Having read all of Sarah Adams’ previous books, I know going into a new book of hers that it will make me laugh and swoon while I’m reading it! But what I didn’t expect with When In Rome was for Amelia’s experiences to resonate so much with me.

Amelia is burned out and needs a break at the beginning of the book. I can’t relate to being famous like her, but I had been struggling with burnout when I read her story, and it meant so much to me to read about a character who was dealing with the same thing. I teared up multiple times and highlighted passages like crazy so I could go back and reread them when I need them. I was excited to start this story simply because it is by Sarah Adams, but I’m also so grateful I read it because it’s exactly what I needed to read! ❤️

Noah and Amelia’s relationship is great! I loved the grumpy/sunshine vibes, and the way they were real with each other in conversation. Amelia is used to people being false around her and the need to be perfectly polite so she doesn’t get a bad image. It was delightful to see her open up and spar with Noah verbally, saying what she wanted to say! Both character arcs were done so well, and I loved watching their romance develop!

The Roman Holiday and Audrey Hepburn references were fun, and I enjoyed getting to know the side characters in this book! The small town vibe was great, and it was fun to see what the town residents would do next. I loved this book; it made me laugh and tear up and feel all the things, which is exactly what I needed when I read it!

4.5/5 stars

Content:
Strong swearing and innuendo
Closed door romance with two fade to black scenes
(My personal preference for books is mild swearing and innuendo, which is why I took a half star off of my rating.)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


I am planning on posting my review to Instagram on September 12 on my account @always_reading_a_novel
I will post to Goodreads and Amazon as well when Amazon allows reviews to be posted.

Amelia Rose needs a mental and physical break from her grueling schedule as a popstar. Channeling her favorite movie star, Audrey Hepburn, she pulls a Roman Holiday of her own...only to Rome, KY. She breaks down in front of a house whose grumpy owner reluctantly lets her stay the night. In this small town, Amelia soon learns the story of Grumpy Noah Walker and, while intrigued by him and feeling like she can let down her personal in front of him, tries to respect his desire not to allow their attraction to get the better of them since she's leaving soon and he has to stay. The more time Amelia stays in town, the harder it's going to be to leave. Is there any way for two people with starkly differently lives to make their attraction into something lasting?

It was a fun story with a lot of crackling tension between the two leads. I hope this is part of a series that covers the lives of Noah's sisters.

This was a sweet read full of all the tropes:
-grumpy/sunshine
-small town
-forced proximity
-celebrity/nobody

I enjoyed this! However, I do think it was a bit repetetive, with a very sloooooooow burn that took about 73% of the book to get to anything truly happening between our two main characters. However, I adored the banter and the element that the sisters brought to the story. I see a sequel for James in the future.

I wish we would have had a bit more happen, it felt like everything was saved up until the very end and then we had the Mom storyline, the love storyline and the evil hollywood storyline all come togehter at the end a little too quickly.

However, this was a sweet read that will keep you entertained!

Yes! Fist pump in the air! This is exactly what has been missing from my romance repertoire recently, a swoony, breath-holding, juicy rom-com. Sarah Adams has knocked it out of the park with her adorably grumpy, blonde-whiskered, pie-making, flower-loving Noah and her pancake-destroying, pop-star, Audrey Hepburn-loving, sunshiny Amelia. Their connection is magical. It hits you in the gut and could make even the most jaded believe that it’s possible to FEEL things. From page one I was ready to ride along with Amelia to Rome, Kentucky and venture with her on whatever mishaps might befall her in this quirky small town. And happening to breakdown RIGHT outside the front yard of a “Wilderness Ken” sure does help make things interesting.

What makes this book so good is the undeniable jokey chemistry between Noah and Amelia that makes their interactions so real and honest. Neither owes the other a thing so being forthcoming with just a bit of teasing and playing helps to drive them together again and again. And let’s be clear, this is mostly a behind closed doors, slow-burn romance, but the interactions between Amelia and Noah keep the reader on their toes with the thought of what MIGHT happen. The trope of proximity helps to fuel the fire between these two as they have to navigate feelings and the reality of the future all while being obsessed with thoughts of the other. Sure, I would’ve loved to see a little more steam, but every interaction is genuine and beautifully written. And let’s not forget the townspeople who are every bit as annoyingly lovable as the residents of Gilmore Girls’ Star’s Hollow, or Noah’s three sisters who could not be a more perfect foil to his grouch-like exterior. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt a bit lonely and needed an escape, and to someone that loves love in all its forms. I cannot wait to see what Sarah Adams has in store next. This is by far her best book yet! Go read it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing, Ballantine Dell for this eARC in e cutie an honest review.

I'll admit that I have a soft spot for anything by Sarah Adams, so take this review with a heft of salt. When in Rome has everything anyone could want in a RomCom (except for spice). It is light, fluff, and all of the small town romance your heart desires. The dialogue is natural and characters likable - as wonderfully fantastical as the premise is, the stakes feel achievable. Nothing about it felt far-fetched or took me away from the humor and mirth. Truly a perfect beach read!

Super cute and fun small town grumpy/sunshine rom com that’s a perfect beach read. I loved The Cheat Sheet so was exited to receive an ARC for this one. Yes, just like TCS, there is no spice and is fade to black, but dang it, Noah was just the most perfect man, so I let it slide 🥰

I will forever read anything by Sarah Adams. I have recently discovered her books and I am obsessively in love with her writing and characters. When in Rome was absolutely adorable. This cute story follows our main character Amelia, who's a famous pop star. Amelia decides to take a break from her singing career and ends up in Rome, Kentucky where her car brakes down. But luckily for her, it brakes down right in front of Noah's house. They end up having a cute slow burn romance. I loved everything about this book! Noah and Amelia were perfect for each other and I loved how the small town of Rome was rooting for them. Thank you NetGalley for giving me this amazing opportunity! I can’t wait to have a physical copy to my collection.

It is a rare rom-com that keeps me reading way past my bedtime but When in Rome did it to me. Amelia is adorable as the “lost” famous singer and Noah the perfect gentleman that “finds” her. I love their chemistry. Noahs family and the citizens of Rome are picture perfect- even when paparazzi descend on their little town. All in all an entertaining and enjoyable read.

Yep, here it is. Sarah Adams at her absolute finest. Gosh, I loved every minute of this sweet, grumpy/sunshine, celebrity in a small-town romance. I could NOT get enough. If you are a Sarah Adams lover (which you should be), or if you have been seeing her around and want to try out her books, When In Rome is Sarah doing what she does best.

Rae Rose is a name everyone has heard of in this contemporary romance. Her dreams came true of becoming a household name and super famous pop star. But burnout is real friends, and she finds herself running away from her responsibilities to the small, little known town of Rome, Kentucky. When her car breaks down right outside of town, she finds herself in the front yard of surly pie shop owner, Noah Walker. Noah is still hurt from his last attempt at romance and has no time for the pop star princess that has landed on his front door. Enter meddling locals, nosey family members, and a connection that they just can’t ignore. It’s glorious.

I am such a sucker for a dual POV romance. The complete opposites that are Amelia (Rae is her stage name) and Noah shine in this grumpy X sunshine love story which I think may be my new favorite trope. Getting to be in both headspaces as this story builds adds so much depth. Noah is tough on the outside but sweet on the inside. I could eat him up.

The cast of side characters Sarah creates in this one almost steals the show for me. Think three nosy, caring, and hilarious sisters. Meddling townspeople that literally make me laugh out loud. I get very Stars Hollow vibes and I’m here for ALL of it. Mabel is my spirit animal and I hope I am as feisty as she is in my old age. It’s a skill for an author to build this world with such a great story and side characters you love just as much as the main characters.

Pick this one up if you like:
-Grumpy X Sunshine
-Closed door spice that somehow still feels steamy
-Fantastic group of side characters
-Whirlwind love stories done right
-Delicious Banter
-Stars Hollow Vibes
-Sarah Adams in general. Her books are such a delight from start to finish

When life gets crazy and too overwhelming the greatest solution is to take a Roman Holiday right? To Rome, Kentucky that is. Superstar Amelia and small town baker Noah meet after Amelia finds herself broken down on his front lawn. He’s too busy to jump into any new relationships right now and she’s just looking for an escape from her whirlwind life in this small town! What starts as an innocent getaway from the fame and limelight ends up as a cute and quirky small town romance!

This book gives all the small town, Hallmark, cheesy rom com vibes! I loved every second of it! The cute banter between Noah and Amelia is perfect and their personalities match up so well! Grumpy/sunshine trope for the win!! Sarah Adams is always a hit!

🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 for me!

A HUGE thank you to Random House and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this one! Everyone make sure to grab this one up on it’s pub date: September 20th, 2022!

Cute rom-com which is not what I was expecting from the title of the book. I thought of Italy and it’s Rome, Kentucky instead. But Amelia and Noah are surprisingly right for each other even though they try not to be. And who can resist the allusions to Audrey Hepburn and
Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday?

“I am trying so hard to stay away. And I’m failing.”

Omg this book was amazing! There are so many great tropes in this romance! I loved Amelia and Noah’s meet cute. It was so funny how Amelia thought Noah was a serial killer when her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and he comes to help her. The result ends up with her sleeping in his guest bedroom! The forced proximity was everything in this book! There’s even a scene where Amelia thinks of smelling his deodorant because Noah smells so good. I loved how Amelia becomes obsessed with Noah’s pancakes and tries to re-create it throughout the book. It ended up with laugh out loud moments! Noah is a cinnamon roll! He is such a good person that right away you fall for him! He cares for his sisters, runs a pie shop, and cares for people. His protective side for Amelia is just so sweet! She’s not happy in her life and he tries to bring her happiness!
Even though this is a closed door romance there are some steamy moments! There is this one scene where Amelia and Noah go pretty much skinny dipping and it evolves to more…!

Read if you like:
Dual POVs
Small town romance
Celebrity romance
Forced proximity
Cinnamon roll hero
Grumpy hero
Closed door romance

After reading the Cheat Sheet I was super excited to read another from Sarah Adams!  When in Rome was a classic grumpy/sunshine trope that had me smiling throughout.  Definitely on par for the slow burn, no-steam Adams is known for.

Pop Star "Rae Rose" (real name - Amelia) finds herself with a broken down car on the front lawn of grumpy small town bachelor, Noah, while trying to run away for a break before her 9 month music tour.  Rome Kentucky is the only "Rome" within driving distance and reminded me of a Gilmore Girls scene of Stars Hollow.  Small town vibe, friendly neighbors, and the Pie Shop Noah inherited from his grandmother.  Noah invites Amelia to stay in his guest room until her car can get fixed and the sexual tension is instantaneous.  However, boundaries are set very early on knowing Amelia has to leave eventually to start her tour and Noah's past relationship left him with some trust issues.  Cue the slooow burn!  It was frustrating at times with how very slow it burned, but the side stories of Amelia falling in love with the small town,  the beautiful relationships with Noah's sisters and the lengths in which they tried to avoid being alone with each other was very entertaining.

A super fun rom-com a la Hallmarky Vibes!

A famous singer, exhausted by her career’s demands, gets stuck in Rome, Kentucky where she finds much needed rest, community, and love.
The first time I opened this book, I put it down because I thought Rae would annoy me. I picked it up a month later and dove fight in. I was a little shocked when this took place in Kentucky because I was really excited for some Italian settings based on the title. However, the small town was adorable. I love a grumpy love interest with a heart of gold and Noah delivered. Sarah always does a great job of writing relationships that are closed door but still have a fun attraction and tension.
4.5⭐️ for me. This book delivered what I want in a fun rom com, even if it’s not a story that impacted me enough that I’ll remember the plot long term.
*thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy

I had read this right after I read the cheat sheet! I absolutely fell in love with this story and I can’t wait to share it in my socials😊

After reading The Cheat Sheet, I was very excited to read this especially after reading the synopsis. I am happy to say that I absolutely loved this book. It’s a very cute and fun romcom that I think is the perfect summer to fall transition book. This felt like a Hallmark movie in book form and I ate up every word of it. If you love small town romances, grumpy x sunshine, and forced proximity this book is for you. I think you’ll really enjoy this book if you love Gilmore Girls, like me. The atmosphere and people of Rome, Kentucky is similar to Stars Hollow and Amelia and Noah’s personalities reminded me a lot of Lorelai and Luke when I was reading.

Both the main characters, Amelia and Noah, are extremely likeable and have my heart. Their banter is so fun to read and had me laughing multiple times. I love that this was written in dual pov so that we could see both Amelia and Noah’s thoughts and emotions. The pacing of the book was very good too, there wasn’t a single dull moment. I love Sarah Adams’ writing and I cannot wait to read more of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 4 out of 5 stars

3 stars ⭐️ Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had high expectations going into this book and it fell sort of flat for me. The concept was good, but the execution wasn’t where I needed it to be.

I enjoyed watching Amelia and Noah spend time together and seeing Amelia deal with her work and family issues.
The romance was nice but I didn’t feel the connection between them. I found myself not really caring if they ended up together.

I'm absolutely sorry that I couldn't love this book more. 😔 Overall, it was good, I just wanted more and wished I enjoyed it more.

It will tell you just how damn good this book is because I granted it 5 stars with very little 🌶 factor. If you loved the movie Beyond The Lights, this book is definitely for you.

Amelia (known professionally as Rae) is trying to escape her overbearing handlers before departing on a 9-month international tour. She’s trying to rekindle the love for life and music that made her a chart-topping pop star and in the process she finds herself broken down on the side of the road outside of Rome, Kentucky.

Lucky for her, she broke down in the front yard of Rome’s resident grump/hunk, Noah. But Noah’s already been burned by a big-city girl who breezed through town years ago. Can the two of them make it work when their realities are so different?

Well of course they will - it’s a rom-com people! The journey is adorable and charming and funny and I highly recommend. Plus Noah has a tattoo of…a slice of pie…nestled in flowers…so yeah he’s a keeper.

CW/TW: toxic relationships, infidelity, dementia, death of parent

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the arc in exchange for an honest review

I was pretty smitten with this book from the dedication all the way through to the last page! Noah and Amelia are the perfect grumpy/sunshine couple and the Stars Hollow vibes that the (fictional) town of Rome, Kentucky gives off are so much fun!

Things I loved:
- Sarah, as always, nailed the tension between Amelia and Noah while keeping the romance closed door/fade to black.
- Try as he might to seem otherwise, Noah is just a giant cinnamon roll in human form.
- Amelia’s growth throughout the story.
- Dual POV.
- 🥞🥧💐

I wouldn’t say it beat some of Sarah’s other books for a place on my list of favorites (they fell for each other a little fast for me so it lacked some of the emotional connections that she does really well in some of her other books) but it was still such a fun read ♥️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

CW: closed door romance, some language (more than her others), death of parent (past), Alzheimer’s disease.

I love, love, love this book. Sarah Adams wrote a sweet and romantic story in a way that I haven’t read in a really long time. Of course it’s unattainable and saccharine sweet but it was beautiful. I was rooting for Amelia and Noah from the second her car broke down! I think Sarah Adams set out to write a romance in the vein of Audrey Hepburn‘s greatest hits and she hit it out of the park!

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.