Brief Synopsis: Amelia Rose aka Rae Rose is a mega-famous pop star who gets super burnt out and wants to run away from her life. She decides to follow in the steps of Audrey Hepburn and travels to the closest version of Rome she can find, Rome, Kentucky. Her car breaks down in the front lawn of (of course) the town’s super eligible, super good-looking grumpy bachelor and thanks to meddling townspeople, she’s forced to stay in his guest bedroom until her car gets fixed and then you can pretty much guess the rest.

I’ve read every book by Sarah Adams and the last few have been hit or miss for me and this one sadly is more of a miss. Amelia is FAR too naïve for her age (I literally thought she was like 19 for most of the book when she’s supposed to be like 28). Her inevitable “taking control of her own life glow-up” is too contrived and wasn’t enough to convince me that she’s actually grown as a character. I also struggled with the hero, Noah. His “I want you but I should stay away from you but I can’t help myself” schtick got old really fast. Plus, his whole thing is just that he’s “grumpy” and hot and has sisters…that’s pretty much it. I would have enjoyed a bit more depth to both MCs.

As far as content, I feel like the author is trying too hard to appease both the clean romance fans and the spicy romance fans and both camps will end up a little disappointed with this one.

That being said, it was a quick, easy read. I finished it in one afternoon. It’s light and cute, the banter is pretty good, and the side characters are mostly solid. Definitely a good, hallmark-style book for summer. I just wished I had enjoyed it more than I did.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah Adams can do no wrong and this book is no exception!! She knows how to write in a way that has you laughing, squealing and not being able to totally guess how it’ll all play out. When in Rome is completely unputdownable and super bingeable.

Amelia (Rae Rose) is a pop star who takes a break from the spotlight in small town Rome.. as in Rome, Kentucky! There she meets Noah, the super grumpy pie shop owner who wants nothing to do with a city girl because of past heartbreak. Amelia is super funny and sarcastic and pretty soon is breaking down the walls Noah has built around his heart. But how will they work out when he has no desire to leave his family and she loves her music?? YOU’VE GOT TO READ THIS BOOK! Comes out September 20, 2022!

You’ll like this book if you like:
- Small Towns, think Stars Hollow and Gilmore Girls
- Grumpy vs sunshine
- Dual POV
- Audrey Hepburn

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is like being wrapped in a comfy, cozy blanket. It’s so sweet, wholesome, and cute. Any romance fan will enjoy this love story between a celebrity and a small town, kind hearted family man.

Pop star Amelia needs an escape from her busy lifestyle. Feeling inspired by Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, she decides to go to Rome. Oh, and by the way, that’s Rome, Kentucky. Why, which Rome were you thinking of?

On her way into town, her car breaks down on Noah’s lawn. Although he starts off as your typical small town grump (think Luke from Gilmore Girls), Amelia soon finds out that there’s more to love about Noah and his small town than she anticipated.

The book features a lovable cast of characters, including a stand-in grandma, three sisters, and a nice guy best friend. I enjoyed the forced proximity as well as the lovable grumpy guy storyline. Noah and Amelia had some funny banter and a sweet, slow burn romance. Although the storyline and villain were a bit predictable, I enjoyed it and devoured this book in a day.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @randomhouse for my digital reviewers copy of When in Rome in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4.5 stars

I absolutely loved this book!! To be fair though, I read it as if it were a Taylor Swift fan fiction (I know it's not okay? But let me dream!!) Anyway, I absolutely loved Amelia and even though I lot of the descriptions about looks and her backstory aren't the same (she's brunette not blond lol) I still immediately pictured Amelia being played by Taylor Swift.

But beside that, I had so much fun reading this book, I was giggling into my pillow, kicking up my comforter and just overall being very giddy because the book was that good.

To be quite fair, I requested this book solely because of the cute cover and the title, thinking I would get to tour Rome, Italy through the book, and was in for a big shock when I found out that the book was actually set in Rome, Kentucky lmao. BUT, I'm a huge fan of small town romances (and this delivered superbly) so I wasn't jaded by the misleading title. However, I would recommend NOT going blind with this book and reading the synopsis (or even just knowing that this book is not set in Italy) so that in case the cute small town romance doesn't win you over, at least you won't be disappointed that the book isn't letting you live vicariously through the main characters who were supposed to be in Italy.

Also!!! This is such a perfect summer read too, so I would highly recommend adding this to your TBR for summer... if you're from down under because this book comes out on 20th September, which is technically the end of summer lol

At this point, I'm just babbling away but I'll leave you with some tropes in the book to re-emphasize that you should add this to your TBR/ preorder it and read it when it comes out in September!

Tropes: small town romance, celebrity x non-celebrity relationship, forced proximity, found family, slow burn

A charming small town, lovable characters and a sweet romance made this book by Sarah Adams a wonderful read. A quick read I did not want to finish. The budding romance was sweet and steamy without being explicit, There were moments when I smiled and laughed out loud. I want to read more from Sarah Adams and I hope she brings these characters back for another book.

I so enjoyed this small town romance! Amelia is a big pop star needing a break from stardom. She decides to escape to the closest Rome to her after watching her favorite Audrey Hepburn Roman Holiday. Amelia heads to Rome, Kentucky and ends up breaking down in Noah’s front yard. Noah owns and runs Rome’s pie shop and has sworn off out of town women. When he meets Amelia their lives turn upside down. The more time they spend together, the more Amelia and Noah break down each other’s personal walls. But can their newfound relationship work with their lives being so completely different? This romance blends vulnerability with mental health and what a healthy relationship truly means. I can see this becoming a series with a continuation of Noah’s sisters stories. Looking forward to more from Sarah Adams!

I have loved all of Sarah Adams’ books. She writes wonderful characters with compelling stories and never fails to make you both laugh and swoon. She can write steamy romance without being explicit.
As for this book: I love grumpy heroes, so Noah was right up my alley. Sometimes authors make their heroines kind of obnoxious, but Amelia was so fun and lovable, despite the expectation that she would be spoiled and entitled. I loved everyone in Rome, especially Noah’s family.
Looking forward to her next book…

Very good and entertaining. Reminds me of the great classic romance movies. Great characters and beautiful romance. Wonderful read to get away. You are invested in these characters from the start. They can try all they want but sometimes you can’t stop what is meant to be. You are routing and shouting for their happy ending. Definitely recommend this read.

This was a great weekend read. I felt like I was in a rut with books and this is just what I needed, something cute and light. The book was a quick read, mostly predictable but in a good way. It didn't have anything too steamy, just some kissing and implied sex so would be great for teen audiences too.

This was the small town, stuck together, grumpy/sunshine book that I’ve been waiting forever to find!
I will read anything by Sarah Adams, her books always make me feel so happy. They are the perfect romcoms, with funny moments and characters that are going through challenges but are still the sweetest characters ever and the relationships are amazing!
I feel like each of her books just keeps getting better! There’s a special place in my heart for The Cheat Sheet, it’s my emotional support book but When In Rome might just be my new favorite from her.
It had a completely different feel to it. The small town felt homey and the side characters were real and hilarious. (I need more on Mabel and Noah’s sisters and the ladies at the hair salon!) I think I loved Amelia’s relationship with Noah’s sisters as much as I loved his relationship with them. The family aspect was so well done. Noah and Amelia were so perfect for each other. Amelia was such a good character. Even being famous, she was relatable! Noah is the new fictional guy that I’m going to obsess over because he’s perfect. The man bakes, reads, loves his family, and loves flowers. I mean, what more could you want??
The ending!! Ahh I was so happy, I love them so much.

Whenever it’s grumpy/sunshine and he takes care of her I just can’t handle it, it’s so sweet! Their banter, and her nicknames were just amazing. They made me laugh so many times. I will be thinking about this book for a long long time and wishing I could just jump into this world.



Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sarah Adams for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you are wanting a cute, lighthearted, easy read… this one is for you!

I would have rated this higher, had it not been predictable. But, in saying that, I really did enjoy this book.

Rae Rose, a celebrity singer, ends up in the yard of hunky Wilderness Ken - I mean, Noah. As you’ll learn, Rae - or Amelia rather - has cute nicknames for Noah throughout the book. I’m sure you can guess what happens next.

Very sweet and enjoyable romantic comedy. Even though the themes are familiar (opposites, grumpy male lead, will they or won't they energy), the characters were well developed and personable. I was invested in their relationship and really enjoyed the ride. It was everything one would want for a quick, fun read.

This book had some of my favorite tropes including grumpy/sunshine and celebrity/civilian. Small town baker Noah meets big city pop star Amelia (Rae). Unfortunately i didnt connect with Amelia and I found her to act like a 17yr old than a 28yr old. The miscommunication trope is one of my least favorites. Just talk it out! I also didnt buy the chemistry between the 2 characters. When they finally kissed 25% of the way in, i really didnt care. I like Sarah Adams other books and will continue to read from her, this just wasnt for me.

You need to add WHEN IN ROME by Sarah Adams to your TBR. This book is such a delight. Amelia and Noah’s chemistry is undeniable. The entire book is adorable and will have you smiling the entire time. If you want to gradually introduce someone to the contemporary romance genre then this is the book.

4.5 out of 5. This book was a surprising absolute delight. I had not read anything from Sarah Adams before but I have a couple in my TBR because of great word of mouth so I was looking forward to this ARC. Conclusion I am now going to be reading all of Sarah Adams past books. When in Rome was a sweet and thoughtful rom com that gets to the heart. They had me at Roman Holiday inspired, because I might be as obsessed with Audrey Hepburn as Amelia, but the execution was very satisfying. This was one of those books that I read in one sitting and could not put down. Starting one chapter before bed at 10 meant i stayed up until 2am to finish it, but the sleepiness the next day was well worth it.

OH MY GOSH!!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! 10 Stars:}}} Seriously loved everything about this one. Loved these two so much. Loved the chemistry and the story line. Love Audrey Hepburn and have a love hate relationship with the movie Roman Holiday! I hated that she had to leave Gregory Peck in the end. I got my happy ending with this one! Along with some pie and a hot brooding country Man:} Seriously had so much fun reading this. I was so sad when it was over. One of my new favorite contemporary's:}
This is a clean romance with a bit of steam. There is sex before marriage it is fade to black. There is some swearing. There is also a bit of drinking.

I loved everything about this book! The small town, slow burn, celebrity meets "regular" person checks every box for a rom com for me. I love Amelia, Noah, Noah's sisters, and Mabel. It's a fast and fun read that will not disappoint!
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was SO good! In the book, Amelia describes Noah as "the blanket fort you make when you are a kid - so warm and reassuring." And, that is exactly what this book is - warm and reassuring. It was such a cozy, comforting read. I LOVE Sarah Adams writing style. Her ability to create chemistry, hilarious banter, and laugh out loud moments while also making your heart swell is top notch! I was constantly smiling while reading this book, and I just couldn’t put it down! If you love Hallmark, then this is the perfect book. It has small town romance, meddlesome busybodies, a slow burn, closed door romance, and PANCAKES! What more could you ask for?! This will definitely be one of my most favorite books this year!

There were moments where the characters clicked for me, but they were few, and I ended up enjoying Noah's moments and POV more than Amelia's. Both of the characters feel half-developed. The quirky town of Rome, Kentucky had more personality and sentimentality than Amelia and Noah. The emotional baggage both of them carries doesn't balance or support the other either, and that it will end disastrously for them to be paired together based on that alone. I don't know. I really wanted to like the book; the cover is precious, the premise is cute, and who can resist a pie baker?

Review on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd5vRRUL5bB/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Review on goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4726338290

👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏼 dual POV
🥞 grumpy x sunshine
🥧 small town romance
🎤 celebrity love interest
🏡 forced proximity

Review: UGH. MY HEART. This was freaking adorable. I went into it with no expectations since it was my first from this author and I was so satisfied! If you want a cute & clean romance, this book is absolutely for you.

Right off the bat I immediately liked Amelia’s character. It was clear this girl was in desperate need of some real connections with people who weren’t trying to benefit off of her stardom. In comes Noah Walker. Grumpy, small town baker, with no room for romance in his life.

I’m all about the grumpy x sunshine trope and small town romance and Sarah Adams did this all so well! The banter was cute and feisty but clear that they were both attracted to one another. The pining was just so wonderful. I was so quickly rooting for these two to get together.

Noah’s sisters were wonderful side characters in this story. I would love to see continuation of their lives in future books!

The small town aspect of Rome, Kentucky felt so comforting. The way the town took Amelia in as one of their own and wanted to protect her was so sweet. It was clear they all loved Noah and were dying to see the grump finally be happy after everything he had been through.

I’m typically more of a spicy romance gal and I know Sarah Adam’s books are more clean romance, so if you prefer clean, I would highly suggest looking into her books!

There is one scene that I was anticipating throughout the book that I thought would be read in an epilogue but it didn’t happen which made me a little sad. I don’t want to give any spoilers so here is the hint for those of you who have read it already: 🥞

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was 100% swoon worthy! I loved Noah and Amelia and will definitely be reading more by Sarah Adams.