A review by bzliz
Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

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. 
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