There’s something irresistible about a small town where everyone knows your name, your business, and exactly who you should be dating. Sarah Adams’ Rome, Kentucky series delivers all that cozy charm while following the Walker siblings as they stumble, resist, and ultimately fall into love. Each book stands alone, but together they create an interconnected world that’s equal parts heartwarming and swoon-worthy. These aren’t just romance novels. They’re love letters to found family, second chances, and the kind of small-town magic that makes you want to pack up and move to Kentucky.
When in Rome (Book 1)
Pop star Amelia Rose is burned out and desperate for a break from her carefully curated public persona as Rae Rose. Inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s Roman Holiday, she escapes to Rome… Rome, Kentucky, that is. When her car breaks down on Noah Walker’s front lawn, the grumpy pie shop owner reluctantly lets her crash in his guest room. What follows is a slow-burn romance between a woman hiding from fame and a man hiding from his grief. Noah shows Amelia the small-town experiences she’s been missing, while she helps him open his heart again. It’s forced proximity meets pop star in hiding meets grumpy baker, and it works beautifully.
“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.”
Practice Makes Perfect (Book 2)
Annie Walker runs the local flower shop and is determined to find her perfect match, someone who complements her quiet, happy life. But after overhearing her latest date call her “unbelievably boring,” she starts to wonder if maybe she’s the problem. Enter Will Griffin, tattooed bodyguard and temporary Rome resident who’s in town protecting pop star Amelia Rose. When Annie enlists Will to teach her the art of seduction through “practice dates,” neither of them anticipates how real things will get. This is practice dating gone real, teaching her seduction, he’s temporary, florist meets bodyguard, and she’s not so innocent. It’s pure rom-com gold.
“If I waited until I felt confident to live my life and do the things I want to do, I’d never live.”
Beg, Borrow, or Steal (Book 3)
Second-grade teacher Emily Walker has her world exactly how she wants it, which is why her legendary nemesis Jack Bennett disrupts everything just by existing. When Jack returns to Rome after calling off his wedding, he’s back as both her colleague and her neighbor. Their chemistry-fueled animosity reaches peak levels when Emily accidentally sends an email to their principal that could expose her secret career as a romance writer. She needs to steal back her manuscript, and Jack is unfortunately the perfect person to help. What starts as an unlikely alliance becomes something neither of them saw coming. Second-grade teacher nemeses, forced teamwork, feuding neighbors, secret identities collide, and enemies to lovers heat. It’s got everything.
“You think you’re unlovable, but I think I’ve never known how to love until knowing you.”
In Your Dreams (Book 4)
Madison Walker left Rome to make it in the culinary world, but after barely graduating from culinary school in New York, all she has is shattered confidence and a desperate need for a fresh start. When she accidentally calls her brother’s best friend James Huxley in a moment of weakness, he offers her an unexpected lifeline: head chef at a new farm-to-table restaurant on his farm. James has loved Madison quietly for years, and this is his chance to bring her home and show her what she means to him. As they launch the restaurant together under impossible deadlines and intense pressure, keeping things professional becomes impossible. Brother’s best friend, chef rebuilding dreams, farm-to-table romance, frenemies to lovers, and risk it all for love. The perfect ending to the series.
“…so you brought your tortoise into a bar?” “Would you have rather it have been a baby?” “Does it have to be one or the other?”
Here’s the thing that makes this series truly special: Sarah Adams crafted each book as a love letter to classic Audrey Hepburn films. The entire Rome, Kentucky series pays homage to the timeless actress, weaving her elegant spirit and iconic movies throughout the Walker siblings’ stories. It’s a brilliant framework that adds an extra layer of charm to an already irresistible series. Whether you’re here for the tropes, the small-town vibes, the Walker family chaos, or the Audrey Hepburn nostalgia, this series delivers on every level.
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