rating: 4.5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
genre: romance, women's fiction
steam: PG-13 (fade to black)
pub date: 9/20/22

I just finished this book moments ago & here are the things I know:
• I need a piece of pie STAT.
• Senior citizens in romance novels are one of my favorite things.
• I should not have judged all of Sarah Adams based on my dislike of friends-to-lovers in The Cheat Sheet.

This book felt like a warm hug - a delicious & comfortable easy read that will make you want to run away to a small-town in the South and make best friends with everyone on Main Street. I absolutely could not get enough of Noah's sisters & their immediate adopting of Amelia (who, now that I think about it, was probably one of the only other people in town their age - everyone else seemed to be well into their senior years).

Other things I liked:
✨ Found family trope! If you follow my reviews, you know that I love a good found family. And you could tell from the early pages that Amelia was on the verge of finding hers in this book! Finally people who liked HER and not just Rae.
✨ I never thought I'd say this, but I really enjoyed the fade-to-black romance scenes. They gave you just enough to feel the heat before moving along in the story.
✨ Adams did an AMAZING job of describing Noah's little ticks so that you could tell exactly what he was feeling before he (or anyone else) said it. The little creases in his forehead, the crinkles by his eye - by the end of the book, I felt like even I could read this guy!

Things I Didn't Love:
✨ The ending felt like it wrapped up too easily. I wish there had been just a litttttttle more struggle. And possibly more of Emily.
✨ Where was the pie?! I wanted more pie descriptions. Lolz.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND. You can't go wrong.

This book is the perfect summer read! I was pulled in to the small town of Rome, Kentucky immediately, and into the relationship between Amelia and Noah. I did not want this book to end! It was the perfect escape.

This is the first book I have read by Sarah Adams, but it definitely will not be my last. I loved the way she described the characters from the perspective of the other characters. The characters were very easy to love and root for. Their problems and actions were tied to real life trauma and made them very relatable and easy to empathize with.

received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. And honestly… this is one of the best books I’ve read all year! This book had a little bit of everything I love in a book. It gave me such awesome vibes, like a little bit of Sweet Home Alabama meets The Notebook (in regards to the setting and the main characters interactions). I live in the south, so I’m always a sucker for a good novel set in the southern states that I feel accurately depicts southern living. I loved that in this book, the spoiled pop princess bit was all an act and that Amelia felt like a real person from the get go. She has her own traumas to work through but she’s not a caricature that learns to have feelings along the way. I loved all the towns people in this book, they all had their unique personalities and they were all so invested in the relationship! Speaking of, I absolutely adored Noah’s sisters and their interactions with him and Amelia. I’m usually not a huge fan of the recent trend where the next book in a series is based on a supporting character from the first book, but I would love to see and spend some more time with Noah’s sisters. They all would have compelling stories, and I would love to come back to this world Sarah Adams has created! 6 out of 5 stars! Will definitely be picking up a physical copy when it releases!

Sarah Adams has done it again!! This is only my second novel of hers that I’ve read (“The Cheat Sheet” was my first) but it’s safe to say that the small town of Rome, Kentucky will forever be living rent-free inside my head and I’m NOT mad about it!!!!

The small-town, comfy/cozy vibes of Rome paired with the hilariously outrageous townspeople had me shamelessly grinning from ear to ear throughout the whole book. This book definitely had the look and feel of Gilmore Girls.

Noah, what can I say? You were everything I could want in a book boyfriend AND MORE!! Noah was a classy man—he loves Frank Sinatra, has no cellphone nor internet, wears a matching set of plaid flannel pajamas to bed, has a book collection that rivals the Library of Congress, and makes a simple living running the town’s pie shop (which also means he has developed some particularly fabulous *muscles* haha!!).

Jokes aside, Noah’s care and protection over Amelia gave me all the heart eyes I could possibly handle. Seeing him fight against his feelings for Amelia that he so desperately wanted to avoid for fear of heartbreak was both heart-wrenching yet beautiful. I love it when a couple is so obviously right for each other!!!

Romance aside, the personal growth Amelia experienced throughout the novel was beautiful and empowering. Amelia (Rae) learned to think for herself and not be a slave to people-pleasing. That final scene when she finally gave Susan a piece of her mind was *chef’s kiss*

Lastly, the sibling dynamic between Noah and his sisters was as hilarious as it was heart-warming. I adored each and every one of their unique personalities and I loved how unconditionally they accepted Amelia into their tribe <3

My one quibble with the novel was the frequent use of minor language throughout. I feel like it was used a bit more than it had been in “The Cheat Sheet,” but I appreciated that Sarah Adams avoided using the Lord’s name in vain. As a Christian, this meant a lot to me.

5/5 stars

Sarah Adams never fails to deliver a charming, feel-good, sexy read! She's a master at writing descriptive chemistry. Amelia and Noah are such a fun couple! Noah's grumpiness and Amelia's sweetness were such a great combo. But I also liked that Amelia wasn't afraid to express her feelings and lay claim to Noah! Some great kisses!

An amazing story for people who love the grumpy x sunshine trope. In the book you meet Amelia Rose aka. Rae Rose and Noah Walker. Noah Walker lives in a small town of Rome, Kentucky. While preparing to go on tour Amelia gets inspired by her favorite film Roman Holiday and run off to her surprised she meets a grumpy pie shop owner named Noah Walker. During the book to read as Amelia has to over come the challenges of being in the limelight while trying to have relationships especially with her mother. Noah Walker's sister also took Amelia in like her own embracing the small town persona with open arms. This was a cute cozy small town romance that I will recommend to everyone!! Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group for letting get the ARC!!

Sarah Adams writes the cutest more wholesome romance novels and this book was no exception. I LOVE and grump man and a grumpy pie maker is my dream. This book has forced proximity and I love that trope. This book was so cute.

This book was nothing like I expected. I expected a romantic comedy set in Italy, and while it was a romantic comedy, there was a lot of heavy topics, and it took place in Kentucky. Nonetheless, I could not put the book down. I read it practically in one sitting. The characters were easy to love and the storyline was enticing and kept me invested enough that I couldn’t stop reading. I cried through more of the book than I anticipated, but it wasn’t because the story was sad. The lives of the characters were muddled down in real life experiences that broke my empathic heart at times. I look forward to reading a lot more by this author.

How do @authorsarahadams books keep getting better?!? I ADORED this book! I was so excited when I got approved an ARC to read, but I will be buying a physical copy ASAP so that I can read it again. Noah is my new book crush! The chemistry between Noah and Amelia is off the charts. I hope we get more books out of Rome, because I want to get to know all of these characters even more… they were all fantastic. This book made me laugh, cry, and continuously smile. Put it on your list!
I was provided this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5⭐️

Publishing date- September 20, 2022

This book is literally a hallmark movie and I mean that in all the best ways.

Amelia, or more well known by her stage name Rae Rose, is a two time Grammy award winning pop star. Discovered as a teenager from her original songs and YouTube covers, Amelia used to love her passion for music, key words being used to. Now, feeling desperately burnt out, she decides to steal away for a small vacation and ends up in Rome, Kentucky.

Enter Noah Walker. When Amelia’s car breaks down in his front yard and won’t be fixed for another 2 weeks, his original offer to let her stay the night until she can get to a hotel the next morning ends up extending until her car is fixed.

Grump+sunshine, city girl meets small town guy, plus an adorable small town with a pie shop? This book was amazing. It was a quick read that gave me the warm fuzzies and made me blush. I loved Amelia’s character and I loved even more the female friendships she formed that; I really felt like she was making friends because of who she was personally and enjoyed not everything being focused on romance. I really enjoyed reading this and would definitely recommend it to my friends!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. And thank you to Sarah Adams for writing this adorable romcom!

This review will be posted to Instagram and Goodreads 2 weeks prior to the publish date and on Amazon on the publish date.

When in Rome was a great, quick summer read. I enjoy the celebrity + small town trope and thought they were done well. The guy was a perfect book boyfriend. the other townspeople were great characters as well. The ending felt perfect. This wasn't the best rom com I've read but it certainly is a nice summer read.

This was quick, fun read about a pop star, Amelia, that ends up in a small town while taking a break from her busy, yet lonely celebrity life. I really enjoyed all the characters in the small town (especially Mabel & Noah’s sisters) being nosy but also caring and accepting. The playful banter between Amelia & Noah was sweet and entertaining.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

How is this my first book by Sarah Adams?! I loved it. I loved the way it included all the Roman Holiday vibes and Audrey. I loved the characters and found it just to be such a delightful romance. A rock star needing a break who finds herself in a small town with a broken down car in front of the house of a handsome pie maker? Burned before and failed relationships (on both sides) lead to a fun and sweet blooming relationship. I need to immediately read more by this author! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Okay I'm not gonna lie, I've been in a reading slump for a few days. That's when I remembered that I have the arc for this book. I love Sarah Adams and I didn't know if this book would top her other popular book 'The Cheat Sheet'. I would say after finishing this book, I love them both equally. This book definitely helped me get out of my reading slump. I love a good old celebrity romance plus it was grumpy/sunshine and a small town romance. I loved the characters (Mabel was by far my favorite character) , the relationship between all the different characters, and the plot. Definitely 5/5, I can't wait till it's published for everyone to read.

I’m obsessed with this book!! I was hooked the first couple of pages in and read it in one day.

The story follows the main character -famous pop star- Rae Rose (Amelia). Cracking under pressure and needing a break before her upcoming tour, she (inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s Roman Holiday) flees to Rome, Kentucky. On her journey, her car breaks down in front of Noah Walker’s yard.

I fell in love with the characters Amelia and Noah. The characters have a great connection and amazing banter in the room. This book had me smiling and giggling through its entirety. Noah Walker is my new book BF.

When in Rome is addictive and as sweet as powdered sugar. I give it 5 stars! It is a MUST read!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review published on Goodreads and StoryGraph

There were many things I loved about this book. I enjoyed all the Audrey Hepburn references. I liked how he only had sisters and could understand their quirky language. And I loved the Walker sisters. I really hope we get more books about them because they were so entertaining. All in all a great rom com read.

Such an addictive closed-door romance! I could not get enough of Amelia and Noah and ask the romantic tension between them!

I loved the Pop Star meets small town nobody trope going on, I feel like a lot of people have that fantasy. The depth of emotions this book has was perfect! I laughed, I cried, and I wanted to hug and comfort most of the characters at one point in this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sarah Adams and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*ARC received through Netgalley,and the following is my honest review*

•Before I read When in Rome by Sarah Adams, I was imagining cute vacation vibes off the coast of Europe. However, I now think Rome, Kentucky was a much better choice. Amelia and Noah are the perfect match. One thing I loved about this book was the character development. On one hand, we had Amelia who started off naive letting a lot of peoples opinions control her. Then, we had Noah who was the perfect grumpy sunshine guarding his heart. As the story progressed I really enjoyed seeing the development of not only their feelings, but their character. The second thing I really enjoyed about this book was the aspect of community. From his sisters, Amelias mom, to the entire town, I loved it. Overall this was a really fast read for me and I enjoyed the characters and the story.
•The only thing I wanted more of was the epilogue. Simply, because I’d become attached to Amelia and Noah’s story

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When in Rome is a fun romance that reminds me of a Hallmark movie. Amelia "Rae" Rose is a pop star who escapes to Rome (Rome Kentucky) when life becomes too overwhelming. She meets Noah, a hometown boy who owns a pie shop. They fall for each other and have to decide if they can make it work when they're from two separate worlds.

This is a cute book. I appreciated how the author managed to make it somewhat believable that the character would stay in the guest room of a man she barely met. I also enjoyed how she depicted the townspeople as kind and caring, and didn't fall too deep into stereotyping them as hicks. I also enjoyed the supporting characters, from the controlling manager to Noah's sisters. Ultimately, while a little predictable, I found this book a fun, quick read.

Popstar Rae Rose is heading out on a world tour for months, but having no relationship with her mother since reaching fame and suffocating from her lifestyle, she packs up her old car and heads for a vacation. In Rome, Kentucky, the closest Rome she can find.

After her car stalls out in front of grumpy resident, Noah, who suprisingly owns a Pie Shop, Rae aka Amelia, sparks fly shortly thereafter.

I loved the characters and the whole town of Rome and the protectivess of the townsfolk for Noah and for Amelia. It was a sweet read I really enjoyed.