This was a choice....that's the best way to sum up my thoughts on this nivel.

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy and audiobook. I hate to say this...but I was rooting for the book until the 75% mark...and then I was rooting for it's downfall...

Charlie sucks...and he has no redeemable qualities. Emma also needs to grow a backbone.

But quite frankly...if I only dedicated myself to the audiobook and did not finish the book through the epub...maybe I give it 4 stars.

It is an entertaining read, and it is better if you listen to the audiobook.

But I do not wish for Charlie and Emma to be together...not one bit.

For my full review, please see my post.

http://michelleardillo.com/2024/04/08/book-reviews-the-rom-commers-and-hello-stranger-by-katherine-center/

Center is on a self-proclaimed journey of defending the genre of Romance and I'm here for it. She wrote this truly amazing line in the book that I wish I could share but she argues that every genre makes a promise to the reader. The mystery will be solved, the battle will be won, the universe will be saved, etc. In Romance, it's that the two leads will end up together. If the audience doesn't get that then the writer wasn't doing their job. And I just love the predictable package deal and the journey of how we will get to the happy ending.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 4.5 stars. This is my fourth book of Katherine Center's and they just keep getting better. The heroine is an aspiring screenwriter and believer in love stories who is partnered with a non-believing famous screenwriter who has written a truly terrible rom-com. You can't help but love the main characters, flaws and all. Emma is giving to a fault and learns to recognize that and how playing that role has sheltered her from her fears. Charlie has been hurt and is cynical but is very cute and is eventually open to realizing his wrongs. You're rooting for them the whole time.

Read if you like:
•Forced Proximity
•Celebrity Romance
•Sunny vs grumpy
•Coworker romance

🌶️- Acknowledges the existence of sex but in my opinion very clean.

I liked this one a lot! Though, the ending seemed kind of rushed? Dad hurt, dad better, dad married...Charlie doesn't have cancer. I think some of the middle time could have been used at the end. Otherwise, would recommend to friends!

I'm a big fan of Katherine Centre, and I especially fell in love with her book "The Bodyguard" so I was excited to read this book. While not a sequel, this does have a few characters in common with "The Bodyguard".

While I didn't love this one as much as I loved "Then Bodyguard" it was still a great read. I loved main characters Emma Wheeler, who gave up her dreams of writing when she committed to taking care of her father full time, and Charlie Yates, successful writer with a secret. The two together were a fun combination of sweet and surly and I enjoyed watching their story unfold.

As Emma tries to convince herself that love IS still possible in the wrold that has only shown her heartreak lately, and Charlie tries to overcome his own demons while falling more in like with Emma against his will, their story unfolds. The characters were sweet and easy to root for, the writing and plot on par with what I expect from Katherine Center, and the ending was sweet without being sickly sweet. All of it came together to make one really enjoyable book, and one that will mke for great beach reading this summer!

4.25
A not-so “surprise blockbuster” that will be “resuscitating the Rom-com”!

I’ll admit that I found last year’s “Hello Stranger” a bit too far fetched to be as enjoyable as it should have been. This book is right kind of far fetched. You know, Texas girl with tragic backstory has former high school boyfriend who is British and now a major Hollywood agent and gets her a job in LA writing with an Oscar-winning screenwriter, her celebrity crush and hero. Chaos ensues as they slowly realize they love each other amidst a major communication failure, followed by a grand gesture.

This is just a good old fashioned rom-com where the romance trope and interactions are classics, even if the circumstances and setting are over the top. You know whether that is your kind of thing. If you don’t—because this is your first potential rom-com and you’ve also obviously be living under a rock—give it a try. Yes, there annoying character traits and character interactions, but it’s still enjoyable. The only part I didn’t enjoy was the author’s note and the end where she goes on some sort of rampage to argue the importance of the romance genre or something, forgetting that we, unless we are reading someone else’s choice for book club but are equally committed to finishing it, are obviously already fans of the genre

I listened to the audiobook because it looked like I wouldn’t be getting access to the ebook. I found myself with the ebook too before I finished the story, so read some, as well as read back through for some clarifications, not easy to do with an audiobook.

Patti Murin is a familiar voice of the genre, especially if you listened to another Katherine Center or the last several Christina Lauren novels. I find a lot of the American rom-coms and “women’s fiction” have annoying narrators and I’ve been known to abandon several right off the bat. Though I usually prefer British narrations, Patti is one who allows me to get into the story and not cringing at the sound. That’s praise in my book.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and MacMillan Audio for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book and audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review.

Katherine Center delivers another hit! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC. This book is funny, sweet, and full of rom-com delights.

Katherine Center and I just aren't a perfect match. I have read a few of her books now, and none of them have been especially bad, just not amazing for my reading tastes. I struggle to connect to her characters, and in turn struggle to root for their romance. I also feel like this book fell into a few stereotype holes, such as the dramatic depictions of LA and leaning too hard in the mean guy trope with Charlie (he never got nicer?).

I will definitely recommend this to friends whose tastes better align with Katherine Center's writing, it just wasn't for me.

A cute novel with a fairly predictable outcome.
My favorite character was the father of the leading female character, Emma. While not strong physically, his wisdom and big heart is strong enough for the whole family.
Emma, the writer struggling to become a successful author, while caring for her disabled father, is presented with the opportunity to collaborate with a well know author , Charlie Yates, also happens to be Emma's favorite author-win, win!
So, yes, it is clear from the onset that these two authors will eventually chip away at the walls that they each have surrounding their lonely hearts. Katherine Center does wave in some interesting back stories that are unique and fuel the tension needed to make make these would-be lovers second guess everything they thought to be true about themselves and one another.
A solid three star read.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC .

Very cute! I found the relationship realistic and relatable. I thought the made-up movie titles were so cute and a creative addition to the story. Thank you for the ending that showed the HEA. Will recommend to romance readers who are intereated in relationship over smut.

This book was so good. It was such throwback to the early 2000’s romantic comedy. It had absolutely everything that you would expect from that time period of rom-com: forced proximity, enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine dynamics, emotional growth and so on. There were times that I was so mad at the MMC I was sure I would never forgive him. (I did). It was interesting all the way through with no dead zones. I would recommend it to anyone.

Katherine Center is truly one of the greatest authors of our time! Ever? Always! She is incredible!

I found The Rom-Commers to be a lighter side to KC - this still had the heart, the guts, the raw, the real, the banter and fun, but this felt lighter and I loved it! The way I tabbed ang highlighted so many quotes was insane. She just truly encapsulates my entire life philosophy: seek joy, hold onto it, celebrate it. We control what we do with what happens to us. It isn't easy, but it is OUR choice and I LOVE THAT!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's for this advanced copy - this was a highly anticipated read for 2024 and it did NOT disappoint! I loved it!

Another favorite author of mine. Katherine Center writes clean novels and they are so addictive. Just good stories! Read this new one and then dive into the back list for the summer. Some are even movies on Netflix, Hulu services. Enjoy!

Katherine Center has been a mixed bag for me so far. I’ve either REALLY enjoyed her book, or REALLY not cared for it. This one- fell in the really enjoyed category! I think it’s my favorite of hers yet!

It was humorous, smart, realistic, had a lot of depth to it and really made me want to keep reading. This was a hard one for me to put down.

Emma Wheeler has put her life on hold for a decade to care for her dependent father. She is a writer and gets the chance of a lifetime to write with a world-famous screen play writer, Charlie Yates.

He’s writing a rom-com, which he has never done before, and is doing a miserable job- and Emma- lives and breathes rom-coms. This is a fun, fast, very captivating read with very likable characters. I definitely recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced E-Copy of this book. Mark your calendars for publication day!!! June 11th, 2024.

For more of Angie and Lauren’s book reviews. Please follow us on Insta: @BluejackBookGirls

Any book by Katherine Center always shoots straight to the top of my TBR list and this book, like so many of her others, did not disappoint. The Rom-Commmers follows Emma, an aspiring screenwriter, as she helps her idol Charlie rework a script that he has badly botched as he does not believe in love. Great premise, wonderful execution.

This was such a phenomenal read. Center's books are always sweet with a deeply emotional undertone that really gets you heavily invested into the story. The grumpy/sunshine interplay was wonderful and I wish I could have lived in this world for longer than I was able.

I highly recommend this book to fans of fiction and romance, though if you're hoping for spicy bedroom scenes, look elsewhere. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Emma wants to be a screenwriter, but she has been taking care of her father for ten years after he suffered a traumatic brain injury. Her high school boyfriend is an agent in Los Angeles and he wants her to come help Charlie Yates with a romantic comedy. Charlie is Emma’s favorite screenwriter, and she agrees to write with him. Charlie is not thrilled to be writing with anyone, especially a novice. Emma moves into his mansion and they begin to write. Emma finds out Charlie does not believe in love. How can you write a rom com if you don’t believe in love? This is a wonderful book about believing in yourself and being open to new possibilities. I loved Emma’s family and their struggles to care for each other. It was fun to watch the relationship between Emma and Charlie blossom. Great book, lots of love and laughs.

A must read for all rom-com lovers! Katherine Center has done it again. This romance tells the tale of care giver Emma who leaves it all behind to follow her dreams of writing with her hero, Charlie Yates. She quickly finds out it is a true challenge, both in writing and editing as well as any type of relationship with him, working or otherwise. A “research” kiss to help edit the rom- com, leads to intensifying feelings and a possibility with love. A health scare rushes Emma home but sacrifice, care and grand guest urges allow them to find love and peace. Great read!!!

I am a veritable Katherine Center fan. Her romances have all the feels and make me laugh; they also do not contain explicit sexual content. Their lack of sexual content does not, however, make them terrible romances. Center brings the swoon and the feels just as well as any spicy romance writer, and The Rom-Commers is no exception. While I did not enjoy Center’s latest as much as the previous Hello Stranger or The Bodyguard, I still had no trouble staying focused on the story, which is a feat for me lately because 2024 has me squarely in what is shaping up to be a year-long book slump.

As always with a Center book, readers will experience some heavy content. What fluff you get you must pay for in tears. Emma’s father requires aroung-the-clock care, and Charlie has a deep trench of darkness he deals with daily. Emma serves as a bit of a happy crutch for those around her (she miraculously keeps a sunny disposition through much of her circumstances) and she finds it difficult to let herself breathe free air after experiencing independence with her chance of a lifetime to co-write a script with her favorite screenwriter. The situation for both characters is not a happy one. It gets there, though.

Charlie Yates is a bit of a recluse, though he’s a brilliant screenwriter. I won’t go into detail to avoid spoilers, but he has good reason to push others away, or so he thinks. Emma just happens to be perfect for him in more ways than one, and their journey through rewriting the script together serves as the structure for their own journey toward love. The two are tricked together by a mutual contact, and once they begin actually talking to one another, sparks fly and googly eyes are made. I loved the attraction here between the two—they are a great example Pride and Prejudice-style enemies-to-lovers. If you love characters who overcome misconceptions about each other and fall in love with the truths they see in one another, you’ll love Charlie and Emma.

I’m a relative newcomer to the Rom-Com world, and I believe I cut my teeth on Katherine Center’s books. Though many of Center’s books are designated by the publishing industry as Women’s Fiction, there’s definitely a comedic element to each of them. What really shines with this one lies in its premise. Lately, rom-com writers are coming up with more unique spiels to attract readers, and I can tell Center is really jumping onto that particular bandwagon. It certainly makes for interesting premises for books. The drawback for me with this one also lies with the unique premise. The Rom-Commers is one of Center’s shortest books, and I feel it could have done with a bit more fleshing out and development. Introducing readers to a different world of screenplay writing and having the characters develop a friendship and then feelings for one another is a tall order for a thin book. Regardless, it was still amazing; and I’ll be adding a physical copy to my shelves.

I’ll also most likely continue reading Center’s books as long as she writes them.

My profuse thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the eARC, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.

What I like about "The Rom-Commers" by Katherine Centre is that it is the story about two screenwriters who are inadvertently introduced and encouraged to write a Rom-Com, though the book is just like a traditional cinematic romantic comedy in and of itself.. The main characters are humerous and likeable, and develop a sweet banter and a true friendship before their deeper feelings are expressed. It is ultimately a sweet nod to the style of "When Harry Met Sally, ' and/or" You' ve Got Mail. " Definitely a feel-good, enjoyable read!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin' s Press for the ARC.

The Rom-Commers
2⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review. This book had a lot of potential. For me, I didn’t feel any chemistry between the characters. The main characters just fought the entire time and charlie had the personality of a paper clip. I didn’t like it and I’m so sad because I was excited. I also disliked the FMC, I felt like she was pretty boring.