Member Reviews
The Rom-Commers follows Emma (a devoted daughter, sister, and screenwriter) as collaborates with Charlie (her favorite famous Hollywood screenwriter) on rewriting a “terribly” written rom-com. The Rom-Commers was full of witty banter that had you loving both Emma and (eventually) Charlie, life scenarios and familial relationships that had your heart aching, and beautiful story telling. All-in-all, The Rom-Commers was a truly great rom-com.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy of The Rom-Commers in exchange for my honest review.
I was so thrilled to get this ARC. I have never read a Katherine Center book that wasn't fantastic, and this one just might be my favorite yet. I just loved Emma and Charlie!
Emma was amazing. A strong character perfectly capable of standing up for herself and what she believes in, as well being the family caretaker. Charlie was a grumbly but sweet famous writer with lots of awards and not as much happiness, but he stood no chance against Emma. This was a lovely ode to the rom-com and romances with Happily Ever Afters. The humor and banter were perfect, and now I need to go take a line dancing class. After reading this, you will too. Trust me. :)
Don't miss this one!
This was a cute rom com story! I really enjoyed the build of the first 80% of the story, the last 20% felt rushed and a little thrown around. The conflict felt a little out of context? In the end it was a quick, fun read and if you like a rom-com with enemies to lovers vibes, pick it up!
This was the perfect read to hunker down with on a cold day. I loved the banter and the way in which the author writes her characters. I could feel Emma's fear and was hoping that she would take a chance on herself and grab her dream. This is my second novel by theis author and now I need to read her backlist!
CONSUMED this in one day. Loved loved loved. New fave KC book. Full review to come but dang girl, you killed it.
THIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE KATHERINE CENTER BOOK, EVERYONE. I just loved it so much.
I absolutely adored the story's premise, and then you gotta add in a grumpy, semi-recently divorced writer who has the yips and IS TRYING TO WRITE A ROM-COM WITHOUT ANY EXPERIENCE WITH ROM-COMS.
I loved that our FMC is pushed into taking a brave step forward in her career by her former-boyfriend turned gay-agent and her sister and dad. I absolutely admired her family for recognizing her need to be shoved on a plane to LA to chase her dreams, because she's sacrificed so much for her family after an emotionally damaging tragedy.
The MMC is grumpy. He's sheltered himself from the world. And then the FMC enters and she forces him OUT of his shelter. She freaking TAKES HIM LINE DANCING. SHE TEACHES *HIM* ABOUT ROMANCE.
In the end, there were so many things I loved about this story:
- The father-daughter relationship
- The supporting cast of characters, including pets with shared custody
- HER teaching HIM
- Practice kisses
- The fact that the FMC loves things that terrify the MMC.... she makes him brave
- The super sweet gestures
- Ugh, the ending after the time apart. The relief. The tension snapping. All the love.
- THE POCKET SQUARE/HANKY
- THE ROM-COMMERS FULL CIRCLE MOMENT
- The uniqueness of all of Katherine's characters, who bring real life, heavy things into these magical stories and make us feel seen by their individuality
AND, the audio for this one was SO EASY TO LISTEN TO and I just DIDN'T EVER WANT TO STOP. It was well narrated and produced. I would recommend this to any of my female family members, and I feel like that should tell you how accessible it is to everyone. *5 freaking stars* from me!
Thanks to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for early access to this book. These are my honest thoughts. Pubs June 11th!
Emma Wheeler is given the opportunity of a lifetime when her childhood friend connects her with famous screenwriter, Charlie Yates. Charlie is her idol, and Emma is so excited to be afforded the opportunity to write a screenplay with him. However, most good things aren't always what they seem, and this is definitely one of those times!
Katherine Center's newest novel is simply perfect. I love the characters. Emma is beyond lovable, and you can't help but hope she wins out in the end. The plot is developed in a way that is balanced between reality and stardom. Center makes it seem that anyone can live the dream after reading this book. Thank you NetGalley for another one of Katherine Center's lovable, lighthearted books.
Emma Wheeler, a devoted aspiring screenwriter, gets the chance of a lifetime to rewrite a script for her idol, renowned screenwriter Charlie Yates. However, Charlie is dismissive of her and her work, and he views love cynically. Despite their differences, Emma is determined to prove to Charlie the importance of love stories. As they work together, they unexpectedly find themselves falling for each other, challenging Emma's own beliefs about romance. The story explores themes of passion, validation, and the transformative power of love.
I adore this author. Her stories are always so engaging and keep me so interested and invested. This one was no exception. The relationship buildup and character development and growth are so amazing. What another absolute winner! Gimme more!
4.5 stars!!!
Hands down my favorite Katherine Center book!! This book had all the things in a romance novel, humor, broody man who hates love, and a fierce FMC. I was invested in this story from beginning to end. The premise of two people working together to write a screen write was done well. There was more to the story besides the romance, there was emotional depth as well. This book reminded me of early 2000s rom-coms.
Thank you Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press, and Katherine Center for a copy of this book in exchange of my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this free ARC in exchange for a free and fair review. I am a HUGE Katherine Center fan. Her newest book was NO exception. Her writing was light and funny but also simultaneously has depth and heart. “The Rom-Comers” is a breath of fresh air. I would recommend it to anyone who loves rom-coms and a nice light read with heart.
I was so excited to receive the ARC for 'The Rom-Commers'! If Katherine Center writes it, I want to read it! Even though she is a closed door romance writer, I eat her stories up!
I rarely tear up in books but this one had me in tears near the end (in a good way, I promise!).
You will love this books if you like:
. Amazing, witty banter
. Workplace romance
. Grumpy/sunshine
. Each character working through trauma
There are a couple trigger warnings that I will mention:
. Being a caregiver to a sick family member
. Cancer talk
. Loss of a parent
Katherine Center at her best . It was readable and at some points laugh out loud funny . It would make an excellent beach read and as always her books leave you feeling better about humanity.
This was a cute book. I few laugh-out-loud moments, a few second hand embarrassment moments, and great representation of lesser known medical problems (classic Katherine Center). I loved watching Emma and Charlie work together and grow closer. I wish they would have addressed how neither of them would ask the other for help, but then get mad when they weren’t asked for help. Didn’t feel like they learned and grew in that respect. But I did love Charlie’s grand gesture. What I appreciate the most is no explicit sex scenes, but still adult humor. I loved the growth Emma experienced in regards to her family and letting go of her control.
Romance expert Katherine Center does it again! I loved The Rom-Commers. It was readable, cute, and had wonderful characters. The main character, Emma, has spent her adult life taking care of her father who was injured in an accident. Through a stroke of luck (and a bit of persistence) she ends up writing a screenplay with #1 writer (and grumpy heartthrob) Charlie Yates.
It’s easy to guess how things end, but how we get to the happily ever after is full of ups and downs. The novel incorporates a lot of similar characteristics from Center’s other books so if you’re a fan of hers, you’ll love this one.
3.5⭐️ 🫑
Charlie and Emma are two writers who find themselves reluctantly working together on a screenplay that may or may not ever be made. Emma is a rom-com fanatic and a Charlie super fan but Charlie doesn’t believe in love. Will she be able to convince him long enough to get the screenplay written or will it all be for nothing?
First let me start by saying thank you to the author the publishers and NetGalley for this arc. I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Since this is an arc, I will be a little more detailed on the things I didn’t love as authors do sometimes make adjustments before print based on feedback. Because of that, know there are spoilers all the way through this review.
The good:
This was a fun read. It made me laugh and smile. Emma’s back story had me rooting for her from the very beginning.
The scene where Charlie saved her from making an idiot of herself in front of Donna was swoony. I liked how once he began to believe in her skill, he found ways to set her up for success in her career.
I loved the description of Charlie being the anti Hollywood icon. I love a character that just does not give a f- about societal or industry expectations.
The less good:
I liked this concept as I do with most of Katherine’s stories. I always enjoy a reluctant pairing. I found it hard at certain times to root for Charlie though. He seemed to continue to lie and misdirect her for his own gain and I just kept thinking if I were her I wouldn’t know how to trust him. I do find that balance is hard to do with single POV’s, so it’s not entirely surprising.
As a medical professional, the health scare/confusion ending was so unbelievable it hurt a little. But the way Charlie found out did kind of make me laugh. I wish it had been made clear that HE was the one who misinterpreted the information or overreacted rather than the doctor’s misdiagnosis. But that could just be due to my background. So take that with a grain of salt.
Some questions I had that felt unanswered by the end. 1. I never understood why Logan sent Charlie the video. What purpose did that serve in his quest to get Emma hired? I didn’t understand how that specific video would’ve sold her to Charlie. I kept waiting for an explanation. 2. While I never felt the urge to blame Sylvie and Salvador for their engagement (because I’m not a monster), I did wonder why they couldn’t have just waiting a few more days since Emma was literally about to come home. But more than that, I really didn’t understand why Sylvie had to beg Emma’s forgiveness for the things she said but Emma never apologized for saying the exact same thing in reverse. This didn’t add up for me. 3. If Charlie was dead set to push her away and make her believe he didn’t have feelings for her once he received his diagnosis, why did he get up on stage and declare his love for her before he heard from the doctor…?
All in all I did enjoy this read and I would recommend it, but I believe it could’ve been better. I will definitely continue to read Katherine’s stories though.
"...happiness is always better with a little bit of sadness."
The Rom-Commers brings happiness with a little bit of sadness. Both Emma and Charlie have a past of sadness theyre holding onto.
I have to be honest, I understand there is a hype around Katherine Center but I haven't read a single one of her other books. The Rom-Commers has convinced me they are must reads!
The book hooks you! It's funny, its got some heavy parts, its got happy parts!
The only reason I didn't give 4 stars was the dislike of the cancer/not cancer twist and thinking of going back to the ex wife. Oh i thought i had cancer but actually it was bronchitis just didnt sit well with me.
Otherwise loved it!
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. Katherine Center is my go to for light, fun reads. This one did not disappoint. She always throws some twists and turns in there that you won't be expecting - which makes the books even better! This is one of my favorite Katherine Center books! The perfect summer beach read!
A love story to love stories! Cute and enjoyable, but nothing groundbreaking. I do wish there had been a bit more character development for Charlie.
It never fails to impress me how Katherine Center manages to package so many life lessons into a novel without ever coming across as preachy—and ties it all up with a happy ever after! Just as she said a good rom com should, The Rom-Commers gave me that perfect simulated feeling of falling in love. I grinned, I hid my face, I texted my friends like, “guess what this (fake) man just said.” It was a delightful trip that I finished in just a couple days. Katherine Center has become and auto-read author for me for sure!
THE ROM-COMMERS was an anticipated read for me and boy did it not disappoint. This book was everything I love about Katherine Center’s writing: wirky, funny, challenging, and heartwarming. To me, this book was on par with her book The Bodyguard.
I have nothing negative to say about this book because it was incredible. Every part of it was fabulous in its own way from the dialogue to the story itself. I really, truly enjoyed this one. I also love how Center has been giving us twists at the end of her most recent novels. This was a slight twist, but a twist that explained a lot. And, in usual Katherine Center fashion, I enjoyed how she took a serious topic and made it something relatable, honest, and vulnerable through the story and characters themselves.
I wouldn’t say our MMC, Charlie, isn’t the most lovable of MMC. I think that some people may have a problem with him since he’s kinda mean at first and on the surface. BUT I think Center does a good job explaining this. However, I will say that I think some will have an issue with this. I didn’t, but to each their own.
Overall, this was a really fun read that I couldn’t put down and loved. If you love this author, this one will not disappoint.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!