Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (+ 1/2) rounded to 5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publish for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jackson (Jack) was so cute. After running into Emily at college and spilling his coffee on her, they become frenemies. But their meet cute!?

They always wanted to one up each other which made me get into the banter and how they found a common ground where they could love each other and still be each other’s competitors at the same time.

Jack was such a book boyfriend too! He cared so much for Emily that he was even willing to sell his motorcycle for her!

My favorite part was reading old emails from their past throughout the book so you got more of their background on why and how they ended up together. Super cute and super fun read!

sarah adams did her big one with this one! this book was a wonderful experience. I loved every second of it! I could not put it down and I could not stop myself from smiling whenever Jack and Emily were bantering. I think everyone needs Jack Bennett in their life! I loved his character so much and he had me laughing the most. I loved our main character, Emily, as well. I connected with her so easily. I can’t wait to see what Sarah does with Maddie’s story!

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if your arch nemesis moved in next door?

That is what Emily Walker is asking herself when Jack Bennett drives back into her life. Their story is a classic grumpy/grumpy story on the surface, but deep down Emily and Jack are much more than they seem.

I really enjoyed this story of one of the Walker siblings. The Walker siblings are absolutely wonderful and it was great to follow another one of their stories. Emily is the one who has always been there for others, but won't let others be there for her. It was a joy to see Emily open up as a character and learn how to be comfortable in who she is. Jack was also a great character and I enjoyed the back and forth between him and Emily.

There were some great moments of self reflection that Sarah Adams does such a great job of putting to the page. She always finds a way for the characters to grow and she did a particularly great job of that in this story.

I'm excited for what I hope will be the fourth book soon.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Dell for the eARC, all opinions are my own.

Everything you could want in a return back to Rome, Kentucky.

I love Sarah Adams and her ability to bring her stories together. You get to learn more about the oldest Walker sister and meet the not so new guy in town, while also getting breadcrumbs of what is happening in her past character lives, Noah & Amelia and Annie & Will.

The banter that accompanies Emily and Jack is top tier.

"Ducky is my cat."
I find this endlessly amusing. "Why do you have a cat?"
"To cook in my soup for dinner tomorrow." She rolls her eyes dramatically. "She's my pet! Why else would I have a cat?"

You get to learn their past history in the usual way of flashbacks and conversations. However, Adams also included past emails from their time in college and as colleagues when they both taught 2nd grade.

They both have their own secrets and hurdles they need to face. Emily is the self-appointed caretaker in the family and you can see how that has lead her to her perfectionism, sharp edges, and reluctance to let others in. I will say in the beginning I found Emily to be abrasive and unfoundedly rude to Jack. However, the more I learned more about her and her life, the more that changed and I saw the full picture of the armor she wore. I loved Jack’s character straight away. He was always looking out for Emily, even though they were enemies.

“I would walk through my worst memories to get to you every single time." ~Jake

"But if you don't want to hate her, fine. I'll hate her enough for the both of us." ~ Emily

Everyone deserves to be loved like they loved each other. 💕

I’ve adored Sarah Adams books for a long time now. They always make me grin and laugh and always make my heart happy. And Beg, Borrow or Steal is no exception.

Short Summary:
We’re back in our favorite Rome (Kentucky, not Italy) and this time following my favorite Walker sibling - Emily. Emily is the epitome of oldest daughter - she’s a caretaker, she’s anxious, she believes she’s hard to love. But she has the biggest heart. And only her college nemesis can see her beyond her smiles and caretaking.

My Thoughts:
I highlighted soooo much of this book. I LOVED IT. Jack and Emily were utter perfection. Their banter was so so good. It was witty, and sweet, and Sarah’s spiciest book. 👀 But so much emotion and love and I just can’t say enough good things about this book. Please read it. It might have surpassed my top favorite Sarah Adams book….just don’t tell Will Griffin.

What You’ll Find:
🔥Forced proximity
🖤Enemies-to-lovers
🗣️All the banter
🔑A little B&E
📚Books about books
🤓MMC with tattoos…and glasses

“It’s okay that time is moving and changing. Maybe it’s okay if I move and change too.”

💋📚🍒🛻☕️❤️🐈🌺🏚️♥️💄

Emily and Jack’s love story has my whole heart. When Jack returns to Rome, his long-time feud with the town's Queen Bee, Emily Walker, picks right back up where it started. Arguing over who gets the best table at the coffee shop, bickering over their past, and banters that just make the tension OH SO GOOD. I mean it, the tension is sizzling. Not until Ms Emily Walker makes a huge mistake that puts a big secret of hers at risk of being exposed, does she (drunkenly) run to Jack for help.

*cue the *ahem* TENSION

And the rest, well, you’ll just have to see.

But Emily Walker, the woman that you are.

I resonated so deeply with this book. It’s funny, because when I read Practice Makes Perfect, I thought to myself wow I’m so much like Annie.

But then I read about Emily and found myself relating to her feelings MUCH more than I thought I would. The oldest sister who wants to protect and who is afraid of change because what’s familiar is so comfortable, but it’s all slipping through your fingers and there isn’t a thing you can do about it. Now I wish I could be as bold as Emily, that’s where I think the “Annie” in me comes in. Unfortunately, I know I’ll resonate with Madison in the next book too with how she was described in this book, which means I’ll never know which Walker girl I am because ALL OF THEM ARE JUST SO RELATABLE.

And Jack, oh man, he was hot in this book. I'm not going to lie I thought it would be hard connecting to him for some reason, but I ended up really liking his character. He's almost too much of a green flag in like, every area of his life haha! Plus the GLASSES, JUST YES. YES, ALL THE WAY.

There was one scene in this book that, while great, I couldn’t wrap my mind around: The steamy scene in the closet. The scene just felt slightly inappropriate. Not the kissing, but the fact they decided that was time to start kissing with their boss in the next room, after illegally breaking into his house haha. The tension was drool-worthy though, and I did like the element of "we could get caught" in that scene, which maybe was the purpose of why the author wrote it that way.

Overall, I read this book in just a few days. This story describes grief in such a unique but relatable way, and I appreciated the author for not skipping around writing the hard things (like grief). It needs to be written about because it’s well, real.

Love love LOVED this book!!!!!

Thank you, NetGalley and Sarah Adams for an eARC of this incredible story in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you @dellromance and @authorsarahadams for my gifted ebook. This was one of my anticipated reads of 2025 and I couldn’t wait to read it!

Emily likes things done very particularly. She loved routine and things in order. She has also begun writing a romance novel in her spare time. But all of that goes awry when her least favorite person not only moves back to Rome, but directly next door. He also back at the same school she works at! Jack is happy to be back and he’s working on renovating his house and writing best selling mystery novels under a pen name. He’s also excited to be back annoying Emily!

After Emily enlists Jack’s help with a top secret mission, they become closer and they see different sides to each other. Maybe there’s more than just the surface level?

I absolutely loved this story. Each book in the series is better than the last! Emily and Jack have such good chemistry. There are several laugh out loud scenes and the one in the closet is STEAMY. 🔥 The town of Rome is also so charming. I loved how all the townspeople were so fiercely protective of Emily and had to be told it was okay to like Jack. The rest of Emily’s family is also lovely, especially the scene with Amelia’s cooking!

This might be one of my favorite covers ever. I love the colors and the outfits! We are just missing Ducky! 🐈 This book is the third in the series, but you can read as a standalone. Can’t wait for the 4th book!

my heart is exploding YAY!!! this is my favorite sarah adams book to date and that is really saying something because i seriously adore her. emily and jack my perfect rivals to lovers I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!! genuinely this book was everything to me. the way they spent ten years being brought together against their will and with grudge after grudge against each other only to realize it’s because they were meant to be 🥹🥹 hello?! my heart is so ⭐️✨💫😍❤️‍🔥 rome, kentucky you will always be home 💌

A tribute to oldest daughters, over achievers, and anyone who takes the full burden of the concerns of others before their own.

Admittedly I wasn’t super excited initially to read this book (I had a lot of fall books to get through before the season is over!) But once I got started and got back to Rome, Kentucky it was like coming home. The oldest Walker sister is everything you’d imagine her to be from the previous two books and having watched her grow and change throughout those books, it was very fun getting into her head and her past.

Jack was a nice edition to this colorful cast of characters in Rome and while Jack and Emily’s history (usually displayed through dated emails and messages) on occasion felt a little forced or inconsistent, it was fun and enjoyable to read. By far both character’s best feature were their relationships to and reasons for becoming teachers and authors. While the latter is definitely explored and shown, I almost wish the book had taken place during the school year in order to better show that other side of their character.

This was also the first of the When In Rome series to truly give us some open door scenes. These scenes aren’t overly explicit, but definitely a fun update on the series.

Overall, a fun read and an enjoyable return to Rome, Kentucky for fans of the series.

Completely enjoyed another trip to Rome Kentucky. I want to be friends with ALL of the characters, and Sarah Adams as well. Even though you can guess where the story is going within the first few pages of the book, Adams takes you on such an enjoyable ride to get there. I LOVE her down-to-earth writing and witty banter, and I love how she makes the characters come to life (absolutely hated one character in this book, but I know I was supposed to. Don't worry, Sarah Adams, I did hate him).

One more trip to Rome for Madison's story next? I already can't wait, and I'm not even sure it's been officially confirmed,

Pick this one up when it comes out in January. In the meantime, reread "When in Rome" and "Practice Makes Perfect"!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️ I will try to put into words how much I adore this series and how each book just gets better and better. This is book 3 of the When in Rome Series, each book follows one of the Walker Siblings. I highly recommend you read these in order as they all connect and would spoil the previous books. Each book brings the siblings back together and we get glimpses and updates on their lives. This book focuses on Emily Walker, the eldest daughter of the walker siblings but younger sister to Noah. She is the prickliest sister, always stands up for her family and her town and finds herself being left behind by her siblings who are starting new chapters of their life. She is a 2nd grade teacher and secret aspiring romance writer, this takes place over the Summer, so you won’t see any classroom/kid antics but it still talks about all the intricacies of being a teacher. Emily’s college and professional rival (also a 2nd grade teacher at her school) had moved away but finds himself back in Rome and next door neighbors with Emily. This is the classic rivals to lovers trope and it is done so very well. I loved their banter, the tension and throughout this entire book it is very emotionally heavy, I found Emily to be so relatable and honestly cried my way through this entire book. I think a lot of us can see ourselves as Emily, the nurturer who puts others first, feels like an imposter when you try something new and as a result distances themselves from others or seems unapproachable. No? Just me? Well, it was so incredibly amazing to read about both Emily and Jack’s journey together. I am not ready to leave Rome, Kentucky behind and cried more happy tears when I read in the acknowledgments that the 4th and final book will be coming soon. (Yay Maddie’s turn!!)

I had a few gripes, that kept this from being a real 5 star read. For starters, this was an ARC, so there may be time to fix some of my issues. It starts off pretty mid, in that there is a lot of telling the story versus showing. I get that as a reader we need to know some background but it felt off at first. I am so glad after the first few chapters it founds its stride and got so much better. Also, I am not a fan of the 3rd act break up or similar type story, so I was cringing a bit when it looked like this was headed in that direction. It ended up being OK for me. Lastly, this is entirely non realistic. You have to suspend some reality here, there are so many coincidences between these characters that it is a bit laughable at times. Overall, I am looking past all these minor things and loving this story and these characters with my entire heart. It is also a low spice book, not completely closed door like all her last books but pretty PG-13.

I cannot wait for the last book in this series and I might cry again when it is all over. Definitely a series I will find myself wanting to re-read.

HUGE thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing - Ballentine and Sarah Adams for the digital galley in exchange for my honest review.

My review on Goodreads will be published today (11/19) along with a post on Instagram this week, hyping up reading the entire series before this book comes out. I will also be posting about it again on release day on 1/7/25.

Arc Review
Beg, Borrow, Steal By Sarah Adams
Available January 7
4.75 ⭐

First off i would like to thank Sarah. Net galley & Dell for the opportunity to read & review this book. Thank you for this gifted E-Arc.

This book follows Emily & Jackson. Emily hates having her carefully crafted world disrupted by anyone especially her nemesis Jack, so when he moves away mid-school year she is happy, Until Jack moves back home after breaking up with his fiancée. With there animosity at an all time high Emily accidental sends the school principal her manuscript for her next novel, so she needs to steal it back and Jack is just the perfect person to help with the job.

Let me start with saying Jack is the absolute best. His ability to read Emily and understand her and is never afraid to give her attitude right back is beautiful. His ability to open up and let her in when he is struggling to make sense of why he feels a pull towards her. Emily my sweet girl 🥺. The way she takes on everyone else problems and never complaining about it while secretly dealing with her own problems in the dark. Her ability to finally open up & let someone in and see her vulnerably side even though its hard for her is amazing. She uses her attitude as a shield to keep herself from getting hurt until Jack slowly works his way in and helps her realize its okay to just be herself.

5/5 recommend this book. Sarah ability to write heart felt rom-coms is unmatched. She makes everyone feel seen in some way or another though her characters and its amazing. 💚

So far my favorite book in this series - probably because I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers. Loved how secretly they both didn't feel like the other was their enemy. Don't mind the other pivoted away from closed door but my preference in general is closed door.

Emily and Jack have been at each other’s throats since they met in college a decade ago and life keeps throwing them in each other’s path. So when Jack walks away from his engagement and moves back to Rome (right next door to Emily no less), they start to put down their swords and realize that their constant antagonizing each other is actually born from a place of respect and making each other better. Their relationship evolves to love but they’re both holding onto things that are holding them back from diving all-in on their relationship.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 🫑

Liked
* I very much related to both of these characters: Emily is surely an Enneagram 8 (🤝) and Jack has a narcissist for a parent. These things play so well into their development as characters and their relationship.
* I’m a sucker for a story where the woman feels like she is hard to love and the guy is all “it’s the easiest thing I’ve ever done” (also wildly relatable for me)
* I love the world of Rome, KY and the Walker family. Also a sucker for big loving families and it was lovely to see how Noah and Amelia plus Annie and Will were doing. Can’t wait for Maddie’s book.
* Sometimes books that are “I’m scared to love you” have very immature characters. I did not feel that way about this one.
* I love that Will dressed well, appreciated fancy thing and was talented (but still down to earth and not a douchelord)

Disliked
* The breaking and entering subplot was… weird?
* Emily needs to go back to therapy

🫡 Tropes deployed: small town, enemies to lovers, secret identities, (not forced) proximity

Jack and Emily met when taking the same college courses to become teachers. Both could not handle each other then. Fast forward, they got hired at the same school. Jack moves away to get married, but less than a year later is back unmarried. How will Emily take the news? Can Jack break the tension and reveal his true self to Emily?

Enjoyed and savored every single second of this one. I’m a fan of this series and these characters. Practice makes perfect sat at the number one slot for me. After reading this one… It’s definitely topped it and has exceeded my expectations. I haven’t had a romance book truly make me laugh out loud (and not cringe), get warm fuzzy feelings, and hit on a deeper level… in quite some time.

The character development of Emily throughout was amazing to watch. Her struggles also didn’t feel too repetitive throughout reading. It felt real. Relatable.

The chemistry was also off the charts. These two really belonged together and you could feel it on the page. It didn’t feel forced.

Sarah’s writing is getting better and better with every book. It’s truly impressive. I’m so grateful for this to have been my first ARC.

Another spectacular book by Sarah Adams. Emily and Jack's back and forth banter was so hilarious. I loved visiting Rome, Kentucky again. This was a great story full of emotion and comedy. I will always buy and read Sarah's books.

This is my favorite from the When in Rome series. The characters had amazing depth and growth. I loved their arguing, but when started to fall that was priceless. An amazing book!

I don't know how Sarah Adams continues to put out banger after banger but I am grateful to be around to reap the benefits! A When In Rome book always feels like coming home and I can't believe we only have one more left after this. I absolutely loved Emily and Jack's story and the way that Adams always intertwines light hearted romance with the heavier parts of human nature. We see such a journey in both characters and it was so lovely to go along with it. I absolutely can't wait to be in Rome again!

I recently re-read the first two books in this series because I was so excited to read this one and wanted to have all of the relationships/characters fresh in my mind. I will admit that I was disappointed to learn this was Emily's story and not Madison's, because Emily was my least favorite Walker sibling. I struggled with her holding back her siblings, especially in Noah's story (When in Rome).

But, now that I have finished this book I can honestly say I'm not disappointed and I adore Emily! She is strong-willed, stubborn, caring and passionate. Her 'Type A' personality is relatable and her fierceness to care for the people she loves is intense.

The enemies to lovers troupe is always one of my favorites. Jack is a well-fit nemesis to Emily. While I didn't buy how the feud started I did enjoy how the fire was flamed over the years. Jack is soft, understanding, caring and patient - the perfect fit to Emily.

The two characters are both beautifully flawed with their own trauma and that makes this story even better, as they not only work on themselves but learn from each other and grow together.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.