Only Lovers in the Building

This sultry standalone from Gonzalez (the Miami Famous series) finds 30-year-old attorney Lily Lyon on a business retreat at a swanky Miami hotel when she sees pictures on Instagram of her college ex’s wedding and realizes her job is holding her back from living her life. So she quits, takes a room in a gorgeous art deco building for the summer, and decides to finally make her way through her long to-be-read pile, posting updates to social media as she goes. Though attracted to her new neighbor, Ben Romero, Lily initially resists his allure. Then she learns that Ben is a PEN Award–winning author of literary fiction, and he’s eager to join her in her summer reading. The pair bond poolside over romance novels, and the honest joint reviews they post online land them their own podcast to talk about books. As the pair cross the line from friends to lovers, Lily befriends other residents of the building while falling completely for Ben and fearing summer’s end. Gonzalez makes clear the instant attraction and physical chemistry between Ben and Lily while taking her time to explore the complexity of their emotional relationship. The tropical Miami backdrop lends an escapist feel to this wining love letter to the romance genre. Agent: Jessica Alvarez, BookEnds Literary. (July)