Casey Maitland has always preferred the reliability of numbers, despite growing up the daughter of two artistic souls. Now 24 years old, finance guru, working in Manhattan at a magazine powerhouse LC Publications, she wonders if the project manager position opening is a sign to pursue a career with a little more sparkle. That is, until she's passed over in favor of the board chairman's son, Alex Harrison. He's handsome, Harvard-educated, and enigmatic, and everyone loves him - except for Casey. But when the two are thrown on the same project, they both have something to prove. For Casey, there's a transfer to the London office. For Alex, it's successfully launching a brand that will impress his distant father. Work meetings turn into after hours, and Casey and Alex are drawn to each other, but neither can avoid the messy secrets of their corporation threatening to tear them apart. What they discover about their workplace might change everything - including the dreams each of them is chasing.

This is by far my favorite workplace romance I've read yet, and this is Gilmore's DEBUT NOVEL - I can't get over just how wonderful this was! This has rivals to lovers, forced proximity, witty banter, a dash of spice, and eccentric side characters, the perfect recipe for a top-tier rom-com! Casey is incredibly smart and invaluable at her company, and really trying to find what makes her happy and leave a legacy. Alex is such a great love interest, headstrong and hardworking, sweet, and communicative, all while working through his own issues, and their romance was nothing short of adorable. Each of their backstories added a nice tug at the heart strings as well which I enjoyed.

If you're looking for your next workplace rom-com, this one should be on your radar!

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Casey and Alex are thrown together on a project neither is quite prepared for. Both have very different goals they need to accomplish but they both need the project to be a success. Alex just wants to make a name for himself and appease his father. Casey is feeling a bit stagnant with her current position. She dreams of getting to travel and hopefully being transferred to a coveted position at the London office. They quickly realize the only way to get what they both want is to work together.

Love Interest is a workplace, rivals to lovers romance. It is a stand-alone.

What a great debut novel! The author has crammed every inch of this book with fantastic banter and swoony scenes. The office environment was a little different from any other workplace romances that I have read in the past. Some of it reminded me a lot of the corporate drama that happened with Bon Appetit a few years ago. The MCs have good chemistry from the very beginning even (especially) when they are being snarky toward one another.

I hope to read more of this author’s work in the future.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press (St. Martin’s Griffin)!

*Review posted to Goodreads on 10/12/23 (see link below)

RATING: 3.25✨
SPICE: 1.5🌶
Trope/Setting Highlights:
✔ ~320 pages
✔ Contemporary romance, workplace setting
✔ New adult
✔ Finance analyst FMC x digital media specialist MMC (both mid 20s)
✔ Biracial, Korean American MMC
✔ Workplace rivals-to-friends-to-lovers
✔ HFN (comfortably settled in relationship, currently living together in London)

Review:

This is an arc review – thank you to NetGalley and the publisher as always, extremely grateful for these opportunities!

Love Interest by Clare Gilmore is a workplace rivals to lovers, new adult, contemporary romance that follows our finance-guru FMC Casey, great with numbers, little awkward with people, and our favorite nepotism (or is he?) MMC Alex, a ray of sunshine that covers his gray inner clouds.
After Alex snags the job both (unbeknownst to him) he and Casey were vying for, things start off on the wrong foot. But their obvious chemistry has them working together in other ways, in and out of the workplace…

I believe this is Clare Gilmore’s debut, or at least her first published work, and I definitely took that into my consideration when reading and writing this review. It’s an amazing accomplishment, and there are some definite things to appreciate here.

Clare Gilmore’s dedication and passion for making the world seem real, seem relatable, reflect the true and diverse nature of our society and the varied people you would find in a workplace was very evident and appreciated. Side characters had their own motivations that weren’t just there to serve the main characters’ needs or whims (for example, side characters specifically concerned for their own job security and less so about the main character’s issues). That is realistic! No character ever felt stale, or like a stereotype. This contemporary worldbuilding was seamless.

However, that dedication to keeping things real can sometimes be a double-edged sword, and while Gilmore got the good parts of it right, I believe the overall tone, pacing, and writing suffered from it a bit.

For example, the detailed nature of the way Gilmore told the story led to many instances of telling and not showing, when we know that the gold standard is show, don’t tell. With every small twitch explained, every appearance commented on, every action rationalized, there soon became too much too fast. And because (specially the main characters) the characters started to balloon outward with an abundance of attributes, it got a bit difficult to fully capture everyone’s true characterization.

This is a silly example, but it’s the one that came to mind. Casey is billed as this green thumb goddess who loves plants, but when Alex suggests that in order to save the Finance department money to fund his own project, they cut the budget for the gardening magazine offshoot. And I think, oop, Casey is gonna have a field day with this one, because of her love of plants. But she just kind of… somewhat agrees with it? It was definitely out of character.

While we’re still on the topic of writing, and this is probably a personal opinion versus something truly critical against the book so just take it from my POV, I really didn’t care for the overly modern tone of the writing. Now that I’m writing it out, I don’t think modern is the right word. It’s not that the writing is modern (like reflecting modern ideals, LOVE THAT), I mean it has a modern conversational style that I’m used to seeing in dialogue only. It’s very new adult, I guess. I feel like after every sentence there had to be a quip, or an attempt at being clever. I think about 60% of that additional fluff writing could’ve been cut, and this would’ve been a stronger novel by far.

When this novel truly shined, however, was the interactions between the main characters. Once they got into their banter, and it was just them in a scene playing off each other, or just opening up to each other in those softer more emotional moments, it was beautiful to read. The characters really were very similar, even if their personalities were opposite, and you could definitely see how a relationship between them could work out.

Give this a try if you love a workplace setting with new adult romance.

Clare Gilmore, what a stunning debut! This is so well written, and I love that it's an ACTUAL workplace romance and that we see how the relationship between Casey and Alex develops naturally. These characters are very real, and their work situations are very realistic too.

Clare is a great character, she's headstrong, dedicated, and is so helpful to everyone around her. She's relatable in the sense that she'll take on too much to please everyone else, and because of that, it's very clear how much she loves her job. I really like seeing her character development throughout the story, she's someone who loves knowing the outcome before participating in things, but we see her change her approach and begin to take more risks, which I love.

Alex is wonderful, genuinely. We learn he's a nepotism baby, but he honestly doesn't deserve that title. We can see how hard he's worked, and how skilled he is in his business to get where he is. He cares about the work that he does, even if it does cause Casey a bit more stress than usual in the finance department. Regardless, Alex is attentive, and so caring, and just so incredibly sweet. I adore books where the guy falls first, and it's so clear he has in this one. He thrives off of Casey's presence alone, and for that I admire him.

This story is so realistic and that adds to the appeal for me. Their relationship is genuine, though it starts off a bit rough, I loved reading about them. This is a fantastic debut and I'm so excited to read what Clare Gilmore comes up with next! I'm looking forward to her next project for sure.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I wanted to love this workplace rivals romance more than I did, but it still makes for a promising debut. I've heard a lot of good things about this one and the tropes are right up my alley, so I was excited to dig in. And the meet cute set things off on the right note - I could feel the playful vibes mixed with the tension of their future working relationship. I actually really liked the sweetheart of a hero once I got to know him better, and it was fun putting together the pieces of his personality (since we only get the heroine's perspective). But there was WAY too much telling and not enough showing; the quick time jumps throughout the story extinguished a lot of the momentum the romance was building, and the focus on (too many) work details meant that the relationship didn't get the spotlight it deserved. I knew things had truly gone awry when I had zero emotional attachment to their first (strangely described) spicy scene, and the whole thing was a bit of an uneven experience for me. So definitely some mixed feelings with this one.

The story follows Casey (24), a woman who works in finance but is hoping for a promotion that's a little outside of her wheelhouse. On the way to the interview, Casey runs into a cute stranger in the elevator. The two have a playful interaction that leaves Casey smiling, but those feelings change the moment she realizes that the handsome stranger is the one who got the job - and it was a nepotism hire. The more Casey works with Alex (25), the more she realizes that there might be more to the story, and it's not long before the two are getting closer. But neither one is sure of where they'll be next year, and that means starting up a relationship is a terrible idea.

There were a lot of things about this that I really liked, and a lot of things that missed the mark completely. For one, I'm supposed to believe that a 24-year-old who works in finance is being seriously considered to develop a digital magazine...? The nepotism was a lot more believable. I also didn't love the progression of the relationship itself; not only did I want more moments spent with them actually bantering and interacting, but I also wanted more communication and fewer casual vibes. Instead of showing the first month they worked together, it was summarized in a single paragraph. There were a LOT of missed opportunities like that, so it felt like the romance ended up taking a backseat to the plot revolving around their workplace. I did like the romance in the moments we had it, but I definitely could've been more connected to it. I'd love to be able to round this up to 4 stars because of the elements that I did like, but that's just not the way things worked out.

This was a lovely workplace romance with characters that felt relatable and real!
Casey starts out hating Alex when he got the job she wanted. She realizes he’s not what she originally thought, so the “enemies” portion doesn’t last too long. They had some great banter though! I think both characters had great growth together and separate.

I liked all the side characters and how they were a close group.

One bed
Workplace romance
Found family
He falls first
Open door, mild

This, as they say these days, just hit right in the feels. It was cozy, warm, and very squishy in that comforting sense of wanting to decide for yourself but also not wanting to leave anyone behind.
I connected very strongly to the emotions and the feelings Casey was going through, the first person perspective worked really well in the story, getting into Casey head and reading as she worked through her conflicts and struggles made her joy and happiness that much sweeter. Her engagement with Alex, the banter that started with annoyance and animosity and bloomed into flirtation and comradery was just the right amount of silly and gooey.
I teared up at the introspection, sighed in contentment with the declarations, and enjoyed Casey's thought process as she romanticized and struggled through her days. It also renewed an urge to travel.
I enjoyed this debut book, and look forward to more from Clare Gilmore

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.