This! was! so! good! If you like THE HATING GAME and LOVE FROM SCRATCH, you will adore this! It's a workplace rivals to lovers (but not too heavy on the rivals) romance set in NYC and gosh it was just a good time. Casey is in finance for a media firm and goes up for the same job as Alex and loses, and things escalate from there. It's got heart and humor and love and "what is my life's purpose now that I'm 24" and even a dash of country music. Alex is the perfect love interest, and I think we all have a little bit of Casey in us. There were some inconsistencies as far as character development goes, but it was all very minor. It's mostly what I would consider a rom-com, but there are some heavier moments regarding loss of parents and absent fathers as well. This is an all-around good time, and I will for sure be reading more from Clare Gilmore in the future!

Love Interest was a fast read that had my rom-com loving tank all filled up. I was thinking this would be a cute movie staring Zach Ephron as the handsome Alex Harrison and Dakota Johnson as the adorable Casey Maitland. Casey is a numbers girl but she is interested in branching out and trying something new. Casey takes a huge leap and applies for a marketing position that just opened up only to discover that the owners son was given the job. Casey feels robbed of the opportunity but knows in the back of her head she wasn't qualified for the position, but was the deliciously handsome oh so tall hunk of a man qualified? Or is he riding on his fathers coattails.
Casey and Alex are put together to work on a new project and Casey is determined to hate every minute of it. The problem is that the more Casey works with Alex the more she realizes he is really good at his job definitely more qualified then ever was or ever will be. The two become close and Alex helps Casey learn so much about herself she never dug deep enough to learn and Casey helps Alex to move on from the pain in his past and learn to value what he brings to he table.
What started out as a love hate relationship has blossomed into two people who come from difficult pasts and learn to overcome them and thrive together.

Casey is up for a new job but loses out to the CEO’s son. At first she can’t stand him because he won the job she wanted. As she works with him she realizes that he deserves the role and he (Alex) slowly melts away Casey’s icy exterior. This is only half the story. There’s workplace drama that is a huge part of The Love Interest.

The moment I knew I was going to enjoy Love Interest was the moment “elevator guy” quoted The Lion King to Casey. While Casey is more relatable to me Alex is a dream. Combine the two and we’ve got a great story.

I mentioned that Casey and Alex’s relationship is only half the story- that part was the best. The other part which involves the workplace is good but it could drag a little. Overall though I really enjoyed The Love Interest and am happy to have received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley to read and review.

Fast read with heart. Rom-com vibe that will pull you in, and make you laugh all while tugging at your heartstrings. I really enjoyed this book.

I’m shocked this is Clare Gilmore’s DEBUT novel. It was so well written!!! Alex and Casey had the absolute sweetest relationship and I enjoyed every single moment of them coming to terms with the true depth of it. The #1 best part was the maturity of both characters. There was no petty dialogue or annoying miscommunication. Definitely give this a read and look out for future books by this author!

Love Interest was a book that was different that I expected but one I fully enjoyed from the dedication to the last page. Casey has always been reliable, but she’s ready to jumpstart her life. That is until she’s passed over for a job by Alex Harrison, the board chairman’s son. But as work projects throw them together, they find themselves drawn to each other. This enemies to lover is a great debut. It’s funny and had lovely side characters and the romance is just great. Alex is so swoon-worthy. He’s cocky and smooth and the banter and balance of him and Casey is really strong and engaging. I was hooked on them from the start. Their problems felt genuine and these two are honest with each other and it just felt refreshing to not have miscommunication as their downfall. It’s quick paced and fun and heartwarming and vulnerable. Really just a fun rom com!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
- Workplace Romance
- Adversaries to Lovers
- Korean American MMC
- Forced Proximity

YA'LLLLLLL. This book... ugh just perfect. For sure one of my top books of 2023.

Casey and Alex start off with a cute elevator meet-cute. He is cute and jokes with Casey. What could go wrong? Oh, only that he just beat out Casey for a job and when Casey finds out he is related to a board member, that only fuels her hatred. But as they work together, Alex is not like he seemed and Casey realizes he may have judged him too quickly...

When enemies to lovers have the chance to slowly become lovers, it makes me so happy and that is what this book did. It was a slow build from enemies to friendship to more than friends and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Filled with banter that will make you laugh, moments that will make you go 'awww' and with a small dash of spice, I did not want to put this book down at all.

Both Alex and Casey both have some emotionally filled pasts but there was no miscommunication here. They had meaningful conversations and were open with each other.

Along with Casey and Alex, there was a great cast of side characters that were all supportive and I hope to see more books in the future with them ;)

Love Interest is out October 10 and I think this is one you MUST pick up this fall!

If you like New York City, workplace romance, and enemies to lovers, this will be the perfect book for you! Witty dialogue and great setting. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Love Interest is an opposites attract, workplace romance that tells the story of Casey (a financial analyst) and Alex (a creative project manager) as they navigate family issues, corporate corruption, and their growing feelings for each other.

This was a decent debut but a disappointing romance for me. It may have been because these characters were very young and naive or because the majority of the interactions were workplace-adjacent, but Love Interest read very much like an HEA for now story and it just didn't work for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for gifting me with an ARC to review!

this was a really good debut novel! i loved both casey and alex and how their relationship developed. it did take me a little to get into the story which is why it isn’t a full 5 stars for me, but i still really enjoyed this book! i will definitely be reading more from this author in the future! :)

thank you to netgalley and st.martin’s press for this arc in exchange for my honest review! <3

Casey Maitland is a woman who finds solace in the predictability of numbers, shunning surprises whenever possible. She diligently serves as a finance expert within a prominent magazine conglomerate. However, in a bid to broaden her horizons, she daringly applied for the role of Project Manager for the launch of an innovative digital-only magazine. On her way to meet the HR team for the pivotal decision that could shape her destiny, an unexpected encounter occurs.

Enter Alex Harrison, an individual of striking handsomeness and charisma, bearing the prestigious Harvard pedigree. Alex, too, vies for the very same job Casey aspires to attain. The only hitch is Casey's vehement dislike for him. She harbors resentment for what she perceives as his "job theft" and loathes his exuberant nature.

Unforeseen circumstances, and pity, prompt the Chief Operating Officer to pair Casey, the company's most adept financial mind, with Alex on the new project. Now, they must navigate not only their professional collaboration but also the task of creating YouTube videos that showcase their respective roles.

Amidst the confines of their obligatory proximity and the undercurrents of unspoken desire, Alex and Casey slowly uncover each other's authentic selves, far removed from their job titles. This newfound understanding sparks an intensely passionate love that transcends any obstacle that might seek to keep them apart.


What I Liked:

There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this debut novel: the main one was the fact that Alex is half-Korean. His mom was from South Korea and his dad is from New York. He added a neat cultural difference to the story and the sporadic Korean words throughout the novel were fun to look up. His background was really interesting to read about and how he fit perfectly with Casey.

I also enjoyed Casey as a character - she is smart, witty, and has a super dry sense of humor. She had a lot of flaws and wasn't shy about them.

The flow of the book was perfect - it kept my attention and I didn't want to put the book down.

Tropes:
🔥 Reverse grumpy/sunshine
🔥 Coworkers
🔥 Adversaries to lovers
🔥 Family Drama
🔥 Singly POV
🔥 Multicultural couple
🔥 Spreadsheets

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I was a little skeptical at first as I usually don’t enjoy workplace romance, but this book surprised me!

The author writes very well and developed these characters beautifully. I liked that they both had some healing to do, it felt realistic.

An unforgettable workplace romance that will make you swoon, cry, and smile. Clare Gilmore has written a debut novel that is so compelling that you won't want to put it down.

I found Casey to be a very relatable character to read about. She has a hard appearance, but on the inside, she cares quite deeply about the people in her life. She takes a while to open up because she's trying to protect herself, but once she does, you see the most loving and authentic side of her. She reminded me so much of myself that it hurt to think about it. Seeing her recover simultaneously filled my heart because I am also going through a healing process. It is incredibly relieving to read about individuals who have characteristics similar to your own who change during the novel and you can see where your own healing process is leading.

All of my favourite male protagonists can be found in Alex. Those who, up until they meet the love of their lives, are a little broken and have never known what it is like to have someone love them so intensely. Because he was accustomed to people always leaving, he believed he wasn't worth remaining for. Despite this worry, he persisted in staying to demonstrate to Casey how much he cared for her and wanted to be with her. I really wanted to give him a big hug because he was so patient with her and knew exactly what she needed without her ever having to tell him.

Because it allowed them time to discover who they were before each other, their split in the final act was incredibly realistic. The split gave them both room to develop so they could become better people for one another and, more importantly, for themselves.

A new author to love and buy anything by. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, I was able to read an advanced ARC of this book.

An extremely heart-felt workplace romance that will make you smile, swoon, and cry. A book that you will not want to put down, Clare Gilmore as written an addicting debut novel that I will never get over.

Casey was an extremely relatable character for me to read about. The way she has a thick exterior but inside she cares so, so much about the people in her life. She’s slow to open up because she’s protecting herself but when she opens up to you, you get the truest and most loving version of her. I saw so much of myself in her that it hurt to think about. At the same time, seeing her heal made my heart full because I am on my healing journey as well. Reading characters with similar personalities as yourself who heal throughout the book and you can see where your healing journey is taking you is so cathartic.

“I have a pathological need to be liked, he once told me. Because he doesn’t think he’s capable to being loved.”

Alex is a mixture of all of my favorite male protagonists. The ones that are a little broken and have never known what it feels like to have someone love them so intensely until they meet the love of their lives. He was used to people always leaving because he felt that he wasn’t worth staying for and yet, even with that fear, he stayed and showed Casey how much he loved her and wanted to stay with her. He showed her great patience and knew exactly what she needed without her ever having to voice it to him and I just wanted to give him a huge hug.

Their third act breakup was SO realistic because it gave them time to find themselves before each other. I was sobbing when Casey said “you loved me hard enough to make me feel more than enough just like this, who I am, without changing a thin, I love you hard enough to ask you to finally choose yourself over any of us.” The breakup allowed both of them to grow so they could be better for each other but more importantly, themselves.

The friend group was not the highlight of this book but again, it felt so realistic. They were a found family who were always in each others orbits and loved each other. Casey and Miriam’s friendship in particular reminded me so much of me and my best friend. We are probably as codependent as they are but we also move away together like they did.

A new favorite and auto-buy author. I am so grateful to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early ARC of this book.

Thank you, St Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of Love Interest.

This was one of those books that I didn't want to end. I wanted to continue following Casey and Alex around forever! Their individual stories will pull at your heart strings. You'll be rooting for them both the entire time. I'm so glad that I got chosen to give this an advanced read. You won't regret picking this one up. Oh, and it's a debut! I can't wait to see what else Clare Gilmore has for us in the future!

Casey has interviewed within her company to take her career to the next step. When she gets an email from HR that they want to meet with her right away, she gets super excited; unfortunately, HR is there to tell her that the job was given to a "better" candidate (read: the board chairman's son, Alex). Not all hope is lost when she is put on the same project as Alex with her eyes on the prize of a transfer to the London office. As Casey and Alex spend more and more time together, Casey learns that Alex isn't some rich kid playing the nepotism card. Her time with Alex and the quality bonding she has with her father will make her decision to leave for London much more difficult.

Love Interest by Clare Gilmore is a good easy read if you are a fan of the rom-com genre and enjoy the enemies to lovers and office romance troupes. I enjoyed the chemistry between the leads and there were definitely a few swoon worthy and mildly spicy moments. Overall though I found the office politics and strained parental relationships (on both sides) storylines a little flat and they took away from my enjoyment of the developing romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC. All opinions are my own.

This debut enemies to lovers romcom really impressed me. I loved the author's voice. I adored the characters, and their banter, and the way the enmity evolved into romance was delicious.

I also loved the friends, and the balance between workplace visuals/details and emotional growth was nicely judged for me, measured by the fact that I did not end up skimming the workplace stuff, though I'm not always interested in workplace stories.

Really looking forward to more by this author!

I LOVED this book!

It was exactly what I needed, and at the right time.

This story is about two coworkers, Casey Maitland and Alex Harrison in this new coworkers enemies to lovers, he falls first, romance.

It starts with our dear Casey, initially hating Alex because he swoops in, assumingely out of nowhere, and nabs the job she was hoping would be a promotion for her. Alex being nun the wiser has no problem seeing the tension but not understanding where it’s coming from does us (the audience) a solid and pursues Casey anyway.

If you are looking for a light, easy read that will still pull on your heartstrings and keep you turning pages. . . Well, this is the book for you!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for this amazing ARC!

I loved this one so much that I devoured it ! I was instantly hooked and quickly became invested in the main characters' story. I loved the self-discovery aspect as well as the romance that's sweet with a touch of spice. This is a fantastic debut that's swoony, charming & full of chemistry ! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was super cute, and I enjoyed it! My only complaint was that it was slow at some points and very heavy on the internal monologue. Other than that, this was a super cute, workplace enemies to lovers romance that I would recommend!