Tag: sarah adams

ARC Book Review: Beg, Borrow, or Steal (When in Rome #3) by Sarah Adams

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Sarah Adams
Publisher: Dell Romance
Release Date: January 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two feuding second-grade teachers (and neighbors) find themselves teaming up in this rivals-to-lovers romance by the New York Times bestselling author of The Rule Book and Practice Makes Perfect.

Emily Walker hates having her carefully crafted world disrupted by anyone, most of all her legendary nemesis, Jack Bennett. He’s the opposite of the wonderful heroes she dreams up in her double life as a romance writer, which is why Emily was perfectly happy when Jack left Rome, Kentucky, mid-school year, with his fiancée. The last thing Emily saw coming was Jack’s return at the start of the summer after calling off the wedding and ending his relationship, but he’s here to stay—as her colleague and her neighbor.

Jackson Bennett is glad to be back, eager to renovate his house and work on the next mystery novel under his bestselling pen name. But when he realizes he’s now neighbors with the one woman who has always pushed his buttons, he discovers something he’s even more excited for—thwarting Emily and her petty plans to sabotage his return.

With their chemistry-fueled animosity at an all-time high, Emily accidentally sends an email to their school’s principal that could reveal her secret literary side hustle. She needs to steal back her manuscript, and Jack—she hates to admit—is just the man to help her. Surprisingly, Jack agrees. Will their unlikely alliance put an end to their rivalry? Or could it lead to a steamy plot twist they never saw coming?

Thank you Dell Romance for my gifted ARC!

LOVE LOVE LOVE.

I sat down with the attention of reading a few chapters and then proceeded to stay up until 1 AM and found myself 220 pages in. That’s the kind of hold Sarah Adams and Jack and Emily’s story had on me. Oldest daughters unite because this spoke to my battle weary soul.

I loved the chemistry between Jack and Emily. Good heavens it leapt off the page. I could not get enough of the banter. It’s the level of snark and I hate you but I really don’t that plays so beautifully off of each other. The slow burn and heated moments and those walls come crumbling down. I thought this was utterly romantic and filled with swoon.

BUT ALSO, the growth and love between Emily and her siblings was beautiful. Some hard conversations were had, but ALWAYS such love and support. I adore this family dynamic and the way they all lean on each other in the good and the bad. Seeing all of these characters and the shenanigans of Rome, Kentucky again were worth the wait.

(and let it be known I am begging for details about book four….)

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: brief open door

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ALC Book Review: The Rule Book by Sarah Adams

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Sarah Adams
Publisher: Dell
Release Date: April 2nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

College sweethearts meet again years later, in this highly anticipated romance and companion story to the viral TikTok sensation The Cheat Sheet.

Nora Mackenzie’s entire career lies in the hands of famous NFL tight end Derek Pender who also happens to be her extremely hot college ex-boyfriend. Nora didn’t end things as gracefully as she could have back then, and now it’s come back to haunt her. Derek is her first client as an official full-time sports agent and he’s holding a grudge.

Derek has set his sights on a little friendly revenge. If Nora Mackenzie, the first girl to ever break his heart, wants to be his agent, oh he’ll let her be his agent. The plan is make Nora’s life absolutely miserable. But if Derek knows anything about the woman he once loved—she won’t quit easily.

Instead of giving in, Nora starts a scheme of her own. But then a wild night in Vegas leads to Nora and Derek in bed the next morning married. With their rule book out the window, could this new relationship be the thing to save their careers?

Thank you to PRHAudio for the free audiobook.

HELD UP.

Honestly y’all. I was nervous about this one. But honestly, I loved it. It had all of the charm and swoon that I love and adore in Sarah Adams books. I laughed out loud multiple times at the well placed jokes and banter between Nora and Derek. The set-up worked really well and I loved seeing both of them pursue their separate passions while finding a way to reconnect.

My tiny quip is that I just didn’t understand the reason for breaking up in the first place. One small conversation could have changed the entire trajectory (which is an issue I often have in second chance romance books and it’s a me thing, BUT STILL).

I loved the forced proximity moments and hot dang Derek has a heated way with words. This is my favorite level of heat and steam and I looooved the combination. The audiobook narrators did an amazing job. I really appreciate with dual POV having two narrators.

And I am OBSESSED with how much we got to see Derek’s friend group (including Nathan!!). I know a lot of focus is usually around great female friendships (which is awesome), I just loved that this one had Derek and his friends as a prominent aspect. I loved how they encouraged and pushed Derek to move forward and make things work with Bree.

Absolutely another hit for Sarah Adams. Her books bring me such joy.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Sports Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: one open door; low explicit
  • Violence: low

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Book Review: To Catch a Suitor (Dalton Family #2) by Sarah Adams

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Regency Romance
Length: 310 pages
Author: Sarah Adams
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 1st, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She needs to move on. He wants to let her go. Will they finally be able to go their separate ways even though their hearts seem to have other plans?

Elizabeth Ashburn is madly, deeply, irrefutably in love with her best friend. They know each other better than their own minds. There is only one problem: To him, she is Little Lizzie, and nothing she does seems to replace the idea in his mind. No matter. It is her first Season and she is determined to make a match with a gentleman—any gentleman—who will help her steal her heart back from Oliver Turner and his sea-blue eyes.

Oliver Turner can remember the exact day that Lizzie grew up. And now, he cannot see her as anything besides the beautiful woman stealing his breath—no matter how much he needs to. He won’t marry her. He can’t. He loves her too much for that. Now, he simply needs to help marry her off so that she will officially be out of his reach.

IT WAS SWEET.

I am officially caught up on Sarah Adams books after having this one sit on my TBR for a few years. It was a quick read that had all of that regency goodness and gave me some good warm fuzzies.

My one thing? I feel like this entire book could have been solved with a conversation. Not necessarily in a miscommunication way, just that…if they’re best friends…why has this never come up in years and years? I don’t know. It’s just something I noticed.

ANYWHO. Perfectly solid read. I loved both of the main characters and everyone on the side too. I liked that there was a lot of plot but that things never felt stilted or forced to move things forward.

Overall audience notes:

  • Regency Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: child abuse (recounted), loss of a parent, childbirth, mention of miscarriage (side character)

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ARC Book Review: Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Sarah Adams
Publisher: Dell
Release Date: May 2nd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When the owner of the local flower shop in Rome, Kentucky, makes a questionable agreement with a tattooed bad boy, a delightful friends to lovers romance begins to bloom–from the author of When in Rome and The Cheat Sheet.

Annie Walker is on a quest to find her perfect match-someone who nicely compliments her happy, quiet life running her flower shop in Rome, Kentucky. Unfortunately, she worries her goal might be too far out of reach when she overhears her date saying she is “sounbelievably boring.” Is it too late to become flirtatious and fun like the leading ladies in her favorite romance movies? Maybe she only needs a little practice…and Annie has the perfect person in mind to become her tutor: Will Griffin.

Will–the flirtatious, tattooed, and absolutely gorgeous bodyguard–is temporarily back in Rome, providing security for Amelia Rose as excitement grows for her upcoming marriage to Noah Walker. He has one personal objective during his time in town: stay away from Annie Walker. But no sooner than he gets settled, Will soon finds himself not only breaking his rule, but tasked with far more than simply providing security.

Will wants no part in changing the sweet and lovely Annie, but he can’t bring himself to say no to her request, so he officially agrees to teach her how to be the next leading lady of Rome, Kentucky, and find the love of her life-even if he doesn’t believe in love himself. Between faking a relationship so the meddling town doesn’t catch on to what’s really happening on their practice dates, and tutoring lessons that convince Annie to add passion to her list of must-haves in a mate, it doesn’t take long for the lines of their friendship to blur…

Thank you to PRHAudio for the audiobook and the publisher for an eARC.

THIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE.

The Off-Limits Rule has reigned supreme for awhile now. AND HAS BEEN DETHRONED BY THIS GREATNESS. Oh my goodness. I binged this book in a few hours and could not put it down. SARAH ADAMS YOU BEAUTIFUL SOUL. This was an incredible read filled with heart, finding your path, laughter and all the LOVE.

I absolutely adored Will and Annie. They had explosive chemistry from the minute they met. And DUAL POV MAKES ME FERAL. I got everything I could ask for in Will’s POV and seeing his side of the story. What a cinnamon roll. I am not going to recover from his off the charts book boyfriend status. He is next level. He is the goal.

Sweet Annie rang true to my introverted heart and I adored her character. I loved who she was, who she became and everything in between. Another amazing heroine in an Adams book is no surprise.

The way that steam was achieved without the spice sent me. I LOVE BOOKS LIKE THIS. It’s another refrain in the books don’t always have to have explicitness to be magnificent. You won’t miss it for a second because Practice Makes Perfect still packs all the heat.

READ IT Y’ALL.

Audiobook review: LOVED. I adored both narrators and I loved the way they told the story. I felt like I could see the characters and it easily made my reading experience better.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporay Romance
  • Language: light but strong
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: past death of parents, toxic childhood life

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