I was so excited to get an ARC of “When in Rome”. Tropes involved Pop star meets small town baker, opposites attract, grumpy sunshine. Pop Star Amelia Rose is burnt out and in need of a very serious vacation. Using her favorite movie Roman Holiday deciding to follow in Audrey Hepburn footsteps she decides to escape to Rome, Ky. That’s right Rome,Ky but on her way through town her vehicle breaks down right in front of Grumpy Noah Walkers front yard. The meet cute between Amelia and Noah had me laughing out loud. The story then decides to tug on my heartstrings. Amelia character breaks my heart she lonely from living the celebrity life and no one to talk to. I immediately felt for her. And Grumpy Noah has his own reasons for keeping Amelia at a distance. Both the main characters are wonderful Amelia is funny and kind and Noah is the grump with a heart of gold. But the townsfolk of Rome just make me want to go live there myself. From Noah’s best friend who knows how to push his buttons to his three very upbeat sisters. And then you have all noisy, busybody townsfolk who make you fall in love with the town. I only hope I get to come visit Rome, Ky again each of Noah’s sisters sure could find their own love.

So many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the arc!

Reading this book felt like springtime, curling up in a perfectly worn leather chair with my favorite book, a piece of my mom’s rhubarb pie next to me and the window open to let in a spring breeze and the smell of flowers. Free therapy, it was like free therapy.

Ok. Here’s the thing. I can’t imagine how nerve-wracking it is to release a new book after you’ve had one go viral on tik tok like the Cheat Sheet did. But let me tell you, Sarah Adams has nothing to worry about because When In Rome is BETTER than the Cheat Sheet (and I adored Bree & Nathan’s story). Amelia and Noah’s story had me absolutely hooked from page one.

What I loved:
☀️ sunshine + grump trope (executed flawlessly)
🌻 a cast of small town characters that had me wishing Rome, Kentucky was real (can Mabel be my grandma?)
💛 amazing family and friendship dynamics that warmed my lonely little heart
💫 the journey we got to see Amelia go one, from feeling lost in the world to finding herself
🥧 all the love for flowers and pies and books and cozy small towns


I’ve loved Sarah Adam’s stories since I first read The Match, and she continues to be an auto-buy author for me. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy of When in Rome! Catch me first in line at the bookstore on September 9 🥧

I freaking loved everything about this. EVERYTHING. It was hilarious and romantic and charming and classy and so, so, so well done. I’m not ready to say goodbye to Rome and these amazing characters.

The writing was fabulous, and had me laughing out loud several times. Amelia was a GEM!

And there was no huge conflict at the end, which I dread in any book. It’s always so cringey and predictable. This book was perfectly paced and realistic, and the “epilogue” was brilliant.

Please please please pick this up when it comes out on September 20th! You will love it.

Sarah! Please write the Emily, Madison, and Annie’s stories next!!!!!!

* Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC!

I have thoroughly enjoyed Sarah Adams’ other books, so I was super excited to read this new Small Town romance from her. The title is deceiving because I thought at first that this book would be set at Italy. But rather, WHEN IN ROME is set in a small town with tons of charm and delight. I found this fast paced and really easy to read, I truly could not put this book down! I am very excited to see what Sarah Adams writes next!

4/5 stars

When global pop star sensation Rae Rose, aka Amelia, experiences burn out from her overwhelming music career and celebrity lifestyle, she is inspired by her favorite film Roman Holiday and secretly escapes to Rome for a short trip before her upcoming tour. Italy is too far away though, so she settles for small town Rome, Kentucky. On her way there, Amelia’s car breaks down in the middle of the night in a stranger’s front yard and that stranger happens to be grumpy pie shop owner, Noah Walker. Although he wants absolutely nothing to do with Amelia, Noah reluctantly offers his guest room to her while her car is being fixed. That small act of kindness opens the opportunity for the two to genuinely get to know each other and possibly fall in love.

This was my first ARC and it was so much fun to read! I’m a huge fan of small town romances, forced proximity and grumpy-sunshine tropes, and dual perspectives; this book has it all! Although this story is a very slow burn and is basically smut-free, the tension/chemistry between Noah and Amelia is undeniable. Both leads were very likeable, but I especially enjoyed how close Noah was with his sisters, and how accepted and protected Amelia was by the residents of Rome, Kentucky.

Thank you to @netgalley , @randomhouse , and @authorsarahadams for the eARC and chance to review!

I’m always up for some baked goods, naturally when I saw the cover of this book and the synopsis I had to request An e-ARC! When in Rome by Sarah Adams 3.75 💫 this read was undeniably cute and I loved that it took place in a small town! We follow MC Rae Rose as she takes a much needed vacation from her celebrity duties as a singer. She has an estranged relationship with her mother and just really wants some time to mull over the current state of her life and how she got to where she is. Enter, unexpectedly, a baker who runs a pie shop (how cozy and an utter dream, am I right?) who is the stereotypical “give you the shirt off his back” kinda guy and he’s not looking for a relationship. When a fated meeting occurs, will Rae Rose’s trip be cut short or will she fall back on the phrase “when in Rome,” and truly slow down and embrace small town living.

I felt the book had plenty of funny, sweet, relatable moments but at times was a little slow for my taste. It still kept my interest and I was invested. I’m not really here for fade to black moments and I didn’t know this going into the book so that took me a little by surprise. Anywho, it’s an enjoyable read nonetheless and thank you to @netgalley and Sarah Adams for the e-ARC! Check it out on its release day 09/20/2022!! 🥧

Sarah Adams does it again with another super cute (but just a little spicy) book.
Told in dual POVs, When In Rome is the perfect combo of sunshine vs grump, celebrity meets country charm, opposites attract (but certainly not at first, of course!)
Sweet romance + hometown setting = an easy five star read!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC!

Sarah Adams’s does it again! This was the sweetest rom com with a fun setting and loveable characters. I love the celebrity romance trope. This is a slow burn closed door romance but don’t let that deter you open door fans. The chemistry is perfect and the sexual tension is 👌. Definitely recommend this one!

HUGE Sarah Adams fan and this book definitely did NOT disappoint! I loved everything about this book. The plot. The characters. The setting. The writing. Will definitely be recommending this cute and quick read!

Nothing beats a well written small town romance just like this one!

I had a hunch that I was going to enjoy this one just as much as when I read The Cheat Sheet last year and I was so right!

Sarah Adams' book When in Rome is a heartwarming novel. Set in a small town, the story provides a delightful romantic background for the plot. As a result of Adams' writing style, readers experience feelings and emotions alongside the characters. Anyone that loves an uplifting book sprinkled with humorous banter will enjoy it.

Synopsis:
Amelia Rose is known to the world as celebrity Rae Rose. After years of being in the spotlight, the talented pop star is burned out. Tired and needing a break, Amelia drives to Rome, Kentucky where her car breaks down in Noah Walker's yard. While Noah agrees to help Amelia get her car fixed, he makes it clear to her that he has no patience for celebrities. Can fate change Noah's mind?

As well as it's loveable protagonists, When in Rome also features a colorful cast of supporting characters. Adam's description of everyday life in a small community felt relatable without being overdramatic. As with most romance novels featuring high profile characters, there is a certain suspension of belief needed to fully enjoy the book. Sarah Adams' book When in Rome is lighthearted and feels like a breath of fresh air.

When in Rome by Sarah Adams is available on September 20th.
(4.25 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫)

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, (Dell), for sharing this e-book with me. I had so much fun reading it!

When In Rome - Sarah Adams
rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
spice: 🌶

I have to confess I’m a small town romance fan and this book def hit all the stops. It’s the story of Amelia “Rae Rose” & Noah — Rae is the queen of pop & Noah owns a pie shop in this wholesome small town called Rome, in Kentucky.

This book follows the depths of the loneliness that one can feel even when being surrounded by tons of people! Sarah did an amazing job at writing the very emotional background of Rae; at the end of the day she’s just a girl who wants to be able to FEEL and to be loved! I’m so happy that Noah became that safe space for her & showed her a completely different side of life.

And Noah… wow, he suffered so much loss in his life and yet he still was that incredible guy trying to help everyone without even noticing it. The way that he fell in love with Amelia is the most touching — they were completely vulnerable with each other. Not REQUIRING, not DEMANDING, but simply loving each other in the smallest of ways.

Whether it was because Amelia wasn’t allowed to eat pancakes and he made her the best pancakes, or that she was never allowed to cut her hair and Noah encouraged her to do it & proceeded to compliment her for the new look. He wanted someone he could share his life with — truly & they both found that in each other. This version of Audrey Hepburn’s “Roman Holiday” is def a new fav. 🫶🏼

Coming to all stores near you September 20th, 2022!

Thank you NetGalley + Random House for the eARC & Sarah Adams for writing this beautiful gem 🥺💙🥞

I loved everything about the sweet book!! Cute characters, a lovely setting, and a MATURE RELATIONSHIP!!! This was perfection!

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

When in Rome was such a joy to read!
The heroine’s inner voice is charming and funny. Most of the time I get tired of “hearing” all the character’s thoughts and instead prefer dialogue, but Amelia’s thoughts were pretty entertaining alone. Following her journey to finally choosing herself was beautiful. What a transformation!

When In Rome is a celebrity meets local country baker story. It’s a Hallmark channel dream. When Amelia seeks a break from her luxurious lifestyle, she ends up stranded in Noah’s front yard. Amelia is witty and skeptical, and Noah is grounded and confident. So it goes, opposites attract.

I really enjoyed this one and look forward to checking out the author’s other works! Thank you for the opportunity to provide my feedback.

@thebookishcam on Instagram

When in Rome tells the story of pop sensation Rae Rose and her need to escape her life in the spotlight. Following in her idol Audrey Hepburn’s footsteps, she heads to Rome…Kentucky. What she ends up finding there becomes much more than an escape but a place where she can finally feel at home.

The story felt wildly implausible and incredibly predictable but I think that’s why I loved it. There weren’t many twists and turns and it was comforting to know the story would play out how I hoped. I found myself rooting for Rae and the people she came across in her escape. Rae found her escape in Kentucky, I found my escape reading When in Rome.

This book was so cute! Another one of Sarah Adams books that I really enjoyed. This book had it all, small town romance, celebrity artist meets small town pie shop owner, Audrey Hepburn and “Roman Holiday” influences.

Ameila or known to the whole world as Rae Rose is an international pop star who is about to go on a nine month tour but finds herself needing a break. Amelia finds herself overwhelmed and run down from the amount of work that she is doing and after thinking of her favorite person and movie she chooses to find the closest “Rome” without flying to Rome, Italy. So in the middle of the night she packs what's needed and drives to Rome Kentucky where things don’t turn out as she expected.

In the middle of the night she finds herself with no service and in the middle of nowhere when her car starts to smoke and is breaking down. With it being the middle of the night she has no clue that she ended up being pulled over in someone's front yard. This is where she meets the broody but really kind hearted pie shop owner Noah Walker.

Noah finds her in her car even though the car is smoking and in really bad shape. He knows almost immediately that if she doesn’t get out of the car then something bad might happen. But, he sees that she is nervous that he might have the wrong intentions. But, after finally getting Amelia out of the car he almost regrets his decision to let her stay the night because he knows that she can be trouble for him. Noah thinks that Amelia is beautiful but after being broken by someone else who was passing through town a few years ago he doesn’t want to get involved with someone like that again.

After being told that her car will take longer than expected Amelia finds herself stuck in Rome for two weeks and needs somewhere to stay. Noah takes Amelia to Mabel who owns the town’s B&B. Once they get there they are told that there are no more rooms available which means that they are stuck together. During these two weeks they realize that they cannot stay away from each other and that they are truly falling for each other. During this time Amelia meets that whole town including Noah’s sisters who she loves but was hesitant because she isn’t used to having true friends.

This book was so cute and a great romcom. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the small town romance, found family, and forced proximity tropes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have NEVER read anything by Sara Adams and if I am being completely honest I had no clue who she was when I picked this book. When in Rome starts with a Nashville star feeling burnt out and longing to run away from her life. What better place to run than Rome however; with the lack of time and a passport her travels takes her to Rome, Tennessee. This sweet story has a great meet cute and a lovely small town as the backdrop to one of my favorite contemporary romance of the year.

This book was the perfect blend of a grumpy male hero and our sunshine pop star heroine. Giving me all of the cozy, small town vibes, I see this as a book for fans of Gilmore Girls. Noah is giving me all of the Luke Danes' energy. Pie shops and diners are pretty much the same right?

This story is dual POV which did add a lot to the plot line. The ending warmed my heart and the epilogue! Ugh, so cute!

I would recommend for fans of..

- Dual POV
- Small Town Feel
- Meddling Friends and Family
- Luke Danes
- Men that cook!!!

When I say that I love Sarah Adams' books I mean it. The way that you are able to fall right into the settings of her books grab me right away. I was falling for Noah almost as quickly as Ameila. As I continued to fall deeper I turned pages even faster. I didn't want the book to end so that I could stay in the blissfulness of the bubble that Sarah created in Rome, Kentucky. I easily give this book 5 stars!

This was my first Sarah Adams book and it did not disappoint!!

The first thing I loved about it was that it was a closed door romance. I honestly can't stand when books are too "smutty" so it was very refreshing to read this.

I also loved the small town setting. It's so fun thinking of towns like Stars Hollow where everyone is up in each other's business. There was a lot of silly gossip but you could tell that everyone really cared for one another.

Lastly, I really liked the main characters. There was perfect jokes and jabs between the love interests. I never got annoyed by either character which is a win in my book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I will certainly be picking up another Sarah Adams book soon!