once again, clare gilmore kills it. her writing is so whimsical and fun and it really feels so effortless to get through her novels. will mf grant is such a gem and i really liked josie and how she tried so hard to not be a “gaslight gatekeep girlboss” CEO. i just really love a workplace romance and clare does a good job of making this fresh. also this is not a typical second chance romance really, it was a really fun way of reconnecting two characters with killer chemistry. i demand everyone pick this one up!

Perfect Fit
By: Clare Gilmore
4.5 stars

What a fun book! I did not expect to become totally engrossed in this story but there I was, reading it within 3 days and loving the journey! I was hooked from the very beginning when our FMC Josephine gets hit by a man on a bike while driving to work!

Josephine is the CEO of her own clothing company, Revenant, that she started in her college dorm room years ago. Now with an investor, an online site, and trying to open her first brick-and-mortar store while becoming b-corp certified, she’s feeling overwhelmed as her life is consumed with her work. Her friendships are starting to fall back, even as her best friend who is her second in command is getting married and potentially leaving the company. All of this pressure building and in walks the guy who upturned her life back in high school, Will Grant.’

Will was the twin brother of her best friend and on one night the two ended up kissing and the aftermath ruined her friendship with her best friend, Will’s sister Zoe. Will crashed into Josephine, literally and metaphorically, and becomes her consultant to help her obtain her b-corp dreams. The two have unresolved chemistry and history from the very beginning and watching them explore their desire was absolutely beautiful to watch! Will is the definition of a true KING! He shows Josephine so much love, support, and never puts his needs above hers. The two find a real true love between the trips, meetings, and revelations.

You know when you meet someone and they just click? You can tell what the other is thinking by a simple look, you know their body language and their deepest secrets, morphing into a true partnership? That was Will and Josephine! Clare Gilmore does an amazing job of making her characters so damn relatable that at times I had to remember that these are fictional characters!

I love that this book explored social media, people’s perception versus reality, career burnout, career change (for the better), and overcoming grief. There was endless humor and banter throughout with some genuine friendships and nods to Austin, Texas. I was so excited because I have once been to a location mentioned and it had me hopping with joy to be able to connect to the book in that way!

This is a perfect read for anyone who loves:
-Second chance romances
-Workplace romances
-He takes care of her while sick
-Female friendships
-Self discovery

Many thanks to Netgalley & St.Martins Press for this eARC! Now to go back and read her debut novel because this writing was so good!

I could not love this book more. It is the perfect fit for anyone if you want to have dreamy characters, sweet banter, and to feel cared for by a book. Josie is a CEO of her own clothing company, and she is both ambitious and kind. I love that Gilmore writes such good people--you're always rooting for them. When she has an actual run-in with Will Grant, she starts to think about how she might finally be burnt out from all the work she's put into making her company success. Josie and Will have a rocky history--a kiss one night in high school destroyed her relationship with her best friend--but quickly they become each other's biggest supports. Josie has some issues with imposter syndrome, and thinking that she doesn't deserve all the good that has come to her, but Will shows and tells her how deserving she is. I COULD NOT LOVE THIS MMC MORE. Will Grant is the dream. And there's no unnecessary drama between these characters--there's just real adult complexity and working through their issues. I actually cannot think of anyone that wouldn't love this book. It is unimpeachable. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CLARE GILMORE NEVER FAILS!

I truly loved every moment of this book. I was in a reading slump and I picked this one up knowing it was going to save me from my rut.

Will Grant is the best book boyfriend I've read in awhile. His intense, deep love for Josie and the way he wants any piece of him he can have... Incredible.

The yearning, the communication, the banter, the way they learn the worst parts of each other? I want this book injected into my veins.

I love the tropes and themes that this book has going for it: female friendship, mental health, second chance romance, self discovery… however, I felt like some of the emotions that I was supposed to feel as a reader were cut short by the writing style. For example, when the book’s protagonist was supposed to have been going through a mental breakdown, the writing style from her POV didn’t seem dramatic enough or stressed out to the point of unstable narration, so I didn’t feel like it represented what was happening in the story. I also felt like the chemistry between Will and Josie was so unrealistic, even despite their brief history in high school. The writing was less focused on their conflicts as an aspiring couple and more focused on conflicts within Josie’s life, which was good for a coming of age story but less so for a rom-com in my opinion. Overall, this was a very fast-paced easy read, and I could completely envision it as a Hallmark-styled movie!

Perfect fit
3.75⭐️3🌶️

First person
Contemporary romance
Romcom
Workaholic FMC
Ex-Best friends brother
He falls first

This was a great contemporary romance that hit on second chances, work-life balance, mental health, and that all encompassing feeling of falling hard and fast for someone.

So often the “just knowing” is played up as people being immature or not believable. This made it a natural mentality.

I love that these adults spoke to each other like adults. It takes so much unnecessary drama out of the equation.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own

I loved her debut novel Love Interest! So of course I had to request for her sophomore novel Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore! Which of course did not disappoint!

This was absolutely delightful. The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish.
The characters were charming and witty.
Will and Josie have great chemistry, and their witty banter keeps the story light and fun.
I read this all in one day! I loved this love story. The characters were endearing and sweet.
I loved the supporting characters as well. And, the relationship had all my favorite tropes. It was engaging and endearing. I couldn't put it down.
The writing is so smooth and effortless. You can literally feel every single emotion.
I really enjoyed this book! It was such a cute story and I literally laughed out loud several times.

I highly recommend this fun and quick read

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Overworked CEO Josephine Davis is forced to work with Will Grant—the twin brother of her estranged best friend and her one-time spring break fling. Though romance is off the table, sparks fly as they uncover a connection neither expected. But with burnout looming and a long-distance gap, Josie faces a choice: career or love.

This is for the girls who “don’t do anything halfway.”

Clare’s writing immediately hooks you. Her fresh flirty-yet-sophisticated voice showcases her mastery of workplace romance and palpable connection. I loved everything about Will & Josie 🥹🩷

Josie-
Fashion brand CEO
Designer
“It girl”
feels like an imposter in her own life
ICOM- iced caramel oat milk latte
Aspiring vegetarian
& loves bike-rides

Will-
Reformed finance bro
Josie’s consultant
Predators fan
Snores
Dork for architecture
Won’t let her ignore fun the in the city
Food connoisseur
Electrifying yet comforting romancer
Takes care of he when she’s sick
& loves bike-rides

Together they share a delicious slow-burn that only enhances who they are through natural relationships and growth. A beautiful rekindling of friendship, attraction, work, and dreams.

Thanks @smpromance @netgalley for the eARC #smpromance #netgalley

Perfect for you if you like:
Workplace romance + TRAVEL
Dependable & emotionally in-tune MMC
Girl boss with character growth
Palpable chemistry

Similar to:
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
How to End a Love Story by Yulia Kuang
Valley Verified by Kyla Zhao

⛔️chapters 28 & 32 contain explicit romance scenes (open door)
⚠️explicit language, excessive drinking, drugs

♾️⭐️ I need to start by saying that I read this book in less than 24 hours. And I made 75 highlights.

That’s a lot even for me.

Second, Will Grant, I have no words. I love him. I need him. Clare has now set the bar way high now for me for book boyfriends.

I also adored Josie, her life and her friends. It all just worked. The slow burn was perfection. I was slowly losing it in the best way.

“I’m losing it, and Will Grant can tell. His dimples have entered the room. But at least the sexual tension between us has mostly dissipated, replaced by a comedic warmth I’m not sure is any less dangerous.”

I seriously have nothing bad to say, this book was beautiful. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy, all my opinions are my own.

I enjoyed Perfect Fit. It hit the spot as a cute story with not real drama and no third act breakup. I read it at a time when this was exactly the type of story I needed in my life.

I didn’t really connect with the lead characters, Josie and Will. I kept hoping for a more realistic portrayal of a young female CEO, Josie, of a clothing company and the consultant, Will, hired to help her get B Corp certified. The business bits didn’t come across as all that authentic, particularly the pop-up store or the travel to check out manufacturing facilities. However, it is an engaging, easy to read story.

FYI Perfect Fit ends on a cliffhanger. If you like your books to end neatly tied up you may want to forgo this one. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for the gifted digital ARC provided through NetGalley.

This is a fast, cute, warm fuzzy read. I enjoyed the friendship story more than the love story, but overall a good one!

3.5 stars but rounding up

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced reader copy.

This was a pleasant and refreshing romance read. While it may not break new ground in the genre, it was enjoyable. The story isn't heavy on spice or high-stakes tension but has a nice warmth. The pacing felt quick without being rushed. The writing was generally accessible and easy to digest, although a few pop culture references felt forced. Josie is a relatable main character and doesn’t veer into being too frustrating, though I would have liked to see more depth in her other friendships. It sometimes felt like her friends existed mostly to help her resolve her issues. It’s not a life-changer, but if you’re after a light, fresh read, it hit the spot. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for early access to this book.

4.5⭐
1🌶️
Tropes: friends to lovers, forced proximity, second chance-ish, slow burn, he falls first

It must be kismet when Will Grant accidentally crashes his bike into Josie Davis’ car. They were high school acquaintances, Josie was best friends with his twin sister, Zoe. But after a fallout with Zoe and being publicly canceled amongst her schoolmates in the last few months of her senior year, Josie hasn’t talked to either of them in 10 years. In that time, Josie has taken a small college hobby and turned it into a thriving small business and has been single for the past 4 years. Will, you find out, has moved to NYC and built a successful career as a business consultant. But their fateful “reunion” on the streets of Austin has brought them back into each other’s lives and discovering the feelings they have for each other is hard to deny.

THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD. It was such a satisfying read. I’ll be honest, part of it has to do with similarities I saw between myself/my spouse and the FMC/MMC. For example, we’re both sewists who had a sewing business. And my husband also snores like a freight train lol. It’s the little things.

But also it was just so well written. I love this author’s writing style, although I do wish it had been dual POV. You could really feel the chemistry between Will and Josie, and I don’t know, it was like I was experiencing what Josie was when she described everything that happened with Zoe, as well as her frustrations and insecurities with social media, trying to run a business and not lose herself in the process.

And that epilogue man. It was perfect but I hated it. And I loved it. But I hate it too. And I kinda love it 😤😩 Definitely definitely recommend this book!!!!!

✨Possible Light Spoiler✨
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There was only one thing that seemed unrealistic that I didn’t really like, which was how she had two O’s when they were just getting started with the spicy scenes. Like just from them touching each other- and not in erogenous zones. I know the author is trying to showcase just how dead her libido has been for the past 4 years and just how much Will “brings her back to life” and I’m totally prepared to suspend a significant amount of reality for the sake of books, but this just seemed a bit too improbable.

Another thing I really liked about this book is the whole social media subplot/framework. You learn just how addicted to social media Josie was in high school, and how an incident where she was canceled/bullied online leads to her deleting all of her accounts. I think this is such an important topic to bring up because social media is so terrible for people. I genuinely think it’s a cancer that is destroying people. Especially in the third act “drama” (or whatever the phrase is, it’s not a breakup) you see just how insidious social media is when an article comes out about Josie. I love that this book is bringing light to that topic.

Second chance romance? Best friend's brother? Will Grant is an A++ book boyfriend! There was a bit of miscommunication trope thrown in there as well.

Josie Davis, a hardworking CEO, has spent her twenties building her fashion brand when she’s forced to hire a consultant. Enter Will Grant, the twin brother of her estranged ex-best friend. Despite sharing a mistake-of-a-kiss years ago and never quite getting along, sparks fly as they are drawn to each other. As Josie navigates burnout, old friendships, and a long-distance connection, she must decide if she can slow down long enough to let love into her busy life.

The beginning of this book was a bit slow for me, but the pace and banter picked up when Josie and Will started traveling - especially in Barcelona. But seriously, what the heck was that ending?

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Clare Gilmore for granting me access to this book. All opinions are my own.

This book hooked me from the start, and I really enjoyed it! While some moments felt a bit unrealistic, it was exactly what I wanted—a lighthearted rom-com. The male main character (MMC) was incredibly caring and thoughtful! I especially loved that he was upfront about being a strong communicator—such a refreshing change!

The travel scenes and wedding events were so fun. I found myself relating to many moments, and highlighting many quotes. The pop culture references were also a fun touch.

Tropes:
- Workplace Romance
- BFF’s Brother
- Forced Proximity
- Slow Burn
- 🌶️ Low Spice
- No Third Act Breakup, Great Communication
- Friendship
- Self-Discovery
- Austin, TX

If you’re looking for a fun rom-com with heartfelt quotes, this one’s a great one to pick up!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. Releases 10/29/24.

“All you did was pout. You were Season One Conrad Fisher. You were Olivia Rodrigo’s entire Sour album, on repeat. You were Ken when Barbie took away his mojo dojo casa house. You were—” “At least four other references I won’t understand?” he interrupts.

“We’re facing each other now as adults with real careers and fully developed brains.”

I really loved Clare Gilmore's debut, Love Interest, so I was very excited to see if their sophomore novel, Perfect Fit, would deliver the same swoony romance, and I'm actually surprised to say that I liked this one better than the first. Will was such a wonderful love interest, and I loved reading about how attentive he was to Josie and her needs. I also really enjoyed reading from Josie's perspective. We're pretty different as people, but her voice was always sympathetic and relatable to read from. But the chemistry between the leads was what really kept me flipping the pages because oh my goodness, they were wonderful together. Clare Gilmore is quickly becoming an autobuy romance author for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Josephine Davis, the CEO and founder of the clothing company Revenant, is on the way to the office when she runs right into her past. Or rather, her past runs into her when the twin of her ex-best friend slams into her car with his bike. Will Grant is suddenly back in her life and might actually be able to help her with her business. Her biggest investor is pushing her to hire a consultant, and Will Grant is one, working for the consulting company that Josie was hoping to hire anyway. Josie and Will didn't exactly have the highest opinions of one another in high school, but soon they both learn that they have more in common than they think.

This was such a swoony and real romance. I quickly got wrapped up in this story and didn't want to set it down! I love how strong and independent Josie is and Will doesn't try to change that about her. As Josie is working through burning out at work, Will gives her the space she needs to figure it out while still supporting her in all the ways that it counts. I loved that Will knew what he wanted and he was so sweet and caring with Josie. I also love that friendship is such a big and meaningful part of this story.

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

I used to think that Emily Henry was crawling around in my brain but I think Clare Gilmore has her beat. Josie was so relatable. I thought the way Gilmore phrased Josie’s inner thoughts was brilliant. It was far more eloquent than how I would ever describe my inner self/driving force. The characters’ chemistry and interactions felt so genuine, soft, and intimate. I think if someone were to ask me for a book recommendation where the mmc is pathetic (respectfully), this book would be my top recommendation. Every time Will Grant, reformed Finance Bro, appeared on the page, there was a smile on my face.


I just loved Gilmore’s writing. It was magnetic from the first page. The plot flowed, and the word choice was deliberate. No part felt forced, unnecessary, or underdeveloped.


I loved everything about this book and I'm worried that it may be too niche because I felt so seen 😂 This book will speak to lovers of all things Conrad Fisher, Lizzy McAlpine, Gracie Abrams, SZA, and those who are working through the idea that their productivity is tied their to self-worth. (but) Moreover, Perfect Fit is just a delightful and heartfelt read that I hope all romance readers pick up.

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

5/5 stars

I absolutely loved Clare Gilmore’s debut and was absolutely overjoyed that I got to read “Perfect Fit.”

The characters were so well-written. The chemistry between the FMC and MMC, the excellent portrayal of female friendship, and so relatable. Who hasn’t felt burnt out before?

Now, can I please have an ICOML?

I wanted to like this romance more than I did. There was just too much angst from both the main characters. Josie has built a very successful clothing business, but she’s overworried about what other people think about her and her business. She’s a workaholic, but somehow, she misses that the person in charge of setting up a pop-up opening for her first bricks and mortar store was totally blowing it. She doesn’t respond to a journalist asking for an interview. She seems to think that having some organization certify that her business does everything marvelously for the environment, her business will skyrocket. Do people really care about that sort of certification for where they buy clothes?

She starts out the book totally stressed about impressing the guy she wants to hire as consultant to help guide her business to getting this certification. Why shouldn’t it be the other way around? She’s the one doing the hiring.

Then she runs into (literally) Will, the guy she knew in high school and the twin brother of her best friend back then. Something happened between them that broke up the friendship and you have to wait a bit to find out. Of course, she and Will fall for each other once she hires him to be the consultant for her business.

Will is also filled with angst that you just have to accept. So neither of these people are all that happy with their very successful careers at this point. And, of course, they fall in love.

I wanted to like them better because I like it when the female protagonist is a successful business leader. But I just didn’t buy these characters.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.