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erinmassey23's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Grief
Moderate: Stalking, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Dementia
bzliz's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I think small town romance is just not for me. Something about it feels off in a way that makes me uneasy. For a while on TikTok there was a trend of sharing things that aren’t technically racist but feel racist and this falls into that category for me. There’s a strong insiders vs. outsiders dynamic in bookish small towns (including this one) that for sure has roots in some seriously questionable history that the predominantly white authors have probably never considered or questioned.
I didn’t realize this was part of a series at first but it’s not necessary to read the first one to understand this one. It’s been sitting around my house for ages and I finally grabbed it to be one of my reads for the month and I want to go back in time to ask myself to read the blurb on the back a little closer. I think I had constructed a universe in my head based on the cover art where he was the flowershop owner but that’s not the case here. It’s just a regular bad boy x good girl pairing where he’s a floozy who doesn’t get tied down and she’s the sweet, virginal angel everyone wants to protect.
The only things I truly appreciated were Will reaching out to his brother to heal some of his childhood trauma and Annie finally standing up to her family about infantilizing her when she’s almost 30. In any case, I won’t be returning to Rome, Kentucky and I will be writing off small town romances for the foreseeable future.
I didn’t realize this was part of a series at first but it’s not necessary to read the first one to understand this one. It’s been sitting around my house for ages and I finally grabbed it to be one of my reads for the month and I want to go back in time to ask myself to read the blurb on the back a little closer. I think I had constructed a universe in my head based on the cover art where he was the flowershop owner but that’s not the case here. It’s just a regular bad boy x good girl pairing where he’s a floozy who doesn’t get tied down and she’s the sweet, virginal angel everyone wants to protect.
The only things I truly appreciated were Will reaching out to his brother to heal some of his childhood trauma and Annie finally standing up to her family about infantilizing her when she’s almost 30. In any case, I won’t be returning to Rome, Kentucky and I will be writing off small town romances for the foreseeable future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Dementia, and Death of parent
lousnewchapter's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Dementia, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
thisbookisbananas's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Practice Makes Perfect is a continuation of the When in Rome series by Sarah Adams. TBH I feel that Sarah Adams has really hit her stride with this book. Annie is a very likable character who is struggling to be her authentic self. This is due to expectations placed in her by her family and friends. Will is dealing with repercussions of living a young life watching his parents’ train-wreck of a marriage. Even with these internal conflicts, the two MC find love with each other. Sarah Adams does a fantastic job acknowledging that closed door doesn’t mean chaste, delicate flowers.
Also, the small town characters are lovable in a Stars Hollow kind of way. Love Harriet and Mabel!
I do think this could have benefited from about 10-20 pages being taken out which is the only reason why it’s not 5 stars.
That being said, I can’t wait for James’ and Maddie’s story! 💜🧑🌾👩🍳
Also, the small town characters are lovable in a Stars Hollow kind of way. Love Harriet and Mabel!
I do think this could have benefited from about 10-20 pages being taken out which is the only reason why it’s not 5 stars.
That being said, I can’t wait for James’ and Maddie’s story! 💜🧑🌾👩🍳
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Dementia, and Death of parent
abidavisf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I bawled my eyes out. I kicked my legs and giggled. I literally cackled. Practice Makes Perfect is everything I needed.
Annie and Will’s immediate chemistry was so gorgeous to read. The way they instantly understood each other’s humour and could read each other so perfectly was not only beautiful but genuinely entertaining. The “miscommunications” that always riddle romances were so short because the two of them knew each other so well, so you never felt like anything bad was actually going to stick. Each of their scenes, even early on in the story, were also incredibly sexy. Sarah Adams has that flirtatious banter DOWN.
Annie & Will both have such big hearts and have spent so long trying to ensure that everyone else is okay, so witnessing them both learning how to be honest and open to allow themselves to love not just each other but themselves was beautiful. Nobody deserves a HEA quite like them.
Practice Makes Perfect lost a star purely because of two things: one was that I spotted quite a few editorial mistakes that brought me out of the story for a moment, particularly at the beginning, and the other is that I would have liked to have gone into a bit more depth with some of the scenes. For example, on the night of Amelia’s bachelorette party, I think Will and Annie’s interactions were a little rushed from her sayingshe’d stay to him saying they can go at any pace she wants . I feel like there would have been a little more lead-up to that. I also think that, even keeping the book closed door , we could have seen more about how they came to each decision that night and their thought processes behind it.
Now we anxiously await Emily & Jack’s story before Maddie comes home and BETTER FALL IN LOVE WITH JAMES OR I’LL SUE.
Annie and Will’s immediate chemistry was so gorgeous to read. The way they instantly understood each other’s humour and could read each other so perfectly was not only beautiful but genuinely entertaining. The “miscommunications” that always riddle romances were so short because the two of them knew each other so well, so you never felt like anything bad was actually going to stick. Each of their scenes, even early on in the story, were also incredibly sexy. Sarah Adams has that flirtatious banter DOWN.
Annie & Will both have such big hearts and have spent so long trying to ensure that everyone else is okay, so witnessing them both learning how to be honest and open to allow themselves to love not just each other but themselves was beautiful. Nobody deserves a HEA quite like them.
Practice Makes Perfect lost a star purely because of two things: one was that I spotted quite a few editorial mistakes that brought me out of the story for a moment, particularly at the beginning, and the other is that I would have liked to have gone into a bit more depth with some of the scenes. For example, on the night of Amelia’s bachelorette party, I think Will and Annie’s interactions were a little rushed from her saying
Now we anxiously await Emily & Jack’s story before Maddie comes home and BETTER FALL IN LOVE WITH JAMES OR I’LL SUE.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent
brittanylee0302's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was soooooo cute! I loved watching Annie & Will's relationship unfold. I thought Annie was the perfect quirky character & Will was such a bad ass but soft for her. The character growth in this book is top tier & I loved watching the tragedies of the two characters being fought against so they could love each other. I listened to the audio & was not immediately thrilled with the narrators but they definitely grew on me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content and Dementia
laurenford's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Grief, and Stalking
graceev's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Death of parent
Minor: Dementia
Cheating, Smoking and Divorcewowitscass's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved the romance in this book, as well as the general relationships (siblings, friends, etc). The characters had great depth, and the dialogue between them didn’t feel cringey.
If you’re in the mood for a sweet, small town, bad boy(well man)/ good girl (woman) story, then you will eat this up babe.
If you’re in the mood for a sweet, small town, bad boy(well man)/ good girl (woman) story, then you will eat this up babe.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Dementia, and Grief
frantically's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this even more than the first one! Annie and Will have my heart
At first, I thought Annie was going to be the typical "oh I'm soo introverted, all I do is read romance, lonely in my room" (and I hate those characters!) but thankfully she was not. I admired and felt her desire to grow into the person she really wanted to be not the person everyone expected her to be.
Will <33333 Love this man. I'm usually also not one for the tortured MMC but he was okay 🤭 I love tattoos. Usually, we see the heroine changing her goals, changing what she ultimately wants out of life and relationships, and don't get me wrong, Annie does do that, too!, but here, Will is the one who really realises and "updates" his goals in relationships and it was so nice to see! I loved him embracing who he was 🥹
Overall, this is a story about growing into your own – but not having to grow all alone. And isn't that what we all want in the end?
At first, I thought Annie was going to be the typical "oh I'm soo introverted, all I do is read romance, lonely in my room" (and I hate those characters!) but thankfully she was not. I admired and felt her desire to grow into the person she really wanted to be not the person everyone expected her to be.
Will <33333 Love this man. I'm usually also not one for the tortured MMC but he was okay 🤭 I love tattoos. Usually, we see the heroine changing her goals, changing what she ultimately wants out of life and relationships, and don't get me wrong, Annie does do that, too!, but here, Will is the one who really realises and "updates" his goals in relationships and it was so nice to see! I loved him embracing who he was 🥹
Overall, this is a story about growing into your own – but not having to grow all alone. And isn't that what we all want in the end?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Dementia, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail