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=

LOVE INTEREST is the perfect debut romcom—with equal parts swoon and substance, it had me hooked from the very first page! The story follows Casey, a 24-year-old finance expert who works at a powerful media company. She's now vying for the project manager position, a major change from her current job, but ultimately ends up losing it to the board chairman's son, Alex. As a result, Casey develops an instant dislike for Alex—but when they're forced to work together on a work project, everything changes. As Casey uncovers some company secrets and strives for her career goals, she realizes that her sworn enemy just might be her love interest.

I loved the banter and chemistry between Casey and Alex, and found them to be such compelling characters. I did feel like the enemies-to-lovers aspect of their romance was a bit one-sided and would have liked to see a little more development on that end, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. Casey was a great heroine—I loved her more introverted, independent nature, witty sense of humor, quiet confidence, and dedication to her relationships and career. Alex was also a fantastic hero and the perfect book boyfriend! I fell for him instantly. He's charismatic, creative, and determined, but also so kind and caring. Both leads had so much depth and complexity, while also being super endearing and sweet characters! I really enjoyed reading about their backstories and about the other relationships in their lives, too, from familial bonds (especially Casey's relationship with her dads!) to friendships to their connections with their work colleagues. I also loved the role that the location played in this book—the NYC setting was so vivid and truly felt like its own character, and all of the other different places/cities mentioned also felt really well-developed and meaningful to the story. Overall, I would highly recommend LOVE INTEREST, and can't wait to see what Clare Gilmore writes next! (Maybe Miriam and Brijesh's story?) Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Cute, funny, sassy, sweet.

I love when the main characters have good banter., makes me feel like there is hope for sassy ole me.

I really appreciated the normalization of ADHD in the adult world, how their differences were appreciated by the other person, and the mature handling of a relationship. So many books irk me because they turn into babies when they’re dating. Grow up and communicate your feelings ya know? So good star for the communication. I really enjoyed this book!

This was probably the best debut I have ever read. Her writing was too fluid and real. Even the awkward parts were totally relatable in the best way! I am in shock at how much I loved this book. I haven't really read many office romances, and of the few I have, this one takes the cake. Oftentimes, when you bring enemies to lovers in a rom com kind of way where the main characters are adults, they can behave very childish and more or less stupidly. This was a very mature enemies to lovers, which throughly enjoyed. I will be recommending this to all my friends, so please, please go read this book. It was so cute, and I'm in love with Alex!!! Casey, too. I loved that she knew what she wanted and worked hard to achieve it even if people told her what she actually liked was stupid or not anything someone could be passionate about. Women in STEM(chefs kiss).
Thank you, NetGalley!!

Missed the mark for what I usually like about office romances. It didn’t hook me in in the beginning and I pushed through only for it to not really keep my attention throughout.

The detail is great and I loved the ending but it ultimately just fell a little flat.

I think this works better as a movie than as a book

I really hate to leave a low review, but I've had a very difficult time getting through this book. It just does not keep my attention. There is so much time spent on describing the inner workings and details of this company they all work at, that it almost feels like a documentary on this fake business, instead of the business simply being a device for bringing the two main characters together. In addition, the FMC is in finance and there's a lot of time spent explaining why she loves finance and how she feels about her job and it's just not that interesting to me.

Then, when the MMC does pop up, so much time has passed between interactions, and the things they talk about are so dull or even negative, that it's hard to believe their feelings for each other at all. I don't quite get why the MMC even likes the FMC, because she's really not nice to him and judges him a lot. The all caps text messages are also jarring to read.

Another thing that turned me off is the use of the word "bastard" and "illegitimate" to describe children. It is very off-putting. I don't think it's ever appropriate to describe a child that way, even for effect in a book. The MMC even refers to himself as a "bastard" and says "the illegitimate kind" and that was the limit for me. I had to stop reading.

Love Interest by Clare Gilmore is a really well-done debut. Casey is a 24 year old finance expert working at a magazine conglomeration and awaiting news on a job she's applied for that would be a huge step up. On the way up in the elevator she meets a handsome stranger - who happens to be Alex Harrison, son of the CEO Robert Harrison and the man who got the job she wanted. Casey vows to be enemies with Alex (in her own head, at least) but they're quickly brought together at work to collaborate on the launch of a new digital site Bite The Hand. And as they get to know each other, and they both look past first impressions to find each other's true character, they fall in love.

The romance element of this book was very well-written. The plotting was great, everything unfolded at a pace that felt organic, and the third act break-up was not a typical miscommunication, but in fact a break-up that made sense considering the circumstances. I was less interested in the corporate espionage elements, but this plot was set up as sort of background noise to the bigger journeys both characters were on, so I was able to enjoy it all. And again - it was all well-written, so I never felt like I wanted to skim.

4.5 stars rounded up for this one. I am as shocked as anyone that I'm rounding a book about people in their early to mid 20s up to 5 stars, but this was that enjoyable. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I liked the book, but it wasn't love. I liked the relationship and character development of Casey and Alex, and a journey they went on to become their better selves. However, I did feel some parts were dragging and the storyline was slow moving. at times. I would be interested in reading another book by this author, I think this author has great potential in the literary world.