Quick Take
- Narration: Saskia Haisch narrates the German-language edition with warmth and clear character differentiation between Annie and Will, a strong performance for a language-specific audience.
- Themes: Fake-dating and lessons in love, the commitment-phobic hero, small-town belonging
- Mood: Cozy and gently comedic, with emotional stakes that build steadily
- Verdict: A reliably executed romantic comedy that delivers exactly what the genre promises, recommended for German-language romance listeners who want the slow-burn payoff without structural surprises.
A quick note before we start: this listing is for the German-language edition of Sarah Adams’s Practice Makes Perfect, narrated by Saskia Haisch and published by Argon Verlag. The synopsis and all available reviews are in German. For listeners seeking the English-language edition of this book, which was originally published in English and is part of the Rome Lovestory series, a separate listing exists. What follows is based on the full narrative as conveyed through the German synopsis and reviews, written for the AudiobookDaily English-speaking audience who may be considering this edition or who read German.
I have a soft spot for the fake-dating-lesson premise. It is one of those romance tropes that should feel exhausted by now and somehow never quite does, probably because the best versions of it, and Adams writes one here, use the tutorial structure to do real character work. Annie Walker runs a flower shop in Rome, believes she is unforgettably boring (she overhears a date say so), and decides she needs lessons in how to actually attract someone. Will, the bodyguard of her soon-to-be famous sister-in-law, is back in town and agrees to teach her.
Our Take on Practice Makes Perfect
The German reviews are unanimous that this delivers. One reviewer describes it as feeling “like a warm home”, the particular kind of comfort that comes from a series you trust, with familiar faces from earlier installments alongside new emotional territory. As Book 2 in the Rome Lovestory series, it operates as a standalone, the publisher confirms the books in the series can be heard independently, but readers who came through Book 1 will recognize the texture of the community Adams has built.
What Adams does well in this book specifically is make Will’s commitment aversion feel motivated rather than arbitrary. He is not emotionally unavailable because he is arrogant; there is backstory that makes his resistance make sense, and the novel takes that seriously rather than treating it as a surface obstacle to be cleared in the final chapters. Annie’s growth arc is equally careful, she starts the story believing her own negative self-assessment and ends it having genuinely revised it, rather than simply being told by Will that she is wonderful.
Why Listen to Practice Makes Perfect
Saskia Haisch’s narration has been praised by German-language romance listeners for exactly the qualities this kind of book requires: warmth, clear character differentiation, and the ability to carry comedic scenes without pushing too hard on the jokes. The dual-perspective structure, both Annie and Will’s internal views are accessible, demands a narrator who can shift register credibly, and Haisch does that well.
The 12.5-hour runtime is generous for this genre, and the pacing reflects it. This is not a sprint to the confession scene. The slow accumulation of actual feelings between two people who start out in a transactional teaching arrangement is what makes the payoff feel earned rather than inevitable.
What to Watch For in Practice Makes Perfect
One German reviewer gave this three stars while describing it as “very sweet and very classic,” which is a useful calibration: if you want innovation in the genre’s structure or something that subverts the tropes rather than fulfilling them, this is not your book. Adams is working within the romance genre’s conventions with skill and warmth, not against them.
The German-language edition is also worth noting clearly: this is not the original English text. Listeners who read German will find it a strong adaptation, but those who want Adams in her original language should confirm they have the correct listing before purchasing.
Who Should Listen to Practice Makes Perfect
German-language romance listeners who enjoyed Book 1 of the Rome Lovestory series, or who want a well-executed enemies-to-lovers slash fake-lessons romance without unexpected tonal shifts. Listeners who read German and want something cozy and emotionally satisfying over a long weekend. English-language listeners should seek the original edition, this listing is specifically the German-language version narrated by Haisch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the English or German edition of Practice Makes Perfect?
This is the German-language edition published by Argon Verlag, narrated by Saskia Haisch. The synopsis and reviews available are in German. Sarah Adams originally wrote this book in English, and a separate English-language audiobook exists for listeners who want the original.
Does this work as a standalone or do I need to have heard Book 1 first?
The publisher states that books in the Rome Lovestory series are independent of each other. You can begin with Book 2 without having heard Book 1, though German readers who did come through the first installment report that returning to the setting and community adds to the experience.
How does Saskia Haisch handle the dual-perspective narration between Annie and Will?
German-language reviews praise her character differentiation and warmth. The dual-perspective structure is one of the technical demands of this type of romantic comedy narration, and the listening experience suggests she manages the tonal shifts between the two leads convincingly.
Is the slow-burn pacing reflected in the nearly 12.5-hour runtime, or does the book feel padded?
German reviewers consistently describe it as engaging throughout rather than drawn out. The pacing uses the runtime to develop both Annie and Will’s inner lives before moving them toward resolution, which most listeners in the genre will find rewarding rather than slow.
