If you’ve seen my Instagram account, you’ll know how much I love a Sarah Adams book. However, this might just be my favourite book she’s ever written. I managed to read this entirely in one day because I could not put it down! It’s totally binge-worthy and I just want to dive right back into it all over again.
When in Rome is such an enchanting story and the whole time I was reading I couldn’t stop thinking about how it reminded me of Gilmore Girls – small town, romance, comedy, drama… this book is everything. Mabel also exudes Miss Patty vibes and I chuckled out loud more than once at her shenanigans! She didn’t miss a thing, but I love the fact that she acted all innocent and pretend not to know what was going on – I could literally envision her and Noah’s conversation in my mind, and I was beaming the whole time.
And, if it hasn’t been put out there yet, then allow me to say that Noah and Amelia are the 2020s version of Luke and Lorelai. Their banter, and Noah’s grumpy ruggedness was absolutely perfect, and I had love hearts in my eyes the whole time while I was reading about them. Of course, there was less will they/won’t they going on because unlike GG, there were only three hundred odd pages rather than a few seasons… but it will still deliciously wonderful!
I think I have said that about every book of Sarah’s, but I will most likely continue to say it for every book she writes: my favourite thing about her writing is how she writes comedy. I have yet to come across a book that does it as well as she does. I have laughed out loud at every single one – sometimes to the point where my stomach hurts – because she has such an immense talent with the most perfect comedic timing. Honestly, if she ever decides to stop writing books (I hope she doesn’t), I really hope she’d venture into the world of Hallmark movies and write sweet and hilarious romcoms, because I think she would be exquisite at it.
Of course, there are so many other things to love about this book tooe, like the homage to Audrey Hepburn, with whom Amelia is obsessed with! I have to admit that I haven’t seen any of her films (bad, I know, but I will rectify soon!), though I am vaguely familiar with Breakfast at Tiffanys (I mean, even if you haven’t seen it, the post is simply so iconic that you just know!). When in Rome particularly draws inspiration from Hepburn’s film Roman Holiday – considered to be one of the most romantic films of all time – with Amelia constantly asking herself ‘What Would Audrey Do’ in the context of the film to negate her decisions. I mean, that’s the main character energy we all need, right?
Ultimately, if you love Gilmore Girls and you love reading romance books that will have you swooning, then buckle up folks and friends, because this is probably the perfect book for you. It’s like the literary version of Stars Hollow, and every page felt like a giant, comforting hug. You want to nestle into the cosy vibes, and simply live there forever – at least, I do, anyway.
Favourite Quotes:
✨ ‘I think we’ll get hurt a lot in this life, but maybe it’s worth it because sometimes we will experience really amazing things, too. Maybe not everything will end in hurt. But we’ll never know if we don’t try.’
✨ ‘Sometimes a woman is just worn out and needs a break, you know?’ […] ‘That doesn’t prove you’re week or neglectful. It proves to all the women standing by and watching you pave the road to success that it’s okay to say no. It’s okay to shut your door every now and then and put up a sa sign that says ‘busy taking care of me today.’
✨ ‘Care is reckless because it doesn’t come with the seat belt that selfishness offers. Care has so much to lose, and almost always ends in heartbreak.’
✨ ‘Sometimes people decide not to like me for the most arbitrary reasons. SOmetimes it’s just because I’m famous, and successful people make them uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s because I voted differently than them. And sometimes it’s because I frowned outside their favourite yogurt shop and now they want to cancel me forever because they think I’m against yogurt.’
✨ ‘I’ll tell you what makes me madder than a hornet. When people tell other people how they should feel.’
✨ ‘Have you never loved something just for what it means to you?’
✨ ‘If you don’t intend to walk her down the aisle, then don’t go dipping your toes in her pond.’
✨ ‘To me, you’re Amelia. Maker of shitty pancakes and a smile that rivals the sun. All I want is you.’
✨ ‘I will memorize him if it’s the last thing I do. I will carry the feel of his smile in my pocket for the rest of my life.’
✨ ‘Unfortunately, I’m also forbidden from cupcakes, any sort of exhilarating activity, or blinking without Susan’s consent.’
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