This book wasn’t great nor was it bad, I just didn’t really connect with the story. I didn’t connect with any of the characters which is odd for me! But I’m going through some stuff personally so maybe that’s it

I continue to have a complicated relationship with Katherine Center. I loooved The Bodyguard, I hated Hello Stranger, I liked Happiness for Beginners. So I took a chance on The Rom-Commers, and I remain conflicted.

The flirting and banter are top notch cute. Very blushy-giggly reading experience.

But I am once again BUGGED by how wrong people are (not just Katherine Center) when writing about the film industry. Charlie "has a drawer full of Oscars," but is also just in his mid-30s, so I don't buy that. Beyond that, the movies he's written are apparently a zombie movie, an alien movie, a Western, etc., aka genre movies. These are just not the kinds of movies that win screenwriting Oscars. Why don't people do research?

And Emma talks about how she and Charlie argue over the punctuation in the screenplay, like the choice between a dash and a comma. Again, it's a screenplay! No one cares! The words aren't being read by the audience! Why would this matter!!!

The reading experience reminded me of Curtis Sittenfeld's Romantic Comedy, which had some delightful parts, but the stuff about the TV industry was just soooo annoying to me.

The other thing I really didn't like (which IS a Katherine Center thing) is the "plot twist" in the final chapters, which is also the basis for the third-act break-up. What especially bothered me is that, as a plot point, it lasted for all of 10 seconds before it got resolved, which felt deeply unnecessary and forced.

So... that's what I thought.

Katherine Center has perfected writing books that give you the giggles, warm fuzzies and heartaches. The Rom-Commers delivers all of these, while being her tweak about how putting them all together is what makes people love rom-coms so much. She does this by making her protagonists screenwriters, with lover of love Emma being brought in to help grumpy Charlie fix his (insert a word better than terrible) rom-com screenplay. Except Charlie doesn’t work with other writers, and didn’t even know Emma was coming to help. Thankfully having unassociated meltdowns can occasionally come in handy in the pursuit of love and saving careers, and Charlie invites Emma to stay-after she destroys his screenplay. An adorable battle ensues as Charlie tries to make the screenplay just good enough to be accepted so that he can do the screenplay he actually wants to do, while Emma tries to get him to see just how important love, and telling the story of it is. If you know enough about rom-coms, then comes the conflict between the characters after they start having feelings for each. If you know enough about rom-coms you know how it ends. But the journey is just as much worth it as the ending, which is why you read rom-coms all the way through-you already know the destination.

Yet another wonderful, feel-good romance from Katherine Center.

Emma is a talented, but not famous screenwriter, who has spent the past ten years of her life caring for her kind-hearted father instead of pursuing her chosen profession. Charlie is a talented, and very famous screenwriter with an established career in Hollywood. Charlie is also Emma's professional idol, and he needs her help. Well, at least according to Emma's high school friend, who also happens to be their mutual agent. Unfortunately, Charlie is of a different opinion.

However, once Charlie realizes that Emma really, truly has talent, and begrudgingly agrees to accept her help in rewriting his first (terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad) rom-com script, sparks fly. Holed up together in his home, they quickly fall into a comfortable routine that includes daily swim sessions, homecooked meals, and the occasional 'research' outing so that Emma can teach Charlie about romance (in a purely professional manner; for the writing).

As with any KC novel, the protagonists have a whole obstacle course of emotional baggage to address before they can truly connect on a deeper level that will allow them to admit their feelings for each other. But this is not just a romance novel, it's a rom-com! Filled with overheard conversations, socially awkward moments, and plenty of physical comedy. Plus, the author constantly breaks the 4th wall and addresses the reader directly, which only adds to its charm.

Highly recommended for fans of humorous contemporary romances with a 'confidante' style narrative voice.

I devoured this book, I was held random, and the words wouldn't let me go. I'll be honest I found the main character way too into her inner monologues, emma was great but damn she liked listening to herself think and it was a weird change of pace not having the couple actually end up together until the last 94% of the book. I saw them grow and build with each other and to me that's what a true rom com is, I loved the campy aspects and the human realness of this story.

Kathrine center is a must buy author for me. Proof not every romance needs to be smut to be good.

Also I cried big sobbing tears once and squealed / giggled pure glee at least 50 times.

(( BTW I love how either the author Is actually obsessed with power wash simulator or actually did some kick ass research, but that scene was gold to me)) thankyou ❤️

I think I am definitely not a rom commer anymore.

This book was another boy meets girl. They hate one another but do start to work with one another until you know what pops up!!! Of course after many misunderstandings and lots of back and forthing, cupid hits his mark and everyone lives happily ever after. Ta da!

Katherine Center follows a romantic formula that always seems to work for her. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for me.

I absolutely loved it! It was cute and funny and had me tearing up multiple times throughout. Super heartfelt and a great romantic comedy. Very worth the read. Thank you for the early opportunity to get my hands on it.

The Rom-Commers is Katherine Center at her best - a delicious, slow-burn love story between two lovable characters with past trauma they need to overcome before they get their happy ending. It's The X-Files, but instead of aliens, they're arguing if love exists. Emma & Charlie are so well-matched - a hypochondriac who worries everything is a sign of doom and gloom and a stoic who gets a literal cancer diagnosis and decides to pretend everything is fine.

And the rom-com runner! Rom-coms generally do not get the praise they deserve - there IS something nice about a movie where the happy ending is guaranteed, and even someone struggling with the most difficult day can relax and enjoy themselves for a few hours. I like that Charlie was upfront about recognizing that nothing inherently made the other genres of films he wrote better; they were just what he personally connected to.

An easy 4.5 star for me. I had such a great time reading this one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Actually found myself smiling while reading this and that in itself makes it a worthy read. Our heroine has put her life on hold to take care of her father, a decision easily understood and she is to be admired for it. But now that her sister has finished school she suddenly has an opportunity, for a temporary respite and total lifetime dream job. She will be working with a famous screenwriter as a ghost writer to fix a script. Yes there are flaws but it screams it's own title and does not disappoint. And yes again, there are groan moments when in the tradition of always having to have something go terribly wrong, along with having characters not simply communicate, we have to bite our nails for a moment BUT you're still smiling at the end and what more could you ask than that?

i got sent the rom-commers last night and i dropped EVERYTHING to start reading it. this was one of my most anticipated reads for 2024 and it did not disappoint!!! katherine center is a phenomenal author and this is my new favorite book of hers. she has truly outdone herself with this one. i instantly fell in love with emma and charlie. their enemies-to-lovers beginning that turns into friends-to-lovers with a mix of forced proximity is absolute perfection!!!! if you're looking for a sweet and fun love story - this is the perfect book for you!! i can't get over how perfect this book was AND there were cameos from her book "the bodyguard."

thank you so so so much to st. martin's press and netgalley for the arc! <3

Katherine Center is one of the best romcom authors, and The Rom-Commers definitely is a hit.
While it's hard to not compare it to The Bodyguard, which is one of my faves by her, this book is right up there. Emma and Charlie's dynamic relationship has you hooked, and also wanting to smack them throughout the story. It is a fun and enjoyable read!

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

Emma has always wanted to be a screenwriter and knows everything there is to know about her beloved genre of rom-coms - but for the last 10 years since her high school graduation and a tragic accident, she has been caring for her father and helping raise her younger sister. But when she gets a chance to help re-write a script with her idol, *the* screenwriter Charlie Yates - whose preferred genre is decidedly not rom-coms - her dad and sister launch her off to finally fulfill her own dreams. Living in Charlie's LA mansion and writing with him starts out with animosity as you might expect from a rom-com, but then develops into banter and feelings - and oh, it's fun! I haven't *loved* the last couple of books by this author (The Bodyguard and Things You Save in a Fire were so good they keep me coming back though), I think partly because they end up feeling a little underdeveloped, perhaps a casualty of the book-a-year rate she publishes... but also because sometimes the protagonists feel a bit flaky or flighty. I'm over it with the female leads who. We're back to what I love about a good rom-com in this one though! Great banter, great protagonist who has her life together but is a bit stuck in a rut, interesting jobs (I'm a sucker for a Hollywood/show-biz setting), an homage to the genre. Also it's perfect for my level of enjoying romantic chemistry but not explicit spiciness. I'd just say that the story/writing felt like there was a dip in interest and quality about 2/3 of the way through, but the expected happy ending was satisfying enough to bring me around. Would recommend for fans of Katherine Center or other homages to rom-coms like Waiting for Tom Hanks or the YA Better Than the Movies.

Tysm St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for a review. I LOVEDDDD The Bodyguard but this was NOT it. INSUFFERABLE characters.

Another great Katherine Center book. I've been a fan of hers since How to Walk Away, and I've read every book she's published since then. This one did not disappoint. I loved the interactions between the main characters and their chemistry. Very enjoyable.

This might be Katherine Center's best to date. I absolutely loved the chemistry and banter between the main characters. There were so many comedic and heartfelt moments. Charlie and Emma give me the same fuzzy feeling as Cassie and the Rookie in Things You Save in a Fire. Truly a love letter to romance. I will be thinking about this for a very long time and recommending it to everyone.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors. I am so happy I got to read this lovely book early. I cannot wait for the rest of the world to meet Emma and Charlie.

This was SO fun. Katherine’s writing is top tier. I love her books because they are REAL.

Some quotes I loved in this book:
“If you wait for other people to light you up, you’re at the mercy of darkness. “

“It’s all about writing the very best story of your life. Not just how you live it but how you choose to tell it.”

If this book becomes a movie it would be so poetic. I miss Emma and Charlie already 😭💖

this book was immensely lovely. I loved Charlie, loved the discussions around grief and illness and sacrifice. loved Emma, our protagonist, most of all. Emma was brave, knew who she was, what she wanted, and what she believed in. She was so easy to fall in love with and cheer for. This book is sort of framed as a grumpy sunshine, but Charlie was actually a soft, selfless, gentle soul who I wanted to wrap up in my arms and carry away. I loved these two and their story <3

This book is a love letter to romantic comedy. Emma loves rom-coms and movies, but she spends her days taking care of her dad who needs round-the-clock care. Charlie is a screenwriter who wouldn’t touch rom-coms with a 10 foot pole, but he’s dealing with a severe case of writer’s block, so the only thing he’s been able to accomplish is a rom-com script. Except it’s the worst thing Emma has ever read, a true insult to the entire genre.
These slow burn/grumpy-sunshine lovers are my favorite type and prefer you reflect Katherine Center’s ability to cut right to the raw and real of falling in love.

Emma’s dream is to become a screen writer, especially of romantic comedies, but her whole adult life she has been the sole caretaker for her father. When the opportunity of a lifetime arrives for her to cowrite a romcom for 6 weeks with her idol, one of the best screen writers in the industry, Charlie Yates, her father and sister encourage her to go to LA to pursue her dreams. So she packs up and decides to take the leap, not knowing what to expect, but what she finds when she gets there is the last thing she expected.

Katherine Center is hands down one of my favorite authors and I was so excited to get my hands on this arc! I loved the banter between Emma and Charlie, they had me cracking up. Their chemistry was so sweet and I loved how the MC told the story.

Katherine Center is one of my must read authors and I have loved every book I've read by her so far! The Rom-Commers is no exception.

Emma is still dealing with a family tragedy that happened 10 years ago and hasn't taken any time for herself. Luckily, her old high school boyfriend has just the opportunity to kickstart her dreams. He lands her a gig working for her favorite screenwriter, Charlie. Charlie doesn't typically write rom-coms, which is where Emma comes in. He needs her help to save a terrible script in order to get his dream project off the ground.

Normally, I'm kind of over the career of writers for romance novels, but it works in this novel. The characters are witty and funny. Emma is a die-hard romance fan, while Charlie doesn't believe in love. It's a typical romance trope lately, but it works!