Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for the ARC! This was a dream come true ARC for me. :)

I ADORED this book. Every time I think I’ve found my favorite Sarah Adams book, the next one I read blows me away. Beg, Borrow, or Steal quickly became one of my favorite romances of all time.
Both Jack and Emily were crafted with such care and felt so real to me. I loved seeing Emily’s struggles as an oldest daughter, feeling like she needed to hold her siblings together. Seeing her learn to ask for support and open up to each of her siblings was one of my favorite things about this book.
I don’t often find fictional men that I just adore. Jack is a major exception. The way he treated Emily (even when they “hated” each other) was so thoughtful and endearing. I think I loved him more with every chapter.
The relationship development in Beg, Borrow, or Steal was phenomenal. Once Jack and Emily moved past their “hatred” of each other, they communicated so well that at times I was a little shocked. They both expressed when they needed to take time alone and easily admitted their wrongs and worked together to create a healthy relationship. I also loved seeing them both develop as writers.
This book had me giddy on multiple occasions but I have never read something that got me quite like chapter 16. 🙊

I love Sarah Adams’ books, I’ll read her new releases pretty much no matter what at this point. I loved this one so much. Both Emily and Jack were excellent characters, I adored both of them so so much and they were great as a couple as well. It was great to return to Rome as well. The enemies to lovers vibe but ohh oops we are actually just super similar people who might actually be super into each other underneath it all is always fun to read. Loved it, definitely would recommend.

I absolutely love anything Sarah Adams writes. And the story was so sweet and funny like I expected! I loved the meddling town and the family dynamic. Practice makes Perfect is my favorite but this comes close! Read it I know you’ll love it!

Thank you NetGalley and Dell for the e-ARC.

I absolutely adored Beg, Borrow, or Steal!

Give me 1,000 Jack Bennetts. I loved Emily and Jack's chemistry and banter. One of the best parts of the novel was watching Emily's growth as she realized that just because people needed her less didn't mean they didn't still want her around. As someone who constantly feels they need to fix things or please people, I struggle with this as well and felt so seen by her character.

Jack's ability to care for Emily and also reflect on his own shortcomings in their relationship was perfect. I'm not kidding when I say give me 1,000 Jacks.

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

First things first, thank you Dell and NetGalley for the eARC. I was absolutely GIDDY when I saw I was approved 🎉

Beg, Borrow or Steal was a perfect continuation to the When in Rome family. You’ve got all the good stuff you already love from Rome - banter and sweet romance, meddling town’s members, the exploration of complex family dynamics/personal development - but with a new fresh twist, featuring older sister Emily & nemesis Jackson Bennett.

In the two previous books, Emily was never my favorite. She seemed to steam roll the other siblings and was very one dimensional, but BBS brought new insight to why she is the way she is. I really enjoyed the romance, but equally enjoyed seeing Emily discover herself in the midst of her life changing around her.

Definitely recommend to anyone in the mood for a cute small town romance with a happily ever after 😊

The third book in the When in Rome series by Sarah Adams was a lot of fun to read! It was a blast to go back to Rome, Kentucky with some of my favorite book characters. I loved the banter between Emily and Jack in the first half of the book and couldn't help but smile. Emily and Jack met in college, but it wasn't a good meeting and they have been enemies ever since. Jack returns to Rome after a failed engagement, moves in next door to Emily, and they slowly become friends and more. This was a feel good book that also had emotional depth, making the story more realistic.

Spiciness: 2/5 🌶️

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC!

Thank you to PRH Audio for the ALC of Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams. All opinions are my own.

It’s no secret that Sarah Adams is my favorite author, so getting the opportunity to read this book early was amazing!

Beg, Borrow, or Steal is book three in the When in Rome series. It can be read as a standalone, but there are spoilers from books one and two.

This is definitely Sarah Adams’ spiciest book. She does give a warning at the beginning of the book about open door scenes, but I would say that there is dialogue throughout the book pertaining to intimate topics, so do be aware of that going into this book. Also, as far as content goes, this book does contain grief pertaining to the death of close family members. There is also an emotionally abusive relationship that takes place in a very small portion of the book.

I enjoyed this book a lot, but it definitely felt a bit different from Sarah’s other books in the content included. It did, however, still contain her humor and adorable romance moments that I’ve come to expect in her books.

Jack and Emily were such a fun couple to read about because they had great emotional depth, and they had such great banter. I loved watching them go back and forth in their conversations, and they also had a lot of scenes filled with tension.

I listened to the audiobook for this, and I loved both narrators so much! They felt like the perfect voices for these characters, and I thought they did a great job.

Overall, I would recommend this book, but just know that it’s a little different than this author’s other works.

Sarah Adams, the woman that you are! I did not know how Rome, KY could get any better, but of course, you did it once again. The depth and care given to these characters and their stories was like a big warm hug. This book was the perfect balance of heartbreak and healing. It gave you the grief and tragedy with the blossoming of everything good.
The bike scene at the school was my absolute favorite.
I cannot wait to return to Rome one more time (cries)!

The excitement I had over getting this arc when I already have the book preordered was so unreal! I own all the books by this author and will continue to read everything she writes. It was incredible, as always!

The third installment of the When in Rome series is an enemies-to-lovers romance featuring two rival teachers, Jack and Emily. This was a fast-paced read and I really enjoyed the familiarity of the characters and being back in Rome.

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

Let me start by saying I am extremely grateful and honored to have received this book. I absolutely love Sarah Adams and this series. Practice Makes Perfect remains one of my all time favorite books! Anyway!

Meet Emily Walker, a small town teacher in Rome with a few spikes but ultimately a heart of gold. Always around to help out a sibling or a fellow town member unless its her legendary nemesis, Jack Bennett, a fellow Rome teacher she has been feuding with since college. She thought she had escaped once and for all once he moves mid year with his finance. However, after calling off the wedding, he is now right back in Rome, Kentucky settling right in....next door. After Emily mistakenly sends off her secret romance novel to the principal, she enlists the last person she thought she could rely on and slowly they realize maybe they aren't enemies after all.

Your classis enemy-to-lovers storyline! Anyone who loves this trope will love love love this book! I ate it up, reading it as soon as I got the email! I have loved Sarah Adams for quite some time now and this book did not disappoint. I had a harder time with Emily at first but I found myself relating to her almost on an uncomfortable level that really made me dig deeper into my own personality. I loved Jack from the start and watching him break down her walls was such a vulnerable experience. Their slow burn romance was written to perfection. The chemistry was palpable, the banter was perfection, but also the underlying respect and adoration for one another. I also adored the cameos from our other beloved Rome characters <3 Love love love !!!

5 million ⭐/⭐'s

Thank you so so so much to NetGalley, Sarah Adams and Dell Romance for an ARC of this incredible book!!

This was a classic enemies to lovers book, and I loved every minute of it! I thought the characters were deeper and more complex than romance novels can sometimes be. I also loved the small town romance vibes of it all, as well as the Walker family. It made me want to join right in with them! I am also a sucker for having the main character be a teacher, so I loved that aspect of the book as well. A cute, fun, and light read!

I have no notes! Jack was one of the best MMCs that I have read in a while. I love that this was described as rivals-to-lovers because while there was competition amongst them, there was definitely more there for Jack and Emily.

I didn’t think I would like Emily but man did I relate to her so much. She put on a brave and happy face, but there were so many emotions brewing. And Jack was the guy to break down her walls and give her a safe place to be vulnerable. There were so many tender moments that I fell in love with.

And the humor!! So many great lines and instances that had me laughing out loud! Their chemistry was just so palpable through all the bickering and the banter. What an amazing balance, especially when shown their emails and texts throughout the years (which was a great touch!).

I feel so honored to have received an ARC for this book. Thank you NetGalley, Dell Romance, and Sarah Adams for the early copy in exchange for my honest review!

Another delightful book from one of my favorite writers of rom coms. This was a really fun addition to the Rome, Kentucky series. I loved these two characters, in addition to all the familiar couples and townies that are brought back again. This book was especially set apart in the series in having the “heist” element added that our characters worked together on. Sarah does a good job of informing readers which chapters to skip if they have closed-door preferences, though those chapters are tastefully done for those that read them. Her banter is always top-notch, and this book is no different. The enemies-to-friends-to-more? is done so well and makes this book a delight. Thank you to Net Galley, for this ARC!

I loved this enemies to lovers romance about Emily and Jack. Set in the small town of Rome, Kentucky (this is the third book in a series and I'm off to read the first two), Emily and Jack met in college and did NOT hit it off. Now, they're both teachers in the local elementary school who bicker constantly. But who also really pay attention to each other. And when they start to become friends rather than enemies, sparks fly. I really enjoyed the banter between these two characters and the way in which they really see each other's true selves--flaws and insecurities and all. There are some steamy scenes that were great to read but could easily be skipped if you prefer a closed door experience.

The third installment of the When In Rome series did not disappoint. Sarah Adams has a way of making the characters feel so life-like. When I read this book, it felt as if I could reach out a touch the characters. Every emotion is palpable and the highs and lows of the plot are so well thought out.

The back and forth between Jack and Emily in the first half of the book is what dreams are made of. All other “enemies to lovers” type books don’t stand a chance to “Beg, Borrow, or Steal”.

This was a real treat to read.

4.75/5

I really enjoyed this book! I loved Jack and Emily's banter so much. It's much like school yard vibes of "boy-throws-pebble-because-he-likes-you". All along the jabs they threw at one another was just an underlying crush to be revealed. The downside for me was Emily's lack of independence, I understand that she was the maternal caretake amongst her siblings and when all the siblings fled the coop she felt useless, but for a brief moment I kept thinking "get a grip, woman!" Outside of the few moments I felt this way, I loved this book!

4.5 stars!

Thank you so much Netgalley and Dell Romance for allowing me to read this story in exchange of my honest opinion!
Beg, Borrow, or Steal is the third installment in the famous series When in Rome by Sarah Adams. It"ll be out very soon now in January 7 2025.
Emily Walker’s orderly life is upended when her longtime rival, Jack Bennett, returns to town after calling off his engagement. Now neighbors and colleagues, their mutual annoyance reaches new heights as Jack thwarts Emily’s petty schemes to drive him away. When Emily accidentally risks exposing her secret career as a romance author, Jack surprisingly offers to help her fix the situation. As their reluctant partnership unfolds, their fiery animosity turns into an unexpected connection that might rewrite their story entirely.
This was funny and cute and everything you expect from a book by Sarah Adams, I'm sure the fans of the previous books will be delighted by Emily and Jack's love story!

First off… thank you to Sarah and her team and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. This was one of my most anticipated releases for 2025 and I am tickled pink that I got to live this story before its release.

This might be my favorite Sarah Adams book of all time. You can tell how much she has grown as a writer and the stories just keep getting more deep and thorough and wonderful. Jack and Emily are to die for. I love how flawed they both are, but they go through such growth from their first meeting through the end of this novel. I was seriously mad when I had to go to work because I did not want to put this book down to sleep, work, eat, or function at all. I absolutely adore the Walkers and Rome, Kentucky and I am low key sad there will be only one more book in this town. I’m also thrilled we still got to get more of the future from Will and Annie and Noah and Amelia. I never want to leave these characters and their lives behind. What a magical world she has built…

Oh and Sarah… you had me ✨blushing

🥺🥺🥺 I DID NOT expect Emily AND JACK to make me so emotional as characters! 5 STARS OF PERFECTION.

Thank you so much to Dell Romance for an ARC of this amazing book. These are my honest thoughts....

I'm not sure how she does it, but ever new book of Sarah Adams' becomes my new favorite. And this book is ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTION.

I fully expected Annie and Will to be my forever favorite couple from Rome, KY, but from the first moment I started this book (literally from the dedication), I was HOOKED on this story! We meet Jackson when Emily introduces him as "if Mr. Rogers had tattoos and was secretly a devil," and I was SOLD. These two frenemies have quite the history... from an meet-disaster (that should've been a meetcute) in college on their way to their very first class all the way to present day where they were teachers at the same school, Emily and Jack are constantly dishing out jabs.

"Jack... why are you wearing glasses?"
"So I can see your jealous scowl more clearly."

UGH. MY HEART. SEE??? SEE?!!!! It's a beautiful frenemieship between two people with baggage too heavy for either one of them to carry on their own.

So, they went to the same college and now teach the same grade at the same elementary school, and GET THIS? THEY'RE BOTH AUTHORS. One is a well established best seller and one is a debut novelist in the making... and THEN THEY'RE NEIGHBORS. It's just the best story for little forced proximity situations. They're rivals, but they're really not. Their bickering is really just tension building and building until...

I will not spoil anything about this story, because the magic is in the mystery of discovering where this story goes. There's so many tender moments of vulnerability, sadness, grief, mourning, and also many moments of joy, growth, celebration, and leaning into the hard to discover who we are underneath it all. And it's learning to let someone else in when you're scared because people you love either leave or die.

*THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK YOU SHOULD NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED*

Things I absolutely loved about this book:
- Chapter 16
- The EMAILS
- The TEXT MESSAGES
- THE BICKERING
- *THE BANTER*
- he fell first, and he is DOWN BAD
- DUCKY
- They're both bossy... and it works ;)
- How well Jack reads Emily and anticipates her needs and the things she's not asking for but telling him
- the other Walker siblings and their SO making many cameos
- hints and easter eggs about book 4 in Rome, KY????????????? *squeeeeee*

This one is out in early January and gets literally the most perfect 5 star rating of all time.