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carla20's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual content
weyheyitsrachel's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book was very disappointing. I struggled to want to pick it up. It was just boring, and it seemed like the author was trying to include every single romance trope into this one book.
Tropes I recall from this book:
-enemies to lovers
-workplace romance
-close proximity
-only one bed
-secrets
-fake relationship
-coworkers
Honestly the list could probably go on but I don't want to spoil too much. My favorite part of this book was the workplace romance trope. The job descriptions were on point and I felt like I was in an actual corporate office.
But I will say, the inclusion of characters of diverse backgrounds was great! Love to see it and props to the author for giving them names from their cultures!
I found our FMC Casey to be slightly annoying. Her wittiness became too much about 20% into this book. She was also sort of....weak? She did get better and we saw her develop into this strong independent woman, but it took too long to get there.
MMC Alex was also insufferable at times. He also ended up getting his act together. There was also this odd miscommunication thing going on, too, that happened because he dropped his phone in the toilet. A bit odd with the storyline but oh well.
I liked that we got a deep dive into the characters' backstories. It made their personalities make sense as the book went on. The ending was good. When I hit page 250, that's when things started getting interesting.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this one. It was too all over the place. There were some unnecessary plotlines imo. Just all around not vibing with this one.
Tropes I recall from this book:
-enemies to lovers
-workplace romance
-close proximity
-only one bed
-secrets
-fake relationship
-coworkers
Honestly the list could probably go on but I don't want to spoil too much. My favorite part of this book was the workplace romance trope. The job descriptions were on point and I felt like I was in an actual corporate office.
But I will say, the inclusion of characters of diverse backgrounds was great! Love to see it and props to the author for giving them names from their cultures!
I found our FMC Casey to be slightly annoying. Her wittiness became too much about 20% into this book. She was also sort of....weak? She did get better and we saw her develop into this strong independent woman, but it took too long to get there.
MMC Alex was also insufferable at times. He also ended up getting his act together. There was also this odd miscommunication thing going on, too, that happened because he dropped his phone in the toilet. A bit odd with the storyline but oh well.
I liked that we got a deep dive into the characters' backstories. It made their personalities make sense as the book went on. The ending was good. When I hit page 250, that's when things started getting interesting.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this one. It was too all over the place. There were some unnecessary plotlines imo. Just all around not vibing with this one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
hannahwilliams90's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Minor: Sexual harassment
kaitsbooks89's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
lololovesthings's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
4.25 stars!
I thoroughly enjoyed "Love Interest," which is Clare Gilmore's debut book. This is an enemies-to-lovers workplace romance with a hefty side of corporate goings-on. I will admit that it was a little difficult to get into this book, but as soon as the initial elevator scene happened, I was all in on the main characters Casey and Alex. I don't think I've read a book like this, mainly because of Casey's penchant for finance. I just adored her, and I saw a lot of myself in her character. I also loved Alex, whose tragic backstory slowly unfolds to paint a picture I didn't expect at the start of the book. There is fantastic character development for both her and Alex, and even better development where their love story is concerned. The pining, the longing, the adoration from afar, the unease, the unsureness... I was bewitched by their coupling. They have spectacular banter, great inside jokes, and enough sizzling will-they-won't-they to last me through the season. I also appreciated all of the secondary characters. I loved learning about Casey's parents, her coworkers, and her long-time friends. Unfortunately, I feel like this book ends much too quickly. I enjoyed the ending, but it felt like it wrapped up way too fast compared to the rest of the book. Still, I will be thinking about Tide Free and Gentle for a long, long time to come. Read this book ASAP!
Thank you to NetGalley, Clare Gilmore, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
I thoroughly enjoyed "Love Interest," which is Clare Gilmore's debut book. This is an enemies-to-lovers workplace romance with a hefty side of corporate goings-on. I will admit that it was a little difficult to get into this book, but as soon as the initial elevator scene happened, I was all in on the main characters Casey and Alex. I don't think I've read a book like this, mainly because of Casey's penchant for finance. I just adored her, and I saw a lot of myself in her character. I also loved Alex, whose tragic backstory slowly unfolds to paint a picture I didn't expect at the start of the book. There is fantastic character development for both her and Alex, and even better development where their love story is concerned. The pining, the longing, the adoration from afar, the unease, the unsureness... I was bewitched by their coupling. They have spectacular banter, great inside jokes, and enough sizzling will-they-won't-they to last me through the season. I also appreciated all of the secondary characters. I loved learning about Casey's parents, her coworkers, and her long-time friends. Unfortunately, I feel like this book ends much too quickly. I enjoyed the ending, but it felt like it wrapped up way too fast compared to the rest of the book. Still, I will be thinking about Tide Free and Gentle for a long, long time to come. Read this book ASAP!
Thank you to NetGalley, Clare Gilmore, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual harassment
catsandmetaphors's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This was a delightful read with wonderfully fleshed-out main characters and a great assemble of supporting characters. Both Casey and Alex were so soft and broken in their own ways, I loved them so much.
Personally, I found the pacing in the first half a little off, but the second half more than made up for it. There's quite a bit of finance talk in this book, so if that's not your thing, you can just skim those parts.
Personally, I found the pacing in the first half a little off, but the second half more than made up for it. There's quite a bit of finance talk in this book, so if that's not your thing, you can just skim those parts.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
what_karla_reads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
4.25/5
2/5 stars
Workplace romances with a bit of rivalry in the beginning are always fun, and this one has great chemistry between the two MCs, Alex & Casey.
Tropes:
Work place romance
Rivals to lovers
Financial analyst FMC
Introvert/Extrovert
Secrets & Corporate scandals
Single POV
I really loved Casey's character and overall personality. Although she was a financial whiz and a huge introvert, she wasn't boring. She still had fun and great rapport with all her close friends... and I could totally relate to that. Alex was your typical people loving, social butterfly, extrovert with ambition and hard work. But it was so nice to see him unwind with Casey and show that he isn't always Mr. Sunshine. Both of them had their vulnerable moments, and their budding romance was inevitable.
I did feel that the plot dragged a bit too long, but in the end, it wrapped up nicely. It is an open door romance but it focuses more on the emotional aspect instead of being overly detailed.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
Trigger/Content warnings:
Death of a parent (off page), mild sexual content, misogyny
2/5 stars
Workplace romances with a bit of rivalry in the beginning are always fun, and this one has great chemistry between the two MCs, Alex & Casey.
Tropes:
Work place romance
Rivals to lovers
Financial analyst FMC
Introvert/Extrovert
Secrets & Corporate scandals
Single POV
I really loved Casey's character and overall personality. Although she was a financial whiz and a huge introvert, she wasn't boring. She still had fun and great rapport with all her close friends... and I could totally relate to that. Alex was your typical people loving, social butterfly, extrovert with ambition and hard work. But it was so nice to see him unwind with Casey and show that he isn't always Mr. Sunshine. Both of them had their vulnerable moments, and their budding romance was inevitable.
I did feel that the plot dragged a bit too long, but in the end, it wrapped up nicely. It is an open door romance but it focuses more on the emotional aspect instead of being overly detailed.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
Trigger/Content warnings:
Death of a parent (off page), mild sexual content, misogyny
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
vj_thompson's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Yep, this book wrecked me. The ending was when so many tears were shed. Casey as a character is SO relatable because I was in her shoes believing I wasn’t worthy or enough. Like I was placed in an inescapable box. It only takes an Alex or a Miriam or anyone to support you and show what you aren’t seeing. Now onto my request. Clare, please write Freddy’s story. I am OBSESSED with him. Thanks for writing an amazing, beautiful, and emotional book ❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Misogyny, and Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, Abandonment, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Toxic relationship, Cancer, and Terminal illness
elfit's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This, as they say these days, just hit right in the feels. It was cozy, warm, and very squishy in that comforting sense of wanting to decide for yourself but also not wanting to leave anyone behind.
I connected very strongly to the emotions and the feelings Casey was going through, the first person perspective worked really well in the story, getting into Casey head and reading as she worked through her conflicts and struggles made her joy and happiness that much sweeter. Her engagement with Alex, the banter that started with annoyance and animosity and bloomed into flirtation and comradery was just the right amount of silly and gooey.
I teared up at the introspection, sighed in contentment with the declarations, and enjoyed Casey's thought process as she romanticized and struggled through her days. It also renewed an urge to travel.
I enjoyed this debut book, and look forward to more from Clare Gilmore
I connected very strongly to the emotions and the feelings Casey was going through, the first person perspective worked really well in the story, getting into Casey head and reading as she worked through her conflicts and struggles made her joy and happiness that much sweeter. Her engagement with Alex, the banter that started with annoyance and animosity and bloomed into flirtation and comradery was just the right amount of silly and gooey.
I teared up at the introspection, sighed in contentment with the declarations, and enjoyed Casey's thought process as she romanticized and struggled through her days. It also renewed an urge to travel.
I enjoyed this debut book, and look forward to more from Clare Gilmore
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Death of parent
katiemack's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is a solid workplace romance with a slow burn yet palpable chemistry between Casey and Alex. Clare Gilmore fully explores both of these characters and their positive attributes, faults, and traumas in a layered way that made me feel like I knew them well. There's some questionable communication issues--mostly ones triggered by the relationship between Alex and his father--but otherwise the story feels sweet and genuine.
This is a solid workplace romance with a slow burn yet palpable chemistry between Casey and Alex. Clare Gilmore fully explores both of these characters and their positive attributes, faults, and traumas in a layered way that made me feel like I knew them well. There's some questionable communication issues--mostly ones triggered by the relationship between Alex and his father--but otherwise the story feels sweet and genuine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, and Abandonment