3.5 starts
I liked both lead characters, they easy to like. Josie’s overthinking, anxiety and imposter-syndrome felt very relatable but I had a bit of hard time connecting with story fully. I really liked Will and how he supported Josie throughout the storyline and took care of her.
The parts I did not love were just personal preference for me, I do not love when social media/public perception becomes the cause of problems in storylines, and even though the couple knew each other back in high school, still felt a bit too insta-love to me.
Overall it was a cute story and enjoyable read!

oh wow am i blown away!!!! i went into this book completely blind and it captured my heart with every page! i loved the writing and the perfect balance between humor and somber moments that helped me understand and love the dynamic person that josie is. ugh i love her, that's my girl! as an anxious girlie, i've never felt more seen.

and the romance!!!!!!!!! wow josie and will were truly the perfect fit (hehe). they complemented each other so well and allowed themselves space to grow as people while also holding on to their love and allowing it to grow and flourish. they are the definition of an "understanding love" and it was so wonderful to see how communicative and gentle they are with each other.

i'm so happy i read this book and i can't wait to read more of clare gilmore's love stories!!

thank you st martin's press and netgalley for this eARC, it's out now!

Workplace romance romcom by Clare Gilmore? Yes please! After reading 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭, I knew I’d be reading anything else written by her. In 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐭, you meet Josephine Davis, the owner of Revenant, a highly loved fashion brand. As the brand gains more attention and is expanding quickly, she is encouraged by her main investor to hire a consultant. Chances be that she runs into Will Grant, her high schools best friend’s brother, who is also a consultant. The friendship between Will’s sister and Josie had ended abruptly after Zoe had caught Josie and Will kissing at a party. Fast forward to now, Will is adamant he’s the right fit for her and her company and is trying to make their past mistakes right again. She definitely can’t deny that she is in desperate need of help, especially as a self proclaimed workaholic who hasn’t dated in 4 years.

I really enjoyed the set up of the story, two people that have always had an attraction to each other but never explored it past the initial kiss because it ruined trust and a friendship. I love reading about strong FMCs who have successfully built a career, while the MMCs are healthy and supportive partners. Definitely a slow burn building to the story as Josie is apprehensive, while Will is all in. I would of loved for Zoe to be reintroduced into the story quicker so that there was more space for the friendship to be rebuilt from the miscommunication.

✵𝖬𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖲𝗍. 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗂𝗇’𝗌 𝖯𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗀𝗂𝖿𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖠𝖽𝗏𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋’𝗌 𝖢𝗈𝗉𝗒 𝗂𝗇 𝖾𝗑𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝗒 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐.✵

I enjoyed reading Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Clare Gilmore is quickly becoming one of my must reads when it comes to romance. Once again she hit it out of the park with a fresh, unique romance that really hit the spot. I loved Josie and Will so much. Will is a top tier book boyfriend and I related so much to Josie who felt like she had to do absolutely everything herself without ever stopping and taking a break. Both of them felt so real to me and I loved their (sort of) second chance romance so much. The dialogue was lever, the chemistry off the charts and tension hit all my favorite romance tropes. The only thing I couldn’t relate to was how much the two of them love working out and biking (really, I’m so sorry). This book also made me really want to visit Austin. It seems so fun!

The book opens with a fantastic and hilarious meet cute and the forced proximity tension begins from there. Best friend’s brother? Second chance at love? Co-worker romance? What’s not to love! If you also adore clever and sexy romances between two lost people who find each other then absolutely pick this up!

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

PERFECT FIT by Clare Gilmore is about the CEO and founder of a clothing line. Puns! I love em.

Josephine turned her anxiety-outlet hobby of designing and sewing clothes into a side hustle in college, selling them to people on instagram in her DMs. Now she's 27, with a real business that, she pours herself into. She's self aware enough to know that she can't handle social media and that, she derives all her self worth from external sources, but not always the wisdom to stop herself. But every thing changes when she runs into Will, her former best friend's twin brother, who she kind of blew up her life with their senior year in high school. (Actually he runs into her!!)

Will has his own regrets, his own dreams. And Josephine happens to be both. They are both at a crossroads professionally and have to decide what it is they really want.

I am not usually opposed to a third act break up, but when 80% came and they were too happy, it made me nervous. The had already been through so much! There are some speedbumps, but they don't break up!

4.5 ⭐️

Josephine Davis has always loved fashion. She created her fashion company, Revenant, junior year of college and grew it into a successful business. Now her biggest investor wants her to hire a consultant. When Josie is on her way to meet with a consulting group, she runs into Will Grant - literally. Will was the last person she’d thought she would ever see again. Durning a senior spring break trip, Will and Josie kissed and it was a mistake. They had hurt her best friend and his twin sister.

Josie remembers Will as moody; She also remembers when he said that she was shallow. When Will offers to be her consultant, she’s hesitant but can’t refuse. The consulting company he works for is the best and her number one choice. Josie has a goal to have her company be a B Corp and Will is going to do everything he can to help her. The more they work together, the closer they become. There are many reasons why Josie can’t develop feelings for Will though. She lives in Texas and he’s in New York, they have to consider his sister, and the biggest reason of all - she can’t afford any distractions. But even with all these reasons, Josie can’t help but fall deeper in love with Will. Can Will show Josie that there is more to life than work?

This is the first book I’ve read from Clare Gilmore and I loved it. I was hooked from the beginning. The plot and character development were really good. Josie was caring and hard-working. I loved that she took her dream and made it a reality. Throughout the book you get a sense of where her anxiety comes from. She has a hard time believing in herself and cares what others think of her. She puts everything into her company, so she feels like she is being productive and because of that we see her burnout. I loved how caring and patient Will was with Josie. He never pushed her and supported her in what ever she wanted to do. He did help her realize that there is more important things in life than working. I also liked that she started going to therapy. I was so happy that Zoe and Josie reconnected. I feel like her female friendships were just as important as her relationship with Will. I also loved how the author left the ending open for the readers to make up their own conclusion. I will definitely be checking out other books by Clare Gilmore.

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

Perfect Fit was my first read by Clare Gilmore and I really enjoyed it. Josephine Davis, the heroine, was a real boss lady mostly focused on her job. Will Grant, the hero, was back into her life as a consultant at her company years after a shared incident. The man was truly charming, patient and sweet! Their relationship rebuild so beautifully. The romance level was high and swoon worthy with a low level of steam. Overall, this story was good with interesting protagonists.

as a fellow burnt out corporate girlie, this is my new roman empire. the writing and story was beautiful. love that the FMC and MMC prioritized their separate lives and dreams but also considered their love factoring in.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was sweet, fun and steamy. It was lovely how Josie and Will were honest, vulnerable, and grew their relationship. I enjoyed this book and will look for more books by this author.

This book is so perfect, I absolutely loved it! I love the way Clare builds her characters and the world in which they live in. I read this book at what felt like the perfect time, where I could relate so much to the characters. There is a great display of friendships, depth, and emotions. Josie and the display of what feels like a realistic depiction of what it is like working in the corporate world was deep and lended itself to many questions that women ask themselves and the struggles that are experience.

Will Grant was also perfection and I have so many quotes from this book that I adored! I highly recommend it.

Thank you to SMP for the ARC, I can't wait to get my physical copy!

Clare Gilmore writes romance in such a fun, lighthearted way with an impeccable ability to weave in deeper, emotional themes that are super relatable and help readers just fall for her characters and their journeys.

Clothing brand CEO Josephine has spent her entire twenties building up her brand and meticulously crafting their image. When she starts looking for an outside consultant to take her company to the next level, she never expects to run into (literally) her ex-best friend’s brother (who she may have shared a steamy kiss with in high school) to be the perfect fit for her business plans. But what happens when that past chemistry sparks again, and she starts falling?

I just adored this book!! I love how Gilmore writes her love stories and makes them so layered. We see Josie and Will go from strangers to partners to friends who stare longingly at each other to something more. I also loved the story at its core of Josie finding herself again after great success and realizing her dreams may change as she does. It felt close to home and warmed my heart.

4.25/5

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Josie is a young CEO trying to juggle her clothing company, her best friend’s bachelorette party, and the launch of her first physical clothing store. Will is a consultant that offered to help her out in her professional endeavours. The thing is, they've known each other for a long time (Will being her ex-best friend's twin brother), but haven't seen or talked to each other in almost a decade (because of the same reason why Josie and Zoe are no longer friends).
I loved this sedond chance romance! I loved that the FMC was such a strong character, but depicted in a realistic way. I loved Will, with his golden retreiver energy (I find it so sexy in my MMCs when the FMC is sick and he just takes care of her without being asked!). I loved their constant and very well rounded communication. The only thing that bugged me was their falling out (and Josie's and Zoe's falling out) and the reason it happened in the first place - I'm not a fan of that trope being an issue in general, and the "problem" was made up to be much bigger, with much more consequences than it truly should have. The reason why they can't be together makes no sense to me, which in turn made if feel like there were no real issues and they were apart for no reason. But the banter was laugh out loud funny. I loved the character development, and the fact that despite this being a rom-com, it's wasn't just fluff (don't get me wrong, I like my fluff, but every once in a while, it's nice to read something that has a little more substance to it).
I received an advance reader copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

omg!!! 4.5 ⭐️ rounded up! i adored this book! i really connected with josie’s character and traits, and what she went through with owning a business. this book was incredibly healing and i’m so grateful to have that the chance to read it. and and will? DREAMY. also, girlhood. ya know? ugh, this was so good!!!

thank you netgalley and st. martin’s press for this arc! 🩵🩵🩵

I really enjoyed how Josie and Will developed over the course of this book, how they helped each other grow and their awesome chemistry together. I found Josie to be a really relatable narrator (though I could only dream of being as successful as her), just in the high expectations she put on herself and how she had to get past putting her value as a person on something outside of herself. I also appreciate the trend I've been seeing toward no third-act breakups. It's refreshing. Definitely a fun, sweet book that I'd recommend.

Claire Gilmore's Perfect Fit offers a refreshing take on contemporary romance, weaving together themes of friendship, work-life balance, and self-discovery. At its heart, it follows Josie, the driven CEO of a fashion brand, as she navigates the complexities of success, friendship, and love. Josie’s struggle to balance her career with her mental health and a budding romance with Will Grant – her ex-best friend’s brother – brings depth to the story.

Josie’s “girl boss” energy and the insecurities she grapples with make her a relatable and multi-dimensional character. Her friendships are given nearly as much weight as her romance, showing how connections evolve and teach us about ourselves over time. The second-chance romance between Josie and Will unfolds in a sweet and mature way, avoiding unnecessary miscommunication and instead focusing on real-life challenges and personal growth. Gilmore also does a fantastic job capturing the pressure of modern life, from social media’s impact to the tension of maintaining a work-life balance.

Overall, Perfect Fit is a satisfying read, balancing a thoughtful romance with the realities of young adulthood today.

This book had me kicking my feet feeling so giddy! Josie and Will…my heart couldn’t handle it! I loved this book. Definitely a top read of the year for me. This was a funny but also heart felt rom-com. The person you least expect can end up being your perfect fit! Josie was a very relatable character. A lot of people seem to work themselves so hard they end up burning out. We all need a Will Grant to help us through the tough times and also the good times! I added another one of Clare’s books to my TBR! I’m going out to pick up my copy of Love Interest soon!

I love a second chance where the MMC comes back and works hard to win the FMC and that is exactly what we got from Will. Josephine and his sister were best friends until one night things all changed. She lost her best friend and he knew he couldn't be with her. Fast foward to years later, Jo is the CEO of a fashion company that is in need of a consultant to further it's business and Will is just that consultant. When they run into each other, literally, he knows that he can't leave her alone.
Jo doesn't want her heart broken again. She lost her best friend in a matter of minutes and she doens't want to get caught up in the web of him again. Will just wants to be near her, and she hasn't wanted to be near anyone in so long... that this feels different. Their connection is still forbidden, now he works for her. Everything she has worked so hard for could go up in flames if she takes a chance on him again, or it could be just what she needs.
I really loved Josephine even if she was a people pleaser and tried to take on the world.. almost to a fault. I could connect with her. Things with Will just felt odd from the beginning to me though. Like, he dated around all this time and kept talking about it yet was ALL IN immediately with her. It felt forced and some of the spicy scenes were.. well, they were interesting. I really did enjoy their banter and love though. He really was sweet.
Thanks to St. Martins, Clare Gilmore and Netgalley for an early copy.

A kiss changed the trajectory of her life and Josie has spent her twenties building a business and fashion brand. Keeping herself and her image impeccable to a fault. So when her inventor insists she get a consultant she is flummoxed when none other than Will Grant shows up splattered on the front end of her car. He is the last person she expected, and since their kiss that night so long ago she hasn’t seen him since. So when he insists he be her consultant she is confused. He hates her, right?

Will is everything she needs and everything she didn’t know she needed. Showing up in unexpected places, his calming presence helps her through stumbles with her business.

While I loved to see their friendship bloom and then their connection grow it was also her friendship with Camilla that shined. She girl bossed hard and lead with kindness. Wanting everyone around her to be happy and fulfilled.

I could help but feel the tug of the underlining message of burnout. Of pushing to succeed too much that you forget what makes you happy, and why you’re doing it. That sometimes it is ok to walk away and figure out what your purpose is again.

Truly a wonderful read, and so many heartfelt moments.

This was such a sweet romance! I loved the workplace vibes, perhaps even more than her previous book! My only complaint is that the characters seem much older than they are (both in terms of their career advancement/life experience, and also insight and responses) and I think the book would have been stronger if the characters were in their early 30s rather than late 20s. Still a really solid feel-good well written romance and loved the use of common tropes, and less common (love a good caretaking when sick vibe). Will definitely always read her books!