Unfortunately, this story wasn’t for me. Although the writing style was interesting and made for easy and continuous reading in one sitting, I couldn’t connect with the main characters. For where they were in life, I was hoping for a lot more maturity in how they handled their relationship and feelings. I also wasn’t a fan of how certain conflicts were resolved. I’ll still give other novels by this author a try since I did enjoy aspects of the writing and hopefully a different set of characters will be the key for me.

I LOVE Katherine Center, she has become a must read for me over the years. This book is everything I wanted it to be! We have the forced proximity trope, which I love. You definitely feel the tension between Emma and Charlie. Emma was so determined to succeed in what was basically a suicide mission from her company. They expect her to fail. She remained strong and positive throughout. I loved the side story with Emma’s little sister and her father. Overall, I laughed and this book was so heartwarming. I love the way Katherine Center writes. Could not put this one down!

Bottom Line: Read

**I received a copy of The Rom Commers from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

One of my favorite authors has written a story that is difficult to put down…family and friends…love and romance…the recipe for a number one novel. I enjoyed this novel from the first page to the ending. Center does not disappoint. The realistic characters come alive on the pages. The story moves quickly. I could not stop reading. Do not miss this novel that while fiction, at times reads like nonfiction. A talented and gifted author... Curl up on a comfy chair and be transported to the rom-comers in the book, The Rom-Commers. Thanks Netgalley

“Train yourself to see their best, most delightful, most charming qualities. Focus on everything they’re getting right.”


This book reminded me why I love the 90s and early 20s romantic comedies. If I were a book character, I would be Emma in many ways. How she takes notes on the best part of the movie, know why it clicks even if it's not what happens in reality, love that she included Kdrama (gosh, I miss watching Kdramas now), and even up sacrificing things for the people you love. Charlie was a jerk initially, but we all know love will be involved. How it happens is cute, terribly cute enough. The whole book is what I look for: romantic comedy. The banters, a hopeful character, a grumpy character, a situation that brings out the best and worst in them, a complicated story, a character wanting, and a character running. The ending was a chef's kiss, like her previous book, The Bodyguard. I did not want this book to end at all. I wanted more. The love story I got was not enough, but that's what happens when I read KC books. She doesn't leave you hanging; she leaves you thirsty for more.

I wanted so much to love this book, and I did love parts of it... most of which were in the second half. It was a slow burn with some bumps and bruises along the way. It made me laugh, and it made me cry... at times I wanted to throw the book, and then I wanted to pick it back up again. The journey of the main characters was actually sweet and touching, and we got to see them battle the internal barriers that held each of them back from allowing their dreams to come true. I recommend this book to the audience looking for a poignant story that challenges the typical notions of love and happiness. Katherine Center was brave to tackle the subjects of tragedy, loss, grief, chronic illness and their real life repercussions while weaving in comically romantic elements in the quest to find the nature of true love and ultimately happiness.

I am a Katherine Center super fan, and wasn’t disappointed with her newest book (out 6/11). I laughed, I cried, I swooned - everything I wanted - thought could have used a little spice if you ask me ;) - might have been 4.5 or 5 for me but I found Charlie’s behavior to be really off putting thought the book. I get it’s going through it but no need to be a dick! But, it still gets a yes from me!

Emma Wheeler is an aspiring screenwriter whose parents are in a tragic accident. She’s spent 10 years being her father’s caretaker, until she gets the opportunity of a lifetime: working with her hero, Charlie Yates. She’s enlisted to help him rewrite a romcom (the first version is so terrible because he doesn’t believe in love).

There are a lot of hijinks and shenanigans and it was so great! It’s laugh out loud funny, and Emma and Charlie are so endearing. Very easy to read- I flew through this because I didn’t want to put it down! I recommend this for anyone who likes romcoms! It had me kicking my feet.

Katherine Center writes the best rom-com’s! This one was perfect. Such a fun summer read! I highly recommend her books!

“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.”

Emma Wheeler loves movies and dreams of becoming a famous screenwriter. For the past ten years Emma has put her dreams aside to care for her dad, who had Ménière's disease, something he develop after a family “camping accident”. While she cares for her days her younger sister, Sylvie, is pursing her dream.

Charlie Yates is one of Hollywood’s premiere screenwriters with a drawer full of awards to prove it. Charlie wants one of his screenplays brought to the big screen but there is a catch he needs to develop a screenplay, a reboot of an already famous old movie and it is a rom-com … and it is dreadful .. you see Charlie has no idea what a rom-com is never mind write one.

Logan Scott is a big time screenwriters’ manager – he managers both Charles and Emma. Plus, he is Emma’s former high school boyfriend. He knows Emma can write and Charlie has writer’s block. Logan needs to get Emma to LA for six weeks and present her with the screenplay that Charlie wrote, then he needs to convince Charlie to allow Emma to ghostwrite with him.

Dear Katherine Center, Thank you for writing books that for me not only bring me joy they are honest, funny, heartwarming and yes make me cry .. Charlie’s speech in chapter thirty-one was read through teary eyes. You create the most likable and charming characters. Emma and Charlie are delightful together even when they are dealing with realistic life issues; their chemistry radiates off the page. I loved the journey you took these two complex characters and made them step out of their comfort zone to not only trust each other but to believe in themselves, and to learn to love and be loved, that you deserve your dreams. And oh, what a finish for these two.

Thank you, Katherine Center, Kejana Ayala and St. Martin Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on June 11, 2024.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center is a fun and heartwarming novel about Emma and Charlie, who team up to rewrite a romantic comedy screenplay. Emma takes care of her dad and loves writing rom-coms, while Charlie is a successful but cynical writer who writes everything BUT rom coms! When Charlie's attempt at writing a romantic comedy tanks, Emma helps him redo it, leading to a partnership filled with witty banter and deep emotions.

The book is full of humor and explores themes like love, belonging, and happiness. The characters, Emma and Charlie, are easy to root for as they work on the screenplay and navigate their personal lives. The dialogue is funny and keeps the story moving at a good pace.

The Rom-Commers is a charming read that fans of romantic comedies and heartfelt stories will enjoy. Katherine Center does a great job of creating relatable characters and capturing the ups and downs of relationships and creativity. Katherine Center is a fabulous author!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book!!

Oh man. You have no idea how much it pains me to not give this book a 4 or 5 star rating. 😔 I love Katherine Center's books. They are always a guaranteed good time for me when I pick one of them up. And I'm glad to see everyone else so far is loving it! Although I don't want to be an outlier, it is clear by the rave reviews I have been seeing these last few months, I am. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this one.

As I was reading, I was trying to put my finger on what exactly wasn't clicking for me and I came to the conclusion there were a few things, so I'll delve into that. But first I'd like to say, take my review for what it is worth, and if you are a fan of Center's, don't let me be the one to rain on your parade and definitely check it out if you've been eyeing this one when it releases!

Most of the time when I pick up Center's books, I can't put them down. I become so emotionally invested in the story and the characters I can't get enough of them. However, I couldn't get behind Emma and I definitely couldn't get behind Charlie. I thought he was a jerk. Their relationship didn't feel believable to me. Some of the things he said to Emma didn't sit right with me and I don't think he deserved her. Maybe if the redemption arc was better for him or their love felt more believable I could ignore it, but that sadly wasn't the case for me.

Another issue that caused me to not become fully immersed in the story was the writing style and the banter. Alot of situations felt cheesy. Yea, it's a rom-com, we can have a little bit of that, but I also want to be giddy and have butterflies and I didn't quite get those when I was reading this book. I also didn't enjoy how Emma would occasionally talk to the reader. It was disjointing and distracting for me when she did. I feel the characters lacked the depth I usually associate with Center's characters and they felt very juvenile and Emma was just extremely naive.

We do get some redeeming qualities. I liked the caretaker trope and Emma's family and their backstory. I also liked the premise with both main characters being screenwriters getting together to write the next big rom-com and seeing what all that entails. I just couldn't look past everything else that bothered me to fall in love with this book. And that's okay! I'm still excited about what else we might get from this author in the future, because she's very much talented and worthy of all the praise! And although this book didn't work for me, I am so happy to see if work for so many others.

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

First and foremost, thank you St. Martin’s press and netgalley for this arc!

Katherine Center excels at writing cute, sweet, and funny rom-coms. I previously read The Bodyguard by Katherine and enjoyed it! Granted to say, I was very excited to be able to read this book early.

This book centers around our female main character who is a struggling screen writer. Emma (fmc) gets the chance of a lifetime when her old high school friend calls her, saying that she has the opportunity to ghost write for this infamous screen writer. Emma has admired this infamous screen writer (our mmc) for years. So, Emma heads out to LA to help this screen writer out and this what the book centers on.

The storyline was very entertaining and enjoyable. I was never once bored! Katherine’s writing was very easy to follow along and was able to make it engaging. However, I was very disappointed by the main characters in this book. If I had to describe them in one word it would be immature. The male main character insults Emma multiple times, is ( in my opinion) emotionally unavailable, and emotionally immature. For most of the book, I just thought he was a mean guy. I do not, by any means, root for the mean guy. Emma is very strong from her past, but she is also very immature. The miscommunication was a large part of the “3rd act conflict” and it was very irritating. You ultimately have an explanation for the miscommunication, but this all could have been resolved if, get this, you communicated. Personally, I like characters more if they are mature and present a strong emotional connection.

Overall, this was a short and easy read. Super important! Just because I didn’t really like the book, doesn’t mean that you won’t! We all have different opinions!

Rating ⭐️⭐️

I adored this feel good, love story. The banter between the characters is so smooth and keeps the reader laughing and kicking their feet the whole way through. The main characters are easily relatable. Truly felt like this book was a warm hug straight from the author.

I have been reading alot of heavy books and really needed a lighter read that doesn't take itself too seriously and Rom-Commers fit the bill.
This is a closed door rom-com but unfortunately, if you do not want instances of harsh language and sexual dialogue you will want to skip this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this one in exchange for my honest thoughts.

4/5 ⭐️

Katherine Center is quickly becoming one of my auto-buy romance writers. The way she writes rom-coms is the same way she states her main character does as well. It was refreshing for the main character to be woefully aware of the pros and cons of her actions, which really showed here. I laughed out loud at this book, and the banter was quick witted and entertaining. A quick, fun little read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

My favorite read of 2024 so far!

Wow, I absolutely loved this book. It is ballsy as an author to basically lay out the standards by which your book should be judged right there in the story, but that’s the exact premise of the Rom-Commers. And this books lives up to the promise.

I loved both Emma and Charlie. Their chemistry and banter was great, but they also felt real. Katherine Center has a talent for dialogue. The conversations felt like two real (hilarious) people talking, and I was laughing out loud. You can really feel the author’s love for writing in this story. I was blown away.

If you loved the Bodyguard, you will love this, and you’ll be thrilled by the cameos. This was very low spice, but I didn’t miss it at all. I cannot overstate how much I loved this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

wow wow wow. tempted to leave that as my review because WOW. i honestly had zero expectations going into this one. i was completely blown away with how much i loved this novel. katherine center is the queen of witty rom-coms with beautiful prose, top tier banter, and real human connections and the rom-commers is not exception.

every time when I read a romcom book about a girl being a fan girl of the male main character, it makes me so nostalgic, and reminds me of my girlhood - having justin bieber, One Direction and twilight movie posters all over my bedroom walls. it is like my girlhood dreams coming true. every moment of this book reminded me of the precious art form of going through life ✨NOTICING✨. what i mean by that, is noticing the precious little moments throughout your day that make up this great and wonderful life. that tragedy is unfortunately a given but surrounding yourself with the people you love, while recognizing the mundane will only make us appreciate those really big moments. katherine wrote every relationship in this story with such heart and soul. the conversations and (at times) conflicts felt so real and human. truly so beautiful.

this book felt like an early 2000’s romcom dream. the themes of grief and finding ones purpose while navigating hardships was so beautiful. emma is a new favourite FMC. she truly felt like my best friend. a true fellow lover girlie and romantic. not to mention, the PINNING and GROVELLING that king charlie did was truly everything to me. had me kicking my feet with the biggest smile on my face (🍩 iykyk 🥹). i saw myself in both charlie + emma in many different themes so that was so so special. i swear i was crying during the entire epilogue lol.

some of my favourite quotes:
- “what do i need to do to make you stay” 🫠
- “because last night when i was reading your stuff, i wanted to work with you and i havent wanted anything in a very very long time” 😭
- “i think that you’re my favourite person i’ve ever met”🤧
- “i’ve known you six weeks and i already can’t imagine my life without you” 🥲

if this book isn’t on your radar, you MUST add it to the top of your list. i will forever be recommending. pub date: june 11th! 💗

Katherine Center's new novel is a joy to read! I mean- I literally smiled throughout reading this book! The story of Emma and Charlie's path to love starts up questionably when his agent Logan (who was Emma's first boyfriend) brings Emma to Charlie's home to help him fix up a rom-com screenplay he has been writing. Charlie wants nothing to do with Emma and really doesn't care if the screenplay is any good. The book is just a means to an end for Charlie who is already a successful writer, although he currently has the "yips". Both Emma and Charlie are emotionlly scarred people who somehow are able to help each other become better versions of themselves asthey let down their guards enough to just maybe find some happiness together. I defintiely recommend this book if you are a fan of rom-com and want to immerse yourself in a fun and optimistic novel that will leave you feeling good!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 11, 2024
Emma Wheeler’s dream is to be a screenwriter. But then her mom dies and her dad gets sick and Emma puts her dreams on hold to become a full-time caregiver of both her father and her sister. Then, Emma’s luck changes and she gets the oppourtunity to write a screenplay with none other than Charlie Yates- the world-famous writer. Charlie wrote a rom-com, a very bad rom-com, and Emma needs to help him fix it, ASAP. Soon, she is living in Charlie’s mansion in L.A., and Emma is teaching Charlie not only how to write a good romantic comedy, but to believe in love and romance again, even though Charlie is fighting her every step of the way.
Katherine Center remains one of the only romance writers I will read. I am NOT a romance fan and do my best to avoid the saccharine, staged Hallmark-style novels as best as I can. Center pulled me in with “Things You Save in a Fire” and “How to Walk Away” and since then I have actually been able to say that I am a fan of romance novels?!? What? Could it be true? Well, if it’s Katherine Center’s type of romance novels, then absolutely—YES! Her new novel, “The Rom-commers”, is delightfully charming and full of sass and spunk with the main character, Emma and I enjoyed every enthralling page.
“The Rom-commers” would make a fabulous romantic comedy movie on the big screen (and Center has the potential as we’ve seen from the Netflix creations inspired by her novels) and I would actually pause my horror movie watching to tune in! Emma and Charlie are unique and awkward, as you would expect two writers to be, and yet they somehow create powerful chemistry together. There was no doubt right from the beginning how it turns out for these two, and I loved the journey that brought them there!
Most romance novels are predictable, sticking to a set script and changing a few key players and plot points (heck, if you’ve watched ONE Hallmark movie, you’ve watched them all) but Center’s stories are completely different. She delivers a refreshing perspective and, although the ending plays out as I expected, I spent more time laughing and cheering for the main characters than I usually do with romance novels. Fresh, hilarious and relatable, Katherine Center writes romance novels like no other, and “The Rom-commers” is one of her best!

3.5/5

Katherine Center fall under my auto-read authors, so when I found out that she has a new book coming out, I couldn't be anymore excited.
The Rom-Commers follow two screenwriters who has to work together and rewrite a romantic comedy. Emma Wheeler put her screenwriting dreams on hold when she stepped in to be her father's full-time caretaker. When she gets an offer to rewrite a script for famous and her favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates, this is her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, Charlie doesn't want to work with anyone, especially "a failed-nobody."

This wasn't my favorite, but I still enjoyed reading this book. Emma is admirable-she put her family first before herself and it couldn't have been easy. When opportunity knocked on her door, her family was also very supportive, reminding her that it's time for her to do something for herself. Charlie is living a lonely life. He might not have wanted to work with Emma at first, but being around her has definitely made his days more interesting. They banter, work well together, and have moments that aren't supposed to be romantic but are actually romantic. This was a quick read. The ending felt a bit rush but there was a moment that got me teary-eyed.

What to expect:
> Rom-com references
> Character cameos
> Breaking the 4th wall