Each time I read another Katherine Center novel, it becomes my new favorite, and this one is no exception. The writing sparkles; the dialogue is snappy and witty, the emotions are heartfelt without being cloying, the story arc is great, and the characters are convincing and engaging. I love Emma and Charlie, and the back stories of each one lend them depth. Emma, a screenwriter getting her first big break, and Charlie, a writer who resists her efforts to fix his egregious rom-com screenplay written under protest, start as antagonists but soon become friends on the path to love. The path develops some major bumps along the way, of course, but a novel about rom-coms requires a happy ever after, and the author delivers one here, though HEA is redefined in the epilogue, in one of my favorite passages from the novel. Anyone who likes witty writing and excellent banter, as well as genuine explorations of grief and guilt, as well as love, will enjoy this story.

Can a non-romance writer deliver a good screenplay for a Rom Com? Not if they don't believe in it (it being romance).
Charlie Yates is the king of Screenwriting. Awards and accolades galore. But he is not without fault. This is clear when he attempts to write a Rom-Com.
It is terrible - the word chosen by everyone who reads it.
However, he needs this script to be approved so that he can move forward with another script, one he is passionate about. So, his agent decides to bring in another screenwriter to help him with the romance part.

On the surface, Emma Wheeler is all wrong for this project.
She's had no success in the genre.
And her sole relationship was with the man who is now Charlie's agent. And he is now out of the closet. Ouch!
But while she doesn't appear to be a good fit, there is something she has over Charlie - she believes in love. And after some negotiating, is finally brought on board to turn the script around, and in doing so, just may make Charlie see that romance is not fiction.

With the life Emma has been dealt, I really loved that she got this opportunity for herself. Charlie's harsh words for her could break anyone, but I applaud her for challenging him. As any romance reader knows, this genre isn't treated with enough respect in the industry. I liked how Emma helped open Charlie's eyes to the complexities of the genre and made him work to deliver something even he could be proud of.

Will love blossom between them? Given Charlie's behavior, I wasn't sure. But in the back of my mind, like a true romance reader, I always had that little bit of hope.

Overall, I always love books about books (or in this case, writing). I enjoyed how the one explored romance and how to deliver convincing (i.e. not sappy) material to win over any audience.

What happens when two writers need to work together to re-write a rom-com script but one of them doesn't really believe in love? Meet Emma and Charlie. Emma longs to be a screenwriter but struggles while caring for dad, who requires round-the-clock care. Charlie is a successful screenwriter, but is struggling with writing a rom-com that he's being forced to write. The dynamics of Emma and Charlie meeting and subsequently working together is just as you'd expect any successful rom-com to be. We get grumpy/sunshine, we get some forced proximity, we get banter, and that slow churn love that is adored in any rom-com. Can Emma get Charlie to believe in love and can they rewrite this script and make it truly magical?

Katherine Center pulls at your heart strings but makes you laugh at the same time. It was fun to have some character cameos from another book of hers (yet this still is a standalone).

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
Spice: This is a clean romance book

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Katherine Center for an ARC of this book, these opinions are my own.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for my free ARC of The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center — available Jun 11!

Read this if you:
🩷 need a laugh — it's a solid romcom about romcoms
🔆 ever made sacrifices for your loved ones
🤠 have gone line dancing and been terrible at it (meee)

Emma is obsessive about her dream to become a screenwriter, but she's always worked from home, as she's the caretaker for her father. When the chance comes up to rewrite a romcom script with her idol, Charlie Yates, she heads to LA for six weeks to get it done. Only two giant problems — the script is abysmal and Charlie doesn't want her help. Can Emma change his mind, not only about her helping, but also about whether or not love is even real?

Katherine Center has thus far been hit (The Bodyguard) or miss (Hello Stranger) for me, and fortunately this one was a hit! I found the back-and-forth between Emma and Charlie pretty hilarious, and enjoyed watching them fall for each other over the course of the story. I do find that Katherine Center leans so heavily on illness, injury, and tragedy in her books, so that can be sort of off-putting in a romance, but I think those elements come together decently well in this particular case. I'd watch the screenplay these two wrote, for sure!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow ! I really liked this book ! This was my first read from this author and I enjoyed it. The side characters were definitely one of my favorites.

I wish Emma hadn’t taken so much crap from Charlie tho. He insulted her a lot and Emma just stayed and didn’t call him out. I also wanted Emma to apologize to her sister for snapping at her ! She went crazy on her and then played the victim when she said something just as hurtful back.

I really liked the ending eulogy! Their were a lot of neat little quotes and inspirational moments

a love letter to romance! It was great and I thought it was better than her last book! Definitely a win for me!

Emma Wheeler is a modern day Meg Ryan. Her narrative voice is so genuine and distinctive. You’ll immediately fall in love with her like she’s your new best friend.
The Rom-Commers delivers on everything we love about the genre. It’s a cute, funny and sweet romantic comedy. No spice needed with this book which I really enjoyed.
Center finds the right balance of realism and fantasy, transporting the reader into Emma’s love story but in this messy world where we all have to deal with happy and sad at the same time. You’ll feel the love. Don’t miss this one!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader. This was by far one of my favorite if not the favorite Katherine Center book. I love me a good romcom and the banter and movie fun in this one is fantastic! The visit with a character from a past book was super fun, and just the whole ride made me smile and laugh out loud!!

You know a book has won your heart when as soon as you finish, you turn around and start reading it all over again. I liked the Rom-Commers that much.

While the story is predictable, it is the journey that is the point. Emma and Charlie’s story is filled with tension, family drama, poignant moments, and humor. I laughed like a loon in parts. While I did find Emma overly anxious at times – with reason – and Charlie a bit insensitive, what I like about Center’s books is that she tries to show normal people living through life’s challenges. Bad things do happen, and they aren’t all fixable, but the message of hope and love make for a feel-good reading experience.

This is a great choice for readers of contemporary romantic comedies and as well as for sensitive readers as there is little swearing and no bedroom scenes on page.

Highly recommend. 5 stars.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this novel.

I’m having mixed feelings.

There is a lot I loved about this book. I loved the style it was written in, like Emma was telling me the story. I love the realistic use of google, the relatability of Emma and how bold she is with Charlie. I also loved getting some insight as to what makes a rom-com a rom-com and why people (me) love them so much.

But there is something about a character taking to power of choice away from another that really never sits well with me. And Charlie did that, and he did it hard.

I’m still saying this is a 4 star read. I just wish Charlie had been upfront and let Emma choose.

Katherine Center is such a gift to the romance world. Her books are romantic, sweet, emotional, and so hope filled. Her latest is a true love letter to the romcom genre and it was so special. I laughed, I cried, I swooned and I loved every single second. 🩷

What to expect::
•Forced proximity
•Opposites attract
•Grumpy x Sunshine
•BTS romcom writing
•Heavy illness and grief themes
🔥Kissing only

🤩This one definitely has a spot in my 2024 favorites!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was SO excited when I saw I had been approved for an advanced copy of The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center! Just this year, she has become one of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint! Katherine does such a great job of writing fun, quirky characters who also have depth to them. This was a cozy book that had me smiling while I was reading it, and I would definitely recommend! AND I can’t wait to get my physical copy at her book signing in June 🤩

Read if you like:
•Witty banter
•Closed door romance
•Tight-knit families

And a huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted ARC and opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review! This book officially comes out June 11th 🗓️

Anything Katherine Center writes, I will read. I think this might be my seventh book of hers I’ve read and it didn’t disappoint.

Emma’s whole life was put on hold 10 years ago after an accident left her father severely injured and her mother dead. Charlie was left by his ex-wife on the same day he learned he had cancer and has kept his diagnosis private since then but is struggling to write his next hit screenplay. Enter Logan, Emma’s ex boyfriend and Charlie’s agent who coxes Emma into spending 6 weeks living in LA to help Charlie rewrite the worst romcom screenplay anyone has ever seen. Over the events of those 6 weeks, Emma and Charlie learn what love is like in real life and not just how it is depicted on the big screen. It’s a sweet, funny, and at times, gut wrenching story that is everything you’d expect from a Katherine Center book.

Thank you to Katherine Center, St Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for free access to The Rom-Commers in exchange for an honest review.

A perfect title for a perfect rom- com! I loved the characters, storyline, and resolution. It had just the right balance of rom and com. A great summer beach read!

Bee: I don’t know if it’s because it was late when I read this, but holy moly. The tears just flowed from my eyes by the end of this. This is rawest and most emotional book I’ve read from Katherine and it’s easily my favorite. Her ability to make you laugh and cry in a book is honestly magic. This doesn’t have dual POV but I swear you can still feel exactly what Charlie may be feeling or thinking in the moment. I love how blunt Emma is with Charlie too. She is exactly what he needed.

Nik: This book was everything. I felt all the feels, happy, sad, anger and so so much love. It’s so evident that Katherine poured her heart out into this one, it’s my favorite of hers yet. Charlie was so broody and grumpy. He was such a treat when he was coming back to life and realizing that Emma was so good for him. Emma’s growth was huge and I loved watching her realize how important she is to herself and everyone else. Everything about this book was top tier.

After devouring The Rom-Commers by the talented Katherine Center, I can confidently say that any book with her name on it will automatically find its way into my bookshelf.
I think I love her books so much because of the way she carefully handles the deep topics she introduces, and the balance between the difficulty and the joy that her characters also feel. I get lost in her writing - I laughed, I cried, I didn't want it to end! Emma Wheeler is a fantastic heroine - she had enough sunshine left even after being her dad's caretaker for ten years to melt the stubborn Charlie Yates down. Their partnership and Charlie's interactions with Emma definitely warmed me up to him as the slow burn was burning. I felt like some of the pacing was off in the middle third of the book, but the last third was such heartbreaking perfection that it made up for everything. I immediately read this one a second time through after I finished it because I didn't want it to be over!  So, a big thank you to Katherine Center, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

So I am going back and forth on this one. I devoured this book in two days since I loved the main character so much however Charlie I just thought was kinda mean at some point and never really owned it and apologized. I loved the simpler venerable moments that they shared. I can understand the language choices around those moments being simpler to highlight the way that it is hard to articulate feelings sometimes. over all I also just wish there was more sweetness through out the story.

Thank you, Katherine Center, for writing the most perfect rom-com for rom-com lovers. I loved it so very much!

Very reliably Katherine Center, which basically equates to clean, closed-door romance with Hallmark Channel vibes. This one gets points for delving into the writing process and what "stories" mean in and for our lives. But otherwise, it's a predictable structure of rom-com conflict, banter, butterflies, misunderstandings, revelations, swooning, and a 3rd act brush with tragedy, followed by holding on to the person you love and getting your happily ever after. The formula can be very satisfying, and it works here. I genuinely enjoyed several scenes and - as with most Katherine Center books - could easily see this made into a movie.

I was a big fan of The Bodyguard and absolutely did not enjoy the miscommunication trope of Hello Stranger. This book lands somewhere between those two. I know that a lot of people think that 3 stars means that a book is bad, but that's true. This book is good, just not great.

The Rom-Commers follows two screenwriters--Emma and Charlie--who have had wildly divergent experiences. Charlie was a wunderkind whose first screenplay was picked up while he was in college, catapulting him into a stratosphere of fame that most could only dream of. Emma, on the other hand, had her entire life upended when her mother died, and her father was seriously injured, in a rock climbing accident. That accident left Emma at home, carrying for her father and piecing together writing gigs.

When Emma is given the opportunity to help re-write a truly atrocious rom-com written by her writing hero, Charlie, she jumps at the chance, only to learn that Charlie doesn't believe in romance or love, and he certainly isn't interested in polishing the script. Yet, as the two begin working together, Charlie's stance on love starts to falter, and Emma realizes that she might love Charlie for more than just his writing skills.

I should have loved this book, I love seeing a curmudgeonly writer change his whole tune on love (after all, Gus Everett is, and always will be, my favor MMC). Unfortunately, there's not enough growth, nor groveling, to save Charlie from the first impression that he gives (he is terrible to Emma at the start). The book is written in a single POV, which requires a real deft hand at making the reader catch the changes of the other character, and I suspect that dual POV would have made the growth in Charlie's character more obvious.

This likely will still be a popular summer read. It is a well-written, well-paced, quick read, with a meta perspective on love and romance (as an art form) built in.

* Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! *