I think I have come to accept that Adams’ writing style is just too sweet for me. Everything is just too cute, in a way that comes off as cloying. I also think a premise like this needs some spice, but I recognize there are people who like their books without it, and I think this book will appeal to them. It’s just not for me.

Perfect follow up to when in Rome! All the feels! Loved exploring Annie’s journey to her own HEA.
Was a fun quick read. Absolutely so cute! This has the following tropes: small town, fake dating, closed door, friends to lovers, bookish fmc, bad boy/ good girl.

4.5 stars, only because of all of the foul language. I loved their connection and I loved how sweet Will was with Annie, but I didn’t love all the sexual innuendo and all of the swearing. That said, I do love Sarah’s books and appreciate all of the time and effort she puts into them. It was a sweet story of someone who didn’t think she was good enough for the man she had always adored. Their love for one another was very strong in this book and I really did love the characters!

*I received a copy of this book as an ARC reviewer, but a positive review wasn’t required. All thoughts are solely what I personally thought of this beautiful book.❤️❤️❤️

I’m in love with this book!!! There’s not a single thing I would want differently. I love Will & Annie and their love story so much!! This book had me swooning!! ( I never used the word swoon before 😂) it’s funny, sweet, such a light hearted read.

Shy introvert who reads pirate romance books meets hot bodyguard that has trust issues about relationships but has a heart of pure gold? Yes please!! Annie wants to learn how to be better on dates and not be shy and awkward. Will is FOINE 🥵 and is so sweet that he has one month to help Annie out. The thing is, what happens when you start to get butterflies during fake dates? 😌🥹💕🫶🏽

This book is actually part 2 to When in Rome but Sarah did amazing in the writing that you can read this as a stand alone! 🫶🏽

Read if you like:
-small town romance
-friends to lovers
-blossoming introverts
-hot tattooed men with a soft side
-touch of found family

My heart flutters for this book. I cannot stop thinking about it.

Annie Walker is only known for one thing in her small town, being the nice girl. Her first date is an absolute disaster. That is until the lousy boy bodyguard her future sister-in-law needs comes into town. Will comes from an upsetting home but is overly protective of those he cares most about. Will and Annie come up with a plan to help Annie get better dating but will their true feelings for each other get in the way?

Why I loved this book:
~Dual POV
~Fake Dating
~Secret teaching/learning sessions
~Working through trauma
~Dry humor
~Amazing dialogue

Thank you, NetGalley and Dell Publishing for the opportunity to read this amazing book.

This is my first Sarah Adams' book and holy cow I was not expecting to not want to put it. I loved every minute of Practice Makes Perfect and plan to read all of her backlist and future publications.

Annie is so easy to identify with; the crossroads she was in, the set image her family and friends had of her, and her introverted nature. I loved that she was in her late twenties. The first scene of the book is so relatable and put me right into Annie's shoes. Everyone knows the feeling of a subpar first date. And Will, who doesn't love a tattooed tough guy with a heart of gold who can communicate. The hero and heroine are amazing, but I had a blast getting to know the entire Walker family and citizens of Rome, Kentucky.

I enjoy a good plot and with romance I love a trope, but characters are what cause me to read a book at lightening speed. Sarah Adams has a way with creating relatable characters that help a reader escape their everyday.

I recommend Practice Makes Perfect to fan of Tessa Bailey who love ensemble casts of characters and a feel-good romance with just a little less spice.

I really enjoyed this romcom! The cover is perfect and sets you up for what to expect. I have already started handselling this hard at my store.

Sarah Adams is one of my new favorite romance authors! I read When in Rome right before this and omg I'm obsessed with her books. I knew from even reading about Annie in When in Rome, that I would love her book. This book had the good girl/ bad boy trope, a tattooed bodyguard, and practice dating! This book perfectly captured the chemistry and tension between Will and Annie. Will was the one person to truly understand Annie, and vice-versa. I loved how Will encouraged Annie to step out of her comfort zone and truly be herself. I was giggling and kicking my feet every time Will and Annie had an interaction together. I loved their practice dates and how protective Will was of Annie. You also got to see great character development for Annie and Will. Their love story wasn't rushed and any problems they had made sense and weren't unnecessary. I also appreciate how Sarah Adams can write great chemistry even when writing a closed-door romance. I definitely recommend this book. My favorite Sarah Adams book so far!

This was ADORABLE. My First Sarah Adams but won't be my last! I read these out of order, I haven't read book 1 but I am immediately going back to read it. This was closed door but still extremely swoony! Loved.

This was SO STINKIN CUTE. Fake dating is one of my all time favorite tropes and this was just done so well. I felt every emotional under the sun throughout reading this book and now I’m OBSESSED with the cinnamon roll of a man that is Wilmont Griffin 😩💓

This book was perfection! It deserves all the stars - 5 Star book for sure!

I loved all the characters — I especially love a male MC who was badly hurt and/or misunderstood and in need of that perfect person to help heal past wounds. *sighs deeply*

I also loved how similar yet different Annie & Will was - they both have been protective of their families growing up for different reasons yet needed to let go of their past to really enjoy the now. They also brought out the best in each other.

I also got serious Gilmore Girl vibes from the town and its endearing characters, town meetings and protectiveness of each other.

Annie very much felt like Rory to me and Will felt like Jesse so I was very much at home with this book. I took my time with this book but this book could also be a quick read - I just didn't want it to end!

this was really cute and then was fade to black which was so disappointing!! made me want to read the first book in the series, the town dynamics and side characters were really special

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for this ARC. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. The book follows Annie and Will and how he becomes her dating coach, turned into fake boyfriend, turned into the real thing. I love reading the character development and how both characters where on a journey to figuring out what they wanted in relationships as well as in life. The way Sarah Adams writing captivates you so quickly to where you can put her books down is amazing. This is a good book to recommended and pick up if you like romance but not a lot of spice. It was a fade to black l, but not in the way you would expect. Overall, I gave the book 4 stars because I truly enjoyed the read, but I can see others not liking it as much as I do. Can’t wait to see what Sarah Adams writes next!

Wanting to spread her wings floral shop owner, Angel Annie starts a path of self discovery after a failed date that leads to finding herself in the tattooed arms of a bad boy Executive Protection Agent (aka bodyguard) too tempting to walk away from, even though she knows he’s leaving and he’s off-limits. Delightfully funny and cozy, this was lovely read! There’s not much spice but the tension was there and that was enough for me. This was my first book by Sarah Adams and I definitely have theories about who the next book might focus on. Can’t wait to read it!

Plot 4/5
Spice .5/5

4.25 ⭐️ this one was really cute :) just like the author says in her note, this one is definitely for the softies and the ones that always put others above themselves. you are deserving of love, just like sweet annie in this book ♥️

this book is the second in a series of interconnected standalones, with the first being when in rome. i do recommend reading the first before this one because that’ll help you understand who everyone is so much better. but i think you could still read this one without it if you prefer!

this one follows annie, who is the reserved flower shop owner in the small town of rome, kentucky. she really wants to step out of her comfort zone because she’s worried she hasn’t found love because she isn’t cool enough 😢 enter will, the bodyguard of the star of the first book (when in rome). will agrees to teach annie how to date, but of course that’s all it is! you’ll have to read to find out what happens next!

i thought this book was super cute and i especially loved annie. her journey through grief and finding herself really spoke to me, i hope she’s doing well now 🥺

thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review that i’m very late in getting out so go read this book now!!!

The first 15% was especially difficult to get through as it just hammers in the sweet innocence of the main character, Annie, who is a virgin and needs practice with dating. The innocence is drilled in so much so that she keeps a running tally of each person's cursing around her, as a grown adult. And she has exclamations such as "What the helicopters were you two doing here?" and "What in the Mary Poppins do you think you're doing?!". Along with the overwhelming amount of the innocence of Annie, the small town drama over non-issues also irritated me. For example: there is a scene where Will is running shirtless and almost gets run out of town for the "scandal".

While on the subject of Will, he is the reason why the book makes a turn for the better. Swoonworthy is an understatement and he gives other book boyfriends a run for their money. His character is so well written and I have a major crush on him. He finds the pirate romances that Annie secretly reads and not only reads them himself, but highlights parts he wants to play out with her! His character development is so strong and he finds a new family with this small town while battling scars of his childhood in a dysfunctional family. I absolutely adored him and I will read more stories in this series just for glimpses of him. I also loved the playful banter and mischief that he and Annie got into and I was hanging on every word hoping for their Happily Ever After.

This book is great for those with siblings as the sibling dynamic overcomes miscommunication and finding their own individual voices with their combined support. It also shows their sibling group expanding with the addition of their new sister-in-law with Amelia's upcoming wedding to their brother Noah.

I was not aware when I started Practice Makes Perfect that it was the second book in a series. I read it easily as a standalone and it does make a lot of suggestions of another couple in the book (Amelia and Noah) whose storyline is continuing on the side in this plot. I will definitely be reading their story, When In Rome, based on Noah's character in this book and how completely smitten he is with Amelia. I can't wait!

This was such a cute read! I loved both Annie and Will! Annie is such a sweet goofball who wants to find love and get married and Will is the hot tattooed broody guys who doesn’t believe in love. It had me smiling through and through!

This book was so cute, gave me all sorts of emotions. Loved everything about it. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

I really enjoyed this one! While I personally would have had some more sex scenes or at least something spicier to make this a contemporary and believable romance, it was enjoyable all the same. There's a lot of like here, from fake dating to an imbalance in experience, as well as the common flower shop/tattoo-clad guy trope, which makes me think Sarah Adams is a fanfiction reader/writer as well! I also liked this a lot more than the other book in this series, When in Rome, so I think this a much better indicator of the writer's style.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me a digital review copy via NetGalley!

Practice Makes Perfect is sweet small-town romance for all the quiet introverts who know what they want.

I must say, fake dating is not one of my favorite tropes. There were definitely moments where the fake dating trope was in full force and made me roll my eyes. However, the romance plays out gradually in a caring, patient way, which I really liked and appreciated. I also liked the side characters of Annie's family and the other town members who are so protective of Annie. It made me want to read the first book in the series sometime soon!

4.5 stars