I love this book so much! Such an engaging storyline that got me hooked from the beginning till the end! A literal page turner. Highly recommend!

Story and characters were cheesy and lackluster. The plot felt incredibly slow. Would not recommend and had difficulty finishing the book.

This was such a lovely, compassionate, and big-hearted book...and a hilarious and current twist on the Audrey Hepburn classic, Roman Holiday! Slowburn, enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine, and forced closeness are all there, and I can't help but drool. The evolution of the romance, the small town backdrop of Rome, Kentucky, the maturation of the various characters, everything...it was all excellent.

I love everything and anything Sarah writes. I read somewhere if you love Gilmore Girls then this is for you. 5 star read

So in my opinion Sarah Adams can do no wrong! Her rom coms have been perfection since I first started reading her work. Though this one fell short on me though.

I found that i kept losing interest in the characters. For that reason I give it a 3/5.

I'm the first one to say that I prefer my romances realistic and not too cheesy, but Sarah Adams always manages to make me fall in love with her Hallmark-esque storylines! <i>The Cheat Sheet</i> is one of my comfort reads, so I was so so sooo excited to get my hands on this one!

"When In Rome" follows Amelia "Rae" Rose, a A-list pop star who flees the spotlight after the pressure becomes a bit too much for her. She escapes to Rome, Kentucky, where she meets grumpy bakery owner after her car breaks down in his front yard. He doesn't really want her there (or <i>does</i> he?), but she doesn't have many options and refuses to return home so soon.

The story has some of my favorite tropes: forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, found family, the ~Hollywood-esque elements.

I think my only criticism is how easily it was wrapped up in the end. Did I still love it? Yes. Will I still be forcing it into the hands of my customers? Absolutely. Definitely a new comfort read!!

4.5 Stars. WOW I really loved this, it had a pretty great slow burn and I just loved how Amelia and Noah fell for each other. This book made something kind of realistic in real life, feel very real and palpable and I really loved that. Amelia was very relatable for being famous and Noah was extremely dreamy. I really enjoyed this book, it just made me smile and feel good. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

You have no idea how excited I was for this book! I was so happy to have been approved for it. Look at this cover to begin with isn’t it just adorable! I knew the plot and storyline was gonna be good because I trust the author but it really exceeded my expectations. I loved this. It’s a perfect read for when you are looking for a cozy read with a moving storyline as well. It was a lot of fun, had me lol more than once, made me tear up, had me swooning for them.. what else can i ask for. It’s not your traditional or rather newly cliche romance books but it’s so good. Def recommend! Check it out asap.

When I’m Rome by Sarah Adams was such a fun, fast, fresh, and cute romance book.
We follow Rae a pop star who finds herself stuck in Rome, Kentucky with a grumpy pie shop owner.

This is my first Sarah Adams book, but it will definitely not be my last! This isn’t a knock out blow you away type book, but this was really enjoyable if you’re looking for something cute.

Small Town vibes are always calling to me personally so if you like those kinds of settings then this is for you.

The main female character was not my favorite, but all the side characters made up for me not loving the MC.

3.5 stars

I really wanted to love this one but just felt frustrated halfway in. I loved the big emotions, pie shop owning male MC, but was frustrated that it felt like he had to keep arguing for his masculinity. It had all the pieces for a compelling rom com but it just wasn't coming together for me. Sometimes instead of slow burn it comes off as trying too hard, and that's where it was hitting for me.

For many though, I'm sure they'll love this small town romance. I did love the place on Aubrey Hepburn and Rome Kentucky 😂❤️

Super cute and easy read! Loved the slow burn and all the banter between the two MC’s. I loved the dynamic and everything about this book!

I really enjoyed this story of two scared souls finding randomly finding solace in each other when they needed it most. Amelia is tired of always having to perform to the point of not enjoying music anymore. Noah had such a bad experience in love that he shut himself off from the rest of the world. They both need someone who understands them and time to face the things they've been running from, and the way that Adams wrote their slowly growing friendship and relationship is wonderful.
Of particular interest/like is the fact that the story clearly shows that it's perfectly okay to depend on others and let them help you when you need it, not to mention that it's also important to talk to your loved ones and keep a close eye on what's happening around you.
It's nothing genre-defining or particularly memorable, but it reads like a sinfully delicious slice of pie right when you need it most and that's the best kind of book.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine/Dell for the entertaining read!

Book Review 🥧

When In Rome by Sarah Adams

Grumpy pie shop owner meets a pop star, a combo you didn't know you were missing in your life 👏
Sarah Adams writes in a way that gives me so many butterflies, has me giggling and smiling until my cheeks hurt. Her books are comfort books for my soul. Noah and Amelia are some of my new favorites. I absolutely loved reading this book and will recommend it to so many 🤍

Read if you like:
Grumpy meets sunshine ☀️
Small town romance 📍
Loveable characters 👩‍❤️‍👨
Mild spice 🌶️
Feel good story 💓

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I will be over here just counting the days until I can read another story by Sarah. Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for this opportunity to read this book!

#booksta #netgalley #bookrecs #books #bookstagrammer #fivestars #bibliophile #sarahadams #grumpymeetssunshine

Noah may have a surly demeanor, but everyone in the small town of Rome, Kentucky knows he’s really a sweetheart. Still, when it comes to Amelia, Noah is extra standoffish. He’s had his heart broken before and will not be tempted again, thank you.

Amelia, though, isn’t looking for love. She’s a mega-famous pop star just trying to hide out from her micromanaging manager and get a few days off work before going on tour.

Of course, nothing goes quite to plan. 😉

🥧 Read WHEN IN ROME for
- Small town charm
- Very swoon-worthy cinnamon roll hero (who bakes pies!!)
- Great backstories
- Forced proximity slow burn
- Sweet, closed door romance

Highly recommend this to anyone eager for a sweet romance; new book boyfriend; and/or a healing, heartwarming read this season.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

😍 Thanks to @NetGalley and @RandomHouse for the eARC of this book in exchange for this honest review. I LOVE this book!

Sarah Adams writes another hit! Once I started reading, I simply couldn't put it down.

Amelia is your typical pop princess, also known as Rae Rose.

Like all pop princesses, controlled by their management, she's burnt out.

When she breaks down in Rome, she may just find everything she's been looking for all along.

Noah doesn't have time.. Doesn't have time for drama, celebrities, and anything but his business.

His opinion of Amelia changes rather quickly and he develops feelings as well as dread because she's going to leave shortly.

There is drama with her manager, her mother but once Amelia got down to business she figured out what was going on rather quickly and put a stop to it.

I just reviewed When in Rome by Sarah Adams. #WheninRome #NetGalley

Grumpy / Sunshine? ✔️ Small Town Romance? ✔️ Forced Proximity? ✔️ A completely delightful contemporary romance that left my faith in love restored? ✔️✔️✔️

Ugh, I absolutely adored Sarah Adams, When In Rome. Amelia Rose, known as Rae Rose to her adoring fans, is burned-out from years of maintaining her "princess of pop" image. Inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday, she drives off in the middle of the night for a break in Rome . . . Kentucky. But when her car breaks down in Noah Walker’s front yard, he he makes it clear he doesn't have the time or patience for celebrity problems.

Told from alternating POV’s between Amelia and Noah, her grumpy small town tour guide who just happens to be gorgeous, When In Rome feels like a hug. It made me giggle and smile and even tear up on a few occasions. But most of all it made me hopeful that the right love is out there for all of us. Oh and it also made me want to drive to the nearest small town named Rome ASAP to find the love of my life. Thanks for that, Sarah Adams 😅

And thank you netgalley and random house for the gifted copy.

This contemporary spin on the 1953 Audrey Hepburn classic Roman Holiday was such a blast to read, easily drawing me into its heartwarmingly fluffy opposites-attract romance between Amelia and Noah. It brims with a lighthearted and quippy sense of humor that got me laughing numerous times throughout the book. The tight-knit community surrounding them within Rome, Kentucky adds its own lovable facet to the whole package. I haven't read Sarah Adams's debut novel, The Cheat Sheet, but I've now put it on my TBR pile after seeing what she accomplished with When in Rome.

I’ve been a fan of her books for a while, well before we got the chance to work together, so getting to meet in person and talk about WHEN IN ROME was a such a special treat. Plus, there was the best book cake I’ve ever seen! You absolutely have to read this book if you love Audrey Hepburn, Gilmore Girls, love stories, grumpy men, or pie.

This was such a sweet romance. I loved the small town setting with a large cast of supporting characters. Everyone knows everyone else and their business. It was like watching a Hallmark movie in the best possible way.

I loved Amelia’s journey and the grumpy-sunshine romance between her and Noah, who is so much more than she expected him to be. I’m a fan of most of the tropes in this book (grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, celebrity/singer romance, small town romance) and they were all well balanced and well written. I’ll definitely be checking out more of Adams’ work.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Dell, and Sarah Adams for an e-arc of When In Rome in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick, funny, enjoyable read that I would recommend to friends.

Overall, I enjoyed the writing style and the banter, but I do have to call out that it can get a little wordy and repetitive when it comes to descriptions (re: Noah’s green eyes). <-- Andddd there were a lot of parentheses used, like multiple times on a page a lot. Sometimes it was for cute little asides, that helped me feel like I was getting in the mind of the character. But other times it was just unnecessary, like mentioning that the blanket was wrapped around her whole body up to her neck, and then saying “the top (which was at her earlobes)” in the next sentence. It’s like…I do understand the human body and that the neck is below the earlobes without you telling me in 2 different ways.

Personally, I like a little more spice and I found this just too wholesome for me. The fact that there was build up for…a hug…and that it was described as too sexy for a sister to see is just unbelievable to me. It’s giving Hallmark. But would I watch this in Hallmark movie form? Heck yeah.

I would say 3.75 rounded up to a 4 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the fun ARC in exchange for an honest review!