The Serendipity by Emma St Clair is a sweet, closed door romcom. In the town of Serendipity Springs, magic is real and in the historic apartment building, known as the Serendipity, magic happens to help its residence to fall in love.

Emma’s book centers on a billionaire real estate developer named Archer and a baker named Willa. When Archer purchases the building his plans to turn it into luxury condos, however, the building has other ideas. All the trouble begins when Willa is magically transported from her closet to Archers. From there the relationship between these two characters grows and turns into something neither of these them ever could’ve imagined.
It’s a journey of healing and self discovery.

Emma’s latest book is written in a different style than her other books. It’s refreshing to see. I enjoyed such a fresh story. As always the characters are well developed, story unique and full of heart and humor. I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the books in the series.

If you enjoy the grumpy sunshine trope, billionaires and
Small towns, this book is for you!

4.5/5 stars

All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the Victory Editing Co Op for the ARC.

Archibald “Archie” Gaines buys a former dormitory-now-apartment building and takes on more than he bargains for with this magical building and whimsical inhabitants. It’s there that he meets Willa, a resident who also uses the industrial kitchen in the building for her baking and cookie decorating business. Willa discovers by mistake that her closet will *sometimes* transport her directly into Archie’s closet in the owners quarters in the building.

I would’ve liked to know more about some of the other characters in the building, but hope that follow on books in the Serendipity Springs novels will explore them. Willa is great, well written, and has depth to her, as does Archie.

Definitely one to put on your TBR!

4.25 stars! This was a cute and quick read that had me laughing out loud. I knew I would love it in the first few chapters at the mention of a Doctor Who reference, but I digress.

Archer Gaines is an anxious billionaire looking to escape his big city woes and Willa Smith is a struggling baker in his newly-acquired apartment building. The Serendipity is believed by locals to be the source of magic in their small northeastern town, but Archer and Willa's first (and second and third) encounter in the building is anything but magical. Will The Serendipity live up to it's matchmaking reputation?

Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys magical realism, cookies, and realistic characters. Not once did I think to myself, "Literally, why would you do that?" I can't express how much I appreciate that.

Emma St. Clair's writing was a breath of fresh air and I cannot wait to read more of her work!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC. I'm glad this was my first!

This cute, easy read held my attention. I don’t usually read books where people are magically put together but even the characters are skeptical of magic! Enjoyed the Serendipity Springs story set in a small town where everyone knows everyone. It was a really charming cute book that made me laugh out loud at times, while still dealing with fears that limit, and being authentically ourselves when it is not our favorite parts we share with others. The author did a great job of making me smell the baking, feel the mortification and cheer for a happy ending. Thank you to the publishing company for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. #onlymagicinthebuilding #NetGalley

This is the first book is the multi author series ‘Only Magic in the Building’
It is a cozy and enchanting read
It did take me just a bit to get into the story but the second half of the story really drew me in and I fell in love with Willa and Archer! There is such a good amount of tension, humor and amazing chemistry between the MCs.
I am so excited for the rest of this series to come🫶🏼

✨Grumpy/Sunshine
✨Forced Proximity
✨Billionaire MMC
✨Baker FMC
✨Anxiety Rep/Agoraphobia
✨Age Gap
✨Boss/Employee (briefly)

Thank you to netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book.

The Serendipity is the first book I have read written by Emma St. Clair and I quite enjoyed the experience.

The character development was good. I loved seeing Willa work through and overcome her agoraphobia. Peeling back the layers of both Willa and Archer was a fun adventure.

The setting and storyline were perfect. I loved the old building and all the character it brought. I haven’t read a lot of grumpy millionaire/sunshine romance, so it was fun to switch up the tropes.

The romance was sweet and kisses only, which I appreciate.

This is not a Christian book so there are no faith aspects, but it was clean. Does deal with “magic” as in a transporting closet, but that doesn’t bug me.

*I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

What will happen when grumpy billionaire Archer takes ownership of the magical Serendipity apartment building and it wants him and cookie baker Willa to be together? The Serendipity will probably use the closets in their apartments to keep pushing them together.

Things I loved about this story:
Lighthearted
A touch of magical realism
Mental health representation x2
Billionaire and baker
Friendship between Willa and Sophie
Bellamy
The scene about books in chapter 3 (relatable)
Slow burn
Archer connecting with Willa's dad over trains!
Spice level: just kisses

The way Emma St. Clair wrote these characters made them so easy to imagine right off the bat. I really enjoyed this straightforward writing style and the side characters. The magical realism elements in some stories are hard to get right, but this one was easy to understand.

I love a billionaire romance and this one was fun, but it didn't include a lot of the elements in a typical book with wealthy characters because they were in a small city away from his normal life. But Bellamy being Archer's "Alfred to his Batman" added so much to the story and I'm glad he was watching over him. I'm glad he got his own bonus chapter.

This could have easily been enemies to lovers, but Willa was super forgiving of Archer taking over the building and raising everyone's rent even though she should have really disliked him.

I didn't enjoy Archer for most of the book but his character grew on me near the end. The social anxiety he experiences was handled well, so it was probably a testament to the author's writing that it was hard to connect with a closed off, socially anxious character who is trying to ignore his own emotions.

Overall, I would recommend this book to those looking for a sweet, no spice romance with magical elements and fun antics.

I was lucky enough to receive as an ARC 🥰

Emma St. Claire delivers an utterly charming, laugh-out-loud, and heartwarming romance in Serendipity, blending small-town magic with sizzling chemistry and delightful enemies-to-lovers tension.

Billionaire Archer Gaines isn’t looking for love—he’s looking for a fresh start, far away from his father’s corruption and the scandal that follows him. His plan? Buy The Serendipity, a historic apartment building in Serendipity Springs, flip it into luxury lofts, and move on. Simple. Except… the building (and fate) has other plans.

Enter Willa, a talented baker who’s lived in the building for years and isn’t about to let some grumpy, money-driven outsider ruin her home—or her fledgling business. Their meet ugly (involving Willa accidentally teleporting into Archer’s closet) sets the tone for a hilarious, tension-filled relationship. Things only escalate when Archer increases rent, threatening the lives of the quirky tenants and putting Willa’s dream at risk. But as the building’s “mischief” keeps throwing them together, sparks begin to fly in ways neither of them expected.

Emma St. Claire weaves humor, heart, and just the right amount of magical realism into this delightful romance. Archer and Willa’s journey from reluctant neighbors to something much more is filled with swoony moments, laugh-out-loud antics, and a touching emotional depth that makes their love story feel both fun and meaningful.

If you love grumpy/sunshine romances, forced proximity, and a touch of whimsy, Serendipity is a must-read. It’s a feel-good, escapist romance that’ll leave you smiling long after the final page.

✨🏢 The Serendipity ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I love a multiauthor interconnected book series and Emma St. Clair always knocks it out of the park! From Just Don’t Fall from the Sweater Weather series to the spin off Appies series, she opens these series and introduces us to these magical worlds. When I saw the announcement for this series a while back I knew immediately that I would be binging every book but also not reading the individual descriptions to keep it all a surprise. So I read this blindly only knowing that the building is magic.

The Serendipity is the first of eight books in the Only Magic in the Building series following Willa - a baker and resident in the building, and Archer - the billionaire new owner of the building known as The Serendipity.

The magical element of the teleportation closet causing mayhem by taking the characters to each other exactly when they need the other was sweet. It makes me excited to see where the other authors will create magic in the building.

Secondary characters like Sophie and Bellamy were fun additions and made the building feel robust and alive. Not having read the individual book description (I read the series description) before reading, I had no clue this was a billionaire romance. It’s a trope for a reason and I think Archer needed to drop A LOT more 💰💰

I’m very excited to see where this series takes us!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC!

Do you believe in magic? You will, after you read The Serendipty! Willa, a baker and resident of the apartment building named The Serendipty, was looking in her closet for a sweater, and the next thing she knows, she has been transported to the closet of Archer, new landlord and owner of the building, who is not very popular with the residents. Archer recently purchased the building and moved there to escape his father's legal troubles in New York City. As Archer tries to navigate becoming a landlord when the building manager quit, his assistant Bellamy convinces him to hire Willa to help him as a temporary building manager. Willa is struggling with a failing business and agrophobia. Archer is hiding secrets of his own. Is there magic in the air or something more?

I really enjoyed this romcom. It was full of humor, cute interactions, lots of banter, and even more heart. The main characters had lots of personality, quirks, and of course struggles. The anxiety representation was very well done. This is a closed door romance. Which I enjoyed I feel like the longing is even more exciting. The magic system was very cute. I hope to read more about other characters staying in Serendipity Springs.

This grumpy- sunshine, billionaire-baker, rom-com-fantasy book has a little bit of something for everyone. The scattered but feisty FMC has you loving her from the first page, and the very stoic (aka GRUMP) new building owner has no heart and needs a stern talking to, he is so easy to hate.

He is all about the bottom line and how much money can be made, she is so concerned about the tenants and knows their situations. As they are forced to interact in some less than ideal situations- closets, giant possums, and late night baking, they start seeing each other differently.

It’s sweet, funny, whimsical, and a great way to pass an after 2. I’m excited to see what else the building and the town have to offer unsuspecting singles.

“Emotions are, in general, tricky waters for me to navigate. Dark. Murky. Full of unseen hazards.”

“I’d like to borrow a toolkit from a professional thief so I can pick the locks Archer has around himself.”

“Had you asked me beforehand what was more believable, me falling in love with a grumpy billionaire or the Serendipity actually being magical, I probably would have gone with the magic building.”

The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair (Only Magic in the Building #1)

Format: E-Book
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Magical realism, clean romance, grumpy x sunshine, billionaire romance
Spice level: 🚫 (Just kissing.)
Content warnings: On page anxiety attack and agoraphobia
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

This book was such a cute, whimsical story! Willa and Archer were such a good couple. Bellamy was also a very good side character. He was great. I loved seeing Archer and Willa both overcome personal struggles and open up to each other. I loved the character development of both of them. There was also such good banter between Willa and Archer, and there were also lots of funny, and memorable moments between Willa and Archer. This book had plenty of heart and laughs and magic. It was low in angst and had lots of swoon-worthy sweetness. This book was a great introduction to the entire Only Magic in the Building series, and it makes me excited to read the rest of the books in the series!

This first book of the Only Magic in the Building series was a hit! This book is about an apartment building called The Serendipity and how it has magic within it's walls works to put people together. Archer, a weathly New York business, wants a fresh start and buys The Serendipity to run and manage it and on his first day in the building finds Willa, one of his tenants, in his closet. Willa was magically transported from her closet to Archer's but Archer doesn't believe her and thinks she is crazy. Archer and Willa keep meeting up back together and Archer realizes that he can use her help. As they grow closer and both work thru there different anxieties, this book comes to together in a cute rom-com. I am excited to see what Book #2 brings.
Thanks Emma St. Clair, Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to read this eARC!!

Archer has big plans for The Serendipity, and they don't involve keeping anything the same. But The Serendipity has plans of its own, and some curious tricks up its sleeve (or whatever buildings have instead!) to make the happen. When Willa hears of the new building owner, she knows the changes may threaten her livelihood, but finding herself instantly transported from her own closet to his seems hardly the way to achieve anything but having him consider her a liar. As she runs into him around the place, each is forced to change their first impression of the other, but there's enough between them that The Serendipity might have to step in again. But will that bring them together or blow them apart?

I mostly avoid magic in my reading, but somehow the idea of a (lightly) magical matchmaking building (okay, and the authors involved), grabbed me. Well, I wasn't disappointed. The Serendipity is an intriguing building where you're never sure what might happen next - but mostly nothing special does. It might provide the occasional helping hand, but Archer and Willa really have to get to know each other and do the hard work to work things out, from him with his dad to her with her business. The result is that magical (pun intended) thing, a fun light read with plenty of depth, that is both a delightful break from 'real life' and a satisfying story with heart. Looking forward to reading more of the series, though I'm not sure they can top this...

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

This book was such a great introduction to the “Only Magic in the Building” multi author series! Archer and Willa are both adorable and I enjoyed their story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Create If Writing LLC for this book. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~

3.75 / 5 ⭐️

thank you to netgalley and victory editing for the arc!! I was so excited to be approved for this.

If you love a hint of magic and grumpy x sunshine romance, then this story is for you! Added bonus if you love a funny side character because Bellamy is my kind of guy.

In this book you'll find:
• no spice
• magic building
• grumpy x sunshine
• anxiety rep
• fabulous side characters (looking at you Sophie and Bellamy)
• billionaire mmc

Archer Gaines has purchased The Serendipity in an attempt to get away from the chaos his father has caused in his life. In doing this, however, Archer is coming in with decisions that will bring chaos into everyone else's life. When he first arrives at The Serendipity, he's given a tour by Galentine (I definitely peeped how her name is very close to Valentine...not sure if that was intentional, but I love it) and she hints at the magic of the building. Archer, being the practical guy he is, doesn't believe her. He thinks she's crazy and just wants to do the job he came to do. Queue Willa. Their first meeting is brought to us by none other than a closet portal. Archer's closet, no less. I won't say too much more as not to spoil it, but Archer doesn't believe in magic, Willa barely does, and the building seems to know what's best for people before they do.

'The Serendipity' is a fluffy, clean, and no-heat romance that touches on real-life issues. There is discussion of severe anxiety for both Archer and Willa. While Archer has, mostly, found a way to manage his, we learn that Willa can't even leave her hometown of Serendipity Springs. I enjoyed Willa's free-spirit and thought it went well with Archer's seriousness. The characters are multi-faceted and I enjoyed that the author focuses on real-world issues for them both. We get to see them go through things that are unique to their own lives, but learn to navigate them together. I think that’s an important message for readers. While each everyone has different struggles, we do all struggle. They just look different because all of our circumstances are different. Archer has billionaire, lousy parent problems and Willa has not-billionaire, ex-fiance problems. But they both struggle with their anxiety and have so much care for what each other has gone through.

I gave this book 3.75 stars for a couple of reasons: one, I found that it moved a little slow for me. I’m not sure what it was that caused it, but it just didn’t move the way I’m used to books moving. However, that does not mean I enjoyed it any less. Two, while I was reading, I wasn’t wowed by the chemistry between Archer and Willa. Of course, now that I say that and am looking back through my highlighted quotes, I may be wrong in the statement. Archer was very much gone for Willa from the jump, in my opinion. I love that for him.

All-in-all, I really enjoyed this story. I love that Archer and Willa made each other better and learned how to communicate with each other. I feel like their relationship isn’t just cute, but it’s real. And those ending scenes with them? I love. 🫶

I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

If you're looking for a feel-good romance that will leave you grinning, The Serendipity is the perfect pick. This charming rom-com is the literary equivalent of a warm hug—sweet, whimsical, and utterly delightful.

What makes this book truly special is its lighthearted yet heartfelt tone. The writing sparkles with humor, and the setting feels like the kind of place you’d want to escape to. It’s a love story that feels fresh.

If you’re in the mood for a book that will make you believe in love, fate, and the magic of serendipitous encounters, The Serendipity is a must-read. Prepare to fall in love!

I’ve reviewed on amazon and Goodreads.

A great start to a fun series!

A magic building that brings people together... So when a grump buys the place, what will the magic do?

A grumpy/sunshine story that is just adorable and I love how much these two compliment each other!

This has you laughing so much!

The Serendipity is such a great read I actuallycouldn’t put it down adn couldn't wait to finish it.
I love that Archer doesn’t want any magic in his life and Willa doesn’t believe in it anymore, but they both kinds have other change their tune. I am very happy this is part of a series and I can’t wait for the next one!