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!

I had a feeling I was going to love this book from the first couple chapters, and it did not disappoint! It was so cute!!! Noah and Amelia were both such likable characters and I loved the tension between them. Also the banter with all the characters was so good! I found myself smiling and giggling the entire time I was reading this.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me hooked from the start. Grumpy small town man meets sunshine pop star was the perfect combination and Amelia and Noah’s story was adorable the whole way through. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who needs a sweet and light romance in their life. Personally, I wasn’t disappointed by a single part of this book, and I found myself unable to put it down because I needed to know if Noah and Amelia were ever going to get together. This is a book you don’t want to miss!

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

I loved everything about this book! Especially how I was quickly reminded of my love for the Grumpy/Sunshine trope. The banter and dialogue between the two main characters is so well done.

When In Rome has a Celebrity/Normal trope that was also done well. I loved having the celebrity, Amelia, as a normal, down to earth person and not somebody arrogant or full of drama. Even though she knew her privilege, she was still desperate to learn things on her own. I was very proud of her growth throughout this novel.

I would categorize the romance as an almost closed door. The spicy scenes are not graphic, but you do get a peek to the action. Even though the door isn’t wide open, my goodness, there is so much angst, chemistry, and sexual tension!

The small town gossip was a little over the top, but I loved how that all ended up working in Noah and Amelia’s favor. The town folk characters are so loveable!

This is my first book by Sarah Adams but won’t the my last. I’m looking forward to diving into her back list!

I am a big Sarah Adams fan and I was so over the moon to be able to read When in Rome in advance of it's Pub Day. Thank you so much to Dell for my copy!

Amelia is a famous pop star who jets out of town needing a break before she cracks. Basing her spur of the moment trip on the beloved movie, Roman Holiday, she takes off for the closest Rome to Nashville... Rome, Kentucky. But her car breaks down just outside of Rome in grumpy Noah's front yard. He helps her out and reluctantly puts her up in his home. Soon Amelia is falling in love with the quaint, friendly small town and the surly pie shop owner. But she needs to go back to her life in spotlight. Will they end up like Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck? (hint: they didn't end up together in the movie)

Read if you love:
-Gilmore Girls
-sunshine/grumpy trope
-famous & regular person trope
-spunky older grandmas and lovable, sassy supporting characters (who I'm guessing will get their own books)

I really enjoyed this book and I think fans of Sarah's will too. However, I did feel like there was a small difference to this book when compared to her others that she published independently. Sarah is known for her closed door yet still spicy romance, which lots of readers appreciate and love. There was a surprising amount of swearing in this book and while it is close door romance, it's definitely more "cracked door" than her previous books. Again, these are small in the grand scheme of what is available to readers. But I thought it was worth nothing that this book "pushes the envelope" a little more.

Content Warning: Death of parent, infidelity, dementia

Rae Rose is a star but she is exhausted and needs some time, Inspired by Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday she flees her life and heads for the nearest Rome. She finds herself stranded after her car breaks down in the front yard of Noah Walker. He has no interest in leaving Rome, Kentucky, the last time he did his heart was broken but he has to help stranded Rae. As Rae spends time in Rome she begins to remember who she really is , Amelia, and question the life she has been living. Noah finds himself drawn to Amelia but what will happen when she returns to being Rae? Loved this!

This is my first Sarah Adam’s book, so I went in not knowing what to expect. In short, it’s a cute and very light book, and that’s about it. I found it to be a bit too cheesy and mushy, and this caused me to disconnect from the main characters too much for my liking. It had all the factors to be an adorable romance, but it just felt a little blegh.

3.5⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!