I adored this book! I loved Alex and loved even more that he was half Korean! Casey was refreshing. I loved that she knew what she wanted out of life and stayed true to herself and her values all the way through. I loved that they were able to communicate and express to each other their feelings in a mature manner. Reading as they evolved from co workers to dating to falling in love made it was a such a great rom com! Definitely recommend if you enjoy work place romance! This is @momentofclarety debut and I look forward to see what else she writes.

Claire Gilmore's debut introduces us to Casey, a finance expert yearning for a more creative role. Her dreams are dashed when the promotion she coveted goes to Alex, a handsome, wealthy Harvard grad with some CEO connections that scream nepotism. 🙄💼💰
However, when Casey and Alex are unexpectedly teamed up on a project, the story takes an unexpected twist with elements of forced proximity and corporate intrigue. 🤨🕵️‍♂️
Gilmore's debut is a breath of fresh air. Her writing is engaging and enjoyable, making Love Interest a breeze to read. The single point of view offers a delightful blend of humor and heartstrings-pulling moments. You'll find yourself chuckling and swooning as you dive into Casey's world. 😂😍
In summary, Love Interest is a charming workplace rom-com that strikes a balance between laughter and romance. Claire Gilmore's debut is a promising start to her writing career, and I can't wait to see what she has in store next! 📚👍❤️

Casey puts her heart and soul into her job. So when she applies for a project manager position at her company she is disappointed when the job is given to the board chairman’s son. Alex is charismatic and handsome and as they spend more time working together

Alex is an absolute delight of a love interest. He makes the nickname Simba sound sexy. Now hear me out, it may sound weird and I admit it was at first, and then it became a little funny before it skyrocketed past the point of endearing. Casey is sweet and headstrong and committed to her goals. The book features a fantastic and fun group of supporting characters.

This book did make me feel a tad old (and I’m not!). The pop culture references and questions of identity skewed this book more towards a new adult romance. Ashley Winstead hit the nail on the head when she called Love Interest Nora Ephron for Gen Z (*cue Gen Z searches for Nora Ephron*)

The romance struck a great balance between banter and passion but also retained an exploration of each character, which is really a feat when we only get Casey’s perspective. The banter keeps the story moving quickly… which my millennial (see not old!) attention span appreciated. I sat down to read this after work and then suddenly it was 11 o’clock at night and I had accomplished nothing else.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Casey was vying for a job that would be a better fit for her and give her more challenges. She was all ruffled because she got a text from her boss wanting to meet with her in 15 mins. She meets a handsome stranger in the elevator who makes her smile. And from there on continues this cute and a little smut (not much.) Great, great read! 👍🏻I was able to read in 2 days. You definitely will want to pick up a copy 🙂

4.5. This is a solid workplace romance with a slow burn yet palpable chemistry between Casey and Alex. Clare Gilmore fully explores both of these characters and their positive attributes, faults, and traumas in a layered way that made me feel like I knew them well. There's some questionable communication issues--mostly ones triggered by the relationship between Alex and his father--but otherwise the story feels sweet and genuine.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Casey Maitland is doing her best to find herself and crawl outside of her comfort zone and up the ladder at work. She is on her way when Alex Harrison shows up and snatches the job she thought she wanted from her. Is he more qualified? Yes. Who cares though, now he is the enemy. Alex Harrison is loved by everyone...except Casey and he just can't figure out why. It's now his mission to crack that nut and make her like him. Of course while working together they grow closer but Casey is keeping secrets that could ruin it all.

I loved this story! Casey and Alex are so cute and reading their story was fun. If you like workplace romance then add this to your list for its release tomorrow!

#LoveInterest #ClareGilmore
#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #ARC
#ARCReview #ContemporaryRomance
#ChickLit #NewAdult #Romance
#WorkPlaceRomance

<i>I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

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!

This was such an enjoyable and adorable read! I loved the workplace romance, opposites attract, and he falls first tropes! All well done. Both Casey and Alex were likeable, relatable in different ways, and I was rooting for them the whole time. I appreciated how independent they both were but also had their vulnerabilities and insecurities in very real ways. I especially liked seeing Casey's development throughout the book and I feel like her journey made sense without having a fully developed conclusion. I felt like Gilmore was trying to say that it's ok to always be changing and growing and challenging yourself, no matter what phase of life you're in.
I gave this four stars instead of five because I did feel it got slow during a few points and I wish Alex had had a little bit more of a revelation sooner. I felt like it was hard to understand why he kept giving his father the benefit of the doubt all the way until the end.
Overall, I appreciated how their relationship formed and grew and that they were both open with their communication and feelings.
I look forward to what Gilmore writes next!

Casey and Alex make a great romantic pair! Their relationship is kind of a trope: complete opposites in an enemies to lovers style romance, but the book was fresh in a lot of ways. I enjoyed the tension and chemistry between the two main characters and the depth of their characters was refreshing. Yes there was spice, but there was also a lot emotional baggage that both characters helped each other through. The side characters were hilarious, and I loved the complete ensemble of cast of characters. Great quick romance read filled with passion and heart!

DNF at 35%

I just couldn't connect with this book. I wasn't picking up any chemistry between the leads and the pacing was too slow for me.

Casey is introverted and shy, trying to break out of the shadow of her creative parent's expectations and live her own life. When a job opening comes up in her magazine production company, she thinks maybe it wouldn't hurt to try for a job with more sparkle. When she's passed over for the position by none other than the chairman's son, she dislikes him on sight.
Alex is an extrovert with a compulsion to be liked. Everyone at the company loves him except the one woman he met on the elevator that first day and can't seem to forget. When they're forced to work on a project together, Casey realizes she misjudged him. And even though their personalities are totally opposite, they bring out the best in each other. But how can any kind of relationship work when she's transferring to London in the summer?
This is a story where the reader realizes that Alex fell first well before Casey did. He's such a cinnamon roll character and I love how they acted together. He could be his true self and relax around her and she came out of her shell. This is a cozy office romance with some spice.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, steamy and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

This was a lot deeper than a romance, and I loved it. It made me laugh a lot, but I also felt so much for these characters.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Love Interest is the story of Casey & Alex, two seemingly opposites people who find they have a lot more in common than they expected.

After a bit of a disastrous meet-cute, they begin working together on a project and realize their connection is undeniable. What starts off as only a physical relationship quickly becomes so much more, as they support each other in ways no one else ever has.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. I loved how their relationship was so beautifully built over time - a slow burn to falling in love.

Casey was such a relatable character to me, in loving math/numbers, wanting to stay in more than going out, but also loving her people & letting loose with them.

Tropes + Topics:
💜 Forced proximity
💜 Workplace
💜 Enemies(ish) to lovers
💜 Only one bed
💜 Opposites attract
💜 Friends with benefits to more
💜 LGBTQ+ rep
💜 Self discovery
💜 Relationships with parents
💜 Loss of a parent (in the past)
💜 Single POV/first person

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy for review. All opinions are my own.

The first few chapters, I didn't think I was going to enjoy this. Time jumped without warning or context and that really bothered me. However, the way that Clare developed the characters of Love Interest and really showed us their lives, struggles and love develop, I absolutely fell in love with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Casey Maitland finds comfort in the predictability of numbers. As a finance expert, she's all about the numbers until she considers that she could change her career path with a new and exciting position. She interviews for an open project management position within her company, Little Cooper. Still, her dream of a different career starts crashing down when the position is given to Alex Harrison. When Casey and Alex first meet in the elevator, she thinks he must be a model for one of the magazines at LC because of how handsome he is. Little does she know he was just given the position that she was hoping for. Casey is immediately suspicious since Alex is the board chairman's son and decides he is her number one enemy. When they are tasked to work together on the project, things start to change when Casey starts getting to know Alex better.

I loved this enemies-to-lovers workplace romance! I really enjoyed how much of the story took place in a work setting and I immediately loved both Casey and Alex from the start. I found myself cheering them on throughout the book. The development of their relationship was so well written and I loved their chemistry. This was such a cute read and I am excited to read more from this author in the future!

if ella maise and christina lauren books would have a child, it would be this one

I really enjoyed reading this romcom! It is a fun, cute, funny, steamy while still telling a story about finding yourself. The character’s banter was SO GOOD guys, I was obsessed with the mcs. I also adored the setting of the compagny in New York: it gave me the vibes of the sports magazine in the movie Set it Up!! While I had a great time reading this, I felt like there something missing but I can’t say what

(4.5 Stars) To put it simply, reading this book made me happy. It was cute. It was funny. It was cheesy in all the best ways. It even made me tear up a bit because I am going through a similar life experience to Casey at the moment.
I loved the dynamic between Casey and Alex. The tension was great. The progression was wonderful. I didn't even mind the minor miscommunications between them because I adored them so much. I also loved all the friendships that existed between the characters. The relationships felt so natural and realistic, which really made this book special.
Yes, there were some moments where the pacing was weird and the plot was slightly hard to follow (there is A LOT of work talk and A LOT of characters), but that didn't take away from how much of a feel-good romance this is.
This was my first workplace romance, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that trope before reading Love Interest. If they're all like this, I am definitely a fan.

This was a warm hug and I could not put it down. Clare really did a wonderful job capturing the vulnerability of the characters and I loved every word.

I really enjoyed this refreshing, no stupid sh*t, workplace romance. Alex is the perfect dreamy book boyfriend and I love him for it. Casey is so relatable, satisfied with herself but also still wanting more career wise. This was a great debut and I can’t wait to read more from this author! Happy pub day!!

I was so surprised and impressed by this debut—the writing was spectacular, the NYC setting so viscerally drawn, and the romance so deeply swoony. I loved loved it and can’t wait to see what GILMORE does next.