You need to add WHEN IN ROME by Sarah Adams to your TBR. This book is such a delight. Amelia and Noah’s chemistry is undeniable. The entire book is adorable and will have you smiling the entire time. If you want to gradually introduce someone to the contemporary romance genre then this is the book.

4.5 out of 5. This book was a surprising absolute delight. I had not read anything from Sarah Adams before but I have a couple in my TBR because of great word of mouth so I was looking forward to this ARC. Conclusion I am now going to be reading all of Sarah Adams past books. When in Rome was a sweet and thoughtful rom com that gets to the heart. They had me at Roman Holiday inspired, because I might be as obsessed with Audrey Hepburn as Amelia, but the execution was very satisfying. This was one of those books that I read in one sitting and could not put down. Starting one chapter before bed at 10 meant i stayed up until 2am to finish it, but the sleepiness the next day was well worth it.

OH MY GOSH!!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! 10 Stars:}}} Seriously loved everything about this one. Loved these two so much. Loved the chemistry and the story line. Love Audrey Hepburn and have a love hate relationship with the movie Roman Holiday! I hated that she had to leave Gregory Peck in the end. I got my happy ending with this one! Along with some pie and a hot brooding country Man:} Seriously had so much fun reading this. I was so sad when it was over. One of my new favorite contemporary's:}
This is a clean romance with a bit of steam. There is sex before marriage it is fade to black. There is some swearing. There is also a bit of drinking.

I loved everything about this book! The small town, slow burn, celebrity meets "regular" person checks every box for a rom com for me. I love Amelia, Noah, Noah's sisters, and Mabel. It's a fast and fun read that will not disappoint!
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was SO good! In the book, Amelia describes Noah as "the blanket fort you make when you are a kid - so warm and reassuring." And, that is exactly what this book is - warm and reassuring. It was such a cozy, comforting read. I LOVE Sarah Adams writing style. Her ability to create chemistry, hilarious banter, and laugh out loud moments while also making your heart swell is top notch! I was constantly smiling while reading this book, and I just couldn’t put it down! If you love Hallmark, then this is the perfect book. It has small town romance, meddlesome busybodies, a slow burn, closed door romance, and PANCAKES! What more could you ask for?! This will definitely be one of my most favorite books this year!

There were moments where the characters clicked for me, but they were few, and I ended up enjoying Noah's moments and POV more than Amelia's. Both of the characters feel half-developed. The quirky town of Rome, Kentucky had more personality and sentimentality than Amelia and Noah. The emotional baggage both of them carries doesn't balance or support the other either, and that it will end disastrously for them to be paired together based on that alone. I don't know. I really wanted to like the book; the cover is precious, the premise is cute, and who can resist a pie baker?

Review on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd5vRRUL5bB/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Review on goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4726338290

👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏼 dual POV
🥞 grumpy x sunshine
🥧 small town romance
🎤 celebrity love interest
🏡 forced proximity

Review: UGH. MY HEART. This was freaking adorable. I went into it with no expectations since it was my first from this author and I was so satisfied! If you want a cute & clean romance, this book is absolutely for you.

Right off the bat I immediately liked Amelia’s character. It was clear this girl was in desperate need of some real connections with people who weren’t trying to benefit off of her stardom. In comes Noah Walker. Grumpy, small town baker, with no room for romance in his life.

I’m all about the grumpy x sunshine trope and small town romance and Sarah Adams did this all so well! The banter was cute and feisty but clear that they were both attracted to one another. The pining was just so wonderful. I was so quickly rooting for these two to get together.

Noah’s sisters were wonderful side characters in this story. I would love to see continuation of their lives in future books!

The small town aspect of Rome, Kentucky felt so comforting. The way the town took Amelia in as one of their own and wanted to protect her was so sweet. It was clear they all loved Noah and were dying to see the grump finally be happy after everything he had been through.

I’m typically more of a spicy romance gal and I know Sarah Adam’s books are more clean romance, so if you prefer clean, I would highly suggest looking into her books!

There is one scene that I was anticipating throughout the book that I thought would be read in an epilogue but it didn’t happen which made me a little sad. I don’t want to give any spoilers so here is the hint for those of you who have read it already: 🥞

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was 100% swoon worthy! I loved Noah and Amelia and will definitely be reading more by Sarah Adams.

Amazing, cute, cozy, pies, and kisses. I loved it!! It’s a fast read that will give you the butterflies you want from a small town romance !

This was truthfully one of my favorite reads of the year. It was so cute and lighthearted that I was not able to put down once. The banter between Noah and Amelia drew me in from the beginning and I truly loved the way their relationship developed. Additionally, I found myself loving all of the characters were introduced and loved how they all supported each other. I would highly recommend!!

This was so cute! I absolutely loved the concept of reinventing a classic romance novel into a modern day rom-com, and I think this book executed this perfectly. I think a lot of people who enjoy the art of baking would love this story, I certainly did! If you are looking for a fun, sexy, entertaining read, this is the book for you!

Not a bad read. A bit slow for my taste and predictable. But a cute romance book overall though I was disappointed in the beginning that it’s not in Rome Italy (probably my bad for not reading the description carefully enough). The characters did grown on me as the book progressed.
3/5 stars ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy.

First of all, we're not talking about Rome, Italy. We're talking about Rome, Kentucky, which is waaaay more interesting in my opinion. Drop a celebrity into a small southern town and interesting things are bound to happen!

I love the nods to Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck and Roman Holiday. It's one of my favorite classic movies and I loved how this book mirrored a lot of the same themes and storyline without the retelling (and with a better ending).

Sarah Adams is synonymous with swoony romance. The heat level on this one is a little higher than my preferred amount of steam but still qualifies as closed door. I was also bugged by the amount of swearing in this book. It was off-putting and not entirely necessary.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

I adore all of Sarah Adams’ books! They’re always easy, lighthearted reads and exactly what I need when I just need to relax, because I always know I’ll enjoy her books.
I love Noah’s grumpiness and the banter he and Amelia have. She feels that with Noah she doesn’t always have to be polite. After all, he doesn’t like her than much, isn’t a fan and has no interest in impressing her. Amelia found herself in the little town of Rome, Kentucky, along with friendships she will cherish forever.
The plot was predictable, but what sweet rom coms arent? I’d have been disappointed if it had gone any other way. Neither had to give their dreams up for one another, but came to a compromise. Sarah did a wonderful job of making sure that they didn’t give any of themselves up and still managed to get their happily ever after.

When In Rome was cute but wasn't my favorite Sarah Adams book.

I liked the premise, that an overwhelmed pop star decides to live out one of her favorite movies, Roman Holiday, and of course finds the perfect town with the perfect grumpy guy (who just happens to have a heart of gold). I loved the journey that the MC Amelia goes on and that it doesn't involve a shallow celebrity getting a personality makeover. I loved the ending and how the main conflicts were resolved. And I thought it was funny that it kind of reminded me of the movie Cars (I'm pretty sure that wasn't intentional).

Things I didn't love. Everything felt forced in the beginning. Like I was supposed to care about the potential relationship and the town before even getting to know them. It took me about halfway through the book before I became invested. My other main problem was all of the swearing, especially as it compares to her previous books. There is so much and it was so unexpected that I found it very distracting, and that made it hard for me to connect with the story. I'm not sure what the point was or how it added to the story?

LOVE LOVE LOVED this book! My friend got me hooked on Sarah Adams books and honestly each one just gets better and better. I will be grabbing a physical copy of this when it releases. Such a cute story about a small town and celebrity drama.

Amelia is just needing a break from her chaotic life // Noah just wants to make pies and be left alone // But when Amelia’s car breaks down in Noah’s front yard, it’s the beginning of something neither expected // 🥰

I loved the Roman Holiday connection // his three sisters // Mabel // the nosy small town // pancakes // sophisticated pajamas // reading books out loud // grumpy-sunshine // 🥧

I love that in Sarah Adams books the conflict is real and understandable, but it’s never blown out of proportion // it’s what I think sets her books a part from the rest // 💯

However, though I enjoyed this book, and many will consider it closed door, it was more descriptive and open door than previous books, and had more language // as someone who prefers to read clean to closed door, I found myself having to skip more scenes here and there as it was more “cracked door” in my opinion

If you love Sarah Adams, Audrey Hepburn, small town romance, grumpy-sunshine and love pancakes and pies then you should read this book // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to the publisher And author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Solid 4/5 meet cute small town hallmark romance…I adored the sisters in the book and it definitely makes me have all the feels of a timeless Audrey.

Doesn’t contain much spice if that’s what you are looking for the it is a sweet good guy gets the pop star book.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! 5 STARS EASY! Noah and Amelia’s story was the perfect grumpy boy, sunshine girl story that I NEEDED! I am on my way to read more Sarah Adams’ books, this is a masterpiece of a story.

This review will be posted on Goodreads, on May 22nd, 2022.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Parts of the book I LOVED and sometimes I wanted to bang my head against the wall.

This follows famous pop star singer Amelia, AKA Rae Rose, being thrown together with Noah. I loved Noah... LOVED. He had a grumpy exterior but had a thoughtful and kind interior, he was hardworking and loved his sisters and grandma.

Amelia on the other hand is why I had more mixed feelings about this book. It almost felt as if she was written as Taylor Swift?!?! Which made it more of a fanfic vibe... idk could've just been me. She runs away from her responsibilities which is understandable. But she really got on my nerve sometimes. She just seemed very naive for her age. She is a grown *ss woman, why is she letting other people dictate her life?!?!?!

Overall, it was an enjoyable book. Noah's and Amelia's romance was cute, there was some tension between them. But if you are looking for a spicy book this is not it (closed door).

When in Rome is a Women's Fiction/Romance that has me not only wanting to eat pie, but also wishing that I lived in a tiny town where everyone knew my business. Well, kind of.

The cover artwork caught me eye quickly. It's bright, colorful and showcases the two main characters that are depicted throughout the pages. The illustrative work is well done and is very on trend at the moment.

As we dive in, we meet Amelia Rose. A runaway popstar who is looking for a break before going on a six month tour around the world. But, for her this "small break", if it turned into a permanent break she would be okay with that. Her manager and team certainly would not be "okay" with that though. But, she takes the risk and leaves without telling anyone which is not acceptable in her teams' eyes. On the way to her surprise vacation to the closest Rome she could find, her car breaks down in the middle of the night. Where there's no service. Where no one knows she's even there to realize she hasn't made it her destination. Uh oh.

Meet Noah Walker who knocks on her window since she's landing within his front yard when her car broke down. He's single, handsome, and a baker. Also, apparently a caring gentleman to check on someone in the dead of night. Through some Q&As and also a vouch for Noah by a local elder that he isn't a murderer, Amelia vacates her car and into his home for the first time. The rest is easy as pie and pancakes - literally. Except for Amelia.

His management team is worried and tries to track her down, she tries to get onto Noah's good side as he's hard to read and she's not sure if she's overstepping boundaries staying in his guest room, and she doesn't feel like she fits in this small of a town especially when she hears her car won't be ready for two weeks versus what was supposed to be just a weekend getaway to a B&B down the road.

Will Noah and Amelia become friends or better yet, lovers? Does Amelia finally learn how to make pancakes? Does she leave her singing career behind for good?

I really enjoyed this read. It was quick and I was able to enjoy all of the characters - main and secondary throughout the pages. I appreciated Amelia's arc throughout and felt she was a powerful character and I loved how she really stood up for herself near the end.

Four stars. I felt that it took a bit of time for me to get into the book off the bat. But once more characters were introduced and Noah and Amelia started to mesh together, it felt more natural. I also wish there was more discussed about the relationship between her mother and her. I immediately had such a hatred towards her mother, but then it seemed the conversation between the two quickly changed their relationship in too fast of a way.

Would recommend for anyone that likes story twists of original stories - this one was a twist off of Roman Holiday (in a way), baking, popstars meet average joe, and anyone who likes small town characters.

Thank you to the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Net Galley for an ARC copy to read and review. Review will also be posted to my blog (www.kagoodsell.com/book-reviews), GoodReads, TikTok (@unearthingeco), as well as NetGalley reviews.