Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

This is the third book in the 'When In Rome' series. I'd say that I liked this one the best. The series isn't perfect although it makes it leading men out to be. The men are perfect and the women are perfectly flawed. There are still some cringe moments in the small town life but I enjoyed the plot of this one -- Emily is secretly writing a novel while living next door to a secret best-selling author. Of course they have history and fall into the enemies-to-lovers trope.

3.5 rating!
At first this book was a little jarring because I’m not used to reading a POV where it feels like the main character is aware of an audience, or at least that’s what this felt like. The story was super cute and I really enjoyed getting to see the main character individual aspects of their lives get resolved. The dual POV was great as well and felt like I was reading two different POVs with how they spoke/thought. Emily definitely grew on me as the book went by and I loved Jack from the get go.

My biggest feedback would be that the stakes of "hating" each other just felt so forced. Jack seemed to know he loved Emily from the get go and Emily seemed to love him and it took all of 2 seconds to come to terms with it. I really enjoyed the conflict not being a miscommunication trope though, and seeing that the big conflict was just ideals and normal situations getting in the way.

I will 100% be reading the other books in this “series” and see how much I enjoy them!

3.5⭐, 1.75🌶️

Having loved Practice Makes Perfect, I was excited to continue the When in Rome series with Emily's story. The beginning had me really excited because I enjoy a rivals to lovers romance, but this quickly turned into a friendship and from there the story just didnt wow me. Also, I'm aware Sarah usually writes non-spice romance, but to give the reader "warnings" at the start of the book about "spicy scenes" that were still mild and fade to black, I was just a tad frustrated. I had my hopes up for spice

This book was just too sweet for me. I am not a fan of enemy/rival to lover romances where once they are together they are so so sweet together. Like I wish some of the tension stayed (and the author triedddd to make that a thing in this book but Sarah just writes sweet romances so it didnt hit for me).

🩷Rivals to Lovers
❤️Forced Proximity - Neighbors
🩷Slow Burn

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unpaid review.

I would recommend this book to any eldest daughter who has felt the weight of their siblings needs on their shoulders so often that they forget to take care of their own needs. The romance was a sweet rivals to lovers, but I enjoyed Emily as a character in general.

I knew what I was getting into with a Sarah Adams book and this one didn’t disappoint! It was sweet and hopeful but also explored what it feels like to be the oldest sister in the family. I love the romance. It had me smiling and kicking my feet. I was a sucker for the banter with the two main characters. I also loved to see the growth that the family went through and how much they all root for each other. There were parts that hurt my heart reading but I loved seeing the family’s healing in this book. Overally, this was a cute and fast read and I definitely recommend!

⭐️ 5/5. As usual, Sarah Adams knows how to write a masterpiece of real human emotion and happily ever after. The story of Emily and Jackson deals with real struggles: loneliness, grief, depression, a narcissistic parent, and loss, and serves up these struggles in a real way. However, Adams doesn’t let her characters fall into the well of these emotions and circumstances. Rather, she helps them lean on others, and learn to love themselves, in order to climb back out into the light. And the light in Adams’ books is filled with laughter, love, witty banter, vivid descriptions, memorable side characters, and so much feel good energy.

This third installment of the When in Rome series was the one with the most character depth and development, and the most meaningful romance. Emily embodies every oldest daughter who’s ever felt like she carries the world on her shoulders, and her and Jack’s romance is profound.

If you are a fan of:

💅🏻 Small town romance
❤️ Enemies to lovers
💅🏻 Deep, meaningful relationships
❤️ Witty banter and great side characters
💅🏻 A book written about writers
❤️ Slow burn

then you definitely need to read this book! See some of my favorite quotes below:

❤️ "It takes so much emotional energy to be a teacher. And an outrageous amount to be a good one."

❤️ "I would walk through my worst memories to get to you every single time"

❤️ "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. And if you want to make love, make it with me."

This book was everything! I really feel like it wrapped up this trilogy of rom coms within this friend and sister world.

One of the better titles in the When in Rome book series. Enjoyed getting to know the two lead characters with their back and forth banter a highlight in the plot. Unlike other authors, Sarah Adams was able to include more serious topics without making it the focus of the story. Overall a fun read and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Beg, Borrow or Steal is the perfect next book in the Rome, Kentucky series. Emily is an incredibly strong, capable MMC and goodness is Jack a SUPER swoony MMC! I adored their journey together and as with all of Sarah Adams's books she writes community, hope and love so perfectly! Can't wait for the next in this series!

I love Sarah Adams and this one was definitely my favorite! It was so funny and the romance was great! I love rivals to lovers and they had some great tension!

This book!!!! I can not get enough of Sarah Adams's writing style! This was so much fun to read and so relatable! Most books I read are about twenty something year olds. It was refreshing to read about someone my own age and the struggles we all go through with raising kids, divorce, career etc. I loved this book so much and I will be recommending this to everyone I know!

I never thought I would be day dreaming about a small town in Kentucky, but here we are.
I think this might be my favorite in the series thus far. This book has it all -- rivals to lovers, pining, SO MUCH BANTER, a secret identity, and a happily ever after, I loved these characters, I loved their journey, and I loved this novel.

First and foremost, I want to thank NetGalley and Dell Publishing for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. I originally finished Beg, Borrow, or Steal back in December, and even after sitting with my thoughts for two months, my feelings remain the same—I absolutely loved this book and immediately preordered a physical copy for my library.

This story delivers a delightful small-town, enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity romance that kept me hooked from start to finish. I have never disliked any books by Sarah Adams that I’ve read. She masterfully crafts a compelling dynamic between Emily and Jack, making their journey from rivals to something more feel charming and heartfelt.

Emily is an incredibly relatable female main character. She’s witty, quirky, and deeply loyal to her family, often putting their needs above her own. I saw so much of myself in her, especially in her sense of responsibility. I loved her secret passion for writing spicy romance. Her character felt refreshingly real, and I found myself rooting for her happiness from the very beginning.

The banter between Emily and Jack is a standout aspect of the novel. Their text exchanges and emails provide a deeper look into their personalities, making their interactions even more engaging. Their long-standing rivalry since college adds depth to their dynamic, creating tension and chemistry that’s impossible to ignore.

Jack, on the other hand, is a character who is easy to love yet misunderstood. Living in the shadow of his father has forced him to project a persona that doesn’t fully reflect who he is. As he and Emily navigate their newfound proximity as neighbors, we see a more vulnerable side of him emerge. Watching their relationship develop, with both characters growing and challenging each other, was one of the highlights of the book.

Overall, Beg, Borrow, or Steal was the easiest 5⭐️ I’ve ever given. I can’t wait for Madison’s story!!!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sarah Adams does it again. BEG, BORROW, OR STEAL has just about everything you’d want out of a romance. It’s saucy, quirky, and incredibly easy to get lost in the charming world of Rome, Kentucky.

I connected so much to Emily and the development of her character! I loved being able to be a part of her love story and see her learn to be vulnerable.

Additionally, it was amazing to get updates on the rest of the family throughout the book, I can’t wait for Madison’s story next!

Unfortunately I didn't catch that this was the third in a series. Even with interconnected standalones I prefer to catch up on the others first, but couldn't do that with this one. I also just don't enjoy enemies to lovers books when the reason for being enemies is not at all realistic or significant. The two main characters come across very immature, especially for teachers, and I didn't enjoy the petty banter. I enjoyed The Cheat Sheet, but this one was a miss for me.

Beg, Borrow, or Steal was an ABSOLUTE delight! Something Sarah Adams does like no other is introducing you to two characters and keeping you tied to them the entire time. I loved seeing growth in both Emily AND Jack, and how they both realized that the other person was their safe place, someone they can tease and show their worst self too and still know that they'll be loved. Their relationship was so warm and loving, I loved them! Also a trip to Rome, KY is always a fun time, each side character is so unique and has a distinct voice. Highly recommend!

5 ⭐️

— second chance
— small town romance
— rivals to lovers
— secret writers


“Because like it or not, Jackson is my equal match in every way.”

“I want you, always. The good, the bad, and the in-between. I. Want. You.”

“You think you’re unlovable, but I think I’ve never known how to love until knowing you.”

“Loving you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”

~~

I’ve never read a book by Sarah Adams but this one didn’t disappoint! I’ve had the other two books in the series on my tbr list for the longest time. I love Emily’s character as an oldest daughter myself and her cat.

“I’m the oldest daughter, I’m not scared of anything.”

I loved all the tropes and their rivalry between each other. I love that Jack is tattooed, wears glasses, AND rides a motorcycle. I have so many quotes highlighted, it’s hard to pick only a few for this review!


Thank you, Sarah Adams for the ARC 🤍

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for the advanced copy! Thank you NetGalley and Dell for the advanced copy!
I truly loved this! The When in Rome series has been such a comfort read and I always love returning back to this small town. I loved Emily’s story and Emily as a character. She felt so relatable and real especially as someone who is also the oldest daughter.
This book had all the small town charm but had such deeper aspects as well with both Emily and Jackson’s character development and learning more about themselves and each other. The banter was so funny and I loved their dynamic. I loved seeing all the other characters and seeing more of their stories. This series will always be a favorite for me and I really enjoyed this addition to the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for the advanced copy!

What can I say? Sarah's books always hit. This is the 3rd book in the When In Rome series, following the oldest Walker sister, Emily, and her fellow second grade teacher/nemesis, Jack.

Jack has recently moved back to town and ends up living next door to Emily, who has been at odds with him since an unfortunate college mishap that ended with her becoming founder, president, and sole member of the I Hate Jack Association. Emily is an aspiring writer, Jack is secretly a famous author, and through a series of shenanigans the two end up maybe not hating each other after all.

This book was sweet, swoony, and funny, as Sarah's books always are. I loved the banter between Jack and Emily, and it's always fun to check in on the the other Walker siblings and residents of Rome. Emily definitely has that stoic, have to keep it all together, no one can ever worry about me thing going on, as many an oldest sibling does (no, she isn't technically the oldest, but she is the oldest sister, and that's kind of the same thing). Jack has his own issues to deal with, but seeing the two of them realize how much they actually have in common and the ways they appreciate and bring out the best in each other was really sweet to see unfold.

Final verdict is that if you've liked Sarah's books in the past, chances are you'll like this one too. I laughed out loud a couple of times and had a grin on my face most of the rest of the time. I also told my visiting family members that I was unavailable for socializing until I had finished the book, so make of that what you will.

I'll add that this is Sarah's most "open door" book yet, so if you're not into that just be aware. She includes content warnings and chapters to skip at the beginning of the book if you prefer to keep it closed door.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing and ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.