Sarah Adams is back with another adorable, will give you all the butterflies, rom-com. Practice Makes Perfect has Sarah’s signature sweetness infused with Southern charm and a cast of lovable characters. A modern retelling of Funny Face circa 1957, readers follow Annie (Noah’s youngest sister from book 1 of the series, When in Rome), as she works with Will Griffin, Amelia’s bodyguard and serial dater, to improve her success with dating.

Annie is known for her kindness and sweet disposition, but she is tired of being underestimated by her family, the town, and eligible bachelors. She has depth and wants the chance to break free from the mold. Will, a charming workaholic, who prefers adventures to putting down roots, refuses to settle down after a traumatic childhood with his dysfunctional parents. After some meddling from Amelia (his boss and Annie’s soon to be sister-in-law) Will agrees to be Annie’s dating coach. However, between their instant connection and growing bond, both their feelings and futures are on the line.

I loved the small-town vibes and fake dating/ teach me how to date dynamic of this book. Sarah Adams has such a gift with writing relatable and endearing internal character dialogue. I related so much to Annie’s personality. She is shy and introverted with some social anxiety and has trouble navigating and participating in some social situations. I really enjoyed watching her break out of her shell and start living for herself.

It is closed door with the tiniest peak. There is so much build up to intimacy that every touch, every kiss, every finger brush makes this book sparkle with chemistry. The language is respectful and delicate, focused on their connection. The steamy scenes are so tender and handled with so much care.

I had a great time reading this book. It is impossible to read a Sarah Adams book and finish feeling anything but happiness. Joyful, lovely, and sweet!

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell and Net Galley for an opportunity to read this one early!

2 stars, for a Goodreads rating of it was OK. Practice Makes Perfect did not keep my interest and just was….boring. I had no desire to keep coming back to the story.
I was so looking forward to this book after reading the reviews, and then the inscription really got me excited! However, Practice Makes Perfect didn’t have the same funny and fun feeling as The Cheat Sheet.
Also, the writing felt herky jerky. When describing Annie’s relationship with her sisters compared to Amelia, I’m pretty certain the same sentence showed up three times within the first ten chapters. Similarly, the conversation between Will and his brother regarding his engagement was so unnatural. I personally couldn’t get into the romance or the writing. This one just wasn’t for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

An adorably sweet romantic comedy. I loved the main characters, their chemistry, and their fun banter. There was just enough heat and tension with a great balance of serious and light. I would definitely recommend!

I read this on a plan ride to Minneapolis and the nine year old boy next to me must have thought I was crazy with how much I smiled, gasped, and laughed out loud.
I've been a Sarah Adams fan for several years and this is, without a doubt, the absolute best book she's ever written. I don't think I've ever related to a character so much in my life, or wanted it to come alive in my own life. Absolute addiction for softhearted people like myself (or, like me, those of us who love spicy romance without the rest of the world knowing), Will and Annie compliment each other in the best ways, and if I could take that man out of the pages and make him my own you better believe I would. Thank you Sarah, for ensuring I will never date because I will always be searching for my own Will.
So much of this book is gold. So many lines are perfection I want to paint on my walls. As soon as I finished this book I wanted to open it right back up to live in this world and Sarah's words forever.

Thank you NetGallery for the ARC in exchange for my completely honest review!

Yup I loved this go read it. This is my fav book of hers!
Small town
Grumpy/sunshine
Fake dating
Friends to lovers

Thanks Netgalley for my free ebook <3

Oh how I adored this book. It’s a small town cozy read. I found myself broken hearted when the last page turned revealing no more.

Annie has big goals but one she never thought to think of was to really find out who she is and what’s she really wants! She is blinded by the need for a wedding family and white picket fence. But is she willing to give up herself for it ? She has a lot to learn and this sexy bodyguard is more then willing to help her discover what she’s truly looking for.

I thought this was super sweet and it warmed my heart. It’s a bit fade to black which my smut loving heart had to accept but the love found between the pages makes up for the missing lust between the sheets. If you need a pick me up this is a definite read to fit the bill.

In short:
Did I like it? No I LOVED it!
Would I recommend it? Absolutely!
Would I read more by this author? For sure.

WOW! Another amazing book by Sarah Adams. I loved Will and Annie’s story so much. Their development as a couple and individual character growth was so good. I loved the side characters and getting a peak at Noah and Amelia without the book being about them. I want to live with Will and Annie forever, I didn’t want it to end. An incredible story.
*I do wish we got to know what Will’s full name is—William, Wilton, Williamton, Wilbur

A simple romcom about a sunshine/grumpy couple set in Rome, Kentucky. The story is predictable and a bit bland. It follows adult virgin, small-town, good-girl, and ex-military bad boy bodyguard. He isn't her bodyguard, but her friend's. There is fake dating, but they're pretty much really dating.

Pretty clean romance with fade to black bedroom scenes, while we're still in the room.

The storyline wasn't objectively bad, but I didn't find anything noteworthy to help rate this book higher. Would be a good read for someone who was a quick, cute, simple, clean romance read.

Book releases in May 2023

Thank you for the eARC, Sarah Adams, Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine, and NetGalley.

As usual, I fully enjoyed this title from Sarah Adams, as it so clean and sweet but still REALLY good at the achingly swoony romance. I love the setting in Rome, too. The small town-ness of the people and the plot always make me laugh. A fun fun read! 💜📚

This book was absolutely lovely. I am a long-time fan of Sarah Adams, but I think this just might be my favorite of hers yet. It was passionate, heartfelt, relatable, and so, so sweet. Annie was the most relatable character I’ve read, and the way Will treated her was absolutely beautiful to see. I can’t wait to visit this town and family again!

Read if you love:
- good girl x bad boy
- small town
- practice dating
- Audrey Hepburn movies
- book lover heroines

A fun story that I read in one sitting, quick and cute and didn't want to put it down. The heavy-handed opinions on romance books that I've seen in other stories wears on me, you're preaching to the choir about romance books to anyone reading! I enjoyed the personality and voices of the two protagonists, though at times felt they sounded a bit too similar to feel like separate people. Full of tropes (most delightful if you're picking it up based on the description and not blind choosing), but takes its own queues on pacing and subletting expectations that I really enjoyed. There were definitely moments where I was relieved with where the author took the narrative, which is probably why I was somewhat disappointed in the ending that we got. All in all a good time and would be a nice beach/summer read!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this title. It is too cozy, too innocent new adult romance for me. Didn't, couldn't finish.

I knew I was going to love this book the second I read the dedication. I have never related more to a book character than I do to Annie Walker, and seeing a piece of myself in her made it all the more exciting to watch her fall in love. The way both characters have very deep fears and hurts from their past make them so relatable and real in a way that makes you love them even more.

Adams does an expert job at weaving a story filled with the perfect balance of witty banter, but also deep character development. Side characters are sprinkled in to add humor as well as character conflict, but each moment is intentional and well placed. There are still cute fluffy scenes, classic tropes, and cute banter that are to be expected of every romance novel, but it was the vulnerability of the characters that made me love them. Nothing stands out as something I would change, so for now I will just give another round of applause to Sarah Adams and the world she creates in Rome, Kentucky.

Quotes to mention:

“This one is for the softies. The tenderhearted sweeties. The introverts who are afraid to shine.”

“But the thing about quiet people is, we’re only quiet because our brains are so busy overthinking everything.”

“This … isn’t something I would normally do, but I just need to take care of you. Please let me.”

Sarah Adams has always been an instant buy for me, and “Practice Makes Perfect” will be no exception!

It instantly became one of my favorite Sarah Adams books. The characters (especially Annie as an introvert myself), the setting, and the romance were amazing and kept me hooked from start to finish. I loved the closed-door romance and most importantly NO THIRD ACT BREAK-UP! This book seriously had me smiling up to the ceiling and feeling all gushy. I cannot wait to get another chance to visit Rome!

I absolutely will be recommending this book to everyone I know. Thank you net galley for the eARC!

I'd say the trope in Sarah Adams' new rom-com, Practice Makes Perfect, is "unlikely lovers." Annie and Will shouldn't be at all compatible. She's a sweet, attractive, virginal flower shop owner who has had no luck with dating but desperately wants to find her soulmate and settle down. He's a drop-dead-gorgeous, tattooed bodyguard for the superstar pop singer who is about to marry Annie's brother Noah, and he is definitely NOT looking for a serious relationship. So when both agree that Will will help Annie practice to be better at dating potential prospects, we know they are destined to fall in love. The fun is in seeing how they get there, against all odds.

I felt at first that both protagonists were a little over the top with their stories and personalities, but as the plot progressed, I was enjoying myself too much to worry about it. I also appreciated the (perhaps more realistic) supporting characters--Annie's sisters and brother, Amelia the pop star, and Will's brother--and I was surprised to learn (after I finished the book) that Noah's and Amelia's romance was the subject of the author's previous book, When in Rome. Both are set in the hamlet of Rome, Kentucky. Adams promises more books in that setting, hopefully elaborating on the other characters' stories, and I look forward to getting to know them better.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️🌶️🌶️ lots of conversation about sex, innuendo, a few vague open door and fade to black scenes
🤬🤬

Read this book if you like:
•Modern day rakes
•Good girl + bad boy trope
•Dual POV
•Pirates
•Self-discovery adventures
•Cozy small-towns

This book was unputdownable for me! There aren’t a lot of big things that happen but it was perfect for this story. The small, day to day scenes drove the plot forward in a very realistic way. I don’t cry over books very often and this one made me tear up multiple times! There is a sweetness and a vulnerability to the characters that I think a lot of readers will relate to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC!

*Will post this review on Bookstagram before May 1, 2023*

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Adams & Random House Publishing - Ballantine for an arc of Practice Makes Perfect in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own and may not be reproduced.

Sarah Adams is a new favorite of mine for romances, so I was happy to get the opportunity to review her new novel set to publish on May 2, 2023.

I'm a cover snob & will avoid a book or read a book solely based on the cover and if I didn't already know that I love Sarah Adams, this cover would have drew me in anyway!!! I mean, look at that sexy, tatted up guy! SWOON!

Annie who has been dubbed as super boring in relationships is on a mission to become leading lady material. She just needs Will, the bad boy bodyguard to tutor her on how to achieve this goal. So as to keep this secret from the town, they "fake date." Anyone who has ever read or watched a rom-com knows how fake dating turns out!

I was absolutely smitten with Will and Annie was adorable - - together, they're an enviable pair. I finished this book in one sitting. It was a fast & easy read and satisfied my need for a cute romance after several thrillers. And it has me already wanting the next Sarah Adams romance.

I highly recommend picking this one up!

This book was truly the most delightful, funny, sweet, relatable contemporary romance. Socially awkward Annie and Wolf Boy Will were two of the most relatable characters that had me rooting for them from the very first page. Sarah Adams knows how to write a beautifully tense, sexy, delicious closed-door romance that gets better with each book.

I’m a bit conflicted on how to rate and review this book, but I’ll try my best. I loved the story and the romance between Annie and Will, plus going back to Rome, Kentucky was fun. Sarah writes such fun characters and really entertaining stories. The opposites attract plot line was done well, quite a few parts had me cracking up, and I enjoyed the various names Annie has for Will.
It was also so fun to have the Audrey Hepburn connections and how the books in this series are loose retellings of Audrey’s movies.


Steam Content:
So I guess my biggest hold up was the steam level in this book. I would, personally, not say this is closed door. It’s a bit fade-to-black, but you’re still “in the room” and know what’s going on but there aren’t graphic/explicit details. In all honesty I’m not sure at all how to describe the steam content/level better. For me those scenes caught me off guard and I’m a bit shocked Sarah is writing more and more steam in her recent books.
It’s been interesting to see the difference between Sarah’s books now that she has a publisher versus when she indie published her books. And while I love Sarah’s books so much, with the progression of steam in each story, I don’t know how I’ll feel about reading her future books.
There are also conversations about past sexual partners (or lack of) and quite a few innuendos throughout.

Another 5 Star Book from Sarah Adams. This is my third read from this author and after reading "Practice Makes Perfect" she has been added to my "automatically read" author list. Her books never disappoint!

Practice Makes Perfect follows Annie an introverted flower shop owner, who is ready to fall in love, get married, and own the white picket fence home. It also follows Will who is focused on his job and does not believe in love. Will agrees to be Annie's dating coach, despite some hesitation on his part. Through the process, feelings are developed.

I was hooked from the very first line, as an introvert myself, I could relate to Annie. This is a cute, heart felt, rom-com. I had a huge smile on my face throughout the entire story.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Sarah Adams for the ARC.