This book was amazing! I haven’t read a great romance in a while as all of the ones I read lately were just kinda ok but this one is a highlight. The grumpy x sunshine vibes were awesome, the setting in LA with Charlie and Emma being screenplay writers was something new for me and I just flew through this book. Unputdownable is the right word for this one.

For the characters, first Charlie is so nice and grouchy but so likeable at the same time. He is like a kid who starts to rediscover that the world can be a fun place. A great character and fun to read about. At times he can be annoying, but his counterpart Emma is a nice counterbalance to his grouchiness. She is stubborn and fun and likeable as well! I enjoyed how she just ‘puts on her teacher voice’ and changes peoples’ perceptions and lives a little at a time. She deeply cares for her dad and worries about everything and everyone she loves.

All in all I loved the dynamics between Charlie and Emma and have nothing to criticise about this book. As Katherine is a new to me author I cannot say how this one compares to her other books, but I would say if you like books by for example Emily Henry I could imagine this one would be perfect for you! 100% recommendation.

4.75

Katherine Center is one of my favorite romance writers. She knows how to write sweet low spice stories that grip you from the very beginning. I think this is my favorite of hers so far!

My first ever Kathrine Center book was The Bodyguard and I distinctly remember saying in my review that it was my first of her books and would not be my last. Since then, I’ve managed to read most of them. When I saw she’d written another one, I requested an ARC without even reading the description. No need—Katherine wrote it, so I’ll read it. You can officially consider me a super fan after this one. My word, these characters are a delight. The plot is just lovely. I enjoyed every bit of this book, devouring it like a dessert. If I’m not mistaken, this is the first time a returning character has reappeared and I surely hope it’s not the last! Officially, Kathrine Center has just become an auto-read author after this book. I can’t wait for the world to read this book!

I've loved all the books Katherine Center has put out thus far so was excited to have received this Arc.

With the title The Rom-Commers you can make some inferences how the book is going to play out. I'll say it gave me some surprises but I honestly loved every part of this book!


Thanks to NetGallery and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

First off thank you Katherine Center, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

Emma Wheeler is rom com expert who longing dreams to be a successful screenwriter. Unfortunately family circumstances have kept Emma from pursuing this dream. But all of that is about to change.

When Emma is offered the opportunity of a lifetime to ghostwrite with legendary screenwriter Charlie Yates, she is forced for the first time in 10 years to put herself first. For the next 6 weeks Emma is tasked to save Charlie’s dying script and maybe teach him a thing or two about love in the process.

I adored this story! It had all the things we love in Katherine’s writing with quick whit and emotional moments that keep us wanting more. I love a grumpy/sunshine story and Charlie was the perfect grumpy screenwriter and Emma is a ball of sunshine! The story moves flows very well and definitely has a rooting for Charlie and Emma the whole time. The backstory with Emma’s parents was a good side story and I LOVED Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguard making a cameo and the mention of his cute wife Hannah!

This was a great read and rom-com lovers will absolutely love it. The It Happened One Night reference might have been my favorite part. That movie is a treasure and always will be. Again huge thanks to Katherine, #netgalley, and the publisher for this book. I really loved it.

I was so excited to read this and absolutely loved the first 1/3 of it. But after that it just got a little too cringe for my liking. I love Katherine Centers writing, relatively short chapters and stories in general but this one just was not a fave of mine.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book!

I devoured this story. It was the ‘can’t go to sleep until you get to the end’ type of read for me. I love enemies to lovers + forced proximity and this really delivered on both. I thought the chemistry between the FMC and MMC was well developed. I loved the moments where they were completely honest and vulnerable with each other the most. It felt so cathartic. I never wanted them to step outside of their writing bubble in Charlie’s mansion.

I enjoyed the emotional family plot as well. I could connect to being a caretaker of a parent and the eldest of two sisters. I really appreciated how the author detailed the complexities of that family dynamic. It is NOT easy but it doesn’t have to be devoid of all joy.

The banter was great. The side characters served their purpose well. I loved all of the HEAs. The plot moved along well. I do think the last section lost a little momentum and then the ending felt rushed, but that it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. My only other critique was how overly critical people were to Emma. I was able to feel what was trying to be expressed and feel like it could’ve been dialed back a touch.

This was by far my favorite Katherine Center book! I also loved the character crossover from one of her other books. 4.5 ⭐️ rounded up

I LOVE that Katherine Center switched to ROMCOMS because WOW, these last few books have hit it out of the park. I will read every romance she writes now.

Katherine Center’s The Bodyguard was my surprise feel-good rom-com hit of 2022, and The Rom-Commers seems poised to be that for me in 2024. It’s set in the same world as The Bodyguard (we get some amazing Jack Stapleton appearances) and features a forced proximity romance between Charlie Yates, a successful screenwriter who has written the world’s worst romantic comedy script, and Emma Wheeler, the struggling writer/rom-com enthusiast who has been hired (against his will) to help him fix it.

Because it is a Katherine Center novel, there is, of course, a lot more going aside from a fun and banter-filled rom-com. Here, she explores how we choose to live our lives in the wake of personal tragedy and grief. I love the way Center is able to deftly balance these types of serious themes with light-hearted fun. She continues to be a top-notch writer and for whom I eagerly await her next release. The Rom-Commers is no exception and I can’t wait to see what she has in store next!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Once again Katherine Center brings the laughs, the feels, and the heartwarming moments. This book was so special to me. I adored The Rom-Commers.

Emma Wheeler just got the break of her life. After spending the past decade caring for her father, her sister is taking over temporarily so she can write a screenplay with Charlie Yates. Yes, that Charlie Yates. Things don’t go as planned when she arrives, but Emma is adamant about making it work.

Charlie Yates does not want to write a rom-com. It doesn’t matter if he has help or not, he doesn’t want to do it. But here comes Emma catapulting into his life and changing everything. I loved both Charlie and Emma so much. At the start, I was worried I wouldn’t feel the love between these two. It was a slower burn, but once I did- I really did.

Emma was such a relatable character to me. Optimistic, a caretaker, the oldest daughter. And Charlie… he was just a delight LOL I mean, not at first, but with time I loved him so much! I loved how he didn’t want to fall in love with Emma but couldn’t quite help himself. He was endearing and kind and honestly my favorite.

The Rom-Commers had me in tears a time or two, made me laugh out loud, was witty, smart, and a whole lot of fun. This will most assuredly make my top favorites list of 2024 and I highly recommend it!

Another win for Katherine Center!! This one had my laughing while feeling those perfect ups and downs that go with a perfect rom-com. All within a story that is all about writing a romantic comedy.

Emma is hilarious. She’s got that natural funny personality that makes you want to know more about her. And Charlie Yates wants to know more about her too. You won’t find spice in this one, but just the perfect amount of sweet.

I had ebook and audio, but listened mostly to audio. Great narrators that kept the story going for me when I had to multitask.

Perfect back porch read to have on hand as we get into summer!

Emma Wheeler, a romantic comedy lover and wanna be romantic-com screenwriter, is the stay at home caretaker for her father after a family accident during a vacation. She has put her life on hold to help her father and raise her younger sister but now, an opportunity of a lifetime has fallen into her lap, she is being asked to write a screenplay with her favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates! What ensues is such a cute, funny and adorable romantic comedy. The characters are great, the story is funny and relatable and you will love it, I know I did. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for a review.

Just like any Katherine center book, this was a delight. Except there’s no way a person can be that clueless. At the end how clueless she got about Charlie got annoying.

I was gifted a copy of this book from Net Galley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out June 11, 2024. I've read many Katherine Center's book amd this one felt different from her others. Not necessarily bad different, just different. More cutesy romantic than the rest. I enjoyed it and will continue to read this author.

“The Rom-Commers” by Katherine Center
ABSOLUTELY LOVED this STORY
I want to give it 10-STARS; YES, I said 10 stars.. There were so many parts I wanted to copy and share with others.. It is a romance but with so many life lesson occasions with what I believe are excellent bits of wisdom shared. Maybe everyone who thinks they are in love or will never be in love should be required to read this story and truly think about the ‘Words of Wisdom’ shared via the characters in this story. I truly felt like I was actually the recipient of a one on one conversation with Emma. This is definitely a read more than one time book. A Worthy Read. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: This review expresses my honest opinion.

4.5 stars

Charlie Yates, famous screen writer, wrote a romcom and it's terrible. It needs help, though he doesn't want it. Logan, Charlie's agent, asks his longtime friend Emma Wheeler to help. She's been an aspiring writer for years but put her life on hold to care for her father. Now, helping Charlie could be just what she needs to jumpstart her career.

Though, Charlie doesn't want help. He knows it is terrible and he doesn't care. He only wrote it to get another project approved. Plus, he doesn't believe in love. Emma makes it her mission to show Charlie what love is and to prove that this movie is worth rewriting.

I enjoyed both main characters in this book and their banter. Charlie was grumpy, but still likable.

I listened to this and read this. Patti Murin was an excellent narrator.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars for Katherine Centers super cute novel The Rom-Commers. Ms. Centers is a new author to me but I thoroughly enjoy this book! A full review is forthcoming and a huge thank you to NetGalley for affording me the opportunity of reading an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Can I just say how much I ADORE this story?! Charlie is a famous and successful screenplay writer who wrote a rom com that is absolute garbage, and needs help. Emma happens to be his agent’s friend from high school, and an aspiring writer whose life got in the way of her career. Naturally Charlie is reluctant to work with a nobody, and Emma is reluctant to sacrifice her dignity, and so an uneasy partnership is formed with a heavy dose of distrust and a lot of crossed wires.

This story is hilarious from the start, with lots of twists and a slow burn to drive you wild. But also has an exceeding amount of heart. It will deliver ALL the feels.

It is no surprise to me that this is Katherine Center’s next book after Hello Stranger, and if you read or listened to the author’s note at the end of Hello Stranger, you won’t be surprised either.

This book represents all of the wonderful things that we all love about the romance genre. And when I say wonderful, I don’t necessarily mean happy sometimes wonderful is gut-wrenching. Sometimes it’s hilarious and sometimes it’s hilariously gone wrong. All of these things cultivate that ending, that surge of emotion when we know in those characters know what they have to do. I love this story for Emma and Charlie’s journey, but I also love this story because of its messaging around the romance genre.

I was absolutely obsessed with The Bodyguard, so I could not wait for this book! However, this didn’t hit for me at all. If there was a chance of saving this story (which I was so excited for), we needed Charlie’s POV. Because this was a book that showed such toxicity and labeled it “romance.”

The Rom-Comers by Katherine Center Emma is a screenwriter and college professor who put her dreams of Hollywood stardom on hold to take care of her disabled father. A call from her former high school boyfriend now agent, Logan, changes all that when she gets hired to ghostwrite a rom-com screenplay with Charlie Yates! (yes the Charlie Yates! Hope you like that name because you will hear it a lot throughout this book!) Charlie Yates thinks rom-coms are trivial and moreover that love doesn’t exist. Can Emma change his mind in time to get a good screenplay written and make her time away from her family worth it?

 

I want to start by saying I love everything that I have read by Katherine Center. I really was anxiously awaiting this book and when I didn’t get chosen for the eARC I applied for the audiobook and am so glad that is the version I read. The narrator was amazing! I was listening to this on my drive to and from work for a week and talking back to my car stereo. “No!”  “Really?”  “What a jerk!”  “Don’t believe that Emma!” I really loved this book. My only qualm was the end was a little monologuey for me, but that’s ok. I laughed out loud multiple times. I was swept away by the story as Emma made Charlie Yates do everything he thought was romantic in his screenplay that she disagreed with. I got mad that Emma doubted herself and believed the surface of what Charlie was saying, rather than looking deeper and validating her truth. But this makes sense for the character, someone who has been hiding from life due to a family tragedy; keeping her life safe and small, and not really living at all. I liked that Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguard shows up as Charlie Yates’ best friend, connecting this book with my other favorite Katherine Center novel.
Center has the ability to take grief and tragedy seriously while also showing humor and the small ways people soldier on. For a book that concerns some heavy topics, it felt light, even while taking it’s characters seriously. Thanks to Macmillian Audio and Net Galley for this early audiobook in exchange for my honest review. 4.5 stars