Am I currently in my small-town romance era? yes, yes I am. and Sarah Adams is keeping me here!

“It seems to me, Annie, that we are just waiting for someone to give you permission to be yourself out loud.”

This quote...THIS QUOTE sums up my love for Will...but I'm jumping ahead of everything... let's start from the beginning.

Annie is looking for love...the love her parents had, the type of love she sees around her, and the type of love she reads about it (secretly) in her pirate romance novels. This baby of the family, flower shop-owning, sweet as-pie Annie, is struggling. She feels that she is the reason why she is so bad at dating...it has to be her right?

In comes Will, tattooed covered, commitmentphobe, bodyguard (excuse me an Executive Protection Agent) who is the perfect candidate to teach Annie, and help her practice being better at dating.
What could possibly go wrong? Or better yet, what could go so perfectly right?

This book has quirky small-town side characters that really just MAKE the scene, and really make you want to give up your city life and move to a small town (but not really). There is so much emotional growth in this book that I think everyone could learn from the journey that both Annie AND Will go through.

This book is closed-door, so if that isn't your thing, don't read it. But for me, I honestly didn't mind it, I was more invested in the story of the characters to necessarily need the details of the spice. The banter between Annie and Will is absolutely adorable.

All in all, this book is the perfect book for scratching that small-town romance itch.

Thank you @netgalley and @penguinerandomhouse for the early copy

I didn’t hate the book, but it just seemed very childish to me and extremely naive. I’m definitely ok with fluffy YA romance, but this was cringey to me. The town has a whole meeting of if they should be together? She compares him to a pirate? She said “H-E-Double Hockey Sticks” and they’re 30 years old with a swear jar? It was just a lot of cringe for me. I almost DNF’d but I don’t like to do that with ARCs so I can get the full point of the book in my head for a review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending this to me for an honest review!

5 ⭐️

I was so graciously given an ARC of this one and let me tell you it’s a 10/10 for me.

Small town Romance
Opposites Attract
Fake dating/Dating Lessons
Emotionally unavailable bad boy
SO much tension and chemistry

I highly recommend you pick this one up!

When in Rome was one of my favorite books from last year so I was so happy to get my hands on this sequel. This did not disappoint! I loved going back to Rome and catching up with the locals - it felt like coming back to see old friends. Annie was a fantastic MC and such kind soul. Will is book boyfriend candidate for sure - who doesn't love a tatted up cinnamon roll?! We definitely will be returning to Rome soon, right @sarahadams?

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

This book was a delight. I really enjoyed how funny and sweet it was, and I loved the heroine. I could totally identify with her feeling stuck in how her family and friends all perceived her. She was anxious and kind and real. I would definitely recommend this book to people who like sweet romances, and this is a closed door romance, but very swoony.

Rome, Kentucky, how I missed you! I'm so happy to get back to Rome and reunite with my favorite characters. The main characters, Annie and Will, were introduced in "When in Rome'. Annie is Noah's sister, and she owns the flower shop in town. Will is Amelia's bodyguard... or I mean executive protection agent. Sorry, Will hates when you call him a bodyguard!

Annie and Will pine for each other, but Annie is too shy to say anything about her feelings toward him. Will decides to stay away from Annie because he thinks that he's not good enough for her. When Annie struggles with dating, Amelia comes up with a plan- ask Will to be her dating coach! Although both Annie and Will are initially hesitant about it, they agree to practice date each other.

The tension between the two of them is electric. I love that it was dual narrator so I could see how each of them was really feeling. Will doesn't want a relationship because he grew up with his parents fighting and cheating their way through his childhood. He thinks that all relationships are doomed. Annie wants to find someone special, and she is hurt when she realizes that Will doesn't want that.

As they spend more time together, feelings change and feelings grow. Throughout their time together, both Annie and Will are excellent with communication. It's so sweet how he much he cares about her. Despite his tattoos (which are flowers and butterflies!!), he has a gentle heart that beats with love for Annie. If only he could realize what his feelings mean.

I loved that we got to see more of Amelia and Noah too. Their love story is so beautiful, and I was so happy to spend time with them again.

Overall, I loved Annie and Will- separately and together. Will never wanted to change anything about Annie. He wanted her to be herself, and that's so important.

I loved everything about this book! Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC of this book.

I loved this book so much. It was so adorable I loved the characters, I related to Annie so much. I love the small town and inclusion of Noah and Amelia. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

This book was everything a romcom should be! I immediately added all of her other titles to my author backlist TBR!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5 stars
🌶️- closed door

What I Loved:
🌷The small town setting was so well done
🌷good girl/bad guy trope for the win 😍
🌷 I adored all the side characters and the towns people! They added so much charm to the story!
🌷Will was so swoony with his damaged bad boy reputation 🥹
🌷I loved Annie the FMC and how she was overcoming her social anxiety and following her wants and needs. Social anxiety is books is always my favorite because I totally relate 😂!
🌷Excellent banter and romance in this one. Normally I like my books very spicy, but I just loved it all and didn’t miss anything!

I am reading When in Rome this month, that is the first book in this series, but all can be read as standalones!

It was so nice to read a romcom that for a change, didn’t shove the miscommunication trope down your throat. These two MCs talk to each other and work out their issues while also still being cute and fun?! This book is like the holy grail for

3.5 stars

I enjoyed the book, but a bulk of my personal enjoyment came from the witty banter and hilarious side characters. The interactions between characters had me laughing and I found both Will and Annie hilarious and her mannerisms endearing. In some ways Annie’s character reminds me of Jess from New Girl.

While some parts of the book gave me the warm and fuzzies, what kept me from giving it a higher score was that I felt the progression of the relationship and the ending was unrealistic. The somewhat exaggerated innocence of Annie’s character was a little much at times, but it being a rom-com I do see how these characteristics could appeal to many readers who are seeding for the insta-love trope. Overall it’s a cute and quick read for romantic comedy fans!

“Kiss me, Annie. Please.”

This book is to die for. Melt in your mouth, buttery perfection. All the amazing things!

I loved stepping back into Rome, KY and picking the series back up just before Noah and Amelia’s wedding (yay for seeing them frequently in this book!)

Annie is Noah’s youngest sister and has grown up in the shadow of grieving siblings. She doesn’t know how to tell them Angel Annie isn’t who she has always seemed to be. Her introverted character was written SO WELL! I adored this introverted representation that doesn’t cast her as a “grumpy” character like introverts are usually characterized in books.

She goes on a terrible date and Amelia decides to meddle. Enter Will, Amelia’s modern-day-rake of a bodyguard to teach dating lessons. He has a strict no-relationship policy and despite being attracted to her, he believes his impenetrable heart will be safe from Annie. It’s so fun watching these two total opposites fall head over heel for each other.

Annie begins to bloom into herself with the safety of Will’s friendship. Being an outsider, he doesn’t have all the preconceived notions of her like the rest of the town does, and he sees her for herself. Her character arc is so beautiful 🥹 Will learns about love and trust and goes through his own difficult arc. They communicate like adults and their “I like you” talk is one for the history books.

The side characters were absolutely on point. Mabel was on FIRE in this book! She absolutely cracked me up. I’m so excited for this series to continue.

Read for:
Opposites attract
Dating lessons
Kissing lessons
Nicknames
So. Much. Tension. 🔥
Dual POV
He reads her romance novel
Romance reader FMC
Tweedle Nosy and Tweedle Mustache
Noah and Amelia’s wedding
Sibling relationships
He takes care of her

CW: Frequent language (no f-words) and frequent innuendo. Make-outs and lots of tension. Inner thoughts/some discussion about sex/virginity. Fade to black scenes. No on page sex. Feel free to message if you have questions about content!
TW: History of parental cheating and divorce

“‘I’ll be your pirate, Annie.’ He smiles and it’s so devious and sexy it makes my stomach swoop like a swinging ship.”

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher (Random House) for giving me an ARC copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts and comments are my own.

Annie is a super sweet, caring, and genuine person, so when she goes on a date and over hears him tell someone on the phone that she’s boring and prettyish, she wonders what she’s doing wrong. She runs into Will who is coming back to town to be the bodyguard of one of her friends. Will has this bad boy persona and also doesn’t believe in love. So, Annie ends up asking Will to be her dating coach. To teach her how to flirt and how to make a date good. What could possibly go wrong?! 😏

This has the friends to lover trope and I am here for it. Y’all, I ate this book up. I couldn’t put it down. I was up until 3am this morning because I refused to not finish this book in one sitting. This book was funny, it was romantic, it was just honestly everything I want in a friends to lover book. I love the banter, I loved the flirting, I love the jealousy. It was just a really cute book.

I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes romance. It’s a face pace read and just really enjoyable.

This book releases May 2nd 2023. So, make sure to check it out!

5 stars

In this “opposites attract” story, Will and Annie appear to be very different. Will is a playboy bodyguard and Annie is a sweet virginal flower shop owner. However, as we get to know them better (thank you dual POV!) we see they are more alike than at first glance. They are both passionate, adventurous spirits that just want to love and be loved in return.

Favorite moments include:
•“Time In”
•Sick Annie
•Little League
•Bridal Shower Confessions
•Pirate Will

While the story is technically closed door, it definitely leaves less to the imagination than others with that description, so just be aware for your personal preferences.

I also am not a huge fan of swearing in general and it did at times feel a bit excessive. Again, just a personal preference, not a writing error.

Overall I enjoyed this story more then When in Rome (book 1) and honestly hope for a story for each sister.

*Thanks NetGalley for the eARC to review!*

Amazing.
Sarah Adams never fails to put a smile on my face or to make me laugh out loud. This book lived up to every expectation I had for it and I can not wait until she releases another book. Annie is absolutely adorable and Will is literally so hot. Together, they made the book be amazing and their banter was amazing alongside seeing a different side of Annie from what was shown in "When In Rome".

Practice Makes Perfect is the latest rom-com by Sarah Adams. How does a girl find the one while living in a small town where everyone knows who you are and calls you sweetie or angel. What are you supposed to do when the first date you have been on in ages gets off to a ruff start and then you overhear your date refer to you as prettyish and boring. You come to the conclusion that the problem is you and that you need someone to help you with dating. But what do you do if you start falling for your dating coach? Read Practice Makes Perfect to find out what happens.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a story that is the perfect blend of both sweet and steamy romance and comedy. I loved both Annie and Will’s characters and was rooting for them from the very beginning.

Happy pub day to Practice Makes Perfect!!! This is Sarah Adams’ latest book in the Rome, Kentucky series. It can be read alone, but I recommend reading When in Rome first. It helps you fall in love with the town and the characters and I think helps you become more invested in Annie and Will’s story in PMP.

This one gets 5 stars from me for sure! Adams does such an amazing job with the fun, sweet, and romantic pieces of chick lit. The story is so endearing and the perfect read to start off May. In her Author’s Note Sarah says that “Her hope is to write stories that make readers laugh, maybe even cry-but always leave them happier than when they started reading.” And I can tell you, she has succeeded! I will pick up every book Adams writes.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC! Best NetGalley read so far!

Annie is on an awful date when the guy she has a slight crush on, Will, walks through the door and helps her out. Will is drawn to Annie and isn’t quite sure why, but he knows get can’t get involved because he’s not what she needs. Annie is drawn to Will, even though it goes against the image she has made for herself (whether she wanted that image or not!) Annie is determined to land a husband, and Will is just the guy to help her out… by giving her dating lessons! Nothing could go wrong….

Let me first say that I absolutely loved this book. I really connected with Annie and some of her anxieties. I was so happy to read about her overcoming those anxieties and learning to speak up for herself and let those closest to her know her true self. Will was such a great person to balance her out and help her through those times and to help her figure out what exactly she wants in life. I also loved seeing the other characters from When in Rome pop up, like Amelia and Noah, Mabel, and Noah and Annie’s sisters- Emily and Maddie.

I can’t wait to see what the next book will be about… hopefully Maddie or Emily!

Special thanks to Sarah Adams, @netgalley and @randomhouse for this e-ARC!

My most anticipated read of 2023. This definitely lived up to what I expected it to be. Sarah Adams writing has been immaculate. The smooth writing style is something I appreciate so much. The ease it gave me while reading. The sexual tension/romance that this had WITHOUT have that sexual writing was such a relief. It made romance, romance.
I absolutely love when a story has a lot of characters in the story line and that it doesn't absorb the main storyline. Sarah Adams perfectly placed every character in their place. There is nothing I would change about this story line.
Such as at ease book, 352 pages and can definitely read in one day!

So happy to be back in Rome visiting flower shop owner, Annie and body guard (Executive Protection Agent), Will. After a terrible first date and with the help of Annie’s future sister-in-law and Rome resident pop star star princess, Amelia, Will and Annie agree to a pretend relationship to coach Annie through dating.

Annie and Will find themselves in a fake relationship with real feelings. Will has sworn off marriage after growing up watching his parents in a terrible marriage. Annie is finally trying to grow out of the shell her family sees her in. Together these two communicate their feelings, while growing as individuals and together. While they both envisioned their futures differently, they communicated well, so the future never seemed to be an issue.

Sarah Adams wrote another book that I absolutely adored and could not put down. The love between Annie and Will was so real, they were a breath of fresh air. I loved that we also got what seemed like an extended epilogue of When in Rome.

This is a closed-door romance, so not steamy or smutty but that did not dull the story at all.

This was an easy 5 star from me.

I just ADORE Sarah Adams - her stories and characters always give me the warm and fuzzies!

* Small town romance
* body guard/bad boy & good girl
* Opposites Attract
* Dual POV
* Closed Door & Amazing Chemistry
* such GREAT banter!

Will & Annie were just THE CUTEST. This is a book for any hopeless romantic who is looking for swoony moments, humor, and great sexual tension. Both MCs had great character growth of their own accord, which I loved. Also, it's hard not to love all of the residents of Rome, Kentucky - the secondary characters just add so much to the storylines!

Overall, another amazing book by Sarah Adams - she really can do no wrong in my eye!

Rating: 4.5 stars!