Book Review: When In Rome by Sarah Adams

When I read my first Sarah Adams novel, I instantly liked her writing style, specifically writing closed-door romance. In a world of #BookTok, the only popular romance books have some level of steam in them. However, that’s not appealing to all romance book lovers, and Sarah Adams does a tremendous job of writing superb and just as romantic closed-door romances as open-door romances.

Synopsis: The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams

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.

My Review:

Spoilers ahead.

I’m a sucker for a good Hollywood normal person/celebrity romance. It started with Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita way back in middle school, and then spun into books like Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman. This one is slightly different as it’s not set in Hollywood, but rather than Rome, Kentucky. Yeah, you read that right. Not Rome, Italy, but Rome, Kentucky. The main character is Amelia Rose, or known to her fans, Rae Rose. Burnt out and in need of a break from music, she takes a vacation to the closest thing related to her favorite movie, A Roman Holiday, starring her favorite actress, Audrey Hepburn. She drives from her home in Nashville, TN to a small town, Rome Kentucky.

Well, fate intervened and as she arrives in the dead of night, her car breaks down in front of the house of a very attractive yet emotionally unavailable, aloof, grumpy man (who also is grieving a broken heart). Noah Walker doesn’t have any interest in helping this famous singer out, but he allows her to stay with him until her car is fixed.

So this was definitely a grumpy/sunshine romance with a slow burn in there too (of course, it’s closed-door). It’s giving Lorelai and Luke vibes from Gimore Girls and honestly, Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn and “I just wanna stay in that lavendar haze vibes.”

I think I definitely love The Cheat Sheet better than this one, but I just loved the character of Amelia and her trying to recover from burnout from a thing she loves (music and singing), and falling in love with herself. She also fell in love with a small town, too. There’s something about a good small town romance and this one was it, because obviously, they fall for each other. But it’s awkward timing because Amelia (as Rae Rose) has to go back on tour after her impromptu mini vacation. We all love a good whirlwind romance, and while some can be written awkwardly, I thought this to be written well and the romance between the two to be palpable and sweet.

Rating: 4/5

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