“Perfect Fit” by Clare Gilmore
A Real Page-Turning Read
I found this to be a fun read. The characters were dealing with long-term issues that had made a difference in their choices in the past, and how of if, those issues would impact their futures. I want to share so much more, but I don’t want to spoil your discovery of all the twists and turns. This is a worthy read that I am very glad I had the opportunity to read. Happy Reading ! !

This was a cute and fun book to read! I felt the emotions Josephine felt with her anxiety and being a people pleaser. I really enjoyed this book and thank you for the chance to review this ARC.

Absolutely loved the banter in this book ! I am also always a sucker for workplace romance but to add the highschool background was nice. Great writing and overall just a really fun book to read.

*Thank you to St Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

God, I needed to read a book about burnout and this one was FAB. High school fling meets workplace romance? Uh yessssss please!

I love how Clare Gilmore writes her characters. They always feel so REAL. Josie and Will's relationship developed so organically, despite Josie's attempts to nip it in the bud. Between an impactful (yes, I'm proud of myself for that pun) meet-cute, and chaotic store openings and bachelorette parties, they get to spend so much time together on page. Honestly this book is almost entirely just them interacting and I'm not mad about it. Also Garlic Fest? Ahhhhhhmazing.

I've been loving the trend of books having no third act break-up and this is no different. (No third act break-up? No problem!) Give me a man who fills my fridge with gourmet food, listens to what I say I want, and delivers it any day. This woman writes the heroes we NEED in this modern age and I freaking love it.

Clare does it again! This book was dreamy, sexy, honest, and I’m obsessed with it. As someone in my late 20s, I understand Josie and her drive to succeed but the story of her finding love and breaking down her internal barriers was beautiful. Will Grant is every woman’s dream. He’s sexy, caring, passionate. Thankful I got to read this ARC and cannot wait to see what Clare does next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. This was a fun read, and I actually sped through it faster than her debut. I enjoyed the plot and the banter. It was a little slow at times, but I am excited for the audio of this as I think it will be a fun listen.

What an adorable and healthy romance. I always go in expecting the usual complications and breakups and this was just such a breath of fresh air to read. It took me a bit to get through because it was a little slower in the middle but that ending is everything.

This was such a sweet and tender book! The story was so sweet and had such thoughtful reflections on girlhood, friendship, burnout, and the cost of our capitalistic culture. I was hooked from the first page and just fell deeper and deeper in love with each and every character 💖 Josie and Will may be my new favorite couple in books (Will is for sure my new favorite book boyfriend 😍) I know that I'll definatley be returning to reread and experience their love story again and again!

Rating: 🌟∞

Thank you to Clare Gilmore, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review 🥰

Thanks netgalley.

I love Clare Gilmore book perfect fit. It was fun and easy to read. The characters were easy to relate to to a point. I liked the writing style and the plot of the book.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Josie Davis, CEO and creator of a budding clothing brand, spends puts all her time and energy into her work.

That is, until the brother of a childhood friend, Will, crashes into her car and out of her past.

But when Josie hires Will as a consultant to her company, they learn more about each other than they ever knew growing up and quickly become attracted to each other.

This was a slow burn with perfect pacing and realistic characters. I found myself falling for the characters, just as they fell for each other.

Dear St. Martin's Griffin,
please consider this review a declaration of my love for Clare Gilmore's writing.

I have been waiting for this book ever since I read Gilmore's first novel (which is also 5 stars and you should read my review where I gush over it). I always get nervous when I'm this excited for a release but this did not disappoint at all.

First of all, I just love Gilmore's writing. Everything flows so nicely you look up and realize you're already halfway through the book. This would've been a one-sitting book if life didn't get in the way. I love how she describes things as well. And of course I have to mention the dialogue which always feels so natural that I'm convinced she just recorded a group of friends talking. This adds to the vibes and authenticity of the book in general, but it really shines through during the bigger moments between the main characters, like when they confess their feelings.

One thing that shocked me was the fact that this book is a slow-burn. Why was I so shocked? Well as I previously mentioned Gilmore's style of writing pulls you in and refuses to let go for hours. Because of this, I didn't even realize how far into the book I was! It actually is a slow-burn (first kiss at 70%), but the pacing and writing don't give it that impression. I really am so impressed because I didn't feel like the romance had been rushed or dragged out; basically this is the Goldilocks of slow-burns.

The plot and characters were also phenomenal. It was amazing to see complex relationships and how friendships change. Everything felt incredibly real. By the time I finished the book I felt like I really knew the characters and had been with them on their own journeys. Simply beautiful.

This is one of my new favorite books ever. I want to spend the next hour listing out every single reason to love this book but I'd really just end up copy-and-pasting the entire book here. And please note the the main characters are my emotional support characters/couple and the only reason I'm not talking about them more in-depth is because I don't think I'd be able to stop.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-arc. I am already waiting for her next novel.

If you're looking for a cute rom-com, this one is definitely for you! The characters and the stories were absolutely relatable and were told in such a sweet and engaging way. Can't wait to see what Claire has next!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Josie is a lady who knows what she wants -from her iced caramel oat milk latte to her preference on days of the week. When her former bestie’s brother that she has a past with shows up as a consultant at her business, her structured existence gets quite the shake-up! Perfect Fit is a beautiful and breezy escape to the laid back yet competitive fashion landscape of Austin, a breath of Texas fresh air! Clare Gilmore writes a book filled with a breadth of human emotions and complicated histories that come with relationships but pairs it all so well together like a tailored outfit that it all works together seamlessly. Perfect Fit is the perfect book for second chances blends and finding a smooth balance in life to find happiness.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Review is posted on Goodreads and final review will be on instagram closer to publication date and Amazon when published!

Josephine Davis is the CEO of her own clothing brand Revenant, with her best friend by her side in business and in life. As she drives into work one day, she literally runs into her high school friend's brother, Will. From that moment, Josephine's world gets thrown off its axis as Will is in town to consult for Revenant. Through the weeks and month of their professional relationship, Josephine learns more about Will and Will gets Josephine to realize she will survive if life doesn't follow her perfectly crafted plans.

While this is a romance novel, it is a story about friendships, work/life balance and mental health, family, and overall happiness. The HEA of course does happen but it's a reminder that professional success shouldn't come at the expense of internal happiness.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for the arc.

This was a delightful read. The fmc and mmc relationships in this book were great. Romantically, professionally and as friends they always had that kinship and respect towards each other. Their honesty was refreshing!

4.5 stars rounded up.

Perfect Fit is a beautiful story about navigating life’s challenges, finding yourself, and finding your way when things start to feel overwhelming and unclear.

Josephine is a workaholic, people pleasing, anxious perfectionist. As a fellow anxious workaholic feeling a bit suffocated in Corporate America, I related to Josie on so many levels. I loved her loyalty, selflessness, and passion.

Will was just absolutely precious, almost too perfect if I’m being honest, but I ate it up anyway. He showed so much love for Josie throughout without putting added pressure on her when in a pivotal crisis in her life. He was so kind and selfless for her and his acts of service made my heart melt. I couldn’t help but itch for his POV throughout just to get into his head.

Overall, the story had some consistency issues and some pacing issues, slowing particularly in the middle (e.x saying that she hates the term “girl boss” but then using it multiple times and the “it girl” references didn’t quite make sense as Josie’s really painted as more of a loner while in high school). Despite these issues, I really enjoyed my first Claire Graham read. The character banter was joyful, funny, and brought life to all of the side characters. I found the characters real and relatable and I found myself wanting more.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Clare Gilmore, the rising queen of rom coms? I loved Love Interest so going in to Perfect Fit, I had super high hopes. Every single hope I had was surpassed, Gilmore writes unique, interesting, and new concepts that the Tik Tok romance book space is severely lacking. I hope she keeps writing because I will keep devouring anything she is offering. Easy 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this ARC!

3.5 stars- ooh this was cute! I love love when books feature strong, female characters and Josie was a stellar FMC that I really enjoyed reading about. In this story we have second chance, best friends brother, forced proximity, workplace romance, amazing communication between MCs- it was so easy to completely eat this one up!

Will and Josie earned their HEA and I think the way that it was done was so rewarding for me as a reader. I loved the female friendships woven in throughout this book and also the conversations surrounding mental health, grief and career burnout. I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to reading more from Clare Gilmore!

Just finished reading “The Perfect Fit” by Clare Gilmore.

This book was so enjoyable! It was just a perfect romance. This is the first book I have read by this author but will definitely go back for more.

All the characters were relatable and that really helped with the story. Who doesn’t want it all but still stresses about something losing out?!

Highly recommend!

This was my first book by Clare Gilmore and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the Austin setting, and the messiness of the characters was relatable and compelling. Gilmore explored start-ups, clothing lines, women in business, small businesses in general and friendship at different phases of life, but the book never felt scattered. The love story is second-chance/best friend's brother, and even though there's a pull right away, the relationship develops organically. Also, I know I'm probably in the minority but I loved the ambiguous ending. Will definitely read Gilmore's next book and would love to listen to this one on audiobook when it's released in the fall.