Only Lovers in the Building was a fun read and is perfect if you're looking for a summertime pool companion. I enjoyed the instant attraction and slow-burn tension between Lily and Ben, and I really enjoyed getting to know all of the side characters and friends in the building. This book was written with the romance reader in mind, as Lily and Ben form their own romance book club and write reviews on "BookTap" (aka Bookstagram?). There's a lot of "bookish" language and talk about different tropes.|

That being said, it felt as though the author was trying to do too much, and I kept feeling like maybe I was losing sight of the point. The book reviews turn into podcast episodes, which felt redundant and didn't really add much to the story (this could have been way shorter). Lily and Ben have their own issues with their parents, but when you throw in issues with career identity, other family problems, friendship dynamics, and side relationships, it just becomes too much. I think the author should have honed in on one or two major topics and plot lines and stuck with them.

The cover and title are exactly what you get—lovers in the building, not on the beach, not at the club. The story rarely takes place anywhere except the building and its pool/bar, so if you're looking for full-blown Miami vibes, you won't find much of them here. That being said, it was still a fun read with witty banter, and if you love men who are good with their words, Ben is your man.

This was really cute and unique in terms of romance novels. Would be a fantastic summer beach read. I really enjoyed all the characters and sub plots.

After quitting her job while on a work retreat in Miami, Lily finds herself in the rooftop bar of the apartment she is renting for the summer, trying to catch the attention of a sexy bartender.

What Lily doesn’t know yet, is that this “bartender” and a few special inhabitants of her temporary home will completely change her life.

This book was beautiful, sweet, and everything that I needed right now. A perfect summer read full of all of the relationship tropes mixed with a romance book club at the center. Such a lovely story about books bringing people together!

I really liked this book. It was so cute and fun. I loved the friendships, the vacation vibe, and I love a man who takes care of the girl from the start. There’s something so special about a man taking the time to do little things for the people he loves without even thinking about it. It’s a sign of a good heart. The characters in this were so cute together and the chemistry was great. This was a fun four star read, but the conclusion did feel rushed. The conflict was still going at 95% of the way and the ending was fast. Ultimately, I loved it.

A summer escape with love, friendship, and tons of self discovery

Book Stats:
📖: 347 pages
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Canary Street Press
Format: eARC / Single POV FMC
Series: Standalone

Themes:
🌴: A live song to Miami
🌴 : Self discovery
🌴 : Summer romance

Representation:
🏝️: Cuban MMC
🏝️: Haitian FMC/bilingual French speaker
🏝️: Caribbean native/Queer bestie

Tropes:
💗: Corporate girl boss
💗: Professor MMC
💗: Neighbors to Lovers


🥵: Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.

Short Synopsis:
After impulsively quitting her job, Lily decides to take a summer, long sabbatical and sunny Miami to reset and recharge. Little does she know she will meet the most amazing friends that turned into family and the most sultry next-door neighbor who turns into a soulmate. But what's gonna happen at the end of the summer? Will their love endure??

General Thoughts:
This book ended up hitting very middle of the road for me. The side characters really shined in this novel and I loved that we got to see as much of them as we did. In fact, I would be super excited to read books about the side characters in future installments. Unfortunately, for me, our main characters did not sizzle as much as I would've loved them too.

The premise of this book is absolutely summer romance and poolside read in a pergola. It hit those notes extremely well. This was definitely an ode to sunny Miami and it's wonderful summer months. I wish those sunny and sizzling vibes had translated into our main characters. Lily was a little bit easier for me overall. While she did maintain kind of a pessimistic attitude throughout the book, it felt realistic and organic due to the fact that that is how I would expect someone to react when they are impulsively jobless and not sure where they're going with their life within the next few months. I had a little bit more trouble with Ben because I feel like his character was extremely wishy-washy. One minute he was a smoldering bartender with tattoos and a life plan, and the next minute he was completely indecisive, emotionally unavailable and not sure where he was going with life. I couldn't keep up.

I did find the romance to be fairly intriguing, however. I enjoyed the way the romance unfolded more towards the second half of the book then in the beginning, but it all tied together really nicely. I was satisfied with that aspect of the book.

I really enjoyed the book club aspect of this novel. At the beginning, I wasn't too thrilled about it because it used a lot of social media aspects and I don't really love that in my books typically. But the way it was utilized in this book really did hit for me because it was more of Book tracking apps versus "real" social media. The way that the book club translated into the podcast was really fun and refreshing. I thought it was a unique premise and I enjoyed reading the transcripts of the podcast throughout the book.

In conclusion, this was a decent introduction to this author. While I don't think I'll run out to read her backlog immediately, I would be interested to see what is coming up soon and if I'm looking for a sunny Miami based read, I think I'd pick up one of her books again. I did stay pretty entertained throughout so that is definitely a plus column entry.


Disclaimer: I read this book via free eARC from NetGalley and canary street press All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This story is what a romance should be. There is enough tension, comic relief, great side characters, colorful descriptions, and the journey of both main characters healing their wounds and growing away from their fatal flaws.

In short, this is the story of Lily, a NYC lawyer who, on a whim, decides to resign from her job and rents a place at The Icon, an Art Deco building in Miami Beach. (The building is a main character for me, and thanks to the gorgeous cover, I could picture it clearly.)

There, she meets a few interesting neighbors, and her days are spent by the pool reading romances and drinking cocktails. Enter Benedicto Romero, one of her neighbors—a tortured poet who takes the bait of analyzing romances with Lily. I don’t want to say more, but you get the picture.

To me, any book that has something to do with reading or publishing romances is my catnip, and this one didn’t disappoint.

This book is for you if you like:
– Stories about healing
– Literary characters discussing romance
– Art Deco settings that feel alive
– Smart banter
– Neighbors to lovers
– Books about books and reading
– An Only Murders in the Building vibe (sans the murders part)

Thanks to HarperCollins and the author for the ARC via Netgalley

Only Lovers in the Building by Nadine Gonzalez was such a fun read. The perfect book for kicking off summer reading.

Lily is an attorney on the brink of a midlife crisis. After seeing that her ex-boyfriend just got married, and on top of that, getting passed over for recognition on a deal she’s been pouring herself into...she snaps. Honestly, I don't blame her and I have been there. In the middle of a conference, she quits her job and decides to spend the summer unemployed in Miami.

At first, I was hesitant. I live in South Florida, and I'll be honest. Summers here are brutal. Not sexy. It's hellishly hot and very rainy. But I went along with it anyway because I was having a lot of fun.

When Lily moves into her new building, she meets a sexy bartender named Ben. Ben is Latino, and I loved seeing his culture represented on the page. As a Latina in South Florida, it made me instantly connect with the story even more.

Ben also translates poetry and is genuinely recognized for his work. He’s prestigious, successful, kind, smart, and passionate, but he’s also working through some commitment issues and emotional baggage from his very famous father.

There’s clear attraction between Lily and Ben, but both are so hesitant to act on it because they’re scared of losing their friendship. Instead, they start a book club and eventually a podcast where they share their thoughts on love and romance novels. It’s sweet, and their chemistry really blossoms in such a natural way, it makes their bond feel really authentic.

I loved their banter, and also really loved the side characters—the neighbors in the building were all so vibrant. It felt very true to Miami culture.

My only critique is that the writing style took a bit of getting used to. It felt a little inconsistent at times and very dialogue heavy. The conflict toward the end also wrapped up really quickly, in the last 10 pages or so...so it did feel a little rushed. I was kind of left wondering what the plan for Lily and Ben was and what their next step would be in terms of their previous baggage, but truthfully, this is a fun read and not one that you're meant to over-analyze.

Still, I had such a great time with this book. It’s charming, exciting, and a perfect summer read. I’m so excited to share this one with my audience.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for granting my request to read this e-ARC and provide my honest thoughts.

After Lily's legal career comes to a sudden end, she books a restorative summer rental at the The Icon,an Art Deco building in Miami Beach and then she meets Ben, the hot bartender at the bar.

Honestly, I got secondhand embarrassment when Lily kissed Ben in the elevator (a guy she just met—why, girl? 🤦🏽‍♀️). From that moment on, it felt like one cringe scene after another.

What did keep me going was the book reviewer rep they had going on—I really loved how they bonded over romance novels and shared their reviews. That part was cute and refreshing.

But oh, the side characters… chaotic and all over the place. I kept wondering: Can this get more cringey? And sadly, Lily and Ben had zero real chemistry for me—they probably should’ve just stayed friends.

Overall, this book had all the making of a great book but it just kind of fell flat. Side characters that were every where is just not my vibe as it makes the whole story chaotic. Thank you once again for the e-ARC.

Lily is a lawyer attending a corporate company dinner in Miami. She walks out of the event and emails the CEO her resignation. Rather than board her return flight to New York City, Lily decides to rent a condo in Miami for the summer to regroup. While waiting for the landlord to give her the condo key, Lily goes to the roof top bar where she meets Ben, the handsome Cuban bartender. Within a few days, Lily learns Ben is a MacArthur Fellow for his translation work and he is also a professor at the University of Miami who he tends bar for his cousin when she is not available for her shift. Ben is also Lily's neighbor. Within a week, Ben and Lily are best friends who enjoy reading romance novels and posting the reviews on social media. Next, they are invited to host a summer romance reading podcast. As Lily's three-month stay winds down, she has to make career decisions, as does Ben. Lily and Ben are supported by a cast of neighbors with whom they share drinks and dinners. Recommended for readers who are interested in the romance genre, its components, and its criticisms.

Thank you for the ARC. I enjoyed the opportunity to review this one.

This was not really what I was expecting. The writing style just might not be for me. I don’t think this was for me. I didn't fully get the Only Murders in the Building vibes. I didn't connect with the MCs.

Who hasn't stalked their ex on social media? For Lily, seeing her college boyfriend's wedding photos is the final push she needs to quit her corporate job in New York and relocate to Miami. She realizes that she happens to live in perhaps the coolest apartment building in the city, with a group of other young people looking for a found family in a city. She starts a book club with her hot neighbour Ben and quickly realizes that she may have finally found her people and her purpose.

I enjoyed that this book really leaned into the diversity you find, in particular, in Miami, the gateway to the Caribbean and South America. I really enjoyed that our heroine, Lily, and a prominent side character are from families from the French speaking Caribbean, which is very underrepresented in fiction.

I also appreciated that Gonzalez really walks a thin line with the character of Ben. He's a character who wants to keep his feelings, particularly his feelings about Lily, very close to the vest. It's hard to write a character who keeps his own counsel without making him a character who is emotionally illiterate. I think Gonzalez navigates it well and I loved that he was a literary translator who had no snobbishness about romance novels.

This is a great summer read, and I'd recommend for fans of Abby Jimenez and Tessa Bailey. Thanks to Canary Street Press for the early copy.

I loved this book so much! I really enjoyed how the love story progressed, the tension between the 2 main characters. The setting was also really great. I enjoyed the idea of them being in this one building and having a small community of friends all together.
I'll be putting together a more in-depth review and having that scheduled to post next week.
I will update with a link to the post, once it's up.

After abruptly quitting her law job, Lily decides to rent a long term Airbnb and stay in Miami to decompress and work on what she should do next. After meeting her neighbor, Ben, they form a close friendship, largely based on books and reading, and that soon has sparks flying.

I loved so much about this book! The writing was great, the characters diverse and relatable, the relationship a fun friends-to-lovers, and the friendships phenomenal. It’s the perfect beach read (even the setting— Summer in Miami). It did exactly what a rom-com should do: I swooned at the romance and laughed at the comedy. I also enjoyed the parts that had more gravity. It added depth to the story and allowed for character growth.

☀️📚 ARC Review 📚☀️
Tropes: Slow Burn 🕯 | Friends to Lovers 💞 | Close Proximity 🏖 | Books About Books 📖 | ✨

After a career crash so bad it should’ve come with airbags 💼💥, Liliane Lyon escapes to Miami Beach for sun, silence, and sippin’ cocktails 🍹😎. But instead of staying low-key, she gets swept into the quirky, art-deco-glam world of The Icon—and into the orbit of broody, bookish professor Benedicto Romero 🖋🌊.

He’s on sabbatical to sulk and sigh dramatically 😩📓. She’s trying to heal and NOT fall for anyone. But then… romance novels happen. Poolside reading turns into deep convos, dreamy looks, and chemistry hot enough to melt your SPF 🫠🔥

They read like experts in love. They’re total disasters 😂💔
Still, when they start giving out love advice and are pushed to do a podcast, suddenly it’s not just fiction anymore…

✨ The Vibes:
🌴 Beachy + bookish
🎙 Podcast cuteness
🏘 Found family & lovable weirdos
🎭 Only Murders-style eccentric energy
👀 Tension you can feel

📈 Would recommend if you love smart banter, slow burns that simmer, and characters who are chaotic but lovable. I also loved that the book mentions Miami, Florida. It felt so good to read a summer book based on the city I lived in.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Because sometimes the messiest summers make the best stories.

#BookTok #BeachReadVibes #BlackLoveBooks #BooksAboutBooks #FriendsToLovers #RomanceReadersUnite #SummerReads2025

Thank you NetGalley for an early release. This book follow Lily who suddenly quits her job in her law firm and decides to stay in Miami over the Summer. This book talks about job situation where women are over looked, book love and finding yourself at 30. I wanted to love this book however the 3rd person writing was hard for me to read. The book cover is absolutely beautiful and I loved that it was set in Miami as someone who grew up there. I enjoy the friend group and the vibes.

3.5 Stars

I enjoyed this book. The characters were adorable together, and the side characters were some of the best parts of the book. I did find it a little slow in the middle. The banter was cute, and I really enjoyed the romance review portion and then discussing romance tropes.

“When you’re lost, all paths lead to Miami.”

This is a perfect summer read, set in Miami where there is endless summer. Lily does what i dreamed of doing in my late twenties when I felt lost and undervalued at work, she walks away from it all, without a plan! She impulsively decides to take a break for the summer and spends her time lounging poolside while reading books, writing reviews, falling in love, and making friends.

I love that this is a romance book about romance books and book reviews. It gives insight on how our favorite tropes play out in the real world. Plus, you have a diverse cast of characters that bring a fun energy to the storyline.

The book gave me vibes of Melrose Place (less toxic) and New Girl (comedic banter) and Dawson’s Creek (mockumentary and satirical) and Reality Bites (coming of age friends to lovers).

What you get:
✔️Opposites attract
✔️Friends to lovers
✔️Close proximity
✔️No third act break up
✔️Multiculturally diverse characters
✔️MMC is endearing showering her my favorite love language, acts of service.

This is my first read from the author and it will not be my last.

I chose this book based solely on the cover and title; I didn’t even read the description before diving in. Excellent cover and title forsure.

While I appreciated the meta-ness of a romance book having characters who reviewed romance books and their troupes, this book was not my favorite. I had a hard time becoming invested in the story and it felt like it was just a “and here’s what happened next” kind of story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was super fun and cute! The paced moved along quickly and all of the characters were interesting and had good motivations. At first I thought the reason Lily and Ben weren’t together was manufactured but I quickly saw it was real and they needed to do the work before they could make a relationship last. I would love for everyone on the book to get their own story.

The cover of this book is so good! The premise is cute and the characters are, generally, endearing. I think the writing is decent but there is some depth missing.

I found the pace of bonds built with the FMC to be a bit too unbelievable. I think friendships can be built quickly but everyone just loves each other immediately and that is a bit uncanny / stepford wives for me. I also agree that the ending was rushed. It’s not too unbelievable that a woman in her 30’s would still want validation from her parents on life decisions, though, so I don’t have issues with that aspect of the conclusion.

Overall, a cozy, popcorn read!