This is such a fun summer read! Lily and Ben's relationship builds perfectly, and the quirky cast of friends that surrounds them really brings the story to life. Can't wait to read more from this author!

This was the perfect summer read!.

the book starts when Lily learns on social media that her first love has gotten married. She quits her job and decides to go to the beach and read. She meets Ben, a professor on a break from his job who just happens to like romance books as weel. It was fun to read a book about two booklovers. And it was a slow burn..my fav.

again, this was the perfect beach read

4.5 ⭐️

This is the romance novel of the summer.

Lily, a corporate lawyer based in New York quits her cushy job and temporarily moves into an apartment building in Miami Florida, after a kind of meet-ugly with the bartender who happened to be her neighbor Ben they embark on a fun romance book reading adventure that is only supposed to last the summer.

She wasn’t supposed to fall in love, he did the moment he saw her; yet was sensible enough to keep his distance while still being the one that left her notes and made her coffee every morning.

Then there are the rest of the neighbors who also happen to join in their book club but never really read any of the books. Their growing fondness and deepening of their friendship made for some great found family.

It’s a delicious tension filled slow burn that takes its time and builds a solid foundation for Lilly and Ben. I was rooting for them until the end.

With themes of belonging, complex family dynamics, found family via unlikely friendships, rest being productive, and finding our personal passion, this is the perfect book to read by the poolside or at the beach.

After quitting her corporate job during a company retreat, Lily decides to rent an apartment for the summer. She meets her neighbor, Ben, who is filling in as bartender for the night, and they share an impromptu kiss in the elevator. Lily is active on a social media platform similar to goodreads. After Ben writes a scathing rebuttal to a review she wrote, Ben and Lily begin reading and reviewing romance books together for the summer. They also begin a podcast together after they amassed such a following from their joint reviews. They fall in love, they both evaluate their options for their careers. Ben and Lily’s progression from friends to lovers was so genuine. By the time they finally consummate their relationship you are cheering for them. This novel was humorous and emotional.

Unfortunately, I didn't finish this one. I got about 35% in and wasn't pulled in with a plot. The large cast of characters, each tied together around the building and reading of romance novels, was cute, but ultimately not enough tension going forward. I'd happily read more by this author though!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This is a great and fun summer read. I enjoyed the banter and the chemistry between our main characters. I loved their group of friends and felt those relationships added a lot to the story. I love books about books and this fit the bill.

Thanks to HTP for my copy of Only Lovers in the Building.

This was a cute romance set in Miami! Lily quits her job as a lawyer while on a work retreat in Miami and decides to stay for the summer. She meets a few of her fellow residents including Ben a university professor but when they discover a shared passion for romance novels they start spending more time together.

I liked the fun other residents and seeing Lily and Ben spend more time together.

If you're looking for a cute book to read by the po,ol check this out!

Lily has had ENOUGH of getting walked on at her job and on her never ending journey to get her parents approval, she is taking the summer in Miami to read and sunbathe. Ben is navigating the loss of his estranged father, whose career is constantly in his face, and a messy breakup. The two share a mutual passion for reading and analyzing books, and a book club is born. Initially exclusive, their club grows with quirky members from the building, all of whom are stumbling through their own romantic troubles. Lily and Ben grow closer and the rest… you’ll have to read to find out!

Friends to lovers meets book club meets found family!

I really enjoyed this story, the variety in the chapter styles, the analytical moments, and the growth! Ben Romero is giving hot professor and Lily Lyons is giving girls’ girl. I loved these two and their love for books as well as their story!

Only Lovers in the Building is a fun and light romance set in Miami Beach. The story follows Lily, who leaves her stressful job to relax, read, and ends up starting a book club with her neighbor, Ben. Their chemistry is strong, and the slow build of their relationship was enjoyable to read. The side characters are quirky and add a lot of humor and warmth to the story. At times, the characters and situations felt a bit too perfect or unrealistic, but overall it was an entertaining and easy read—perfect for a summer getaway. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5-3.75 stars!
This was such a fun summer read! The vibes were truly immaculate. Two book lovers - who happen to be neighbors and share an intense attraction to one another - start a little book club in their art deco apartment complex in Miami Beach. With a cast of quirky, charming characters, and a setting that makes you wish you had unlimited PTO, this book draws you in immediately.
The tension between these two was THICK. The yearning was done well and the payoff was worth it.
I think what I struggled a bit with was the insta-love vibes and it seeming like every single character was smart, successful, rich, and hot. It just felt a little unrealistic at some points and lead to some cringey/annoying dialogue and situations.
Overall a fun, lighthearted read though!
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Nadine Gonzalez for this ARC of Only Lovers in the Building.

Only Lovers in the Building is the epitome of a vacation read. Readers meet Lily as she receives news via social media that a former boyfriend, her first love, has gotten married. This, in turn, has her reflect on her life, albeit during a work event where she is not receiving the accolades she deserves. She abruptly decides to quit her job and leave. All she wants to do is be on the beach, in the sun, and read her romance books.

Author Nadine Gonzalez created a character and story that will resonate with many readers. Only Lover in the Building is a book about well books! Lily has a love for romance books and meets Ben, who is a professor on sabbatical. But she discovers that Ben likes romance books as well! The two have familiar discussions, as many romance readers do amongst themselves, which was fun to read. Adding a podcast, social media, and bookstagram speak to mix gave the story more realism. Their romance is a slow burn, but they heat up. Only Lovers in the Building was a good time.

Ben and Lily! Sweet, funny, real, gorgeous. I loved the interwoven podcast / book reviews. Strong side characters and a lovely ending. Why don’t more books skip the 3rd act break up? Now all I need is a new romance book, a lounge chair, and a drink with an umbrella in it.

This lovely book caught my eye, and the premise sounded really fun. I absolutely loved the entire story!

Lily quits her high-power corporate attorney job and decides to chill in Miami for a summer. She discovers much more than rest and a summer getaway in her apartment building. She quickly meets a fun group of friends and an extremely handsome neighbor.

Lily needs a break from her intense career, and she chooses the right place to relax and recuperate. She becomes friends with an eclectic yet friendly group in her building. Her next door neighbor Ben is a brilliant bartender who shares her love for romance stories. Their online book reviews soon turn into a hugely popular podcast. But will their love story IRL also work out?

I really loved the friendships that Lily shared with the other characters in the book. Each character is completely different, but they all bring humor and kindness to Lily’s life. Her relationship with Ben is really natural, and builds slowly throughout the book in a very realistic way. Every character in this book is interesting and complex as they navigate careers, relationships and family issues.

Download a copy of this book today to read all about Lily's adventures in Miami. This story was so fun and entertaining, from the first page to the last. Only Lovers in the Building is a great choice for a summer beach read!

Thanks to Nadine Gonzalez, Canary Street Press, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for an advance reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I went back and forth a lot on how I felt about Only Lovers in the Building. This book definitely had potential, but I struggled with it. There were moments when I was fully invested and others where I seriously considered not finishing it.

The book felt longer than necessary—especially the first half, which was weighed down by dense writing and too many details that didn’t serve the plot and made the story drag. The biggest challenge for me was the main female character. I found her obnoxious and hard to root for. She constantly contradicted herself and had a habit of giving unsolicited advice without fully understanding the situation. While she does experience some character development toward the end, it honestly felt a bit too late to fully redeem her in my eyes.

On the other hand, I found the male lead and the side characters more enjoyable, even with their flaws. But the banter—wow, there was a lot of it. And not in a fun, flirty way. It felt like the two leads didn’t know how to communicate without sarcasm or back-and-forth quips. The nonstop banter became repetitive, exhausting and at times hard to follow—especially when more than two characters were involved. The dialogue style felt more suited for TV than a novel. The one place it did work for me was during the podcast scenes, where it felt more structured and genuinely entertaining.

I really appreciated the characters' commentary on common romance tropes—that meta aspect was clever and it was cool to see how those tropes were subtly woven into the story itself. Plus, the book featured a diverse cast of characters, which I always love, and yes, the cover is super cute.

In the end, this book had its moments, but I just didn’t love the execution. Still, I can see how others might enjoy it more—it just wasn’t quite the right fit for me.

Okay, Only Lovers in the Building totally surprised me in the best way! It’s about Lily and Ben, two neighbors who just vibe over their love for romance books — and honestly, their book club-turned-podcast is such a cute idea. Their friendship feels super real, with no rush, just two people figuring out what they want and maybe finding love along the way.

The Miami setting gives it this chill, sunny energy that made me feel like I was right there with them, soaking up the good vibes. The story’s got humor, warmth, and those small, sweet moments that stick with you. If you’re looking for a low-key romance that’s more about connection and second chances than drama, this one’s a gem. Definitely cozy and heartwarming!

3.5 Lily quits her job, decides to stay in Miami and moves into a building where she meets her neighbor Ben. They quickly become friends and start a two person book club. This is the perfect summer read and I really enjoyed it! I loved the romance, the banter, and the friend group.

4.25⭐️
It’s a fun summer read and I love the book club/reviews aspect to the story - the discussion of different tropes and aspects of the storylines to the books they read. The two main characters have good banter and their relationship progressed as a slow burn. The building’s dynamics and diverse tenants were well built out.
I also enjoyed the parallels to recent pop culture things like Only Murders in the Building with the podcast and then the banter/talk show vibes similar to First Time Caller. Another similarity to the Only Murders in the Building is the amazing supporting cast and how invested the reader gets into all the side stories as well.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for this book.

I went from excited and interested to read this book, to physically cringing, to kinda bored/kinda depressed, to cringing with audible noises. Life is too short for cringey/uncomfortable romance reads.

This book starts off super hot with Lily blowing up her life by leaving her job, city and everything she knows on a (very well justified) whim and we follow her on a journey of self discovery and healing, Along the way, we meet some really fun and simultaneously messy characters that bring the story to life.

Ben and Lily are a train wreck waiting to happen with both of them being pretty messy, but I was so invested in the slow burn friends to lovers that I super didn't care, I love how nosy the building is, and could honestly read a book for every side character living there. I definitely enjoyed this one, even if it was a bit unrealistic with Lily quitting her job and having zero plans after (yes I am definitely jealous and wish I could do this). This book was a cute cosy summer read where the slow burn brings the heat like Miami in summer. I'm definitely going to check out more of Nadine Gonzalez's works.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing , Canary Street Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a REALLY fun friends to lovers story by a new to me author that takes place in Miami between two neighbors who start a summer romance book club where they read the same books and analyze them.

I loved when they started podcasting their reviews. The banter between the MCs was great, there was a ton of book content and I was just here for it. Light and breezy, this would make for a perfect beach read and was especially good on audio!

Highly recommended for fans of authors like Alexis Daria or Alexa Martin. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to reading more by Nadine Gonzalez.