This was my first book by Sarah McAdams and it certainly will not be my last. This was funny, heartwarming, and just beautifully written. It was also relatable and just gave me all the warm feelings!

Oh this book. All the stars and heart eyes and swoony sighs.

I discovered Sarah Adams last year when I read the first book in this series, When In Rome, and absolutely loved it. I subsequently devoured the entirety of her back catalog and then anxiously awaited this next installment in the series. And it was so incredibly worth the wait.

Annie is a sweetheart, but also so very human and understandable that she doesn't want to be "Angel Annie" anymore. And Will. Oh Will. *swoons on the couch like a Victorian lady* Will is fun and flirty and sexy and also sees Annie for who she really is, not the persona everyone in the town (and her siblings) believes her to be.

Oh, and did I mention the fake dating trope? And nosy (but well-meaning) small-town folk?

I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to see what Sarah Adams writes next.

I had no idea this was the second book to When in Rome until near the end of reading it. I liked that book, but I liked this one more. I didn't love this book though. I felt it needed a bit more of something, but it was still very enjoyable. I do think this may be a little bit of an overdone trope with the I don't know how to be in relationship, please teach me, Annie, and the I'm not looking for anything serious, Will. The dialogue was cute and the writing was well-done. I have enjoyed every book by this author.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for this advanced reader's copy for an honest review.

4 stars!

"When in Rome" by Sarah Adams was one of my favorite books last year, so "Practice Makes Perfect" had some pretty big shoes to fill. I don't think this sequel quite eclipses the greatness of its predecessor, but it's still a really cute slow-burning, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, small-town romance! It made me giggle on more than one occasion. I loved Annie and Will together, and I love the pretense of them "practicing." I also love how Annie grows as a character throughout the story. Will was a swoon-worthy MMC. I think there are a few slow spots within the narrative, but overall, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. More Rome, Kentucky stories, please!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Adams, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Dell for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

Annie is the sweet innocent angel of Rome, Kentucky who sucks at dating. Will is the bad boy bodyguard who works for her sister in law and has sworn relationships off forever. And wouldn’t ya know it, they come to an agreement that Will will teach Annie how to date.

We return to Rome, Kentucky for this fake dating rom com. The small town meddling returns with a heavy helping of denial for ALL characters. Honestly, both MCs really need a therapist.
I probably would’ve DNFed this one if it wasn’t a (late) ARC. It just didn’t keep my interest.

Read if you like:
-sweet girl/bad boy trope
-overbearing sisters
-self discovery journey
-When in Rome (previous book)

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️/5

Thanks @netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. ☻

3.5 stars
Practice Makes Perfect is the second book in the When in Rome series by Sarah Adams. This is an absolutely beloved book (and series) and I really enjoyed the first story, When in Rome. While I found Practice Makes Perfect sweet and it had a heart-warming conclusion, it had some elements I didn’t care for.

It seemed to me like the whole book had a major focus, from the get-go, on the couple’s physical attraction. It was an often repeated theme and while I understand why, given Annie’s nature and reputation, I think it would have been more meaningful, and I would have been more engaged and invested, if there wouldn’t have been so much emphasis on that aspect.

Practice Makes Perfect is about “angelic, sweet” Annie Walker and her anxieties and struggles with dating. She just wants to find someone to settle down with and have the kind of marriage her parents had. So, she accepts Will Griffin, Amelia Rose’s executive protection agent and someone she’s inextricably drawn to, as a coach to teach her how to date. He’s known as a playboy and consummate bachelor. Regardless, the two fall for each other, slowly but surely. But first, they have a lot of baggage to unpack and issues to contend with.

I loved the banter between the two, which made me laugh out loud at times. I appreciated Annie’s character development, but did find her earlier version, while understandable, quite frustrating. I enjoyed the town and the community, and the turn the story took.
I also appreciated the lessons learned, the messages shared, and the conclusion. I recommend this book to readers who love a sweet, though somewhat spicy, romance.

This book was so cute!! Annie is such a sweet character, and I really liked Will. My only issue was sometimes it veered a bit too cheesy, but still very enjoyable!

Thank you for giving me the chance to read this book! I absolutely love when authors continue a story with secondary characters, and I didn't expect this one!! It was a cute book to read on a plane, with a few unexpected twists. I adore small town stories.

This was a very sweet romcom- second in the When in Rome collection. If you enjoy fake dating/dating coach, opposites attract, sweet romance, and good girl tropes, you will enjoy this book. I had a hard time connecting with Annie as she felt a little immature, and I didn’t vibe with the virgin/no cursing trope. That being said, the character interactions were very cute. I enjoyed watching Will fall for Annie despite their dramatic differences. This book did not have any spice, but did have lots of romance.

I love Sarah Adams. Her books are so sweet and genuinely make me smile. Absolutely adorable.

Annie is shy and sweet and an over good girl. She loves romance novels and flowers

Will is tattooed, rough and seemingly gets around. He intimidates people for a living.

This is a series but can be read as a standalone

Let’s talk about Sarah Adam’s books real quick. When I read The Cheat Sheet, I was pretty taken aback by the “clean romance” thing. I didn’t read her bio, didn’t know that was her writing style, and had read this great book only to be kind of shocked by it at the end. For the record, I still don’t think it was written well in that book - BUT ALAS.

I tried my hand at Practice Makes Perfect for a few reasons. One was definitely FOMO. The other was that I thought I’d I managed expectations I would be able to enjoy the outcome much more. And it turns out that was true.

📔 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼: Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams.

📚𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲: Bodyguard romance, opposites attract, relationship lessons, small town romance.

📖 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Annie has always been known as the innocent angel. But now she’s the innocent angel who can’t find love. So she enlists Will, her sister-in-law’s bodyguard with a playboy reputation, to teach her how to date.

🌟 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: I really enjoyed this book.

Sarah Adams wrote two very complex characters, when she could have taken the easy way out with them and made them fit their image. It was so nice to watch both Annie and Will grow past their fears. And there was only light drama to accompany them on their journey.

On top of that, I actually cackled a few times while reading this book. Annie and Will’s banter, the small town characters, and some of the scenes had me rolling.

The dual POV was really done well here - because who doesn’t love reading an emotionally damaged man discover he’s in love?

And yes, the spice is closed door. But there’s enough tension to satisfy that need and the characters do, in fact, “do it.” You just don’t get to read about it - and when the writing is this good it doesn’t matter in the long run.

📝 𝗔 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲… You can absolutely read this as a standalone, but it’s related to Adams’ other book, When in Rome.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 1/5 🌶

I can’t get over how sweet and relatable this book is! This story is set in the small town of Rome, Kentucky and revolves around the story of Annie and Will. Annie, the resident introvert, is one of four orphaned siblings that were practically raised by the residents of that small town. She the local florist and is considered the town sweetheart and authority figures intown are overprotective of her. Will is the attractive, brooding, tattoo covered, commitment-phobe bodyguard of Annie’s soon-to-be sister-in-law who happens to be a pop star.

Annie confides in Amelia, her future sister-in-law, about her difficulty with social anxiety during her most recent date. Amelia then concocts an idea of having Will be Annie’s dating coach due to a suspected mutual attraction between the two. Following this arrangement, we see the blossoming relationship between this unlikely pair as well as their emotional growth.

Overall, I loved this book. I went from laughing out loud to getting a little misty at some emotional scenes. I enjoyed reading about the small-town dynamics and interactions that Annie and Will have with them as well as the dating coaching sessions. It’s so good and a true comfort read. I really look forward to reading more of Sarah Adam’s books.

💐 Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams🦋 I’ve been looking forward to this book for months, because I LOVED When In Rome. With a duel POV, I loved hearing from Annie’s perspective who is so shy and quiet. I loved seeing Will and Annie grow together and build trust with amazing communication. Tropes include fake dating, small town, tattooed bodyguards, and pirates. Other treasures include of Amelia and Noah, town drama, laugh out loud jokes, and all the steam (with zero spice). I read a lot of romance novels, but this is the first one I’ve ever rated 5⭐️. So few books live up to the hype, and this one did. Thank you Sarah Adams for this absolute delight. Run, don’t walk, to your nearest independent bookstore and pick up a copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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“It seems to me, Annie, that you are just waiting for someone to give you permission to be yourself out loud.”
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Practice Makes Perfect is the second book in a series of interconnected standalones following the siblings in a family in Rome, Kentucky. When In Rome, book 1, was one of my favorite reads of 2022, so PMP was HIGHLY anticipated for me and it! DID NOT! DISAPPOINT! PMP introduces us to ~Angel Annie~, the youngest sibling and the sweet, innocent introvert. Despite having reached her dreams of opening a flower shop in honor of her mother, she still isn’t feeling fulfilled. After decades of putting other people, and their feelings, before herself, she vents to Amelia, her brother’s fiancé, about her dating woes. Amelia just happens to be a world famous pop star whose incredibly sexy, smart, and reserved bodyguard is coming back into town. Amelia concocts a true Rome, Kentucky plan to make the two fall in love by having Will, her bodyguard, “coach” Annie on how to date better.
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“I’m a self-aware gal, and I know my flaws. Falling quickly for hunky mysterious men who look like pirates and don’t do relationships is definitely one of them.”
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Annie has all of the characteristics of an FMC that should be annoying, but with Sarah’s expert writing, she’s anything but. She’s approachable, understandable, admirable, and FUN! I found myself relating to her so much and love the growth that she had in the month we were following her along.
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“Tell you what, Annie. We’ll get you your committed relationship and your white picket fence, and if for some reason it doesn’t feel right and you want that adventure after all - call me and I’ll come hold your hand on the flight.”
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WILL. FREAKING. GRIFFIN. Pirate romance reader, executive protection assistant (iykyk), tattooed, kind hearted man. I just love him so much.
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This book was a quick, corny, cheesy, perfect in every way read. It has no spice but a LOT of tension and is so, so, stinking sweet. 10000/10 would recommend and can’t wait to see what else Sarah brings us from Rome!
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Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine/Dell for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Practice makes perfect is a small town romance set in Rome, Kentucky. While this is a stand alone it does connect with her other book - When In Rome.

I really enjoyed my first Sarah Abrams book! It so sweet and funny that you’ll likely find yourself giggling and smiling into your copy much like I did. I loved the fact that Annie loves reading pirate romance books. And the banter between Annie and Will was *chefs kiss*. I think both characters having issues related to their family that they needed to work through was both realistic and tender to watch.

Things I absolutely loved:
- Dual POV
- fake dating trope
- taking care of sick FMC
- closed door romance

The only thing that made it not a five star was just how long it took for the characters to actual admit their feelings when their actions made it fairly obvious. Plus I felt that Annie’s lack of communicating herself to her family wasn’t nuanced enough.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Annie is the sweetest human and I love her. I love how we got her and Wills story but also got more of the town and her siblings. These two were unapologetically themselves with each other and I loved their interactions. There were definitely moments that had me laughing and smiling. I also can’t wait to see what happens next in the world.

I really enjoyed this, it was super cute and exactly what I was hoping for when I requested to read it. I do suggest that whoever is interested in reading, read the first because it is part of a series which I was not aware of so there are references to characters and events in the first book, but it was easy enough to read and catch on. I really enjoyed Annie and Will; their dynamic was sooo sweet and him “teaching her” and helping her practice gave many opportunities for some truly amazing tension. I also love the small town vibes - it was very Gilmore Girls meets Hart of Dixie which I adored and has made me want to read the first book as well as more from this author!

Practice makes perfect

4.5⭐️

2.5/5🌶 - but the tension is 😍😍😍



I would first like to thank Random House Publishing for a free copy of Practice Makes Perfect for my honest thoughts on the book. I will have my review available today, 05/11 on Goodreads and on 05/16 on my Instagram @booksofenchantment



Ladies and gentlemen, I am just going to be upfront and honest with you. There is nothing I enjoy more than a bodyguard-themed romance. Whether the bodyguard is protecting the MFC or the MMC character is being a bodyguard to someone else. And can I also just start the review by saying “Oh my little southern heart!” I fell in love with the perfect way Adams wrote about a little southern town and all the beautiful southern details without overdoing it which doesn’t surprise me considering she is also a native Tennessean like myself. Will has been added to the book boyfriends list. He could definitely take someone out but he’s actually a sweetheart who doesn’t know how amazing he is till Annie shows him. I also feel like Annie and I are twins personality-wise. I have never read a character that so perfectly describes the weight of being what others want them to be and carrying that emotional burden. I also highly enjoyed that, unlike other romance books that jump right into some heavy spice, Adams pulls back, instead giving us moments filled with beautiful tension and what it is like to be someone new to sexual desire. Practice Makes Perfect is a perfect blend of first-time love, family bonds, and Southern charm.



Read if you like:

Hart of Dixie
Dirty pirate romances
Small town drama
Southern lifestyle
Looks like he could kill you but is actually a cinnamon roll.
They fall at the same time

Annie is a sweet flower shop owner in small town Kentucky. We know this city boy to small town trope but that doesn’t mean we don’t love it! Annie is relatable and Carrie’s the weight form her parent’s death on her heart. She is so easy to love, not surprised our main man falls for her. Hints of spice but nothing too saucy! Loved.

Overall I loved this book. Annie was a great main character. The fact that she loved a pirate romance was amazing because one of my favorite books is a pirate romance lol. Will has been moved to the top 5 favorite book boyfriends. He was so sweet to Annie and he respected her. This book was a 5-star read I will never forget!