Pregnant Saffron Cutler and Tom have moved to the house Saffron's mother inherited from her mother. Lorna's mother Rose Gray is now in assisted living with Alzheimer's. Saffron visits her beloved grandmother as often as she is able to do so. Tom and Saffron, thrilled to have a home, have hired a construction crew to expand the kitchen. But, the crew hits a snag in the form of two bodies in the backyard.

The police say the remains have been there at least 30 years, which is during the time Rose owned and lived in the house. Rose is confused and can't contribute much to the police investigation though she is questioned repeatedly. At the same time, a stalker seems to be watching Lorna and her daughter Saffron. Frightened and confused, Lorna seeks answers and discovers more than she bargained for. Who was buried there and why? What part did Rose play in it?

Though the book had a somewhat slow start, it eventually pulls you in and the various threads of the story are finally woven together to make for a good read. The audiobook, narrated by audio book veterans Kenton Thomas and Nathalie Buscombe won't disappoint.

Recommended for those who like a good British mystery and family drama.

This is the perfect summer read. The characters were so relatable, especially Amelia. Sometimes you need a mental break and you have to take charge and be selfish about it. I am so happy she found a group of people she could be herself with and a town that adored her and protected her when she needed it the most.

Sarah Adams is one of my all time favorite authors. I was SO excited when I saw she had a new book out, and that I was approved to read it early!! Needless to say, I absolutely loved it!

I loved the plot in this book of a celebrity going to a small town to escape and falling in love with someone there. I am a sucker for a small town romance. I absolutely loved both Amelia and Noah. I thought they were such great characters, and had great chemistry. It also featured some hilarious side characters. You will be flying through this book and won’t be able to put it down once you start. If you’re a fan of small town romance, grumpy/sunshine, and forced proximity, you will love it! I highly recommend checking this book out when it comes out. Also, if you haven’t read anything by her yet, I recommend all her books!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you are on BookTok, you have heard of Sarah Adams. As an avid reader, I had to see for myself if Adams lived up to the hype and was deserving of going viral.

I must admit, I now see why so many people have enjoyed her work! Adams writes characters that are grounded in reality and struggle with real life issues. I loved that she tackled lasting trauma from loss, the responsibility of taking care of ailing family members, duty and obligation versus the heart’s desire, etc. in her latest book.

The concept of When in Rome is super cute! Amelia “Rae” Rose, a pop star a few weeks away from a global tour, needs a break from her demanding life. After watching the movie Roman Holiday starring her favorite actress, Aubrey Hepburn, she decides to go to Rome. Well, her version of Rome- Rome, Kentucky. Little does Amelia know that her time spent in Rome will open her eyes to what had really been going on in her life and lead to a possible new romance.

Adams has a new fan in me. I will be checking out her backlog of works that everyone is so impressed by! I also have plans to watch Roman Holiday!

Special thanks to NetGalley.com and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine (Dell) for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

This is my first book by this author and let me tell you…I think I'm in love with her because oh my goodness this book is amazing!!!!, and it's definitely in my top 5 this year.

Small-town romance will ALWAYS have my heart, Noah is the typical grumpy guy who doesn't believe in love and avoids it at all costs until this woman comes along and makes him doubt all the decisions he has made in his life.

I loved the way Amelia is so real and human, in fact that's my favorite thing about this book, the journey and transition she goes through makes you connect with the character from the first moment you read her pov.

And Noah is just the guy that even though he's not perfect YOU KNOW he is, and now with the arrival of this celebrity, he just can't help the connection he feels to her. And the way this man expresses his feelings?? Perfection.

Something I also really liked about this book is the way Amelia talks about her connection with Aubrey because even if it sounds silly I feel the same way about Harry Styles and Taylor Swift, so it was a sweet and nice experience to be able to read about that part of me represented in this character.

This book is perfect for rom-com lovers and the ending will have you giggling and kicking your feet, trust me.

(Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review)

Oh gosh this was cute. Not technically super original, definitely something you might find on the Hallmark Channel. But I loved it entirely! A grumpy x sunshine, big city girl meets small town boy, slow burn romance. I will admit though that I was extremely disappointed to find this was a fade-to-black in the bedroom. Amelia and Noah had so much chemistry and there was so much tension and I was aching for more there. I'm thinking maybe we get more books out of Noah's sisters?? I would absolutely read their stories if Sarah Adams is so inclined to write them.

This is a must read book with a small-town and wholesome characters.

I enjoyed When in Rome just as much as I enjoyed The Cheat Sheet also by Sarah Adams.

When in Rome is a romance adult fiction, a very light read, cute small-town,grumpy/sunshine trope, its a dual pov of Noah and Amelia, Noah is a small town grumpy pie baker and Amelia a sweet famous popstar, Amelia just needs a break from her popstar life and met Noah in "Rome" and stayed temporarily in town where she met new friends while finding her inner self and what she truly wants in life, the people in town is what I absolutely enjoyed because every character is so sweet and warm, especially Noah's sisters.

To sum it up, this is such a great small town book, which also reminds me of "The things we never got over" with all the perfect side characters in town, and the relationship of Noah & Amelia is something to look forward to because of their great chemistry and their relationship will keep you smiling from ear to ear while reading as they progress with their relationship.

Thank you to #netgalley, Sarah Adams & Random House Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Based on the now 3 Sarah Adams novels I’ve read, this is your prototypical Sarah Adams novel. Insta-love, followed by acknowledgment of feeling, three-fourths of the novel is then reminding readers why they can’t be together (usually dumb) but also that they want to be together so badly that they can barely be in the same room together, and then it’s ultimately a slow burn. It’s a Hallmark Christmas movie in book form in the sense that it’s cute, but also cheesy, over the top, and mostly unrealistic. (The whole story takes place over two weeks.) The writing is slightly immature, which I thought was a product of self-publishing, and though you can tell some improvements in tightening up the writing, it still just reads and feels very immature in the writing. Others have compared it to Wattpad writing, and I’m not sure I disagree with the fanfiction comparison.

Basics: This is a small town, clean, grumpy/sunshine, famous FMC/normal MMC, insta-lust, slow burn, dual 1st person POV.

FMC is the same as the other 2 I’ve read by Ms. Adams. Frazzled, immature, awkward, NLOG, quirky, somehow insecure, oops-did-I-say-that?, somewhat selfish, kind of girl. She doesn’t really respect Noah’s boundaries much. It almost felt like a flirty little game to her where she wouldn’t get hurt because she’s a big pop star who will leave. Her character development at the end kind of comes out of nowhere and though it makes sense for the story, does not make sense for Amelia.

Dialogue sometimes gets bogged the heck down. Rather than so-and-so said, there’s a ton of either action or inner monologue that makes it long and tough to read. I’m a huge dialogue reader so this is a huge negative to me.

The tension gets lost because they admit they like each other so early—and they both really really know it—it made it much easier for me to put down. But it also just made me roll my eyes at them at times because they know they’re attracted, and they also know why each other won’t act on, but they continue to toe the line and dance around each other because they have no self control. But they have enough self control to not do anything just make what I think the author intended to be a cute, swoon scene, awkward. [Noah’s eyes drop to my mouth. They linger there for a full in and out breath, before his lashes raise back up to my eyes. “I missed you.”] Like, she can’t even put her hand on his chest to stop him in a completely non-romantic, non-sexual way??? She can’t go and spend the day with literally anyone else because he gets so jealous in his thoughts but not enough to try anything with her? It makes them feel immature. They can’t be around each other and not jump each other’s bones, really? They hear a country love song on the radio and can barely restrain themselves? Really?!? [“But how come you got to take your clothes off first and keep them nice and dry, but I didn’t?” His eyes darken when they fix on me. “I think you already know the answer to that question.” Because he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off me. Because this heat I’ve been feeling between us is not one-sided.]

The back and forth of the will-they-won’t-they is just too much because it’s the whole dang book. When they really kiss at 72%, Amelia still pulls away because one of them has to be rational? But the stakes are so low that I don’t care, I’m just wondering why they’re torturing allll of us. Again. (And then her inner monologue is “guess what? Fishing is boring, and it turns out, I’d much rather be making out with Noah.” Girl. We all would rather you be making out with him. And then she yet again decides to stay away from him, but when presented with the next moment, does the opposite. And then keeps hitting on him.) I actually think this book would’ve worked much better as a single POV.

The third act break up was lacking. This is a pro and a con. Amelia leaves for tour (to an hour away in Nashville) and Noah begins to pull away. For no reason stated. If the author had lingered on his issues with long distance relationships, it would’ve made more sense. But she didn’t. He’s just surly so of course he starts avoiding Amelia’s calls. Right. However, the grovel—if you can really call it that—was sweet, cute, totally fit, and made sense for the characters.

I read this and felt like it needed a better developmental edit. I feel like Noah’s reason for staying away should’ve been explained way earlier (not 75%) for example. And then there could’ve been those tension-filled moments where it starts to build that they can’t stay away from each other, not just insta-love. I can’t help but wonder if the publisher is banking on the fact that this author has truly hustled on IG and Book-Tok and thinks that will carry over to sales for them. The paragraph breaks could be more obvious, but I’m hoping that’s an ARC issue. Also, the lack of commas is KILLING ME.

All in all, this book is cute, but it’s just okay. Worth it to throw in your bag for a day at the pool where you don’t want to be embarrassed by what you’re reading. It’s a really cute premise that is not forgettable, but I’m afraid the novel itself is not forgettable for not a great reason. Book Lovers made me want to go to the North Carolina mountains. This book did not make me want to go to Rome, Kentucky, unfortunately.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

A cute new Rom-Com from Sarah Adams. This book made me want to be on vacation while reading because it was such a great getaway for the mind. As a Hepburn fan myself, I enjoyed the references to her iconic Roman Holiday film, and the fun new twist on a Roman escape. There is witty banter galore in this one, and fans of a good grumpy-sunshine trope will fall in love.

(Instagram review to be published on or near pub date)

I went into this book thinking it was a food-central rom-com taking place in Rome, Italy. I totally loved the cover and didn't check the synopsis prior to requesting. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the play on location, as well as the characters. This story was super cute!

This was SO cute!

Amelia is a famous pop singer who just needs a break. That is how she finds herself in the small town of Rome, Kentucky where theres is no cell service, no wifi and the nicest community of people. Here she meets Noah a super grumpy pie shop owner. He has no interest in being around or spend time with her. But of course, they are forced to spend time together and they can't help but get to know each other.

These two are so adorable, please. However, Sarah Adams certainly has a talent for writing excellent books.

Amelia, who goes by Rae Rose, has opted to take a vacation before the start of her nine-month tour. As a result, she is motivated to visit Rome by her favorite movie, Roman Holiday. Although, Rome, Italy is far away, so she decided to travel to Rome, Kentucky.

However, directly in front of Noah Walker's house, her car breaks down while she is traveling to Rome. She initially declines his assistance because she finds it unsettling to have a stranger approach her car in the dark. But when he did, he allowed her to spend the night in his guest bedroom.

She had intended to stay at a B&B, but they swear they are fully booked. She is now forced to remain at Noah's house because fixing her automobile will take two weeks. He isn't too pleased about it, though.

They are aware that despite the chemistry and feelings that have developed since being stuck together, nothing can be done to address them. She is preparing to depart, but he plans to stay in Rome. However, everything turns out okay in the end.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸

Loved this cute small town romance. There was a twist I wasn’t expecting but loved how it all played out! 10/10 recommend!

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Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me to read an arc for free in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I started this book in the middle of a slump, and it took me much longer to finish than it should have- but that isn't the books fault! Normally I would have easily finished this book in a couple days. It is my first from this author, and I loved it.

I personally didn't notice much swearing in the book, but I also am not familiar with this author - (and I have a mouth like a sailor 🤷🏼‍♀️💁🏼‍♀️) so I definitely don't see that as a negative as other reviews have mentioned.

I loved Amelia and Noah. I enjoyed their chemistry and wished for more. I like some fire in my books and not total closed door scenes. But it was still great chemistry.

I thought the make up between Amelia and her mom was too quick. It felt like it needed to be wrapped up with a bow by the end of the book, when in reality that level of hurt Amelia had wouldn't be repaired and forgiven that quickly. I'm glad they made up, but it just wasn't realistic to me. Susan was a snake and I'm glad she saw that and was able to stand up for herself and fire Susan. Greed makes people crazy.

I would be interested to read another of this author's books. And I would certainly read a sequel to Amelia and Noah.

Sarah Adams has done it again! Absolutely loved this book! Sarah Adams takes a familiar trope (in this case it's 'the city big shot lands in a small town and falls in love'), but gives it her own special twist with lots of laughs and heartwarming moments along the way. She makes you fall in love not only with Amelia and Noah, but with all the sweet and quirky characters living in Rome, KY. Can't wait to read more from this amazing author!

I loved this book! It was like getting a warm hug. It felt so heartfelt and I loved the small town romance aspect. The fact the Noah owned a Pie Shop just felt like something out of a fairytale. This story felt like a Hallmark movie, but in a good way! Amelia and Noah's relationship was adorable. I loved the side characters as well, especially Noah's sisters. Any scenes that would be considered spicy are all "fade to black" so there is nothing explicit in regards to s*x. This was my first Sarah Adam's and I can't wait to read her others!

I think that someone on the other side of the country may have heard me SCREAM when this ARC was approved. I am SUCH a fan of Sarah Adams and have been reading her backlist this year. I just caught up and was thrilled to be able to read this story early. I have recently purchased all of her books on Amazon and have this paperback pre-ordered as well. I tried not to read this book too quickly because it was one of my most anticipated reads for 2022. I loved it so much! The grumpy sunshine relationship between Amelia and Noah was so fun to read. The banter was so good and I found myself cheering them on. I really could picture the small town of Rome while reading this story and loved every second of this slow burn rom com!

I want to thank the publishers and netgally for supply me an ARC of this lovely book.

I absolutely adored this book! I will admit it took a while to read, but that is at no fault to the book, more fault to my physical reading slump. The ending of this book has me wanting more.

Amelia and Noah are some of my all time favorite characters. Amelia who is a pop-start that needs a well earned break, is who I wanted to be when I grew up as a child, and Noah is everything I want in a fictional man. Strong and steady but with an emotional soft side you wouldn't expect.

I love the character development for both characters in this book, and the town gave me Gilmore Girl vibes. This small town will suck just about anyone in. As it stands I think I would love to spend a day help Mable at her Inn, or James on the farm.

This book is a fade to black romance so it hits a steamy bits but you don't actually see them. I don't mind this either way but if you are looking for smut this is not it. At the end of the day, this is a sweet romance with witty banter, pancakes, family bonds, and a small town.

This is a very sweet story. It had some elements that you might see in a Hallmark movie with a famous singer needing a break and meeting a small town pie shop owner and falling in love. The people living in town are pretty great, they add to the depth of the story. If you are looking for a quick, light read then “When in Rome” is a good choice.

I’ve committed to an all-nighter for very few books. This was one of them. Maybe it’s because it’s my first Sarah Adams book; maybe it’s because I’m in a celebrity romance mood. But this book hit home in a way I desperately needed. The small-town secondaries were so adorable, and the difficulties keeping Noah and Amelia apart felt brutally real. I loved them both and was so curious about how the book would resolve until the very end. Now I know: Sarah Adams is the author to turn to when I need a quick palate cleanser romance that I know will be worth it!
And, of course, the witty turn of phrase, the silly euphemisms, and the family drama was all there, too. Those are of my favorite elements to find in any story, and Sarah Adams executed them wonderfully. Now I want to go to Kentucky more than I want to go to actual Rome.