Practice Makes Perfect

Real talk: My native Kentucky doesn't get a lot of love in literature, so when I saw this was set in the fictional small town of Rome, Kentucky, I snapped it right up. The fact that I'd heard good things about Sarah Adams's work bolstered my confidence, plus the protagonists are named Anne (okay, Annie) and Will! This is the second in the When in Rome series, but I read that it could stand alone and I found that to be the case. Annie is a 30-year-old small town florist who dreams of getting married and having children, but fears her social awkwardness may prevent that dream from coming true. Will is the badass bodyguard to pop star Rae Rose, also known as Annie's soon-to-be sister-in-law Amelia. Nobody expects "angel Annie" and bad boy Will to belong together, but sparks fly whenever they're together. This is actually a fake dating story, the idea being that Annie needs lessons from the more experienced Will if she's ever going to have a successful date. That premise strained credulity, but that's okay: I liked this for its small town setting, ongoing conversations about Annie's cherished pirate romances and their tropes, and thoughtful examination of family dynamics.