I read this in one sitting, I didn’t want to put it down. Josie and Will are so cute and fun. I laughed as much as an Emily Henry makes me laugh and that’s impressive lol

But parts of it felt cheap, like cheesy but in a way that makes me feel slighted or robbed. Because everything else about this was great and then these big moments happen and they just don’t have the oomph.

The part of me that relates hard to Josie’s burnout and debilitating social anxiety wants to give 4.5 stars. The scenes with her internally spiraling deeper and deeper into self deprecating thoughts made me feel very seen. I also love how mature Josie and Will both were, no third act breakup!!

It’s the kind of love story I wish my 16-year-old self had consumed rather than the toxic nonsense they fed us in the ‘00s & ‘10s.

I can’t express how wonderful this book was. The story was beautiful and tender and the writing immersed me fully. Incredible!

Josephine Davis is CEO of an up and coming sustainable clothing company. At 28, she the epitome of she boss as her company is in search of a consultant to help secure VC funding and B Corp status.

When on her way to work, a biker runs into her car. Really? It’s a high school acquaintance she had HISTORY with. When she helps him, and she realizes he’a a bid as her new consultant, is a fan, and wants to take her business to the next level, Josie doesn’t know what to think.

As they work together closely, it’s clear that even though there is a lot of baggage from the past, these two have an attraction that cannot be overlooked.

The undercurrent of this book is awareness of founder burnout, social media intense scrutiny, unhealthy use of social media, and the cultural scrutiny of women in power. I agree and have experienced this in different parts of my career.

The pacing of the second half of the novel seemed rushed, and I it was painful to see Josie have so much self doubt and scrutiny over trivial things. Women and men have different standards in positions of power. When accountability of held, women are seen as petty and mean, men are just doing business.

Overall, this was a nice romance about pretty heavy subject matter. It hit a little close to home! 🏠 🫶

Clare Gilmore has quickly become one of my favourite authors, and her sophomore novel was no exception! Beautifully written, full of humour and wit and heart, I absolutely fell in love with Will and Josie's story. They are characters that push each other in the best ways, but also stand by each other with so much love and support, it was everything I wanted in a romance and I already can't wait for Clare's next release!

This novel is a poignant work on self-worth and the love that you can find when you let someone embrace all of your imperfections.

Clare Gilmore’s writing drew me in from the start. She effortlessly paints a vivid picture of Josie, Will, their shared history and Revenant within the first 10% of the book.

For a wunderkind CEO, Josie is so relatable and you’ll root for her. Her intrusive thoughts were empathetically handled and her vulnerabilities felt familiar and realistic. Will’s patience and their communication throughout the book was exemplary.

Also, who would have thought that snoring could be so swoony 😊

While this was an easy read, it wasn’t quite a perfect fit for me. The main characters just weren’t likeable for me, and I can’t even really explain why except that Josie let one experience in high school determine her entire adult life. The whole book read as if the characters were much younger than they were supposed to be. I did like that there wasn’t a third act breakup, but it almost could’ve used one because the ending was quite anticlimactic and boring.

Overall not for me, but obviously I’m in the minority for this one!

I loved this book pretty much from the first page. Josie's voice drew me in right away and she was both delightfully capable and sympathetic at the same time. I related to the themes of perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and burnout, which were explored with empathy and depth. The female friendships--both old and new--were perfect. I also LOVED that the "breakup moment" wasn't contrived. Josie and Will came across as real people with real issues who loved each other deeply and helped each other work through their difficulties. The story leans a little towards women's fiction as the romantic plot and Josie's personal plot carried equal weight--which is exactly what I look for in a romance. Fans of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez will love this one, as will readers who love awesome, vulnerable, capable women.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I love a story about a smart woman learning to reach out, change her course and respect her creativity for the force it is. And it doesn't hurt she has to have a group of pals I'd sit down with any evening, along with a second chance with both the right guy and his sister, Josie's one time best friend.

The story just flowed and I missed the characters as soon as I finished.

Honestly, Perfect Fit was absolutely precious! I loved Josie and Will were just too adorable, and I was so happy they got their happy ever after

There were some parts of this book that shined and others that dragged. I enjoyed the premise of following Josie's career as the CEO of her own fashion brand. I loved her journey of finding what makes her happy and taking a step back. Will was so sweet, especially when he took care of Josie when she was sick. I liked them together, but didn't love them together. A lot of this book I found to be boring. I had trouble connecting with the characters.

I loved this book! I started it not really knowing what to read and proceeded to binge it because I couldn’t stop.

I love Will Grant and how amazing he is for Josephine, and also just how amazing he just is. From how they met again, to how their relationship evolved, to their chemistry, how they make each other better, how they show up for each other and how they fall in love, I just loved it all.

In the middle of all the romance the story also touches on some important topics, like imposter syndrome, social media, how women are perceived differently than men in the workplace, female friendship, soft living and finding yourself.

It was such a positive and beautiful book.

It was my first book by Clare Gilmore but it won’t be my last.

This was so fun and cute ! It’s a CEO(FMC) x Consultant (MMC) romance that was nicely done and the first book I’ve read from this author. Josephine has to work with Will, who is the twin brother of a best friend she fell out with. They share some history and the book has a second-chance aspect to it that I enjoyed. Josephine is such a realistic character and I really liked her. She’s such a hardworking businesswoman and I love how much she cares about her company, friends, and her family. We also see some of the struggles she faces as a female CEO in the corporate world, especially with burnout and managing a work life balance. I liked seeing her character develop as she realized that her worth shouldn’t be tied to only her accomplishments because she is so much more than that.

Will Grant was the ultimate book boyfriend! I adored the way he did so much for Josephine, considering their history. He was so patient with her, understood her well, and always met her where she was. I loved their chemistry because the pacing of the slowburn was so satisfying. I also appreciated the lack of a third act breakup because the communication between them was done well.

This book could have been better with less pop culture references because it felt cringey whenever mentioned. I wanted a bit more from that ending and the plot. I felt that the reconciliation with Zoe should have happened earlier in the book for better pacing. A lot of it felt more like “telling” rather than “showing” since she only came up in their conversations.

But overall, this was really enjoyable and I loved the characters and romance!

I'm so glad Clare Gilmore is back with another awesome book! I really enjoyed Love Interest and was excited to dive into Perfect Fit and it did not disappoint. I love how she writes about female characters who are having success in their careers while also facing very normal work struggles. I'm not a CEO, but even still I felt I could relate to a lot of her struggles and feelings. There is so much great character growth, side character development, and humor throughout. All a recipe for a new favorite of mine!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
🪡 Work proximity
🫶🏻 Second Chance
💜 Ex best friend’s brother
👏🏻 No third act break-up

All hail queen of workplace romances - 👑 Clare Gilmore

I loved everything about Perfect Fit.

Josie and Will are two flawed individuals but when they come together, they make each other the best versions of themselves in all aspects of their lives. 🥹

Josie is strong FM who is a CEO and is juggling her work and still being there for her friends/employees. I was able to relate so much to Josie because I often struggle with overachiever syndrome as well.

And Will… 🥰 he supported Josie through everything, was there for here and never was intimidated by how strong and independent she is.

The chemistry between these two LEAPS off the page and will have you falling in love with them.

Also, you know how much I love a second chance so the flashback’s to Will and Josie’s moment together as teenagers was 🤌🏻

Perfect Fit- a standalone

By: Clare Gilmore- read Love Interest and gave it 4⭐

Publication: 10-29-24, Read 8-15-24

Setting: Nashville (their hometown) and Austin, TX and Manhattan

🙏🏽Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC🧡! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Genre: Adult Fic, Contemporary Romance/Rom-Com

Tropes: workplace romance, 2nd chance romance, enemies to lovers, friendship

💭Summary: Josephine "Josie" Davis (27) is a workaholic trying to open her own clothing store based on her fashion brand "Revenant." Her biggest investor makes her hire a consultant who happens to be Will Grant (27). He is the twin brother of her former BFF Zoe who Josie kissed in high school nine years ago. Josie and her former BFF Zoe had a falling out years ago and haven't spoken since.

🤔My Thoughts: This was a very adult relationship with Josie working her heart out as CEO and having Will as her support. He was a dreamy hero with a great heart who cared for others and wasn't threatened by josie's success. Josie had to deal with burnout and workplace drama and made a decision to have both love and career.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

LITERALLY GIRLBOSS DREAMS! I love Josie so much and can identify with her internal turmoil and anxiety, even though I am the furthest from a female CEO. Having a healthy, male romantic partner portrayed was such a relief almost. Instead of waiting for the shoe to drop of Will and Josie’s relationship, I felt a peacefulness that both partners were at a point of healthy change.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and I will gladly read anything by Clare Gilmore anytime, day or night!

Thank you, Clare Gilmore, St Martin's Press, and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Josephine is a CEO with no time for anything not work related, but when she runs into Will, her ex-best friend's brother, she starts to reconsider how she runs her life. She ends up hiring Will as a consultant, making their relationship even more forbidden.
I really loved this book. The tension between the two MCs was amazing. I loved all the pining. I also really liked seeing how both Will and Josie evolve throughout the book. I highly recommend this book, literally so good.

Clare wrote a near perfect book! Such a good emotional journey. She understands the small moments of romance and how they need to land. No notes, just love!

This might be one of the healthiest representations of a relationship I have read about in a very long time. This was a beautiful story, not just about love, but also about friendships, personal growth, and navigating life as a young woman. Set in the heart of Austin, Texas, the story follows Josie, a young CEO trying to juggle her clothing company, her best friend’s bachelorette party, and the launch of her first physical clothing store. Oh, and she's also trying (and failing) not to fall for her ex-best friend's twin brother, Will.

I loved everything about this book so much. The characters were so lovable! Josie’s a total girl-boss, but she’s also dealing with burnout and putting way too much pressure on herself. And Will? He’s just the sweetest, a guy who’s secure in himself and totally supportive of Josie’s ambitions. Together, they navigate their conflict with open communication, which is such a breath of fresh air—so thankful for the lack of dramatic third-act breakups!

I read Clare Gilmore’s debut novel “Love Interest” last year and absolutely loved it. Her sophomore novel is no different; it truly did not disappoint! “Perfect Fit” comes out in October, and I highly, highly recommend checking it out! A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a good read that I enjoyed! I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!