I’m pretty much obsessed with anything Sarah Adam’s writes. So I was thrilled to get my hands on this ARC of When in Rome. It was wonderfully refreshing. These characters were different than many of the characters I’ve read before. And even better, Sarah didn’t give in to any of the predictable endings I thought would happen. Noah and Amelia have a delicious slow burn, and then an all out bonfire. I love the grumpy/sunshine trope and it’s done fantastically here. Another winner from Sarah Adams.

I absolutely loved this book! It was such a fun read. The small town setting with a celebrity trying to lay low set the tone of the story and made me love all the characters. Easily one of my top 2023 reads so far.

Rae Rose is a famous singer who is about to start a 9 month tour. She is so tired that she just needs some time away from her manager, body guards, and entourage. Rae's real name is Amelia and she has grown tired of being surrounded by many people all the time but feeling alone. Amelia decides to get in her old car that she's had since high school and drive to Rome, but not the Rome you're thinking. She loves Audrey Hepburn and Roman Holiday is a movie that has comforted her in low times, so she wants to go to Rome. Amelia looks up the closest Rome to her and it's Rome, Kentucky! She throws some things in a bag, books a room at a B and B in Rome and heads off in the night without telling anyone.

All goes okay until Amelia's car starts making weird noises. She's not too concerned as she knows it's old, but she starts talking to it just in case. The car breaks down and she tries to pull it out of the road as best she can. Amelia is freaked out because she has no cell phone service, it's dark, and it's very late. She decides to stay in the car instead of risk someone killing her. A little while later someone knocks on her window. As she rolls the window down a little, she tells the man that she doesn't need any help. She says she's going to wait in the car until morning. The man, Noah, tells her that she's parked in his yard, shows her his house, and tells her she should get out of the car as the engine is smoking. Amelia is freaked out and doesn't deal with strangers as everyone knows who she is, she's the famous Rae Rose after all. The man goes back in his house, but keeps looking out as the smoke is getting worse and it's very hot outside already. He knows the. woman can't be comfortable. He calls his grandmother's best friend, Mabel so that she can talk to the woman and vouch for him not being a psycho. Noah drags his landline with its very long cord to her car. He knocks again and hands the phone to Amelia. After talking to Mabel, Amelia gets out of the car with her bag.

Noah leads her into the house and tells her she can use his guest room until morning. He tells her they will. call the garage and get her car towed there when they wake up. Noah wasn't expecting company and he thinks he knows who this woman is, but keeps thinking it couldn't be. Noah starts making up the bed in the guest room and Amelia is impressed that he jumps in and does what's needed for a stranger! Noah is a genuinely good guy from the small town of Rome, KY. He shows her where the bathroom and kitchen are and goes to his bedroom. Amelia has never taken a trip on her own since she's been famous and feels out of her element. She sleep okay and when she wakes the next morning Noah is gone. He's left her a note with the garage phone number and the guy to speak to. She never makes calls for herself and isn't sure what to do. Noah comes back and helps her out. He calls the garage and arranges for a tow as well as makes Amelia pancakes for breakfast.

Noah is very attracted to Amelia from the beginning, but is coming off a bad relationship where he was burned. He's not at all ready to get into a new relationship as he has avoided that at all costs since his previous one ended. The garage calls and tells Amelia that they have to order a part and that her car won't be ready for 2 weeks!! Amelia says she planned on staying at the B and B in town anyways, so maybe Noah could give her a lift. Once Noah and Amelia arrive at the B and B, they're told that there are no rooms available. Mabel runs the B and B and tells Noah to allow Amelia to use his guest room until her car is ready. He agrees to let her stay for the next few days, but not 2 weeks. Amelia is happy as she felt very comfortable at Noah's. She wishes he had wifi and a cell signal, but she doesn't mind being cut off from her manager's constant texts and calls. She needs a break and this will definitely give her one.

While Amelia is in town she becomes friendly with the people of Rome. They recognize her but are told to keep it on the down low as she's trying to take time away to recharge. People are good about it and treat Amelia like a normal person. Amelia appreciates this more than you can understand as she never gets treated like a "normal" person. Amelia finds out that Noah owns and runs the local pie shop. She can't believe this quiet grump of a man bakes pies for a living! Noah took over the shop once his grandmother was unable to do it any longer. Noah's 3 sisters also live in Rome and Amelia hits it off with them. They become fast friends and Noah knows he's in big trouble. Amelia is also growing more and more attracted to Noah and every time they touch it's like an electric shock goes through her. Noah agrees to let Amelia stay with him for the 2 weeks as he can't imagine going back to his quiet house now that she's been there shaking things up.

This book is heartwarming and sweet. I absolutely loved Amelia, Noah, his family, and the town of Rome, Kentucky! There are many touching parts to the book that will make you smile, laugh, and cry. I highly recommend When in Rome for anyone that enjoys a good rom com. I rate When in Rome 5 stars. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair review. #WheninRome

Sarah Adams has stolen my heart! I adore her and her books! When in Rome was just as fun and quirky as her other books! This book is about Amelia and Noah figuring out who they are and falling for each other along the way. It was a delightful book that made me smile and laugh out loud! It's a light hearted book that will fill you with joy. You'll fall in love with the characters and imediately want more of them! I highly recommend this book and every other one she has written! SO FUN! While the world can be dark and scary, Sarah brings much needed light. It gets 4.5 stars from me!

cute!! it was the kinda romance i’d buy my friend who’s never read romance.

sarah’s books are all very similar to me, which is nice if that’s what i’m in the mood for!

Rae Rose, a pseudonym for Amelia Rose, is an international pop star in desperate need of a break. She takes off for a secret getaway to the small town of Rome, Kentucky and ends up in a broken down car in Noah Walker's front yard. Noah owns a pie shop in the small town where he grew up and wants nothing to do with a pop princess. He's a good guy so he offers Rae a place to stay while her car gets fixed. As they spend more time together, Noah starts to realize that Rae is really just the normal girl, Amelia, underneath all the pop star fame. They strike up and unlikely friendship, but are determined not to let it go further than that. After all, Amelia is headed out on tour soon and Noah has no plans to leave his small town.

I adored this book. I loved the characters, the small-town setting, and the relationships between all the characters. I loved that there wasn't really a villain (until the end, but I won't spoil that) and the heart of the story was in the way Noah and Amelia's friendship helped heal both of them from their past traumas. The small-town characters were just the icing on the cake to the joy of this book. I laughed out loud while reading and got teary at other times. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a delightful, easy, funny read. Great for fans of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of this book.

This was a cute book but overall I found it just a bit too boring and predictable? I know so many readers have loved it, and I think my timing was just off for this sweet read. Maybe more of a "it's me not you!" with this one...but I did appreciate having the opportunity to read it.

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

The cutest happy feeling book ever! I adore anything Sarah Adams writes and she delivered here! The characters were real and relatable. Grumpy, fun and protective. Amelia’s character development was terrific, it was inspiring to watch her grow. The nicknames, The pajama sets, The vulnerable moments. I smiled, laughed and cried.

loved the cozy atmosphere this love story had! the romance and chemistry was so cute and I really enjoyed my time with this.

This book felt like a warm hug. It reminded me of everything I loved about Gilmore Girls. It was so cozy and the themes were fantastic. I really enjoyed this one and felt so peaceful reading it! Definitely will be purchasing a physical copy.

It’s only fitting that I placed this book beside a picture of Audrey Hepburn to tell the world how much it means to me.

When in Rome is truly my fave rom-com, to date (p.s. I’ve read hundreds). @netgalley was kind enough to approve me for an ARC, and I am so grateful. I read it all in one sitting, and I’m still not over it (I've since read it several times more).

This book is a sweet nod to my fave Audrey movie, Roman Holiday, and is the perfectly-now combination of Old Hollywood meeting Gilmore Girls with a touch of what only Sarah Adams can do.

I’ve read all of Sarah’s books, but this story feels like one I didn’t even know how much I needed until, at the final page, I had tears streaming down my face. From Gregory Peck to pancakes to pie to pajamas to fringe and that feeling of “I desperately need something new”, this book got me.

While Amelia gave me perfect Audrey-vibes, it’s Noah that stole my heart. His character is achingly beautiful - my favorite, to date (yes, I said it).

If you’re looking for a rom-com, Sarah Adams is the best to ever do it.

As someone who loves stories, I love seeing beautiful ones, and their storytellers, reach the world.

So, support her. Follow her. Read all of her books. And I’m just so happy that you get to have that “first read (or, fifth read) feeling” when you do. Now, off I go to wait for the next one in this series...

✨✨✨✨✨/5
🥞 💐 🥧💗📖
“And then Noah smiles. Full. Wide. Glorious smile.”

#wheninrome #sarahadams #romcom #book #love #amelia #noah #pancakes #pie #romance

A fun, feel good story that is a quick read and perfect for a vacation.

There are predictable parts to the story, but that’s what makes it perfect. If you are craving a cozy story that you can swoon with, have a laugh and a little bit of sizzle this is the book for you. I will leave you with a smile on your face!

Book: When In Rome
Rating: 4/5
Author: Sarah Adams
Genre: Romance
Pages:298
Tropes: Small Town Romance, Grmupy/Sunshine
Warnings Emotional Abuse, death of a Parent, Toxic relationship
Readability: 3.5/5 italic font is used
First Line: "This is okay, right?"

Things to expect:
Audrey Hepburn
Rome, but not Rome Italy
Slow Burn
Foood

A small-town bakery meets an Audrey Hepbum-obsessed pop star in this slow-burn romance. Sarah Adams hits every note in this one, and It was a thrill to read. This is just like one of those run-hot pops that you get stuck in your head and love to listen to. I blew through this one. This is the perfect book to pick up to get rid of those winter blues or would be a fantastic beach read this upcoming summer. If you loved the cheat sheets, you will adore this one as well. I can't wait to see what Sarah does next.

Thanks to Dell Press & Sarah Adams for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I have purchased my own copy.

Thank you Dell/Random House for this e-arc via Netgalley!

I think this book was the perfect breath of fresh air. The stakes were never too high, the drama was somewhat believable (if you can believe that an international pop star can just leave in the middle of the night with no one noticing), and the town of Rome, Kentucky was such a Stars Hollow esque setting that made the reader feel like they belonged there too.

The grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Amelia and Noah was the perfect example of that trope. The pining and the heat between these two was palpaple. In fact, all of the characters felt fleshed out with their own opinions and personalities.

My only complaint is that the ending felt very rushed and abrupt, like we were suddenly in it and I wasn't prepared. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this and definitely plan on picking up other books by Sarah Adams soon!

It's been a while since I read When in Rome, but I remember really enjoying my time with it. It's pitched as grumpy-sunshine and opposites attract, and I really loved seeing grumpy small-town born-and-raised Noah falling for the sunshine pop-star city girl Amelia whose car breaks down in front of his house. What I love about books about small towns is that they really highlight just how fast news travels, so by the next morning almost everyone knows that Amelia spent the night and are very curious as to what went on. I also really loved how even though Amelia hasn't been there very long, they protect her fiercely when paparazzi begin snooping around trying to catch shots of her. While Noah and Amelia seem very different on the surface, while they spend more time with each other they begin to find common ground, and acknowledge just how much they may have judged the other upon first glance. I didn't feel as though this book had a main third act conflict, which is not necessarily a bad thing - from the beginning Noah was very adamant that nothing could happen between them, because when he went all in and left his home town to follow a girl to the big city, she betrayed his trust and that left him emotionally scarred. Never at any point does Amelia try to convince him otherwise - she understands how it'll be hard for Noah to trust anybody after something like that, and she acknowledges that she has to leave to fulfill her tour obligations after a few weeks. Noah's sisters and best friend were really such a good support system, and at the end really sat Noah down and explained how he didn't have to go all in and leave for good if he truly cared for Amelia, that she understood just how much his family and his town meant to him, but he shouldn't let someone as good as her leave his life for good just because he was scared of getting hurt again.

A few tiny last things to add: I really like when romance novels give us the dual perspective, so we really get to see what's thoughts are going through the minds of both main characters. I found it really funny how Noah had no internet, no phone, not really any connection to the outside world in his house, and while at first Amelia didn't understand it, she grew to appreciate it when she didn't want to have to field calls from her manager. If there was one thing I wish was better explored it would be Amelia's relationship with her mom. We come to know they'd been close, but after Amelia started her career it seemed that her mom was only interested in asking if she could borrow money, and their relationship strained. While we do get to learn why that all happened, I wish we could've maybe gotten some more closure. But who knows, maybe we will get more info, as another book from Sarah Adams, Practice Makes Perfect, comes out in 2023, featuring one of Noah's sisters and Amelia's bodyguard.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed When in Rome. It gave me all the fuzzy feelings a romance novel should, delve into some important topics, showcased all the small-town grumpy-sunshine opposites-attract vibes, and was just an all-around pleasant reading experience. I can't wait to see what else Sarah Adams has in store for Rome, Kentucky and everyone who lives there. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine / Dell Books for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Very cute, highly anticipated book! Thank you to the author and publisher for my gifted copy in exchange for a review. This was a fun, cozy book!

What a cutie of a book! I love Sarah Adams books and this was no different!! I can’t wait to read more from her!

When in Rome by Sarah Adams was such a comfort read. I love Audrey Hepburn and Roman Holiday is one of my favorite films. This book is inspired by that film and I loved it! I read this in about 2 days because I just had to see how it ended. While I found a lot of the book predictable, I still enjoyed it. This was a 3.5 rounded to 4 stars for me!

I thought this was a little and easy read, very cute. The main character bothered me a little bit in her attitude, however, still a great romance read.

So so so cute I LOVE LOVE LOVED it!!

Sarah Adams has the power of turning each story into magic! Small town romance, with a hot love interest and baking/cooking background?! Sounds music to my ears! :)

I would seriously read anything that has "food" in it, and wholsome romantic plot.