Finally reaching her limit during a corporate work retreat, Lily quits her job and decides to rent a Miami apartment for the summer. There, she meets Noah, Kylie, Sierra, Jeremy, Roxanna, and of course, Ben. The instant chemistry between Lily and Ben was palpable, and I was obsessed with their quickly created romance novel book club, which leads to a podcast, and then much more. I loved this one and the entire group of characters.

This is a easy summer read that you could enjoy by the pool or on the beach. Great cast of characters that live in one building and read books together with the main two couples being the couple. The characters did seem a bit surface level and I wish we would have heard a little more from them. I like that the main characters took the summer to build a relationship and were not fully insta love. I think I would have enjoyed it a little more as an audiobook because of the podcast elements. I wish the ending wasn't so short and tied up in a bow. All in all an easy read that will keep you entertained.

I received a review copy from NetGalley.

This book is sparkling wine and lux brunch with the bookish crew. It's insightful and spirited conversations and a sprinkle of glam and luxury. This is sunny Miami with found family and heated book debates. Very a'la only murderers in the building but it is book lovers!

A bunch of neighbors form a romance only book club, and they read it all together. I mean all, from the raunchy taboo stuff to the airy yet insightful romances, which causes for such deep and lively chatter. The debates on books is honestly amazing, I was giggling all while listening and reading. I like that this book toes the line of romance genre to women's lit, it really was exceptional blend.

Perfect Summer read!

This was sweet and fun and the perfect summer read! It’s a reallllll slow burn but there’s plenty of fun friends and vibes along the way! Lilly and Ben are super fun and have top notch banter. I loved their book club and podcast antics. I loved the found family of friends at the Icon. I loved the Miami vibes. I didn’t love the lack of communication between the MCs but I did love the self awareness meta aspects about it 😂. All in all a solid summer beach read!

I had high hopes for this because the description sounded like the perfect summer read, but I felt let down. The book wasn't terrible, but the romance felt underdeveloped.. like, it felt like the author had an idea, but couldn't figure out how to fully execute the idea, so it just got forgotten about.. I really wanted to love this more than I did. 😞

Our FMC Lily quit her job as a lawyer and moves into an airbnb in Miami for the summer. She meets her love interest Ben, who also happens to be her next door neighbor. Together they form a book club, posting reviews online on the books they read. I really liked the premise of the story and while I typically love books about books, this one felt a bit rushed right from the beginning. The side characters were fun and I enjoyed the banter amongst everyone, but they were kind of hard to get invested in. Certain elements of the book just fell kind of flat for me, but it was a light and easy read, and a good book for summer.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

A fun beach read!! I can see myself picking this one up again in the future. I loved the diversity of the cast, the sweet and tender moments between Lily and Ben, and the nod to Only Murders in the Building made this one right up my alley.Thanks to Canary Street Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

A solid summer read! This book was super cozy, funny, and emotional. The author did a great job building a life for Lily I wanted to jump right into myself.

All of the focus on literature added a lot to the story. I enjoy books about bookish people and love that this is where Lily found herself and where Ben thrived. The podcast aspect was an added bonus that I felt gave the literary piece of this story a unique boost! The connections Lily made with others in the building over books was really sweet.

I loved the found family aspects of the story. The cast of characters in the apartment building were such great additions. Each character had their quirks and their own time to bond with Lily over a different aspect of their lives.

Lily and Ben had such fun banter and you could feel the connection between the two fly off the page. This was a really good friends to lovers and it all happened at a good pace.

The story wrapped up a little quickly for me, I think I would’ve liked a more fleshed out ending.

The Miami setting is absolutely perfect for summer and different from what I usually read. I could also see this being a great “it’s winter but I could use some sunshine” book. Anyway, this would be great anytime!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin- Canary Street Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Only Lovers in the Building by Nadine Gonzalez is a fun summer romance, a quick beach read with lots of romance, friends, family, a romance book club with books having very different themes and tropes, a podcast, and so much more, all set in Miami.

Lily and Ben meet in the building where she rents an apartment for the summer. He was the bartender at the rooftop bar, and it turns out he’s her across-the-hall neighbor. The two become fast friends, and she is included in his friends’ group, which is made up of other young and single tenants.

From there, her unexpected hiatus after quitting her job as a New York City attorney takes off. It was fun getting to know the different characters a little at a time. They came from various fields and backgrounds, yet they formed a cohesive group. They were always up for a good time, had get-togethers, encouraged each other, and went the extra mile.

Lily and Ben hit it off from the beginning, but are they meant to be just friends since her expiration date in Miami is set for the end of August? I loved watching how Lily and Ben took one step forward and a few back as their relationship grew exponentially, which was fun and sometimes unexpected.

Of course, the real world has a way of intruding, and sometimes, they take it in stride, and other times, they bury their heads in the sand. There seems to be a chance for a happily ever after once they finally speak about their feelings. Unfortunately, the story glossed over some of the end-of-summer happenings, which I had hoped would’ve been part of the story. There was closure, but the story did end abruptly for me.

Only Lovers in the Building is the perfect beach read with fantastic characters, all of who are trying to figure out where their lives are headed. Sit back, relax, and join in on their book discussions. You won’t be disappointed.

I rated the book 4.5 stars but rounded to 5 stars here and on other sites.

The review is posted on NovelsAlive.

I just finished reading this book. The plot was absolutely fantastic! It was quite the page turner, and I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I can't wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

I loved this!! It felt like a perfect summer read!

This was a top tier romance for me! Definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys the likes of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez.

Lily and Ben’s friends to lovers arc was *chef’s kiss* There was chemistry, banter, longing. All the good stuff! Honestly this was the kind of book where I didn’t want it to end because I was enjoying it so much!

Part of the draw of this book is the cast of side characters, and they were so fun. I’d love to read more about their stories in future books!

The book club and podcast aspects of this book definitely added some nice extra layers to keep things interesting! The book club really amped up the summer vibes, and I really enjoyed how we got more cute, banter filled dialog from Lily and Ben recording the podcast.

This romcom also had some depth, which for me, is a must for a 5 star read. It felt like we saw character growth from almost everyone in the book, without there being too much trauma drama.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!

I enjoyed “Only Lovers In The Building”…it made me wish I was in Miami on the beach reading! If you’re looking for a beach read this is definitely a good pick for you!

Thank You @harlequinbooks for this ARC!

It’s a slow burn, which I didn’t mind because of the nature of the book! I would classify this book as a modern rom-com! “Only Lovers In The Building” main characters are a readers dream, from their love of reading, to discussing books on the beach!

This also my first book by Nadine Gonzalez and I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read more by her!
#blacksummerreads #blackbookstagram #blackbookstagram #netgalley #harlequinbooks

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for the advanced reader copy/audiobook

When Lily Lyon shows up in the lobby of The Icon, a building in downtown Miami, to rent an apartment for the summer, she's still reeling from the impromptu decision to quit her job as a lawyer (when one of the newest lawyers get credit for something she did). Life in The Icon is busy and full of a cast of characters, including Noah, whom befriends Lily right away, and Ben, a professor who makes Lily tingle in all the right places. When Ben and Lily start a romance book club together, they try to keep things friendly without slipping into romance territory--Lily has a bad track record with men and Ben has "issues". But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to deny their chemistry.

I had high hopes for this book. I'd heard about it on the Fated Mates podcast and it felt like exactly the kind of frothy, fun read that would get me through this hot summer. While the secondary characters (especially Noah) bring lots of humor to the story, I found Lily to be very wishy-washy and it was hard to understand why she and Ben wouldn't be together; the stakes didn't feel like they were there until too far into the book. Ultimately, I only kept at it with this book because of getting an advanced copy, but this one fell flat for me.

Only Lovers in the Building is out July 15, 2025.

After feeling unappreciated at work, Lilly impulsively decides to quit her job and spend the summer in Miami! She quickly befriends a variety of intriguing characters in her building. Bonding over their shared love for literature, Lilly and her neighbor Ben launch a book club that eventually evolves into a podcast! As chemistry develops between Lilly and Ben, the question looms: what will happen when Lilly returns to her reality?

I was captivated by the book's premise and the witty exchanges between Ben and Lilly; however, it ultimately fell short for me. The characters possessed vibrant personalities that felt lively, yet I struggled to form a connection with any of them. By the time I reached 80%, I found it challenging to persevere to the end. I didn’t feel particularly invested in the story or the couple's relationship.

Lily is a burnt out corporate lawyer who impulsively quits her job in the middle of a company retreat in Miami. She decides to stay in the city for the summer and rents a studio apartment in an Art Deco building called The Icon. It’s filled with interesting tenants… including her hot neighbor across the hall, Ben.

He’s a bartender, professor, and literary translator who bonds with Lily over their shared love of books. Soon they have a book club and are writing reviews together on a social media site called BookTap. Their reviews go viral, which leads to their creating a podcast. And getting a major book deal. It all seems like a stretch, but this is a rom-com and I can suspend my disbelief.

The premise is perfect for a summer romance, and the setup is so much fun. But I felt like Lily and Ben’s romance was incredibly underdeveloped. They caught feelings fast and went from friends to lovers with hardly any buildup. (Same thing with all the friendships Lily makes with The Icon’s other residents — they’re all immediate besties.) Within two weeks of meeting, Lily thinks she’s in love with him. And I wasn’t sure how, given they hadn’t gotten to know each other well. *I* didn’t feel like I knew them well, either.

That could be the fault of the writing style, which was very heavy on dialogue and light on description and introspection. The book is also written solely in Lily’s POV and in distant third-person, which didn’t help. I love third-person (it’s my favorite POV!), but it has to be close third. Distant third is saying, “Lily felt out of place” or “Lily wondered/thought/realized” something instead of fully immersing the reader in her thoughts and feelings. It’s telling instead of showing. In a romance novel, I want to feel right alongside the characters, so I struggled a bit.

I mostly enjoyed this and thought it was cute. I just wanted more relationship development, more backstory, and more depth to the characters’ feelings.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

After Lily abruptly quits her NYC corporate law job during a retreat in Miami, she decides to stay in Miami for the rest of the summer. She moves into the Icon, an Art Deco building filled with many interesting tenants, where she promptly meets her love interest, Ben, a mysterious literary translator/professor/bartender. The two have instant chemistry but spend the summer going from friends to co-book reviewers and co-book podcasters to lovers.

I enjoyed this fun Miami summer romance! The story between Lily and Ben was a nice take on the lovers to friends, miscommunication trope, and it was fun that they were both avid readers and reviewers (relatable).

My only complaints were there were times I thought the dialogue was a bit lacking, there were so many interesting characters with interesting backstories, but they all spoke the same way sometimes. The ending also felt a little rushed, with all of the main conflict being resolved in the last chapter.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review!

My review is published on GoodReads as of 6/29/2025.

A sunny Miami backdrop, a romance book club, and a podcast premise made this feel like a quintessential beach read, but the execution landed solidly in the middle for me.

I liked Lily’s impulsive fresh-start energy, and the initial meet-cute with Ben had promise, but the romance never quite clicked. Their podcast banter felt forced, and while I enjoyed Ben’s journal entries (especially later in the book), I wish we’d gotten more of that earlier on. Some of the tension between them, like jealousy, miscommunication, and emotional avoidance, felt underdeveloped or unresolved, and the ending wrapped up too quickly to be fully satisfying.

That said, the supporting cast brought charm and energy to the story, and the book club-to-podcast angle had its moments once the focus shifted away from social media virality. If you’re in the mood for something breezy, bookish, and low-stakes with a strong sense of place, this fits the bill.

pretty cool romance with some interesting ideas and good vibes. the feels are super cool, too. would definitely recommend. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

If you like rom coms, do yourself a favor and read Only Lovers in the Building! The story is so sweet and laugh out loud funny. I absolutely loved all the characters in the building. Nadine Gonzalez knows how to write the perfect rom-com!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’m an Only Murders in the Building fan, so my interest was piqued by the title Only Lovers in the Building. I also recognized Nadine Gonzalez as one of the authors who used to write for the now-defunct line Harlequin Desire, so I was excited to see she was releasing something new. And while it’s not a one-to-one comp between the show and the book, the inspiration is clearly there, from the apartment building setting with a cast of quirky characters to the podcast (albeit this time about romance novels) that brings the leads together.
And while the presentation of the podcast element, along with the other social media stuff, did initially take me out of the story a bit, I gave it time to win me over. And over time, I came to appreciate what these segments offered, in terms of adding texture to the narrative, as well as giving an alternate format to display the banter between Lily and Ben, with it reflecting where they’re at in their relationship.
Lily is incredibly relatable, with her professional and personal life both in shambles. The feeling of being passed over, whether it be by her boss for a promotion (prompting her to quit) or by an ex-boyfriend who recently married someone else, really resonated, and I loved that she did something about it, taking the plunge and moving to Miami for the summer. Ben, meanwhile, is a fairly successful poet and translator, however, he is stuck in the shadow of his famous father.
The romance is a fun one, because while the sparks are there from the start, the romance builds rather slowly, with more of a focus initially on maintaining their initial friendship. I liked how they bonded over their shared love of romance novels, and built a strong camaraderie, not just through that shared interest, but podcasting about it together. The tension built so naturally, with the question of if/when they’d give into their mutual feelings hanging over them throughout the book, and it all came together in a wonderful way.
I had a lot of fun with this one, and would recommend it to readers who are in the mood for a lighthearted, slow burn romance, especially if you enjoy friends to lovers and a very meta romance that also discusses the genre.