So I LOVE Katherine Center, but this book was sadly not my favorite. My biggest issue came from the fact that the characters, especially the MMC were completely unlikeable in the beginning. I am a character driven reader - I can forgive a multitude of sins if I'm invested in the characters. Unfortunately, this one made that very difficult. Both characters made some improvement as the story went on, but they'd lost me at that point.

2.5 stars

Story dragged on a little too long. Didn't really like the main characters (Charlie was a man-child and Emma came across like a whiny baby). Don't get me started on the number of times Emma repeated what someone said to her back in a question. Over and over and over (and over) again. (((“We’ve got Jack Stapleton attached to star.” “Jack Stapleton? Attached? To star?”))) Or the number of times she called him by his full government name (like, EVERY time). Why did Center rely so much on eavesdropping? I think it happened three times throughout the book and there are far better ways to communicate information in a storyline.

Now, I really enjoyed Things We Save in a Fire and How to Walk Away but this one was such a far cry from those two books that I thought it was written by a different author! I'm hoping her next book is as good as these older ones.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

As the title suggests, this romantic comedy book is filled with romantic comedy tropes and discussions. Following Emma and Charlie, two writers matched together to re-write a romantic comedy screenplay, The Rom-Commers has Emma divulging the nuances of romance to the unbelieving and very reluctant Charlie.

While the premise to this sounds promising, the book falls flat due to the lackluster and somewhat annoying main characters. Our main female character, Emma, is constantly going back and forth between quitting and staying to finish the project. The first half of the book has her wanting to quit every other chapter, which becomes very tired and repetitive. Our main male character, Charlie, behaves very selfishly and routinely disappoints Emma in major ways, yet never seems to apologize or make things right between them. The chemistry is not palpable or evident at all throughout the novel. Suddenly they’re in love with each other? Not very believable, especially with minimal and frustrating buildup.

The two problematic main characters and their lack of chemistry is the real drawback for this book. However, there are plenty of redeeming qualities for this book outside of that. Emma’s strong sense of family and the community she has built back home with her friends and neighbors is heartwarming. The intertwined themes of happiness and sadness coinciding within great lives is a prominent theme that sticks with the reader. The appearances of Jack Stapleton (from Center’s other novel The Bodyguard) are always fun and endearing. The bit of suspense drummed up when Charlie receives a mystery phone call with bad news keeps the reader enthralled. Lastly, the ending of the book is happy and a real tear-jerker.

Overall, even with many redeeming qualities, the two main characters just aren’t likeable enough. Characters need to be flawed to be realistic, sure, but these two seemed to have no regard for the others’ feelings and it grew very tiresome. If you’re looking for a fun and cute rom-com story, I unfortunately would not recommend this book. I even believe that die-hard Katherine Center fans will be disappointed in this book as well.

Hmm this one wasn’t my favorite but I still found it mostly enjoyable. I can’t even exactly put my finger on what had me putting it down so often, but it was lacking just a smidgeon of something to really keep my squirrel-like attention span on point. Overall, was good and entertaining. Maybe I’ll give it another shot soon but for now it’s 3.5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book! Unfortunately, I did not enjoy it. The male protagonist was too egotistical for me to find him attractive. The romance also felt a bit forced to me. I wanted to like it but just didn't!

This book was enjoyable. Some parts of the middle felt slow or like they could’ve been avoided but overall I enjoyed watching the story progress. For fault of my own (going in mostly blind), I think I was expecting it to be lighter/more funny, so my brain had to scramble to get on board with the more serious issues. Had my expectations been different, I believe I would have clicked more quickly.

I always enjoy Katherine Center's characters and books, but this one wasn't my favorite. This had a great plot (loved seeing the writing process) and the chemistry between the main characters pretty good albeit mild, but the conflict at the end wasn't my favorite - without giving spoilers, the hypocrisy of the female main character was driving me insane and the lack of communication between the main characters was just kind of annoying.

3/5

I have thoroughly enjoyed Katherine Center’s previous books, so when this title was offered as an ARC I jumped at the chance. One I started reading it I couldn’t put it down! The characters quickly captured my interest and the storyline was easy to get into. I expected a light hearted summer read, but found this delightful story to offer so much more. One quote that really summed up the story, which resonates with my own self is, “Whatever story you tell yourself about your life, that’s the one that’ll be true.” YES! I hope that Katherine Center continues to write such delightfully fun and motivating books!

Katherine Center never disappoints me, and with the Rom-Commers she's done it again with raising the bar higher and higher. I adored how Emma grew as a character and how her relationship with Charlie grew from them as enemies to friends to to falling in love with one another. I know not everyone is a fan of tropes but I love 'em, especially when they're done right . Center also does heavy themes very well by discussing the grief of loosing a parent and helping a loved one with a diseases that changes their lives. I appreciate how she doesn't sugar coat these real emotions or situations that so many people deal with. As always, this was a phenomenal read with laughter, tears, and romance galore!

That you NetGalley for this ARC!

Couldn't put this down.

The story follows Emma and Charlie, two screenwriters in two different parts of their lives. Emma is stil lreeling after her family has gone through th runimaginable 10 years prior and has given up her whole career to be the sole caregiver for her father. Charlie is the IT writer of their generation, adjusting post divorce and illness, but has fallen into a writing slump. To top it all off, Charlie has to write a rom-com for the first time ever not even knowing if he believes in love anymore. In comes Emma. She is a walking rom-com, she's also Charlies biggest fan. Put the two together for 6 weeks to write an epic love story and well...you know the rest.

Although I found the story predictable, isn't that what makes a good rom-com? The slow burn/enemies to lovers trope is what kept me engaged as well as the orginal plot. I would have loved to see a little more chemistry between the two characters as you barely know Charlie cares about her until the end. All in all, I really liked it and would read more from Katherine Center.

his was such a fun book. I loved the entire premise. I loved that she is about to work on this romantic comedy with her favorite screenwriter and yet he knows nothing about romance and she’s not sure she can help him. This is a wonderful listen Catherine center is one of my favorite authors and this one does not disappoint. I will be recommending it to everyone.

This was my second book by the author. Earlier this year, I read The Bodyguard as some characters from The Bodyguard make an appearance in The Rom-Commers. However, one doesn't need to read The Bodyguard before reading this book.

I rated this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️. In my system, 3 stars mean good. I had mixed feelings about this book. While I enjoyed the story, the banter, & the lack of spice, there were a few things that I didn't like.

My main issue was the FMC. I found her behaviour to be juvenile and annoying. I thought that she was behaving like an entitled brat. 😬

She gets in the personal space of others, and she doesn't realise how uncomfortable it is. Had I been Charlie, I would have kicked her out. My inability to like the FMC was the main reason for reducing stars.

Although it's ok for romance to not be entirely believable, I didn’t like how unrealistic some things were. Eg. The pilot waiting outside for Emma to board the plane

In a nutshell, it's a book I enjoyed but had an FMC I couldn't stand. 🤣

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. First of all, they discussed PowerWash Simulator about 37% in which made me so damn happy because it is an awesome video game!!! Second, the book was really good. I stayed up way too late reading this one night because it was so cute! I really liked the concept of the novel and the banter was top notch. There were several turns I was not expecting so this felt like a really original romantic comedy novel. I probably need to go find more from Center if I have not read them already. 4 stars.

Another great one from Katherine Center. Her books are always well written and thoughtful with a great dose of humor and sincerity. The Rom-Commers is no different. This charming novel is a delightful read, featuring witty writing and a plot that's absolutely heartwarming. The author crafts a story that's both fun and endearing, filled with laugh-out-loud moments and sweet, heartfelt connections. If you're looking for a light, enjoyable escape with lovable characters and clever dialogue, this book is a perfect choice.

I always look forward to @katherinecenter books. They are heartfelt and genuine and always make me smile. The Rom-Commers was no exception!

Emma Wheeler jumps at the chance to work with her screenwriting idol, Charlie Yates. But she is leaving a lot behind- her disabled father and her 22 yr old sister who will take care of him. It’s a lot for her mentally, but it’s time for Emma to put her dreams first for once.

But after she arrives and Charlie has no idea who she is, maybe it’s not as it seems. Charlie has written a truly terrible romantic comedy movie and Emma has been hired to help him re-write it. Her agent and friend Logan offered Emma’s services to Charlie without confirming it with him. But why is Charlie writing this script anyway? What is the reason behind this? Does he really need Emma’s help?

I liked the slow burn romance here, but Emma needs to stand up for herself more. It seems like almost everyone in Emma’s life takes advantage of her and she just lets them. She also lets Charlie talk down to her and while I get he’s a celebrity and her idol, there’s only so much a girl can take. I liked Charlie’s back story and why he soured on love. I did enjoy the call back to the Bodyguard with the return of actor Jack Stapleton.

Thank you @stmartinspress for my gifted copy.

Review of The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

The Rom-Commers is my second book by Katherine Center, after loving The Bodyguard. The story follows Emma and Charlie in a classic enemies-to-lovers tale. As a true rom-com fan, I was excited to dive into this book. While it had its cute moments, it just didn’t fully hit the mark for me.

The ending was sweet but felt rushed; I wanted more depth and development. Given how much I enjoyed the previous book by this author, I knew she had the potential to deliver a more satisfying conclusion. It’s still a charming read, but it left me hoping for a bit more.

Thank you for the advance copy!

Thank you to @Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and Katherine Center for this ARC!

This is my first Katherine Center book and OMG am I blown away! It kept me hooked from the very beginning until the end and I couldn’t get enough! And it was full of life lessons, which I can appreciate! Also an easy read to pick up and put down and know right where you left off!

I need to read more from Katherine ASAP!

Thank you to the publisher for an early release copy of The Rom-Commers. I have loved every Katherine Center novel that I have read and this one is no exception. I started (and finished) this on a flight home and it kept me company the entire time. I loved the characters and the setting and the plot moved quickly along. It was just a fun yet thoughtful book. I'll be honest...the title threw me for some reason but just ignore that and jump in. This is a fun one -- try to sneak it in this summer.

The Rom-Commers is a heartwarming, romantic comedy that combines humor and emotion. When Emma's agent finds her the opportunity of a lifetime--to help revise a script for a screenwriter she idolizes--she jumps at the chance. Her idol, Charlie, is a big disappointment. He's rude, heartless, and self-centered. Emma must live in a guestroom of his mansion until the project is completed. As challenges, misunderstandings, and mistakes rise and fall, attraction grows. Just as he rejects her, she is called home on the east coast for a family emergency. I loved this book. It is the perfect summer beach read. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book is absolutely delightful! Katherine Center is a champion of love stories and rom-coms, and this book is a wonderfully perfect example of the genre. I loved the characters of Emma and Charlie - their banter was charming and the relationship that developed between them was swoon-worthy. The book also deals with heavier issues, such as grief, illness and caregiving, in a thoughtful and heartfelt way. This is one of the best rom-coms I have read. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.