What a perfect start to the new year! When in Rome by Sarah Adams is the first book in the When in Rome series. Amelia is a famous singer and flees to Rome, Kentucky, to escape the busy life of being famous. There she strands in Noah Walker's front lawn and he lets her stay at his house. But their attraction to each other makes it difficult to live together without crossing their boundaries.
 
I first read Practice Makes Perfect, the second book in this series, and absolutely loved it. And this book did not disappoint either. It was really funny to read about Annie from a different point of view after knowing her from her own book. But I loved Amelia as much as Annie. She and also Noah are quite funny and have perfect chemistry. There was no real spice in this book, but the tension was there! They made me feel giddy. Noah is quite a good communicator. He seems rough, but in the end, he knows how to articulate his feelings. He also has sisters who call him out.
 
Sarah Adams is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. So far, I really enjoy her books and can't wait to read her others as well. I love her writing style. It is fresh and fast.
 
This book was the perfect first book to finish in the new year. The perfect start to a new reading year! I loved this book as much as the first one. I can't wait to read more books by Sarah Adams and I am eagerly waiting for the third book in this series to be released soon! 

“To me, you’re Amelia. Maker of shitty pancakes and a smile that rivals the sun. All I want is you.”

I’m not gonna lie, I went into this blind and I was definitely expecting this to take place in Rome, Italy… but it was cute the way it all occurred! When in Rome follows Rae Rose (aka Amelia). She’s a pop-star about to embark on a huge new tour and feels completely overwhelmed about the direction her life is taking. On a whim, she escapes to a quaint little town (Rome, Kentucky) to try to clear her head. Here she finds peace, some lovely found family, and a super hot, broody baker (who she ends up staying with when her car breaks down and she has nowhere else to go).

This is a super fun and cute, hallmark-y romance novel with all the pieces I usually love, yet they didn’t fully click together into the puzzle I was hoping for. Nothing feels realistic about this romance (which can sometimes still be fun to read!), but in this case it kinda took me out of the storyline. The town is super cute and endearing and the side characters are the true stars of the show in my opinion. Amelia is trying to “escape” her fame, yet I feel like she was constantly bringing it up. Though it is a slow-burn (yay!) it feels really insta-lovey (boo!) and I just couldn’t really understand or feel the love the two main characters supposedly had for one another. They did have decent banter though!

I can see how a lot of people will really like this one! I just wish there had been more oomph to it. That said, I will be continuing the series!

Read if you like: 
☑ Small town romance
☑ Grumpy x sunshine
☑ Found family
☑ Forced proximity

Noah and Amelia have my heart.
I laughed and I cried so much during my reading.
It was a delicious rom-com and I have to read Practice Makes Perfect soon!
(Edit a few months after : I still think about the couple and I change the 4,5 rating to 5 stars)

Title: When in Rome
Author: Sarah Adams
Series: When in Rome #1
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: September 20, 2022

T H R E E • W O R D S

Wholesome • Fuzzy • Pleasant

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Amelia Rose, known as Rae Rose to her adoring fans, is burned-out from years of maintaining her “princess of pop” image. Inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday, she drives off in the middle of the night for a break in Rome . . . Rome, Kentucky, that is.

When Noah Walker finds Amelia on his front lawn in her broken-down car, he makes it clear he doesn’t have the time or patience for celebrity problems. He’s too busy running the pie shop his grandmother left him and reminding his nosy but lovable neighbors to mind their own damn business. Despite his better judgment, he lets her stay in his guest room—but only until her car is fixed—then she’s on her own.

Then Noah starts to see a different side of Rae Rose—she’s Amelia: kindhearted and goofy, yet lonely from years in the public eye. He can’t help but get close to her. Soon she’ll have to return to her glamorous life on tour, but until then, Noah will show Amelia all the charming small-town experiences she’s been missing, and she’ll help him open his heart to more.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I have definitely seen all of the love for Sarah Adams on Bookstagram over the past couple of years, so when I was choosing 12 authors for my 2024 'Author Taste Test' project, she was an easy choice. I decided to start with When in Rome simply because of the cover and the small town vibes, and went in without knowing much more beyond that.

Take me to the pie shop! The small town setting of Rome, Kentucky was everything I needed and wanted it to be in this opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine romance. The dialogue is filled with quick witted banter that had me chuckling. The developing romance between Amelia and Noah felt wholly organic and I appreciated how their chemistry leapt off the page without it being overly steamy.
I absolutely adored Noah - he is the ideal MMC.

When in Rome definitely has those Hallmark movie vibes, yet without all of the cliché eye-rolling. It was a simple and joyful read with strong character development and just what I was looking for to kickstart summer reading season. Sarah Adams is definitely an author I look forward to reading more from, as I imagine I'll continue with Practice Makes Perfect next because if memory serves me correctly it involves a floral shop!

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• small town romance
• male bakers
• Audrey Hepburn

⚠️ CW: toxic friendship, toxic relationship, gaslighting, emotional abuse, abandonment, alcohol, death, death of parent, grief, dementia, sexual content, cursing, infidelity, stalking, body shaming, car accident

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Care is reckless because it doesn’t come with the seat belt that selfishness offers. Care has so much to lose, and almost always ends in heartbreak."