Katherine Center never fails to hook you in and immerse you into a story full of laughter, joy, and heartfelt moments that make you lean for a tissue. I'm a sucker for a sweet rom-com book and this one delivered. Katherine Center has a way of taking a romance story and making it personal to the reader where you feel like you can truly connect to the characters and their emotions. I always appreciate that when I read Katherine Center's writing and it really came through in The Rom-Commers.

The Rom-Commers hits the shelves June 11th, 2024! I highly recommend you add it to your summer reading list.

I would like to say thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Emma is a rom-com-loving screenplay rewriter (not well known) and is asked to help rewrite her idol Charlie Yates’ sad attempt at a rom-com but he doesn’t want her help.

This was my first book by Katherine Center and it didn’t disappoint. The Rom-Commers is a swoony sweet romance with no spice but don’t be surprised if you end up bawling your eyes out like I did. There is something about these characters that makes you feel connected to their stories. I didn’t always love them but to me, that was the point to show a somewhat realistic version of a book relationship. Emma and Charlie’s chemistry/banter was amazing throughout the book. The only thing that would make this book even better is if it was dual POV!!! *Charlie and Emma almost feel like Gus and January (Beach Read by Emily Henry) in a parallel universe*

I recommend when June 11th rolls around you get your hands on this book!! I will be picking up a hard copy myself.

Holy moly. I DEVOURED that book. I couldn’t get enough. Katherine Center is one of my very favorite authors and this book is the exact example as to why.

The character build. The tension. The love. The anguish. Never have I ever felt anguish for a guinea pig in a book, but Katherine Center’s brilliant writing made that happen.

LOVED IT. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC!

Dear Katherine Center,

Thank you for this absolute GIFT of a book. (And thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!) Reading it was the best Valentine’s Day present I could have ever asked for. You have become one of my absolute favorite authors and I just want you to know that I appreciate what you do. Reading your books makes me happier, more introspective, and more grateful for the wonderful people in my life. There is so much joy, humor, and pathos in every book that I just devour them in one sitting. Then I open them up and read them all over again. Your talent in writing sparkling, hilarious dialogue is unmatched, and the quirkiness of the characters gives them a depth I don’t often see.

I loved the grumpy and the sunshine, and the two screenwriters (one famous, one unknown) working together on a rom com – it’s a perfect premise. I laughed out loud several times, I cried, I remembered how joyful life can be, and how hard.

I will recommend this book to everyone I know, especially the writers, the dreamers, and anyone who needs a little boost of serotonin.

Best wishes and many thanks,
Kristin

Wonderful book. I loved the banter between Emma and Charlie, the whole story line, and loved the happy ending! I couldn’t put it down. I will definitely read more by the author. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I’ve learned I’m hard to please with chick lit, and this one just didn’t appeal to me. I found it too be predictable and cheesy. I am probably the minority though! I did really enjoy The Bodyguard by this author!

Thank you very much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is about Emma, an aspiring screenwriter with a deep love of romance who has been a caregiver for her father for the past decade. Her idol, grumpy screenwriter Charlie Yates, writes a romantic comedy. His script is absolutely terrible, and Emma has the chance to work with him on a total rewrite. There are a few hiccups with this plan—Charlie doesn’t even believe in love and he only wrote the script (which he claims will never see production) in a deal with studios to get a different project green-lit. Emma takes it on as a personal challenge to change his mind on both counts.

If you’ve read a lot of Katherine Center before and enjoyed her stories, you’ll be happy to know that this felt like a Katherine Center book.

I enjoyed the characters bickering and their arguments about love were pretty funny. Despite the romcom shenanigans Emma drags Charlie through so he can write more authentically on their shared project, there are some serious, real-world hardships that ground the book.

Jack from The Bodyguard makes an appearance. If you read and enjoyed The Bodyguard (a story about an actor who needs, well, a bodyguard), you’ll like this one.

In terms of steam and spice, this had basically none. I wish there was more, but it’s fine.

Katherine Center has a way in delivering sooo many messages in her books. I absolutely loved this book where two authors get together to do a rewrite of one of the authors work. This book has all the feels… I laughed out loud in places, felt my heart racing in others as I was reading so fast to find out the outcomes of situations. I welled up with tears in my eyes in other parts of the book, and did I say I laughed out loud like a zillion times??? Go ahead and grab this book, as it’s definitely a winner!
Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing me an ARC in exchange for my review.

A new Katherine Center favorite! The chemistry between Charlie and Emma, doesn’t let you put the book down! Center brings elements into the book that brings depth to a rom-com. My favorite element was these deadpan moments where you get into Emma’s thoughts. Overall a great read!

WOW. Katherine Center has done it again. The Rom-Commers is such a sweet, funny book and I couldn’t put it down. Emma is an aspiring writer who is a caregiver to her dad after an unfortunate accident after her senior year. She gets an unthinkable deal from her agent to go help ghostwrite with a famous writer named Charlie Yates who she is admired for a long time. There’s one catch though, Charlie has no idea she’s coming. He reluctantly agrees to let her ghost write on the screenplay he’s been working on and the story unfolds from there.
This book was written so well! It kept me wanting more and laughing out loud. I throughly enjoyed it! It may be my new favorite book by Katherine!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this advance copy.
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I rarely read romance novels, but I wanted something light and fun with a Valentine’s Day vibe. This book was exactly what I was looking for. To be fair, there were a couple of things with the plot that seemed TOO convenient, but I really didn’t care. The witty banter was spot on and I enjoyed Center’s defense of romcoms and romance novels generally. This was closed door, with maybe one minimally spicy scene, which I believe is the case with most of Center’s work. If you enjoyed The Bodyguard, you will love the cameos in this one!

Emma Wheeler, trying to make it as a screenwriter. She lucks out and gets to team up with popular, Charlie Yates, who's all skeptical about love. But, surprise surprise, they end up collaborating on a script and bam, it turns into this adorable story about two unlikely pals finding love in the world of romcoms. I love how it nails all the classic romcom vibes, mixing in some heartfelt moments, struggles, and sweetness. Plus, it tackles themes like taking care of others, believing in yourself, trust, and dealing with past screw-ups in a really cool way. And even though it could've fallen into clichés, it keeps things real with a sprinkle of magic.
I highly recommend this book. It's a feel good story.
Thank you Katherine Center and NetGalley for letting me read it.

I sped through this book in about two sittings. The banter was great and the LA movie industry behind-the-scenes setting was fun. It had a lot of the same effervescent tone that I loved from The Bodyguard. I loved Emma's dad and the whole family dynamic that developed by the end of the book.

I had a hard time wanting Emma to forgive Charlie for all the rude things she heard him say and do over and over and over again, he was borderline too unlikeable to root for their relationship. I loved that Emma started with so much feisty attitude and self-esteem, but by the middle of the book, that kind of went out the window and she let Charlie get away with a lot. I also didn't feel a ton of chemistry between the two leads for most of the book, they seemed like buddies and even in Emma's internal monologues, she seemed clueless about the fact that she was falling in love with him romantically, which defied disbelief.

I think the mark of a good reader writer is when a book ends you actually are sad to see it over. You want the story to continue on and on.

This book is everything. From humor and sarcasm to awesome one-liners that keep on giving, The Rom-Commers deliver a story that you will not forget.

The characters are so well-developed you feel like you know them. Friends and family are tight and selfless. Center clearly has thought of everything and found a way to make it perfect. Be still my heart!

This author has captured my heart. The Rom-Commers is about finding joy and being open to love, no matter what it looks like. Fabulous writing and a story like none other!

This novel was truly un-put-downable! I can’t remember the last book I read straight through without stopping like I just did with The Rom-Commers. Once again Katherine Center has created wonderful characters in interesting situations which make for a pleasurable reading experience. I’ll be recommending this novel to everyone.

I absolutely loved the characters in this book. Emma has been through so much in her life and I found myself rooting for her immediately. I loved her insight and compassion. This is such a sweet romance story, but also has a depth to the plot that revolves around family. It’s a hopeful and heartwarming story that I couldn’t put down.

Thanks to Katherine Center and NetGalley for an arc of The Rom-Commers, coming out June 11,2024!

Well… I’m a huge fan of Katherine and this novel evoked all the feelings and more. From the get go, I knew I was going to love both Charlie and Emma.

Emma was a struggling screenwriter and wanted to hit the big screens one day. But a tragic accident left her at home for ten years, putting her dreams on hold while her younger sister lived out her life. When her friend Logan presents her with the opportunity to work with thee Charlie Yates, she is over the moon. Charlie Yates is a famous screenwriter and her biggest crush of all time. Now all she has to do is figure out how to get there…

Emma and Charlie both suffered greatly in their lives, yet she still believes in love while Charlie… the famous screenwriter that he is, does not feed into the hype. When Emma is presented with his latest screen play… a RomCom… she can’t help but tear it apart. It’s that bad. Emma soon learns that she will be living with Charlie in his mansion while they work together on fixing his screenplay. While this was not all butterflies and roses, I enjoyed watching each character stay true to themselves, while simultaneously growing as an individual Their struggles and joys were quite the rollercoaster, and my eyeballs became quite wet at the end. I should have known the tears would come at some point!

Love, love, loved it!!!!

“If you wait for other people to light you up, then I guess you’re at the mercy of darkness.”

This book was fantastic! I love this author’s novels, and this was a beautiful story. This book brought joy and hope and love. We follow Emma, a curly-haired rom-com screenwriter who dedicates her life to being her father's caretaker. Emma takes on the task of helping her screenwriting celebrity crush, Charlie, write a rom-com and also learn to believe in love. Witty banter, forced proximity, coworkers to lovers… Real life emotions and situations. Just what my heart needed!

If you’re looking for an old-school, epic, gut-wrenching love story that is gonna redefine your idea of love, this is the book for you.
If you aren't, let me ask you: why don't you like fun?

I don't know if every Katherine Center’s book is so easy to read but, if it is, I may have found my favourite author of the year. I mean, as soon you've opened it, you blink and it’s already over.
I should warn you that you’ll experience every type of feeling in the meantime - I’ve mostly giggled and silent-screamed and cried my weight in tears, but I don't exclude you might go through something else.

Also, it's not only a love story. Of course the two fall in love with each other but, during the process, the author basically schools us on what romance is as a genre, and how to properly make it.
And she has the right to do so since she's obviously mastered this topic.

Last but not least, as a movie junkie, I just loved the fact that they're not the usual actors who fall in love on set - not a pair of actors and directors, for that matter.
When we think about writing, it’s common to think about book authors or journalists, but we don't give screenwriters enough credit for their role. And yes, my mind went straight to Greta Gerwig after I formulated this thought.

What else can I say to make you read this book? Ah, I know: for my fellow happily-ever-after lovers, there's an epilogue at the end of the book that could be nominated best epilogue of the five last year for how much it's good.
Now I have your attention, haven't I?

5 STARS! Wow! I loved this book so much, and I must read everything else by the author ASAP!! SWOON.

Emma Wheeler seizes the chance to rewrite a script for her longtime idol, screenwriter Charlie Yates. As they collaborate, she discovers he's a skeptic regarding love—a significant obstacle for a romcom writer. To salvage the script, Emma must persuade him otherwise, leading to a charming tale of unlikely allies finding common ground in the world of love stories.

This romcom hits all the right notes, delivering precisely what one expects from the genre. "The Rom-Commers" unfolds as a beautiful, heartwarming tale, tinged with the struggles of Emma and Charlie, yet balanced by the sweetness of their journey. The pacing is spot-on, and Emma, our main protagonist, is a delight. Center skillfully weaves a tapestry of themes throughout the narrative—caretaking, grappling with self-worth, the instinct to flee at the slightest hint of rejection, the struggle to trust others with something you've devoted a decade to, the uncertainty of where you fit in, and the weight of past mistakes—all of it laid bare. It's a story that resonates deeply, inviting readers to see themselves mirrored in its pages. And amidst exploring romance's nuances, there's a delightful playfulness in dissecting its key elements. Both protagonists are easy to root for, and the epilogue ties everything up in a satisfying bow. Despite the potential for cliché, Center manages to render misunderstandings believable with a touch of magic.

Overall, it's a joyous read. As someone who harbors an unconditional love for well-crafted romcoms, this swiftly became a favorite. Every facet shines—the characters, their dynamic, the tension, and the witty exchanges. It's not just uproariously funny but also genuinely touching, with a hint of melancholy adding depth. Undoubtedly, it is a standout read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! All opinions are my own.