I don’t know what to say other than this was utterly delightful! I loved the relationship between Beck and Levi. Their banter plus the push and pull they had going on really kept this story alive for me. I had a great time watching the story unfold in this small town filled with its own cast of intriguing characters.

“And when their lips met, he knew that he couldn’t make a wrong move...”

I’m curious about what happens in Rome next!

Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy.

Fast paced book and I really enjoyed it. Good story line and I think people are gonna love it. I would definitely read again and recommend

A heartwarming story that will make you laugh, cry and feel all the emotions going through their characters. Beckett and Levi are two caring and loving people used to put everything and everyone before them but they need to learn to love each other because they are meant to be together. Rome and their people is a place you want to come back and read about them.

I liked this book overall but cannot give a fully comprehensive review as I did not know this was a sequel and feel as though my review won't be as strong. I will say that even if you haven't read the first book, it was overall still ery enjoyable and a solid romance.

First things first, while this is a series book, you could totally read this on its own. But the first book, RomeAntically Challenged, is such a fun read, why not back up and read that too. If you don’t back up to book one, the author does a good job of reintroducing those characters but you won’t get the depth of the story.

Beckett’s challenging home life is written so well. Like we are a fly on the wall with the descriptions.

I think this was a great book 2 for the series and would love to recommend this book to friends.

"There's a lot about me that might surprise you, if you give me a chance." He looked her in the eye. "You willing to give me a chance, Beck?"

Beckett doesn't do relationships - or serious. She does casual, no strings, no feelings. That works with her crazy life. She has no time to give anything else.

Levi, the apparent all around flirt, wouldn't mind a little serious. He has had his eye on Beck for a long time. But he knows she's not one to want to get involved. The more he gets to know her, the more he wants to push her rule.

This is a fun book with great characters. I loved their chemistry. The ending was a bit abrupt but it was good.

This was a really cute book and I really enjoyed it! All of the characters were likable and I loved how Beckett took care of her family while coming to the realization that her life was important too. Such an important lesson to learn. Overall a quick, light-hearted read and now I want to read the others in the series.

If I had known this was a second book in a series I would not have selected it. I came in cold and didn't know all of the relationships/characters so felt very behind while reading this one. Ultimately I gave this one 3 stars because it did not hold my interest at all. The flow of the book was really slow throughout the first half and then we suddenly go into relationship mode and I struggled to finish this one. It took me about 2 weeks to get through, but I just didn't feel like posting updates about it.

"Hopeless Romantic" is the second book in the "When in Rome" series. Rome in this case is Rome, Rhode Island. This second book follows Beckett Hayes who is focused on taking of her brother and running her business called 'Consider it Done.' Beckett (Beck) though is now starting to think more about Levi Rhodes who has been stuck in Rome since he decided to stay and take care of his family. The book focuses on them and their romance.

There's of course some issues/obstacles that the couple has to work through. I have to say though at times Levi came across like a jerk to me. No spoilers, but there seemed to just be a case of the woman has to do everything and he's just there. I do think the book showed how both of them are overworked and overwhelmed though.

The writing was fine I thought, just the flow hampered the book. Since I had not read the first book I just felt like I was wrong footed most of the book. I hate reading books out of order.

I was actually glad to read a book that takes place in a state I don't know much about which is often not a setting for movies or books.

If you're looking for a fun romance with a couple who you just want to see what happens with them from the very first pages, then don't look past Hopeless Romantic by Marina Adair.

A fun look at life in a small coastal town of Rome, where everyone knows everyone's business. It chronicles the lives of two of the locals Beckett (owner of Consider It Done) a jack of all trades personal concierge with more than her fair share of life's challenges and Levi (bar and marina owner) a family-oriented bachelor with a yearning to sail off into the sunset .... on his own. The pair have been on the fringes of each other's lives for years but haven't really connected. When Beckett's friend and Levi's pseudo-sister-in-law hires Beckett to organise her wedding, Beckett has a case of the yips, and considers that with everything she has on her plate, she might me a little overcommitted given the wedding is not far off.

Beckett and Levi spend time together, sampling cakes and planning all things wedding related. Levi's mother has the pair married off and huffs that the pair have been cake-tasting and she hasn't met Beckett. Levi is managing the bar, the marina, his 16 year old niece Paisley (though he thinks of her as a daughter), his friendships with both Paisley's dads, as well as having had his heart broken. Beckett is dealing with customers with unrealistic expectations, getting her business off the ground, volunteering as a pets as therapy trainer, and caring for her father and her brother both who are on the spectrum. Levi is focused on her finding more time for her ..... or is it more time for him?

True to form and typical me - I did NOT know this is book #2 in the Rome Series. It did not bother me in the slightest on the summer afternoon I read it. I loved the tension between Beckett and Levi and think this one will really appeal to people who like the romantic tension, with a light amount of steam. Super fun, and super funny in the right places.

Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for sending me an e-copy of this book to read and review.

It's released on 26 January 2021.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Beckett and Levi both put parts of their lives on hold in order to care for their families. After her mother left, Beckett assumed the role of caregiver to her father and brother, both on the autism spectrum, while Levi served as the support system for his mother and sister following his father's death and sister's unexpected pregnancy. Neither had been interested in a romantic relationship until Beckett walked into Levi's bar with a chicken and the sparks flew. They just needed to figure out how to make room for someone else in their life and finally put themselves first.

I was charmed by this group of people, when I met them in RomeAntically Challenged, and I fell in love with them all even more this time. As with the last book, the "family" dynamic continued to delight me. I enjoyed the whole Three Men and a Little Lady arrangement and appreciated getting to know Levi better.

Levi came off as the "cool uncle" in the last book, but here, I learned the extent of the years he dedicated to his family. I also learned about what he lost in those transitions, and my heart ached for him.

As much as I felt for Levi, I would triple those emotions for Beckett. There was no doubt how much she loved her family, and she knew they loved her back, but she took on her caregiver role, when she still needed someone to care for her. It was really wonderful that Levi entered her orbit, because he had a lot of insight into her situation and understood her needs more than most, as his were so similar.

I hope I am not making this sound like a sob-fest, because it wasn't. The beauty of what Adair did here was that she was able to deliver a story with depth and emotion while keeping it quite light and amusing. As if the comfort chicken wasn't fun enough, the banter between Beckett and Levi was so fun and snappy, as were the dialogs between the three dads. There were also tons of super sweet moments between Beckett and her family, Levi and his family, and Levi and Beckett.

My only complaint is that I felt the ending was a bit rushed. Though not perfect, I liked where the direction the story took, and know I will be catching up with these two in the next book. That is probably why the abrupt ending didn't really spoil much for me. I felt the feels, laughed the laughs, and very much enjoyed being part of this couple's HEA journey. I can't wait to return to Rome!

Loved this book! It really kept me wanting more. The characters and story line were really likeable. Marina Adair definitely knows how to write a good story and I can't wait to read more of her books.

I requested an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read the first book in this series and this one can be read as a stand-alone. There is no reason to read the first book before enjoying this one.

This is Levi and Beckett’s story. I enjoyed the storyline of Beckett’s brother and father having Autism Spectrum Disorder especially because I am a Special Ed teacher. I had lots of sympathy for all that she had to juggle in her personal life. I initially thought she was a flake because of her odd jobs but she really proved she was so much more throughout the book. Now, the jury is still out on whether or not Levi deserved a second chance or any forgiveness from Beckett.

This is definitely a book that you need to check out!

I was excited to try out a new to me author and Hopeless Romantic was a great introduction! This is book two in Marina Adair’s Rome, Rhode Island books but it wasn’t hard to jump right in.

Beckett is funny, caring and stretched thin with trying to start her new business up and keep her family on track. Adair sheds light on Aspergers, service animals, and more with Beckett’s work and home life. She’s trying so hard to make it all work and also to keep her distance from Levi. But of course for our romance lovers hearts...they can’t keep away (or they get pushed together by friends!).

I enjoyed the banter and chemistry the characters had but felt like it was too rushed. Would of liked a bit more of a slow burn / get to know each other vibe. I also had a bit of a problem with how easily things tied up with her family/dad at the end but all in all an easy read.

This was a fun, light, romantic comedy that was a perfect escape. I enjoyed the first book and this was a perfect continuation. I enjoyed the cameos from the characters I loved in the first book and really enjoyed Beckett and Levi getting the main stage. Beckett is a funny, caring, and selfless character and I was rooting for her to get the growth she needed. And I love her father and brother even with their difficulties from being on the spectrum. IM did think Levi’s change from unapologetic bachelor to gone for Beckett was a little sudden but her journey from the boring nothing guys to accepting a relationship was much more believable. I love the humor that Marina weaves through the story and my absolute favorite character is Gregory Pecker the emotional support chicken.

I enjoyed this story very much. It is a very cute fade-to-black romance. I enjoyed both the hero and the heroine. Levi, the hero, was swoon worthy

I received an arc copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. First of all, I absolutely adore all of this author’s books. I own every single one of them. This book was everything I love in my books—humor, heart, romance basically all the feels. Levi longs to have a life that isn’t taking care of things after the death of his father and then his sister. Beckett is so busy caring for her brother and father that she’s not really living her own life. The slow burn romance was fun. I LOVE Levi. Not only was he sexy, but his need to care for Beckett was wonderful. Not only was he sexy, but I loved how cared for Beckett. Add in the fun scenes with Gray and Emmett and it’s the recipe for a great book. This should definitely be on every romance lover’s to be read list for 2021.

I was able to read this book thanks to NetGalley. I enjoyed this book as much as I did the first I read by this author. It was a fun plot snd I enjoyed the story and the characters. Thanks again to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

Traveling back to Rome RI was such fun. I loved getting Beckett and Levi’s story. The book was a slow build with a somewhat abrupt ending. I feel like I have questions left unanswered but otherwise, really enjoyed this book. I’ll be looking forward to Gray’s book to learn more about the characters.

An enjoyable second installment in this series. Levi Rhodes has a lot on his plate, after his father died, he came home from college to help run the family Marina and restaurant in Rome, Rhode Island. Just when he thought he might be able to get his own life back, his sister gets pregnant and he becomes a surrogate dad to his niece Paisley. Once bio-dad and step-dad are in the picture, he again thinks he may be able to get back to his own dreams and his sister dies. It is now ten months later and everyone is still trying to recover from the death of his sister. Now what stands in the way of his dreams is Beckett Hayes. Beckett has her own issues. She is starting her own concierge business, and her family life is complicated, to say the least. These two are insanely attracted to each other, but don’t know if the demands of their work and families will let them pursue anything. I definitely loved both Levi and Beckett and all of the other characters. What kept this from being a five star book was the abrupt ending. It seemed like the author was given a max word count and realized “Oh crud, I need to finish this, The End.” Perhaps the next installment in this series will give me more closure. I was given an ARC of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

A personal and realistic portrayal of being a caregiver and how one overcomes stress by learning to ask for help. I enjoyed reading and highly recommend this series. There's romance in there but this isn't a light read and does discuss some heavy issues.


******************I received an ARC for my honest option************************