Member Reviews
Once I started this book I was totally engrossed in the lives of Josie and Will. Sometimes romance novels can be totally predictable and the reason I enjoyed this one was it was not at all formulaic. The characters were complex with insecurities and past experiences that shaped their relationships. It was truly an enjoyable read and should be a great one to add to your TBR.
If Clare Gilmore writes it. I am going to read it!
This book was thoughtful, kind and oh so swoon worthy. The characters were exceptionally crafted, they were both tender, and fiercely independent. I valued the strong female characters and the multiple healthy relationships! The moments between Josie and Will were thoughtful, kind and filled with so much love. I cried the happiest tears. Every time I picked it up a felt a sense of calm fall over me as I fell back into Josie and Will's story.
I really appreciated how this book had me thinking critically and reflecting on hustle culture,
This book is perfection! I will definitely be re-reading this one over and over again to heal my soul. Reading it was like having Clare Gilmour give me the biggest book hug!
RTC when I’m able to stop crying but god what an excellent book. Will & Josie are everything to me. Infinity stars.
If there was any concern that Clare Gilmore’s second book might not be as good as Love Interest, don’t worry. It’s even better. (Which says a lot because that was a fantastic debut.) I have 94 highlights saved for this book, and one of them is a page and a half long. I simultaneously want to share so many quotes when the time comes but also don’t because I wouldn’t want to deny anyone the chance to read them for the first time in the context they deserve.
This review is going to end up being long enough as it is without coming up with my own summary, so if you’re interested in that, the publisher sums it up nicely.
Josephine. Josie. Sweet, vulnerable, puts on a good front Josie. There is so much to love about her, feel empathy and hurt for her, find admirable about her, and be inspired by her. I just wanted to give her the biggest hug and also reassure her that she was killing it but also help her breathe easier. Her deepest insecurities were so easy to understand and relate to. Her personal journey and character arc throughout this entire journey was so beautiful. I felt every emotion with her.
Will Grant now owns a piece of my heart and I’ll probably never get it back. I’m not sure I’ve read a more mature, authentic in his flaws, fully well-rounded male main character in a book that I can currently recall off the top of my head. He’s done the self-reflective work since high school, he has his convictions, he knows what he want and communicates it clearly, he’s a natural caretaker while also being supportive and recognizing a need for independence when the situation calls for it. I could write an essay on this man and the way he approaches everything with Josie. He owns his past, present, and future and he fosters and protects such a healthy space for the two of them. He shows up in a way that proves he truly sees Josie.
There is also such a lovely portrayal of friendships throughout this book. The way friendships can let you down, pick you up, evolve in the face of change and loss, and everything in between. It added so much additional depth to an already great story.
Clare Gilmore has officially earned autobuy status for me and I can’t wait to add a copy of this one to my shelves later this year. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have to say, I really enjoyed this book. It was almost perfection in the way that the author captured what it is to be a moder day working woman and the impacts on our personal and professional lives. That is to say, this book brought great on the romance, but that was not all the story added up to and I personally enjoyed another, accurate, aspect. But speaking of romance - wow, what a great character Will was. He just hit Josephine's needs in all the right places, and nothing was over the top or unbelievable.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
clare gilmore is my queen! reading her books about young people figuring out how to love each other, and just as importantly, themselves feel like receiving a hug from a person who's like, really good at giving hugs. the scenarios feel realistic and not too over the top, the inter and intrapersonal conflicts manageable but still with stakes, the vignettes in which our heroine and hero grow closer seem absolutely delightful insofar as i wished i was able to experience them too, the spreadsheet x spreadsheet love interests (see what i did there?) representation matters!!! many many thanks SMP for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sophomore slump? Don’t know her.
Clare Gilmore absolutely slayed her sophomore release. 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. (👋🏻 it’s me, hi!) Josie’s journey is a lot of our journey’s and I cried with pride in my heart when she finally had enough.
And my god, WILL GRANT. How do I even put this man into words? He is perfection. My physical copy is going to be a mess when this book releases, thanks to all of the swoon-worthy moments he provides. He loves Josie in exactly the way she needs him to - with care and intention and space. This man’s love language is DEFINITELTY acts of service - from loading uhauls to club reservations to caretaking to filling her fridge, Will shows Josie love in every moment.
I will definitely be reading my eARC over and over and over. So grateful to SMP for sending a copy my way.
- Josie is the CEO of a successful clothing start up, where everything is going swimmingly. Then, her ex-best friend’s brother hits her car with his bike, hijacks a meeting with her consultant, and is *back* in her life—even though their past is the reason she doesn’t talk to her best friend anymore.
This book was so good!! I think I love Will Grant more than any fictional man ever??? Oh my god to be loved by that!!!! I love that we got to see Josie be real and messy and make mistakes and grow. This was an entirely heartwarming book that felt so REAL in a way I think is really hard to write. Gilmore is very quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Read this one!
"Perfect Fit" is an enjoyable story about a young woman who needs to find a better work/life balance and rediscover her passion (in more ways than one). A “mistake” from her past will unexpectedly reappear, is not at all what was expected, but is exactly what she needs.
Josie is a young successful entrepreneur whose life revolves around her business. When Will, a guy from her past, literally runs into her, she has to deal with old, unresolved issues and insecurities. What ensues is a pretty good romance novel. Good dialog, fun friends, hot guy. Josie wasn’t my favorite character—she was a good person and businesswoman, but hard to connect with on a personal level. I’d also have enjoyed a little more plot conflict. This book was an OK read. 3.5 stars.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for inviting me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
This book was perfect. I think one of the author’s greatest strengths is the way she is lets her characters be known. They are always multidimensional and we know them in spaces outside of the relationship. This book had me GIGGLING and made me feel things books haven’t made me feel in a long time. It was so good and easy to read.
Loved this book! I enjoyed the main character being an absolute girl boss ( but also realistic) with great female friendships. Will is SO boyfriend <3 Read this if you like second chance romances and hate third act breakups.
Clare Gilmore does it again! Perfect Fit has the perfect level of wit and heartfulness – matched with an addictive level of tension throughout the book. Will is the perfect golden retriever MMC and I thought Josie’s emotional journey was so well done. The only aspect of this book that may turn some readers away might be the FMC’s gen-z style pop culture metaphors and references, but I personally found them more endearing than distracting. Overall, I highly, highly recommend Perfect Fit – and I am so grateful for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars
A warm and heartfelt romance from the author of Love Interest. Josephine has spent her 20s building her brand, Revenant, and now she is a CEO. She is also burnt out. One day, she (literally) runs into Will Grant, the twin brother of her ex-best friend. The two have a history and now they are forced together when Will ends up being the consultant she wanted to hire. Can they get over their old issues?
I adored this book. It reminded me of the movie, The Intern. Josie is such an interesting character and I was equally as invested in her personal journey as I was the romance. The chemistry was spot-on. The character arcs were perfection. Absolutely loved this one.
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was so grateful and excited to receive the ARC for Perfect Fit! Thank you NetGalley & St. Martins Press! I was a huge fan of Clare Gilmore’s first book Love Interest and I have to say she is one of my new favourite authors. Just like with Love Interest I was pulled into Perfect Fit right off the bat. As stated in my review for Love Interest I typically do not enjoy corporate storylines but once again I thoroughly enjoyed this book, absolutely fell in love with the strong female lead and the unicorn of a man that was Will. Clare writes men that are so perfect and not even in an annoying ,non-believable way. Even when they have “faults” they are faults you can understand and empathize with. You will throw out any and all red flags out of the window for them haha. I honestly adore the male leads she writes. And once again the way the female lead is a self-made badass who works hard, is funny, independent and smart which made me so happy. I truly loved Josephine’s journey and how finding Will again wasn’t a story of “I fell I love and I need to upheave my life” but instead it was full of true self-reflection and re-evaluating what really matters to you at different stages of your life. How your partner is meant to be your support and other half, and to cheer you on & encourage growth. Sigh, I just loved these two characters.
Some quotes that made me swoon:
-“Because you are not and never have been a surface-level girl, Josephine. You’re just a girl who loves things you have every right to love. And if I’m the boy who once convinced you that can’t be true, then I will become the man who convinces you it absolutely is.”
now.”
-But now, when I think of Austin, I think of you. Us. Here, together, in our home. For years now, I’ve been untethered, fighting my instincts, but looking for a feeling of peace. I found it the day I ran into your car. You are the good feeling.”
-“Because I’m pretty sure everything in my life—everything I’ve done, every choice I’ve made—has pointed me straight back to you. How I love you, why I love you, the way I love you.”
Honestly Clare Gilmore writes the most beautiful love declarations I’ve ever read.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!
Thank you so much SMP for sending me an eARC of Clare's next book— her debut novel, LOVE INTEREST, took me by surprise and blew me away last summer, which is why I am so excited to see and support her in her continued success. I'm certain I will love this one just as much her first novel and I can't wait to fully dive in!
I LOVED this book. I was a big fan of Clare Gilmore's first book, Love interest. I'm so grateful the publisher sent me her follow up. This book did not disappoint. I am obsessed with Will Grant. He was a great male character and he got better and better. Their relationship progression was so great and I loved the unique and fun career for the F MC. highly recommend reading both of her books!! also the covers are to die for.
4.5 ⭐️
One of the most relatable, incredibly funny books I’ve read in a long time!
I experienced a full range of emotions while reading Perfect Fit. I’m literally writing this review with tears still running down my face after reading the last page. I laughed, I physically cringed, I cried.
The romance development was so realistic, and honestly Will is perfect. No notes. As a millennial that has been pushed into the “sell your soul and find value as a human in work” culture - and has had to actively fight against burnout by finding contentment and identity outside of that - wow. This was like getting slapped across the face (in a good way?) with a past version of myself’s inner monologue. I’m so thankful I’ve already learned some of what Josie does in this story in my own life. I really hope this book will be helpful for others that maybe need to see themselves in these characters too.
<I>Thank you so much to the publisher for kindly sharing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. </I>
4.5 stars
I absolutely loved Will (he was literally the perfect, supportive book boyfriend) and while second chances are usually hit or miss for me, this one was well developed and the chemistry was off the charts.
The only (small) knock I would have is a few odd pacing spots that could’ve been improved (like the random quitting from Camila at her bachelorette that was left a mystery for the next 40% of the book)
Clare has become one of my favorite authors. I adored her debut novel, and when I got the invite to read this book early I was beyond excited. The gasp I gasped when I saw the email was heard throughout our house.
I’m going to try and narrow down the things I loved about this book. Here we go:
- The writing. I think Clare is a brilliant writer. You will laugh out loud. You will be squealing and kicking your feet in the air. And you will be clutching your chest panting because not only is it super cute, but the tension is also top notch. Not to mention all the highlight-able passages. Clare truly has a way with words. So, so good.
- Character development. I loved that both these characters had their own journey to go on. I loved that they went on it together. I love that they chose to make space for each other. They are very real, complex people and I appreciated their maturity.
- Side characters. What a great set of supporting characters. I loved that Josie had such a strong and supportive female group. I loved Will and his twin sister’s relationship, too.
- Full name as a nickname. “‘Josephine,’ he scolds, voice low, and my whole body violently erupts hearing my full name from him, after all this time.”
I can go on and on but truly, you just need to add this to your TBR. While you wait, go pick up Love Interest if you haven’t already read it!
Thank you so much for this ARC, my reader heart is very very happy!