This is a fun and light read considering the plot but overall the writing was missing something. I didn't feel the vibrancy or heat of being in Miami, I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters, and it just felt like an overall kind of blah book. I guess it just wasn't my style. I'm rounding up to 3 stars because the plot itself was good.

I really enjoyed this book, it gave me a lot of summer vibes. Which I’m looking for to read this summer. This follows Ben and Lilly, Lilly took a sabbatical off her work (she’s a lawyer) and decided to vacay in Miami, and Ben happen to live in her apartment complex. Ben is a bartender for a bar on the roof of their apartment and that’s how they met as she was waiting for her apartment to be ready. He is so sweet with her I liked their relationship! Thank you NetGalley for sending me this book!

Lily – a lawyer from New York, undervalued as a woman while a male colleague took all the credit for her hard work, fed up Lily quit her job while at a corporate retreat in Miami. She decided to stay in Miami for the summer.
Ben – a professor, poet and a MacArthur genius moonlights as a bartender at a bar, where he and Lily meet for the first time.
Lily ended up kissing Ben in an elevator and turns out he was her across the hall neighbor for the summer. Along the way, she met a new set of friends that proves to be her found family in Miami, Florida.
I really enjoyed Lily and Ben’s love story. It did not feel insta-lovey and it felt quite genuine. I felt their love for reading, for books, for coffee, for each other really while jointly reviewing their current reads.
But if you were to ask me who my favorite character was – it was Noah! I wanted to be his friend just like Lily.
Thank you NetGalley and Nadine Gonzalez for this E-ARC!

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed the plot of the story and found the characters lovable and of course not lovable at times but that’s a good thing. I was immediately drawn into the story and was rooting for the characters the whole time. What a cute story. There wasn’t a dull moment. I will recommend this to other people who enjoy the genre.

Only Lovers in the Building is a sun-soaked, slow-burn romance with the heart of a community novel and the humor of a rom-com binge.

Liliane “Lily” Lyon quits her high-powered New York law job mid-corporate retreat and decides to stay put in Miami. Within days, she’s renting a unit in a dreamy Art Deco building that seems straight out of a movie. And like something out of Tales of the City, the residents are a colorful, lovable bunch who quickly pull Lily into their world of impromptu gatherings, local drama, and unexpected friendships.

Among them is Ben Romero: professor, poet, and MacArthur Genius. He's brilliant, brooding, and emotionally unavailable—Lily recognizes every romance trope in his playbook, but that doesn’t stop her heart from catching up before her head. Ben is still unpacking the fallout from past mistakes, and Lily has to decide if she’s ready to risk real love with a man who doesn’t quite believe in it.

Whip-smart, tender, and full of heart, Nadine Gonzalez delivers a story that asks: Can you rewrite your story when you finally stop living by the old script?

#harlequintrade #onlyloversinthebuilding #nadinegonzalez #miamifiction #artdecolove #foundfamilyromance

*Thank you to Nadine Gonzalez & Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing the advanced arc for this book

I read this book in a day, it was fun and easy romance read and I loved the dynamic with Ben and Lily -- it just felt so easy.

Only Lovers in the Building follows Lily (Lawyer who just quit her job and is in need of new scenery: Enter MIAMI) and Ben her hot across the hall neighbor, plus their interesting collection of neighbors in the building.

Rachel's Review: 3.5-4 stars but I'm rounding up to 4 because it was an easy fun read that I felt compelled to read in a day. There were a lot of plot points in this book, a few I felt could've been given more detail but overall it was an enjoyable book. I thought the Ben character was very sweet, honest and always handled Lily with care. Having lived in Miami for a year, I think that could've played a bigger part in the plot -- but mostly centered around reading books by the pool (no hate cause that sounds perfect). Having read some of the other reviews, I feel like they could be a little harsh - this is an enjoyable romance where the sweetness between the characters really shined, and for me that's a big piece of whether or not I like a romance.

This is an ARC Review. I want to thank Nadine Gonzalez and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me the chance to read this book ahead of release day! I would love to say I fell in love with this book immediately but I just can’t. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and their storyline. I did push through until the end as I felt connected enough to read through to the end. For me until about 30% where Lily and Ben’s post goes viral was when I felt more connected to the characters and the plot. The writing style is t my favorite as it’s written in 3rd person but the book (after the 30% mark that is) ready pretty easily. I love they both connected around books and even brought their friends into it. The friends group was interesting as a whole and based on the open ended way of their love lives I could easily see additional books in the series written about them. If you are into romance books about books and a slow burn this book might be a great fit for you.

2.5 stars

I went into "Lovers in the Building" expecting a romantic comedy, but it didn't quite meet my expectations. As someone who's always gotten lost in make-believe stories, I found the realistic setting and storyline to be somewhat unconvincing.

The characters were likable enough, but the dialogue often felt forced and unnatural. The pacing was also too fast, with the characters' relationships and careers advancing at an unrealistic pace.

The book attempted to tackle some tough themes, like family drama, sexism at work, and the power of friendship. However, it didn't always succeed in exploring these themes deeply.

The Miami setting was a nice touch, but it didn't entirely feel authentic. I appreciated the little nods to the city's culture and landmarks, but it wasn't enough to make the story feel truly grounded.

Overall, "Lovers in the Building" was an okay read, but it didn't particularly stand out to me. If you're a fan of romantic comedies, you might enjoy it, but it's not a must-read by any means.

good romance book about making changes and finding love. love that they brought up doing book reviews together and then they started a podcast about romance books. It was interesting with the different journal entries but this book seemed all over the place--either the book reviews and podcast were good. It really didn't feel like Miami .

“But at the end of the day, you’re just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to read romance books by the pool, and we know how that story ends.”

Lily and Ben. Where do I begin, the book cover is gorgeous and I was hooked by the premise. I was getting the communal vibes of Only Murders in the Building where the location and locale shines. But things took a turn and too many things needed to be cleared up. Lily leaves her corporate job and decides to spend the summer reading and soaking up the sun. She meets her neighbour a shining literary savant and they decide to read and review romance books, while also catching feelings for one another.

Premise amazing. Execution? I wasn’t feeling it. I felt like something was missing while reading and I just can’t put my finger on it. We’re in Miami but the story doesn’t feel like Miami? I guess I’m missing the heat between the characters, the lethargy of being by the pool, the vibrancy. Something is missing and it’s driving me bonkers because I can’t find the words.

This felt like YA/New Adult to me. I felt like the dialogue and characters were restrained and stilted. The book wanted to be like too many romance novels so I struggled to find the author’s true voice. The end results: it felt cold. I stuck through this book cause I wanted to see if it would pick up…sadly for me it didn’t.

Finally, if you make your tea with a microwave I have trust issues, use a kettle please and thank you. Once you’ve read the book you’ll understand. Thank you Canary Street Press for the digital arc!