Thanks to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

The short and sweet of it all - I loved every page of this story. Emma and Charlie completely captured my heart.

I am an absolute sucker for a good grumpy/sunshine trope along with the tension of enemies-to-lovers where he falls first (ish). This was everything and more. An ode to love stories built into a love story of many layers. It had all the makings for a thoughtful, dynamic and page-turning romance.

Disclaimer: For a book with “rom-com” in the title I wasn’t expecting to cry as much as I did, but it was only because I was that far gone in love with the characters and their story. There were devastated sobs and happy tears. Plus that savage conversation between Emma and her sister on the phone while she rushed to the airport are truly only blows known between two sisters. It was a punch in the gut while also feeling wholly authentic - putting words to your worst family fears.

All in all, this was a great read.

My favorite and most relatable quotes:

“I frowned like he was bananas. ‘I don’t have anxiety. I just worry all the time.’”

“‘And they goes for kids, too, by the way — and pets, and waiters, and even our own selves,’ he said. ‘There it is. The whole trick to life. Be aggressively, loud, unapologetically grateful.’”

Another classic Katherine Center rom com that was a solid read. Center has a go-to formula-- a heroine with some sort of tragic backstory, a leading man who is a bit of a jerk, a whirlwind falling in love, a classic misunderstanding and a happily ever after. In the case of The Rom-Commers, Emma Wheeler is a writer who spends her days taking care of her father. Charlie Yates is a multi-award winning screenwriter who has written his first romcom-- and it needs help! Emma's longtime friend gets her in with the gig of being Charlie's ghost writer, and things follow the plot from there. The novel was enjoyable, and fans of Katherine Center will eat this one up!

An English teacher finally gets the chance of a life time to work with her favorite screenplay writer — and her chance to make a name for herself.

I always enjoy a book by Katherine Center — I’ve never regretted a read by her — nor did this book disappoint. I quite enjoy this authors style of romance story — fiction with a good dose of reality at the same time.

The characters are full of real struggles, worries, playfulness,chemistry and Witty banter .

The writing was great and the characters were likable overall — from time to time I questioned Charlie’s authenticity as his values and attitude changed a bit too quickly in my mind— I loved Emma and her quick witted lines .

I was granted an ARC of The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center via NetGalley.

Pub Date: June 11, 2024

This is such a cute book! I was immediately taken in with the storyline and the supporting cast , but I mostly loved the banter between the main characters! It was smart, quick and made me laugh out loud on several occasions.

I am such a fan of ROM-coms and this book did not disappoint! I will easily recommend this book! It was such a delight! I’m sure if we lived close to each other, @katherinecenter and I would be fast friends 💛🩷😂
I easily gave this 4⭐️ on Goodreads (more like 4.5⭐️)

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy

This book has it all–humour, heart, and a happily ever after!

The book features one of my favourite tropes–the roommates reluctantly falling for each other. Emma is a screenwriter who writes rom coms, but before she had the chance to launch her career, there was a terrible accident that killed her mother and left her father disabled. For the last ten years, she’s been his sole caretaker while her sister finishes her education. But now, there’s an opportunity for her that she just can’t ignore. Charlie Yates, a famous, award-winning screenwriter who’s best known for his action films, has been tasked with writing a rom com–and the result is terrible. His manager is also Emma’s manager, and he convinces her to go to LA to work with the reclusive screenwriter as a ghostwriter. The catch that she only finds out after she’s knocking on his mansion door? Charlie doesn’t know she’s coming. And he doesn’t want her help.

I find that the publishing industry has been pretty liberal with the word “comedy” in romances, saying that books that are more of a typical “contemporary romance” are rom coms. But in this case, The Rom-Commers is actually a rom com, and had numerous parts that had me giggling hysterically.


My favourite books in this genre have serious topics to complement the humour, and this book is no exception. Both Emma and Charlie have trauma in their pasts, and their character arcs bring this book from a simple good time to a thoughtful and uplifting read.

There are a few miscommunications in the story, but they’re done well and add to the plot.

All in all, I recommend this book if you’re looking for a well-plotted and meta rom com!

4 stars

In a world where het romance can be so cliche, boring, and frequently misogynistic, Katherine Center keeps showing up as a shining star in that all-too-frequent dark landscape. This most recent effort is another treat from a now proven author.

It's really hard to not want to root for Emma. She's had to sacrifice a lot because of an injury that incapacitated her father in fundamental ways years ago. So that her younger sister could go out and realize her dreams, Emma has mostly forgone hers, and this has kept her opportunities and experiences - romantically and otherwise - limited. When she gets the chance to work on a dream project (sort of) with a dream partner, external forces push her to go against her usual choices and take the opportunity. Enter Charlie, another likeable, if curmudgeonly, character.

There's a subtlety to this love story that makes it feel fresh. It's not overblown or saccharine, and the result is a compelling, character driven connection that keeps readers engaged and entertained from cover to cover. There are some health-related rollercoaster rides in here that some readers may want to be aware of (since this is a genre for escapism and some of this content might feel a little to raw...like a thing a reader might be trying to escape FROM) at times.

Added props to the audiobook narration. I recommend this format when and where available. I'm already looking forward to Center's next release!

The rom-commers ! I highly recommend
I felt so much depth and understanding reading the ebook and audiobook! All that has occurred for the main character as a child to now as an adult !
Her fear to live life and the fact she didn’t truly live the life she deserved for so long because she served her family so well! The pure and perfect love she gives everyone through out this book !
Oh and is she so funny, some how innocent to some of her thoughts and understanding of things. Not in a “blonde” way but in the way she thinks the best of everyone until she doesn’t !

Emma a screen writer that has no career but care taking, is given and opportunity of a life time from he ex bf!? This novel is about love loss and the complete and utter truth of feeling pain and love and life all at once ! It’s about living and pushing ur boundaries when u are afraid it’s about how u can’t live and love with no repercussions of pain , just wow Katherine center ! Just wow

Emma Wheeler is her father's caretaker but always aspired to be a screenwriter. Charlie is a beloved Hollywood screenwriter. When Emma's childhood friend turned Hollywood manager asks Emma to relocate to LA for six weeks to help Charlie rewrite a script, things are not at all what Emma expected. Nor are they what Charlie expected. This book had me laughing out loud and crying. There were so many great scenes and life lessons. Katherine Center is the queen of rom-coms.

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

I'll be honest, I was a little worried about this book when I first started it - I didn't immediately love the characters, like I usually do with this author. However, I am so glad I continued. My initial reservation was unfounded. Emma is a character that developed over the book, and it was an enjoyable payoff. As we learn more and more about Emma, I found it easier to understand her, and appreciated her more. The book became more captivating as it continued. While there are some tough topics in the book, they assist with character development and are relevant to the backstories. This is definitely a book I will reread, and enjoy multiple times.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of Katherine Center's new book, The Rom-Commers!

Everyone knows that I love Katherine Center's books and I look forward to her newest every year. This is going to be all over everyone's hot summer book list and it's the perfect rom-com for your beach tote. I promise you'll read this in one sitting.

Katherine Center's newest book pulls all the classic rom-com stops for the ultimate feel-good romance. Emma Wheeler is well versed in the anatomy of a romantic comedy, as a screenwriter she works on mostly small projects saving her own stories for herself. But when her agent offers her the opportunity to write a screenplay with one of the most prolific writers of her time, she jumps at the chance. One problem, Charlie Yates - yes, the Charlie Yates.- doesn't want anything to do with her and he doesn't care if his new screenplay (a romantic comedy btw) is a disgrace to the genre. But without a passable romantic comedy, one of Charlie's most important projects is stalled. Seeing no way forward, Charlie and Emma team up to co-write the ultimate romantic comedy and maybe they'll find their own love story along the way.

This is KC at her best, the dialogue sparkles, the rom-com references are plentiful. If you read and loved The Bodyguard, you'll be delighted to revisit characters and experience cameos from that novel. As always, Center balances optimism with some really difficult subject matter and leads her characters to a happily ever after. If you loved Katherine's prior books, you'll love The Rom-Commers as well.

For many readers, including me, just seeing Katherine Cemter’s name on the cover of a book is enough to make it a must read. Center is a master of writing stories with good characters, plots that keep the pages turning and, most importantly, humor and heart. Readers come to care about her characters and their lives, almost as if they are real people. This book is no exception.

Emma is woman with unrealized dreams and potential. She works freelance on writing projects for her old high school boyfriend. Emma’s father was in a catastrophic accident and requires her to be around full time. Her sister has, in some ways, been living out Emma’s dreams. She has gotten to go away to college and is about to begin a prestigious internship as the story opens.

A plot twist then comes. Logan, the high school boyfriend, offers Emma a ghost writing job with her absolute idol, screenwriter, Charlie Yates. Let’s just say that Emma has an unbelievable crush on Charlie and his films. However, his latest attempt, an update of one of Emma’s favorite movies (It Happened One Night) is an absolute disaster.

So…Emma makes the necessary arrangements for what she thinks will be the job and experience of a lifetime and flies out to L.A. Okay…I’ve set the scene but don’t want to spoil the fun by saying anything else.

This book is a perfect summer read. Anyone who picks it up will be sorry to see it end.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

The Rom-Commers was a witty, banter filled romance, that unfortunately did not live up to the hype for me. Don't come at me, I love KC, but this one just did work for me for many reasons. It never truly grabbed me or kept my attention. It was such a slow burn for me. This is an unpopular opinion and I am highly aware.

Emma was honestly an annoying character, I couldn't relate to her at all. She made the dumbest decisions, tried to change a man that just did not care. She was so obsessed with him that it was borderline pathetic. Charlie was honestly horrible and mean, I did not like him at all. The chemistry between both of them I did not feel it at all.

I also felt like some things needed to be worked through by the characters and they never were. They just magically were “healed”, they needed more growth and it never happened. The romance aspect in this book truly did not work. I enjoyed the plot and the storyline of the screenplay development.

🎧 The narration by Katherine Center & Patti Murin was good, easy to follow. The emotions were felt through the pages and they were able to keep me listening even if I did not enjoy the book.

✨️ Thank you to @netgalley & @macmillanaudio for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. Didn't love this as much as The Bodyguard but certainly more than Hello Stranger. Emma is quirky and I enjoyed her banter with Charlie. I loved how they became a team in more than just the work sense. This was more emotional than I expected and the last 20% or so will definitely make you cry. Oh, and I would not want to see the mermaid movie. Also, if you haven't seen It Happened One Night you need to watch it immediately--wonderful film and I love that Emma referred to it as the OG rom-com. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

Witty banter, screenwriters in Hollywood, celebrity romance, forced proximity, grief, cancer & various other medical conditions.

This felt a lot like Beach Read by Emily Henry.

Emma has spent the past 10 years taking care of her dad, who was injured in a camping accident.

Logan, her high school boyfriend, now gay, living in LA and working as an agent. He schemes to connect Emma and Charlie to give them both a bump to ignite (or re-ignite) their careers.

Charlie is a famous screenwriter who has the yips (is off his game) and needs serious help on the rom-com he wrote.

Hilarity ensures since Charlie doesn’t know Emma is coming to help with his script (and stay at his house) and Emma finds out he doesn’t believe in love.

There’s a guinea pig, ex-wife, line dancing, car accident & obviously romance.

You get the unbelievable once in a lifetime opportunity to help one of the best screenwriters in Hollywood rewrite the rom com he’s working on.

The story flows so nicely and I loved Karherine’s writing style. I loved reading from Emma’s point of view. Her inner dialogue is so relatable and funny. The dynamics between Charlie and her are such a vibe and I loved their banter and playfulness. This book was an absolute joy to read. I was smiling so much and it made me feel like I could just be swept away by the story and forget about everything else for awhile. Even though some heavy topics are covered, it still has such a light hearted and comical vibe throughout.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc!

This is the seventh book I’ve read by Katherine Center. Center has a way with words! She has the ability to write delightful romances that make me both laugh and cry. Always turning tragic events into meaningful character growth, fun banter, and lots of romance. Her books just make me happy! The Rom-Commers was no different for me. This book had me smiling like a fool. I loved Charlie and Emma! Two damaged people who fit so well together. I couldn’t help, but root for them!

I highly recommend reading this book and honestly, I recommend reading all of her books if you’re looking for a fun, heartwarming reading experience!

Rom- Commers was such a fun and quick read that had me in my feels!

Emma longs to be a screenwriter but between being a full-time caretaker for her dad and supporting her sister through school, she just hasn’t had her big break… Until her agent calls with a irresistible job offer, rewriting a rom-com manuscript for her favorite writer.

Emma and Charlie’s journey is a must read! I loved that this book depicted the plight of being a caretaker to a parent and the guilt associated with the events surrounding the accident. Charlie’s situation with his health also resonated with me as he didn’t want to be a burden on someone he loved.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Not to be cliche or anything but this book would make a good rom com movie. Had alot of laugh out loud moments and definitely some rollercoaster emotional moments. Loved the romance research scenes the best especially the line dancing scene!

Emma is a talented writer who loves romantic comedies. She longs to write successful screen plays, but taking care of her dad is a full time job. But then, an opportunity presents itself to write with the legendary Charlie Yates. However, writing with Charlie ends up being more challenging than expected. Has Emma bitten off more than she can chew?

This must be the year for novels about screenwriters because this is the third novel about a Hollywood writer that I have read this year. As with all of Katherine Center's books, I enjoyed the well developed characters and charming story. Emma is quirky and not a "typical heroine." She struggles with anxiety. Charlie is ornery and has lost his mojo. Together, they make an unlikely, but adorable pair.

Also, the book featured guest appearances from Jack (a la Center's previous novel, The Bodyguard). His drop ins were some of my favorite parts of the story!

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own

MY HEART... I love love loved The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center! She has been a fast favorite author of mine and I was so ecstatic to be chosen for this advanced copy. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this digital review copy- I highly recommend this title!!!! Be prepared to smile, laugh out loud, growl in frustration, feel sorrow for the characters navigating tough subjects, embrace the chemistry between the two main characters and R.E.P.E.A.T!!
I seriously LOVED the two main characters, Emma and Charlie and didn't think their characters could have been written any better/differently- they were perfect and this has pushed to the top of my favorite Katherine Center's books!