don't write me off just yet

Harper Jenkins is late. She is often late, but she has a way of being in the right place at the right time. Or maybe it’s the write time, since she’s able to score some of the hottest celebrity interviews for the magazine she works for. The actors who have been burned by the press will still open to her, because she’s just that good at her job.

However, her boss Cosmo, is not a fan of celebrities. He thinks that her pieces are fluff, not that he’s actually read any of them. So when he hires in Ryan Jansson as the new features editor, Harper is not impressed. Cosmo clearly favors him, despite her years of service to the magazine. And what’s worse, Harper and Ryan have a history that she doesn’t want to talk about or even acknowledge. That had happened when she was just starting out, as an intern. Now she’s an adult, she’s an established journalist, and she’s dating a hot guy who is starting his own talent agency.

And then there’s Ryan, sitting next to her at work with his uncluttered desk where he uses a book barrier to keep Harper’s chaos at bay. But when Cosmo insists that Ryan take over one of Harper’s interviews, one that she spent weeks jockeying for, she is livid. Ryan suggests that they go together to the interview, and Cosmo finally agrees, but Harper is still angry. And that brings up a lot of memories for her.

When Harper was just out of school and scored an internship with a newspaper, she showed up to start and found out that she wasn’t the only intern. Ryan was also there, interning alongside her and competing for the one job that would be available at the end. Near the end of the summer, they were offered an article together, a chance to get their name in print for the first time. And that went well for them. And then it didn’t.

And now he’s back, making Harper’s life more difficult and having to get the last word in their every fight. And there are a lot of fights. But having to do this interview together may give them a second chance, or at least a start of something more civil. But when Cosmo intervenes again, will Harper find a way to work through her anger, or will she have the last word with Ryan, ending their partnership forever?

Katy Birchall is back with The Last Word, an enemies-to-lovers story about two journalists who love to fight as much as they love to write. These characters leap off the page with energy and emotions, whether they are fighting, kissing, or helping a famous actor give birth in a taxi. Birchall’s writing takes a familiar romance trope or two and elevates it to a sparkling story filled with celebrities, chaos, competition, coffee, and a comped trip to Florence.

I am a huge fan of Birchall’s rom coms. I adore her characters as strong women who are flawed but endearing, and I would love to have any or all of them as good friends. But Harper is so aspirational to me. Sure, she’s chronically late and struggles with self-esteem (who wouldn’t, with those parents?), but she is persistent and takes creative risks and brings out the best in the people around her. Although there are a lot of things that are obvious about the storyline of a rom com, I still found several pleasant surprises in this one, and I loved the path that Harper made for herself at the end.

I think that anyone who loves rom coms and hasn’t yet discovered Katy Birchall’s books are missing out. The Last Word is a perfect weekend read for the pool, the patio, or the air conditioning this summer.

Egalleys for The Last Word were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.