When in Rome by Sarah Adams
When in Rome by Sarah Adams – Small Town, Pop Star, Pie & Pure Cheese ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5/5 Stars)
Okay. Deep breath.
I am primarily a thriller girl. Serial killers? Yes. Unreliable narrators? Absolutely. Creepy basements? Bring it on.
But give me a sappy, cheesy, small-town romance and suddenly I’m melted butter on a warm biscuit. 🧈🥧
I don’t know why these books relax me so much, but they do. They’re predictable, sweet, emotionally safe, and honestly? Sometimes that’s exactly what I need.
And When in Rome? It delivered exactly what it promised.
🚨 Spoiler Warning 🚨
This review contains full plot spoilers including the ending. If you want to experience the pie-baking swoons unspoiled, stop here.
⚠️ Content / Trigger Warnings
Emotional manipulation
Controlling manager
Disordered eating (referenced)
Parental death (storm-related)
Abandonment issues
📚 Book Overview
When in Rome by Sarah Adams (2022) is the first book in the When in Rome series.
It follows international pop star Amelia “Rae Rose”, who escapes her suffocating celebrity life and accidentally strands herself in Rome, Kentucky—on the front lawn of grumpy-but-hot pie shop owner Noah Walker.
Yes. The car breaks down in the hottest single guy’s yard.
Yes. He has emotional baggage.
Yes. There’s only one guest room available.
We are not pretending this isn’t convenient. We are embracing it. 😌
Themes include:
Celebrity vs. authenticity
Mental health and burnout
Small-town community love
Emotional healing through romance and pie
🥧 Full Plot Summary (Spoilers Galore)
🎤 Burned-Out Pop Star Escapes
Amelia is exhausted.
As global pop icon Rae Rose, she’s constantly micromanaged by her controlling manager, Susan, who dictates everything—from her schedule to her image to her personal life. A nine-month tour looms ahead, and Amelia feels completely disconnected from her music.
Inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s Roman Holiday, she impulsively decides to run away.
Not to Italy (too much press).
Instead? Rome, Kentucky. Two hours away. Manageable. Quiet. Anonymous.
…Or so she thinks.
🚗 The Most Convenient Breakdown in Romance History
Her car breaks down.
Where?
On the front lawn of Noah Walker, brooding pie shop owner and certified Small Town Heartthrob™.
He’s private. Reserved. A little grumpy. Avoids gossip.
And now there’s a literal pop star on his lawn.
Since the town’s only B&B is full and her car can’t be fixed for two weeks, Noah reluctantly lets her stay in his guest room.
Do we question the convenience? No.
We accept it as part of the Rom-Com Universe.
🥧 Forced Proximity + Emotional Baggage
Noah has issues.
His previous relationship with a woman from out of town ended badly, leaving him wary of outsiders. On top of that, his parents died in a storm, leaving him with deep storm-related anxiety and abandonment trauma.
Amelia, meanwhile, is used to being treated like a brand—not a person.
In Rome, Kentucky?
Nobody cares that she’s Rae Rose. They care that she’s staying at Noah’s. 😏
And honestly? That shift is everything for her.
💋 The Kiss They “Totally” Regret
The banter builds.
They tease. They clash. They slowly soften.
One day, alone in the pie shop, they kiss.
They immediately decide it was a mistake.
They will not discuss it.
They are mature adults.
Reader: they are not emotionally mature adults.
🎤 Susan the Villain Manager
Meanwhile, Susan is frantically trying to locate Amelia.
Throughout the story, we learn Susan has:
Controlled Amelia’s schedule
Prioritized publicity over well-being
Encouraged unhealthy habits
Treated Amelia’s life like a business asset
It slowly becomes clear that what Amelia once interpreted as care was actually manipulation.
🌻 Small-Town Healing Era
As Amelia settles into Rome:
She reconnects with music.
Song lyrics begin flowing again.
She starts remembering why she loved performing.
She feels human again.
The town embraces her—not as Rae Rose—but as Amelia.
It’s wholesome. It’s sweet. It’s borderline Hallmark and I loved it.
📸 Paparazzi Chaos & Betrayal
Just when Amelia and Noah finally admit their feelings and agree to enjoy their limited time together…
The paparazzi descend.
They are swarmed. Chaos. Cameras. Public spectacle.
Susan appears dramatically and whisks Amelia away “to safety.”
But Amelia sees it in her eyes.
Susan tipped off the paparazzi.
Why?
To prove that Amelia could never have a normal life in Rome. To scare her back into compliance.
It is manipulative. Calculated. And cruel.
💪 Amelia Grows a Backbone
Amelia confronts Susan.
Susan admits it.
She did it “for Amelia’s own good.”
Classic toxic logic.
And for the first time, Amelia chooses herself.
She fires Susan. 👏👏👏
Before her tour begins.
Major character growth moment.
💔 The Long-Distance Struggle
Amelia leaves for tour.
They agree to try long distance.
Noah’s abandonment trauma resurfaces. Instead of communicating like an emotionally stable adult, he pulls away. Stops calling. Stops trying.
Sir. Please.
His sister eventually gives him a much-needed pep talk about his fear of being left again.
He realizes he’s sabotaging something good.
🎶 Grand Gesture Time
Opening night of Amelia’s tour.
Guess who shows up?
Noah.
He apologizes.
He chooses her.
He decides to fight for the relationship.
He even joins her on parts of the tour.
And after the tour?
Amelia takes a long hiatus from performing and returns to Rome, Kentucky.
Because that’s home now.
💍 The Ending
She and Noah get engaged.
She builds a life that balances music, autonomy, and love.
And yes. It is convenient.
And yes. It is tidy.
And yes. I smiled the entire time.
💭 My Honest Thoughts
Is this book predictable?
Absolutely.
Is the broken-down-car-meets-hot-pie-shop-owner trope wildly convenient?
Obviously.
Does he ask to sleep in her bed during a storm because of childhood trauma and it somehow becomes romantic?
Yes. Yes it does.
But here’s the thing:
This is not a detective novel.
This is not literary fiction.
This is a comfort read.
And it works.
It’s light.
It’s funny.
It’s sweet.
It’s emotionally safe.
And sometimes I need a break from murder. 😌
⭐ Final Rating: 4.5 / 5 Stars
It’s cheesy.
It’s soft.
It’s pure rom-com comfort.
And I will absolutely continue this series.
📖 If You Loved This, Try These:
Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams
The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
Now excuse me while I return to my regularly scheduled serial killers…
…until the next grumpy small-town baker shows up. 🥧💕
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