Sarah Adams returns to her When in Rome series with Emily Walker being the main female character. Emily has been the mother hen since their parents passed away when she and her three siblings were little. Now that her siblings have all moved on with their lives and out of her house, Emily is feeling like an empty nester–all alone and not needed. In the middle of fighting waves of depression, Emily learns that her nemesis, Jack, is moving back to town right next door to her. The two have a decades-long history of “hating” each other–pulling pranks and in general just being mean to each other. Between Emily’s depression and Jack’s family secrets, this one isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. In a classic enemy to lovers tale, Adams crafts an emotional tale that will hit at the heartstrings of readers. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the e-arc. This review will also be posted on Goodreads 11-12-24.

This was absolutely lovely. I enjoyed every part of this story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this wonderful arc.

The Walker siblings from Rome, Kentucky are back, and this time it's older sister Emily's turn to find love. Emily has her carefully controlled and constructed life as a second-grade teacher all figured out. Even better, her work nemesis, Jack, is no longer around to get under her skin. That is, until he returns, and this time he lives next door! As Jack and Emily verbally spar and physically invade each's other space, they start to realize they might have more in common than they think, and maybe not all is as it seems. This swoony read is another hit by Sarah Adams!

Ok- so this book was one of my most anticipated reads for 2025. I squealed when I got approved for the ARC. And I loved it. I loved it so much. Sarah's writing makes me feel like I have been wrapped in a warm, cozy hug. I adored Emily and found myself relating to her throughout the story. I LOVED that Jack was her biggest fan. I'll be rereading this one soon.

A HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell Romance for this eARC!

A MASSIVE thank you to Sarah Adams, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of this book because it was a TREAT.

Sarah Adams’ best book for sure. 4.5 stars! We’re back in Rome, Kentucky for Emily’s story. Her rival since college and fellow second grade teacher is back in town after his wedding was called off. She will do whatever she can do to get Jack out of her town, even while drowning in the grief of losing her grandmother & her siblings lives all changing. Jack is a pathological people pleaser towards but Emily, and he’s ready to come back and keep fighting.

I love me some banter, and this book was FULL of it. I wasn’t sure if I’d like this one since Emily is a bit too type a for my usual tastes, but somehow Sarah made it work and i loved her. Emily & Jack are perfection. I love a good ole enemies to lovers, especially when they actually hate each other & it isn’t just a fun little flirty dislike. (Although these two were 10000% attracted to each other throughout the years & i love that for them)

Loved them & I loved that even when they got together they didn’t stop being bratty towards each other (that’s the downfall to enemies to lovers, too often they start being too nice to each other once they get together & it gets boring) 12/10 recommend, Mr. “I would walk through my worst memories to get to you every single time” makes an already perfect book even better.

I read this in one sitting (rip my sleep schedule) but it was worth saying up until 2 am to finish.

4.5⭐️/5

Beg, Borrow, or Steal is a thrilling novel set in Rome, Kentucky. The book explores rivalry and love between lovers, with banter, chippy remarks, epic fails, and espionage missions. The characters' connection and emotion are heartbreaking and happy, with Emily and Jack being favorites. The Walker siblings and friends' cameos are top-notch. This small town romance is fast-paced and unforgettable.


The story revolves around Emily Walker as she faces the loss of her grandmother and deals with the repercussions of her feuding with Jack, a former colleague/nemesis. Emily struggles to find purpose and Jack's unexpected purchase of the house next to Emily's, causing tension and a resurgence of their feud.

The book is highly recommended for fans of small town romance and enemies to lovers' trope.

The afflictions of the oldest sister (Emily) and the most competent man Sarah Adams has ever written (Jack) have made this my favorite in the Rome series yet! I could not put this book down. Emily and Jack's banter is so engaging and just plain fun. Once they start to acknowledge the comfort they bring to one another, their emotional and physical chemistry are downright combustible! I also enjoyed the Easter eggs given to us about Maddie's book and can't wait for its release!

Plot:
Emily Walker, the eldest daughter, takes her job seriously and prioritizes her siblings' well-being. However, she has never had to tiptoe around her college nemesis, Jackson Bennett. Jack, who moved out of their small Kentucky town with his fiancé, is now single and ready to make Emily's life a living hell. They have been trading snide remarks since their first day of college, and their proximity has fueled their bond. When Emily needs help retrieving a drunken email, Jack agrees, but he has secrets that could potentially ruin their bond. The bickering banter between Emily and Jack is entertaining and makes them both vulnerable. The series is filled with romance, but the plot is not as engaging as the romance.

Sarah is brilliant at romantic comedy and this is just further proof of that! The element of the text messages and emails was adorable. It was great to be back is Rome Kentucky and I look forward to the conclusion of this series.

(Dual POV and Spicy)

Sara Adams does not disappoint...sometimes when I get to a book three, I feel they are just not as good as they should be and I lose interest, but this one...for the win. My library patrons are going to be so excited for this release. I can not wait to have it in print! Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC!

Oh my goodness... let me tell you something.. I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!! This was actually my very first Sarah Adams book and I am punching myself for not reading her other books sooner!!! "When in Rome" has always been on my TBR, but I just never got around to it... WELL THAT CHANGES TODAY!!

What a masterpiece!! This book honestly feels like a warm hug. How can I be part of the Walker Family???

"Beg, Borrow, or Steal" has the perfect balance of humor, romance, family, and touches lightly on mental health.

To entice you to drop everything and read this book when it comes out... here are some tropes:

Enemies to Lovers
Small Town Romance
Workplace Rivalry

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book for an honest review. This book has changed my life

I am a big fan of Sarah Adams, while this book was cute, it was not my favorite. A bit slow and predictable. I had a hard time getting into the characters and it took me a while to finish.

I absolutely loved this book and fell in love with Emily and Jack instantly. I loved the enemies to lovers trope. The dual POV was so fantastic too!

Emily and Jack have been feuding since they first met in college. They have competed in classes and then ended up working at the same school...both second grade teachers where the competition continued. But there was always an underlying attraction and soft spot for the other.

Well, Jack ends up moving away because he is engaged and never says goodbye to Emily. She holds onto this and when he suddenly shows back up she is annoyed. Needless to say they also become neighbors when Jack unknowingly buys the house next door to Emily. She does everything she can to get in his way and make him feel unwelcome in her town.

But as things develop they find a friendship that slowly leads to more feelings. This was so good. I was laughing and smiling so much and I loved getting little glimpses of Amelia and Annie's lives. And Maddie and James...cannot wait to see what plays out in the last book!

Sarah Adams just knows how to write the cuteset romcoms and also loved the twist of teachers being writers!!

this is the third book in the When in Rome series, and it just keeps getting better! Emily and Jack are the perfect example of enemies to friends to lovers. beneath their feuding over the years, there’s always been more that they both refused to see. they both have past trauma and are able to help each other face it. through doing so they find love and happiness. being vulnerable with someone and facing change can be scary but with the right person by you, it becomes all the more worthwhile. go read this when it comes out and in the mean time read the other two books if you haven’t!

“Emily, you are the difference. I’m realizing that.”

“I’ll be so careful with you, Emily,”

“You are not alone, Emily. I would walk through my worst memories to get to you every single time.”

"Don’t let him be the most wonderful thing that never happened to you because you were scared to give it a try."

"I don’t need anything from you other than for you to unlock the door for me so I can come lie with you when the darkness is too heavy to crawl out of."

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This was a lot of fun! I've always enjoyed going back to Rome, Kentucky, and this was not any different. I'm obsessed with the enemies to lovers trope, and Sarah's writing nailed it! Jack and Emily's banter was the secret sauce. And when I tell you he fell first, it was executed beautifully. Their romance was a slow build-up, but I didn't mind - I could not stop turning the page to see what happens next.
Sarah does an amazing job writing about small town romance. It's a character in itself! I eat it up, and I can't wait for the fourth and finally installment!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for providing an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book. Sarah Adams is seemingly allergic to writing bad books, i’m obsessed with everything she does. These two characters are her most well suited yet and i loved it simply for that.

Absolutely amazing!! 5⭐️
I loved the entire premise of this book of how they were rivals/enemies to lovers who couldn’t see eachother without breaking into a bickering fight. I loved the banter, the chippy remarks, the epic fails, the espionage mission🤭🤣, and ultimately the connection of the characters. There was so much emotion from the characters, both heartbreaking and happy, that just brought this book to life. Emily and Jack might be my new favorites just because of how they weren’t afraid of showing the worst sides of themselves to eachother from the beginning. The cameos from the other Walker siblings and friends were top notch. This was a small town romance, teacher recognition 🫶, fast paced book that I couldn’t ever put down. I loved it and thank NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Sarah Adams for the eArc!! Forever grateful 💕

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Favorite quotes:
“It’s like we’re cursed to walk adjacent in this life no matter how much we despise each other”

“You are not alone, Emily. I would walk through my worst memories to get to you every single time.”

“Emily... when I told you I care for you, I mean it. It's not that I care for some aspects of you, not that I care for you when you're in a good mood...
I care for you always. I want you, always. The good, the bad, and the in-between. I. Want. You, Sharp edges, hot tempered, fiercely protective, gooey heart... all of it. All of you. But I'm not going to rush you again or push you into anything you're not ready for either. In the end, if all you want is friendship, I'll take it.”

“My entire body is dragging me to her like it knows she is safety.”

“That’s why you scare the hell out of me. I’ve never . . . I’ve never met anyone who makes me feel so seen and known as you do, Jack.”

Not a contemporary romance reader, really, but I feel like if I was, it would be a great read. Has all the right things, including repeatedly running into each other partially clothed and riding on a motorcycle!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

10/10!!!!! Sarah does it again!!! I always thought Annie was my soul character but she has managed to create another, Emily, that just speaks to me. I am a perfect balance of Annie and Emily… Sarah is so in touch with her readers and somehow always makes them feel seen whether it’s with a whole character or small pieces of them.

Emily and Jack are a perfect match and the banter and tension are off the charts!!!! it was funny, romantic, real, and I just loved it so much and can’t wait for the rest of the world to get to read it

I. Am. Obsessed. Sarah Adams has done it again! I loved every single second of this book. I felt all the same feeling and giddiness as when I read The Cheat Sheet (my first Adams book). Ugh. So good.

I was a little skeptical about getting Emily story since she was also kinda rigid and very much the mom of the Walker siblings but I loved her from page 1. She had so much depth and so many hidden struggles. I felt for her. The only person she didn’t have to worry about being different with was Jackson. Their banter was so good. I love the bickering that always has underlying “how do they not see that they love each other?!” vibes. It hits every time.

Jackson was *everything*. He had his own struggles but he found his solace in his “enemy-ship” with Emily. He was able to just say when he thought and not worry what she thought. He was able to be free with her.

I ate this up. I already had this book preordered and when I got approved on NetGalley I literally squealed! I’m so excited for others to read this!

This book might just be my soulmate (sorry, wonderful husband!). Sarah’s writing is so powerful, so beautiful and so encouraging. As an older sister, i FELT so much of Sarah’s writing come through the pages into my own life, and there is nothing possibly as beautiful as that.

Emily & Jack’s story was witty, clever, sweet & filled with delicious tension and banter. This book felt like a warm hug with a side of a sarcastic comment & I adored every second of it.

Thank you Sarah & your publishing team for the ARC - I already can’t wait to return to Rome, KY ❤️

"Beg Borrow or Steal" is a delightful addition to Sarah Adams' charming small-town romance series, and it captivated me from the very first page. The story centers around Emily and Jack, two fierce rivals whose competitive nature has defined their relationship since college. But beneath the surface of their rivalry lies a simmering tension that is impossible to ignore.

Emily, our fierce and relatable heroine, grapples with what I like to call "oldest daughter syndrome." This struggle resonates deeply, as she often feels overshadowed and unsure of her place in a world where she doesn't always feel needed. Watching her character grow throughout the story was a true highlight. Emily learns to embrace her emotions, shedding the need to always be okay, and finding strength in vulnerability. Jack, the charming and complex male lead, also faces his own demons, shaped by a childhood spent trying to please his narcissistic father. Together, they embark on a journey of self-discovery and mutual support.

The moment Jack moves back to their small town, the stage is set for sparks to fly. When Emily finds herself in a bind and needs Jack's help, the dynamics shift, allowing their chemistry to bloom in ways they never anticipated. Their banter is sharp and witty, providing just the right amount of humor to balance the more emotional moments. The romance that develops is sweet, genuine, and a joy to read.

Adams masterfully crafts the small-town setting, making it feel alive with vivid descriptions and relatable side characters. It was a treat to see familiar faces from previous books in the series, enriching the narrative with their presence. Plus, the tease of James and Madison's chemistry hints at an exciting next installment that I can’t wait to dive into.

Overall, "Beg Borrow or Steal" is a heartwarming story about love, rivalry, and personal growth. Sarah Adams has a gift for creating characters that feel like old friends, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book. If you're looking for a romantic comedy that blends humor, heart, and a touch of small-town charm, this is one you won’t want to miss!