This was the cutest and most light hearted book I’ve read in a while!! Loved that there wasn’t a lot of miscommunication and it’s a unique take on fake dating. Plus all the side characters are amazing, need to go back and read the first one while crossing my fingers that more are coming! There was a stretch of the book where I got tired of the will they won’t they, but it redeemed itself shortly after.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I read the prequel to the book, When in Rome, about Amelia & Noah’s love story. I found this to be a fantastic follow up book because my favorite part of that book was the small town & busy-bodied characters especially Mabel and Noah’s sisters. This story is about one of Noah’s sisters, Annie, and Amelia’s bodyguard, Will. Although the premise of their ‘practice dating’ is a bit unrealistic, I was hooked with the story from the very beginning and really enjoyed this sweet story. My only negative feedback would be that I need more steamy details! I definitely recommend reading When in Rome first, as the character development is very enduring and adds my to the story. I believe the author has hinted that James and Maddie may be her next story and I can’t wait to read it!

this was adorable, very silly and cliche but in the most fun way! Closed-door and Hallmark-esque, I found the MC very relatable and loved going back to the town of Rome, KY. This was even more fun if you have read When in Rome. I plan on reading any book Adams publishes!

thank you so, so much netgalley and random house publishing group - ballantine/dell for the advanced reader copy. i feel so bad that i read this after the publishing date, but i went out and got my own physical copy since i absolutely adore this book. this is my top 1 book of 2023 and i stand by that. so you all know this is an automatic 5 ⭐!

i requested the arc very early (february-ish) and i saw that netgalley and the publishers accepted my request during the last week before this book was about to release. however, i cannot believe this was my first sarah adams book. i was planning on reading "when in rome" but i wanted to save that for summer. this book can be standalone, but there were some characters from "when in rome." 🍂🥧🏡🌾🐦

i cannot tell you how much i love the main character, annie, because i strongly relate to her. i never highlight anything in my kindle, but i was highlighting annie's thoughts (all throughout the book) because i just found her so relatable. like i know sarah adams wrote this book for the introverted people who are misunderstood, but in all honesty, they just want to be seen and heard and have this magical fairytale of a love story they see in romance books. so thank you for making a relatable character, sarah adams. 🌼🌹🌺🌷💕🌈🌸

furthermore, in my opinion, i thought this book dives deep into the characters. adams was able to talk about annie and will's (the love interest) backstories and why they are the person they are at that time. personally, i love those storylines because even if i love a good romance, i also love a good emotional connection. by doing that, both characters had amazing character development from start to finish. that is where i perceived the romance portion to be the subplot of the story. the romance was just put at the right moments (i don't even know if i'm making any sense since i don't want to give spoilers).

will griffin! he is in contender for best book boyfriend. i love how he was just so caring and smitten towards annie. like i wish i can write a whole essay about how he and annie were made for each other. for instance, he bought apology flowers and made her favorite soup. like WHAT, that is so cute. will becomes annie's dating tutor/coach to help with her social awkwardness during dates, but we all know that they like each other (it's complicated though once you read more into the book). the communication was just key in the book, if something was wrong then communication to the problem was resolved instantly. additionally, there was spice in the book but it was more tension building up between annie and will. there were not any explicit scenes, it was more of fade-to-black scenes which i found kind of romantic knowing both characters' personalities.

and i love the "when in rome" references, like i did not read the book but i can tell noah and amelia are couple goals and are in love with each other. i feel like there will be another book in regards to the rome, kentucky series by how sarah adams set it up near the end. i'm probably wrong though. but this book is now my new joker and my new personality. overall, this book was giving reputation vibes by taylor swift, alongside out of the woods. 🫶🫶🫶

thank you netgalley, random house publishing group - ballantine, dell, and sarah adams for giving me an arc and for writing this amazing book! if you love a dual-pov, good small-town romance, love at first sight, and fake dating trope then this book is for you!!!! the book is already released, so go get your copy (if you want to!) i'll never forget about this book, will probably re-read it during the summer.⏰☀️👒🌷🌸💗

I had no idea how much my soul needed this book. Will and Annie are perfection.

The writing was enticing, the banter was on point, I laughed way too many times, the steam was absolute perfection, and it had some very poignant and endearing moments. I loved the realizations each character went through and the fact they could effectively communicate these realizations to others around them.

I related to Annie so much, and seeing her finally overcome the stereotypes that were put on her was such a powerful journey. Her being misunderstood and put into a box for so long was frustrating, but watching her finally come into her own made me ecstatic. Will's character growth was equally as satisfying; I do loves me some gruff men who aren't afraid to be vulnerable.

The ending was exactly what I wanted, too. It was different than previous SA books have been, and that's what really pushed this to a 5 star for me. I love more realistic endings, even in my romance books, so having this one defy the expected was right up my alley.

Read if you love: good girl/bad boy, friends to lovers, fake dating, small towns, bodyguard romance, fade to black/closed door romance.

I savoured this book. I didn’t want it to end. It had me smiling like crazy and just was the sweet, cozy read I’ve come to expect from Sarah.

Annie and Will were so fantastic together. They had beautiful chemistry and great banter. Annie just bloomed with him and Will was able to open up.

I swooned and giggled, but I also got teary eyed and emotional. It was wonderful. Probably my favourite of her books I’ve read!

Oh my gosh!!!! I don’t even have words!! Annie and Will were just…… amazing. The banter between the two, the romantic tension between the two, the hilarious antics, the meddling town, the dating coach lesions, town meetings, morning jogs through town, watching little league, going out to the bar, Noah and Emilia’s wedding. It was all amazing. I absolutely love Sarah Adams and this book was no exception. Annie’s character was amazing. I could feel me in so many actions and feeling that Annie had. Annie is so relatable on so many levels. There are so many hilarious and favorite parts I felt like I was highlighting the whole book.
It was so great to see the continuation of Noah and Emilia’s love story and I can’t wait to see what sister is up next and who she’s going to be paired with.
Please don’t tell Bre and Nathan but I think this might be my favorite Sarah Adams book!!!!! Shhhhhhh
Thank you to the author for my advanced copy. These words are my own.

Sarah Adam just blew me completely away. I was expecting this to be good but not THIS good. Amazing and incredible.

The amount of chemistry and affection Annie and Will had for each was honestly so cute. I had a blast, Rome is such a delight. I love the main characters, the side characters, the background characters, I loved everything.

I also loved Annie growth all throughout the book, it was so special and I’m so happy to have read it!

Well that just may have been the cutest dang book I've ever read! Seriously, I nearly immediately fell in love with Annie, Will, and all of the funny, unique characters who lived in Rome, Kentucky. I want to go there and I could have read so much more of Annie and Will!

Read If You Like:
-Dual POVs
-Small Town Romance
-Opposites Attract (Bad boy/good girl)
-Fake Dating
-Date Lessons/Practice
-No Third Act Breakup
-Great Communication!
-Clean Romance

This was my first time in Rome, Kentucky and I will absolutely be going back to read When in Rome. And perhaps a Maddie/James story is in our future? 🥰 Definitely recommend!

Audiobook Review: 3.5/5. I really liked the narrator for Annie, but I wasn't a fan of the narrator for Will. He just wasn't giving sexy, pirate, bad boy to me and I didn't look forward to his chapters. I'd recommend reading the physical book if that's an option for you.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 💚 I'm excited to go get my own physical copy.

I enjoyed Practice Makes Perfect. I rated it 3.5 and rounded to 4 stars. It was a cute romance.

Synopsis:
Will reluctantly agrees to coach Annie on how to go on dates after one of her dates ended badly. Throughout the coaching they realize things about themselves and eventually realize they love each other.

I loved how they slowly learned how to love each other while figuring themselves out. They were always very open about how they were feeling.

And don’t forget about the town of Rome. It’s definitely its own character. And sometimes the antics of the people of Rome made me laugh.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dell for a copy of Practice Makes Perfect in exchange for an honest review.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 stars

Practice Makes Perfect was sooo much better than When in Rome!! They can be read as standalones but I would recommend reading When in Rome first just to get the full background. I really enjoyed the first book but I absolutely loved Annie and Will. They both communicate so well with each other and Annie just really shines. It’s such a feel good book and I don’t think I could recommend it enough! I’m really looking forward to the next one!

One of my bookish friends described Sarah Adams books as 'being like a hug,' and YESSS, this book was exactly like that for me. This love story is just purely wholesome and I loved it.

Annie is her small town's little angel and Will is a big city bad guy but they don't say opposites attract for nothing - because everyone has deeper layers once you get to know them and these two found out they had more in common once they were able to gain each other's trust.

I love a dual POV and I absolutely jumped for joy when once of POVs was Will! I don't normally read books that have the male perspective and I've always wanted that. Will and Annie were so mature in their ability to communicate their thoughts and feelings to one another and that was great to read. I would honestly read another book about their 100% wholesome, not-at-all dysfunctional relationship, as they navigate their new love. *Hint, hint* Sarah Adams :)

I really enjoyed this book! I loved how hard Will and Annie fought not to catch feelings for each other even though it was just no use! The pining and flirtation were top notch! I also loved Sarah's witty, clever writing! I always feel like I need to read every word in her books (and even go back and re-read) so that I don't miss anything! The opposites attract and forced proximity tropes were great in this story!

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book!

(4.5/5 stars rounded up to 5/5 stars)

I love Sarah Adams and really enjoyed Practice Makes Perfect! I didn't read When In Rome yet, but I didn't feel like I was missing too much. I love how the author, while writing closed door romances, still gives the hot tension and sexy vibes. solid 4.5/5!

THIS BOOK.

All the feels. I devoured it. Sarah Adams always writes everything I never knew I needed.

The characters. The details. Every single thing was perfect about this book.

My review for this was posted on 5/9 on my instagram (Bookmarkedfavs)

I read this book a few days ago and I am still SWOONING over it!
To all my contemporary romance readers this book is a MUST READ. Just trust me, please!! Sarah just won herself a spot on my list of auto buy authors because I cannot stop thinking about this book.

Let me start by saying that this was a very fun and easy read. Sara did amazing at developing the chemistry between the two main characters. Both POV were fun to read and I loved that they helped me understand the feelings of both characters. There was never a point where I felt something was missing in the story. I related to Annie so much and part of the book was honestly therapeutic in a way. I loved how we get to know a little bit about all the member of the town which helps create that “small town” vibe. This book will make you laugh, cry, and any other feeling you can think of. It is seriously so cute and refreshing. I hope all my followers give it a try! ✿

Thank you to Random House publishing and Netgalley for gifting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

“It’s just me. You can’t mess up because there’s nothing to mess up. I’m your practice person, remember?” He holds my gaze. “You’re safe with me.”

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to get this ARC, I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own…… Spoiler’s Ahead so be warned!

There is SO much I can say about this book and absolutely NONE of it is bad! This book is probably the BEST book I've read this year. As the "introverted, tenderhearted, head in her book" girl I related so much to Annie who just wants happiness, love, marriage....the things she knows her parents who passed away when she was very little had. Annie's brother is getting married, to a famous rockstar, in their small town of Rome, Kentucky and as the wedding draws closer Amelia's security enters to obviously make sure there's no risks and dangers to ruin the wedding. Enter, Will Griffin, Amelia's bodyguard, sorry "Executive Protection Agent", your typical grumpy, no fun, "work is my life", "don't talk about my past" guy. After a brief encounter with Annie, who's on a failed date, Will discovers he may be a little bit (maybe a lotta bit) enamored with Annie. After their meeting, he gets a call from his brother who tells him he's getting married. Shocked, Will can't fathom the idea of getting married due to how difficult their childhood was with their parents.

Shortly after, while Annie, Amelia and her sisters are having movie night, the topic of Will comes up and Amelia comes up with a plan, a plan only she knows of at the time. She has Will drop a note off to Annie at her flower shop to read "with Will present" asking Will to be her dating coach, similar to the Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn movie they watched the night before. Hesitant at first, because, ya know.....he's in love ( but don't tell him yet bc he doesn't know lol), begrudgingly he agrees, but this is only after seeing Annie interact with her "brother from another mother" James. Annie and Will begin doing their “practice dates” and as time goes on Annie also realizes that she does indeed have the same feelings for Will that he’s trying to suppress.

However, small town Rome, Kentucky EVERYONE knows everyone’s business and everyone cares about everyone just ENTIRELY too much lol. The townspeople are hesitant to accept Will as he’s “quiet, tattooed and grumpy”. Eventually, that all changes….as Amelia’s wedding approaches and Will is essentially set to be relocated to another client.

Let me just tell you, the BANTER between the characters in this book is AMAZING! Annie and Will’s chemistry is amazing, the conversations between the two of them are not only heartwarming but hilarious. The conversations and interactions between the main characters and the townspeople is just *mwah* perfection!

Ultimately, Will, after speaking to his brother and some of the townspeople, realizes that his feelings for Annie, although scary are VERY real and that this is indeed this life he wants no matter how scary it may be.

All in all, if you LOVE a good rom-com, this book is right up your alley!

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy for my honest review!

Okay, well, I didn't know this was a story that was going alongside another story. But, it makes sense why I was getting "Things We Never Got Over" vibes. This definitely made me want to read the other story because I was in love with Amelia Rose and I definitely want to hear her story.

Anyways, back to Practice Makes Perfect. I felt like this book was ... fine. I didn't really connect with any of the characters although I do love Annie’s flower shop. I was hoping for a good fake dating story but it was more of a consistent "I want to be with you but you aren't ready okay got it!"

I also am just not a huge fan of story lines where someone is a virgin and the "bad boy" is going to teach the virgin a thing or two and also change his ways because she's just so pure and innocent. I don't know. Also, I was expecting some spice but we really didn't get that smut scene that I know a lot of people will want to read.

I do think this book was intriguing enough to me to make want to read "When in Rome" and I will definitely read allll of the sister's stories but I just hope they're a little more enticing than this one.

Over all, if you like the "Things We Never Got Over" vibes then I do think this series will be really enjoyable for you!

This small town romance is the perfect romance book! I could not put this down! I loved this so much. Sarah Adam's is an autobuy author for me, her books are always so good! This is in my top 5 favorites of the year.
I just reviewed Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams. #PracticeMakesPerfect #NetGalley
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To sum this review up, I'll just write one word; perfect.

The title is perfect, the cover is perfect, the characters are perfect.

Sarah Adams has magical abilities and we are just lucky to be living in her world.