The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Available June 10/24!

I know what I like and what I like are books by Katherine Center! This book is so good. Yes I am going to gush. I enjoyed the storyline, the characters, and everything else about this book. The concept of a young writer getting the opportunity to show her skills and to do this with her author ‘God’ is so much fun.
This grumpy/sunshine book is fun, sweet, sexy, and has a Guinea Pig with emotional needs ❤️. The characters are endearing and clever; people you might enjoy spending time with and getting to know better.
I really cannot say enough about this book. I am a huge fan of Katherine Center because she writes stories that are engaging, fun, and unique. Ones where I can escape for a while from this crazy world. Do yourself a favour and join me in the wonderful world of The Rom-Commers.

Many thanks to Katherine Center, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this ARC.

This was my first Katherine Center book and I have obviously been missing out! Great characters, plot - great fun read!

Emma Summers has the kind of talent that is rare and special, but she hasn't been able to take her writing in the direction that she originally intended due to staying home to care for her father. That limits her from traveling and networking. When her friend/agent presents an opportunity that she cannot pass up, Emma gives up everything to meet and to work with Charlie Yates, the famous screenwriter who inspires her beyond all others.

There are so, so many things I loved about this story. Emma has the most adorable father, he is an absolute gem of a guy who unconditionally believes his daughters are the greatest people on the planet. Emma herself has already sacrified so much, and thinking she can help Charlie while also boosting her own career seems like a win-win, but her friend/agent might have misconstrued things.

I laughed at a lot of the dialogue and scenes in this book. But I also felt my heart squeeze in sympathy or tenderness for these characters. Emma is still a bit naive to the way of the world especially when it comes to dealing with celebrities and Charlie Yates is no exception in his eccentricity. He is anti-romance and she is pro-romance, hoping to salvage this rom-com story they are working on and even teaching Charlie what love is. Charlie does have a sensitive side under that bah humbug bravodo that is slowly waking up to Emma's presence and feels the warmth that she exudes. The chemistry is already there, but the build up takes time because Emma is adjusting to not looking at him as a figure on a pedestal and he is trying to be more open to her suggestions. Assumptions are made, insults are slung and Charlie has to learn the art of sincerely apologizing...more than once. He makes some pretty authentic gestures that are definitely demonstrable of someone who isn't hopeless in the romance department.

The only thing that I couldn't get on board with, and it's not a big thing, but it irked me nonetheless, was the detailed description (more than once) of Charlie Yates' sexy nostrils. Just no thank you. Otherwise, I enjoyed the story and the character development for both Emma and Charlie. How does a girl like Emma wind up charming a guy like Charlie who has all the wealth, accolade and network at his fingertips? By simply being honest and genuinely sweet with a compassionate heart. There are also some conversation exchanges that deal with hard topics which Katherine Center still manages to inject a bit of humor into, but the gut punch feels are there regardless. For art imitating life, this rom com collaboration between two writers becomes the real deal between them.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center tells the story of Emma, an aspiring screenwriter and live-in caretaker for her father, who picks up and moves to LA to assist her screenwriting idol, Charlie Yates, in re-writing a rom com script. Only, Emma’s friend / Charlie’s manager that got her the job failed to mention to Emma that Charlie didn’t know she was coming. That Charlie didn’t even WANT help. Oops!

I’m all for a grumpy-sunshine trope, but in this case I just could not get behind Charlie. Why did Emma idolize him SO much? I mean, apparently he has great nostrils (what?) but I found him to be incredibly unlikeable. No real redeeming qualities at all. Sure, there were things revealed piece by piece about his past that explained some of his quirks, and I definitely sympathized with him, but it didn’t excuse a lot of his behavior and I certainly wasn’t rooting for him for most of the book.

I love rom-coms, and Katherine Center will continue to be an author I auto-add to my TBR, but this one wasn’t my favorite.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ACR and giving me the opportunity to share my honest opinions.

This was the first book that I’ve read that’s written by Katherine Center and I have to say, it did not disappoint.

It’s such a cute and clean story! I didn’t even miss the missing smut part of the other books I read.

Emma and Charlie, two writers (one success, one pending), work together to work on a rom com. Instead, they found their love for each other (not very easily). Did they live happily ever after?

**Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC**

I was so excited to read The Rom-Commers! Katherine Center always seems to find a way to tell a unique story that keeps you hooked until the very end!

I swear, I open a Katherine Center book and I cannot help but devour it. I've read nearly all her books, and I'm always hooked by her warm blend of meaningful topics within an otherwise breezy, cheerful story. She makes me feel all the emotions!

This was very much a validating love letter to the romance genre. And Charlie Yates certainly gets a lesson! With his script for an upcoming romantic comedy being downright terrible, aspiring screenwriter Emma Wheeler is tasked with helping him rewrite it.

Let's just say, it took me time to warm up to Charlie. He is a realist, and for understandable reasons, but his bitterness was uncalled for at times. Emma was a darling powerhouse of personality, and it irritated me to see Charlie continually push away a good thing.

But he won me over!

Through writing sessions and research (hehe), I loved seeing Charlie experience all that romance has to offer. Leaving you with the message of finding joy within the hardships, it's a delightful ending with a totally memorable grand gesture!

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don’t think there’s anything Katherine Center writes that I don’t like. Loved The Rom-Commers. Loved the characters and the story.. I could totally see this as a movie. Highly highly recommend!!

Thanks to St Martins Press & NetGalley for the chance to read this awesome book!

Absolutely adorable romantic comedy! Terrific dialogue and lovable characters. Funny, charming, touching, and memorable. Katherine Center is a must read author. The Rom-Commers is a delight!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an egalley of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Katherine Center is quickly becoming one of my favorite chick lit/contemporary romance authors. Her books are fun and funny, with just enough quirk in her main characters to make them extremely endearing and relatable. And this book, THIS BOOK!, is my most favorite by her to date!
Emma Wheeler has spent her life wanting to write screenplays. But her obligation to caring for her disabled father has taken the front seat to her dream. When she's given a chance to help rewrite a rom-com screenplay for one of the most famous screenplay writers, Charlie Yates, she jumps at it, even with the fear in her mind that something can go horribly wrong while her sister cares for their father. She and Charlie click and the screenplay begins to take shape, as she teaches him the meaning of romance, and they slowly form a closer bond. But when there is an emergency in her family, Emma knows she must put them first and leave Charlie behind, even if her heart tells her it will break if she does.
I first have to say how many times I laughed in this book. SO. MANY. TIMES. Literally laughing out loud and getting strange looks from those around me. But I didn't care because to say Center thoroughly entertained me would be an understatement. Her ability to write hilarious scenes with intriguing dialogue and characters who tear at your hear strings is amazing. I was thoroughly enchanted by the story line and the characters from the very start. And my heart was cheering for a happily ever after, though it seemed an impossible task.
The writing style is so much fun. Mostly because Center has the FMC, Emma, talking to her audience. I have rarely seen this done in books and have always worried this would not work well. But it works so well for this book. It really helps the reader to form a connection with the FMC. It made me totally invested in the story. It was as if she were my friend and she was telling me the greatest story of her life.
Emma Wheeler's character is fiercely loyal to family. Her tragic past shapes her future. I want to take her in my arms and just give her the biggest hug, tell her everything will be alright, tell her she's not at fault for things, and tell her to just live her life and not feel so guilty. She never puts herself first. And it's always in the back of her mind that her tragic past is her fault and she has to somehow make up for what she thinks she's done. At the same time, she has a let's make lemonade out of these lemons attitude. She can see the good in situations outside of her own. And her determination to teach this to Charlie is unsurpassed.
Charlie Yates would seem to have it all: great career at a young age with many awards to show for it, a nice house, and plenty of money. But he's lonely, and a recluse, and doesn't believe in the good things in life. He's been hurt too many times to think that you can make lemonade out of lemons. When he meets Emma, he's determined to not change his mind. He's closed off to any possibility of happiness. But she slowly unravels his grump tendencies and he begins to realize there is more to life than the tragedies that happen to us.
It was easy for me to fall quickly in love with both Charlie and Emma. Their characters are unique and unconventional.
And the supporting characters are a lot of fun. Emma's dad, who is disabled but has the most amazing outlook on life. Emma's carefree sister, Sylvie, with whom she has a best friend relationship. Logan, Emma's ex boyfriend and friend, who has the best quote in the book: "You're lonely. He's lonely. It's like an incubator for fornication." T.J., Emma's nemesis and fellow screen writer. And a slew of other fun side characters to show what the Hollywood screen writing and acting scene is like. And, best of all, Jack Stapleton, from The Bodyguard, makes an appearance and it's lovely how it ties the books together (though you can read this as a stand alone as it does not make a true difference to the story line). I loved them all.
I truly had a hard time putting this one down. And when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it and thinking about how I could get back to it. The pacing was perfect. I truly enjoyed the build between the male and female main characters. And I appreciate Center building a romance but not using spice. Don't get me wrong, I love some spice, but she makes the romantic connection through dialogue and situation and it's really just quite perfect.
Center does address a few topics that are sensitive; cancer diagnosis, tragic loss of a family member, and psychological child abuse. But she does so with great care and mastery adding lighthearted banter and situations where possible to even it all out. She also helps the reader see the bright side of things that can hurt us. Her story both ripped my heart out and healed it all at once. And I love how she doesn't sugarcoat things and shows romance from the imperfect side of things.
This book is about life and loss, love and tragedy, and understanding things happen but those things ultimately can shape you into a better person. It's full of life lessons that we all need to learn.
5 stars

The longer I think about this novel, the more profound it becomes. I definitely had to stew on this story for a few days but it is more thought-provoking than what you would expect. Learning about the stages—per se—of a rom-com from a writer like our protagonist made me reassess what a happy ending truly means and what it entails for a writer. The dialogue was the highlight for me and it really made the characters captivating. While I didn’t feel enough chemistry between our main couple, the emotions conveyed when discussing her family—and their relationship with each other—were palpable. I found FMC’s voice incredibly personable, which added depth to the narrative and made for such an easy read. I do wish there was a POV for Charlie, it would’ve made it quicker to like him 🤭 But once you know what you know, you’re going to want to re-read this over and over! In fact, I already did twice! 🥰 Overall, The Rom-Commers transcends the boundaries of a typical romance; it delves into deeper themes of love and connections 💕

P.S
Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguard makes a cameo 😍

Thank you St. Martin Press and Katherine Center for this advanced copy ❤️

⭐️ 3.75/ 5

There’s a few points I’m still pondering which questions the integrity of our characters 😅 If you’ve read this one, let’s chat about it!

While this isn't my favorite book from Katherine Center, I still enjoyed it.
I wasn't vibing with Charlie at first. He came of rude and pretentious. The more I learned about him and his past though, his actions made so much more sense. 
I did, however, really like Emma, she has sacrificed so much for her family.  She's strong and tells it like it is. 
The two of them working together had me laughing. I didn't initially feel any chemistry between them, but it's definitely there. 
So glad I read this one.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was another wonderful book by Katherine Center. I just love everything I read by her. I really loved this story. There were times that I laughed and also times I cried because this book hit upon some personal topics for me.

I have to admit that I didn't love Charlie. I understand why he did the things he did, but he said some things and did some things that were just so mean to Emma. I couldn't completely understand her sticking with the project to begin with. We definitely would have made some different decisions.

Of course, this is a rom-com so you know how it's going to end, but it was a lot of fun getting there. I read this one a lot faster than I expected to. I can't wait to read whatever Center comes out with next.

4-4.5 stars

Overall I really enjoyed this book! I liked Emma and Charlie's characters individually and adored them together.

We all know an Emma. One of those people who have sacrificed living their own dreams for the happiness of others. Emma seems to be a talented writer, but her dad had this accident and was left with these medical conditions, so she's been his caretaker for 10 years out of guilt, love, necessity, or a combination of all three and in her mind, this is her life. By being her dad's caretaker it's allowed her younger sister Sylvie to go to college, find a boyfriend, etc. When approached to re-write and fix a rom-com written by her FAVORITE writer in LA (she lives in Texas) she has no idea how she'll be able manage it with her situation. With much encouragement, she leaves her sister Sylvie in charge of her dad's care and heads to LA for 6 weeks, uneasy, excited, and not knowing exactly what she's getting into.

Charlie. Charlie isn't a grump, he's cynical. Even though he seems to live this charmed Hollywood life, he's been hurt and he's lonely. Some reviews I've read have been down on Charlie because they say he's "mean" to Emma. Hurt people push people away and that's exactly what Charlie tries to do, even though it's clear Charlie hasn't been "living" until Emma enters his life. Charlie is his best self with Emma by his side. He's not blind though, he sees that she also hasn't been living her best life and he doesn't want to tie her down, he wants her to spread her wings and fly, hence the mean things he says sometimes to push her away.

While I loved Charlie and Emma together, their personalities, their interests, and dialogue, I didn't feel a ton of chemistry between them (which is why no 5 stars for this one.) I felt more this really strong bond, built on respect and admiration, rather than I want to "push you against this wall and ravish you." Hahaha. They have some very human moments and their reactions to how they handle these moments cement their bond.

If there was any meanness, it was from Emma and Sylvie's conversation to each other during a pivotal scene and it was very much a moment when you say things you don't mean because you are hurt. One we've likely all witnessed, been involved in, or thought the words, especially when we've been vulnerable and that vulnerability has been taken advantage of.

Hello, Stranger was my first book by this author and while I enjoyed it, I enjoyed this one so much more. The pacing was perfect, the level of serious and humorous balanced each other out splendidly, and I finished feeling very satisfied and glowy for these characters, believing they got the ending and lives they all deserved. Can't get more rom-com or happily ever after than that!

"The Rom-Commers" by Katherine Center is a delightful rom-com filled with heart, humor, and plenty of swoon-worthy moments. Center's knack for crafting endearing characters shines through in Emma and Charlie, whose unlikely partnership blossoms into a sweet romance as they collaborate on a screenplay. With witty banter, touching moments, and a charming pet guinea pig thrown into the mix, this book is a joyous celebration of love, dreams, and the power of believing in happy endings. Perfect for anyone in need of a feel-good read that will leave them smiling long after the final page. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Emma is an expert in romantic comedies despite having few romances in her own life. When her work as a screenplay writer introduces her to one of her idols, she is surprised by his negativity and entitlement. Through the course of working with each other, they learn to dig deeper under the surface of what they assume about each other.

I found this book to be comfortable yet predicable. At times, I was frustrated that Emma couldn’t see what I could see so clearly. I would have liked to see her demonstrate her competence a bit more rather than playing into some of the stereotypes about women falling in love.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC

I really enjoyed this book. I love a good stuck together book. I was surprised the age gap was glossed over. I also found the main character annoying at times. But overall enjoyed and would recommend for a summer romcom read.

I was so excited when i heard about Katherine Center’s newest book, and then i was worried that i might get declined for this arc. So thank you, St.Martin!

First, I love Emma’s family dynamic, and what a woman you are, Emma! It’s truly hard to be a caretaker. If you asked me what my favourite part of the book is, it’s definitely Emma’s family dynamic!

Emma it’s so relatable too, how she really adore her favorite writer and fangirling over him.. Oh that’s how i fangirling over an idol.

And the rom-com in The Rom-commers book is just fun! And how eager Emma to prove her rom-com theory it’s remarkable. It’s fun to see Emma and Charlie, but i don’t know i feel less chemistry between them. It feels like they just suddenly fell for each other because they used to be together. 

And omg, i didn’t expect Katherine to mention Ji Chang Wook! I was like oh she got a good taste hahaha

Like most readers, I can't resist reading books about books, and this romcom about a romcom gave me the same joy. I love all the characters in the story and how lively they are. Emma has golden retriever energy, only slightly dimmed by the realities of her present life. She's thoughtful, witty, caring and SO RELATABLE. She's blessed with some awesome people in her life, and I absolutely adore Logan with his slightly eccentric ways of showing his love for Emma.

Between my first read of the book and this re-read, I came across "Just Some Stupid Love Story" by Katelyn Doyle where the MMC (a divorce attorney) is a romantic at heart and the FMC (a romcom screenplay writer) doesn't believe in love. It's super cool how similar the stories are in some ways, and I totally recommend them both. Charlie is such a sweetheart (I first pictured him to be much older I don't know why) and that one bonus chapter from his POV melted my heart. Such a perfect MMC.

Having loved The Bodyguard, I loved the glimpses of Jack Stapleton in the same universe. This book has the best side characters especially Emma's little family. I appreciate not showing Charlie's ex-wife in a very bad light. This is a world I crave to live in coz of the characters, okay enough I can't stop raving. I can't wait for Center's new book next year, and I hope I get an ARC for that too!

To say I was excited about Katherine Center’s newest book, would be a vast understatement. From everything I have read of hers, it’s not hard to say I feel she has a Midas touch when it comes to writing and “The Rom-Commers” is no exception.

As soon as I got my hands on this copy, I immediately indulged in reading while ignoring the dishes in my sink. “The Rom-Commers” is cute, funny, dramatic, and everything you want in a romantic comedy.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for gifting me with this opportunity to find one of my new, favorite books. I will eagerly be awaiting Katherine Center’s next book even more now.