I love this book series. It is so cute. Beckett is such an amazing character and I enjoyed her work with training service animals. The banter in this story is top notch and you'll be dying for them to realize their feelings for each other!

It’s been a while since I read Marina Adair, and what a treat it was as I get to know the Hopeless Romantics of Rome, Rhode Island.

The first few pages are a witty opening to a story so simple, yet so rich in emotions that brought tears to my eyes a couple of times. Rhodes’s is all set to explore the unchartered territory of love and Hayes is trying to find herself in the busy and hustle of her dysfunctional yet, lovable family dynamics. You throw in cockbusting Gregory to the equation and you’ve got yourself a rib tickling love story!

Book two of her “When In Rome” series is a definite winner from Marina Adair...the camaraderie among friends is priceless, the unconditional love for your family at the center of this story is pure sentiment and the chemistry between Hayes and Rhodes is the right spark to make “Hopeless Romantic” hopelessly adorable and endearing


Received an ARC from Kensington via NetGalley for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Books and Marina Adair for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
After reading and not completely loving book number one, I went back and reread my review to refresh my memory. My biggest complaint for the last book had been a slow start and a rushed/unfinished end. I mentioned thinking the book is well set up for a #2. And here we are!
I have basically the exact same complaint as last time, this time. The characters are likeable, the plot is there, but the burn is way too slow to begin and then the ending is wrapped up in a neat little bow FAST. The pacing was all over the place and since this is book #2 of Marina Adairs, I’m going to assume I’m just not a fan of her writing! THere are plenty of good reviews on Goodreads, though, so don’t let this one review stop you from checking it out!

I liked both Levi and Beckett from the last book, so I was very much looking forward to seeing them together. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out as well as I’d hoped. In order to talk about why the book didn’t work for me, there’s a lot of spoilers for the book below.

“The only way to keep her world spinning was to maintain control of all the moving pieces. One wrong move, and it was checkmate.”


Beckett and Levi have a lot of misconceptions about each other. Beckett thinks Levi is a responsibility-averse playboy, while Levi thinks Beckett is a flake. They both have plenty of reasons for that, but unfortunately a lot of those happened before the book started, namely at Annie and Emmit’s engagement party and a mixup with a retirement party where Beckett left Levi holding the bag on 200 mini crab cakes.

“I don’t need to be taken care of, Levi,” she said.
“I like that about you.” He wrapped his arms around her. “But needing and wanting are two different things. And there are times I’ll want to take care of the woman I’m with. Not because I think she’s weak, but because I want to make her happy.”


The book starts with a funny “rooster walks into a bar” gag – Beckett trains emotional support animals, in this case a rooster – but emotional support animals don’t have the same protections as an actual service animal, and asking for papers for a service animal is an ADA violation. So off the bat I was annoyed at her for bringing a random animal into the restaurant (where it proceeds to poop on the bar) and annoyed at Levi for not bothering to do a simple google search on how to ask if an animal is a service animal (literally, “is that a service animal?”). While Beckett grew on me, Levi was a harder sell. Beckett’s obviously overworked and overextended trying to both start a business and take care of her family. Beckett’s been taking care of her family since her mom walked out when she was sixteen. Both her father and brother have autism, and it seems like all of the various family responsibilities fall solely on her. She’s pulled in so many directions that she feels like she’s not handling any of them well, and she’s right. It takes Levi a while to realize that, and once he does, for the most part he’s remarkably supportive (he understands what it’s like to step up and raise a kid not your own), though I did roll my eyes at his solution for her being swamped by both business and wedding planning is to… hire her to solve his staffing issues. Their relationship felt like it moved too quickly, especially given both of their prejudices against each other. And given how busy they are, I never felt like they really had time to let their relationship develop, especially with the deadline of Levi’s sailing trip.

“He’d been so busy helping his mom, and his niece, and even his brother-in-law deal with Michelle’s loss, there hadn’t been a lot of room for Levi to deal.”


There was so much going on that it never felt like enough space was given to each issue. Levi’s still dealing with the grief from his dad’s passing (one of the reasons he wants to go on the sailing trip is it was the big trip he was supposed to take with his dad), his mom’s boundary-stomping clinginess, staffing issues at the restaurant, giving Paisley the “cool uncle” sounding board for all the normal teenage drama plus the death of her mom, oh, and trying to deal with his own grief over his sister’s death. And that’s not even counting Beckett’s issues!

And the elephant in the room: the autism rep. One of my kids has autism so this is definitely one of my hot buttons, and the more I read the more uncomfortable I got. I’m not on the spectrum myself, and I will repeat the old saw that “if you’re met one person with autism, you’re met… one person with autism.” But since Beckett’s POV is of someone who’s supposedly spent most of her life taking care of someone on the spectrum, I feel like I have at least a little standing to critique it.

Look, I’m the first person to admit that being the primary caregiver to someone who’s not neurotypical can be challenging, demoralizing and exhausting, but literally that was all I got out of Beckett’s experience with her family. It was all the bad stuff – having to avoid certain food types for medical reasons or texture issues, navigating sensory issues, knowing the best way to de-escalate a meltdown. People in the book kept saying that Beckett loved her family, but all I saw was the caregiving, no love, and certainly none of the emphasis on the ways autistic folks express love or the enjoyable bits. Even the scene that I thought approached this the most – the fornication scene – felt more like the humor was at Thomas’ expense because of how differently he approached things. And all that’s not counting the differences between their fictional homelife and what I’ve seen myself. My kid has different challenges than Thomas, but from my understanding, at least where I live, they’d qualify for respite services – basically, a trained helper who comes in to spend time with Thomas so that Beckett would actually get an occasional break. That’s also not counting whatever services he’d get through school, which would probably include the daily living training, like grocery shopping, that she was trying to do. And for someone who has a history of elopement, there’s a lot of best practices (and resources from the state/insurance/private autism support groups) from specialized window and door alarms to wearable GPS tags.

As for other cons, I totally didn’t buy her dad’s sudden about-face at the end, and I was left feeling like too many threads were hanging. What happened with Annie and Emmit’s wedding? Did Levi finally resolve the employment issues at the restaurant? Did he set some better boundaries with his mom? Did he go on the sailing trip? What happened with Paisley’s ski trip? Maybe these are all meant to be covered in the next book, but it made the HEA a little unsatisfactory for me.

Overall, for a lot of reasons, the book just didn’t work for me.


I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Marina Adair has once again drawn me into the world of Rome, Rhode Island and I didn't want this book to end. I was hooked from page one, and I absolutely love these characters, their friendships and romances, and stories.

Beckett has the weight of the world on her shoulders. She lives with her dad and brother and family always comes first. The unpredictability of her schedule led her to start her own business helping train emotional support animals as well as being a concierge and providing services to the town. It leaves Beckett with little time for herself or relationships.

Levi runs the family bar and marina and is planning on taking a six month sailing trip. He is a great uncle and friend, and he is definitely interested in Beckett. I really loved how he supported and understood her. Their attraction was there from the beginning but they were both hesitant to explore it. The build up to them deciding to try a relationship was so well done.

Just like the first book this was an emotional, sweet, and funny read. This is one of the few books that has made me laugh and smile on one page and pulled at my heartstrings the next. I loved getting to follow Levi and Beckett on their way to happily ever after!

This is the second book in the series. It can be read as a standalone, but book one, RomEantically Challenged was also a wonderful read.

The second book about a small beach town in Rome, RI, this is a standalone. I had read the first book, but it took awhile to remember all that was in it while I read this one. Another really good read by Marina Adair, an author I am really coming to love. Her stories are quirky, romantic, and have great dialogue. Beckett and Levi both have so much in their plate, with family, and work. Levi sees past Beckett’s sarcastic front to the woman who is carrying such a load on her shoulders. She has an father with Asperger’s, a brother who is autistic, and a mother who disappeared years ago. All of thats affects her ability to hold a steady job. Levi took over his family’s business of own a bar/restaurant, a marina and bait shop after his father passes. Yet somehow, Levi knows that Beckett has something he wants. It is not an easy journey, but it is a really good romance. I loved the secondary characters almost as much as the 2 leads. My only negative was that it was resolved awfully quickly after such a big event. It was tied up too quickly. This was an easy read for me and I am so glad I had the chance to read and review this for NetGalley.

Hopeless Romantic by Marina Adair
2nd book in the When in Rome series. Contemporary romance. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series.

Beckett has her hands full raising her younger brother, keeping her father on track and trying to run her business. Flirting with bar owner Levi gives her a thrill she never imagined would go any further. Until it does.
A wonderful romance with the highs and conflicts expected. The secondary story extended from the first book has Paisley leaning to drive and thinking about boys which throws her three fathers into a minor tailspin. Think 3 men and a baby at the mid teen level.

Quite a bit of this story involves with the efforts of caring for a child with autism spectrum disorder as well as a high functioning adult.
I felt Beckett’s burden was real and overwhelming. I was glad she was able to fall for Levi and get a little time for herself. She’s strong and dependable and deserves the hero cape she wears.

4.5.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to share.

**3.5 - stars** Hopeless Romantic is the second book in Marina Adair’s When in Rome series. It’s a heartfelt, sweet, slow-burn romance! I really liked the fun banter between Levi and Beckett too!
This story also deals with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome in the heroine’s family, which I felt added even more to the story.
I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series!

Levi Rhodes and Beckett Hayes are both extremely devoted to family. Levi put his life on hold when his sister got pregnant while he was in college. He came home to help her, and to help his mom, and his dreams have been burning a hole in his pocket ever since. It seems as though his time has finally arrived, and he should be able to leave this summer to sail across the ocean in his boat. Levi has taken over his family’s business, and is looking to hire help so that he will be able to leave this summer. Beckett has helped raise her little brother, who is on the autism spectrum, because she understands how to keep him calm, and help him to calm down when needed. Her father, on the other hand, has basically left the child-rearing to her, as he is a brilliant composer, who has never taken the time to understand his son’s needs, after his wife left them years ago. Beckett has put her own wishes on hold while her brother grew up, and has basically been the parent in the family since she was young. These are both complex characters with intriguing backstories.

This story has a slow build-up, as there is a lot of information that needs to be imparted, in order for readers to understand the various choices that are being made. The author uses a deft hand to build the tension and to describe the separate forces pulling each protagonist in several different directions. The conflicts feel very genuine to the reader, while the time that Levi and Beckett spend getting to know each other adds a sense of wonder and delight to this book. When they finally do get together, it feels somehow earned and absolutely right. Both characters have some choices to make, and they are not always perfect, but things do work out in the end. Ms. Adair has a beautiful way with words; the scenes come alive while reading, and are easy to visualize in most scenes—especially the scenes involving her father’s culinary prowess! This book is a delight from start to finish!

Just take my money!

I love this continuing story to the a retelling of Three Men and A Little Lady ❤️

This is Levi (m) and Beckett’s (f) story.

Beckett is raised by a neurodiverse father and abandoned by her mother shortly after her nuerodiverse brother is born - she is also the main caregiver plus working on her own business.

Levi is picking up a lot of slack and responsibilities at his late dads restaurant and marina plus helping raise his niece after his sister dies.

I love how they find eachother, the heat, the cock ( just you wait), and the steam.

Thank you so much Kensington and Netgalley for an advanced copy for my sassy thoughts!

I was drawn in by the autism storyline. I was curious as to how autism (and caregivers) would be portrayed. Would it be realistic? I can honestly say that I was good with how everything was portrayed. It felt familiar in a way. Add in the way that Beckett felt like she had little to no help, and it was relatable. I can only hope that after the book ended, the characters were able to establish new routines and boundaries, so that Beckett could have a little respite from her Dad and brother. (as well as helping them with the social and relational skills they both needed.)

I should say that Hopeless Romantic is a small town romance between two people who constantly give. They give their time, their energy, their resources, but they never ask for anything in return. Also, Gregory Pecker had me laughing. Everything that happened with that chicken had me chuckling.

Over all, this story gave me what I wanted. The representation of a neurodiverse family, and how a caretaker can often get little respite is relatable to many people. Yes, the relationship between Beckett and Levi was nice, but for me it wasn't what stood out. Instead it was the relationship between Beckett's family and how they worked (or rather didn't fully work) as a unit, as well as the relationship that Levi had with his. Hopeless Romantic also spoke to me about accepting assistance from those who offer, and also about asking for assistance. It's about not doing it all on your own.

The hopeless romantic in this story is Beckett, an events coordinator who struggles to maintain her business while dealing with the difficulties of managing her autistic father and brother. Needless to say, having a romantic relationship added to the mix is a challenge that she’s not sure she can handle, particularly as she’s already suffered one broken engagement.
Enter Levi, who owns and runs a bar/restaurant and navigates his own challenging family obligations, including the teenage niece of his dead sister.
The novel is a lot of fun to read, well-written, humorous but touching, and has readers cheering for its flawed but enchanting emotionally-repressed heroine. The characters are well-drawn and believable, and the relationship between the two protagonists develops at a good pace. The scenarios illustrating the realities of living with a family member on the autism spectrum are accurate and sympathetic. The humor maintains its balance, never straying too far into overdone slapstick territory.
I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a romance novel that doesn’t sacrifice good writing. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I’m looking forward to reading more!

First of all, I would like to thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for an ARC of Hopeless Romantic by Marina Adair the sequel to RomeAntically Challenged.

Hopeless Romantic is a friend to lovers romance with some amazing characters. Marina Adair did an amazing job writing a more realistic romance, where everyone's family still came before their romance.

The one thing that fell short for me was that there wasn’t as much romance in the book, but I understand why she did that in order to focus on the characters and their families.

A portion of Marina Adair’s royalties go to benefit The Organization for Autism research and I think that is so amazing.

We're back in Rome, Rhode Island and this time we're getting Beckett and Levi's story. Two of the town's most self-less hearts, who always put others, especially their families first.

Beckett Hayes has been her family's caregiver ever since her mother walked out on them. So caring for her autistic brother has given her insight into how meaningful a little extra help can be. This is why she runs a personal concierge service in town, because of the flexibility it gives her.

Levi Rhodes was ready to sail off into the sunset. But the death of his father and his sister's unexpected pregnancy kept him from his planned adventures. With his niece finishing up high school, he plans to set sail again. Their attraction is getting harder to ignore.

I really enjoyed seeing two characters we met in the previous book. We get a little more of their back story but their banter was pretty fun.

If you read RomeAntically Challenged you'll definitely want to pick this one up.

Thanks so much to Kensignton, NetGalley, and the author for this ARC copy to review.

Two hopeless romantics find hope in each other!

With a refreshingly unique way of writing, the author tells a marvelous story that has all the snark and sass of a gaggle of girlfriends dishing all the gossip around the coffee table. The humor and emotions were in perfect balance, making this entire book pure joy to read.

Beck and Levi are both buried under family obligations, yet they can't resist the pull of their incendiary chemistry. Levi is wonderfully patient with her as she tries to carve out time for a personal life.

I loved the interconnected layers of all the characters and how they supported each other at every turn. Their HEA was the perfect ending to a riveting story. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Becket stepped into the role of caretaker at a young age, and its followed her into adulthood. But parenting her special needs brother *and* father has left little room for her to have a personal life. Unfortunately, the number of times Becket has had to drop and run for a family emergency has made it difficult for her to keep a steady job - so she's striking out on her own as a personal concierge.

Levi is burning the candle at both ends, running the family restaurant, helping to parent his 16 year old niece, and trying to get his boat ready for his long planned trip. so when Becket shows up asking to use the Crows Nest for their best friends weddings, he has some conditions, which include his involvement in the wedding planning.

Becket and Levi are oh - so - fun. She is feisty, and is constantly pushing Levi to his limits. But he is completely enthralled by her. As he gets to know Becket - and learns a little more about her family, he begins to understand just how driven she really is. I loved this second offering in the When in Rome series, and can't wait to see what (or who) Adair has in store for the swoon worthy widowed doctor of the group.

*I received an egalley from NetGalley and Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review*

I loved this one.
I was happy to revisit Rome, RI and the characters I fell in love with in the first book of the series.

Beckett was a multi-faceted character, and I loved and admired her so much. Her undying devotion to her family and her refusal to be anything but herself had me rooting for her within 5 pages.

Levi was also lovable and a ‘more than meets the eye’ type character. Once he decides that Beckett is the one he wants, he is fiercely devoted to her and her best interests and doesn’t bat an eye at her crazy family life.

My only complaint with this one is the ending was rushed and almost abrupt. I would have loved to see an epilogue or a more nearly wrapped conclusion for some closure.

That being said, I still enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book, and hope to see a booo for Gray in the future!

Levi put his sailing dreams on hold when his family needed him. Beckett is doing IT ALL! This girl is overwhelmed and being pulled in way too many directions. A bit of friends to lovers and unrequited love make for such a satisfying combo. My heart just really squeezed for Beckett and her family - man did she deserve happiness! I loved how sweet and patient Levi was. And their chemistry was 🔥🔥🔥. With themes of Autism spectrum disorder and service animals, this book was so touching. The wrap up happened fast and man was I craving an epilogue!

3.5 stars!

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a gifted copy of this ARC!

After reading (and loving) Romeantically Challenged, I was so excited to be back in Rome, RI and to see where our characters were after the end of the first book. Hopeless Romantic centers around Beckett (Beck) and Levi, who definitely have an instant attraction, but their relationship was quite the slow burn! They both are weighed down (physically and emotionally) with family obligations that were definitely an obstacle between the two, but despite that, you can't help but love these characters more for their dedication to those they love. Beck is eccentric, hilarious, and has a big heart. Levi is the sweet and fun uncle with a heart of gold. While this book had a serious undertone, there were a lot of fun parts (Beck's support-chicken she is training is just pure GOLD entertainment) that had me giggling while reading. I ultimately loved this pairing and hope we get to see more of them in another book.

The reason I rated this book 3.5 stars is largely because of the pacing of the book. The first 50% was pretty slow, as it really centered around Beck and Levi's family obligations. However, I flew through the second half and then I felt that the book ended VERY abruptly (I thought something was wrong with my e-ARC because I didn't believe that was actually how it ended!!). Just a lot of loose ends around many storylines that I can only hope will be carried over to another book. I want to learn about Paisley's ski trip! And Annie and Emmitt's wedding! And, also, I would have liked to seen what happened between Levi and his mom after what was revealed at the end - I felt like this wrapped up way too quickly.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and I hope there is a 3rd in the series (likely centered around Gray?!) that will carry these storylines forward because I will definitely read it!

Book Two of the When in Rome series is an enjoyable read. After reading the first book last year, I was eager to read the story of Beckett's complicated life and her dedication to her family and this one did not disappoint.

Beckett's life is full. Too full if you ask her friends. Between caring for her autistic brother (and father!), starting a new business and finding time for friends, she has neglected to take time for herself - and her love life. She spends her free time holding a silent crush on acquaintance and local bar owner, Levi.

Levi took over the family businesses after the loss of his father, and then sister. Those businesses are now thriving, but at the expense of his social life. His ambition to take his boat on a long journey at sea has been pushed aside for years now. He lives for the days that Beckett takes a seat at his bar.

When I read novels, I always notice an author's strength - character, setting or plot development. Marina Adair definitely has a flair for character development. She does a great job with a character's inner voice, making you root for them.

My reason for the 4 stars, instead of 5, is (and this was the same in book one) that the characters inevitably break up (common with romance novels) at the 95% mark. This leaves such a short amount of time for them to get back together that their reunion feels rushed. In both books that was on THE LAST PAGE of the novel. It left me wanting more closure than just a few paragraphs. It upsets the pace of the novel itself. I would have liked one more chapter with a longer ending and wrap-up.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books and Netgalley for an early copy to read and review.