Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Two rival second-grade teachers and neighbors find themselves unexpectedly teaming up in this charming rivals-to-lovers romance set in Rome, Kentucky—by Sarah Adams, the New York Times bestselling author of The Rule Book and Practice Makes Perfect.

Sarah Adams creates heartfelt stories that resonate deeply, focused on characters embracing life’s messy journey and discovering themselves along the way. “I love her style,” says Hannah Grace, author of Icebreaker.

Emily Walker prides herself on maintaining order and control in her life and absolutely loathes disruptions—especially when they’re caused by Jack Bennett, her longtime rival. Jack is the complete opposite of the romantic heroes Emily secretly writes about in her alter ego as a romance novelist. She’s relieved when Jack moves away from Rome mid-school-year alongside his fiancée, believing herself finally free of his irritating presence. But when Jack unexpectedly returns to town at the start of summer after breaking off his engagement, Emily is shocked—and annoyed—to find he’s not only back for good, but he’s also her coworker once again and her new next-door neighbor.

Jack, meanwhile, is happy to settle back into Rome, renovate his house, and work on his next bestselling mystery novel under his pseudonym. He quickly learns, however, that his latest neighbor is none other than Emily—the woman who has always managed to frustrate him most. Soon enough, Jack finds himself oddly motivated to prevent Emily’s attempts at sabotage and engage in some teasing and thwarting of his own.

Their simmering antagonism heats up even further when Emily mistakenly sends an email to their school’s principal—an email potentially revealing her secret literary life. Desperate to protect her pseudonym and manuscript, Emily reluctantly finds herself turning to Jack for help to retrieve it. Surprisingly, Jack agrees.

As they’re unexpectedly forced onto the same team, can Emily and Jack finally put aside their longstanding rivalry? Or will this unplanned partnership lead to a romantic twist neither one saw coming?

Don’t miss Sarah Adams’s full When in Rome series:
When in Rome • Practice Makes Perfect • Beg, Borrow, or Steal (Coming Soon!)