ALL THE STARS. The chemistry between Casey and Alex was off the charts amazing. I was transported back to my first time reading The Hating Game, which is a rush I've wished I could experience again. I am anxiously awaiting more from Clare Gilmore after reading Love Interest.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to Clare Gilmore, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ebook copy of Love Interest for me to read and review. What an amazing debut novel! It was the perfect combination of sugar and spice all mixed with a heaping helping of drama and past trauma. I've always been a fan of the workplace romance trope but the added hate to love twist made Love Interest an addictive unputdownable read! The incredible character growth was written so well with just the right amount of tension and tears and I can't wait to read what Gilmore writes next!

This was cute! I love the rivals to lovers trope and the self growth in both the MC’s. Great characters, I like how it all played out!

4 stars!

I thoroughly enjoyed "Love Interest," which is Clare Gilmore's debut book. This is an enemies-to-lovers workplace romance with a hefty side of corporate goings-on. I will admit that it was a little difficult to get into this book, but as soon as the initial elevator scene happened, I was all in on the main characters Casey and Alex. I don't think I've read a book like this, mainly because of Casey's penchant for finance. I just adored her, and I saw a lot of myself in her character. I also loved Alex, whose tragic backstory slowly unfolds to paint a picture I didn't expect at the start of the book. There is fantastic character development for both her and Alex, and even better development where their love story is concerned. The pining, the longing, the adoration from afar, the unease, the unsureness... I was bewitched by their coupling. They have spectacular banter, great inside jokes, and enough sizzling will-they-won't-they to last me through the season. I also appreciated all of the secondary characters. I loved learning about Casey's parents, her coworkers, and her long-time friends. Unfortunately, I feel like this book ends much too quickly. I enjoyed the ending, but it felt like it wrapped up way too fast compared to the rest of the book. Still, I will be thinking about Tide Free and Gentle for a long, long time to come. Read this book ASAP!

Thank you to NetGalley, Clare Gilmore, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

3 stars | 1 spice

This is a tough one to rate for me. While I certainly enjoyed the story once it got going, it was hard to get into. I feel like I am a little too old for a story like this. It was filled with a lot of work talk which I honestly could have cared less about. Plus for a story that was marketed as work rivals-to-lovers, there really wasn't a rivalry. He got the job she wanted and she never told him about it but quickly got over it because she thought he was hot.

I did think that their relationship was cute once it started. The premise of it was okay but all the work stuff just got in the way of their story for me and kind of took over. I did like the secretive aspect of it. But Casey was a little annoying to me at times with how she discounted herself so often. Only towards the end did she realize that people actually liked her. The mystery aspect when it came to the company was not subtle and I knew what was going on from the beginning. I would have really liked there to be some more mystery to that aspect.

The chemistry between these two is what kept the book going. I enjoyed where their relationship led and how they handled things within the relationship. I wouldn't categorize this as super spicy - just a hint of spice. It's more of a contemporary romance.

Overall, this was a 3-star read for me. I did enjoy it but didn't love it. I would definitely recommend it for someone who cares about finance more than I do and for someone who is a bit younger (early 20s). I think they would appreciate the meme aspect and more of the commentary a little better than I did. I would say that this is still a solid debut thought and I would check out the next thing that Gilmore writes.

Big thanks to St. Martin's Press, Clare Gilmore and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

This debut workplace rom-com was delightful in every sense of the word! Alex was a fantastic romantic hero who fell hard and fast and the relationship between Casey and Alex was mature and swoon-worthy. While this was billed as an enemies to lovers, the tension resolved itself pretty quickly, turning Love Interest into a low-stakes adorable romance.

*Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

**Book was also reviewed on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

This story is told in first person by Casey. I really enjoyed her character and her group of friends and coworkers though a few of them were interchangeable for me. The love interest, Alex, had two sides to him, one that he showed the world as a charismatic, everyone-loves-me type and a quieter side that was a good listener and had a warm heart that is often crushed by the careless disregard of a parent. I enjoyed the flirty meet-cute in the elevator.

While most of this story revolves around the office and the projects that could propel Casey to her dream job and Alex on to his next chapter, I felt like more time could have been spent with the banter between the two of them. Their relationship had a great build on the page, especially when they connected over their families, but it was a bit overshadowed by everything else that was going on in their corporate environment. I also felt that Casey’s initial hatred of Alex and the alleged nepotism that she believed got him the job she wanted in the beginning was glossed over, skipping through time, leaving it with less of an enemies-to-lovers feel than I was expecting.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a copy provided for an honest review.

This was actually incredibly cute. I am a spreadsheet girlie myself (although not a finance girlie) so reading this was a peek at my own love life in so many ways. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

This book brought me so much joy!
Alex and Casey meet in an elevator, he’s smitten right away, her - not so much.
I love romance books that showcase a developing relationship with meaning. This book has it all - workplace strangers to friends to lovers, great supporting characters, a plant mom, some female empowerment, and swoon-worthy moments.
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I’m so sorry this review took a bit - thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the #advancereaderscopy

3.8 stars rounded to 4 for me!
This was a really cute “enemies” to lovers, workplace romance. I really liked Casey’s character and her budding relationship with Alex Harrison. The banter between them was unmatched and so witty. I found the concept very entertaining as well. I also felt like this book took me a while to finish. Mostly, because I’ve just been in a bad reading slump since going back to school, but also I felt that it took a minute to get into the book and I felt that the middle kind of dragged on a bit. But other than those minor things I thought this was a super cute romcom. I loved that both main characters, Casey and Alex, both had their own problems going on and I was able to see where they both were coming from as well as how they’re characters developed from the first chapter to the last.

This was a warm and sweet office romance. It is wonderfully done and I was shocked it was a debut, it felt a little young but I did not mind. Pick this up if you love character drive romance or you're looking for one that has a little forced proximity including only one bed. I will be waiting for Gilmore's next release!

Love Interest by Clare Gilmore is a workplace enemies-to-lovers rom-com. It follows Casey and Alex who both work at a magazine publisher in Manhattan. I did not know what to expect out of this book but I absolutely loved it! I thought there was great tension, banter, and angst which is essential to me loving a romance book. I also thought the setting was really fun. It has been a while since I read a workplace romance so this was refreshing. If you liked The Hating Game then you would like this but I would say that Love Interest is better. Another thing I loved was the personal growth of the characters because that is always fulfilling to see. Definitely pick this up if you want to read a workplace romance!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!

Claire Gilmore makes her writing debut with Love Interest. There is plenty of banter and hilarious come backs between the main characters, Casey & Alex. There are tropes of grumpy x sunshine, opposites attract and enemies to lovers.

The book is set in the FiDi of Manhattan, New York. Alex is a project manager hired to build a digital subsidiary for a print magazine while Casey is the financial analyst that makes all the numbers look pretty.

Casey and Alex get off to a rough start but once they work beyond some misunderstandings they become good friends and eventually more. It his difficult to pinpoint who fell first - both Alex and Casey seem to fall for the other quickly. Of course, Casey’s analytical mind does not like unknown variables and she struggles with allowing her heart to open once again.

Both characters are well suited due to their extreme differences. Also, I found enjoyment seeing the characters help each other in ways they did not really know they needed. Both Alex and Casey have secrets and getting either to open up about themselves and those secrets takes encouragement and love from the other.

While the book is enjoyable, I feel Gilmore could have developed some of the secondary characters more. They very quickly disappear - all the focus being put on Casey & Alex and then their presence is there again. Also, the focus on Alex & Casey is very overwhelming at times. At points Gilmore probably could have condensed some chapters with very similar topics.

Overall, as a debut book it is a solid read!

This was an absolutely adorable and refreshing romance. Definitely got me out of my reading slump. I’m a sucker for a good workplace romance and this really fit the bill. Definitely recommend.

This book is about a woman trying to get the future job she wants but someone else takes it who becomes her enemy but she later begins to fall in love. This story was well written when it came to the plot. I do have to say that when I read books with current slang like OOTD or anything similar, it can be a turnoff as you have to think about some of the words. I do have to say that towards the ending, it started to drag a bit as the author also hit all the main points towards the middle of the book. Though the conflicts were great and I enjoyed seeing how different business departments work. I loved the NYC setting and exploring it through Casey’s pov.

Casey is the FMC who is a finance expert that is looking to become a project manager. I really enjoyed her character but I felt there was a bit of her story that was missing. She did have a great character development and I felt connected with her a bit. Alex is the main side character who is such a cinnamon role and heads over heals for Casey. I of wish we got his perspective because he’s in the summary which made me guess we would have his perspective. There were other side characters in this book but my favorite was Casey’s bff. The romance is co-worker enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and office romance with a small touch of spice.

The ending was okay but the story began to drag. It felt very similar to Twisted Love’s ending which is a HEA. Overall the story was really cute and I did enjoy reading it. I do wish we got more of Casey’s story in this book. Check this out if you love enemies to lovers workplace romance.

*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

This did not feel like a debut--LOVE INTEREST is such a fun, witty read! Casey Maitland finds comfort in numbers, but also feels compelled to seek a more creative career, since she comes from a family of artists, writers, and other creatives. When a project management position opens up at her company, she goes for it, only to be passed over for... the board chairman's son. Who happens to be handsome, charismatic, wealthy, and everything Casey is not. Everyone adores Alex, except for Casey. But when she gets placed on his project in a more financial-based role, she has to admit he has his positives.

LOVE INTEREST is a very corporate book. The plot involves references to P&L, finances, corporate espionage, and Casey and Alex's focus on launching a subsidiary company. If you're not into that, it could be a bit much. For me, I loved having a book actually set in my world. Finally, not a publishing company or a media firm or a bakery, but instead the horrible and stressful world of business that I inhabit every day! It was nice to see someone else's experiences with the horrors of the board, financial statements, and appeasing investors.

But, we all come for the romance, and I'm happy to report that Alex and Casey have plenty of chemistry. This is a classic office enemies to lovers story, and it hits the tropes in a wonderful way. They both have the required baggage--Alex is trying to impress his absent dad and Casey, for some frustrating reason, thinks she should be in a more creative job like her parents. This was the one stretch for me.

The book wanders off on a few tangents, but overall it's really fun with an adorable couple. Looking forward to what Gilmore comes up with next!

This sparkling debut reads like a breath of fresh air!

It goes beyond your typical enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance and dives into important topics like legacy and family and the journey of self-discovery. It's beautifully balanced, alternating between moments of heartbreakingly raw vulnerability and levity. It's steamy and romantic but it's also about friendship and finding your own path.

I devoured all the little details that grounded this story in NYC. Casey's Subway Nemesis made me laugh out loud! Their tiny apartments, their crazy work schedules, it all resonated in a way only real things can.

I loved the diversity. It felt authentic and necessary, not shoehorned in. We saw bits and pieces of Alex's Korean heritage sprinkled throughout in a natural way. And I was so happy whenever Alex discussed his ADHD or Casey battled her anxiety! Things like that are a part of life and I'm so happy art is starting to reflect that.

I'll be talking about this book for a while!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ 5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3/5

You know that feeling of wanting to beat yourself up when you’ve put a book off for so long and once you decide to pick it up, you hate yourself for putting it off for so long?! YOU GUYS… I felt this from the moment I picked up Love Interest. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! 🫠

I’m a total sucker for workplace romances, especially when they start off as adversaries and they inevitably can’t keep their hands off each other! Ahh! It just makes me melt! THE TENSION! THE LONGING! It was perfection. This story was filled with chemistry, spice, corporate deception and manipulation, amazing friends turned family, and so much more!

I honestly cannot wait to read what comes next for Clare Gilmore! It’s bound to be just as wonderful!

I need this one on my shelf ASAP!!

Thank you to Clare Gilmore, St. Martin’s Press (@smpromance), and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

TEN STARS!!! Is ten stars a thing??? Can we just double the stars?? Actually let's triple it. Triple the stars! I loved every second of this, could not put it down, would lay down my life for Casey and Alex. I wanted to smoosh their little faces together like my Barbie dolls. Chemistry absolutely searing off the charts. How does Alex make a dorky nickname like Simba kind of hot? Who knows!! Clare Gilmore magic!!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for the chance to read this charming work place romance.

Casey's love for her job and work family is palpable, so when she is passed over for a promotion for the bosses son... sparks fly. Setting us up for a lovely rom-com.