3.5

katherine center has really mastered the art of getting deep without making it feel heavy, or overly emotional. the setup here was cute, and written well. an effective rom-com, as the title suggests.

i liked how the narrator sounded; she was very easy to listen to! sometimes it takes me a bit to get used to an audiobook, but i was in this one almost right away.

🎧 listened to audiobook
#netgalley

A delightful romance that builds slowly. I loved the writing elements through the novel. I kept wondering if the author was Stephen King or John Green.

💐𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚘𝚖-𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚜🌻
🩷𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: 𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚌𝚘𝚖..𝚢𝚎𝚝 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎!
🗓️𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙹𝚞𝚗𝚎 𝟷𝟷, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺(𝚙𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎
𝙼𝚢 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝..Emma is a talented writer & lover of romcoms, but also the sole caretaker for her dad. She gets the opportunity of a lifetime to write with her fav Hollywood screen writer and…

🌻🌷🌸🪻🌼🌻🌷🌸🪻🌼🌻🌷🌸🪻💐

💭𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜…THIS BOOK IS PURE JOY! ☀️ this is my fourth Katherine Center book & def my fav! 🥳 I read this as a hybrid(audio some, kindle some) & had to take breaks to rest my jaw. Why, you ask? 🤔Well, because I was smiling so much my jaw would ache & cramp that I had to ice it 🧊🙃…those that really know me know I had a tumor in my jaw..had it removed & stem cells put in its place..yada yada..I am fine(ish) now but have NEVER had a book that caused such elation that I needed to ice my face. Thanks, KC😆

🌈I could rave about it all..her amazing banter, the characters(they are so real!), the relationships(& not just love interests), the quotes that should be its own book in itself, the surprising little plot twists & so.much.more!

📝 Her authors notes are an absolute must read always so never miss those! If you don’t like smiling 😁or want to be a miserable human being then don’t pick it up…otherwise please add this jubilation compilation to your TBR! ☀️🌈🦄

Such a cute lil romance story. I highly recommend this one for a good summer read! I think there's a little something in there for everybody.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this arc. Wow. This one is going to stick with me for a while. What a gorgeously written story about love, loss, grief, and overcoming tragedy by going through it. The Center's storytelling is captivating, witty, and powerful. Emma, an optimistic romance writer who has sacrificed everything for the people she loves, was such a joy of a protagonist. She has a compelling charm that evokes so much thought and emotion that you can't help but root for her happiness. Charlie, the pessimistic fiction writer hardened by the people who have left him behind, served as a perfect 'rom-commer' counterpart. Center is masterful at character development— a truly remarkable story from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC of this book.

This book was a delight to read. I really enjoyed Hello Stranger and had high expectations for this book. It was not a disappointment.

Emma has been taking care of her father for the last 10 years and doing some writing on the side. Her high school boyfriend and agent calls her out of the blue with an unbelievable opportunity. Charlie Yates is her favorite screen writer and needs some help with his rom-com that he has written.

Emma calls her sister to come care for their father and nervously gets on a plane. She is worried her sister will not be able to handle all the care their father needs on a daily basis and leaves very explicit instructions for her.

Emma finds out when she is at Charlie Yates' house that he isn't privy to the plan that her agent cooked up.

I was very bonded to both Charlie and Emma and their working relationship. There were a lot of sweet scenes with them doing research for the movie and working through some life things together that endeared me to them even more.

Emma gets to meet a lot of Hollywood heavy hitters in her time with Charlie and can actually work to have a career of her own rather than just being her dad's caretaker while life passes her by.

Katherine Center is the queen of romance with substance and she has done it again!! The Rom-Commers is my new favorite book of hers. I was immediately drawn into the story and then couldn't put it down! Charlie and Emma are both so realistic written that you believe everything that happens to them and between them. The ending will have you in tears, from being emotionally wrecked and then put back together again.

5/5

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for this Arc, all opinions are my own.

Emma lives with her dad who was injured ten years ago in an accident that killed her mother. She has been his caregiver since then while her younger sister finished college. Her dreams of screenwriting had to be put on hold for her family. One day she gets a call from her old friend/agent that a ghostwriter is needed to completely overhaul a rom com screenplay by her favorite screenwriter. With her sister to care for her dad, she takes off for LA only to find Charlie to not only be difficult, but also to have not been told his rom com script was in need of a rewrite. Will Emma and Charlie be able to write together? Can Emma found herself again and grow? Can Charlie?

Katherine Center is back. I haven't loved her last few books as much as her older ones, but although this premise seems farfetched, the main characters really work and I loved the silliness, grumpiness, and sticky situations they get themselves into. Writing a rom com screenplay together is kind of wishing it would get made into a movie, but I think it would do well as one, and I liked this one a lot. 4.25 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book, but well this was complete garbage. I am a huge Katherine Center fan but this was just not it. She really peaked at The Bodyguard and things have not been great since. There was no one to root for, the twist at the end was completely unbelievable. There was no language for all the sex and profanity at the beginning and it made no sense that she suddenly was a 'i swim every morning' person when she also never took her eyes off her father. The best part was her father's toast at the end of the book. This would have been a much better book if it was written by Courtney Walsh.

The Rom-Commers centers on Emma, an aspiring screenwriter who has spent the last decade of her life as the sole caretaker of her dad who requires full time care. Emma writes romantic comedies, and she’s really good at it but she is also well versed in giving up opportunities for herself to care for her family. The story begins when an opportunity comes calling that’s too good not to answer this time—to ghostwrite a romantic comedy for Charlie, her favorite screenwriter and a big name in Hollywood. But Charlie doesn’t believe in love and is only working on the rom com so that the producer requesting it will make another of Charlie’s screen plays.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved Emma but did not love the emotional whiplash she was put through with Charlie’s mixed signals (and though everything is eventually explained, it was still really hard and the miscommunication/misunderstanding went on too long). At no point did I pick this up thinking that it would have me sobbing but it did. This was a sweet and funny romance that packs several heartfelt and gut wrenching punches. It is beautiful and overall a happy story but like life, it also has several really sad parts. This is a topic that the book touches on at several points - you cannot escape the bad things in life but you do get to choose what you do in the face of them.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC!

Oh my goodness. This book. Look, if you love 2000s romcoms, then this is the book for you. When I say this book could be a movie, I’m not exaggerating. I could see the scenes unfurling in front of me and imagine the sweetest love story playing out on the big screen. It would obviously have a fantastic soundtrack, like How to lose a guy in ten days good.

If you’ve liked Katherine Center’s previous work, this book will be right up your alley. It’s a bit of women’s fiction with plenty of romantic tension. You will love the quirky, bold Emma. And the sweet, thoughtful Charlie Yates? He’s the romcom lead of your dreams.

Listen. You might be saying, “Hannah. I’ve read plenty of romcoms. Why this one?” And I’ll be telling you that people don’t make these books like this one anymore. This is classic. This is sweet. This is Center witty. This is what every romance movie of the 2010s and 2020s have been missing.

Just do yourself a favor and preorder it. Not just because it has adorable pink sprayed edges, but because it’s a story you need in your heart.

Thank you Netgalley, for a chance to read this book early.

I love this book so much. The storyline and characters were hilarious. Emma is a strong character who stands up for what she wants and who she is. Charlie is so oblivious at times that it is adorable.

Emma had dreams of being screen writer until she had to become the sole caregiver for her father. She selflessly placed her dreams on the shelf and did everything to care for her father. Until she gets the opportunity to cowrite a screen play with her favorite author. Her sister takes over the caregiving for their father and Emma flies to LA to meet her hero.
Hilarious banter ensues. The title definitely lives up. This rom-com is sweet, laugh out loud funny, but sometimes serious and heartwarming. If you liked her other works, you will love this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Katherine Center book and I adored ir. The family component? The slow burn? The real problems that both characters brought to the table as baggage? Close proximity? This had it all and I really enjoyed it and devoured it in 24 hours. If you are a fan of movies (i’m not) then you will also love the movie references!

✨Ｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ✨

The Rom-Commers 📚 by @katherinecenter

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thank you @stmartinspress @netgalley for this #advancedreaderscopy from one of my favorite authors, I was soo excited to get selected!

As for the book, I just finished reading it and just finished crying for probably the third time in the book 😂. I read this book in just a few days and didn't want to put it down. Katherine Center did what she always does so well: creates characters you love and that are authentic, throws in life lessons that make you think, and throws in moments that really make you cry along the way (at least for me 😂).

Emma put her life on hold to be the caretaker for her father after a tragic accident. Then Emma gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with one of her favorite screenwriters, Charlie Yates, on a rom-com. Along the way, Emma experiences some emotional/challenging situations and, through it all, tries to hold on to what she believes in: love.

Publication date: 6/11/24, definitely recommend!
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#justread #bookstack #booklovers #alwaysreading #readersofinstagram #bookreview #instareads #goodreads #bookworm #bookaddict #readersofig #bookreviewer #bookaddict #bookstagram

THE ROM-COMMERS was another winner by Katherine Center. I really enjoyed the banter between Charlie and Emma. Emma was such a unique character and I liked how she pushed Charlie to do things he wasn't sure he could do. Together, they made a perfect pair. This story made me laugh and smile which is what I love about this author's books. Overall, this was a fun book to read and listen to. The audiobook was exceptional!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) closer to pub date

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(3.5)

Emma Wheeler, aspiring screenwriter, gets a chance to rewrite a script for her idol, Charlie Yates. Leaving her caregiving duties to her sister, she heads to L.A. But Yates, cynical and dismissive, presents a challenge. As they clash over love's authenticity, Emma realizes her own story might just be the ultimate romantic comedy.

There were some fun moments and I definitely wanted to finish this book, but overall I wanted to like it more than I actually did. It was a slow start to the plot and a slow build to the romance. The premise of this book is fantastic! I mean a rom-com about a rom-com lover writing and rom-com with a rom-com sync? So fun! But the writing style didn’t live up to my expectations. It is fully “tell not show,” and maybe that’s on purpose? All the dialogue and minimal scene blocking definitely felt like a screenplay. If you like micro-tropes like birthday traditions, family caregiver, niche rom-com/writing references, you’ll smile throughout many scenes in this book ☺️ I’m glad I read this, it just didn’t fully hit the spot.

Thank you @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio @NetGalley for the eARC and ALC 💙 #netgalley

Perfect for you if you like:
Grumpy dialogue
References to writing rom-coms
Caregiver/family health obstacles

Similar to:
How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson
Beach Read by Emily Henry (open-door)
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood (YA, fade-to-black)

⛔️closed door romance (mild innuendo)
⚠️explicit language, previous loss of a parent, sick family member, talk of cancer

Katherine Center is the queen of feel good rom coms, so this book is very aptly named. A grumpy sunshine, forced proximity meets Hollywood screenwriters. I sometime felt like it could have used a little more tension or build up, but it was quick, cute, and perfect for a beach read!

Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to review this ARC! 4/5 for me, although Katherine Center is always an auto buy for me. Loved these characters, although the lack of communication at the end was low key frustrating. Still, we get a great story with this book and everyone should read it!

This latest by Katherine Center was delightful. It gave me all the warm, fuzzy rom com feelings and I devoured it in two days. I absolutely ADORED Emma and all of her selfless, anxious quirkiness. I wanted a tiny bit more from Charlie's character-- he felt a little too one-dimensional to me, but he did find some redemption towards the ending. I love a good close proximity trope, and adore the whole average-girl-meets-celebrity-fangirl-romance vibe! This novel is the must-have feel good summer beach read for 2024!

5/5 stars

I absolutely loved this book!! This book is like a warm hug as you get to know the characters, their struggles, growth, family and the ending is my absolute favorite!

This book is a bit of enemies to lovers, forced proximity and a tiny bit of friends to lovers. My favorite parts of this book was the friendship scenes, the grocery shopping, writing together and when they opened up to each other.

The Rom-Commers truly showed me what love is and how it's a big grand gesture but a reminder that it's in the everyday moments and it isn't all rainbows and roses but it's getting through the hard things together and being there for each other. Katherine Center covers some hard topics such as loss, tragedy, sickness and death and she does it with such grace and purpose in this book.

I have a few books left to read by this author and I can't wait to dig into her backlist!!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.