Fans of small town romance + sunshiny city gal falls for grumpy country guy unite!!!!

Amelia’s journey to care for herself, draw better boundaries, and reconnect with the joy and passion that began her music career was so emotional and touching. Noah, my pancake-making, cell-phone eschewing, total cinnamon roll softie beneath that tough and grumpy exterior was her perfect match.

The community in Rome was honestly the icing on the cake of an already delightful story—their protectiveness of Amelia and their appreciation of who she was as a person not a pop star, their well-meaning meddling in Noah’s life to help him feel safe and free to be brave and let himself fall in love, absolutely warmed my heart and made me hug my e-reader when I got to THE END.

My Audrey Hepburn loving heart is so happy! WHEN IN ROME is a delectable romance, sweet and satisfying as a slice of warm apple pie.

The cheat sheet is one of my favorites so I definitely had high hopes going into this. And I also went into it blind. Amelia is stressed about being in the public eye so she tries to go off the grid but suddenly she doesn’t make it to where she plans on going .. Noah tries to help her but she’s not sure she wants help… this is such a warm story. Even if Noah is grumpy 70% of the time . Thank you NetGalley for the arc

This book was immaculate! It was like a Hallmark movie in book form with perfect fall vibes. It made me feel cozy and the characters were just so freaking cute! I can't get over how sweet it was. All of the small town inhabitants were amazing and added to the overall vibe.

A young pop star, a young pie shop owner meet in Rome, Kentucky. Not ready for love, Noah Walker tries to keep his attraction to Rae/Amelia at bay. Rae/Amelia has her own issues of the loneliness and frustrations of fame and knows a romantic relationship would never work with her insane occupation. Noah acts as a tour guide showing and sharing the charm and love of this small town. This slow burn romance curls up in your heart. A nod to Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn.

Cuteness all around. Cute setting, cute characters, cute premise. Enjoyable read without being too heavy or deep. This was my first book by this author and I can confidently say it will not be my last!

This book was really cute. One of my favorite things about this book is the setting. I love books set in small picturesque towns and this book really nailed that. Our hero worked in a pie shop, and honestly I wish we had gotten even more of that. I loved both of our characters and the use of the grumpy sunshine trope. I enjoyed how our heroine was the opposite of the celebrity stereotype and she was genuine and sweet. She also had some sass to her, which was fun when our characters were bantering! The downfall of this book was my expectations. I expected steamy scenes, and unfortunately, this book had a lot of build up only to fade to black. Normally that does not bother me, but I think in this case I was disappointed because I expected steam. So that was solely my bad and not the books. Next time I know what to expect when I read a Sarah Adams book!

Super cute romcom. A bit predictable, as with most romcoms. Overall a great quick read for something light and adorable.

Sarah Adams has done it again!! She truly is a closed door romance wizard. When In Rome is an absolutely delightful read. Amelia and Noah are a perfectly mismatched couple, and their romance is sweet as pie (see what I did there), but it was the ancillary characters that did it for me in this book. I loved watching Amelia navigate her relationships with the townspeople as well as with her mom. Noah's relationship with his grandma was equally beautiful. The tension between Amelia and Noah was built perfectly, and I REALLY love a good, self-aware couple. It feels like a success when I'm not rolling my eyes at the the hero/heroine. Some fun, quirky things about the novel...the swearing chart made me laugh, there's no actual pie making but there is pancake making, and the townspeople/paparazzi relationship was so funny.

Thank you Ballantine for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I read Sarah Adams’ The Cheat Sheet earlier this Spring via audio and was utterly charmed by it so I was looking forward to When in Rome! It has a similar vibe of tropes, aka a famous person and a non famous person but the story is totally different. This is a chance meeting rather than friends to lovers and has a sweet connection to Roman Holiday starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn.

While I didn’t love it as much as The Cheat Sheet, it was still sweet and has the small town charm so many people love to read in the Fall. It’s also a closed door Romance so if smut isn’t your thing, this is one to add to your list.

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.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Callbacks to Roman Holiday—I love Roman Holiday and thought it was super cute and clever to set this story in Rome, Kentucky with a musician and a baker, rather than a princess and a writer.

The Smalltown Setting—The hero runs a pie shop, what else do you need? If you can suspend your disbelief on just how nosy the neighbors are, you’ll laugh along with all the zany characters.

What Didn’t Work:

Lack of Connection—I didn’t really connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. There was something missing.

Lack of Tension—I wanted more tension between Noah and Amelia! They were trying so hard to stay away from each other but didn’t see it, only felt like I was told it.

More from Side Characters—There are so many side characters that are full of life. I wanted more from them! Especially Noah’s sisters.

Character Authenticity: 3/5 Steam Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Content Warnings:

death of a parent, dementia, toxic relationship, infidelity (past)

Small town, forced proximity, celebrity romance…
Loosely based on Audrey Hepburn’s Roman Holiday, Amelia (aka superstar singer Rae Rose) takes a trip to Rome, Kentucky to try to figure out her life before she heads out on a world tour. She ends up breaking down in Noah’s front yard and the rest is an interesting journey of figuring out what makes her happy, what she wants out of her career, and finding her true voice while sharing a space with hunky Noah. I have read all of Sarah Adam’s romcoms and she’s one of my favorite authors. When in Rome felt a little different than her other books, maybe it was the trope that just didn’t shine for me. There was a lot of inner monologue of the characters fighting their feelings for each other and it made it hard for me to connect with them and root for their romance. It was still a really cute and romantic story with great characters in the gossipy town of Rome. I especially liked Noah’s sisters who are protective and nosey. I also liked reading about Amelia’s relationship with her mom. When in Rome celebrated the strength of family ties and community support. Sarah writes with a sweet Southern charm and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine for a free Digital ARC. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Thanks to Ballantine for the free book.
Each time I read Adams' books, I know I am going to be in for a treat. Her books always make me laugh, and I know that her characters are going to have a good time. I adored Amelia and her figuring things out. It was fun to get to glimpse a 'celebrity' in everyday life doing everyday things like she wanted to. And Noah. Oh Noah, so brooding and self-protective, he was the perfect grump. I loved reading about his character arc and growth. His storyline deals with grief, and Adams handled this topic so well and really illustrated how it is unique to each person. I also adored his sisters and can't wait for their books. This book felt like a hug and left me smiling. Sarah Adams has definitely became a favorite romance author of mine because each time I am left with such a satisfactory story.

ARC REVIEW
this was such an adorable read i finished it all in one
sitting, i am weak for my cinnamon roll noah, if my
future husband isn't like this man amelia was such
a fun character to get to know i loved her story and
her character development. we love a good foodie
romance that makes your heart melt! i also loved that
it didn't need any spicy scenes for it to be more
enjoyable, i think it's truly perfect the way it is, you will
definitely see me buy the physical copy!

This was very cute! I enjoyed reading it! A great collection of tropes, and I unexpectedly was a huge fan of Noah! I would have liked to see more depth throughout the book, but the surface-level engagement on topics like grief and stardom was interesting.

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I will read every book that Sarah Adams writes and enjoy every one. Amelia is a pop star, trying to escape from her famous life for a while. She loves Audrey Hepburn so Rome, Kentucky is an escape within driving distance. There she meets the local grumpy but handsome local baker, Noah. Amelia stays in Noah’s guest room and, once his icy shell melts, they find a genuine connection. Their differences and life choices cause complications along the way. I loved these characters and the storyline involving Amelia’s mom and manager. This is a very fun read!

Thanks Sarah Adams, Random House Publishing Group- Ballentine, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow move over cheat sheet

Sarah does not miss with her romance and this one was no different. I can fully say that the cheat sheet was the younger sister and this is the older more in tune sister! It has tons of Audrey Hepburn references as well as celebrity meets ordinary boy (Noah). The dynamic between Amelia and Noah was chef’s kiss! I must say my favorite scene in the entire book was the lake scene in chapter 26 & 27. The sneak peak for that scene is up on my reels and TikTok. Noah is this perfect small town guy who loves everyone. He reminds me of the TikTok look like it could kill you, is a cinnamon roll! Amelia was just so relatable for being a celebrity and she gave me like Dua Lipa vibes when they talked about her music and shows. Overall this book was amazing and I totally recommend picking it up if you love closed door romance and any of the tropes below!

Big thank you to NetGalley, Random house publishing: Ballantine, and Sarah Adam’s for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!! ❤️

Tropes include:
Grumpy x sunshine ☀️
Small town romance 🏡
Miss understand MC
She can’t cook but he can 🍚
Lots of banter ❤️
Guy falls first 👏🏼
They read together 🙈

My review is up on Goodreads now!
One instagram reel and TikTok will be posted Friday September 2nd as well as my review on instagram

A huge thank you to Sarah Adams, Random House and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of When In Rome in exchange for my honest review. This book releases 9/20/2022!

I couldn't have picked a better book to end the summer with. It was such a light, quick read and I adored the characters.

If you're into grumpy/sunshine, small-town feels, forced proximity, "friends" to lovers, then you're going to absolutely love this book.

Noah is a classic surface grump. He wore his heart on his sleeve and it got broken... so, he swore off love- especially the kind that literally crashes into his life. He just doesn't have it in him to love like that again- or so he thinks.

Amelia, or Rae Rose, is a pop-star princess who is utterly exhausted and drowning in her fame. She's surrounded by people, but has never felt more alone. She escapes to Rome, Kentucky where she finds herself in Noah's front yard.

The love for the town, the people and Noah bubbled like the juices of a blackberry pie and there was no stopping the chemistry that was baking. I laughed and smiled and found myself yelling at them to just get over themselves and dive in!

Sarah writes the best characters and I devour every book of hers in one sitting... this book is no different, there is honestly so much to love about this book, that I could write a very very gushy review, but in the interest of time (yours and mine) lets keep it shortish!

Firstly, their meet cute is hilarious… no spoilers, but Noah is brilliant and I loved him from the moment I met him and he is so dry I love it. "He’s a little grumpy, there’s an edge to him that says careful, I might bite, but then his eyes whisper, but I’ll be gentle."

Secondly, Rae - she is actually as lovely as can be and is so sweet to those that she meets, I loved how she pushes Noah outside of his comfort zone. "He doesn’t find me charming. I’m the most uncharming person in the world to him, and I think I love it."

Thirdly, the secondary characters - oh my goodness, we literally have a treasure trove of goodness here! They are all quirky and amazing in their own ways and I want to live in this town and have everyone know my business - for reals! Not to mention Noah's brilliant and wonderful sisters - I cannot wait to read more about them.

If you love the following:
Grumpy/Sunshine
Flirty Banter
Small town
Surly/broody hero
Heroine in need of someone to see her
Nosy sisters
Hero is a baker
Hot chemistry

Then you need this book like fries need ketchup! Its brilliant and I will love it forever!

“𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘐’𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐’𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰.”

𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖: rae rose is completely burnt out from her pop star life. she decides to visit the closest she can get to rome and ends up in rome, kentucky. not only does she fall in love with the town, she falls in love with noah too.

𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒: sarah adams you rom com genius. i freaking adored everything about this book. we STAN a grumpy sunshine and noah is IT. i was SWOONING over noah and amelia. noah was so tender, so caring, & so loving and amelia was also such a sweetheart and not what you would expect from a pop star. i genuinely rooted for them from the beginning and was so invested in their individual growth as well. and literally every freaking side character in the small town was amazing and made my heart so happy. so, i highly recommend when this one comes out in september!

special thank you to random house publishing group (ballantine), sarah adams & netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
•••

From the author of The Cheat Sheet, this adorable rom-com follows Amelia, a pop star desperate for a vacation. Inspired by her love for Roman Holiday she decides to escape to Rome... Rome, Kentucky that is. She meets a handsome pie shop owner once in Kentucky and the rest is history.
I thought this was such an adorable, heart-warming read. Amelia and Noah were both interesting characters with well-rounded personalities and their love story was funny, romantic, and had a depth to it that not all love stories have. In the town of Rome, Kentucky everyone knows everything about everyone and that small fact plays a big roll in Noah and Amelia's story. I thought all the side characters in Rome, as well as Noah's three sisters, added so much personality to the story without it being too cringy. In fact, this book contained very little cringe at all. So, to the readers that hate when romance novels fall victim to a lot of cringe: pick this one up! I've always loved stories that involve a celebrity trying to stay undercover and this story is no exception. I thought Amelia's background could have been fleshed out a bit more but nevertheless I thought she was a fun, kind, thoughtful protagonist that was a pleasure to read from. I could relate to her love for a classic icon like Audrey Hepburn and I loved getting to see that side of her personality.
This book can best be described as a Hallmark movie in book form. When in Rome delivered on all the pies, burnt pancakes, and warm fuzzy feelings that one could ask for. This is a must read that everyone should pick up next month!!

Amelia Rose, stage name Rae Rose, is three weeks away from going on her world tour and is completely burned out. In homage to her favorite Aubrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday, she decides to leave in the middle of the night for Rome, Kentucky to take a well needed break from everything.

That night Noah finds Amelia in her broken-down car on his front lawn. Noah reluctantly agrees to let Amelia stay in his guest room while she's waiting for her car to be repaired. Noah is trying to avoid answering questions from his neighbors of who the mysterious girl staying in his house is, while he's busy running his pie shop.

Noah introduces Amelia to small town life and shows her what is like to not be lonely anymore. Noah soon begins to see a different fun side of Amelia, a side that's the opposite of Rae Rose. Along the way Amelia helps to break down the wall Noah has built around his heart. All too soon Amelia has to go back to her life on tour. Somewhere along the way Amelia fell for her grumpy tour guide.

If you are looking for a small town, opposites attract, grumpy sunshine romcom this is the perfect read. Even though this was a closed door romance the chemistry between Amelia and Noah is fire. One of my favorite parts of this novel is their witty banter. It creates so many laughable moments. Amelia's character came to Rome, KY looking for a respite from her pop star life and grumpy Noah was just the person to breathe life back into Amelia again. Sarah Adams did such a wonderful job writing this novel. I truly felt the feelings of the characters and found myself laughing and crying multiple times in the novel. I've never read a Sarah Adams book before, but she is now on my list of auto buy authors.