Sarah Adams’ 2025 release delivers wit and chemistry as two second-grade teachers (and secret authors) find their lives intertwined
By IQRA AHMAD — arts@theaggie.org
Whimsical, cute and not overly corny — these are hallmarks of a great romance novel. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of falling head over heels for two characters as they discover themselves and each other. Sarah Adams’ newest release, “Beg, Borrow or Steal,” delivers on whimsy and charm, with just a touch of corniness.
The novel kicks off with Emily Walkers, a second-grade teacher spending her summer break in her small hometown of Rome, Kentucky. Emily is quickly established as the perfectionist older sister type, meticulous and always looking out for her loved ones. While at the salon, she learns that her longtime nemesis from college and second-grade teacher, Jack Bennet, is no longer getting married. Unsure how to feel, Emily heads to her favorite Saturday spot at the local coffee shop to work on her secret romance novel. But guess who beats her to the spot?
Ding ding ding! If you guessed Jack Bennet, congratulations, you guessed right.
This ensues a bickering match — because, “He’s a seat stealer, that’s what he is,” as Emily puts it. She recalls how their feud began years ago when Jack spilled coffee on her shirt on the first day of class. To make matters worse, he tried to flirt with her and asked her out for coffee afterward. Fresh from a breakup and running late to class, Emily was not having it. When they finally made it to class, they argued over the last seat near the front, but Jack’s appeal won over the professor, leaving Emily stuck in the back. Ever since then, whether it was test scores, the best parking spot or even jobs, they turned every interaction into a competition.
“It’s like we’re cursed to walk adjacent in this life no matter how much we despise each other,” Emily said.
Now, Jack’s back in town, and to top it all off, they find out they’re going to be neighbors. Determined to get Jack on his merry way out of her town, Emily hatches a plan. She convinces everyone in town to shun him and even persuades the local contractor to refuse to help Jack renovate his decrepit, borderline falling-apart house. But Jack, ever the trooper, decides to tackle the renovation himself. Despite Emily’s best efforts, the two can’t help but find each other attractive, even as they seek to annoy each other at every moment.
Things take an unexpected turn one day when Emily decides to go for a drive through the backroads of town. A mysterious man on a motorbike starts flirting with her, and she flirts back. When she reaches her exit, he takes the same one. As they near her driveway, the man pulls up to Jack’s house. And then when he removes his helmet, she realizes it’s Jack. Mortified, Emily tries to dash into her house, but Jack stops her, admitting it was nice to be on the receiving end of one of her smiles. What starts as a reluctant conversation turns into a moment of connection. Emily lets Jack inside her home, spotting her bookshelf and something in him freezes. Turns out Jack is a New York Times bestselling author, writing under a pen name to compete with his narcissistic father. Their banter softens when Emily texts him later that evening to stop doing wheelies on his bike — he agrees, no more wheelies. By the very next day, the whole town is waving at Jack and welcoming him with open arms. Emily, it seems, has told everyone to accept him. Who would’ve thought their rivalry would lead to this? (But hey, it’s a romance…wasn’t it always going to end up this way?)
One night, after Emily’s sister cancels her trip back from New York, she drowns her frustration in a bit too much wine and accidentally sends her secret, steamy romance novel to none other than Principal Bart, the ultra-conservative head of her school. Panicked and desperate for a solution, she runs straight to Jack for help. Needing support, Emily and Jack share a rare moment of connection and devise a plan to retrieve the manuscript. In a surprising twist, they decide to put their feud aside and officially call themselves friends.
Jack even reads Emily’s novel and declares it one of the best he’s ever read. But when Emily asks for critiques on her more intimate chapters, the two end up scene-blocking together and nearly share a kiss. With their rivalry melting into something more, the lines between them begin to blur. Their closeness intensifies on their mission to retrieve Emily’s manuscript — forced to hide in a closet, Emily and Jack share a heated kiss, marking a turning point in their relationship.
The next day, Emily meets Jack’s mom, who comes to town seeking his help as Jack’s father spirals into bad habits. The encounter brings out a tender side of Jack, deepening Emily’s feelings for him. To cheer him up, she invites him to Hank’s, the local bar where Friday nights are a family tradition. Feeling lonely as she watches her siblings with their significant others, Emily finds solace in Jack’s company. After the bar closes, as they clean up together, they share another kiss and open up about their pasts and families. It’s then that Jack finally reveals his biggest secret: he’s the famous mystery author competing with his father.
But just as things seem to be falling into place, Emily receives a crushing email from the publisher Jack encouraged her to submit her book to. The feedback is brutal, ripping her manuscript to shreds. Distraught, Emily’s confidence falters, and her budding relationship with Jack hits a rough patch. Third-act breakups are always angsty and fun to read, but this one is nothing short of frustrating.
Eventually, with the support of her sister’s return and time to reflect, Emily realizes she’s in love with Jack. When Emily’s sister invites Jack to a family breakfast, everything clicks. Watching Jack fit seamlessly into her world, she knows he’s become a part of her home and family. Jack, in turn, confesses his love for her, saying he wants her — “the good, the bad, the in-between” and all of her “sharp edges, hot temper, fiercely protective nature, gooey heart.”
Jack and Emily share a heartwarming moment and seal their love with a kiss, deciding to give their relationship their all. In the future, after Jack’s father publicly reveals his identity and Emily publishes her first book, it’s clear that “Beg, Borrow, or Steal” is a romance that truly delivers. If you enjoy a cute romance every once in a while, definitely give this one a try!
Written by: Iqra Ahmad — arts@theaggie.org
