryan (swoon) but on the other hand, Harper behaves so badly at times. Ryan didn't deserve how she treated him and it made it quite difficult to like her. The Last Word is a fun, easy, romantic read but not the most memorable book I've read.

Laugh out loud romantic comedy gold. The Last Word follows Harper and Ryan on this second chance romance. Throughout the course of the book, we find out why they're estranged and what really happened between them eleven years ago. The chemistry is undeniable, but is Harper too stubborn to let herself fall for the same man again? Harper's difficult relationship with her parents was a much needed insight into her motivations, which only added to her appeal. Perfect for fans of the Hating Game, workplace rivals to lovers with tonnes of silly banter. Likeable characters sure to make you smile.

This was such an interesting read! I found myself so engrossed in the story, the characters had such incredible arcs, and I can't wait to follow this author's journey!

Thought this book would be a great read from the synopsis on the back cover, however this was such a slow read and I didn’t enjoy it.

It took a while for this book to get going and it’s closed door. Some of the chemistry is written really well, but it leaves just a little to be desired. I downloaded it because it was likened to The Hating Game. It’s a sweet love story, but the FMC is touted as this amazingly sweet person and I didn’t find that to be true. She’s likable, but also incredibly close minded in some instances, which was frustrating. So, overall, it was fine, but I’m not jumping to download another book from the author.

I really enjoyed this workplace, enemies-to-lovers romance. It may be slow-paced for some but their professional role as journalists have taken the stage.

What I liked about the novel

•The humor, that’s why it turned out to be a light read for me. I had so much fun when they were arguing about silly things


•Second chance trope, I don’t usually read this kind of trope but still it was good to see how Ryan and Harper again falls for each other despite their tragic past.


•Workplace setting


•It’s cute cover. Although it has two covers, I prefer the cover with pink and blue colors.


The only thing I didn’t like is the later half of the book. Because in my opinion it went straight from enemies to lovers trope to miscommunication trope which I hate the most.


The Last Word is already out now. So grab your copies if you like rom comedy.

Knew Birchall was a veteran author so was excited to give her latest one a go, but unfortunately I just found this very slow-paced.

I have adored all Katy Birchall’s novels (she is one of my autobuy author, after all), but I think that The Last Word is my favorite so far. I fell in love with the story and the characters, and I stayed up late to finish reading it.

The protagonist of the novel is Harper Jenkins. A celebrity journalist, she is not only good with the written word. She can convince celebrities to open up to her like no other journalists can’t so that her articles are always exclusive. On the personal side, she’s never committed to anyone, not ever since she got her heart broken by the only guy she ever trusted. The problem is that now that same guy sits next to her at work as the new Features Editor, but she hasn’t forgotten his betrayal. Their arguments become the entertainment of the office as they fight for who has the last word, but what happens when the two of them spend more and more time together?

I loved the character of Harper. She is a workaholic with a strained relationship with her very dysfunctional family. She is messy and chaotic, and she is also genuine, loyal, and relatable. Her approach to celebrities as humans, making them feel comfortable and at ease (and, in one case, helping them give birth in the back seat of a car), makes her successful in a job she loves, but for which she must fight tooth and nail. Her relationship with Ryan is not only the very essence of the enemies-to-lovers trope, but also the opposite-attracts trope. Where Harper is loud and the dictionary definition of disorganized, Ryan is neat and tidy, quiet and reserved. He is adorable and kind and it is clear neither of them has moved on from what happened ten years earlier.

The Last Word is a witty, entertaining, sparkling, and addictive novel and I didn’t want it to end. I can’t recommend it enough as I wait for whatever the author writes next!

Thank you for this advanced reader copy.

This book is a great romcom with similar themes to the hating game. The will they won't they flirting was enteraining and kept you rooting for the couple to get together.

The Last word is a wonderful enemies-to-lovers story set in an amazing and vibrant London setting.

Harper loves her Celebrity Editor job at a newspapers glossy weekend magazine but then her boss hires the very talented reporter Ryan as the new Features Editor and then all the fun really begins…

I do love an office romance trope and then throw in an enemies-to-lovers trope as well and you have the most perfect story.

I loved both Ryan and Harper and their wonderful banter was hilarious too…….

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Love the concept and the cover. Very cute.

I loved the heroine in this one; she was so entertaining to me but at the same time relatable. Their romance was swoon worthy and and a little slow but was so fierce and definitely worth the wit especially with that ending! Overall, it was one fun and loving read for me!

Three and a half stars.

Harper Jenkins loves her job as Celebrity Editor for a magazine called Narrative working with her two best friends, even though the Editor-in-Chief Cosmo is a bit of a hater. The only fly in the ointment is that Ryan Jansson is on the features team for the magazine's sister newspaper The Correspondence. The two of them have history, dating back to when they were both newspaper interns eleven years ago, and are enemies. When Ryan joined the newspaper they made an unspoken pact to pretend they didn't know each other.

Then Harper's friend Rakhee the Features Editor accepts a new job and Cosmo promotes Ryan to Features Editor in her place, now Harper has to sit next to neta-freak Ryan and his condescending attitude every day. Despite being the best in the business, someone who relates to celebrities on a personal level and gets them to share fascinating facts about their lives, Cosmo continually tries to undermine Harper, promoting boring businessmen for the front cover rather than world-famous celebrities, and giving her interviews to Ryan for spurious reasons.

This enemies-to-love, second-chance, opposites-attract, romance started off well, gradually revealing the history between Ryan and Harper but for me it gradually went off the boil. I think it was that Ryan didn't really feel like a rounded character, more just a foil to contrast with Harper. Also, it felt a bit lazy to have such a mirroring of events from the past with the present (and something I've read before), it would have worked better for me if maybe the power dynamic had reversed (trying hard not to be spoilery).

Overall, pleasant enough but didn't end as well as it started (for me) and not as good as The Secret Bridesmaid.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Light hearted and funny, I absolutely adored the banter between Harper and Ryan, and each of theirs's determination to have the last word in just about every situation.

They are fiercely competitive, and as you learn more about their hidden, shared history, I could understand why Harper seemed to really dislike Ryan at times.

Add in the fact that Harper's family and boss all don't take her seriously as the talented celebrity editor and journalist that she is, and you have one rather feisty main character who I greatly admired.

Such an incredibly enjoyable story to read, I love anything set within the world of magazines, and celebrity, and Harper is a journalist with a special skill set and scruples! She's not a seedy tabloid hack, but rather cares about who she is interviewing and puts them at such ease, to the extent they really trust her.

I loved reading about the various celebrities she was interviewing, as well as all of the dynamics with people in her life. She's fabulous.

Katy Birchall is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, I have thoroughly enjoyed every book of hers so far, and this was another firm favourite.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Thanks to NetGalley UK and Hodder & Stoughton for sending me this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
I have always been a fan of enemies to lovers but not so much of workplace romance, so I was unsure about this book. I am happy I read it! I don't like workplace romance because they usually focus so much on romance that I don't see anything else about these characters' lives, which is NOT the case in this book.
I love how in this book, I could see how busy and hectic it is to run a magazine and all the features and the work that made one issue. I love how Harper, the main character, is dedicated to her work and how proud she is to be a writer and a journalist. All the mentions of her connection to her writing ethos make this main character so real. I really love how this book shows the world of journalism and a magazine editorial office with such a realistic approach.
Now, let's talk about the romance. What a beautiful love story! Harper and Ryan are completely opposite in so many ways; he is very organised while she is chaotic, and he is very reserved while she is very extroverted. But they are both stubborn and must have the last word, leading them to a very witty bickering session. I had so much fun when they were arguing about silly things and swooned when they were talking about serious stuff. He is a character that grew on me throughout the book because I need to peel his layers to see his true beautiful colours. I also love the dual timeline to give us background on their past relationship.