thank you netgalley and the publisher for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review!
4.5/5. oh my gosh i’m gushing. this book was so cute. small town grump and a sunshine celebrity literally chef’s kiss. noahhhhhhh the surly grump, my man. he was so funny, yet so sweet gaaaa. and amelia was so sweet, yet sadly she often let people take advantage of her, but eventually was able to hold her own and i loved seeing her progress. i definitely recommend this book!

*ARC review of When in Rome by Sarah Adams thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group.

“Alexa, add all of Sarah Adams’ books to my shopping list…”

Book at a glimpse:
😐☺️Grump/Sunshine
🏡Forced Proximity
🔥Slow Burn and worth it!
🥞Pancakes
🥧Pie
💐Flowers
💤Cozy pa-ja-mas
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steam: 🔥 Kiss to closed door

This is my first read of Sarah Adams and definitely not my last. This book felt like a warm hug and a comfort read. Rae Rose (Amelia, to those who she trusts and wants to keep close) is a pop star looking for a break. Based on her love of Audrey Hepburn movies, she decides to go to the closest Rome…In Kentucky. After breaking down on the side of the road, she is rescued by (not a serial killer hillbilly) Noah Walker.

This book is absolutely adorable and such a feel good read. It has small town charm at its best and amazing supporting (and hilarious) characters in Noah’s sisters and friends. Their banter is effortless and their chemistry, undeniable. Thank you for the opportunity to preview this book! This is one you’ll want to preorder and have for a comfort read 🤗

Once again, Sarah Adams creates the ultimate feel good romance. I could not get enough of the juxtaposition between Amelia's sugary sweetness and Noah's grumpy but kindhearted vibes. They were the perfect pairing. This book had me smiling the entire time. I wish we had gotten a bit more detail into Amelia's story with her mom and manager as well as Noah's family history but I am hoping we might get a story on one of his sisters at some point. This was an absolutely adorable take on the grumpy MC, small town charm tropes. Sarah Adams is an auto-buy for me from now on!

i loved every second of this book, seriously. we all need a noah walker in our lives now. THIS WAS SO PERFECT

Such a charming read! Small town romance isn’t my favorite but I do love a grumpy leading character. The premise of this is a bit absurd but once you go along for the ride it is adorable. I liked both of the leads and thought they had good chemistry. Also enjoyed there was no unrealistic conflict or miscommunication. I would highly recommend this for fans of romance!

Plot: I loved the plot of this one! Reading about Amelia retaking control of her life, and finding happiness again was such a good journey, and I loved her relationship with not only Noah, but with the town of Rome.

Characters: The characters were all wonderful! Amelia and Noah were great narrators, and their banter was just *chefs kiss* perfection. I loved Noah's sisters, and I really hope we get more books about them! The quirky residents of the town were fantastic, and I loved how much humor and heart they brought to the book.

The Cover: I like it!

Overall: This was an absolutely incredible romance novel, and I loved it! Overall, I highly recommend this book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

I cannot rave more about this book! I absolutely adored every part of this story. It is so fun to see Sarah's writing really take off in mainstream publishing. She writes romance like no one else. The grumpy sunshine trope is a favorite of mine and it fit these characters spectacularly. Amelia's obsession with Audrey Hepburn was so endearing, and I loved all of Noah's family connection. This book had just the right amount of spice for me and the tension was immaculate, Definitely a book I will be revisiting in the future!

Each new release from Sarah Adams continues to improve upon the last, 'When in Rome' now takes the top spot on my list of favorites!

Adams does an incredible job with world building and character development. Noah and Amelia are relatable and endearing main characters that keep you invested throughout their journey.

Amelia Rose, known to the world as pop-star Rae Rose, is burnt out. Taking inspiration from her idol Audrey Hepburn in 'Roman Holiday', Amelia sets off to the nearest Rome she can find. Her plans are derailed when her car breaks down in local pie shop owner Noah Walker's front yard in Rome, Kentucky. With nowhere to stay with no vacancy at the local B&B, Noah offers his guest room, but only for a few days. As Amelia begins to explore the town, she and Noah become closer and begin to develop honest feelings for one another.

This novel checks off several romance tropes: grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, small town romance, dual point-of-view, and don't forget the meddling old ladies!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the eARC and opportunity to review!

Review posted to Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4718117561). Will also post to Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bookmarkedbymegan/) in the coming days.

I Loooooved this book! I loved how the MC grew through out the book and learned to stick up for herself to make herself happy in the end. And loved Noah! Def a keeper and book boyfriend. Great book!

Sarah Adams never fails to deliver a sweet and swoony love story, and "When in Rome" was no exception. Noah and Amelia were insanely sweet together. Their relationship was adorable and I really enjoyed watching it progress. I appreciated that both MCs (and even a few of the side characters) went through their own individual growths as well as growing together as a couple. Amelia's struggle with her identity was so tangible it hurt. I loved watching her find a part of herself and finally be able to breathe in Rome. I loved that Noah was a solid safe space for her, and that he helped her feel safe and seen for the first time in a while. I think my favorite part of the story was that there wasn't a major conflict between the MCs. There wasn't a 3rd act breakup, and I was really okay with it. I did feel a bit like the relationship between Noah and Amelia developed strangely, but in the end it was SO sweet and swoony that I couldn't care less how they got there!

I was given an ARC of the book by NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine. All opinions are my own.

Sarah Adams books never disappoint. This book was perfect from start to finish and I can’t wait to buy the book and reread it in September.

5 stars honestly. First, Sarah Adams did it again, she made me smile, cry and laugh out loud. Her books are some of my favorite closed door romances, hands down. Definitely was grumpy-sunshine, small town, and nothing like excpected from the title, which is always fun. Her witty banter reminds me of Gilmore Girls, and it’s throughout the book with many characters remaining consistent and not just between the love interest.

I loved how surly Noah was (along the irony of such a man owning a pie shop), and his crazy sisters. I loved that there were real elements about family and struggles we all face as humans (mom issues, hard diseases, and nosey neighbors) from time to time. It isn’t just a pop star falls in love the end, it runs deeper. The theme of loniness and self preservation hit really far home for me (specifically the quote “I’m drowning and no one can see me.”), which made all the characters super relatable. When she wrote about earth shattering cries, I immediately knew what she meant, and felt physically gutted that Amelia felt that way.

Hands down the best part is when Noah broke the lamp. So hilarious, and made it funnier and more relatable.

Her references to Audrey Hepburn and Roman Holiday were lost on me, but after looking into the movie out of sheer curiosity, looks like there are some adorable parallels between the novel and the movie. It wasn’t detrimental not to know, so it was well written; it wasn’t required knowledge. I think if I would know all the parellels it would 100% click into place and give it a slightly more swoon-worthy nostalgic type of book, but it is still a great read, and would recommend to anyone who would listen.

I really enjoyed this book, this is my first Sarah Adams book and I’m excited to pick up her other books. The story picks up rather quickly and you are continually entertained with watching theses two characters interact. We get both perspectives and I love seeing the push and pull of their thought concerning one another.
The small-town aspect was beautifully done and adorable to see how much everyone in the town loved and supported Noah. As well as how they respected and protected Amelia.
The sister aspect was such a great component to the story, and I feel added a lot of depth to not only Noah’s character but Amelia and the overall atmosphere to the story.
I personally am not a huge fan of Instant attraction in my books but even though the characters do have this instant connection between on another they are not easily won over or fall too quickly they do continue to have this tension with every interaction and downplay their feelings which made me continue reading.
My one little pet peeve that did get to me just a bit was there was a lot of telling instead of showing, I would’ve loved to see more showing of Amelia’s relationship with others and how strained it is rather than told. As well as Noah’s personally I would’ve loved to see more of his reluctant, grumpy side instead of told through other characters statements.
Final Thoughts- I think this is a cute, amazing read and if you’re looking for a beach read, book to take on vacation or a book to read pool side that will give you all those warm and fuzzy feelings about this adorable new couple and a new book boyfriend to swoon for I would definitely recommend When In Rome By Sarah Adams. I feel like this will be the next romance book to take BookTok by storm.
Tropes in this novel-
 Grumpy/Sunshine
 Popstar runaway/Normal person
 Nosy small town
 Meddling Sisters
 Bucket-list
 Audrey Hepburn

Amelia Rose-- or Rae Rose, as she's known to millions of fans worldwide-- desperately needs a break before her international tour. She's burnt out and lonely, and takes her only few weeks of relative freedom to escape to Rome, Kentucky (it's as close as she can get to reenacting the decision Audrey Hepburn makes in Roman Holiday). But when her car breaks down, she finds herself needing the help of a local man. And when the woman who owns the local bed and breakfast thinks she senses chemistry between the two of them, Amelia finds herself without a room. Noah grudgingly offers his home through the weekend, and the two navigate the world of getting to know strangers you'd rather not have to interact with.

I've been a fan of Sarah Adams since reading The Cheat Sheet (my favorite book of hers), and I loved When in Rome just as much. Amelia is shockingly relatable, considering she's a mega-famous pop star, and Noah is a sweet, dependable guy dealing with a whole lot of baggage that makes Amelia seem like the exact wrong person for him on paper. Their chemistry is incredible, and their reasons for staying apart (or at least trying their best to) are understandable from both sides, which makes the tension so much more unbearable. I really loved how accepting the town was of Amelia, and how readily everyone was to help put her at ease and do what they could to protect her. I loved absolutely everything about this book.

Sarah Adams is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. He books are so sweet and really draw you into the story. I never want them to end

I’ve really enjoyed much of Sarah Adams work so I was excited to get the opportunity to read her next book through Netgalley. When In Rome joins The Match as one of her best books. I loved Amelia and Noah’s story! Their dynamic was fun to read and I loved all the side characters, especially his sisters. Grumpy and sunshine in a small town setting? You can’t go wrong. I hope Sarah makes a series out of this!

Sarah Adams is my new autoread author. She is the warm hug from your best friend that leaves you full of nostalgia . Her stories are dream sequences with banter, humor, and the boy or girl next door that you always wanted to date .
In short her books are pure magic.

When In Rome (Pub date 9/22)
Im gonna say this..mark your calendar..preorder this book
This is a freaking love song😭🔥🔥🔥
Not just any love song ..it is a Taylor Swift "all too well" mixed with a cardigan under your bed , warm apple pie
with your boyfriends hoodie..it will completely utterly enchant you.
✔ Amelia Rose ..pop star ..meets Noah ..shes burnt out and on an Audrey Hepburn adventure to Rome KY she needs a #romanholiday and breaks down in his front yard.
✔Noah ..is the voice of Ryan Reynolds..seriously his banter and quirkiness I heard in Ryan Reynolds voice. He runs his granny's pie shop ..his sisters ..three of them ..have him wrapped around their fingers. And ..as most tiny towns the old ladies line up every day to buy his pastry.
This book isnt just a love song..it is a vacation that you didnt know you needed, a grab your life ;evaluate it and make it one with all your dreams. All the stars are out for this ..i finished it in 12 hours and #netflix you need to make this your next hit.

The setting, the town , the sisters, Mabel.. i wanted to escape to Rome KY, and stay forever with Noah.

“It’s not infatuation. Not even lust. It’s the worst of all the feelings … care. Care is reckless because it doesn’t come with the seat belt that selfishness offers. Care has so much to lose, and almost always ends in heartbreak.”

Sooo I finished this book this morning. I officially have a new favorite romance… ever. Yep I said it! As if I didn’t love @authorsarahadams enough, here I am deciding this is officially the [sweetest] little book of hers.

Read if you like:
🥧 Small town romance
🥧 Forced proximity
🥧 Grumpy vs Sunshine (but really it’s Grumpy Pie Man vs Sweet Powdered Sugar)
🥧 Meddling old ladies
🥧 Opposites attract
🥧 Dual POV
🥧 Audrey Hepburn
🥧 FMC on a journey to finding herself again
🥧 Any other Sarah Adams books

This releases 9/22. Preorder now, cause you’re going to want to read this one!

Thank you @netgalley and the author for an advanced copy!

Sweet, wholesome romcoms are my drug of choice and I’M NOT SORRY. This book was so cute! I was grinning like an idiot the entire time. It gave me “It Happened One Summer” vibes, but better. This was my first Sarah Adams book and I loved her writing and can’t wait to read more by her.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’m convinced that Sarah Adams can do no wrong. Rom com perfection.

Grump + sunshine.
Enemies to lovers.
Forced proximity.
City girl + small town guy.
Burnt pancakes.
Flower shop.
Banter.
Nicknames.
Family.
The sweetest characters.
All the cozy small town vibes.
Noah + Amelia. 😍

I’m simply obsessed.