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The Last Page
Not yet published
Expected 12 May 26A bookseller with a dream of running her beloved bookstore vs. the owner’s out-of-touch grandson who inherits everything. Game on.
From the author of Not in My Book comes another irresistible, bookish contemporary romance.
Ella has grown up at The Last Page, a charming local bookstore in New York City where she now works. Her first kiss was in the women’s health section. A boyfriend dumped her in comedy. The owner is like a second father to her and has begun training her to take over the store. So when he unexpectedly dies and his estranged grandson is left everything in the will, Ella is devastated.
Henry doesn’t know the first thing about running a bookstore. With his aging mom back in Tennessee, he plans to stay in New York just long enough to ensure things are running smoothly and then head back home. What he never could have counted on was the beautiful, funny bookseller who loves The Last Page more than any place in the world—and who sees him as the villain who’s come to ruin her life.
But when it becomes evident that the store is in deep financial trouble and Henry and Ella are both at risk of losing everything, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and team up—despite the inconvenient chemistry blossoming between them.
Fans of Christina Lauren and Ali Hazelwood will adore this rivals-to-friends-to-lovers bookish romance!
From the author of Not in My Book comes another irresistible, bookish contemporary romance.
Ella has grown up at The Last Page, a charming local bookstore in New York City where she now works. Her first kiss was in the women’s health section. A boyfriend dumped her in comedy. The owner is like a second father to her and has begun training her to take over the store. So when he unexpectedly dies and his estranged grandson is left everything in the will, Ella is devastated.
Henry doesn’t know the first thing about running a bookstore. With his aging mom back in Tennessee, he plans to stay in New York just long enough to ensure things are running smoothly and then head back home. What he never could have counted on was the beautiful, funny bookseller who loves The Last Page more than any place in the world—and who sees him as the villain who’s come to ruin her life.
But when it becomes evident that the store is in deep financial trouble and Henry and Ella are both at risk of losing everything, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and team up—despite the inconvenient chemistry blossoming between them.
Fans of Christina Lauren and Ali Hazelwood will adore this rivals-to-friends-to-lovers bookish romance!
320 pages, Paperback
Expected publication May 12, 2026
7637 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
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June 23, 2025₊⊹⁀➴ 𝐩𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞
im so so excited for this!!!! katie's debut was amazing and i know this will be so good as well <333
release date: march 10, 2026
im so so excited for this!!!! katie's debut was amazing and i know this will be so good as well <333
release date: march 10, 2026
Want to read
November 24, 2025What do you mean Alcove Press just sent me a digital arc?! Ah I'm so excited to read this book!
November 28, 2025
Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Marketing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved Not in my Book, so I was very happy when CLM offered me an ARC of The Last Page. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t hit the same way.
The plot is nothing new. But while Not in my Book had some charming twists and simply made me want to keep reading, this one… didn’t. The same spiel of having to save a doomed bookshop as always. Nothing special at all.
As for the characters - I didn’t care for them. They were pretty boring. Absolutely basic characters. At the beginning, they were also way too immature. Which is ironic, because I didn’t mind at all with Katie Holt’s debut. But that one was about two college kids - those are allowed to be immature. This one was about two proper adults trying to manage their own shop.
At the beginning, Ella was at least ready to give Henry the benefit of the doubt and looking at his reaction, I can’t fault her for being defensive. But she went full on childish when she was trying to keep him out of her territory instead of working together and communicating like adults. And while I get that Henry had lots of regrets and felt like he had something to prove, he really thought he knew everything better and refused to actually talk to the others. It would’ve been so much more charming if they had behaved like normal people and tried to work something out.
As for their relationship - not a fan. Right from the beginning they were way too attracted to each other, especially since they kind of hated each other at that point and I can’t stand stuff like that. It’s okay to build up attraction slowly. I want enemies-to-lovers to be a slow development and not something that could basically exist at the same time. If you could even call them enemies, because they obviously had the same goals and just sucked at communicating.
And at the same time, they got together too suddenly. First, rivals, then suddenly friends and then suddenly utterly in love. I kind of missed the changes from one relationship to the other. There were no sparks, I didn't care whether they got together or not. No chemistry. Which I'm actually pretty sad about, because I loved the chemistry in Not in my Book.
I also wasn’t a fan of the other characters who probably were supposed to be hilariously eccentric, but I just hated them. Working together with them would’ve been an actual nightmare. It wasn’t funny, it was so over the top it was basically a caricature.
I did enjoy the small Peruvian bits sprinkled in between pages though. And The Last Page really seemed like a cute bookshop.
But overall, I was pretty disappointed.
I loved Not in my Book, so I was very happy when CLM offered me an ARC of The Last Page. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t hit the same way.
The plot is nothing new. But while Not in my Book had some charming twists and simply made me want to keep reading, this one… didn’t. The same spiel of having to save a doomed bookshop as always. Nothing special at all.
As for the characters - I didn’t care for them. They were pretty boring. Absolutely basic characters. At the beginning, they were also way too immature. Which is ironic, because I didn’t mind at all with Katie Holt’s debut. But that one was about two college kids - those are allowed to be immature. This one was about two proper adults trying to manage their own shop.
At the beginning, Ella was at least ready to give Henry the benefit of the doubt and looking at his reaction, I can’t fault her for being defensive. But she went full on childish when she was trying to keep him out of her territory instead of working together and communicating like adults. And while I get that Henry had lots of regrets and felt like he had something to prove, he really thought he knew everything better and refused to actually talk to the others. It would’ve been so much more charming if they had behaved like normal people and tried to work something out.
As for their relationship - not a fan. Right from the beginning they were way too attracted to each other, especially since they kind of hated each other at that point and I can’t stand stuff like that. It’s okay to build up attraction slowly. I want enemies-to-lovers to be a slow development and not something that could basically exist at the same time. If you could even call them enemies, because they obviously had the same goals and just sucked at communicating.
And at the same time, they got together too suddenly. First, rivals, then suddenly friends and then suddenly utterly in love. I kind of missed the changes from one relationship to the other. There were no sparks, I didn't care whether they got together or not. No chemistry. Which I'm actually pretty sad about, because I loved the chemistry in Not in my Book.
I also wasn’t a fan of the other characters who probably were supposed to be hilariously eccentric, but I just hated them. Working together with them would’ve been an actual nightmare. It wasn’t funny, it was so over the top it was basically a caricature.
I did enjoy the small Peruvian bits sprinkled in between pages though. And The Last Page really seemed like a cute bookshop.
But overall, I was pretty disappointed.
December 1, 2025
I was so excited to get this ARC, and I had to read it right away. Ella has worked at The Last Page, an indie bookstore in the West Village in New York City, since she was 15 years old. The store is filled with so many memories for her, and she was very close to the owner, Leo. Leo had promised the store to her, but when he passes away, she finds that his grandson, Henry, is the owner of the store. Henry hadn't spoken to his grandfather in years, and he hasn't stepped foot in the store since he was a teenager. He moves from Tennessee to NYC to run the bookstore, and he is met with animosity from Ella and the other booksellers. They definitely start out as an enemies, but as they work together, they both agree to become friends to come together to come up with a plan to save The Last Page.
There are so many eclectic side characters who work at the bookstore, and they added a sense of fun and quirkiness to the story. I loved how they all worked together, despite their differences, because each person who worked there loved the store. The found family was a driving force of this book.
Ella takes Henry to places in NYC to get him to love the city the way that she does. They are sort of going on dates, but they are still friends while they are doing it. There is so much yearning between the two of them, and it's a super slow burn! He calls her honey, and he takes care of her and her siblings when they get sick. He really shows up for her. She makes binders for him with all of the ideas that she has. It's so cute!
I also loved that each chapter started with a book recommendation from one of the characters in the book. It was a fun way to get a vibe for the types of books that the booksellers would enjoy.
There are so many eclectic side characters who work at the bookstore, and they added a sense of fun and quirkiness to the story. I loved how they all worked together, despite their differences, because each person who worked there loved the store. The found family was a driving force of this book.
Ella takes Henry to places in NYC to get him to love the city the way that she does. They are sort of going on dates, but they are still friends while they are doing it. There is so much yearning between the two of them, and it's a super slow burn! He calls her honey, and he takes care of her and her siblings when they get sick. He really shows up for her. She makes binders for him with all of the ideas that she has. It's so cute!
I also loved that each chapter started with a book recommendation from one of the characters in the book. It was a fun way to get a vibe for the types of books that the booksellers would enjoy.
December 1, 2025
I really wanted to love this one because the premise was so fun — I mean, who doesn’t love a book about a bookstore? Especially one where a distant grandson takes over as the new owner and falls for the manager. Swoon.
I’m typically a fan of enemies-to-lovers, but this one didn’t quite hit. The main clash between Henry and Ella didn’t fully make sense to me. Henry claimed to “know business,” but if he truly did, observing before making changes would have been the smarter move. And Ella… well, she was just rude. She kept saying, “come to me when you need help,” even though Henry kind of did — and then kind of didn’t. It left me scratching my head.
The writing was good, with lots of laugh-out-loud moments. There was even a Bill Clinton reference that had me in tears 😂. The characters were fun and cozy, but they did feel a bit immature. Maybe I’m too far removed from retail, but I assumed booksellers would be a little more professional? I got that Leo ran his bookstore like a family rather than a business, but the immaturity of the working professionals still threw me off.
This one might land better for readers in their early 20s. Maybe I’ve just aged out of the chaos.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’m typically a fan of enemies-to-lovers, but this one didn’t quite hit. The main clash between Henry and Ella didn’t fully make sense to me. Henry claimed to “know business,” but if he truly did, observing before making changes would have been the smarter move. And Ella… well, she was just rude. She kept saying, “come to me when you need help,” even though Henry kind of did — and then kind of didn’t. It left me scratching my head.
The writing was good, with lots of laugh-out-loud moments. There was even a Bill Clinton reference that had me in tears 😂. The characters were fun and cozy, but they did feel a bit immature. Maybe I’m too far removed from retail, but I assumed booksellers would be a little more professional? I got that Leo ran his bookstore like a family rather than a business, but the immaturity of the working professionals still threw me off.
This one might land better for readers in their early 20s. Maybe I’ve just aged out of the chaos.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 29, 2025
eeeekkkkkkk!!!!!
i was given this arc in exchange for an honest review, so here i am!! with my honest review!!!!!
this book felt like falling in love. i honestly do not know what else to say. it was full of so much joy + hope + the thrill of change!
receiving this arc made me so ecstatic, after reading not in my book and not totally loving it but felt like there was more to be done, i was relieved to be reading another katie holt book. this one surpassed all expectations.
i will be counting down the days until publication.
i was given this arc in exchange for an honest review, so here i am!! with my honest review!!!!!
this book felt like falling in love. i honestly do not know what else to say. it was full of so much joy + hope + the thrill of change!
receiving this arc made me so ecstatic, after reading not in my book and not totally loving it but felt like there was more to be done, i was relieved to be reading another katie holt book. this one surpassed all expectations.
i will be counting down the days until publication.
coming-soon
June 13, 2025cannot waitttttt
December 1, 2025
I didn’t like this book at all. The characters felt flat and boring, and I never once believed in the chemistry between them, it just wasn’t there. The premise had potential, but the execution completely missed the mark for me. Unfortunately, I don’t recommend this one.
Thank you NetGalley & Alcove Press for this ARC!
Thank you NetGalley & Alcove Press for this ARC!
November 26, 2025
3.25 stars! The Last Page is a cute, bookish themed romance novel! Even though I didn't absolutely adore it, I am certainly open to reading more from Katie Holt. This seems to be her niche, and her debut book sounds really interesting to me, too!
The little book details of this novel were everything, and it was exactly what I was looking for in this type of book. I loved that the name of this novel is the name of the bookstore this story revolves around. The detail of adding "staff recommendations" at every chapter was so great. I was actually getting recommendations all throughout. The staff was able to give some commentary on their picks, which also added humor while getting to know the characters more.
The romance lacked that real chemistry for me. I think this was the reason why I didn't fall in love with this book. It seemed that the relationship between them would be out of convenience. At no point was I truly rooting for them to get together.
The plot line in this one was predictable. I did appreciate the grief aspects incorporated, but it felt like the story went in the stereotypical route with all of it. With all that being said, I recommend this if you want a light, bookish romance!
Thank you NetGalley, Alcove Press, & Katie Holt for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Last Page is released on May 12, 2026!
The little book details of this novel were everything, and it was exactly what I was looking for in this type of book. I loved that the name of this novel is the name of the bookstore this story revolves around. The detail of adding "staff recommendations" at every chapter was so great. I was actually getting recommendations all throughout. The staff was able to give some commentary on their picks, which also added humor while getting to know the characters more.
The romance lacked that real chemistry for me. I think this was the reason why I didn't fall in love with this book. It seemed that the relationship between them would be out of convenience. At no point was I truly rooting for them to get together.
The plot line in this one was predictable. I did appreciate the grief aspects incorporated, but it felt like the story went in the stereotypical route with all of it. With all that being said, I recommend this if you want a light, bookish romance!
Thank you NetGalley, Alcove Press, & Katie Holt for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Last Page is released on May 12, 2026!
November 25, 2025
3.5/5
Thank you for the ARC Alcove Press & NetGalley. I got the ARC today, home sick and read it all today.
As a bookseller in an indie bookstore, I was so happy to see that Katie has a true love for bookstores and all the stories that happen within them. I loved the side characters and the store itself felt like a character in its own right. Ella and Henry are lovely and their story of grief, love, and hope was sweet.
While this sophomore novel isn’t quite as strong as her first, I still very much enjoyed it and would recommend to friends and customers alike.
Thank you for the ARC Alcove Press & NetGalley. I got the ARC today, home sick and read it all today.
As a bookseller in an indie bookstore, I was so happy to see that Katie has a true love for bookstores and all the stories that happen within them. I loved the side characters and the store itself felt like a character in its own right. Ella and Henry are lovely and their story of grief, love, and hope was sweet.
While this sophomore novel isn’t quite as strong as her first, I still very much enjoyed it and would recommend to friends and customers alike.
November 25, 2025
I wasn't a fan of The Last Holt. I preferred her debut.
I found the writing style a bit juvenile, so it wasn't very compelling. I also think I'm having a hard time with characters who *just love books* and for whom that is the basis of their personality. It's starting to feel like the quirky-girl trope. This could just be my own personal tastes, though. Plus for having Latinx representation.
I found the writing style a bit juvenile, so it wasn't very compelling. I also think I'm having a hard time with characters who *just love books* and for whom that is the basis of their personality. It's starting to feel like the quirky-girl trope. This could just be my own personal tastes, though. Plus for having Latinx representation.
November 28, 2025
I couldn't get past the white man superiority complex
✰ DNF 30%, the author spent too much energy building up the antagonism between the characters that there ended up being zero chemistry between them. and if the author's intention was to make me hate the male love interest, it worked.
thank you to Alcove Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review
source: netgalley ebook arc
✰ DNF 30%, the author spent too much energy building up the antagonism between the characters that there ended up being zero chemistry between them. and if the author's intention was to make me hate the male love interest, it worked.
thank you to Alcove Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review
source: netgalley ebook arc
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August 28, 2025Beta read
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September 5, 2025sounds really good
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November 3, 2025Expected publication May 12, 2026
November 25, 2025
i'm so excited for you all to read my second book THE LAST PAGE!! ella, henry, and this book all have huge chunks of my heart and i hope you love it as much as i do! <3 happy reading!
November 25, 2025
Im always excited for a new read and I loved the Last Page just as much if not more than Not in My Book!
Want to read
November 26, 2025Just received an arc for this piece of art! Not in my Book was a great debut, and I am excited to dive in!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews