Content warnings: grief, loss of a parent, cancer, being a caregiver for a sibling and parent

Emma Wheeler has been living with her dad for the past decade because he needs someone to watch over him. She gave up her dreams to care for him and make sure her little sister had a good life since their mother passed. When little sister Sylvie graduates college, it's her turn. Emma has a screenwriting job with her idol Charlie Yates, and she's jumping on a plane to LA before she's able to come to grips with leaving her dad for the first time in 10 years.

Charlie Yates has written his first romantic comedy, and Emma is hired to help him fix the abysmal script because she's an expert in all things rom com. When she gets to LA, it's to find that her job isn't a given -- Charlie has no idea and is blindsided when Emma shows up on his doorstep. Reluctantly, he lets Emma stay at his house and they start to talk about what's wrong with his script.

Emma and Charlie are both flawed characters who need room to grow. They both must overcome fears and health scares, and maybe they'll also admit that they're perfect for each other. Recommended for contemporary romance readers who like the forced proximity trope and those hungry for Hollywood stories.

Representation: Asian-American side characters, gay African-American side character

I love this author and I'm not sure she has ever written anything I don't just love! The Rom-Commers was exactly what I hoped it would be. I loved Emma and Charlie. I love how well their characters were developed, their romance slowly formed, and the banter between them. I actually really liked the way this was written as Emma's POV, but also almost like a really long diary entry. The way she told the story through her eyes, but also talked to herself mentally made for a really easy and fun read. It will also make this book standout to me as I think back on my 2024 reads. I love when characters don't let miscommunication stand in their way. The way Charlie was protecting her all along is the ultimate act of love for me. The ending matched the perfection of the book. This is a highly anticipated read for 2024 and it deserves the hype it has been getting!

Another wonderful book by Katherine.

I adored the FMC Emma. She was feisty, strong willed, and just all the things I love. Charlie the MMC had me in all kinds of emotions. One minute I’m thinking he is just the sweetest then the next minute I am thinking what a jerk! Katherine was playing with my emotions a lot in this story. I couldn’t get enough.

There is crazy good banter. The sexual tension is very high. I laughed. I had teary eyes. I was all in my emotions.

I love how the family was so well connected. Incredibly loving and supportive.

I also loved the cameo’s of Jack Stapleton and Hannah from Katherine’s book before this “The Bodyguard.”

Loved it!

Thank you Katherine Center and St. Martin’s Press for the e arc. Be on the lookout for this book Pub date June 11th, 2024

Not gonna lie I was totally hooked from the first few pages.
Katherine Center really knows how to work her magic with words, and I was into it right from the beginning. And oh my god, Charlie was a total jerk at the start, but did he redeem himself as the chapters went by? YES! Absolutely!

I loved Charlie and Emma's dynamics working together, all the bantering while rewriting the screenplay, and the way they were always learning from each other.

Everything was perfect here: the character growth, the romance development, the angst, the cute moments.
I guess I have a new favorite book! 💜

And don't be fooled, it's called The Rom-Commers, but it has its emotional moments!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

5/5. Katherine Center has hit it out of the park again. Loved it all….the messiness of life, the imperfect characters, the witty dialogue. I could have kept reading about their life in LA, but I do appreciate that every good romantic story has to have an ending. Bravo, and thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book. It gave me all the feels. One minute I was laughing out loud and the next I was crying. This was my first book by Katherine Center, but not my last!

Thank you, NetGalley, for granting me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was my very first Katherine Center book, and I 100% understand the hype now. I'm being completely genuine when I say The Rom-Commers was the best contemporary romance book I have ever read. I will definitely be reading more from Center in the future.

This book had it all. There was humor, lovable characters, a cutsie romance, and also some more serious stuff that really gave the story depth. I was invested from page one, right up until the very end where I cried like a baby. Charlie and Emma have my heart, and I'm so glad they both got their happily ever after.

This book is perfect for lovers of contemporary romance and rom-coms! Please do yourself a favor and READ THIS. You won't regret it.

From the very first page, this book had me hooked, and I found myself laughing out loud and screaming with joy throughout the entire story. The tension between the main characters, Emma and Charlie, is so palpable that it keeps you on the edge of your seat, eagerly anticipating every turn of the page.

The angst in this story is off the charts - it's the kind that makes your heart race and leaves you breathless. But what's truly incredible is how the characters evolve and transform their initial lack of teamwork and become the dream team. It's absolute magic, and I couldn't get enough.

Emma and Charlie are a match made in rom-com heaven. The way they instantly connect and navigate their relationship with such ease is nothing short of brilliant. Emma's character, a loving and sunshine-filled personality, is so cool and relatable because she's not perfect, but undeniably awesome. And Charlie, with the perfect amount of grumpiness, is the ideal counterpart. Their chemistry is impeccable, and I found myself giddy with excitement throughout the entire read.

Katherine Center has masterfully woven a story that strikes an amazing balance between romance and emotional depth. Emma taking on the job of reworking Charlie's script, and the fact that he's all skeptical about love just made it so darn interesting. I found myself eagerly flipping through the pages to see how it all unfolds! Watching them work together to fix the script and convince Charlie otherwise is an emotional rollercoaster, and I loved every minute of it.

One of Katherine Center's standout strengths is her ability to take the hardships of life and transform them into sources of joy. She doesn't shy away from acknowledging the bad and tragic, but she doesn't dwell on it either. Instead, she focuses on the potential for happiness and the beauty that can emerge from challenging situations. Sheh as this incredible knack for spinning tales that just overflow with happiness.

'The Rom-Commers' is an absolute delight - a perfect blend of laughter, joy, and heartwarming moments. Katherine Center has once again proven her prowess in crafting stories that leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling. If you're a fan of rom-coms with incredible chemistry, banter, and a touch of magic, this book is a must-read!

Katherine Center does it again. She grabs onto your heart and holds on tight. You want these characters to get together and find a way to work it out. It’s like your heart is on a rollercoaster throughout the whole book.

You know that scene where Cinderella is waltzing with Prince Charming on the balcony, all shining in her blue gown, singing to herself, "So this is love, so this is what makes life divine. I'm all aglow, mmmm"? Now imagine that is me and this book is Prince Charming. I could stare lovingly into its pages for hours. I loved this book. Loved it! To play off another song, "Who put the bomp in the bomp bah bomp bah bomp," this book puts the rom-com in Rom-Commers.

Emma Wheeler had to put her promising future as a screenwriter on hold to be her dad's sole caretaker for the last decade. Then her agent calls to say she has the opportunity to rewrite a script with America's favorite screenwriter and her own personal icon, Charlie Yates. Charlie usually writes blockbuster hits with explosions, but in order to get his next movie made, he had to agree to write a rom-com, and it's terrible. In order to get him invested in the project, Emma has to prove to him that love stories matter. And might they create their own along the way? (Spoiler: they do!)

This book classic Katherine Center charm. It was witty, full of emotional depth and real-world problems (despite its Hollywood setting), warm, and delightful. 😍 While the downside to reviewing this in February is that it doesn't hit bookshelves until June, that means you have months to put it at the top of your beach read list. This is one I know I will want to reread and will be looking for my own hardcopy this summer.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this advanced copy.

Ten years ago, Emma had to put her life on hold to become a full-time caretaker for her father. An accident that left him hemipelagic and Meniere’s Disease have left him requiring round-the-clock care. She has all but let-go of her dreams of becoming a screenwriter, despite showing exceptional promise. One day, she gets an opportunity she could only dream of; to help with rewrites for a romantic comedy written by her screenwriting idol, Charlie Yates.

Soon she finds out this script is absolutely abysmal and is only being written so that the movie he actually wants made can be greenlit. With some convincing from her ex-boyfriend/current manager, she entrusts her father’s care to her sister and packs up her bags to spend the next 6 weeks in LA. Now she has to find a way to get Charlie to care enough about romantic comedies to turn this script into something that is actually worthy of being made.
I really enjoyed this book, but I would say that it was, overall, pretty light on the actual romance aspect of the story. We mostly saw Emma and Charlie grow as individual people with the aid of the other person. I did feel like we didn’t really get to see the romance develop between them, and honestly, I felt like it would have been equally as satisfying it they just stayed as friends and writing partners.

I would probably compare this to Emily Henry’s Happy Place or any number of books by Mhairi McFarlane, where it looks like the book is going to be a romance, but it turns into people getting through their trauma.
Don’t go into this expecting something light and kooky, it deals with some difficult topics and romance is definitely not the main focus. However, the ending was still pretty cute.

A Big Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and dear Katherine Center for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

A solid 5 star rating for this book set in Texas and California. As always I loved this book by one of my favorite authors, Katherine Center. I laughed out loud and cried like the characters were my family, emotions that were provoked simply by great writing.

“A Rom Com has to have a happy ending with both MC’s ending up together. “ YES! 100% agree

Another winner of a story with a female MC who is adorable, honorable and holds true to her morals. Emma is an aspiring screenwriter, who is handed a once in a lifetime opportunity to re-write a a screenplay with a famous screenwriter, Charlie Yates. She leaves behind her sister with her disabled father from Houston, Texas to travel to LA California to meet her idol and help him to beat the yips!

This was the fastest I’ve gotten through a book in ages, one of those books you couldn’t put down because the happy ending couldn’t come soon enough! Another winner from our Rom-Com Queen ! Just in time for a summer beach read.

Fun dialogue and main characters. More could’ve been developed with the setting, background characters, forward motion – the narrative "world" here felt lacking. But good banter and a quick, breezy read.

I’m thrilled to say that the Rom-Commers is my first 5 star read of 2024! Katherine Center had me feeling all the feels with this one. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments mixed in with the swoony interactions between Emma and Charlie that you’d expect from a true romantic comedy. The Rom-Commers will take you on a roller coaster, ripping your heart out only to put it all back together in the end. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the rom-com genre and authors like Abby Jimenez, Christina Lauren, and Emily Henry. Thanks to Katherine Center, Netgalley, and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I will definitely recommend this one to my book club when it releases.

Katherine Center does it again. I wish I could give this 10 million stars. I couldn't put this one down. And although I'm sad I read it so fast, I'm also happy I had the chance to read this book.

Katherine Center has done it again! I am not normally a romance fan, but I will always read a Katherine Center book. She adds humor, kindness as well as romance to all her books. And the ending is always worth the wait. A big thank you to NetGalley for this ARC for an honest review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Katherine Center is now officially on my immediate-buy-and-read-list and one of my all-time favorite rom-com authors (it's a very short list and includes Mhairi Macfarlane and Beth O'Leary).

This book had everything I want and need in a rom-com. And it doesn't fall into the trope trap of all those booktok faves which are all tropes and vibes with a lot of tell and little show. There was one "motif" that I thought was used a bit too often and became repetitive and too convenient but it was a small detail.

All in all The Rom-Commers feels like a classic rom-com with loveable but definitely not perfect characters, a relationship that progresses organically, a host of supporting characters that are just as lovable and it gives you all the happy fuzzy feelings in your stomach. And it makes you cry. But in a good way.

In short: Go get it ASAP in June!

P.S. I've marked so many fun and/or relatable quotes which I hope will be in the published book. I'll add them once I have an official copy.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an ARC of this book! I’ve willingly read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.

THE ROM-COMMERS was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and I’m so excited that it lived up to and surpassed all of my expectations.

Emma Wheeler is a screenwriter whose dreams of seeing one of her movies on the big screen have detoured due to family obligations. But when her high-school ex-boyfriend turned manager gets her the job of a lifetime, Emma lets her sister take over care-giving for their father for the first time since a tragic accident turned their lives upside down and flies to Hollywood to work with her screenwriting idol, Charlie Yates. Charlie, however, has no idea she’s coming and refuses any help in rehabbing the atrocious rom-com script he’s written.

What follows, when Charlie finally gives in and allows Emma to rewrite the script with him, is a story filled with heartbreak, rom-com worthy moments that I’m desperate to someday see on the my screen soon, and, of course, the happy ending that makes a book or movie a true romance.

Katherine Center is a master of making her readers feel so many different emotions in just over three hundred pages. There were so many absolutely adorable and hilarious moments that had me swooning or giggling, but with those, readers also get the lows which give better insight into these lovable characters. These moments are so relatable, whether it’s a rom-com worthy scenario or something that feels like a punch to the gut. (I’m biased, but also relatable? Emma’s curly red hair! As a curly-haired redhead, I rarely see a heroine who isn’t a blond or brunette and almost never one also with curly hair!)

Emma and Charlie were a perfect match and I loved getting to see their relationship progress as they unintentionally starred in their own romantic comedy (including, but not limited to: dance classes, clumsiness resulting in full-body contact, and near-death experiences).

THE ROM-COMMERS definitely earns every positive review it’s been getting and I can’t wait to purchase my own copy to revisit over and over again.

Hello Book friends!

Today I’m reviewing The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. In this romcom we follow award winning screenwriter Charlie Yates, who is in desperate need for someone to rewrite his latest screenplay (even though he won’t admit it) and Emma Wheeler who is willing to help him, for a price of course.

And romance readers you NEED (yes all caps) this book in your life.

Think of a happy moment. How it made you feel. How happiness bubbled up like the first sip of champagne, how it creates a kaleidoscope of vivid colors, bright and beautiful that you want to bottle up, and save it for safekeeping. Hoarding it as though you are book dragon, to visit it often, to replay that moment when you need it most.

That. is. this. book.

Katherine Center, you amaze me. I LOVE every page of this book. It’s how Center shapes the story, taking two people on opposite spectrums of life and forcing them to collide together, creating a book readers will want to remember ten, fifteen year from now, because it’s that good.

Pre-order this one today.

Happy Reading ~ Cece

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
It's been a while since I devoured a book in less than 24 hours and I almost forgot how awesome it feels to be so invested in the lives of fictional characters that you pause real life to find out how everything plays out.
The book was absolutely delightful. I loved Emma's personality and how grumpy Charlie pretended to be. I loved Emma's dad and the way he chose to live life to the fullest even after suffering through a tragedy and loss that would paralyze most people. I love how perfectly this story unfolded and perfectly it ended. I know it's only February, but this is the best book I've read so far this year, and it's the best rom com that I've read in a very long time. Do yourself and your heart a favor and read this. You won't regret it.