the last page – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Katie Holt
Publisher: Alcove Press
Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A 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!

Thank you Alcove Press & Crooked Lane Books for the gifted ARC.

VERY SWEET.

Katie Holt does it again! I really enjoy the way she crafts romance. There’s such a level of joy I have reading her books that makes it easy to settle and take every word in. This was on the softer side, low angst in all the best ways. Ella and Henry go from rivals to friends to lovers in a beautiful slow burn. I loved seeing the walls come down and how both characters acknowledged wrong doing and a willingness to see different perspectives to work together and save The Last Page.

It also felt like an ode to books. Regardless of what genre you love this made me want to read all the genres honestly. The power and potential that opening each new book brings can be tangibly felt in this bookstore. With a quirky cast of booksellers the humor and found family senses are strong. I loved the stable family Ella and Henry both had in their corners. There’s something about reading a book with those kind of support systems that make my heart swell and I appreciated having that showcased too.

My small tidbit was that it was slow on the uptake for me. I was missing the *romance* throughout the first half and am very grateful that was ramped in the second half. I felt the swoon and the soft touches, the spice was not overdone and third act was genuinely reasonable. I loved that Henry discussed depression and how it effects him (relatable) and Ella with her very strong eldest daughter tendencies (relatable). This was all around a wonderful romance I can’t wait to recommend.

Overall audience notes: