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vj_thompson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Annie and Will (aka: Will/William Griffin, William, Wilson, Wilbert, Wildon, Wilbur,, Wolf Boy, Williamson, Wilton, Wilfred, Captain Blackheart, and Wilmont)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Bullying, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content, Dementia, Alcohol, Cursing, and Chronic illness
mountainside_reading's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
“This one is for the softies. The tenderhearted sweeties. The introverts who are afraid to shine.”
Oh my goodness. I think this just overtook The Cheat Sheet as my favorite Sarah Adams, and definitely became one of my all time favorites. I loved and related so much to Annie. The dynamic between her and Will was perfect and the overall story was unique. I think I mostly loved how honest they were with each other. They thought they wanted different things and had some personal issues to work through but communicated those openly and honestly to each other.
I loved being back in Rome with its Stars Hollow vibes. It also reminded me of A Walk to Remember (without the [spoiler alert] dying). I simultaneously laughed and cried. So much banter written to perfection. Even Annie calling Will by different names starting with Will made me laugh each time. I just finished and already want to start it all over again!
Oh my goodness. I think this just overtook The Cheat Sheet as my favorite Sarah Adams, and definitely became one of my all time favorites. I loved and related so much to Annie. The dynamic between her and Will was perfect and the overall story was unique. I think I mostly loved how honest they were with each other. They thought they wanted different things and had some personal issues to work through but communicated those openly and honestly to each other.
I loved being back in Rome with its Stars Hollow vibes. It also reminded me of A Walk to Remember (without the [spoiler alert] dying). I simultaneously laughed and cried. So much banter written to perfection. Even Annie calling Will by different names starting with Will made me laugh each time. I just finished and already want to start it all over again!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Dementia
Minor: Infidelity
thebookpaiges's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity and Violence
Minor: Dementia
fairytalefootnotes's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia and Grief
Minor: Death of parent
neverlandpages4's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
• I saw this going around on bookstagram, a review said that there’s a lot of communication in this, and the MMC has tattoos so of course I had to read it.
• This is set in the same town as “When In Rome”, following the main character’s sister from that book but can be read as a stand-alone. I didn’t read the first one in this interconnected series but now that I loved this, I probably will.
• Will & Annie are definitely one of my favorite book couples. The way that Will helps Annie come out of her shell & doesn’t treat her like a fragile, innocent child like everyone else does was amazing to see. I also really loved Annie’s character development. She came a long way and I was rooting for her the entire time. I surprisingly related to her so much and I just loved seeing her overcome all those obstacles.
• Only thing I’ll say is I felt like this was a bit too fast-paced. Like less than halfway through they were already admitting their feelings to each other which always kills the anticipation for me tbh.
• Looking back at this book, I’ll be honest and say that it was pretty forgettable. I read it one day because I was having one of the worst days ever and heavily needed a distraction and this was perfect for that. I was happily wrapped up in the small cozy town with the funny and loving characters but is this a top favorite romance of mine? No. And I don’t think I’ll ever re-read it but it was good at the time & that’s why I rated it 5⭐️.
————————————-
🌷 tropes 🌷
🩷 good girl x bad boy
🩷 small town
🩷 bodyguard x florist
🩷 bookworm MC
🩷 he reads her favorite books
🩷 dating lessons & fake dating (only for a short while though)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Abandonment
Minor: Dementia and Sexism
booksbystephanie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Practice Makes Perfect, a novel by Sarah Adams, available May 2, 2023!
First, this is an interconnected series with When in Rome, which follows Amelia and Noah’s story. I started reading Practice Makes Perfect before reading When in Rome (which was perfectly fine), but I wanted to go back and read WIR first to better grasp the whole town’s relationship and history with the characters. And I’m glad I did! But there is no reason you cannot read this book on its own. Sarah Adams does a great job recounting features from the first book, so you could read this as a standalone. However, you will find that this whole universe is so sweet that you will want to get lost in it as much as possible!
Practice Makes Perfect follows the story of Noah’s sister, Annie Walker, and Amelia’s bodyguard (errr…executive protection agent) and commitment-phobe, Will Griffin, as they fall in love under the guise of Annie needing dating practice to secure a husband. Annie and Will learn that there’s more to discover about themselves in the process, including realizing that what they actually want may be different than what they thought they always wanted.
Like WIR, this book was fast-paced, super sweet, had several laugh-out-loud moments, and made me swoon over their interactions. I loved Annie’s introverted personality, but she had this secret sizzle-ly side as a closeted romance reader. Will was a softy-at-heart (stern brunch daddy!) with a jealous, protective streak and several touch-her-and-you-die moments. As in WIR, I’m willing to overlook the fade-to-blacks. I would have taken on a different angle if there was more detail, so I respect that decision. Regardless, I loved this story, and their relationship woes and grows.
Don’t go into this book thinking you are getting a deep, pining, prophetic love story. It is just what anyone would need if they’re looking for a good, quick read – potentially a great palette cleanser in a book slump! I was grinning ear-to-ear reading this and cannot WAIT for James and Maddie’s story (which, I am proud to say I predicted even while reading WIR!).
Thank you so much to Dell (Penguin Random House) and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced (e-)reader copy and a chance to rate and review this book!
4 ⭐️ 0
First, this is an interconnected series with When in Rome, which follows Amelia and Noah’s story. I started reading Practice Makes Perfect before reading When in Rome (which was perfectly fine), but I wanted to go back and read WIR first to better grasp the whole town’s relationship and history with the characters. And I’m glad I did! But there is no reason you cannot read this book on its own. Sarah Adams does a great job recounting features from the first book, so you could read this as a standalone. However, you will find that this whole universe is so sweet that you will want to get lost in it as much as possible!
Practice Makes Perfect follows the story of Noah’s sister, Annie Walker, and Amelia’s bodyguard (errr…executive protection agent) and commitment-phobe, Will Griffin, as they fall in love under the guise of Annie needing dating practice to secure a husband. Annie and Will learn that there’s more to discover about themselves in the process, including realizing that what they actually want may be different than what they thought they always wanted.
Like WIR, this book was fast-paced, super sweet, had several laugh-out-loud moments, and made me swoon over their interactions. I loved Annie’s introverted personality, but she had this secret sizzle-ly side as a closeted romance reader. Will was a softy-at-heart (stern brunch daddy!) with a jealous, protective streak and several touch-her-and-you-die moments. As in WIR, I’m willing to overlook the fade-to-blacks. I would have taken on a different angle if there was more detail, so I respect that decision. Regardless, I loved this story, and their relationship woes and grows.
Don’t go into this book thinking you are getting a deep, pining, prophetic love story. It is just what anyone would need if they’re looking for a good, quick read – potentially a great palette cleanser in a book slump! I was grinning ear-to-ear reading this and cannot WAIT for James and Maddie’s story (which, I am proud to say I predicted even while reading WIR!).
Thank you so much to Dell (Penguin Random House) and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced (e-)reader copy and a chance to rate and review this book!
4 ⭐️ 0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Dementia, Grief, and Bullying
Minor: Medical content, Alcohol, Chronic illness, and Terminal illness
rickireadss's review against another edition
4.5
thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an arc!!
WILL AND ANNIE >>>> i loved their little "practice" arrangement - this quite literally is one of my favorite tropes EVER. talk about butterflies, whew ;) also the meddling small town is one of my favorite aspects of this series.
watching will grow throughout the book was such a great time, as i was not liking him in his first pov chapter when he was talking about how he hates love and how he treated his brother?? made me want to punch him through the dang screen.
i found myself relating to annie wayyy too much. her thoughts, feelings, and just overall how she acted in certain situations felt like sarah interviewed for me for the character lmao. i had a great time reading this, and i HIGHLY recommend! this is a closed door, fade-to-black book (meaning no on-page, detailed sex scenes) - which typically i stay away from because i love sex scenes ;) - but sarah does SUCH a good job at still making you feel that tension and ooey-gooey feelings for the mcs that i didn't feel like i was missing a bunch without the on-page action, if that makes sense.
⚠️: grief, death of parent (off page, past), bullying, child abuse, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, infidelity (not mcs), dementia (side character)
WILL AND ANNIE >>>> i loved their little "practice" arrangement - this quite literally is one of my favorite tropes EVER. talk about butterflies, whew ;) also the meddling small town is one of my favorite aspects of this series.
watching will grow throughout the book was such a great time, as i was not liking him in his first pov chapter when he was talking about how he hates love and how he treated his brother?? made me want to punch him through the dang screen.
i found myself relating to annie wayyy too much. her thoughts, feelings, and just overall how she acted in certain situations felt like sarah interviewed for me for the character lmao. i had a great time reading this, and i HIGHLY recommend! this is a closed door, fade-to-black book (meaning no on-page, detailed sex scenes) - which typically i stay away from because i love sex scenes ;) - but sarah does SUCH a good job at still making you feel that tension and ooey-gooey feelings for the mcs that i didn't feel like i was missing a bunch without the on-page action, if that makes sense.
⚠️: grief, death of parent (off page, past), bullying, child abuse, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, infidelity (not mcs), dementia (side character)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Dementia
sarahholliday's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Well, I finished this in a single day, so clearly Adams is doing something right!
The plot definitely kept me reading more than the writing—there's a lot of telling instead of showing, and some repetition, especially in the beginning. I also think Adams struggled to get into Will's head. His chapters and dialogue don't feel as genuine or natural as Annie's.
ALL of that being said, there's some really witty dialogue and laugh-out-loud writing throughout the story, and I appreciate seeing a character negotiate her sexuality and reputation with such thoughtfulness and care. It was a true pleasure watching Annie come out of her shell and start demanding what she wanted from the world.
There is plenty of sexual tension, but the novel as a whole is relatively closed-door, making this a perfect option for anyone that likes a bit of steam to their romance without getting all the details.
I'll definitely keep an eye out for what else Sarah Adams does! Thanks to NetGalley and Dell for my advanced copy.
The plot definitely kept me reading more than the writing—there's a lot of telling instead of showing, and some repetition, especially in the beginning. I also think Adams struggled to get into Will's head. His chapters and dialogue don't feel as genuine or natural as Annie's.
ALL of that being said, there's some really witty dialogue and laugh-out-loud writing throughout the story, and I appreciate seeing a character negotiate her sexuality and reputation with such thoughtfulness and care. It was a true pleasure watching Annie come out of her shell and start demanding what she wanted from the world.
There is plenty of sexual tension, but the novel as a whole is relatively closed-door, making this a perfect option for anyone that likes a bit of steam to their romance without getting all the details.
I'll definitely keep an eye out for what else Sarah Adams does! Thanks to NetGalley and Dell for my advanced copy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Dementia
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