When in Rome is the story of a pop music star, Rae Rose (real name Amelia) who has been burned out on the demands of stardom, the constant micromanaging of every aspect of her life, the entourage everywhere she goes, all of which have left her feeling disconnected from reality. Amelia's default creature comfort for when life is too much is diving into Audrey Hepburn movies.

On one particularly awful day, Ameila decides she wants to run away like Audrey does in Roman Holiday. Her schedule won't allow time to escape all the way to Rome, Italy so Amelia decides the closest Rome, USA will be good enough. She's in luck - there's one in Kentucky, only a few hours from her current location in Nashville. She hits the road, then hits a snag with car trouble and no cell signal. With no idea where she is or how to get help, she finds herself reliant on an attractive but grumpy young man to get her car fixed and find somewhere to stay.

If you've seen Roman Holiday, nothing in this story is a surprise. But it's a lovely escape from reality, a nostalgic glamorization of Smalltown USA, and it'll make you feel better.

This books was so good!! I am a Audrey Hepburn fan just like Amelia and I was so happy to see all the references to her movies throughout the book. This is a slow burn, double POV, small town romance with great side characters. It honestly had the whole package. Noah seems like the grumpy type at first but as you continue reading, you find out he's actually really sweet. He has a different personality from the typical small town grumpy hero. Amelia is so funny, she loves teasing Noah which made the banter between the MCs one of my favorite things in this book.

The story didn't have spicy scenes besides descriptions of passionate kisses that lead to an intimate moment, so if you like your spice level mild, you're gonna love this one. I personally enjoyed it because this means that the chemistry between the main characters had to be shown in in different ways and Sarah Adams absolutely nailed it. I did miss more passionate dialogue specially coming from Noah but that's the only less positive thing I have to say about this book.

*swoon*

I am an absolute sucker for grumpy/sunshine & enemies to lovers, and immediately fell in love with When in Rome. It is a bit of a slower burn romance, but the chemistry and tension between Amelia & Noah was enough to keep me hooked.

Definitely one of my favorite books for the year!

Oh this book was so cute! I couldn't put it down Amelia and Noah's story was a slow burn that left me wanting more. The grumpy/sunshine trope is my favorite and they worked together so well! Noah protecting rae had me squealing because I truly felt how much he wanted to protect her.
The ending 10/10 it left me wanting more, I want to know how they're making it work, what's life like after the tour, do they get married?! I wanna know!

I absolutely FLEW through this book, I loved it! It was such a feel-good, light-hearted romance story. Sarah Adams has officially earned a spot on my auto-buy authors list!

This book features all of my favorite romance tropes - grumpy vs sunshine, enemies to lovers, forced proximity. It’s set in a small town & has that sense of community that I simply adore. And it’s dual POV! Making it ALL of my favorite features of a book tied into one.

Overall When In Rome gets 4.5 stars from me & I will recommend it to everyone! Thank you NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I finished this book today and I’m still swooning. Sarah has created such lovable characters both main and side and now I want to visit Rome, Kentucky!

She painted such a beautiful picture of the humble town of Rome. I want to buy flowers from Annie, a pie from Noah, and stay at Mabel’s Inn.

I loved the magnetism between Amelia and Noah how they attracted each other but purposely pulled away from either to avoid heartbreak. It provided the perfect tension for their relationship. I typically need a little open door spice in my romance but somehow Sarah won me over, this was an easy 5/5 stars for me!

Then she went and drove a steak through my heart with the sabotage and toxicity of her manager.

Man, this was just so well done. I can’t wait for more from Sarah Adams!

What an adorable book! Amelia is a mega-famous pop singer who decides to take a spur of the moment vacation to Rome - Kentucky, that is - inspired by watching Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. Her car breaks down before she gets to her B&B, and she meets Noah, who owns the local pie shop. He lets her stay in his guest room which lasts longer than he thought it would. There is no cell phone service in Rome, and Amelia gets to spend time remembering who she is.
I really enjoyed this one. It’s such a sweet romance read. Noah’s grumpiness and Amelia’s sunshine had great banter. The small town setting was cute and I loved how the townspeople helped defend and protect Amelia. Definitely recommend this one for fans of closed door romance - it comes out 9/20. Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion, and my thanks to the group of buddy readers who discussed this one with me!

This is my first book by Sarah Adams. Being a big fan of rom coms, I was very excited to read it. When in Rome was a cute, funny love story.

We meet Amelia, a pop star trying to hide away for awhile. She ends up in Rome, Kentucky, thanks to her love of Audrey Hepburn. Her car breaks down and Noah saves the day.

At first I was put off by Noah and his grumpy exterior. Over the course of the book he grew on me. As much as he was trying not to, he fell for Amelia.

I found myself giggling throughout the book. The characters were well developed and quite lovable! I will definitely read more from this author.

I'm a huge fan of Sarah Adams, but I felt like this one didn't have the same flow as her previous books. Luckily, When In Rome was still a good book on its own. I enjoyed the dynamic between Noah and Amelia and am excited for more.

This is only my second book that I’ve read by Sarah Adams, but if all the rest are as good as this one (and “The Cheat Sheet”, which I adored), then I am already hooked and will have to find the rest of her books. Sarah Adams has a way of making such lovable characters. I cheered for Amelia and enjoyed the way she came out of her shell throughout the book. This story is a dual POV which did add a lot to the plot line. I always enjoy dual POV in romance because it makes it so much better when you get both perspectives from the MC’s. I really loved how natural Amelia and Noah’s relationship and attraction felt, especially since they had only known each other for a matter of weeks, which is definitely a credit to Sarah Adams and the way she wrote these characters. Noah and Amelia had sizzling chemistry. The sparks between them were flying off the page. There is really no steam in this book, but it doesn’t matter because their chemistry was fire! Everything in this book, from the side characters to the town itself, was well written and well-paced. I hope there are more books in Rome, Kentucky! Noah’s sisters and best friend James all deserve their own books and love stories. The ending warmed my heart and the epilogue was so cute! Thank you Sarah Adams, Netgalley and Dell for my eARC of this book. I can’t wait to read whatever Sarah writes next.

When In Rome by Sarah Adams is grumpy sunshine, small town romance, mixed with a little Hallmark movie magic to create the perfect summer read. The novel follows Amelia “Rae” Rose as she escapes from her busy Nashville pop star life and escapes to Rome… Rome, Kentucky. Following her idol, Audrey Hepburn, and her movie, Roman Holiday, the singer looks at Rome for a nice getaway before the start of her tour. When her car breaks down in front of Noah Walker's house, she ends up staying the night there. But what she doesnt know is that she might be staying longer than she thinks. Noah Walker owns a pie shop in Rome and has lived there for the majority of his life. Growing up in Rome, Noah knows everyone in town, and everyone knows him, his three sisters, and his trauma. At first hesitant to take Amelia in, Noah sets clear boundaries with himself, staying away from her to protect himself. But this two week getaway might take him on the emotional trip of a lifetime.
After reading and LOVING The Cheat Sheet I knew When In Rome needed to move up on my list. Sarah Adams crafts unique yet relatable characters that grow over the course of the novel. Most novels that I have read with the grumpy/sunshine trope feel repetitive and similar. That was not the case with When In Rome. Adams took grumpy/sunshine and twisted it to fit the characters. She did not create the characters around the trope, but the trope around the characters, resulting in a naturally building story. The plot of this novel flows spectacularly and feels organic, not forced.
Both main characters of this novel stood on their own. With Amelia being a popstar, and Noah being a small town pie-shop-owner, one would not think they would relate to one another. Adams was able to make two very different characters able to form a connection around unexpected similarities, despite their clashing differences. I was excited to read from both POVs and enjoyed what both characters brought to the novel. Not only were the main characters amazing, but the side characters also brought so much to the book. Living in a small town means knowing everyone. This aspect of the plot was very much shown in the novel. Mabel, Harriet, Phil, and Tommy are just a few names of townspeople who’s personalities shone in the background of this novel. Noah's three younger sisters, Emily, Madison, and Annie, were also a joy to read about.
Sarah Adams was able to create a small town romance like no other, with charismatic banter, lively characters and a plot so descriptive one could see it with their own eyes. I rate this novel a 4.5/5 stars and would recommend it to anyone who loves intimate towns, or Hallmark movies. Thank you to netgalley for providing me an ARC!

f you're looking for a mostly light-hearted, easy, feel good romance, When In Rome is the one to grab.

This was my first book by this author, and I picked it up with some trepidation as I felt myself teetering on the edge of an official book slump. So it was a delightful surprise when I found the writing engaging, and the storyline pulling me in from the very first page. I settled into this book so effortlessly and really enjoyed the time I spent in Rome with Amelia, Noah, and the entire Rome collective.

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 kind of wish I would have gotten a deeper dive into some of the angst they were feeling. As much as I found this an adorable, engaging, heartwarming story - it stayed pretty surface level and so I never really felt it in that soul-bursting way that I wanted to. That didn't take away from my enjoyment of it, and I never felt impatient or bored with it - in the end it was just a simple, sweet, super cute romance and I loved it for that.

Sarah Adams has such a unique and fun writing voice that I am always swept into the happy bubbles of her stories with no desire to ever leave!
I loved the grumpy/sunshine trope in this book. Noah had the lovable grump down to a T and you couldn’t help loving him! Amelia was so sweet and just the perfect counterbalance for Noah. They were so cute together and I just wanted the pages of them interacting to never end!
My one complaint with Adams books is that each one seems to be pushing the line on content a little further and as someone who prefers clean books I wish there was a little less language and alluding to other things (she’s still kept them closed door though!). So while I absolutely loved the story and characters I wanted it to be just a bit cleaner. That’s personal taste though and not a comment on the quality of the book! Just a heads up for anyone who is like me when it comes to content!

Sarah Adams is one of my top favorite authors - her rom coms are the best - and When in Rome was no exception! I love a good grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, small town romance, and found family. Noah was definitely swoon-worthy. I loved that he owned a pie shop and I loved how he took care of his grandma and younger sisters. It’s the best when the grumpy MMC finally softens enough to be sweet, but only for the sunshine FMC. I loved watching Amelia slowly (and finally) take charge of her life and career. I absolutely adored how she teased Noah - they had the cutest banter! I enjoyed how the town took Amelia in and protected her. I could go on and on. This was just rom com gold!!

When a pop star trying to get away from the spotlight breaks down in front of a small town grumpy man’s house you know it’s gonna be good.

Amelia known as Rae Rose, meets our burley man Noah Walker who bakes pies, and they know their lives ~don’t mesh~ but they can’t stay away.

I love this cheesy storyline and I'm a sucker for this trope. Definitely cringey/corny in a few places but just push through for this adorable story. I really liked them together.

There were a few storylines I feel could have been more fleshed out and I wish I saw more of their tension/chemistry in a bit more of a slower burn to really feel the build up. But overall this was so cute and fun and a really quick read!!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Cute grumpy sunshine small town romance! Started reading this book before bed and stayed up late reading it because I could not put it down!

This Arc was gifted to me by NetGalley.
I absolutely loved When in Rome by Sarah Adams. I liked how easy the story flowed. This was a quick and wonderful read. I can’t wait to see what Sarah Adams has planned next! I loved the small town middle of nowhere love story between Rae and Noah. It was so natural how they worked together and lived. Rae fit in Noah’s life so perfectly. This is a great read for anyone that loves runaway rockstar and small town guy romances.

This book exceeded my expectations by far it was so good and everything I needed in a book. I loved the grumpy/sunshine aspect of this book and the forced proximity. The small town setting was also super cute and made the book even better. I normally don't enjoy celebrity romances but this one is definitely an exception. One of my favorite things about this was that Noah owns a pie shop it made me love his character even more. Overall it was just really good and I loved it.

This book was so freaking CUTEEEEEE. Any time there's a celebrity and normal person relationship, you can count me in, and this one adds the small town charm we all love from Gilmore Girls with a dash of slow burn, and it's just a pie baking chef's kiss!

This was a really sweet, light & fluffy rom com! The setting of the town was fun and the side characters made it come to life. The relationship between Amelia & Noah was lovely! I love how they became friends before becoming a couple.

However, this book was a bit too fluffy for my personal taste. I think the book was well written and that the right audience will absolutely love it!

I definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a sweet and simple romance that will bring a smile to your face!