Willa and Archer could not be more different. He’s a billionaire who is hiding from the spotlight, and she is a baker who is struggling to make ends meet. But The Serendipity has a way of bringing people together.

After a rough meet cute- Willa and Archer both have attraction to each other, but don’t want to act on it due to their own personal issues.

It’s clear Willa wants to be a mom, she wanted to be a young mom, but that ship sailed four years ago. I found that I really related with Willa in the department. While I didn’t get married in my early twenties like I thought I would, I still very much want to be a mom.

Archer has never had a healthy family life, and I suspect he doesn’t have any experience with children, because he was never really allowed to be one in the first place. But after seeing Willa interact with a baby- he realizes he wants that with her. Despite Willa’s obvious desire to be a mom, I felt this was unresolved at the end of the book. But since this book is part of a larger series, I’m hoping for some sort of announcement or conclusion for her and Archer.

I loved seeing Archer soften towards Willa, he starts shedding his cold exterior around her, and she brings out something warm in him!
This book deals with a few different mental health issues, agoraphobia, anxiety, panic attacks, and I think these are all done well!

It’s refreshing to read a story where the two MCs realize their attraction for one another and don’t immediately go to the bedroom. Willa and Archer’s romance was high intensity and tension, but was kisses only! I loved the build up to their realization of love, and how they navigated their anxieties together!

My heart melted for Archer and Willa, and I can’t wait to read the next few books in the series!

3.5 stars

Alright, from the premise, The Serendipity has all the elements I would usually enjoy - a slight hint of magical realism, a grumpy billionaire, a sunshine baker and a potentially cute romance. I did enjoy the story and how everything was centred around a magical building. Unfortunately, the characters and the romance they shared fell a little bit short.

From the get-go, Archer doesn't seem likeable at all, and although we discover the reasons behind his behaviour, that first impression lingers. However, he does undergo growth as a character and I started liking him towards the end of the book. Willa was my favourite out of the two. She has been a long time resident of the small town that is Serendipity Springs, bakes delicious (and gorgeous-looking) cookies and is just a much nicer counterpart to Archer's grumpiness.

While individually these two are such great characters, their relationship felt a little bit dry. I couldn't really feel the chemistry between them, and I honestly think they needed a lot more growth (both individual and together) before they started dating.

Nevertheless while The Serendipity wasn't to my tastes, I'm sure there's people who will love this whimsical little book.

I really enjoyed this book! Both main characters were lovable and relatable- I thought the author did a great job with creating multi-dimensional characters within the grumpy/sunshine trope. Sometimes characters can feel flat or one note but not here, they both were working through things and it made their choices and actions make sense. The magic of the building was subtle and delightful and made me wish this building was real! I loved the side characters of Bellamy and Sophie and believe everyone should have a friend like them. I felt this book launched the series very well and I’m looking forward to reading the rest!

The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair is the first book in the Only Magic in the Building series - a low spice whimsical multi-authored romance series. The Serendipity introduces the town, building and some characters related to the series and it is a good start to the series. Sweet and cute romance. I look forward to the rest of the series.
I got the ARC from Create If Writing LLC via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are mine

This will be posted on Instagram @thereadingmom.ng on publication date

‘The Serendipity’ by Emma St. Clair is the first book in the ‘Only Magic In The Building’ series which will be releasing weekly on Kindle Unlimited starting from this Wednesday!

This book establishes the setting - a gorgeous historic apartment building in the cute small town of Serendipity Springs, recently purchased by billionaire Archer Gaines as a way to escape the drama surrounding his New York life and business. Initially determined to transform the lovable community created by the previous owner, who hadn’t raised rent in 25 years, into a shrewd investment, a sprinkle of magic brings resident Willa into his life, mind and heart…

This was a really sweet and good-natured read with characters who grew in depth throughout the chapters. Willa was totally loveable and I was rooting for her cookie baking business. I appreciated how both characters lived with anxieties and helped each other, and am always a fan of the grumpy-sunshine trope!

I’m really intrigued to see how the series develops since the magic in this instalment was a subtle but wonderful addition, and I’m excited to see what else the supernaturally helpful building will manifest for its residents.

This book gets a cute and lighthearted four stars from me!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

ARC REVIEW

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC! The Serendipity is the first book in the Only Magic in the Building series—a delightful grumpy/sunshine romance with a touch of magic. Archer, a guarded billionaire escaping his past, and Willa, a free-spirited baker with a heart of gold, are thrown together by mysterious circumstances neither can explain. I absolutely adored these two! Willa’s warmth and cheer shine, especially as she brings out a softer, more vulnerable side to Archer. I also appreciated the thoughtful mental health representation and how both characters navigated their struggles in such an authentic way. If you love cozy small-town romances with a mischievous matchmaking building, this one is perfect for you!

I will also be posting the review on Instagram and TikTok on 3/4/2025. thank you so much for the opportunity! I really enjoyed this book.

Amanda DelPrince

The premise of the "Only Magic in the Building Series" was such a fun idea I was so excited to jump at the chance to read the first book in the series and I'm so happy I did. "The Serendipity" by Emma St. Clair is such a fun, whimsical story that sets up the rest of the 8 book series. When Willa finds herself transported from her closet to Archers and she has to try and explain this unexplainable circumstance...I was hooked.

Billionaire Archer and struggling cookie business owner Willa are such opposites - but opposites attract and these two individuals that struggle with different forms of anxiety are such a perfect pair and it's fun to read how their love story unfolds.

This is another fun, clean romance from Emma St Clair and it's just the perfect amount of romance and storytelling to keep this reader engaged. The anxiety representation was well done. I enjoyed both Archer and Willa's best friends as awesome encouragement to each of them and look forward to their respective stories later in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own. Book publishes March 5, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This was so very sweet, magical, and romantic! A building that has magic and is a matchmaker? Sign me up! This was a quick read and I am very interested in the rest of the series! I did not know until the end that each installment is written by a different author.

The Serendipity is a breath of fresh air when it comes to whimsical, sweet romance! I was hooked from the very start of my reading this and stepping into the quirky and admirable world of Serendipity Springs. I plan to read the other books in the series to follow and felt as if this was an amazing set-up for the series (as well as being well read an adorable stand-alone too).

Willa and Archer were opposites and boy, did they attract, lol, opposites attract! Willa was so cute and quirky, and all of her baking made me crave cookies like no other. While Archer (middle name: logic) was practical and very business-like, coming from New York. The love story of these strangers-to-lovers was such a fun journey to watch unfold and grow.

I loved Willa’s bestie, Sophie, and how they actually became friends over books! I also loved Willa’s family - her dad with the trains…and, excuse me, but Archer joining in on that hobby?! I MELT!!! Lastly, I can not skip out on mentioning Mr Bellamy, as he was one of my faves from this story that made me smirk and giggle throughout.

Read if you like:
🚪Whimsical, light “magical” elements
🦡Animal..um, run-ins
🍪Baker MFC
🫶🏼Grumpy businessman
😜Fun supportive characters
🩷Multi-author, closed-door romcom series!!!

I was immediately intrigued when I heard about the ONLY MAGIC IN THE BUILDING series - eight standalone closed door romance novels taking place in a magical building. The covers are gorgeous and I’m already familiar with a few of the authors whose books I loved.

THE SERENDIPITY is the first book in the series and is aptly named as it introduces us to the building. The Serendipity is a 60-unit apartment building rumored to help its residents find love.

Archer Gaines is the new owner of the building. He is a pragmatic, no-nonsense billionaire who is not interested in the building’s reputation. He sees it solely as his latest real estate investment. It’s also an escape from the black cloud hanging over his life.

Willa Smith is one of the Serendipity’s residents and a talented baker operating a struggling cookie business out of the building’s community kitchen. A native of Serendipity Springs, she is still rebounding from her last relationship. The building is her refuge; her safe place from the secret she’s carrying.

Archer and Willa meet when she suddenly appears in his closet. He is the grumpy. She is the sunshine. It’s time for the Serendipity to work it’s magic (with a little help from Bellamy, the true hero of this story).

This was the perfect kickoff to the series. Whimsical, heartfelt, and fun; THE SERENDIPITY is a wholly enjoyable book with just the right amount of magical realism. I’m more excited than ever for the remaining books.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emma St. Clair, and Victory Editing for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I had the best time reading The Serendipity! It had me laughing out loud, the banter was so fun, and in my opinion, it represented anxiety really well. I loved Willa and Archer’s story! Grumpy-Sunshine is one of my favorite troupes and I really enjoyed reading this book.

Bellamy was hands down my favorite character and honestly the friend that everyone should have. (& finding out that there is a bonus scene with Bellamy on Emma’s website, honestly made my day!)

I also really enjoyed the magical aspect of the book. It was different than what I typically read, but a good different. I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in the Only Magic In The Building series!

Thank you so much for the advanced copy. All opinions expressed above are my own.

As an introduction to the multi-author series about the neighbors in the magically inclined Serendipity apartment building, this book does everything that I wanted it to do. It introduces a number of the main characters (including the delightfully named Galentine and Bellamy), sets the tone for the neighborhood, and then pulls us into a Narnia-like closet situation that is as hilarious as it is heart-warming.

Tropes include:
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Billionaire MMC
- Magic closets
- Neurodivergent main characters
- Boss/Employee romance

I appreciated the way that the book dealt with both Willa’s and Archer’s mental health struggles. They’re not too heavy, but they do inform our understanding of why the characters do what they do.

The grumpy/sunshine trope can be a difficult line to walk, because you don’t want the “grumpy” to descend into “toxic,” such that you dislike the character too much. Emma St. Clair handles that with her usual masterful touch in this book, and Archer’s stiffness of demeanor is explained and softened from the beginning by his friend Bellamy, so we know that there are reasons why he is the way he is. Discovering his story is one of the best parts of the book!

Likewise, Willa has a secret, and she has been struggling with it for years. Without spoiling the discovery of that, I will say that I loved the way Archer’s response to her struggles reveals his heart…that’s what ultimately won me over and convinced me to root for him!

Reading this book is a delightful way to spend an afternoon, and I’m eagerly anticipating the rest of the series.

The Only Magic in The Building series couldn't have a better start. A cozy magical realism, clean, romance series written by the greatest names of closed-door fiction. I couldn't be more excited.

In the first story, The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair, we follow Willa, one of the residents, as she is magically transported from her closet to Archer's, the billionaire who just bought the building. As you probably can assume by this quick description of the meet cute, this book has the classic grumpy-sunshine structure, with a touch of magic, but also deals with more deeper topics, such as toxic family dynamics and anxiety (please check the TW).

Even though there are snippets of chemistry between the characters, it wasn't until 50% into the book that I started to feel like they made sense as a couple. This kind of disappointed me, considering how much I love the way Emma builds the main characters' connection from page one.

The side characters were incredibly funny, especially Bellamy, who stole the show (BTW, at the end of the book you can find a link to a short story called Only Bellamy in The Building, which takes place during the epilog - you don't wanna miss it!) Sophie was the most lovely best friend ro Willa, and I can't wait for her story, Petals and Plot Twists by Jenny Proctor (available 03/19!).

The Serendipity was a great start to this series, and I can't wait to read the following books!

Thank you so much to the Netgalley and publishing team for access to this ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

AVAILABLE 03/05 💙

This book didn’t really quite work for me. There wasn’t anything specific I didn’t like but I didn’t connect with the characters like I hope I would. There wasn’t really a build up to the romance either.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

While I loved the grumpy/sunshine trope there were parts that I felt were a little too descriptive that I skipped over. Willa was a great character and had such a loving spirit where Archer was a stiff unsocial individual. Bellamy and the secret closet throw these two together and "magic" happens. Archer loses some of his stiffness and Willa concurs her fears.

A HEA ending and promises of more stories of "magic" to come. NIce read.

Such a fun read with a bit of magic! I love the way Archer and Willa meet in this story and there were so many laugh out loud moments.

I got the ARC and I absolutely wasn’t sleeping until I finished! This was such a perfect story to start this series my new grumpy x sunshine favorite! I adored Willa and Archer- they were made for each other! This book was the Perfect blend of conflict/ struggles, sweet moments, kisses, and funny/ banter moments between the two. I am now so ready for Sophie’s story! I loved the touch of the magic- the closet portal- such a fun element to the story.

I’ve read indie author Emma St Clair’s Love Cliches series and really liked it, so I was eager to get my hands on this book, The Serendipity, which is the first in a new series about a magical match-making apartment block.

In this first book we meet Willa and Archer. Archer is the new owner of The Serendipity. He is hiding out in Serendipity Springs to escape the media frenzy surrounding his father’s arrest and pending incarceration. His plan is to distract himself from the chaos of his life by overhauling the building — tenants included.

Willa is a down on her luck baker. She’s suffered a few romantic and professional hiccups and has found new beginnings in the whimsical building until the stiff and serious Archer descends to wreck it all.

The building intervenes in a very Narniaish way and the pair find that the harder they try to avoid each other, the more they seem to find and fall for each other.

Emma St Clair has the uncanny ability to make lobsters funny. I liked her Love Cliches series, because it had all the cliches and tropes with none of the cheese. In this book however the cheese factor was a little higher.

This book also didn’t have as many periphery characters storylines — which was one of the things that I liked a lot in Love Cliches. I suspect this is because their stories will probably feature in the other books but the tidbits of it in this book left me feeling a little unsatisfied.

As did the ending. To me it felt like the story was just getting going when suddenly it ended — without a big romantic gesture or the main characters’ triumphant moments. The story seemed to be building towards it when it suddenly changed gears, which was a little anticlimactic.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book, which was a quick, clean, uncomplicated read that made me giggle.

I think the series’ interlinked plots, multiple authors and covers that fit together like a puzzle — is clever and innovative. I am holding thumbs that it works.

I’ve read indie author Emma St Clair’s Love Cliches series and really liked it, so I was eager to get my hands on this book, The Serendipity, which is the first in a new series about a magical match-making apartment block.

In this first book we meet Willa and Archer. Archer is the new owner of The Serendipity. He is hiding out in Serendipity Springs to escape the media frenzy surrounding his father’s arrest and pending incarceration. His plan is to distract himself from the chaos of his life by overhauling the building — tenants included.

Willa is a down on her luck baker. She’s suffered a few romantic and professional hiccups and has found new beginnings in the whimsical building until the stiff and serious Archer descends to wreck it all.

The building intervenes in a very Narniaish way and the pair find that the harder they try to avoid each other, the more they seem to find and fall for each other.

Emma St Clair has the uncanny ability to make lobsters funny. I liked her Love Cliches series, because it had all the cliches and tropes with none of the cheese. In this book however the cheese factor was a little higher.

This book also didn’t have as many periphery characters storylines — which was one of the things that I liked a lot in Love Cliches. I suspect this is because their stories will probably feature in the other books but the tidbits of it in this book left me feeling a little unsatisfied.

As did the ending. To me it felt like the story was just getting going when suddenly it ended — without a big romantic gesture or the main characters’ triumphant moments. The story seemed to be building towards it when it suddenly changed gears, which was a little anticlimactic.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book, which was a quick, clean, uncomplicated read that made me giggle.

I think the series’ interlinked plots, multiple authors and covers that fit together like a puzzle — is clever and innovative. I am holding thumbs that it works.

#onlymagicinthebuilding #NetGalley

Set in the New England small town of Serendipity Springs, Archer purchases The Serendipity apartment building and sets about making changes. He is perplexed when one of the tenants Willa shows up in his new apartment claiming to have been transported there from her closet two floors below. Willa is struggling to keep her bakery open and pushes back against Archer's changes that would mean closing her business. After starting off on the wrong foot, they start to work together to help the building.

What a fun read! It had a touch of magic while also dealing with heavier issues. I thought the author did a great job handling the anxiety topic. I can't wait to read more in the series!

Things I loved:
Magical Realism
Grumpy/Sunshine
Billionaire MMC
Baker FMC
Anxiety Rep (and therapy)
The (o)possum
Cookie Decorating
"Willa the Person"
Dual POV

5 / 5 stars

Closed door / kissing only

Thank you to the author, Victory Editing, and NetGalley for this eARC!

This book was so good. I cannot resist a hero that is not perfect!

Archer has just purchased The Serendipity, an apartment building in Serendipity falls. He has plans to make changes and make this a profitable business. However, the building has other plans. He cannot get anything done and his cookie baker tenant keeps showing up in his closet.

Willa is struggling to keep her bakery business open. If the new owner raises rent and makes her start paying for the use of the kitchen, she will close for sure. She wants to dislike him, but she sees a vulnerability in him that she recognizes in herself. Before she knows it she is helping him with the building.

This is such a cute book, but it does touch on some serious issues like agoraphobia, anxiety, and panic attacks. I love it when an author inserts real issues into books. I can only stand so much perfect in a book. It made the characters feel more relatable. The banter between the main characters was cute and fun. I appreciate a good, closed-door romance and this book delivered.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this title. This was my honest review.