I like how quickly the story starts. I loved both Noah and Amelia and most of the side characters. Amelia was so fun and light even with her pressure that made her leave her life behind. I adored the games Amelia would play with Noah wanting him to be grumpy toward her.

This book had so many good tropes. You can never go wrong with grumpy/sunshine and forced proximity. One of my favorite things about this book was the angst was still there even though there was no miscommunication. Noah and Amelia knew each other’s feelings but were still longing for each other so good! I hope I see more of the side characters in more books.

I am so sad, I had such high expectations for this and it fell flat for me. I started it with high hopes but kept putting it down because it was too slow and I’m all for a slow burn.I loved the banter but the pace really held it back for me.

This was a such a sweet, fun, fluffy romance. I really enjoyed the concept and look forward to reading more from the author in the future. If you’re a fan of The Cheat Sheet then this is the perfect one for you! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

✰ ✰ ✰.5

🫧 grumpy x sunshine
🍡 small town romance
🛼 forced proximity
🌈 closed door

i was so intrigued by this cover and title because at first i thought it was going to be in italy, but to my surprise, it was in fact not italy at all 😩 (this is on me tho i don’t read the synopsis heheh)

this story was pretty cute, i liked the whole concept of the pop star meets small town hottie 🥵 where do i begin??? I LOVED noah, i mean c’mon he’s a pie shop owner, loves flowers, AND he reads?? the banter in this book is also top tier, i was definitely giggling at certain points!
buttttt, something just fell short for me 😕 i was a little bored for a lot of the book because it was just too slow of a burn for me, and i wasn’t that big of a fan of amelia!

A big thanks to Sarah Adams, Randomhouse, and NetGalley for an E-ARC of When in Rome in exchange for an honest review.

I’m gonna be upfront and say that I was very iffy about The Cheat Sheet. It was a bit too cheesy for my taste and lacked in depth.

This one was a whole other ballgame, I really did enjoy it a lot more than I did her last one. However, it’s a very instant attraction, and I know my girlies on BookTok prefer a heavy slow-burn.

If you liked Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez and In The Weeds by B.K. Horizon, you’ll love this one.

Main tropes:
~heavy on the grumpy/sunshine
-opposites attract
-forced proximity
- small town romance
- closed-door

Overall, this book was a solid 4.25 ⭐️‘s for me. Im not saying that books HAVE to have spice, but I probably would’ve liked it more if it did. But again, that’s what Sarah Adams is known for, and if you prefer closed-door, this is for you.

Super sweet even if predictable romance. Girl runs away from her highly successful music career and all of the associated fakery and stressors. Boy has been wounded and is not interested in a relationship (he's super hot and broody, of course). Boy gives girl a slice of normal, small town life and you can guess the rest.

No great literature here but perfect for a romantic diversion with some lovable characters.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 from me.

Many thanks to Netgally and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. Wow, this was the rural Kentucky/Roman Holiday mash-up I didn't know that I needed. I love the celebrity/normal person trope, and I also like a good sunshine vs. grump, slow burn romance. Amelia and Noah are adorable characters and I enjoyed the banter, flirting, and tension leading up to the romance. Very cute.

I really enjoyed this newest installment from Sarah Adams. I loved the premise; it does toe the line of a potential Hallmark movie waiting to happen with the stark difference between the two main characters, but I think the author worked it well and it didn't get too cheesy at any one point.

I found the characters of Amelia and Noah to be compelling, well-rounded and easy to cheer for. I laughed out loud a few times and found this to be utterly charming and sweet. If you prefer your romance "off-screen," this is the author for you. Most certainly Safe for PamLaue [SFPL]. I loved the tribe of sisters and enjoyed the comedic relief they brought. Noah reminds me a little of Roy Kent [which I've been seeing a lot in recent books, so there's definitely a trope emerging here or having a resurgence].
3 stars for an easy, fun read that left me feeling cozy and glad to have entered this world.

As always, many thanks to NetGalley for an e-copy of this book in advance of its release, in exchange for an honest review.

Okay this wasn’t my favorite but it was still cute. I enjoyed the chemistry but I found myself having a hard tim getting through it.

Small town romance + sunshine girl falls for grumpy country guy !
I liked this a lot more than the cheat sheet, this was very light and fluffy. For a girl who loves darker. romance I love a easy, quick read that is fluffy and light. I think sarah adams always writes likeable main male characters and noah was no exception.


Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I adored this, previously I've only read the cheat sheet by sarah adams and I liked it but didn't love it; when in rome was a completely different story for me, I kept waiting for it to get boring or have a weird plot twist I didn't like but it stayed true to the characters and the story in the best way possible, one of my favorite reads this year

thank you, NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback

When I’m Rome is a sweet romance that can literally be a Hallmark movie. With wholesome characters and a grumpy/sunshine troope, this story won’t disappoint. I gave it four out five stars because it can be predictable at times.

Super cute read. I was hooked right from the beginning and had a smile on my face the entire time. Although Noah tried his best to keep to himself and not fall for Amelia, the chemistry between them was obvious right from the beginning. Their banter was the best! I also enjoyed the side characters they were also very charming. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and would recommend to those who like to read rom-com, grumpy/sunshine tropes, and/or enjoy a "Hallmark Movie" type of read.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Omg Sarah does it again, like my heart is a little puddle of tears and happiness, this book is beyond amazing , it has so much heart in it . I adore how sarah can make you feel all the emotions on all of her books and this is one is the same.
Can we start with Amelia, I feel so much for her and Noah, man I want a Noah . Dios Mio. He is so sweet even when he is grumpy .
I dont like to spoil with my reviews so I leave it there.
But omg 100% recommend this book to all my romance friends

Noah and Amelia had my heart from the very beginning.

If you’re a fan of grumpy/sunshine and healthy communication this book is for you. If you’re a fan of spice, maybe try Amelia’s next batch of pancakes, but you won’t find it in this book. I never felt like anything was missing though, it was perfectly balanced and sweet.

Side note: This was my first book by Sarah Adams but it absolutely will not be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC. I totally thought I was going to read a book that took place in Rome, Italy not Rome, Kentucky.

This was a sweet read and could totally turn into a Hallmark movie easily. Pop star Rae Rose decides she needs a vacation before she goes on tour. Going off some Audrey Hepburn Influence she finds herself broken down in Rome , Kentucky in a man’s front yard. This man turns out to be the perfect find in the end.

Did someone say pie?!

I always love a small town guy (enter Noah) meets a big city girl (enter Amelia) in the romance world. And When In Rome gave me that. It was a fun, fast-paced read that left me wanting to read more of Sarah Adams’s work!

There are few things I love more than softening the heart of a grump, and it was a pleasure seeing that happen page over page for Noah. I loved the chemistry brought to life on the pages and would recommend this to any romance reader.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Dell Pages for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When In Rome is a sweet story about a popstar who finds herself in a small town, falling for the resident town baker. I sped through the beginning of the book and found myself laughing out loud multiple times. I feel like this book had a lot of potential but unfortunately the characters were so annoying. Amelia reminds me of a thirteen year old girl. I think the popstar thing was a little overdone. I recommend this book for anyone who like cute, fluffy romances.

Adams continues to deliver exactly what I'm looking for. This book was witty and funny, as I've come to expect from Adam's other books, but also surprisingly mature.

I feel like I have to elaborate on the mature bit because I was pleasantly surprised by it. I've read Adams's self-published and traditionally published previous works and this one had the same spirit, but in a more mature way. By that, I mean, Adams's writing feels like it's improving and getting better. The characters feel more rounded, the voices are more true to their age, and the dual povs feel like different people. It was really great!

During the entire book, I had the warm and fuzzies. Noah was this grump of a man from a small town trying his best not to fall for the very woman that he knew could absolutely shatter his heart. His every interaction with Amelia had me swooning and wanting to lock them in a room together until they worked out their problems. Alas, I can't complain with a slow burn as they're my favorite. And there was plenty of angst to go around which I also loved.

This was another closed-door romance from Adams which I personally prefer. That doesn't mean there weren't some heated moments, but she doesn't write everything out.

There were lots of side characters to love in this book. For some reason, small town settings open up the possibilities for more cooky characters. We had Mabel, who was very good at meddling in love lives, Noah's three sisters who were protective yet so quick to tease, and a poor small town lady who was scandalized at the idea of Amelia and Noah even looking at each other the wrong way.

Overall, this was another great release from Adams with all the pining and small town antics you could ask for.

This book was super cute and wholly enjoyable! The chemistry between Amelia and Noah crackled, and I found their relationship to be believable and heartfelt. The tension between the two was palpable, so much so that I wanted more and wished things were open door rather than closed lol. The plot was also paced nicely despite the short timeline of their interaction with each other, and I liked the dual POV for this one. I feel like it made things feel more real, especially since they're only together for a few weeks. I do feel like I need to see more Audrey Hepburn movies to really love that aspect of Amelia's character, but the references didn't pull me out of things too much. I love the way things wrapped up in the end, so definitely recommended!