Sarah Adams does it yet again! Sarah transports us back to our favorite small town of Rome, Kentucky. Sarah’s writing is witty and clever and she brilliantly draws us in.

This book had me staying up late because I could not put it down. I’m pretty sure that my sudden bursts of laughter that I tried to keep muted woke up my husband more than once, The book is that good.

Love this little town Sarah created and looking forward to her fourth novel in Rome.

I absolutely loved Emily and Jackson's story! I loved the first two books in the series, and was looking forward to this one.

I could relate so much to Emily, a teacher who always puts herself before others, but not getting back the same love she deserves. I loved watching her character come out of her shell and grow throughout the book, learning how to make herself a priority.

Jackson, having his own inner struggles that he was battling, I appreciated his character to see how he could become more self aware through the book, and show his true colors and what a gentleman he truly is.

Watching Emily and Jackson's relationship grow in an enemies to lovers trope, was so well written, and I love that the characters and townspeople of Rome, Kentucky, continue to be written into each book and you get to see how the Walker family members evolve with each story.

I'm looking forward to the fourth and final book in the series, and to see what's next to happen in Rome!

Sarah does it again. 5 big, fat, shiny stars. Going back to Rome, KY always feels like a warm hug and Jackson and Emily wrapped me right up and didn’t let me go. These two had the most amazing, quick, witty banter but then when they finally let themselves be truly vulnerable, they opened themselves up to something beautiful. We saw them go from challengers to friends to lovers. If there is one thing Sarah is a master of her craft at, it is relationship *building*. There is no insta-love here. And we’re all better for it. We get to learn these characters inside and out and watch them build beautiful foundations for love that will last a lifetime. Job well done.

What a way to start my 2025! I love this book so much. This is enemies (hate) to lovers done right. You can actually see the progression of the relationship in the book which I love because it did not feel rush at all. We see our main characters, Emily and Jack go from enemies to friends to lovers and it was beautiful. I relate with Emily so much being the eldest daughter and having that massive responsibility and pressure of that role to your siblings. I love how honest and how she has raw emotions. Her fears in going into relationships are valid especially after what she had gone through with her parents and her first love. Jack was an amazing MMC as well. Love how aware he was of Emily and what she was going through. Best thing about this book for me was the quality bickering and banter. It made for such a sweet and heartwarming story.

I also love the side characters (the Walker siblings and their partners) and everyone in Rome. I have not read the first two books in this series but you bet I have added it on my TBR to read soon.

My favorite quote:
“People may like me, but they don’t know me. I don’t think anyone has ever known me quite like you have. And that’s part of why I wanted to move back to Rome. Because of you. Because through our strange, twisted relationship, you’ve made me feel less alone. I wanted to be part of this town because I know that for you to love it, it has to be pretty spectacular. And I swear to you, I would never try to steal their love away from you. Couldn’t even if I wanted to. They love you more than you know. Believe me, I’ve seen firsthand how much this town worships you and your spikes.”

5⭐️ for my first book of 2025 and so well deserved. Thank you Sarah Adams, her publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for this review.

I LOVE this series! Sarah Adam is one of my favorite authors and this book may be my favorite one yet. Being a teacher, I loved that the two main characters were teachers. I loved everything about this book until the end. The end felt very rushed to me and felt like the author may have been trying to wrap everything up at the last minute.

If you, like me, were headed into this book looking for the Sarah-tonin we usually can expect from Sarah Adams' books then you will be very happy with the results!

Sarah knows how to infuse happiness into her books and I am always here for it! The small town vibes of Rome Kentucky are always excellent. The cameos from past favorite characters, as well as hints of future favorites, were the best and of course our main characters got their time to shine!

Jack Bennett honestly was my very favorite part of this book, he is a gem and should be protected at all costs! He is perfect for Emily and watching their story come together was a delight!

Emily was very hard for me to read about in the beginning but I absolutely think that was the point! Seeing her work through some of the tough stuff and learn to love herself while everything was changing around her and also seeing Jack love her even at her worst was my favorite!

My only complaint with this book was the rivals/hate to love in the beginning felt very over the top BUT still read it if you have loved Sarah's other books! You won't be disappointed!

I am a huge fan of an enemies to lovers story line and Sarah Adams did it right with this one! I fell in love with Emily and Jackson and was seriously laughing out loud at their banter. I loved how there was a little bit more tension and spice added to this one versus some of her other books. Really loved these characters and their chemistry. Truly hooked from the beginning and I now want to move to Rome, Kentucky and live out the rest of my days! Such a heartwarming story!

This was a great way to finish off my year. Thank you NetGalley and Sarah for this eARC in exchange for my honest review! Can’t wait for the next one!

This is the third in the When in Rome series; this can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading them in order because there are great backstories and story continuations from characters from the first two books. 

Emily Walker and Jack Bennett are college rivals and are now second grade teachers at the same school and neighbors. Emily is secretly a romance novelist; Jack left their school mid year with his fiance and has returned to town single.

I love being back in Rome, Kentucky! This is one of my favorite fictional small towns. The town itself is so charming, full of meddling neighbors and a sense of community. Sarah Adams absolutely shines in the contemporary romance lane - her banter is spot on, character interactions are sharp and swoony, and while this book is a touch more open door than most, she still builds really great chemistry without a lot of steam. I loved seeing Emily and Jack's relationship progression. Their decade long history adds depth to their relationship, their past email exchanges and bickering were so fun, and I loved their snarky comments. In their present day relationship they were so supportive of each other and had healthy communication.

Recommend if you enjoy:
Rivals to Lovers
Any Sarah Adams book!
Small town romances
He falls first
Health communication
Secret authors

Sarah Adams and Rome, Kentucky do it again. Loved Emily getting her story and i smiled throughout thr book. Great book.

First, let me say thank you soooo much to NetGalley for this ARC!!!! This was phenomenal! My favorite book of the series thus far!

The book was cozy yet sexy. The tension between our main characters is EXACTLY what an “enemies to lovers” trope should have! Top tier banter!

I cannot wait to read the next book!!

I seriously love Sarah Adams. I’ve never been disappointed by one of her books. The fact that she started this book off by telling readers that if they wanted a closed door romance experience that they should skip two specific chapters. I love that she gives her readers the option to experience a closed door romance, if they prefer or an open door romance. This book was so funny and had me laughing out loud multiple times throughout reading it. But it also talked about heavier topics which I also enjoyed and had some depth to the characters and their back stories. Such a great way to start off the year with a five star book! This is definitely a book our library will be purchasing for our patrons!

This was CUTE!! It was a super quick and easy read that sucked me in. Every once in a while the MFC rubbed me the wrong way but I can’t even put my finger on exactly why. I really liked the way their relationship played out though and their back and forth was adorable.

“Even when I’ve hated you, I’ve always liked you.”

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/ 5

Another Sarah Adams book, and oh my heart, this was such a great way to start the year! It is always a treat to be back in Rome, Kentucky, and especially seeing Mabel and all the amazing moments she is in, whether she is supporting these characters or giving them the push they need.

Emily’s portrayal as someone who struggles with letting others help her, wanting to protect those she loves, and pushing down her emotions hurts my heart with how relatable it was. Jack was such a sweetie I adored the “he falls first” vibes anytime we were in his POV. The parental dynamics were something that surprised me with Jack and I wish we got more with his mom and more information throughout about his relationship with his dad, however, the integral scenes where there were confrontations were well done.

A dislike to love/ rivals to lovers will never not hit and this did not disappoint. The inclusion of texts and emails, past, present, and unsent, was such a great way to convey how they communicated (aka bickered) throughout the story. Loved all the banter and so much tension. The slow burn is always well done in Sarah’s books and this did not differ. Let’s just say some scenes will live rent-free (looking at your book-blocking scene 🤭) I love Sarah’s balance of having romantic-filled moments while maintaining a closed-door format because this option is not in enough adult contemporary and sometimes this is the right about of spice for the story.

If the book had taken place during the school year, I would have loved to explore more of Emily and Jack’s dynamics in a school setting and their similarities when writing their books. It was touched on, but I would have loved to have dived more into Jack’s past with writing and his process like what we saw with Emily.

Overall, thoroughly enjoyed yet another Sarah Adams book and going to be not-so-patiently waiting for the next time we are in Rome to see Madison’s story unfold.

*thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book so so so much!!!! Sarah Adams just always makes my little feet kick. (My feet aren’t actually little but they do kick!!!!) The tension and the pining and also just the big huge feelings.

The oldest daughter breakdowns in this book were…felt. I loved this book and I loved them and I love that I ~believe~ them. Idk no further thoughts rn but truly these sweetie angel babies whose bark is so so so much worse than their bite deserve the world. I love them!!!!!!!

If u maybe have oldest daughter style breakdowns sometimes I think you will adore this book. But like you also have to enjoy spicy romances which I ofc do:)

E-book provided by publisher for review :):):)

I absolutely adore this series by Sarah Adams! This is the third book in "When in Rome" series and Adams continues to blow my mind with her storytelling! In this third book you are following second born Walker sibling Emily as she is grappling with the changes happening in her life. Since her parents died she has been the one to support her siblings and be the backbone of the family. With the rest of her family supposedly moving forward in life Emily feels stuck and the only way to not feel stuck is through her writing. Enter Jack, nemesis colleague, former classmate, who everyone that meets him loves. But Jack has his own secret, he has his own family traumas and his own secret career outside of the teaching job he and Emily share. Emily thought that she was through with Jack when he moved away to be with his fiance but his return to Rome, KY has thrown her off her kilter and Jack likes the fact that he can throw Emily off her kilter. Throughout this book hilarity ensues as both Emily and Jack try to one-up each other in life (getting the best parking spot, getting the best booth in the coffee shop etc.) in a hilarious enemies to lovers rom com! I appreciated how Adams in the beginning of the book gave a spice warning and gave specific chapters to skip over if one is bothered by it!
Thanks to Adams and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read this book early!

Emily and Jackson's banter had me laughing throughout this entire book! Emily is a Type A through-and-through and has zero qualms saying exactly what's on her mind. Add that to some severe hatred for her fellow second grade teacher, Jackson, and you have a strong independent FMC on your hands! Well, that is until you get to know her. Internally, she has some things she needs to work through and I adore how the author addressed them and provided a way for Emily to begin working through them. Instead of sticking to the strict rules of certain tropes that we see in romance novels time and time again, Sarah breaks the mold and writes a story that feels more natural to the course of her main characters. Jackson has his own internal demons and underneath the hilarious enemies to lovers relationship, he and Emily begin to discover that they may benefit from letting their relationship mold into something completely different. Especially now that they not only have classrooms next to each other but Jackson has unknowingly purchased the home right next door to his long-time nemesis.

Definitely add this one to your list if you're a fan of enemies to lovers, he falls first, cracked door spice, reverse grumpy/sunshine, and banter that will make you laugh out loud!

Another book that hits from Sarah Adams - she just doesn’t disappoint. This one had a noticeable shift in tone + increase in spice compared to previous books, but I enjoyed it nonetheless!

Emily and Jack were so REAL. Their struggles, responses, and interactions felt very realistic and relatable. I loved the oldest sister + perfectionist representation.

The small town gave me serious Lovelight Farms vibes and I loved seeing some of our favorite characters from earlier books.

Perfect for you if you like:
Dual POV
Enemies/nemesis to lovers
Forced proximity + neighbors
Oldest sister + perfectionist
Coworkers
Hidden identity
Small town

This was everything! Sarah Adams is forever one of my favorite authors. I never want to stop reading about Rome, Kentucky. Emily and Jack had the best rivals to lovers story. I loved the complex characters and the personal growth that happened. Definitely recommend this book!


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

If I could give this book all of the stars I would! I am so emotionally invested in Emily and Jack’s story. This is the third book in the series and I really liked Practice Makes Perfect but I think I like this one even better. Sarah really knows how to pull you in with intriguing characters and interesting plots!

I really related with Emily. She is the oldest daughter and I feel like the way she thought about and reacted to things was exactly the way I do. I love when I can relate to the main character because it makes a book more impactful.

Now to the relationships. The tension and the banter between Emily and Jack was insane. I absolutely loved their chemistry. And the blocking scene…I have never felt that way reading a book before! We all need a Jackson Bennet is our life!

The relationship that Emily has with her siblings is very heartwarming. The found family aspect was one of my favorite parts of the book. They all come together when they need each other even if it’s not easy. It’s also really nice to see them grow throughout the books!

This was honestly the best book to end the year with! Thank you so much NetGalley, DellRomance, and Sarah for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

"You are not alone, Emily. I would walk through my worst memories to get to you every single time."
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When this hit my kindle, I screamed! This was one of my most anticipated books for 2025 as the last book, Practice Makes Perfect, is one my favorites and I couldn’t wait to get back in Rome! This installment of the series follows sister Emily Walker and her nemesis teacher/secret write Jack Bennett. Their banter and flirty fighting was incredible. And I was so happy when they finally get together. While I love reading about the main couple, this series has the best side characters and I loved revisiting everyone! This book definitely didn’t disappoint and I cannot wait for Maddie’s book.