Thanks to Dell @randomhouse for sending me an advance copy of Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams, out 5/02!

If you love:

-The scene in The Wedding Date where he seduces her against the car without touching her
-The hand flex from the 2005 Pride and Prejudice
-The town meeting where everyone discusses whether Luke and Lorelei should be in a relationship

then you need to read this book!!! Will and Annie bring us back to Rome, Kentucky in book two of the series, and it was so much fun to watch them embark on a fake dating/real feelings disaster together.

Practice Makes Perfect is a love letter to introverts and to historical romance readers, two clubs I am proud to be a part of, so this book holds an especially lovely place in my heart (there’s even a little shoutout to bookstagram!)

“It seems to me, Annie, that you are just waiting for someone to give you permission to be yourself out loud.” ✨

A total binge read for me. I enjoyed heading back to Rome, Kentucky. I liked it even better than When in Rome. I loved getting to know "Angel Annie" and Will Griffin - executive protection agent. These characters sucked me right in. I felt a connection with Annie and Will was the best! I'm already looking forward to the next book.

So adorable! Sarah Adams writes such great, feel-good stories that area always perfect for getting me out of a reading slump.

The relationship between Annie and Will was so cute. The "changing oneself for a relationship" trope is silly at best and toxic at worst, but I loved how neither Annie nor Will really change themselves here. Rather, their friendship just helps them become more of who they really were all along. It was so sweet and wholesome.

I didn't realize this was a companion to When in Rome when I started reading it, but it was a nice surprise to see some familiar characters. It could definitely be read as a standalone, but knowing more about Amelia / Noah adds a lot to this story, so I'd recommend reading it first if you can.

Content: mild swearing (but there's the equivalent of a swear jar! 🤣) and mostly closed door, though this is definitely more PG-13 than some of Sarah Adams other books

I absolutely loved this take on an “innocent” female protagonist and the “bad boy” male protagonist. The way family dynamics were explored and the way Annie was able to grow is something I wish to see more of in romance. It was a spectacular showing of what a fake dating small town romance can be. The development by both characters is what really made this book 10/10 neither stayed stagnant or over controlling. They communicated like real people do and it was refreshing to see. adding an emphasis on THEY COMMUNICATED!

“It seems to me, Annie, that we are just waiting for someone to give you permission to be yourself out loud.”

This was the perfect book to cozy up with during this rainy weekend! It was super sweet with a lot of funny banter and the small town feel I love! The female protagonist, Annie reminded me of a mix between GiGi from the movie He’s Just Not That Into You and Mandi Moore’s character in the movie A Walk to Remember. She is flawed and so relatable and really trying to break out of the sweet girl box everyone including her family has placed her in. I also loved the little town of Rome, Kentucky and it reminded me so much of the little town of Bluebell Alabama in the show the Hart of Dixie! I definitely could see this book series being adapted into a tv show!
If you haven’t read When in Rome I highly suggest you do,as there is a lot of character development and backstory you’ll miss and love to know before reading this one. I love @authorsarahadams writing and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

Thank you @netgalley and @penguinerandomhouse for the early copy

4.5 stars!

Grab your copy out Tuesday!

This was such a cute and fun story. I loved Annie! I enjoyed it being told in dual POVs, and the banter was so fun. I’m not usually a big fan of “fake dating/dating lessons” but this was done so well, and not other books with those tropes.

I will say, I HIGHLY recommend reading When In Rome first. It would be extremely confusing without. I Can’t WAIT for the third book!!! These might be close door romances, but that definitely doesn’t mean they’re clean romances. So much spice in the perfect amount and done so so well.

I also love that cover!!! Best romance series I’ve read in a long time.

pecial thank you to Dell Paperback and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I must say this was probably my most exciting advance copy of a book I’ve ever gotten, because I just love Sarah Adams!

Another book set in the sunny and southern town of Rome, Kentucky. The small town atmosphere and friendships is enough to have me packing my bags and heading down there!

This story is about Annie (Noah’s sister, whom is engaged to Amelia from When in Rome) and her journey to find herself. She’s a true introvert, who spends her time at her flower shop or lost in a good book (pirate romances only). After going out on a limb and accepting a date with a local named John, she ends up devastated after she hears him on the phone during their date describing her as “boring”. But as her date ends in disappointment she runs into Will, who is Amelia’s body guard. They get to talking and can’t seem to shake the interaction they’ve had together off, and they soon strike a deal. Will is going to tutor Annie as a dating coach and help her become more confident, and less boring so that she can find someone to help her reach her lifelong goal; getting married and settling down with a family. But we all know this won’t be an easy road to navigate… Will either of them catch feelings? Will Annie be able to successfully find her person?

This story was full of emotion, laughter, love, and a deep sense of looking inwards to figuring out who you really are. I enjoyed watching Annie and Will grow as individuals, as well as together. And the group of friends and family in the story are so tender hearted and sweet.

I’m already counting down to the next book in this series!! 😉

Genre: romance
Series: When in Rome # 2
Setting: small town Kentucky
POV: dual, 1st person, present tense
Tropes: good girl/bad boy, dating lessons, reformed rake/virgin, bodyguard, sick/comfort 
Spice Level: 2/5🌶, steamy, fade to black

What I Liked: I really enjoyed the chemistry and communication between the main characters! The FMC is super relatable and bookish and I loved how the MMC opened up throughout the story. This is a pretty light, fluffy read that does make me want to check out Sarah’s other books!

What I Disliked: The cover of the book did not let me know that this was the second in a series, so I definitely felt like I was missing a bit of the backstory of the side characters and small town. I also prefer open door romances, so I felt a little unsatisfied by the steamy, fade to black scene.

Read This Book If…you enjoy sweet romances with a little bit of steam!

Memorable Quote: “You’d do that for me?” “I’m quickly learning I’d do anything for you.”

This book was so cute! I loved learning more about Rome and the characters from the past novel! Annie’s character is adorable, and I love how much substance was added to her character as the book went on. I think that a lot of people can identify with her character and her feelings! Will is the perfect book boyfriend, and I was so happy with the ending!
I’m looking forward to the next book in the Rome series :)

Oh my heart…it hasn’t stopped fluttering once since finishing this sweet, sweet, gem of a book!
I enjoyed When In Rome, but I will remember and hold onto Practice Makes Perfect. Will and Annie’s story completely captivated me. I was hesitant to read this second in the series, since I liked, but didn’t love Noah and Amelia’s story. Oh was I wrong. This second in the Rome, Kentucky series is a work of art!

Annie, sweet Angel Annie, is awkward, embarrassingly so even for this reader on her first date with the hot bank teller John. So awkward, he has a friend phone in an SOS and she overhears it all. Will is the quintessential tattooed bad boy, on bodyguard duty for pop-star Amelia. These two can’t possibly have anything in common, right?

The incredibly real connection and depth that Adams wrote in this book made it feel like I was at the diner, listening to my friends talk about their lives. I want to visit Rome, KY and hang out with the crew. I want to shop in Annie’s flower shop and see Will lurking around the corner keeping everyone safe. I absolutely adored this book and love, love, LOVE a romance author can make romance books more than sappy covers and predictable story lines. Well done, Sarah Adams! Thank you Random House and Netgalley for this advance copy!

Thanks to this book for giving me a new favorite couple in Annie and Will.

"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-" He looks at me. "Call me and I'll come hold your hand on the flight."


Annie is so painfully awkward and relatable from chapter one when she's having a horrible first date with a man who calls her boring and fakes an emergency to get out of the date. She runs into Will on her way out, her best friend's hot tattooed body guard, and from there they end up practicing dating together so Annie can get over her dating anxiety and find a husband. Obviously they fall in love with each other and it's such a beautiful friends to lovers story. They just get each other and I was rooting for them so hard. This would seriously make such a cute movie.

This is also set in one of those gossipy small towns and honestly I'm still iffy about whether these townspeople were endearing or downright annoying but they grew on me by the end of the book. This was my first book by this author and I didn't realize it was the second book in a companion series but I'm glad I started here and I'm excited to go read the rest of her books now.

I enjoyed Practice Makes Perfect for the most part. This was definitely a slow burn with little spice. I did have a difficult time connecting with Annie, the MFC. I was rooting for Annie and Will the entire book though. I didn't find Annie to be the type of FMC that draws me into books. I would not say she was a strong heroine until towards the end of the book and when she did develop into a stronger character, it was Will that really caused the development. I personally have a hard time relating to FMC that doubt themselves as much as Annie did. She repeatedly talked about she loved her sisters and felt close to them yet never was honest with them about how at times they made her feel. At that point, I couldn't really relate because she's almost 30 and has yet to have a serious conversation with her siblings. Despite this, it was an easy and quick ready.

I received a copy of Practice Makes Perfect in exchange for a review from NetGalley.com

I had been in need of a feel good book and when I received an early copy of this book it was exactly what I needed. A light hearted novel that follows someone who has fears of showing their true self (I high key relate) and not only finding romance, but also feeling comfortable with themself. The tension between Annie and Will had me giggling with such joy, I couldn’t put the book down at times because I just had so much fun reading about their time together. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for something light and fun, and I will for sure be reading more of Sarah Adams’ books and looking forward to more stories out of Rome, Kentucky.

Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book before its publication on May 2, 2023. It was a joy to read!

Instagram post/review will be posted to @reading.with.rachel_ on or before May 2nd (publication day).

This book is an enemies to lovers, bad guy/good girl read (one of my favorites genres). Set it Rome...Kentucky, Will and Anne's story is a very cute read. Will is trying to help Anne gain confidence. He's not the relationship type though, and she is trying to remember that as she falls. The characters were fun, the story was entertaining. A little more steam in this one than other books by this author that I've read, and I"m not complaining about it. Read it! You are gonna be glad you did.

NetGalley & this author/publisher provided the ARC I read for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.

Annie and Will- I loved them both so much 🥹

Sarah Adams never fails to write a romance where you feel like you can completely envision the town, the people, and of course, the romance. I honestly could go for a trip to Rome Kentucky and visit Annie's flower shop

Annie is known to her family and community as being the perfect angel. Enters Will, Amielas (From When in Rome) hot body guard, who ends up becoming her dating coach. Annie thinks she wants the white picket fence but as her and Will continue to practice and become close, she's not sure if that's what she really wants or more so what everyone else expects from her. Will was perfection. Getting to see his back story and work through his own troubles with Annie by his side was everything 😘🤌🏻

Highly recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ps- are we getting James and Maddie's story next 😏😍

Thank you Random House Publishing and Sarah Adams for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of Practice Makes Perfect. This was such fun rom-com!

Practice Makes Perfect is technically the second book in the Rome, KY series by Sarah Adams, but it honestly reads like a stand-alone. Reading this one first will spoil the outcome of the first book (When in Rome), so FYI!

I really liked Annie as a main character. She was so sweet (although she would HATE me saying that!), nice, and sunny. But, she was also conflicted, emotional, and full of uncertainty. I identified with her many struggles in this book, and I feel like a lot of other readers will too. I also loved Will. He was edgy and dark and ultimately, a man with a conflicted backstory and a heart of gold. I loved his character evolution.

This book made me flat out laugh at times because it was just so funny. It wasn't consistent, but at times it grabbed that aura that books like The Unhoneymooners walk in with its quippy banter and sizzling connections between all the characters. There were also glimpses of true, raw emotion in the characters that I wish had been more frequent!

There were also some things that irritated me in this story, though. First off, the town. Are you kidding me? A poll about whether two people should be together? This ain't Stars Hollow (IYKYK), so don't try to be. Second, Will's character sometime gave me whiplash with his "I'm not a relationship guy" mentality pivoting to the "let me cook you chicken noodle soup while you're sick guy." I feel like the intent was to show Will's own confliction with his actions, but it mad this character seem ungrounded at times.

This book is not quite a three star and not exactly a four star to me, but since I don't give half-star ratings, I ultimately went with four stars because those instances of emotion and depth from the characters were REALLY well done. I just wish I hadn't needed to siphon through some of those other parts to get there. Plus, Sarah Adams did something right in this one because I have already put Libby holds on some of her other books on audio! :)

Rating: 4⭐️

I have been anxiously awaiting this book and was so happy to get an ARC! I have loved all of Sarah Adams books so I was not surprised I also loved this book so much, I was cackling to myself early on in the first chapter and I couldn’t get enough, reading any chance I got! Annie is the town golden girl who can do no wrong in the eyes of so many, but that’s a heavy title to bear. Will looks all tough bad boy on the outside but he has been through his fair share of heartache and has developed a hard shell to protect him from future hurts. They have different goals and at first glance nothing about them seems to fit, but there is always more below the surface and maybe they have more in common after all. There were so many laugh out loud moments and Sarah is a master at adding heat without the spice. I will say that this book was a little more open door than any of her others. I’m not quite sure how to classify it. I think I read somewhere that it was like a very small peek and I would say that’s accurate. She definitely has lots of details leading up and it’s more of a fade out but sex is definitely mentioned and is a big part of this book, so if that’s not for you maybe skip those parts of the book. I would say this is more of a Pg-13 type of book. I really loved it and think it’s worth the read! Can’t wait for the next book in the Rome series.

this was a cute romance!
my hometown is the same name as the one in the book, so that really added something special.
the romance was cute, but at times it felt a little juvenile for an adult romance!

I absolutely loved Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams!! This was my first book of hers but certainly not my last. I was hear over heels for Annie and Will's relationship. It started out in such a cute, humorous way and developed into something deep and meaningful. I loved the tension, the banter, the cuteness, and the steamy moments between them. They are easily a new favorite character pairing for me now.

Will brought out the adventurous side of Annie, something she always kept hidden, and made her see that she's worthy of love exactly as she is vs feeling the need to change herself for others. Annie showed Will that love doesn't always have to end badly, that it's worth the risk, as scary as it may be to go all in. They challenged each other and though different in some aspects, they were a perfect match.

I honestly loved the small town aspect of this book. It was so down to earth and had so many tender moments, as well as plenty of laugh out loud moments. I appreciate the dual POV. Books written like this are my preference and are much easier for me to get into. I had trouble putting this book down. I pretty much binged it in two days, which shows how much I loved it!

I am so so happy and appreciative that I was able to read this! Thank you to the publisher as well as Sarah Adams, for writing such a cozy feel good romance. I need more stories like this in my life!

Sarah Adams is quickly rising to the top of my favorite authors list, I finished this one in a day and LOVED it!! We’re headed back to Rome, Kentucky in this fun novel. This time we’re following Annie, Noah’s sister, and Will Amelia’s bodyguard or EPA as he puts it. Annie lives a happy go lucky life and everyone thinks of her as the town sweetheart. She’s looking for love, and is ready to settle down in Rome her beloved hometown. Will is adventurous, has no desire to be married or in a relationship. In fact, he wants to get out of Rome just as soon as possible. After one bad day, Amelia decides to play matchmaker an asks Will if he will be Annie’s dating coach. These two are a cute and funny couple. I loved that each of them came out of their shell a bit and were true to themselves, and knocking down some walls they built for themselves.

This adorable, love story was so fun to read. I loved every minute of it. In the end, I am speculating, but there might be a book 3 in the series. Looking forward to Sarah Adams next book.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.