Is it over yet? Do I have to read Charlie Yates name one more time? I hate that I am writing what I am about to write. This author has gained a great following of faithful readers that give glowing reviews and I love that for her. We all have our authors that make us feel this way. This will not be one of those reviews. I thought about tagging this review with an AITH because I just could not stand this thing and somehow I am the one that feels terrible about this. Probably because I can't write a book so I am feeling guilty about tearing this one apart? Who knows.

I am not even sure where to begin:

Charlie Yates? I would like to know how many words this book is...and of those words how many of them are Charlie Yates? I swear I could scream if I had to hear that name one more time and here I am writing his name three times in one review. Trust me, I am irritated with myself for it. Also, this guy is a straight up asshole. You will not root for him.

My distaste for the FMC? - this girl is all over the place and it's obnoxious. One minute all sassy and confident the next she's out looking for her backbone. I am not saying you can't be both but I got whiplash with the back and forth of this girl's drama.

Lack of chemistry? There are zero signs of why these two should be together? He trash talks her. She stays around and allows for it. It's a cold zone here. No flame can survive.

The obsession with Hollywood? I was confused how we had real Hollywood stars names and a bunch of fake Hollywood names. Pick a lane please. I also don't care for all the Hollywood worshipping that was happening. It fatigued me.

All the medical attention storylines? Lots of action here and didn't care for one of it...especially that last one. WTF. But I'll be honest, I had given up on this book saving itself at this point that I pry glossed over that more than I should have. Had I truly been invested...I would have thrown the kindle across the room.

Airport Captain? As a pilot's wife, this whole storyline is probably not actually happening unless the President of the airline himself makes this call or if a high number of people for that flight are all delayed from another flight. Gate agents get marked up if that plane doesn't leave on time. So I need to know who Salvador knows at Southwest to make this happen.

Miscommunication? This right here will totally tank a book for me so fast. Why can't some characters just be adults? Communication is healthy! Let's all try in our books sometimes vs the unnecessary third act break ups that no one cares for.

So AITH?

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the advanced read! While I didn't enjoy, I do appreciate the opportunity.

Thank you @stmartinspress and Netgalley for providing me this galley copy for my review. All opinions are my own.

Katherine Center could write a grocery list and I would read it. I absolutely adore Katherine Center and the Rom-Commers is up there for one of my favourite Katherine Center books.

The dialogue? Amazing.

The characters? Multi-faceted.

Did I laugh out loud? Yes.

Did I cry? For sure.

And this is why I love Katherine because she writes love stories that are actual love stories. They are full of people with flaws, and heartache the pain of life but also able to capture the joys of life too. And it all boils down to how love is so essential to human beings that we need it like we need air.

Did some parts of this make me want to pull my hair out? Absolutely but the thing is these characters are likeable because sometimes they’re not. You can see yourself in them , you can see your own reactions in the pages of the story.

Even the ending I wasn’t a huge fan of but do I understand why she did it? 10000% and that’s why I will always read her work because even if it doesn’t go the way I think, it still takes my breath away and leaves me wanting more ALWAYS!!

Also I enjoyed the little nod to the Bodyguard in this one, it was a cute little thing that now makes me want to go back and re-read the bodyguard!

Katherine, this is my plea please write 10 more books a year that I can devour.

Katherine Center is an automatic read for me! She writes characters that come alive and that I care for and root for. The Rom-Commers was no exception.

Emma Wheeler is a screen writer who wishes she could use her talent but is dedicated to taking care of her father. Her father was injured in a camping accident years ago so it us up to her to take care of him. After her sister graduates, it will be her turn to take on the care taker role and then Emma can dream about her future. But then an opportunity is presented to her. She gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates. She has idolized Charlie Yates for YEARS. So when her ex-boyfriend, Logan, calls her to come help Charlie re-write a rom-com, she reluctantly jumps at the chance.

Emma's younger sister takes on the role of caretaker for the six weeks that she is scheduled to be gone. Emma packs up and leaves for LA with excited hopes and dreams. But when she gets there, Charlie doesn't want to write with anyone else. Logan is Charlie's manager and set this up with hopes of turning this failed rom-com into something but Emma overhears Charlie say that Emma is “a failed, nobody screenwriter” and then she decides then and there to stop being nice and start being real. Can they work together? Will the story get better?

I just loved reading this one to find out the antics that happened in this one. After Emma decided to be true to herself and fight for what she believes in, the story flew by for me. The characters had such depth and I couldn't put this one down. There were parts where I swooned and was rooting so hard. I'm a sucker for a HEA so I was hoping this didn't disappoint. I think this is going in my top 3 favorites of Katherine Center.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital review copy of this awesome book in exchange for my honest opinions.

What an absurdly cute novel! Wow! I read this cover to cover in one sitting and don’t regret a second. Move over, Emily Henry - there’s a new rom-commer in town!

I loved this novel. I love the way the romance is so blatant yet sweet, predictable but meant to be, and just so pure and beautiful. Anyone can write a novel with a ton of spice, but the slow burn takes skill, and Center has done it. I think this book is the perfect summer read and really palatable for plenty of readers. I’m not one for romance novels, but I loved this one. So heartwarming and a feel-good read. LOVE LOVE LOVE this one.

A true ode to the genre!

It has everything a rom-com should: the meet-disaster, the enemies to friends to lovers pipeline, the best banter, the sunshine teaching the grump how to be a bit more positive. It has a good dose of trauma, but it is the type to make you appreciate the sweet moments all the more. It's closed-door but with the right amount of heat to make you appreciate the make-out sessions. Forced proximity doesn't feel forced here; it feels right. There are so many classic scenes: the caretaking, the montage of cute moments, the confessions. It never shied away from the fact that Emma fell first, but Charlie fell harder. Yes please!

Unfortunately, the alpha-hole act was a little too alpha-hole. There were a lot of times where I was rooting for Emma to get out of that situation, like when he randomly proclaimed that he was going to get back with his ex-wife. Emma's fight with her sister made me need to take a breather because of how horrific it was, and the love bombing at the end threw me for a loop too.

Some neutral side notes:
1) I love that their names are Emma and Charlie. I adore any books where the main characters have, for lack of a better term, basic names.
2) I did not read The Bodyguard, but fans of it will be pleased to see the couple pop up.
3) It threw me off that some of the famous people were made up but some weren't. Was Meryl Streep needed?
4) There were a LOT of fourth wall breaks. I feel like the tenses kept switching too. Distracting for some, good for others.
5) Cuthbert was a 10/10 addition.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest, slightly disorganized review!

Katherine Center is an auto buy author for me. She writes books that simultaneously make you laugh and make you feel. The Rom-Commers is the perfect example of this and may be her best work yet. Our leading lady Emma Wheeler - romance lover and dutiful daughter - has spent the last nine years putting her screenwriting career on hold to provide around the clock care for her father. When the opportunity to write a romcom with THE Charlie Yates is presented to her and coincides with her sister being available to takeover the caregiving, she flies to LA with the goal to make her dream a reality. What happens next is a chain of events that neither of them expected and poses the question of what a romantic comedy really is, do love stories even matter, and are big romantic gestures the peak of all romcoms?

This book was SO fun. It was one of the most adorable rom coms I've ever read. I was sucked in from the beginning and I stayed up until 1am to finish it because I COULDN'T. PUT. IT. DOWN. I've always loved Katherine Center books but this one swept me away!

Read this book if you like:
-grumpy x sunshine
-books about writers
-one liners
-LOL funny
-pet guinea pig
-forced proximity

The Rom-Commers reads like the very best of a Nancy Meyers script: two screenwriters, forced together to fix the horrid rewrite of a Hollywood classic, teaching each other how to love along the way. Emma’s struggling career needs this break; Charlie’s needs a dash of vulnerability and a dose of reality. Can they get past their differences to write an amazing movie together?

I love that Katherine Center is always going to make me laugh and cry. I love that despite the Hollywood setting, the story is relatable and funny. This is a great read for anyone feeling stuck and uninspired. This is a story of dreamers and going for those dreams.

Thank you to @netgalley and @katherinecenter for an advance copy of this delightful book!

A rom-com about rom-coms? Yes please!

Charlie Yates is a successful screenwriter well loved in the industry. He writes scripts about aliens, zombies, fighting, but not rom-coms. So when his newest project, a rom-com inspired by the classic It Happened One Night, is a total disaster, his agent calls in a ghostwriter - Emma.

Emma has long been obsessed with Charlie, but with a sick father to care for, she’s hesitant to take this opportunity. When she finally does, she discovers working with Charlie is going to be more work than she could have imagined.

The premise of The Rom-commers is so fun with so much potential! I just wish there was more character and plot development. Neither Emma nor Charlie were really likable characters, and I never really saw when their love story started developing. I had to fill in a lot of gaps and suspend a lot of belief. Also, Charlie is a walking red flag 🚩

I also thought the way the story was written, first person narration that occasionally addressed the reader, seemed off. Almost like the author wouldn’t commit to one style or the other. It always took me by surprise whenever Emma would break the fourth wall and address me as the reader.

I think this story could have landed better for me if it was told from alternating perspectives, both Emma’s and Charlie’s, to get better understanding of Charlie’s motivations.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of Katherine Center’s The Rom-commers.

Another great addition to Katherine Center's collection of novels. LIkeable characters and a nod to the great rom-coms of the past. Great summer beach read. If you have liked the author's earlier novels, youl'll love this one too.

I received an ARC via NetGalley.

Emma is the queen of writing romcoms. When her idol Charlie needs assistance with his new project, Emma is thrilled to be given the opportunity to lend a hand. But Charlie doesn't seem all that keen about the project. Can Emma change the way he thinks about romcoms?

I will read anything Katherine Center writes. Her books are so easy to read with her captivating writing style. The audiobook was great to listen to and I was all in, rooting for our couple to find their way to be together. I appreciated the backstory about Emma's father and loved his own little ending too. This is definitely one you want to have on your list. It releases early June.

What a treat! An amazing beach read for this summer. The ROM-COMMERS is a fun and lovely novel. The characters are so real and relatable. I loved it so much.

I loved this book so much! I don’t know why romance coms always bring me to tears lately, but this one was a doozy. There was a lot of loss suffered by both characters, but I loved the way they over came it. I loved Emma’s dad more than anything, especially his speech at the end. Sonja heart warming and inspiring.

Emma was fantastic. I loved her attitude, and how, like her father, she didn’t let the tragedy win. She needed some reminders to truly live instead of just existing, but I loved how she grew throughout the story and stood up for herself and what she wanted.

I loved Charlie. He was as unique and cool as Emma said he was. While his attitude was maybe not the best at the beginning, he, too, grew and changed for the better.

I loved how Charlie and Emma came together—how he was there for her, how she was there for him, and how they slowly fell in love (even if it was faster than his statistic, which was slightly hilarious, btw.)

This was an amazing story and I’m so glad I took a chance to read it. I’ll definitely be reading more by this author soon.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My vacation read! I savored this book bit by bit, then sped read the last 30% on my first day back home (in bed with some vacation caught bug 🦠)

What I liked:
•Katherine Center promises us a happy ending, that’s not a spoiler, that’s her gift to us!
•But this book points out that a happy ending doesn’t mean you never experience pain. In fact, some sadness makes joy something to be even more grateful for!
•complicated family relationships feel very true to real life. I appreciate the messiness included in the story.
•not so obvious or traditional lessons in romance in this relationship.
•cameo appearance by Jack from The Bodyguard. (Question: which actor in real life most parallels Jack Stapleton? Ryan Gosling? Or old school Tom Cruise or Keanu Reeves? Who do you picture?)
•the humor! So much lightness mixed among heavy subjects. Again that’s real life.

What I didn’t like:
•I didn’t love the title. But I liked what it referenced.
•I’ll preface this with, my opinion changed after reading the acknowledgments. The author uses the 2nd person “you” frequently throughout this book. But in the acknowledgments she thanks “you, the readers…” which I took to mean “you” is a character in the book. Me the reader, is a main character in the book…😭. Well that’s how I interpreted it…let me know your thoughts!!

Another great book by this author! Thank you to @katherinecenter and @netgalley for the advanced copy! It will be released June 11, 2024.

Book 21 of 2024
Read April 14-25

Katherine Center is baaaack. She is an absolute must read/listen and always recommend kind of author for me and The Rom-Commers, out June 11th, is her latest but sadly not greatest. A romantic comedy written about writing a romantic… comedy. I’m ready to laugh and cry and believe in looooove. I did laugh. I did cry. The aging parent arc will get me every time. #noshame

But I have to admit- this was not my favorite story. Charlie Yates just didn’t do it for me. 😑 He was a dick. And I just didn’t LOVE Emma. She is messy. In the nicest way possible - she needs therapy.

Over all- it’s a quick read and I found it palatable enough to finish. If you’re a fan of KC, I feel confident you’ll likely enjoy it! If you’re new to KC - check her backlist while you wait for this release.

Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for granting me access to this book AND audiobook as well in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars.

Screen writer Emma Wheeler gets the opportunity of a lifetime to work with her favorite writer Charlie Yates on his romantic comedy script that needs to be rewritten. after years of putting everyone’s lives and careers before hers she moves to Los Angeles to work with him on her first big job . After some trial and tribulations her and yates are able to work together and end up being a good team and enjoy each others company which leads to their work relationship evolving .hes dealing with recovering from a sickness and divorce and all the trauma from that and she’s navigating the guilt of leaving her family behind that needs her .It’s all leads them to figure out how to work through those issues on top of their budding romance and their job to write a great romantic comedy even tho Charlie is unsure if he believes in the script or maybe even love . I read the whole thing in one sitting! I just couldn’t put it down. loved the banter between the two characters and the tie in of another one of Katherine’s books was just a cherry on top

I absolutely loved this book! I devoured it in one day. Katherine Center continues to be one of my favorite authors.

I loved the banter between Emma and Charlie. There were multiple times that I smiled reading this book. I loved that it wasn’t the classic miscommunication trope; Emma wasn’t scared to express how she felt. Nothing bothers me more in a book than when all the drama comes from partners just not talking to each other.

As soon as Charlie started coughing I had a bad feeling but I was so thankful it ended up being ok. I liked the characters too much; I wouldn’t have been able to handle a sad ending. I was pretty sure based on the conversations in the books this rom-com was going to have a happy ending but Katherine Center has been known to pull at my heartstrings before.

This book was fantastic!

It’s happened, my first read of 2024 that made me cry.

Not metaphorical tears, not eyes watering and immediately drying as the feeling passes. I’m talking water streaming out of these eye sockets, streaking over my cheeks, until eventually, my tongue tastes its salt as my face gives way to a giant grin.

I felt that one, two punch of emotional distress leading into emotional gratification.

I’m getting ahead of myself.

This book was remarkable. It was comfort, it was happiness, it was feeling seen and feeling encouraged to keep going. To face every hurdle head on.

And it was led by an incredible lead and her fantastic co-lead.

I loved Emma so wholeheartedly. I felt such a kinship with her; I so admired how she kept her composure when others looked down upon her. I so admired how she kept her dignity and pride against the sting of words aimed to hurt and offend her. I so admired when she knew when to say no and walk away. I loved how her confidence grew over the course of the story, and more than anything: I loved when she learned to place herself first.

Oh, Charlie! What a man! It took a bit for me to warm up to him, but with the kind of introduction he and Emma had, that hardly comes as a surprise. But wow, once I did warm up, I was all in on him. I loved how he learned to listen to Emma, how he made room for others opinions and how he started to let go of his cynicism and be honest with his feelings and his fears.

And the romance! A delicious slow burn! Every note hit just right! From the ever-building tension to all the teasing and to all the simple conversations between them.

Gosh, this whole book. I felt this book was tailor-made for me.

Of course, it wasn’t. But it so felt like it, so let me pretend!!!

The way Katherine Center captured loneliness, anxiety, and failure, hit home, so deeply.

Plus there’s the little things, the upbeat things, felt just for me! The Korean drama references (truly leading men like Ji Chang Wook indeed are the perfect models for perfect kissing, listen to Emma)! The little sister with Phi Beta Kappa honors; I wanted to reach into the book and give Sylvie the secret handshake I already forgot just to say, hey! me too!. I wanted to shake this entire book and scream Me too! I feel the same! I think the same! I’ve been through the same! I understand you!

And then there’s another impactful way this book felt like it was talking straight to me. In how it deals with illness. The Big C. Having a loved one who deals with its impact every day had me catching my breath when a certain reveal came along. I went from reading this book every second of free time I had during the day and night. Whether at work, home, or in bed knowing I needed sleep, but refusing to give in because I NEEDED to read this— I went from that persistent clamoring to keep reading, to standing up and walking away. I needed a moment to absorb its reveal. I needed to remember how to breathe.

Then I remembered something else.

This is Katherine Center and she always keeps one promise in her works: There will be happiness amongst all the strife.

(And she’ll never, ever run the main character over with a bus!)

So I marched myself back into the immersion of this book and that’s when I tasted the salt of my tears as the grin overtook my face.

Happiness arrived. Promises were kept. Love and hope matter always, and sorrow and hardships will inevitably shape us.

This is why I love romance books and romantic comedy films— it’s not about the ending. Not really. The happily ever after is going to happen. What matters is the journey there. How we deal with the emotional stops along the way, the hurdles we must witness our protagonists overcome, and, of course, those first kisses that give way to a burst of tickling butterflies. There will be sadness and tragedy, but there will also be happiness and victory.

It’s so comforting knowing the formula, as the book itself states: Sometimes clichés are clichés for a reason.

I don’t want a subversion of expectations!
I want the formula of seeing two characters fall in love and in happiness, despite all the struggles and angst, and make it to the end! I want to stand, sit, race beside them along every single step of the way. And I want to stop and enjoy every moment that makes up the entirety of this ride.

Because that’s what it’s all about— it’s about the how along the way.

I was enraptured by this story's every moment. I felt seen in ways I rarely do.

This book means everything to me.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an arc, I leave this honest review voluntarily.

Am I trying to make shoe warmers a thing after reading this… Yes. Yes I am. I loved this book so much! Meeting Katherine and learning some sweet line dancing moves from her had me enjoying it even more. I loved the character development and growth both main characters go through. I was cackling at the situations they found themselves in! It was also great to get a cameo from previous characters. Katherine Center has a way of pulling you into the world and not having you resurface until you’ve finished. I can’t wait to share The Rom-commers with all my bookish friends!

Another great story by Katherine Center. Screenwriter Emma gets the chance of a lifetime to rewrite a story with the infamous Charlie Yates (yes the same one who wrote The Destroyer which stared Jack Stapleton).

This story made me feel angry, elated, sad, worried, all the feels.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for an advanced copy. I definitely plan to purchase this when it releases!

So so so so cute! I really enjoyed this story! It had its heartbreaking moments but ultimately gave us the HEA we were hoping for.

I really loved the characters! Logan was the supportive scheming best friend we all need. Emma was sweet and hopeful but also down to Earth. She KNOWS the world is not full of sunshine and rainbows but chooses (most of the time) to not let it get her down. I may have said "you idiot" to Charlie a few times, but the poor guy just couldn't get out of his own way. And I loved to hate TJ with his awful nickname, dude bro attitude and sadly miscalculated confidence.

Fun story, fun characters, great banter - rom-com gold!