This book is fun and chatty with narration that matches the mood of the book. Unfortunately, the pace is too slow for me. DNF at 19%..

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

A L C • R E V I E W 🎧
Only Lovers in the Building by Nadine Gonzalez
Narrated by: Aure Nash
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub date: July 15, 2025

Okay first, this audiobook was amazing… Aure did such an incredible job narrating this one.

The story follows Ben and Lily. 💖
They are both messy characters with complicated lives.

Lily’s career comes to an end and decides to rent a room for the summer in a beautiful Art Deco apartment complex in Miami. She plans on taking a break from reality to just relax and figure her life out.

Ben is her charming neighbor, who has been through a lot and carry’s a bunch of emotional baggage.

Little did we know, they both love to read and start a book club… but it’s only for them two. They instantly have chemistry. This book was EVERYTHING I needed in a slow burn, and the banter between the two OMG! 💖

I adored listening to this audiobook, I definitely recommend it if you want to have a good time.

Tropes:
Slow Burn
Friends to Lovers
Forced Proximity

Thank you @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for gifting me a ALC. 🎧

What a fun concept; I think we all wish we could “take a sabbatical” and discuss the real life application of romance tropes. This girl is living the dream with a dream man and amazing friends. The story had plenty of levity, great backstories, and well developed side characters. This is a great summer read/listen.
The narrator did a wonderful job. The voice acting was great and added to the story well.

Thank you to The Hive and HTP books for the gifted copy and ALC!

Think Eat, Pray Love but with a twist! It’s giving Drink, Read, Love or Eat Pray Love meets First Time Caller!

This was an enjoyable, heart warming read set in Miami. The FMC rage quits her job as a corporate lawyer and on a whim books a “sabbatical” to Miami for the summer. She is staying at an Airbnb in an Art Deco building in Miami, where she meets MMC, Ben, along with amazing supporting characters. As a reader, I found this book very relatable. Its every readers dream(especially us romance lover girls/guys) to have a love interest who will buddy read with you! Lilly and Ben both loved to read, actively reviewed on “Booktap” and decided to start buddy reading together that morphed into an exclusive book club for the building residents THEN morphed into other opportunities for the FMC AND MMC. This is the perfect beach/vacation read!

There is more to the MMC that meets the eye. Initially we meet him as a bartender but he actually was a literary critic and pretty big deal professor! Ben was somewhat of a complex character and sometimes Lilly’s pessimism was a little annoying.

I enjoyed the found family aspect in this book, Lilly rushed off to Miami without much of a plan or expectation. She ended up finding herself as well as genuine friendships and connections. I loved the supporting characters.

This is a slow burn with great banter, and tension!

Themes:
🌴 summer romance
🌴vacation romance
🌴slow burn
🌴found family
🌴 self discovery
🌴books and the love of reading
🌴close proximity
🌴BIPOC representation(Haitian FMC, Cuban MMC)
🌴LGBTQ Rep
🌴friendship

I also recommend the audio! I did this as an immersive read. It’s a solo narrator but I thought she did a great job voicing all the different characters!

𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
🌟🌟🌟.5
Only Lovers in the Building is for the book girly, podcast, and summer read. It's a rom-com, slow burn, close proximity, and Black love. While I did enjoy this book, I did feel like it dragged, or the pacing was a little off. It just felt slow at some points in the story.

The audiobook is narrated by Aure Nash. She did a good job and brought depth to all the characters. She was easy to understand and listen to. I listened at 2x speed.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Harlequin Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Nadine Gonzales for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

There was a LOT going on in this book with a large cast of eccentric characters. I enjoyed this story but kept a real birds eye view on it since so much was going on. If I really honed in and focused hard on all the subplots- I would have gotten lost in the sauce. So I listened to the audio-- didn't overthink it and enjoyed it.

Narration was well done.

The perfect summer read! This book makes me want to ditch my legal career and find an amazing AirBnB in Miami! Sun, drinks by the pool, reading, and new friends. That sounds heavenly!

Our FMC suddenly quits her job as a corporate attorney and decides to spend her summer in Miami. She isn’t sure what she wants to do, but why not get a break from real life for a bit?! She heads to a rental she found last minute and finds a building full of social butterflies ready to welcome her with open arms.

The book is full of banter and tension. All of the supporting characters are lovely and add a ton to the story. I loved that the book makes fun of tropes while also including some. This is the perfect feel good summer read, even if you aren’t on a rooftop in Miami!

Only Lovers in the Building was such a cute and fun listen! Lily and Ben’s connection was great, and I thought they were just too cute for words.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and alc.

This book was just ok. I liked the characters, but the romance seemed to be a little bit lacking in my opinion. It is not a bad book per se, I just don't think it was the right book for me. I also didn't get the comparison to Only Murders in the Building. I did like the audiobook narrator Aure Nash though.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for ALC of Only Lovers in the building!

This is a perfect summer romance for everyone who likes reading books about books and romance tropes!

The narrator was great as well!

This is a cute little rom-com about two people who come together to do a podcast about tropes in romance books. It was definitely more cutesy than spicy. I liked the characters. They were believable. The story left a little bit to be desired. The overall conflict wasn't the strongest. In summary, this was just ok for me. It wasn't amazing, but it definitely wasn't terrible either.

I gave it. 3.25 ⭐️
This is a Miami summer romance. It tells the story of Lily, who quits her New York corporate law job to spend the summer in Miami, where she meets Ben, a literary translator/bartender.
As they bond over their shared love of books, their friendship blossoms into romance, exploring friends-to-lovers and miscommunication. I enjoyed the characters' passion for reading, but sometimes found the dialogue to a bit lacking as well as the ending feeling rushed. However the diverse cast, sweet romance, and engaging writing make this novel a standout.
Definitely a beach read, it balances lighthearted and serious moments, making for an entertaining RomCom moment.
I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There is nothing better to read in July than a bantery rom-com set in a summer paradise and this book hits that mark. I enjoyed everything about this book. Lily & Ben have a wonderful sweet relationship full of support and growth. They had a wonderful apartment building (pool & bar anyone?). Their friend circle was amazing! It made me want to run away for the summer with my friends to read by the pool and drink Rosé.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for an audio ARC of this book. The narrator was awesome and brought depth to the narration.

First things first- yes, this title calls to mind that quirky comedic mystery series set in an apartment building, but this is a proper romance. Aure Nash is a marvel as she delivers the voices of the main characters Lily and Ben and of the residents. She did so well, that my elderly mother thought we had a full cast or narrators, not just the one. The book fulfills the synopsis and is a real "I see you" to the book community. There is some spice, but the star here is the banter. I would recommend wholeheartedly for book clubs-this is the perfect summer pick. Further, I do not think one would go wrong with any format chosen.

This is a good summer read. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC to listen to. This was a realistic rom-com from the conversations, characters and the Miami scene. It’s very lighthearted but was a slow burn. The characters have a good level of spice and gives some gossip girl vibes.

Going into Only Lovers in the Building, I expected a slightly different premise—maybe something more suspenseful or drama-heavy, given the title—but what I got instead was a sweet, breezy romance that made for a truly enjoyable audiobook experience.

The story is warm and light, with a charming cast of characters and a cozy setting that felt like the literary equivalent of a rom-com comfort watch. What really made this book stand out for me, though, was the bookstagram vibe woven into the story. I absolutely loved that the main characters were not only reading romance novels, but actively reviewing them and engaging with that part of the bookish community. It gave the story such a relatable and meta layer—probably my favorite part by far.

If you're a romance reader who enjoys stories about people who love stories, this one will hit the right notes. It’s not overly complicated, but that’s part of its charm. A great pick for a relaxing listen or an afternoon escape.

Obsessed! This narrator is one of my absolute favorites and the way she said some things had me laughing so hard. At one point the MC is hyperventilating and the narrator did that and I was cracking up. I absolutely loved this book. The perfect summer book! I love books about books and this was just such a great romance!

This was such a FUN read! The story follows a newly unemployed lawyer and a bartender/book translator/certified genius (yes, all three!) as their unexpected relationship begins to blossom. After ending up as next-door neighbors in Miami, they connect over their shared love of books. While both are working through personal struggles—think daddy issues and past baggage—they find themselves bonding over romance novels and late-night conversations. They pledge to keep things simple and platonic… but let’s be honest, we know how that goes.

I absolutely loved the banter and the refreshingly realistic approach to their relationship. Sure, there were a few things that felt a bit far-fetched, but the way these characters acknowledged and critiqued popular book tropes made me feel so seen as a reader and reviewer. So many of the things they said echoed thoughts I’ve had myself!

The slow burn and thoughtful backstory made the emotional payoff feel earned. And the narrators? Incredible. They brought the characters to life in such a relatable and heartfelt way. This has easily been one of my most enjoyable reads of the year, and I’ll definitely be recommending it to all my book-loving friends!

I listened to this book in a day!
I don't usually read romances like this, but I must admit, I have loved listening to them on audio! It makes me not dread car rides!
I loved the crew at the OMNI!
Ben and Lily were so fun and I love how their book club and their reviews evolved! These two were on fire from the beginning of this book, but will they let their baggage hold them back from falling for each other?!?
I loved listening to their little discussions about tropes and love hoe they fit them into the book!!

Definitely a great listen!!

I immediately wanted to read this when I saw the title and cover! This ended up being a perfect summer beach read, set in Miami!

After Lily abruptly quits her job, she decides to book a rental at The Icon, an Art Deco building in Miami, for the summer. When she meets her neighbour, Ben, they connect immediately on books and their love of reading.

This was a slow burn, friends to lovers romance that I was hooked on from the start! And just as in Only Murders in the Building, there was a whole cast of eccentric and diverse characters that live at The Icon.

I really hope there will be more books set in this building & centering on other characters because I think it would be so fun to revisit!