Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced ecopy of this book!

Why have I never read any of Sarah Adams books? After this one, I must read more!

Amelie, also known as the famous pop star, Rae Rose, has had her fill of the spotlight and decides to jump in her car and take off to the nearest place named Rome to hideaway and get her head straight. The nearest place she can find happens to be Rome, Kentucky. On her journey, her car happens to break down, in the dark, on a country road, where she has zero cell reception. Turns out, it broke down in front of Noah's house. The brooding grumpy country boy who owns a pie shop and is just trying to live a quiet life, in the same town as his sisters.

Noah and Amelia were so freakin adorable and they had fabulous chemistry! I love how much he cared for her and protected her and treated her like a normal human being rather than a celebrity. She got under his skin even though he didn't want her to. The town's people were definitely invested in their relationship as well which made for some funny moments. Noah and Amelia communicated so well and I loved that about them. I was definitely cheering for them. Such a great read and one I highly recommend!

4.5 stars!!!!

This was a cute read. It was a little harder for me to get into in the beginning and a little cheesy but again a fun read. Would've preferred a little more spice but I've never read this author before so I wasn't sure what to expect on that front. I'm not usually a fan of the celebrity - regular person trope but I enjoyed it and I wouldn't be surprised if this is optioned for a hallmark movie soon enough. If Hallmark is your vibe, you'll like this.

Posting this review september 4, 2022 on instagram (@librareads) and goodreads

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Before I start, I want to say that I’ve never read a Sarah Adams book, so I really had no expectations when going into it, which I think really helped.

I really liked how we got to see Amelia’s and Noah’s POV, which I sometimes wish I read more of in romance novels. I loved Noah and just how sweet he was with Amelia even if his methods were a little frustrating because, surprise, surprise he chose to be rude instead of upfront.

Amelia was an okay character, I really did like her whole storyline of being a pop star who needed a break and needed to find a new team that looked after her.

The book in its entirety is super cheesy and the dialogues and narrations can be a little over the top. The first half of the book was hard to follow because the cheesiness was just too much for me.

I felt like it picked up exactly when we’re introduced to Noah’s sisters, I feel like they really brought the plot to life. At the end of the book, I felt attached to the characters and I was sad to see the story coming to an end. The ending really tied the whole story together.

Overall, this was a very quick, light read with overly cheesy dialogues and characters.

Pub. date: september 20, 2022

What a sweet, charming book! I was wrapped up in the story of Amelia and Noah from page one (this was one of those read in one sitting books!) Noah is the perfect mix of gruff and grumpy that is deep down the biggest sweetheart. His adoration for Amelia is evident in his protective gestures throughout the book. I enjoyed the drama of the town keeping the famous singer, Amelia, out of the spotlight. Rome, Kentucky is the kind of town we all wish we lived in!

Thoroughly enjoyable! Sweet story of pop star meets small town boy and their realities are the enemy here. Great summer read. Intimate scenes not sex scenes, great for the modest reader.

Thank you so much @RandomHouse & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 20 September 2022)

SYNOPSIS | Amelia craves an escape from her stardom life so instead of promoting her upcoming music tour like she is supposed too, she drives off in the middle of the night only to find herself with car troubles in a rural town in front of Noah's house.

WHAT I LIKED:
- a whole bunch of tropes (grumpy / sunshine + small town romance + celebrity / average person + forced proximity)
- Hallmark movie vibes

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- Amelia kind of has doormat vibes & I'm not sure how she has realistically made it this far in her career by handing over every decision to those around her. She just felt very passive.
- the ending wrapped up really quickly & conveniently for the sake of a HAE
- there was very little respect for Noah & the boundaries he set regarding his previous relationship

I've been a fan of Sarah Adams since she published The Match and I was excited for her newest book. However, I didn't enjoy this book. The characters felt flat, the plot ho-hum, and the humor flat.

Very cute love story. It kept my interest, the characters were believable and I enjoyed the story. I want to visit this small town and try this guys pie! Very good summer read.

3.5 stars
This was a fun book. I had read books by Sarah Adams before so I was excited to try out this new one. When in Rome is inspired by Roman Holiday and it was a cute book. It was a little harder for me to get into, but I still ended up enjoying it.
Amelia was an interesting character. She had a lot going on and she was just struggling to get by. Amelia was a pop star who just needed a break. She found herself in Rome, a small town where she could just be herself. She did not expect to fall in love, but being around Noah changed things. Amelia was a more complicated character. She had a lot of layers and it was fun to get to know her. I really felt for her as she struggled to find herself again. I enjoyed reading about her journey.
Noah was a sweetheart. He had been hurt before so he was more closed off but I still loved him. Noah had a lot of growing to do. He had to work through the hurts of the past and learn to trust again. It was sweet to read about him interacting with Amelia and starting to fall in love. Noah was rough around the edges, but he loved his little town and would do anything for them. His home was Rome, Kentucky, but what would he do when he met someone who could not stay.
This was a good book but I think that I just did not love it as much as I had hoped. It took me a while to actually end up finishing the book, but by the time I finished it I was enjoying it. I was invested in the story and seeing how Amelia and Noah would end up together, but it just didn’t always hold my interest. However, I would still recommend it especially if you have enjoyed Adam’s other books. When in Rome is more of a closed door rom-com but it does have one open-door scene.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

I’m already a fan of Sarah Adam’s but omg I loved this book. Noah and Amelia were everything. I loved how you got an insight on Amelia’s life and what it’s been like and what she’s been missing. Noah, oh Noah. The perfect man. Plus he bakes? Sign me up!! Noah tries to stay away but can’t. He realizes how amazing of a person Amelia is and when she opens up on why she’s in Rome he can’t stay away even if he wants to.

In all seriousness I loved reading about Amelia and Noah. I didn’t want to end. I want more Mabel too because she’s a hoot.

If you are looking for a sweet little rom-com this is it! Sometimes I just need a break from the over emotional books and Sarah always delivers.

I love a good small town vibe in a book and this one has one of the best! I wish this cast of characters in Rome, Kentucky was real, I’d be packing my bags and headed to the Pie Shop to visit already. I also love a good celebrity/small town trope as well so this was a great combo . Sarah Adam consistently puts out fun and light reads that you can just blow through and feel good reading. Noah Walker is the ultimate grumpy book boyfriend with such a soft side you will actually melt. Loved this one!

Set in Rome, Kentucky, this book gives all the cute and fun small town vibes. Amelia aka Rae ends up in Rome after being inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn movie. Her car breaking down leads her to meeting Noah, who is running the local pie shop. I have read a few books this past year with the same exact setting of a car breaking down and then the FMC staying with the MMC, so the setup felt a little old to me. Getting past this, the story was an enjoyable, easy read in typical Sarah Adams fashion.

Follow Audrey.....I mean Rae Rose....I mean Amelia as she tries to escape the roller coaster of her international pop star life for something slower, something more meaningful. Everything you might find in a Hallmark movie is here, from city girl escaping her workaholic ways to the small-town she lands in to the woodsy, outdoorsy Noah who she falls head over heels in love with.
I had a little trouble getting into the story at first because Rae Rose was unlikable at the beginning of the story and Noah was very distant, it was hard to really latch on and plow through to where the main characters got more interesting. Thankfully, the folks in the town are interesting enough to get you through and once Rae settled into her self-exile and Noah warmed up, it was a much more interesting and engaging story.
I enjoyed the references back to "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn and the similarities between Rae's favorite movie and the life she was living. I was curious all through the second half of the book how this relationship would work and I was very happy with the ending. All in all, a feel-good romance to settle in with on a rainy weekend. I hope this becomes a Hallmark movie someday!

Thank you so much to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my review. This is such a light hearted cute rom-com. Amelia is a famous musician who loves Audrey Hepburn and Roman Holiday. She needs a break and decides to retreat to the closest Rome she can find which happens to be Rome, Kentucky. Of course, a big city/ small town romance ensues. This would be a perfect Hallmark movie. It sounds like one I have seen before, but even so it is such a cute story. If you love sweet small town romances then you will love this book. Thank you again to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my honest review.

Five Key Feels

-This book gave me Stars Hollow/Gilmore Girls vibes and I loved it.

-This book felt relevant, as Amelia becomes famous from social media.

-I love the multiple narrators in stories like these.

-Noah’s sisters crack me up.

-Amelia and Noah’s chemistry was off the charts!

——

This was such a fun and easy read. I enjoyed getting sucked into the town of Rome, Kentucky, and the people in it. There was so much depth to each character, which isn’t always easy to do in a story like this. I do wish there was more about Amelia and her Mom, but that might just be me, lol. Their part of the story seemed a bit rushed, like it needed to be wrapped up for the sake of the book.

If you are looking for a book that reminds you of small town charm, When in Rome is the book for you.

This was such a fun and unique book. Pop star getting “stranded” in a small town. Amelia needed a break from the craziness of stardom so she heads to Rome… Rome, Kentucky. Noah grumpily takes her in and tries to guard himself from Amelia. Their banter is top notch.

Noah is such a fun grump! He gets riled up by Amelia poking at him which is so funny. He’s quite the charmer even when he’s trying hard NOT to be.

Amelia shows the hard side of stardom life. I love how the stress of that melts gradually as she stays in Rome. Watching her true self unravel into quite the sass.

Mabel… goodness I loved her! Nothing like a filter free old lady.

The only thing I didn’t like was that the language was much more than the authors previous books. While it wasn’t too much to turn me away or keep me from loving the book.. it was frustrating.

Closed door romance (fade to black)

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

(this review will be posted on IG, Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub)

A fun companion book to Norah Goes Off Script and The Bodyguard where a celebrity and a “normal” person find their lives and hearts intersecting. I was glad to see Amelia show more depth as time went on. The interaction with the sisters and townspeople was very cute. And other authors could take a cue by how tasteful the love scenes are written. A great read, overall!

There is no part of me that read the synopsis for this book and still didn't think we'd end up in Rome, Italy at some point. If you're like me and hioping for that well it's not happening, but Rome, Kentucky has a lot more to offer than I would've ever expected.

I loved Amelia and Noah's banter, their playful combination of riling each other up and the nicknames were overwhlemingly adorable. Noah might actually be the perfect guy and Amelia comes with a basket of issues but she's still felt like a fully formed person with things to offer outside of being a famoud pop star.

Synopsis:
Amelia Rose, known as Rae Rose to her adoring fans, is burned-out from years of maintaining her “princess of pop” image. Inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday, she drives off in the middle of the night for a break in Rome . . . Rome, Kentucky, that is.

When Noah Walker finds Amelia on his front lawn in her broken-down car, he makes it clear he doesn’t have the time or patience for celebrity problems. He’s too busy running the pie shop his grandmother left him and reminding his nosy but lovable neighbors to mind their own damn business. Despite his better judgment, he lets her stay in his guest room—but only until her car is fixed—then she’s on her own.

I would certainly read another Sarah Adams book again, after this experience! While the subject matter was a pretty common trope of local grumpy hunk falls for pretty misunderstood outsider looking to escape her life, the execution of it was wonderful. The local hunk had the right amount of depth and backstory, and famous female lead didn't make you hate her! In so many of these stories, it's easy to dislike the female character who just seems to be totally clueless about how lucky she is. Adams did a great job of grounding her, and making her a likable character that the reader roots for. Lovely read!

Synopsis:
Pop star Amelia Rose who is known by her stage name as Rae Rose has been burned out from years of maintaining her image. With her upcoming worldwide tour approaching, Amelia wants a break. After watching her favorite film, Roman Holiday, she is inspired to run away like Audrey Hepburn’s character. She decides to drive off to Rome as in Rome. Kentucky. When Noah Walker finds Amelia stranded in a broken down car on his front lawn, he makes it known he has no time for celebrity drama. He is too busy running the pie shop his grandma left him. However, being the good person that he is, Noah decides to let Amelia stay in his guest room. She is only allowed to stay until her car gets fixed though. After spending time together, Noah quickly realizes how different Amelia is. He promised himself he was done with love especially since she’ll be leaving for tour soon. Amelia might not want to leave after all after she had gotten to know the real Noah.

My Thoughts:
Okay the grumpy x sunshine trope will
forever be one of my favorite book tropes. This story captured that trope perfectly and I loved the small town vines. Amelia was such a fun character and I loved seeing how she grew throughout the story. Noah is just perfect in every way. I loved how he had such a soft spot for Amelia and tried so hard to resist her. Their banter was perfect and I though each character was very well developed. I enjoyed reading about Noah’s sisters and how tight knit their family is.

I really enjoyed the story taking place in a small town. That aspect was portrayed perfectly throughout the story with everyone knowing everybody. Now I like my books to have a little spice, sadly this book was that spicy. However, you could definitely feel the tension between Amelia and Noah. Boy was this a perfectly paced slow burn as well.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend reading this if you want to read about a small town romance with a grumpy character who falls in love with a pop star.

I have received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.