I am such a fan of Sarah Adams. She is able to make characters super lovable and stories that are just so cute. I also liked that she gave an option to skip scenes to keep the story more closed door. If anything, those chapters could switch back a little sooner because the last page was important for the story to move forward. but I just loved this book.

I plan to share this book with my instagram followers on Monday, January 6th, 2025.

4.75/5 ⭐️

This was absolutely the best in the series in my opinion. Often times I find in contemporary romances that the enemies to lovers trope just results in two characters being just plain cruel to each other, but the way it was done in this book was SO good and their banter was top notch. Having read the other two books, I knew I was going to like this one, but I had no idea how much I was going to love it. These are two characters that I really enjoyed seeing grow on the page.

Read if you like:
- mental health rep
- small town romance
- rivals to lovers
- forced proximity
- pranks & shenanigans
- a lil hint of 🌶️ spice 🌶️

5 ⭐

WELCOME BACK TO ROME, KENTUCKY! Truly my comfort fiction town, and my goodness was it lovely to return to this place.

• It made me feel giddy, understood, weepy and like the heart-eyes emoji.
• Filled with top tier banter, the epitome of rivals to lovers, small town romance, a MMC with glasses (!!!!) who actually knows how to communicate, the loveliest slow burn, SO much swooning, Friday nights at Hank's and mornings at the Hot Bean (yes, that's the name of the coffee shop)
• It made me want to call my sister, re-read the other two books in the series, buy a pie and eat it in the bed of our pickup truck, hug Sarah Adams for this treasure of a book
• Search "Pie shop ambience" on YouTube for the perfectly paired reading vibe
• Listen to Take It Easy by the Eagles after finishing the last page
• If this book was a food/drink, it would be a hot cup of coffee from the Hot Bean, a casserole hand delivered from Mabel, or another batch of Amelia's less than good pancakes (this time with hot sauce!)

if sarah adams writes it, it’s a 5 star from me.
no but really, sarah adams has a way of writing that is so bingable and so easy to consume.

emily and jack as characters were amazing. i found emily so relatable in a lot of her struggles.

i am a sucker for a quirky hot nerd so jack 👌🏻 was perfection.

i laughed OUT LOUD. i cried. i swooned.
all signs on a perfect romance.

Such a sweet, fun romance!
I've been making my way through Sarah Adam's long list of romances for a bit now and I always always always love when we revisit Rome, Kentucky. Beg, Borrow, or Steal is the third book in the Rome series but all of these books read stand alone enough you can jump right in with Emily and Jackson. And you should. They're fun, enemies to lovers couple with some second chance sparks that I could not get enough of. This is more spice for a Sarah Adam's book than what I'd say is normal, but it's not too intense and she does outline the chapters for those who'd prefer to keep those moments behind closed doors. Pick this story up, you'll love it!

Thank you so much NetGalley for the ARC! 4.5 ⭐️

Sarah Adams does it again! There’s definitely a reason she’s one of my favorite authors. I loved being back in Rome, KY with some of my favorite characters and getting to have more pieces of their story while also falling in love with Emily & Jack.

The banter is this book was pure gold. I love enemies/rivals to lovers, and this book was the perfect example of this trope. It was great to see the evolution of the characters, and I just love Jack so much.

I can’t wait for Maddie’s book!!!

Another perfect read from Sarah Adams! We are back in Rome, Kentucky for Emily's story, and it did not disappoint! This enemies-to-lovers, small town romance was just what I needed to end my 2024 reading year! I absolutely loved their banter, and as with all of Sarah's books I laughed out loud so many times! Since we are back in Rome, Kentucky, I really enjoyed the updates on Noah and Annie as well! I love that Jack and Emily are both teachers, in addition to be having another skill (no spoilers here!) So many of Jack's lines had me melting throughout this book! I can't wait/am so sad there will only be one more book coming out of Rome, Kentucky!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

⭐️5
🌶️1
Release date: January 7, 2025
Tropes: slow burn, rivals-to-friends-to-lovers, small town

WHY DID Y’ALL NOT PUT ME ONTO SARAH ADAMS SOONER??? This book was incredible!! I’ve been wanting to read this author for a while & after reading this, I’ll definitely be reading the rest of her books ASAP!

First of all, Jack Bennett is the perfect man. Finally, an MMC that actually knows how to communicate! The way this relationship was portrayed was so healthy & refreshing to see. Both characters really made the effort to understand each other & communicate their feelings. There was no miscommunication & no third act breakup!

It’s a slow burn (which we all know is my least favorite trope) but it was done so well here. The buildup, the tension, the banter, everything was so perfectly executed! The characters were relatable & lovable. I also really liked how at the beginning, there’s a disclaimer about which chapters contain spice so you have the option to skip over that if you want (& it’s only 2 chapters so you’re not missing much of the book). Even then, the spice isn’t too overly detailed & I actually really enjoyed it in this book.

I know this is the third book of the When in Rome series so it did spoil a little of the first 2 books but I will definitely be going back & reading those immediately & getting the physical copy of this book when it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC.

I instantly fall in love with Sarah’s books the minute I read them. She creates such relatable characters with compelling stories that make you never want to leave their lives and Beg, Borrow, or Steal is no different.

We’re back in Rome, this time following Emily Walker, the oldest sister of the Walker siblings. I instantly connected with her as the oldest sister and wanting to take care of everyone, yet also silently suffering in loneliness.

Emily is a second grade teacher who is trying to chase her dream of being a writer and she’s done it. She wrote her book! But she hides that side of her in fear of it not working out and not being good enough.

And then we have Jackson Bennett.

Cue my swooning.

Jack is also a teacher, and Emily’s arch nemesis, and secretly a best selling mystery author. He moves to Rome after breaking off his engagement and is finally ready to settle down in a place he thought he finally belonged. Only it’s next door to Emily, and their 10 year feud is not going to make that easy.

As Jack and Emily navigate being neighbors, they start understanding each other, and their hatred for each other slowly starts transforming into feelings, it opens up a whole other side. Both of them have a hard time opening up to people, yet with each other they find it easy and like a breath of fresh air.

I loved getting to read about these two so much because I can see myself so much in both Jack and Emily. I felt all the giddiness with their banter, all the feels with them navigating through their own issues with each others help, and the warmth of such a loving family in the Walker siblings and the relationships we got to see blossom in the previous books.

I will read anything Sarah writes and though I’m sad it’s almost over, I can’t wait to come back to Rome, Kentucky one last time!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

This book had me at enemies-to-lovers and boy did the author deliver well at this trope. The tension was delicious with banter that had me laughing. What this author does well is creating chemistry and curating a love story that feels authentic and real.

The main issue I had with this book is that Emily is a hard character to enjoy or root for. She is stuck in her ways and shellfish in her actions. She has the need to be in control and when something challenges her order, like Jack, her actions are more like a child’s tantrum. In her moments of vulnerability, she felt readable and authentic but to me, those moments were few and far between.

On the other hand, I adored Jack. He’s the kind of character that I love to read about because there’s more to him than meets the eye. I enjoyed the complexities he encountered and how he persevered through his challenges. It's one thing this author constantly gets right, writing the perfect book boyfriend for us romance readers.

For an enemies to lovers trope to work for me the banter to be fun loving and both characters have to be likeable. The first half of the book, Emily felt very malicious and childish while Jack came out playful and charming. Despite my disconnect with Emily, I enjoy Emily and Jack's connection and chemistry. It was fun to go back to this world and I am excited to read the next book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine, Dell for the ARC

Yes! I love Sara Adam’s. Her newest, Beg. Borrow, or Steal was well worth the wait. I loved it. A must read!

Being back in Rome , Kentucky has never felt so good. Queen Bee aka Emily is the oldest sibling, teacher, everything to everyone. She does have a little secret she is trying to keep to and for herself until it accidentally almost gets into the wrong hands. The loud neighbor next door, her frenemy, Jack, is the one to help her.

These two just click. The banter is top tier. The tension, the wit, the emotions and relatability is there. I quite enjoyed my Rome homecoming.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book so for review sake, I have to give it a 1. I adored books 1 & 2 (a 4 and 5 ⭐️ respectively) but something about this one felt so different and not in the same wheelhouse as I hoped for. I assume if I read on we will get more of a connection to the characters but from the first 50%, I felt nothing but annoyance. It felt repetitive with the wording and constantly reminding us of her annoyance and attraction to him, but went nowhere. It unfortunately wasn’t for me but truthfully I expect to be in the minority.

Oh Sarah Adams. *sigh* I just love your charaters and the town of Rome, Kentucky. This being the 3rd book about that town I had high expectations and I was no disappointed. A wee bit spicier than her other books (maybe. 1-1.5 🌶️), but equally as adorable. Jack and Emily have such electric enemies to friends chemistry this one was hard to put down once I really go into it. 4.75 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and Dell Publishing for this ARC. ♥️

Sarah Adams has done it again! I love the When In Rome series and I was so excited to read this book when it came out. Then, Netgalley gave me an ARC and I was thrilled to get to read it early! I re-read the series in anticipation and boy was it worth it. Jack and Emily are hilarious and I absolutely adore them together. The banter and the pranks in this one had me laughing out loud! It is such a moving story about real life characters and you definitely won't want to miss out. I highly recommend this whole series and especially Beg, Borrow or Steal.

I loved this book. I really enjoy this Rome series. Can’t wait for Madison’s story. I couldn’t put this book down. Loved the chemistry between Emily & Jack.

This was so delightful and I loved Emily and Jackson. I cackled so many times at their emails and bickering. Then I teared up as they admitted their loneliness and their lingering scars.

Sarah Adams creates such well-rounded characters that felt real and relatable. Emily is struggling with feeling abandoned as her siblings have found their independence, but doing her best to not let her feelings show. She is so used to being the mother hen for everyone in the wake of their parents' death, but who is looking out for her? Meanwhile Jackson has struggled growing up with his narcissistic author father who grids his mother into submission (and can I say phwoar to his colourful hipster wardrobe and glasses? Hello new book boyfriend).

I couldn't put this book down. It was so well-paced and plotted with sparkling dialogue that had me compelled.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Dell and NetGalley for the ARC.

Although this is a predictable plot, it made me laugh and kept me reading. Sarah Adams is a writer who has likable characters. If you are a fan of rom coms, try this one!

I finished almost the entire book in one day... enough said.

Beg, Borrow or Steal is a small town, rivals-to-lovers romance where our two main characters team up to keep Emily's secret from getting out. The plot was so fun and super fast-paced. No part of this book fell flat for me and it is definitely one of my favorite romances this year!

Emily and Jackson were written with so much emotional depth and personality. The tension and dynamic between our two MCs is everything and you can't help but root for them. The banter gets an A+++++ from me. Beg, Borrow or Steal touches on some emotional topics such as grief and family/emotional trauma in such a raw and real way. Sarah is so talented at what she does and the growth that we see from these two is amazing!!

One of my favorite parts were the email snippets that gave you a sneak peek into Jack and Emily's past. I can't wait to get my hands on the physical copy so that I can annotate and experience parts of this story all over again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC! All opinions are my own.

I am mush. Beg Borrow or Steal warmed my heart in ways I didn’t know. It was tender, quick-witted, sweet, steamy and so delightful. I loved being back in Rome, KY and am so grateful to have received this as an ARC. Sarah Adams does it again. She breaks you open and then puts you back together in only the way she can. Jack and Emily are two phenomenal main characters. Emily is so strong and such a caretaker that she never really allows herself to feel what she needs. Jack is so intuitive and reads her so well. They go together perfectly and I’m so sad I’m done with those book. It’s one I’ll go back to when I want to get in my feels about but feel like I’m sitting next to a cozy fire with a glass of wine or hot chocolate.