Funny banter. Forced proximity romance. Insta-love-connection. Grumpy meets sunshine. I thought the topic discussed in the book were done very well. I hope the other Walker sisters get their own love story (cough, cough, hint, hint, Sarah Adams). 

You can’t help but adore the characters Sarah writes and When in Rome is no different (except you Susan!!! If you’ve read this book, you know exactly why I say that). I loved Amelia and Noah together- their banter, their secret glances, their slight jealousy and protectiveness of one another. I adored all the other relationships that came with the story too - Noah and his sisters, James and Noah, Amelia and Noah’s sisters too! Not to mention how amazing the community of Rome was!

I really related to this story in terms of Amelia’s self doubts, mental and physical exhaustion as well as Noah’s reluctance to open up to people and love again. I’m so proud of them both for their journey as a couple and as individuals.

The story is such a heartwarming, beautiful romance, but packs a punch of emotional scenes and quotes too. The romance had me smiling from ear to ear and Noah is just the perfect gentleman! When in Rome had me both laughing and crying (yes, I even cried at the dedication because I miss my nan too) and I hated the thought of finishing it.

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rae Rose is a pop sensation, but she starts to realize she feels numb. A few weeks before her upcoming tour, Rae Rose (Amelia) takes inspiration from Audrey Hepburn and flees to Rome in the middle of the night. That is— Rome, Kentucky. It starts to feel like a bad idea though when her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. As luck would have it— she’s actually in Noah Walker’s front yard. After confirming he’s not an axe murderer, Amelia spends the night in his guest room. When Amelia finds out her car is going to take two weeks to fix, and that her reservation is mysteriously gone, Noah offers up his spare room.

Noah is grumpy and standoffish at first. He has had his heart stomped on in the past by an out of towner and is not about to let it happen again. He’s perfectly content watching over his grandma’s pie shop and keeping all women at arm’s length. Unfortunately (or fortunately) life has other plans for him.

The two quickly learn the deeper aspects of the other.  Noah learns Amelia is more than her pop-star persona and Amelia learns there’s more to Noah under his grumpy demeanor. When Amelia learns someone she trusted has broke her trust, she wants nothing more than to have Noah by her side. But with Noah’s life in Rome, and Amelia’s on the road, can the two make it work?

I loved reading Sarah Adams Cheat Sheet, so when I saw this one I just HAD to read it. Amelia and Noah’s tension was immaculate!!! They both tried so hard not to fall in love because they knew Amelia was leaving and it would never work out. Noah spent all his time trying to keep her away so he wouldn’t end up hurt again, while Amelia tried to not show her hurt from his rejection.

Semi-Spoiler??

I wish there would have been a scene where they fought with flour or something. I know that’s incredibly cliche but come on it was right there!



Read if you like:
• grumpy/sunshine
• celebrity & “normal person” romance
• baker men
• small towns
• Audrey Hepburn / Roman Holiday
• slow burn romance 
• closed door romance
• dual pov romance

trigger warnings: emotional abuse and manipulation, alcohol, anxiety, stalking mention, abandonment, infidelity

The second Noah started describing Amelia from his POV my brain said late Red-early 1989 era Taylor Swift so I was already sus of this book but the vibes were giving soft romance so I trusted that to carry me through. And frankly it was the only thing that carried me through the book at certain points.

There was no smut. Fine okay I can deal. The greater cast of characters in this small town were nosy and invasive as well, like to the point of me wanting to spray them in the face with a bottle and tell them to mind their own damn business. Can also deal bc they're not the main part of the story and to some that's the charm. Not my thing but okay. 

Then came the liberal use of male and female as adjectives. Noah in all his maleness and Amelia in all her femininity and curves. A leather chair was described as masculine. Noah couldn't admit his eyes were tearing up, no it was voluntary eye watering. Aren't we past the point of aggressively hammering on the gender binary? Adjectives beyond masculine and feminine exist. Use them. I'm tired of having to fight through m/f books where the author is desperate for everyone to know their characters are CIS and HET. It's transphobic and alienating. Not to mention also fatphobic because for some reason masculinity is cut muscles and femininity is generous but shapely curves only. End it.

The thing that irritated me the most was that one of Noah's sisters was keeping tally of her siblings swearing because "at least one of us has to make it through the gates of heaven" (im paraphrasing). Admittedly that's not a big issue but paired with the masculine feminine bit I was really not in the fucking mood.

The best moments of this book were when Noah and Amelia were alone or interacting with each other while things happened around them. Their chemistry was off the charts and the way the author managed to create a private bubble for them despite everyone being in their goddamn business was really well done. The tenderness and affection that they shared was really adorable and what allowed me to believe that they fell in love despite the short timeline.

Honestly the romance was so good it kept this book from a 2 star rating. I hope the author cuts the shit in later books. No doubt Noah's siblings are likely next in line if this is turning into a series so I hope some things get updated before they're published.

I think this book has changed my mind about small town romances! This book was so adorable! Despite Amelia being a famous singer, she was so relatable and both of their personal issues felt so real and understandable.

Their chemistry was perfect and Noah is just perfect!

I was nervous for the ending, but it felt like a realistic HEA for their characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dell, and Sarah Adams for providing me access to this book.