When in Rome by Sarah Adams is a brilliantly fun romance between a pop star looking to find some peace and a grumpy baker wanting to be left alone. When Amelia Rose's (stage name: Rae Rose) car breaks down in Noah Walker's front yard—her main objective is just trying to escape her life and his main objective is to get her away from him. However, the more time that they spend together—the more that their attitudes change. When in Rome by Sarah Adams is a beautifully sweet romance with great main characters, hilarious banter, and fun side characters set in a charming small town. For lovers of The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams or other sweet small town romance novels, When in Rome by Sarah Adams is a must read.

Amelie, AKA Rae, Rose needs a break from stardom and before her upcoming tour. She embarks on a vacation after inspired by Roman Holiday, which lands her in Rome, Kentucky. She finds herself alone and afraid in a smoking broken down car in the middle of no where.

Noah is a baker, jaded in love, and just happens to have a strange woman in her smoking broken down car stuck in his front yard. After eventually convincing her to leave her vehicle and come inside, the two end up stuck together waiting out repairs. Over the course of the book, they learn about each other, themselves, and romance.

When in Rome is a wonderful small town romance with elements of Roman Holiday. It's a really nice sweet romantic read perfect for an afternoon. Amelie and Noah are likable despite their faults. Adams does a wonderful job expressing their emotions in writing. Amelie and Noah both grow as individuals over the course of the story. The book is a closed door romance. There is plenty of tension and intimacy, but keeps the spice off the pages. Overall, it's a really nice small time romance filled with plenty of endearing moments.

Such a cute book!!! Super easy to read and a sweet romance! Picture a Hallmark movie in book form!! I loved all the characters and enjoyed seeing how their relationships developed. This was my first Sarah Adams book and it did not disappoint!!
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital version of this in exchange for my honest review!

“Don’t push her away and become unreachable because you’re afraid to lose her.”

Amelia, aka Rae Rose, Pop Princess needs a break from her hectic life. Taking after one of her favorite Audrey Hepburn movies, Roman Holiday she also left for Rome. In her case though Rome, Kentucky. Small town with lots of amazing people including grumpy baker Noah.

Noah Walker is grumpy, pie shop owner just wants to focus on his business and his family. He has no time for romance though everyone in his small town disagrees. He especially has no time for someone who’s just passing through, been there, done that, definitely not doing that again.

While in Rome, Amelia ended up staying at Noah’s house, not his first choice but it seems fate wants to meddle for a little bit. Opposites attract and all, the more they spend time together, the harder it is to ignore the attraction and chemistry between them. They both try their best though because she’s about to leave for a world tour and he’s definitely not leaving Rome again.

This slow burn, close proximity, sweet romcom is a gem!

Enjoyed the bantering between Amelia and Noah. Love Noah’s grumpy cinnamon roll self and Amelia’s journey to finding herself again. The meddling but loyal townspeople are the best!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Let me just start off by saying, this small town is definitely giving me the vibes of Miley’s home town in the Hannah Montana Movie. I love the trope of celebrity woman meets ordinary man that has non-corporate job- I just eat it up. Roman Holiday is one of my favorite movies and I feel like this book did it justice. The ending is absolutely delightful and the epilogue was exquisite- a celebrity gossip article speculating on her new engagement and quiet life, perfection. The execution of her celebrity status was very refreshing and not over done. This is the second book I’ve read by this author and I enjoyed this one immensely more. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a cute quick read.

I don't think there is a book that Sarah Adams can write that I won't enjoy! She is the queen of closed door romance that gives you all the feels and still gives the spice. If you enjoy a dual pov with cute banter then this is your next read. I'm a huge fan of going into a book blind and I would just recommend you pick this one up and give it a read.

Tropes
* Insta attraction
* Celebrity/small town
* Grumpy/sunshine
* Audrey Hepburn topics/references

My thoughts:
This one started off so abruptly. It jumped so suddenly into the story that I didn’t feel invested in these characters until 35% ish. Instalust/love is not my cup of tea. Additionally, celebrity tropes are not my favorite, so I think I was coming into this one a bit behind on the game. The first 30% of the book felt so rushed for me, and I had a difficult time connecting with the characters and understanding their connection to each other. But then something clicked and it started to feel a bit more like a Sarah Adams book once I hit 35%, and I couldn’t put it down after that. Knocking a star because I did have a hard time getting into it.

Overall, I loved getting to know Rome and Noah’s sisters; and I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series.

I’ve seen a handful of reviews saying this is their first Sarah Adams book to pick up, and not feeling the vibe - but if that’s the case, pleaseeeeeee give her other books a try because it did feel very different in a lot ways from her previous work (her self published books are my favorites).


Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with this ARC to read and review. All thoughts are my own.

Immediately this book felt like a hallmark movie. The celebrity ending up in a small town and meeting the single town hunk? Yes, please!

After the fun start, however, I felt like it slowed down a lot. I found myself less enthused in the back and forth between the two main characters — and thus less invested in their relationship. I felt like while the book attempted to build angst, it did not succeed in doing so. The more drawn out their non-relationship was, the less I believed they’d end up in one at all.

By the halfway point of the book I found myself really checked out. Before hitting 80% I was bored. I felt terrible about it because I had high hopes for this one but I ended up skimming through the end to finish it.

Unfortunately, not recommending it. Two stars for the start/potential.

I loved this book from the start and I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. It is a slow burn with off the page romance. I found myself rooting for Amelia and Noah and loved their banter back and forth. #WheninRome #NetGalley

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, the author, and NetGalley for the free gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

When in Rome was an adorable celebrity meet cute romance. I LOVE Sarah Adams as an author - all her books have such great banter and lots of great sarcastic jokes. All around this was a great story - there was a good plot outside the romance but the romance was fun and interesting and a little unpredictable.

If you love the small town, celebrity, and forced proximity tropes then you will enjoy this romance. A grumpy/sunshine combo made for a fun and flirty romance. This is a closed-door romance so there are no steamy parts.

I loved this book so much! The grumpy/sunshine main characters were so lovable and had me adoring this right away. Insta love is not usually my favorite but the author made it work this time in a more believable manner. The “big issue” that always happens toward the end of a romcom was so refreshing in this book. I don’t want to say too much and create spoilers. I just loved that it wasn’t some big stupid thing that could have been resolved if the characters just talked which is so common in the genre. I was so sad when this was over.

A perfect light read for these times. I’ll recommend to bookclubs and to friends who are traveling. Thanks for the galley.

Se você quer um romance doce e gostoso para passar a tarde lendo, Sarah Adams sempre terá uma boa opção para você. Desta vez, a autora traz a história de Rae Rose, uma cantora famosa que está esgotada mentalmente por manter por anos uma imagem de diva pop. Inspirada pelo filme Rome Holiday, ela pega um carro e parte para Roma. Não essa que você está pensando. É Roma, uma cidade do interior em Kentucky.

Noah Walker vive feliz na pacata cidadezinha, então jamais esperaria que, em frente a sua casa, uma mega cantora famosa que quebraria seu carro e ele teria esperado que abrigá-la. De início, ele queria fugir dessa responsabilidade, mas não é como se fosse possível. Além disso, a medida que ele passa os dias com Amelie, ele percebe que é ainda mais difícil manter seguro o seu coração.

A tentassem ainda super autoras, que o tentam manter como todos os personagens e suas pessoas sejam bem próximas que elas sejam capazes de manter. Apesar de Amelie estar fugindo da sua outra vida, ela sabe que em algum momento terá que ir embora. E, em contrapartida, Noah não tem pretensão nenhuma de sair.

É difícil não ficar aflita durante a leitura porque eles são muito fofos juntos, mas como fazer um relacionamento de mundos tão diferentes dar certo? Ambos querem proteger, mas é impossível.

Não julgo Amelie por ficar de quatro num cara que faz torta, ama flores, é um leitor assíduo, bonito e atencioso com sua família e de um caráter invejável. E, ainda que Noah tente se proteger, não tem como não ser atingido pela doçura de Amelie.

Eu torci horrores pelo casal e curti a imensidão de cenas doces entre eles. O final foi maravilhoso e ainda me apeguei aos personagens secundários e estou torcendo para ter mais livro deles. Inclusive, já sei que Will e Annie terão um ano que vem e estou ansiossísima.

Happy pub day @authorsarahadams 🥳

What do you get when you mix a grumpy pie shop owner with a ray of sunshine pop star? A recipe for a fan-freaking-tastic book, that’s what!!

Noah is a small town pie shop owner and a classic, no frills man, through and through. He’s been burned by past love and has had more than his fair share of heartache. When Rae Rose, Amelia IRL, lives out her Audrey Hepburn Roman Holiday fantasy and escapes stardom in little Rome, Kentucky, their paths collide in a way neither expected.

This is where all of the best bits come into play.
🥧 grumpy/sunshine
🥧 cinnamon roll hero
🥧 small town
🥧 forced proximity
🥧 endless tension
🥧 chemistry that just won’t quit

Ugh, the tension and chemistry 🥰swoon🥰 I mean, these two had to literally lay out ground rules to keep themselves strictly in the friend zone. Let’s face it, who are they even trying to kid.

What really got me with this book was all the emotion and vulnerability. Noah and Amelia both laid down their masks and bared it all for each other. It was so achingly sweet and tender. They were each trying to keep their struggles hidden, but when they were able to really, truly SEE one another, it was like a shot to my heart ♥️

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is my first Sarah Adams book and I enjoyed it very much! It was very much Roman Holiday, and the small town setting was great. This was a slow burn and I enjoyed how Amelia and Noah connected. Amelia's character was very well written I related to her at times. Noah the man was a grump on the outside but a total cinnamon roll! Loved it.
I enjoyed how Sarah detailed the small town it made me what to hop on a plane and relocate lol.
Really overall such a fun, easy read!! Thank You, NetGalley for allowing me to read and give this book an honest review!!

When I was only 1/3 through, I knew this would be 5 huge stars. And it continued to live up to it.

Celebrity and commoner. Sunshine Susie and Grumpy Gus with a heart of gold (books and flowers and pie, oh my!). An adorable and protective small town full of wonderful characters.

A very closed-door romance, instant attraction but very slow burn.

The one and only weird part - for someone who owns a pie shop, Noah never ever bakes for it! So who does?!

Whew wow this was such a cute read! I went into this one expecting it to be corny/cheesy. It honestly had a really cute premise - celebrity meets small town guy/grumpy sunshine. The characters were incredibly lovable - even Noah, who came off as cold toward Amelia (Rae). I loved the dual POVs - it gave insight into Noah and Amelia's thoughts & core beliefs, which gave a better understanding of the characters for the reader. Noah & Amelia though - what a combo! The chemistry and banter between the two is unmatched. In regards to Amelia, I loved that she found her voice/independence/identity outside of being Rae Rose. As for Noah, I loved that although he was guarding his heart, he finally opened up to - and let Amelia in. This was an adorable, sweet romance, sans spice and I'm totally here for it. It put me in my feels hardcore and made me yearn for a love story like Noah & Amelia's. Usually, when I'm swooning over a romance like this, it leads to a five star rating - which this one certainly deserved! I would 100% recommend; I'd also be interested in reading more by this author!

My first by Sarah Adams and I thought this was super fun and cute! The town of Rome, Kentucky is going to be a joy to return to in future books, especially because I loved the relationship between Noah and his sisters. It was a bit cheesy and ridiculous at times, but it was the perfect fit for my mood when I read it, and is some of what I love most in small-town romances.

4/5 stars

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: When in Rome

Author: Sarah Adams

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Spice: 1.5/5

Diversity: Black character, character with Alzheimer’s Disease

Recommended For...: romance, contemporary, Audrey Hepburn lovers, food, small town romance, famous person/normal person romance

Publication Date: September 20, 2022

Genre: Romance

Age Relevance: 16+ (cursing, alcohol consumption, romance, sexual content, parental deaths)

Explanation of Above: The book has some slight cursing and mentions of parental deaths. There is some alcohol consumption shown in the book. There is a romance in the book and there are comments of a sexual nature, but all romance is closed door and it’s mostly regulated to kisses and small romantic moments.

Publisher: Dell

Pages: 320

Synopsis: 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 . . . Rome, Kentucky, that is.

When Noah Walker finds Amelia on his front lawn in her broken-down car, he makes it clear he doesn't have the time or patience for celebrity problems. He's too busy running the pie shop his grandmother left him and reminding his nosy but lovable neighbors to mind their own damn business. Despite his better judgment, he lets her stay in his guest room--but only until her car is fixed--then she's on her own.

Then Noah starts to see a different side of Rae Rose--she's Amelia: kindhearted and goofy, yet lonely from years in the public eye. He can't help but get close to her. Soon she'll have to return to her glamorous life on tour, but until then, Noah will show Amelia all the charming small-town experiences she's been missing, and she'll help him open his heart to more.

Amelia can't resist falling for the cozy town and her grumpy tour guide, but even Audrey had to leave Rome eventually.

Review: For the most part this was a cute book. The book was an adorable romance about a famous singer who lands in the lawn of a grumpy baker. She has to stay with him while her car gets repaired and sparks fly. The book was adorable and pretty well written. I thought the character development was good and the world building was good as well. The book is also a closed door romance, so no sexual things are shown.

However, there were some things in the book that I didn’t like. The book was Multi-POV but I think we could have done away with Amelia’s POV as Noah’s was much more interesting. The characters in this book are from Kentucky and none of them talk with an accent, except for one character. I believe the character is stated to be Black, but I could be wrong? But it was a bit weird that only one character was written to have an accent while the others were not. And if the character was Black then that opens up a bunch of ick. The time skips in the book aren’t that evident, which made reading it confusing at times. There is a lot of teasing in this book and sexual pining, but it wasn’t my favorite thing. It just felt annoying after awhile.

Verdict: It was good.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with an eARC for my honest opinion!

4.5 ⭐️

“When In Rome” is a light hearted rom-com that feels like a hallmark movie. It has just the right amount of corny nicknames and emotional breakthroughs without high stakes. Lots of “Roman Holiday” references and cutesy small town-isms. A perfect warm hug delivered in the form of Noah, the pie maker — and yes he’s just as dreamy as Ned from “Pushing Daisies.”