This was really good and a fun short read! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for early access to this book.

📝 journalist theme
😡work place enemies to lovers
❤️second chance romance

Harper has to deal with a lot, a boss who doesn’t take her job seriously as well as her parents treating her as a disappointment. A man she can’t stand is now working at her magazine, a man who she knew a decade earlier. When reading it got slightly annoying the amount of arguing but you could tell there was sexual tension between them and you knew they definitely had a past.

There was a lot of deception and lies which Harper had to face which made me really feel for her character as she tries her absolute best. It makes her extremely vulnerable but also likeable, I had a hard time liking Ryan’s character but once I finished I did find myself warming to him.

After writing two books with weddings as the backdrop, Katy Birchall moves to the world of journalism, in the sparkling and banter-filled 'The Last Word'. I do love a good rivals/enemies/antagonists-to-lovers vibe and this book is now one of my favourites.

Harper Jenkins is a talented writer and editor specialising in celebrities for glossy magazine who finds herself working with her former colleague Ryan. Ten years previously the two were interns, only for Harper to find herself betrayed by him, and she's never forgiven him.

I devoured this book. While there's emnity from Harper's end, she doesn't resort to childish pranks and nonsense that I see all too often in books with this story premise. I also loved the authenticity Birchall brings to what its like to work in publishing in a world where the digital revolution has all but killed off print media. I know this book may bring comparisons to a certain very well-loved book set at a publishers featuring two rivals up for promotion, but I think this book is way better in the authenticity of the publishing industry.

This book is the perfect escape, filled with two characters who are perfect for each other. Their rivalry pushes the best in each other and through that, they evolve. Harper learns there is more to life than her job, especially when its working for sexist bosses who don't value her talents, while Ryan grows confidence. I love the scenes where they're forced to team up, such as the celebrity birth in a taxi, and shoe shopping.

I cannot wait til publication day, because I have pre-ordered a copy. I am very grateful to have an early read from Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley.

Before reading this book I had never heard of Katy birchall or read her work before but now I’m going to have to because this clearly shows she has great potential within the romance genre

One thing I liked about the last word is that unlike other romances it is successful in using the office/romance and enemies to lovers trope. Normally, I believe that enemies to lovers should be reserved for fiction but this may be the exception. The tension between Ryan and Harper is constant through out and it makes sense knowing their past history which also successfully done since books that use flashbacks typically don’t execute it well but this one again is the exception

Harper specifically is an icon. From her struggles with her parents to her altercations with upper management in the workplace we do care for her throughout the book and I am so glad she got the happy ending she deserved. I also like how Birchall was not afraid to highlight sexism within the workplace. Cosmo’s clear preference for Ryan showed the bro-culture that businesses have which excludes women from succeeding/ going further.

Genuinely this book was very promising and I am happy I read it everyone else should too

The story of Harper and Ryan, a second chance, enemies to lovers romance. A great read, fast paced and keeps you interested.

I absolutely love Katy Birchall and I loved this book. I wouldn't really classify this as an enemies to lovers because it is more just Harper hates him but I really enjoyed reading about her hatred of him. I like how the author went back and forth between their past and present to fully understand what happened to make Harper hate him. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship heal. The humour is decent and I liked the plot alot.

The reason I didn't give this 5 stars are just some things that I disliked. For example the vacation time I didn't really care for, the repetition of why they fight in the future is the same in the past and I felt it was a bit boring and to be honest I wanted what happened in the end to happen sooner because it felt really rushed and I wanted it to be Harper's choice.

But overall was a good book and I really enjoyed reading it :)

The Last Word follows celebrity journalist Harper who gets an unwanted shock when her former colleague from years ago turned enemy, Ryan, starts working with her.

Harper and Ryan interned together years ago and something happened that soured their relationship - I liked this plot line as in a lot of enemies to lovers book the whole ‘enemy’ thing is stupid but in this story it’s really believable and realistic.

This has a similar vibe to The Hating Game but is a lot better written, a quick, easy, fast paced read which I enjoyed.

This is a gorgeous contemporary romance novel feauturing brilliant characters in the heady world of journalism; from family feuds to that classic enemies-to-lovers trope, this book does it all really well. Each part of the storyline is really well thought out, and situations are crafted vivdly for the reader to enjoy. Fantastic!

Enemies to lovers.... sign me up!! I love Birchall's work anyway but throw in a bit of angst and I am there even more! Harper and Ryan were everything I want in a workplace rom-com and I just laughed so much. Always looking forward to what Birchall writes next!

Enemies to lovers and a workplace romance - sign me up. I was so excited to read tis book and it did not disappoint. I loved reading every second.

Honestly just an all round sweet and fun read. There's a lot of backdrop work stuff and interesting side characters here, but mostly it's a story of second chances. If you're an enemies to lovers fan like I am, you should have a good time with this.

A cliche that grabs you! Haters to lovers. An easy fast paced read with cute characters and storyline.

A fantastically funny novel full of fun and popular tropes. If you want a book that’s easy and fun to read, then this is the perfect book for you! Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read it.

if you love workplace romance, enemies to lovers and second chance. this one is for you!

this is fun and easy to read and a quick escape. deffo recommend

Thanks to Katy Birchall, Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC of The Last Word.

I am a big fan of Katy's previous books (especially The Secret Bridesmaid (which made me literally laugh out loud) so was really looking forward to this one.

Whilst it wasn't quite as funny as The Secret Bridesmaid, this book was everything I hoped it would be. What first appears to be the classic 'enemies to lovers' tale actually becomes so much more - when we learn more about the complicated backstory between Harper and Ryan.

The perfect blend of humour, emotion and romantic dramatics - I really loved this feel good office based romance where the path of true love never does run smoothly! :)

Give it a whirl - you won't be disappointed!

Such a fun and sparkling five-star read. I am biased as I adore this author, but this one had me in stiches, Harper and Ryan set the pages aflame. I really like their arguing; it just plays the game and draws you in. This story just pulls you in all the way, you get drawn in and sucked into the bickering, but then when you find the drama behind the bickering well that pulls the rug from under you. But it also makes the whole story make sense, this is a great story and one you won’t want to give the last word to. Pick it up and give it a whirl as you won’t be disappointed as Katy Birchall shows us just how great an author they are.

Throughout this entire novel, I was enraptured. Enraptured by Ryan. Enraptured by Harper. Enraptured through the way Birchall was able to convey real human emotion in a way that made me feel like I was there, being a silent witness to their budding romance. This isn't any old office romance, this is The Last Word.

A really lovely enemies to lovers story with flashbacks, which help the reader to ascertain the full story of why our main characters don’t get on, whilst releasing these details slowly so the story keeps moving ahead. I really appreciated the epilogue which tied things up so nicely, and is rare for authors to do these days, but makes the story so much better. It’s a lovely romance with misunderstandings and a perfect HEA

Yet again, another Katy Birchall book that I loved! Funny, heartfelt, so well written, it was a perfect read for me that I adored. I loved Harper, our heroine and her close band of friends who support her in her career choices - again characters you want to know in real life.

I thought it was such a cute, easy and lovely book to read!

It's a workplace romance book! Which I always love. The book is all about Harper, who is a celebrity editor for a magazine. I loved her character and was very jealous of the job she had! She was SO good at her job, it was really quite inspiring! She has some amazing friends who work with her, I also loved getting to know them in the book. Ryan is hired as the new features editor for the magazine, working together they begin to clash! I absolutely loved him, even from the start. I was rooting for them from the beginning! He did make a few decisions that made me want to have words with him though!

The chemistry, banter and relationship development is really good in this book! They are completely opposites, yet they work so well together. This book changes between present and past, so you can find out all about what happened with Ryan and Harper when they first met, and this explains why they are now enemies!

I would highly recommend this book if you love:

- Workplace Romance
- Second Chance Romance
- Enemies to Lovers

This was my first book by Katy Birchall and I am really looking forward to reading more!