Yes! Sarah Adams does it again!
The queen of chick lit angst.
What's not to love?
The small town atmosphere is palpable and makes me want to go live there.
The two characters play off each other so well and have amazing chemistry.
And the angst! Holy moly! Making us wait until more than halfway through the book for any kind of relief is cruel but worth it!
A perfect pick for anyone who enjoys fade-to-black romances.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I’m a huge Sarah Adams fan so when I heard about this book I was over the moon and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint!

This book follows Amelia, a pop star who’s lonely and in need of a break from her life, and Noah, a grumpy pie shop owner who lives in a small town. A diehard Hepburn fan, Amelia finds inspiration in Roman Holiday, locates the closest Rome on the map, and hits the road. But what should be a short relaxing break from reality quickly turns into something else when Amelia’s car breaks down in Noah’s front yard and she ends up having to spend a few days at his house while waiting for the car to be fixed. As the two start spending more time together, they get to know a different side of each other and grow closer but Noah can’t leave and staying isn’t an option for Amelia so what will happen when their time is up?

As soon as I started this book I was hooked. It has some of my favourite tropes and it’s very well-paced, not to mention all the amazing characters (both the MCs and the supporting characters) with whom you’ll inevitably fall in love. There’s something about small towns and tight-knit families that gets me every time🥺

Noah and Amelia were amazing characters. Despite being a pop star, Amelia is very down to earth and even though it took her a while to do it, it was great to see her finally put herself first and grow into herself throughout the book. Being in the industry for so long inevitably took its toll on her and it was heartbreaking to see how deeply it impacted her but Noah and all the friends she made in that small town helped her find her voice and her way. And Noah… what an amazing, genuinely nice guy. Honestly, I loved him so much! Having been through a lot, Noah had built some walls around him to protect himself from more pain; seeing them come down as he and Amelia grew closer was heartwarming.

I loved them together! Their grumpy/sunshine dynamic was great and really fun and I think their communication was pretty good as well (which doesn’t always happen in romance novels). They tried to fight their feelings because they knew Amelia couldn’t stay long and didn’t want anyone to get hurt but eventually, their love was too strong and they knew they had to find a way to make it work.

This is a closed-door book so if you’re looking for smut, you won’t find it here. But Amelia and Noah have amazing chemistry and while the will-they-won’t-they can be a bit frustrating sometimes (this definitely was a SLOW burn!), it’s 100% worth it in the end!

The next book in this series has already been announced and it sounds absolutely amazing!! I loved Annie (Noah’s younger sister) and Will sounded great so I’m really excited to read their story and see where life takes them. May 2023 can’t come soon enough. I cannot wait to get my hands on that book🥰

★ 5/5 Stars ★

A HUGE thank you to Headline and NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this sweet romance! Our heroine is a pop star in the run from her busy schedule, which is wearing her out, when she crashes into our hero’s garden. What begins is a slow burn romance where our main characters are fighting it all the way. It was nice to see how the ending played out and was a good read

This book is perfection 😩 Both Amelia and Noah are just the sweetest, and cutest couple.
I love the fact this doesn't have a second act breakup, taking it in a different route.
It reminded me a lot of All Rhodes Lead Here... Having it featured in a small town, all the secondary characters so loveable and hilarious and him being a big grump in the beginning 😂
This book is definitely worth the read, and I can't wait to read more in Sarah Adams next book Practice Makes Perfect 🤍
Thankyou Headline and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

When In Rome is my favourite Sarah Adams' book to date! If you're a fan of small-town romances and/or grumpy x sunshine pairings, this is the book for you.

When In Rome follows Amelia, a pop star on the verge of burnout, who finds herself driving to Rome in an attempt to escape her life, just like her idol Aubrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday - though in Amelia's case, when I say 'Rome', it's Rome, Kentucky, not Rome, Italy. On her way to the nearest motel, her car breaks down in the middle of a grumpy pie shop owner's yard (aka Noah's) and before she knows it, she's his new house guest.

Amelia and Noah are adorable and I love them. I loved seeing Amelia start to integrate with the citizens of Rome, and how she was finally able to do simple things - like playing Scrabble! - that she'd always wanted to do but hadn't had anyone to do them with. Noah is just such a GOOD GUY, and the way he instantly felt protective over Amelia and wanted to make her smile was so cute. I was rooting for them from page one and I'm sure you all will be too!

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

'When In Rome' is the most perfect rom-com. It give me all the vibes of the classic 90s rom-coms and I loved every second of reading this book.
I love small town romances where a city girl comes to a small town and falls in love with a local business owner, and no matter how many times I read this plot, I still fall head over heels in love with it and this book was no different.
From the first chapter, I fell in love with Amelia and I knew straight away that I would love Noah when he arrived in the story. Noah was the softest and sweetest love interest that I have read in a while. I love how he teased Amelia because he had a crush on her and loved seeing her reactions to him. I loved how much Noah loved his family and how he bought flowers from his sisters flower shop every morning so he could support her business.
I loved Amelia. She was so relatable, even though she was a famous pop star, I couldn't help but relate to her so much. I loved seeing her grow on her own and finding her own place and her own family within Rome and seeing her confidence in herself growing throughout the book, and how Noah encouraged her every second.
Just everything about this book was perfect. The plot, the writing, the setting, the characters. I just adored every single second of reading this book and I can't wait to read all of Sarah Adams' backlist and also cannot wait for all of her future books.
I can't wait to add a physical copy of this book to my bookshelves.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this book by Sarah Adam’s. The characters were likeable and relatable and have great chemistry. I loved the banter and teasing between the two main characters and also the relationships with their friends and family.
This was a brilliant, easy read romcom which was exactly what I needed!