Sarah Adams can do no wrong. Seriously. She could send me a text at 2am saying she needs help hiding a body and I'd simply tell her to be waiting out front, I'll be there in 5. So when I saw that she wrote a POP STAR. SMALL TOWN. ROMANCE. I might have let out a few choice words. Okay, more than a few. Because COME. ON. Fold up the chairs and hand out the trophy because we won with this one, folks. When in Rome follows Amelia Rose, a pop princess just looking for a taste of normal before her upcoming tour, on her trip to Rome, Kentucky. Cue the wacky neighbors, total hunk pie shop owners, and sneak-up-on-you-sabotage that you can only find in literary small towns. This book is going to be a definite win for grumpy/sunshine trope lovers everywhere.

When in Rome is the perfect summer read. The grumpy (but secretly a softie) male MC and the pop-star female MC banter was everything I needed and more.

This book would have been a perfect beach read. Light and easy to follow along with, but the banter and the hometown feel kept me entertained the entire time.....PS can we talk about Mabel? I love her!

Props to Sarah Adams because this was such a fun read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy, I really enjoyed this one!

This is my first Sarah adams book but it will not be my last. I loved this! The setting, the characters, the whole thing. I love Noah’s story with his family and how close he is with his sisters. The cute close knit community they live in. Amelia standing up for herself and doing what made her happy and whole. Very sweet book!

3.5/5 ⭐️’s

“A surge of protectiveness rams through my body and suddenly I want to hunt down anyone who has ever turned her down for a game of Scrabble and force them to play all night with her.”

grumpy/sunshine ☀️ + small southern town + found family vibes 💗 + forced proximity + a pie shop owning hero 🥧 (!!!!) + pop star heroine 🎤 + dual pov

I’ve been a huge fan of Sarah’s since “The Match” and have absolutely adored every book she’s written since, but sadly “When in Rome” just fell a little bit short for me.

Don’t get me wrong, this was an incredibly cute (!!) read and it definitely gave me the same warm & fuzzy feelings as her other books, but there was just a bit of a disconnect with the characters for me. I never really felt that deep connection between Amelia & Noah (like I was v surprised when they kissed for the first time!!) and even as the story progressed, their connection felt more physical to me than anything. I also felt like the ending wrapped up too quickly and I didn’t get a chance to fully digest everything that happened with Amelia’s mom.

Overall, if you’re a fan of Sarah’s books, then I’d definitely still recommend picking this one up! Her books always feel like a big warm hug and despite my minor issues with it, “When in Rome” still has those same feelings! It’s cute and fluffy and everything you want in a romcom, it just didn’t totally work out for me.

Thank you so much to netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was a sweet story. It was definitely 1000% unbelievable (the lack of wifi, how long it took to find Amelia in the small town) but the relationship between her and Noah was adorable. I also loved Noah's sisters and hope they get their own books!

🄱🄾🄾🄺 🅁🄴🅅🄸🄴🅆 ----⤼⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝚃𝙸𝚃𝙻𝙴: When In Rome
𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶: ★★★☆☆
𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙼𝙰𝚃: eBook ARC
𝙿𝚄𝙱 𝙳𝙰𝚃𝙴: September 20, 2022

Okay look, this book wasn't bad. I think a lot of factors went into this that just didn't work for me. No, I'm not deducting points because I don't like the tropes, but this is what I disliked in it:

↠ Small town romances. I've come to realize I hate this trope. Maybe because I live in San Diego, but it makes me so skeptical people are really that intrusive, rude.. and in this book, so open about something someone wanted to be kept private.
↠ Amelia. She felt more like a child than a 30-something pop star who didn't know left from right. She was helpless. Clueless. Completely useless! The ending didn't feel realistic or believable.
↠ The chemistry. This was very closed door, which is fine by me. I know this author doesn't do open door and I'm okay with that. But the tension was nonexistent. It felt completely forced! I felt no connection to the two main characters.

Maybe I'm looking too deeply into a feel good, light, cutesy book. But there are ways to do it right and I feel like this one missed the mark. HOWEVER! I do think tons of other readers will obsess over this and how amazing Leo is.

Give it a chance when it comes out. But if you're like me and you want it somewhat relatable, this won't be for you!

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

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I just could not get into this one. The characters seemed just like that - characters, not real people. The town was like any generic “small town” from a book or movie with no genuine vibes. The writing was sub-par and juvenile. Wish I had better news, but this was a 2/5 for me.

I absolutely LOVED this book. It was the perfect amount of witty banter and swoon. Noah and Amelia(Rae Rose) are so good together and I couldnt help but be a giggly mess the entire time I read the book.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

ARC BOOK REVIEW

When in Rome
By Sarah Adams

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Publishing date: 9/20/22

Amelia is a mega famous pop star who is BURNT OUT. She is about to start a world tour and desperately needs some "me time" to rest and recharge.  Because of her love for Audrey Hepburn, she decides to flee to Rome (Rome, Kentucky... since she doesn't have the time to make it to Italy)  While traveling, her car breaks down and she encounters a pie shop owner named Noah. Noah is a grump who was badly burned in his last relationship  but there is something special about Amelia. Noah and Amelia become friends and quickly feel a connection. However, Noah doesn't want a relationship (so he says) and Amelia has a world tour coming up, making any new love connections impossible.

Guys. THIS WAS INCREDIBLE!!! I loved every second. It was funny, touching, romantic and checked everyone one of my rom com boxes.  It was so great, I found myself   wishing  I could go to Rome, Kentucky and meet all the super fun characters!

There is not one thing I would change about the book. It had incredible banter and so many amazing moments.

Thank you #netgalley and #randomhouse for the ability to read this awesome book

If you're a fan of grumpy x sunshine, close proximity, or celeb x nonceleb then look no further. A wonderful take on Audrey Hepburn's Roman Holiday, we follow a pop star in need of a break, Amelia aka Rae Rose and Noah, a grump of a pie shop owner who wants nothing but for Amelia to fix her car and leave his small town. No one from the city stays in Rome, Kentucky. Huge fan of the MC's in this book! The humor, chemistry, and love. And not only between Amelia and Noah, but the entire town. Think Stars Hollow, and now I'm totally getting a Luke Danes vibe from our Noah. The side characters of Noah's three sisters, his grandmothers best friend Mabel, and the rest of the entertaining bunch will leave you captivated. I really enjoyed the overall motivation and strength in this story to fight for yourself and for what you love. Both MC's were faced with difficult choices and had to decide to keep going, sometimes with a swift kick from Ms. Mabel. Overall, one of my favorite romances this year. I cannot wait for this one to hit the shelves.

Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Adams, and Random House for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Fun fact: I’ve never seen an Audrey Hepburn movie. I obviously know who she is, but I’m not that type of girl so I had no idea this was a take on Roman Holiday. What I can tell you is I really enjoyed this book. It was a cute romance between small town Noah Walker (swooooon) & Rae Rose aka Amelia. I fell in love with Amelia even though a she came off slightly snooty but turns out she was just lonely. Noah was instant book boyfriend with his grumpy-like personality turned softy. I’ve read 3 other Sarah Adams books and I’ve loved them all.

#wheninrome #netgalley

This was a great story to read. I loved the storyline and the characters, definitely recommend this book!

When In Rome
Sarah adams


Amelia is burned out. She a pop star that is just running on E and wants to get away. Her love of Audrey Hepburn has her searching for the nearest Rome she can find, which happens to be just a few hours away in Rome, Kentucky. She just needed to get away, but she didn’t expect to break down in front of a strangers house in the middle of the night. Noah finds Amelia on his front lawn and knows that this is a problem that he doesn’t need. He lives a quiet life and avoids women and love at all costs after getting burned so badly in his last relationship. Even though he knows who Amelia is, and tells himself he wants no part in her life, he still finds himself inviting her to stay in his guest room until her car is fixed. As they get to know each other, they find that they can’t stay away from each other, but they both know that eventually Amelia has to return to her tour life.

UGH! You guyssss! I loved this book with literally ever single fiber of my being. Sarah writes the swooniest (is that a word? If not, I just made it one. You’re welcome) men that just make you want to scoop them up and keep them for yourself. The banter is top notch. I ALWAYS am laughing at loud with any of Sarah’s book and this one may take the cake, or Pie (see what I did there?). There is literally not one thing that I didn’t absolutely love about this book. It’s her best one yet and Noah is now in a top boyfriend contender spot.

100% must read!

I have been a fan of Sarah Adams since the beginning. This is her first traditionally published novel, and I could see a slight difference. I still very much enjoyed it. There was a little more language (still mild) than in her other books. The language fit the characters, and it was a point of discussion throughout the story. There was also more focus on the adult content. It was still closed door, but more often. This story felt like it was more focused on the physical attraction and sexual tension between the characters rather than the character arcs.

I thought this was a super sweet, well thought out book. I absolutely loved the main characters, the side characters and the setting. It was all so well written that I could imagine it my head, which I love when reading a book. I loved how the personalities of both Amelia and Noah were slowly shown as they began to get to know each other. Even the side characters were so sweet and well developed, which can be rare in a book.

A fun take on the classic Roman Holiday! Love the superstar falls for ordinary guy troupe and it was just enough sizzle, love story and animosity.

Though I do think the end wrapped up a little quick with some of the more “negative” relationships in her life (trying really hard here not to have spoilers!) and that could have been expanded a bit.

Either way, a really heart-warming rom com that reads like a spicy Hallmark movie!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for my e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I tell you that I about died when I saw that I was approved for this on Netgalley its only a slight exaggeration. Sarah Adams is quickly becoming my favorite romcom author and When In Rome just helped cement that title.

I haven't read the grumpy/sunshine trope very much but it was done so well in this novel! Noah was the perfect grumpy cinnamon roll and I just loved him.

What I love so much about Sarah Adams' writing is how spunky she writes her female leads. Amelia definitely has that signature wit and spunkiness. I loved how playful she was with Noah and how she was able to get him out of his grumpy shell.

I also loved Noah's sisters, especially Annie. I have a strong feeling that there will be spinoffs for at least one of his sisters and that makes my heart so happy.

Sarah is so good at writing a decently large cast and doing it so well. I never felt confused on who was who and I felt connected to each character.

The read recently where the author said that her characters have a strong inner dialogue and boy, is that accurate. It's yet another thing that I love about her books. You grow to feel so strongly connected with the characters and their inner thoughts are filled with wit and sarcasm and it's just utter perfection.

I cannot speak highly enough about When In Rome. It made me want to watch Audrey Hepburn movies and get more active in my own small town.

Five stars are not nearly enough- this books gets ALL the stars.

Cute story, really liked the characters and the plot line with this book. I gave it 3 stars only because it's not what I would typically read but overall I enjoyed it.

4.5 stars! A delightful grumpy versus sunshine, popstar meets small country town book. I’m a big fan of romantic comedies by Sarah Adams and this one did not let me down. Even though the premise may seem a bit cliché, I loved her spin on it. I’m always here for unraveling a grumpy hero.

“When he smiles like that, he looks so approachable and comfy that I want to drape myself over him and just squeeze him in a giant hug. He’s huggable. The Grumpy Pie Shop owner is absolutely huggable.”

I loved getting to the core of Noah. He was such a wonderful complex character. And Amelia balanced him in all the best ways. Their banter and chemistry was on point. I laughed and swooned throughout this book. The small town of Rome, Kentucky created the perfect backdrop for hilarious side characters and laugh your butt off scenarios. You’ll be left craving pie and wishing you could jump into this tiny town.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Sarah Adams for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I was really curious about this book after seeing the summary and how popular the author’s other novel, The Cheat Sheet, is. This is a sweet book that follows Amelia, a pop star that decides to take a break from her life, as she ends up in Rome, Kentucky. She winds up on Noah’s front yard and stays with him and they begin to get to know one another better while her car is getting repaired. Their relationship is super cute and I also really enjoyed the side characters. It was a little cheesy at times, but it’s a cute, light read that would be perfect for Summer!