Quick synopsis: During their senior year, Josie and her best friend's twin brother Will had a fleeting moment of weakness when they kissed on the beach. Nine years later, fate brings them together again when Will is hired as a consultant for Josie's clothing company in Austin, Texas. As she feels herself being drawn to him once again she's faced with difficult decisions about her life and the direction she wants to go.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book, which will be released on October 29th. I enjoyed escaping into this very readable, sweet, and slightly spicy romcom. It was one of the more realistic romances I've read recently, with characters that are complex and flawed and faced with real life and relationship issues. I liked the discussion around career and the choices women often have to make to succeed, and the toll of burnout. This was the first book I have read by Clare Gilmore and I'm interested in reading more.

I really enjoyed this story. I love the random meet cute but how our main characters have a past. The FMC is pretty likable. She shares very real emotions that readers would connect with in real life. I think her story of wanting to be a good friend/partner was written really well. The author didn’t make her come off as a pushover but just someone who’s in the past let people down and doesn’t want to do that again. I enjoyed the MMC. He was funny but also super in tuned to what our FMC needed and was there for her. I loved the whole pinning for years trope and it was written so well in this story! I highly recommend giving the a read!

Overview: Josie’s friendship with her high school best friend Zoe was destroyed because she had shared a kiss with Zoe’s twin brother Will. A decade later, Josie is now a workaholic founder and CEO of a clothing company who ends up hiring Will as a consultant to achieve her company’s goals after he (literally) crashes back into her life. Can they put the past behind them and work alongside each other? Or will their mutual attraction be a distraction?

Thoughts: I really liked this book, perhaps even more so than Gilmore’s debut novel. The dialogue and writing flowed so well and I loved how Josie and Will re-connected and communicated with each other.
I did have some trouble relating to Josie and Will since they were both EXTREMELY privileged characters (being a CEO and a former finance bro). BUT the chemistry between the two made up for this!

Take home message: This is a cute workplace rom com that features former high school classmates who have a second chance at love. Perfect for those who love a swoonworthy hero who:
1. Literally has zero red flags
2. Has ridiculously healthy communication habits
3. Will nurse you back to health when you are sick
4. Knows how to cook a gourmet meal

Note that there are several open door scenes throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Perfect Fit
Clare Gilmore
Pub: 10/29/24
4☆

Josephine Davis has spent her entire twenties building Revenant, a fashion brand headquartered in downtown Austin. When her biggest investor orders Josie to hire a consultant, the last person she expects to be working with is Will Grant – the twin brother of her ex best friend.

If you’re in the mood for a well written rom-com that balances the sweet and serious vibes with some good swoon … look no further. Josie and Will’s story was fun to read. They were both well developed, relatable characters with real stuggles, and I adored watching their relationship unfold. All in all an enjoyable read that touches on friendships, insecurities, self-discovery, and more.

What I enjoyed;
✨ Workplace Romance
✨ Slow-Burn
✨ Second Chance
✨ The Flirting
✨ Girl Boss Vibes
✨ NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP

I’ve adored both of Gilmore’s novels and already cannot wait for Never Over coming in 2025.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore. All opinions are my own.

This was such a sweet romance about two people that came back together when they needed each other the most.

I loved Will, the main male character, because he was just such a thoughtful person that was patient, caring, and willing to put others first. I really appreciated how he gave Josephine (the main female character) space to grow without pushing her to quickly make decisions.

I really appreciated that there was no third-act break-up because those always stress me out, and I don’t find them to be the most realistic conflict. The conflict in this story made sense and was resolved well.

Josephine wasn’t the typical rich girl character that I’ve seen in other stories. I really appreciated her depth and character flaws. She tried so hard to be there for everyone in her life that she often forgot about taking care of herself.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and will definitely read other books by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a free eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I had very high hopes for this novel as I really enjoyed Clare Gilmore's last, but was left disappointed.

The novel starts off very well with a nice "re"meet-cute and an interesting premise of the love interest working with the female main character. However, the story then veers off to focusing too much on the FMC's inner conflicts, the romance and unrealistic outside conflicts. It was hard to believe that a "best friend"ship of a few months can cause so much guilt in the parties involved and havoc in the main character's life - so much so that this affects the next decade of her life. I'm all for second-chance romance but it felt like the two characters barely knew each other in high school to end up feeling so strongly for each other in the present. Another conflict that seemed unrealistic was the third-act conflict and resolution - without spoiling anything, it seems highly unlikely that social media culture would stretch so far and appears out of character for the female lead to do what she ends up doing with her company in the end. All this, coupled up with a lack of real connection to the characters, left me not really rooting for anyone in the story.

For me, what makes a romance novel a great one boils down to one thing: chemistry. The better the chemistry between the main couple, the better the book. This is why I loved “Perfect Fit” so much—the chemistry between Josie and Will jumped off the page from the their first interaction. I also thought this story had a pretty organic progression with not much exaggerated conflict added to the story for the sake of drama. Any romance reader knows that around the 70% mark there will be something that brings the couple on the brink of disaster, and while there was that turning point in this story, it didn’t feel as out of place as some do. In an unrealistic story, the challenges to Josie and Will being together were kind of realistic, and the conflict felt like it could be real and wasn’t overdramatized. I actually really liked both Josie and Will, I related to their imperfections, and I wanted them both to succeed together and individually.

If wanted to nitpick this book, I could find things here and there that could have been done differently/better, but honestly, I don’t want to do that. This book was thoroughly enjoyable and had me up at 5am just so I could squeeze in a few chapters to see what happens next. As a quick, beach read type of romance, this book does exactly what it’s supposed to do…it entertained me and let me turn my brain off and just enjoy the ride. The worst part of the book is that it’s over and I kind wish I could see more.

**Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I appreciate the opportunity!!**

Perfect Fit is a stellar book -- younger characters in a mature romance, without huge communication issues that are so frustrating to the reader. An entrepreneur who is emphatically NOT a girlboss. Well-developed side characters. No third-act breakup shoehorned in for extra drama, but extremely believable conflict well-integrated to the story and handled in ways that made me revise my own best practices for communicating needs and showing up for loved ones. All in all, an enjoyable read that made me squeal and kick my little feet countless times. Adding Clare Gilmore to my shortlist of authors on auto-buy for whatever they choose to release into the world. If you have romance readers in your life, put this book on your holiday shopping list!

Give me everything Clare Gilmore writes! Add this all-too-relatable beautiful book to your TBR if you like banter for days, no third act breakup, feeling seen re: burnout, workplace romance (and work trips 🤭), characters who take care of each other, and sweet (and complicated) friend dynamics.

This book was really cute. You really can’t help rooting for Josie and Will. I loved them both. Definitely worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Clare Gilmore for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED Love Interest so I jumped at the chance to get Clare's next book and she did not let me down. No sophomore slump here!

Perfect Fit gave us a mature (no miscommunication!) romance story that I would happily re-read. The "re"- meet cute had me gasping and legit LOLing! I loved the side characters- the family, biological and found family. The career and identity struggles really resonated with me. The resolution at the end of the book was so healthy and encouraging.

I would recommend Clare's book to anyone and can't wait to see what she comes up with next!!

I had heard great things about Perfect Fit from authors I love, but wow, I DEVOURED THIS BOOK. It was everything I wanted and needed, and I especially loved the epilogue.

Josephine "Josie" Davis is an entrepreneur and the CEO/founder of Revenant, a growing fashion brand. Josie is required to bring a consultant onboard to help with some projects. Enter Will Grant, her ex-best friend Zoe's twin brother! It was a kiss between Josie and Will their senior year of high school that led to the end of her friendship with Zoe.

Now Josie and Will are working very closely together, and feelings are felt very quickly. Despite that, they agree they should keep things platonic...until they don't. And let me tell you, IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT.

This book has so much of what I love: workplace romance, forced proximity, (light) second chance romance, travel, found family, and so much more. And Will Grant?! Truly the most perfect MMC. That man is obsessed and did everything right. Infinity stars, no complaints whatsoever. (Side note: if there are any bonus chapters written from his POV, PLEASE SHARE.)

I also really enjoyed Josie's personal arc within this story. She's a 27-year old CEO with an incredible, but harmful work ethic. I felt this aspect of the story was depicted well, and I was happy with where Josie landed at the end.

There is no such thing as a sophomore slump as far as Clare Gilmore is concerned. I can't wait to read more from her!

Give me more smart, funny rom-coms from Clare Gilmore. I loved Love Interest so much and couldn’t imagine her matching its awesomeness, but with Perfect Match she has done it!

The banter, the tension, the friendship between the Josie and Will was just perfection. A strong female character with a man who supports her emotionally and professionally…swoon. The mature love progression without a third-act breakup? Chef’s kiss. If I were outlining a perfect rom-com storyline, this would be it.

I read this in one day it was so good. Thank you for the eARC. Add Care Gilmore to my list of must-reads from now on.

Five stars!

This was such a great romance book! I loved the character arcs, the side characters, and everything going on.

The FMC is the CEO of a successful startup fashion label, and the MMC is someone from her past who comes in as a consultant.

There’s lots of tension, lots of angst, and we’re along for the ride as the characters figure out how to navigate their relationship, along with the challenges of life.

Their relationship is very adult, there’s no miscommunication, and they handle things maturely - it was super refreshing to see!

Thanks @netgalley @smpromance @claregilmorewrites for the chance to read Perfect Fit early. It releases on October 29, 2024.

Josie has spent her twenties turning Revenant into from her dorm room to fashion up-start. When her angel investor insists that they bring on a consultant to take the business to the next level, imagine her surprise when it's Will, her former childhood best friend's twin brother--and the man responsible for their estrangement. They can't deny the chemistry between them, but Josie's always put her business first. So, what happens when you meet the man who might be your perfect fit?

Steam: 🔥🔥
Tropes: BFF's brother, work romance, second chance romance, no third act breakup

This was a much more complex and real book than I was expecting. I have never read Clare Gilmore book before but this will not be my last. This book had so much depth and feeling. The relationship between Will and Josie felt so real and realistic. I believed their interactions together. I could not put this book down. I am so impressed.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

"perfect fit" follows josie, a founder and ceo of a clothing company, as she navigates burnout while simultaneously falling in love with will grant, her new consultant and old acquaintance (ex-high school best friend's brother). the corporate subplots took a little bit for me to get into but the stress and pressure josie placed upon herself were resonant and relatable. will and josie (and the side characters like zoe, camila and eugenia) were well-drawn and easy to root for. overall this a cozy and cute women's fiction book that has valuable things to say about imposter syndrome, #girlboss culture and women's self-worth being tied to work.

Perhaps 4.5 stars, but rounding up to a full 5. I pretty much loved Perfect Fit, Clare Gilmore's second romcom. Josie Davis is the founder and CEO of fashion brand Revenant, a clothes company she started out of her college dorm and has grown into a popular brand that continues to expand. Revenant is her whole life, and she gives it absolutely everything she has, trying to be a true girlboss. On her way to work one day, she runs into Will Grant - her high school best friend's twin brother and now a consultant for her growing business. Will is calm and collected, smart, and dedicated - all things Josie is, but she is also killing herself for her work. From the moment they meet again, their chemistry is strong as they work together and get to know each other as adults. Will is a wonderful love interest: he's very romantic, thoughtful, and always showing up for Josie while giving her the space she needs to take steps in her professional and personal journeys. I loved how there was no third act breakup here; Will and Josie said outright they would work through the challenging time and have the tough conversations without rashly breaking up, which is so refreshing.

I had a couple of tiny quibbles: I would have liked to see more of Zoe and Josie rekindling their friendship as adults, and the side characters - any friends beyond Josie's best friend and coworker Camila, and their families - drop off for a while as Josie is wrapped up in work and Will. The eventual fallout in Josie's professional life is followed through on but it would have been nice to see a bit more of the final step in that storyline, perhaps actually seeing Josie start therapy or more of her break-time activities. Still, I really loved this and was so charmed by Josie and Will. They're so easy to root for and their relationship and chemistry felt real. This felt reminiscent of writers like Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez while still being its own.

This book was an absolute delight to read! I love Josie and how multifaceted she is! CEO, but also admits to her flaws, has hobbies and friends, and also doesn’t always know what’s next in life for her. She was really the star of this novel (and since it’s a single POV, duh) and the author built such depth into her character while not putting her on a pedestal or not making her vapid or cheesy. Josie felt like a friend you would adore for all her lovely qualities and her other complexities. Will didn’t have nearly as much depth but was a solid MMC. I liked how their two stories mirrored each others but were also unique enough. This had some good second-chance romance vibes throughout with just-one-bed thrown in and thankfully, no miscommunication or third-act breakup. I felt the plot could’ve been redistributed a bit better because it’s definitely faster in the second half. Ultimately, I loved this book and it brought me joy to read. 4.25⭐️, 2🌶

4.25/5

This was super cute! I really enjoyed this one. It felt a smidge slow in the beginning, but I really ended up loving it!

Will is so sweet, he is such a good book boyfriend. I really like him and Josie together. I enjoyed the way they reunited and instantly you could feel the spark again with them.

I would recommend adding to your tbr!

I definitely plan to read more by Claire in the future!