When in Rome: A Novel (Rome, Kentucky)
Opposites certainly attract for the stranded pop star and small-town baker in this charming slice of romance from the author of the TikTok sensation The Cheat Sheet.
“This modern take on the Hepburn classic Roman Holiday is a quick, fun, slow-burn rom-com.”—Abby Jimenez, bestselling author of The Friend Zone
ONE OF NPR’S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
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.
Look for all of Sarah Adams’s When in Rome books:
WHEN IN ROME • PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT • BEG, BORROW, OR STEAL • IN YOUR DREAMS
“This modern take on the Hepburn classic Roman Holiday is a quick, fun, slow-burn rom-com.”—Abby Jimenez, bestselling author of The Friend Zone
ONE OF NPR’S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
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.
Look for all of Sarah Adams’s When in Rome books:
WHEN IN ROME • PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT • BEG, BORROW, OR STEAL • IN YOUR DREAMS
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Community Reviews
What Bookclubbers are saying about this book
✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say *When in Rome* by Sarah Adams is a heartfelt romance with charming small-town vibes and endearing characters. Many enjoy the emotional che...
Cute but also corny. A little 'after school' specialy at times. Some of the dialogue was cringey. Overall, the storyline sounds a lot like a Melanie Harlow novel, and she does it better.
A beautiful introduction to a new series and a wonderful family. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the additional installments in this series.
I absolutely loved When in Rome. It’s a fun, cute, lighthearted romance that was such an easy and enjoyable read from start to finish. This might be the best slow-burn romance I’ve ever read.
Amelia is adorable—sweet, kind, and full of sunshine. Noah is total perfection and completely swoon-worthy. He’s grumpy on the outside, but underneath he’s deeply caring and protective, especially once Amelia enters his life.
The two of them together were incredibly cute. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their banter had me giggling and kicking my feet the whole time. I loved the way Noah slowly opened his heart to Amelia, and how they couldn’t seem to stay away from each other no matter how hard they tried. Their connection felt natural and comforting, like it just made sense for them to fall in love.
The side characters were also lovable and added so much charm to the small-town setting.
Overall, When in Rome is a cozy, heartwarming romance full of chemistry, humor, and emotional softness. I’d definitely recommend it if you enjoy grumpy/sunshine, small-town romance, and slow-burn love stories.
Amelia is adorable—sweet, kind, and full of sunshine. Noah is total perfection and completely swoon-worthy. He’s grumpy on the outside, but underneath he’s deeply caring and protective, especially once Amelia enters his life.
The two of them together were incredibly cute. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their banter had me giggling and kicking my feet the whole time. I loved the way Noah slowly opened his heart to Amelia, and how they couldn’t seem to stay away from each other no matter how hard they tried. Their connection felt natural and comforting, like it just made sense for them to fall in love.
The side characters were also lovable and added so much charm to the small-town setting.
Overall, When in Rome is a cozy, heartwarming romance full of chemistry, humor, and emotional softness. I’d definitely recommend it if you enjoy grumpy/sunshine, small-town romance, and slow-burn love stories.
I read this book, the first in the series, after inadvertently reading the last of the series as a standalone, earlier. I can tell you, none of the series are standalones, and they really must be read in order. That being said, this story is about two very disparate worlds colliding unexpectedly. Amelia is a Taylor Swift-like star, and Noah is a small town guy who is the only brother to three sisters - all orphaned at a young age. Of course they were, let’s just get them out of the way. Sorry, that sounds snarky, but also lazy, IMO. Anyway, Noah is a pie shop owner that his grandma, who raised him and all the girls, left to him. They meet when Amelia’s beater car conks out in front of Noah’s house. She was trying to escape her life for a little while before launching her big international tour. Why was she in a beater? A very silly detail, as she could afford anything as a superstar. But back to the story. Amelia and Noah, opposites in life and interests, somehow connect. I was never even convinced that Noah actually baked pies in his pie shop. He never seemed to be there. It all seemed like a placeholder. Just couldn’t see why Amelia would fall head over heels. A long story of nothing.
Disgustingly romantic in the best way possible I found myself giggling and smiling kicking my feet out of excitement. I loved reading as this story developed I wish it were me instead but nonetheless great read
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