An absolute cute enemies (turned neighbors) to lovers read! Light spice. This book will have you giggling but overall a bit too cringy and sappy.

Netgalley eARC

Oh, Rome! What a fantastic example of an enemies-to-lovers with a thoughtful setting (Rome, but also schools), some spice but a lot of sweet (and spiky) banter, and a realistic depiction of the internal struggles that come for folks who have a deep desire to write (or create any other kind of art). This is the book I'll be handing folks when they say, "Who is Sarah Adams?"

Ugh Sarah Adams's best book so far. And that's saying something, because I have yet to find a Sarah Adams book that I didn't like. I devoured this book. Emily's struggle with depression and grief is so real and so raw, while mixed with Jack's issues with his narcissistic father and a mother who won't leave him paints a very realistic picture. It's not all fun and filled with joy, but it leaves you feeling hopeful about what may come. 100% recommend this to all readers. Not super spicy, but not closed door either. In the end, all I can say is that I desperately want to move to the Rome, Kentucky in this book!

Beg, Borrow, or Steal was another delightful trip to Rome, Kentucky, this time with eldest daughter Emily Walker, and her nemesis, Jack Bennett.
I loved everything about this story. Sarah Adams balances fun, heartfelt, and deeply emotional moments perfectly. She ratchets up the intensity when you least expect it, and the feels will come out of nowhere and punch you in the gd throat. Emily and Jack suit each other so well, in all the ways that they need and want.
Tearing up while writing this, but it needs to be said: this story shows you that it's OK to let people in, and that you don't have to do it all alone. And to set boundaries because your sanity is important!
Sarah Adams writes the kind of stories that make you cheer for the main characters, and characters that make you feel seen. An absolute treasure!

This book is Sarah Adams's best yet! My prior complaint with her work is that the characters have felt a little childish (they're all in their late 20s or 30s). But in this one, the characters felt more age-appropriate (i.e. the "com" part of rom-com hit a bit more).

Plus the romance itself was better paced and structured. I could see why these two characters hated each other (at first) and grew to love each other (at the end). Definitely a book worth picking up!

I love Sarah Adams. She has a way of writing that just makes me smile and as soon as I could get my hands on this book, I devoured it! I love a good enemy to lover trope and felt like this was handled really well.

Unlike her other books this is not a closed door romance, and I appreciate that she put the spicy chapters in the content warning that gave people the option to read them or not. They are not insanely descriptive or long, but they are there if you are not a spice reader.

Welcome back to Rome, Kentucky and the Walker crew! It was fun to finally get the story of Emily, the eldest sister, the caretaker, the town darling, and the nemesis of one Jackson Bennett. What started ten years ago over spilled coffee on a college campus has evolved into a rivalry for the ages that everyone knows about. When Jack buys the house next door to Emily, she devises a plan to cold shoulder him out of town; however, the more she encounters him in "authentic" situations, the more she realizes that there may be more to him than meets the eye.

I thought it was so fun to see the different ways that Jack and Emily balanced each other out and how they found each other to be the person they could be their true self with. Emily is a very complex character and it was nice to see how Adams wrote her in this novel and dove into the anxiety, depression, and trauma that she hides from everyone around her.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advanced copy!

Rivals to lovers! We love to see it. I absolutely love a rivals to lovers trope. I love Sarah’s book so much, this girl cannot write a bad book. I loved Emily and Jack so much. I want to visit the made up town of Rome Kentucky so bad! What a vibe this place is. This series is my favorite! Highly recommend.

Sarah Adams does it again. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book and I am so thankful for the opportunity to have read it! I love this series with my whole heart. Per usual, light on the spice meter but full of the most rom-com worthy romance. I love the way Sarah Adams writes her books. You feel completely immersed in the small town (Rome) and her character development is amazing. This book reminded me of Emily Henry’s Beach Read in the best way. Absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to anyone.

Teacher coworkers and sworn enemies, Emily and Jack, grow closer when Jack moves back to Rome, Kentucky, and they both consider that maybe their contentious feelings have morphed into romantic ones.

This book absolutely stole my heart. I love the When in Rome series, and I think this might be my favorite one! Emily was such a relatable fmc, and I especially loved her as the oldest sibling who always feels the need to look out for everyone else in the family. Emily’s vulnerability and honesty and character growth throughout the book were amazing to watch unfold, and I felt so connected to her character.

Jack was so swoonworthy, and I absolutely adored the chemistry and banter. Jack’s flirtatious comments and the way he was able to tune in to Emily’s feelings were incredibly romantic and had me flipping the pages as fast as I could to devour the romance.

These two fit together so easily and their relationship was so mature. I loved the communication!! Absolutely recommend, and I think if you’ve liked the other connected novels, you’re going to LOVE this one.

The perfect enemies to lovers rom-com! It has Sarah Adam's trademark fantastic banter and hilarious dialogue. I was rooting for Emily and Jackson immediately.

Sarah does it again!! Absolutely love this series so much. Emily and Jack were so great and I absolutely love Rome, Kentucky; I wish I could visit this made up town! Sarah is truly one of my favorite authors, not only are her books hilarious but so heartwarming.

Wow, this book absolutely lived up to the hype. Being back in Rome, Kentucky with all these characters was a big warm hug, and getting to see Emily and Jack fall in love was so so fun! They start out as rivals in college, and their banter and bickering throughout all those stories was top notch! They both have hidden so much of themselves from each other in the name of “not liking each other” but once they finally start letting their walls down, it’s really beautiful to see them become one another’s confidant, friend and eventually more. 10/10 recommend, but please please read the first 2 books before reading this, the glimpses and sneak peeks into the lives of the first 2 couples are so sweet and made this book an absolute joy to read!

I don’t know what kind of magic Sarah Adams puts in her books, but I can’t get enough of them. I am always torn with wanting to speed through her books to see what happens, while also wanting to go slow and savor every moment, hoping it will never end. Beg, Borrow, or Steal is no exception. A wonderfully charming enemies to lovers, small town romance full of sweet moments between siblings, quirky small-town people, tender emotions, witty dialogue and steamy chemistry. Rome might just be the sweetest small town of all time.

This book gives us Emily’s story, second born of the Walker siblings, but the oldest sister she has always been the caretaker of the family, and suddenly she finds herself in a new situation. No one needs her, Noah had Amelia, Annie has Will and Maddie has moved to NY for culinary school. She is all alone, sadly even getting the most snugly kitten doesn’t cure her loneliness. Then who moves back to town, to the house right next door? Her nemesis Jack! The guy who spilled his coffee on her their first day of college, the guy who got the student teaching job she wanted in HER town, the guy who is also a second-grade teacher like her, the guy who seems to charm everyone, the guy she hates.

When Emily drunkenly sends an email to the wrong person one night, Jack is who she runs to for help. As they spend more time together, it becomes clear that they might not actually hate each other after all. They both had secrets and past hurts they needed to overcome if they are going to make a relationship work. So, the question is where they willing to risk the possible failure to make it happen?

This book was an absolute delight to read, I smiled, giggled and swooned through the whole thing. As much as I don’t want our time in Rome to end, after this I can’t wait for Madison's book!

This was my first Sarah Adam’s book and I absolutely loved it. Sarah’s humor had me cackling throughout this whole story. I love a good enemy to lovers storyline- especially when you can tell there are other feelings involved from both sides. Reading Emily & Jack’s love story was like being wrapped in a warm blanket. I couldn’t wait to pick it back up again. Now I’m going back to read Sarah’s backlist!

The third installment of the When in Rome series did not disappoint. Love that we get to follow Emily the oldest sister this time. The banter is so good between her and Jack. Also, the build-up of the relationship between them is great. Love the continuing small-town vibe and the summer vibes. The heavy topics were covered well and were very relatable. Now we just need Maggie's story. Can't wait.

I'm a huge fan of Sarah Adams so I don't say it lightly that I think this is truly her best book. In Beg, Borrow, or Steal, she returns to Rome, Kentucky for the oldest sister, Emily's story. Emily is the one who has always taken care of her brother and sisters, since their parents were killed when they were young. She's the one who comforts them, solves their problems, helps out, etc. but between her parents and a heartbreak when she was graduating high school, she doesn't let anyone get too close. Jack met Emily on the first day of college, spilled coffee on her and then hit on her, which started a war between the two of them even though it's been several years and they're both adults and teachers. Jack moved away but is back and living next door to Emily....and Emily's discovering that she doesn't hate Jack nearly as much as she thought she did. The real question is if she can trust enough to let Jack in. This was so well done and I thought Emily's history and emotional trauma were really handled with care. The only thing I'm bummed about having read the ARC is that it won't be new to me when it comes out in January! A must read!

This is the third book in the When in Rome series. Emily and Jack's story of enemies to lovers is endearing. I love this troupe and also this series. Sarah Adams' books never disappoint me and are a joy to read. I highly recommend this series and this book.

I squealed with glee when Beg, Borrow or Steal hit my inbox. The third book in the When In Rome series takes readers back to small-town Rome, Kentucky, to hang with Emily Walker.

Everything in Emily’s life is carefully crafted. She’s the one her siblings turn to for safety and support, and her meticulousness makes her one of the best elementary school teachers. But when her nemesis and former colleague, Jack Bennett returns to town – and right next door to be exact – Emily’s life is upended.

Jack is eager to be back in Rome. He left mid-school year for Nebraska with his fiancée, but things didn’t work out, so he’s back and ready to pick up where his life left off. And that, surprisingly, involves developing an unlikely alliance with Emily. Could their rivalry end? Or could it lead to a steamy plot twist they never saw coming?

I really enjoyed seeing Emily’s vulnerability throughout the book. The gentleness that Jack offered to her was so swoony, and I loved that Emily was able to be her own person, even when it felt like she was too much for everyone. Not Jack. He embraced every inch of who she is, and I was here for all of it. Sarah is a master at her craft, with top notch banter, laugh-out-loud situations and sincere honesty. I think we could all use a little more men like Jack in our lives.

Sarah is definitely setting us up for a fourth installment of the series and I cannot wait! I’m hoping for a long-lost Walker child to be discovered in the next book so that we can have more fun in Rome. A girl can dream, right?!

Thank you to Sarah Adams, Ballantine (Random House), and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of the book for an honest review.

I love reading Sarah Adam's When In Rome series when I'm in Kentucky, so I read a highly anticipated 2025 book a few weeks ago on a trip to Kentucky (unfortunately nowhere near Rome). These books are just such a delight to read and Beg, Borrow, or Steal was such a fun enemies to lovers in a town I just adore. 

Emily and Jack were such a fun couple to root for - I loved the banter and how they both kept their writing secret for different reasons. I love seeing what all of the siblings are up to and of course Mabel. Plus the oldest sister energy. 

If you haven't read the first two books, you need to before January 7th so you can fall in love with Rome, Kentucky and these amazing books!