Review: When in Rome by Sarah Adams

Thank you Ballantine for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I read Sarah Adams’ The Cheat Sheet earlier this Spring via audio and was utterly charmed by it so I was looking forward to When in Rome! It has a similar vibe of tropes, aka a famous person and a non famous person but the story is totally different. This is a chance meeting rather than friends to lovers and has a sweet connection to Roman Holiday starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn.

While I didn’t love it as much as The Cheat Sheet, it was still sweet and has the small town charm so many people love to read in the Fall. It’s also a closed door Romance so if smut isn’t your thing, this is one to add to your list.

Synopsis:

“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.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Callbacks to Roman Holiday—I love Roman Holiday and thought it was super cute and clever to set this story in Rome, Kentucky with a musician and a baker, rather than a princess and a writer.
The Smalltown Setting—The hero runs a pie shop, what else do you need? If you can suspend your disbelief on just how nosy the neighbors are, you’ll laugh along with all the zany characters.

What Didn’t Work:

Lack of Connection—I didn’t really connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. There was something missing.
Lack of Tension—I wanted more tension between Noah and Amelia! They were trying so hard to stay away from each other but didn’t see it, only felt like I was told it.
More from Side Characters—There are so many side characters that are full of life. I wanted more from them! Especially Noah’s sisters.