Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read When in Rome. I’ve loved the previous Sarah Adams’ books I’ve read, but unfortunately this one was a miss for me. I found Amelia/Rae to be very annoying and immature. Noah at times I liked and at others I just wanted to yell at him to actually communicate his thoughts out loud! I couldn’t even root for them to be together, it felt so unrealistic to me. Hoping Sarah’s next book will be a hit for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Okay this book was so cute, I loved it!

Rom-com’s are hit or miss for me. I have to be in the right mood and even then sometimes they just don’t hit the spot for me. This one hit the spot in a big way. I loved the grumpy sunshine romance of Noah and Amelia! They’re flirting felt natural and the dialogue between them was genuinely cute and didn’t make me cringe. Light and fluffy, cute concept, not much spice. Definitely recommend!!

When In Rome is my favourite Sarah Adams' book to date! If you're a fan of small-town romances and/or grumpy x sunshine pairings, this is the book for you.

When In Rome follows Amelia, a pop star on the verge of burnout, who finds herself driving to Rome in an attempt to escape her life, just like her idol Aubrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday - though in Amelia's case, when I say 'Rome', it's Rome, Kentucky, not Rome, Italy. On her way to the nearest motel, her car breaks down in the middle of a grumpy pie shop owner's yard (aka Noah's) and before she knows it, she's his new house guest.

Amelia and Noah are adorable and I love them. I loved seeing Amelia start to integrate with the citizens of Rome, and how she was finally able to do simple things - like playing Scrabble! - that she'd always wanted to do but hadn't had anyone to do them with. Noah is just such a GOOD GUY, and the way he instantly felt protective over Amelia and wanted to make her smile was so cute. I was rooting for them from page one and I'm sure you all will be too!

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When In Rome is a sweet small town romance with the best grumpy x sunshine trope. We follow a pop star who gets stranded in Rome, Kentucky and is taken care of begrudgingly by the ever so handsome Noah Walker. Whew! This book was adorable. Sarah Adams is an amazing author and she does romance right. She shows us how a book can feel steamy without all the explicit details. I have cried twice now over how beautiful the romance is in her books. This one being the second. She’s the only author that has been able to make me do that. Not only did I love the main characters but I loved the side characters as well! They all had the best personalities and the love they had for each other warmed my heart. At times this book did feel a bit rushed and the romance a little too steamy for my taste compared to the other books I’ve read by her but overall it was a joyride to read and I can’t wait to pick up her next book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ highly recommend for lovers of contemporary romance
🌶🌶 alludes to sex, “fade to black,” closed-door scenes
🤬🤬

Sarah Adams is one of my favorite closed-door romance authors. Once again, she has delivered a diverting contemporary love story. I love how the relationships between her characters often focus on trust and vulnerability. The banter and romantic tension moments are written so well! I’m eagerly looking forward to her next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the eARC.

*Will publish this review on 09/19/2022 to https://instagram.com/hayleys_book_anthology?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Posted to Goodreads:

I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Amelia Rae is a pop singer who drives to the small town of Rome, Kentucky for a break before her tour starts. Her car breaks down in the lawn of the grumpy yet handsome Noah Walker. Noah offers her a place to stay while her car is getting fixed, and so begins the romance between these two. This was a slow burn with cute and endearing characters. It gave me Hallmark Movie vibes in a good way. This was my first Sarah Adam’s book and it definitely won’t be my last!

A truly delightful and cozy small-town grumpy sunshine popstar pie shop owner slowburn closed door romance that I had the most fun time with!

I absolutely ADORED this book! Amelia and Noah were easy to love, and their growth throughout the book was beautiful. Adams sets the scene of Rome, Kentucky so vividly; I felt like I could literally see the whole town. The cast of characters surrounding the protagonists added to the color and character of the novel. This is one of my favorite recent reads!

Pop star Amelia “Rae” Rose desperately needs a break from life. Drawing inspiration from Audrey Hepburn and Roman Holiday, Amelia packs up, tells absolutely no one, and heads to Rome… Rome, Kentucky, that is.

Oof, I read the title and instantly thought Italy… Nope! Instead this was a small-town, celebrity romcom with everything I wanted: sweet, funny, light, and enjoyable. I loved that she was the celebrity and he was the grumpy pie shop owner. And Rome, Kentucky had the stereotypical small town vibe where the hair stylists fill you in on the latest town gossip, everyone knows everyone including your pie preferences, and boy do they look out for each other!

As a person who really could use a vacation, I really enjoyed this book. This may have been my first book by Sarah Adams, but it will not be my last. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭 is waiting on my shelf.

Thank you to Netgalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this advance copy.

I could not put this book down! Pop princess meets small town baker sounds as Hallmark as it was but in the best way ever! Adam’s does a great job of exploring a range of emotions from loneliness, to hurt, to joy and so on! She created two characters who were enjoyable from the first chapter! No having to work your way into this book! It will grab your attention from the first page!

This book is super cute. I love Noah and Amelia. Their chemistry is tender and playful and it vibed really well with all the small town quirks. I loved Noah's siblings and all the silly folks in Rome, Kentucky. I also really enjoyed Amelia's journey to owning her own decisions and taking charge of her life in an active way.

One part of this book that really upset me was the excessive use of "male" and "female" to describe the leads. As a non binary person this kind of rhetoric is incredibly transphobic. What does man and woman mean beyond what the person who identifies as such dictates? Those identities are social constructs and repeating them in novels where these terms are somehow used to encompass the essence of the main characters is anti trans rhetoric through and through. There are other ways of describing men and women without rigidly adhering to gender norms. While the book was enjoyable, these instances really pulled me out of the book in a really jarring and upsetting way.

Overall, the book was fun and I genuinely loved the story. This would be a PERFECT book if not for those quips. But I'm hoping those changes can be made to ensure that harmful language isn't being pushed.

When in Rome is a super cute small town romance where a Grammy winning soulful pop singer and a pie baking grumpy country boy fall in love.
I loved this book it was seriously so adorable, I love me a grump and boy was Noah GRUM👏PY👏
Amelia aka Rae Rose was so sweet and fun, they were truly an adorable couple.
-small town romance
-grumpy sunshine
-forced proximity
The only criticism I have is I felt the characters were a lot younger than they were- so it kept throwing me off as I was reading it.
This is more of a preference than critique but I thought it was going to be at least a little spicy but it wasn’t really at all. I’d give it like a one bell pepper 🫑 spice rating.

When In Rome - Sarah Adams
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Genre: Contemporary romance
Length: 320 pages

Amelia Rose a.k.a. Rae Rose is tired from years and years of keeping up appearances as the "princess of pop" she is known as everywhere. Influenced by her favorite movie, Roman Holiday, Amelia decides it's time to go off grid, and ends up in Rome, Kentucky.

There she meets grumpy pie shop owner Noah, and the close knit small town he hails from. While Amelia was only meant to pass through, she ends up getting a glimpse at "normal" life. Will she make it back to the stage?

I really wanted to love this! Sarah Adams has written some of my favorite reads! But, something about this one just didn't make the cut for me. I felt like Amelia abd Noah just weren't as mature as they should've been. I love a grumpy male character as much as anyone else, but I couldn't help but get hormonal teenager vibes from Noah. And Amelia read very much the same, unfortunately.

The whirlwind romance was also too hard for me to get into. Now, I realize that as a romance reader, this is the bread and butter of a romantic read. There's just something about insta-love that I can't get behind. I love a light and fluffy read, but this was just a little over the top for me.

Overall, I appreciated the small town vibes, and the grumpy/sunshine trope. I suggest this for anyone looking for a quick, and light romance.

Thank you to Random House Publishing, Ballantine, Dell, and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A huge thank you to the publisher for an ARC!

*Note: this is an HONEST SPOILER FREE REVIEW*

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“Care has so much to lose, and almost always ends in heartbreak. Unfortunately, I’m powerless against keeping my heart in check about her anymore.”

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My love for small town romances. That’s it–that’s the whole review (lol jk). Literally one of the best tropes, no one can disagree. So, with that in mind, did I die when I started reading about a grumpy pie shop owner who’s basically the heart of a small town and a total protective softie??? Duh. Thank you, Sarah Adams, for your service.

Now listen, I have a confession: I’m not one for insta-love. It has historically been one of my least favorite tropes, especially when written poorly. But, "When In Rome" gets a pass. I swear the insta-love/attraction + slow burn combo that Sarah whipped out is some sort of crack. The banter/teasing, the wit, the longing, the passing looks…*chefs kiss*.

The story was honestly so easy to pick up and fly through. It’s cheesy and romantic, yet had a good amount of depth. The internal struggles and trauma that each character carried added another layer to the story. However, by the end, I felt that I didn’t get to experience the full extent, or much of an extent, of our two main characters’ (Noah and Amelia) individual growth. This could be because the story mainly took place over about two weeks. I just personally felt like there wasn’t much change. And by no means am I saying that there has to be some drastic, monumental event.

With that being said, I can’t talk about much more without spilling the beans, but I definitely encourage everyone to give this book a try. I hope all of you find some sort of comfort in this story.

When in Rome is a sweet, heartwarming closed door romance for fans of grumpy x sunshine romances and stories set in small towns (think Gilmore Girls).

I went into this book a Sarah Adams fan, and somehow came out of it an even bigger one! Sarah Adams has, once again, written an adorable romance that tugs at your heartstrings all the way up to the last page.

As her world tour is fast approaching, Amelia realizes she is burnt out on the one thing she has always loved: singing. In an attempt to clear her head and rediscover her passion, she decides to follow in the footsteps of her idol Audrey Hepburn. Roman Holiday style, Amelia takes a trip to Rome... well, kind of. Amelia finds herself in the small town of Rome, Kentucky, where she meets the grumpy pie shop owner, Noah. In the coming weeks, Amelia and Noah form a connection and find themselves helping and healing each other in ways they didn't expect. As her trip comes to an end, Amelia discovers her heart no longer belongs to the public city life she has always known, but to this town and the family she finds within it.

I had the most fun reading this book! Amelia and Noah are the cutest example of opposites attract. They had the sweetest connection that had me rooting for them from the moment they met. The setting was so perfect. It made me wish I had grown up in a small town, and it was so heartwarming to see the way everyone in the town cared for each other and made sure to protect one another. I truly adored every character in this book so much, and I cannot wait for the next book and for the chance to return to this charming small town.

Sarah Adams is so amazing at writing these wonderfully happy love stories and has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I know I will continue to read everything she puts out.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me a digital review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“When in Rome” by is an opposites attract, slow burn, closed door romance with a small town vibe packed full of laugh out loud moments. This one was worth every star - 5 full stars!

While many readers love a steamy read, packed full of details, Adams' does such a wonderful job of writing closed door, clean romances. Her characters and storylines are so well written that you don't even miss the steam. Amelia and Noah are characters that we all love from page 1. I found the growth of their relationship to be the most beautiful story arc.

I would give it more stars if I could. Thank you to Negalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this e-arc. I read that the author wanted people to laugh and cry with her books and Mrs. Adams let me tell you that is exactly what I did with this book. I found myself laughing out loud so many times and then I cried and then I laughed cried. I loved this book I loved this town and the community I loved how all the characters had a purpose and made to feel important. finished this book in 1 day actually hours cuz I read it btw my lunch hour and at night.

A thoroughly enjoyable read. I have many patrons in mind who would enjoy it also. The characters are likeable and feel like they are good friends. A lot was jammed into this story but never did it seem plodding or drag. It was an easy read and made me want to keep reading. I'm just sorry it is over.

thank you so much to netgalley and random house publishing group- ballantine for this ARC of When in Rome by Sarah Adams. even though i really didn’t enjoy a previous book by Adams, The Cheat Sheet, I decided to go into this book with an open mind and ended up enjoying this story for the most part.

i think unfortunately one of the biggest issues has remained a constant throughout Adams’ novels for me, and that is that even though these are marketed as adult novels and have occasionally adult themes, the characters feel can feel very childish which can often take me out of the story. additionally this was a complete insta love story which for me is unfortunately a very big turnoff. even though i understand the practical time constraint that was employed in this plot, i really wish that the story of amelia and noah falling for each other had been expanded past the mere two weeks they spent with each other. i will say i do commend Adams for not including the cliche third act breakup/makeup that accompanies so many romance novels nowadays.

overall i would say that this was a solid contemporary romance, but not my favorite. thank you again to netgalley and the editor for an advanced copy!

I read a buddy read on time!! It’s been a while- there’s just been too many good books out this summer and not enough time. This was also my first time reading @authorsarahadams and I loved her new novel When In Rome!

Amelia is a burnt out pop singer who needs a break. She gets a wild idea to take a break in Rome, but Italy is too far. So she finds Rome, Kentucky on the map and packs up beloved old car for a road trip and breaks down almost immediately. Enter the grumpy homeowner Noah to the rescue! Noah is a pie shop owner and lifelong resident of Rome. He reluctantly helps Amelia, but his 3 sisters are ready to help her with anything including a few nights of just acting like a regular person.

Noah and Amelia grow close and this is a primo example grumpy sunshine story. She’s excited for life and doing mundane things as a normal person. Noah hasn’t had much change in his life after a failed relationship and a year spent in NYC. This small town romance felt like all the best parts of Gilmore Girls centered around a delicious pie shop.

I didn’t know it was a modern take on the famous Audrey Hepburn movie, Roman Holiday, when I started but I loved how the main character used Audrey movies as a form of self care. I also love that even for a super famous person, Amelia was very sweet and not stuck up. She was very genuine. The only part I didn’t like was that the mean character in the book is named Susan! 😆 #justiceforSusans

Thank you so much to @randomhouse and Sarah Adams for my gifted ebook. When in Rome is out Sept 20!