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!

This was a total must-read. it had a lot working for it. I really enjoyed the story and all that it was about. Good story and will read more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book! Alex and Casey were so cute and you could tell how much they cared about each other through the whole story. This book managed to be fun and cute with complex characters facing real issues. I identified with their struggles with being enough to be loved and finding yourself. Casey and I both are fond of spreadsheets and have a tendency to stay in and take the easier path. I was inspired by her ability to step outside of her comfort zone.

My only complaint was that the beginning felt less developed than the ending. There was a point where I thought I missed a chapter because it moved so quickly. Casey went from meeting Alex and finding him interesting, to being mildly irked that he got the job, to hating him. This could have been developed more.

Overall I am glad I got the opportunity to read it early and would likely recommend it to friends.

I loved the enemies to lovers theme of this book. Casey and Alex are fun and complicated and I was rooting for them the entire time. If you enjoy watching Condé Nast YouTube videos, this is a great book for you.

I’m here for the office romance. The Hating Game started that love for me. This book continued it for me. I adore the main characters Casey and Alex. I love their banter and their relationship. The only thing that fell a bit flat for me was any plot in the book that didn’t revolve around the main characters. It was just plain and boring and could have done without it.

2.5/5
Arc in exchange for honest review.

I am pretty disappointed by this read. Enemies to lovers is one of my most cherished tropes and this book just did not do it for me. The banter was so-so-it did not leave me smiling and squeeing like I was expecting. This book also did way too much telling and not enough showing. I like a detailed story, but the sheer amount of describing every little thing took me out of it too much. For the plot, the corporate aspect is important, yes, but it was a little over my head with how much it was focused on and the jargon used. I think there was great potential with the story and the bones were laid out, but fleshing in everything fell flat for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this title!

'Love Interest' by Clare Gilmore takes place in a world that is so completely different than mine yet I was instantly intrigued. There were so many crises and problems that I was grateful to only be reading about them and knowing I'd never have to experience them. I guess this is the joy of a book, to be taken to another place and perhaps to learn. The importance of love turned out to be a key feature in my learning process, and I celebrate that in this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This was a cute, fast read with a diverse cast. Lots of great relationships in here - friends, family, etc. I occasionally got a little confused by the vast number of workplace friends, but other than that, very enjoyable read.

I couldn't get into the book and I'm a retired financial analyst! But, it was probably just me - nothing about the story or characters grabbed me.

I have a bit of mixed feelings on this one, as I expected more and felt it dragged in some areas. The enemies to lovers trope felt more like miscommunication than anything, and I guess I expected more banter and for them to be “enemies” longer than they were since that was the main trope. Overall, I did enjoy it and would read more from this author in the future.

ARC provided from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.