cute!! it was the kinda romance i’d buy my friend who’s never read romance.

sarah’s books are all very similar to me, which is nice if that’s what i’m in the mood for!

Rae Rose, a pseudonym for Amelia Rose, is an international pop star in desperate need of a break. She takes off for a secret getaway to the small town of Rome, Kentucky and ends up in a broken down car in Noah Walker's front yard. Noah owns a pie shop in the small town where he grew up and wants nothing to do with a pop princess. He's a good guy so he offers Rae a place to stay while her car gets fixed. As they spend more time together, Noah starts to realize that Rae is really just the normal girl, Amelia, underneath all the pop star fame. They strike up and unlikely friendship, but are determined not to let it go further than that. After all, Amelia is headed out on tour soon and Noah has no plans to leave his small town.

I adored this book. I loved the characters, the small-town setting, and the relationships between all the characters. I loved that there wasn't really a villain (until the end, but I won't spoil that) and the heart of the story was in the way Noah and Amelia's friendship helped heal both of them from their past traumas. The small-town characters were just the icing on the cake to the joy of this book. I laughed out loud while reading and got teary at other times. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a delightful, easy, funny read. Great for fans of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of this book.

This was a cute book but overall I found it just a bit too boring and predictable? I know so many readers have loved it, and I think my timing was just off for this sweet read. Maybe more of a "it's me not you!" with this one...but I did appreciate having the opportunity to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy.

The cutest happy feeling book ever! I adore anything Sarah Adams writes and she delivered here! The characters were real and relatable. Grumpy, fun and protective. Amelia’s character development was terrific, it was inspiring to watch her grow. The nicknames, The pajama sets, The vulnerable moments. I smiled, laughed and cried.

loved the cozy atmosphere this love story had! the romance and chemistry was so cute and I really enjoyed my time with this.

This book felt like a warm hug. It reminded me of everything I loved about Gilmore Girls. It was so cozy and the themes were fantastic. I really enjoyed this one and felt so peaceful reading it! Definitely will be purchasing a physical copy.

It’s only fitting that I placed this book beside a picture of Audrey Hepburn to tell the world how much it means to me.

When in Rome is truly my fave rom-com, to date (p.s. I’ve read hundreds). @netgalley was kind enough to approve me for an ARC, and I am so grateful. I read it all in one sitting, and I’m still not over it (I've since read it several times more).

This book is a sweet nod to my fave Audrey movie, Roman Holiday, and is the perfectly-now combination of Old Hollywood meeting Gilmore Girls with a touch of what only Sarah Adams can do.

I’ve read all of Sarah’s books, but this story feels like one I didn’t even know how much I needed until, at the final page, I had tears streaming down my face. From Gregory Peck to pancakes to pie to pajamas to fringe and that feeling of “I desperately need something new”, this book got me.

While Amelia gave me perfect Audrey-vibes, it’s Noah that stole my heart. His character is achingly beautiful - my favorite, to date (yes, I said it).

If you’re looking for a rom-com, Sarah Adams is the best to ever do it.

As someone who loves stories, I love seeing beautiful ones, and their storytellers, reach the world.

So, support her. Follow her. Read all of her books. And I’m just so happy that you get to have that “first read (or, fifth read) feeling” when you do. Now, off I go to wait for the next one in this series...

✨✨✨✨✨/5
🥞 💐 🥧💗📖
“And then Noah smiles. Full. Wide. Glorious smile.”

#wheninrome #sarahadams #romcom #book #love #amelia #noah #pancakes #pie #romance

A fun, feel good story that is a quick read and perfect for a vacation.

There are predictable parts to the story, but that’s what makes it perfect. If you are craving a cozy story that you can swoon with, have a laugh and a little bit of sizzle this is the book for you. I will leave you with a smile on your face!

Book: When In Rome
Rating: 4/5
Author: Sarah Adams
Genre: Romance
Pages:298
Tropes: Small Town Romance, Grmupy/Sunshine
Warnings Emotional Abuse, death of a Parent, Toxic relationship
Readability: 3.5/5 italic font is used
First Line: "This is okay, right?"

Things to expect:
Audrey Hepburn
Rome, but not Rome Italy
Slow Burn
Foood

A small-town bakery meets an Audrey Hepbum-obsessed pop star in this slow-burn romance. Sarah Adams hits every note in this one, and It was a thrill to read. This is just like one of those run-hot pops that you get stuck in your head and love to listen to. I blew through this one. This is the perfect book to pick up to get rid of those winter blues or would be a fantastic beach read this upcoming summer. If you loved the cheat sheets, you will adore this one as well. I can't wait to see what Sarah does next.

Thanks to Dell Press & Sarah Adams for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I have purchased my own copy.

Thank you Dell/Random House for this e-arc via Netgalley!

I think this book was the perfect breath of fresh air. The stakes were never too high, the drama was somewhat believable (if you can believe that an international pop star can just leave in the middle of the night with no one noticing), and the town of Rome, Kentucky was such a Stars Hollow esque setting that made the reader feel like they belonged there too.

The grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Amelia and Noah was the perfect example of that trope. The pining and the heat between these two was palpaple. In fact, all of the characters felt fleshed out with their own opinions and personalities.

My only complaint is that the ending felt very rushed and abrupt, like we were suddenly in it and I wasn't prepared. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this and definitely plan on picking up other books by Sarah Adams soon!

It's been a while since I read When in Rome, but I remember really enjoying my time with it. It's pitched as grumpy-sunshine and opposites attract, and I really loved seeing grumpy small-town born-and-raised Noah falling for the sunshine pop-star city girl Amelia whose car breaks down in front of his house. What I love about books about small towns is that they really highlight just how fast news travels, so by the next morning almost everyone knows that Amelia spent the night and are very curious as to what went on. I also really loved how even though Amelia hasn't been there very long, they protect her fiercely when paparazzi begin snooping around trying to catch shots of her. While Noah and Amelia seem very different on the surface, while they spend more time with each other they begin to find common ground, and acknowledge just how much they may have judged the other upon first glance. I didn't feel as though this book had a main third act conflict, which is not necessarily a bad thing - from the beginning Noah was very adamant that nothing could happen between them, because when he went all in and left his home town to follow a girl to the big city, she betrayed his trust and that left him emotionally scarred. Never at any point does Amelia try to convince him otherwise - she understands how it'll be hard for Noah to trust anybody after something like that, and she acknowledges that she has to leave to fulfill her tour obligations after a few weeks. Noah's sisters and best friend were really such a good support system, and at the end really sat Noah down and explained how he didn't have to go all in and leave for good if he truly cared for Amelia, that she understood just how much his family and his town meant to him, but he shouldn't let someone as good as her leave his life for good just because he was scared of getting hurt again.

A few tiny last things to add: I really like when romance novels give us the dual perspective, so we really get to see what's thoughts are going through the minds of both main characters. I found it really funny how Noah had no internet, no phone, not really any connection to the outside world in his house, and while at first Amelia didn't understand it, she grew to appreciate it when she didn't want to have to field calls from her manager. If there was one thing I wish was better explored it would be Amelia's relationship with her mom. We come to know they'd been close, but after Amelia started her career it seemed that her mom was only interested in asking if she could borrow money, and their relationship strained. While we do get to learn why that all happened, I wish we could've maybe gotten some more closure. But who knows, maybe we will get more info, as another book from Sarah Adams, Practice Makes Perfect, comes out in 2023, featuring one of Noah's sisters and Amelia's bodyguard.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed When in Rome. It gave me all the fuzzy feelings a romance novel should, delve into some important topics, showcased all the small-town grumpy-sunshine opposites-attract vibes, and was just an all-around pleasant reading experience. I can't wait to see what else Sarah Adams has in store for Rome, Kentucky and everyone who lives there. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine / Dell Books for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Very cute, highly anticipated book! Thank you to the author and publisher for my gifted copy in exchange for a review. This was a fun, cozy book!

What a cutie of a book! I love Sarah Adams books and this was no different!! I can’t wait to read more from her!

When in Rome by Sarah Adams was such a comfort read. I love Audrey Hepburn and Roman Holiday is one of my favorite films. This book is inspired by that film and I loved it! I read this in about 2 days because I just had to see how it ended. While I found a lot of the book predictable, I still enjoyed it. This was a 3.5 rounded to 4 stars for me!

I thought this was a little and easy read, very cute. The main character bothered me a little bit in her attitude, however, still a great romance read.

So so so cute I LOVE LOVE LOVED it!!

Sarah Adams has the power of turning each story into magic! Small town romance, with a hot love interest and baking/cooking background?! Sounds music to my ears! :)

I would seriously read anything that has "food" in it, and wholsome romantic plot.

I love a grumpy/sunshine romance! However this one was pretty light and didn't deliver everything I wanted it to. The romantic chemistry wasn't quite all there, which made it hard to root for them together.

Noah the man that you are!!!! Let me start this by warning you, that I love a grumpy man. Not only is he grumpy, but he READS, BAKES, and loves his family!? I love Amelia and Noah’s friendship, and the yearning was delectable. During this story, I so just wanted to give Amelia a hug and tell her that everything was going to be okay. This was such a sweet, fun, easy read and one I would definitely recommend for my light rom-com lovers out there.

When in Rome by Sarah Adams. Pub Date: September 20, 2022. Rating: 4.5 stars. Set in Kentucky, this novel brings a female celebrity to a small town when her car breaks down as she is trying to escape her chaotic life. She ends up on the front lawn of Noah Walker, a small town guy running a local pie shop who has no time for celebrity shenanigans. Feeling sorry for Rae Rose, Noah Walker lets her stay in his guest room for the time being until her car is fixed. But what results is a love affair that is swoon worthy, wholesome and hits the reader right in the feels. I absolutely adored this novel. Read this novel if you love romantic comedies. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for my review. #wheninrome #netgalley

This book achieves everything a romance novel should: It's both steamy and heartfelt, and leaves readers with a satisfying happy ending.