Really cute workplace romance. I adored Casey and how smart and dedicated she was. The chemistry between her and Alex was so good, and I really liked the focus on the workplace. A romantic, slightly steamy read that kept me entertained the whole way through. *I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Love Interest is a medium to fast-paced book. While the pacing suited the book, the author could have slowed it down. I had to go back and read some significant parts of the book. There is a lag in Love Interest. The lag didn’t affect how I liked the book.

Trigger/Content Warning: Surprisingly, there are no trigger or content warnings in Love Interest. After reading many books with triggers, it was refreshing to read one that didn’t.

Sexual Content: There are sexual scenes in Love Interest. Seeing that this is a modern-day romance, I wasn’t too surprised that there was. The sex scenes are explicit enough to be hot but didn’t cross the line into TMI.

Language: There is foul language used in Love Interest.

Setting: Love Interest is set entirely in New York City.

Representation: There is queer and BIPOC representation in Love Interest. Casey is white and straight, but she has friends who are BIPOC and queer (which is fantastic). Alex is half Korean and straight. His friends are Casey’s friends.

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Workplace Romance

Age Range to read Love Interest: 21 and over

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Casey is a financial advisor for a magazine who wonders if she can insert a little pizzazz into her life. So, when a position for project manager becomes available in her company, she applies. Casey is mad when she is passed over for the job for the chairman’s son, Alex. She is furious when assigned to the project that Alex is heading. But her fury wanes as she gets to know Alex, and she starts to catch glimpses of the real him. A friendship evolves that soon turns into a not-so-hidden workplace romance. But, as rumors swirl about the fate of the magazine and the project Casey is on becomes Alex’s chance to show his father what he can do, can their romance survive?

Main Characters

Casey Maitland: I will be the odd one out here, but I didn’t initially like Casey. Her attitude towards Alex was awful. Yes, I get that it was fueled by disappointment and anger, but it made her seem like a teenager instead of the adult she was. But, by the middle of the book (when she and Alex started dating), I liked her. This was an infrequent case of a character redeeming herself. She became a supportive girlfriend who wasn’t afraid to tell it like it was. But she also kept her sense of self. She had plans, and those plans were going to happen, if Alex was in her life or not.

Alex Harrison: I initially liked him, but he had Daddy issues. His sense of self was wrapped up in getting approval from a distant and cold father. But I liked that he didn’t use nepotism to get the job at the magazine (but I am sure that’s what got him the job if it makes sense). I liked how he handled Casey at the beginning of the book. But he did change a little towards the middle of the book. He had stated at the beginning of the book (shortly before Casey and he started hooking up) that he didn’t believe or want relationships because he didn’t want to be tethered. Yet, by the middle of the book, he was only with Casey. I liked that the author did have Alex come to terms with his father by himself.

Secondary characters: I know this paragraph is the same in every review, but in this case, the secondary characters did make the book. Each character added extra depth, nuance, and flair to the storyline. If the book weren’t about Alex and Casey, I would have been happy to read about the secondary characters. That is how much oomph they brought to this book.

My review:

Love Interest was an interesting and good read. I got involved with the main characters and was rooting for them to overcome their obstacles. I also loved the secondary characters and the vibrance they brought to the book.

The main storyline of Love Interest focuses on Casey and Alex as they navigate their romance and project together. I liked that the author made this storyline relatable and believable. I wanted them both to succeed at what they were doing and their romance. I was caught up in this storyline and was very happy with the ending and the epilogue.

I liked the romance angle of Love Interest. I liked that Casey and Alex’s romance happened organically (as organic as a romance novel can get). It wasn’t Instalove by a long shot.

The end of Love Interest was sweet. I loved how the author ended all the storylines and tied them into Casey and Alex’s storyline. I also loved the epilogue. After reading that, I went to sleep with a massive smile.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Clare Gilmore for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Love Interest. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

I loved this book so much! It's packed with stuff that's balm to my soul which I didn't know I needed. More than just a breezy read though, coz it's got so much good rep, themes, and goes kinda deep too. But that doesn't take away from how it's a great page-turner.

If you've read any of my previous reviews, you know that I love family dynamics and emphasis on non-romantic relationships, and Gilmore did it all so well!! The FMC Casey's mother passed away when she was a kid, and her father later remarried a man. It's really interesting to see the parenting in this unique perspective, with Casey actually very adoring of her stepfather. Alex has a distant relationship with his father which we see as the story progresses and I loved seeing both MCs expose their secrets and be vulnerable with each other.

There are so many good tropes in this book like forced proximity, workplace romance, rivals to lovers, guy falls first, Asian rep, diverse families, LGBT, and maybe some more. The side characters have a strong presence in the story which i enjoyed reading. I think a separate book for some of them would be really cool too.

It's quite fascinating to see the characters blossom and evolve with each other (emphasis on MCs of course), and they've got some witty banter, insightful conversations, and amazing connection (chemistry feels too basic a word) As I'm writing this, I realized that this is Clare's debut novel, and that's such a surprise. Reading this masterpiece, I'd think it's by a veteran :)

So obviously, I do recommend you read this 10/10. If you find it a little slow in the beginning, try to keep at it coz I think it was worth it.

Many MANY thanks to St Martin's and NetGalley for this complimentary e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

We love a workplace romance, and Love Interest is a good one. Casey and Alex are easy to root for, interesting characters. If this is Clare Gilmore's debut, I'm looking forward to what she puts out next!

This was cute!

LOVE INTEREST is a hate to love workplace romance that's smart and sexy and overall, an enjoyable, escapist read. It also deftly handles conversations about complicated family relationships and parental loss, and builds well-rounded characters that you want to root for -- individually and together.

Read for:

- asking for your preferred brand of laundry detergent (as a love language)
- Target and Taylor Swift mentions
- trying to find your place in the workplace and in your career
- tall dark and handsome LIs with scratchy voices
- fashion, on a Budget
- hidden tattoos
- affectionate nicknames at first meeting
- MCs with admittedly opposite-of-causal personalities ('cause, same)
- ...you wear GLASSES???
- "Don't go around thinking you aren't remarkable."
- work family with inside jokes and its own language
- love as a slow build
- trusting the sound of your own voice
- "Home is something you build."

Enjoyed this and can't wait to see what else Clare Gilmore writes!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. LOVE INTEREST is out now!

ARC provided by netgalley

this book was so cute and fun. the pacing was a little off and some of the conflicts felt a little forced, but i really enjoyed the two characters both together and separate.

Super sweet romance from a debut author. Believable dialogue. Not a lot of unneccseary filler that can bore me to tears.

I enjoyed reading Love Interest, it was a very easy and cute read, I actually finished it in a day.
The characters are quite funny, and as a magazine lover and whose dream once was to work for a media empire, I found the setting and the backstory quite fascinating, most of the secondary characters were very endearing and funny, like Miriam & Don & Fari. As for Casey & Alex, I really enjoyed their little quirks and Claire the author, really had me swooning for Alex, I never knew some traits he had I find actually hot and need in my future man!
As for the story, I enjoyed the twists and turns and everything that happened, and how it was all intertwined. A character I particularly hated was Tracy, they did her wrong, but I get why her character needed to exist.
The ending was nice, and not predictable in the sense I thought it would be.
Solid 4/5, would recommend to friends.

Note: Thanks NetGalley & the publishers for the free ARC in exchange of an unbiased review

I love a good forced proximity romance and this one was no exception! It was so cute and I loved the workplace romance with a sprinkling of other tropes.

Haven’t read a workplace romance this good since The Hating Game. Enemies to Lovers. Casey gets the job Alex was sure would be her making and he’s so smug about it, especially being the boss’s son. The chemistry between these two is off the charts and I couldn’t put it down.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: October 10, 2023

I…was so surprised by how much I loved this? It sounded great but I wasn’t prepared for how invested in these characters I became. This is well written—smart, witty, and well-paced. When so many romances can be surrealistic or idealistic, this has the feel of that while still being realistic. I’m a harsh critic of books set in NYC and this does it well for a character who has only lived there a few years. While the work drama was predictable, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this and how much I appreciated that everyone behaved like fully formed humans instead of frustratingly immature children masking as adults. A fab debut and Gilmore will be on my to-read list going forward!

Title: Love Interest
Author: Clare Gilmore
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Romance
Tropes: enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, forced proximity, workplace romance, he fell first
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Casey and Alex are forced into proximity, they soon realize falling for each other is just as much of a risk and as it is a reward.

This book was absolutely amazing. I loved every single minute of it. I can’t even begin to believe that this is Clare Gilmore’s debut novel because it is that good. Set in NYC at a publishing company, the story unfolded in the most perfect way.

Casey is such a wonderful character. So many times when I read contemporary romances, I had a hard time liking the FMC because they come off as brash or mean when really they are just meant to be strong. Casey is so relatable, a numbers girl with artsy parents, who is simply trying to figure out who she is and what she wants in the world. Her character development throughout the story was like a breath of fresh air. She didn’t need to change anything about herself, she simply had to embrace who she already was.

Alex has now been added to my very long list of book boyfriends and I’m not mad about it at all. The chaos to Casey’s control, Alex brings out the best parts of Casey, parts she didn’t know existed. I love the way they communicated throughout the entire book, open and honest and like actual adults. Plus, he fell first. And harder. What’s not to love?

The banter, the small moments, the grand gestures my heart was completely wrapped up in this book from beginning to end. Do yourself a favor and read this one. You won’t regret it.

A very happy thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

What a debut! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I loved this book. Genuine chemistry. Enemies to lovers but only enemies for just the right amount of time. Witty banter. Character development and growth. The SWEETEST quotes.
Mature communication. Quirky secondary characters. It had all the best romance things! It also had a cast of secondary characters that I fell in love with too. I smiled through so much of this book. I can't wait to read whatever Clare Gilmore writes next. I can't recommend this book enough!

Read if you like:
• workplace romance
• witty banter swoon worthy quotes
• he falls first

Simba 🥹🥹 He calls her SIMBA. I am currently writing this review through muddled tears, not because it was a sad ending, but because I am a giant sap and this was so CUTE. It’s not even really an enemies to lovers— more of a misunderstood enemies to friends to lovers. And they are so perfect for each other, and Alex is now my new favorite book boyfriend. I love a good workplace romance. Also this is the second book in a row I’ve read where One Direction is mentioned and now I just feel targeted. It’s like they know I’m keep a tally of books that specifically mention Harry Styles, and are like “technically this doesn’t”.

Quick summary, Casey applied for a job within her own company, and got passed over for an executive’s son. Which like Boo Nepotism. But turns out the son and father are estranged, and he didn’t even know the son was applying. Also, Alex is illegitimate. Turns out though that Alex really is perfect for the job, and Casey begins to see that. The two grow close, especially after they are paired together for a YouTube segment in another branch of the company. As the two hang out, bond over their common ground (*cough* dead moms), and just genuinely enjoy each other’s time, they slowly fall in love. But their “relationship” has an expiration date, as Casey is up for a transfer to London soon and Alex never really keeps his feet on the ground and is always moving around. Will the two be able to find a home in each other, or will they be done once Casey is off to London?

Thank you NetGalley, Clare Gilmore, and St. Martin’s for the early copy!

Thank you, netgalley, Clare Gilmore, and Saint Martins Press for the ARC. I love a good workplace romance! Alex was such a good MMC. You could see how much he liked Casey from the first time they met. I also enjoyed how Casey warmed up to Alex, how against her better judgment, he wormed his way into her heart. There was a lot of personal growth for both MCs, which I really liked. Their growth made them better people and their relationship stronger. Definitely check out Love Interest if you enjoy dislike to lovers and workplace romance tropes.

Promising Debut. This was one of those debut novels where yes, the author tries to do too much at times (including the perfectly valid complaint among some lower star ranked reviews of perhaps trying *too hard* to shove in every possible non-straight-white-male demographic), and yes, the lead character can be annoying at times (expecting to get a Project Manager role with zero actual qualifications, then mad at the dude who had the qualifications who go it), and yet... there is still quite a bit of promise here, as these are issues that an author can learn from and do better with in their next book... or not, and instead steer into the skid and do even more of them, perhaps playing for a different segment of the market tan I represent.

Overall it really was a fun, somewhat inventive at times, workplace romance- one perhaps more suited for Zoomer sensibilities than Boomer, but one that is solid enough for truly most anyone to enjoy. Very much recommended.

This romantic comedy was a perfect palette cleanser for all of the dark and spooky reads I’ve been binging because of the time of the year. This story follows a woman in finance, Casey, and a Korean business man, Alex, in a publishing company that is struggling to stay relevant. Casey and Alex went up for the same job and Alex won out.

They meet and have instant chemistry but Casey tries to hate him. They end up bonding over YouTube videos and become friends with benefits, then more. The ups and downs in this book were refreshing and felt so genuine.

I loved Casey’s character: her personality, her quirks, the descriptions given of her. She felt very real to me and I can see her being a real life friend to someone. Definitely recommend this book and might even read it again.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Story 4⭐️

Really lovely romance.

This was a really cute and endearing office romance. I loved Alex and Casey’s relationship. From the moment they met you could feel their connection and it was beautiful to see their relationship blossom.

The only reason I deducted a star is because a lot of the time was spent on the business side, which makes sense being an office romance but to me personally it was a little boring. So many chapters were spent at the office and with the internal turmoil that it took me out of the story a bit.

Overall, it is definitely great for a debut novel. I enjoyed it and definitely recommend.

Thank you to St. Martin Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC if this book in exchange of an honest opinion.

Unfortunately a DNF for me at 34%. I really tried to keep pushing through, but I couldn’t connect with this book at all. Too much interaction with side characters and work place info for me.

The characters/story have potential, I just think there’s quite a bit of tweaking to be done for success!

Thanks to NetGalley and SMP for the arc in exchange for my review.

This is a really cute book! I needed a light and fun read and it absolutely fit the bill. I forget how much I love a good office workplace romance (probably bc I am soooo not an office worker) until I read one. Alex is the best! As an enneagram 7 I totally related to those parts of his personality and I just wanted to wrap him up and help him realize he deserves all the love. Casey was fun too. I hated how she thought finance wasn’t a worthy job but loved her growth on it through the story. Personally I feel like this could have been a little shorter in length but it was still a solid read!