Overall, I enjoyed this story and the kick off to this magical series! I found the first 1/2 to 3/4 of the story to be quite interesting - introducing the building, the residents, the magical closet, and both main characters back stories (Willa's ex and her agoraphobia in particular were quite interesting). However I found the romantic chemistry between the two main characters was lacking a bit - I could see them as good friends for sure, but the jump into a romantic relationship felt a bit rushed, as did the wrap up of other plot points at the end.

I am looking forward to the rest of the series!

"The Serendipity" is a lovely, feel-good romance happening in a very special, historic apartment building that is called the Serendipity.

New building owner Archer Gaines hopes that this new project will take his mind off the scandal and trial that await him in NYC thanks to his corrupt father. He has plenty of ideas to improve the building and turn it into luxury apartments, but to do this, he needs to get rid of the current residents with their low rent. However, when he meets resident Willa, who appears out of his closet as if by magic, he starts seeing the human side of this community, and he'd be ready to do anything for the one who quickly and naturally becomes his girlfriend.

At first, I didn't like Archer much, but Bellamy's avuncular love for Archer made me soften towards him. His interactions with Willa quickly show a different facet of this man with a difficult past. Willa was a lovely character too, easy to relate to, if one with a relatively "flat" personality.

This page is 287 pages long but it felt like a much shorter read. I look forward to reading the next books in the series and seeing what happens next in the Serendipity. I can already recommend the free spin-off about Bellamy that you can find on the author's website.

4.5 stars

A 5 🌟 read for me
Wittiness shines brightly in this delightful read! The Serendipity exemplifies the author's remarkable talent. This book is charming, hilarious, and completely captivating. The chemistry between the main characters ignites with delightful banter and memorable awkward moments. The Serendipity building stands as a fabulous character in its own right.I loved it! It truly deserves all the accolades! I received a complimentary e-copy of this book and read it with pleasure. Opinions expressed in this review are my own. Thank you, NetGalley.

The serendipity

Love, love, love this.
A grumpy/sunshine with a healthy dose of real life issues and flashes of whimsy!
I’m a sucker for forced proximity- due to a sneaky magical building at play✨


Willa is personified sunshine☀️ her character shows that no matter how happy or wild a person can be, everyone has their own personal burdens. She lives in her own chaotic world bringing that to Archers reserved life, literally bringing the sunshine to his grey life.
Archer is the perfect example of how complex people can be, that usually first impressions aren’t that important!
Emma St Clair did a brilliant job of showing how anxiety can affect people in different ways and the methods of managing it, with Archers self sooting dirt mints and Willas therapy journey!

Such a sweet, lovely read with small town vibes and loveable side characters which ties the bow on top of this fun book!
Can’t wait for the rest of the Series!

What a fantastic book! Emma St. Clair doesn't disappoint in this new book which may be her best! The characters stay with you long after you finish the book. Highly recommend!

Loved this book!! The Serendipity, by Emma St. Clair is a delightful Hallmark movie in book form and a much needed and fun escape from the chaos of everyday life.
This is the story of Willa and Archer - AND a magical historical apartment building in the small town of Serendipity Springs. Willa is a tenant who runs a small, struggling cookie baking business. Archer is a billionaire businessman who bought the Serendipity building and is taking a needed break there from New York City and a family scandal.
The author does a great job developing the relationship between Willa and Archer. Archer learns about what is really important in life and Willa also deals with her past and her anxiety. I love a clean romance novel and throw in some magical realism, even better! I can’t wait to read the rest of the Only Magic in the Building series!
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to review an advanced reader copy. I will now be seeking out Emma St Clair’s backlist asap!!

This was so much fun! I feel in love with the movie Serendipity when I was younger and this felt so much like it in feelings that it was delightful to just have so comfort available within the pages.

Fun and whimsical! Such a cute romcom, I think this whole series is going to be the perfect cute and cozy vibes for Spring!

Oh the cuteness and the setup for the series and the ode to murders in the building! Dual POv, anxiety representation, baker who is so sweet! And MAGIC!

Love Emma and she has such a great writing style. It did take a minute to get into the book but I feel that's more because she had to build the world of the Serendipity and the cooky cast of characters. This was so sweet and their banter was great. I wanted more banter and more grumpy before they figured it out!

Cute easy read. I loved the banter and character growth. Also this was one of my favorite tropes (grumpy sunshine) so highly recommend

Overall, I'd give this book 3 stars. It was a cute and easy read. The Serendipity seems like an ideal place to live, it'd be nice to believe a little magic. Archer and Willa were easy enough to like, especially once Willa melted through Archer's icy exterior.

Format: ebook

Thank you NetGalley and Creative If Writing LLC for the arc!

*grumpy/sunshine
*billionaire romance
*magical realism
*mental health/phobias

Sweet contemporary romance with a splash of magic! Love the idea of this series with the building using magic to help bring people together. This was a fun read but it had some depth to it with difficult family relationships and anxiety rep from both of the MCs. I love how they were able to support each other through their struggles and how Willa was able to bring out a side of Archer he had buried down deep. I enjoyed this one and I can’t wait to see what other mischief takes place for the other couples in the Serendipity!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

What a perfect start to this new series, Only Magic in the Building... I am an eternal fan of Emma St. Clair, so it is no surprise that I adored this book.

The story takes place in The Serendipity, a historic (and perhaps magical, matchmaking building!) Archer buys the building as an investment and also a way to hide out from his imploded life and the scandal back in NY thanks to his corrupt father. He meets our cookie making heroine, Willa, when she somehow ends up in his closet, seemingly transported from her own closet with no logical explanation. Either Willa is lying or delusional...it couldn't possibly be magic, or could it?

We have some of our classic tropes: grumpy vs sunshine, enemies to more, plus epic banter, chemistry that sizzles, deep, emotional backstories, hilarious antics and so much sweetness. The element of magic added another whimsical layer to the pages that was simply enchanting.

The storyline with both our main couple struggling with anxiety/agoraphobia was so well done. While I absolutely shipped Willa and Archer, I have to applaud the side characters as well. From Bellamy (please give him a second chance romance with his lost love...), Willa's parents, Sophie, and the other residents!

My only complaint is that I can't read this book again for the first time...I am still smiling. Sweet sigh. Perfection!!

Looking forward to the rest of this series!!

5 stars

I love when romances have a small magical element, like in this case a magical apartment building that creates portals between closets in order to matchmake its residences. Unfortunately, pretty much everything else in this book let me down.

I found both of the main characters to be very annoying, and in the case of Willa, badly written. She felt very much like a much older woman trying to write a woman in her 20s but only using stereotypes from five years ago. And Archer was honestly just a jerk.

My other main issue was how much of the book was centered around back story and setting up the plot. The actual love story felt so rushed in the last third of the book instead of solidly paced throughout.

Overall, this one was just not for me.

This was a cute start to the series, but I think it just fell flat in a lot of places for me. Bellamy was probably my favorite character in the book. I kept reading simply because I was hoping to get exposed to many characters that will be present across the series, but it seems like there may be only one crossover from this book. Again, I think overall the book was cute, was very respectful to the topic of anxiety, and had relatable main characters, but it just was not my favorite of Emma St. Clair’s work.

I really enjoyed The Serendipity! Emma St. Clair did a fantastic job crafting a story with lovable, well-developed characters. I especially adored Archer—his blunt yet anxious personality made him such a unique and relatable character. I also loved how he found a new family throughout the book, which added so much warmth to the story.

One of the standout aspects for me was the mental health representation. Both Archer and Willa’s struggles felt authentic and well-written—his anxiety and her agoraphobia were handled with care and added depth to their characters.

The only thing that didn’t quite work for me was the closet teleportation. While I loved the building’s magical history, that aspect felt a bit too unrealistic for my taste. However, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the story.

This is a book for anyone who loves a heartfelt romance, especially since it keeps things sweet and closed-door. Definitely a great read for those who appreciate love stories with depth and a touch of whimsy!

A wonderful start to the multi author series about the serendipity. The book was an easy read, very cute and, although not my typical genre, a definite 5 star book. Willa the person and Archer were very adorable and the anxiety representation was wonderfully done.

Thank you so much to Emma St. Clair for a copy of this ebook! All thoughts are entirely my own!

Well this was just a magical, whimsical start to this delightful series. I loved Willa & Archer's story. Grumpy-sunshine gets me EVERY dang time. and Emma delivered with this one! :)

I loved how we say anxiety rep in TWO different ways.

Honestly, I related deeply to Archer about how he appeared before people got to know him. When you have social anxiety meeting people/new places/large groups can be so hard. I felt the author did a wonderful job showcasing how a character might appear when walking through that.

I loved the closet/whimsical element of the book. <3

A solid 4 stars for me!

Will share on social media ( @berges_books) within a couple weeks.

Overall this book was good, I loved the mix of romance, comedy and magic that took place. Archer and Willa has such an interesting chemistry together, Archer is so untrusting of everyone and just is focused on keeping his business running and get away from the bad press that his father was causing in his life. Willa is a hot mess baker who is just doing anything she can to make sure she doesn't lose her home or business. Bellamy's character added a good bit of spunk to the storyline and just was overall a good addition to the character list.

I can't wait to read more of this series. This book was a great start to this series and the magic hopefully will just get more interesting and better.

The Serendipity is a charming and heartfelt romance that instantly captured my attention. Willa, struggling with agoraphobia, has found a sense of safety and community in her small town and quirky apartment building, The Serendipity. Enter Archer, the new building owner, whose own emotional baggage brings him to this seemingly magical place. As their connection deepens, they help each other heal and grow, all while learning to embrace their flaws and support each other through personal challenges.

What I loved most about this story was how Willa and Archer’s relationship was built on mutual understanding and respect. Both characters had their own personal battles, but they never judged each other—something that made their connection feel so real and authentic. The supporting characters, especially Bellamy and Archer’s unconventional family dynamic, added a beautiful layer to the story, showcasing that family is about love and choice, not just blood.

This book was full of whimsy, warmth, and hope. It’s the perfect read for anyone looking for a feel-good romance with emotional depth. The only thing that could have enhanced the story was a deeper exploration of Willa’s emotional journey, but overall, it’s an uplifting, magical book that will stay with you long after you finish it.