Publication Date: July 15, 2025
Wanted—no, NEEDED: a summer escape with beach reads, cocktails…and a little romance on the side.
After her legal career comes to a sudden and humiliating end, Liliane Lyon books a restorative summer rental at The Icon, a quintessential Art Deco building in Miami Beach, where her only plan is to bask in the sun, read, and sip cocktails. But soon she’s enchanted by the colorful community, including university professor Benedicto Romero—resident tortured poet, whose sole intention for sabbatical is to indulge in brooding introspection.
When they discover a shared passion for romance novels, Lily and Ben are soon spending hours reading together by the pool, the spark between them unwittingly giving the other residents the impression that they’re experts in matters of the heart…no matter that IRL their disastrous love lives bear little resemblance to the stories they’re reading.
But while Ben and Lily can pinpoint a trope a mile away and give excellent advice to others, they can’t make sense of the sizzling chemistry between them, and the suggestion of a professional podcast suddenly forces them to consider the long-term. So what if it means working even closer together! So what if their banter makes Lily’s head spin! It’s the summer of taking chances, but a word to the wise: Miami isn’t the place for growth and rebirth. It’s the place to get messy.
For fans of:
- Slow Burn
- Friends to Lovers
- Close Proximity
- Beachy Reads
- Books About Books
- Black Love
- Eccentric and charming characters ala Only Murders in the Building
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.
From Manhattan to Miami, Nadine writes modern love stories for today’s romance readers. Of Haitian descent, she prizes stories with wide cultural diversity. Nadine is the author of eight previous books, including Scandal In The VIP Suite and What Happens In Miami.
