This is a beautiful book about love stories—not just the stellar romantic love between Josie and Will (my god, this man is so gone for her I was squealing the whole time), but also the love story between Josie and her best friend, Camila. This story of deep friendship and the way we can learn and grow from all forms of past relationships is what makes this book so special. I adored Love Interest, and Perfect Fit was a perfect follow up!

read if you like:
💙 light romances
👯 powerful women
📈 business romances
📍 Austin, Texas

summary:
I’m a big fan of light, fun romance books after a string of thrillers, and WOW this did not disappoint! This book is about Josephine, CEO of an apparel company, Revenant, based out of Austin. She is your typical boss lady, going a million miles a minute to expand and grow her company, while working with her best friend Camille, when one morning, she runs into (literally) a person from her past. Will, a New Yorker currently working as a consultant, reminds Josephine of her former life, a life that was simpler, slower and calmer. When this chance encounter leads to something more, Josephine wrestles with how to juggle everything, and what she really wants out of life.

Josephine might be one of my favorite characters ever from a book. She is smart, humble and self depreciating, and brutally honest about herself and the mistakes of her past. We learn a little less about Will, but get a sense of their chemistry from the early pages of the story. As you’d guess, the book is a classic will-they-won’t-they, set over the backdrop of an incredibly successful female executive just trying to be the happiest she can be. I love the traditional role reversal of the powerful man and the supportive woman, and how we become deeply attached to Josephine and rooting for her success. The plot moves quickly, and also serves as a bit of a love story to Austin, while also highlighting some other cities across the world in a fun and authentic way.

When I saw this was available as Read Now on NetGalley I ran to the website to download. I’ve been waiting for this book since I finally got to read Love Interest a few months ago. Clare Gilmore’s writing is just so good and she makes me fall in love with the characters from the very beginning. Obsessed is an understatement.

Perfect Fit was the perfect story. I loved it. My only wish is that it would have been duel POV. It would have been fun and nice to have Will's side as well. Will was simply great. He is the best book boyfriend there is. He simply wanted Josie to be happy. That was it. He would do anything for that happen. Josie was a strong independent fierce woman. She worked her butt off to get where she was but it was consuming her. It took running into Will again to make her realize this.
Clare Gilmore wrote this story so well. I will most defiantly read more from her! She knows how to capture the story perfectly.

This review is already lengthy, so I won't summarize it myself. If you're interested, the publisher provides a concise overview.

Josephine, or Josie, embodies sweetness and vulnerability while maintaining a facade of strength. Her character evokes a spectrum of emotions - love, empathy, admiration, and inspiration. Witnessing her journey, with its relatable insecurities and poignant growth, was deeply moving. I felt connected to her every step of the way.

Will Grant has secured a piece of my heart indefinitely. Rarely have I encountered a male protagonist as mature, flawed yet authentic, and thoroughly developed as him. His journey since high school, characterized by self-reflection, conviction, and clear communication, is commendable. He balances nurturing tendencies with respect for independence, creating a profoundly healthy dynamic with Josie. His steadfast presence demonstrates a genuine understanding of her.

The novel also beautifully explores the dynamics of friendship, illustrating how they can both disappoint and uplift, adapt to change, and endure loss. This enriches an already captivating narrative.

Clare Gilmore has cemented her status as an auto-buy author for me, and I eagerly anticipate adding this book to my collection. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another 5⭐️ read from Clare Gilmore?! Who’s surprised? Not me! She’s done it again.

Perfect Fit tells the story of Josephine Davis, girl boss and CEO of her clothing company based in Austin Texas, Revenant. Her business has been growing to the point where she needs a consultant - and of course the guy hired is none other than Will Grant, her ex-best friend’s twin brother. You know, the one she kissed one drunken night in high school that caused the aforementioned friendship to end. Now, although the two were far from friends, they must work together during one of the most stressful chapters of Josie’s life. Nothing could go wrong, right?

UGH. This book. These characters. I love them, I love them, I love them, and I want to jump into their world. Everyone needs a Cami as a best friend. I want to be as good of a person as Josie. I want to be hugged by Will’s sweet words.

Easy 5/5 for me, and a book I will definitely be rereading over and over again. Thank you to St Martin’s Press, Clare Gilmore, and NetGalley for the eARC.

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⋆
This is the second one by this author I’ve read, and the second one by her that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.

Both books centered around a workplace romance, and it’s a trope she does well - there’s mutual respect, an appropriate power dynamic, and it adds an element of excitement that propels the story. In this case, it also had the element of a shared past / somewhat of a friends-to-lovers corner to it, that also added a little extra something. Open communication is also heavily featured amongst the characters within her books - both romantic and friendship - and as someone who intensely dislikes the miscommunication trope, I applaud the intentional nature and discussions surrounding communication within this book.

I find the female leads she writes are consistently well-rounded, strong, educated, capable, and hardworking characters, of which there can never be too many on paper or in reality. Featuring women in night corporate positions, and in this case founder and CEO, is so important and greatly appreciated by this reader.

This was a good blend of banter, spice, and romance and I had a hard time putting it down. I definitely recommend this book, as well as her other, and I look forward to reading whatever she puts out next.

~ 👩🏻‍🦰

The perfect rom com with all the feels! Clare Gilmore has done it again with your favorite tropes: high school enemies to adult lovers and best friend’s brother.

Josie has successfully worked her butt off to build her clothing brand Revenant. Sure, she doesn’t have much free time or a life outside of work but this is what she has always wanted….isn’t it? She’s trying to take her business to the next level and her investor suggests that she hire a consultant to help out. While driving to her meeting, Josie gets hit by a bicycler who is none other than Will Grant, her high school nemesis. But instead of being angry, she’s kind to him despite the accident and their history. And so starts their new journey where they need to realize what is more important love or work.

A must read romance where the past meets the present and the result is the perfect fit…..enjoy!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

There is something so special about Clare Gilmore’s writing. I remember being blown away by Love Interest and her sophomore novel might be even better! It has all the trappings of a romance, but it’s elevated into contemporary fiction territory with its overarching theme of: can a woman have it all? And does she want to?

I related to the career burnout - I think anyone who has been working relentlessly can relate to it, whether you are a CEO or not (I certainly am not!). And although the specific way Josie covered up her insecurities is not how I do it, I think most people are familiar with the desire to make it seem that their life is more put together than it really is.

But Will!! This man! Book boyfriend hall of fame. He’s supportive, he’s communicative, he gives her space but doesn’t disappear. He’s a man written by a woman and it shows!! I still love him. The tension! The slow burn! 10/10.

Anyways, this is a great read. 4.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Perfect Fit was a fun and quick read. It had the perfect banter between the main characters. It brought up serious life discussions from family relationships to friendships to love and made you connect with the characters and their journeys. Clare Gilmore is slowly becoming a staple in my bookshelf.

WILL GRANT IS THE BLUEPRINT. I cannot get over this man and all his acts of service 🫠 and Josie was very relatable. I loved this book so, so much.

This book is irresistible!! The tension between Will Grant and Josie is intense and obviously the “nothing can happen between us” fails so hard. The characters the writing were perfectly executed, the exploration of social media with going viral and mental health issues were represented in a tender manner. Is it a second chance if they only kissed when they were younger? The present romance was flirty and sweaty with the amount of effort Josie put in to make her unappealing for Will Grant.

As soon as I got okayed for the e-ARC for this one, I leapt on it because A: it’s about a woman who has 4 sewing machines in her home (not at all relatable since I recently loaned my 4th machine to a friend) and B: Clare Gilmore wrote it, so I knew I’d be invited into a world of characters who care about each other, who struggle with realistic workplace, family, and friendship challenges, and who build romantic relationships based not just on attraction or instant sparks, but on showing up for each other time and again with support, selflessness, and deep affection. I love the depth Gilmore gives her love stories, the capability and ambition she gives her heroines, and the kindness and perceptiveness she gives her heroes. I love her friend groups and workplace colleagues. I love her use of setting, both the spaces and the cities. This is also a brilliantly structured story, wherein every subplot ties together and supports the central journey, examining deeper themes about perception, self-worth, success, and adaptability to change, without ever taking its eyes off the leads and their romance. It’s warm from first page to last, as well as sexy, smart, and funny, while Gilmore lets her couple be perfect for each other throughout, placing the conflict outside the relationship and not within it, so all those readers who complain about the third act break up, or characters who don’t always have mature conversations when conflict hits, here you go. Spend some glorious hours with Gilmore’s warm and witty prose, and with a relationship so consistently candid, confident, loving, sexy, and supportive, you’ll want to start at the beginning again the moment you finish the epilogue.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Rally the girl bosses in your life to read this sophomore novel by Clare Gilmore. Josephine “Josie” Davis is the ultimate girl boss (just don’t call her that to her face). Like, big time - Forbes 30 under 30 list! Josie has spent most of her 20s building her clothing business from the ground up… to the point of burning out. When she looks for a consultant to help her get B Corp Certified, she never imagined the consultant would be her high school best friend’s twin brother, Will Grant. The history between Josie and Will stalls them until they decide a partnership might be what they both need.

Can I just say, this is the year of comfortable men - those who support, cheer on and are not threatened or phased by strong, successful, independent women. Will Grant is that man. The chemistry between these two is amazing and I was pulled in from the beginning.

Gilmore’s storytelling is like listening to a best friend tell you a story over drinks. The characters came to life and I enjoyed reading this story. I personally like endings that are tied up so wasn’t a fan of the “what if” question at the end. Otherwise, a great, fun read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
This is such a special book, wow! I felt so seen.
It was just really beautiful and inspiring to see the fmc work through her problems which are so darn familiar to me, and come to love herself and value herself. And the mmc is so effing perfect book boyfriend material like goals

I enjoyed this one! There's so much in this book to unpack. Loved the representation of burn out, rebellion against the grind, and girl UNboss theme. Really enjoyed the representation of female friendships. My favorite thing about this book was probably that there wasn't a third act break up. My least favorite part was probably the ambiguous ending because I just want to know!

I absolutely adored this book and Clare Gilmore is an auto-buy author for me. There’s nothing I inhale faster than a funny second chance, friends to lovers romance with *adult communication* and Perfect Fit hit all those notes perfectly. I really enjoyed the fact that the MC’s were a little bit older with more lived life under their belts so they had a better understanding of what they wanted from a relationship. Highly recommend this book!!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of perfect fit.

I really enjoyed this book!

Josie was a very nuanced character. I like that her work life was just as explored as her love life.

I thought her reconnecting with Will was very lovely. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for early access to The Perfect Fit.

I became a fan of Clare Gilmore after her first novel, Love Interest, debuted last year. I admit I was drawn to her initially because we both lived in Nashville but her writing and characters hooked me from the start. The Perfect Fit was no different. This novel tells the story of burnt out fashion designer/CEO, Josephine, and how reconnecting/falling in love with her high school best friend's brother helps her find the balance she's long been needing. This story gave me butterflies and made me blush in a way that I now call the Gilmore way. This is an auto buy author for me now and I highly recommend this story to any romance fan! Loved it, just loved it!

Gilmore, you've done it again! Another stunning workplace romance with ridiculously great banter and a VERY swoon MMC. Like - new book boyfriend material.

genre: romance
format: digital
my rating: 4.50 ⭐️
spice: open door (but tasteful)
release date: October 29, 2024

First off, just let me say, this whole business model reminded me of About the Fit in the movie The Intern - so I was DEFINITELY waiting for a huge dose of betrayal to be served up to Josie at some point (no spoilers on whether or not that actually happens). But her character embodied the female CEO that Hathaway portrayed in that film - dedicated (maybe a little too much), focused (on the wrong thing), and working herself to the bone...but also somehow kind of happy?

I really loved watching Josie and Will fall for each other...but I also loved watching Josie re-fall in love with herself and her life. Will brings out a fun and easygoing side to her that I think was just...really amazing to watch as that side battled with the driven Josie she'd been for years.

Which side wins? Guess you'll have to read to find out.

From the meet cute of Josie and Will, to their working relationship, to a new (but old) blossoming friendship, their travels, and everything in between - I was rooting for them until the very end. And there was NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP. That's right, romance fans. No ridiculous miscommunication or freakout here!

I highly recommend this if you enjoyed Gilmore's first novel, LOVE INTEREST, Fallon Ballard's JUST MY TYPE, or Lauren Forsythe's DEALBREAKERS.

Read if you like:
Workplace Romance
The Intern (Anne Hathaway movie)
Second Chance Romance
Witty, Fun Banter