The Serendipity was a cute and fun romance with some light magic. I really enjoyed the premise and the characters but I wish things had got a bit more flushed out especially as you don't love Archer in the beginning of the book. I look forward to checking out more in the "Only Magic in the Building" series.

Thank you to netgalley and the pubisher for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

I received an ARC from @netgalley for The Serendipity. All opinions expressed below are my own.

If you've read The Sweater Weather series you'll remember that warm, cozy, happy feeling any time you finished one of the books. The Serendipity by @kikimojo brings the SAME feelings but with an added bonus of just the perfect dash of magic sprinkled in.
I'm a huge RomCom fan, but magic holds a special piece of my heart so this book was a bit of a dream come true! Magic AND romance with a good dose of laughter. What could be better?!

I loved the combo of a broke, sunshine business woman struggling to get her custom cookie business off the ground with a multi millionaire grump landlord. Add in a magical closet portal, a cookie loving personal assistant, a giant puppy and a possum and man oh man, you have a recipe for something special.

Emma did this series due justice with this one. What a start! I am so excited to continue reading more.

Here are a couple of my favourite quotes:
"In a hiss and a flash of pointy teeth, the possum miraculously revives and launches itself at Archer.
With a very girlish scream, Archer shoots to his feet, flailing his arms as the possum climbs him like a tree."

"And without giving me even a moment to respond, Archer turns on his heel, leaving me with his jacket, a grocery list, and an ogling pair of lobsters."

"'Don't cry, Willa the Person,' he says. 'I'm so sorry for leaving the way I did. And for not trusting you. Will you forgive me?'"

I'd totally read this book again... and maybe again and again... and it might just need to live on my shelf too. I would highly recommend giving it a read! If you love laughter, romance and magic, you'll love The Serendipity too.

So fun! This story was indeed magical! I loved the
contrast between Willa and Archer. He's so formal and
uptight. She's an enchanting free spirit.


Emma St. Clair can take any story and make it fun. I
was smiling and chuckling the whole way through. She
knows how to turn a phrase.

From my Favorite Hockey Boys to now this Magical Goodness, it was/is just too good!!

The Serendipity is a fun, sweet, emotionally relatable book that I enjoyed so much. I don’t think I’ve read many MMCs like Archer and appreciated the thought that Emma St. Clair put into writing neurodivergent and diverse characters. I can’t wait to read more of her books!

This was a fun read, and I look forward to more in the series! The magical closet element was fun, and the grumpy MMC eventually warmed my heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Create If Writing LLC for this ARC!
This was such a cute little read. It's your classic grumpy/ sunshine and it has so much heart and cozy feelings. It's a quick read and if you're in a bit of slump I say give it a try. Archer starts out a little rough be he's such a sweetie with trauma and you grow to love him! Willa I loved from beginning to end! Definitely give it a read!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Emma St. Clair for the ebook ARC! I read The Cupid Chronicles prior to this one, so I knew a little about the magical history within the walls of The Serendipity building.

This was another super fun read! Imagine taking over the owner of an apartment building and on your first day a girl transports into your apartment via your closet…

We’ve got a grumpy billionaire building owner and a happy-go-lucky cookie baker with agoraphobia. We’ve got some magical realism, a delightful side character (Bellamy, I love you), and such a fun premise.

Check out the books in this lineup all set in the same building but from different authors!

A light hearted, cute magic rom com. Archer is the perfect grump. The possum, the cookies, the trains - loved the cute details of this story. Emma St Clair is great a go to for a fun read!

A business man and a baker in a magical building? Say less! I am loving the Only Magic in the Building series, and Emma St. Clair's first installment was adorable. If you love grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, and magical realism, you will love this story. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Emma St. Clair for letting me read this beauty!

This was a fun, lighthearted romance with a little bit of magical realism. It was really enjoyable and I was able to finish it in a couple sittings. I loved the chemistry between Willa and Archer and the grumpy/sunshine trope. Their chemistry was palpable, even though the book is a clean, closed door romance. I can't wait to keep reading the rest of the books in the series and to discover the stories of the other residents of The Serendipity apartment building.

Thank you to Netgalley and Emma St. Clair for the ARC!

This was a book! Willa lands in her new landlord’s bedroom courtesy of a magic closet - try explaining that! Archer is a buttoned up exec who bought the apartment building as a new project. With the help of cookies, friends - Sophie and Bellamy , run in with exes, and magic closets, Willa and Archer finally find love.

This book was adorable and magical and I was completely engaged throughout. A magical building that finds your soulmate is such a great concept! I really enjoyed this overall but one thing that bugged me was the age gap. I don't care about age gaps but it doesn't need to be mentioned 50 times because then you're making it weird

I wasn't sure at first, but this book was cute and comedic! Communication would have saved a lot of heartache but where is the fun in that? It was a fun book and had great characters!

A charming, feel-good romance with a sprinkle of magic! Archer, a billionaire trying to escape scandal, buys The Serendipity, a quirky historic building with a mind of its own. Willa, a free-spirited baker and longtime resident, gets caught in its matchmaking magic—literally—leading to a hilarious and unexpected connection with Archer.

The witty banter, heartwarming romance, and small-town charm made this such an enjoyable read. If you love slow-burn romance with a touch of whimsy, this one’s for you!

Big thanks to Emma St. Clair, NetGalley, and Create If Writing LLC for the ARC!

What a series kickoff! I love that Emma always writes the debut book for the collaborative series with other authors because her books always tell me what to expect with the others. She sets the tone from the beginning and introduces everything and everyone without being super obvious, while developing her primary characters.and telling the initial story in an enjoyable & engaging way. She has a way of wrapping up her story and making me also want to continue with the others. A+!

The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair

Rating: 3

Overview: Archer Gaines needs to escape his current reality in New York City, so leaves for a small town and buys a historic apartment building - The Serendipity. Willa, currently living in the so-called magical building, finds herself in the closet of the handsome new building owner. Both Will and Archer have an attraction for each other but disagree on the future of the Serendipity. However, the historic apartment building may have its own opinion on their relationship and magical interference!


Our Thoughts: There was a lot to like about the book - written well, bubbly characters, good plot line, natural progression of characters - but it was also just okay. I was hoping for something more. I would still recommend the book if they were looking for a similar trope. Also, I didn't love the magical element in the book, but that is a personal preference. #HiddenBillionaire

Thanks @netgalley for the eARC.

Perfect if you Like:
Magical Elements
Small Town Charm
Strong Family Relationships

#TheSerendipity #EmmaStClair #book #bookrecs #bookrecommendations #bookreviews #readwithushm #sisterswhoread #NetGalley #onlymagicinthebuilding

Goodreads :
3.5 ⭐️ - This book was a quick closed door romance! I loved the plot of the book, but I just felt like the writing felt a little choppy and rushed in some parts.

Pub Date: March 5th, 2025

Thank you NetGalley, Emma St Clair, and Victory Editing for my #gifted eARC copy.

I love an interconnected multi-author series and this was a fun one to start, Emma St Clair gave us an adorable story of Bring to two different people together. I love the aspect of magical realism and the location created for this series to be centered around.

I like this one a lot. I love the magical aspect. It adds a little to these stories and it just makes it fun. I wanted more of them dating but it was still a fun story.

Thank you so much to both NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

If there is one word that I can use to describe this book it would be adorable. It's adorable, it's fun, and it's just the perfect mix of whimsy, sweet, and grumpy. The characters are absolutely perfect in their roles, and the chemistry is unlike anything else. The Serendipity itself is full of magic and mischief and honestly it seems like such an ideal place to live! All of the history, and the stories - oh they probably are never-ending.

What I loved the most about this book was the honest take on anxiety. The on page anxiety and panic attacks, though not in full detail truly helped to make me feel seen as a reader with anxiety disorders. The mints that Archer uses - such a minuscule details to others, but to those of us that get it? Well, we get it, and I know that for me that little touch is very much appreciated. The on page therapy scene - where all of the reservations were also discussed was SO incredibly well done. It was fitting and it gave so much insight into real feelings and thoughts that occur around therapy. So very relatable!

I think I smiled while reading 80% of this book - and Bellamy? Oh my word, I need more Bellamy in my life! He just added so much to the story and was such a good friend to both Archer and Willa.

Overall this is such an amazing introduction to this new series and I love the list of authors that are all contributing! Highly interested to see where this series goes from here.