When in Rome was as sweet as pie 🥧

Pop singer, Rae Rose, needs a break and lets Audrey Hepburn guide her with Roman Holiday. Rome, Italy is too far, so she picks the closest Rome on the map. Rome, Kentucky. There, her car breaks down on grumpy pie shop owner, Noah’s lawn. I loved how cheerful Rae was, without being cloyingly sweet. The perfect cherry pie: sweet and tart. I thought the chemistry of the two complimented each other so well, and I especially enjoyed Rae’s ending.
5 ⭐️s
A delicious read, perfect for the coming spring and summer months. Grab your favorite pie and a fork to dig in!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Amelia Rose needs a break. A break from her “princess of pop” image. A break from her adoring fans. A break from her jam-packed schedule and her manager. Inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn movie, Roman Holiday, she gets in her Toyota Corolla, the car that’s been with her since high school, and drives to the closest Rome… except her Roman holiday doesn’t quite go according to plan, starting with the fact that the closest Rome is Rome, Kentucky. That’s where Noah Walker finds Amelia: on his front lawn, in her broken-down car. Although he makes it perfectly clear that he has neither the time nor patience for Amelia’s celebrity problems, he still offers her his spare bedroom, but only until her car is fixed. But as they spend their days together, they both find out that there is more to this princess of pop and local pie shop owner than first meets the eye.

I may be one of the last people to read a Sarah Adams book, but I’m a full convert! This story had everything I wanted in a small town rom-com, and so much more, including:
🏘️ A+ small town vibes, including the most lovable, meddling-but-well-meaning side characters (those Walker sisters? 🙌)
☀️ Grumpy sunshine, celebrity-meets-southern-boy, forced proximity, slow burn, dual pov… all the best tropes
👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Flirty banter but also honest conversations
💐 A flower shop! A pie shop!
❤️‍🩹 Heart-wrenching, but beautiful backstories
💖 Sappy romance that rivals the best Hallmark movie you’ve seen

This story was so heartwarming! Amelia was such a likeable character and I was so glad that she was able to reconnect with her mother after learning of her manager's sabotage. She was able to find a new home and group of people she could consider family in the small town of Rome, Kentucky. Noah was a good fit for her, although I did think he was a little too standoff-ish at the beginning like his friends kept telling him. Once he came out of his shell though and let Amelia into his life, he became everything that she needed.

This was really cute. A forced proximity work romance that highlights gender spectrum. It also talks about sexuality. Very cute and while it touches on some very heavy topics and unfortunately includes transphobic characters, the whole book is very light, so overall it's still uplifting. Really enjoyed.

Why was this my first Sarah Adams novel??? This was f*ckin adorable!! A grumpy MC usually turns me off, but I thought it was well done and I loved Amelia and Noah. The small town vibes were also immaculate. I’m also happy to say this may have been one of the first rom coms I read where there’s no miscommunication problem between the MC’s and I am HERE for it.

I can’t wait to read more Sarah Adams and I already had 2 sitting on my shelf 🫢

It was a fun cute read! I enjoy all of Sarah Adams books, so this one didn’t disappoint! It had a little bit of an insta love feel, which isn’t my favorite, but the cute banter and setting really drew me in.

Small town + grumpy/sunshine + slow burn + romcom

Pop tarts. Pancakes. Button up pa-ja-mas. Scrabble. Reading together & out loud. James + Noah banter. Her stealing his sweatshirts!!! The sisters. Some serious Gilmore Girls vibes. The small town gossip & family. This was so cute! Laughed out loud a few times.

I cannot wait for the next book & to get back to Rome, KT.

Clever and witty writing. Loves me characters! Addictive. I could not put it down. Love a dual POV!

Sarah Adams - ILYSM! Grumpy/Sunshine, enemies to lovers, small town, celebrity romance. Amelia (sunshine celebrity) breaks down outside of Noah’s (grumpy pie shop owner) house in the small town of Rome, Kentucky… she’s escaping and he’s not looking for love… there are cute & meddlesome townsfolk, fun sisters, and a manipulative manager. Like all of Sarah Adams’ books, the chemistry is amazing and the characters are so lovable. This might be her best yet and I cannot wait for the next in the series!

Eek! I loved this romance (and as a Kentuckian, I loved the setting!) Loved the opposites attract trope, and oh Noah..swoon :)

I love Sarah Adams writing style so much! She is my go to author when I want to feel what I am reading down to my core.

Adams builds the most beautiful characters that you can’t help to fall in love with along with bringing the heat (even with it being closed door!)!

When in Rome gave me all the warm cozy feelings and was the perfect book to read to pull me out of a slump!

If Adams writes it, you can guarantee I will read it as you should too!

Sarah Adams does it again! This book had the perfect small town setting, had the best side characters, and Noah and Amelia falling for each other was the perfect mix of swoon and sass! I can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A really fun read about getting down to what is most important. I love Rome and wish I could visit the bakery!

Such an amazingly cute read. I absolutely love everything Sarah Adams has ever written and I will continue to read all of her work!

This book has been everywhere. I was excited to receive an advanced copy. I felt like I was reading a Hallmark movie. It was a cute read about a pop star who is trying to escape the spotlight and crashes someone's lawn. He takes her in while her car is being repaired. She falls in love with the town and her prince in shining armor and his family. I'm sure you can guess what happens. Cute.

Such a cute story. I fell in love with the characters. The grumpy/sunshine is my favorite trope. I will definitely be on the look out for more from this author.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book! This is one of my favorite reads of the month maybe the year. I absolutely loved this story and can’t wait to read the follow up novel. Sarah Adams is now a must buy for me!

I’m pretty much obsessed with anything Sarah Adam’s writes. So I was thrilled to get my hands on this ARC of When in Rome. It was wonderfully refreshing. These characters were different than many of the characters I’ve read before. And even better, Sarah didn’t give in to any of the predictable endings I thought would happen. Noah and Amelia have a delicious slow burn, and then an all out bonfire. I love the grumpy/sunshine trope and it’s done fantastically here. Another winner from Sarah Adams.

I absolutely loved this book! It was such a fun read. The small town setting with a celebrity trying to lay low set the tone of the story and made me love all the characters. Easily one of my top 2023 reads so far.

Rae Rose is a famous singer who is about to start a 9 month tour. She is so tired that she just needs some time away from her manager, body guards, and entourage. Rae's real name is Amelia and she has grown tired of being surrounded by many people all the time but feeling alone. Amelia decides to get in her old car that she's had since high school and drive to Rome, but not the Rome you're thinking. She loves Audrey Hepburn and Roman Holiday is a movie that has comforted her in low times, so she wants to go to Rome. Amelia looks up the closest Rome to her and it's Rome, Kentucky! She throws some things in a bag, books a room at a B and B in Rome and heads off in the night without telling anyone.

All goes okay until Amelia's car starts making weird noises. She's not too concerned as she knows it's old, but she starts talking to it just in case. The car breaks down and she tries to pull it out of the road as best she can. Amelia is freaked out because she has no cell phone service, it's dark, and it's very late. She decides to stay in the car instead of risk someone killing her. A little while later someone knocks on her window. As she rolls the window down a little, she tells the man that she doesn't need any help. She says she's going to wait in the car until morning. The man, Noah, tells her that she's parked in his yard, shows her his house, and tells her she should get out of the car as the engine is smoking. Amelia is freaked out and doesn't deal with strangers as everyone knows who she is, she's the famous Rae Rose after all. The man goes back in his house, but keeps looking out as the smoke is getting worse and it's very hot outside already. He knows the. woman can't be comfortable. He calls his grandmother's best friend, Mabel so that she can talk to the woman and vouch for him not being a psycho. Noah drags his landline with its very long cord to her car. He knocks again and hands the phone to Amelia. After talking to Mabel, Amelia gets out of the car with her bag.

Noah leads her into the house and tells her she can use his guest room until morning. He tells her they will. call the garage and get her car towed there when they wake up. Noah wasn't expecting company and he thinks he knows who this woman is, but keeps thinking it couldn't be. Noah starts making up the bed in the guest room and Amelia is impressed that he jumps in and does what's needed for a stranger! Noah is a genuinely good guy from the small town of Rome, KY. He shows her where the bathroom and kitchen are and goes to his bedroom. Amelia has never taken a trip on her own since she's been famous and feels out of her element. She sleep okay and when she wakes the next morning Noah is gone. He's left her a note with the garage phone number and the guy to speak to. She never makes calls for herself and isn't sure what to do. Noah comes back and helps her out. He calls the garage and arranges for a tow as well as makes Amelia pancakes for breakfast.

Noah is very attracted to Amelia from the beginning, but is coming off a bad relationship where he was burned. He's not at all ready to get into a new relationship as he has avoided that at all costs since his previous one ended. The garage calls and tells Amelia that they have to order a part and that her car won't be ready for 2 weeks!! Amelia says she planned on staying at the B and B in town anyways, so maybe Noah could give her a lift. Once Noah and Amelia arrive at the B and B, they're told that there are no rooms available. Mabel runs the B and B and tells Noah to allow Amelia to use his guest room until her car is ready. He agrees to let her stay for the next few days, but not 2 weeks. Amelia is happy as she felt very comfortable at Noah's. She wishes he had wifi and a cell signal, but she doesn't mind being cut off from her manager's constant texts and calls. She needs a break and this will definitely give her one.

While Amelia is in town she becomes friendly with the people of Rome. They recognize her but are told to keep it on the down low as she's trying to take time away to recharge. People are good about it and treat Amelia like a normal person. Amelia appreciates this more than you can understand as she never gets treated like a "normal" person. Amelia finds out that Noah owns and runs the local pie shop. She can't believe this quiet grump of a man bakes pies for a living! Noah took over the shop once his grandmother was unable to do it any longer. Noah's 3 sisters also live in Rome and Amelia hits it off with them. They become fast friends and Noah knows he's in big trouble. Amelia is also growing more and more attracted to Noah and every time they touch it's like an electric shock goes through her. Noah agrees to let Amelia stay with him for the 2 weeks as he can't imagine going back to his quiet house now that she's been there shaking things up.

This book is heartwarming and sweet. I absolutely loved Amelia, Noah, his family, and the town of Rome, Kentucky! There are many touching parts to the book that will make you smile, laugh, and cry. I highly recommend When in Rome for anyone that enjoys a good rom com. I rate When in Rome 5 stars. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair review. #WheninRome

Sarah Adams has stolen my heart! I adore her and her books! When in Rome was just as fun and quirky as her other books! This book is about Amelia and Noah figuring out who they are and falling for each other along the way. It was a delightful book that made me smile and laugh out loud! It's a light hearted book that will fill you with joy. You'll fall in love with the characters and imediately want more of them! I highly recommend this book and every other one she has written! SO FUN! While the world can be dark and scary, Sarah brings much needed light. It gets 4.5 stars from me!