This is a novel with a good cast of of characters. Casey is working to move up the ranks of her company’s corporate ladder. Alex is being brought in as a new blood as he works to prove his worth to his dad. The story is more than just about the romance that develops between Casey and Alex. There is a crime that has to be solved and a family that has to be healed. It wraps up nicely as everything gets resolved.

I really enjoyed this book! Both protagonists were so appealing and it was fun to get to know them and to see how neither of them were like they seemed to be on the surface. Casey started off totally wrong about how she perceives Alex. And Alex had a surface personality that was much deeper once Casey got to know him. He was charming, yet hiding a troubled personal background that he didn’t let others see. Casey had her own sadness in her past that she was trying to change. I was pulling for both of them throughout the book as they fought to build their business and keep the predators from destroying it.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Love Interest by Clare Gilmore was a light, easy to read, he falls first, enemies-to-lovers romance, that kept me engaged from start to finish!

Casey Maitland and Alex Harrison are co-workers, and Alex gets the job that Casey was hoping would be a promotion for her. Alex feels the tension between he and Casey, but he genuinely doesn’t understand where it is coming from, so he decides to pursue her.

The two are forced to work together and as they learn more about one another, it becomes clearer to Casey that maybe she misjudged him. But did she?

I always appreciate it in books when the characters communicate like adults and that was definitely the case here. They strived to learn and grow, which in turn made the, both better people in the end. A really great read!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

📖arc review - love interest by clare gilmore
⭐️rating: 4/5
⚡️genre: romance

🫧my thoughts: first off, thank you so much to @netgalley , @claregilmore, & @stmartinspress for this arc!!

this story is a workplace romance, where the majority of it really does take place at the office & the main issue revolves around the company. i honestly found this refreshing and it was so interesting to see their work and home life. the relationships in this book felt so real and natural.

casey & alex’s relationship was so sweet & i loved the banter, especially when they were still in their “enemies” phase! i loved the way they understood and were seen by each other & each had personal issues that they worked on throughout the story as well. there was a bit of spice as well which was really well done!

if you want a sweet workplace romance that will give you all the feels, be sure to pick up love interest by clare gilmore when it comes out THIS tuesday, october 10th, 2023✨

Casey Maitland has always found comfort in math and numbers, despite being the daughter of two musicians. As a finance expert working for a magazine powerhouse in Manhattan, Casey wonders if there is more to life than numbers, and decides to apply for an opening as a project manager at her company. Her dreams, however, are thwarted when the board chairman’s son Alex Harrison is selected for the role instead. Alex is handsome and charismatic, and everyone loves him—everyone except Casey, that is. The two are forced to work on the same project together and each has something to prove. Work meetings turn into lunch, which turn into after hours, and Casey and Alex are drawn to each other. But neither can avoid the messy secrets and corporate intrigue threatening to tear them apart. What they discover about their workplace might change everything—including the dreams each of them is chasing.

Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and @momentofclarety for the ARC! This was such a fun read and I really enjoyed it. Casey’s character felt super relatable with her driven career aspirations and her yearning for more for herself. The adversaries/enemies to lovers plot line was so well developed. The banter between Alex and Casey was perfect, and I loved how their relationship unfolded. Casey’s relationship with her friends and coworkers were a nice added treat to a great character-driven narrative. I also really appreciated the diverse representation in Casey’s friend group. And I loved the FiDi setting in NYC so much, I’ve been to some of the places that Casey and Alex went to around their office and it was so fun to recognize locations. Love Interest hits shelves October 10!

Co-worker enemies-to-lovers rom com between a finance expert and the guy who is now the new project manager at her company.. Casey Maitland is good with numbers, she's been wondering if the new manager position at her company, a magazine powerhouse, would enable her to make her career better. She wants to advance in her career and when her boss tells her she's the perfect person for the job she's determined to get it... except she doesn't. Casey is passed over for the job by someone who has more experience and just happens to be the board chairman's son. Alex Harrison is handsome, Harvard-educated, and good at his job. Everybody loves him, except for Casey. They're thrown together to work on the same project but are discovering that they might be perfect for each other. This is an office rom-com, except it didn't feel funny at all. Casey is angry and made at Alex for getting the job, despite the fact that he is much more qualified than her, she thinks he's privileged and that he doesn't understand struggles, yet she doesn't know anything about him. In fact his father didn't even know he was working at the company, he had just applied for the job and got it on his own merits. Casey was my least favorite thing about this book. She comes off as immature, whiny, and just bland. I really did not care for the romance between them at all. Honestly it was a struggle to just through this book (thankfully I made it to the end) but I wanted to DNF it so many tines. While this wasn't for me, if you like office rival romances give this a go, maybe you'll have a better time than I did.

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I loved this great romance novel! Both MCs were lovely - complex, kind, and the type of people it’s fun to root for. The supporting cast was diverse and interesting. There were a LOT of side characters but they were all distinct enough to be able to keep track of them.

The conflict between the two MCs felt genuine and the storyline was not too far-fetched. The love scenes were open door and medium spicy.

I’m a fellow Writing with the Soul alum, and it is always so fun and impressive to see one of our community make their debut. Congrats to Clare!

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't always like and understand both characters but these two I loved and was rooted hard for them. Reading about Casey and Alex fall in love page after page was a delight! I liked the family of origin dynamics and how we choose to be our own selves although undeniably affected by where we come from or the lack thereof. The concept of tethering and choosing who we call home was beautifully presented. I loved this story!

This is a tough one for us to rate. Why? We think we were just not the right readers for this book. This is an MF contemporary workplace romance, written in first person present tense, with a 24 year old FMC and a 25 year old MMC. In other words, it's a Gen Z workplace romance - and it feels like it. Characters talk to each other in memes ("your starter pack would be the zodiac, hot wings, comfy PJs, and Taylor Swift!" [not actual dialogue, but something like this actually happens]), star in viral YouTube shorts that are filmed during the work day (and get paid extra to do so!), and bond through text messages. In one particularly illustrative metaphor, Casey (our sole POV) describes her attention going into portrait mode when she's around Alex - "all I focus on is him." At one point, "Hips Don't Lie" is referred to as "old school Shakira."

If pop culture references from this exact moment, digital culture permeating even the simplest interpersonal interactions, and the board of directors of a gigantic publishing conglomerate putting the future of their entire company into the hands of two young people who graduated from college 4 years ago sounds like something you'd be really into, then you should definitely pick this one up. Like we said: just not for us.

3.5 stars rounded to 4 based on the writing and the fact that it's not you (the book), it's me (us).

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

If you’re looking for a new enemies to lovers / workplace romance … then this is the book for you ! 

My first thought was to compare this to the Hating Game by Sally Thorne, but I very quickly realized this was a whole new ballgame. 



Casey, our FMC and finance extraordinaire, is just like every other 25 year old living in New York … desperate to leave a mark on this world (one bound to make her quasi famous dad and late mother proud) all while suffering from an intense case of imposter syndrome. She is great at her job and is the last one to realize it. Her getting denied for a promotion doesn’t do much to quell her feelings, but it does inspire a new nemesis in Alex, the guy who got the job she applied for and ‘just so happened’ to be the son of the chairman’s son.

Alex, ever forgotten bastard son, has come into his new role with a passion and dedication that he hopes is enough to make his father proud of him. We quickly learn there is a lot more to him than his last name. 



Casey and Alex are thrown together first, by chance, by a lengthy elevator ride, and then in a more active work partnership where Casey has to put her feelings aside for the betterment of the company they now both work for. We get to watch them grow closer and closer, and get to see Casey struggle with some secrets she’s not sure she can trust Alex with quite yet.

This was more emotional than I was expecting and I appreciate it so much more for that. The characters had their own stories and meshed together so perfectly, one afraid to branch out while the other afraid to plant roots. 


My only complaint is that I wish they were a little older, I found it hard picturing 25 year olds trusted with such privileged workplace information, nor could I picture them with such powerful roles in their company - Harvard grad or not.

3.5 stars

Thank you St. Martins Press for the chance to read this one early!

This book gets a solid 5/5 stars! It's a perfect workplace romance book following Casey, a finance analyst and Alex, a swoon-worthy son of the board chairman, and the relationship that they gain from one meeting in an elevator. This is an amazing debut novel that has me excited for more books in the future. I enjoyed that it had good development throughout the book and it never felt boring. The spice was just right and I never wanted to put the book down. It shocks me that this is a debut novel because the writing is spectacular! This is a perfect book for you if you enjoy
-Enemies to lovers
-He falls first
-workplace romance
-Rom-com vibes

Love Interest is a great example of a workplace romance (and how about that punny title!). I liked the setting, predominantly at work, with all its conflicts and relationships, and I liked the characters even more. Our main characters had an "at first sight" type of connection which evolved into a real relationship with excellent banter and even better spice. I'd recommend this to my audience.

I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the corporate setting and Casey’s finance role and sense. I also loved the foodie focus and travel like whirlwind through New York City. This story is about family, friendship and making mistakes. And working hard. And letting love in.

From their meet cute in the elevator to the midpoint of the novel and beyond, Alex and Casey are more than cute. Gilmore really gets new love right.

Thank you to Clare Gilmore, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Who doesn't love a good workplace romance? Not to mention enemies to lovers, one bed, grumpy/sunshine. This book had all of that and more. It was a little slow at times, but that doesn't take away from this book at all. I really liked Casey. Alex was smitten from the start.

This is worth the read!

This was overall an enjoyable read, with several cute and romantic moments. While Casey and Alex are supposed to be enemies, it doesn’t last lo bc and the tension between them builds rather quickly. I enjoyed their romance and how they grew into it. The downsides for me was the focus on the workplace, I am not in the business world and felt there were one too many details about acquisitions and board voting, etc. Felt like the plot got lost in the weeds a bit. While I enjoyed getting to know Casey’s friends throughout the book, there was a lot of keep up with. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

What a great workplace rom-com with a dash of that finding yourself and being happy with who you are. Alex and Casey meet on an elevator the day that Casey finds out that she lost out on a job she was applying for within her company. Of course, Alex is the guy that beat her for it, and to make matters worse, he just so happens to be the son of the CEO of the company.

Alex and Casey are such great characters! Alex is the kind of outgoing and charming personality that everyone gravitates to. Casey is prickly and an introvert. When the two of them start gravitating to each other, it's an opposites attract kind of moment. If you are a sucker for the whole he falls first and falls harder trope, then this one will make you super happy, because it's fairly clear to the reader (although not at all clear to Casey). Their wit and clever conversations are adorable, and the entire book left me with warm fuzzies, and was a joy to read!

Thanks to St Martins Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

A lovely romantic debut! If office romance is your jam, you used to binge Buzzfeed YouTube, or you're a big city transplant, there's so much to love about Love Interest.

Casey works in finance and has just been denied a project manager position. Instead of giving her the role, they decided to go with Alex. He is a Harvard grad, charismatic, a hard worker, and, oh, he is also their board chairman's son. Casey does not like Alex from the start, but they are tasked to work on a new project together that could further their careers, so they must find a way to get along.

This book combined many things I love - Enemies to Lovers, a workplace romance, New York, great chemistry, and witty banter. I enjoyed every chapter that included Casey's two dads and those discussing Alex's mother and her family. Watching Casey and Alex work towards their long-term personal and professional goals was also admirable. I would've loved to see more of Casey and Alex working on the video series for BTH. It was one of my favorite parts! I loved reading about the filming process, their banter in each situation, learning about their lives, and seeing the viewer's feedback.

One thing I didn't enjoy so much was the number of secondary characters we were introduced to. Because this book focuses so much on their workplace, developing their coworkers' personalities and their relationships with Casey and Alex would've made me feel more connected to them instead of trying to place them every time their names were mentioned. It did take me a bit to get into the story, and the ending felt rushed, especially with everything coming to light the way it did and the changes happening to the main characters. Overall, I think a lot of readers will enjoy this one. This is the author's debut novel, and I'm excited to see what they write next.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, NetGalley, and author Clare Gilmore for an eARC of Love Interest in exchange for my honest review.

this book is an incredible debut into the world of romance books for clare gilmore. i am an ops assistant & project manager in training and seeing Casey and Alex come into their careers and understanding all the office jargon and lingo just felt so cozy to me. it was so nice to read about younger characters that didn’t feel juvenile and whilst still learning and growing, they had a maturity level that was more relatable than some other new adult books i’ve read. thank you st martins press and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book early

Love Interest is The Hating Game mixed with Loathe at First Sight. It’s centered on Casey, a financial analyst at a big magazine publisher in NYC, who yearns to be more creative and travel, but even as the child of two parents with creative souls, but can’t seem to leave her comfort zone. But when she’s encouraged by her boss to apply for a new project manager position, she sees it as an opportunity to spread her wings and challenge herself… she just didn’t expect to be beaten out by Alex, the illegitimate son of the company’ board chairman. Forced to work with Alex on the launch of this new project, what started out as animosity transforms into a reluctant friendship. But the chemistry between the two is undeniable, and Casey has a hard time resisting temptation, even for the one that stole her new job. Caught between her feelings, the obligation to her boss and the company, and her desire for more in life, she struggles with what to do, until secrets about Alex and the company she works for comes to light and she’s forced to make a decision about her future. Filled with humor and heart, Love Interest is perfect for fans of mutual pining, slow burn, and forced proximity.