Love interest was a sweet novel between office enemies turned lovers. Love interest follows Alex and Casey as they navigate working together on a project. While Casey is initially hesitant to trust Alex, I enjoyed how Alex and Casey grew together and opened up. In this book you will find sweet moments, clever banter, and character growth. I recommend Love Interest to anyone who is looking for a quick heart felt read.

Casey wants the job that Alex gets and she immediately hates him for it! (Let's be honest...wouldn't you, too?)

Doesn't everyone love the enemies-to-lovers trope? The banter between the characters is fun. I wish the characters were slightly older so it was a bit more realistic but overall a super cute story!

I love a good workplace enemies to lovers but this one fell a little flat for me. The beginning was hard to get through and the plot didn't carry the story along smoothly like it should. I think there's potential if the characters are expanded upon some, and the plot developed more while the little insignificant details are left out.

This was really cute! I loved the main couple and I really enjoyed how fun this felt. It was light hearted and exactly what I needed. And the main character was so likable!! It’s so fun to read a book when the protagonist is your age.

I’ll definitely be reading more of Clare Gilmore!

The only thing I didn’t love was the pacing. I’m not a fan of hookup culture, so I did feel like their relationship progressed a bit too quickly for my taste.

This is a first person, single POV, enemies-to-lovers, workplace, hugely diverse! romance. The cover was super cute, and while the title confused me at first, it really matched the premise, and I loved that. Unfortunately, this book was not right for me as a reader. I DNF'd at 20% because I found the beginning to be too slow and hard to get into for me. I prefer books that can capture my interest and attention fairly early on.

I think it started in the wrong place, and I think that's probably the biggest reason it didn't capture my attention. It opens the day Casey is preparing for a meeting to find out if she got a promotion/job she applied for. After finding out she doesn't get it, we jump ahead in time by like a month. I'm glad she met the MMC in the first part, because that's just how I, personally, like my Romance books to play out, but that was overshadowed by the fact that the entire first part could've been woven into the story as background, rather than being shown in a scene to the reader. Because after the time-jump, the reader is just expected to hate the MMC because he got the job out of nepotism. I didn't feel like there was a build up or even a really good explanation of why we were being set up as enemies-to-lovers except that he got the job out of nepotism. I also stopped reading around 20% and skimmed chunks before that, so it's possible I missed it. But . . . was Alex good at his job and that's why we hate him? Because it turned out that he actually knew what he was doing and was a good fit and that irks our ego because we just want to think he got it solely out of who his father is?

Alex (MMC) came off a little flat, and Casey (FMC) came off a little Type-A, but like, the mildly irritating kind to read about.

It's told from our FMC's POV only, and while that isn't a gripe of mine at all, it was heavy with some internal dialogue that I found myself skimming because it came across as unnecessary to move the story along and maybe even a little random and scattered? I think other readers might find it a little info-dump heavy or too much telling and not enough showing. It made the beginning drag more than it should have, I felt like. There's also a huge cast of characters that are introduced in the first 20% of the novel (with tonnnssss of diversity!!!), which was a little hard to keep up for me. And then she randomly goes viral on a video she helps with, and that confused me just a tad.

I've read some other reviews that say that the story and characters are really well fleshed out and developed fully, which is not something all authors can say, but unfortunately, I didn't get that far into the book because the first part didn't capture my attention and draw me fully in. This is less of a devour kind of book for me, and more of a sampling--easy to put down, fairly easy to pick back up. Again, I've read some other reviews that say once you get past the first 20-ish% that the story picks up and becomes an engrossing devour kind of book, but I think that'll come too little, too late for many readers like myself. Normally, I'd skim the rest of the book to find out big plot points and see how the characters developed, but I just wasn't interested enough to do that this time.

This is the author's debut novel, and while this one wasn't right for me as a reader, I liked the author's overall voice, and I'd happily check out her stuff again in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Author Claire Gilmore's debut, "Love Interest," is an adorable workplace romance. Casey is a finance pro at an evolving New York Media company. She loses a promotion to newcomer Alex only to discover he's also the board chairman's son. Unsurprisingly, things get heated and sparks fly.
I had high hopes for the book's premise and it doesn't disappoint. However, I feel the drive of the plot isn't enough to push the entire novel and fizzles out about midway through the book only to pick up again in the final chapters. Overall, "Love Interest" is still worth the read if you're looking for an enemies-to-lovers/workplace romance.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
3.5/5

DNF at 30%

The title and cover of the book really caught my attention so I was excited to be able to read it but it was a bit too slow for my liking.

Thank you St Martins Press and NetGalley for this arc.

The couple is cute together, but I didn't love the overall premise/execution of the storyline.

A solid 3.

Love Interest was a fabulous read. Casey and Alex felt like real people with opinions, interests, strengths, and flaws. Their characters had traits that romances often lean into, but they weren't written in stereotypical ways which was fun and unique.

As a former avid viewer of Bon Appetit test kitchen videos, the similar mass media company where this story was set was delightful and fascinating. I don't typically gravitate toward workplace romances, but I especially enjoyed this one because of the setting and the thoughtful details and storyline that the author included. This book perfectly balanced the workplace-related drama with the building of Casey and Alex's relationship.

I loved the friend group that surrounded this couple, each character had their own unique and interesting personality, which isn't always the case in romance. I would definitely read the story of one of the other characters. I especially appreciated that this book included representation of interracial couples, queer couples, people of color, and people and relationships that felt real.

Thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for this arc.

I am a huge fan of enemies to lovers/work place romances, and this was everything I love about those tropes!

This is such a cute book. It's a hate to love romance book which I love. I also like how the workplace drama builds throughout the story it keeps the story moving. This book held my interest with Claire and Alex. The characters were great and loved how their relationship developed. Looking forward to more books by Clare Gilmore. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book

Casey is adept at numbers, which is intriguing because both of her parents are artistic types. A job opening for a project manager opens at her company, and she applies for it thinking this could be the oomph she needs in her career, but instead Alex, the son of one of the board’s chairmen, gets it. Casey now automatically doesn’t like Alex, but they are put on an assignment together. Both Casey and Alex have their own personal goals to achieve out of the completion of this project. As they work together more and more, the uncover all sorts of things – about their company, and themselves. I enjoyed this romantic comedy and the character development throughout the book; I thought the characters were relatable. I also enjoyed the element of the company and the things going on behind the scenes there; the location of the city and workplace were captured well, too.

I received this from NetGally and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this read! I love when an author crafts characters in smart atmospheres that, quite frankly, I feel a little intimidated by because I can't predict what will happen next. Add great dialogue and the way Casey's and Alex's chemistry leapt off the pages, and I'm left hoping there will be a story for secondary characters just to see them again.

Perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon for me!!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of Love Interest

okay kinda barely enemies to lovers but i didn’t even mind because it was so cute. hehe

thanks to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC!

Cute rom com. This reminds me of The Hating Game as they were competing for the same job and they work together! There was cute banter and blossoming romance. I am going to be honest this is your typical rom-com, predictable, enemies to lovers but they have really been in love the whole time romance book. BUT it is great for when you are in the mood for that and really just want a HEA!

Love Interest starts out as a hilarious enemies to lovers that quickly evolves into a relationship that’s beautifully uncomplicated and healthy. I love enemies to lovers but I loved how at home this book made you feel. This felt coming of age but make it that weird gap in your mid twenties that no one knows themselves in. Well done!

3.5 stars rounded up

This was a really solid romance debut! I liked the characters, and thought that Casey was a really relatable main character. The chemistry between Alex and Casey was great, though their relationship was pretty 0 to 100; they were ‘enemies’ on second and in love the next (which I didn’t love, but it was fine). The writing was done very well, and the plot was pretty medium paced, but never got boring. Overall, I would recommend this book! :)

I really enjoyed this book! I gave this book four stars because there were just very minor details that didn't make me love it. I do love enemies to lovers trope.

Super cute debut! I don’t usually love office romances, but this one worked for me. I loved Casey and Alex’s banter and the fact they actually COMMUNICATED. Like, I cannot stress how much I hate the miscommunication trope and I was so happy that was not involved here. They also helped each other grow in their careers and as people, which is always refreshing. I’m glad I gave this one a chance, I was not disappointed!

This amazing debut by Clare Gilmore explores office dynamics and workplace romance in the dazzling setting of NYC. Casey Maitland is a numbers girl, she's a planner who needs no surprises in her life. When she is passed over for a coveted company position for Alex Harrison, who is good-looking, charismatic, and Harvard educated, she immediately dislikes him- and that's BEFORE she discovers he's the board chairman's son. As they're thrown together on several projects, their relationship grows, however, so do secrets within the company. They'll soon be forced to decide where their true loyalties lie...

I will start off this review by saying I cannot believe this is a debut novel. Love Interest reads like it was written by a well seasoned author! An enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance with some corporate intrigue that will keep you engaged throughout. Amazing character development as well. I love the fact that each character had such a distinct personality and the author provided background as to what made them that way and why. And can we please talk about the setting? At times I felt as though I was in an NYC cafe enjoying a coffee right along with Casey and Alex. One complaint- the strange looks I got when this book literally had me laughing out loud in public at times! Totally recommend this read!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Clare Gilmore for the ARC!

Goodreads Review Posted 6.10.23 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65213935

IG Review Post Date 6.12.23 https://instagram.com/the_books_we_love_?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=