Sarah Adams (4)

This is my favorite series by Sarah Adams.
Thank you to Sarah Adams, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Plot:
Emily Walker is an organized, routine oriented, second grade teacher starting her summer break. Everything is going as planned until she notices that someone took her Saturday corner table at the cafe. Jack Bennett is back in town after breaking off his engagement in Nebraska. Him and Emily are enemies since college and she is not show more happy to see him. To make matters worse, she discovers that he plans to stay in town, continue teaching at her school, and worst of all, move in to the house next door to her.
Their summer is now filled with pranks, shenanigans, and other challenges that slowly make them ask the question: are we really enemies or is there something more?

My Thoughts:
I've read a few enemies-to-lovers tropes and thought I was getting sick of it. I was wrong. This book was great. The slow build-up was perfect. I do not agree with Annie that you should just jump into the steam. I was pleasantly surprised that this installation wasn't closed door romance like the others. For those who that worries, it's alright. It's still not super descriptive and is just perfect to still make you swoon. It seems like there was hinting at a fourth book, and that would be amazing! We still have one more Walker sibling that needs to find their person.

These characters had great development throughout the book and I appreciated that it wasn't just
a "walls are down, we're in love now" type of read. I enjoyed watching both characters work through their own problems-either together or on their own-and I loved how they slowly gained each other's trust.

Can't wait for the next book! show less

This book just secured its place in my heart in a way other sweet romance novels simply didn’t. I went in with minimal expectations, hoping for a few cute moments, but what I got was a beautifully crafted love story that had me hooked from the first page.

It all starts with a disastrous date—well, disastrous for Annie, but perfect for readers because it introduces Will, the brooding, protective, and emotionally unavailable bodyguard. From the moment he ensures Annie gets home safely and show more starts secretly simping over her, I knew I was in for a treat. The “I don’t believe in love” trope? Always superior. And this book executes it perfectly.

✨ Will Griffin is everything.
Blue-eyed, muscular, protective, emotionally complex—and yes, he has a butterfly tattoo. I didn’t stand a chance. Did I simp over him? Absolutely. Will I continue to do so for years? Without a doubt. The way he slowly lets his guard down, the way he cares for Annie, and the way his past trauma shapes but doesn’t define him—it’s all beautifully done. His vulnerability was one of the highlights of the book.

✨ Annie and Will’s Relationship
Adorable. Swoon-worthy. Heart-melting. The fake-dating setup (so Will can “coach” Annie on dating) is fun, but the way their connection grows through mutual care and respect makes it even better. I loved how there was no unnecessary angst or forced miscommunication—just two people navigating their feelings and trying their best not to hurt each other. And let’s be honest, Annie’s biggest realization isn’t that she needs help with dating—it’s that she only wants Will.

✨ Emotional Depth & Character Growth
Will’s past, shaped by his parents’ toxic marriage, makes his fear of love and commitment painfully understandable. Yet, rather than repeating their mistakes, he channels his experiences into becoming a better man. His character arc was handled with care, making his eventual emotional openness feel well-earned and deeply satisfying. The sibling dynamics in the book were also a highlight—especially the appreciation for older siblings.

✨ The Small-Town Setting
Not my favorite part. The meddling townspeople sometimes bordered on irritating rather than charming. Their unnecessary interference and nosy antics didn’t add much to the story. But despite that, the heartwarming relationships between the main characters made up for it.

✨ A Romance That Delivers
This book exceeded my expectations in every way. It gave me butterflies, made me giggle, had me sighing dreamily, and even brought tears to my eyes. The slow-burn chemistry between Will and Annie was chef’s kiss, and their relationship felt so organic and well-paced.

If you love a bad boy–good girl romance, a fake dating trope that turns into something real, and a hero who’s protective but deeply kind, this book is for you. I already can’t wait to return to Rome, Kentucky, for the next installment. Five stars, no question. show less

When pop star Rae Rose is unable to find herself while in the spotlight she follows on Audrey Hepburn’s footsteps and runs away to Rome…. Kentucky. Is it Italy? No but she’ll take what she can get. She’s not looking for love but love goes looking for her.

I LOVED the dynamic between Noah and Rae (Amelia). She discovers he doesn’t really care for her and she continues to spend the ENTIRE rest of the book trying to get on his nerves and pushing his buttons. She’s spent almost her show more entire life being the sweet considerate always polite pop star and her first taste of freedom means throwing her image out the window. But only around Noah.

Noah, the town’s resident hermit… Mr grumpy himself, doesn’t want Amelia anywhere near him. He knows her type: city girl that comes to town just to turn it upside down and is ok breaking hearts along the way and he’s not falling for it!

The fact that Noah spends the entire book telling himself how terrible she is just so he doesn’t fall for her… was adorable. I was constantly giggling.

I loved the twist to the small town romance (one character from the city). It still has the meddlesome townspeople, Gilmore girl vibes, grumpy/sunshine. All the pieces I am EATING UP right now.

But it also had the most touching moments.
- Noah reading in his room, a large bookshelf on the wall
- Noah’s matching pajama set
- visiting his grandma
- seeing her on stage…

I loved this book. How on earth can Practice Makes Perfect be BETTER?! show less

The way this book hit me on an emotional level was honestly so surprising. In general, I love the growing romance between Annie and Will. Will may have been teaching Annie how to date... but Annie was teaching Will how to trust people and his own feelings. They both worked through so much in such a short span of time and the emotional and trauma healing they both went through was heartbreaking and beautiful.

I know what you're thinking, YES this is a romcom but it had some serious topics in show more there around the emotional impacts our parents can have on us as adults and who we are. How we view the world. How we view ourselves. How we view others... and I was able to connect with both Will and Annie's stories. This book had topics in it that I didn't even know would be comforting to read about because I've been processing them in my own way.

This book DID have me giggling and giddy with all the feels as these two explored their fake relationship! I loved the tension between Will and Annie and the bodyguard romance aspect was everything I could have hoped for.

I wish I wouldn’t have stopped a few times because of other books I was reading but every time I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. Thankfully, I wrote down so many quotes I loved so that when it came to write this review, I was able to revisit the characters and the emotional pull they had on me.

This was such a sweet romance. Filled with understanding of what each of them wanted long term, not putting pressure on each other to change and not letting expectations of what they wanted impact the other's choices. I don’t feel like this book let the miscommunication trope take over like it could have and that was just as refreshing.

I have so many quotes I highlighted and adored. This book was so fun and had some great emotional parts that didn't feel artificial or forced. Definitely recommend the When in Rome series if you need some sweet and funny small town romances to read. show less