Thank you so so much for approving me for this book. It's made me so happy to be able to read this book in advance because I absolutely love the Rome, Kentucky series by Sarah Adams.
I love a good rivals to lovers and this book did not disappoint (Sarah Adams never disappoints though). I loved the pacing of this book and just everything about it. this whole book was just wow. i loved it so so much.
i was so excited to read about emily’s story after sarah adams announced it and i was not disappointed in jackson bennett. i love them so much.
i loved being able to read about emily changing & how she was dealing with it especially when she was still dealing with recent events in her life. i saw myself in emily through the book & for that, it made me like her even more. being able to relate to a character is the best feeling, even if it is a bit sad.
and jack bennett, i need him in my life. the way he was with emily, being so caring, sweet and tender with her about everything was so nice. not only that, but the descriptions we got about his looks & how he dresses (especially the necklaces) reminded me of harry styles, minus the glasses. jack is one of the best book boyfriends.
i loved emily & jacks bickering & banter. i loved the emails / texts at the end of some of the chapters. i also loved that we got to see messages from when they were in college & just starting to teach. i love it really tied everything together. emily & jack had me giggling & kicking my feet.
one thing i love about this series is the sibling dynamic that sarah adams puts into these books. the sibling moments are one of my favorites. i loved that we got to see noah & amelia from the first book & them being happy. & i especially loved seeing annie & will (they’re my favorite) from the second book & them being EXTREMELY happy at the end. i can’t wait to read about madison’s story in the forth & final book in the rome, kentucky series.
every book by sarah adams feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a snowy winter day while drinking a cup of tea. her books give me that sort of comfort that i love so much. i just love her books so much (as you can see by this long review tehehe)
thank you again for this arc & i can’t wait for this book to be released in january. it was amazing <3

This was one heck of a way to return to Rome, Kentucky. This may just be my new favorite book of the series. The banter and humor in this book was nothing short of perfection. Sarah Adams knows how to write amazing characters.

Emily and Jack are perfect together. Their chemistry was written so well. I cannot get over their story.

Jackson, oh Jackson. This glasses wearing, swoony man. I refuse to believe that he is fictional. Everything about him just had me in a puddle.


Thank you so much to Dell Romance for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My favorite of the Walker siblings! Emily was so relatable as a fellow eldest daughter. I love her, and I want to be her when I grow up.

I absolutely adored Beg, Borrow, or Steal! As the third book in Sarah Adams' Rome series, it was such a delightful read. As the "first born daughter," Emily's personality and sense of responsibility were so relatable, and I connected with her right away.

One of my favorite aspects of this series is the continuation of the entire family’s stories. Sarah Adams has a gift for making readers feel like they’re part of the family, and every time the sisters are together, it’s like joining one of their girls' nights. It made me want to plan an Audrey Hepburn/reading weekend with my friends right away! I also love the ongoing shenanigans in the town, and Jack’s introduction to everyone was seamless—staying true to each character’s personality.

Jack brought such a fun dynamic to the story, and through his POV, I could immediately see why he and Emily were such a perfect match.

Thank you to netgalley for providing the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I swear every book in this series just keeps getting better and better. Emily's struggles with mental health and feeling like you'll never be loved or enough is too close to home. I love the way she grew into herself and did what makes her happy finally after being the biggest supporter for everyone else. Jack is nothing less either, his difficulties growing up with a narcissistic/alcoholic parent and having to deal with not wanting to rock the boat is the truest thing ever with having to deal with those kinds of parents.
And eventually having to cut them out of your life.
Then to them together, they see each other so clearly, I can only hope to find someone who knows me the way they know each other.
This book did wonderful and awful things to my heart and I loved every second of it. 🩷

I was born bitter, with a cold heart so once in a while I need to read a snappy rom com to make me feel things. Also it has been a while since I read a rom com that didnt make me roll my eyes and cringe. I really liked Beg, Borrow or Steal, it was a enjoyable enough read. I liked that the main characters Emily and Jack had good communication skills like normal adults. I normally do not go for enemies to lovers anymore, but sometimes the story works out. Like this one. I liked Sarah Adams too, it was consistent and not cringe at all.

I was so excited to get to head back to Rome, Kentucky! Approved for the ARC and can’t wait to post my review when we get to publication day. Emily is one of my favorite characters and she did not disappoint.❤️

Rome, Kentucky is my happy place. The weather is great, the people are friendly, and love is always in the air. After experiencing the magic between Amelia and Noah and Annie and Will, I couldn’t wait to see what Sarah Adams had in store for Emily and Jack.

Emily is the oldest Walker sister and self-appointed pillar of the family. She’s beloved by all of Rome, even if she can sometimes be hyper-focused and a bit inflexible. When Jack, her arch nemesis and fellow second grade teacher, returns to Rome after a broken engagement, sparks fly between them. And that’s just the beginning.

Sarah Adams displays incredible talent in developing characters who feel real. Both Emily and Jack have been hurt by people closest to them and, as a result, erected walls to isolate themselves as protection against further heartbreak. Emily and Jack have a history going back to their college days. They trade barbs and insults, and are ridiculously competitive with each other. All of which belies their growing attraction. The slow build of their relationship is exquisite. Ms. Adams combines tenderness and vulnerability with strength and character growth and I am here for all of it.

Each trip to Rome finds me falling more in love with the characters in this series. BEG, BORROW, OR STEAL is everything I hoped it would be and more. No notes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review

4.5 stars.

This was beyond cute! Possibly my favorite in the series so far. Emily and Jack are teachers who have been rivals since college. He moves back to town during summer break after a broken engagement, only to end up buying the dilapidated home next door. He’s charismatic and everyone loves him. She’s more prickly and reserved.

This book was so funny and full of hijinks. When Emily needed to steal the principal’s laptop to delete a mistaken email? Hilarious. Also, she’s got a cat. <3

It’s dual POV and first person.

The author included a trigger warning section, along with what chapters to skip if you prefer closed-door. I think that’s an awesome note for readers.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

4.5!
I just love this small town of Rome, Kentucky SO much 😭

I have fallen in love with this series & I’m incredibly sad that there’s only one more book left 😢 I loved this one! Sarah Adams’ metaphors are *chef’s kiss* & her writing has evolved so much!

As the older sister of 4 & someone with a history of anxiety & depression, I really related to Emily’s & I loved how beautifully mental health was addressed. The romance was romancing & the banter was so fun! My favorite aspect of the whole series has been the found family & this book definitely delivered on that 🥹

I recommend this book (+all of Sarah Adams novels) a million times over!

Oh Rome, Kentucky! How I’ve missed you!! This was an absolutely incredible read. I was SO loud reading this, I kept gasping, laughing, and crying along with our characters. There are points in this book that will have you yelling “YES!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU SARAH ADAMS!!” at your ceiling because it is that enjoyable. It’s hard not to when the story is this fun and feels so grounded. Also, as an eldest daughter there’s some parts of this that hit so close to home. I loved, loved, loved every second of it!! Sarah Adams did an incredible job. I went on a huge binge with her books earlier this year, so it’s only right to close it out with a (very special to me!!) ARC provided by NetGalley. Thank you so much!!!

Oh my Sarah Adams you’ve done it again. This is the third installment in the Rome series, and each visit to this amazing town makes me wish I was there. What’s funny is I wasn’t very excited to visit Emily’s world from the snapshots we got of her in the other books (we’re probably too much alike). But then Sarah comes along and puts you inside her head and wow. Emily made me feel so seen. And she did it in a way that it felt like a comforting hug from your best friend. I don't think I’ve ever highlighted so many passages in a book.

From the dedication, I was honestly hooked. It felt like someone understood me. If you’re an eldest daughter, this books for you. If you’re an hardcore perfectionist, this books for you.

Emily is wonderful and misunderstood throughout the series, but man does she shine here. I also love how deeply her and Jacks rivalry goes. Their pettiness was amazing, but I also loved that despite them being rivals, they had so much respect for one another. Jack has also quickly climbed my ranks of favorite book heroes and has broken my top 10. I know with subsequent reads, he'll probably break top 5.

It’s safe to say, I loved this book. It’s my favorite of the Rome series, honestly I can’t wait until it’s official release to buddy read it with my best friend so she can share in my excitement. I’ll be sad when Rome comes to an end, but this is a book I’ll be revisiting often. In fact, I think I may start now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.



Posted to Storygraph & Goodreads 12/11/2024

I am so glad I got to go back to Rome, Kentucky! Sarah writes the best characters and I loved Emily and Jack with my whole heart. Their banter was my absolute favorite thing about this book and I was hooked from the first chapter!

A huge thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions expressed above are my own.

This book exceeded my expectations! The perfect next installment in the interconnected series. I loved seeing the eldest Walker sister on a more personal level and see her warm up to her rival. The enemies to lovers trope was so spot on, building the anticipation with impeccable banter. Sarah Adam’s never disappoints with the character development in this series! A truly heartwarming trip back to Rome Kentucky!

Queen Sarah Adams. I LOVE this one. I saw so much of myself in Emily and seeing her slowly fall in love with life (and Jack) was so good and so important. She loves her family so much but when they are all safe and happy she felt lost, but they were always in her corner and supporting her. I absolutely loved seeing the characters from her other books and seeing more of this town. Jack is the calm and sweet to Emily’s feisty attitude and I was loving their dynamic. They relied on each other and Jack knew exactly what she needed. Big fan of this book and big fan of Sarah Adams.

If you haven’t read this romance series then you should. This is, in my opinion, Sarah Adams’s peak achievements in writing thus far. Everything just clicks. Characters, pacing, plot, settings, banter, emotions… it just fits together so well. And I say all this with this third addition, “Beg, Borrow, or Steal”, being my least favorite in the series (Book 2 is my fave, followed by 1), because book 3 is an incredible story, outpacing many in the genre, and demanding to be read by all…. and that “least favorite” thing? It’s by, like, a smidge. So small.

Emily and Jack are delightful enemies. Their antagonism and playful hostility escalates and then ebbs and flows as they grow closer together. It’s the best romantic/emotional foreplay. They both have the right sense of humor and temperament to make it entertaining but then switch to compassionate understanding as past traumas and dramas emerge. The connection is spectacular.

Adams’s ability to create two halves of a whole cannot be overstated. She always writes these characters that, not just clearly belong together, but feel like soulmates. And I’ve never been big on the “soulmate” thing but this author makes me believe with each of these siblings in the When in Rome series.

My only gripes come with wishing we had more of the townspeople we’ve come to love be more present in the story. And I thought their mental health struggles, while valid and rich to their backstories and character, weren’t fully explored or resolved in an entirely satisfying way.

Overall, though, I obviously love and highly recommend.

So, Beg, Borrow, or Steal is apparently going to be my gateway into small town romance novels. It was such a lovely balance of rivals/enemies to lovers, finding yourself in your 30's, and the angst of having all of your people start to move away with delightful, charming characters. The two point of view characters (the rivals themselves), Emily Walker and Jackson (Jack) Bennett, are so much fun - I loved seeing the story unfold from each of their sides. I was absolutely addicted from start to finish and heartily recommend.

If you're looking for a book with rivals to lovers, fun banter, and some great side characters to boot I definitely recommend Beg, Borrow, or Steal and look forward to reading Sarah's other books, too! Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Random House Ballatine for the advanced copy.

Second-grade teacher, Emily, wakes up one day to find out her longtime nemesis, Jack, has come back to town following a breakup with his fiancee. Now Emily has to adjust to the fact that Jack will not only be teaching 2nd grade right next door to her but also moving into the house next door. When Jack's construction goes awry and Emily's secret writing career gets leaked, the two learn to put their differences aside to help each other.

This was an adorable, feel-good rivals-to-lovers romance. I loved that Emily struggles with being the strong, perfect one, always there to support her family but learns, through Jack, to lean on others. I also loved how Jack learns to stand up to his domineering father and step into the limelight of his successful writer.

I've read almost all of Sarah Adam's books and I have to say, they never disappoint! This story was just so cute - an emenies-to-lovers trope can never go wrong. This was a great addition to the When in Rome series and if there's a fourth book, I'll be first in line to request an ARC!

Just when you think Sarah Adams can't possibly top her other main couples, she gives us Emily and Jack! These two characters had so much depth and growth. I loved watching them fall in love with each other as they became friends and grew to know each other on a deeper level. I want to move to Rome, Kentucky, and never look back. The author has created a world within this small town that truly feels like home. It was also nice to see things happening with some of the side characters. I can't wait to go back to Rome again and see what happens with our favorite chef!