I was 5% into the book and I knew exactly why I love Claire's books, even if I've only read one (now two), is the way she translates feelings into words. She writes the kind of feelings I long to feel.
TS and Gracie Abrams references? in love.
This is the story of Josie, who has built a fashion brand off the ground from her college bedroom and is always grinding into expanding it further. She is determined to get her brand B corp certified, therefore, according to her biggest investor, she will need to hire a consultant firm to get the certification. After she literally runs into Will, the twin brother of Josie’s ex best friend, and ends up working with him as the main consultant for the certification, her life is turned upside down. She can't stay away from him, he can't stay away from her and it shows. This couple speak in acts of service which had me swooning and rooting for them. Before she considers the idea of a boyfriend she must deal with the fact that she lives in Austin and he lives in NYC and most importantly she is a workaholic with little to no time for a relationship. This is a slow burn with very realistic life circumstances. At around the 80% mark I wasn’t sure of where the book was going as it seemed over by then, but then it gets introduced the last conflict for the book to come full circle, I’m conflicted a little by this part but overall I loved the book.
My rating: 4.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC.
My review will be scheduled for the pub date.

This was an okay romance for the most part i found myself rooting for the main characters and hoping that they got their happy ending. The fmc is a business owner and fashion designer while the mmc is a broker turned consultant. When the mmc applies to consult for the fmc's company that is the first time they've seen each other since high school. The mmc's sister was the fmc's best friend and they fell out after the high school kiss.

This story felt very realistic with the fmc juggling her career, social media, burnout, and the business. I thought the romance was cute and happened and a steady pace that felt authentic to the characters. I also really liked that the main characters worked through their issues without breaking up. There were some parts where I felt a bit bored but overall this is a sweet romance that i would recommend. Thank you to the publisher for this arc for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for this ARC!

4.5⭐️ Wow, this is my first time reading one of Clare’s books, and I am a FAN!

Setting and Atmosphere:
From the beginning, this book drew me in because it was not only set in my hometown but also featured Josie attending my university! It’s hard not to love a book that is set in a place that is incredibly special to you, and it’s even harder when the author does such a wonderful job of capturing the essence of the city. I truly think Clare either has a connection to Austin or just did some in-depth research! The descriptions of the local landmarks, the bustling university life, and the unique vibe of Austin made the setting come alive.

Characters:
The way Clare wrote Josie and Will was the perfect balance of realistic but still so much fun to read about. Josie’s character is relatable and genuine, and her journey through personal growth and relationships felt authentic. Will, on the other hand, is charming and his development throughout the story is both heartwarming and realistic. Their interactions are filled with humor, warmth, and tenderness, making their romance a joy to follow. Clare’s jokes about finance bros were too accurate and brought me back to my business major days, adding a layer of nostalgia and humor.

Themes and Resonance:
Clare also captured something that I personally resonated with deeply. Here’s the quote and my thoughts: “Oh my gosh… You’re secretly weird too!” When Zoe finds out that Josie also has a niche interest, she and Josie are able to feel seen by one another in such a sweet way. This moment highlights the theme of finding connections and being understood, which is something everyone can relate to. It beautifully illustrates the importance of embracing our quirks and finding our tribe.

Romance:
And the love in this story was the definition of tender. “The way you feel to me is like an inevitable rightness.” UGH, yes Will. You are perfect, perfect, perfect! The romantic development between Josie and Will is handled with such care, making it both realistic and swoon-worthy. Their relationship is built on mutual respect, understanding, and a deep emotional connection, which is refreshing to see in a romance novel.

Final Thoughts:
Essentially, what I’m trying to say is you should read this book if you’re looking for a sweet romance surrounded by amazing friends and the realistic struggles of people in their mid-twenties. Clare’s ability to blend humor, romance, and heartfelt moments makes this a must-read. Whether you’re a fan of contemporary romance or just looking for a feel-good story set in a vibrant city, “The Perfect Fit” is definitely worth your time.

Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore was so wonderful!

Josephine is a powerhouse FMC - she created a fashion line and is an awesome boss. She also deals with anxiety, which was handled very well on-page.

Will is a blast from the past - and the reason she lost her best friend. When he comes back into her life with a promise to help her business, can she trust him?

Excellent banter, funny internal monologue, enemies to lovers and spice - this book had it all!!

The chemistry between these two is so easy to see from the beginning. I loved that Will was all about acts of service. What a king. Will is the twin brother of Josephine's ex best friend, and when she's made to hire a consultant, it ends up being him. It's clear why some animosity between these two might exist to begin with, Will being the twin of her ex best friend. But they work so well together, and it makes the book that much sweeter. I love how it tackles topics like insecurities and self doubt, which is something I don't see a lot in books. Despite this, it really was a nice flowy easy read for me and I enjoyed it quite a lot.

Thank you St. Martins Griffin for the #gifted arc to read and review

This was my first Clare Gilmore book and I’m sitting here screaming, “sign me up for everything she writes in the future!” This book was fantastic!

The characters were so incredibly well developed. So human and yet, their flaws never made me think less of them, only how resilient they were.

Expect —> badass female ceo, right person wrong time, ex best friend’s brother, office (ish) romance, relatable characters, a meet cute?

Jose has once again found her self-worth ties to her social media accounts and beloved the best course of action is to delete socials, duck her head down and dedicate EVERYTHING to her booming business. No time for a life and certainly no time or desire for love. Until Will literally crashes his bike into her car and the tectonic plates of her carefully curated world start to shift.

How incredibly relatable to find your self worth tied to social media and what is said about you or how a post performs 🙃

I feel like I went into this book about strangers and came out with friends.

I loved everything about this book!

PERFECT FIT is a second chance, workplace romance about a CEO and a consultant with a past that they can't seem to put behind them. When Josephine Davis has to hire a consultant for her Austin-based fashion brand, the last person she expects to be working with is Will Grant, twin brother of her ex-best friend. As Josie and Will begin to work together, they find themselves drawn to each other. But Will lives in New York and Josie doesn't have time to date, so there's no point in worrying about it, right? Right...

I had such a great time reading PERFECT FIT! I really loved Josie as a main character. She was so realistic and relatable. At the beginning of the book, I was a little worried that the conflict of what happened between Josie, Zoe, and Will when they were teenagers would feel blown out of proportion, but as more details were revealed, I came to understand why each character had acted the way they did.

One of the cornerstones of a good book for me is good side characters and PERFECT FIT did not disappoint in that regard. I loved Josie's friends so much and I loved that they each got their moment to shine.

Overall, I would really recommend this book to romance readers who like second chance stories that deal with anxiety and burnout, great cast of side characters, and a mild amount of spice.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Perfect Fit was a lighthearted fun read about Josie, a CEO of a fashion brand in Austin and Will, her ex-best friend's twin brother. They meet again after a decade apart when Will consults for Josie's company. Josie wasn't the most relatable as a CEO whose wealthy family supports her company and life but I enjoyed their story.

Their chemistry was good and the relationship was cute. Will is very patient as Josie navigates some big obstacles in her life. His willingness to communicate throughout all changes, issues, and anxiety was refreshing. I also appreciated the late twenties burnout/quarter-life crises multiple characters navigated throughout the story.

Overall a fun read if you enjoy second chance romance with no third act break up and the best friend's brother/workplace romance trope. And the ambiguous ending did leave me thinking what I would want if I were in her shoes!

Thank you to Net Galley and St Martins Press for this digital ARC!

I absolutely loved this book! Josie’s character goes through so much grow since graduating high school and her past friendship with Zoe allowed her to be a better friend to Camila and help her be the best version of herself. Will Grant is book boyfriend GOALS!!! I love when the MMC falls first and is all about acts of service. This book gave me all the best feelings and I can’t wait for more books by Clare Gilmore!

Perfect Fit is like a love letter to millennial women addicted to the grind, whose sense of worth is directly tied to the work they do and the perception others have of them. Josie’s journey is a lot of our journey’s and I cried with pride in my heart when she finally had enough.

4.5⭐️

This was everything!!!! I had so much fun reading it. I gotta say that I liked this one even more that "love interest". This author has so much potential 👏🏻

I went into this one without knowing that it was a second chance romance and what a pleasant surprise it was 🤭 the yearning had me on my kness. I love when I found books with complex stories and characters, because it feels realistic and I can see myself relating with the plot / characters.

I did tear up a couple of times because Josie made me feel like looking at a mirror. On the other hand, Will was such a goner for her. My acts of service king!!! 😭 "what if I was okay with being your collateral damage?" PLEASE 😭😭😭😭 The chemistry and connection was instant since the beginning, making this the perfect romance to me honestly 💕

Aside from the romance, this touches other topics like working in the corporate world, the fear of not being enough, social expectations, friendships and so many more aspects that made this super interesting and fascinating!!

Thank you NetGalley for the reader advance copy.

I loved Clare Gilmore's first book, LOVE INTEREST, so I naturally had to pick up PERFECT FIT, and Gilmore is definitely cementing herself as a favourite romance author!

PERFECT FIT was a swoon filled, steamy romance that is a perfect fit (ha!) for those who love their romance books to be more about the characters rather than the plot with a bit more substance to them. I loved how Gilmore carefully navigated conversations about careers, ambition, social media - all important subjects that we face today, without taking away from the true essence of the book - the romance!

Perfect Fit follows Josie Davis, who is the CEO of a fashion business in Austin. While looking to hire a consultant to help her business, she runs into her former best friends brother Will, who happens to be a consultant! After hiring him, sparks fly and the story takes off from there.

I absolutely loved the growth of Josie and Will's relationship - you see it grow while also diving deeper into their past together in high school and Josie's break off from his sister Zoe. Josie is such a strong FMC, and I ended up really relating to her and her drive and passion for her work. Will was literally the sweetest to her and I loved everything about him.

My only critique is that at times it got a bit slow, and I think if the book was a bit shorter it would have flowed better for the reader. I'd still highly recommend this to anyone - it was such a fun read and I'll definitely come back to more Clare Gilmore books in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book to honestly review!

Clare Gilmore has done it again. Josephine Davis & Will Grant were such a great pair.
Let me start off with Josephine. I could very much relate to Josie’s addiction to the grind. Her sense of self worth being tied to her professional success is a struggle for so many of us millennial women.
And Will Grant. Boy was he perfection. He listened to Josie’s needs and supported her in every way he could. He showed her love in everything he did. He definitely has my heart.
Overall I loved it however some parts felt rushed. I wished we could have savored Will & Josie falling for each other a little longer.

I got this book from NetGalley as an arc.

I enjoyed this book. I did skip some parts because it felt slow moving or unneeded. I loved the main characters but there were also annoying characteristics I couldn’t get past with the mmc. Overall it was a good read and a good lesson on communication being key!

I thought this was a light and enjoyable read. I didn’t love it as much as I hoped, but I did enjoy reading it. I found the characters to be relatable and likable. I didn’t feel like anything specific stood out to me in this book to remember it. But I know others absolutely loved it! If you’re a fan of second chance romances, I recommend checking it out.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The last two romances I've read have been really good. This felt very mature and the character growth was realistic. I liked having older main characters. This is one I could for sure see myself coming back to. I love how Josie and Will had intimate moments together the weren't sex before they had sex. I don't mind when that happens, but it made the sex scenes mean that much more.

I loved this SO much. After also loving Love Interest, Perfect Fit cements Clare Gilmore as one of my favorite new romance authors. This was so, so swoony, in addition to all the commentary about ambition and perception and social media just really cutting me to the bone.

This book was charming in the cutest way. I loved that they knew each other in high school but that it wasn't some deep teenage love that they were coming back to. The maturity that they both showed was refreshing, and the fact that the FMC was the one with money for a change, and not always the secret male billionaire.

Some of the timelines were a little confusing, particularly the trips to South America then Europe, the editing seemed confusing at times with that.

Overall I loved this and would recommend as a cute summer read.

It was an interesting, well-written book that I really enjoyed! I was distracted by how unrealistic the source of the drama was, however. It seemed like it should've been more than just a brief kiss 9 years ago. It made the rest of the storyline a bit unbelievable, as it seemed highly unlikely that a small moment would have caused so much chaos. Aside from the unlikely source of the drama, the story was great and fully enjoyed.