Member Reviews

4 stars

I very much enjoyed When in Rome by Sarah Adams and was super-stoked to get the chance to head back to Rome, Kentucky to revisit the Walker family. Annie, the baby of the family, and the "goody-two-shoes" is looking for love. But, her shyness and reputation for sweetness and light are getting in the way. She enlists Will Griffin, Executive Protection Agent to pop star Amelia Rose, who also happens to be Annie's future sister-in-law. Will is a love `em and leave `em kinda guy, never looking for a happily-ever-after. Annie is the complete opposite. And, as well all know, opposites attract!

This was a fun, closed-door romance, with some deeper life lessons about resolving childhood traumas and moving on to new parts of your life Quick and easy read, it would be perfect for the beach or pool! Since there are Walker sisters still single, and the next-door neighbor, too, I'm looking forward to visiting Rome again sometime soon!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Dell for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

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"Practice Makes Perfect" by Sarah Adams is a captivating and delightful romance novel set in the small town of Rome, Kentucky. Annie Walker, the sweet and slightly discontent owner of a local flower shop, is determined to find her perfect match. However, the limited dating prospects in her hometown and a discouraging comment from a recent date leave her questioning herself. Determined to break out of her comfort zone, Annie seeks the help of an unexpected tutor: Will Griffin, a sexy and tattooed bodyguard temporarily in town.

Adams skillfully weaves a tale of self-discovery and unexpected love as Annie and Will navigate their roles as tutor and student while fighting the growing chemistry between them. One of the book's strengths lies in its well-crafted characters. Will Griffin is a standout love interest, exuding sweet charm. His presence adds an enticing dynamic to the story, and readers will find themselves rooting for him and Annie to overcome their emotional barriers.

This book has enjoyable tropes. As a reader, it was delightful to discover that Annie herself is an avid romance reader. This shared interest adds an extra layer of connection and relatability for book lovers!

In "Practice Makes Perfect," Sarah Adams has crafted a heartwarming and entertaining romance novel. The story captures the essence of self-discovery and the pursuit of genuine love with well-developed characters, a charming small-town atmosphere, and enjoyable tropes. Whether you're a fan of small-town romances or looking for a feel-good read, this book will leave you with a smile.

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Review: I loved this book! Annie and Will were absolutely adorable together, and I loved getting to read about their growth throughout the book. I loved getting to see all the characters from the first book set in Rome, WHEN IN ROME. I just don't know how to express how much I loved this book?? If you love Contemporary Romance novels, I highly recommend this book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

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I loveeeed this book! It was such a cute sequel to “When in Rome”. Hearing Annie’s story brought me back to this sweet little town and I loved every minute of it!

The characters are all loveable and the chemistry between Annie and Will is so enjoyable to read.

If you want a cute,light hearted romance read this is it!

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I realized to late that this is technically a sequel and I plan to purchase them both and read them in order! Thankful for the opportunity to read this! Can’t wait to buy and read them both, I have heard amazing things about both books! I cannot wait to pick them up and dive in! I didn't feel like I would enjoy it as much if I didn’t read the first one before this one!

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I’ll start by saying: I like a fake dating trope. There was a lot a enjoyed in this book, it had good moments of humor, heartwarming exchanges, and some well-developed characters. However, some of it felt a little forced and a little cheesy.

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First, thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an e-arc in return for an honest review.

I’ve read almost all of Sarah Adams books at this point so I may be bias, but Practice Makes Perfect did NOT disappoint. It was the perfect story to follow When in Rome and I fell in love with this small town and the quirky characters in it. Will and Annie had such an incredible chemistry from the beginning and their relationship felt so real and natural that it was easy to cheer them on! I would easily recommend this book to anyone that is a fan of small-town vibes, opposites attract, meddling friends, strong family ties, and a tattooed man with a soft heart of gold!

And the good news is it’s out in stores now, so don’t wait on it!

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GAH! Practice Makes Perfect absolutely stole my heart. “Bad boy” meets “good girl” and sparks go FLYING.

This story gives you Gilmore Girls vibes in the best way. Small town, secret town meetings, everyone meddling in everyone’s business. It would be so annoying if it wasn’t so endearing!

This is what sweet “angel Annie” has to deal with, as the baby of her family. She’s had enough though, deep down, she wants to take dating seriously and flourish into the passionate and adventurous woman she knows she can be. When a failed date causes her to lose hope; dangerous, sexy, and completely against love Will steps in to “teach” her to how to date. Annie wants to get married, Will is against love. The arrangement is perfect for practice, until it’s not.

This story was so sweet and did such a gentle and amazing job highlighting the hard topics of grief, traumatic childhoods, and upholding an image that you never really felt you wanted in the first place. You will fall in love with these characters and root for them from start to finish, and by the end you’ll be hoping to get swept off your feet by your very own pirate ;)

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I loooove Sarah Adams books! This one was so cute and I love these characters. Sweet stories and love the continuation of the family storylines. Would highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Sarah Adams!

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practice makes perfect review 🌼

5★s in the flower shop

I was actually selected to receive an arc of this book before it came out and I read it right away and never got around to reviewing it but better late than never, right! I am so grateful I had a chance to receive it early, because from the moment I saw people talking about this book I knew I needed it read it.

This is actually my first ever Sarah Adams read which makes me a little sad because I wish I would have discovered her sooner but now that I have I can’t wait to go back through her catalog of books and read them all, especially the first book in the When In Rome series. I loved that this book made complete sense on its own but I also can’t wait to see the rest of this beautiful world that was built.

Annie and Will are one of my favorite couples because of how great their communication is in the book. I’ve never seen a book couple talk to each other about what is bothering them so clearly as they do in this book.

Annie made me feel so many things while I was reading this story because I think I relate to her a little too much. I loved getting to see her learn how to be more confident in herself and stand up to the people around her who have always put her in sweet little boxes.

I think my favorite part of this book though is the town! It felt a lot like gilmore girls in the most cozy way possible With a book like this I absolutely loved meeting all of the characters and wanted to spend more time with them in the end which is another reason I am so excited for the rest of the books!

Overall this book was amazing. If you like small towns and fake dating, definitely pick this one up!

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Practice Makes Perfect is a very cute and easy read. Annie and Will's relationship is somewhat similar to "insta=love' for me, which I don't love and there was practically no question whether they would end up together or not. I enjoyed the story overall and the town but felt like something was missing during the plot

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I've been on a romance book kick lately, and this book was a perfect read. Annie and Will's relationship was adorable. I love that they both communicated with each other and the personal growth they went through in the book. The relationship between Annie and her sister was slightly immature at times, but overall, I liked the dynamic. I also like how the people of this small town look out for Annie and want the best for her, even if, at times, it feels a little too overwhelming.

This was the first book I read by Sarah Adams, and I cannot wait to go back and read When in Rome to see Noah and Amelia's story and any future books in this small town of Rome, Kentucky.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Ballentine, and Sarah Adams for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

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An adorable read by Sarah Adams! I fell in love with her books when I first picked up the sensation that is The Cheat Sheet. Now, that book I think will always be me absolute favorite book of hers, but this one was also adorably romantic!
Great beach read, laying in the sun! Or perfect for a rainy day cozied up with a blanket!

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✨Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

My rating:
5/5
🌸🌷🌻🌼💐

Stop what you are doing and go read this book 🥲 Sarah Adams truly is such a phenomenal writer, I eat everything she writes up! I did not want this book to end and got so excited with the author’s note at the end saying she will be working on another book!

This is the second book in the Rome Kentucky series. I highly recommend reading When In Rome before PMP because the main characters from the first book are mentioned a lot in this book and I was so happy to see that because I’m obsessed with them.

Annie owns a flower shop in the small town of Rome, Kentucky. Will is a body guard who is in town providing security for the famous singer Amelia Rose. When Annie is on a date that goes horribly, Will happens to be in the restaurant at the same time and they eventually make a deal for Will to be Annie’s dating coach.

I love a fake dating trope! The lighthearted banter between the main characters and some of the things that happened in this book made me swoon and laugh all at the same time.

I couldn’t recommend this one enough! I bought the paperback copy but also was lucky enough to receive an ARC from netgalley! Go buy this immediately! ✨

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After loving When in Rome last year, I had to pick this companion story when I saw it available on Aardvark! I enjoyed this new book a lot, though I maybe liked WIR a little bit more, but this was definitely a close second and enjoyable.

I loved the character development of Will and Annie! Will is the bodyguard (officially called executive protection agent, which is what he prefers to be called) of Amelia from the first book. Annie owns a flower shop and wants to find a husband and settle down. She struggles with the awkwardness of dating and, with Amelia’s urging, she decides to work with Will as a “dating coach.” This includes some practice dating, which of course puts them in circumstances and spending time together where they may begin to develop feelings. The way the relationship plays out is both sweet and fun.

Both of these characters have some emotional aspects to their stories. Annie lost her parents at a very young age and has always felt like she had to hold things together as the sibling who knew them the least, since she’s the youngest. She is known as being sweet and is called “Angel Annie” by her sisters. She struggles with breaking out of the box that her small town and family have inadvertently put her in. Will grew up in a dysfunctional household where his parents regularly fought and cheated on each other. He doesn’t believe he will be good in a committed relationship because he never saw that modeled in his own life.

I thought this was really enjoyable to read! I would recommend reading When in Rome first to have the full background on the characters and be familiar with the town. If you’ve read this, let me know your thoughts!

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This book is bursting with charm, infectious energy, and two main characters who couldn’t be more compatible despite their outward personas. Annie is sweet, compassionate and struggling to validate her own grief and pain. That is until Will, a suave bodyguard with a heart of gold, comes to town and truly sees her for the first time. The side characters are entertaining and endearingly nosey, providing for some laugh-out-loud moments, and I completely fell in love with the small town charm. I can’t wait to read the future books about this family!

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Adorable book and a must-read for rom-com fans....
This book had sooo many sweet and cute parts and def hits home with real life, it could def happen
Annie -hides who she is, is shy, innocent, and is looking for a husband but needs to get 'dating lessons' bc she feels out of her element
Will - bad boy but with a past that no one knows who he really is, sexy, a bodyguard, confident, and of course he had past relationship and trust issues

Will is set to help Annie (bc he doesn't want anyone else to) but then he realizes that he is attracted to he but in a different way like he really adores her and can maybe even see a future with her. But he doesn't do relationships and marriage.

Do they stay friends or does a relationship starts between the two of these two....
So much affection, chemistry and caring emotions between them, so sweet and flirty
i loved how it had its serious parts but also so many places where it made you laugh out loud and even giggle

Tropes - small-town romance, bad boy-good girl

This is Book #2 in the series 'When In Rome' and can def be read as a standalone book.
But now I do need to go read the first one lol

Is Will going to change his feelings on relationships, Is Annie gonna find her husband, And get her happily ever after???
Gotta read to find out

I was so happy to have read this book and thankful I got the ARC thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. The opinions/review above is my own, honest, and voluntary.

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PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT BY SARAH ADAMS

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one is pure small town, cutesy rom com vibes all the way and I ate it up. It is the second book set in Rome, Kentucky so read When in Rome first!

Flower shop and florist Annie Walker is tired of being bad at dating and known as the “good angel” around town so when bodyguard Will Griffin is convinced to help her at dating, she’s eager to learn and grow into someone someone wants to marry. Will, on the other hand, doesn’t settle down, doesn’t stay in one place, and definitely doesn’t want a wife.

Annie is so sweet and cute but like every girl who’s been pigeon holes into a box, she wants to be more. She really grows into herself and it’s a joy to watch. Will is guarded and when you learn why, you’ll just want to wrap him in bubble wrap and hug him. Their friendship is so wholesome and the honesty and genuine thoughtfulness in their convos and interactions just gave me all the warm fuzzies. There is no miscommunication in this book and I am here for it.

Breakfast dates, how to flirt lessons, practices kisses, cuddling, crashing her real dates, people thinking they’re together, oh no I’ve caught feels, reenacting romance novel scenes, this has got it all.

I love my husband AND I’ve got it bad for Will Griffin.

Vibes:
Fake dating
Small town romance
Slow burn
Closed door
Bad boy meets good girl
Pirate romance books
He takes care of her
Tattoos
Self growth
Sibling relationships

CW: grief (death off page, historical), dementia, divorce, dysfunctional family, infidelity

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Sarah Adams killed this book!!! I absolutely loved this book. Captivating me with Annie and Will!!! Him wanting to reenact scenes makes him a automaticcccc win in my book!!! LOVED !

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What happens when you get your sister-in-law’s hot bodyguard to teach you about dating and relationships? LOVE OF COURSE!

This is my favorite Sarah Adams book. Will and Annie were absolutely electric. The banter was top tier and witnessing the two of them build a friendship together was so precious. If you enjoy small town romances, this one might be for you!

Special thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

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