Amazing, cute, cozy, pies, and kisses. I loved it!! It’s a fast read that will give you the butterflies you want from a small town romance !

This was truthfully one of my favorite reads of the year. It was so cute and lighthearted that I was not able to put down once. The banter between Noah and Amelia drew me in from the beginning and I truly loved the way their relationship developed. Additionally, I found myself loving all of the characters were introduced and loved how they all supported each other. I would highly recommend!!

This was so cute! I absolutely loved the concept of reinventing a classic romance novel into a modern day rom-com, and I think this book executed this perfectly. I think a lot of people who enjoy the art of baking would love this story, I certainly did! If you are looking for a fun, sexy, entertaining read, this is the book for you!

Not a bad read. A bit slow for my taste and predictable. But a cute romance book overall though I was disappointed in the beginning that it’s not in Rome Italy (probably my bad for not reading the description carefully enough). The characters did grown on me as the book progressed.
3/5 stars ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy.

First of all, we're not talking about Rome, Italy. We're talking about Rome, Kentucky, which is waaaay more interesting in my opinion. Drop a celebrity into a small southern town and interesting things are bound to happen!

I love the nods to Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck and Roman Holiday. It's one of my favorite classic movies and I loved how this book mirrored a lot of the same themes and storyline without the retelling (and with a better ending).

Sarah Adams is synonymous with swoony romance. The heat level on this one is a little higher than my preferred amount of steam but still qualifies as closed door. I was also bugged by the amount of swearing in this book. It was off-putting and not entirely necessary.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

I adore all of Sarah Adams’ books! They’re always easy, lighthearted reads and exactly what I need when I just need to relax, because I always know I’ll enjoy her books.
I love Noah’s grumpiness and the banter he and Amelia have. She feels that with Noah she doesn’t always have to be polite. After all, he doesn’t like her than much, isn’t a fan and has no interest in impressing her. Amelia found herself in the little town of Rome, Kentucky, along with friendships she will cherish forever.
The plot was predictable, but what sweet rom coms arent? I’d have been disappointed if it had gone any other way. Neither had to give their dreams up for one another, but came to a compromise. Sarah did a wonderful job of making sure that they didn’t give any of themselves up and still managed to get their happily ever after.

When In Rome was cute but wasn't my favorite Sarah Adams book.

I liked the premise, that an overwhelmed pop star decides to live out one of her favorite movies, Roman Holiday, and of course finds the perfect town with the perfect grumpy guy (who just happens to have a heart of gold). I loved the journey that the MC Amelia goes on and that it doesn't involve a shallow celebrity getting a personality makeover. I loved the ending and how the main conflicts were resolved. And I thought it was funny that it kind of reminded me of the movie Cars (I'm pretty sure that wasn't intentional).

Things I didn't love. Everything felt forced in the beginning. Like I was supposed to care about the potential relationship and the town before even getting to know them. It took me about halfway through the book before I became invested. My other main problem was all of the swearing, especially as it compares to her previous books. There is so much and it was so unexpected that I found it very distracting, and that made it hard for me to connect with the story. I'm not sure what the point was or how it added to the story?

LOVE LOVE LOVED this book! My friend got me hooked on Sarah Adams books and honestly each one just gets better and better. I will be grabbing a physical copy of this when it releases. Such a cute story about a small town and celebrity drama.

Amelia is just needing a break from her chaotic life // Noah just wants to make pies and be left alone // But when Amelia’s car breaks down in Noah’s front yard, it’s the beginning of something neither expected // 🥰

I loved the Roman Holiday connection // his three sisters // Mabel // the nosy small town // pancakes // sophisticated pajamas // reading books out loud // grumpy-sunshine // 🥧

I love that in Sarah Adams books the conflict is real and understandable, but it’s never blown out of proportion // it’s what I think sets her books a part from the rest // 💯

However, though I enjoyed this book, and many will consider it closed door, it was more descriptive and open door than previous books, and had more language // as someone who prefers to read clean to closed door, I found myself having to skip more scenes here and there as it was more “cracked door” in my opinion

If you love Sarah Adams, Audrey Hepburn, small town romance, grumpy-sunshine and love pancakes and pies then you should read this book // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to the publisher And author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Solid 4/5 meet cute small town hallmark romance…I adored the sisters in the book and it definitely makes me have all the feels of a timeless Audrey.

Doesn’t contain much spice if that’s what you are looking for the it is a sweet good guy gets the pop star book.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! 5 STARS EASY! Noah and Amelia’s story was the perfect grumpy boy, sunshine girl story that I NEEDED! I am on my way to read more Sarah Adams’ books, this is a masterpiece of a story.

This review will be posted on Goodreads, on May 22nd, 2022.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Parts of the book I LOVED and sometimes I wanted to bang my head against the wall.

This follows famous pop star singer Amelia, AKA Rae Rose, being thrown together with Noah. I loved Noah... LOVED. He had a grumpy exterior but had a thoughtful and kind interior, he was hardworking and loved his sisters and grandma.

Amelia on the other hand is why I had more mixed feelings about this book. It almost felt as if she was written as Taylor Swift?!?! Which made it more of a fanfic vibe... idk could've just been me. She runs away from her responsibilities which is understandable. But she really got on my nerve sometimes. She just seemed very naive for her age. She is a grown *ss woman, why is she letting other people dictate her life?!?!?!

Overall, it was an enjoyable book. Noah's and Amelia's romance was cute, there was some tension between them. But if you are looking for a spicy book this is not it (closed door).

When in Rome is a Women's Fiction/Romance that has me not only wanting to eat pie, but also wishing that I lived in a tiny town where everyone knew my business. Well, kind of.

The cover artwork caught me eye quickly. It's bright, colorful and showcases the two main characters that are depicted throughout the pages. The illustrative work is well done and is very on trend at the moment.

As we dive in, we meet Amelia Rose. A runaway popstar who is looking for a break before going on a six month tour around the world. But, for her this "small break", if it turned into a permanent break she would be okay with that. Her manager and team certainly would not be "okay" with that though. But, she takes the risk and leaves without telling anyone which is not acceptable in her teams' eyes. On the way to her surprise vacation to the closest Rome she could find, her car breaks down in the middle of the night. Where there's no service. Where no one knows she's even there to realize she hasn't made it her destination. Uh oh.

Meet Noah Walker who knocks on her window since she's landing within his front yard when her car broke down. He's single, handsome, and a baker. Also, apparently a caring gentleman to check on someone in the dead of night. Through some Q&As and also a vouch for Noah by a local elder that he isn't a murderer, Amelia vacates her car and into his home for the first time. The rest is easy as pie and pancakes - literally. Except for Amelia.

His management team is worried and tries to track her down, she tries to get onto Noah's good side as he's hard to read and she's not sure if she's overstepping boundaries staying in his guest room, and she doesn't feel like she fits in this small of a town especially when she hears her car won't be ready for two weeks versus what was supposed to be just a weekend getaway to a B&B down the road.

Will Noah and Amelia become friends or better yet, lovers? Does Amelia finally learn how to make pancakes? Does she leave her singing career behind for good?

I really enjoyed this read. It was quick and I was able to enjoy all of the characters - main and secondary throughout the pages. I appreciated Amelia's arc throughout and felt she was a powerful character and I loved how she really stood up for herself near the end.

Four stars. I felt that it took a bit of time for me to get into the book off the bat. But once more characters were introduced and Noah and Amelia started to mesh together, it felt more natural. I also wish there was more discussed about the relationship between her mother and her. I immediately had such a hatred towards her mother, but then it seemed the conversation between the two quickly changed their relationship in too fast of a way.

Would recommend for anyone that likes story twists of original stories - this one was a twist off of Roman Holiday (in a way), baking, popstars meet average joe, and anyone who likes small town characters.

Thank you to the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Net Galley for an ARC copy to read and review. Review will also be posted to my blog (www.kagoodsell.com/book-reviews), GoodReads, TikTok (@unearthingeco), as well as NetGalley reviews.

When in Rome was such a cute romance read! If you enjoy grumpy/sunshine, celeb/normal person, and reluctant love tropes — you will love this!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

"The door shuts behind me and I stand in the silence feeling acute loneliness for the first time in my life. I used to revel in this quiet. Crave it. Now all I crave is her."

<i>When in Rome</i> by Sarah Adams is a sweet, closed-door romance with a super fun grumpy/sunshine trope. I would rate this 3.75 stars.

What I liked most about this book was how real Amelia and Noah felt to me. They had solid reasons behind the way they were, which made their emotions and responses feel relatable and authentic. I really enjoyed Noah's sisters, and I hope this book turns into a series where we get their stories because each of them was darling.

I've read pretty much everything Sarah has written, and thoroughly enjoyed all of them. And this one was no different. I enjoyed the story and had no problems getting through the book. I was a disappointed with how much swearing was in this book, as that is a shift from her previous novels. Language in books isn't my favorite, but normally I can ignore it. In this book, the swearing stood out almost every time and pulled me out of the story. It didn't really seem to fit with the characters and their personalities, though this opinion is probably biased on my part.

Overall, <i>When in Rome</i> was sweet and fun. The tension between Amelia and Noah was absolutely fantastic throughout the book, and some of the moments were swoon-worthy to say the least. As far as slow burn romances go, this one hit a lot of the right notes for me. Also, be careful when reading this as you might start spontaneously craving pie. :)

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the complimentary eARC of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sarah Adams delivers on the swoony romance, as always. She writes such relatable characters and the trip to Rome was a treat. Thank you NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

Very sweet read, though predictable. Perfect if you just want something light-hearted and fluffy to read. Noah and Amelia's relationship was very cute!

Content: PG-13, closed door

3.5

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing, Ballantine Dell for the advanced copy of When in Rome.

Amelia is a famous singer who feels lost and disconnected from her passions. Inspired by Roman Holiday, she takes off in search of Rome and the break she desperately needs. She finds herself in Rome, Kentucky in a front yard with a broken down commuter car and a grumpy, intriguing man. Amelia discovers keys to her happiness and drivers of her unhappiness in this sweet, closed door, grumpy/sunshine story.

Sarah Adams write such fun and irreverent stories. She taps into what makes people tick and pulls that out into thoughtful, interesting tales.

The premise was super fun and the typical hallmarks of a Sarah Adams book were all there, chemistry, banter, kindness, and a slow burn steam that while isn’t explicit is still present.

I loved Noah and Amelia separately and together. The characters felt like real people and Noah’s sisters were great additions to the setting and cast. I loved Ms. Mabel and her meddlesome tendency. I hope there are more stories with James, Emily, Madison and Annie!

The storyline with Noah’s grandma was sweet but it fell a little flat for me. I also thought the conflict with Susan was resolved too quickly and without as much airtime as it took up in the rest of the story.

I recommend this if you enjoy funny banter, chemistry that will burn you and loving characters, who are creatively and thoughtfully developed.

It was a very super quick and fun romcom with quite adorable people as main characters. I definitely see myself reaching out to read it again.

Book: When in Rome

Author: @authorsarahadams 💫

Release date: September 20, 2022

GOOD THINGS CHECKLIST:

✔️ dough-kneading arms 💪 & apparently the rest of him ain't too shabby either 👀

✔️ big city girl × small town boy (man's got a LANDLINE)

✔️ ALL the music references

✔️ a man that knows his way around a kitchen AND a woman (& a woman that is so bad in the kitchen she causes multiple fires)

✔️ speaking of fires... 🔥 we get a lil spicy action AND a legitimate friendship/romantic connection... *cue Hannah Montana 'Best of Both Worlds'*

✔️ honestly they actually communicated pretty well?? RESPECT.

✔️ forced proximity (but kinda not forced because this man was raised to be a gentleman & wouldn't leave a damsel in distress *who just so happens to be a beautiful, famous, talented singer/songwriter* stranded)

✔️ SMALL TOWN CHARM - newsflash y'all.... it aint in Italy 🤌

Overall, I'm SO glad I had a chance to read this book & that it was my FIRST Sarah Adams book! definitely recommend getting this bad boy on your TBRs, wishlists, and into your hands when it's released!

thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the advanced e-book copy! 🧡