Sarah Adams and the town of Rome, KY can do no wrong. Sarah has become a must-read writer for me, and I was excited to read Emily’s book to discover why she’s considered the most jaded Walker. Emily is like a golden retriever wrapped in thorns; I love her fierce loyalty and the effort it takes to earn her trust. However, once you gain that trust, she will go to great lengths for you. She has become one of my favorite sisters in the Walker family, and this book did not disappoint. Run, don’t walk, to buy this book!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up. Loved Jack and Emily’s personalities, they were a really lovely pair. Had more issues with the plot than the romance itself, but still a good read! Felt it was a bit weird how the initial selling plot point of them breaking into the principal's house had very little follow through in terms of 1) it was only like 10 pages of the book total, 2) there wasn't great follow through about what happened in the aftermath of their scheme 3) really expected to see more scenes of them WORKING together at the school!!

Yet again, Sarah Adams creates characters who are incredibly relatable. I felt like I was a part of the eccentric Rome community and couldn’t wait to see what else Emily and Jack got into. I also very much appreciated the note at the beginning letting readers know which chapters to skip if they preferred to leave out the intimate scenes (nothing lost, nothing gained if you choose to skip those two).

Sarah Adams does it again! It was so much fun to return to Rome and the beloved town characters and Walker family members we have come to love. Each new book in this series serves as a mini epilogue for the books and couples who have come before, so it's a delight to see where Amelia and Noah are now and where Will and Annie are now.
Emily and Jack's story was ripe with delicious tension and banter and surprising tenderness and vulnerability. There were laugh-out-loud moments and beautiful, swoony moments and I thoroughly enjoyed going on this journey with them.
Great for readers who love:
- Adams' Rome, KY series
- enemies-to-lovers
- Found family
- great banter and scheming
- watching characters follow their hearts

My gratitude to the publishers and NetGalley for this advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

Sarah Adams never disappoints! Beg, Borrow, or Steal is my new favorite from her with this return to Rome, Kentucky, to the Walker siblings. Emily and Jack’s story is special with their enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance, book lovers, and forced proximity tropes.

⭐️: 4
🌶️: 2

👩🏼‍💻 enemies to lovers
🍎 secret identity
👨🏻‍💻 small town
🐈 dual POV
🔨 part of a series

Rome, Kentucky didn’t let me down with another sweet, xx romance from Sarah Adams. Emily and Jack delivered a banter filled enemies-to-lovers decade long feud filled with secret longing and even more secret identities.

Emily was strong, independent and the rock that her family needed. But even someone as strong as Emily needs someone to lean on sometimes. And Jack, I know Jack was supposed to be our arch nemesis but I just couldn’t possibly find a bad bone in his body to hate. They were an adorable pair.

The story itself was a little bit insta-lovey for my taste, but considering their long past, I was able to overlook it. I honestly could have done with a bit more tension and denial of attraction. Otherwise, the story was everything I expected from this series and more.


🌶️🌶️ = open door, minimal detail

♥︎ Thank you NetGalley, Dell Romance and Sarah Adams for the ARC of Beg, Borrow or Steal.

I recently finished Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams, and it did not disappoint! This book is the third in her interconnected standalone series set in her iconic small town of Rome, Kentucky, and it follows Emily Walker, a second-grade teacher who has a long-running rivalry with Jack, who is also a second-grade teacher at the same school.

The dynamic and tension between Emily and Jack was incredible! Especially as it evolved from a rivalry into something deeper.

Also Jack is the ultimate mmc! He was kind and caring even when he was supposed to be Emily’s rival. The dual pov was so necessary for the story and it made it that much better.

Some of the tropes included were next-door neighbors, opposites attract, secret writers. It is one of those books that kept me entertained from the beginning!

Overall, this book was both fun and entertaining but with some deeper topics done in such a beautiful way. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the digital arc.

This book was absolute perfection. As a teacher waiting for summer break, this was the perfect way to imagine myself running away to a small town and finding a work rival who I can fall in love with.

The longing and the chemistry between Emily and Jack was so good. I truly loved their banter so much and the way that they were unafraid to show each other the parts of themselves that they normally hid from the world. The glimpses into their text and emails really added in pieces of their personality that are only seen by each other.

I thought that the mini heist that they pulled off was so funny to watch, and it really helped move their relationship along in a positive way. I love everything about Rome, Kentucky. The found family. The actual family, and the gossip mill are some of my favorite things. It was funny to see how the “newcomers” were now completely a part of the town in how they acted (Amelia and Will).

Thank you so much to Random House for the ARC on NetGalley!

Thank you @prhaudio for the #gifted audiobook! And NetGalley and Ballentine for an eARC.
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I was so happy to be back in Rome, Kentucky. Just adore this series. Emily and Jack both teach (& both write unbeknownst to the other) in this enemies-ish to lovers story.
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Emily is the oldest sibling. Always cared for everyone. And her biggest fear is people leaving her or no longer needing her. Jack is back in town after a broken engagement and returns to his teaching job. And he’s Emily’s neighbor. Her annoying, hammering at all hours neighbor. They butt heads and they bicker.
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When Emily has an email go awry, she reluctantly enlists his help to delete it before it can be read. And things just escalate from here.
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I loved seeing their friendship develop and then their romance blossom. Their banter was amazing. And when he helped her with scene blocking 😮‍💨 Loved them as a couple.
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The narration by Brittany Pressley and Nelson Hobbs really brought Emily and Jack to life. The banter was well done.
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Fun fact: my maiden name is Hobbs and I don’t think I’ve even seen an author or narrator with that name before.

BEG, BORROW, OR STEAL is Sarah Adams at her absolute best. This will hands-down be one of my favorite romance books of 2025!

As a teacher, it was fun reading a book where both the main characters are teachers and care so much about education. Emily and Jack are second-grade teachers and rivals. Emily couldn't be happier when Jack moved mid-school year -- so the last thing she expected was Jack to move back to town. Right next door.

The witty emails that were sprinkled between the chapters were a blast to read. The characters have great banter and chemistry.

I loved heading back to Rome, Kentucky. It was so much fun revisiting this small town and the characters from the first two books, WHEN IN ROME and PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.

<3 enemies to lovers
<3 forced proximity
<3 small town romance
<3 found family

Another swoony romance from Sarah Adams, and this is her steamiest book yet!

Beg, Borrow, or Steal has got to be one of the most swoon worthy books I have read in a long time! It is the third in Sarah Adam’s “When in Rome” series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone. While I have read most of Sarah’s other books I have yet to read any in that series, but now that I have completed this one I need to remedy that.

Emily and Jack (Jackson) are long time enemies whose antagonistic relationship started during one fateful encounter in college and has continued over a decade into the small, quirky town of Rome, Kentucky. Not only are they forced to work together as second grade teachers in Rome Elementary, but also become next door neighbors when Jack unknowingly buys the dilapidated house next door to Emily. This man has PLAGUED Emily’s life since college, but is her heart starting to thaw just a little now that he is back in town and fresh from a break up?

Emily, a lover of books and movies, especially romantic ones, secretly has harbored the desire to become a published author. In a moment of drunken bravado, she emails her completed manuscript to a book editor in hopes of securing her first published novel. Almost immediately after sending it she realizes she accidentally sent her smutty romance novel to her buttoned up principal. In a moment of panic, she enlists Jack’s help to delete the email before her principal can read it and fire her. As the unlikely duo team up to save Emily’s career, they begin to realize they have more in common than being antagonistic rivals.

What I loved about this book:
-enemies to lovers who are not such HATEFUL enemies that you cannot see them eventually falling for each other
-close proximity trope
-characters who experience an emotional revelation and growth
-quirky town characters who don’t overtake a story and slow down the plot by being too involved or too quirky
-sharp, witty banter
-sizzling sizzling chemistry! It’s not an easy thing for authors to convey, but Sarah Adams does it fantastically every single time!

While Sarah Adams normally writes closed door romances, she opened the doors just a touch for these character. It’s not a doors off the hinges open door romance but there are a few spicier chapters. She does give warning which ones to avoid if you don’t like reading such things, but honestly they are part of showing the growth and connection between the two main character and not just there to titillate the readers.

My favorite quote from this book: “You are not alone, Emily. I would walk through my worst memories to get to you every single time.” Jack ❤️❤️❤️

Excuse me while I go read the first two book in this series and enjoy more of this charming town of Rome, Kentucky!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House- Ballantine-Dell for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this read a great deal. The characters and plot were strong. I found myself unable to put it down. I will absolutely recommend!

Another great read by Sarah Adams. It was so much fun to be back in Rome Kentucky again. The enemies to lovers troupe is always a good one and Sarah did NOT disappoint. The banter between these two was perfect. Getting to know both characters more was well done. Absolutely loved it. She definitely knows how to write romance comedy.

Going in, I didn’t realize this was the third book in a series. Did that stop me? Heck no. Was I able to pick up this story and have enough information in the book that I didn’t need to stop and read the others. Behind a doubt, yes.
This Enemies to Lovers hits all the right spots (literally) in my romcom loving life. I ate up every last bit of this book. Watching these two grow together and let go of their eternal feud with a little push from the townspeople was something I looked forward to reading.

Sarah did it once again. This was such a cute story. I love time and I was so excited to go back. And rivals to lovers teachers?! What is not to love about that. Definitely a slow burn but not in a bad way.

I had no idea that Beg, Borrow or Steal was part of a series until just a few minutes ago. This is the third book in the When in Rome Series. It can stand on it's own. Sometimes when I start reading a book that is part of a series it seems "off" and that something is missing and then I go check to see if it's part of a series. I had none of those clues this time.

Emily Walker and Jackson Bennett have a history of feuding. They exchange barbs back and forth. They are nemesis. They were both 2nd grade teachers at the same school until Jackson left their small town to get married but the wedding has been called off and Jackson has returned. Emily and Jacksons paths crossed and they quickly fall into old habits. They exchanges are witty and romantically charged.

This rivals to romance book is easy to read and a bit bingeable (I could see it series on a streaming service). I had a bit of hard time finding it believable but that didn't distract me from enjoying this book.

Sarah Adams is always an instant buy. I audibly laughed with these two. Such a fun, easy read that I can't wait for people to read

I loved returning to the town and favorite characters. This wasn’t my favorite of all the siblings stories but I still enjoyed reading it and now am looking forward to the next book!

Very fun! I did not realize until the acknowledgements that this is book 3 in a series. It was successful as a standalone. The enemies to lovers romance was lovely. The sibling relationships were cute and I look forward to reading the other books in the series, as well as the fourth book.

This is the third book that I've read by Sarah Adams and I absolutely LOVED it! I love enemies to lovers. The angst between Jack and Emma was undeniable from the very beginning. Now I have to go back and read the other 2 books that take place in Rome, Kentucky. Thank you for letting me read this early!