4.5 stars

Katherine Center books are always a settle in and get ready to feel good kind of vibe. You can always expect a little bit of the ridiculous and far fetched...but I do think that she balances out those tones with really raw realities and trials that her characters have to go through to get to the other side.

The Rom-Commers is no different. This is a book about two screen writers who get hoodwinked to re write a screen play together into something worth producing. I loved the slow build up of misconceptions and the peeling back of layers as we get to the heart of what each character is concealing.

There are themes of self deprivation, and isolation but also the willingness to put yourself out there and be brave just for the heck of it. It is a book about loving and learning that love is messy and it IS the mess that matters. I really enjoyed the cute chemistry between these two and thought while the road was a little bumpy the journey was well worth it.

What impressed me most about this book and had me a little misty eyed was the emphasis on loving people despite their imperfections..that love was a choice and the more we choose to love this way, the happier we will be. Love doesn't have to be perfect to be incredibly beautiful.

Just a really lovely, bingeable read with all the Katherine Center charm.

5 out of 5 stars!

Emma Wheeler has always wanted to be a screenwriter, especially for romantic comedies, which are her favorite. But, when her dad is involved in an accident that requires full-time care, Emma puts her dreams aside to take care of him. When she gets the chance to help her idol, the famous screenwriter Charlie Yates, rewrite a romantic comedy, she is over the moon. He is her idol! Her younger sister steps into take over caretaking duties, and she heads to LA for 6 weeks! But she is surprised when she gets there, and Charlie doesn’t want to work with her. Specifically, “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Even though Charlie may not want to work with her, his romantic comedy is terrible. He needs the help more than he thinks, and he does actually want to get it done so another project of his will get produced. Charlie doesn’t even believe in love, which makes Emma’s job harder. She needs to convince him that love stories do matter and teach him that sometimes they do come true.

A romantic comedy is a combination of romance and comedy fiction that is humorous but shows how true love always wins. “The Rom-Commers” by Katherine Center is a perfect example of a romantic comedy. It is laugh out loud funny yet has a romance that blooms throughout the book. This book made me feel all types of emotions while telling a story that caught my attention. Romance books are normally not my first pick, but this book might have convinced me that I need to read more! Especially by Katherine Center.

I loved the main characters, Emma and Charlie. They were so different but worked so well together. They both had incredible stories on their own, but together it was magical. I almost cried at the very ending; it was that good. I also loved the plot. It felt like nothing I had read before and also gave me a feeling of comfort. This book is the definition of a romantic comedy and made me believe that love does exist.

Pick up “The Rom-Commers” by Katherine Center on June 11th, 2024!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Katherine Center, and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This book was definitely fun! It was filled with great characters who stood out and a lot of heartfelt moments. I appreciate books that can make you laugh and cry.

I know I'm going to be an outlier with this review, but this was a total miss for me.

The FMC, Emma, quit the project three times before I was even 30% into the book. She stuck with it after the thirty percent mark, but my goodness, I kept waiting for her to quit again just to add to my tally. The narration of this book also allowed the FMC to talk to the reader. That's not my preferred way to have a story told to me, but usually I can endure it. And that's basically what I did with this one. I endured. I would have rather enjoyed, but it is what it is.

I couldn't get a good grip on Charlie's character. I think part of that has to do with a lot of dialogue and very little description of what the characters' mannerisms or other nonverbal cues were. Along the same lines of telling and not showing, there were often lines like "he made a sound like [tell what the sound is suppose to mean]" She would do this instead of writing "he snorted" or "she rolled her eyes and crinkled her nose" or whatever. The whole time it felt like I kept being told what was happening instead of being able to infer. It drove me insane.

Lastly, the romance didn't do it for me. There were some moments, but either the moments weren't dragged out long enough or there was too much dialogue so I couldn't get into a character's head and feel their emotions. By the time the grand gesture came around, I wasn't invested. The grand declarations of love didn't feel genuine or well earned. It was more rushed or underdeveloped.

It was fun to get a little cameo from a character in The Bodyguard. That has been the only Center book I've enjoyed so far, so I welcomed the familiar face.

Overall, it's a big no from me. Better than Hello Stranger, but still so far from being as good as The Bodyguard.

Dare I say that this is the BEST Katherine Center book yet? I loved getting to know Emma and Charlie as our main characters but the supporting characters were just as amazing! I was invested in all of their lives.

This is a story about two writers coming together to write and epic rom-com screenplay, but all the while life is continuing to throw things at them. Can they set aside all that’s going on, long enough to finish this story? Find out this summer!!!

I will be thinking about these characters for weeks to come (if not longer) which is huge for those of us who read so many books at a time and meet so many different characters!

I loved this story, I really was struggling with liking Charlie at first but he grows to the loving man he is. I did find Emma a little annoying and felt bad for her little sister in parts. It’s hard to love a character who treats their family the way she did, over all it was a great book and another great read from Katherine!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Who the hell is cutting onions in here? Seriously, this book is a love story to love stories. I never really took the time to put into words why I love romances so much, and now I don't have to. Katherine has created a story that breaks the fourth wall and wraps you up into its fibers in a way that takes you by surprise. Charlie is the grumpiest man that ever lived, and Emma is the epitome of sunshine. Their dichotomy on page is a master class to the trope.

If you're a fan of witty banter, heartwrenching love, and excruciatingly real characters, pick this up.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center is a heartwarming and humorous tale about Emma Wheeler, an aspiring screenwriter who gets a chance to work with her idol, the grumpy and disillusioned Charlie Yates. Despite Charlie's initial hostility and the terrible romantic comedy script he’s produced, Emma is determined to show him that love stories matter. As they collaborate, their professional relationship evolves into something deeper, with Emma’s optimism and Charlie’s redemption adding depth to the narrative. The novel deftly balances humor, romance, and heavier themes like caregiving and personal sacrifice, creating a compelling and emotionally resonant story about love, resilience, and second chances.

Very cute summer read! The characters are flawed but likeable and when I thought I knew the twist, it twisted right back.

This book was such a joy to read. Katherine Center is reliably fun, light-hearted, entertaining writing and I'm so glad I was able to read it ahead of its release. The characters are people you genuinely care about. I found everyone lovable, the story grabbed my attention from the beginning (I am a sucker for an underdog story, after all). I loved the evolution of the relationship and the character development, the direction the story went. It was all just so.... predictably sweet. I'll forever recommend Katherine's books because they never disappoint.

This book was perfect for a beach/sun day! Another enemies to lovers trope that I fell in love with! Oh my goodness the banter was just so damn good! I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend!

My rating is 3.5 stars. I honestly have mixed opinions about this book. I really liked how this book focused on real issues and had no smut. I really loved the dad of the female main character. Charlie at the end of the book was such a sweetheart and he deserved the best. I did not like the way he was described in the beginning. He literally gave me the ick. He would constantly mention his ex wife which I found so annoying. I also hated the female main character sisters. Like girl be fr. All my issues are just personal so I 100% recommend this book!

I absolutely adored this book! Emma is a screen writer that has had little success as well as her father's caretaker since his accident 10 years ago. When her best friend calls her from LA to let her know she's got a job working with her favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates, she takes a huge risk and flies out only to find that Charlie had no idea this job existed.
Emma and Charlie were the absolute perfect duo. I loved watching their relationship change throughout the book, and I loved how vulnerable they both were at times. This book made me giddy but also made my heart sad at times in all the right ways. I absolutely loved the research scenes and felt like I was truly there with them watching it all happen! Katherine Center truly wrote the cutest rom-com!

Thank you SMP for the ARC!

This book was so much fun!
Our main character Emma has spent her last 10 years taking care of her father who was injured in a rock slide that killed her mom. She longs to be a screen writer in LA, but taking care of her dad is her first priority. When her ex boyfriend Logan gives her the opportunity of a life time rewriting a rom-com screenplay with her favorite writer Charlie Yates, her family begs her to take it. Charlie seems to have given up on love. His screenplay doesn't even have a happily ever after! Can Emma change his perspective on his screenplay and maybe even his life?
I really liked Emma. She was so passionate about her family. Her father was her world (and he's such a great father) and her sister is her favorite person. She was also passionate about her work. She did her research and was ready for her break through. She was patient with trying to get Charlie to change his mind and she was sassy and funny. Charlie started out set in his ways, but really warmed up well after a while.
The plot moved along well. We really got to know the characters and I really felt for them when they were happy or sad. There was a lot of character growth for everyone and it was on a believable curve. The ending was wonderful, especially since it's a rom-com.

Emma Wheeler is an aspiring rom-com screenwriter and a good one at that, but she's had to put her career on the back burner as she serves as the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. When she gets a chance to re-write a script for screenwriting icon Charlie Yates, just as her younger sister comes home to watch her dad, it seems like everything is falling into place. When she arrives in LA, she quickly realizes everything is not as sweet as it seems, and she needs to teach Charlie Yates not only how to write a romcom but also how to believe in love himself.

I really enjoyed how we got Emma's reflexive perspective on the book. She knows how the story ends and she's retelling it to us as we progress through the story. I love how Katherine Center takes these quirky concepts, but then adds depth to the story-lines and the characters. The sisters cutting each other so deep was terrible, but also really relatable - family members tend to be the people that know how to hurt you the most.

The miscommunication at the end was a little frustrating, but also, that's such a classic romcom movie trope that I was okay with it. Emma's friend/manager/ex was a little obnoxious for no reason and I feel like I would have loved the book even more if his role was reduced a bit more.

The entire book felt like I was watching a romcom - I could see it playing out, the words coming alive off of the page. The ending of this one was 100% better than the Bodyguard, and overall I enjoyed this Katherine Center way more (possibly my favorite so far?).

I love Katherine Center and this latest book was fabulous, with a few quirks. Look, I love a broken man as much as the next girl, but this one actively pushed away and insulted her a few too many times for me to justify her going back again and again. Twice, the author used "wah-lah" instead of "voila," which made my whole body cringe. Finally, using the MMC's full name at every single turn was also a bit too far. That said, it was fun and quick.

Katherine Center knows how to write a good romance! I loved Emma and Charlie so much and the whole book was just one big rom-com (with all the tropes... enemies to lovers, grumpy vs sunshine, but it worked). I loved how supportive Emma's family was, despite their challenges. The characters were all so well-done and, like all Center's works, felt relatable. Might the the pregnancy hormones, but the ending almost brought me to tears. Perfect summer binge that pulls at the heart strings!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc! Review live now on GoodReads and StoryGraph

Kathrine Center will forever be a must-read! It is so refreshing to read a romance about two extremely relatable leads. I think every reader should be able to relate to Emma and Charlie in some way. The Rom-Commers took a plot of two opposites being forced to work together and made it fresh. Although I know it's a trope that's been done before, this novel was unlike any other. Just like all of Katherine Center's other works, The Rom-Commers has that heart and emotional oomph that makes it so much more than a romcom. I will be recommending this book to everyone. Even non-romance readers will enjoy this one too.

This book was absolutely adorable. But I don't know why I expected anything less from Katherine Center. Emma has been spending years at home, taking care of her dad. But when the chance of a lifetime to work with one of her favorite authors comes along, she just can't resist. Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks to re-write a screenplay for Charlie Yates. At first, that didn't seem to go so well, but soon they find a compromise and begin writing. The problem? Charlie doesn't believe in rom-coms and Emma has to fight for their place in the world. Will she help Charlie to believe in love? And what about the story?

Obviously, with Katherine Center, we know there's a HEA. But we have heartache on the way there. This book is no exception to that rule. Highly recommend. It's one of my favorite Katherine Center books to date.

The Rom-Commers is full of love and sacrifices. It’s one that will touch your heart in the best way.

Charlie is a very successful but cynical screenwriter who is trying to write a rom-com. Emma is an unsuccessful screenwriter, who is full of sunshine and knows everything there is to know about love on a big screen…so, of course, they end up working together. Their research together made the best scenes!

At first, I wasn’t vibing with Charlie because his grumpiness came off mean. I felt so bad for Emma. BUT THEN…he started showing his softer side and he grew on me. I didn’t agree with all his decisions, but he did have a wonderful grand gesture at the end!

This story had so many sweet moments that will have you smiling and laughing, but also some deeper, heartfelt conversations that will make you feel all the emotions. I loved Emma as a character, and how her family was a big part of the story…and I loved how everything end 🥹❤️.

I ended up enjoying this one more than I thought I would, and I think this will end up being one of my favorites (along with The Bodyguard and Things You Save in a Fire).