Publication: 2nd May 2023 – Headline Eternal
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 TikTok sensation, The Cheat Sheet.
How hard can it be to find the perfect match?
Florist Annie Walker is determined to find someone who complements her life. But after overhearing her latest date describe her as ‘so unbelievably boring’, Annie wonders if the problem might be her. Is it too late to become flirtatious and fun like the leading ladies in her favourite romance movies? Maybe she only needs some practice . . . and Annie has the perfect tutor in mind.
Sexy and tattooed Will Griffin is temporarily back in Rome, Kentucky, providing security for pop-star Amelia Rose in the build-up to her wedding to Annie’s brother. He also has his own agenda: stay away from Annie Walker and any attachments to this sleepy town, which becomes difficult when she enlists him to help fix her love life.
Amid steamy practice dates and strictly ‘educational’ tutoring lessons, the lines of their friendship blur and Annie reconsiders what her ‘dream guy’ might look like. Maybe her love life doesn’t need to be perfect – it just needs to be real.
Practice Makes Perfect is my first novel by Sarah Adams and, without a doubt, one of my favorite books of the year. The protagonists, the story, the romance, the setting, the writing… everything is perfect!
What I loved most about this book is the two fantastic protagonists. Annie and Will couldn’t be more different and yet they are perfect for each. I adored the character of Annie because she is authentic and realistic and I could really relate to her (in real life we would be great friends). Born and raised in the small town of Rome (Kentucky, not Italy), Annie quietly runs her flower shop and prefers reading a book to talking to people. Introvert, quiet, socially anxious, secret lover of historical romances with pirates, Annie’s always done what was expected of her. She only seems to be her true self when she is with Will, a bodyguard who loves adventure and traveling around the world. The two of them couldn’t be more different: Annie is looking for a man who lives in Rome, has a stable job, is supportive of her career, loves his family and wants one of his own; on the other hand, Will can’t wait to get out of Rome, hasn’t talked to his parents in years, and doesn’t believe in marriage. But opposites attract and Annie and Will are attracted to each other and when Annie needs help navigating the dating world, who is better than the gorgeous, flirtatious, and badass bodyguard to tutor her?
I loved those two characters together. The way they develop a close friendship, how they are honest with each other and try to fight their growing attraction… it gave me so many emotions!
The writing is addictive and the small-town setting is picture perfect. A town where everyone knows everyone, where nothing remains a secret for long, where councils are held at dawn to vote on other people’s personal business is the appropriate setting for some of the most hilarious scenes in the book.
Sexy, witty, and smart, I couldn’t put this novel down. I laughed so much, I highlighted my favourite parts (which was most of the book), and I wanted this book to be twice as long because I couldn’t get enough of the characters and their story. I give Practice Makes Perfect 5 stars and more and I am going to recommend it to everyone. Now I only need to read the author’s previous books while waiting for the next novel in this incredible and magnificent series!
A huge thank you to Headline Eternal and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel.
Sarah Adams was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. She loves her family, warm days, and making people smile. Sarah has dreamed of being a writer since she was a girl, but she finally wrote her first novel when her daughters were napping and she no longer had any excuses to put it off. Sarah is a coffee addict, a British history nerd, a mom of two daughters, married to her best friend, and an indecisive introvert. Her hope is to always write stories that make readers laugh, maybe even cry – but always leave them happier than when they started reading.
To learn more, visit: www.authorsarahadams.com or follow Sarah on Facebook and Instagram: @authorsarahadams.
Book After Book 
Well this is fun, as it’s the same town and one of the minor characters from When in Rome that I listened to earlier in the year! Fab review!
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I haven’t read When in Rome yet, but the characters are the same. And the story is really good!
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Fantastic!
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