Je n'en reviens toujours pas d'avoir eu la chance de recevoir ce roman en ARC !! ♥
J'aime bien les romans de Sarah Adams pour leur ambiance cosy, leur vibe familiale et si généralement il y a souvent un petit truc qui me fait tiquer au niveau de la romance, ça n'a pas été le cas ici.
On est sur des tropes que j'affectionne énormément : small town romance + enemies-to-lovers, et ça fonctionne super bien !
Emily et Jack se connaissent depuis une dizaine d'années (ou quelque chose comme ça) et depuis leur première rencontre à la fac, ils n'ont cessé de se croiser, et n'ont jamais pu dépasser le stade de l'animosité. Ils enseignent tous les deux dans le même établissement, et ne cessent donc de se chamailler, de se provoquer, jusqu'à ce que Jack vienne non seulement s'installer à Rome, Kentucky (my god, je n'en pouvais plus du "Kentucky" rajouté sans cesse après "Rome" 🤣), mais en plus, il a l'outrecuidance d'acheter la maison voisine de celle d'Emily !
À partir de là, on part sur un tout autre level de guéguerre, les joutes verbales et les petites crasses ne cessent de s'enchaîner, et c'est typiquement le genre de dynamique qui me fait glousser, jusqu'à ce que, bien sûr, la relation prenne une autre tournure. Le pauvre Jack fait les frais du plan machiavélique d'Emily pour l'exclure de la ville, ça m'a fait beaucoup rire, tous les deux se comportant comme de vrais gosses. 😆

C'était vraiment une lecture feel good comme cette autrice sait si bien faire, c'est drôle et charmant, avec une évolution crédible de la relation, dans le sens où ils ne passent pas en un claquement de doigts du statut d'ennemis à celui d'amoureux. Tous deux ont un bagage et des blessures qu'ils vont devoir surmonter pour aller de l'avant. Et puis c'était cool aussi de retrouver la famille Walker.
Et puis je ne l'ai pas mentionné, mais Jack et Emily sont tous les deux écrivains (enfin elle en est à son premier roman, ce qui l'entraîne d'ailleurs dans une aventure rocambolesque, à laquelle Jack participera de bon cœur).

Ce troisième tome est donc une lecture drôle et fraîche, le genre de lecture doudou à mettre dans sa PAL en toutes circonstances !
Et sur une note plus personnelle, j'ai été très touchée par le petit mot consacré aux profs dans les remerciements, j'y ai été d'autant plus sensible que plus le temps passe et plus on s'en prend plein la tronche en tant qu'enseignant (et c'est encore pire pour les profs de maternelle comme moi) ... Merci pour ces mots, donc, Sarah ! ♥

Il sort le 7 janvier prochain, j'ai hâte de le recevoir en papier pour pouvoir l'ajouter à ma collection et le relire ! Et j'espère que cette série sortira en VF, de préférence sans attendre un an entre chaque tome ... ^^'

Beg, Borrow or Steal is the third book in the Rome, Kentucky series by Sarah Adams and I think my favourite so far. This time around we follow Emily, the oldest Walker sister, whose nemesis and fellow second-grade teacher is now her neighbour Jack. And to make matters worse after accidentally sending her romance manuscript to her school’s principal he is the best person to help her get it back.

As I previously mentioned I think this may be my favourite Sarah Adams book yet for so many reasons. I especially connected to Emily as a character and just loved the plot and story that we follow.

I loved seeing more of the characters we met in previous books, both those who live in Rome and just create the chaos that is small town life and the couples who we have previously followed in this series. It is really nice to be able to continue to see these characters relationships develop after their books have finished and that was particularly true for Annie and Will in this book who I had previously loved reading about so was really happy to see more of especially in the way that we did.

One character who I get excited to see in every Rome, Kentucky book is Mabel and this one was no exception. She both meddled and gave the wisdom that I expected and loved to see. Mabel will definitely be a character I will be sad to say bye to after the last book.

I anticipated enjoying reading about Emily’s story ahead of starting this however I didn’t expect to love it in the way that I did. Emily was a character that I really connected to both as an eldest sister and who she was outside of that. There were a few unexpected moments when reading that I was just like that is me and I love finding new books like that because of how long after reading they stick with me.

As an entirely new character I also really enjoyed learning about Jack. He was a character that I found to be interesting and I really enjoyed reading his and Emily’s interactions along with how their relationship evolved and what that meant for how they treated each other. I do think that their relationship is probably up there with my favourite romances of the year.

Something else I loved about this book was that both our characters were not only fans of books, they were both authors. This made the plot so interesting to read because I just wanted to see more of the author journey or how both having this experience would impact the story. Emily was also a romance author which was just perfect and added to my enjoyment of the story in ways that only happens when a romance features books.

I cannot wait for Madison’s book even if I wish it wasn’t the last one in the series. I have a really strong feeling from the hints we’ve gotten over the last 3 books and my history with Sarah Adams that I will love it.

Overall I couldn’t rate this book anything but 5 stars and am so glad to have read it. This might have been my ideal Rome, Kentucky book and I can’t wait for it to be released so I can get my hands on a copy, reread it and then quite likely annotate it, with how much I loved it and connected to Emily.

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline Eternal for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

You know that feeling when you’ve been having an off couple of days, and then you pick up a book you’ve been dying to read, but you don’t expect much because of your mood? Then, somehow, the book turns out to be exactly what you needed to pull yourself out of that dark place? That’s what this book did for me. I finished it in less than 24 hours, and honestly, I think it’s my favorite of all the Sarah Adams books I’ve read.

I was hooked right from the start, mostly because of the tropes—rivals to lovers in a small-town setting? Yes, please! But as a frequent romance reader, I know tropes aren’t always enough. What keeps me reading are the connections, the moments that make me feel deeply, grin like an idiot, or maybe even bleed a little because I see parts of myself in a character. Sarah’s writing gave me all of that with Emily.

Emily Walker and Jack Bennett are two feuding second-grade teachers, who find themselves as unlikely allies and (gasp) neighbors. Emily’s meticulously crafted world is turned upside down when her legendary nemesis returns to their small town of Rome, Kentucky. Jack’s back after calling off his wedding and is ready to renovate his house and focus on his mystery novels. Sparks fly as their chemistry-fueled rivalry reaches new heights, and when an accidental email threatens to expose Emily’s secret life as a romance writer, Jack surprisingly agrees to help her retrieve her manuscript. What starts as an alliance soon becomes something neither of them could have predicted.

On a deeper level, this story hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting. Like Emily, I’ve spent years pushing people away, scared of being hurt or rejected for who I really am. Family dynamics shaped a lot of that for me—I always felt like I had to be the strong one, the “glue” that held things together. But the truth is, no one can keep that up forever. Reading about Emily’s journey, her struggles, and the way someone finally saw her, accepted her, and loved every part of her, felt incredibly cathartic. It was like a bit of closure I didn’t even know I needed.

My only complaint? The story ended too soon. One epilogue, Sarah? I need more!

A huge thank you to Headline, Sarah Adams, and NetGalley for granting my wish to read this book. It pulled me out of a dark place and reminded me that it’s okay to have those moments—and that love can heal more than we think.

a small beautiful romance from nemesis to lovers its all you need in the moment. jack and Emily are two teachers who seem to fight about everything but with time they will realize the universe picked them to be together. A beautiful story about taking risks and fighting for what you love regarding being afraid. I loved this book very much

I loved this book so much! It felt so nice to back in the small town of Rome with the Walker family.

I loved getting to know Emily more, and I found her so relatable. As the oldest daughter and the mother figure of the family, I could feel the pressure she was under, and I really enjoyed seeing her growth throughout the story.

And then there’s Jack….I think he’s a new favourite book boyfriend of mine. He was so swoonworthy, and I loved the way that he cared for Emily. I felt like there was a lot of depth to his character which I appreciated.

The banter and chemistry between these two was outstanding. There were so many incredible scenes between them where I was squealing with excitement. They were so good for each other, and I loved their email conversations throughout the book to show their history.

This was such a sweet story and probably my favourite of the series so far.

Thank you Headline Eternal and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

My review will be shared to Instagram, TikTok and Amazon on release day.

When I heard that Sarah Adams was writing a rivals to lovers rom-com, I squealed, and from the moment I read the dedication, I knew this book was going to hit hard for me.

In Beg, Borrow or Steal we get to see Emily - eldest sister, perfectionist and secret romance writer - go toe-to-toe with her college rival and fellow second grade teacher Jack, who has permanently moved into the house next door after calling off his wedding and disrupted her summer. Emily hates Jack, but when she accidentally sends her raunchy manuscript to their conservative school principal, she asks the most competent person she knows to fix it, and Jack is only too happy to help the beautiful nemesis he could not stop thinking about even while preparing to marry someone else.

As a lover of some of Sarah Adam's previous books - Practice Makes Perfect in particular - I had high hopes for this, but there was something about this one that got me right in the feels and exceeded my expectations in a delightful way. The set-up was so cute and original. The banter was top notch, without feeling far fetched and unrealistic. The main characters were such perfect mirrors of each other that it was so believable to me they'd find each other so infuriating, and yet as a reader I was screaming 'stop it you're perfect for each other' the whole time. This book is also a bit spicier than the previous in the series in my opinion, and this added a delicious layer of tension and intimacy to a lot of the Emily x Jack scenes (but don't worry, if you don't like the more intimate content, Adams has a warning at the start of the book telling you which chapters to skip and you won't miss out on the plot by doing so). I also adore the sister relationships that Adams writes; they support each other but they also admit to one another when they feel like they've been held back by their place in the family.

Both Emily and Jack have personal stuff that they are dealing with in... not the most healthy of ways, but I felt this was addressed in a positive and healing way overall, and I felt healed by the experience of reading it. Jack 'name it. I'll do it for you' Bennett has earned a place as one of my favourite fictional men, and I related so very hard to Emily, as I think a lot of other women will who have ever been made to feel abrasive or hard to love: 'everyone loves you as soon as they meet you, but most people only tolerate me'.

Returning to Rome, Kentucky was much needed for me this week; I love the Walker family, and I am absolutely obsessed with what Adams has set up for what I'm hoping will be the fourth book in this series.... I need more of this family and this town please! I grab onto every tiny piece of information we glean about Mabel in each book and I feel so invested in the whole community this series takes place in.

This made me laugh, cry, and left me happier than when I started reading. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Headline for the chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is out January 7th and I highly recommend it as an antidote to the inevitable January blues.

3.5 stars
As a big fan of this series, this book felt a little lackluster.
Jackson and Emily are a treat to read, however, their conflict and years of hatred didn’t add up for me.
Towards the end of the book we see an unsent email from each of them that showed more of their feelings and I wish we had more to build it up

It’s a great read otherwise, the banter was 10/10
Thank you for the ARC

Pre-read: omg i'm going to cry i just got my first ARC!! 🥹 💜

The Review:
★★★★.5
First ARC ever and I’m so grateful that this was amazing too!

Characters:
Emily: Okay, she was a little annoying, but I still loved her so much! She gave off country kindergarten teacher vibes (which is the vibe that her character was supposed to give off, but I don’t care I loved it so much). That “silk pyjama” (also is that how you spell pyjama I'm not sure at all) thing was kinda weird but I loved it at the same time?! Also, we love a girl that can write, teach, and bartend at the same time (not actually but at the same time period) 💜

Jack: also kindergarten teacher vibes but, like, city kindergarten teacher vibes?? 🧡
omg i love him so much he’s so sweet and hot but I can’t imagine tattoos sorry 😭


What was good?
vibesssss 🧡
The “rivals to lovers” trope hit hard!! I also loved how all the characters of the previous books were still in there. I love the chemistry between the two and the whole “writing” thing!
I loved how it wasn’t “rushing things with spice” then “emotional sh*t” but instead “emotional sh*t” then “physical connection”

What was bad?
I still don’t understand why the book is called “Beg, Borrow, or Steal” 😭

okay thank you, love you bye! 💜

I absolutely loved this book. From the very first page, I was hooked. Emily and Jack felt like real people, and I could see myself in both of them—Emily’s caring nature, always putting others first, and Jack’s quiet strength and gentle humor. I was rooting for them from the start.

The small-town setting felt so cozy, like a warm hug. I could picture every little scene: the town library, the local diner, and even that chilly winter night when everything finally came together for them. Their chemistry was perfect, the way they slowly went from friends to something more—it made my heart melt.

There were moments that made me laugh and others that made me feel deeply understood. This wasn’t just a love story; it was a reminder that real love comes from finding someone who truly sees you. I was smiling long after I finished the last page, and I already want to read it all over again.

Sarah Adams just gets better and better, and Beg, Borrow or Steal is HANDS DOWN her best book yet. I didn’t think anything could beat The Rule Book but catch me blown away. I am genuinely struggling to process how awed I am by this book, but let me try.

Beg, Borrow or Steal is beautiful. It is tragic and romantic, hilarious and heart-breaking. It encapsulates everything I love in a romance novel. Multi-dimensional characters, family (born and found, a small town community and perfectly passionate protagonists are just a few of the components that make Sarah Adams’ novels feel like home.

Beg, Borrow or Steal follows Emily and Jack, nemeses since college, two characters who are truly beloved by everybody they meet except each other. Life continually throws them into each other’s paths. Jack moves back to our dreamy Rome, Kentucky and it finally comes time for them to confront their feelings for each other. Is it really hate? That’s a pretty passionate emotion, if you ask me…

Throughout this tale, we are gifted with insight into both Emily and Jack’s backgrounds. Both have known real heartache.

We know many elements of Emily’s story from the previous books in the series, but exploring her relationship with herself and her siblings, especially as they have moved on and away, was heart-wrenching. Emily fights to discover her identity as an individual, not an older sister, and her vulnerability is as beautiful as it is sad. I wanted to reach through the book, squeeze her and tell her it would all be okay. Emily has done everything for everyone, and now it is time for her to rest. I love Emily with my whole heart. I’m glad she got her main character moment.

I can’t discuss Emily’s change without mentioning Ducky: world’s cutest cat and greatest companion. My own cats have done so much for me in my life in terms of helping me overcome depression, and Ducky’s involvement in Emily’s story is something I truly treasured while reading. Cats are also a great judge of character. Just leaving that there.

I won’t spoil Jack’s background, but he has had to fight his own battle to create an identity that encompasses who he really is. His journey shows a character willing to step out on his own, listen to his heart, and accept what he deserves. Sometimes, it takes longer than we’d like. The important part is that we do it. Jack’s experiences have led him to become a kind and caring person, who is a great comfort to those around him, but he didn’t always let himself feel outwardly. His ability to spar with Emily allowed him the chance to open up and be the truest, most honest version of himself.

What I love about Emily and Jack’s relationship is that they are outstandingly communicative. In places that you, as a reader, can feel like most characters would shut down and fall into that disastrous miscommunication trope, Emily and Jack are devastatingly honest. They both strive to say how they feel and what they want, to the best of their knowledge and ability, at all times. They may fight and they may hurt each other but they never lie, and that makes any negative communications easier to come back from. I know that their relationship moving forward from this book will be healthy and strong because they will always feel safe to be completely open, and they also have that trust that their partner will do the same.

In terms of writing, Sarah Adams is just brilliant. Her dialogue is so enthralling. It is captivating. I feel like I can hear these conversations so perfectly in my head, as if I were in the scene too. It is intelligent and witty, and each character has their own specific tone that is so perfectly distinguishable to them. Sarah Adams’ character work is just extraordinary.

The pancake scene is the perfect example of this. I cackled with laughter. I cried with genuine emotion. I felt like I was sat at that table, if not watching it on a screen.

This book contains multiple harder hitting themes, such as grief, depression, loneliness, and narcissism. Each of these themes is handled with the utmost care from Sarah Adams. There are many elements of this book that I found, unfortunately, very relatable but, rather than feeling sad or triggered, I felt seen. I felt like somebody understood me, and that I wasn’t alone. That was a great comfort for me. My heart is full, and I think this will be a book that I come back to time and time again when I need that cosy, warm feeling of reassurance that it gave me.

Beg, Borrow or Steal is a romance, but it also feels like a love letter to writing. It explores the ins and outs of the literary world, the hardships of publishing, and the real, honest hard work and effort that goes into writing a novel, from plot to pace and everything in between. I enjoyed getting these insights, and also just found myself growing more enamoured and awed by Sarah Adams as I made my way through the book. This book is genius but must have been unreliable hard to write, and yet she did it beautifully. How?!

To live during a time when Sarah Adams is able to share her gift with us is to be truly lucky. I am so grateful to Headline for providing me with this ARC. Everybody must read Beg, Borrow or Steal. EVERYBODY.

I think this one might just beat the other two for my favourite in this series. If not for the story, for the characters. I adored both Emily and Jackson and was rooting for them so hard throughout the whole book!

I love a good enemies or rivals to lovers and this really hit the spot. They spent the perfect amount of time rivalling before softening to become friends and then lovers. I thought it was a really seamless transition for something that can easily feel quite clunky sometimes.

I ADORED Emily - an eldest daughter who feels like she has to take care of everybody all whilst trying to process so much grief on her own. She’s so strong and resilient and I want to be her when I grow up! From the second Jackson stepped on the page I knew the two were going to be perfect together. His carefree and lighthearted nature complemented her flawlessly.

I love a rivals to lovers when the banter is top tier. If it makes me laugh, it’s a winner and this did exactly that. I found their fights and the way they interacted so funny and loved watching them team up under such unusual circumstances. The addition of the steamy scenes was also very welcome as a lover of spice!

Amongst the fluff and the humour, these books do touch upon more serious topics as well. A major theme throughout all of the books is grief and I think Sarah portrays the different ways that grief can manifest in people really beautifully when writing each of her characters.

These books just never miss for me!!

my heart is exploding YAY!!! this is my favorite sarah adams book to date and that is really saying something because i seriously adore her. emily and jack my perfect rivals to lovers I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!! genuinely this book was everything to me. the way they spent ten years being brought together against their will and with grudge after grudge against each other only to realize it’s because they were meant to be 🥹🥹 hello?! my heart is so ⭐️✨💫😍❤️‍🔥 rome, kentucky you will always be home 💌

This book was absolute perfection and you can't convince me otherwise.
I love the first two books in the series and was so excited to return to Rome, Kentucky a little earlier than expected.
As always I loved the small town and the people who live there - especially Mabel! :D
Jack and Emily were perfect for each other, but I like that they were kind of rivals first. Their banter and bickering was top notch and it was really cute how they became friends first, before starting something.
Even though this a heartwarming, cute and fun story, I did cry a few times as it also deals with difficult childhoods and traumas, loosing your parents at a young age, being the oldest sister, fear of loss, etc.

5 stars, you have to read it!!

Jack left Rome, Kentucky with his perfect fiancée years ago and now he’s back to disrupt her happy little bubble. Unfortunately he seems to be here to stay, getting a job at the school and renovating a house right next door. They might be more alike than they think. Jack is a published author under a pen name and Emily isn’t far behind him. When she accidentally sends her manuscript to the principal Jack is just the man to help her. What will this unlikely alliance lead to?

This series is pure happiness. You can’t help falling in love with the characters and rural small town. There’s a strong sense of community, everyone in Rome is family and they rally around each other. That’s the dream.

Emily is the caring big sister always putting everyone else’s needs in front of her own. Except Jackson. She’s been bottling everything up for a long time and when she inevitably bursts Jackson was there to help her thru it. He’s the sweetest. They have great chemistry. It might be recency bias but I think this one’s a little spicier than Sarah Adams other books.

I also adored Mabel (as usual), the manuscript heist, girls night, all the fun banter and Amelia’s pancakes. If you’re looking for a fun romance series this one’s for you!

Read this if you like
🩷Enemies to lovers
🫶🏼Forced proximity
📖 Small town romance
💫Second chance

Thank you NetGalley for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! This book had everything I look for in a romance novel, it had such a great mix funny moments with such heartbreaking, emotional scenes, the flirty banter between Emily and Jack was perfect! Jack was such a great character, him bursting through the door with Emily’s manuscript just made me fall in love with him. I loved Emily, she loves her family and would do just about anything for them, even if it’s to her detriment.

★★★★.5

I love Rome, Kentucky! It’s definitely my favourite Sarah Adams series! I loved how much of the town we got in this book, and all the cameos with the rest of the Walker siblings. Their family dynamic was great, and I really enjoyed Emily’s journey as she struggled between acting like the parent and being a sister!

Emily’s character took a while for me to warm up to, but I think that was the point. She was meant to be a little prickly (especially towards Jack) and misunderstood. But when she started discovering herself, I really liked her!

Jack was definitely my favourite part of the book. He was so thoughtful and caring, and just wanted to help Emily. He played it off as banter for a while, but he had fallen hard and fast! 🫠 He was so patient with Emily and knew exactly how to deal with her. I loved the banter between Emily and Jack, and the late night shenanigans 🤭

I loved the little snippets of previous emails between Jack and Emily, especially the unsent drafts!

This book was so cute, laugh out loud funny, and just the sweetest story!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tropes:
- Small Town Romance
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Neighbours
- He Falls First
- Hidden Identity
- Mental Health Rep

This book was adorable! In my opinion, it's the ideal summertime read, and it felt like a cozy hug. Every time I saw Emily and Jack's brief email/message interactions, I felt like a complete idiot. The rivalry between them was so wonderfully done, and their flirtatious banter always made me laugh out loud. I had no idea this book would touch me so deeply. In an attempt to persuade you to add this to your to-do list, I annotated it extensively and only posted ONE out of context.

Another wonderful read by Sarah Adams. I had high hopes for this book after her previous novel in this series and it was all i wanted and more.

Honestly Sarah Adams has done it again. As an author I have recently got into I have really enjoyed being back in the small ton of Rome, Kentucky.,

This book was romantic perfection, it was laugh out loud and just an amazing, easiy read. I loved the main characters and found them to be really likeable. I really enjoyed the slow burn of their enemy to friendship and then eventually lovers story line. The way they can reveal their true selves to each other is so refreshing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[ 4.25 ★ ]

’𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧-𝐢𝐯𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐩 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲.’

— my review 💌
*no spoilers*

i’m so grateful to have received an arc of one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, and it did not disappoint <3

sarah adams never fails. her books are always the sweetest, cosiest reads, and she always knows what we want!!

when jack comes to the small town of rome after the end of his engagement, he’s met with his rival, emily, who proceeds to do whatever she can to get him out of her town. but when it doesn’t work, and she realises jack is there to stay, they get closer, until they find themselves…falling for one another.

emily’s need to fix everything, to help everyone, is something i found deeply relatable. watching her finally find the love she has deserved this entire time in jack was everything to me. it was so beautifully done, the way her walls were slowly being broken down as jack proved he saw her and wasn’t like everyone else.

jack… jack bennett, the man you are! ugh, i love him. everything about him was the things you’d want in your ideal guy, but lets be real, that’s just sarah adams’ men for you. he was so attentive and caring, while struggling with his own issues too, and it was just so real. he had his barriers, but just like em, they were broken down, as well, with the promise of eternal love and being with a person who truly understood him.

overall, i absolutely loved this book, and it felt so good to be back in the world of rome, kentucky.

spice? yes, but it isn’t SUPER in depth

some tropes :
★ feuding teachers
★ rivals to lovers
★ secret writers
★ a heist