Sarah Adams, you have my heart. If you keep writing, I'll keep reading. Y'all, I loved this book. This is the most fun little rom-com, that made CRAVE pies and pancakes.

While this is a sweet romance (no explicit open door scenes), it is SO well written it reads like a romance just without the true spicy parts. I love all kinds of romances, but sometimes the sweeter ones come across as childish or unbelievable, this one does a great job balancing the incredible chemistry between Noah and Amelia while keeping certain elements off the page. Like, y'all I could recommend this to my mom and younger sister. I love a good small town romance and this was no exception. It had the best settings and side characters. It made me laugh and dream about going to Rome, Kentucky to relax and recharge.

This book is PERFECT for fans of Roman Holiday or any movie of Audrey Hepburn, Gilmore Girls, celebrities, and sweet romance readers. Thank you Netgalley and Dell for my eARC of this book. I can't wait to add this one to my favorites shelf when it comes out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute rom-com with numerous references to Audrey Hepburn's Roman Holiday. Rae Rose is a pop star who needs to escape the spotlight for a bit. When her car breaks down in a small town and on the property of the town's most eligible (but not emotionally available) bachelor, Rae Rose inadvertently finds the perfect place to hide.

A somewhat enemies to lovers trope evolves as Rae Rose finds what is missing from her life. She is also able to step back and reflect on damaged relationships and reflect on who she can really trust. A few twists and turns lead us through a sweet love affair (both with a man and a town) and Rae Rose's path to a better life.

Great story -- nothing like being super-famous, but forced by crazy circumstances to take refuge in your old hometown. Lots of nods to the film, Roman Holiday, but this takes place in Rome, Kentucky. Slow-burning romance. I look forward to recommending this title.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: September 20, 2022

I would rate this book 4 stars! This is my first book by Adams and will not be the last! This is your typical small town romance with a celebrity MC and hometown guy. The writing was easy and sucked me right in. I found myself reading late into the night and sneaking off during the kids' nap times to read Noah and Amelia's story.

The only thing that hindered this from being a five star read is that Amelia sometimes came across as a lot younger than 28 which then in turn made me feel like the book was more geared toward YA. It's minor but enough that it did rub me wrong here and there.

This would be perfect for fans: small town romance, grumpy/sunshine, celebrity/average, witty banter, young adult romance

OH MY GOODNESS. This book was too cute! Obsessed with the fact that she can't mke pancakes because I can't either.

This book was adorable. I really love Sarah Adams and her style of writing sweet characters that have a sexy chemistry that doesn’t need to portray steamy scenes on page.
You aren’t left wanting for more in this sweet story. I loved Rae/Amelia’s banter with Noah. They were so funny together as they tried to keep apart throughout the book.
If you are a fan of small town romance, definitely give this book a try. I’ll remember all of the family, friends, and side characters. They jumped off of the pages and I could see everything so clearly.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me this early read in exchange for my honest review.

Well this was a delightful little rom-com of a book... Referring to Roman Holiday, pop star Rae Rose ditches her life for a get-away to Rome, Kentucky where she meets Gregory Peck, oh sorry Noah, our loveably grumpy lead. This book playfully addresses so many of the tropes we love when we pick up an illustrated cover romance: grump/sunshine, charming small town, found family, nowhere else to stay but his house... It is a lot of fun with many plot conveniences thrown in to lead to a lovely Happily Ever After.

I really enjoyed reading this fun book, Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me a copy of this book to preview before release!

This was my first Sarah Adams book but it won’t be my last! When In Rome is a modern take on an Audrey Hepburn classic. Overworked pop star Rae Rose escapes to the closest Rome she can find after watching Roman Holiday — except it happens to be Rome, Texas.

Car trouble strands her in the small town and Noah Walker, local baker, comes to her rescue. He’s the grump to her sunshine and begrudgingly takes her into his home after her reservation at the local B&B falls through.

Noah sees the real Rae behind her pop star persona despite his hesitations — and Rae finds his heart behind his baked goods. Will their relationship become something real? What happens when someone betrays Rae’s trust?

This is a slow-burn, small-town, grumpy/sunshine novel at its finest. It’s light hearted and worth a read!

Oh my gosh, Sarah Adams, I love you. Sarah's books are always guaranteed to be a fun, cozy read, and as soon as you pick it up, you find yourself immersed in the story and characters, and you don't want to put it down. This book was no exception! I loved the small town, Gilmore Girl vibes, and the side characters were a hoot! Will definitely be recommending this gem to everyone I know.

Sarah Adam’s books are just so much fun to read! I loved this spin on a classic (and all of the references!) the characters were lovable and I definitely want to visit this cute little town!!

Loved this book! Definitely a slow burn but it was so cute and funny. It was my first Sarah Adams book but I’m looking forward to more.

Wow! This was the perfect cute book to read on vacation! Everything about this story was enjoyable. Amelia and Noah were both great characters, and the secondary characters were so fantastic. The town setting was adorable and I just really enjoyed everything about this book. Definitely recommend it for a fun and entertaining story!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!

You have the tropes:
- famous person doesn't want to be famous / also hides out in a small town
- You can be surrounded by people and are still lonely / "I'm drowning and no one sees me" (direct quote)
- grumpy / sunshine
- slow burn
- banter

Things I liked:
- The sibling relationships and acknowledgements of their traumas
- sisterhood and female friendship
- importance of career for FMC


If you're looking for spice, this isn't the book for that, but it's super cutesy, which i typically can get into. Including a couple insinuations/fade-to-black scenes. Although the line "This morning after a shower (together, nudge nudge wink wink)" felt very juvenile and young in the writing. It was one of the many moments I felt that it was a preteen/young teen writing. The writing in general overall felt young, beginner/new writer. That initially put me off from the book and made me struggle initially getting into it. Once I came to terms with that being the writing style and looking at it from the perspective of "let me imagine this is a young adult writing a story they wish to see," I was able to enjoy it more. I think this would be a cute book to add to the YA section of a school or library (because I wish I had books like this in middle school and high school). However, it did make me check to remind myself which genre this book was listed under (General Fiction (Adult) | Romance | Women's Fiction), but could easily be YA. I did enjoy that she (the FMC) got to have the best of both worlds of her enjoying her career and not sacrificing it and it was refreshing to see the MMC put in the work.

If you're into contemporary romances that don't necessarily need spice, this will be perfect for the reader. It can definitely be considered a fluffy, palette cleanser too.

A romantic novel about a pop star falling in love in Kentucky. I was disappointed by this novel for several reasons. First, it was very unclear why the two main characters fell in love, all of a sudden they were just head over heals in love and it’s very unclear what drew them to each other. Otherwise, not much happened in the book….very little dialogue very few authentic romantic interactions, etc. it was a lot of fluff, which made it difficult to get through.. I wish the author explored more of her life outside of Rome, her relationship with her family and manager were all an after thought but the most interesting part of the book in my opinion.

I received this ARC in return for an honest review.

Who wants to have an Audrey Hepburn movie night with me? After this book I'm so ready!

This really has been the summer of celebrity romances. I got approved of this one and didn't even know that was what it was about. But I have a new appreciation for them now since I've read so many.

I haven't read too many Sarah Adams books but I did enjoy the Cheat Sheet and will have to look at more of her work since this one was so fun! And I just heard it's part of a series so I'm hoping some of Noah's sisters can find some love!

I thought the plot of this was very believable with Amelia being super burnt out and needing some time to rest. I love that she found what she needed in this silly small town. This was definitely giving me Hallmark vibes. Which I love because I'm a sucker for a cheesy HEA!

Also, if you love grumpy/sunshine this is a must read! I loved seeing Noah start to soften his first impression of Amelia and come to understand her and why she needed to stay in Rome, Kentucky.

The sisters were such a supportive bunch (even when they didn't seem that way) They all came through for their brother and I love the found family Amelia had in them. I love strong sister friendships since I have so many in my life.

This was such a fun sweet read! Totally recommend!

I was drawn to this premise because I love a good celebrity love story AND small town romance. This book was sweet and started out lovely but I admit I lost interest as the story started to feel cliche and unrealistic. I ultimately did not finish the book. Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Im sorry, but who gave this book permission to be SO DAMN CUTE!
I fell in love with this book from the first chapter. I mean, a singer who falls in love with a pie shop owner? Usually, you hear that plot and assume it's a guy singer but NOPE! Sarah Adams is here to bend gender norms and make us swoon. Amelia (Aka Rae Rose) is a princess of pop who became too overwhelmed by her life in the spotlight. She runs away to Rome, Kentucky (inspired by Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday), and meets Noah, a grumpy pie shop owner who has no time for celebrities. As they get to know one another, they begin to form a connection that will make separating so much harder when the real world comes knocking on their door.

I loved Amelia so much! You could feel her struggle with fame and how lonely she was. Her journey to mental well-being and setting boundaries in her life was truly inspiring. I love the progression of her and Noah's relationship and their journey to be together. Everything in this book, from the side characters to the town itself, was well written and well-paced, I finished it in one day! I can't wait for everyone to read this book when it comes out on September 20th, 2022.

Really enjoyed this one! I’m always a fan of celebrity/normal person in romance novels and this one hit the mark. The ending was a bit rushed and I would have liked more time with the couple outside of their mutual pining. This was my first by the author but I’ll definitely reach for more now

Review will be posted on Goodreads and instagram

“The last thing I need is some privileged pop star running up my electricity bill.”

When in Rome by Sarah Adams
Pub Date: September 20th, 2022
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 💫(4.5/5)
Spice: 🌶 (1/5)

Review:
Amelia Rae Rose is a burnt out pop star wanting to get away. Noah Walker is a heart broken back country family man. Rae tries to make a break to have her own Roman Holiday before her long tour starts. She escapes to the nearest Rome. That would be Rome, Kentucky where her car breaks down in Noah’s front yard where he takes her in until she can figure out what’s next. This rom com is filled with forbidden love and will they won’t they witty banter.

I’m obsessed. Split perspectives and the accidental first kiss is from HIS pov. Noah runs his grandmas pie shop after her Alzheimer’s progresses too far to run it herself. Noah is as surely as they come but as lovable. He might be my new favorite love interest. Also I would love a series with Noah sisters and their love stories. I really thought Madison would go with Rae on tour. The smut here is non existent but that leaves plenty of room for amazing stories of love and betrayal by those you lease expect.

If you like:
- Split Perspectives
- Audrey Hepburn
- Will they/won’t they
- Scrabble


Thank you to Net Galley and Dell/Random House for proving me with an eARC of this novel.

I picked up this book because I needed something fluffy and comforting after a slew of heavier, denser, depressing reads — and this one somehow ended up being the most depressing of all. The writing in these pages made me immensely sad; the editor in me actually started to cry.

Everything was overwritten to the point of exhausting me. There are seven sentences about Amelia’s, the main female character, history of migraines. Six sentences about why someone would let someone else borrow their truck. If you have to use “anyway” to get yourself back on track and “again” keeps coming up as you note you’ve already mentioned that, your writing needs some serious slashing. Sentences are allowed to stand on their own — they don’t need four or five sentences immediately following to explain what you meant. There are paragraphs and paragraphs dedicated every chapter to a character’s appearance — and it makes everything come across super unnaturally.

This felt like an 11-year-old writing a fan fiction about their favorite pop star. (Actually, that might be unfair to an 11-year-old.) And that means Noah isn’t a man written by a woman — he’s a man written by a girl. Because only a girl would find these playground antics (he’s mean to you because he likes you!!) appealing. And only a child would think this is what attraction is like. Katy Adams tried to lay it on thick that they’re attracted to each other, maybe because if she didn’t say that their attraction is intense, the reader would never be able to figure it out on their own.

Maybe that connection is missing because this book is almost aggressively wholesome. She’s in the shower — and he’s thinking about how nice her singing is. She’s in PJ bottoms and a camisole, and he yells at her to ask where her PJ top is (and then he wraps her up in a blanket to cover her up). One of the older women in town says it’s not right for him to be sharing his house with a woman who is tempting him. I think the characters said the sexiest thing to ever happen to them was a hug they shared. A hug. And guys, it’s important to note that she’s super inexperienced in bed. One of the characters even has a swear jar — where the money gets donated to charity, because of course it does.

The characters themselves are never able to make up for the unnatural writing and the missing chemistry. He’s supposedly a grump but comes off more as an asshole, and she’s a naive pop princess who melts at the smallest sign of kindness and is desperate for crumbs of affection. Katy Adams writes both characters almost identically in their POV chapters. They’ve got good bones, and their romance has potential, but they’re overloaded with physical descriptions and with about two or three characteristics that Adams wanted to note that they have that Noah and Amelia never got to breath on their own, and their relationship felt manufactured. Oh, and a super rushed ending doesn’t help.

This is supposedly based on the (wonderful) Audrey Hepburn movie “Roman Holiday,” and as someone who has watched that movie approximately 802 times, I’m confident in saying that’s an affront.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Random House/Ballantine, and Katy Adams for proving me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.