This book started out super slow for me but then luckily really picked up! I felt like there was a lot more depth in the character’s back stories than in previous Sarah Adam’s books. You can definitely see the characters grow over the course of the book- overcoming past trauma and insecurities. I definitely related a lot to the two main characters and loved seeing them conquer their fears together and make each other better. So sweet!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC :)

I'm not usually an enemies to lovers girl, but this book was fun. I can confidently say that I'm invested in Walker girl stories. I'm looking forward to Madison's which I'm sure will come next. Emily and Jack had plenty of swoon worthy moments.

This is officially my favorite Sarah Adams book and i really enjoyed it. The characters in this ugh i love them so so much. The fmc Emily was the most interesting and great character who basically had to raise her siblings after their parents passed. She’s always felt like she’s too much especially when it comes to being loved. I really enjoyed how passionate she was and how much she cared about teaching and her siblings. The mmc Jack is also a teacher and in the beginning of the book he and his fiancé break up. He is a mystery writer under a pen name because of his narcissistic parent who has never loved him.

I loved the rivalry between them so much, it was fun and i could tell there was alot of tension and them. I liked when they started hanging out together and the fact that they still bicker. The romance was so sweet and tender and the way Jack gave her time, space and would do anything for her. This book is a little steamy, it’s open door but not really descriptive. I truly enjoyed the author/writer plot and it and how it affected their relationship. Overall this is the Sarah Adams book for me and i loved how sweet the romance was. Thank you Dell for the arc!!

Read for:
- Rivals to lovers
- Small town romance
- Caretaker sibling
- Second grade teachers mc’s
- Sweet romance
- Team up

My favorite Sarah Adam’s book to date!!
When I saw that this was book three of the “when in Rome” series I was excited but when I saw it was a rivals-to-lovers that have to team up together I was squealing!! I related to our FMC Emily so much in this book, I cried, laughed and loved during this hole book and I’m definitely going to read it again!

This third book in the When in Rome series centers around Emily Walker who is native to Rome, Kentucky. The excellent writing lets the reader experience this rivals-to-lovers small town romance as part of the series or as a standalone. When Emily hears the news that her archenemies called off his engagement and moved back into town she has mixed feelings that she hasn’t quite fully grasped yet. As the two get closer and reveal their inner secrets they realize that their rivalry was all based on attraction.

I am addicted to this Sarah Adams’ series set in Rome, Kentucky. They all read as stand-alones, so you can start with any. This latest in the series centers on two characters who have feuded since college and teach second grade in a small town’s elementary school. The banter and emails between the two are hilarious. This is definitely a rom com, but there are backstories that deal with some serious subjects. However, that just makes their journeys more interesting. Both main characters are kind and good-hearted people, even though they prank each other and cause each other distress. Still, we root for them all along the way. And, how can you not love sisters who have sister nights watching Audrey Hepburn movies?

So far, I have not read a Sarah Adams book that I’d did not love, and Beg, Borrow, or Steal is no exception.

Omg thank you so much for the E-ARC! I loved emily & jack so much. Their rivalry was written so well & we all know I’m a sucker for a second chance- this one was very well done!!

Thank you for the opportunity to review! I really enjoyed this continuation of the series, and felt like it did a great job of carrying the characters through their arcs. The town reactions felt authentic and it was a lovely family story.

Loved this next book in this series. The characters were so much fun. I also loved the relationship between the 4 sisters, probably because I have 3 sisters. LOL. I highly recommend this book and series. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. #BegBorroworSteal # NetGalley

This may be my favorite book in the series, and I thought Practice Makes Perfect would never be topped. I absolutely devoured this - in one sitting.

These two characters are simply perfect and perfect for each other. They match each other and compliment each other, and they have you feeling personally invested from the start.

This book seemed to be much lower spice level than PMP, and yet I have no complaints. It’s flirty and emotional and sweet.

I AM IN LOVE!!! Sarah Adams delivered once again and I COULD NOT be anymore grateful. I am seriously debating hopping on a plane to Rome, Kentucky and trying to find my own swoons male love interest...

I adore every book Sarah Adams writes. I was so excited to get the ARC for the third installment in the “When in Rome” series. Emily and Jack’s story is more than just a romcom. It deals with some important topics that help dig into why each of them are the way they are. Adams effortlessly balances the romcom energy with the more serious topics. I appreciate she gives a heads up to the reader at the beginning of the book with parts they might want to skip depending on their preferences.

The only thing better than the banter between Emily and Jack, were the scenes that included Emily‘s family from the two previous book. The pancake scene with Amelia was so easy to imagine and it made me laugh out loud. I am split between needing the final book in the series so that I can have Maddie’s story, and not wanting the book to be released because that means the series is over.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams! This is the third book in the When in Rome series. This book follows Emily and Jackson as their relationship changes from enemies to lovers. I have always enjoyed a good enemies to lovers story line and this one did not disappoint. Their banter was fun to read, and I even found myself laughing out loud at times. I enjoyed returning to the small town, Rome, and seeing other characters from the series. (I highly recommend that readers start the series with the first two books!)

I am already looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams!

Welcome back to Rome, Kentucky - It’s time for Emily Walker’s story. An aspiring romance writer, Emily is a teacher but has been secretly writing her first romance novel. Her teacher rival, Jack Bennett, returns to town and ends up as her neighbor. Little does she know, Jack has a successful writing career under a pen name. When she mistakenly sends her manuscript to the school principal, despite their history she knows that she can count on Jack to help her get it back.

You will love this return to Rome, which is rich with our favorite characters, from the family to members of the town. Emily and Jack have such a great dynamic, as nemeses, friends, and lovers. Beyond the plot to steal back Emily’s manuscript, there is so much story playing out that will keep you engaged to the point where you will not want to put this one down. Sarah Adams does such a wonderful job building out the personalities of her characters and it has made this When in Rome series so relatable.

If you love a good frenemies/rivals to lovers and forced proximity this is a story to check out. Especially for forced proximity lovers, welcome, this is the story for you!! There is layer upon layer of forced proximity - coworkers, neighbors, and partners to steal back the manuscript.

I NEED Madison and James’s book!!!!

I knew I was going to love this story from the moment I read the dedication. Emily Walker is like looking into the mirror and wanting so hard ignore the glaring resemblance. I adored this story. Rome, Kentucky has tucked itself into my heart from the onset. It’s lovely getting to read the Walker siblings find true love and happiness and healing.

Honestly, this book was amazing for so many different reasons. I really liked Emily and Jack’s character development. I felt like you could really feel their motivations and my favorite part had to be their conversation about Emily’s characters and their motivations. It was very meta!

I really appreciated the rawness of their feelings too. From the get-go their banter is so top tier, but as you dig into those very complicated feelings they’ve both been pushing to the side you start to see so many facets to their characters. For the first time I really loved Emily as a character. I like how we pulled back the curtain to her feelings and looked at her past hurt as the guiding force on top of their perfectionist need. It was just very well done.


The ending was sweet and I loved that these two made it to this point. The lack of the third act breakup is a nice refresh but I would say that I’m shocked in this case the most because these two have a lot of work to do together, but not a deterrent. Overall, I loved this book and I swear if Maddie and James don’t end up together I’m going to be massively sad. I’m not sure I’m ready for the last Rome book but I’m eagerly awaiting it.

I read When in Rome and Practice Makes Perfect and really enjoyed them. I was so excited to get to read an advanced copy of this new book. I was already familiar with Emily's sisters and brother so it was comforting to get an update on them in this book. The siblings relationships are so loving and warm. I'm kind of jealous of their close connections. It was such a joy to read this enemies to lovers novel. I love the depth and the background on Emily and Jack. It just made the characters so relatable and realistic. I really enjoyed reading this and highly recommend if you are looking for something to curl up with and lift your mood.

I have read every Sarah Adams book and this one did not disappoint! I love all the books in the Rome series but this one may have been my favorite. It had a bit more spice than her normal writing which flowed so naturally and was written so well. Highly recommend reading it! Please make more books ASAP Sarah!

Spice: 🌶️🌶️ (2 out of 5)

This is an absolutely perfect rom-com that I flew through in 3 days. It’s laugh out loud funny, heartfelt, and HAPPY. Sarah Adams is the queen of happy reads. Even though the characters deal with trauma, loneliness, and grief, there is so much joy permeating the whole thing. I also love how creative her books are. The crazy shenanigans these characters get up to are just so unexpected and fun!!

I was hooked from the beginning - the rivalry plus the obvious attraction (that they’re hardcore in denial of) was like a lit stick of dynamite and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for it to explode. Emily and Jack were both so relatable and feel like real people I could be friends with. I also loved both Emily and Jack’s passion for teaching and empathy towards the kids. They both have a secret they’re hiding - the sense of anticipation in this book is off the charts!!

The town of Rome, Kentucky is definitely a character. You NEED to read the first 2 books in the series (When In Rome and Practice Makes Perfect) before you start this one. There are cute cameos of Amelia and Noah, and Annie and Will, plus foreshadowing to Maddie’s story!👀 The town’s reaction to Jackson’s arrival was hilarious because it was the opposite of a hallmark movie. 😂

Sarah Adams books are lighthearted while still having depth, and BBS is no exception. However, I feel like this one is a bit more grief-heavy than her others. Emily is really going THROUGH IT - grief from loss of a loved one, plus the loneliness of feeling like her siblings don’t need her anymore. Jackson also deals with a pretty intense traumatic family dynamic. I really loved seeing how these experiences shaped both of them, left them with walls up, yet they were still able to begin to heal together.

Spice warning: one short open-door scene. There are a couple of other steamy scenes too. Sarah provides a content warning at the beginning which includes which pages to skip for closed-door readers. (Love this!! Wish more authors would include!)

I loved this so much that I'm going to preorder a copy! It's so good, I don't know where to start first: the rivalry to romance, the big sister rep, a man with actual backstory. How about Sarah Adams incredible gift of writing the small moments in a way that gives you big feelings? (think of the Mr Darcy hand-flex scene and times it by a thousand).

Emily is everyone's go-to girl to get the job done. She's the eldest daughter and pseudo mother of her orphaned siblings. But no one has written an older-sister story quite like this. Emily is constantly noting the similarities and differences between them, maybe like a mother would and like I definitely have with my own siblings. She's their biggest champion but she's struggling because encouraging them to chase their dreams means allowing them to leave her behind. Rather than reach out for help, she's drowning alone.

Not that anyone notices because Emily is not the mild, down-to-earth school teacher you might expect. She's firey! And though she tries to keep it herself, all bets are off when it comes to her nemesis Jackson. He's the other second grade teacher and the two have been battling side by side since college. Pursuing the same degree, applying for the same jobs, fighting for the same coffee nook. And just when they thought the competition was at it's end, Jackson calls off his wedding and returns to Rome... permanently!

The timing of the story is perfect because their rivalry has been going on for years but you catch them right at the tipping point. When both of them realize that maybe this competitiveness is more bonding than animosity. They each have moments of vulnerability that lead to an eventual truce. And secrets they'd rather not share. This is what I would wish for as my own love story. Jack and Emily are the best kind of push-and-pull. There's a little hot neighbor next door, drunken confessions, hidden identity, motorcycle flirting and small town meddling. But the romantic relationship really outshines any single trope. I loved it so much!

SARAH ADAMS DOES IT AGAIN!!
I am so utterly and completely obsessed with this series and Sarah Adams never fails to make me love it even more. I will always be (un)patiently waiting until the next one