⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I love Katherine Center's books - her writing is superb and she infuses an incredible amount of depth into her stories. The Rom-Commers was no different! My only critique with the book is that I wish it would have been longer because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Charlie and Emma!! I also loved the Jack Stapleton appearances throughout - if you've read The Bodyguard, you know what I'm talking about, and if you haven't...what are you waiting for!? This was a great, fast-paced read and I flew through it. Can't wait to read what Center writes next!

3.5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Katherine Center really has a way of making you emotionally invested in her characters, even with all their human imperfections. I love the dialogue and witty banter, but I do wish we got a couple chapters from Charlie’s POV since he is a complicated character who keeps a lot of his emotions and thoughts to himself. Also, I found myself very frustrated with Emma towards the end. She said a lot of hurtful words to her sister, and she never apologized??? Again, I like that Emma isn’t a perfect character, but I do think that there needs to be some form of Emma recognizing her faults and apologizing.

Center takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. She does a great job of tackling deeply emotional topics while sprinkling in the perfect amount of lighthearted humor, but this book does have a lot of bad luck to the point it’s almost unbelievable.

There is zero “spice” in this book, but I feel like it was not needed. The first kiss between the characters is perfection, and so is the last! The ending does a great job of wrapping the story up. Overall, a good read that I would recommend to all rom-com lovers.

This book was excellent! I have read a few of Ms. Center’s books, but this one is by far my favorite. I really loved the interaction between Emma and Charlie.
Highly recommend this book for both the romance, comedy and sniping. I didn’t want to put it down after I started reading. It kept me engrossed and entertained.

It saddens me to say that the last few Katherine Center books haven’t lived up to the hype for me. Unfortunately, THE ROM COMMERS falls in to that category too.

What didn’t work for me:
-grumpy x sunshine trope that I typically love, but the grumpy MC was just downright mean imo
-didn’t feel chemistry between the two MCs or particularly like them so wasn’t invested in their relationship
-too many bad things happening. almost too over the top
-no LOL moments for me

I would still recommend reading this because I have loved her earlier works and I’m definitely in the minority with not loving this one.

After giving up her dreams of being a screenwriter to be the caretaker for her father ten years ago, Emma is given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ghostwrite for her favorite screenwriter. Too bad he doesn’t want her help.

Lots of feels in this book but humor is abundant. Really enjoyed the main characters and how they grow to understand each other as well as the dynamics of the secondary characters as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for The Rom-Commers to come out June 11, 2024.

Loved it! The story and characters were delightful and I just could not put it down. Emma bugged me sometimes, but Charlie more than made up for it. Total binge worthy book that’ll make you wanna binge romcom movies. Winner.

I enjoyed this book so much! I have read almost all of Katherine Center's books and have enjoyed them all , so I had great anticipation in reading this book and it did not disappoint.

This book was everything I enjoy about the rom com genre. Creative, fun and hopeful.

This book is about two writers that work together to write the script for a Rom Com movie. The only trouble is Emma loves the rom com genre, but she is just your girl next door and still waiting for her big break. But then she gets paired with Hollywoods most prestigious and awarded screenwriter to co-write the script together.

I love how bright, positive and hopeful the rom com genre is. But sometimes its hard to keep all of the emotions from overcrowding the plot, leaving you with is just a pile of emotions but no story. I really respect Katherine Center that her writing is more than the emotions. She always grounds her stories with a deeper plot, and I think that is part of what draws me to her writing.

I appreciated the small connections and references to Center's other book "The Bodyguard."

I enjoyed the character builds of Emma and Charlie. It was fun to read and see them come to life. The fact that the topic of the book was writing rom coms, it was ironically funny to read the author's own comments and insight as to what makes a rom com and the purpose behind the genre.

I especially appreciate how Katherine doesn't include open door scenes.

4.5 Stars

Katherine Center's books have yet to disappoint me. The Rom-Commers is a delightful, funny, and emotional romantic comedy that my 1990s romantic comedy heart desires.

Emma is an aspiring screenwriter living in Texas and taking care of her father when a once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity comes her way. Charlie is an award-winning screenwriter tasked with writing a romantic comedy, a genre way out of his comfort zone. Emma, being a romantic comedy expert, is assigned to guide him through this task. But will this only be a six-week writing assignment or will they become more than just writing partners?

I really enjoyed these characters and their chemistry. Katherine Center is an expert at dialogue and witty banter. While mostly predictable, it was exactly the kind of story that keeps you turning pages with a big smile on your face. The build up to the ending was perfectly paced.

My only critique was how frequently Emma doubted herself. I totally understand that being her character but it happened so many times that it just became frustrating. Otherwise, I loved the story and how it all came together in the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center's stories always bring humor and heart. While this story also incorporates family trauma, the banter between the characters is entertaining and I had a few laughs. There are so many quotes I would highlight if I had read the physical copy. As I'm currently grieving myself, there were many moments that resonated with me. The second half of the book gripped me more than the first.

The performance by the narrator was great and while I enjoyed this story, I didn't really connect to any of the characters or feel the chemistry (or love) between Emma and Charlie. Charlie was downright mean to Emma and she just took it with star-struck eyes. Of all the KC novels I've read and loved, this is probably my least favorite BUT I'd recommend it to rom-com lovers!

3.5 stars rounded up.

On page 293 I nearly had an actual, non-hypochondriacal heart attack, but it turns out Katherine Center is just a genius. Although she spells it Wah-lah twice and I have a hard time forgiving that even when meant in jest. Flipping amazing though.

I LOVE Katherine Center, and was honored to be given this ARC! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

This was definitely one of my favorite books this year so far. It made me laugh and it made me cry so much. It was told entirely from Emma's POV and she actually broke the 4th wall and addressed the reader, which was interesting but it worked. Emma is such a great character and has historically put everyone above herself. She finally does something for herself and heads to LA to work on a rom-com screenplay with her favorite screenwriter Charlie. She has a grumpy/sunshine relationship with him. Charlie is a secret softie who doesn't believe in love, and Emma is determined to change that. This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions from beginning to end, and honestly, I was left guessing to the very end. I have nothing bad to say about this book and I recommend this book whole-heartedly. And there was a cameo from Jack and Hannah from The Bodyguard!

If you are well versed in the Katherine Center universe of slightly awkward and neurotic, very funny love interests who are a little blind with how right they are for each other, then The Rom-Commers will be one more fun read to add to your TBR. To be fair, there are some serious issues at play here; Emma takes care of her father who suffers from Meniere’s as well as other complications, she still deals with the grief of losing her mother, Charlie has dealt with cancer and his wife divorced him, but all of this makes Center’s characters authentic and yet still utterly charming and lovable. There’s a fine line between comedy and tragedy in this book, but love is the great motivator that wins out.

I love a good famous-person/non-famous person trope. Emma’s fangirl reaction to getting to write with THE Charlie Yates, screenplay writer of her dreams, is much how I would imagine my own reaction to meeting one of my favorite writers—full on embarrassment. But even though he lives in a mansion and owns a ridiculous coffee maker no one’s allowed to touch, Charlie is way more normal than his drawer full of awards would have you believe. I love that it took a “nobody” writer like Emma to break Charlie just enough to bring him down to her level. The banter is excellent, the first kiss is SO SWOONY! and the diving board scene will live in my head as one of the funniest and simultaneously most tragic confessionals I’ve read. And JACK STAPLETON makes more than one appearance (IYKYK).

I received both an ARC and an ALC and the ALC contained a bonus scene (that diving board scene I mentioned before) narrated by Katherine Center from Charlie’s POV. I hope for print readers that this bonus scene will be included in the book or maybe as a special incentive for preordering. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

The Rom-Commers is Katherine Center's latest romance novel, set in the same world as The Bodyguard. If you're looking for a tropes breakdown, it's grumpy-sunshine and forced proximity. There's zero sex in the book so gets a 0/5 on the heat scale (black pepper rating). Now onto the review.

The Rom-Commers was a mixed bag for me. The beginning of the novel moves very slowly and I wasn't really buying what Center was selling. But towards the last quarter of the book, the momentum picked up. Even though The Rom-Commers ended on a high note, energy-wise, if I look back on the novel I don't think I ever bought into the main couple. Both characters had their insufferable moments, and the book wasn't very romantic. Which feels like kind of a fail when it comes to a romance novel. However, there were some very strong moments at the end, and I enjoyed the ride. I just don't think it was a romance ride. I don't regret reading the novel, but I left feeling a little let-down.

3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

I have read (and loved) all of Katherine Center’s books, and this one is no exception. One of the things that I like is that her female main characters are not typical, and what I have grown to expect from a lot of romance books. They tend to be made from a tougher mold, even if they are still discovering it themselves, and Emma is both of those things. An aspiring screenwriter, who has been a full time caregiver for her father since an accident when she was 18 - she puts all of her effort into making sure he is healthy, and not so much effort into herself or her career. She is presented with a temporary job in California that is too good to be true…literally.

I liked her spunkiness, the dialogue between the main characters, and a little touch of the unexpected. I really enjoy the way she describes things (the line dancing instructor stick out in my mind), There are so many unexpected comments/phrases/occurrences throughout the book.

I am a big fan of Katherine Center and appreciate the opportunity that NetGalley, the author and her publisher gave me to read and review this book. This book is the story of Emma, a young woman who finds herself in the role of caregiver when a rock climbing accident kills her mother and seriously injures her father. Emma is a talented writer, specializing in the genre of rom-coms. Despite having been offered opportunities to grow her craft, she stays home and allows her younger sister to enjoy her life in ways Emma could not. However, when Emma is given the chance to work in LA rewriting an existing rom-com screenplay with her favorite writer Charlie Yates, it is an offer she cannot refuse. This adventure does not turn out the way Emma expects however. Her new writing partner is reluctant to co-author the screenplay, and sparks fly between them. Can Emma craft a happy bring of her own story, or will this summer’s experience be yet another failure?

Unlike many here, this book did not rise to the level of my expectations for this author. There were too many improbable plot events and I did not especially like the characters, some of whom seemed too good to be true. Even the ending seemed drawn-out. I did love the nuggets of philosophy and life lessons sprinkled throughout the book. I know many early readers here loved the book, and I am sad to say I am not among them.

It’s that time of year that I eagerly Katherine Center’s latest and wish I didn’t read it that fast and could read it again…and again. I loved that this book took us a bit behind the scenes of what it’s like to be a screenwriter. Neither main character was perfect (both were flawed), but it made me root for their HEA even more. Emma is sunshine, optimistic, ready to write her butt off with Charlie, a grumpy screenwriter she’s idolized most of her adult life. He wants nothing to do with it. As usual, great dialogue/banter which kept me hooked. I loved how while Emma had a huge crush on Charlie, she still had a backbone and definitely held her own - no simpering female here! Now I’ll just have to reread this one while we wait for the next…

Thanks to Netgalley, St Martin’s Press and Katherine Center for the ARC.

I LOVED this book! To its namesake, it was the perfect rom-com. The characters were lovable, the story had just enough cheese without being too cheesy, and obviously the ending was great. I would rate this perhaps as my favorite (!) rom com that I’ve read to date. Obsessed.

Thank you #netgalley and Katherine Center for sharing this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this, hard stop! Katherine Center has knocked it out of the park again. Absolutely loved the premise and the feels between Emma and Charlie. Initially I was NOT keen on Charlie but a plot point later in the book made me come around. The only thing I had trouble suspending disbelief for was the number of times Emme overheard something negative. That just isn't humanly possible, so many times, in such short succession! But it totally did not detract at all from the plot.. Loved this hard and have already suggested some friends pick it up. Plus it was super fun reading it with my other Katherine Center loving friend! Excited to see what Center has up her sleeve for the next one for sure!

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would. I have loved each and every one of Katherine Center’s books, and this one met all of my expectations and then some!

I’m a huge fan of Catherine Center. I don’t read many romance novels. I mostly like books with in depth characters. I love Catherine’s books because her characters are relatable and layered. This book was so good.

Emma put her writing career aside to take care of her father after an accident. She gets the opportunity to ghost write with Charlie Yates. One of her all time favorite authors. The problem is his book is awful and she needs to tactfully help him fix it. She is determined to teach Charlie that love is real and falling in love is fun. I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, full of quick wit and sweet.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book!