I absolutely adored this magically realistic book by Emma St. Clair! As book one in a series about the inhabitants of The Serendipity, St. Clair sets the sage for a series of books that I hope to be as fun and light hearted as this book was, while still tackling real life obstacles. Never before have a I read a rom-com that dealt with some of the very real struggles that the two main characters lived with, but I appreciated the way that St. Clair wrote their stories. The book was still filled with funny banter, ironic situations and moments that made me want to cheer out loud for the characters. But they also had very real lived experiences that made me root for them even more! This book goes down as one of my top favorites from Emma St. Clair!

4.5 out of 5 stars!

Brilliant, whimsy and magic. Super chemistry, laugh out loud funny at times and the best secondary character I have read for a very long time. And I mean come on, so funny the scene with both Willa's dad and Archer made my day.


I love everything that she writes, you cannot go wrong with any of her books.

I really enjoyed this book. Enemies to lovers, magical realism and it’’s an easy read. Characters are really lovable and a whole community.
I wouldn’t mind bit more details after they kissed.

In short, this book is fantastic, and I would highly recommend. In long, I really enjoyed the slow transformation of the characters, the openness as to their flaws, and the slow build romance. There’s nothing objectionable in this book, so you could safely recommend to everyone from your 12 year old niece to your 90 year old grandma. I honestly couldn’t stop thinking about it and was eager to get back to it when I had to put it down. 10/10 would 100% recommend

This closed-door, multi-author series called Only Magic In The Building is set in Serendipity Springs, where a legendary fountain brings good fortune. A whimsical romance with light magic, it follows a matchmaking building—no spells or shifters, just charm.

Emma St. Clair kicks off the series with The Serendipity, a fun and heartwarming read that perfectly blends romance, humor, and just a hint of magic. The grumpy/sunshine dynamic is at its best here, with a billionaire MMC and plenty of forced proximity to turn up the tension. Told in dual POV, the story gives us a deeper look at both characters, making their flirty banter even more enjoyable.

Between the sweet moments (hello, cookie decorating!) and the subtle magical charm of the town, this book delivers everything I love in a romance. If you enjoy lighthearted, feel-good love stories with a touch of whimsy, The Serendipity is a must-read!

Authors in the series:
Emma St. Clair, Courtney Walsh, Jenny Proctor, Savannah Scott, Julie Christianson, Carina Taylor, Melanie Jacobson, Katie Bailey

Thank you Create if Writing LLC and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was an adorable, sweet start to a new series set in a ✨ magical ✨ apartment building.

I loved Willa and Archer and how the building kept throwing them together. I especially loved a certain animal scene. 😆 There were a lot of fun and cute moments throughout!

I really liked the anxiety rep we got in this book, in a unique form as well! Not something I’ve read specifically about before.

Really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to continue this series!

Adorable, whimsical, grumpy/sunshine love story. This is the first in the Only Magic in the Building series. Willa is a struggling baker who lives in The Serendipity and uses the communal kitchen for her business. Archer is the new owner of the building and is temporarily moving in to figure out what changes he wants to make. The building keeps thrusting Willa and Archer together in magical ways while they help each other out. This is a chaste love story (only lots of kissing) and is perfect for those who want a dose of magic with your happy ever after.

Thank you Create if Writing LLC for providing book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Emma St. Clair makes whimsy romance with the serendipity!

I loved this cute take on a romance book with little magical aspects that made the story unique and different. I loved the cuteness and swoon of this. I thought they had great chemistry and had some angsty moments but it wasn't dragged on and you know that you will get a sweet romance with her books that will always leave you feeling warm and cozy and fuzzy afterwards.

When billionaire Archer Gaines needs to escape his father’s corrupt shadow and a related scandal, he purchases The Serendipity, a historic apartment building far from New York City. He’s eager to move forward with plans to flip the building into luxury lofts. But The Serendipity doesn’t particularly care what Archer believes, and the building has plans of its own. Willa never believed in the rumors about her “magical” building. But that was before she walked into her closet looking for a sweater and found herself in another apartment altogether--in the penthouse closet of the grumpy and unfortunately attractive new building owner. This is less of a meet cute than a meet ugly, and things only go downhill from there. When Archer announces sweeping changes that include a rent increase, he becomes public enemy number one for the residents. And by charging Willa for use of the commercial kitchen, he puts her fledgling baking business at risk. With his progress being (magically) blocked at every turn, Archer grows desperate for help. But the bewitching woman he found hiding in his closet seems to present both the answer and a larger problem: because Archer never planned to fall in love or stay in Serendipity Springs forever.

Thoughts
A fun little magical story. This was a cute read that is lighthearted while still dealing with heavy topics like anxiety. I would have loved for there to be a little more relationship buildup instead of 60% of the book they are acquaintances and then all the sudden in love, but I still enjoyed it.

Magical apartment with closets that are portals?!
I was hooked since the beginning. This was such a cute read with a grumpy billionaire and a sunshine baker. You can already tell their chemistry was chemistrying from their meet-cute, it was magical indeed ;)

The Serendipity is a laugh-out-loud, charming romance full of heart, whimsy, and loveable characters.

Archer and Willa's story is so sweet and tender. I love the juxtaposition of their personalities and how they each bring so much light and joy to the other. I love how the anxiety rep was handled and how the characters respond to each other's struggles with it.

The magical realism is fun and quirky, but more than that, I love how the author used it, in a sense, as a way to force Archer to come to some realizations about Willa and his feelings for her.

Bellamy is a gem of a character and I love that we get a little bit more with him in the bonus scene!

This book set the stage perfectly for the rest of this series! Now I just have to find the patience to wait until the others are released.


Favorite Quotes:

"Can you really trust a man who refuses a cookie? No. You can't."

"Hello, Willa the person."

"She makes a little sound when my fingers reach into her hair. Not a whimper, not a moan. A new sound, uncategorized by labels and definitions. An elusive, rare new species I'll name and keep completely to myself."

"You're the one in control here, Willa. Not me."

"I'm Archer Gaines, and I'm going to pretend I'm not nervous to meet you even though I want to run right back out the front door." With that adorably honest statement, he handed my dad the bottle of wine, let my mom give him a hug, and basically won my entire heart.

"You are a wonderfully beautiful contradiction I never knew I needed.”

"For one kiss from you right now, I would give up any secret. Reveal any thought. I'd trade the world for you, Willa. Don't tempt me."

*Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 ⭐️ We are off with a bang! This is described as a whimsical romance, and it absolutely delivers that. Super cute with a simple magical element causing one of my favorite tropes of forced proximity. Willa and Archer are fabulous. Loved the anxiety rep in both of them. If this is how the whole series is going to be, I’m even more excited.

Archer has bought a historic apartment building, The Serendipity. The previous owner kept everything the same for years. Even rent prices. His plan is to change everything no matter what people say about the folklife of the building.

Willa doesn’t really believe in the magic of the building. She has bigger things to worry about. She has cookies to bake and a life to figure out. But when the building has other ideas, she is transported right into Archer’s closet.

QOTD: Do you enjoy magical elements in your romances or whimsical romances?

Thank you so much @kikimojo and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book. #onlymagicinthebuilding #theserendipity #emmastclair #arcreview #netgalley

An absolutely adorable start to a new series. I was introduced to Emma St. Clair through the last multi author series she participated in, the Sweater Weather series. I have read a number of her book since and enjoyed every single one. All of those Sweater Weather authors are back plus one new one to introduce The Serendipity, an apartment building in the small city of Serendipity Springs, which going by context clues is somewhere in New England.

Every resident is a character and more importantly, tiny magic abounds. I don’t think I would call it magical realism, but magic is real in small ways. And seemingly centered on the titular apartment building. Our main character characters are literally pushed together by a portal connecting their closets. I love that the premise isn’t anything huge or fantastical, if anything, it’s easier to believe that the world is full of tiny magic that is helping the right people to find one another.

Willa and Archer are definitely an opposites attract pairing, but they complement one another and each has strengths to support where the other may not have them. But I think what I most appreciate is that they both suffer from anxiety, although it is expressed in different ways. Anxiety isn’t just one thing and can have major impacts on how people live their lives. Archer and Willa’s are not the same but feel absolutely authentic. It’s wonderful to see anxiety representation.

Aside from that their story is just adorable and a sweet introduction to what I’m sure will be equally adorable magical moments in the rest of the series.

Well, worth a read, particularly if you’re looking for:

-opposites attract
-billionaire romance
-anxiety rep
-grumpy/sunshine
-cozy magic

This is the first in a multi-author series, and I think it's going to be so good! The Serendipity is an apartment building that is rumored to be magical with a tendancy for matchmaking. I live this premise and that little touch of magic!

In this story, Willa and Archer are complete opposites, but they grow closer as the building throws them together in hilarious ways. There are so many funny moments, and because it's an Emma St. Clair book, there's a hilarious animal encounter! Also, Willa is a sugar cookie baker and sugar cookies are one of my favorite treats, so of course I had to bake some!

I can't wait to see what other adventures happen in The Serendipity!

Whimsical, magical, impish, and rather swoony.

Those are the words that capture the essence of The Serendipity—the book title, the building, and the series.

This series is off to a great start with Willa and Archer as our first couple. Well, not a couple in the beginning—but The Serendipity wants what it wants and always gets what it wants!

And I love it!

Archer has to get out of New York, so he buys an apartment building in Serendipity Springs. He plans to show that he is a different kind of businessman than his father, who is awaiting trial for his financial crimes. Archer hears rumors that the building is magical, but that is ridiculous -- until Willa appears in his closet with a crazy story about being transported there. Still, Archer is drawn to Willa and makes excuses to be around her. Willa is angry with Archer for his changes to the building, but she also sees his struggles. She can't stop herself from trying to help. They begin dating, and it is a lot of fun. But real life is about to intrude, and they will have to face their fears to get their HEA. THe building intends to help with that.
This book is very funny, and there are a lot of crazy scenes. But there are also serious issues like anxiety and neglect. It is a good balance, and it makes it hard to put the book down. I have read a few other books by this author that I thought dragged, but this one is well paced. I really enjoyed it.

Such a cute story! This is the good cozy book for a rainy day. I really liked the characters but did feel like there could've been more development surrounding their relationship; it was almost two fast. I could definitely have used more Bellamy.

Thank you, Netgalley for this ARC!

This book has the typical Emma St. Clair sense of humor, animal hijinks, and easy to read style with a touch of magic this time. I loved the concept of this being a series about a magical apartment building and thought it was cute and fun. The first half was a little bit slow for me and I didn’t really get why Willa and Archer were interested in each other when they seemingly had lots of reasons to dislike one another. It was one of those storylines where the two main characters “can’t stop thinking about the other person” and feel an “instant attraction” they can’t ignore, which isn’t my favorite. Once they were actually in a relationship the book went much faster for me and I enjoyed it more, but the pre-relationship part felt a little too contrived and their connection didn’t really make sense. Overall it’s a cute read, and a decent start to what looks to be a promising series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Book one of the Magic in the Building series brought so much whimsy and charm, and now I cannot wait for the next entry!

Opposites attract when stern businessman Archer Gaines purchases an apartment building and meets Willa, a tenant who mysteriously appears in his closet due to possible magic in the building.

The magical realism moments were cute and unique, and I can't wait to see what else this building throws at us throughout the series! The romance builds as Willa and Archer get to know one another, and there is a ridiculously funny scene involving a potentially rabid possum that had me laughing out loud. This was a cute start to the series!

Read if you like:
💕 Opposites attract
💕 Mental health rep (anxiety/agoraphobia/panic attacks)
💕 Magical realism
💕 Kissing only
💕 Interconnected series

This is the first book in the "Only Magic in the Building" series and what a great introduction “The Serendipity” is to this whimsical series.

Archer Gaines purchased the historic Serendipity apartments in Serendipity Springs and has plans to turn it into luxury condos until a transporting closet introduces him to Willa.

Archer and Willa are complete opposites, one is grumpy while the other is sweet and kind. They may not want anything to do with one another but the building has other plans.

This is a lighthearted, sweet story that pulled me in right away and did not disappoint. You can never go wrong with a story by Emma St. Clair.

I am looking forward to reading the rest in this multi-author series!

Thank you to Emma St. Clair, NetGalley and Create If Writing LLC for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.