Hi there. I’m very late to the game, but I’m here to talk about another romance book that came out in September of 2022. **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**
I’ll be extremely honest. Sometimes tweets come up on my feed of readers absolutely gushing about the books they’re reading (either about specific scenes, tropes, anything at all really), and it won’t take much for me to click in and find out the book title if their description interests me. I really think this was the case for When in Rome, and I was surprised to see an email saying my NetGalley request was approved not too long after. It came out in September, and while I didn’t quite get around to reading it before release day (I was a little pre-occupied on my trip to Europe and didn’t actually get much time for reading) I did complete it shortly after. Unfortunately, the end of last year I was the lowest of lows in terms of motivation to do anything bookish, so this review has been pending in my blog’s draft folder for several months now (along with The Make-Up Test, which was just posted). I wanted to get it done before January, to start off the year with a clean slate, but got super sick. But I am here now, so here is my review, even if it is several months overdue.
From Goodreads: 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. Amelia can’t resist falling for the cozy town and her grumpy tour guide, but even Audrey had to leave Rome eventually.
It’s been a while since I read When in Rome, but I remember really enjoying my time with it. It’s pitched as grumpy-sunshine and opposites attract, and I really loved seeing grumpy small-town born-and-raised Noah falling for the sunshine pop-star city girl Amelia whose car breaks down in front of his house. What I love about books about small towns is that they really highlight just how fast news travels, so by the next morning almost everyone knows that Amelia spent the night and are very curious as to what went on. I also really loved how even though Amelia hasn’t been there very long, they protect her fiercely when paparazzi begin snooping around trying to catch shots of her. While Noah and Amelia seem very different on the surface, while they spend more time with each other they begin to find common ground, and acknowledge just how much they may have judged the other upon first glance. I didn’t feel as though this book had a main third act conflict, which is not necessarily a bad thing – from the beginning Noah was very adamant that nothing could happen between them, because when he went all in and left his home town to follow a girl to the big city, she betrayed his trust and that left him emotionally scarred. Never at any point does Amelia try to convince him otherwise – she understands how it’ll be hard for Noah to trust anybody after something like that, and she acknowledges that she has to leave to fulfill her tour obligations after a few weeks. Noah’s sisters and best friend were really such a good support system, and at the end really sat Noah down and explained how he didn’t have to go all in and leave for good if he truly cared for Amelia, that she understood just how much his family and his town meant to him, but he shouldn’t let someone as good as her leave his life for good just because he was scared of getting hurt again.
A few tiny last things to add: I really like when romance novels give us the dual perspective, so we really get to see what’s thoughts are going through the minds of both main characters. I found it really funny how Noah had no internet, no phone, not really any connection to the outside world in his house, and while at first Amelia didn’t understand it, she grew to appreciate it when she didn’t want to have to field calls from her manager. If there was one thing I wish was better explored it would be Amelia’s relationship with her mom. We come to know they’d been close, but after Amelia started her career it seemed that her mom was only interested in asking if she could borrow money, and their relationship strained. While we do get to learn why that all happened, I wish we could’ve maybe gotten some more closure. But who knows, maybe we will get more info, as another book from Sarah Adams, Practice Makes Perfect, comes out in 2023, featuring one of Noah’s sisters and Amelia’s bodyguard.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed When in Rome. It gave me all the fuzzy feelings a romance novel should, delve into some important topics, showcased all the small-town grumpy-sunshine opposites-attract vibes, and was just an all-around pleasant reading experience. I can’t wait to see what else Sarah Adams has in store for Rome, Kentucky and everyone who lives there. When in Rome was released on September 20th, 2022, so a little late to be wishing it a happy book birthday, but please pick up a copy for yourself if you’re interested! *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine / Dell Books for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
Where to find When in Rome:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Penguin Random House
Sarah Adam’s site
Thoughts About Things 