4.5 stars rounded up. I loved this book. I thought it was charming, intelligent, and full of heart. I found Alex so endearing in his honesty and self-awareness of the complicated parts of his personality. I think he was genuinely content with his untethered lifestyle, but it never meant that he didn’t have the capacity to care deeply. His family history made it more of a coping/self-preservation mechanism to find a path without attachments. I really felt connected to Casey. I enjoyed watching her find her strengths and take risks and challenge herself, while also figuring out that she didn’t need to do anything flashy to leave her own mark on people.

I loved Casey and Alex together. From the way it was clear Alex was enamored from the get-go to Casey’s fading animosity and growing affection for him as she learned more about who he was. Their relationship felt like it developed in a realistic and natural way. The challenges they faced, particularly in the corporate world they inhabited, felt authentic but never insurmountable. The only thing that kept me from a full 5-star rating is that I wanted more of their initial time working together. They meet, Casey finds out he gets the job over her, there’s a little tension, and then time jumps a month ahead. I wanted more of their time clashing over things and more tension building from that before they started working more together.

Overall, this was a fantastic debut, and I look forward to reading more from Clare Gilmore in the future.

Alex had me kicking my feet this entire book. He's equal parts charming and complex. With a relatable and realistic past that simple did not keep him from being a loveable and charismatic flirt.

I love that both him and our female lead character, Casey, couldn't keep secrets well and wore their emotions on their sleeve (or face).

As an enthusiast for both hardworking handsome men, and numbers, it certainly wasn't hard to find Casey relatable.

Don't be fooled by this cover - I cried during multiple parts of this novel and smiled through the majority.

My favorite quote: "But I will always come back to you. You are my north star, my safe harbor, and I love you so much I could die."

I struggled a bit both to rate and to finish this novel. Although the writing is good, and parts were entertaining, there were certain things I disliked as well. In my opinion, there is too much focus on the office and its problems. It wasn’t interesting to me and filled a large portion of this book. I had hoped for “The Hating Game” vibes from this, but there’s not much banter or real enemies to lovers trope here at all. I think ultimately I just felt like there was too much outside of the romance plot that didn’t hold my attention, and not enough build up to the romance itself. However, if you enjoy an office romance with a lot of focus on the ins and outs of the workplace, allergy representation, and Lion King references, you would love this one!

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Claire Gilmore for providing a free ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 3/5 Stars

I loved the characters and their relationship so much! I just was not really invested in the overall premise of the book.

Casey is passed over for a promotion in favor of the chairman's son, Alex. Alex doesn't understand why Casey hates him... Forced to work together... they are drawn to each other.

A fun enemies to lovers story. I love how their chemistry together. Casey is an interesting character and I love how hard she works... Alex is charismatic and very cute with Casey. They make the story pop and come alive.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Love Interest is Clare Gilmore’s debut novel and is an enemies to lovers office romance novel.

This book wasn’t really for me, even though I do like that specific trope. The writing was really good, however I felt like too much information was thrown at the reader and it was hard to keep track. That being said, the author really knows how to write, I look forward to reading her future books.

This book will definitely be a favourite for many.

A special thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for providing with an ARC of this book.

Love Interest is a remarkable debut novel from Clare Gilmore. When I say I devoured it, I truly mean it! I picked this up from NetGalley and finished it in less than two days.

Casey Maitland is good at financials. She likes numbers and is comfortable in her role as a financial analyst. But comfortable isn’t enough anymore. When Casey is passed up for a new project manager role, she is upset; even more so when she realizes that the chairman’s son, Alex Harrison, was given the role. With her eyes set on a London transfer and an unearthed company scandal, the last thing Casey expects is to become friends with Alex, let alone fall for him.

Between the (not so) slow burn of Casey and Alex and the sheer wittiness of the dialogue between characters, I was hooked early on. I love when characters speak the way you would expect a real conversation to go because often it can come off as stilted or unrealistic. But I knew I was in for a treat from the first threat of attempted murder for a friend scorned.

I can’t wait to see this book in stores and am eagerly anticipating what comes next for Gilmore.

This was such a fun romance! I have a fondness for the enemies to lovers trope, and this one did such a good job of making it their initial animosity feel grounded but also able to be overcome quickly. I really enjoyed their chemistry and the way the realities of work were an important part of the story. I found some of the communication or lack of commitment moments to be a bit frustrating, but in general, I really enjoyed this one.

Thank you SO much Netgalley for the opportunity to read this. This exceeded every single one of my expectations. It was sweet, slightly spicy (but not over the top), and the B story lines really supported the main story arc.
I love coworker romances. I particularly love coworker romances where we actually see what the female lead does for work, and not just a high overview. You get a good view in this on Casey's goals, daily work, unique opportunities, the roles of CEO/CFO, etc. I loved that it felt like a real view into their work lives.
Alex might be in my top 5 male leads of all time.. He's deep, complicated, charismatic, but in a rare way VERY aware of how he feels. I really love that. It's so unique to see a male lead know their flaws and be able to express them. He just jumps off the page. I need more Alex stories.
I loved every single thing about this story and cannot wait to see more from the author.

Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I can't believe how fast I flew threw this book. Criticisms aside, it truly was one of those books I didn't wanna put down and just had to see how it ended. This was the fun office romance I didn't know I needed! If you're a fan of books like the hating game, or the spanish love deception, I can see this book being for you. I'd hesitate to call it enemies to lovers, but the bickering between the two leads was so fun to read and actually got some genuine blushes and chuckles out of me. I find it unique that the main character be the one who's NOT the artistic whimsical type, as that's usually the main character trait, but this was a pleasant subversion of the trope. I truly adored the couple in this book but unfortunately this also was my biggest downfall for the book,,, The main couple was my ONLY interest in the book. Cute as they may be, I simply had no interest for what was going on in this story outside of them, which did take away some enjoyment from the experience altogether. However, as this is a romcom, and it was centered mainly around our love interests I don't think it completely ruins the experience. Would love to read more from this author and see how their writing may potentially grow outside of writing relationships!

Love this book it was so much fun to read and follow along as they fall for each other I can't wait for this to publish so I can read it again

For some reason I just love books based in NYC...romantic stories especially. Casey and Alex start off rocky but as they let down their emotional barriers you are drawn into their characters and their relationship. The writing is fast paced, witty, and relevant. I couldn't put this down - it would make a great addition to your summer reading list.

When hardworking, numbers-focused Casey loses the promotion to project manager, overseeing the launch of a Buzzfeed-like online periodical at her magazine company, to Alex, the handsome, sparkling son of the board chairman, she sees it as nepotism at its worst.

Naturally, Alex gets firmly placed into her workplace enemy category. (You see where this is going, don’t you, my friends???)

And Alex? Well, he can’t figure out why she doesn’t like him.

As these things seem to go, though, when the two spend more time together, Casey begins to realize that she may have—gasp—misjudged Alex.

This romantic comedy is utterly delicious, and I did not want to put it down.

Alex and Casey are so stinkin’ cute together; the banter is top-notch; and the novel alternately pulled at my heartstrings, made me laugh out loud, and elicited goofy grins. It’s got an excellent balance of humor and emotion.

I highly recommend it.

I received an advance copy from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Love Interest by Clare Gilmore is a delightful enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy about two co-workers, Casey and Alex, who find themselves working on the same project and ultimately falling in love. Casey is a finance expert who is passed over for a project manager position at LC Publications in favor of the chairman's son, Alex, who is a handsome, Harvard-educated, and enigmatic person. As they work together, Casey and Alex are drawn to each other despite their initial dislike. However, they must navigate the corporate intrigue and messy secrets of their own company, which threatens to tear them apart. Gilmore skillfully portrays the slow-burn romance between Casey and Alex, while also providing an insight into the financial aspects of the storyline. The characters are well-developed, and their journey is full of fun, laughter, cute moments, and roiling emotions. Although the book may not be for everyone, it is an enjoyable read for fans of romantic comedies.

I was really excited about this book.

I love a good enemies to lovers trope but this one didn’t do it for me.

There were so many characters to keep up with and not much happened in the 10% I read. I just couldn’t keep going because I didn’t love it.

I did love some of the references made though!

I know a lot of people will really enjoy this!!

If Love Interest has a million fans, I am one of them. If Love Interest has ten fans, I am one of them. If Love Interest has one fan, then it’s me. If Love Interest has no fans, that is because I am no longer on this Earth.


Ok listen, I need a minute to process this. I really loved this book, like I flew through it. It’s interesting because so much of the story is rooted in the relationship development of the main characters, and everything else including the main plot fell to the sidelines in comparison - but not in a bad way. I think that I just loved the relationship so much it outshone everything else - and it was lovely and wholesome (but not too wholesome - 🌶 lol). The banter, and deep cut excel references carried. I guess I’m a sucker for a good corporate romance with a found family where the guy falls first with sort of enemies to lovers vibes (at least from her perspective).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book; I very much appreciate it.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I am always drawn to books with an intelligent heroine with mathematical talents so this book description appealed to me.. I liked this heroine so much I wanted her to be my BFF. I enjoyed the story and the business intrigue. However, I found the hero to be a little bit too perfect in his project management role, and found the story moved along a bit too slowly for me.

I'd happily read more books from this author.

A story that grabbed me right from the beginning, Love Interest has characters with real depth, a compelling storyline, and a touching romance. I fell in love with Casey and Alex right away. Their back stories, Alex's strained relationship and search for acceptance with his father and grief for his mother, and Casey's feelings about being unworthy of her family, impact their present lives in a way that informs the story in such a natural way. The secondary characters, both friends and workmates, provide good foils to Alex and Casey. The machinations of certain higher-ups in the company they work for threaten both Casey and Alex and their companions involved in an online magazine startup, bringing dramatic tension to the novel. The pace moves fast enough to keep the reader engaged throughout as the story builds toward the climax, yet the development of the action and the relationship between the main characters never seem rushed. I highly recommend this one for lovers of women's fiction/romance.

I really loved this book, I couldn't put it down because i needed to know what was gonna happen it was so fun to read and see the love between the 2 characters bloom to something good

This man….book boyfriend of all book boyfriends. Wow! Blown away by this debut. The chemistry, the workplace drama, the tension, the steam!!

I can’t wait to get my copy and suggest it to everyone that will listen!