Casey and Alex - co-workers/enemies (although Alex has no idea why they're enemies...) turned lovers were great MCs. Honestly, I had to keep reminding myself that they were young 20s, they came across so mature dealing with work stress and family issues. Casey is working so hard to follow dreams and not take the easy road and Alex is working to prove he is more than his last name while still trying to make his nonexistent relationship with his father mean something to both of them. 
This story had a large focus on the actual work side of things which was a nice change of pace - I think I might have actually learned something from this read! For all of Casey and Alex's great communication early on, the fallout from lack of communication towards the end took this one surprised me a bit. I loved Casey going out and getting what she wanted professionally and I loved Alex supporting her in his own way and I LOVED every time that he called her "Simba".   

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! This is Clare Gilmore's debut novel and I can't wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Readers Copy of Love Interest by Clare Gilmore!

I can barely put into words how much I loved this book!

I'm actually in such awe that this is a debut novel, and I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for the author's next releases!

This was the perfect workplace romance, with cozy, autumn city vibes! I laughed, I swooned, I cried, and I stayed up way too late reading this book! It was impossible to put down!

Casey and Alex have such an amazing chemistry, right from the beginning! Casey starts off being cold and distant with Alex after learning he's the CEO's son -and got the promotion she wanted. But as they get to know each other, she realises he's more - way more - than what she initially thought.

Their relationship felt so organic and authentic! Everything happens in the span of a few months, which made it really believable to me. I loved how they would spend time away from each other, yet still text and keep in touch like any real couple.

Alex was so adorable and hot! The way he kept on trying to win her affection at the beginning, when she was so stand-offish, was so swoony! His need to be liked by everyone and his inability to say no to social plans was funny and such a great contrast to Casey, who's more introverted and enjoys spending time alone.

I could connect with Casey on many levels, especially her shy, introverted personnality and her insecurities. She was such a relatable, endearing main character!

Also, the cast of secondary characters was just top-tier! I couldn't get enough of reading about her friends and family.

I could go on, but instead I'll just say, don't walk, RUN to get this book when it comes out Oct. 10 2023!

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A wonderful debut by Clare Gilmore. I loved all the characters, especially the side characters who formed a tight-knit group/found family. I wish we saw more of Freddy, who was hilarious; the scene in the bar where Casey first meets him had me crying laughing. I loved the slow burn workplace enemies to lovers, and when we eventually get backstory on Casey's and Alex's lives, it really adds to the story and to their relationship. The only reason this doesn't get 5 stars is because I was lost a bit in the middle with the workplace scenes. That's just me, though, the world of finance holds zero interest for me, so kudos to the author for not losing me completely there. I would definitely read this author again.

After the job she wanted was awarded to the son of the board chairman, Casey was forced to work with Alex. Initially, she resented him but slowly fell for his charms and saw that there was a lot more to Alex than she originally thought.

I adored these two from their very first meeting in the elevator (wait until you hear what he says to her!). There was this spark and fun exchange which had me smiling. But the fabulous banter didn't stop there. Many of Alex and Casey's encounters and written communications were filled with great verbal volleys which had me grinning from ear to ear.

Needless to say, I was onboard this ship from the get-go, but alas, the characters were kind of anti commitment. They had different reasons for wanting to be free of such entanglements, and therefore, they settled for fostering this connection with a pre-designated expiration date. I sort of hated that they had this end in sight, but the time they spent together was wonderful. Watching them open up and get to know each other, sharing pieces of themselves that they tend to keep undercover, and really communicating. It was all perfect and frustrating every time they reminded me that it would end.

I mean, I didn't believe them, obviously. Especially when it came to Alex. He kept trying to sell me on his rolling stone life, but I felt like he put himself out there for Casey. He wore his heart on his sleeve, and if she said the word, he would be hers forever. My heart was mush for this man.

I must admit, I was not the biggest fan of the corporate takeover plot, butI rolled with it because I understood that it was pushing other parts of this story forward. And how could I be mad when there were so many fantastic characters to love. Casey's dads were definitely treasure type characters, and I adored her friend group as well. Alex didn't have a big posse, but his steadfast friend, Freddy, was a gem.

Overall, this was a delightful workplace rom-com. It was a pleasure seeing Alex and Casey fall in love, find the success they were seeking, and grow personally and professionally. The ending was one of those perma-smile type ending too, making my final impression of this book an incredible one.

I so loved this story! It perfectly encapsulates the feelings of falling in love with another person while also finding and falling in love with yourself.

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

Adorable! If you enjoyed The Hating Game, you’ll absolutely fall in love with this. Likely even more so!

An office enemies-to-lovers romance that made finance and numbers sexy. The characters were endearingly flawed and the story was fun and interesting. I really appreciated how the author slowly shared the background stories of the main characters while they revealed themselves to each other. I was captivated from start to finish and even read through with a tension headache - that’s how much I enjoyed it and needed to Alex and Casey’s ending.

What an adorable read! Each character was quirky and so much fun. Casey Maitland applied for a new position in her company and when she finds out it went to the Chairman’s son, Alex, she automatically doesn’t like him. However, Casey and Alex must work together, and sparks begin to fly. I loved the banter between Casey and Alex. I wish there was more conflict and war feelings at the beginning between them, making stronger enemies. With that said, both Casey and Alex had personal growth as characters and really complemented each other well. They had good communication between themselves, which seems to be a rarity in the contemporary romance world. The ending wasn’t a surprise to me, but I’m glad it ended that way. Read this if you are looking for a quick, entertaining, office romance with semi-enemies to lovers romcom.

Casey as a main character is so relatable! I loved the chemistry between the characters and it wasn't too steamy but it wasn't closed door either. Can't believe this is a debut - I loved it!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

After missing out on a job that would put her a step closer to a London transfer, financial analyst Casey Maitland is upset to learn the successful applicant Alex Harrison is the CEO's son. Yet she can't help but be drawn to him as they're forced to work together.

Love Interest is so much more than a stereotypical enemies-to-lovers workplace romance. There's no childish antics or unprofessional behaviour by Casey or Alex. Instead you get a heartfelt, swoony and thoughtful multi-layered story about forging your own path, trusting your voice, and freeing yourself from other people's expectations.

I had to savour this book even though I wanted to devour it. There were so many beautiful moments and thoughtful conversations between Alex and Casey. Both of them have a shared grief losing their mums at a young age, with Alex shouldering the burden of being the product of an affair, his rich CEO father absent except financially.

Clare Gilmore carefully balances the growing connection between analytical Casey and free-wheeling Alex, while also adding authentic workplace intrigue which I found equally entertaining and important as the backdrop to their romance. She also provides strong characterisation and plot development.

I loved the quiet observations Casey learns about herself, including how to open herself up more. Both Alex and Casey fully see, encourage and support each other. Alex fully supports Casey's London plans (so refreshing to see male characters do this). I also loved her moments of revelations about Alex as tenderhearted man underneath his extroversion and large friendship groups.

Be still my heart, this was a wonderful debut by Clare Gilmore. I cannot wait to see how her writing career develops.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5 to 4 star

This was a great debut book! It centers a lot around an NYC workplace setting. If you enjoy books set in NYC or that have a lot of office workplace detail, I would recommend picking this one up!

✨Book Review✨

Love interest
Clare Gilmore
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub date: October 10th 2023

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Thank you net galley and st martins press for the opportunity to read and review this new novel.

Read if you like:
✨Work place romance
✨Forced Proximity
✨One bed
✨NYC setting

While this book was a cute romance between coworkers it was also so much deeper than that. The MCs Casey and Alex both come from different backgrounds with pasts riddled with loss. It was beautiful how Clare was able to write her characters so perfectly in how they fulfilled each others needs.

Im not sure if I’ve read a recent book that had a more relatable main character. In this book Casey struggles with anxiety and not thinking she is enough in certain aspects of her life. She struggles with not knowing herself enough to make decisions that directly benefit herself instead of just pleasing others. I enjoyed watching her character grow throughout the story and start to make decisions for herself.

I will definitely be on the lookout for more novels by this author in the future!

This is hands down my favorite office romance I have read lately. I am what I call a trope mood reader. I will find a trope that speaks to me then read nothing but that trope for a while (sometimes weeks). Right now, that trope is office romance.

Office romances usually tend to be boss/employee. When I do find a coworker office romance, it just falls flat. Whenever I ask for recommendations, people always say The Hating Game, which didn’t do it for me despite everyone else seeming to love it. I had given up on finding a favorite in this trope.

Then I found this book. Yes, there is a bit of a hierarchy at work which impacts the story but there is so much more to their working relationship/competition and their personal one. Casey and Alex keep running into scenarios where they are pushed together. Their tension and chemistry were perfect.

My only complaint was that the ending felt rushed. The beginning had a really good build up and development then the end felt like too much of a rush to the finish line.

"Love Interest" is a stellar new adult romance about Casey and Alex, two numbers people who meet and fall for each other. They work in the financial district in NYC and have remarkable chemistry. It's one of those most excellent romances for how it realistically portrays actual roadblocks that would make a romance more difficult. This is a highly readable new adult romance and one I highly enjoyed. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

I went into this thinking Love Interest would be a flirty, fun, fling of a romance novel. I had no idea it would be one of those great epic romances that will hopefully be made into a movie I can go see with my girlfriends.

This was an absolutely perfect story. Casey is a classic gen Z finance chick; Alex is that guy who you see but often feel intimidated about approaching…handsome, smart, worldly, educated. Their meeting and friendship and then romance is a mix of enemies-to-lovers and one-shared-bed, with plenty of personal growth and growing as a couple/life lessons mixed in. Especially when family dynamics are concerned!

Overall, 5 stars and 3.5 chilis for spice.

5/5 I honestly loved this book!
An amazing feel good story, I loved the over all story and the main characters.
I could not put the book down!
The boom had me giggling and just over all happy through out the whole book. I cannot wait to read more from this author in the future!

I loved this book. The characters are immediately likeable and they dynamic is fun. It only took me this long to read it because I was holding off on reading on my Kindle for actual books. 5 stars all the way.

Love Interest is a cute workplace romance that is also fairly tedious at times. I liked these characters, but I felt like the story had too many supporting characters and too much plot I didn’t really care about, so it all dragged after a while. Still a cute story, but pretty medium experience overall.

Casey Maitland works in finance at a magazine conglomerate. With two creative parents, and a creative stepparent, she feels pulled toward finding something a little more creative to do. Casey decides to put herself up for a new, more creative job, and is passed over in favour of Alex Harrison, the chairman of the boards son. Everyone loves Alex, he is this Harvard educated, charismatic guy, but Casey is not falling for it. Work meetings pull Casey and Alex together more and more and they cannot escape their undeniable chemistry. When a potential acquisition of the company comes up both Casey and Alex they feel forced to chose sides and feelings may be hurt.

This was a great debut workplace romance by Clare Gilmore. I loved Casey and Alex and how the interacted. Though Casey feels she is justified in hating Alex, she can't even manage it because he is so enamored by her from the start. Alex just wants to get to know Casey and this makes it hard for her to say now. These two seem to work together so well, both matching wits and passion.

I did find some of the specific business parts of the book a bit mundane, but it wasn't so bad that it bogged the book down. I loved the side characters in this book, they were so well developed. Whether it was the friends or Casey's dad and stepdad, they added to the story and made the book feel relatable and real.

If you love a great enemies to lovers, workplace romance, this is the book for you! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

Read if you like: enemies to lovers, workplace romance, opposites attract

Actual rating 4.5/5.

I loved this, a fantastic debut office romance from Clare Gilmore. Casey Maitland, a lover of numbers, works in finance for the parent company of several magazines that is looking to break into digital/social media with a new project launch. With two parents with creative-type jobs, including her mother whose ghost haunts her, Casey decides to put herself up for a job with the new project but is beaten out by Alex Harrison: the (turns out, illegitimate and ignored) son of one of the company's board members. Off the bat, Casey is gutted, and butts heads with the social and affable Alex, presuming that the job was nepotism. But as the two grow closer while working together to get the new project to launch, Casey realizes she was wrong about Alex. But between a potential acquisition of the company, a new job opportunity for Casey overseas, and Alex's complicated relationship with his wealthy and distant father, their relationship might fail to launch.

This book is so dedicated to Casey and Alex. They feel real, fully-fleshed out. And despite their differences, both are looking for home, and share the loss of a mother early in their lives. I became soooo invested in their relationship because the author was so dedicated to developing THEM. There are side characters, and business deals, surrounding them, but not enough to make it feel like anything was being taken away from their development. The chemistry was amazing. And the third-act drama also didn't feel contrived the way it sometimes does in romance novels. I highly recommend!