When in Rome is a gem of a romcom! Pair a grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity meet-cute in a teeny-tiny town, and you have another charming novel by Sarah Adams. In it a famous A-list singer, Rae Rose, is searching for a little peace and quiet before her next world tour. She finds her happy place and a handsome surly baker when her car breaks down in his front yard. But how long can she go unrecognized?

I really loved this book! Sarah Adams always writes relatable, playful characters who have excellent chemistry and banter. The hero in the book, Noah, is a total sweetheart, but covers it up with his grumpy demeanor. Both characters are dealing with some pretty heavy baggage, but the book still reads as light without being superficial. While this book is a bit steamier than her others, I'd still rate it PG-13. Honestly, I would have happily read many more chapters and would love to see the sisters characters get their own storylines in the future (hint, hint)!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy for my review!

First of all, thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

Sweet, sexy, hilarious, and enough sexual tension in the air to slice a knife through!

Sarah Adams delivered with this phenomenal story of learning to push past the fear of getting hurt and love recklessly. Amelia is the epitome of sunshine while Noah rounds out the grump category for this trope so well. Their witty banter and push and pull game throughout the book had me hooked from the beginning! All of the characters contributed something well-rounded to the plot, and I found myself falling in love with the entirety of Rome, Kentucky.

Noah... At 12%, I began getting butterflies. I knew I was falling for this MC. And at 30%, I was screaming, crying, shaking, and laughing in my love for Noah Walker! He was so grumpy and beautiful and unashamed of his flower obsession nor his pie shop. He was everything I look for in a book boyfriend.

But it was Amelia's inner monologue, the way she spoke and handled herself, that really pulled me in. Several times, she made me laugh out loud with her sharp wit and ridiculous internal conversations.

READ THIS IF YOU LOVE:
- grumpy/sunshine
- small town romance
- low angst
- pie

10/10
I cannot wait to purchase a physical copy of this book!

This is this first time I’ve read a book by Sarah Adams and it will not be the last!

When in Rome was delightful! I loved the dynamic between Noah and Amelia, the teasing, the flirting. Some laugh out loud moments!

Honestly? There wasn’t a character I didn’t like (well, I take that back! Susan? Thumbs down!). Noah’s sisters, James, Mabel, and the rest of the townsfolk. Please tell me Sarah Adams will be bringing us back to Rome and write the stories of the sisters and James???

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Sarah Adams book, but it definitely wont' be my last! I love a small town romance because the side characters can be amazing. I loved Mabel, I loved the sisters, and I even loved James. But the best part about this book is the enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine romance between Amelia and Noah!

I really liked the backstories of both characters and felt that they were really well fleshed out. It helped to explain how guarded they were in terms of where a potential relationship could even go, and I felt that it ended perfectly!

The only negative I have is there wasn't enough conflict, and I'm not a huge fan of insta love. I would've liked a bit more tension. But overall a very cute romance story!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I am loving all the new rom-com books coming out that are food and baking related, so when I was approved to read an advanced copy of "When In Rome", I was so excited- and it did not disappoint! Famous pop singer Amelia Rose, known in the music world as Rae Rose, works non-stop, and is getting set to head out on a world tour. Feeling burnt out, feeling that she is always doing things for everyone else, and finding herself losing some of the passion that she once had for her music, she decides to finally do something for herself and decides to get away from it all, just as the Audrey Hepburn does in the movie "Roman Holiday". While going to Rome, Italy isn't really an option at the present time, Amelia does the next best thing- and finds herself driving herself from her home in Nashville to the small, out-of-the-way town of Rome, Kentucky. There, her car breaks down in front of the home of grumpy Noah Walker, owner of the town's pie ship. When she is notified that it will take 2 weeks to fix her car, and she finds out that the reservations at the inn in town cannot be accommodated, Amelia ends up staying in Noah's guest room, and sparks start to fly between the two. After being burnt in a previous relationship by a visitor to town, Noah is hesitant to let his growing feelings for Amelia show, but the two agree to be friends while he shows her the sights of Rome, Kentucky. But it becomes increasingly harder for Amelia and Noah to keep their growing feelings for each other in check, despite the fact that Amelia is going to have to leave soon.

"When In Rome" was a delightful book, and a perfect beach read for the summer season! I loved the cast of characters, including the side characters in town that just added to the small town coziness of this story. And I just love the cover! I definitely am looking forward to reading more from Sarah Adams. If you love a good rom-com, including the ones from the new cooking/baking-romance genre, this book is perfect for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine/Dell for providing me with an advaced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "When In Rome" is scheduled to be released on 9/20/22.

This book was so cute. Such a fun read. Small town, grumpy sunshine troupe. I enjoyed it a lot! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

🥧 When in Rome 🥧
By Sarah Adams

When I tell you Sarah Adams can do no wrong I am telling you…read her books! This book is no exception.

I’ll be honest, I don’t really love the fame/celebrity trope. But this one? This one was such a comfort read. Amelia (Rae Rose) is burnt out by her life in the spotlight. She just wants to get away and clear her head. She picks her most unreliable form of transportation and ends up broken down in none other than a not-murderer-not-fan-of-hers, guy named Noah’s literal front yard. Noah owns a bakery and is the typical grumpy + walls up kind of guy, hurt by a past relationship. He eventually persuades her to come inside his house before she ends up hurt or in trouble. They don’t exactly hit it off right away but Amelia is sarcastic, hilarious and full of banter and Noah finally tries to see the real her. The Amelia that longs to grow and find herself. He agrees to letting her stay until her car is fixed under one condition, they do NOT develop feelings for each other. The more he doesn’t want to have feelings for Amelia the more those feelings press harder. Will she return to her life in the spotlight? Or stay in this sweet little town of Rome? Will they form a relationship? Does it work out if she leaves? So many questions!

Read if you like:
•Dual POV
•Grumpy x Sunshine
•Audrey Hepburn
•Awesome supporting characters
•Gilmore girls + small town charm

📍Rome….Kentucky 😜
📆 Publication date: September 20, 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to @netgalley + Random House for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

When in Rome is the perfect love story. Amelia takes a break from her fame to hide out in Rome, Kentucky (if you are wondering why she chose this location, read the book). She meets Noah, who has zero interest in getting to know the well known pop star, and keeps his distance.
But will the distance they put between them be enough? This book was full of laughter, sexual tension, and butterflies. I literally had butterflies reading this book. The character development was perfect, and I fell in love with all of them, especially Mabel! I adored this book, and wish I could read it for the first time all over again.

This was such a warm, tender, and big-hearted book...and a fun and modern take on the Audrey Hepburn classic, Roman Holiday! All the tropes I love are present here --slowburn, enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine and forced proximity - and I can't help swooning over it. The development of the romance, the small town setting of Rome, Kentucky, the individual characters' growth, everything...it was all top notch.

This story, these characters, their romance…the perfection of it all snuck up on me. The writing was so playful, so enjoyable to read. Both these characters were ridiculously relatable: Noah with his grumpiness, and his reluctance to people-ing. And Amelia with her unfiltered rambling had me choking on my laughter. The humour in this book straddled the line of ridiculously funny and downright relatable. The author really aced the sunshine/grump trope in When In Rome. I loved Amelia’s constant positivity in stark contrast with Noah’s grumpy demeanor. Together, as these lovable characters got to know each other, supported each other, and broke down defences, they just made me swoon, gave me butterflies, and made me grin like a maniac. I loved how understanding and empathetic they both were. I rooted so hard for them individually, and as a couple because this was also about Amelia and Noah finding themselves, being brave and taking risks despite their fears. I absolutely adored this as a romantic piece. The slow-burn was subtle but the payoff was so deliciously romantic.

This was a beautiful and feel-good story. Although, I found the ending too abrupt for my personal tastes and I was desperate for an epilogue, there’s no denying that this book was lots of fun and the touching moments throughout this book kicked off the trifecta of snicker, smile, and swoon. A total joy to read.

This was my first Sarah Adam's novel and it did not disappoint! I felt like I was reading a Hallmark movie- it was such a cute romcom type book.

Amelia, aka pop star Rae Rose, is burnt out and needs a break from her daily grind. She is a huge Audrey Hepburn fan and decides to follow in her footsteps...except she decides to find the closest Rome to her--- Rome Kentucky! Everyone knows everyone in this small town, which she will quickly learn. She goes off the grid from her manager and team...until her car breaks down in front of Noah's house. Noah is a good looking, single guy (with 3 amazing sisters) who owns a local Pie Shop. I won't go into anymore details-- but it was really sweet. Of course, a little predictable but I still highly recommend.

3.5 ⭐ Hear me out. If you like vanilla romance books, have a teen in high school that likes romance, or just need something to read at the beach or pool, this is your book. The characters are flirty and fun and they are constantly being cutesy together. If you like Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks, anything with a Virgin River vibe, or light and cheesy romance, you will love it.
If you like steamy romance with a lot of depth, this might not be for you. Know your preferences going in. 😉
I felt like Amelia was younger and more of a teen character than an adult. I would even go as far as to say this could be considered YA. A lot of the dialogue is very immature (not in a bad way, it's just not very mature writing) and the way the characters interact is more teen/young adult.
Amelia is "Rae Rose", a chart topping pop star that is beyond famous. She is burnt out on life and needs a serious break. Her manager is a nightmare and pushes her without caring that she needs a break or that she just wants some downtime and fun to feel like herself again. She is also a huge Audrey Hepburn fan and when she plays eenie-meenie-minee-mo with her collection of Hepburn movies, she lands on Roman Holiday. She finds the closest ROME on the map, gets in her pre fame rickety car, and drives there.
One problem, her old car is OLD, and it breaks down in a stranger's lawn. With no cell service and nowhere to go, the stranger invites her inside for the night.
That stranger is Noah. Extremely hot, small town, local pie baker. He comes from a tight knit family with 3 sisters and was raised by his grandmother after losing his parents at a young age. Did I mention he is hot? And grumpy. Those are his defining characteristics throughout the book. 😉
Noah and Amelia have instant attraction, and for different reasons, they both fight it. They can only resist for so long though and they both start to feel their reasons for staying away slipping.
There is a lot of chemistry between them and Noah is jealous of everyone else that gets to spend time with her that isn't him. Even if he told her he isn't interested and is still getting over a brutal breakup.
The tension builds throughout the story and Amelia and Noah develop a friendship together. What will happen when they both decide to do what they really want?

This was an extremely cute read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I liked how Amelia set out to discover herself again and was an extremely cautious person. She’s relatable, quirky, and overall, very well written. I felt like Noah didn’t fit a certain mold or was described like most other love interests are and I found it refreshing. They are the sunshine to my grumpy trope but I loved it.

I enjoyed the setting and the nosy people- I think Mabel had to be my favorite character out of the entire book. I loved the humor between everyone and the heartfelt moments between not only Amelia and Noah, but the others too.

I received an eARC through NetGalley For an honest review.

After years of doing what she's told, pop star Amelia Rose has fled her current situation. Her destination? Rome ...Kentucky. Not exactly like the Audrey Hepburn movie, but it will do in a pinch. At least until her car dies, and she finds herself stranded on the lawn of a grumpy albeit hot man. What happens next reads like all the best classic movies with a cast of charming characters, a villain in disguise, and a fabulous leading man. When in Rome by Sarah Adams does not disappoint and leaves this reader excited about future books from this author.

Sarah Adams is a must read author for me! I was so excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley. I could not put this book down and took every little moment I could to read a page here and there. I devoured this book.Lost sleep to read this book and it was worth every minute lost. I was hooked from the very beginning and knew a few pages in I would give this book a 5 star review. This book was pretty much everything I love.

Main Points(queu me typing all the things I love in a book):
Cute story
Musician superstar/Small town pie shop owner country boy
Great characters individually
Great supporting characters
Closed door romance
Rom Com
Dual POV

Amelia is trying to escape her rockstar reality when she stumbles upon Noah, a grumpy, not-looking-for-love small town business owner. A broke down car and no room in the inn causes Noah to reach down deep to find his gentleman side and well there enters the forced proximity as Noah tells Amelia she can stay with him. She enjoys the pace of the town and sees her true self coming back and finding her love for music again while taking a much needed break before her next tour. The “opposites attract” is written so well as is the natural progression of the relationship and the problems they have to overcome to make this relationship work. I loved the communication between the two.

I loved this book so much. I loved Noah and Amelia as a couple and individually. The character development was fantastic! The writing was lyrical and really wrapped you into the story. Literally the rom-com of my dreams and cannot wait to recommend it to everyone!!!

I just love Sarah Adams. If you haven’t read anything by her, start at the beginning and keep going. Her books are all so heartwarming and just makes me so happy. If you like small town romances, you’ll love this one. Thanks netgalley for my advances reader copy of When In Rome.

First and foremost, I want to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

This review will be published on Goodreads and my Instagram account @disfordoom as a post.

Without further ado, 4 and 1/2 stars out of 5 for “When in Rome”. I love a good ole romance and this one was fun to read. I flew through the pages with much happiness and excitement. It was a fun contemporary read.

Why I took 1/2 star out of the 5? Because the romance part felt a bit abrupt, like too much too soon and didn’t make much sense. Maybe I’m too jaded to believe in it.

Would I recommend it? Yes, if you like romances, hallmark movies, happy endings for the protagonists, fun reads, just grab yourself a copy.

Rae Rose is a Grammy award winning soulful pop artist and has been in the spotlight since she was a teenager. Now in her late 20’s Rae hasn’t had a single moment to herself. A sudden urge to flee inspired by her favorite actress Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, Rae takes off in her old car and heads for the nearest town called Rome. Which happens to be Rome, Kentucky. Except, her last minute plan quickly turns into a stressful situation when her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere with no cell service.

Enter Noah Walker. A small town classic man with a heart of gold buried deep under his grumpy exterior. Rae has broken down in front of his house and being the southern gentleman he was raised to be by his grandmother and her best friend, Mabel, must help. Recognizing Rae almost instantly, Noah is less than thrilled another city girl has come into his life. What unfolds is an inconvenient chemistry packed relationship which only leaves them questioning…what will happen when she has to leave?

I kid you not, I couldn’t put this down. I binge read this the other night. This story was so cute and a pretty quick read. This would be a great beach read, or vacation read since this is set to release in September. This book is also a great palette cleanser. Normally, I’m not a fan of a famous person in books, but Amelia (Rae is her stage name) is so lovable and I think many can relate to the wanting to run away from responsibilities. Noah…(hot face) oh my goodness, where can I get one of these guys please? He’s classic, through and through. He’s emotionally intelligent, strong and masculine in a way that is downright swoon worthy and loyal.

The only thing I wish was that the spice scenes were not “fade to black” but that’s a selfish want, this book is not marketed to be spicy. Just a cute, light, Rom-Com read which it 100% delivered. Definitely recommend you pre-order.

This book delivers on: Grumpy sunshine, slow burn, rom-com, dual POV, forced proximity, opposites attract

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Instagram review (@BookishBehavior_) post scheduled for May 25-31 and September 22nd

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed reading this story. Anelia isn't stuck up like I thought she might be and she learns a lot with Noah. It was a funny book and I liked the easy flow of it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of When in Rome to read and review.

Amelia, known as pop star Rae Rose, feels burned out so she decides to randomly pick an Audrey Hepburn movie and follow its path. The movie is When in Rome so she picks the nearest city called Rome to visit. Her car ends up breaking down in front of Noah’s house. I definitely had a few laugh out loud moments when they first met! Noah wants to try and help while Amelia is naturally skeptical since she ditched her security team and left without notifying anyone.

The rest of the book follows Amelia and Noah while Amelia is on her vacation. I enjoyed the dynamic between Amelia and Noah. While this is a quick read the pacing is nice and makes this an easy read to dive into and enjoy. Definitely worth the read if you want something quick, cute and has good humor!