Ok, is Sarah Adams simply incapable of writing a terrible book?! I mean, just once so we know she's human...except, do you even know how that would gut me??
Anyway, now that I've been dramatic, allow me to continue to be dramatic.
I LOVED this book!! I got an early copy from NetGalley, and I was SOOO excited! It was only like a week before the release, but hey with shipping it would be like a week and a half before I actually got the book in my hands!
This has to be one of my favorite tropes in romances. The bad boy/good girl. The walking ray of sunshine/I'll snap your neck if you so much as breathe wrong in her direction. Does that paint a clear enough picture?
First off, I want to highlight the side relationships. As in, every relationship except the love story. We get more of the Walker siblings, and it's precious! Will also has a brother that we see him interact with and grow closer to (that doesn't seem like the right words, but read the book and figure it out yourself!). I live for sibling arcs! It's such a deep connection between people; and when it goes from protective sheltering to adamant support, it does devastating things to my emotions. There's also the relationship to the town and all the busy bodies in said town. They crack me up, and I love their gossip tree!
Now, the main plot line. The romance. Will and Annie. What can I say except I love them? Annie wants to get married but she's terrible at dating so Will agrees to coach her. Everyone knows where it's going to lead from the start, but hey, what's a novel if the characters don't ignore the warning signs along the way? He's a bodyguard. He lives a life of excitement and danger and adventure. She's only ever read of those things. If you don't see where I'm going with this, you should read more, and I'd suggest starting here. You'll get all you need and you'll have a damn good time all the way.
Final comments. That scene at the little league game had my stomach cramping from holding back my cackles so my family was none the wiser. They all know I'm insane; they don't need to know quite how much.

Sarah Adams is a master mind and I will never stop singing her praises. Her writing is witty I found myself chuckling out loud at several points while reading this book. Once I started Annie and Will's story I couldn't bring myself to stop. Their characters were both loveable and deep. I love the small town setting & family included in the story. Though the book was mostly closed-door, Sarah really makes you feel the sexual tension, intimacy, and yearning of the characters in such a way that you don't feel like you're missing a thing. I love all the parallels between this story and the characters favorite movie, Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn. I think that this is such a unique story to spin and I loved the subtle way it was done. This is a book I know I will find myself reading many times over.

I felt like I was smiling throughout the entirety of this book and definitely had a few laugh out loud moments. Small town girl meets celebrity bodyguard romance novel? I'm all about it. Throw in a town that is reminiscent of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls (including the meddlesome older folks that keep watch over our main character… Love!!) and l'Il be sure to devour it in one sitting... which is exactly what I did.. I am already anxiously awaiting Emily and Madison's stories now!

I have many books from Sarah Adam's on my tbr list but this is the first one I have actually read, but I'm definitely going back and reading her rest of her books.

Annie, is a owner of a flower shop and is really trying to get back in the dating world. However, her first date in awhile ends in a disaster.

Will, is Amelia (Annie's brothers fiance) bodyguard back in town on job leading up to Ameilia and Noah wedding. He doesn't do relationships and doesn't see him self ever settling down.

Will agrees to be Annie's dating coach, with the agreement they will just remain friends as they aren't on the same page when it's comes to relationships.

However, the both end up falling one another. I liked during the evolution getting to know one another things never got messy and no third act "break up". While I love a little steamy romance and I think a behind closed doors romance was perfect for this book. High recommend this book to any romance book lover.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Ugh I was already a Sarah Adams fan but this one may be her best yet!! Such the perfect lighthearted summer read.

🤍Things I loved:
-small town romance
-fake dating
-opposites attract
-open communication (let’s do more of this please 👏🏻)
- tattooed softies
-dual pov ( love love love that we got to see both perspectives)

❌Things I didn’t care for:
- the fmc family (& the way they treated her like a child)

Delightful.
Lovely.
Swoony.
Heartwarming.
Adorable.
Happy.

Do I even need to say more about Sarah Adams's newest release Practice Makes Perfect? All of those words sum it up perfectly, but I won't leave you hanging.

I've been reading Adams's books since The Match. Each time she releases a new book I wonder how she's going to be able to top the last one and then does it. That's how it was with Practice Makes Perfect. I loved When in Rome with grumpy pie maker Noah and famous singer Amelia. Then came awkward "good girl" Annie and the "bad boy" bodyguard Will. Annie and Will are now my two favorite Sarah Adams's characters... at least until she releases her next book. 

Annie and Will were so opposite and yet so perfect for each other. Annie was this kind of shy, reserved caterpillar who wanted to break free of the cocoon of expectations her sisters and community had bound her in. Will was a man who didn't trust love and liked to constantly be on the move experiencing new places and trying new things. Will was exactly the person Annie needed to encourage her and help her grow and vice versa. I loved how they were pushed together by Amelia and how their entire romance played out. They saw each other for who they truly were, and it was so much fun to experience them working through it all. It was all so swoon worthy.

I can't end this review without giving a nod to all of the people of Rome, Kentucky who were involved in making Annie and Will's book what it was. Noah, Annie's older brother, and his fiancée Amelia had some special moments with both of the MCs. I also loved how the dynamic between Annie and her sisters was woven into the story. Same for Will's brother. Then, there was Mabel. She won my heart over in a couple of scenes. Not that I didn't love her before, but she had some big, special moments in this book. Then, there's all the other great townspeople. 

There was just so much to love about this book. It made me happy the entire time I was reading it. I could feel the smile on my face. I probably looked like an idiot while reading. Haha. I can't recommend this romance enough. It's one that should work for just about everyone - It's pretty closed door but has enough chemistry to keep those who like open door romances intrigued. It was such a lovely, sweet time.

I enjoyed this rom-com from Sarah Adams, especially the fact that the FMC is a bookworm. For me, it’s still lacking something that I can’t quite put my finger on, but it’s definitely a cute read with lots of characters set up for future stories. 4/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

There isn’t a single bad thing that can be said about this book (except maybe that it had to end!)

Will and Annie are 100% couple goals. From their ability to just be themselves and feel safe to making each other laugh to pushing each other past their comfort zones.

I laughed, I cried, I related to the trauma and I swooned with Annie when the roguish and tattooed Will pinned her hands above her head. I mean… 🤤

I had planned to reread #wheninrome this weekend to prep for release day… ya know what, I still am!

I can’t wait for everyone to read this!

Practice Makes Perfect is about Annie Walker, a sweet but socially awkward florist in Rome, Kentucky. Annie yearns for adventure and love, but she is in desperate help sharpening her dating game. Enter Will Griffin, the dark and handsome bodyguard of Amelia Rose. With the Amelia’s impending nuptials to Annie’s brother, Will is assigned to stay in Rome for a month where he plans to remain far away from the town’s people, specially a beautiful blonde with gorgeous blue eyes who is sunshine personified. After a series of events, Will finds himself coaching Annie, even though his past has made him extract himself from love. As they grow closer, a wonderful friendship blooms, but in fake-dating it doesn’t take long for lines to blur.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought Annie and Will’s relationship was really sweet and tender. I appreciated the fact that, even though they are both scared of vulnerability, they are so open to one another. Yes, I do think this better than When in Rome (sorry.) Yes, this book could have used a bit more smut, but it served its purpose!

Give it a try if you’re looking for small town vibes and men who will make your raunchiest book fantasies come to life.

**THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS**

🧐 my thoughts:
I absolutely adored this book! It was super cute! There were so many “Awe!” moments, and even more laugh out loud moments. I did feel like I was on an emotional roller coaster though haha I could be laughing in one chapter and in the next I was about to cry because I thought that Will was going to be stupid and leave Annie behind.

Also, on a side note. I believe this book could be read as a stand alone. I have read other books by Sarah Adams, but did not read When in Rome. I’m honestly not sure how much more context that would’ve added to the story if any, but I was able to read this book and enjoy it without reading When in Rome.

👌🏻what i liked:
I loved how Will embraced everything that Annie loved. Pirate Romances? Check! There are not many guys that would do that. I loved that he made Annie realize the person that she actually is, instead of living a life for her family and for her town. The evolution of Will was so well written. Going from this closed up body guard to being able to read him like an open book was incredible. His feelings were so real, and written as an actual man’s feelings would be written. Ugh! I just loved this book so much!!

🙃 what i didn’t like:
That Will wouldn’t just realize his feelings sooner and tell Annie! Friends? Puh-leeeeeease!!

💬 quote:
“The problem is, you’re trying to rationalize your feelings. I have bad news for you, the heart wants what it wants, and there’s no talking it out of it.”

📖 recommend?
Absolutely! Sarah Adams is a must buy author for me and I will make her one for you too!

Sarah Adams y’all. She’s it for me. There hasn’t been another author that has made me belly laugh as much as she has— all while slipping a page and turning me into a sobbing mess.
When I say this book had me cackling, I’m not exaggerating. I was wheezing. And Will? Hello, new book boyfriend. You’ll get along well in my little collection of fictional men.
The way these two came together was just *chefs kiss*. Not to mention how delicious the slow burn was.
The growth for both Annie and Will was amazing. I personally related so much to Annie in her forced personality and determination to not let her issues weigh down others. It was nice to read a character that just resonated with me so deeply. Made me feel seen.
I adored the way Adams wrote the understanding between the two MC’s. The maturity between knowing they cared for each other yet weren’t on the same page for the future was refreshing (even though I yelled at them the whole time and they refused to listen to me). I loved that they loved each other enough not to want to make the other person give up their dreams/force them to discard their fears.
I honestly can’t say enough about this sweet read. If you’re looking for a romcom to get swept away in, look no further.

Adorable is probably the best word to describe this book. The small town elements are back in force, and I appreciated the family plotlines as well as the growth we see in both main characters. The banter and plot are generally sweet, but with enough banter to place this solidly in romantic comedy territory. I loved that there were efforts for clear communication, consent, and mature conversations as well as championing for therapy instead of love fixing everything.

I do think that Annie sometimes read as younger - I think because she is written as almost too innocent for her age. But my main problem is that this plot felt very similar to If Only You by Chloe Liese (good girl looking to break out of that image with help from the "bad boy") and I just preferred that one so I couldn't stop hoping it would be more like Liese's book.

LOVED! I am a huge fan of Sarah Adams and this book is no exception! Witty banter, dual POV, and fake dating done well. What's not to like?

Annie considers herself socially awkward and is treated like the baby of the family by her siblings and everyone in the town but she wants nothing more than to seen as an adult, fall in love and get married. Will is the sexy, tattooed bodyguard (correction: Executive Protection Agent!) with plenty of dating experience but fundamentally opposed to marriage - the perfect set up for a little fake / practice dating!

Annie's inner monologue is very realistic - at least it is to me, as I have had very similar conversations with myself. Both Annie and Will are able to communicate like adults; no frustrating miscommunications that could be cleared up with a simple conversation.

I also loved the humor! All of the side characters add to the story in a funny and heartwarming way (I particularly loved the epilogue!) and the scene at the baseball game had me laughing out loud.

All in all, Practice Makes Perfect was a wonderful read. I immediately liked all of the characters and struggled to put the book down, anxious to get to the HEA!

This can absolutely be read as a stand-alone but has character overlap with "When in Rome".

I was gifted an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Published on Instagram on 4/26/23
https://www.instagram.com/p/CrgE5sXrLjf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

"I’m very grateful that I received this advanced copy of this amazing book. This book will be released on May 2nd, so you need to add it to your TBR right now! Not only was the cover of this book absolutely adorable, but this is now my new favorite Sarah Adams book. This book was lighthearted, funny, and sweet. These are common descriptions of books by this author. What I loved about this story was how real the characters were. I love Annie so much, she has a lot of characteristics that I think many readers will relate to. Annie and Will had great banter but most importantly they were honest and had great communication. That is what made this story great! I also love the small-town vibes that Rome, Kentucky provides. This was easily a five-star book for me, I could not put it down!"

This post will be permanent on my page.

Wow! I don’t even feel like I have the proper words to express how much I loved this book! How does Sarah do it?! This is my favorite one of hers yet.

Annie Walker and Will Griffin have reputations that are entirely opposite. Annie’s an introverted good girl flower shop owner, and Will Griffin is a bad boy serial dater who works as Annie’s future sister-in-law’s bodyguard. But what nobody else sees is that these reputations are beyond wrong, and Annie and Will find this out when Will agrees to teach Annie how to date.

I love the honesty and open communication that Annie and Will share! I love the HOT flirting! I love the inexperience trope! I love the lack of third act breakup! It’s perfect, perfect, perfect.

By the way, I counted, and Annie has 10 different full names that Will could be short for besides William.

This book is completely adorable! The romance was sweet and mostly G rated, but I actually enjoyed that aspect of it. It didn't feel forced. I loved that the main character was an introvert like I am, it was nice to see that perspective played out. I loved seeing how she gained her footing to break out of the mold that everybody placed her in. However, there were times that Annie came across as a little bit younger than she was supposed to be - more like high school age.

I would recommend this book.

*3.5 stars*

This was a delightful light romance, very cute and fun. Great banter and characters. It is fade to black so if you’re looking for something more spicy this isn’t it.

The beginning was a little slow as it had a lot of references to the previous book and I hadn’t realized it was a series, although it can be read as a standalone. I will definitely be going back and reading the first book. It took a little bit to get into and started very troupe heavy but I thought the pay off was worth it and it did end up being surprisingly fun.

I thought the characters had good development, kind of surface level, but more than you’d normally find in a light romcom. The end did a nice job of setting up the next book so I will probably read that when it comes out as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

this book is true romcom excellence, the one thing I love about sarah adams is that she knows how to write a joyful romcom experience of a book. i loved everything about this. i loved that it was about two people who repressed so much of themselves and yet took a chance and loved each other anyways. it's just such a sweet and funny and meaningful romance. there was such great communication and I also loved the therapy rep in this book too. i love will and annie so much and I think anyone who loves romcoms would love this book. it's true practice dating to falling in love excellence.
thank you netgalley for this arc.

tw: grief, toxic parent relationship

I couldn't be happier to return to Rome, lured by the sweet small-town romance and meeting my favorite characters again. What I didn't expect was to enjoy this book even more than When in Rome. Honestly, I fell for the bad boy-good girl trope with amazing chemistry between Annie, the girl next door, and Will Griffin, the ex-military, tattooed, emotionally uninvolved, badass bodyguard. Even though they seem like opposites, they find themselves in a pretend relationship to coach Annie to find her future husband, and they are amazingly adorable! The best thing about their love story is that they did everything not to hurt each other. There was no unnecessary angst or misunderstanding that made the characters miserable. Besides their physical attraction, their open communication and blooming friendship made me giddy! Especially seeing the presumed bad boy Will turning into a knight in shining armor, a caring, sweet lover boy, warmed my heart!

I giggled, sighed, laughed out loud, and even shed some tears. This book awakened so many emotions in me at the same time.

After reading this book, you'll wish Rome, Kentucky, could be a real place you could visit and spend time with those noisy, sweet, caring, tight-knit characters and become their friends.

The plot revolves around Annie, the girl next door who is sick of being treated as the family's little child, a pure, untainted virgin who doesn't do anything wrong. After being defined as dull and boring by the man who lastly dated her, she realizes she needs more practice to return to the dating arena. Amelia (the leading character of When in Rome) - her future sister-in-law - finds a solution for her to work with her bodyguard (correction: executive protection agent) Will as a dating coach (even though she has a secret agenda to matchmake them).

Will doesn't believe in love after suffering from years-long dysfunctional relationships of his own parents. And Annie is a full commitment girl who wants to survive through a date without making her significant other bored to death. But she realizes she is more than a boring, inexperienced wallflower. Will helps her explore her restrained true identity and her adventurous side. But what if Annie doesn't want to date any man instead of her brooding coach, who is a cinnamon bun hiding behind a rough facade? And what if Will breaks his strict rules and opens his heart to true love?

Overall, I give this MARVELOUS BOOK a highly deserved five stars! I got a hint that the next book will be about James and Maddie, and I cannot wait to return to Rome soon!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Dell for sharing this amazing book's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Guys this was so freaking adorable I'm literally screaming. First of all, they had the communication of a HEALTHY relationship while still keeping that "we aren't a perfect couple" mentality [ a) because they weren't "technically" a couple and b) because that's not a real thing, they've got jagged edges even if they are able to communicate and mesh so incredibly well together ]. And their banter?? Their conversations??

I loved every aspect of this, including how both really found who they were as individuals. One thing that was mentioned at first was Annie's flower shop was more of her mother's dream than hers (she wanted a bookstore) so I hoped for some sort of... closure with that. Did she open a bookstore instead? Did she realize she loves what she does as if it were a life-long dream?

But overall, this was hands down a top-tier book for me. I'm adding this read to my "top-favorites" list.

thank you Netgalley for the free copy