Emily Walker and Jack Bennett have been rivals since college and are now not only teaching in the same town but also neighbors. This gave such perfect romcom vibes! The chemistry/banter between Jack and Emily had me laughing out loud one minute and screaming the next.

Sarah also did a great job exploring the emotions and personal struggles of these characters. I could heavily relate to Emily with how she feels the need to be there for everyone in her life and doesn’t like to ask for help despite being overwhelmed. How hard it is to deal with change around you and not feel left behind.

Thank you Dell for the ARC! If you’re looking for a rivals to lovers set in a small town that’s part of an interconnected series, this book is out now and I highly recommend making it your next read! I loved this one a lot!

Sarah Adams has done it again 💕

I enjoyed every minute of this book. The banter, the tension, both POVs. The tender, emotional moments. Ugh I love them so much.

If you're looking for a rivals-to-lovers, banter filled, delicious romcom, then you're in for a treat!

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House publishing for an earc. All thoughts are my own. ✨️

The connection between Emily and Jack might be my favorite of all SA’s books - the emotion and depth felt so real and relatable. LOVED being back in Rome, Kentucky with all the Walker siblings. Where do we find a real life Jack?

Beg, Borrow, or Steal follows two teachers that have been rivals since college. They continue to be around each other after college, working in the same grade at the same small town school.

Jack briefly leaves but ultimately returns to town to not only work with Emily again, but to be her next door neighbor. Emily does everything she can to get rid of Jack, until something happens and she ends up needing his help (no spoilers).

This book is written as part of an interconnected series but is written so well that you don’t need to read the previous two in order to understand anything.

I loved the small town vibes that were going on in the book. Everyone knows everyone else’s business and has each other’s backs. There’s something about that that gets me every time. The town was cute, the characters were cute and the story was cute.

I liked the MMC, Jack, enough to get past the descriptions of his “dorky” tattoos and beaded necklaces. He was enjoyable and fun and I could actually imagine him being an elementary school teacher. I didn’t like the FMC, Emily, as much. Even though she was organized and smart, I felt like she came across as a busy body, pushy, and a little judgmental. And really, ten years is a long time to hold onto a petty rivalry. The characters were supposed to be 30s or so, holding onto a grudge from their first days in college.

The side characters really stood out to me. I haven’t read the previous books in the series but you bet I will be going back to read them now. I need to know more about the other couples!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Sarah Adams for the opportunity to read this book prior to release in exchange for my honest opinion.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
Returning to Rome, Kentucky always brings me such joy ❤️ This time around it’s no different. Emily is such a strong character who always needed someone to lean on, to help her carry the weight of life with her. She is that person for everyone, but refuses to let anyone be that for her. Then along come Jack 😭 I don’t want to spoil anything, but these two are end game and I will carry their love and strength with me. This book healed me in ways I didn’t know I needed. It can be scary opening up to people in your life. When it’s the right person, you’ll know. You’ll feel safe and loved. You can show them your ugly parts and they will love you all the same.

Chapter 16 🥵 H. A. W. T. That’s all I have to say.

Fav Quotes:
“Life can be a little shit sometimes. But shit also makes great fertilizer.”

“Find someone who helps you look on the bright side.”
(Don’t want to spoil the absolutely amazing ones)

Tropes:
Rivals to lovers
Small town
Banter
Secret writers
A heist

👩🏼‍💻I had to kick off the new year with reviewing this book that had me blushing and kicking my feet. From the beginning, Emily Walker [FMC] captured my heart. She’s feisty, and has a no holds barred attitude. She’s not taking 💩 from anyone and that includes her sexy nemesis, Jack Bennett [MMC]. Who cares that everyone seems to love Jack? Add in the cute town of Rome, Kentucky with its protective and nosy citizens, I was sold.

🏍️One of my favorite elements in this book was the banter between Emily and Jack. They were so evenly matched and hilarious. It just gets better as they start developing feelings for each other. Then @authorsarahadams gives us a hot closet scene but my favorite was the bike scene where the song Pony by Ginuwine may or may have been involved.

🍎Not only is the banter well done but the book explores different traumas that have shaped the main characters and how their relationship is affected by it. I really enjoyed the honesty and vulnerability with which each character discussed their feelings. It was nice to see open communication between the characters. Here’s looking at you miscommunication trope 👀

I read this as a standalone but it is part of the When in Rome universe. Add this to your TBR and I will be adding the rest of @authorsarahadams catalogue to my TBR.

👩🏼‍🏫Brief Synopsis: Emily Walker’s nemesis Jack Bennett is back in town. It isn’t enough that she has to put up with him at school and everyone loves him but now he has to live in her town as her next door neighbor. When it can’t get any worse, Emily accidentally sends her secret spicy manuscript to her uptight principal. The only person she can trust is Jack to help her. Between several attempts to get the email back and getting to know each other outside of their rivalry, could it be that there is more than just animosity between the two? After all they say there is a thin line between love and hate.

Happy release week to Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams
We follow Emily an oldest sister and Jack her oldest rival. This is the classic rivals to lovers everyone wants. The people of Rome are so special it’s the perfect balance of quirky townspeople without being too forced. I adored the progression of Jack and Emily’s friendship into their romantic relationship. They both grow emotionally as characters and admit their past mistakes

Although these may seem like standalones you will get every previous book spoiled for you so I HIGHLY recommend reading the books in order! One of my favorite aspects of this book was the appearance of past characters again in such a natural way that didn’t seem forced at all.

If you love…

❤️rivals to lovers

❤️small town

❤️happy endings

❤️sister relationships

❤️books about books

ahh!! I’ve been waiting to read this book since I read When in Rome and Practice makes perfect! Emily Walker deserves love and she got it! With none other than, her nemesis, Jackson Bennett!

Since college, Emily and Jack have been rivals. They always needed to one up the other, achieve something the other one was striving for, and bickering like no other. Since college, they became colleagues. Jack moves away to Nebraska with his fiancée… until one day a few months later he shows back up in Rome, Kentucky sitting in Emily’s table..

This book was full of laughs, cries (me & Emily), crimes were committed 🤣 and sexy scenes occurred!

Emily & Jackson’s story is one for the books! Literally!

Beg, Borrow, or Steal is the third installment in Sarah Adams’ When in Rome series. It’s a rivals-to-lovers romance featuring two elementary school teachers who are also both secretly authors!

Emily and Jack have been pitted against one another since they were in college. Their intense rivalry and apparent dislike of one another pushes them both academically and career-wise, and they eventually end up teaching at the same school in Rome, Kentucky for years, with Jack finding little ways to get under Emily’s skin, until he decides to leave mid school year one year to go off and marry his fiancée. Emily settles into a happy new routine, although she must admit that she kind of misses Jack, and is shocked when Jack returns at the beginning of the summer, and not only has he called off his wedding, but he has moved into the house next door to Emily with plans to renovate it.

This was such a fun read! There were so many hilarious antics in this story such as when Emily not only tries to sabotage Jack’s renovation efforts but she also tries to turn the whole town of Rome against him in an attempt to get rid of him. Then she drunkenly emails a steamy manuscript to their school principal instead of to an agent & recruits Jack’s help in a crazy scheme to retrieve it before her secret side hustle as an aspiring romance author is made public and her teaching job is at risk.

I just adored Jack and Emily. Whether they were trading witty barbs or having mo heartfelt conversations, they truly just had the most amazing chemistry. Both characters also have some personal issues that they are dealing with, and it’s easy to see how good they could be for one another if they team up rather than continue on as rivals.

Jack and Emily are college nemesis’ turned work nemesis’ turned neighbor nemesis’.

Jack is secretly the author of one of Emily’s favorite book series, which is written under a pen name, of course.

Emily is also secretly writing a romance novel.

When her novel accidentally ends up sent to the wrong email recipient, Jack and Emily team up to get it back.

Sarah Adams is the definition of a comfort author. Readers go to her stories looking for the guaranteed banter, the swoony men, and the happy-ever-afters that give us all the warm and fuzzy feelings.

Have no fear. Beg, Borrow, or Steal delivers everywhere we expect it to.

Along with the frienemies-to-lover's witty banter and swoony locked-in closest mishaps, Sarah gives us characters with relatable hurts and difficult family dynamics, grief, feelings of betrayal, and more. Jack and Emily handle each other's stories so gently and with such care- just as we come to expect Sarah.

Maybe the aspect I enjoyed the most in this book is the unsent drafted emails between Emily and Jack. ALL THE BEST LONGING AND PINING resides right there in their unsee notes. I could have read an entire book of these!

While this wasn’t my favorite of this connected series, I do think anyone who has enjoyed Rome, Kentucky, so far will likely enjoy this and appreciate the updates on the other Walker siblings we’ve come to know and love! My heart still has Annie and Noah in the top spot, but I am thinking James and Madison have a real shot at the top spot when their time comes?!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this AR

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2025, and it was everything I hoped it would be and more! Beg, Borrow, and Steal brings us back to Rome, KY for a new Walker sibling's story - the oldest girl, Emily. She's a second grade teacher and her eventual love interest is her current fellow second grade teacher and rival, Jack. This story had elements of workplace romance, enemies-to-lovers, and the benefit of them becoming neighbors to boot. There were also hints of second chance as the pair had known each other since college and the story delves into their history a bit. I really enjoyed the sass and banter, and I loved the lean into epistolary format with the inclusion of email exchanges after most chapters. This book is spicier, both in language and intimate content, than the author's previous books, but she includes a guide to reduce that exposure if that's your preference. I highly recommend this book to fans of the When in Rome series and those who don't yet know what they're missing!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for gifting me with an ARC to review! All opinions are my own.

I initially thought "Practice Makes Perfect" was my favorite in the series, but "Beg, Borrow, or Steal" has taken the top spot for me—though I adore both! The banter and chemistry between Emily and Jack hooked me! I also felt like there was a bit more spice in this book compared to the earlier ones, even while keeping things closed door. The moments of intimacy between Emily and Jack had my heart racing, and I couldn't be happier! Plus, the side characters and family dynamics were just delightful. I'm utterly obsessed with this book—it's just that great!

me and emily are like this 🤞. and jack is eerily sorta just like my high school nemesis-turned-crush. the one who i swore i hated (while seemingly e v e r y o n e loved) and who the universe kept putting, incidentally, parallel to me for years. our story hadn’t ended nearly as warm and tender as this one, but that’s here nor there. “Beg, Borrow, or Steal” had me so so giddy and squealing out loud. ..a little embarrassing, but seriously it was unavoidable. sometimes though, sometimes i felt split open whilst reading. the exact thoughts, feelings, experiences, i’ve endured were on the page like a mirror. it’s a relatable yet fun romance and i just became enamored with the whole book. now that it’s over, i’m in a puddle on the floor- read. this. i’m certain you’ll be thinking of this book and the feeling it evokes for a long while, because so will i. thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Sarah Adams for providing this eARC!

p.s. i can't wait for maddie and jamesie to give in to one another

4.5 stars

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams delivers the perfect blend of laughter, swoons, and that cozy small-town vibe we all dream about. This third book in the When in Rome series works as a standalone, though I loved catching up with familiar faces from the first two books. The story kicks off with Jack, who cancels his wedding and moves back to Rome, Kentucky, only to find himself living next door to his old college rival and fellow second-grade teacher, Emily.

Emily is determined to make Jack’s return as uncomfortable as possible—using every connection in town to sabotage his home renovations in an attempt to get him to leave. Their enemies-to-lovers dynamic is full of sharp banter and irresistible tension. The slow-burn romance, combined with their witty rivalry, had me laughing and rooting for them every step of the way. The turning point comes when Emily accidentally sends the spicy novel she’s been writing to her conservative principal. After Jack helps Emily break into her principal’s house to delete the evidence of her accidental email, she finally shares her manuscript with him. Jack begins helping her with her writing, and his advice—particularly when it comes to scene blocking—was hands down the sexiest part of the book.

Despite this being the longest book in the series, I felt like it ended too abruptly. I would've liked to see more of the follow-up on Jack's announcement and his rebuttal against his father.

Sarah Adams’ writing is effortlessly charming, and the chemistry between Jack and Emily is undeniable. Not to mention, the small town of Rome, Kentucky is so warm and inviting it makes me wish I could move there and become friends with these characters in real life.

Some of my favorite quotes/lines from the book:

♥️ I was just lonely and so my creative mind concocted a ridiculous narrative where Emily seems to mean something to me. - Jack

️‍🔥 "Absolutely not. I value my life too much to put it in your hands like that." His head tilts. "My hands are very capable Emily."

♥️ "Just how often do you picture me, Jackson?" "More than either of us is comfortable with."

♥️ "I'll be so careful with you, Emily."

️‍🔥 "What if your scene was all about her instead? What what if the primary focus was her pleasure?" "That seems selfish." "I love it when a woman is selfish."

♥️ "You're not alone, Emily. I would walk through my worst memories to get to you every single time."

♥️ "And to think. you consider yourself hard to love. Loving you is the easiest thing I've ever done."

😂 "Oh god - you're never going to be able to be mean to me again, are you?"

This book follows two rivalry teachers, Emily Walker and her arch nemesis Jack Bennett. He is the exact opposite of Emily and her characters in the romanxe novels she writes. At the end of the school year she is shocked to learn Jack called off his engagement and moved permanently to Rome, KY.

Jack is happy to finally settle down but finds many obstacles in his path such as rehabbing his home, and stopped Emily's plans to get rid of him. A mistakenly set manuscript to their principle leads these nemesis to form an unexpected alliance.

This book was another great novel by Sarah Adams. It covered two amazing characters at their core who were struggling with inner and familial problems. You won't want to miss this one.

This book is for the eldest daughters who are constantly seeking out perfection in each part of their lives while continuing to fight the chronic need to hide their truest emotions as a way to protect their vulnerability from the world.

Sarah Adams, you literary genius – you did it again.

I have read several books about older daughters, and I can truly say that Emily Walker is the one that has made me feel the most seen. It may be that I too am still learning to grieve the loss of my grandfather (in comparison to Emily, who not only is processing losing her grandmother but still grieving her parents too), but something about Emily’s story and growth just felt so raw and real. All of Sarah’s characters are written with such intention and care that makes them feel so relatable, and she nailed it once again with both of her main characters in this book.

From the constant fear that someone may be able to look past the barriers she had built up, just to be scared away from what they find and the inability to face her emotional responses head on in order to not appear “weak” – Emily is not only someone I see myself in but understand her responses and reactions to certain events throughout the book. In comparison, Jack also had his own mental trauma to sort through, as he felt that he had to hide his true identity in order to protect himself from the inevitable collateral that would come if people truly knew his secrets. He also had a father who never seemed to be able to take ownership of his narcoleptic actions towards his family, which lead to resentment and heartache – affecting all of his relationships moving forward.

SHORT SUMMARY: When Jack and Emily initially met, sparks flew between the two (as in Emily breathed fire towards Jack as result of his poor timing of attempting to flirt). Their feuding and rivalry began at that moment, and 10 years down the road, these two are still butting heads with one another. But after Jack ended his engagement and moved back to Rome, Kentucky, it seems like Emily is finding new feelings emerging whenever he’s around. Why is it that she feels so comfortable opening up her true self to him? They’ve always told each other the truth before, even while as academic and professional rivals – but can she trust herself to open up her heart to him? And as for Jack, can he truly Emily with his biggest secret, or will he lose his chance to prove himself worthy of keeping her heart?

I can’t say this loudly nor strongly enough: this book is a 5-star, must-read and one of my favorite romances/series of ALL TIME. So take this as your sign to add it to your TBR immediately!!

(Review also posted on Goodreads as of 1/8/25 and will be shared on Instagram @laurynsbookshelf at a later date)

I loved this book so freaking much! I lost sleep reading this book; it was that good! I loved the characters. I loved the depth of them. This really reminded me of The Temporary Roomie with the enemies to lovers and pranks that they did on each other, which I was here for. Honestly, this is probably right up there with The Temporary Roomie for being my favorite book by Sarah Adams. Also this book was HOT. I wasn't expecting that at all, especially since I didn't really love the last one in this series, but this one was so good. If you love Sarah Adams, then this is a must read!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5)
Spice: 🫑 (0.5)
Tropes: nemesis to lovers; co-workers; neighbors; small town romance

As a romance reader, you may have read a story with the premise of “Beg, Borrow, or Steal” before. But I know you’ll still love it because Sarah Adams does a beautiful job of creating a delightful story and I was chomping at the bit for more.

Emily is a second grade teacher in Rome, Kentucky and is driven by her desire to be helpful and supportive to everyone. Well…everyone except Jack, the other second grade teacher in town. They have not so secret animosity towards each other, and now Jack is back (and living next door!) after ending his engagement.

When Emily is in a pickle, she is hesitant to ask for help, but she knows that Jack will assist no matter what. I loved how this adventure brought them together finally and allowed them to reveal their true selves.

I “beg” you to “borrow” this book immediately! (But don’t “steal” it, or Emily and Jack will be sad)

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for access to this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

This quickly became my new favorite book by Sarah Adams. It was so real and relatable. Also, Emily and Jack were so mature! It was so refreshing to read a book with mature characters. Yes, there was bickering, but their relationship is so healthy! The way they handled certain topics with grace and humility was perfect. Also, I loved getting a glimpse of the other Walker siblings and what they were up to! Pure perfection! I can’t wait to read Maddie’s story!

"Beg, Borrow, or Steal" by Sarah Adams sets up an enticing rivals-to-lovers romance between two feuding second-grade teachers, Emily Walker and Jackson Bennett. When Jack returns to town as Emily’s new neighbor and colleague after calling off his engagement, their chemistry-fueled animosity is reignited. But when Emily accidentally sends a revealing email about her secret side hustle as a romance writer, she must team up with Jack to steal back her manuscript. What follows is a chaotic summer filled with unexpected alliances and rivalry-turned-romance.

Despite its promising premise, this book fell short for me. While the synopsis highlighted their careers as second-grade teachers, the story entirely skipped over their professional lives, as it takes place during summer vacation. I was disappointed that there were no school shenanigans and pining students against each other which could have added charm and depth. Instead, the focus shifted to their personal ambitions as writers, which lacked the vibrancy I was hoping for.

The plot itself felt scattered, with random side quests and filler content that didn’t contribute much to the story. The rivals-to-lovers arc, which I was excited about, fizzled out quickly and lacked the tension and buildup that makes the trope so satisfying. The writing often felt underdeveloped, and the struggles and resolutions wrapped up too conveniently, leaving me wanting more depth and emotional weight.

Overall, this was a forgettable read. While I appreciate Sarah Adams’ effort to craft relatable characters, the execution didn’t land for me. If you’re looking for a light, summer romance, this might work, but it’s not a standout in the genre. I’d give it 2 stars at most, though even that feels generous.