A review by ishu_u
When in Rome by Sarah Adams

emotional funny lighthearted relaxing 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? Yes

5.0

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!! had me smiling and giggling like a little girl. i swear, my cheeks hurt from smiling too much. this book is so cutesy!!! it's like seeing a romcom movie play out in my head, so clearly, i love it. i absolutely love grumpy x sunshine and this was one of the best books i've ever read with that trope. noah and amelia are both so endearing. amelia is so funny and cute, i love her inability to stay quiet for more than 5 seconds. and i can sympathise with her and i love her growth as a character at the end.

her standing up to susan and mending her relationship with her mom made me so personally proud of her like u go girl!!! u deserve everything.

and noah is so likeable, too! he's so green flag! he cooks and he reads and he has a set of favorite pajamas he owns and he loves his sisters so much and i absolutely love his grumpiness, too. i just love them both so much. individually AND together. they're such a cute couple, i was smiling so much reading this book, swaying my feet and everything. the banter was so funny and cute!

the first kiss scene has my entire heart, my god. i still get butterflies thinking about it. and the scene where he's drunk and he flirts with her?! 😭 stop, i was screaming reading that scene. like i actually had to bite my fist to stop bc it was so cute. and this man makes it worse by asking "can i kiss u? just one more time?" LIKE STOPPP MY HEART CANNOT HANDLE THIS. and then that kiss in the lake, phew. he is so down bad for her, it's adorable.

they have sooo much chemistry. actually felt like watching two dorks having crushes on each other and being awkward and cute and ☹️!!! i just love them so much. i love that noah is always by her side and is so reassuring towards her and she's the same to him.

when he was like "i see you" in that scene amelia takes the sleeping pill, i literally almost cried. and the scene with him taking amelia to meet his grandma made me so sad, too. and he's afraid of storms, my heart. i'm so glad amelia is there for him. also i love how amelia is like "he's never getting rid of me" i love her and i love that she's the one for him after what he went through with merritt.

also i absolutely love that the story takes place in a small town setting. i love books and movies like that. the cast is always so fun! i love that amelia gets along with noah's sisters and i absolutely love james and mabel. the whole cast is so endearing, actually. they're like one big family. and i loved the ending so much! i'm so glad everything works out for noah and amelia, they deserve everything. i love this book sm.