I LOVE Audrey Hepburn. Not only do I love Audrey, but I LOVE this book!! It was such a quick read for me, I related to Amelia so much (other than the whole popstar thing), I fell in love with the male lead Noah, and I just loved how she wanted to run away like Audrey's character did in Roman Holiday.

In When in Rome, we follow Rae Rose (or actually known as Amelia Rose) as she makes the rash decision to follow the lead of Audrey Hepburn. Amelia decides to pick one of Hepburn's movies and follow the lead of her character (thankfully she lands on Roman Holiday and not Charades or Breakfast at Tiffany's..) So, she runs off to Rome. Well, Rome, Kentucky. On her trip, she takes her beat up Toyota Corolla that she has had since high school. This decision fails her as she breaks down on the side of the road with no cell service! All of a sudden, a man comes to her window to help. After convincing by the man's character reference, Amelia decides to stay with said man, Noah Walker. Noah lives in the house right where Amelia's car broke down.

Noah helps Amelia figure out how to get her car fixed, which will take two whole weeks. Noah gets bullied into letting Amelia stay in his house by his fellow small-town acquaintances. Amelia uses this time to relax from the stress of her singing career and gets to know the town and its people, and Noah.

If you love small-town romances, grumpy-sunshine romances, or less steam in a rom com book, you'd enjoy this one! It was a quick binge read and I loved every part of it. I've read 3 others of Sarah Adam's books, but this is by far my favorite!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine for the ARC! I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy!!

4.5

When in Rome is a light and fun "Roman Holiday"-esque story of a Hollywood singer that meets an everyday guy in a small town. I find this a tricky trope to pull off since the whole falling for a celebrity comes off a bit unrealistic sometimes. But this was well done. Believable. The characters were funny and entertaining. Our small town hero is grumpy but well mannered and sweet. The celebrity singer is charismatic and witty. Lots of fun side characters that scream that this is going to be a series.

Ultimately this is the sort of book that doesn't take long to read and will put a smile on your face.

***Advanced copy obtained from Random House via Netgalley***

Easily the best book I’ve read this year! Such a fun rom-com! I loved the slow burn, but it was also a quick read! Fantastic!

This book was sweet as apple pie (though I’ve never actually had apple pie, but I imagine this book is what it would taste like) and such an entertaining read. Set in Rome, not the capital of Italy, but rather a small town in Kentucky this book had all the small-town charm a city girl could ask for, down to the grumpy pie shop dreamboat that is Noah.

Yes, this book will give you a healthy dose of grumpy x sunshine and I, for one, really enjoyed it. It was not my favorite Sarah Adams couple, an honor that is bestowed to Nathan and Bree from The Cheat Sheet, but Noah and Amelia were super sweet and I did squeal with the romance of it all.

The book also features a cast of secondary characters that are as lovable and entertaining as the main couple and the wit and humor are never far behind. I loved watching both Noah and Amelia grow into their own and each other and I would definitely recommend this as an early fall book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this advanced copy of When in Rome by Sarah Adams.

This is possibly my favorite rom-com I've read all year! For me, this was a perfectly sweet romance novel. Slow burn, closed-door romance, grumpy / sunshine troupe (love a good Mr. Grump), in a small town with forced proximity. I didn't know I needed all these things in one book, but apparently I do! I absolutely loved it. 

I sometimes struggle with a romance novel setup for why a relationship won't work, or a character's backstory of why they may not be ready for a relationship. I did not feel this way about Rae (Amelia) and Noah. I loved their individual stories and why they were cautious contemplating more than friends. And I always appreciate a dual POV. I also fell in love with the secondary characters - they felt like a warm hug and perfectly supported the main characters and their stories.

AND... I have been craving pie for DAYS because of this book. :) 5 star rom-com - definitely pick up this book. Especially during pie season!

This book was adorable! It was my first Sarah Adams book and it was incredibly swoon worthy. Amelia was a perfect mix of vulnerable, funny, kind, and smart. I loved the banter with her and Noah. The small town setting of Rome, Kentucky was absolutely perfect. Being from Kentucky myself I loved to finally have a book set closer to home.

I can’t believe that I’ve had Sarah’s other book The Cheat Sheet on my shelf for a couple months and haven’t read it yet. It will definitely be one of my next few reads!

If you’re looking for a small town, grumpy/sunshine, closed door romance this is the PERFECT one.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine & author Sarah Adams for the wonderful ARC! 🫶🏼

Review will be posted to my Instagram on 9/20/22.

A delight romcom set in a small town where celebrity escapes for a break from her fast paced life and falls for a grump pie shop owner with a heart of gold. This one was sweet, steamy, and fun to read.

Check this one out if you’re looking for:
🥧 Grumpy sunshine trope
🥧 Small town guy with celebrity woman
🥧 Forced proximity
🥧 Fade to black steam
🥧 Meddling sisters

I have enjoyed this author's works from the very beginning. I'm so glad to see she is getting the recognition she deserved.

This meet cute had such a unique twist and I loved it. Grumpy pants meets celeb.

I really enjoyed that the celebrity aspect wasn't too forced here. Amelia was simply herself in the best way. The setting/city of Rome was simply the best and the supporting characters in the book were amazing.

Job well done Adams!

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced readers copy! This is out today.

This has the same adorable vibe that every Sarah Adams book has. Amelia is escaping her famous life for a quick breather in a small town much like her role model Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. She ends up stranded in Rome, KY and staying with the sexy pie shop owner Noah. Sparks are bound to fly. Or do they? Honestly this book felt long to me because sooooo much of it is spent in the will they or won’t they category. Then literally 85% into the book all of the major drama points are resolved in a snap. I wish there was a little more time spent on the resolutions and a little less on the let’s just be friends even though I think you’re hot category. That said the small town characters were cute, the sisters were super fun, I liked the Audrey Hepburn references and this was probably the steamiest Sarah Adams I have read to date (though still clean). It was cute but my favorite Sarah Adams book is still The Match.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬💭:
There’s just something about Sarah Adams’ writing! I was in a semi-funk when I picked this up & she just knows her way into hooking her readers from the get go. Needless to say I devoured this book! Cheat Sheet by her was one of my fave rom-coms I read last year that pulled me out of a slump too. Haven’t read her backlist yet, but have heard great things about all of them!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an e-ARC of this book

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛📝:
Amelia is tired of the limelight & the stress that comes with it. She’s a fan of Audrey Hepburn & her film Roman Holiday, so she decides to drive to Rome. Rome Kentucky that is. Her car then decides to breakdown in front of Noah Walker’s lawn. Here, she is forced to stay the week and get to know the little charming town of Rome and its cutest grump bachelor.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Nothing like a good old small town & grumpy/sunshine romance! The build up between Noah and Amelia was 🤌🏻. They had undeniable attraction that they try to overcome but failed miserably. The banter was so good that I was gushing whenever they try to play it cool without revealing their feelings. I’ve nothing but praises for this one that I didn’t want to end. I don’t think Sarah Adams can do no wrong. This was the perfect rom-com I have been longing for. And Noah Walker… the most perfect grump! Another fictional boyfriend added to the list! I can go on and on about this book. Add it to your TBR, it’s a rom-com that will definitely have you swooning!

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: 𝘎𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘺/𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦, 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴

I read the Cheat Sheet and absolutely loved it, so I knew that I was going to fall in love with this one too. We have a pop star who is stranded, and a small town baker who have us rooting from them from the very beginning! Amelia falls for Noah almost immediately- but in typically grumpy sunshine fashion- hes not interested! I loved how we were able to see Noah open up, while at the same time getting to see who Amelia is outside of her pop star roll! Definitely a cute, feel good romance!

I absolutely loved that book. Loved it. It was such a fun and enjoyable read! I was seriously probably smiling and giggling 90% of my time reading it. It had so many funny little comebacks and humor that just had me dying. I definitely would’ve loved all these people in Rome.

This is your classic city girl meets small town boy and they fall in love. Their instant physical attraction is undeniable for both of them, but they struggle against it for so long because of past traumas and uncertainties of the future. I love that there’s no “miscommunication” here, but rather understanding of each other’s needs, but the inability to actually keep their hands and thoughts away from each other. Their pining is hard core cuteness, and I love the battles they fight (and frequently lose) to keep their distance from each other.

And I love the characters. Rae (Amelia) is a big time celebrity/pop singer, which isn’t necessarily relatable for me, but you get a glimpse into the “normal” person she wants to be, and how much she just strives to be loved and accepted like the rest of that, and has been neglecting that, and her own personal needs in lieu of pursuing her career. I mean how many of us do that? All of us. All the time. Completely relatable to forget yourself and your own needs. I loved that.

And Noah was the best kind of grumpy that needed a whole lot of sunshine! It took Amelia soooo much work to break through his walls but she truly was his weakness, and it was so cute. I loved the dual POV so that I could see both of their thoughts at different times.

Their chemistry was great. It started totally physical, but I loved how much they learned about each other and really formed a relationship as they were trying so hard not to. I believed it. It was a cute clean romance, with a few innuendos and hints, but nothing too descriptive. I loved it.

Seriously, the cutest book. Very light and happy, easy to read and easy to love. My first book by Sarah Adam’s actually, but now I’m dying to read more! I loved it! Sign me up for all the others ASAP!!

𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 | 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐬

read if you love:
🥧grumpy x sunshine
🥧runaway pop star
🥧found family
🥧forced proximity
🥧audrey hepburn
🥧small town romance
🥧opposites attract

“𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞. 𝐍𝐨𝐚𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐝. 𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠.”

y’all, this book can live rent free in my head forever and ever. noah is grumpy perfection and he must be protected at all costs. and amelia is just sweet as pie - ha! but seriously, i just want to wrap her up in a blanket and tell her that i see her. i felt her pain as i was reading this book — among a million other emotions. this is the kind of book that makes you ache to just keep reading and even when it’s over you want more and more of that feeling. i love sarah adam’s books, but this one put her on a whole new level for me! this is one of the achiest slow burns i’ve read in a while. the way these two try to fight their feelings and stay away from each other will have you biting your fist. the relationship noah has with his sisters and the way they wholeheartedly welcome amelia into their family will have you clutching your chest and sighing in delight. the way the town of rome rallies to protect amelia, but also meddle with her and noah will crack you up. this book will just make you feel so happy and grin like a stupid fool. let me continue to convince you:

•wilderness ken, unreadable man and all of noah’s mr. nicknames
•mabel and harriet
•he has beautiful handwriting
•”He smells like clean laundry, masculine body wash, and sweet, buttery pancakes.” — ummm, can we bottle this??
•”I see you.”
•“Tearin’ Up My Heart” by NSYNC.
•he’s grunty, growly and grumpy
•book nerd and matching pajamas sets
•saturday nights
•pies, flowers, and books
•”Distract me.”
•Pop-Tart 🥹
•annie, madison and emily
•(together, nudge nudge wink wink)

thank you to random house and netgalley for an advanced copy. my thoughts are my own.

This book was so cute! Having the dual perspectives was great so I could know what each character was thinking at the time. The MMC was delightfully stubborn, almost verging into "grumpy" territory, but this definitely wasn't a grumpy sunshine novel as both of them could be each depending on the chapter.

The MC was sweet and lovable, and I found myself really sympathizing with her personal struggles. The author did a good job making me care about her so quickly, and I was rooting for her to stand up to her controlling agent the whole time.

At some points it was a little cringy, and the dialog wasn't always something I think real people would say. Overall, I really enjoyed these characters and their story, and it was a cute little cozy book.

These two were inevitable. He’s been burned before and she’s so delighted to be treated be a normal person after being surrounded by her team almost exclusively for years.

The idea that this gorgeous pie shop owning, book loving, flower obsessed man has ten complete sets of button up pajamas makes me die a little. She did finally get those buttons undone but it was a fade to black. Life is unfair.

I thought this was sweet and was happy she was able to repair the damage done to her relationships while being true to herself. Noah was a snack and I’m hopeful that he teaches the girl how to make edible pancakes.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Audio for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

“When in Rome” by Sarah Adams
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: 9/20
Genre: Romcom
Trope: Enemies to Lovers

I loved this one! Another celebrity meets small town! I think this is my favorite kind of romcom! I would definitely recommend.

Amelia Rose is a Pop star wanting to get away from her lonely life for a few weeks. She decided on going to Rome, KY to get away where no one will suspect. When her car breaks down in front of town heartthrob Noah Walkers house she doesn’t know what to do. Noah Walker is southern gentleman until he finds out she is a celebrity. He doesn’t have the time or patience for a celebrity. His grandmothers best friend Mabel has other plans. She is going to make Noah be the best hostess while Amelia is in town. Amelia doesn’t expect to fall for this small town and Noah doesn’t expect to fall for Amelia.

This was such an adorable book! I’ve read The Off Limits Rule by Sarah Adams and LOVED it which made me want to read this one! This book was surprisingly heartwarming in the best ways! Noah is AMAZING and I love everything about him! I also loved that there was no third act breakup which is so unique for a romance book!

When In Rome they say, in this case Rome, Kentucky.

This is your perfect “stuck with you, grumpy/sunshine, celebrity meets your normal southern boy” happily ever after kind of story with a modern day Roman Holiday take. A beautiful overdose of dopamine and serotonin.

This book was pure happiness in 320 pages. I felt like I was reading a Hallmark movie. I was giggling and smiling to myself like an idiot over the cute and sexual tension moments, the banter was A+ worthy and not only were our two main characters adorable to get to know, but the side characters, good lord Rome, Kentucky is too stinkin cute not to want to move there for the heck of it.

This was my first Sarah Adams book and it was delicious. It was heartwarming, sweet and all out entertaining. I loved how she turned the movie Roman Holiday (a classic and favorite of mine) and ran with it. Even though Amelia was a celebrity, she didn’t feel like one because Adams made her so relatable and I loved watching her journey as she became herself again and not a shell of who she was.

I also enjoyed Amelia and Noah’s chemistry as they worked through their feelings for each other and with their issues.

10/10 would recommend to any of my rom-com, Hallmark sappy romance lovers.

Read if you like: dual pov, cute southern boys, city girl and country boy, stuck with you trope, cute lovable side characters, slow burn, closed door romance, small town vibes, grumpy/sunshine trope, pies and pancakes, sappy romcoms, cute bickering, no cell service, Audrey Hepburn

When in Rome was such a cute, sweet small town romance!

Pop star Rae Rose is desperate for a break. Audrey Hepburn movies are her comfort and while she can’t make it to Italy, she can make the trip to Rome, Kentucky. A series of mishaps (and perhaps some scheming) mean she’s stuck without a place to stay and no car to drive her home - for two weeks! Her Gregory Peck comes in the form of Noah, a slightly grumpy/mostly sweet pie-maker (justice for Pushing Daisies,), who reluctantly allows her to stay in his guest room. Cue flustered living room hugs, cozy nights in, and all of the charm a small town has to offer.

This book was so sweet and I really enjoyed meeting all of the characters in Rome. The story is told from both Noah and Amelia (Rae)’s POVs and both were well written. I loved how the town immediately welcomed Amelia in with no questions asked. It was just so cozy. This is also pretty low on the spice rating, so if you like your romances without much you will enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for a review copy.

When Amelia Rose, better known as Rae Rose to her adoring fans, feels burnt out and needs a break. She does what anyone would do and takes a page from her favorite star, Audrey Hepburn, and heads to Rome. However, unlike Audrey in Roman Holiday, Amelia ends up broken down on the front lawn of Noah Walker’s house in Rome, KY. Wanting nothing to do with Amelia at first, he tries to send her on her way. Her car has other ideas and he gives in to allow her to stay only while her car is being fixed. Once it’s road ready, she needs to go. Slowly this down to earth baker sees a different side of Amelia. Meanwhile, she begins to relax and actually laughs once in awhile. Slowly something changes between them, but how would anything even work. They are two very different people from very different worlds and not even Audrey was able to stay in Rome forever.

I thoroughly enjoyed this take on the Roman Holiday. This book has lots of meet cutes, blushing innuendos, sarcasm and much more. Even in this famous girl meets regular small town guy, there are more subplots than just their romance. I appreciated how the author brought in some family drama. In addition, Amelia goes through a path to find her own voice and begins to find her own power again. Overall, this was at times laugh out loud romance that was heartwarming throughout.

Thank you Net Galley, Sarah Adams, and Random House for the early copy for my review. This one is out tomorrow, so make sure you grab a slice of pie and prepare yourself for some good laughs!