Willa is magically transported to the closet of the new building owner who is not happy to see her trespassing. She is worried about the changes he wants to make and is afraid it'll leave her homeless and businessless. On top of that, her ex is back in town with a new fiancee, one of her former best friends. But as she gets to know Archie, and he comes to her rescue with her ex, she wonders if maybe there's more to him than she first thought.

It is a cute romatic comedy with fun characters and entertaining scenes. A thoroughly enjoyable romp.

Such a fun, easy read.

The Serendipity is like the fairy godmother apartment building you didn't know you needed. It bibidibobidiboo-ed Willa and Archer right into each others...closet... like i said, fun!

The magical element was done *perfectly*, especially when Archer is mid-panic attack and the Serendipity does him a solid by transporting Willa to him <3

I loved the ending, such a perfect way to round off the story, showing how Willa and Archer became a solid couple but that they grew individually too, its the perfect representation of a relationship you'd want the magic to encourage you into.

This book was so cute and full of whimsy! I love the black cat/golden retriever dynamic of Archer and Willa. It was a fun easy read that scratched a part of my brain that I didn't even know needed scratching. I liked the banter between the characters and the way that they communicated. Super cute, and solidly recommend!

The Serendipity, book one in the Only Magic in the Building series is delightfully whimsical! Willa and Archer are so fun together; sunshine meets grump in a magical sort of way. Willa is a fun free-spirited baker who is trying to make ends meet when she literally runs into the new building owner. Her story is less than believable, and Archer is having none of it. Except, he can’t seem to get enough of Willa. They draw out the best in each other and their interactions are full of chemistry while still sweet and comical. Add in some Bellamy on the side, and this is a wonderfully lighthearted romance. There is more to it than the casual romance, but it is tender and sweet and has you believing in the magic of love.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Oh my goodness! This is just adorable! I loved every single minute! The characters were filled with so much angst and beauty! Perfectly matched and the swoon was unforgettable! I absolutely love this whole premise of the magical apartment building! So fun!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read! All opinions and thoughts are my own!

Imagine waking up one morning, stepping into your closet, and somehow poof!—you find yourself in a stranger’s apartment. That’s exactly the kind of charming chaos Emma St. Clair delivers in The Serendipity, a romance that blends small-town charm, a little bit of magic (or maybe just excellent architecture?), and a slow-burn romance that had me grinning like an idiot.

We meet Archer, a grumpy, no-nonsense businessman who has just bought The Serendipity, a historic apartment building with a reputation for bringing people together in unexpected ways. He’s here to renovate, raise rents, and turn a profit—certainly not to believe in fairytales. Enter Willa, a whimsical, pajama-clad resident who (somehow) ends up trespassing in his closet. What follows is a delightful mix of witty banter, forced proximity, and undeniable chemistry as these two opposites collide.

One thing I absolutely loved was how The Serendipity (the building itself!) feels like a character. It’s got personality, quirks, and a history that the tenants believe in wholeheartedly. The book gives off cozy, found family vibes, with a lively and loveable cast of side characters who add humor and warmth to every scene. And while Archer is all brooding intensity and skepticism, Willa is an absolute ray of sunshine, making their interactions both hilarious and heartwarming.

✨ Tropes You’ll Love:
💖 Grumpy-Sunshine – Archer is all broody businessman, and Willa is the human equivalent of a cozy candlelit evening.
🏡 Forced Proximity – When you live in the same building (and occasionally end up in each other’s closets), avoiding feelings becomes very difficult.
🔥 Slow Burn – The tension builds deliciously as their bickering turns into something softer, and dare I say... swoonier?
🎭 Opposites Attract – He’s logical, she believes in a little magic. Sparks (and banter) fly!
🏙️ Found Family – The quirky residents of The Serendipity make this story feel like a warm hug.

Highly recommend this for fans who loves their romance with humor, heart, and just a little bit of chaos. If you’re a fan of forced proximity, grumpy-sunshine pairings, and stories with just a hint of magic (or very strange coincidences), The Serendipity is a must-read.💖

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.