✨🏢 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!

3/5!

If you loved ‘Seven Year Slip’ by Ashley Poston, you would eat this up. A cute, slightly magical and funny romance with mentions of agoraphobia.

I found the first half quite slow therefore took me a while to really get into it but once I did, the slow relationship development between the two main characters was well written and not rushed. The magical elements really added to the story without taking away from the romance aspects.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for the Arc!

This new series is going to be so fun! The Serendipity is the first in the Only Magic in the Building Series. A collection of standalone books by a group of closed-door romance authors. All the books are set in the same apartment building that happens to have some magical element to it.
The Serendipity follows the story of Archer, a billionaire and new owner of the apartment building The Serendipity, and Willa, an apartment resident and baker. Archer and Willa have an interesting start when the building decides to transport Willa from her closet into his. Archer is determined to come in and make several changes to The Serendipity business model that will make it more profitable. However, this means Willa might not be able to bake anymore and some of the residents will have to move. The building starts causing chaos in Archer's life and he has to enlist Willa's help.
I loved Willa and Archer. Willa is such a sweetheart and I felt like she was a female main character that I can truly appreciate. Archer is grumpy and closed off but has such great character development. I think that they are characters that have a lot of depth and real-world problems. Emma St Clair writes about tough issues like trauma and anxiety in a way that is realistic but that doesn't overshadow the story.
Content: kisses only
These are my own opinions and I was not required to leave a review.

This was just ok for me. I went back and forth between 3 stars and 4 stars. Settled on 4 stars because there were many times that I laughed out loud while reading this. There was just too much mental talking in this one for me and not enough things happening on the pages. The majority of the book was focused on thoughts in their heads. I loved Willa and Archer (who my heart broke for). I love them together and how they help each other. I can't wait to get to know more people in The Serendipity.

The Serendipity
Only Magic in the Building Book 1
Emma St. Clair
@kikimojo
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am OBSESSED with this series, and only book 1 has been released. It follows the residents of the The Serendipity that was built in a town with a magical spring.

Willa (not Willow) and Archer are the perfect GrumpyxSunshine couple. I loved watching their love grow, and to see the building pushing them together.

This book has humor, heart, a little bit of magic. Highly recommend,

This was a really cute magical realism book. Archer and Willa (the person) are at odds from their first meeting, but something keeps drawing them together. Perhaps its fate, perhaps its the mystery of the building they live in, but their lives continue to crash together.
Archer is the perfect grump with an adorable Alfred- from batman-like sidekick. Willa is his complete opposite. She shows him how to be vulnerable and opens his eyes to empathy and love.

This was a quick and cute read. I'm not sure I'll remember it in the weeks to come, but I think this series is going to be so fun.

While most people don't find each other in each others closets, clad in night attire, this was an adorable meet cute that opens the proverbial door to so much more.

Seriously, what’s not to love about an old semi magical building, not fantasy magic, just little sneaky magic. Like the title…it’s Serendipity. You will love starting your journey in Serendipity Springs!

Things I Loved:
The opossums & dog🤣
The Cookies🍪
Grumpy sunshine
Willa the person
Enemies to Lovers
Workplace/Livingplace
Oh Bellamy
The Magic Closet🚪
Anxiety Representations
Archer’s hidden sweetness
The Rooftop Garden🌱
Found family
Willa’s strength
Gosh, oh my gosh, the epilogue!!

This book was a delightful, joyful and whimsical story. With just a tiny hint of magic in the closet/building, it’s still an incredibly believable book! Everything else about the story is truly an Emma Saint Clair story. There was laughter and swoon galore. I loved the real life issues of anxiety and agoraphobia that were touched on. It truly was a wonderful, whimsical and lighthearted story, but with serious elements that brought the characters to life.
This book has it all!!

The Serendipity is a great start to this new series! Archer and Willa definitely had a difficult and uncomfortable meet cute that involved a closet which just might have magical tendencies!

Archer was a bit difficult for me to like at the beginning of the story, which, I think, was the point. He made decisions based on a business plan and not on relationships or emotions. I liked seeing the way he grew throughout the novel. The closed off, serious man at the beginning of the book was very different from the man he was by the end of the story.

I really felt for Willa as she navigated personal and emotional struggles along with financial struggles. And then she began to feel drawn to Archer, the man who was one source of her difficulties!

These two had burdens that they carried and some personal struggles that felt impossible to overcome, at times. However, they were definitely stronger together. It was a joy to see the way they both grew when they found their person.

This story had a whimsical sort of magical closet in it, with the magic being similar to a Mary Poppins type of magic, with her bag that holds endless items and her ability to jump into paintings, etc. The situation these two find themselves in is difficult even for them to believe!

I enjoyed this introduction to the residents of the Serendipity and look forward to reading more books in this series. All opinions are my own.

(4.5 stars)

I received a complimentary copy of this book, however, I also purchased my own print copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!!

I like how anxiety was represented, I like the banter between Willa and Archer, I like the humorous situations, I like the "magical" feel to the story, Bellamy was amazing, etc. (And when I say magical, not like witchy magic, but more like a 13 Going On 30 "magic"). This book made me feel all the feels, and even had me laughing out loud.

Just an overall wonderful book. A great start to the Only Magic in the Building series!

*Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and the author for an ARC copy. All opinions expressed are my own.*