DNF at 40%

The characters seem like they are still teenagers in their dialogue and actions. And it's very repetitive. Scarlett goes on dates. Wade tracks her phone then interrupts her date. She gets mad and tells him to butt out. Rinse and repeat.

Wade, the eventual love interest, is giving stalker vibes. He interrupts one of her dates because he knows the guy and the guy is someone who “doesn't take no for an answer, if you catch my drift.” Yeah, we get it but you're an adult. Just say what you mean.
But then when Scarlett tells Wade to butt out of her dating life, he is the one who won't take “no” for an answer.

Even at 40% the magical realism elements haven't kicked in. So far Scarlett has made two tiny wishes. Only one of which she realizes came true. Neither wish was the Serendipity bringing Scarlett and Wade together or Scarlett even realizing that the building is magic.

I've read two other books in this series and the magic was bigger and happened earlier in the story.

I love the premise of this series being a magical building bringing people together and the brother’s best friend romance trope but neither of those things happened quickly enough to hold my interest.

🧹💘 BOOK REVIEW 💘🧹
Clean Out of Luck by Carina Taylor

If you're a sucker for protective best-friend’s brother romances, chaotic date-crashing antics, and a little magic thrown in for good measure, Clean Out of Luck will absolutely steal your heart! 😍🔥

Scarlett is finally ready to find love—without her brother’s interference. Too bad Wade Hendrix, her brother’s best friend (and walking distraction), has made it his personal mission to crash every date she goes on. 🤦‍♀️❤️

There’s sizzling tension, meddling neighbors, a matchmaking historic building, and oh yes—a magical mop (!!) that just might help push two very stubborn people together. This story is packed with humor, longing, sweetness, and the kind of slow-burn chemistry that makes you kick your feet. 🧹✨

💬 Tropes & vibes:
👨‍🚒 Best friend’s brother
🪄 Light magical realism (thank you, enchanted mop!)
🔥 Slow-burn + forbidden(ish) feels
🚪 Closed door, but full of swoon
🏡 Found family + matchmaking building magic
😂 Hilarious date disasters
💋 One kiss that changes everything

5/5 stars for the laugh-out-loud moments, the toe-curling chemistry, and the reminder that sometimes love has been right in front of you all along. 🫶

Big thanks to the publisher and @NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! ✨

#CleanOutOfLuck #CarinaTaylor #OnlyMagicInTheBuilding #Bookstagram #BestFriendsBrotherRomance #SlowBurnRomance #WhimsicalRomance #ClosedDoorRomance #LightMagic #RomComReads #NetGalleyReviewer #ARCReview

The magic of the Serendipity comes in so many ways that this series is one to keep you interested with each read! This story brings us to the basement of the apartment complex. Scarlett is a busy bee in a law firm just trying to find love without her overprotective family stepping in. The only problem is that it's not only her family she has to worry about being overprotective. There is also Wade, Scarlett's brother's best friend, someone she's known since she was a little girl. Wade and Scarlett both live in Serendipity Springs and end up "running" into one another a little more than normal since Scarlett's brother moved out of town for work. It's normal to make sure one another isn't lonely, right? But does that involve chauffeuring, daily text messages, surprise visits, and date interference. Wade can't put his overprotective feelings aside for Scarlett because there may be more than big brother feelings. Scarlett will do everything in her power to find love without anyone's input even if that means a date with a convict or having to use a safe word at her favorite restaurant to get out of a date. We all have to date a few duds to find the right one, right? But what if your true love has been there all along...And he's starting to acknowledge some deep feelings? Can the magic of the Serendipity help these two find their way together?

This book is filled with adorable dating mishaps, a protective brother's best friend, banter, a powerful mop, and candy for breakfast.

Thank you, Carina, NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for my eBook. It was not expected for me to leave any positive review. These opinions are 100% my own.

CLEAN OUT OF LUCK

This book is third book series called Only Magic in the Building. There’s 8 books total and you can meet some of the characters from other books already in this book. You can still read it as stand alone. I reviewed the first book of the series previously.

I got this book via @netgalley as eARC and heres my thoughts about it, which are all mine.

It was so nice ”to be back” in this building! I read this one in two days. Couldn’t put it down. I could feel the chemistry between MMC and FMC. Read the failed or interrupted dates made my laugh and same time I was so sorry for her.
And Gloria, she needs her own book - not just bonus scene. I know she has so many good stories from her life!
It was first book from this author to me, but hopefully not gonna be last.

4/5

I love closed door romance, brothers best friend and of course this series but boy was this boring. I just couldn’t connect with the characters and everything felt really drawn out. And much like the previous books, I wanted more magic out of the building. I Dnf this at 60 %

I’ve read and loved every book so far in this series, and this one didn’t disappoint! It was so dang cute! They were absolutely perfect together

I loved this book so much! If you are looking for a closed door romance filled with cute banter, magical moments and the cutest romance you need this book!

4 stars! ⭐️ A firefighter MMC? Sign me up!! This was such a cute, fun read! I laughed throughout the book and smiled the entire time! Wade crashing Scarlett’s dates was everything!!

This is book 5 of the Only Magic in the Building series.

What to expect:
- brother’s best friend
- he falls first
- clean romance
- dual POV

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Taylor for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was adorable! The romance was so cute and sweet and the magical aspects were great. I liked that the brother was supportive, that's pretty rare with the brothers best friend trope

This is a fun clean read. Love the characters and the storyline. So engaging making it a quick read. It is part of a series but it can be read alone. Easy book to recommend.

Clean Out of Luck is the fifth story in the Only Magic in the Building series, a connected series of stand-alone closed-door whimsical romances by various authors. Each story takes place in the same historic building, which has a habit of playing matchmaker with its residents. Each Wednesday in March and April, 2025, an author will release their book.

The Serendipity is a historic apartment building in a small Massachusetts town, and it underwent new ownership one month ago. The new owner, Archer, found love with one of its residents, Willa, in The Serendipity. Attorney Scarlett Fernsby has always wanted to live at The Serendipity and is happy when she is able to rent the basement apartment, which was formerly occupied by the handyman. She’s ready to date men without any interference from her nosy family.

Scarlett’s family has been overprotective of her ever since she was severely injured in a car accident when she was 16. She was trying to break up with her boyfriend, Aaron, and he T-boned her car in response. Her brother, Phoenix, just moved to Boston to work as an Assistant District Attorney, and their parents are away for six months. So Phoenix asks his lifelong best friend, Wade, to regularly check in on Scarlett.

Wade Hendrix is a professional firefighter and homeowner in tiny Serendipity Springs. He’s glad to keep an eye on Scarlett, the girl who followed him and his best friend around throughout their childhood. His protective instincts are aroused when he sees her tiny basement apartment, and he’s appalled at the building’s lax security. He quickly stumbles on her dating catastrophes and comes to her rescue again. Scarlett and Wade become attracted to each other while simultaneously being annoyed by the other. Phoenix planted the seeds of romance, and a magic mop in Scarlett’s apartment helps the relationship along.

Clean Out of Luck is a heartwarming friends-to-lovers romantic comedy, with the most engaging, realistic characters. Scarlett and Wade’s emotions and actions are authentic, and their love story is so incredibly sweet. While the older brother’s best friend trope tends to have a predictable storyline involving secrecy, Clean Out of Luck is unusual because of Phoenix’s matchmaking. I hope this author writes a story featuring Scarlett’s brother, Phoenix, in the future.

All of the authors in this series write closed-door romantic comedies, so no profanity or romantic descriptions past kissing. The magic in these stories is similar to Freaky Friday, no occult elements or anything scary. The building has a mind of its own and is like a human character. I can’t wait to start reading the next story in the series by Julie Christianson!

After I purchased a paperback copy of the book from Amazon, I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) e-book from NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

ARC REVIEW:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dating has always been difficult for Scarlett Fernsby. Growing up in a small town (Serendipity Springs) her prospects are limited. Unfortunately, her meddling family has turned an already small pool of men into an even smaller one. So when Scarlett discovers her parents and brother will be out of town for an extended period of time, she jumps at the opportunity to find love. Will Scarlett’s search end in a happily-ever-after, or is she destined to do life alone?

Clean Out of Luck by Carina Taylor is the 5th book in the multi-author, interconnected series, Only Magic in the Building. All eight books in the series are closed door romances that feature a tenant of The Serendipity (a magical apartment complex) finding love. Each book is written as a standalone. However, in order to get the full Serendipity experience, it is highly recommended that the series be read in its entirety.

I have been a fan of Carina Taylor’s writing for quite some time. I can always count on her to deliver heartfelt content with all of the feels. Clean Out of Luck is a prime example of her stellar work.

This book has the most relatable characters (primary and secondary) and laugh out loud moments. While it is difficult to choose a favorite, I was partial to the FMC, Scarlett. Her wholesome, quirky personality made it impossible not to root for. Without giving too much of the plot away, I will be thinking about the predicaments Scarlett found herself in for years to come!

This book also features:
-Dual POVs (Scarlett/ Wade)
-Brother’s Best Friend (Hot Firefighter)
-Childhood Friends-to-More
-He Falls First (Witnessing her go on dates)
-Mental Health Representation (Therapy / PTSD)
-Magical Realism (Wish Granting Mop)

Special thanks to Netgalley, Lit and Write LLC, Victoria Editing, and Carina Taylor for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

#cleanoutofluck #onlymagicinthebuilding #magicrealism #booktour #brothersbestfriend
#bookedwiththeemilys

CLEAN OUT OF LUCK ticked all my romance reading boxes in one fell swoop of a magical mop! From start to finish I adored everything about this brother’s best friend romance.

Scarlett is in a good place. Living her best life in an enchanted building and getting a break from her very protective family. However, fate steps in, in the shape of one very hunky firefighter and things get interesting, fast. I adored Wade. He was everything I love in a sweet alpha male. His protective instincts hit turbo drive levels over Scarlett and made for some serious laughs. I adored these two and was rooting for them to get their much deserved happily ever after.

I’m giving CLEAN OUT OF LUCK and the entire Only Magic in the Building series the judy.ann.loves.books stamp of approval, TBR and Enjoy!

This is the fifth book in the Only Magic in the Building series. It is a brothers's best friend story with dual POV. It was cute, with banter, and a little magic, though I would have liked to have seen that explored a little more. I liked that we got to get to know residents of the Serendipity that were briefly mentioned in other books. Overall, this was a fun read and a good addition to the series.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

A whimsical little rom-com. It’s a cute story and a quick read. Brother’s best friend with younger sister. FMC hoping to fall in love. Characters were very cute and the apartment has a magical element to it. I can’t wait to check out the rest of the series.

I received an arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Carina Taylor writes snarky banter so well. Her characters' comments pack a punch without being mean and that's what makes it work so well. And Scarlett and Wade were childhood friends so their history plays into their banter and adds such a layer of fun to it.

The magic is this one is the most subtle so far in the series, but I do like how it was acknowledged in the end. And the dates blunders Scarlett experiences are just too good.
_____
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4⭐️ Utterly cute addition to the series. Loved Wade and his annoying devotion to Scarlett. Not to mention her brother encouraging the incessant check-in’s. She thinks Wade is ruining all her dates but could it be the dates are not winners either way. No matter what, she is determined to find her match. What if she overlooks the perfect man that’s right in front of her. Will her brother approve of a relationship with his best friend.

Thank you to @netgalley and @carinataylorauthor for the advanced copy.

“Clean Out of Luck” by Carina Taylor was an excellent closed-door romantic read. I couldn’t put it down! This brother romance is witty and full of fun banter. The characters are well developed, the romance is well paced, and the language is refreshingly pretty clean by modern standards. Although this is part of a series, it is very easy to read and understand as a standalone.
Thank you to NetGallery and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I am so glad and thankful I got an ARC for this book. This multi-author series (all of whom I love) is living up to my expectations! The touch of whimsical magic is really cute too! The main characters have know each other almost their whole lives since the MMC is the FMC’s big brothers’ best friend. Their banter is awesome! She’s also an introvert with amazing “revenge” skills. The “3rd act tension” is so unique and not what you’d expect but perfect for this story. I really appreciated the epilogue too since there won’t be any spin off books from this series.

I loved the this book. It is the fifth book of magic in the building series. The entire series is super cute and this was no exception. My rating might be a little biased because this was one of my favourite trope but i guess that is what reviews are for. For sharing personal opinion.

Overall I would definitely recommend.