Quick summary
Emma Wheeler is a writer who is a hopeless romantic and lover of rom coms. She is also the primary caregiver to her father who had a terrible accident 10 years prior that has required her to stay at home in Houston and put her dreams on hold....UNTIL, she gets the opportunity of a lifetime to write a rom com with her all time favorite, famous, Hollywood film writer, Charlie Yates. Unfortunately, after leaving her baby sister to take care of her dad and flying to LA she quickly finds out that 1) Charlie Yates doesn't know she's coming 2) he doesn't believe in love 3) doesn't even want to write this movie.

Emma decides to stay and change his mind... insert dramatic or romantic music here the rest you have to read to find out.

My thoughts:
I really did enjoy this book and the characters. Charlie and Emma were both very real and flawed people who had so many likable and relatable qualities.

The writing is told through the POV of Emma and it was a fast-paced and easy read. Was it anything life changing? Did I cry or have extreme emotions while reading? Not really. But, I don't think that is always necessary in order to have a book that means something. It was fun, funny and romantic. I absolutely adored the way that Katherine Center ended the book. Really great life lessons and takeaways.

I would recommend this for the lover of a rom com genre.

Charlie Yates is a well-known Holywood screenwriter, and Emma Wheeler is a strictly romantic comedy type of screenwriter. However, she has been the sole caretaker for her father after an accident. A phone call has changed Emma's life with the once in a lifetime opportunity to work with Charlie Yates, who Emma loves so much as one of the best screenwriters. This opportunity has completely changed her life.

I love Emma's resilience in this book and how both Charlie and Emma are willing to communicate with their opinions about love. It is heartwarming with some heartbreaking elements and humor in the story.

Each of Katherine Center's book - I can find some life lessons. For this one, there is grief, tragedy, gratitude, the process of your life (instead of focusing on the ending). This book is not a typical romance, it has so much depth in it which I love. I would highly recommend this book! Please add it to your TBR and it will be released on June 11th!

Favorite quotes:
"Whatever story you tell yourself about your life is the one that will be true."
"Tragedy is a given. There's no version of human life that doesn't have tons of it. The question is, what do we do in the face of it all?"
"Tragedy really is a given. There are endless human stories, but they all end the same way. So it can't be where you're going. It has to be how you get there."

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the generous ARC provided via NetGalley. It was my first ARC, and I was very happy to provide my honest review in exchange for this one.

Well, she's done it again! I just love Katherine Center's books. Her stories keep me entranced from start to finish. Her characters are delightful, and her plots are heartwarming. This book holds up to all her others. I loved the setup that gets the plot going. I love the character arcs. I also really enjoyed the moments where I could just imagine the tension or humor or romance. It was a great read!

Fascinated by the narrative's depth, I found myself drawn into a world where imperfections became the very essence of life's beauty. From the outset, I felt a deep connection to the characters, immersed in their journey of struggles and triumphs.

The companionship I felt with the main characters was truly profound. Together, we shared moments of laughter, tears, and heartfelt emotion, forging a bond that transcended the pages of the book. Their challenges resonated deeply with me, evoking a myriad of emotions from empathy to joy.

What struck me most was the author's ability to evoke such a diverse array of feelings. With each turn of the page, new layers of complexity were unveiled, offering insights into the richness of the human experience.

The narrative held me fascinated until the very end, with each chapter delivering fresh revelations and insights. It was a testament to the transformative power of storytelling to illuminate the human condition.

In the end, this experience left an indelible mark on my soul. It served as a poignant reminder that life's beauty often lies in its imperfections, and that true resilience is found in embracing the challenges we face. The impact of this extraordinary journey will linger in my heart for years to come, regardless of its title.

Spoiler Free ARC Review: 5 ⭐️

Katherine Center has done it again. I have never read one of her books and not gasped, laughed and cried. I was so excited when I got approved to read The Rom-Commers! I started reading this book and did not get up until I finished it. I seriously adored this deep, character driven rom-com.

Successful screenwriter, Charlie, wrote a terrible rom-com. That’s where Emma Wheeler, a romance savant comes in. Reluctantly paired together, (Charlie because he works alone and Emma because she’s the caregiver to her sick father) the duo have to rewrite a romance filled screenplay together. The main issue? Charlie doesn’t believe in love.

This book is so swoon-worthy. There are some heavy topics in this book. Trigger warnings for chronic illness. But, the way both MCs and the supporting cast was written was done beautifully. Every sentence Katherine writes is integral to the plot. She’s an incredible story teller and this book is no exception. I HIGHLY recommend to anyone wanting to read a beautiful story. Tropes include: forced proximity, strangers to enemies to lovers, and workplace romance!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

Picked this one up because I had read one other Katherine Center book and really enjoyed it. I liked this one as well. She has a really good grasp on what makes romance satisfying and even though I could predict everything that was okay.

I liked the self-aware and occasionally meta commentary about romance as a genre and would read more of her books.

4/5 just because there is definitely some room for improvement and it didn’t wow me, but want to be clear that’s a great rating for me.

Let me just start by saying that I am the biggest Katherine Center fan and have read a majority of her books and loved just about all of them. However. this one was disappointing for me. I just knew at 50% through that this one was going to be a 3 star book. That definitely doesn't mean I hated it, but I also didn't love it.

What I liked: Emma is genuinely kind and loving. She is strong, not in a tough-girl, badass way, like many of Katherine Center's other characters are, but in a more subtle way. She is honest, vulnerable, genuinely kind, smart, and a little sassy. Also, Emma's dad is wise and funny and I loved him as a supporting character. I loved the general plot- the concept of two screenplay writers working together to write a Rom-Com was fun.

What I didn't love: Charlie is mean to Emma, like really mean and personality, by the time he shows his true feelings and is actually kind, it was too little too late. He just couldn't quite redeem himself at that point in my eyes. Also, why is he letting his terrible ex-wife walk all over him like a spineless jellyfish?! The banter in this one just didn't hit me like I needed it to. I wish there was less mean comments and more playful, witty banter.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy.

Katherine Center is another author whose books never miss for me. The Rom-Commers is a win for sure and I loved this book. I liked the humor and the banter between Emma and Charlie and it really balanced out the at times heaviness that Center incorporated into the story. I loved that writers were the sole focus and it took place kind of in the behind the scenes aspect of Hollywood. Both characters felt so real and vulnerable which I enjoyed and I think Center handled their different traumas with such a high level of care. The fact that love was the main focus of the book made me love it even more. I couldn't put it down and felt Emma's declations about romcoms in my own soul. All of her books manage to both get me to laugh and cry and this was no exception. The concept was brilliant and the execution was a delight. I also loved the quick cameos from The Bodyguard. Overall, this was a fantastic one! Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Netgalley and Macmillan audio for providing me with an e-ARC/ ALC to read and review!

Oh my god I did not want this book to end under any circumstances!!!!! The chemistry Charlie and Emma have is undeniable and their banter back and forth is immaculate. Quick chapters, one person POV, chefs kiss all around. I would not change one bit about this book except for the length because I wanted more!!!!! The ongoing love and loss themes resided heavily with me which made me appreciate this novel even more.

WOW! I absolutely adored this book! It has delightful characters, real life problems, amazing dialogue, and the most perfect happy ending. You'll find yourself riding the emotional ups and downs with all of the characters, and rooting for all of them to get their happy ever afters. This truly was such a win for me! 5 star read for sure!

Come on! A Rom-Com about two authors writing a Rom-Com screenplay?! I was certain that I would fall in love with this book. Add Katherine Center's witty dialogue, careful portrayal of emotional topics and amazing supporting character development, and it's impossible not to devour this book! This fantastic read exceeded my already high expectations. There were many instances where I found myself smiling or feeling a lump in my throat. This book evoked a variety of emotions from me. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a well written, witty, romantic comedy.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publisher and Katherine Center for giving me the opportunity to review this fabulous read.

I don't have access to enough stars to assign this book the correct rating. 5 stars feel insufficient. This is the Rom-com to END all Rom-coms, while also being a tutorial on Rom-coms. The characters are endearing and beautifully flawed, the witty banter had me laughing out loud, and I was fully invested in the story of Emma and Charlie (as well as the ancillary characters). It's a love letter to all the classic romantic comedies, including "Pretty Woman", "When Harry Met Sally", "The Holiday", and "Notting Hill", to name a few. It's intelligent and sweet, but never schmaltzy. This needs to be made into a movie, stat.

The Rom-Commers isn't my favorite book from Katherine Center but was still an enjoyable read! This book deals with some dark topics in a delicate way and is still lighthearted enough to be considered romance. The romance is charming and sweet with a lot of banter between Charlie and Emma. It took me a bit to warm up to Charlie. Also keep an eye out for a Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguard appearance :).

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Katherine Center for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. The Rom-Commers will be published on June 11, 2024.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of the Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. Emma is a writer who wants to write screenplays, but she has spent years taking care of her disabled father. Then she gets an opportunity to work with a famous writer in California, and she uproots her life to go there. But the writer is very difficult, and she worries about how her sister is going to manage with her father. It’s a fun story with some sad and difficult issues. Of course a happy ending! Good light read, great for the beach. It will be released in June. #therom-commers #katherinecenter #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday

There's no one better to emotionally wreck you and then put you back together than Katherine Center. Please be advised that you should read this only somewhere that you can ugly sob in peace. She has such an amazing way with words to just hit you directly in every single feeling, your heart, your soul. Every character made you feel something new. I laughed, I smiled, I sobbed. I loved it.

I will read anything and everything by Katherine Center and recommend it for anyone who needs to be reminded that they're a human being.

I absolutely loved this book! Katherine Center has proved once again why she is an auto-buy author for me.

Emma is such a fun character, and I love how in love with romance she is. The writing is so witty and I just love how well Katherine writes heavy topics without making them feel so heavy. She is truly a master of her craft and knows how to pull at your heartstrings.

The pacing of this book also felt just right, and I'm always a fan of the tropes found in this story. And can I mention Emma's adorable father and their relationship? Because as hard as it must have been to be the sole caretaker for her father for years, she still adores him and loves him, and absolutely has a blast making memories together.

5/5 stars and a perfect addition to any summer tbt list!

I was so excited to read The Rom-Commers because I really like Katherine Center a lot, but this book was not my favorite. I had quite a few issues with it, but at the center is just the fact that I did not like the two main characters. They had absolutely zero chemistry, and I did not buy even a little that these two people somehow fell in love. Nope. That absolutely did not happen.

The main characters were Emma and Charlie, Emma being the struggling screenwriter and Charlie being the renowned, award winning screenwriter. Emma ends up working with Charlie to fix one of his screenplays. At the time she has been taking care of her dad who has multiple medical issues that require constant care, so her sister Sylvie takes over his care while she goes to this job for six weeks. Right off the bat Charlie says the rudest things about Emma, and she overhears him and is offended but says and does absolutely nothing about it. Wash, rinse and repeat. Charlie repeatedly insults her to anyone and everyone who will listen, including to Emma right to her face. And Emma is such a doormat, she never does anything about it. She never stands up for herself, and just let's Charlie crap on her and take out all of his issues on her. She thinks more than once how angry she is and how she will leave, but never does. Like grow a spine! It was so unappealing.

Of course towards the end, there is the separation because of course Emma's dad gets hurt under the care of Sylvie. Emma proceeds to berate her younger sister in the most disgusting way until Sylvie finally has enough and says something hurtful back. To which Emma decides that she is basically going to cut her sister out of her life. Girl. Did you not just hear all of the horrible things you said to your sister not 30 seconds prior? At this point I was just done with Emma.

When we finally got a reason for the separation it was so unbelievable that this issue would ever happen, that it completely took away from the reveal. And at the end I was just so over both Emma and Charlie. Emma needed to stop martyring herself, and Charlie needed to grow up. The only characters I enjoyed were all of the side characters! Emma's family was lovely and they all deserved better than her. They are why I even gave the book 2.5 stars. But I rounded up to 3 because it's Katherine Center. Overall just not my favorite. Thank you to SMP and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

In this witty enemies to lovers troupe, Emma and Charlie are unwilling brought together to rewrite a screenplay. Emma wants to make it big but her family obligations have held her back. It was so fun to read these two as they learned about each other and tried not to fall in love. This is the perfect escape read! Beach read, here I come!

Not my favorite from KC (I've read almost her entire body of work) but fun, nonetheless. I will still recommend it as a read this summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to receive and review this ARC.

Ahhhh! I loved this book so much! Such an uplifting & inspiring story from one of my favorite authors! This story is clever, witty, heartfelt and real. Katherine Center’s stories always do the heart good.