This was cute! I loved Noah’s character, and his relationship with his sisters (Would love a series about each of them + James) but I don’t super love the celebrity / non-celebrity trope anymore (I think all of the fanfics I read growing up were enough haha). The writing wasn’t my favorite, but that’s just personal preference I think.

It felt like a cheesy hallmark movie, which I don’t think is entirely bad. Not my favorite, but I definitely enjoyed it.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

I have loved all of Sarah Adams' books and somehow I loved this one even more. The characters come to life and have such chemistry but it isn't forced or rushed. The side characters are wonderful and I hope we get stories of the sisters falling in love because I don't want to be done with this family yet. This book is absolute perfection and I can't wait to order it once it is published to have on my shelf and read again and again (and maybe lend to friends). This is a must read.

Thank you to Random House publishing a Group-Ballantine and Netgalley for an ARC of this book! I’ve willingly read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.

WHEN IN ROME was ridiculously cute.

I find myself loving and reading more and more novels where at least one half of the couple is famous and though the main character in WHEN IN ROME, Amelia (aka Rae Rose, is a world-famous singer—I definitely got Taylor Swift vibes!—the story is less about her notoriety and more about her experiencing and falling in love with the “normal” world she hasn’t experienced since she was a teen.

After parking her car on Noah’s lawn (and ascertaining that he isn’t a murderer) Amelia finds herself staying in his guest room. What starts out as a reluctant offer due to his ingrained hospitable nature soon turns into a weeks-long stay when Amelia ultimately discovers that this small-town life in Rome, Kentucky and the community she encounters there is what she’s really been missing in her day-to-day, city-to-city touring life. A handsome, surly, guarded Noah doesn’t hurt either.

Though, of course, they have their obstacles, I really loved how natural Amelia and Noah’s relationship and attraction felt, especially since they had only known each other for a matter of weeks, which is definitely a credit to Sarah Adams and the way she wrote these characters. There was a lot of maturity, despite Amelia sort of growing up in this bubble of fame and manipulation, and the rationality behind the decisions both Amelia and Noah make were incredibly refreshing to see as a reader.

I loved so much about WHEN IN ROME. Fingers crossed for more books set in Rome, Kentucky!

When in Rome was a cute small town, sunshine/grumpy romance book that I couldn't put down. There was a perfect amount of banter between Noah and Amelia. I also really enjoyed Noah's sisters and the meddling from the town. Overall a great book! This was my first Sarah Adams book and definitely not the last.

When in Rome is a hilarious and heartwarming romantic comedy that had me smiling from ear to ear. I loved the Hart of Dixie vibes - I immediately pictured Wade when Noah was described, which is great because he is SMOKIN HOT. Amelia and Noah’s back and forth banter, the townspeople, Noah’s sisters, late night scrabble, and matching pajamas - I wouldn’t change a single thing.

Oh and did I mention those fade to black scenes? Adams deserves an award for the feelings those moments made me feel. I’d be hard pressed to find anyone who does it better.

Forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, dual point of views, and opposites attract?! PERFECTION.

advanced reader copy generously provided by publisher through netgalley!!!

wow, this book was amazing. i remember trying to read the cheat sheet about a year back and not being able to find interest in it. however, when in rome has completely captivated me.

it featured two people finding themselves together which is really uncommon in romance novels. i loved every part of it. definitely one of my favorites of the year.

The book was really cute! It would translate really well into a cheesy hallmark movie. The conflict is very minimal and is really just about Noah and Amelia getting out of their own heads. This was my first Sarah Adam’s book but I will definitely read more of her stuff!

That being said, there were several parts of this book that were pretty boring to me. The stakes were very minimal and it was hard for me to care at certain points. I also don’t love reading about celebrities. I don’t find the celebrity/non celebrity trope to be that interesting, but that’s just my personal preference!

Thank you NetGalley for this early copy of When in Rome!

I love all things Sarah Adams, and have been very excited to read this book. Overall, I enjoyed this book and it’s characters. I did feel like Sarah’s writing was a it different in this story, in comparison to her other books, and I didn’t find myself captivated until about 60% through the book.

I do hope that we see more books based in Rome, Kentucky (Noah’s sisters, am I right?)!

Overall enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others

This book felt like a cozy, warm Hallmark movie but infinitely better! Now, I personally enjoy myself a good Hallmark movie in the Christmas season. Here's the thing, whether or not you love Hallmark movies, this book will always beat out those movies. I'll tell you why...
To start with, we must acknowledge the 'com' aspect of this romcom. Everyone is familiar with the comedy type that is the trademark of Hallmark. The jokes that even in the perfect situation with the best comedic timing still wouldn't be funny. The one's that try way too hard to force a light bond between the characters. This is not so with Sarah Adams. She had me laughing like a manic all alone in the darkness of my room late into the night. I hear she gets input from her husband on the jokes too, and I thank him very much for his contribution. Seriously, this book was so genuinely funny! I fell head over heels basically immediately!
Next, to discuss the romance aspect. It is also familiar that Hallmark always feel rushed and ingenuine. It is understandable given they have to fit an entire romance plot into an hour and a half. However, with this feast of a book, we are nothing if not tantalized for pages on end as we watch the full relationship bloom from the ground up. It was absolutely beautiful watching the characters grow throughout the stories and discover what truly matters to them. The best part was that we get both perspectives. Sarah Adams is a true giver because she always gives us the man's perspective as well as the woman's in all her romcoms.
Finally, it's a book, so that automatically makes it about a million times better than any movie. All in all, that million points plus the points from all the other bonuses I mentioned gives this book a huge leg up on Hallmark. This was the perfect homage to the small-town, grumpy-sunshine, and slow-burn tropes. I am in love with Noah and Amelia and forever will be!
You have to read this book! That's an order! I trust Sarah Adams with my entire being to produce the greatest romcoms to ever exist. I predicted before I got my hands on this book that it would be a 5 star read, and my girl did not disappoint AT ALL!

When In Rome
By Sarah Adams
Release Date: 9/20/2022 (go preorder it NOW!!!!)

I am so thankful to @authorsarahadams @randomhouse @netgalley for the eARC! I was so excited to see that Sarah Adams was coming out with a new book, and immediately requested it.

I am so in love with all of her books that I’ve read so far. Bonus: Sarah is the literal SWEETEST human alive! The amount of messages I sent her while reading…and she responded! This is what I love most about authors on Bookstagram! The connections you get to make with authors (and them interacting with their readers) always impresses me and makes me want to read more by an author.

This book follows “Rae Rose” AKA Amelia, a big time singer. She escapes to Rome, Kentucky for a break, but her car breaks down in Noah Walker’s front yard. He’s too busy for her celebrity problems, because he’s running the local pie shop that his grandma left him. Unfortunately, he has to let her stay in his guest room until her car gets fixed, and before she has to head home for her world tour.

Will they occu-pie each other’s thoughts, or will the slice hit the fan?

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Noah Walker, take my whole heart!

Fun fact: this is my first Sarah Adams' book and I 10/10 will be reading more!

Amelia, or to adoring fans - Rae, is burnt out. Years of being a culture icon and always being on for her fans & the media is exhausting. Weeks before a long tour, she takes off in the middle of the night to a small town in Kentucky.

When Noah fins Amelia and her car broken down in his front yard, he makes it very clear he wants nothing to do with her or her problems. He has enough of his own between running his family' pie shop & small town drama. But he offers her his guest room to stay in until her car is fixed.

As Amelia starts to come out of her shell, trusting herself again, Noah begins to see a side of her no one else gets to see. She's kind & playful & lonely. And Noah can't help but want to be her friend.

Read this if you love...
- a cinnamon roll grump
- opposites attract
- insta-attraction with a slow burn
- small town - think Gilmore Girls - vibes
- hilarious banter & one-liners
- dual perspective
- feelings all your feels

Cinnamon roll grumps: my kryptonite. I love them so much! Noah is small town, family-oriented, loyal af, loves & cares deeply for the people he calls his, witty & hilarious.

The nicknames, oh my gosh. I cannot.
The storm scene was all the feels.

I loved watching Amelia's journey as she began to fight for herself & what she needed.

I loved Noah's sisters & their dynamic. And I loved that just enough of their stories were weaved in that you could see character growth in them.

I loved the small town Gilmore Girls style vibes where everyone knows everyone's business. Noah actively trying to avoid every business owner the morning after Amelia's first night in town was hilarious! But I also loved how much they all take care of each other.

Thank you Random House Publishing - Ballantine, Dell, & Netgalley for ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sarah Adams does it again! She has a way of writing such relatable characters. I loved the character development throughout the book. I loved the grumpy meets sunshine pairing as well as a quaint hometown. This is a must read!

Thank you to Random House Publishing, NetGalley, and Sarah Adams for allowing me to read and review this book ahead of publication.

I love the premise of this book. It has some of my favorite tropes with grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, and small town love. Amelia aka Rae Rose needs a break from her pop star life and takes an impromptu trip to "Rome" except instead of Italy, she ends up in Rome, Kentucky. And instead of making it to a nice little bed and breakfast, she finds herself with a broken down car in front of Noah Walker's house. Noah, is a small town pie shop owner, with a secret obsession for flowers and major trust issues from his last whirlwind romance.

When Noah and Amelia meet, it's instant attraction and chemistry but they both know that this situation is strictly temporary and decide to be friends. (HA!)

I only really have one problem with this and it's that the author built up SO MUCH delicious tension between the characters and then pulled a *fade to black*. Maybe I'm jaded and just enjoy spice, but I feel like this would have rivaled "It Happened One Summer" if only it included some spice.

Don't get me wrong, I still highly enjoyed the story, the two MCs, as well as all the little side characters. I loved Noah's sisters most of all and their shared familial issues. It made Noah's character even more believable and lovable.

Overall 3.5 stars for this book! Definitely a fun romance read.

Ah! I loved this book so much. It has so many of my favorite tropes. I found myself smiling and laughing through out the whole book. I loved the slow burn and tension between Amelia and Noah. All the side characters (I'm looking at you Mabel!) were absolutely amazing. I really, really enjoyed this. The only thing I was missing was some spice, but, it didn't hinder the story at all.

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

Sarah Adams has a gift for creating lovable characters and stories! I eagerly devour everything she writes in one sitting, and this was no exception! However, as a longtime fan of her work, I was surprised by the amount of profanity in this book. For me, it was unnatural and distracting, even forced in some places. Overall, an enjoyable read but probably not one I will revisit as I have with so many of her others.

OBSESSED. Obsessed. I adored this small town, forced proximity, strangers to friends to lovers, forbidden love, brush with fame, grumpy/sunshine of a novel. Noah is perfect and I cannot be convinced otherwise. Amelia was so sweet and I just loved how honest the characters were with each other. It was laugh out loud funny and heart melting warm. Sarah Adams outdid herself with this one.

Hello, Sarah Adams. Once again this did not disappoint.

Amelia aka Rae Rose, the popstar princess, escapes the stress and high pressures of her career to small town Rome, Kentucky for a bit of a breather.

From day one her escape becomes a bit of a misadventure but in a completely serendipitous kind of way. The character development in this story is fantastic and the friends group is phenomenal. I fell completely in love with the Walker sisters.

I completely fell for Noah and Amelia's characters and was cheering right along side Amelia as she came to realize her own worth and self-importance. Never have I wanted a character to be MORE selfish in all my reading days but I was so excited when she stood up for herself and grew as a character.

Such a fun read. I'm sure I'll be coming back to this story over and over again. Thank you so much for the eARC copy of this book. I could barely put this thing down once I picked it up.

This is the sixth Sarah Adams book I’ve read and it might be my new favorite. I fell in love with Amelia’s and Noah’s love story! The pajama scene might be my favorite ever! I also just want to also note that for a closed door romance this book is oozing chemistry! I could feel the tension between the characters! I also really really really loved Noah’s sisters! Basically the whole town was amazing!

Highly recommend this book for people who love contemporary romance highlighting small towns, grumpy/sunshine, found family, forced proximity, and banter! Five stars all the way!

“But with Noah, I speak my mind. I’m not afraid to look silly. To fight and argue and get messy.”

I am a smitten kitten over this book and these characters. Everything about it is just pure joy! Slow burn perfection. And my new favorite Sarah Adams book!!

Amelia is an international pop star who has lost her spark and love of music… and somehow she has stayed down-to-earth even after being in the spotlight for half of her life. She is such an easy character to love! She turns to Audrey Hepburn in times of struggle, and this time Audrey led her to Rome, Kentucky.

Enter Noah. The most perfectly grumpy man with the insides of a marshmallow. He cares so deeply for his family and their town (which is quite possibly the most wholesome town ever created). Did I mention he owns a pie shop??? He’s been hurt in the past, but his connection with Amelia is so perfectly sweet.

Now, I don’t like pie… but I do love pancakes (IYKYK) and I ADORED this book. The banter in this book is everything! I kept finding myself accidentally skipping ahead to the dialogue and would have to go back!

This is a must-read for everyone!

Read if you like:
+ small town, friends-to-lovers romance
+ bingeable books
+ pancakes and/or pie
+ giving adorable nicknames (I think I flatlined when he called her Pop-Tart)
+ sassy old ladies that throw down the wisdom
+ banter!!!

Full review will be posted to www.athensbookshelf.com closer to pub day!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Quick read, enjoyable, comforting and entertaining.