🌶 (closed door)

Gah, this was so freakin' cute.

I love the movie Roman Holiday. It's perhaps my favorite classic film. So when I saw a novel was coming out pitched as taking a new spin on such a beloved classic, you know I had to get my paws on it.

In short: this book tweaked the only thing I disliked about the 50's gem, and I adored it.

This book follows Amelia, otherwise known as international pop star phenom Rae Rose, as she escapes her hectic pre-tour schedule. An Audrey Hepburn lover, she decides to follow in Hepburn's Roman Holiday footsteps and heads to the nearest Rome... which happens to be a small town in the middle of nowhere Kentucky. What ensues is a deliciously sweet romance between her and the surly owner of a pie shop.

We've got it all, folks: forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, small-town, chemistry/tension... I flew through this, and I was certainly thinking about the characters when I wasn't reading. It was sweet, sweet, sweet.

The characters are really what made this stand out to me. First of all, I absolutely loved Amelia. She was so down to earth, funny, and just everything I want in an FMC when I pick up a romcom. Noah was also a total charmer, even though he had a bit of a grumpy/surly attitude. Certainly not your traditional highly-suave charmer, but absolutely adorable nonetheless. Watching him slowly open up to Amelia and learn to trust her was a highlight for sure, not to mention how kindhearted he was, how aware of Amelia's needs and safety he was. Additionally, as with most good small-town romances, the cast of side characters was on point. I'm particularly partial to Mabel… If I'm not like that when I'm a senior citizen, I've done something wrong.

This is an excellent pick for those who don't want to see smut in their romance novels – it was a closed-door romance that at the same time didn't feel prudish. While it's no secret I certainly don't mind spice, it's great to see super solid options available for people who'd prefer not to read about the nitty gritty but still want adult romance vs. YA. I respect it.

Another point in its favor:

no third-act breakup!

Wish this was more common. I'm gonna start tracking when books don't have it so I can lavish fine jewels on them.

Plus, the epilogue in the form of an online blog post made so much sense. It was the perfect little bow to tie on a wholeheartedly sweet story.

Apparently I was in the mood to ramble today. Oh well. TL;DR: this Roman Holiday inspired romcom was a delight from cover to cover and is most certainly worth the read.