Love Interest has a cute, classic premise and a well-rounded cast of characters. There was a lot that felt really promising, but every setting, person and prop is described with such detail that it slowed down the pace at which I was reading the story. While I appreciate how much work the author did to help the reader visualize everything from the humid morning to the resewn bag strap, it quickly felt more distracting than beneficial.

This book was so fun and such an interesting workplace romance! Clare Gilmore develops her characters well and delivers on swoony moments. This was an overall sweet read and I would definitely check out more from this author!

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable story. Casey and Alex both come from broken families, losing their mothers when they were young. However, Casey had a father and later a stepfather as well who loved and supported her. Alex, on the other hand, had a father who only acknowledged him when it was advantageous (Alex was the result of an affair), and who believed that his wealth and the nice trust fund he provided Alex made up for the lack of genuine affection. Alex is outgoing and gregarious, making everyone he meets feel important. Casey is very much an introvert, uncomfortable in social situations and needing time to herself to decompress. She also has a lot of anxiety and insecurities, and the only area where she truly feels confident is finance/working with numbers.

Alex and Casey meet because they are going for the same job, although Alex does not realize that Casey was his competition for the position as project manager for "Bite the Hand", a digital media startup at the magazine publishing company (Little Cooper) where Casey works, and where Alex’s father was the CEO and now board chairman. Casey is asked to help with the financial aspects of the startup, which means spending more time with Alex, who irritates her initially (especially as she believes nepotism played a role in him getting the job and because he jumps from one idea to the next, regardless of cost, and Casey has to try to make the numbers work).

However, their initial meeting, which involved an amusing exchange in an elevator, sparked an attraction, and Alex is determined to get to know Casey better. Their evolving friendship and then relationship is one of the best parts of the story, especially as Alex recognizes there is more to Casey than she realizes and helps her understand that she is a source of inspiration for her coworkers, and that she makes those around her better. There is a great supporting cast, especially Casey's best friend and roommate, Miriam, and Casey's coworker Brijesh.

3.5 Stars Clare Gilmore's debut novel, Love Interest, is perfect for fans of The Hating Game and Dating You/Hating You.

Financial analyst Casey Maitland just lost out on a project manager role at her company to the board chairman's son, Alex Harrison. Although she wants to hate him, Casey begrudgingly agrees that Alex is perfect for the role. Besides, she has her sights set on a transfer to the London office, but only if she can work through the financial aspects of the project that Alex is now leading. Casey and Alex are thrown together time and time again, and neither can deny the chemistry that's between them. They start to explore their attraction to each other, but what are they? Are they dating? FWBs? While caught up in each other, Alex and Casey also become caught up in secrets and corporate intrigue that may put their jobs--and the entire company--at risk.

This book reminded me a lot of Dating You/Hating You by Christina Lauren, but the main characters aren't competing for the same job the entire time, nor are they pranking each other. Casey and Alex were sweet main characters who had a lot in common but also seemed to be the inverse of each other, as Casey's friend points out. This makes them a good match since they both challenge and understand one another. Overall, this was a quick and sweet romance.