I am OBSESSED!!! I knew from the moment I read the description I would love this book adn I'm so glad I was proven right. Really well done and I will be forcing my book club to read!!

Katherine Center returns with another great read that contains a powerful life lesson. Emma has spent the past ten years caring for her father and sister forcing her to put her career as a screenwriter on hold. She's basically been doing penance and denying herself even small joys. When the opportunity to work with her idol, Charlie Yates, drops into her lap she can't turn it down. Unfortunately, working with Charlie is not all she thought it would be. It's difficult to write a rom-com with someone who doesn't even believe in love. It took me quite a few chapters to begin to like Charlie. In the end, Emma learns a lot about herself and her relationships with her family. I don't want to spoil one of the best parts, but late in the book, Emma and her dad have a heartfelt conversation that makes it clear why Center dedicated this book to her father. I look forward to putting this book in the hands of my patrons.

Of course @katherinecenter newest book is called The Rom-Commers! It feels so perfect that my favourite RomCom writer wrote a book that is basically a love letter to RomComs and all the reasons they are wonderful.
Emma cares, about her family, writing, and love stories. She has spent most of her life caring for her father and sister,putting her own dreams of being a writer on the back burner. But when an opportunity to help her all time favourite action writer, Charlie Yates, write a romcom in LA emerges she (with some serious encouragement and tough love from her family) takes it. Unfortunately Charlie, doesn’t believe in love, thinks romantic comedies are trash, and doesn’t actually care what the finished product looks like. Emma will only have six weeks to show him exactly why love is important and why romcoms need to exist.

I had an absolute blast reading this. Filled with tributes to all of our favourite tropes, both paying homage to and poking fun at, with characters who I was instantly able to fall in love with, and a love story that was perfection, this was everything I wanted it to be and then some. I was also so happy to get a cameo of one of the leading stars of The Bodyguard.

Unfortunately this book still has a few months until it’s June 11 2024 release date, but I promise it’s well worth the wait.
Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for providing me with an advanced copy for review.
#booklover #theromcommers #romcom #romcomnovels #readforjoy #reading #readersofinstagram #read #reader #readersofinstagram #readersofig #readeveryday #books #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookaddict #booknerd #romantic

Katherine Center’s newest book, The Rom-Commers, is the perfect romantic comedy! Center has a beautiful way of weaving romance into the storyline, and the way she intersects the comedic lines, makes for the perfect blend of what a rom-com should be.

Charlie has a big ego and needs help. Emma has no ego but has talent. Putting these two in a room together is wonderful, and makes for a very enjoyable read. I have to add, I couldn’t help but think about which actors would be best suited for the roles if this were to become a movie – one that I would definitely watch!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this e-ARC.
#stmartinspress #NetGalley

I am a new fan of Katherine Center! This is the first of hers I’ve read and I cannot wait to read more. It had incredible grumpy x sunshine banter, build up, and even a sneak behind the curtain of writing processes (my favorite). The book was filled with nerdy writing jokes and smart humor. I loved this love story to the romantic comedy genre.

This book was a breath of fresh air and exactly what I needed after feeling slumpy this month. It was fast, sweet, and fun.

The plot was SO engaging. Writing a screenplay together about love while falling in love?! Yes pls. It was different than what I have read before and was so fun.

The FMC was genuinely so likable and pure. I just loved her! And the MMC was DROPPING one-liners like no other. HOT HOT HOT.

This had the classic sweet and enchanting rom-com vibes while still being utterly realistic which i loved. Because that’s life!

4.5 because I didn’t get the full five star feeling but honestly wouldn’t change much about this book. It was exactly what I needed when I needed it.

Have you ever sacrificed your dreams for someone else? Or had such a good friend they won’t let you put yourself last any longer?

These are the questions Emma, our main character, must learn the answers to.

Emma suddenly finds herself with a once in a lifetime chance to work with her legendary screen writer, Charlie Yates, after putting her life and dreams on hold while taking care of her father.

The two main characters each have their reasons for wanting to complete this screen play. He wants another script to be made into a movie. She wants this rom-com to be the best it can be because it is her dream to be a screenwriter. Can she convince Charlie to give it his all?

The reader follows Emma as she grapples with the decision to reach out and chance failing or say goodbye to the hope she’s always had to be a writer. Is it worth keeping it a dream?

Admittedly, it’s been awhile since I’ve read a Katherine Center novel. “What You Wish For” is the last of her novels I’ve read. To say I was surprised by this author’s growth would be an understatement. She had now become a must read author. “The Bodyguard” will be on my next month’s TBR.

The tension between the main characters can be felt from the first sight. Center made the characters feel so real. Real grief, real fears, real dreams.

I know the epistolary writing style doesn’t work for everyone but the way Center is talking directly to the reader through Emma just works well.

If you love romance novels and rom-coms you should give this book a try. After all aren’t Rom-Coms about falling in love?

I love a Katherine Center novel. Her books are well written. They make you laugh, cry and fall in love with the characters. The Rom-Commers gives you all the feels. Loved the story and the characters. A fantastic read.

Emma is presented with the opportunity of a lifetime to work with her screenwriter idol on workshopping his attempt at a romcom.. The Rom-commers is so meta but in an unpretentious way. Charlie is determined to keep his mindset that love doesn’t really exist, but working with Emma has him trying all these romantic situations to write with true emotion. The Happily Ever After in their screenplay needs a lot of work… how will this writing project bring Emma and Charlie together?

I was so pleased to read this advance copy of The Rom-Commers after being such a fan of Katherine Center over the years. As a big rom-com fan to start, I knew before I read the premise that I would enjoy this book.

It follows the formula, which is delightful and often necessary as a reader. I want to say it’s predictable but that sounds like it comes with a negative connotation—it doesn’t! Although the story itself is pretty clearly laid out, the character development and descriptive language is top notch. I was rooting for these characters immediately. Highly recommend!

3.5 stars

I'm conflicted about this rating, because on one hand, I loved parts of this book. The plot/hook was great and I liked the dynamic between the main characters.

What I didn't love was some choppiness in the writing (where it felt like first draft dialogue/exposition that needed some work) and the fact there were some major assholes in this story (including the main characters at times) and it all got forgiven for sake of the rom-com vibes. Also, the fact cancer was used more as a plot device than dealt with with care/compassion did not sit well with me.

Thank you NetGalley and St Marten’s press for this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I will preface this by saying I’m a reluctant romance reader. I say this because I keep gravitating toward this genre recently even though these books almost always drive me crazy. They are so absurdly impossible and yet that’s what makes them appealing. Maybe I’m becoming a convert after all.

This book has a similar trajectory. Emma is an unknown screenwriter who lives for a Romantic Comedy. She knows them inside and out but her life has been anything but comedic. She has spent the past 10 years caring for her father after a tragic accident left him incapable of living on his own. When the opportunity arises to help her favorite screenwriter of all time salvage his disaster of a rom-com her life becomes one of the stories she loves so much. Is the story predictable, yes. Is it a fun read, also yes. If you like a good rom-com then this is one you should definitely pick up.

I love a good Katherine Center book and honestly I think I’ve just read my new favorite book of hers. She’s done it again and this is a MUST READ!

Emma is consumed with Love, at least in her writing, maybe not in her actual life. Charlie Yates is the biggest screen writer name in Hollywood and Emma’s all time favorite writer. However, when she reads his latest work, his first rom-com, she is horrified by how terrible it is. Charlie Yates can do no wrong, so how is this possible. Emma is determined to enlighten Charlie on all the key elements needed to write a perfect Rom-Com, which proves to be challenging since Charlie doesn’t believe in love

One of the things I love about Katherine Center’s books are the real life moments she builds into her stories. Sometimes when authors write these difficult moments into books, it can really weigh the story down but her stories always leave me uplifted and inspired. It adds real depth to her love stories.

You will laugh. You will cry. You will want to highlight/tab excerpts from this book because Center imparts some real life wisdom on these pages.

Special Thank you to Katherine Center, NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the advanced reader copy of this book and the opportunity to share my true thoughts/feelings about this book.

“It's all about the details you notice. And the joys you savor. And the hope you refuse to give up on.
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.”

“We don't get to know the whole story all at once. And where we're headed matters so much less than how we get there.”

“But it was one thing to live your dreams in theory—and it was absolutely another thing to clumsily, awkwardly, terrifiedly do it for real.”

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center is a rom-com being written inside of a rom-com. When Charlie, an award winning writer known for his zombie and action screenplays, fails at his attempt to write a rom-com, Emma, an unknown rom-com writer, is called upon to save the day. After caring for her dad for 10 years, Emma leaves him in the care of her sister so she can fulfill her writing dreams. While you can’t have a rom-com without miscommunication, literally falling into each other’s arms, and life getting in the way, the writing and story is so heartfelt and intelligently aware of being a rom-com, that it’s perfect! I have really enjoyed Katherine Center’s novels and this one was no exception. The Rom-Commers would be a fantastic beach read which coincides nicely with it’s June release date. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

{3.5 stars}

Emma and Charlie are screenwriters collaborating on a romcom screenplay. Charlie is an acclaimed writer who is being pushed into the genre and Emma is a great romcom writer who just hasn't gotten her big break. They have a tight timeline and choose to live together to accomplish their goals. As time progresses their emotional baggage is unpacked and they realize that both have feelings for one another but that their connection is ultimately doomed.

This one reminds me a lot of The Happy Place, I believe if you liked that, you will like this. There were parts of it I really enjoyed but overall, these were adults with completely stunted emotional intelligence. Had they just communicated rather than shutting down all the time, they would have had a smoother road. I get that there are lots of people like that in the world, but I guess I don't enjoy reading it especially when they are supposed to be these amazing screenwriters who communicate emotion effectively. The pace was also quite slow to start off, I spent the first half waiting for something to happen. When it got to the meat of what we all picked the book up for, it felt too late and went too quickly. Don't get me wrong, their banter was so entertaining. But I did not understand why we needed all the setup to get where we got and why it was over so quickly.

Katherine Center is definitely hit or miss for me, but I'm still always willing to pick her books up.
Read this one if you liked Romantic Comedy.

Thanks to St Martin's Press for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

Wow! Once in a while, I read an ARC and after, I feel so lucky to have gotten to experience the story before the masses... This is one of those stories. This book was so absolutely beautiful, and full of characters that were given depth, but none of it felt overdone or overwhelming. I never got bored, or tired of reading... I cried, I laughed... I LOVED. I felt so much from the main characters, but also all of the other characters that brought so much to the story - they all belonged, which IMO is hard for an author to do. I will recommend this book to anyone who will listen!
THE ONLY thing I could say negatively is that there was NO SPICE in this book... like, not even a little dash of pepper... Which, as much as I love a spicy romance, still did not change how much I loved this book... so, I guess not really a negative thing to say.

Please, do yourself a favor and pre-order this book... Add it to your TBR... Put it on your request for the library... This is a book any rom-com reader will want to read in June 2024!! 5 stars - hands down!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A rom com about two writers who fall in love while writing a rom com screenplay!?!? I loved this book. Every amazingly wonderful rom com cliché comes alive in this book as you watch Charlie and Emma rewrite Charlie's rom com attempt. I laughed, and I cried. The writing and the relationships are so beautiful. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’m not sure there is any author who has a style that is so uniquely definite to herself more so than Katherine Center. You can read any line from any page of any of her books and know exactly who wrote it. I love that about her! And even though every one of her books is written in this very specific style, they all stand on their own two feet as just super good books.

The Rom-Commers has all the laugh-out-loud but also cry-out-loud moments that make Center’s books so special, and I think this line sums it all up beautifully:

“Happiness is always better with a little bit of sadness.”

I was so happy to be able to read this early copy from NetGalley! Thank you!

Once again, Katherine Center delivers a delightful story full of heart. In this story, an aspiring writer who is her father’s caretaker, Emma, is offered an opportunity to rewrite a romantic comedy screenplay with a famous writer, Charlie. Emma is an expert on romantic comedies and Charlie is one of her writing heroes. However, Charlie is not interested in co-writing, romantic comedies, or love. Will hopeful Emma change grumpy Charlie’s mind about the value of love stories?

The dialogue was cute and I found myself smiling - and giggling - throughout the book. I appreciated the character development, the cameos, and the obstacles to overcome. I also liked how the book seemed to be written to the reader by the protagonist making this feel more intimate between friends. And finally, I loved the quotable statements sprinkled throughout the book about storytelling, grief and loss, and love. This book is just full of joy.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Unofficial Synopsis:

Emma desperately wants to be a screenwriter but being a caretaker to her dad has held her back. She’s spent lots of time studying romantic comedies in the meantime. When Emma gets the chance of a lifetime to work with her idol, she calls her sister to step in as caretaker so she can go.

Charlie doesn’t exactly want Emma’s help, much less a “nobody”. But Emma is determined and knows what she’s talking about. She won’t go down without a fight, even if it means kissing Charlie senseless to prove her point.

Review:

I’ve read every one of Katherine Centers books and they are all so good, however, this is probably my new favorite! It was just so good, and I loved every minute of it.

I really enjoyed both the main characters and their personalities. Emma was sunshine enough to not be annoying and Charlie was grumpy enough to be likeable. I also enjoyed that this was a clean romance, because it was a good reminder that angst can go a long way. I loved the ending of this one, because it felt all too real. I could totally see something like this playing out in real life, and it was easy to picture it happening. One of the things that I love about Katherine Center’s writing is that it is easy to get lost in the writing and feel transported to their world. Since I devoured this book, I’d normally have time to read more during the day, but this book ruined that for me, but in the best way possible and I don’t regret it at all.

I am on board with the way Katherine Center is going with her books, and I cannot wait for the next one. While they’ve always been amazing, now they’re spectacular.

You need to add this to your list, it’s a must read.