[3.5 stars] A sweet & wholesome romcom about finding love again in unexpected places even after tragedy, illness and loss. My first Katherine Center book - I usually read spicier romances, but this was cute and enjoyable with memorable family characters.

My only issue was that Charlie (MMC) seemed so unlikeable, it was hard to see the romantic appeal. He was so unpleasant to Emma and didn't seem to have much going for him, seeming more like a project bordering on problematic I-can-fix-him vibes than an actual romance.

Despite this one letdown I did enjoy the suspense and family relationships featured, and curious to check out more Center romances in the future.

The best Center book by far! I love the romance and main characters were very cute. I could read these books all day.

I enjoyed the entirety of this book, but the last quarter had me incapable of putting it down.

For a book that spent a lot of time talking about rom coms, it was the PERFECT rom com. Both characters were so well layered & lovable.

I don’t want to say much that will give this book away, but I adore when a romance novel has substance & tackles more topics than love. This book deals with death, grief, chronic illness, shame, & the pressure of balancing doing the right thing while not giving up on your dreams.

THE ROM-COMMERS
Katherine Center

Emma and Charlie set out to write a great romantic comedy and end up writing their own love story.

Emma dreams of being a Hollywood screenwriter. It would be her one wish come true. Logan, her manager, knows this and has the most exciting opportunity for her. She would co-write a rom-com with the famous screenwriter, Charlie Yates. She says yes to the offer before knowing all the details. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

There’s just one problem…

Emma is coming in a little late. Charlie has already written a manuscript and Logan says it’s not his best work, it's terrible, he says. Although he is a famous screenwriter, he has never written a rom-com. Emma takes it upon herself to teach him all about the rules of writing an exceptional romantic comedy and ends up teaching him all about the rules of love.

I never let a year go by without spending time with one of my favorite authors. Katherine Center is known more for her sweet emotional connections and less for her sizzling love-making scenes. When I read her books my sarcasm and pessimism take a back seat to lightheartedness and optimism. We all deserve to have a little pocket of joy and Katherine Center is that for me.

She takes me back to a more innocent time of my life when love was all there was and the only thing you lose in a relationship is time. She reminds me that sometimes it is that simple; all there is is LOVE!

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies! It was my pleasure to read.

THE ROM-COMMERS…⭐⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed this for the most part, but it was not my favorite of Katherine Centers books.

I liked the main characters, they were funny and somewhat relatable, and I liked them together (I hate that she keeps forgiving her ex), but what I really didn’t like the whole “I have cancer and am dying so I’m going to push this person away and lie to them and take away their choices because I know what’s best for them, oh wait, nvm it was just bronchitis”

I loved Katherine Center's last two books - The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger. Her passion clearly shines through in everything she does and I greatly admire that. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. I did not connect with any of the characters. For me, they were very unlikeable. I also felt the way some of the plot drivers were handled totally missed the mark. However, I recognize that it has great potential to appeal to other readers and I encourage others to try it out! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book.

The Rom-Commers is an another triumph by Katherine Center. It is a laugh-out loud at times and loving look at the lives of two very different screenwriters who turn out not to be so very different after all.

Emma is a quite good but untested screenwriter who has been a winner of two screenwriting contests but mostly freelances to pay her bills. She’s been living at home in Dallas taking care of her Dad for the past 10 years since he was injured in a rock climbing accident and became disabled.

The other screenwriter Charlie Yates is famous, known all over the world, and has won several Academy Awards and Golden Globes and Emma thinks he’s amazing.

Her best friend and former high school boyfriend Logan calls her because he’s Charlie’s manager. Charlie has written a terrible rom-com (he’s never written a rom-com before- though he’s written many other genres) and he wants to hire Emma to fix it.

Logan says Charlie has read her work and loves it and Logan sends Emma a copy of Charlie’s rom-com. She agrees that it’s terrible.

The catch is that she’d have to come to LA for six weeks to rewrite it and her Dad can’t be left alone. Finally Logan convinces Emma to let her sister Sylvie take care of her Dad while she rewrites the rom-com.

Emma and Charlie bicker over the rom- com and writing and many other things as they get to know each other and rewrite the rom-com. They start out not really liking each other and things develop from there.

Typical Katherine Center, this is definitely a book you’ll fall in love with…the characters as well as the situations they get into and the stories they tell and the feelings that they develop. Love is definitely in the air. Be sure to read The Rom-Commers! You’ll be glad you did!

I liked this book, but felt it lacked a little. Maybe it just felt a little too gloomy. I do like realistic books, but this was just a little dreary. Overall, I would rate 3.5-3.75 rounded up to 4.

I wish this was a real movie they were writing bc I would totally watch it! I miss those classic rom coms! They just don’t make them like that used to, but this book was a great nod to the movies I loved in the 90s and early 2000s. I loved the nostalgic feeling it gave me. I will look at more from this author.

When Emma learns that her favorite writer, Charlie, is writing a script for a rom-com she is excited, but once Emma reads the script she finds it to be terrible. Emma is then hired by Charlie's agent to help him rewrite the script. Only problem is that Charlie doesn't know that she is sent to help him and he does not want the help. What follows is a relationship at odds to write the next best rom-com.

Emma has made a lot of sacrifices in her life. For the past ten years she has been her fathers caretaker and has never put herself first. Working on this script was something she could finally have for herself. When she arrives to work with Charlie, he is adamant that the script is fine, and he doesn't need her help. When Emma and Charlie come to an agreement, they start to work together on rewriting his script. It was fun to see how they work through the writing process together. Emma wholeheartedly believes in love and Charlie is a bit of a cynic and they have their own ideas of what is romantic. I enjoyed seeing them reenact scenes to see if they are romantic enough to put into their plot, things like falling on top of someone or taking line dancing lessons. The more Emma and Charlie work together the more the lines start to blur between writing a rom-com and living one.

I really enjoyed seeing Emma and Charlie working together and their bantering with one another. It was fun to see their relationship evolve over the course of the book and how each came to rely on one another.

I've enjoyed Katherine Centers books and was looking forward to her latest release. It did not disappoint. This was a fun, quick, and cute read that I really enjoyed. .

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
No spice

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
✨ Forced Proximity
🗣️ Banter
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
💕 Sweet Romance

I pick up a Katherine Center book when I am wanting a fun, quick and sweet romcom - which is exactly what The Rom-Commers encapsulates.

I enjoyed Emma and Charlie together so much! Emma may bring the laughs and positivity and Charlie brings the grumpiness but they both bring on the angst! Emma and Charlie having to work together puts them in some rom-com heaven situations - the dancing scene was so fun! Pair that with the forced proximity of them having to live together and just 🤌🏻🤌🏻.

My favorite part of a grumpy x sunshine book is when you see the grump melt and boy did Charlie melt. No spoilers but the grand gesture by him 🥹

Katherine’s books are the easiest for me to binge - which is what I did with this one. If you haven’t picked up a Katherine Center book yet, this is the perfect one to start with!

Katherine Center steals my heart again with The Rom-Commers. If you are a fan of romcoms but have always wanted a little more depth, and maybe less cheese, this book will win you over.

Center's ability to weave relatable and often tragic life events alongside humor and swoon-worthy moments throughout this novel had me smiling one minute and crying the next. I will be buying a physical copy of this book because I know it is going to be one of my comfort rereads.

Emma's ability to continue to believe in love (even though she hasn't experienced it herself) despite her losses in life contrasted against Charlie's constant need to prove that love doesn't exist, makes this book such a beautiful (and frustrating at times) story. Their encounters and overall chemistry were just what I wanted from a book like this, completely relatable and believable - nothing felt forced.

This book was a reminder that life has no shortage of disappointments, so the trick to happiness is to be aggressively, loudly, and unapologetically grateful.

Katherine Center does it again. I cannot get enough of her work, it’s so good!

This book hit everything in such a beautiful way—grief, heartache, pain, love, joy, sadness. It was a book I didn’t know I needed to read. Emma and Charlie. Love. Adore. The Easter egg to The Bodyguard.

Katherine, thank you for your wonderful work. The world needs it.

Be sure to check out her authors note for this book!

Katherine Center writes the perfect romance novel. She gives the characters such depth, and leaves you turning page over page until you’re done. The only thing I disliked is that it didn’t go on forever! Incredible author and highly recommended.

This book was so fun. The meta aspect of writing a rom-com about rom-coms gave the book an extra sparkle. Katherine Center delivers all the feels and clearly had fun doing it. I look forward to her next book.

This was my first Katherine Center read, and WOW, I finally understand the hype! 📚 Easily the best contemporary romance I've come across; a solid 5-star rating! The Rom-Commers blend humor, lovable characters, and heartwarming romance with depth. I was hooked from page one, shedding happy tears at the end. Charlie and Emma stole my heart, and I can't wait to explore more of Center's work!

As my first ARC experience, I couldn't be happier with this gem! Counting down the days till its release, so everyone can savor this masterpiece. Huge thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity. You've got my gratitude!

~Ella A true winner by a favorite author!

Emma Wheeler, a talented screenplay writer, faces a career stall due to family obligations. When offered a chance to revamp Charlie Yates's rom-com, she leaps at it, despite his resistance. Their journey is a delightful mix of banter, romance, and personal growth. While it took longer to warm up to Charlie, Emma's charm won me over. Another hit from Katherine Center; eagerly awaiting more!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*Complimentary copy provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I read this book in one day. Practically one sitting. The banter is A+, I laughed/snorted out loud several times. Just a really great romcom!

KC truly is the queen of writing a feel-good book. I dare you to try to read one of her books without cracking a huge smile because I promise you it’s impossible. The Rom-Commers was definitely more emotional than her recent releases and dealt with some heavy themes, which is something I personally love. She had me sobbing by Chapter 12! It was glorious!

Something I really love about KC’s heroines is that they’re just normal people trying to stay positive in a bad situation. It’s always uplifting and inspiring. While I related to Emma pretty much the least of all of her heroines (I mean this girl was straight out quirky and shameless), this book made me laugh, smile, cry, and feel a lot better on a shitty day. There was absolute crack sprinkled in this book. I’m incredibly picky about romcoms and Center is unmatched in her ability to make me love the genre.

Show me someone who doesn’t find something to enjoy in this book and I’ll show you a liar. It’s simply delightful and sure to be a hit with readers once it releases! This one is up there with Happiness for Beginners in my list of favorite Katherine Center books.

Katherine Center is one of my all-time favorites and this book is a prime example of why. At its core, it's a love letter to rom-coms and writers who create them - and it's also much deeper than that. Katherine has a unique ability to take very deep and heavy topics (tw: death of a parent, cancer diagnosis) and work through them in a very bright and heartwarming way. This book made me laugh-out-loud and tear up at various times and really evoked a whole range of emotions.

Read this book if you enjoy:
> Forced proximity
> Grumpy/sunshine
> Writer MCs (screenplay writers)
> Hollywood
> Slow burn/closed-door romance
> Banter and humor

I loved both of these MCs. While I usually enjoy dual-POV stories, this one didn't feel lacking because we got such a well-rounded view of the MMC through his dialogue and other sources. His gruff/grumpy demeanor was well done - with enough breadcrumbs to see how he was starting to feel about the FMC without it seeming abrupt or disjointed. The FMC had a lot going on! And all of her backstory was treated with care and really made sense to highlight the character she was and her growth throughout the story. The banter between the two was fun and I definitely had some laugh out loud moments with the FMC. And I loved that this was a strong FMC who didn't take any crap from the MMC.

There were some really great side characters in the FMCs story - her family and extended network in Texas was such a crucial part of who she was and her journey. The different Hollywood cameos and network that the MMC had made it very interesting to show the difference in their two experiences. And I adored the Jack Stapleton (The Bodyguard) cameo at different points in the story.

I was so excited to get a chance to read this book early - thank you so much to NetGalley, KC and St Martin's Press for the eARC to read and review. All (very enthusiastic!) thoughts are my own.

Emma is an aspiring screenwriter and caretaker for her father. She gets a job rewriting a screenplay for a famous author - Charlie Yates. For the first time in years Emma leaves her responsibilities behind to move to LA and take a chance on herself. Emma and Charlie have many trials and tribulations during the writing process as they both carry baggage and trauma from their pasts with them. Can Emma convince Charlie that love stories matter? That they exist? Spoiler alert…she can! In classic Katherine Center style the characteristics learn so much about themselves throughout the book and you are there along for the ride cheering them on. You will be left with a warm fuzzy feeling that will linger after turning the last page.