This was sweet. I love the conversations between Will and Annie, and the way they eventually fell in love with each other. But more than the main leads, I also enjoyed the side characters. Mabel, especially! Anyone looking for a sweet romance will love this. Brings to mind the old Audrey Hepburn movies I used to watch. It has that same essence and vibe.

I DNF this book. I wanted to like it, truly I did, I thought the concept was cute and charming, but the main character tanked it for me. She was painfully introverted, couldn’t even navigate an awkward date and conversations, but pulled a 180 with passive aggressive comments once the main love interest was introduced? No thank you. I can see this is a book for some, just not a book for me.

Practice Makes Perfect is the second stand-alone novel in the When in Rome series. Fans of Hallmark-like tropes with a lot of heart and sexual tension will be a fan of flower-shop-owner Annie and elite bodyguard Will’s journey to a happily-ever-after. Annie and Will have immediate chemistry, are honest with each other, communicate well, have excellent banter, and a lot of fun. It would be difficult not to root for them! Their development as individual characters, and as a couple, is well paced and satisfying. Throughout the novel, their attraction to each other is evident. The build-up consists of both characters’ naughty thoughts, over-the-clothes-touching, and steamy make-out sessions. It was a bit of a let-down that their long-awaited coupling was a tasteful fade-to-black scene - it would have been nice to have experienced a more detailed explosion based on the build-up.

Loved the cover and the title! The story was really cute and I enjoyed the characters and their development.

Sarah Adams does an amazing job with the second book in the Rome, Kentucky series. This sweet and hilarious friends-to-lovers romcom keeps a smile on your face throughout the novel. Will Griffin is a tattooed and absolutely gorgeous bodyguard who is back in Rome for work. Annie Walker is a shy small flower shop owner who secretly reads romance and looks up to her parents’ love. She is looking for a partner and who better to guide her in the dating world than Will? Annie and Will’s relationship starts a dating coach-learner relationship which leads to a beautiful and easy friendship that slowly blossoms into love. Throughout their journey, they learn how to communicate freely, share their insecurities, and learn how to trust and depend on another person. It’s a beautifully written book that will not only make you laugh with every scene, but also make you happy with the character development and their healthy love.

I am a big Sarah Adams fan, so I was really excited to get this ARC. The second installment in the Rome, Kentucky series, this book had a lot of heart. I actually even liked it more than When in Rome. I thought it was really sweet that Will brought out more sides of Annie than the people that were close to her in town and she helped him learn the power of getting attached. I am looking forward to more installments in this series!

🥀Practice Makes Perfect Review 📖✨

5/5 ⭐️

I was thrilled to be getting a book with Annie’s POV. Will cracked me up with his thoughts on the small town and it was pure magic. ❤️ Chapter 7 & 8 had me smiling like an idiot and I enjoyed them so much. 😍😍😍 It’s really hard to pick a favorite scene though, I loved so many. Annie and Amelia’s friendship is so cute. Annie and Will’s chemistry is off the charts, SO GOOD.💗 I smiled and laughed throughout this whole book like a fool, and it’s definitely a new favorite of mine. I included the fake dating trope below because I felt like it had some of those aspects even if it was more of a strangers to friends to lovers story.
This is the 2nd book in the When In Rome universe, but can be read as a stand-alone (beware of spoilers if you read out of order). If you haven’t read a book by Sarah Adams, you are missing out.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
I loved this book so much, you should definitely check it out! I already ordered my printed copy, and can’t wait to get my hands on it on May 2nd! I will definitely do another read this summer. 🥹🌸

🥀Dual POV
🥀Strangers to friends to lovers
🥀Small town romance
🥀Fake dating
🥀Flower Shop Owner/Bodyguard
🥀Part of a series

Annie is on the search to find a husband, but that requires dating. A plan comes into action where Will, her future sister-in-law’s bodyguard, becomes her dating coach. Will Annie be able to find true love with practice?

I loved Annie and Will's story. Anni's dating lessons are fun and mischievious too. A great back up cast like the whole town makes this a fun read.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the advanced copy to review!

This book was very good. I've loved the majority of Sarah Adams' novels in the past, but I wasn't a huge fan of the first book in this series, so I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. In my opinion, this book was definitely better than I expected.

I really related to the characters in the novel. They connected through their open and honest conversations with one another and helped each other to grow. Overall, the book is funny and sweet and makes for a quick read when you're this invested in the characters!

Sarah Adam's second book set in the lovely, yet nosy, town of Rome, Kentucky is just as sweet and swoony as the first. Practice Makes Perfect is the friends-to-lovers story of the sweet flower shop owner, Annie (who happens to be Noah's little sister) and her famous sister-in-law's rather masculine (wink, wink) bodyguard, Will.

Annie has virtually no experience when it comes to dating. She is shy and timid, which is an oddity in her family. She would rather read about romance, than put herself out there. However, as she is getting older, she is realizing that this isn't really what she wants. She wants to find her own love story, but in order to be comfortable to put herself out there, she knows she will need pracitce..... and this is where the tattooed bodyguard comes to save the day.

Will is the complete opposite of Annie - he practically has playboy written all over his face. When he agrees to help Annie learn how to flirt and date, this is when the sparks fly. Annie and Will's ideas of romance will forever be altered - and instead of being ideal.... it becomes real.

The second book in Sarah Adams’s series set in tiny Rome, Kentucky, Practice Makes Perfect is Noah’s youngest sister’s Annie’s book. Known around town as “Angel Annie” for keeping a swear word jar and owning a flower shop, tattooed bodyguard Will Griffin is the last man anyone would ever choose for innocent Annie. But Annie could use some help with dating, and Will’s got nothing but time to kill in uneventful Rome…
This was a sweet followup to When in Rome. I immediately liked both Annie and Will as they surpassed the town’s expectations for them. Sarah Adams does a great job of capturing the nervous, exhilarating, but insecure energy that comes from first dates and I found myself smiling frequently at Annie’s inner dialogue. Will is the perfect type to set Annie off balance and aid her in dating; he’s mega hot, known for being a serial dater, and really good in bed. It’s just that Annie finds she can talk to Will and be herself around him and surprisingly he does the same with her.
If you like the “No one can make me change or can see me like you” trope, then you’ll love this book. It was a very quick read for me and is feelings driven. Not a whole lot happens plot-wise, but I enjoyed reading about Annie and Will’s interactions. In typical Sarah Adams fashion, there are cute quirky things we learn about each character: Annie aka Annabanana only wears pjs and underwear with bananas on them, she gives him lots of “Will” names (William, Wilbur, Wilson, etc.) because she doesn’t know his actual full name. He loves that she reads romances secretly and uses them a little as guidebooks to understanding her. If you’re familiar with this author, you know this is a closed door romance, but I am dying for Ms. Adams to give us a little more spice. Pretty please? The swooning is there, the heart is there, I’d just like a little tangible action. All that aside, this is a great little small-town romance to add to your TBR and I can already see who the next Rome couple will be. I’m happy to see this series continue. Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book so much. I felt like I was living alongside these friends and Annie. I loved the small business ownership aspect because of owning a small business myself. The chemistry between Will and Annie was one that I'll remember, and I will be recommending it to all of my friends.

I always love when it feels like forbidden love prevails because the tension feels so good between the two! I'm glad that both characters found out more about themselves through the process as well. It gives the romance a little more depth.

Welcome back to Rome, Kentucky. Annie Walker is tired of being described as sweet, innocent and angelic by her siblings and the rest of the residents of Rome. It makes her feel like she doesn’t have anything of depth to offer and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Will Griffin (executive protection officer to Annie’s soon to be sister in-law) sees Annie for the amazing woman she is and that terrifies him. Annie wants nothing more than to meet the love of her life and settle down, but she’s terrible at dating. Cue Will to be her dating coach. What could possibly go wrong?

Part of why romance novels like this one have been speaking to me lately is that I absolutely know where the story is going, but I don’t care because the journey is so fun. I love the quirky small town characters, the silly banter between the siblings and the sexual charge between Annie and Will. And, it’s clean enough that I can recommend it to my teen romance readers.

Can’t wait for the next installment.

Sarah Adams' Rome, Kentucky series is so cozy
This is only book 2 of 4 but I am so freaking excited
Pirate Song - Ben Barnes
Will and Annie are so precious. I love how they talk. Like the act of talking. About everything and they're grocery shopping trip. Mabel is a freaking cutie.
Seriously, can't speak highly enough :)

Oh, dear sweet innocent Annie, a flower shop owner in Rome Kentucky wants to settle down and have a family but is that what she wants or just everyone's expectations of her? A hot off-limits bodyguard (cough cough executive protection agent) comes back to town and is convinced to become Annie's dating coach, but sets clear rules that he "doesn't date". Their lessons might just bring these two opposites closer to finding the missing piece in both of their lives.

Sarah Adams has done it again, if you like slow-burn and Audrey Hepburn romances you'll be sure to enjoy this one.

As much as I loved Amelia and Noah's story this one had almost all the things I look for in a good cheesy romance, my rating: 4.5⭐'s

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for this advance copy!

In Practice Makes Perfect we are brought back to the small town of Rome, Kentucky and get a glimpse into the lives of Noah’s sister/ local flower shop owner Annie Walker and Amelia’s tattooed bodyguard Will. The two scream opposites in every way, but when Will offers to help Annie break through her shell and gain confidence with dating, the two form a relationship way beyond attraction. The only problem is that Annie is looking for her soulmate while Will does not believe in relationships.

I only have positive things to say about this rom-com. It was sweet, funny, entertaining and filled with a fabulous cast of main and supporting characters. I love how Adam’s wrote an introverted FMC who struggled with her own anxiety but was open to stepping outside her comfort zone. Will was the perfect hero to support Annie through this process and the way he always checked in with her before making any move was perfection. Also, if you were a fan of Noah and Amelia in When in Rome, get ready for many cameos of their HEA.

Read if you like:
-Bad boy/good girl
-Fake dating
-Closed door romance
-An introverted FMC
-Stern brunch daddy hero
-Flower shops
-Dating lessons

Pub date: 5/2. Thank you Random House for the ARC!

Practice Makes Perfect ARC
Sarah Adams
Stars: 4.5/5
Spicy Level: 2/5

I received an ARC of this book through the publisher, and I am in love. This story was absolutely adorable and had me blushing and squealing. I blew through this book and fell in love with the cute little town of Rome and its snoopy townspeople.

Everyone sees Annie Walker as the angelic youngest child who took over her grandmother’s flower shop. She’s sweet, loveable, and desperately wants to be in love. Underneath the overalls and the perfect sibling persona, Annie has an addiction to bodice rippers and the desire to finally settle down with her one true love so she can live happily ever after. Annie knows she needs a nice, normal guy, but her heart longs for her soon-to-be sister-in-law's broody, tattooed bodyguard Will. When Annie and Will strike a deal to teach Annie how to date, the whole town might lose their minds, and Annie and Will might lose their hearts.

Honestly, I loved basically everything about this book. It was sweet, funny, honest, and so heartfelt. I loved Annie as a character. She felt relatable, silly, and like the perfect rom-com heroine. The way she talks to herself in her head as though she’s living out one of her romance novels made me chuckle, and the fact that she grows into the woman she wants to be made my heart happy. Will was the perfect broody protection agent, and I loved him, even though I also wanted to hit him for thinking he was an emotionless romance hater. The combination of their personalities almost seemed like opposites attract, until Annie dove deeper into herself and started considering who she really was and what she wanted. Their chemistry was so good, and anytime Will taught Annie a new dating lesson, I grinned like an idiot. I also loved that even in the middle of a tension-charged scene, Will always got Annie’s consent and made checking in hot.

Sarah Adams has mentioned that she writes romance books for anxiety girlies, and it's true. While there is some relationship drama, there isn’t a big break-up, and you know Will and Annie end up together. While I tend to prefer spicy books, this one faded to gray, or at least offered very vague, and I still adored it. If you haven’t read one of Sarah’s books, then get going. This is my favorite by her so far, and I can’t recommend it enough.

CW: mentioned death, grieving, Alzheimer’s disease, mentioned stalking

This was a very sweet rom-com. A perfect feel-good book when you need something to cheer you up. I liked the style and would recommend to readers who like chick lit. I will look for this author again!

I am a big fan of Sarah Adams, and have loved all of her books. I thought this one was paced well, and had characters you couldn’t help falling in love with. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

5 stars

Review in a nutshell: I loved this book!!! So much. Literally enjoyed every minute.

Stream of consciousness thoughts…
Annie and Will- how can you not love them immensely. Pirate romances? I didn’t know I needed them. I laughed out loud. I loved getting to see Amelia and Noah more. The front cover design? Literally amazing and perfection. Both characters had such a strong voice. Lighthearted, tender, sweet, swoony, romantic. Loved the good girl/bad boy trope. Loved seeing Annie really come into her own. Telling everyone I know to please read this book. So excited there will be more of Rome, Kentucky.

I waffled between 4.5 and 5 but honestly for sheer delight of reading and for what it is- a contemporary rom-com, it’s a good 5-star book for me. I can overlook a slight lack of depth in certain areas or a pulling the story forward at a faster pace than I’d prefer because that’s the nature of the genre.

I received a free copy from NetGalley - all opinions are my own.