Member Reviews
My heart is swooning! 5 gazillion stars! Katherine Centers newest work has just become my newest favorite—yes, I declared that last time, but trust me, she keeps surpassing herself. Emma Wheeler, a skilled writer of romantic comedies, has put her dreams on hold to care for her father full-time. However, an opportunity arises to rewrite a script for her longtime obsession, famous screenwriter Charlie Yates, who's been coerced into a terrible ROM-COM. Emma, determined to prove the importance of love in Rom-Coms, faces the challenge head-on. Center is the most gifted romance writer. I’m always lost in the way she weaves a story together, effortless and unique and filled with heart. I absolutely loved it! This is destined for the big screen; mark my words. I can already see it, and Bradley Cooper would be perfect for the lead.
4,5 stars.
Katherine Center is on a mission to get romantic fiction out of the shadow and into the mainstream. All her heroines are smart, funny, independent and feisty women. but in this book she has taken it one step further, romance is not just what happens to the main characters - it is their job. Emily is a struggling screenwriter, who is called upon to help very established screenwriter Charlie writing a rom-com. Charlie is representing all the cynics in the world who is quick to write any romantic stories of as predictable, trashy and for girls (!). Of course Emily proves him wrong and they fall madly in love.
A thoroughly enjoyable read - thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.
This is the first book I've read by Katherine Center and it didn't disappoint.
This book had me on a roller coaster of many different emotions. When I first met Charlie I wanted to punch him, but then I loved him when he did such sweet things for Emma. One being buying her favorite flowers and making her doughnuts for her birthday. I definitely related with Emma leaving her dad after caring for him for 10 years. I took care of my dad when he was alive and felt guilty like she did doing something amazing and fun, but I know that my dad would've wanted me to live my life and be happy, just as her father wanted her to go to LA and write with Charlie. Sylvie pushing Emma to go to LA to write with Charlie was what she needed. It was also what Charlie needed as well to bring him out of his funk. The things that held them back made love worth fighting for in the end. This book was so good I read half of it instead of sleeping and when I woke up binged the rest of it because I needed to know if Charlie truly loved Emma. I will most definitely be getting this book to add to my collection and recommending it to everyone.
Katherine Center is a tough one for me. I either really like her novels, or really dislike them. This one fell into the 'Really Like' column and I read it in under 24 hours!
The Good: I loved the family dynamics and found them highly relatable. I love the inferences to writers and the trope of rom-coms in general. I may have even learned some things. I love the FMC - she was witty yet approachable. Sarcastic yet loving. The spice was light if not non-existent, but the reader could still feel the tension between the two leads. It was over-all a really cute romance and great for the summer!
The Bad: The MMC was just a little too willing to throw the female main character under the bus and the FMC was just a little too easy to forgive. There seemed to be no resolution to this - it needed some kind of bigger conversation to overcome it. After the (great!) HEA I still thought he was a little bit of a jerk ,and she was a little bit of a pushover willing to forgive for anything. This alone is what prevented me from rating this book a 5 star read.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing an e-ARC for an honest review.
Katherine Center does it again! I have loved everything she’s written. Her books are so much more than rom-coms. She writes excellent banter that made me laugh out loud, and creates poignant moments that made have to fight to hold back tears reading in the Breckenridge ski lodge. I absolutely love her writing. Thanks to Katherine Center and St. Martins Press for the advanced copy of what will undoubtedly be one of my favorite reads this year. The Rom-Commers comes out on June 10th and you won’t want to miss it.
I have been excited to read this one! While it wasn't my favorite Katherine Center book, I did enjoy it. It was between a 3 and 4 star read for me...but the last few chapters bumped it up to 4 stars!
The story follows Emma, a struggling screenplay writer as she gets her big break. She gets the chance to help a famous writer edit his first romcom movie. The book takes the reader along as Emma moves to LA, deals with the grumpy Charlie, does research for the movie, and ultimately falls in love.
What I enjoyed: I love how this book is standing up for the genre of rom coms. I love a happy ending and I thought it was sweet how passionate Emma was about the value of rom coms having a happy and hopeful ending. In typical Katherine Center style, there are some heavier themes mixed in as well. I thought the conversation she has with her dad near the end of the book about how the hard things in life make you better was beautiful.
What I didn't love: I wish this book would have alternated between Emma and Charlie's point of views. There was a lot of miscommunication that could have been cleared up by a few open conversations. The miscommunication trope is my least favorite, but I don't think it would have bothered me as much if the reader would have been able to get to know and understand Charlie better.
Overall, this was a light-hearted book with several far-fetched scenes...which was exactly what I needed at the time I read it.
Content Warnings: Death of a parent remembered, Cancer, divorce, sick parent, moderate language, just kissing but lots of mentions and references to sex.
I LOVE Katherine Center books and this was no exception! She writes funny heartwarming rom-coms and this book was about characters writing a script about a rom-com well if all goes well.... ha. I loved the banter and all the characters. This was a hit!
I've loved every Katherine Center book I've read, so I was so thrilled to be invited to read The Rom-Commers! As usual, Center didn't let me down - it was the perfect mix of sweet, funny, touching, and authentic!
Screenwriter Emma is a little stuck - living at home as the full-time caregiver to the best dad ever has meant putting her dream of making it big on hold. So when the opportunity of a lifetime, a chance to work with the Charlie Yates, presents itself, Emma is torn. Until she reads the script and realizes that Charlie may actually need her rom-com expertise. With her little sister caring for their dad, Emma heads to LA. But Charlie Yates doesn't want to write a screenplay with anyone, and he doesn't believe in love. So it's up to Emma to show him that rom-coms are worthy and that love does exist, even if it means she has to kiss him to prove it. But when the kiss is actually amazing, they both realize that maybe real life could be as good as the movies.
Listen - Katherine Center's books are always so sweet, and The Rom-Commers was no exception. I was so happy to see Emma and Charlie connect, to really hear and validate each other in a way others hadn't. Their banter had me grinning, and the way they lifted each other up might have made me tear up a little. Both have reasons to not truly trust love, and it felt so authentic to watch them struggle with that while falling for each other.
The Rom-Commers comes out on June 11th, and if you love rom-coms with fun banter, sweet and validating main characters, and an incredible supporting cast, I can't recommend it enough! Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, Netgalley, and Katherine Center for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed everything about this book! I completely fell in love with both of the characters and was rooting for them from the beginning. I also thoroughly enjoyed learning about the rom com genre from the writer-protagonist.. Very meta. The twists were well crafted without anything seeming overly contrived, and it was just a pleasant, solid reading experience. It was my first 5-star rom com since Beach Read!
A true Rom-Com that teaches life lessons along the way to a H E A (Happy Ever After) ending.
Emma has spent 10 years taking care of her dad who was injured when his wife died in an accident. Sibling Sylvie has been allowed to carry on her life, schooling and job opportunities. As a newly published rom-com author, Emma high school boyfriend, Logan asks her to help an author who is Emma's hero, Charlie Yates attempt to write a rom-com. Agreeing to six weeks in California to ghost write, Emma trains Sylvie to look after their dad. Nothing runs smoothly between Emma and Charlie. When Emma gets an emergency call from Sylvie she abandons everything to race home to Texas.
Humor and tears trade places as Emma faces life choices,
An excellent, enjoyable reading experience.
I volunteered to read an ARC from St. Martin's Press through Net Galley.
I really enjoyed this novel. I read this story over a weekend while I was sick in bed and it thoroughly distracted me from feeling terrible. With cameos from some beloved characters from the Bodyguard, and a satisfying ending I would definitely recommend picking this book up if you want a quick read with some serious topics that don't weigh the story down. TW for descriptions of family death and injury.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC.
Katherine Center is an auto-read for me. Humor & heart romantic comedies?! Always sign me up. I appreciate how Center writes about medical issues that are not well-known. Putting those names and information out there for the masses is very important. At first, I found Emma relatable. The family-oriented, strong big sis is something I can commiserate with. Then she was all “oh shucks my hair is frizzy” and she lost me. I found Charlie to be tré arrogant. Ripping a stranger to shreds and to belittle them for no reason? Then…getting to know them and saying awful things AGAIN behind her back? To quote the great Randy Jackson: it’s a no for me, dog! So, I found it hard to believe when they fell in love. Also, falling in love with a celebrity you’ve always obsessed over? Kinda weird too. Puts an imbalance in the relationship from the start.
“I had some food in my stomach and money in my bra” lol random, but I did like that quote a lot. A new mantra for me.
Anyhow, back to Emma loving Charlie far more than he’ll ever love her….the whole book is just her following him around like a puppy dog. So not my kinda love story.. Idk just not my fave Katherine Center book. I read it in one sitting though!
I was SO excited to read the Rom-Commers! I found the premise of this book very exciting and I was super exited to dive in. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in the relationship between the main characters.
This I did really like: Her helping him with the fear of swimming.- Probably my favorite part of the book.
I did find the banter and romance to be lacking in this story which made it really hard for me to root for these characters. I do believe that even though I didn’t love this book that others could really fall in love with this story.
I read this in one day - it was that good. I like all of her books, but this was my favorite. I loved the main character and that they were writers - all of it.
I absolutely loved these two main characters, and found it to be searching an amazing backdrop for a book. I also really appreciated the representation for caregiving.
Home run, slam dunk, hole in one! Adorable banter, missed connections, all the feels. Emma was a fabulous story teller and throughout the book there were a few times I worried I might end up wrecked. I adored this rom com about rom coms.
This fun, feel-good story was charming for its witty banter, lovable main characters, somewhat meta plot line—Emma and Charlie are screenwriters writing about romance—and yes, it’s romantic predictability. Just what the Dr. ordered after a few heavier reads. This was my first Katherine Center read. Thanks, NetGalley!
If I could read Katherine Center every day of the year I would. She makes me laugh, she makes me cry and every time I fight for the main character. Katherine Center does it again and now I have a book hangover.
Emma has put her life on hold for the past ten years to be her father’s caretaker. An opportunity of a lifetime happens presents itself from Emma’s agent (ex-high school boyfriend) to write a rom com with her hero Charlie Yates. The only thing is Charlie has no idea she’s coming. However, Emma has completely rearranged her life and put a pause on her baby sisters life to be their fathers caretaker.
Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy!
Katherine Center has done it again! So cute and I really hope it's made into a movie or something - I fell in love with the characters and was laughing the whole way!
Thanks to publisher and netgalley for arc.
Hated the fmc and didn't like her ex or the mmc. I liked my other two books by this author but this was a big miss for me. It was so hard to even get 50 pages into book yikes... this isn't the bodyguard or hello stranger which I adored.