Clare Gilmore, how have you not been on my radar? Her upcoming novel, Perfect Fit is such a fun read that it had me researching to see what else might be available by this author. Each character has a presence that draws you in and makes their story important to the reader. The storyline is well-written and will have you biting your lip, cheering, and even giggling at times. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

This is my first book by Clare Gilmore and I loved it. Very sweet story and I am so grateful that I received the opportunity to read it early.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This book is a fantastic blend of mental health, fashion industry, hustle culture, and the harmful effects of para-social relationships through social media. This book follows Josephine as she attempts to take the fashion brand that she created in her dorm room in college and make it a more sustainable corporation as it is blowing up into one of the biggest fashion brands in the country. In doing so, she becomes entangled with the twin of her best friend from high school who she has not seen in almost a decade. This book touches on social media's impact on anxiety & mental health, as well as discussing burnout & the harmful effects of others expectations on our psyche. This is a second-chance romance with a HEA/HFN ending, some really meaningful conversations surrounding difficult topics, and overall just an enjoyable read.

I'm not typically a fan of second change romance but I don't think Clare Gilmore can write anything I won't love. I adored Josie and Will, and found myself rooting for them from beginning to end. Josie felt so real, and Will was considerate, I couldn't help but love them. Highly recommend this one!

Thank you net galley and st martins griffin for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this! I felt that the plot was unique and I’m a sucker for second chance romances. I did feel that there was a bit too much sub plots and run on storylines that it could have been cleaned up a bit. Overall good read though!

I struggled with the believability and motivation of "Perfect Fit" from beginning to end:

- Unrealistic starting conflict: Overwrought high school falling out shapes the next decade of her life.
- Fashion CEO in her mid-20s: Rich girl can walk away from her fashion project at any time and be fine.
- Endless Tiktok: Viral trends age so quickly.
- Weak attempt at size inclusivity: “Plus sizes” sell out early from the fashion line. In this book “plus size” is XL and XXL. That’s mid-size/average in the real world.
- Everyone buys a house in a popular city with no issue: In this economy?

I'm not sure what the goal of this story is. There are no stakes. No one to root for. The biggest conflict is in Josie's head and her endless internal monolog is not fun to read. Will is more appealing, but he's just background.

If that wasn't enough to sell you, Josie orgasms at the slightest touch every time. So that's a neat trick.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

When I started reading the first chapter I was all “Wow the way this author writes sounds exactly like my inner dialogue. I am about to eat👏 this👏 up.” And I was soooo right.

In Perfect Fit, Josephine, our resident It Girl while simultaneously being a relatable queen, has spent her twenties building a fashion brand and needs to hire a consultant to help her take her company to the next level. In crashes (iykyk) Will Grant, her ex-best friend’s twin brother that she kissed nine years ago.

What a stellar read! The girl-bossing, the side characters, the giggles, the tension, the internal and external conflict!

Sometimes I can have a hard time understanding the male love interest’s feelings when it’s single pov. BUT NOT WITH WILL MF GRANT. That ✨MAN✨ was an acts of service/caretaking king and a stellar communicator, giving us all his thoughts and feelings so we (and Josephine) never had to question his love for her.

“‘NORMALIZE MALE YEARNING’” - Brittany Broski” - me after meeting Will Grant

✨Read if you love
- second chance
- men that yearn
- communication
- workplace
- caretaking
- she’s a ceo
- he cooks for her
- banter/lol moments
- laugh out loud re-meet cute
- single pov
- female friendships
- world travel
- no third act breakup
- slow burn
- seeing characters struggle with career burnout (because we’ve all hit that point, right?!)

If you’re looking for books similar to my faves Tarah DeWitt, Hannah Bonam-Young and Jessica Joyce, you absolutely need to read Perfect Fit!

I adored this book!! It was such a heartwarming read and really made me some in on the character development! The main character was realistic and hardworking, but also humble about her lifestyle! Showed the true aspects of stress and overworking yourself, all while having a life outside of work! Cute simple read for anyone! Highly recommend.

After reading (and loving!) Clare's first book, I was excited to dive into this one. A heartwarming second chance romance with a strong female lead- whats not to love!

3.5 stars... I have to say this book could easily be one that I found myself kind of rolling my eyes at. Its def sickly sweet at times which can but a turnoff for me.... but, I really bought into the romance! Will and Josephine were so great together and when they finally admitted their feelings for each other, I genuinely felt their connection. Will was so encouraging with her, I really appreciated how he let her shine. I really enjoyed Josephine as well, her work ethic and drive were so admirable to me and I related so much with how she viewed herself and her job. I'm actually pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this one! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Perfect Fit, set against the vibrant backdrop of Austin, Texas, chronicles the life of Josie, a young CEO navigating the challenges of running her clothing company while juggling personal commitments. Despite her passion for her work, Josie teeters on the edge of burnout. Enter Will, Josie's love interest and her ex-best friend's twin brother, a brilliant consultant whose expertise not only salvages Josie's company but also makes her feel truly valued through countless acts of service.

While both Josie and Will are flawed individuals, their relationship stands out as one of the most authentic and healthy portrayals in contemporary fiction. Their bond is built on a foundation of open communication and unwavering honesty, offering readers a refreshing departure from typical romantic tropes.

Perfect Fit is a must-read for enthusiasts of women's fiction-leaning romance that doesn't shy away from substantial character growth. The novel expertly weaves in elements of travel and culinary exploration, while delving deep into themes of friendship, personal development, and the real-world challenges faced by young businesswomen. It's a compelling exploration of balancing professional ambition with personal fulfillment in the modern world.

Perfect Fit is a charming romance with a relatable main character. One of my favorite tropes is a second chance romance and this one did not disappoint. Clare Gilmore has a talent of weaving together complex stories and characters with a palpable connection and chemistry.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this one more than I did and really thought for the first half I would rate it higher. The last quarter though for me fell flat became repetitive and found myself skimming through, just didn't really find the conflict that came up to be that much of an issue and didn't think that many people would be so concerned with the MMC personal life. I thought this was well written and will continue to read more from this author this one was just a miss for me. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this one and almost talked myself into rounding up to 4 stars multiple times. Will just felt too... fantastical to me? He is a golden retriever boyfriend to a T and, while I love a man who shows up and shows up and shows up... I couldn't help but echo the FMC's thoughts at times that she didn't deserve him. Josie is a perfectly fine FMC - CEO entrepreneur girl boss burning out in her mid-to-late twenties who doesn't have the time or desire to date... at least until Will reappears in her life. I don't have any concrete feedback on how I would have changed things. This wasn't the perfect book for me, but I know there will be those who love this!
 
Also, since I know this is a hard trope to find, NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh my gosh, if this isn’t just the most heartwarming story! I truly loved it.

Josie and Will are absolutely the most lovable
characters who feel like they could be your friends. Their story of reconnection is both endearing and aww-worthy!


Thank you to SMP, NetGalley, and Clare Gilmore for the wonderful Arc!

4.5 ⭐️
I could tell I was going to absolutely love this book starting right off with the dedication!
Clare's writing was so good, I found myself swooning over Will and Josie one chapter and then crying during the next! The romance between Josie and Will was fantastic. Will is the definition of a man who’s love language is acts of service! Everything he does for Josie from getting her the table for her bff's bachelorette to taking care of her when she is sick was sooooo swoon worthy omg! I love how the book tackles the idea of burning out and losing passion for the things we once loved but how we can still always find new passions and revitalize old ones! Something that really stuck out was the friendship between Josie and Camilla. Their relationship was such a beautiful part of the book.

Tropes
-workplace romance
-ex best friend's brother
-no third act breakup
-he falls first/harder
-mental health rep
-slow burn
-forced proximity

👗Single POV
👗Ex-Best Friend’s Brother
👗She’s the CEO x He’s the Consultant
👗He Falls First
👗Mental Health Struggles

This was a sweet and cozy book. There was angst in this book but it was on the lighter side with the pining and fighting of feelings. This being a single POV story, Josie’s struggle with career burnout and identity and self worth being a direct result of her and her company’s success was big part of this story. We see her attraction and feelings grow for Will but I would have loved Will’s POV, he falls first and hard for Josie and I would have squealing and kicking my feet if I had his thoughts! I was happy with Josie’s HEA because she had to put in work on herself but she still had Will and her friends’ support all while getting to enjoy life and her new direction.

Josie is the founder of a startup clothing brand called Revenant. In an attempt to become a B Corp company she was advised by her biggest investor to hire a consultant. In comes Will, her ex best friends twin brother, who she has previously kissed.
A very sweet novel, but felt it would have been better to read Will's point of view as well. I liked how not only was the book a romance novel, but also heavily showed Josie's workplace struggles.
I did find the story slow at the beginning, but it definitely picks up around 40% in.
I enjoyed this book and would read more from the author.
Thank you to St Martin's Press, Clare Gilmore and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Perfect Fit publishes on October 29, 2024

●I found a new-to-me author that is sure be an auto-buy the next time!!
●A delightful rom-com that masterfully blends humor and heart.
●The story follows Josephine Davis, a driven CEO of a fashion brand, who is forced to collaborate with Will Grant, the twin brother of her estranged best friend. ●Despite their rocky past and initial reluctance, sparks fly as they navigate professional challenges and personal growth. 
●Gilmore’s writing shines with witty dialogue and well-developed characters, making this a charming read about finding love in unexpected places and learning to balance ambition with personal happiness.
●Overall, just a perfect feel-good contemporary romance that was a pleasure to read.

Somehow, Clare Gilmore has figured out the recipe for my perfect book, and she's done it twice.

This is one of those books where you can't pinpoint exactly what made you love it. You just do. I think Josie and Will are very relatable characters; however, they each have very unique experiences that not many people in their late twenties can relate to. When I think of Josie, all I can think of is the "I'm just a girl" quote because, yes, while she is the CEO of a large fashion brand at just 27 years old, she still struggles with her self-worth and separating that from her job. Will is a genuine hero for Josie. He helps her see her worth beyond her CEO title and fully embraces who she is outside of that.

I love how the elements of their past together rounded everything out in the story. It helped to show how much each of them had grown in the nine years since high school and how much more growing they still had to do. Will is so self-aware!! We stan. It was honestly refreshing to see such a mature relationship play out on the page.

While the romantic love story was a large part of this book I think the platonic love stories also played such a big role! It all starts with the fallout from Josie's friendship with Zoe, Will's twin sister. This obviously affects how Josie views female friendships going forward in life, which makes Camila and Josie's relationship all the more remarkable because it demonstrates how important it is to have friends you can grow and change with throughout all the phases of life. And Will moving into the picture helps Josie reflect on the way things worked out with Zoe and understand where things could have gone differently. 10/10 for character growth!

I also just truly loved the setting being Austin! As a Texan, it was so fun to picture some of the places described!

Perfect Fit was a perfect fit for me. I loved this book a lot but I'm so greedy I now need another Clare Gilmore novel!