Rome, Kentucky, Book 4
From the publisher:
A homecoming to Rome, Kentucky, sparks a new romance—and lots of drama—between two old family friends, from the New York Times bestselling author of When in Rome, Practice Makes Perfect, and Beg, Borrow, or Steal.
Madison Walker left Rome, Kentucky, determined to make it in the culinary world. But after years of chasing success in New York, all she has to show for it is her shattered confidence and a desperate need for a fresh start. Coming home isn’t part of the plan—until an unexpected job offer lands in her lap: the head chef position at a new farm-to-table restaurant in her hometown. The only catch? It comes from James Huxley, owner of Huxley Farm, her brother’s best friend.
James has always played it safe, keeping his head down and running the family business. But when Madison’s happiness is on the line, he’s willing to take up his estranged brother’s offer to launch a restaurant. James has loved her quietly for years, knowing she’s never seen him as more than an annoyance, but now that she’s back, he’s determined to change that.
Madison and James are tasked with launching the dreamy restaurant in record time, but keeping things strictly professional soon becomes impossible, and the town can’t help but meddle in their relationship. As opening night looms closer, Madison’s fears threaten to hold her back.
When an unexpected disaster collides with a long-simmering sibling feud, both Madison and James will have to face their biggest insecurities—and decide if love is worth the risk or if some dreams are safer left untouched.
“Adams concludes her “Rome, Kentucky” series with…this heartfelt, slow-burn romance [that] will leave readers reminiscing and wanting to start the whole series over again.”—Library Journal
I’d forgotten how much I adore visiting Rome, Kentucky—the kind of small town that makes you want to stay forever. This final installment in the series centers on the last Walker sister, Madison, and it’s a deeply satisfying conclusion.
Madison is warm, spirited, and sensitive, but she’s also plagued by self-doubt. While her sisters are thriving, Madison feels like the odd one out. She dreams of becoming a chef, so she leaves her teaching job and moves to New York to attend culinary school. She scrapes by, convinced she would not have graduated without the extra credit earned by cleaning labs. Too embarrassed to celebrate what feels like a near-failure, she skips her graduation entirely and doesn’t tell her family.
She’s also been quietly crushing on her brother’s best friend, James, for as long as she can remember. After one too many drinks, she calls him—expecting awkwardness, not comfort. Instead, James listens. Then he throws her a lifeline: come home to Rome and be the chef for the restaurant he’s opening as part of revitalizing his family farm. For Madison, it’s the fresh start she needs—and a way to return home without admitting defeat.
What Madison doesn’t know is that James never planned to open a restaurant until that phone call. She also doesn’t know he’s been harboring feelings for her just as long. Determined to give her a reason to stay, James enlists his brother Tommy, a successful restaurateur in Los Angeles, to help get the restaurant off the ground. Things quickly become complicated when Tommy starts flirting with Madison, making James’s unspoken jealousy impossible to ignore.
Madison loves her new job, but her insecurities linger, and working so closely with James brings her long-buried feelings to the surface. He’s her brother’s best friend—and now her boss—which makes everything even more complicated.
James, meanwhile, is juggling big dreams for the farm, his father’s declining health, and the financial risk of the restaurant. If Madison fails, they could both lose everything. Still, James’s stubborn faith in her—and his own blind spot when it comes to Madison—keeps him believing she’ll succeed, even when doubts creep in.
As they work side by side, it becomes impossible to hide what they feel, and their love story unfolds into a well-earned happily ever after. This was the perfect conclusion to a terrific series, and I can’t wait to see what Adams does next. While longtime readers will appreciate the journey, the book also stands beautifully on its own—so new readers can easily start here. It was a wonderful way to kick off a new year of reading.
1/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
IN YOUR DREAMS by Sarah Adams. Dell. (December 30, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593723715. 368p.
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