Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read roughly half of Sarah Adams’ books, and was sososo excited when I got this ARC.

This books follows Amelia Rose, a pop star, who just wants a break. Inspired by Audrey Hepburn, she ‘runs away’ to find her purpose. Instead, she finds Noah Walker, who wants nothing to do with her pop star status, and continue running his grandmothers pie shop. This story follows them as they slowly start to feel things for one another.

This is Sarah Adams best book. I loved all of the characters, I loved the romance—I just loved everything about it. There. That’s it. That’s the review. It’s one of my favorite reads this year, and I think it’s just going to keep getting better as Adams continues the series with the other Walker siblings.

This book was so cute! I loved the small town setting of this book and how close everyone was.

The romance was adorable - I love a good grumpy/sunshine romance! And I loved how they both understood the others' trauma and just let them be and heal. Also I may or may not have looked up Rome on google to see if this was a real place lol

This was a fun, Audrey Hepburn inspired romance that could be read in one sitting for a feel good afternoon!

This book felt like a fresh version of an autumnal Hallmark movie. I read it in one setting. A retelling of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck's Roman Holiday, the story begins with pop star Amelia seeking respite from her burdensome world by taking notes from Audrey and heading to the nearest city to her called Rome (Kentucky) to hide for a while. She ends up breaking down in Noah's front yard, and he takes care of her despite his disdain for people passing through his small hometown. His three sisters are over-the-top, but they are kind, warm, and supportive, and I really hope this book turns into a series so we can read their happily ever afters. Sarah Adams has a way of making closed-door romances feel sexy, and her MMC's are always so meltingly swoon-worthy. It's no surprise she's such a popular author.

This was my first Sarah Adams book and it certainly won’t be my last. It was sugary sweet and easy to breeze through.

I enjoyed the premise of the worn out pop star even if it felt a little unrealistic to me and it was a unique take on the small town romance. Otherwise, it felt a little bit cookie-cutter to me.

If you love small town, closed door romance and enjoy a grumpy man who happens to bake pies for a living, you’ll love this book.

3.5 ⭐️

A huge thanks to Ballantine for an advanced copy of When in Rome by Sarah Adams.

THIS IS THE CUTEST BOOK! This book is a love letter to Audrey Hepburn and I adored it.

Rae Rose is a princess of pop and before setting out on her next tour needs to get away for a few days. She heads off to Rome, Kentucky inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn movie When in Rome. Her car breaks down and she's helped by Noah who runs a pie shop in the small town. Noah reluctantly lets Rae stay in his guestroom while her car is fixed. Noah and his sisters show her the charming small town life and Rae quickly;y lets her guard down around the people in Rome and starts to feel like she belongs here. How can she navigate her stardom with the quiet life she craves?

Noah and Rae were so cute together. I loved the grumpy/sunshine mix and the adorable town of Rome. The neighbors and Noah's sisters were the best. Also, I just kept picturing Taylor Swift as Rae while reading this.

I've enjoyed Sarah Adam's past books so knew that When in Rome was going to be just as adorable and I'd love it. Highly recommend checking this one out!

Sarah Adams is back with When in Rome, and it has everything - charming setting, fun characters, opposites attract romance, sentiment, and emotion. I loved getting to read this book with Kaley, and as always, we had fun sharing our opinions on which characters we couldn’t stand and the ones we were falling in love with.

What appealed to you the most in this story?

I just loved everything about this story! The setting and the gushable (if this isn’t a word, it is now) romance are perfect, and all the laugh out loud moments were the best.

This charming romcom is set in the small town if Rome in Kentucky, and I found myself not only falling in love with the lead characters, but I completely fell in love with all the townspeople and just wish I could live there. They all made me feel like I was part of a fun community that was there to support one another and just love life!

How was the romance?

Well…I really can’t say much, or I will just spoil it for ya, but I will say that I was hooked and loved this slow burn buildup full of witty banter. I found myself cheering not only for the romance itself but for the characters as individuals. Also, the angst and tension were done at the perfect pace as the two began to grow their relationship.

Steam Level: PG/Closed Door

How was the pace?

This was a fast-paced story that I read in no time. Between the character growth, atmosphere, hilarious cast of characters, and all the romantic suspense I just couldn’t leave the world Adams had created in this fun and sweet story.

Do you recommend this book?

Yes! This was just a fun and delicious romcom that I totally binged, and I can’t wait for the next book in this series and more from this fun cast of characters!

Thank you, Dell Books/Random House, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to @randomhouse for an advance copy of When in Rome by Sarah Adams, out September 20th!

Y’all, when I tell you that I squealed when I was approved for Sarah Adams’ latest, I am not exaggerating.

Sarah Adams’ books are hugs in book form, so I’ve been saving this ARC for when I needed a pick me up: a rainy day when I was feeling under the weather and then my power got knocked out definitely qualified!

I soaked up every sweet, snarky, heartfelt moment of this book in one afternoon and immediately wanted to start it again. Noah and Amelia are sunshine/grump goodness: he’s a grumbly small town baker and she’s a chart topping pop star trying to recapture her sunshine. They’re absolutely gone for each other, and watching them slowly break down each other’s walls and learn to trust was delightful.

I loved seeing the typical romance tropes reversed in this novel, with a male main character who bakes, loves flowers, and reads (no toxic masculinity here). Adams writes steamy, closed door romances with clear consent, mental health awareness, and fun and funny characters. Every time I pick up a book of hers, I think I can’t possibly love it more than the last — I’m wrong every time (and I’m not mad about it!)

I’m so excited to hear that Adams is already working on the next book in this series and can’t wait to see which characters from this world will get a story next.

CW: grief (loss of parents off page), Alzheimer’s, parental estrangement

I had a blast binge-listening to the When in Rome audiobook. When in Rome is my favorite book by Sarah Adams to date! Amelia "Rae" Rose is a pop star who realizes she needs an escape. So instead of traveling to Rome, Italy, like her favorite idol Audrey Hepburn, she travels to the closest Rome she can find, which happens to be in Kentucky. In this small town of Rome, she is rescued by Noah Walker when her car breaks down. Noah lets Rae stay in his guest room until she can figure out what to do next. I enjoyed all the banter and chemistry between Amelia and Noah. I'm a sucker for a celebrity romance with a grumpy/sunshine trope. I appreciated how this book addresses dementia and encourages validation therapy techniques for interactions. I work with people with dementia daily, and I wish more people knew the power of this communication method. Validate how the person is feeling or what they are expressing and guide the conversation as appropriate.

You do not want to miss this perfect romance. I never wanted it to end.

Thank you, Dell and Penguin Random House Audio, for my gifted copies!

This is a clean romance, so there's not a lot of spice here, but the attraction as it built between Amelia and Noah was sparking and fizzing the entire time, and - almost more importantly to me - their banter, and the slowly unfurling feelings between them were absolutely adorable. There is so much adorableness between these pages and my heart lit all the way up with it. I smiled so much, and it all felt so good.

I’ve read a few of Sarah’s books. I enjoy her writing style. I’m not a huge fan for closed door romance but I think she does a great job. I loved the premise of this book and I loved the grumpy sunshine/forced proximity. The one thing is change is not having everything “fall into place so quickly”. We spent 90% of the book wondering when something was gonna happen. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I can’t wait to see what Sarah is up to next.

3.5 stars

Oh my gosh. Sarah Adams is a new auto-buy author for me. Will all of her books make me giggle and swoon like this ???? probably not omg I LOVED THIS. amelia had so much growth and noah… pheeeww a dreamboat cinnamon roll… EVERYBODY NEEDS TO READ THIS

Wow Sarah Hoyle does it again. I adored this book and the various relationships. Absolutely loved the family dynamic between Noah and his sisters and even Amelia rekindling her connection with her mom. Really strikes home the then of family importance.
Noah adores his grandmother too - which only added to the book boyfriend effect. And combining that with his adoration of the other elderly folk in the town - Adorbs.
Amelia finding herself and the chemistry between her and Noah was great. For being closed door, Hogle always brings the chemistry and tension - I wasn’t missing the steam! Def would re read for the comfort vibes again

Found family
Grumpy sunshine
Famous girl regular boy
Small town

I don't know if I've actually seen ROMAN HOLIDAY in its entirety, but I know enough through cultural osmosis to see how Sarah Adams loosely adapted/payed homage to it with WHEN IN ROME. The slow burn romance between pop mega star Amelia 'Rae" Rose and small town genuinely nice guy Noah is cute enough. I liked that we got into both their heads to see their hesitations and motivations, and I liked that we had a lot of build up, as that's my favorite way to have a romance happen in romance novels as I have come to find out. That said, it's pretty well worn territory, and not just because of the ROMAN HOLIDAY parallels. I was invested in the two of them enough but I wasn't burning for them, and the pay off was a bit more chaste than I was expecting (though upon research it seems that this is what Sarah Adams is generally known for?). Which, hey, that's just fine, it just didn't turn my crank as much as I'd have hoped, as it were. Overall, it's cute and enjoyable, but I kind of wish it had a little more zazz in some ways.

Absolutely loved this small town romance!

Amelia and Noah had such good chemistry and banter throughout, I loved how playful their friendship and romance turned out to be.

Noah’s one character flaw is that he doesn’t like pie. Simply inexcusable.

Not too steamy, this one is definitely safe to read and share with your mom (which is my definitive ranking of steamy romance books)

Is there anything better than a cinnamon roll hero who could probably actually bake amazing cinnamon rolls? Probably not, and Sarah Adams proves it in When In Rome.

Noah is the kind of guy you trust immediately when your car breaks down in front of his house, the kind of guy who doesn’t care that you’re a famous celebrity, the kind of guy you’re sure has a soft and sweet center under than grumpy exterior. Like Amelia, I loved watching him come to care about the real her, and not the celebrity character she played on stage and in interviews. It was a lovely story about not having to be something you’re not to have people care about you, and about realizing that mistakes in your past shouldn’t dictate how you find happiness in the future.

The chemistry? Swoony. Sarah Adams is the queen of writing sexy books and characters without actually putting any sex on the page. If you’re looking for a steamy but almost closed-door romance, look no further.

And though the romance is the central (and best!) part of the plot, there’s so much more to love in Rome, Kentucky. The supporting characters in this tiny town are fabulous, every last one of them, but especially Noah’s three sisters (I’m not saying we need a series of them finding love...okay, I’m saying it. I need to know who is good enough for Annie) and Mabel, who is like a second grandmother to him. I want to have Mabel’s sass and gumption when I grow up.

All in all, I can’t adequately express how much I loved this book. It’s sweet and emotional and flirty, but is also just a really great representation of two people coming to terms with how their lives haven’t turned out the way they wanted, the ways they’ve been hurt, and how to take back the reins to ensure their happiness instead of doing what’s safe. It’s a good reminder than it’s always better to reach for what you want, whether that’s some downtime from a demanding job or another chance at love.

I loved this book! It was a super adorable small town, celebrity romance. Noah is a big cinnamon roll, once he lets down his walls. Amelia was down to ear and just adorable. Amelia and Noah had wonderful chemistry. There was such a great community element to this book. They were like a big extended family, taking care of each other. I also loved Noah's sisters. They were nosey but lovable!

I highly recommend this book to any romance lover out there!

Amelia and Noah are a dream! Ugh, seriously.

Amelia is a famous pop star, better known as Rae Rose, who desperately needs to escape her life for her sanity. She decides to sneak away for a little break before her next tour and finds herself heading for Rome. Not the Italian beauty you’re thinking of - the closest Rome she can find… in Kentucky.

Her luck has her broken down in a stranger’s yard. In comes Noah to reluctantly save the day. He’s been burned by city girls before and doesn’t know what to expect. Next thing you know, Amelia has weaseled her way into the people of Rome’s hearts, including Noah’s. I love how Amelia is able to find herself and mend relationships in her life throughout this book. I couldn’t put this down!

Thank you to Sarah Adams, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange of my honest review.

Sarah Adams is back again with another sweet, swoony story! Inspired by the movie Roman Holiday, pop star Amelia “Rae” Rose runs away to Rome, Kentucky, right before her international tour is set to start. She meets Noah, the grumpy pie shop owner, who has vowed to never fall in love again.

The chemistry between Amelia and Noah was so good, and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling every time they bantered back and forth. All the side characters were also so loveable that if Sarah wanted to write a whole series on the townspeople of Rome, I’d read every one!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine & NetGalley for the advanced copy to review. When in Rome is out September 20, 2022.

Thank you @prhaudio @berkleyromance for copy of this book. I have been a fan of Adam's books and this one was no exception. I love the idea of this book with the center of Audrey Hepburn's movie When in Rome and how it was so well weaved into the story. Now I really need to see the movie.

The town of Rome is so special with everyone so protective of Amelia. The interaction between Noah and Amelia was so great. He was such a great grump MC.

I enjoyed the dual POV and the narration was great.

Thank you @prhinternational for the gifted copy! #partner

Short Synopsis:
Amelia Rose, known as the famous popstar Rae Rose, drives off in the middle of the night for a break in Rome like her favorite Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday. When Noah Walker finds Amelia on his front lawn, he makes it clear he doesn’t have any interest in entering a romantic relationship. But then Noah starts to see a different side of Amelia, and he can’t help but get close to her. 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 will help him open his heart to more.

It took me a while to get into the story. But the more pages I flipped through, the more exciting it became. I love Amelia. She is kindhearted, fun, and goofy, yet lonely from years of being in the public eye. Noah is a broody guy who tries hard not to be a sweetheart and a gentleman to Amelia (but fails miserably). Their cat-and-mouse play throughout the novel drove me insane. I love the easy breezy conversations that make them smile and be comfortable with themselves. Their chemistry, intimate connection, and the way they could understand each other are super adorable. Although the timeframe of their romance is a bit short, the development of their relationship does not seem fast and impulsive. I also love Noah's sisters and the people from Kentucky. Their presence made it jollier and funny with the way they could not help but stick their noses in Amelia and Noah's business -- quite the busybodies, but the very protective and loving type.

If you are in for some
small town
grumpyxsunshine
slow-burn romance
Forced proximity

Then be sure to read this!