Sarah Adam’s When in Rome series just keeps getting better and better! Beg, Borrow, or Steal focuses on the eldest sister, Emily, and her long time nemesis, Jack.

Emily is the no- nonsense family member everyone relies on and she has felt the pressure to be perfectly what others need since the death of her parents when she was 8. Jack being charismatic, intelligent, and well liked, is the person Emily immediately sees as an equal she must best. They have spent over a decade competing to be the best student in their college classes, to get the coveted student teaching position, to be the most liked teacher at their school, and so on. Their initial meet cute could have played out much differently had Emily not had her defenses up but trusting and relying on others isn’t easy when everyone you love eventually leaves.

You see personal growth for both Emily and Jack throughout this book making this enemies to lovers trope deeply heartfelt. The life pressures they both endure realistically shape their characters and you can’t help but want to root for them both.

Your favorite charming characters from the previous books all make their appearance. There is excellent set up for the next and final book in the series making me excited to return to Rome, Kentucky once again!

Ok friends, this book was Funnyyyy and fun and had me kicking my legs while smiling the whole time. I finished in just a few hours because I couldn’t stop reading.

Beg, borrow or steal by Sarah Adams is the 3rd book in the When in Rome series. It’s just as great as the first 2! This book is about Emily and Jack, two teachers in a small town. Cute enemies to lovers. I loved the bickering and banter between these two.

Will be recommending to everyone. Beg, borrow or steal is out in January.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read in advance!

I’ve been looking forward to the next book in the Rome, Kentucky series from Sarah Adams, so I was so excited to get an early copy of this book! I love Sarah’s writing and knew this would be another favorite. The small town setting of these books is really fun and makes for lots of side characters with big personalities, as well as a feeling of community and safety when you read. Beg, Borrow, or Steal has all of the favorite characters from before, as well as a lot of the Walker siblings from the previous books making appearances, so I know fans of the series will be excited for those. I relate most to Emily out of all the characters and love how Sarah uses different personality types in each of her characters to show their vulnerability and growth throughout the story. I’m the perfectionist porcupine that’s actually soft and gooey on the inside so I felt very seen when reading this book. I liked Jack a lot and thought it was interesting to read two characters who are very similar and feel safe with each other because they recognize how the other person is like them. I actually wish they had remained rivals/enemies for longer because I really enjoyed their banter and sabotage of each other and felt like the truce they made ended some of the fun in their dynamic.
Overall it was another fun and happy read from Sarah Adams and delivered exactly what I’ve come to expect from her books. Thank you to NetGalley and Dell romance for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I am so happy that this is my first Sarah Adams book! She did amazing from the writing to the plot to the fact that I was instantly welcomed by the Rome Kentucky without reading the first two books in the series (which I am definitely reading asap). Emily and Jack have perfectly captured my attention and heart! The banter the wits the vulnerability the heist! Jack Bennett is officially one of my favorite book bfs of all time!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for providing a DRC of this title.

Not sure I fully connected with this one or the characters, but it’s sure to be a hit with previous fans of Adams. Would definitely recommend to a patron looking for a light, breezy contemporary romance!

3.5 stars!

Sarah Adams is my favorite fluffy, lighthearted, and adorable romance author! Her books always have me laughing out loud, and Beg, Borrow, or Steal was no different!

I loved Emily and Jack's characters! It was exciting to see the characters learn more and more about each other through their banter—and the occasional tender moment, hehe. 🤭 Additionally, I really appreciated how Emily and Jack approached conflict with each other. Towards the end of the book, I was getting pretty nervous about the prospect of them fighting, but Sarah did an excellent job of developing mature and thorough characters who didn't let small hiccups get in the way of their relationship.

As always with Sarah Adams' books, I found this one a little cheesy, but again, I think that makes it the perfect little pick-me-up read you could be looking for. I was also hoping to get a little bit more of the second-grade teacher aspect of this novel, as it seemed to be a major descriptor in the synopsis.

Overall, I am so, so happy I got a chance to read this book! Thank you so much to Netgalley and Dell for this eARC. Sarah, I can not WAIT to see what you'll write next!

~~

some quotes i highlighted: 💞✨🥰

"I guess I'm not the only guilty one, then. See you on Love Island."

"I don't want to be one of the guys. I want to be yours."

"Loving you is the easiest thing
I've ever done."

3.5 rounded down.

I liked this book a lot. Emily was such an oldest daughter and it hit so hard reading everything she was feeling. When she talked about feeling like a utility sponge, something in my heart cracked. Jack’s experiences with his father were very well written and felt real. I grew up in similar circumstances and some of the things he spoke about made me realize things about myself that I hadn’t before.

The main reason I didn’t give this a higher rating was that it lacked a certain romantical depth for me. I could tell that Emily and Jack cared about each other, but some aspects felt a little too insta love for me (especially on Jack’s side).

I haven’t read the other books in the series, but if you have you will probably eat this one up. The side characters are great and a lot of fun to become a part of.

One thing that I wish we got was content with Emily/Jack and their students. They talk about how passionate they are about teaching and how they love it, but showing that would have made it more impactful. I also wished that we got more in the epilogue - to me it was very lackluster. There may be more content with them in additional books, but I personally hate when authors do that. It feels too much like a marketing scheme to me :(

I read one Sarah Adams book a few years ago, and I honestly think her writing has improved a lot since then!

This was exactly what I wanted. It was perfect. I expected going in for it to be a bit of a slog because of the length, but it was sweet and steamy and left me a little emotional. I felt that the backstories on both the FMC and the MMC were given just the right amount of time, and I liked the way Sarah Adams balanced making her typically closed doors a little more cracked open without getting overly smutty about it.

5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“I never take guys back to my house or my bed.” I cradle her face and run my thumb below her lip. “I don’t want to be one of the guys. I want to be yours.”

dear lord. heavens to betsy. good gracious. i am unwell. steamrolled into the floor. starfishing, giddiness! butterflies storming your stomach, guaranteed. sarah adams books are so dang charming. she’s a unique kind of drug. i love this book!

✨THINGS AND STUFF✨
-dual pov
-teacher by day. romance author by night.
-he’s also a teacher
-archnemesis to lovers
-work place romance but summer break
-emails & text messages
-unhinged bickering, verbal sparring, BANTER!!
-secret identity
-there’s only one motorcycle 🏍️
-consideration & consent
-grief & the pain of change
-#IsThisAKissingBook: what happens in the closet stays in the closet. for closed door skip 25 and 32.

so grateful for the advanced copy!

In true Sarah Adams fashion, this book was adorable and so fun to read. Jackson Bennett is exactly as described- the most competent man ever. Will is still my favorite but Jackson is a close, close second. Different from the first two When in Rome books, Beg, Borrow, or Steal has a lot of raw emotional issues that both characters work through in the story. Sarah handled them realistically and sensitively, bringing to life how our childhood baggage impacts us in our adult years. I smiled so much reading this story and it was fun to catch up with Amelia, Noah, Will and Annie. Looking forward to book 4, which I hope will be Madison’s HEA. Thanks to #NetGalley for this eARC!!!

Beg, Borrow or Steal ticks all the boxes of a satisfying enemies-to-lovers romance. The banter was on point, the characters had depth and the intimate moments were steamy. I read this book as a stand-alone which totally worked but I could tell that there were plenty of easter eggs for previous readers of the series to enjoy.

My gripes were that I picked this book up because the main characters were both 2nd grade teachers. I was looking for some amusing life-of-a-teacher moments. Instead the book takes place over summer vacation so there was none of that. At one point Emily says that she is looking forward to "finalizing my lesson plan for the coming year." What? A single lesson plan for the year that gets 'finalized'? Nope, zero points there for authenticity. Also two characters share a smile over adding Jack Daniels whiskey to their coffee. Why bother to set a book in Kentucky and then toss in a Tennessee whiskey like that? Rude. The setting did feel small-town, but in no distinctive way was it Kentucky.

Overall, I did enjoy the story and I think that many other readers will appreciate it as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the advance ebook of this book.

Man, do I love a Sarah Adams book. This series in particular has been such a joy, and I’m so excited we finally got Emily’s story! I can relate to so many facets of her personality that it almost hurt at times.

Jack!! Swoon! Oh, he was such a delight and I adored the connection between him and Emily.

I cannot WAIT for the last installment of the series with Maddie and James!

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

When in Rome indeed! This series focuses on the stories of 4 siblings - Noah, Annie, Emily, and at some point in another year or so, Madeline. They live in Rome, KY which is a small town where everyone knows everyone else and everyone always knows your business. Emily is the second oldest, but has been the "strong one" since their parents died when they were younger. She thinks her job is to be strong, to hold everyone else up, to help everyone in town, and in the process, she has pushed her own emotions down. She thrives on order and struggles when that order is disrupted. Enter her arch nemesis, Jack. They first bumped into each other, literally, at the start of college when she was still hurting from an exceptionally bad breakup, and have been snapping at each other ever since. She was thrilled when he left town mid-school year, they are both teachers, to move with his fiancé, but is shocked to hear that he is moving back to town and that the marriage is off.

I love this series. I was so thrilled to get an advanced review copy and inhaled the book. Emily might be my favorite of the sisters so far. She appears to have everything in control, but when changes keep happening - her sister moving away, their grandmother dying, Jack coming back to town - She is moments away from something being the straw that breaks the camel's back. The best part of this book is that the relationship between Emily and Jack is so different from many that are in romance novels. Jack and Emily thrive on pushing each other's buttons. They are perfectly polite to everyone in their lives, but snarky to each other. But they are also completely honest and both are slightly broken. They have more in common with each other than they realize and are really the only ones that can help the other become the person they are meant to be. An absolute gem!

LOVED LOVED LOVED Emily & Jack’s story. Loved the witty banter and enemies to lovers story. But mostly loved the depth of the pain both characters have gone through, and how their stories developed.

5⭐️. Sarah really outdid herself with this one. The BANTER. I connect so much to Emily in the way she handles her life and to see emotions and hardships I’ve felt so during my life so accurately depicted on screen really hit home for me. I absolutely adored this, as I do with everything I’ve read of Sarah’s so far. Jackson the man that you are. He was everything I needed to see for Emily. The absolute heartwarming wonderful nature of this man was so incredible to see. I love the support that they have each other through everything. I also just love the town of Rome, Kentucky as a whole and the Walker family all together. If you love small town, enemies to lovers (like not true enemies but still…), found family vibes this is the one for you. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Out on January 7!

୨⎯ 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒔 ⎯୧
rating: 4.25
plot: 4
characters: 4.5
writing: 4
romance: 3.5
spice level: 1.25

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

°•*⁀➷ what to expect
small town romance
enemies to friends to lovers
they're both teachers AND writers
family means everything to her
he has a mentally abusive dad
book 3 of 4 in Rome, Kentucky

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

°•*⁀➷ the rundown
Emily and Jacks were literally everything. the banter, flirting, and innuendos were my favorite though. Emily is the tough big sister (second oldest) of the Walkers in Rome, Kentucky. we already got to see Noah (oldest brother) and Annie (youngest sister) have their romantic stories and each one just gets so much better as if that was possible!?! I enjoyed every bit of this and absolutely cannot wait for Maddie's book for multiple reasons (James!!!! and because it's the end of the series UGH!)

Emily and Jackson have been rivals for a decade since their first day in college when he attempted to flirt with her but she had an awful day and ever since then they've been competing and teaching together and bickering back and forth. Emily grows a lot this summer as she starts to see Jackson as more than her nemesis, and vice versa.

"Chasing this feud doesn't seem nearly as appealing as chasing that smile."

the scene where they were acting out a scene of her book to figure out the issues.... phew! have mercy that even made my glasses steam up.

"You think you're unlovable, but I think I've never known how to love until knowing you."

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

ᯓ ᡣ𐭩 thank you so much netgalley, sarah adams, and dell publishing for the early arc!

I absolutely loved being back in Rome, Kentucky! I loved everything about this book! I am a big fan of rivals to lovers, and the author did not disappoint with Jack and Emily!
I saw a little bit of myself in Emily! I could relate to her on so many levels and it made me love her that much more!

I laughed out loud so many times! I ate up every interaction between Emily and Jack! Their banter was the best I’ve ever read! This book was just so heart warming and enjoyable!

I feel honored to have been chosen to be an ARC reviewer for this book! I love Sarah Adams so much! Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Sarah Adams!

5/5

Beg, Borrow, or Steal burrowed its way into my heart with its small-town antics, rivals to lover's romance, and use of bickering as a love language. Adams balances the razor-sharp edge of animosity and romantic tension with a finesse that left me gleefully turning the page and hanging on to every interaction between warring teachers, Jack and Emily. I knew Beg, Borrow, or Steal was going to be romance excellence from the second I read its title and incredible premise. Anything referencing Carly Rae Jepsen and Audrey Hepburn’s How to Steal a Million is high taste and I will drop everything to read it. Happy to report my initial impression did not lead me astray. Sarah Adams continues her immensely heartwarming When in Rome series with a rivals-to-lovers story between two second-grade teachers – Emily, the eldest sister in the Walker family, and Jack Bennet her selectively charming nemesis. Jumping past the bulk of their professional rivalry in action to the summertime, Adams brings us to these rivals with their guards down forced to interact as they navigate their now-shared small town. Beg, Borrow, or Steal has all the accompaniments of a romance that would ruin me for all others and it’s re-enlivened everything I love about this genre.

My full length review is now up on my blog!

The last book I had read by Sarah Adams was The Cheat Sheet, which admittedly wasn’t my favorite. Now I’m returning to her writing in the third installment of a completely different series, and her writing has evolved remarkably! Which felt all the more fitting since this book is so much about writing, growing, and finding your voice. I’m a sucker for a romance that explores the role of trauma in relationships, and this one did an excellent job of it. The tension between Emily and Jack was delightful, and Adams does a wonderful job of building the slow growth of their friendship (and then more). The balance between comedy, drama, and emotional content was very well done. Despite not having read the previous books, I got a good introduction to the other members of the Walker family, without feeling like I was getting a complete summary. After this installment I’m eager to go back and read the previous two, and then get my hands on the fourth when it comes out! This was a warm hug of a read that kept me coming back for more.

My thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If I could live anyway in fiction it’d be Rome Kentucky. I love this world and the characters! Sarah Adams is my favorite romance author and each book has its own different feel to it. This one is for those eldest daughters and a good nemesis to lovers. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!