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.

Thank you to @netgalley and @authorsarahadams for my ARC copy of When In Rome!

Super star Rae Rose has reached her limits and is desperate to get away. She takes a cue from Audrey Hepburn's Roman Holiday and runs off to the closest Rome she can get too....in Kentucky! She ends up on Noah Walker's doorstep as Amelia, the person most people in her inner circle have forgotten.

The first thing that comes to mind with When In Rome is that it is like a Hallmark movie with a bit less cheese and a bit more spicy (but not spicy)! I am all about good banter and the banter in this story is fantastic!

One thing I love about Amelia and Noah's story is that there is no case of mistaken identity or hidden fame. Just two people learning the differences of their worlds and bonding over burned pancakes, books, and nosey, but loving sisters.

This is the perfect addition to Sarah Adam's growing list of rom-coms.

If you’re looking for a perfectly irresistible rom-com look no further. Sarah Adams has definitely become go-to rom-com author for me.
This one has so much to offer, including:
🧡Small town southern charm: I love stories set in a small town where everyone knows everyone, secrets are hard to keep and people look out for each-other. Rome, Kentucky is all that and more!!
💙Laughter: This story had so many humorous moments. The banter between the love interests is perfect!
❤️The most endearing & huggable characters: From the siblings to the neighbors and even the town gossips-these characters were adorable and I want them to be my friends!
💛Opposites attract: He’s a grumpy small town pie maker-she’s a celebrity just looking for a vacation.

I really hope there will be more from the residents of Rome, because I want more of these characters!
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was another stellar book by Sarah Adams. It has the making of a fantastic book, opposites, small town, pie shop and pop star. I would recommend to all my friends!

This is my first read by Sarah Adams, but have been recommended her books before and I cannot believe it took me so long to finally read one! When in Rome was a cute small town, quasi Hallmark, grumpy/sunshine romance. Great chemistry of the main characters from first meeting, definitely looking forward to her other books!

In true Sarah Adams fashion, I loved this closed-door, low-steam romance! I loved the pop star turned small town girl, the broody baker, the village coming together to protect the main character.
All of it...

I had previously read The Cheatsheet by Sarah Adams so I was familiar with her writing style. This was such a cute slow burn romance with a HEA. I loved the grumpy sunshine trope in this book and it had me hooked from the first page. Amelia “Rae” Rose and Noah’s story was so cute and it reminded me of a Hallmark movie. I will definitely be reading more Sarah Adams and will be purchasing a hard copy of this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Okay when I say this is a book I NEEDED to read, I am not lying to you. This book was the cutest thing! I loved the character development and relationship dynamic between Amelia and Noah. I have been needing a new book couple to fall in love with and they are it! "Wilderness Ken" is here to save the day when Amelia's car breaks down and I am obsessed with a good meet cute. Reading about a grumpy man who is actually a teddy bear who loves flowers was the pick me up that I needed to get back into reading romances. Sarah Adams can do no wrong in my book, I have loved all of her books so far, this one included, and I cant wait to see what she comes up with next!

Amelia Rose, or Rae Rose as she's known to millions all over the world, is burnt out from years of maintaining her perfect "princess of pop" persona. She should be gearing up to head out on a nine-month tour, but instead, she's stranded on a dark, secluded road in the middle of nowhere. Amelia has always taken comfort and sought advice from Audrey Hepburn movies, so when feeling overwhelmed, she decides to make like Audrey and run away to Rome. Except, Italy is too far away, so she settles for Rome, Kentucky instead. She just wanted a break from her grueling schedule, not to end up the latest case on Dateline, but then Noah Walker comes to her rescue.

When Noah Walker finds Rae Rose on his front lawn, he makes it very clear that he has no time for celebrities or the hassle that comes with them. All he wants to do is live a quiet life running the small pie shop he inherited from his grandma. Despite his better judgment and the busybodies around town, Noah agrees to let Amelia stay in his guest room while her car gets fixed. He knows they are from two completely different worlds, which didn't work out so well for him in the past, so he's determined to steer clear for as long as she's in town. But then Noah starts to see a different side to Amelia, the goofy, kind, sad side the world never gets to see, and he can't help but draw her near. Amelia knows she'll have to face the music and get back to her glamorous life eventually, but will she be able to leave Noah and the town she fell in love with behind when the time comes?

By the end of the first chapter, I knew I had to apologize to The Cheat Sheet because this was coming to take the trophy for being my favorite Sarah Adams book. I loved everything about this. Everything from the characters to the setting had me charmed. Adams has this way of making her main characters relatable and quirky, but not in an insufferable way. More like a "Yep, I would get embarrassed and ramble too much in an awkward situation as well" way. Admittedly, most of her heroines feel similar, but I love them too much to care, and Amelia was no exception. She has the weight of the world on her shoulders and this constant need to put up this polite facade, but all that fades away, and she can just be herself with Noah. And Noah! What a man, what a man, what a mighty good man. Grumpy on the outside, yet soft on the inside are my favorite kinds of love interests, and, good grief, did he have me swooning. They had such fun banter together, and I was smiling the entire time. I also couldn't get enough of all the secondary characters who all added another level of humor to this. I can always count on Adams's romances to be light, sweet, and as refreshing as a cool breeze on a warm day, and I'm excited to pick up whatever she comes out with next.

This small town romance swooped me right up, I was hooked on this book from the very first page. Noah’s grumpy, sarcastic, straight to the point attitude pulled me right in 🤌🏼 I loved loved loved how Amelia didn’t take him too seriously and always called his bluff, their relationship throughout the book is what kept me up until midnight reading 😅 Amelia’s growth to start living for her was E V E R Y T H I N G.
I adored Noah’s relationship with his sisters 🥹
Noah’s character was probably my favorite, he’s so devoted, honest and just a good guy. I loved the slow-burn romance, it was seriously so hard to put this book down.

4.25⭐️ This book was so cute and such an nice and easy read! It was the perfect light book to read and it had so many funny moments that made this book so fun! I love a good small town romance with a mix of comedy!

This book comes out on September 20, 2022.

Tropes:
-small town
-grumpy/sunshine
-forced proximity
-famous mc
-rom-com

I loved this book! It had so many things I like in a book.

Small town - check
Grumpy MMC - check
Likeable WMC - check

The storyline made sense. It had a natural conflict and resolution that was wrapped up in the end so it didn't keep you guessing. I loved the relationship between the characters and it made me want to move to Rome, KY.

The only thing I would change about this book is to add more spice. It was more "closed door" or "fade to black" which is fine, but I personally like more spice in my books.

A cute and easy read. Rae is a pop star in desperate need of a vacation, on her way to the closest Rome she can find - in this case, Rome, Kentucky. Her trusty Corolla gets her 98% of the way there and then gives up the ghost…on the sinfully attractive Noah’s front lawn. It’s lust at first sight, even though they both know it’s a terrible idea. Until the paparazzi somehow find her, throwing this small town into a tizzy in the process. 4/5

**Thank you for the ARC. All opinions are completely my own.**

3-3.5 stars. An average read.

This book was A-OK, but that's about it. I liked the banter between the two characters and the interesting, well-developed side characters, but other than that, this fell flat for me. It was a sappy and predictable plot set in a small slice-of-life town. There was humor, at least, but the plot seemed quite cluttered and too fast-paced in some places.

More importantly, there are some serious grammar and punctuation issues that caught my eye in the very beginning.

TLDR; Very much meh. Recommended to those who like Hallmark movies and predictable romances.