It will tell you just how damn good this book is because I granted it 5 stars with very little 🌶 factor. If you loved the movie Beyond The Lights, this book is definitely for you.

Amelia (known professionally as Rae) is trying to escape her overbearing handlers before departing on a 9-month international tour. She’s trying to rekindle the love for life and music that made her a chart-topping pop star and in the process she finds herself broken down on the side of the road outside of Rome, Kentucky.

Lucky for her, she broke down in the front yard of Rome’s resident grump/hunk, Noah. But Noah’s already been burned by a big-city girl who breezed through town years ago. Can the two of them make it work when their realities are so different?

Well of course they will - it’s a rom-com people! The journey is adorable and charming and funny and I highly recommend. Plus Noah has a tattoo of…a slice of pie…nestled in flowers…so yeah he’s a keeper.

CW/TW: toxic relationships, infidelity, dementia, death of parent

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the arc in exchange for an honest review

I was pretty smitten with this book from the dedication all the way through to the last page! Noah and Amelia are the perfect grumpy/sunshine couple and the Stars Hollow vibes that the (fictional) town of Rome, Kentucky gives off are so much fun!

Things I loved:
- Sarah, as always, nailed the tension between Amelia and Noah while keeping the romance closed door/fade to black.
- Try as he might to seem otherwise, Noah is just a giant cinnamon roll in human form.
- Amelia’s growth throughout the story.
- Dual POV.
- 🥞🥧💐

I wouldn’t say it beat some of Sarah’s other books for a place on my list of favorites (they fell for each other a little fast for me so it lacked some of the emotional connections that she does really well in some of her other books) but it was still such a fun read ♥️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

CW: closed door romance, some language (more than her others), death of parent (past), Alzheimer’s disease.

I love, love, love this book. Sarah Adams wrote a sweet and romantic story in a way that I haven’t read in a really long time. Of course it’s unattainable and saccharine sweet but it was beautiful. I was rooting for Amelia and Noah from the second her car broke down! I think Sarah Adams set out to write a romance in the vein of Audrey Hepburn‘s greatest hits and she hit it out of the park!

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars
Celebrity romance, small town charm, grumpy/sunshine dynamic, forced proximity and a swoony book boyfriend, what more can you want?! Sarah strikes again with another wonderful romance where falling in love with the characters is so easy to do and you root for them from page one. Even the grumpy pie shop owner won over my heart very quickly as you can tell there is so much more to him than what he is willing to give at the start. I really appreciate that Amelia feels down to earth at the beginning despite her pop star status. I thought Sarah did a great job of including some depth into the characters with their broken family lives and complicated relationships there without it getting too emotional. As a person who lost a parent young, I appreciated that the death of Noah's parents didn't feel triggering but added to his character and helped give insight to who he is. Their relationship happened fast but it felt real and ended in showing how it wasn't going to come easy to them, that they were going to have to compromise and make sacrifices, work hard to be together given their jobs and living situation. Another very enjoyable read that I will absolutely recommend to friends and can't wait to have on my shelf. The only thing I feel like was missing was a scene of them working in the pie shop like on the cover!

Review will be posted on my bookstagram @pratherbereading within the next two weeks.

4.5 stars
This book was fun to read. I loved all the characters. Amelia is a famous pop singer and needs a break from her career, and he car dies in Noah's yard. He's a grumpy pie shop owner trying to exist in tiny Rome, Kentucky, where his three sisters, his grandma's best friend, and basically everyone else in town are constantly in his business.
Noah and Amelia turn out to be exactly what the other needed, and even though they spend a bunch of the book having fun banter, teasing each other, and trying to make rules to avoid their attraction, none of those tactics shut things down.
This was a fun, refreshing, uplifting read. Easy book and great for a vacation read.

Kind of like "Cars" meets "Hannah Montana." Also "Roman Holiday," of course.

This wasn't quite my taste, but I can see how this could be a really fun book for the right reader. It's cute, closed-door romance.

What didn't work for me: There was too much slap-stick humor, and events just seemed to contrived. The characters spent too much time resisting their attraction to each other. A little of this is good for building tension. These characters spend too much time holding back that any chemistry vanished.

I might have rated this lower but this did hold my attention, even if I the writing made me roll my eyes.

I would love to read the stories of the side characters though!

What a fun and unique book! I don't know how else to say it but this Rom-Com genre Sarah Adams has going on never needs to stop.

If I could live as a book character for a day or maybe just pretend I am the star of the movie, Amelia Rose is who I would be.

Basically the gush of this book is worth it.

*Spoiler for a scene so skip the next part if you can't even deal with me 😜

What Sarah Adams did with an open door scene was brave. She kept it clean but she also used her power of writing to show that adults are indeed adults. Kudos girl!

Anyway I enjoyed this one!

This is the second book I've read from Sarah Adams and definitely my favorite of the two. When I first read The Cheat Sheet, I was not aware that Adams wrote no-steam slow burns, so having that background on this one was definitely helpful - I knew exactly what I was in for which allowed me to pick When in Rome up at the exact right time.

Amelia & Noah were so great together - her, a pop star hiding from the public, him, a small town baker. I loved all the Audrey Hepburn references and truly enjoyed this one.

Thank you to Random House for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Meh fell a little flat for my taste. Very slow burn like super slow. No spice and tbh the story dragged like yes we get it you’re a star who needs a break but come on how did you let your manager for so long fool you or ruin your relationship with your own mother … I didn’t understand that when she could just call her mom why ask her manager to make personal phone calls?? Idk not for me but there was some parts that gave comfort

Thank you Sarah Adams and NetGalley for this ARC!

Amelia Rose aka Rae Rose, came to fame quickly after being discovered online. She has everything she could ever want. Until she needs a break from publicity, from paparazzi, from the fake life she's had to upkeep. After realizing she needs to get away, she turns to her idol Audrey Hepburn's movie "When in Rome". Much like her character, Amelia runs to Rome. Except, it's not the Rome we all know. This Rome is located in Kentucky. After leaving without telling anyone, she finds herself in a tricky situation when her car breaks down in the front lawn of a man named Noah. He makes it perfectly clear he doesn't have time to pay any attention to a pop star but to his grandmothers pie shop that he's taken over. Despite his better judgment, he lets her stay in his guest room and has her fending for herself. Before he knows it, he starts to see Amelia beyond just a celebrity and he slowly starts to open up to her. Soon she'll have to return to her glamorous life, but until then, Noah will show Amelia all the charming small-town experiences she's been missing, and she'll help him open his heart to more.

What a great, beautiful read! I absolutely loved the grump side of Noah and how Amelia breaks him down. In just a few weeks, we start to see their love story unravel. I loved the small town feel of this book, and the way that you can slowly start to see Noah letting his guard down. Such a sweet romcom that you won't regret!

Sarah Adams does it again. I discovered Sarah earlier this year (I know, I am late to the game). I am so glad I found her. She is a fantastic author and her stories are amazing. This is a heartwarming small-town romance. Sunshine city girl meets a grumpy small-town boy and they fall in love. AAAAAH!!! I love this story so much. It is such a fun closed door RomCom. I love it. I can't wait to read more of her books.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

International pop sensation Rae Rose takes a solo trip to get a break from her busy lifestyle. WWAHD (what would Audrey Hepburn do)? She drives to a small town Rome, Kentucky to stay at a bed and breakfast when she finds herself crashed into a surly pie shop owner’s front yard. The longer she stays, the more she falls in love with the gossipy small town… and perhaps begins to develop romantic feelings for the man who lives wanted nothing to do with her.

Two words: Hallmark movie!! This was super cute with the signature Adams charm. I loved Noah and Amelia (Rae Rose) and Noah’s sisters. Such a sweet celebrity rom-com slash small town romance that will leave you swooning and wanting pie lol.

Thanks #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #WheninRome for an honest review.

This is a fun and sweet small town romance with grump-sunshine trope.. I flew through this book. The few times I put it down, I couldn't wait to get back to it. I had to wipe away tears by the end of this closed door romance. I need to check out more books by Sarah Adams.

When In Rome is the best combination of things that are working for me right now.

Celebrity Romance
Fun cast of characters
grumpy/sunshine
small town
Easy and fast conflict resolution.

I am super into low stakes, high fun romance these days. Not only does Sarah Adams write great versions of this, she just keeps getting better at it. When Amelia decides she needs a break from her life as a super famous pop star, she goes right to Audrey Hepburn for inspiration and heads on a "Roman" Holiday...to Rome Kentucky. Hijinks and a grumpy, bearded pie baking man ensue to make this quirky, fun story a delight.

I love a series with overlapping characters and Sarah seems to be setting us up for more to come with sisters and hunky bodyguards and handsome farmers. I can't wait to see what's next in store.

All the stars for this upcoming romance from Sarah Adams!

I love her books because they are swoony but not steamy, and her characters are always so darn likeable. I loved every character in this mostly lighthearted but sometimes serious, grumpy/sunshine, celebrity/small town story.

Plus, Audrey Hepburn movies are a major part of the plot.

Sarah Adams writes tension and longing like no other! I’m normally a spice-seeker but I’ll gladly read Sarah’s fade to black/closed door because of her incredible talent.

Amelia and Noah stole my heart in Chapter 1 and never let go. The cast of supporting (and very supportive) characters were fantastic as well. I’d love to spend more time in Rome, Kentucky!

This book captured my heart! I went into this one blind and loved every single moment. From her celebrity sunshine spirit, although on the edge of burnout, Amelia will have your protective mama bear coming out for her in full force.

Noah is the grumpy pie shop owner who's been burned before, and not just by the oven, so the last thing he wants is to open his home or heart to a pop princess. His sisters are delightful meddlers and I love their bantering most of all.

The small town comradery and side characters are so achingly lovable that you can't help fall for them as well. I'm a huge Audrey Hepburn fan, so I appreciated Amelia's love for the actress as well, and wish she wasn't a fictional character so we could be best friends in real life.

When In Rome is easily one of my top favorite Sunshine/Grumpy reads! It's a closed door romance, but with enough chemistry to have you turning each page for more interactions between the characters.

I'd love to see future books about Noah's sisters finding their own HEA and will be reading this one again soon.

Favorite Romcom of 2022!

Oh I loved this book so much. The first chapter hooked me in, and I laughed throughout the entire book. If you love romcoms, Audrey Hepburn, grump/sunshine, slow burn romances...this book is for you!

I want a Noah in my life!! This story was cute and loved the twist of where ROME is. Dual POV is always wonderful and I loved the chemistry built between these characters. There was a lot of give and take and the Grumpy-Sunshine trope worked wonderfully here. I found myself reading this every chance I got, so cute. It’s a very slow-burn and closed door but still very easily liked by all romance readers. Super cute, charming, and funny.

Amelia “Rae” Rose is at the top of her game. A beloved pop star about to leave on a nine month world tour when. To fend off burnout and taking inspiration from Audrey Hepburn, she finds herself in Rome, Kentucky. Her car breaks down in the middle of the night on Noah Walker’s front yard. Noah agrees she can spend the night while her car is being fixed. When she decides to stick around to enjoy some time outside the spotlight, sunshiny Amelia can’t stay away from grumpy stern Noah.

I really loved the town where this takes place and all the folks that live there. Noah’s sisters are also excellent characters. Noah and Amelia have a fun and flirty banter, but the slow burn/will they or won’t they dynamic lasted a little too long for my taste. I thought the glimpse of them together wasn’t enough to really root for them through conflict.

Content warnings: Noah’s parents died in an accident and his grandmother has Alzheimer’s. Amelia has a rocky history with her mother.

Thanks to Random House - Dell and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.