Oh my goodness this is one of the cutest stories I've ever read!! I absolutely loved the main female character IMMEDIATELY because right off the bat, I could totally relate with her as she was talking out-loud to herself, trying to calm herself down. And the main male character was a dream!! Their chemistry together had me smiling every time they were together or thought of each other. Also YES for different point of views!! Different point of views always make the story better!

The side characters were so fun and I just loved being transported to the town of Rome, Kentucky. It had major Stars Hallow vibes from Gilmore Girls and it makes me wish I could travel there!

All in all, the story was so good, and I can't wait to read more from Sarah Adams!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I was lucky enough to to be able to read the ARC from Netgalley and I can’t say enough good things about this book! It comes out September 20th and I highly recommend pre-ordering it! It’s one of the best rom-com’s I’ve ever read and Noah is the perfect book boyfriend 😍
I don’t like to judge books by their tropes but at first I thought I was going to- the pop star meets the small town grumpy guy- but it was so much more than that and so well done.
What I loved most was their honesty with each other, instead of keeping everything inside til the very end of the book it’s pretty much all out there, the good, the bad, what’s going to cause a problem… I love that they set rules for each other and how they navigated their feelings.
I don’t want to say too much because I liked going in blind but all the characters are super lovable so it was a very enjoyable read! 😊

Thank you Netgalley and Random House publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I swear each sarah adams book I love more than the last, and this was no exception! Ameila is a mega pop star whose car breaks down in front of Noahs house in a small town in Kentucky when she is trying to escape her fame. They have an instant connection, but Noah has been hurt in the past and isnt really open to love. Amelia loves the small town of Rome, and plans to stay for two weeks while her car is fixed, and Noah offers up his guest room. The two cant kept their distance from one another and end up falling in love. Will ameila give up her for the small town of Rome and Noah? Or will Noah leave the town he grew up in and his family to follow Amelia on tour? You’ll have to read and find out!

I loved this book so much, I read it in 4 hours straight! Highly recommend, and after you fall in love with this book, I recommend you read all of Sarah Adams books!

When In Rome is a cute romcom from author Sarah Adams!

Amelia Rose (also known as Rae Rose to her pop star fans) is seeking escape. She needs to get away from the pressure from her manager and take a moment to find her love of music again. For inspiration, she turns to her favorite movie star, Audrey Hepburn and after watching Roman Holiday decides she's going to escape to the closest city named Rome she can find.

Amelia finds Rome, Kentucky and hops in her old car in an effort to run away from everything. What Amelia doesn't anticipate is her ancient car breaking down in the middle of no where in front of hunky Noah Walker's yard.

Noah likes his single life in his small town and has a strong aversion to the hustle and bustle of life in the city. So when Amelia drops in his front yard, he's none too pleased.

But as Noah gets to know Amelia, he begins to see more than a pop star with all the fancy things. Will that be enough for Noah to overcome his trust issues and fear of dating a girl who has a life that is so vastly different than his own?

I loved this story! It was a quick read that had me wanting to keep reading and avoiding my life responsibilities! Sarah Adams writes likable characters that you want to root for. I loved all of the redemption that happened throughout the story. The story shared real life examples of pain and trauma, but also had hilarious moments from small town life! I enjoyed getting to know all the characters in this book!


I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This review is my own, honest opinion.

Amelia Rose is a pop star in need of a break before a 9-month tour. She is booked at a bed and breakfast in Rome Kentucky and before she gets there her car breaks down in front of the home of Noah, the small-town grumpy pie shop owner. She is dependent on him for help and reluctantly he takes her in. The repair will take several weeks due to an obscure part that is needed and she stays in town. She is accepted and treated like a regular person rather than a star and she finds she likes that and the small-town energy. Noah's sisters befriend her and treat her like a sister. This is just the rest Amelia was looking for and she falls in love with the people and the vibe. She is also falling for Noah in spite of a relationship being impossible with their wildly different careers. This is a satisfying and heartwarming story with a slow burn and grumpy sunshine romance. Thank you to NetGalley for the early look in return for an honest review. It will publish in January 2023.

Absolutely DEVOURED When in Rome - such a good novel and a fast read. The way that Noah is written makes for a beautiful story, watching him and Amelia both learn to be vulnerable.

I couldn't really get into this book that well, the storyline and the characters both seemed a little flat. However, it was a pretty quick read and for that I liked it.

I went into this book really excited about reading it, especially since I am a huge Roman Holiday fan. The truth is, while there was plenty discussion of heavy topics, the characters felt shallow and the relationship felt forced.

Maybe this is just the case of me not being in the right headspace, or this could just be a style of writing that tells instead of shows. Either way, When In Rome did not do much for me, and I was relieved when it was over.

Reading this book felt like basking in the sun and enjoying the tiny little moments. It was really fun and sweet. I liked both the MCs especially Noah, he’s officially become my favourite grump!! Overall, it’s a full 5 stars read for me.

This is such a cute romcom! I love the small town setting and the relationship between Noah and his sisters, their personalities are so fun and I loved their interactions. I think I enjoyed those sections of the book even more than reading about Amelia because she felt a little too predictable.

A quick and fun read. I love Sarah Adams approach and take on things. This is a cute take on the grumpy/sunshine trope of a pop star that wants to her away from the spotlight. This book is a great escape.

I loved this book. It was a quick read and a cute story - loved the characters & the whole town. I couldn’t put it down!

“To me, you’re Amelia. Maker of shitty pancakes and a smile that rivals the sun. All I want is you.”

Amelia Rose, aka Rae Rose to her fans, is need of a break. Feeling burned out from her career, she spontaneously drives off to Rome, Kentucky in the middle of the night inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn movie. Things don’t go right especially when her car breaks down in the front yard of the grumpy, pie shop owner Noah Walker, who wants nothing to do with Amelia. But since she has nowhere to stay, Noah offers his guest room. Slowly, he starts to see a different side of Amelia and the two develop feelings for each other. However, their lives are completely different so they make a rule to stay just friends. Will they be able to keep things platonic between them?

AH! Sarah Adams, you are the queen of writing the best and swoonworthy male characters ever because here I am falling in love with Noah Walker. Another five stars read and possibly my favorite book of yours.

🥧READ IF YOU LIKE🥧:
- dual POV
- grumpy x sunshine
- Audrey Hepburn
- princess of pop & pie shop owner
- forced proximity
- nosy, lovable, meddling neighbors
- witty banter
- opposites attract
- small town
- pies, flowers, & pancakes
- found family

cw: death of loved ones, parent abandonment, cheating, Alzheimer’s, trust issues

Thank you to @netgalley & @randomhouse for the advanced copy! When in Rome is available on September 20, 2022!

I am a huge Sarah Adams fan & she has done it again with When in Rome. Amelia & Noah have the sweetest chemistry, and I really love the side characters in Noah’s family and town. I’m a sucker for the grump / sunshine trope, but Noah’s grump has way more layers than meets the eyes. This is a great slow burn, feel good read with some laugh out loud scenes - highly recommend!

This book is the full of the kind of fluff I love! The books opens up with our leading lady Amelia feeling wanderlust after watching Roman Holiday. She decides a much needed trip is in order. As well as a much deserved break from being her pop star ulter ego Rae Rose. What she did not expect was to literally crash into Wilderness Ken's front yard. She is reluctant and hesitant of Wilderness Ken aka Noah. Safety first though. Soon she realizes Noah isn't as grumpy (or an ax murderer!) as she thought he was. Noah also starts to see the real Amelia and not the persona of Rae Rose.

What I loved:
- the enemies to lovers trope. Maybe more like annoyed to lovers? But I always love the conflict at first! The angst, the want, the tension...I love it.
- Dual POVs. My favorite way to read romance!
- One word: Mabel.
- The humor. I was already cracking up in the first chapter.
- Noah and his pie shop. I am a sucker for pie. Plus it just screams romance movie vibes, and I love that!
- Amelia's journey and figuring out herself and her needs. She was very relatable on how she felt.
- Romance isn't always my go to genre. But this really drew me in immediately. The first chapter was interesting and kept my attention!

I went in reading this book not sure what to expect. But I loved this book! The Hallmark story vibes, the fluff, the humor, all of it. 4 stars out of 5.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Amelia Rose is burned out pop star, running away from her life. After watching one of her favorite movies, she decides to take after Audrey Hepburn and run away to Rome. Since Italy is too far, she chooses Rome, Kentucky and heads out to a B&B for a chance to get her head on straight.

When her car gives out in a stranger’s yard and with no cell service, she ends up depending on the kindness of a grumpy pie shop owner, Noah.

With a great cast of characters in Rome, Amelia finds herself falling in love with the town and its people.

This was a fast, entertaining, heartwarming, closed door romance. It has all the best parts of the grumpy/sunshine and small town romance.

Highly recommend this for all lovers of rom-com and Hallmark movies. Adorable and I enjoyed it so much.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

4 ⭐️
This book is dual pov, following Amelia (Rae Rose) who is a celebrity pop star and Noah, a pie shop owner in a small town called Rome. Amelia decides to take a break from her busy life and decides to go to Rome, Kentucky (inspired by Audrey Hepburn's movie Roman Holiday). On the way, her car breaks down in front of Noah's house. He invites her to stay with him for a day, but she ends up staying for much longer.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but it wasn't one of my favorites. I actually read the Cheat Sheet right before this book and liked that book too, It was definitely a slower read, especially in the beginning, but I definitely recommend it.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group title and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

"He smiles. SMILES. It's bliding. My heart stops and then starts again, galloping right out of my chest. Good Gouda, that man has gorgeous teeth. And crinkles besides his eyes. 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."

THIS BOOK HAS ALL THE CHEESY FEEL GOOD VIBES AND I ATE IT ALL UP. You can always go into a Sarah Adams and know you're in for a sweet feel good lil romance.

Amelia, aka pop star Rae Rose, is ready to live out her Roman Holiday dream of escaping the pressures of stardom, but instead of running off to Italy... she ends up in Rome, Kentucky. Rom coms are ten times better when we get a good meet cute, and Sarah Adams delivers in form of Amelia's broken down car in front of kind but grumpy Noah Walker.
Determined not to get too attached to Amelia on her short trip, Noah does what he can to avoid her, until he sees maybe she's more than just a "pop princess".

Watching a grumpy character break down their walls for the person they have feelings for is the best!!! Noah was easily my favorite character in this book. I love him and all his grumpy. pie shop owning, big brother, charming self.

This is a perfect choice for anyone who wants a small town romance, grumpy/sunshine, celebrity/normal person tropes. Sarah Adams is the author for you if you're looking for an ooey gooey sweet romance with low stress.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dell, and Sarah Adams for the early copy of this book!

↠ 5 stars

Another great read from Sarah Adams! When in Rome features Amelia, a huge pop star, taking a break from her hectic, public life to spend some time in Rome, Kentucky (the closest Rome city near her home in Nashville). Rome is a super small town, and her car breaks down in front of Noah's house. Noah wants nothing to do with her, but is too nice of a guy to turn her away, so he invites her to stay for a few nights.

I loved the grumpy/sunshine trope and the way Amelia loved to annoy Noah. Amelia and Noah feel the instant attraction but know that their lives are too different and try to maintain their distance. I wasn't sure I'd love a book about a big pop star, but still immediately related to Amelia's down-to-earth self and love of Audrey Hepburn. I loved her getting to know this small town and the caring people within it. This reminded me of a cross between Abby Jimenez's Happy-Every-After Playlist and the Virgin River series (both of which I also loved)! Sarah Adams has quickly become an auto-read author for me, and When in Rome did not disappoint! I'd love to get some spin-off stories about Noah's sisters!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pre-reading:
I know nothing about this book. Seemed like a good bit of fluff. I'm reading this after Corinne, and that seems unfair.

Thick of it:
The Toyota Corolla. A classic. Another book I'm reading with a Peanuts reference. Singer romances are not my genre. So why do you have a Corolla if you're that successful? Oh, thanks for the explanation haha. You know it's really fun when you don’t read the book synopsis and go in blind. Definitely thought this was Rome, Rome, and not Kentucky, but that’s timely with the Derby. Did think we were going to be falling in love hand-making pasta and not just in Smalltown, USA. Disliking someone for how they voted is very valid. This T-rex metaphor is awkward. I don’t like the instant love. If it’s not the Pie Hole, I don’t want it. How is the old lady going to get her pie if he closes for the day though? After he just told her she could have it no less. It’s also very standard romance book cringe of just like man avoids his feelings. It’s very Hallmark. It’s aggressively contemporary with its references. I don’t know what speaking dip is. I tuned out for one second while I was making myself dinner and all of a sudden they’re kissing. She doesn’t have pajamas, but she does have hair ribbons that perfectly match her outfit instead of scrunchies. OK. You know this book glosses over a lot in favor of getting straight to the action of the romance, but like if she’s been staying with him for three days has she done laundry? Who’s cooking? Did she pack initially for that much stuff? Also, I feel like it just would be rude to make yourself that at home. You’re taking a stranger’s, who you’ve never met before, clothes and rifling through his fridge. What does she do all day? I also just find her categorically rude. Like bestie, I get it. You're stressed, but you still have to tell people you’re not showing up for your interviews and stuff. Those are peoples’ jobs. You're very replaceable. I’m so tired of hearing about how men don’t like makeup and other girls are superior because they only wear a little bit or they don’t wear it at all. Where is my cake face Barbie romance? I want her. So Susan buys your phones. I don’t buy for a second that the mom tried to let her go. It’s definitely Susan being a villain. She should know not to drink on migraine meds. Great, she took a sleeping pill by accident, but she still shouldn’t have been drinking on migraine medication. Bestie, you don’t wanna be friends with her, you want to fuck her. There’s a difference. Hold on. Of all the deaths that she could’ve used to make him an orphan, she picked they went camping and got struck by lightning. Just do a car accident. His tattoo is a pie surrounded by flowers? Come on. I thought her name was Merit. Did I miss something? Update, her name is Merit, but the random Audrey Hepburn reference in there was very disorienting. This hug scene is awful. Spicy chicken calzones sound amazing. she just dropped the name Jenna‘s Breadbasket in, and I’m pretty sure we haven’t mentioned that store. Or it's a Kentucky thing and going completely over my head. Has the author not thought about what life would’ve been like in Kentucky three generations ago? May not have been able to have that sort of relationship. Also should probably address all the racism they would've encountered. And still encounter because the world is trash. Cringe. All the lines in this book are so cringe. Wait, they’re gonna fuck outside? Please don’t do that. Think of the dirt, and sand, and bugs. You were just in a Kentucky country lake. That thing is filthy. She did not just call herself an emoji. Why was I positive that the grandmother was dead? Oh cool, she also thought that. Glad we’re on the same page. Aren’t they still like dripping wet from the lake? I’m confused. Opposites are terrible like pickles and brownies; honestly, I will unflinchingly eat those together. I think that sounds really good actually. And then she’s like maple syrup and bacon are opposites. First of all, wouldn't say opposites. They're both breakfast foods. I feel cheated by this book not having any sex scenes. Omg cringeee. (Probably at some dialogue.) So there were never any stakes to begin with. The solution is they’re just gonna decide to do long-distance anyway? Stupid. When did she get sleep shorts? It was pointedly mentioned that she didn’t have pajamas. You know I complained, and then they explained. Thank you for that. This man knows what a cell phone is, come on.

Post-reading:
You know, it’s fine. It reads like every other half-baked romance story where you don’t have to think at all. I don’t think it’s particularly good. I don’t think the dialogue is zippy. I think it reads more like a Wattpad novel than an actual novel. It kind of reads like Ariana Grande fanfiction. There’s no depth to it at all. It’s very easy reading, but there’s nothing redeeming about it. I think it’s very skippable. It’s not offensive to read, so I wouldn’t say it’s exactly one star. It’s just kind of cringey and average. Do you know what? Not even average. Below average for me. I just think your time would be better spent reading something else. It’s fine. Overall it's fine. I will never recommend a book that is just fine.

Who should read this:
Do you like Wattpad romances about singers/ celebrities and normies

Do I want to reread this:
no.

Similar books:
* Driven by K. Bromberg. Vaguely famous person dates a civilian
* Seduction and Snacks by Tara Sivec. Small town baking