This is just such an *adult* love story. And, no, I don't mean spicy or steamy (though it isn't entirely close door). I mean this is a story that feels real to the adult experience of falling in love despite what you think you deserve and what else you have going against you.

Josie is the CEO of the clothing company she created, Revenant, when her ex-best friend's brother runs into her car. That brother, Will Grant, is an important story in her own reinvention. A drunken make out on the beach in high school led to the dissolution of her friendship and her crashing and burning with the student body.

Will's grown up now though, just like Josie. He agrees to work as a consultant with her company, but he ultimately becomes her guide in making sure that she's selfish in getting both what she needs and what she wants. Will is down bad for her, but in a way that, again, feels very grown up. He can see what she won't admit, she's burnt out and needing to slow down or step away.

Gilmore does a great job of capturing that burn out, how it feels to attach your worth to your professional accomplishments, and what it means if something doesn't work out. The communication she models between Josie and Will feels real, the "drama" of the third act isn't manufactured. Heck, it isn't even drama.

* Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! *

Clare Gilmore's Perfect Fit is a contemporary romance that pulls readers into the fast-paced, high-stakes world of Josephine Davis, a fiercely ambitious CEO who has poured her heart into building her Austin-based fashion brand, Revenant. But when her primary investor insists on bringing in a consultant to steer the company's future, Josie is blindsided to find herself working alongside Will Grant, the twin brother of her former best friend and the last person she thought she'd cross paths with again.

Gilmore crafts a story that’s not just about rekindling old connections but about the journey of reconciling past misconceptions and finding unexpected companionship. Josie and Will's dynamic is colored by their complicated history, having shared a brief, impulsive kiss years ago that has lingered in their memories for different reasons. Will, initially aloof and skeptical of Josie's choices, comes to see the fierce, driven woman behind the designer suits. Josie, once quick to write him off as dark and brooding, starts to discover layers to Will that she never expected. This nuanced evolution in their relationship is one of the book's highlights, making their transition from uneasy colleagues to something more feel natural and deeply satisfying.

Readers will find themselves drawn to Josie’s personal growth as she faces the limits of her independence and questions whether her success is worth the emotional cost of being alone. Will's presence disrupts her carefully managed life, prompting her to reconsider what she really wants — not only for her brand but for herself. With the added tension of their complicated past and the physical distance separating them, the stakes feel both real and relatable.

In Perfect Fit, Gilmore provides a fresh take on the classic romance trope of opposites attracting, balancing humor, chemistry, and emotional depth. Fans of character-driven romance will appreciate how well Gilmore captures the vulnerability and resilience needed to pursue both career dreams and love. With a mix of wit and heartfelt moments, Perfect Fit is an engaging story about finding someone who sees the real you — and choosing to let them in.

This is a cute book. I loved that there was no third act break up, the characters handled the ending conflict maturely and with a discussion. That was so refreshing! I also loved the twin sister when we finally met her and that this drama from high school did not follow them 10 years later! Definitely pick up if you are looking for a childhood friends to lovers where everyone is mature and acts their age!

Last year I read and loved Clare’s debut novel Love Interest. So of course I was so excited to get my hands on this book.

Josie is the founder and CEO of a clothing brand named Revenant. She is a perfectionist that lives and breathes her work. One morning on the way to work, a literal run in flipped her life upside down. Will, her teenage ex best friend’s twin brother, ran his bike into her car. This stirred up a lot of not so great feelings of her senior year of high school.

Just like her first novel, this book was more than just a romance. We get Josie’s friendships, family relationships, work experiences as well as her reconciliation with Will. She expertly weaves the present along with the past to slowly give us their backstory and what led to their fall out. We get the inner struggle of Josie not knowing how to balance her personal and work life. Even though she is magnetically drawn to Will, she does everything she can to fight their relationship.

While I really liked this story, the amount of specific work related aspects kind of lost me. I can understand why, to an extent, Josie made the choices she did throughout this book, however there were parts that were more drawn out than they needed to be.

Read if you like:
✨Workplace Romance
✨Second Chance
✨Close friendships

Such a gorgeous book! Amazing banter, intense chemistry between Josie and Will, surprising depths, and beautiful language. Though the characters are only in their mid-late twenties, their problems are real and relatable. Those who hate third act breaks will be happy but there was still plenty of conflict to keep thinks interesting, including important lessons regarding burnout, guilt, friendship, and learning to let go. Clare Gilmore is such a talent.

I looooved this!! Fabulous writing that I couldn't put down. So cute!

Thank you NetGalley and Clare Gilmore!

A hilarious and heartfelt rom-com about having it all, slowing down to see the big picture, and finding out that the person you least expect could be your perfect fit

Was not familiar with this author previously; very cute and fun book. Very lovely cover; catches the eye and matches the swoony, happily ever after romance of the book!

I love this book SO much.

Will Grant left me in a puddle on the floor. His swoon factor is cranked up to 11. I'm obsessed with this man and we must protect him at all costs. We do not deserve him.

Josephine Davis. So much about this character hit very close to home. I found her to be incredibly relatable, and the way Clare portrayed her anxiety was spot on. She was every bit a flawed character, but I loved that about her. She was real and raw and messy, but trying to keep it all together on the outside. She went through significant character growth, but I loved that even while growing and learning, she was still making messes along the way. She easily could have been (and was by many) written off as the shallow, pretty, rich girl, but she was so much deeper than that.

I also loved the female friendships in this book, including repairing a decade old rift that both women were able to accept responsibility for.

I both LOVE and hate how this book ended! It was the perfect way for so many people - especially women - who have experienced burnout and related to this character, that there is no right or wrong option here and to do what's best for you.

Clare Gilmore solidified herself as an auto buy author for me with this one. I love a workplace romance and she absolutely nailed it 2 for 2 in my books.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy.

What an incredibly perfect rom com! Starting with a hilarious meet cute that brings Josie and Will back together after ten years. We find out throughout the story how fateful it was, that they were always meant to find each other again.
Josie is a badass CEO of a successful company that she built from the ground up at a young age. She’s starting to feel the burnout and Will helps her remember what’s most important in life. I absolutely love how intentional and mature they are. Their relationship isn’t rushed. They communicate like adults. I think it’s safe to say that everyone will want a Will Grant in their life after reading this one!

Read if you like:
🚲 Hilarious meet cute
🚲 Reunion with an old fling
🚲 Female friendship
🚲 Mental health/burnout
🚲 Mature, communicative adults
🚲 He takes care of her
🚲 Sexual awakening
🚲 Ex best friends twin brother
🚲 Workplace romance

4.25 stars.

Oh. What a book! Oh I truly enjoyed this one and read 70% in one night (and then had to go to work).

So, Josie and Will “run” into each other 9 years after they shared a kiss and her friendship with his twin sister and ended. He ends up becoming the consultant she needs to hire to help her company get B-Corp certified.

This romance was so perfectly paced - watching them fall for each other was so sweet. Will was basically the most perfect book boyfriend you could ask for here. He was patient, caring, and so kind with Josie (there is a sick comfort scene that was so precious!). I also LOVE when it’s single POV (think you, with a view and EmHen).

Josie’s burnout is the quintessential millennial hustle culture. And watching it build throughout the story was so painful… felt a bit like watching a car wreck in slow motion. But I think And then finally, the female friendships were so important to this story. I love when an author makes her FMCs actually have a fully fleshed out life and relationships. I think it could have even been a bigger feature and I wouldn’t have minded.

I really loved this one. Go read it ASAP.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC!

Love this premise featuring a female CEO and a second chance love story. I enjoyed the banter between Josie and Will.

It was refreshing to see Will supporting Josie as she needed it. The characters were relatable and had some growth throughout the story.

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for providing the ARC.

This was a very lighthearted book, I liked the slower pace and wholesome romance. Josie was an interesting character to follow, ambitious, driven, caring, and creative. As a young CEO of her own company, she showcased feelings of uncertainty and self doubt, which I found very relatable. Her connection to Will and their shared history has a lot of time on the pages. They were very cute together, Will is kind and charming, but also smart and driven, making their working relationship also very strong. My only gripe is that maybe the book was a tad too long but I enjoyed it overall. 3.5⭐️

Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC to review.

3.25 ⭐️

what an adorable book! as english x fashion major this story really scratched that itch.

josie is the CEO of a booming fashion brand — and she’s in need of a consultant. enter: will grant. her ex-best friend’s twin brother who she once kissed in highs school. and who’s grown into a FIONE young man. josie isn’t so sure working with him will be a good idea but… he’s the best in the business (and did i mention he’s finnneee???)

i loved each and every one of the characters in this book. they made this a joyous read. it’s the perfect romance palate cleanser that will, no doubt, leave you feeling happy.

my only (small) qualm is that while this book actually takes place over the course of several months, it almost felt like insta-love? i don’t know if that’s just my poor sense of time though. and also how much insta-love irks me. ANYWHO! josie and will are perfect for one another so i get why they’d fall in love immediately, though.

thank you to SMP for my e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

This story was perfection! Witty, wholesome, relatable and romantic. A charming romcom with great banter to keep you laughing and engaged. I really enjoyed Josie’s strong, cheerful personality and ambitious work ethic. And Will… He is the ultimate catch! Smart, understanding, pragmatic and an understated sexiness that was so irresistible. I loved his journey and growth from the past and his open, honest communication. Josie and Will had magnetic chemistry and I loved the slow burn leading up to their ✨moment✨ and their ability to embrace change. This was my first read by Gilmore and I can’t wait to dive into more of her books!

Now look here. You cannot write a beautiful story like this and then end it with a CLIFFHANGER!! What IS that?!! Ugh, I'm so frustrated. I loved the way Will was so incredibly patient with Josie and even his mess-up's were based (mostly) in altruistic logic. The timeline felt realistic and I appreciated that they worked through the dynamic challenges that the story presented. I am SO grateful that there was no 3rd act breakup, that would have completely soured my very favorable opinion of this book up to that point...but then the literal LAST LINE of the book leaves it unfinished. It immediately took it from a 5 star to a 4 star read for me. That aside, I really enjoyed the female friendship focus of this book and the healthy reminder to not place one's stock for self-worth in a perfectly curated digital presence and the onlookers reaction(s) to the small pieces of one's life that they might be privy to. Other than the very last line, I really enjoyed the book and will still recommend that people read it. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 starts
I liked both lead characters, they easy to like. Josie’s overthinking, anxiety and imposter-syndrome felt very relatable but I had a bit of hard time connecting with story fully. I really liked Will and how he supported Josie throughout the storyline and took care of her.
The parts I did not love were just personal preference for me, I do not love when social media/public perception becomes the cause of problems in storylines, and even though the couple knew each other back in high school, still felt a bit too insta-love to me.
Overall it was a cute story and enjoyable read!

oh wow am i blown away!!!! i went into this book completely blind and it captured my heart with every page! i loved the writing and the perfect balance between humor and somber moments that helped me understand and love the dynamic person that josie is. ugh i love her, that's my girl! as an anxious girlie, i've never felt more seen.

and the romance!!!!!!!!! wow josie and will were truly the perfect fit (hehe). they complemented each other so well and allowed themselves space to grow as people while also holding on to their love and allowing it to grow and flourish. they are the definition of an "understanding love" and it was so wonderful to see how communicative and gentle they are with each other.

i'm so happy i read this book and i can't wait to read more of clare gilmore's love stories!!

thank you st martin's press and netgalley for this eARC, it's out now!

Workplace romance romcom by Clare Gilmore? Yes please! After reading 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭, I knew I’d be reading anything else written by her. In 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐭, you meet Josephine Davis, the owner of Revenant, a highly loved fashion brand. As the brand gains more attention and is expanding quickly, she is encouraged by her main investor to hire a consultant. Chances be that she runs into Will Grant, her high schools best friend’s brother, who is also a consultant. The friendship between Will’s sister and Josie had ended abruptly after Zoe had caught Josie and Will kissing at a party. Fast forward to now, Will is adamant he’s the right fit for her and her company and is trying to make their past mistakes right again. She definitely can’t deny that she is in desperate need of help, especially as a self proclaimed workaholic who hasn’t dated in 4 years.

I really enjoyed the set up of the story, two people that have always had an attraction to each other but never explored it past the initial kiss because it ruined trust and a friendship. I love reading about strong FMCs who have successfully built a career, while the MMCs are healthy and supportive partners. Definitely a slow burn building to the story as Josie is apprehensive, while Will is all in. I would of loved for Zoe to be reintroduced into the story quicker so that there was more space for the friendship to be rebuilt from the miscommunication.

✵𝖬𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖲𝗍. 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗂𝗇’𝗌 𝖯𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗀𝗂𝖿𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖠𝖽𝗏𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋’𝗌 𝖢𝗈𝗉𝗒 𝗂𝗇 𝖾𝗑𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝗒 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐.✵

I enjoyed reading Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Clare Gilmore is quickly becoming one of my must reads when it comes to romance. Once again she hit it out of the park with a fresh, unique romance that really hit the spot. I loved Josie and Will so much. Will is a top tier book boyfriend and I related so much to Josie who felt like she had to do absolutely everything herself without ever stopping and taking a break. Both of them felt so real to me and I loved their (sort of) second chance romance so much. The dialogue was lever, the chemistry off the charts and tension hit all my favorite romance tropes. The only thing I couldn’t relate to was how much the two of them love working out and biking (really, I’m so sorry). This book also made me really want to visit Austin. It seems so fun!

The book opens with a fantastic and hilarious meet cute and the forced proximity tension begins from there. Best friend’s brother? Second chance at love? Co-worker romance? What’s not to love! If you also adore clever and sexy romances between two lost people who find each other then absolutely pick this up!

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.