What an absolutely delightful rom com. Charlie and Emma are tasked with writing a romantic comedy screenplay. Moving back and forth between the writing of the movie and watching Charlie and Emma's own love story unfold was crafted so well. This book gave me all the feels - straight up rollercoaster. It might be my new favorite Katherine Center. The title is absolutely perfect.

I was a big fan of this one! I love a romcom, so a book in defense of them was well appreciated. This book was cheesy, but in a welcome way. I do think the tragic backstory may have been a bit extreme, and Emma often veered far too much into annoying martyr character as a result. Overall, a really enjoyable, though predictable read that I would definitely recommend to any lovers of romcoms and the romance novel genre.

“I had a theory that we gravitate toward the stories we need in life. Whatever we are looking for- adventure, excitement, emotion, connection-we turn to stories that help us find it. Whatever questions we’re struggling with- sometimes ones so deep, we don’t even really know we’re asking them- we look for answers in stories.”

I waited as long as I could to read Katherine Center’s new book and I just couldn’t wait any longer. I started the book on Tuesday and didn’t want to leave Charlie and Emma while I had to work and do other life things. They immediately had me in a chokehold and I was lucky to get a listening copy. For the rest of the week this book became my personality.

Emma Wheeler might just be my spirit animal. And in true Katherine Center fashion, I was introduced to characters I fell in love with and followed along on a story I will never forget and hugged my heart. I laughed out loud, I highlighted a substantial amount of the story because the things these characters say are just that good, and I LOVED the ending.

This is out June 11th and one you are definitely going to want to read!

I loved the ability to transition back and forth between audio and physical copy and if you can do that I highly recommend it! Patti Murin narrates and I loved the way she differentiated the characters and told this story.

5 stars

Emma is a screenwriter...well, she is aspiring to be one. Now 28 years old and having provided care for her dad for the last 10 years, there hasn't been much of a chance to pursue her own dreams. When an amazing opportunity comes up for her to go to LA to work on a project with THE Charlie Yates, she says yes. Her sister has just graduated from college and is ready to take her turn with their dad. What ensues is a crash course in writing, understanding, and most of all lessons in love.

This book was precious. The feel from early on was that Emma and Charlie would fall for one another, but man, the obstacles in their way make you really question if it will happen or if it is even worth it for them. I really enjoyed their journey! Center has a way with weaving a storty every time!!

****Publishing June 11, 2024****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Emma Wheeler hadn’t had much luck getting big screen writing jobs until one day a call came in from her ex-boyfriend, Logan, to screen write for a famous screenwriter, Charlie Yates. It was for a Rom-Com, he wrote. The only catch is she has to move to LA. Her sister, Sylvie, agrees to take care of their Dad, who needs care because he has a traumatic brain injury and Ménière’s disease.

Logan has arranged for Emma to stay with Charlie Yates and has given her strict orders not to get into a relationship with him. But then Emma realizes nothing was prearranged, including the job. Is it all that it seems? Will it work out? Or will she go home without the opportunity? Will she be able to write her own love story?

I love Katherine Center’s books since they are funny and entertaining. This heartfelt read will have you turning the pages to find out Emma’s fate. Katherine Center creates characters that are relatable, which makes for an entertaining read! A perfect book for your pool or beach bag!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press , I was provided an ARC of The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Humorous and emotional and all the in-between feels…an overall fantastic closed-door romance! The narration, dialogue, banter and comedic interactions truly brought Emma and Charlie to life. It was refreshing to read a rom-com where the main female character does not put herself first and constantly self-sabotages and a main male character that is well, not really lovable. Their story was full of hope and encouragement, not without its ups and downs. Just saying, the line dancing scene was top notch hilarious. Also, what a seriously cool way to get the inside scoop on how a romantic comedy is developed and written.

I adore Katherine Centers writing, I think it’s witty and fun and I love her fourth wall breaking. However. The characters in this were so unlikable. The MMC was so mean for no reason and never redeemed himself. The FMC was portrayed as desperate and allowed this man to speak to her that way and still begged him to like her. She was horrid to her sister and somehow she thought she was the only one who deserved an apology?!? I wanted to like this as much as previous novels but this was a total miss for me.

If I had a life that was conducive to reading this in one day, I most definitely would have. It was delight.

Being a writer, Emma is perhaps more of a typical rom-com protagonist than some of Center’s other leads. But like the others, she is complex and dynamic and bold.

And Charlie - also a writer - is bitter and jaded about love, and forced to write a rom com screenplay.

This was a book I couldn’t put down for its wonderful banter, loving family dynamics, and easy to follow storyline. And yes, a highly satisfying ending.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steam Level: 🔥 (kissing only)
Trigger Warning: tragic death of a parent recounted, traumatic brain injury, cancer

Emma Wheeler should be a successful screenwriter, but she's put her dreams aside for the past ten years to be her father's primary caretaker. Now, her agent has a once-in-a-lifetime offer for her: help her screenwriting idol, Charlie Yates, fix his terrible rom-com screenplay. As Emma and Charlie save his script, they also help each other come back to life after years of suffering. Will the rom-com they're working on lead simply to financial success, or will these two also be writing their own love story?

When I say I loved this, I mean I absolutely LOVED this! From page one I was hooked, and I was flying through the pages waiting to see what was coming next. Katherine Center always does a great job mixing light-hearted moments with heavy topics. I felt the pain of Emma's past so deeply and had tears in my eyes reading about what happened to her parents years ago. Seeing her forgive herself and realize she deserved to find happiness was so beautiful and moving. Charlie had his own trauma to work through, and he made me emotional with a certain video he made. Thank goodness this had humor and happiness to balance it out! I loved the dynamic between Charlie and Emma. Yes, Charlie is super quirky and aloof, but he had the sweetest soul underneath. You really have to focus on his actions rather than his words to see his heart. Just trust that it's all going to work out in the end. There were just so many great moments in this: Jablowmie, the dress, the hospital, the pocket square... You just need to read it to understand! And I highly recommend reading The Bodyguard first to catch some fun references and character cameos. Thank you Katherine Center for curing my book slump!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I don’t know if this book just hit at the right time but I thoroughly enjoyed this! This isn’t a swoony angsty spicy romance, but more emotional, sometimes frustrating, laugh out loud romance. The MMC definitely has some flaws but it made him realistic. A rom com about two screenwriters thrown together to write a rom com worked really well!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So maybe my toxic trait is that I read books and then don't write a review and then promptly forget all about it and all my thoughts! Luckily I wrote a short synopsis about this one on my good reads- not good enough to jog my memory though:
4.5-5 stars. Loved Emma and Charlie. And her dad! All the feels!
As always, I love the hope and joy that is portrayed in Katherine's books!
I read this in January (thank you @netgalley) but l think the fact that I don't remember too much about how this one made me feel means it's really 4-4.5 stars.
I love Katherine Center and think I feel guilty admitting when I don't have a five star experience with her books.
But l've got to say- I remember finishing Happiness for Beginners and Things You Save in a Fire and I wanted to re-start those books as soon as I finished them. I didn't feel that way about this one which is why, looking back, I don't think it's five stars for me. I did still like it though so make of that what you will!

4.5 Stars! This is another great book by Katherine Center. I liked Emma and Charlie's characters. They are both struggling with their own issues, but they work as they write a novel together. I enjoyed the LA setting and the humor in this book as well. I liked the importance of family is emphasized and it's an enjoyable read overall! I think this book is best to go in without knowing too much and just enjoy the book! It is a great read!

This is my first book by Katherine Center (I've had 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥 on my TBR for the longest. I'll be reading it soon! lol ) and it did not disappoint!

So this book focuses on Emma Wheeler, a woman who longs to be a Hollywood screenwriter. She cares fulltime for her physically disabled dad, and has put her dreams on hold until she gets the call of a lifetime - to help Charlie Yates write romantic comedy.
Not only is Charlie Yates a uber successful screenwriter, but Emma looks up to him & aspires to be like him.
With the job taking her to LA for 6 weeks, her younger sister moves in to care for their father & Emma finally begins to live again. However, Charlie doesn’t want to write with anyone - especially a “nobody” like Emma.
Emma decides to show Charlie she is an amazing writer & will stop at nothing to prove this; but in writing their romantic comedy it breaks all of Emma’s romantic comedy rules but will the screenplay come true?

4/5 ✨: one word to describe this book - cute & I normally do not like rom-coms!
I absolutely enjoyed this book & the last part had me feeling all types of ways - my jaw dropped, I almost cried, I smiled & I laughed.
I definitely recommend this one if you’ve been reading a lot of heavy books or you just want to read something cute! So definitely pick this one up when it’s published 🩷
PS - I recommend reading 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥 first. I didn’t & I wish I did

Katherine Center can do no wrong in my opinion! I did not want to put this down! I love her writing and her characters feel so real!! Emma was such a fun mc and even though I still don’t really understand why Charlie had to say some of the sings he did say, I really liked him as well. I love how Katherine Center can make me feel for these people in 350-ish pages. I cried my way through the end!! I loved Emmas and Charlies dynamic and banter and the storyline was so cute as well!! Im so looking forward to rereading this and I can not wait for her next book! The biggest thanks to netgalley and the publisher!! Im so grateful that I got the arc for this book

thank you netgalley and katherine for the arc!

I really loved this book and whole heartedly enjoyed the characters, their banter, and the overall writing! it read like a true rom-com and made you giggle out loud and kick your feet! emma and charlie were both so stubborn, which is relatable, but i wish they communicated better or were able to relay how they were feeling about situations without making the decisions for each other! silly gooses!

i cannot wait to see this story on the big screen, because i know it'll make a phenomenal movie. everyone go make this your book of the summer!

"there it is. the whole trick to life. be aggressively, loudly, unapologetically grateful."

I really enjoyed this book! I have loved all of Katherine Center's books that I've read, and she continues to hit it out of the park for me. At first I thought Charlie would be an old man (I was thinking a Scorsese-type), so that felt a little weird, but I quickly realized that Charlie was not an old man and got super into the book. I loved Emma, she was complicated and caring and stubborn and talented. The dialogue between her and Charlie was quippy and fun at times but also deep and meaningful at other times. Emma's relationship with her family was complicated, and her grief felt so real. I highly recommend this book, there are a lot of people who will enjoy it. Those who love rom-coms will definitely like it, though they should first be made aware that this is a bit more complex than a typical rom-com. Readers who enjoy character driven fiction will like this book as well. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC!

I don’t even know who I am anymore. I have never been one to read romance books or romcoms, but I have been lately and I’ve been THOROUGHLY enjoying them. No going back now! I have been transformed into a different person!

Anyway, this book is great. It was exactly what I needed at this very moment and I’m sad that it’s over honestly. It made me giggle, it made me mad, it made me happy, it made me sad, and most importantly it made me really feel what the characters were feeling. This was my first Katherine Center book, but I promise you it won’t be my last. Truly beautiful writing and I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone! I can’t wait to see where this new era takes me and what doors it opens up next for me.

I’ve loved reading every book by Ms. Center and this is no exception. While there are sad experiences for several characters, this was an entertaining experience from beginning to end.

Emma Wheeler has lived with guilt from the loss of her mother and has taken on the role of caring for her father for many years. She’s always wanted to be a full-time, romantic comedy screenwriter, but she’s turned down several options due to her father. With her younger sister completing college, it’s supposed to be her time to live the life she’s dreamed.

Emma’s friend from high school is an agent who always seems to have some screenwriting work for her to complete, which helps with honing her talent and the expenses of her family. When Emma is offered an extraordinary screenwriting experience with her favorite writer, Charlie Yates, she’s torn between wanting to go to CA for six weeks for the job and staying to take care of her father, believing her sister can’t do the job as well as her.

When Emma overhears that Charlie was not aware of her working visit and does not want her to work with him, she lets loose on her friend for deceiving her but, eventually she and Charlie strike a truce and agree to work together.

Their time together was so hilarious with Emma spewing facts about love and more and Charlie just doesn’t believe it. He’s had difficult, heartbreaking life situations and is seems to be a curmudgeon about everything.

I could write pages about every hilarious, sweet, poignant, heartbreaking scene in the book, it was just that good! Ms. Center doesn’t hesitate to show the painful parts of life while also sharing the brighter side. I loved the ending with so many that become family and the HEA I love.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work. I highly recommend!

The Rom-Commers is legit a rom-com within a rom-com and I was here for it.

This book is about two screenwriters who are paired up to write a, you guessed it, rom-com script. One is OBSESSED with the concept of love, while the other one is INDIFFERENT about it. Emma Wheeler loves romantic comedy as much as breathing and cannot believe her favorite writer, Charlie Yates, doesn't know how to write it. Throughout the book, you literally notice how opposite these two people are, not only in their personality but also in the dialogue, which makes the author's storytelling a genius. 🎬❤️

Even though we didn't get as much banter between them when it comes to disagreeing about what to put in the play, you get the behind-the-scenes of what happens when two people live together for six weeks while writing a rom-com that ends up literally becoming one.

IT WAS SO CUTE! 🥰 Seriously, seeing both personalities smash together and eventually having Charlie Yates' hateful journey about love turn into a joyful one, aghhhhh my heart just fluttered thinking about it. 💖

I recommend this book to anyone who is a big fan of a laughing, lovely romantic comedy that we all know ends in a HEA, plus with a "YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IN LOVE, IT'S LOVE" vibe. 💕

Favorite Quote:
“Is that you or me?” I asked. “What?” Charlie asked. “The thumping.” “I’m not thumping,” Charlie said. I put my hand on his chest. “Yes, you are.” Then, out of fairness, I shifted to my own. “But I’m thumping worse.”

Tropes:
🎥Opposites Attract
🎥Forced Proximity
🎥Grumpy x Sunshine
🎥Work Romance
🎥First POV

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press & Katherine Center for giving me the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Katherine Center outdoes herself with each new book. This story is a triumph.. It is a delightful and heartwarming novel that effortlessly captures the magic of romance and comedy.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.