All tropes aside, this was an adorable little romance story that was just a delightful read. There was an obvious conclusion stemming from page one, yet I never felt like rolling my eyes and muttering "are we there yet?" Instead, the story-albeit it predictable-kept the humor at the forefront, had mostly believable characters, and was just a light-hearted, fully enjoyable read.

Overall: 4 stars (I really liked it)

I'll tell my students about: language, alcohol, sex, trauma, parental death (past tense)

**Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

This was a delightfully fun read. I usually shy away from rom-coms because they are often corny. This story was told in a smart way with lots of humor and a lot of touching details. A great feel-good fast paced read.

I knew going in that I was going to love this book. Katherine Center has never disappointed me. What I found was even better! Grumpy/Sunshine, forced proximity, and "we have to try X for research" will always be some of my favorite tropes to read and Katherine Center delivers. I fell for the characters and loved the way their story moved through the ups and downs of trying to work and live together. Both characters felt real and that made this book a great fun and light read. Highly recommend!

I LOVE books about writers- and Center just nailed this one so perfectly. She writes so poetically and what a ride this book was! Delightful and fun and sad and tragic… all at the same time. I didn’t want it to end.

As always, Katherine Center knocks it out of the park. I really enjoyed this one and it is definitely the feel good piece you need in your life. Even with the heavier themes, it is a light and enjoyable romantic comedy. I loved the cameos in this one and cannot recommend it enough!

loved this romance between two writers who end up falling in love. loved her friend logan to give her a chance . Loved that there was some serious issues brought up about her dad and charlie. loved they she taught him about rom coms and the banter, fight, and the kiss. another great book and this author has become auto read for me.

4 ⭐️

You will laugh, cry, and feel happy and satisfied by the end! I loved this one! It made my heart “thump.”

This book contains:

- An enemies to lovers plot
- A sassy and funny protagonist
- Loss and grief, and overcoming it
- Illness and a positive outlook
- Finding new beginnings

This book was ADORABLE!! This was my first Katherine Center book, though I have four of her other books on my shelf, and am now even more excited to read them!

Emma is a late twenty something Texan who has been caring for her disabled father for the last almost ten years. Emma’s mother has passed away. Emma has a younger sister, Sylvie, who has just graduated college. Emma has barely left the apartment she shares with her family, as her father requires 24/7 care. Emma has lovingly sacrificed her hopes, dreams, and future for her father and her sister and has put their needs before her own.

Emma loves writing, screenwriting. It’s all she has ever wanted. Emma’s high school ex-boyfriend, Logan, is a high profile manager in Los Angeles. He has sent her writing jobs over the years. She receives a call from him about the opportunity of a lifetime: to rewrite a screenplay with none other than her FAVORITE screenwriter and crush, Charlie Yates! Logan explains that Charlie needs her help BADLY. If she accepts the job, Emma will have to go to LA for six weeks to write one on one with Charlie. It’s far too good to be true for Emma. She tries everything to convince herself that she simply cannot go. Who will take care of her father? After her sister insists that she can take over caregiver duties for their dad, with dad also insisting, Emma decides to take the position (reading the current screenplay and the terrible state it was in was also a big motivator).

Emma arrives in LA to some unexpected surprises. Things aren’t as promised and Charlie is not the same Charlie that Emma has fantasized about in her head. There is some pushing and pulling, but the two decide to work together on the screenplay. Emma, a huge romantic comedy fan, does her best to prove to Charlie that love is real and that he should believe in it. Emma is determined to make sure this movie is the next best rom-com. She will save the movie, Charlie’s reputation, and launch her career! She refuses to settle for less. Meanwhile, Charlie just wants to finish the screenplay as quickly and painlessly as possible, not caring at all how it turns out. Over the nearly six weeks of living and working together, the two begin to form a bond, or so Emma thinks. As her feelings for Charlie get stronger, the colder and more confusing he becomes.

An emergency happens. The two are separated earlier than contracted. The fate of the screenplay and their relationship unclear. I won’t say more. It’s sad, it’s cute, it’s adorable, it’s funny.

The book left me joyful. It achieved that perfect warm and fuzzy rom-com feeling. I loved the outlook on illness and loss. This is the first time I have ever read a book mentioning Ménière’s disease (I also have it, but no where near as bad as Emma’s poor father). So thank you Katherine for allowing me to relate finally in some way with my daily and nagging condition. I loved the theme of changing the perspective you have of your life in order to help achieve a better life. To not be afraid of living, or taking risks, or being afraid to love. The book had a great message. I cannot wait to read more books by Katherine!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, the author, and Netgalley for allowing me access to this arc in exchange for my review. I am SO grateful and appreciative.

I absolutely LOVED The Rom-Commers! This was my first Katherine Center book and it won’t be my last!
I loved the premise (my hubby is in the film industry) so I was hooked right away. I love a good sunshine girl/grump guy and the BANTER was CHEF’s KISS!

Thank you so much for the ARC!

I have given exactly one book five stars in the past two years. ONE. Welp, here's number two.

In a time when it seems that every day is a new drama in the romance community, when clicks, likes, and virality are a more valuable currency than the words in the book one is trying to promote, a story that brings back the pure, effervescent joy of reading, of writing, of falling in love, feels like a rare gem.

The Rom-Commers does just that while paying homage to (and taking inspiration from) beloved rom-com classics. And while I think there is a certain amount of cliche in the genre, it's beloved for a reason, and cliches don't become cliches without being immensely popular.

With smart, witty dialogue that kept me grinning (and often giggling!) throughout and some of the most endearing characters (not you, Teej!) I've read in a long time, this book has won a place in my heart.

But Center writes more than just a romantic love story. She tells a story of tragedy and triumph, of overcoming some of the lowest moments one can experience, shining light on the sacrifices we make for the ones we love the most.

I found myself sneaking away far too often for just a few paragraphs, a few chapters, just a little more time in this world (I'll make time to feel guilty about that later), falling asleep with my Kindle and digging it out from under the covers as soon as I woke up. And once I finished the book, I wanted nothing more but to go back to the beginning and start all over again.

I'm not sure Charlie and Emma could have penned a better rom-com themselves, and their story needs to be at the top of your summer reading list when it releases in June.

Thank you Netgalley for the early review copy! Katherine Center has done it again. I absolutely love the overall message of this story and appreciate the way heavy topics were woven into the book while still stressing the importance of finding and appreciating the joys in life.

First thought: Loved it! I always have high expectations for her books and this did not disappoint: Its a sweet, clean, witty, swoon worthy romance with a positive message. A must read!

Emma spent the last 10yrs as the sole caregiver of her father after a camping accident and putting her dreams on hold. Now she has her once in a lifetime chance to go to LA and ghost write a romantic comedy with her favorite screen writer of all time!

Charlie was an instant success in college and his writing has won him all kinds of awards and skyrocketed him to LAs hotlist. He hasn’t written any new material in a few years and is in a writing blip. Charlie just wrote a romantic comedy but it’s lacking basically every quality a romcom should have.

Here’s the thing Emma shows up in LA leaving her dad in the hands of her sister for the first time ever. Her friend aka agent takes her to meet Charlie and she find out he doesn’t know she’s there to help him. In fact he doesn’t know his romantic comedy is truly horrible. But Charlie is proud and does not cowrite with anyone so he doesn’t want her help.

That’s fine! She’s more than happy to go home but Emma first has to tell him just how badly he killed this romcom and how much that’s a disappointment as he was her idol. After receiving all of her feedback Charlie realizes she kind of knows her stuff and agrees working with her will make this script good enough so he can trade it in and get his mob movie made.

So Emma and Charlie will go on a six week journey learning how to write a rom-com together and you won’t want to miss it!

Literally Themes you’ll find:

🩷 Opposites Attract
🩷 Grumpy vs Sunshine
🩷 Forced Proximity
🩷 Once in a Life Opportunity
🩷 Caregiver of a Parent
🩷 Grand Gesture
🩷 Swoon Worthy
🩷 Clean Romance

5 stars and a some swoon worthy kisses. Katherine Center is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her books just fill your soul with laughter and joy. I seem to feel happier when I finish her books. More positive.

The Rom-Commers did not disappoint. I can’t wait to read it again and start taking quotes from it. I got this as an advanced copy from NetGalley and I am so grateful to them, Katherine Center and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this.

As I always try to do: No 🌶️ but about 9 f’ words.

I don’t know if I’ve just gone soft, or I’ve just read a lot of good books lately. If everything else in life has gone wrong, so my book selection is the only thing right? But this book is good. Bawl your eyes out in the bathtub good. Hesitate to write a review because you just schooled in the art of writing good. Remind you of every single individual type of love that exists in the universe good.

I got approved for this ARC at 10:57 PM. I finished it at 2:00 AM. Emma is so quick, cute, and relatable. She’s an FMC we love to love. I couldn’t stop laughing out loud, I had highlights on almost every page. And this book gets so good so fast.

That is, it’s never not good, but it’s immediately heartwarming and that’s such a win. All of the characters are so well-rounded and present in every scene and the insight into our FMC’s inner monologue is so smart. She’s equal parts chic and charming, even though she tries to convince the reader (and everyone else) that she’s not.

This book did absolutely everything right for me. I looked at my husband, tears streaming down my face, and asked, “how do you write in a review that this is the best book you’ve ever read and have other people believe you? How do you tell them?”

This book is that good.

I became a Katherine Center fan after reading "The Body Guard". It was such a refreshing, original contemporary romance book that came at a time I needed a light hearted read. It quickly became a favorite book of mine, yet "The Rom-Commers" has managed to eclipse it.

"The Rom-Commers" made me laugh, cry, laugh some more, and when I finished it, left a big grin on my face. It's one of those novels that once a person starts reading it, is hard to put down.

Katherine Center provides a master class in not only the art of story telling, but also in crafting memorable characters that are relatable and brimming with chemistry.

Emma and Charlie are going to be living in my head rent free for a while. Their story is so incredibly special and I can't thank St. Martin's Press and Net Gallery for letting me enjoy this novel ahead of its release.

10/10 stars. I can't recommend this book highly enough. If you enjoy the glitz and glam of Hollywood and a brilliant romantic comedy love story, this book is for you.

All opinions are my own.

Everyone was flipping out over The Bodyguard so I read it as one of my Book of the Month choices. I found the romance and the overall chemistry between the two very non-existent. So I didn't rate it too highly.

Then I saw the plot for this. I knew I had to have it. Writers > enemies? at odds? > friends > romance was calling my name. So when it became free I jumped into it.

... Eh.

I like to think this one had a better set up of point A to point B in terms of the path they must take to get to romantic feelings. But really? This? This is romance? I mean, I love clean romance, I do. But this just did not scream romance. If anything it screamed work friends and girl being weird / harassing (which is the author's attempt as undiscovered romantic feelings). But seriously, I have read more romantic meets cynic nay-sayer chemistry by other authors than I read here.

The book is page after page of witty dialogue. It's like watching two friends who just won't shut the hell up try to one up one another with witticisms. It's watching a girl who has no romantic feelings or notions get jealous at seeing his ex-wife show up at the two week mark of hanging around him. It's when finding he has no idea how to write kisses feel he needs to experience a kiss to write a kiss (?). She then tries to force him to kiss her to get him to understand. He tells her no several times, then indicates to her that he didn't want to kiss her like this and kisses her.

But wait, there is more!

When he dismisses her (after the kiss), she then tells her sister who priority ships a package of a slinky dress and heels, to woo him, only to have him no quite realize what she was intending to do nor did she really follow up with him to find out if plans changed for their dinner (and I get he should have told her, but he was going through something at the time which he didn't want to tell her about).. She then gets drunk, climbs his high dive, to which she falls off and he has to overcome his fear of water to save her (because how dare she die in his pool?) and then she is too cold to change out of her dress (this is LA mind you!) so he has to do it for her. ...

Then, watching her try to get him to fuck her while drunk and him tell her no, and her getting super pissy that he turned her away when they haven't really solidified their relationship besides a kiss at a time when she was forcing herself on him / trying to force him to kiss her.

Like I can go on, but it was the weirdest set up for a romance and it had me walking away finding her absolutely abhorrent. If we switched the places of these two people it would almost be sexual harassment. (You then find out he had a lot of reasons to keep here at a distance, which ends up being the big ~ misunderstandng ~.)

No. Absolutely no. I think I am done with this author and her attempts at romance. The only bits I like was writing / developing their screenplay, which wasn't much but it was not focused on romance.

I continue to be proven right - Katherine Center is the best romcom writer of this decade. I feel the tension, sadness, and joy of every character she writes and each book somehow tops the last.

I did a happy dance when I got the email inviting me to read Katherine Center's latest novel, "The Rom-Commers." I suspect that each reader has a trusty list of authors that they can rely on for a story they will love. Katherine Center is certainly one of those for me. This one did not disappoint. I loved it. I laughed, I cried, I remembered the magic of writing. A couple years ago, Emily Henry immortalized the love of readers for reading in "Book Lovers," Center immortalizes the passion and craft of writing for writers in this one. 
When Emma is young her dad is hurt and she is left to care for him and her younger sister after her mother passes away. Emma takes her role seriously and gives her all to make sure they both have everything they need and are well cared for. She can't leave him alone, therefore leaving her dreams of being a screenwriter to the wayside. A high school friend who is now a big time Hollywood agent reaches out with a once in a lifetime opportunity to co-write a movie with tinsel town's top screenwriter, THE Charlie Yates. The only catch? She needs to leave her dad at home and move to California for six weeks. Oh yeah, and Charlie wants nothing to do with her- he doesn't think he needs help. But if he wants to get his mafia movie of his dreams greenlighted he needs to make a romantic comedy happen first and he doesn't believe in love. Do you see the problem? When Emma and Charlie are in a room together their chemistry and banter is amazing. Just remember, he "doesn't need" her help, and she doesn't want to waste her time.... but she does want to improve this script and maybe even make Charlie believe in the possibility of love. 
This book was everything I needed, and I can not wait for it to be released for you to read it too. Katherine Center did it again, and for that, I say thank you. 
Thanks to Katherine, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy, it's an honor, as always.

I needed a book to give me some sunshine in these dreary winter days and this absolutely delivered! There were moments in this book where I laughed, cried, and felt all warm and fuzzy inside. Katherine Center certainly has a way with words and developing such lovable and relatable characters. This book did not disappoint! I loved Emma and Charlie and as I was reading felt like I was watching an actual rom-com. Highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital copy of this book and the opportunity to share my honest review!

Katherine Center knocked this book out of the park. The characters were relatable, charming, and lovable. The Rom-Commers will make you feel a range of emotions (maybe even shed a few tears). I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a rom-com.

4.5/⭐️
Another must-read from author Katherine Center. This literal rom-com about the making of a Hollywood rom-com is
charming, funny, and will satisfy your itch for a sweet love story.
Jack Stapleton’s cameo from The Bodyguard made me giddy. The banter between Charlie and Emma made me laugh and gave me butterflies. What a beautiful story.