Beg, Borrow, or Steal is the third installment of the When in Rome series that made me fall in love with Sarah Adams. The sweet, funny, and heartfelt stories she tells about the Walker family and the town that surrounds them are absolutely the perfect choice whenever my heart needs a hug.
Emily Walker is highly relatable, as the oldest daughter who has spent her life making sure everyone else was okay, and helping them through their tough times and helping her siblings become the best versions of themselves. Unfortunately, they are all now happy and functioning adults ready to leave the nest and embark on their own adventures, leaving Emily lonely and still uncapable of supporting herself through her own struggles, as she’s never allowed herself to before.
Enter Jackson Bennett, Emily’s old nemesis turned next door neighbor, who she initially is hell-bent on driving away, only to realize they might never have really been enemies after all. Jack and Emily are the perfect balance of sweet and sassy towards one another, with banter that left me grinning and then swooning moments later.
Initially, I had a big problem with Emily and the way she reacted to Jack becoming her neighbor. I thought she took some things too far and I was really unhappy with how nonchalant she was at potentially unraveling more than one person's lives just for the sake of a "feud" with someone who wasn't even a bad guy, he just annoyed her. Luckily, she turned a corner quickly enough that I learned to love her, but it was dicey for a minute there.
I loved how they both were eventually able to support each other through their emotions and problems, without losing the edge/teasing that made their relationship special- and made them both feel the most secure in their friendship with each other. (My biggest gripe with Luke and Lorelai finally getting together is that their banter and grumpy/sunshine dynamic kinda faded away and they got a lil bobo. I said what I said.)
If you haven’t been to Rome, Kentucky yet, take this as your sign to jump right in and binge this series asap. Your heart will thank you!
Note- this is Sarah Adams’s first book containing “spice.” While the scenes in this book are definitely open door, they are definitely on the tamer end of the spice level and don’t really contain specific terms etc and almost read more like an open door with a screen door behind it. If you are a strictly closed door reader, it will not be for you unless you skip the spice entirely, but if you prefer mild scenes and are worried about the spice here, you should be fine.

YALLL THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD 😭

Truly perfection, and I’m now struggling to pick a favorite Sarah Adam’s book because this one just might be it. Sarah simply perfected the rivals to friends to lovers of Emily and Jackson plus with the forced proximity. Amazing. Jack is now on the book boyfriend list, and he wears glasses come on now!

I loved how Emily was so relatable in wanting to take care of her siblings and really everyone and struggled with how easily Jack can win people over. Also I cannot stress enough how much I loved Jack and him dealing with his tenuous relationship with his dad and keeping all of his secrets from everyone. I’m just here for him and Emily’s obsession with lingerie.

PLUS THERE IS AN ORANGE CAT NAMED DUCKY I MEAN COME ON ALL THE STARS HERE.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The big gossip around Rome, KY seems to be that Emily Walker’s arch rival Jack Bennett is coming back after ending his engagement. Little does Emily expect Jack to be moving in right across the street from her. All Emily wants is to enjoy her summer, finish her historical romance novel….and create a little chaos for Jack. As small town life brings Emily and Jack together, so does their shared passions of teaching and writing. As Emily and Jack learn they have more common then they previously thought, their sparring becomes replaced by attraction. But will Emily trust Jack enough to fully open up her heart and give him a chance?

With Sarah Adam’s usual charm she tackles the complex issues of grief, fame and toxic relationships in a fun and steamy romance. This will forever be one of my favorite series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (♾️)

okay i truly have no words. sarah adams you’ve done it again. this is my favorite read of the year oh boy. emily my sweet strong girl. jack my sweet caring boy. i loved seeing them grow together and be what they both needed. i have not loved a book like this in a while. i loved both jack and emily so much its not even funny.

jack: “you are not alone, emily. i would walk through my worst memories to get to you every single time.”
❤️ mystery writer
❤️ glasses wearing tattooed cutie pie
❤️ sweetest ANGEL!!!!!
❤️ wears necklaces his students make him 😭
❤️ scared to open up, but not to her.

emily: “sometimes i wish i could go back to hating jack and living my safe little life of solitude. but of course i’d have to go and fall in love with him instead. and i really, really do love him.”
🩷pieces picker upper
🩷writer and teacher!
🩷hides her feelings in her treasure chest of doom, until she learns to trust him
🩷sweet girl ugh i wanna hug her

this book is absolute and utter perfection. the banter. the tension. the growth. rome kentucky is such a special place and i am so grateful i got to read the arc of this one oh by i fear it’s altered my brain chemistry. sarah adams, you’re amazing.

This was, hands down, my favorite Sarah Adams book. The pacing was excellent, the character development was excellent, the world of Rome has never been better. My only issue is after the slow burn of the romance I wish we could have seen the characters together for longer. Jack and Emily make so much sense, and I enjoyed seeing their personalities come together.

Read This Book If…you are a member of the Eldest Daughter Club!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams

Genre: romance
Series: When in Rome # 3
Spice Level: 2/5🌶, steamy, fade to black
Setting: small town in Kentucky
POV: dual, 1st person, present tense
Tropes: frenemies to lovers, neighbors, coworkers, one motorcycle, secret identity, slow burn, forced proximity

My Thoughts:
This author is hit-or-miss for me and this was a HIT!

I loved how these two are fiercely independent, yet learn how to lean on each other throughout the story. They are so smart and witty and their banter was a joy to read!

With the chemistry between these two and how steamy this got, I really thought Sarah was going to finally venture into spicy territory! Unfortunately, things cooled down immediately and I was left wanting more in that department, but that’s something I’ve come to accept from this author.

However, I can still highly recommend this book! I definitely plan on reading the fourth book following the final Walker sibling.

Memorable Quote: “I don’t need anything from you other than for you to unlock the door for me so I can come lie with you when the darkness is too heavy to crawl out of. And if you need to fight, you can fight with me.”

Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy!

I was so excited to return to Rome, Kentucky and Sarah Adams did not disappoint! I feel so honored to have received an ARC of this book. I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down once I started reading. It’s like Sarah saw into my mind and wrote some of my deepest thoughts on loneliness and being a people pleaser. What a beautiful reminder to let people sit with you in your darkness and to “find someone who helps you look on the bright side.”

Obsessed! I have read all of Sarah Adams’ books and this one is my favorite! I loved the tropes, the characters, everything about it! This one had a little more spice than usual and I also LOVED that it did, it fit perfectly with the plot. We are picking this one as our galentines day book club pick!

Future posts on our IG @therunaway.readers will include a review, bookmail for the physical ARCs we received, book club post featuring this book and a reel from the book signing event we’re attending in January

BEG, BORROW, OR STEAL by Sarah Adams is the upcoming addition to the When in Rome series.

Nemeses, coworkers, and neighbors Jack and Emily team up to recover the email she accidentally sent to her school principal with her not-safe-for-second-grade manuscript attached. Along the way they learn to let each other in, and that it's a thin line between love and hate.

I was surprised that the heist element is actually not a huge part of the plot, even if it becomes fairly pivotal to their relationship's progress. But we had a lot of ground to cover from enemies to co-conspirators, so I get it. The real journey was the friend (and lover) we met along the way, as we learned to open up and let people in.

It is technically open door, which is a fairly new development for Adams, but while it doesn't pan to the curtains (to use a reference suitable for the series' inspiration, Audrey Hepburn's movies) it is barely more than shadows on the wall, which may not sarisfy serious spice fans, but shouldn't alienate the closed door readers.

I really enjoyed this book, my favorite thing about series like this is that you do not have to read all of the books to understand the plot. I have only read the first one, but had no trouble getting caught up to speed. Emily is not my favorite sibling, but this book made her so much more likable. Jack was also amazing and I loved him at a person. Sarah does an amazing job of adding depth to her MCs., which adds so much to the plot. The only reason that it is not a four start book is the 3rd act break up. It was not even 20 pages after they finally decided they want more than a friendship! I understand at this point a lot of romance books with have the third act break up/arguement but that was so soon that it was frustrating. I will be eager to read more from her, though. I love her writing style and the characters!

LOVED reading Jack and Emily’s story, and checking in on characters from other Rome, KY books. I loved the characters so much, this was enemies to lovers done right!! I was really rooting for them and had a blast reading this book.

This is part of a series but can stand alone, I did not read them in order. But I loved them all!! Practice Makes Perfect still has my heart because I read it first ❤️ but I will say this is a close second.

A massive thank you to the publishers for an early copy of this book in exchange for a review 😀. I adored this book! As a teacher who struggles with some mental health issues I felt incredibly seen by Emily’s character and I connected to her instantly. Sarah Adams took a lot of the difficult emotions, thoughts, fears, and feelings I struggle with and put them beautifully into words. I loved Emily and Jack’s relationship, their enemy dynamic, and their banter 👏. This had so much mental health representation, the heart and charm of a small town setting, and romance that brings tears to your eyes.

This is probably one of my new favorite romances I’ve read! 😊

4.5 Stars

When I received an Advanced Reader Copy of Beg, Borrow, or Steal I was very excited but also intimidated to find out it was the third part of a series! I quickly got to work reading the first two books— When in Rome and Practice Makes Perfect in preparation and I can now say I am fully enchanted with Sarah Adams.

Beg, Borrow or Steal follows Emily one of the beloved Walker siblings (the third in the series) living in Rome, Kentucky (very Stars Hollow adjacent). It is enemies to lovers and I fully ate it up. It was fun, sweet & sexy! I loved our main man Jack— he might be my favorite leading man in the series thus far.

I have loved all three books and would highly recommend reading them in order. I am so excited for Maddison’s book…gah! The first two books while not lacking in chemistry were fairly closed-door when it came to the spice but this one was a little more spicy. ;) This series is a must read for romance lovers & would also make such a good gift for your book loving girlfriends!

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

4 stars

This was a great read! Cute without being cringe, I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers (and I don’t always). There were a few things that I wished were explored a little more but a sweet read that kept me wanting to keep reading.

Sarah Adams is back with her Rome, KY series and she does it again! The banter, the second chance small town romance, and rivals to lovers trope was all wonderfully written. Emily is a great character and one I would be friends with for sure. I can't wait for the next installment!

This book was fantastic! You will not be able to put this book down.

I adored the characters, especially Emily. I feel so many others will also connect with Emily's journey. What Adams does a tremendous job doing is making her characters feel real, and Jackson and Emily felt so real to me. I adored them and really enjoyed reading about them.

The romance is enemies to lovers and I felt the trope was executed well. These two have hated each other for years and Adams does a great job showing that. I thought the trope added a fun dynamic between Emily & Jackson too. When the romance hit though, it was a bullseye. I mean the way these two carved a way into my heart?! This couple will steal your heart.

I found this book to be very quotable too! I highlighted so many great lines.

The plot was interesting and fun.

Would highly recommend, even if you haven't read the other books in the series.

Synopsis: Tensions are high when second grade teachers and long-time rivals Jack and Emily wind up living next door to each other.

Thoughts: Sarah Adams never misses for me! This was such a cute and satisfying conclusion to the When in Rome series. It was so much fun to revisit Rome, KY, and all the familiar characters. This is probably my least favorite of the series only because I found the main characters less relatable personally in this one - but I still loved it! Emily and Jack have fantastic chemistry and top-notch banter. Rivals to lovers is always a favorite trope! A note on the audio: speaking of never missing, Brittany Pressley is amazing as a narrator as always. I enjoyed the dual narration with Nelson Hobbs as well for the dual pov.

Read this if you like:
👩‍🏫 grade school teachers
👩‍🏫 rivals to lovers
👩‍🏫 neighbors
👩‍🏫 small town
👩‍🏫 second chance
👩‍🏫 banter

Sarah Adams does it again. Beg, borrow or steal is amazing. Emily and Jack are both second grade teachers who have had a long time feud (since college) where they do everything in their power to annoy and best one another. Jack moves back to Rome, KY and buys the house next door to his nemesis, Emily, who initially is dead set on running him out of town.

This book is for all of the girls who’ve dealt with trauma by being the reliable one. The girls who feel unlovable unless they have a purpose to help someone else. The girls who lock away all of their trauma in their big chest of doom and paste a smile on their faces and carry on…
And the men who love them anyways.

Jack and Emily begin as nemesis’ - but when Emily accidentally sends her passion project ( a spicy romance novel) to their boss in a drunken accident they work together to get her manuscript back before he has a chance to read it and fire her.

Beg, borrow or steal is phenomenal. The characters grow together- it’s a fair amount of light and laughter mixed with the heavy parts of real life.

I loved this book. I adored both MCs and the supporting characters as well. You absolutely will not regret this book. Thank you Random House publishing and netgalley for this ARC.

I will eagerly - and happily - read anything Sarah Adams writes. This next installment of her Rome, Kentucky series was exactly what I hoped it would be. Emily’s character was endearingly independent and fiercely type A & her years-long *competition* with Jackson was something I couldn’t get enough of. I loved the little insights into their history together through their email exchanges while simultaneously watching their present day feud unfold. I will forever be a fan of the enemies to lovers trope. I found Emily’s character to be entirely relatable as a 30-something looking to reinvent and expand her identity, while coping with grief. And don’t get me started on Jackson… so much swoon-worthy content between his postage stamp tattoos and glasses, and their bickering dialogue as they become neighbors. Emily’s story might be my favorite so far... It was cute, gave me the warm fuzzies and was a non-spicy rom-com that I couldn’t put down!

I’m not ready to say goodbye to this little community that Sarah has created — thankfully, there’s still one sister to go.

It is grand to be back in Rome, KY! I adored this latest edition to the When in Rome series from Sarah Adams. She does such a wonderful job of building a world within this town. This is a story that can be read stand alone…but why would you want to!

I loved being on the sidelines for Emily and Jack’s pranks, hijinx and journey. This was so fun. For lovers of Romance this is a perfect start to 2025. How lucky are we that the release date was moved UP?!