This series is perfect for fans of Hallmark movies. Going back to Rome, Kentucky and being surrounded by familiar characters was a very cozy experience. Despite being happy to be back in Rome, I found Beg, Borrow, or Steal to be overly saccharine and descriptive (so many parentheticals (pun intended)).

On the plus side, I love a prickly FMC and Emily didn't disappoint. I also liked Jack quite a bit, though I think both of their emotional journeys could have been covered more in-depth.

I anticipate picking up Maddie's book when it comes out to return to the comfort of these books.

I don't think that I have read a Sarah Adams book yet and not enjoyed it, and this was not the book to break that trend thankfully. I thoroughly enjoyed Beg, Borrow and Steal.

Having read the previous Rome stories, I was wondering how Emily would develop as a more robust character. She has definitely got a strong personality that carries through from the previous two stories and actually works against her as a likeable character at first. I found some of her "strength" off putting, but that was intentional and it worked. Jack is her foil in many ways, being highly likeable from the outset, and again, that works for the story and who he is. Both characters get more depth, and I was so happy to see the romance be something that develops over time and that has been developing for a long time. Made it much easier to buy into the flutters and feelings when they first see each other.

I will admit that there were a few things about the plot that felt contrived, but this is romance so that isn't unheard of. The fact that Jack moved in next door on what appears to be a street that is unpaved and has a long lane had me scratching my head over the layout. Are they or aren't they in town? I have been to enough small towns in the US to know that there are very few unpaved roads with close neighbours. But maybe that's just my experience overshadowing things. And if that's my big issue, that's very small. Jack's relationship with his parents felt a bit forced too, but I am willing to let that slide since it made for a good moment overall.

Jack and Emily are believable characters and, more importantly, their romance feels very grounded in the real. The fact that they have some great witty banter and a fun adventure or two helped to make the book hard to put down. And having the previous and future couples in this story worked so well. You didn't have to know them from the previous books, but it was nice to see them interacting in a more natural way with Jack and Emily. Nothing felt forced.

If you have read any Sarah Adams before, this will be a sure hit. Maybe even better than the two previous Rome novels in this series. And if you haven't read her and are looking for a light hearted romance about writers, this will work.

Not sure how Madison's story will shape up but looking forward to that friends to lovers that this book hints at.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read this delightful book early! Sarah Adams has crafted another masterpiece, and I am absolutely in love.

This story gave me all the emotions—pure joy, comfort, and even a few tears. The witty dialogue was unmatched, and the rivals-to-lovers romance? Total perfection. Set in a cozy small town, it features an irresistible male lead who wears glasses (*swoon*) and actually communicates like an adult. The slow burn was worth every page, filled with heart-fluttering moments at Hank’s on Fridays and mornings spent at the Hot Bean.

Reading this made me want to call my sister, revisit the earlier books in the series, and enjoy a pie while lounging in a pickup truck bed. Honestly, it’s more than a story—it’s a whole experience. For peak vibes, play any “pie shop ambiance” video on YouTube. It’s perfect for book clubs, an excellent gift for Sarah Adams fans, and a must-own for your bookshelf. Whether you read it in spring, fall, or any season in between, this story is guaranteed to leave a smile on your face.

Sarah Adams, you’ve delivered a treasure with this one, and I couldn’t love it more! This is a must-read—don’t miss it.

Man, this was one ARC I was really excited to get! I picked up Practice Makes Perfect randomly in 2023 because I loved the cover and DEVOURED IT! I really enjoyed When in Rome, too.

As a fellow oldest daughter, this one hit hard. I loved seeing Annie & Will again, too!

My only complaint is that it sort of felt like there was an excessive amount of conflicts to clear up by the end - they all got resolved (and were integral to the story, now that I’m saying it lol) but some of them just seemed like too much ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Rival school teachers turn into something else when they realize that they're new neighbors and that despite being nemesis... they might actually be falling for one another. Emily Walker is a teacher at a school and doesn't really know what to do with her life when her nemesis, fellow teacher Jack, leaves with his Fiancee.... only now he's back in town and he is no longer engaged... and has moved into the house next to her. Emily doesn't want Jack anywhere near her yet he's drawn to her and can't seem to help but want to get under her skin and annoy her... because Jack's biggest secret is that he can't stop thinking about Emily... and now that he's back he's determined to try and make amends with her and take their rivalry and turn it into something more, especially when he finds out she's a writer just like him. Small town mischief, stealing a manuscript, and romance all come together in this really charming and sweet romance book. Emily and Jack were great love interests, they both understood each other but also knew how to push each other's buttons. They were caring and supportive while also being playful. This is the third book in the series and I've absolutely adored reading this series so much. Each book is just such a sweet and fun read and the romances are all so charming. I really just fell in love with this town and absolutely cannot wait for another book!!

Release Date: January 7,2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Gosh I love the Walker siblings! This book was so fun and heart felt and I found myself laughing out loud at parts. Poor Amelia, just wanted to make good pancakes.

Sarah, I feel like you have been teasing me with Maddie and James since the first book. I’m going to need to see that farmer tell the chef that “it’s always been her.”

Anyway, this book is about Emily, the oldest Walker sister. The reliable one. The one that takes care of everyone. The one that carries everyone’s burdens and makes them feel better. In this book, she finds someone who wants to take care of her. But first they must be enemies for years even though they have always been attracted to each other.

Jack and Emily have been competing since college in everything and then they end up teaching at the same school which why also turn into a competition. Then Jack moves away and they both feel like something’s missing.

Sarah Adams can do no wrong! I am an absolute sucker for enemies to lovers when he has loved her the whole time and this one really delivers on that niche trope! I also loved that they were both writers, that always makes it even more fun as a reader!

4.5 stars rounded to 5. This book was the polar opposite of miscommunication and I was here for it. I loved that Jack and Emily didn’t hold back, always telling the truth of their feelings. Enemies to lovers is hard in a contemporary and I would call this more rivals to lovers but it worked. The progression of the romance was so well done and Emily is a very relatable character for me personally. I loved that Jack saw through her tough outer shell and continued to pursue her even in those imperfections. Both have past trauma to work through and the support they give to each other was endearing. The banter was fantastic and I laughed multiple times. This is my favorite of the When in Rome books. The Pop Star plot in Noah’s book just isn’t my thing and I had a hard time with the tone in Annie’s book. This one was great though and felt a lot more like Sarah’s older books (which I love!). I did want a slightly longer epilogue and felt that ended abruptly.

This is open door romance but the author gives you some guidance on skipping certain chapters to avoid the spice. I do think she should have added Chapter 16 as well to that warning and that there are enough thoughts/innuendo sprinkled throughout that true closed door readers will still find this to be too much.

I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Available on January 7th.

Content Notes: 2-3 open door scenes (low detail), some strong language

Utter perfection! I adore this series and this was no exception! I read the whole book in one day and am planning another reread shortly! Magnificent. I really identified with Emily and found her to be so relatable. Now if only I could find a Jackson…

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC of this book.

I fully enjoyed this book by Sarah Adams. I loved the story and the characters. The story line was something that you could relate to, and thus a read that I could not put down.

I also enjoy that this is not fade to black but closed door. You still get all the romance feel without the sex. Which every once in a while when I get feed up with the sex, I love to read one of Sarah's books. I would 100% recommend this book! Can't wait to get the physical copy to add to my collection.

Wow, just wow! If I can’t move to Rome, Kentucky right now I’ll cry! Sarah Adams is the QUEEN of rom coms and I love her and them! This may have been my favorite one yet! You MUST preorder!!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House / Dell for this ARC! I was so excited when I got approved!

If you are a oldest daughter, type-A, world on your shoulders girlie, this book will reach into your soul and heal things. I needed it more than I realized. Oldest sister and Rome KY's independent queen bee is struggling after her grandma's death and her siblings growing up and spreading their wings. She likes to feel needed and busy, and lately her secret novel is the thing keeping her going. When Jack, her long-time nemesis and universally loved golden boy comes back to town, she busies herself with getting rid of him again... only to find maybe she likes having him around after all. They may butt heads, but she trusts him as the only person as competent as her, and the perfect person to help her erase the consequences of late night drunken email mistake!

This book is fantastic!! The banter is so fun and spunky and hilarious. The romance is sweet and tenderhearted and honest and deep and meaningful and foot-kicking high-pitched-giggling adorable. I loved everything about this book. The pacing was perfect. Jack is my ideal book boyfriend, bar none. Emily is easy to understand and connect to. This is top five romance read of the year FOR SURE. I blasted through it because I loved it so much. I can't wait for everyone to get their hands on it on January 7th! This is ~technically~ open door but, like all precious Sarah Adams books, it's very very mild on the spice, and very easy to self-edit into a closed door, which I love that Sarah lists the chapters in the authors note at the beginning. She's so thoughtful and amazing. Perfect for everyone!

This was another Sarah Adams hit. I am thoroughly enjoying this series and can’t wait for the next one / any of her future books. I didn’t know what to expect following Practice Makes Perfect, and while I didn’t like this one quite as much, this book really solidified that I love her writing. She captures such specific moments and human experiences so well that help develop a bond between the characters and the reader to the characters. I find this style of writing to be cinematic because I can picture the small moments and specific imagery. There’s so much humor in these books, which I love. Her characters are so witty and have great banter, which helps me connect to them. I liked that in this book they actually addressed why they were “enemies” and acknowledged that it was kind of silly and there was more going on than meets the eye. I have a hard time in romcoms when there is an enemies to lovers plot line and the enemies is simply that they don’t get along or bicker or one of them just decides off the bat that they don’t like the other for no reason. I liked that there was a reason and it was acknowledged that maybe it wasn’t entirely warranted. The only negative I can say about this book is for being non-closed door, the sex scenes were not very explicit at all. Which is okay. I loved her writing enough that I don’t think it’s necessary, but I was just expecting more. The scenes were also quite short and I think the physical intimacy could have been explored more. But last note, I loved the motorcycle scene hehe.

I didn’t realize when I got this ARC that this was the third installment of an interconnected series. I will definitely be reading the first two because I’m hooked.

I loved the chemistry and dialogue between the FMC and MMC. Their connection felt authentic and the humor was perfect. I would’ve preferred them staying enemies a little longer but that’s just because it’s my favorite trope.

I did think the emotional aspects of the book fell a little flat. Both characters are dealing with family trauma/anxiety. While it was represented pretty well, Emily’s anxieties were introduce a bit abruptly that I almost had to catch up on her emotions. The ending also wrapped it up a bit too easily. Like Love Cured Then too easily.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sarah Adams and Random Publishing House group for the opportunity to review this book.

This was such a great addition to the story of the Walker siblings and the cute town of Rome, Kentucky. I'm a sucker for grumpy x sunshine and any version of enemies to lovers (in this case rivals to lovers). The underlying tension between two characters who seemingly hate each other but obviously really like each other was so well done with the banter and the emails sent back and forth. It added a cute, quirky element of humor while also building on the plot and how James and Emily eventually begin to mean more to each other.

With the Walker family history, Emily feels the weight of the world on her shoulders. I think the author did a wonderful job of describing how Emily is continuing to process her grief over time, and the pressure she feels to be the friend, sister, teacher and partner to all those she cares about. Jack's story of overcoming an abusive background and the pressures of feeling like you need to live up to someone else's expectations was also well written.

I've only read one other book in this series (Practice Makes Perfect) but I am excited to read more!

A fitting addition to the When in Rome series. This was all about contrast and conflict--the career choices, the enemies-to-lovers, the family dynamics (my plot quibble is that I would have like the family drama on both sides to be given more attention).

Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Adams, and Dell for this arc!

When I tell you I squealed when I got approved for this arc, that was an understatement. I stumbled upon Sarah’s work earlier this year when I entered a Goodreads giveaway for Practice Makes Perfect. Once I found out I didn’t win, that didn’t stop me from seeking out my Libby app and was able to listen to both When In Rome and Practice Makes Perfect back to back. I realized immediately I vibe perfectly with Sarah’s writing and characters. For me, her characters always have relatable issues (Okay maybe not like Amelia being a pop star, but you get it).

I had initially been expecting this to be Maddie & James’ story, but I was pleasantly surprised to fall in love with both Emily and Jack from the moment I read their snarky emails being sent between them through their school’s work accounts. I love a good bickering every once in a while. And the academic and workplace rivalry taking place over T E N years was a different kind of hit for me. The pining and forced proximity were a win for me, too.

On a deeper note, Emily’s processing of her feelings of grief and how she’s the eldest daughter was like looking in a mirror. It hurt but made me feel less alone. Jack’ dealings with his narcissistic father was a punch to the gut. The balance between loving your mom and wishing she would leave, but having to create boundaries with the abusive parent is not an easy job. In my opinion, Sarah did both issues justice. This book had me laughing, jaw dropping (I’m looking at you, chapter 16), and crying. I couldn’t ask for more from a romance novel than what this one accomplished: a HEA and to feel all the feelings.

Sarah, so excited to see you again at Parnassus on January 6th!! Beg, Borrow, or Steal releases January 7th.

I loved Beg, Borrow, or Steal so much. Around the 35% mark, I felt this deep tug to Emily and really saw so much of myself in her. She is the embodiment of the older sister: always taking care of everyone around her and hiding her struggles from the people she loves so that she doesn't burden them. The bickering and banter between Emily and Jack was spot on. I loved the quick emails or texts between chapters, especially the ones from years ago. Their chemistry was perfect - Sarah set such a good pace for Emily and Jack building their friendship and acknowledging they've always had a spark of feelings for each other.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

I was SO excited to get access to an early copy of a Sarah Adams book. She is one of my FAVORITE "behind closed doors" romance authors. This is the perfect third installment for her "When in Rome" series. In fact, I'm ready to pack up my bags and move to Rome, Kentucky! This quote says it all; “And to think you consider yourself hard to love.” I kiss her temple. “Loving you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”

I'll be sitting by my door for the next week waiting for my preorder!

Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams is a fun romantic comedy between two college rivals turned work rivals.

This story follows Emily Walker, a teacher starting her summer break, working on her historical romance manuscript, and bonding with her new kitten. She is shocked to find her workplace rival, Jack Bennett, sitting at her usual table at the local coffee shop. He had left Rome, Kentucky to move to Nebraska with his now ex-finace. Jack is charming and open whereas Emily is prickly and closed off. Tension increases when Emily discovers Jack has purchased the rundown house next to hers, making them neighbors.

Jack is charming and delightful from the start, trying to break down the emotional walls Emily has put up. Emily has great character growth throughout the book and deals with things she has not acknowledged before.

Jack and Emily have chemistry from the start and always have a quip for each other. At times there is a lot of focus on the physical attraction and I would have loved to read more of the emotional connection.

This is a fast-paced read, that will have you turning the pages to see what Jack and Emily will be up to next. It is always fun to come back to Rome and reconnect with the characters from the previous books in the series.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.