Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.
This book was delightful. It was my favorite trip to Rome, KY so far and I’m already looking forward to the next.

I found myself wanting to slow down as I was reading because I wasn’t ready for it to end.

The emails (especially the unsent emails) and text threads made the book.

Sarah Adams put crack in this book and this series. I was so excited to be back in Rome and Emily and Jack's story did not disappoint. The banter, fighting and flirting was perfection. I was kicking my feet and sweating. The trust they built with each other was beautiful and goddamn Jack is a man DOWN BADDDDD and I loved every second of it. That man is so fine. The spice in this shocked me (for a Sarah Adams book) and my jaw was on the ground in the best way.

I love this series. Annie’s book was my favorite and I was ready for Madison’s book next. However, Emily’s book is the one I didn’t know I needed! The love to hate you relationship between Emily and Jack was my favorite part of this book.

Okkkkkkk!! I’ve waited not so patiently to be back in Rome and let me tell you… #begborroworsteal did NOT disappoint. I loved every minute of reading Emily and Jack’s banter together. They fight, they flirt, and of course they fall. I don’t want to mention anything that could spoil this amazing story, but I didn’t expect to feel so many emotions while reading this one. This book has one of my favorite third act “breakups” I’ve ever read. I always dread getting to that part of a book but this one was done so well… and the communication between characters!???? Bravo 👏🏻

Sarah Adam’s, thank you for writing this story! Thank you to #netgalley for this arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! so much that it even surprises me. After reading the first 2 books in this series I was real worried that this book was going to disappoint as well. Sarah Adams doesn't normal put a lot of spice or "smut" in her books. As someone that loves that in a book this book still scratched the itch. I can see this book taking booktok my storm with some of the added details to the male character. I hope it goes a little viral because I want others to love this book like me. There is more spice than the other two books in this series but I feel Like Sarah Adams still stayed true to the vibes of the series. I can not wait for this book to be released so I can add it to my book trophies.

This was such a good and fun read! I was up much later than intended reading, I couldn’t put it down, I loved it!

I really liked the writing style and how it was a dual pov. I thought the banter between Emily and Jack was hilarious! I really appreciated Emily’s character growth, like how she started to understand that she didn’t need to keep everything bottled up / be alone. Her relationship with her siblings really proved that she did put everything on her shoulders, but I loved how they were all there for one another.

I thought Jack’s character was so sweet. I really liked how he trusted Emily with his secret, and that him telling her didn’t lead to a third-act break up! I thought Emily handled the news really well. I loved the scene when they were hiding in the closet! I would have liked to learn more about their history, but it didn’t take away from me enjoying the book.

I wish we got to see Jack’s statement after his dad released the news, and the outcome of it all. I also with the epilogue was longer / provided more information. I was happy that there was an epilogue and the info it provided, however, I was disappointed that it was only one page and it was just text messages. Their story definitely deserved to have more of a ‘closing’.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I can’t wait to read the others.

4⭐️

I received an ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

really sweet and cute, fun vibes, and i really liked the romance and plot point. would really recommend. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

This is how rivals-to-lovers is supposed to be written!

ARC Review:
I loved this book so so much. Emily is such a unique character and I love that older-sister aspect of her that carries throughout the whole story but isnt her whole personality. She is perfectly well rounded and is one of my favorite characters of all time.
Jack - a motorcycle riding second grade teacher - say less. He’s the rival we wish we all had. The tension and feud
between these two make you think any to keep reading til the very end.
One of my most anticipated books of 2025 and so glad I got to read this early.
5/5 ate this book up!

Perfection.

Undoubtedly one of my most anticipated 2025 releases and it did not disappoint in any way!

I’ve read other books in Sarah’s When in Rome series but I will say this is without a doubt the best one so far!

I’m obsessed w Jack and Emily and their witty banter in this delightful enemies to lovers small-town romance. Emily has a prickly sassy personality that hides her sensitive damaged heart while Jack is just the adorable metaphorical puppy with dorky glasses. They hide their true feelings of interest with a long-standing feud in-person and over emails. I laughed out loud and swooned so many times over these two and cheered them on until the very last minute along with the cast of eccentric but lovable small-town Kentucky townspeople!

I switched between ebook and audio and the female narrator is Brittany Presley who is always fabulous.

ADD THIS TO YOUR TBR NOWWW

Thank you to Sarah, Dell, PRH Audio, and NetGalley for the advance galley and audiobook 🫶🏼

This book is fantastic. I think enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. Their constant snarkiness is just the best. Emily and Jack as second grade teachers, swoon. I love this series and their family. The talking on feeling our feelings and letting others know that you might be struggling. This book had me laughing out loud and crying with the characters. I loved it and devoured it in one day. I can't wait to read the next in the series.

I read this absolute masterpiece of a book in one sitting. This is a love letter from Sarah to all of us over-achievers who are lonely from carrying the weight of the world. I needed Emily’s story more than I realized.

This is exactly why we love Sarah Adams' books, y'all!!

Beg, Borrow, or Steal is a little oasis in a desert. I loved everything about it! I absolutely love it when characters are flawed and the author isn't afraid to show their unlikability at the start, because believe it or not, I hated both Emily and Jackson at first. They quickly grew on me and by the end I couldn't put the book down and I wish I read it again.

Emily deeply resonated with me and I saw a lot of myself in her, so her journey from a closed-off, afraid of commitment and, seemingly, stuck in limbo woman, to a confident, more relaxed version of herself was incredible. Jackson, on the other hand, seemed arrogant and spoiled at first, but that version of him quickly faded and we got to know the real, emotional, Jackson.

The relationship nemesis-notreallynemesis-kindafriend-lover felt like it could actually happen somewhere IRL, so we're still keeping up the Jackson standard around here, just because of how the characters were able to recognize what worked and what didn't and were willing to learn, which doesn't happen in all romance books.

Would I read it again? Absolutely. Would I recommend it to everyone in the close vicinity? Without shame. Should you read it? YES.

And you know the drill, thank you to Dell and NetGalley for my copy! Y'all are the best <3

5 ⭐️

SARAH ADAMS, the queen that you are!!!!!!!!!! This book is nothing short of PERFECTION!! I am an enemies (but in this case, more rivals) to lovers stan and this book just set a new standard. I was giggling the 👏🏼 entire 👏🏼 time 👏🏼 👏🏼👏🏼

Emily and Jack are the absolute best. Their banter is so funny and their chemistry is sooooo palpable. I was rooting for them from the beginning. Ugh, I love this book so much. This is my new favorite book in this series and is now in my top 5 of the year.

Thank you SO MUCH NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC!!! I am soooooo grateful 🫶🏻

Thank you Dell Romance at Random House publishing for the eArc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

This story had me so impatient at times. The slow burn is so real in this one and so is the enemies to lovers. I enjoyed the banter and tension that built up in this one. I will say something about it had a rough start for me. I cannot quite put my finger on what it was it was a feeling more than anything wrong with the story. Which is obviously a me thing not a book thing. These characters are so well developed and they feel so real to me. I enjoyed seeing them fall in love.

Emily Walker is a perfectionist for which she hates for anything to disrupt that perfection. Jack Bennett is the enemy and has been since they met in college. Yet they seem destined to live parallel lives. Both second grade teachers but arch enemies. However, Jack realizes something off when he moves away to marry his fiance. He feels something is missing or he is missing someone. But it cannot be Emily could it? There is only one way to find out.

Content: open door romance, bit of language, brief mentions of death

Read if you enjoy:
Romance
Enemies to Lovers
Teachers
Series
Motorcycles

I got this as an e-arc from NetGalley and I am so excited that I got to read it early because it was such a good read. I had already liked Emily from the first two books and I thought she was a really intriguing character because she had such a prickly personality but also a serious desire to take care of everyone around her. So I was really excited for her story, especially since it is a coworkers/rivals to lovers and I think it was really well done. I love that they became friends first, and after they had finally put aside their animosity is when they both started to notice that there was a mutual attraction there, and I also liked that it took them a little while to act on it because it helped build the tension really well. There were a few parts where I felt like the character development was a little lacking, especially towards the end with the stuff between Jack and his dad and his complicated relationship with both of his parents. I felt like that could’ve been explored just a little bit more to really get a full impact, especially since we did get to explore Emily and her issues a little more deeply. All in all, I totally loved this book and thought that the plot was really fun and well executed, and I also really appreciated the way it explored themes of grief and how trauma from our childhood manifests in such detrimental ways sometimes in our adult lives. I love how brave both of these characters were when it came to being vulnerable with each other and exploring the connection that they had, even though they were both scared of getting hurt. I feel like Emily and Jack are a perfect match for each other and they have so many things in common but are still different in enough ways to have a very well rounded and full relationship. I also absolutely loved the last chapter and how it tied in with the previous book in the series, that made me really happy.

3.75! The banter and chemistry between Jack and Emily was really fun to read - I liked how they say they are enemies but secretly sort of have liked them the entire time (felt like it kept itself separate from true enemies to lovers). I do think the first half is better than the second half - it just loses something I can’t quite put my finger on. I also didn’t love how we get so much background with Jack and his father but the ending of that story line wasn’t truly tied up? Same with Emily and her book? I also didn’t love the third act fight they had - I don’t like when it’s a fight they both contributed to/have some fault in and then it’s turned around to be just the guy has to apologize. I also wish this took place over the course of more time vs a month - every time it was mentioned it had only been a month it took me out of the story. I think having it take course over 6+ months would have greatly added to the banter, their budding friendship, and ultimate relationship - and I wish we got more about Jack and his father earlier on so we could have seen more of a resolution. At the very least, I think a longer epilogue (or any epilogue really since it’s a single page) was needed. Also chapter 16 which is not listed as a “spicy” chapter felt spicier than the two actual scenes sooooo was a bit disappointed when we got to those scenes.

Thank you Netgalley and Dell for the arc in exchange for a honest review!

Welcome back to Rome, KY 💜
Thank you, Dell Romance & PRH Audio,  for the gifted copy of Beg Borrow or Steal {partner}

Genre: Romance
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date:  1.7.2025
Pages: 384
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

“You are not alone, Emily. I would walk through my worst memories to get to you every single time.”

Putting into words my excitement about finally having the chance to read this book is impossible. I practically begged, tried borrowing it, and was almost sure I could steal an ARC if it meant returning to Rome, Kentucky. I fell in love with this charming small town when I first read When in Rome and then with Practice Makes Perfect and was eager to return. So, when this title arrived in my email, I disregarded everything else and began reading. And when I finished it in record time, I was tempted to go back and start from the beginning.

Emily and Jack stole my heart, mainly Jack, but Emily was pretty cool too. My new favorite trope is probably He Falls First, and boy, did Jack fall first for her. There was something so special about their enemies to lovers, friendship, andfriend-mentorship that had me swooning. They supported one another and cheered on one another’s accomplishments (well, once they got over the whole being enemies thing). I love how Sarah Adams incorporates HEALTHy communication strategies into her couple relationships. There’s no unnecessary drama - there’s support, love, and a lot of heart eyes. 

Also, I always thought one bed was a great romance trope, but I now believe “hiding in a closet while trying to steal your boss’s laptop” might be the winner. 

Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆☆
I chose to tandem read Beg Borrow and Steal so I could have the best of both worlds (print and audio). The audiobook was narrated by Nelson Hobbs and Brittany Pressley. Both voice actors did an incredible job, and I always love listening along as they bring their characters to life. 

Read if you enjoy:
🏘️ Small town romance 
🥰 He Falls First
🫶🏼 Found Family 
👏🏼 Healthy communication
🤫 Secret authors

If you haven’t read When in Rome and Practice Makes Perfect, you can read Beg Borrow or Steal as a standalone, but you’ll be missing a lot of backstories and missing out on a lot of feel-good moments.

I would like to begin with praises for Sarah Adams. No one writes MMC quite like she does. I am falling in love with them from the very first page.

Emily Walker thought she was finally able to rid of her rival when he moves away from Rome, but little did she know, he will be making a spectacular return. Jack returns to Rome after a breakup and is finding himself wanting to settle down in Rome. He also just so happens to be moving into the house next door to Emily. Their banter keeps you giggling and laughing out loud the entire time. These characters come off the page for you and are beautifully crafted. The trouble that these two get into is hilarious. I loved Rome from the very first book, but dare I say, this may be my favorite couple and Emily has become my favorite Walker (sorry, Annie!). This is perfect if you love the tension of enemies to lovers, a quirky small town where everyone is in your business, and banter like no other. Thank you to the author, and publisher for the gifted ARC and eARC. All opinions in this review are my own.

Instagram review will go live on 03-Jan-2024.

Sarah Adams never fails to amaze me. This might be one of her greatest work so far. How she mixed and blended the romance with the individual characters growth was incredible. I wished for “when in Rome” series to never end because I fear I don’t get tired of reading about this people that own my heart.

Sarah’s writing has a way to make you feel like you are in the setting of the book, I honestly feel like I know the characters of this book in real life because of how connected I feel to them. The pace of the story doesn’t make it boring, it’s fast enough to keep you interested in the plot but is not like they fall in love right away.

Emily character development was out of this world, I enjoyed how she started to be more carefree and more confident, really loved seeing another personality from her since I wasn’t found of her on the previous books but I’m happy that she could change my mind on this one.

Jack, jack was perfect. I have no complaints when it comes to him. So patient and full of love, I need him.

This book really exceeded all my expectations and I would 100% recommend it.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc, I’m forever grateful!!!

Omg omg omg!
This was a 6 stars read!!
I need a Jack (with glasses) in my life 🥹💌

I was sure that this book would be my favourite book of 2024 since Sarah Adams had announced it and in fact I loved it so much 🥹 I’m just saying that I filled my Kindle with notes and highlights on EVERY SINGLE page. 😅
•
I loved every single interaction between the two MC. Jack and Emily are two cuties, I loved the fact that they were teachers and secret writers, as well as crazy neighbours and enemies/rivals. Emily was just so relatable and an amazing FMC! I loved her so much. She’s an icon.
Every time Jack talked or did literally anything my heart melted, he is so sweet and cute with his lil glasses and every scene of him is so hot and perfect.
I need a Jack - with glasses, a motorcycle, who is a teacher but is also a secret writer and who fix the house with his carpenter’s belt on - in my life! 😫
•
It was undoubtedly a six-star reading! 😍
Thanks to NJetgalley Dell Romance, Headline and Sarah Adams .
Beg, Borrow, or Steal comes out everywhere on January 7, 2025. Let me tell you that you all absolutely have to read about these two cutie pies! Go and pre-order it. 😌