A good debut novel featuring a semi-enemies to lovers, workplace romance.

Gilmore does well creating chemistry between two likeable characters and brings NYC to life with the scene developement.

Will certainly look forward to reading more from Clare Gilmore.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read and review.

I really enjoyed this book and finished it in two sittings! I enjoyed the romance between Alex and Casey. It didn't feel too rushed or insta-lovey. I also really loved the great cast of friends! I got a little bogged down in keeping all of the side workplace characters straight and remembering what role each had at the company. Overall, this was a great debut and I can't wait to see what comes next from this author!

Nice debut novel. I'm sure Gilmore will hone her craft with the next one. I'll definitely read it!

Fun to read a rom com with an authentic Nashville connection!

I couldn’t get into this book. The author had an extreme about of “telling” instead of showing - so many nitty-gritty details that the story was actually lost in them. In the first 10%, the reader meets no less than 25 people who are described in detail but have no substance to them.

There isn’t much hate between these “enemies” and I didn’t want to keep reading.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The perfect workplace / enemies-to-lovers rom-com to kick off the summer, ‘Love Interest’ will have you falling in love with the characters as they discover each other, and even themselves, along the way. With a ton of banter and heartfelt moments, the book reeled me in from the very start and left me wanting more.

After losing a job promotion to a newcomer, Casey Maitland goes from disappointed to out-right furious when she discovers the newcomer is none other than the CEO’s son, Alex Harrison. Despite their meet-cute in the elevator only moments before, Casey mind has been made and she decides to take a (one-sided) stance against Alex…but not for long. After a series of fortunate (and unfortunate) events, the two realize the importance of self-discovery, second chances, and love above all.

The characters are so well developed that you feel almost as if you’re friends with Casey and Alex and can't help but cheer them on every step of the way. Overall, 'Love Interest' was a beautiful read that I would definitely recommend.

Although I know next to nothing about financial management (so I probably missed a few excellent jokes that will land better with those well-versed in the language), I had such a good time reading this. Gilmore blends snappy banter and corporate shenanigans with big, huge, on-the-page Feels, brilliantly balancing the analytical narrative voice of her heroine with the in-the-moment flutters and sparks of excitement that come with falling in love, as well as the anxieties of wondering if one's partner feels the same in those early days when anything is possible and nothing is certain. The workplace drama builds throughout the story, with several leak-able secrets that could dismantle everything the two leads have been working toward, adding tension outside the romance, and grounding the love story in other aspects of the characters' lives. I loved that while the attraction was instant, the relationship developed through shared time that included some really lovely acts of care and attention and support, bolstering a quick and intense physical connection with an enduring emotional one. I also loved following along with the heroine's central life question about when to take risks, and when to play it safe, and how that did or didn't tie into the idea of leaving a legacy, something I think a lot of readers will relate to. The NYC setting fully celebrates the city--its restaurant scene, its smells, its hustle and bustle--while the workplace setting is equally well fleshed out, with a full cast of characters who hold a variety of interesting jobs. A fantastic debut, with a sharp central voice, big feels, and two characters who so clearly love each other with their whole hearts, the inevitable happy ending will leave you cheering. And looking forward to Gilmore's next release.

While I love a good workplace romance this one didn’t do it for me. I found Casey irritating. The initial “deception” was forgivable but it went on too long and I don’t fault Alex for his initial response at all. The story itself was very fleshed out and full of meat and bones however. It was well thought out, detailed and interesting. The characters were interesting, diverse and unique. Spice was very low, if you’re looking for the hot stuff this isn’t the book.

Loved it! Such a fun, more in-depth version of the familiar enemies to lovers trope. Both main characters had haunting secrets, but so much more in common because of it. I also adored the fact that for a change, it was the male main character off his footing. Very smart and sharp book.

I loved this book! This is a great story of two young professionals finding their way in love and life. Casey and Alex meet in the elevator at work. Casey is on edge as she is waiting to hear about a position she desperately wants. Alex makes a joke to break the tension and it works. The good vibes don't last as Casey learns Alex got the position she interviewed for and he is the son of the board chairman. Casey learns Alex is certainly qualified for his new position and his father had nothing to do with his being hired.
This story covers so many issues. Casey and her friends are their own family unit, still choosing to be more than acquaintances after years of knowing each other. Casey's allergies, her unique family history, and her talent for number crunching are such great plot devices. Alex is also well drawn out with his family dynamic. He wants to impress a father who was not actually a dad. Alex is such a great friend and people love to be around him. You wonder if he learned to be a glass-half-full person to avoid feeling less than due to the disappointments he faced when he was younger. He still seems to want approval from his father. This comes into play, but Alex manages to stand on his own.
This is a great book filled with workplace romance, family relationships, and great friends. This was a fun read, and also a bit intense reading about the younger days of the two main characters. I did enjoy the story overall, and look forward to other books by this author.

I received an e-arc from NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an unbiased review.

I looove an enemies-to-lovers workplace romance but if I’m honest, I didn’t connect to the couple in this one. I can’t pinpoint what it was, but I enjoyed the build up and then lost interest once they finally connected.

Thank you for the arc NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press!

What a fun read! This is such a perfect rom com with an adorable meet-cute and really cool, unique characters.

I definitely felt like some of the pop culture and lifestyle references were over my head; so the target audience is much, much younger than my (very ancient) late 30s 😆. That said, I still really enjoyed the whole finding yourself, blazing your own path, living up to your own expectations (not others'), and taking risks to better your life threads woven into this story. Very cool!

Happy to say thay Clare Gilmore is a new author that I would highly recommend!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin Publishing for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

A lovely debut from Claire Gilmore! A pitch-perfect workplace romance with incredible enemies-to-lovers energy. Gilmore nails the banter and chemistry in this book and I can't wait to read what she has next!

Love Interest: A Novel was not quite the rom-com I was expecting. Enemies-to-lovers, yes. It had that down, but I did not get that rom-com feeling from this book. I had a tough time getting into this story. The first half moved too slowly for me and was just "too much"...too wordy, too descriptive, too much talking, too much waiting for something to happen. I found myself saying out loud, "Get to the point" more than once while struggling to turn the pages. I didn't find it very romantic or funny.

That being said, I hung in and continued to read, mostly because it was very well-written and the characters were all interesting. However, for me, it took too long to get to the action. Once there, I found myself more engrossed and interested in where the story was going and what would happen. That being said, I still never got that fun, rom-com feeling. That's not to say it wasn't an interesting read. It actually was. There was some steaminess, and some funny dialogue here and there. Each of the characters brought their own issues and baggage with them and they certainly had enough going on to carry the story. I just was never completely captivated by them or the sub-plots happening around them (I found it all a bit boring), so I think that kind of killed my joy in reading their story.

I can definitely give it 3 stars because in the end, I did like it. I just didn't LOVE it (including the ending), so I'll cautiously recommend it. Perhaps you'll enjoy it more than me. I received an advance copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion.

This was a really cute and character-focused rom-com. Love interest follows Casey, who, at the beginning of the book, meets Alex(m) in an elevator. Casey realizes that Alex gets the job that she had also applied for, and she immediately hates him. As they work together, Casey realizes that Alex is not like he seems and that she may have judged him too quickly.

I really enjoyed this book it was such a nice and sweet read. I loved Casey and Alex a lot they were compelling characters, and I liked their banter, especially when they were in their enemies phase. I liked that Casey is a 24-year-old financial analyst, and I also really liked how the enemies aspect was resolved maturely. I thought the characters backstories brought an emotional aspect and really helped their character development by the end of the book. Their romance was really sweet, and there was a tiny bit of spice. The side characters were great, and I liked the really tight-knit friend group. I did find the middle of the book took me a little longer to get through because I wasn't too interested in the workplace conflict plot, but it was still a good read.

Overall this was a good debut novel by the author. The workplace vibes, the characters, and the romance were well-written and kept me interested in the book. If you love romcoms and workplace romance, you should read this!

This book has:
- Korean American mmc
- Workplace romance
- Forced proximity
- Only one bed
- Enemies to lovers

Thank you, St. Martins Press and Netgalley, for this arc.

While this one wasn't a favorite, it was still a very cute and enjoyable read. I loved reading about Casey and Alex's work rivalry and relationship. Especially the videos they shot together. Their banter was so fun. I think the reason I didn't just love it, was when they finally got together, so much of it just felt sad. Mostly because they kept putting a time limit on it. But never fear, there is still a happily ever after!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Read it for yourself when it releases October 10th.

When Alex gets the job Casey wants, she decides to hate him… until she's forced to work with him.

When I hear workplace romance plus enemies to lovers, my mind immediately goes to Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game. I was thinking that Love Interest might be too similar but it was a totally fresh take on those tropes. Casey was charming and I loved the fact that she adored working in finance while still wanting to expand her horizons. Alex was vulnerable and lovable and got extra bonus points for being an Asian love interest, which I haven’t seen enough in this genre.

I wouldn’t say that Casey and Alex are ever really enemies. At first Casey is understandably upset that Alex gets the job she wanted, but they very quickly become friendly and genuinely enjoy each other. Their chemistry felt natural and I rooted for them both as they went through satisfying character arcs. I will definitely be adding Clare Gilmore to my roster of romcom writers to read.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin who gave me a chance to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

good god i loved this. it was absolutely wonderful. never in my life did i think "tell me about your allergies" would make me swoon AND YET. oh i love the characters so much.

thank you clare gilmore and st. martins press for my arc!

some notes for the publisher:
- the title doesn't tell me ANYTHING about the book
- the purple/yellow shades of the cover are a bit, disarming? i wouldn't immediately gravitate towards it
- typo 57% "Aunts Jane’s,” i think that should be "aunt" ??

This book was very enjoyable. Casey and Alex had many problems that I’m glad I don’t have. Their relationship was adorable with all of the back and forth. I would highly recommend this to a friend.

This was the coworker to lover trope I didn't know I needed!

I found this book entertaining and easy to get into. The characters were easy to like and their relationships were real and believable.

I loved how Clare weaved each of the side story lines I'm and out of Alex and Casey's main storyline. I appreciated that Alex had issues with his dad, but when other author let that take over a storyline, she did not.. I felt that one and all storylines had a great and complete ending.

Such an adorable and fun read -- I loved the backdrop of the financial setting, which I felt was very unique, especially the play on words in the title. Casey is my favorite type of heroine -- quietly independent and warmly funny, and the romance between her and Alex felt so grounded and real, despite their initial friction. Definitely one that I will be recommending!