Sarah Adams returns to Rome, Kentucky for BEG, BORROW, OR STEAL, the third book in her When in Rome series that follows the orphaned Walker siblings finding happily ever after with newcomers who move to their quirky, small hometown. Brother Noah who took over the family pie shop met and fell for a pop star princess, Amelia, after a meet cute on his lawn. Sister Annie fell for Amelia’s bodyguard, Will, while he was giving her lessons in dating.
Now it is Emily’s turn. Bossy, oldest sister Emily likes her structured life as a second grade teacher. She loves her students and being needed by her siblings. As they find their future, she is feeling a little left behind so she secretly drafts a romance novel that she always dreamed of writing. In a moment of courage, she decides to send it to an agent but accidentally emails the entire book to her boss, the judgmental and strait-laced school Principal. Now she has to ask for help from Jackson Bennett, her college and work nemesis, to help her retrieve the email. Jackson recently moved back to town to teach second grade and also happened to buy the fixer-upper next door to her so he is everywhere Emily turns. And he has his own secret to keep. Sweet, small town, slow burn, enemies to lovers book with characters from the other books in the series getting plenty of page time. And there is still one sister left.
Two feuding second-grade teachers (and neighbors) find themselves teaming up in this new rivals-to-lovers romance set in Rome, Kentucky—from 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’sreturn 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.
Jack 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 about—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, he agrees. Will their unlikely alliance put an end to their rivalry? Or could it lead to a steamy plot twist they never saw coming?
© 2003-2026