Again Katherine Center delivers the most wholesome romance novel. I adored this story. Cannot wait to purchase it for myself when it hits the shelves!

Thank you for the eARC!

Emma is a screenplay writer who, while brilliant, has given up the career she could have had in favor of caring for her father and putting her family's needs ahead of her own after a tragedy. But a potential big break comes just as her sister is graduating college and Emma is pushed by her family to embrace the opportunity cowriting a script with her favorite writer, Charlie Yates. Charlie is known in Hollywood for his award winning screenplays. Brilliant in his own right, Carlie has written for famous directors, well known actors stop him on the street. He is popular, respected, loved. But when it comes to writing romantic comedy, he is in need of some serious help. Help he neither requested or wants, as Emma finds out when their manager throws them together to work in Charlie's house improving his screenplay and potentially launching Emma's dream career.

Katherine Center writes incredible feel-good rom com that can appeal to so many. Her characters are flawed, perfectly imperfect and lovable. You can't help rooting for them. I loved the characters and plot of this story. I could picture them both in my head and I think this book would make an excellent movie.

I found myself wanting more. More dialog between the characters, more banter, more chemistry.

There were parts of the story that felt disjointed to me, most notably when Emma breaks the fourth wall and addresses the reader directly. It didn't fit with the flow of this book. I wish the backstory would have some in the form of a flashback, or possibly the prolog.

Overall, this was a delightful, binge worthy read that I think anyone who appreciates a good (clean) rom-com can enjoy.

Loved everything about this book! Didn’t want to put it down but also didn’t want it to end. Emma was such a great main character and I related to her so much because my own dad was diagnosed with Ménière's disease when I was younger. This book had great banter, ups, downs, and everything in between. Great overall life wisdom as well that I didn’t expect but definitely needed to read. I received this book as an arc for an honest review from NetGalley.

Love is complex and this is a passionate story with lighthearted humor and inspirational words from the wise.

At the start, 22-year-old Emma who was taking care of her father 24/7, was convinced to leave her Texas home to go to Hollywood to help rewrite a screenplay. She’s an English teacher at a community college and does freelance writing on the side.

Charlie is in the process of working on two screenplays: one with romance and the other one which he favors is a mafia movie. He has won numerous awards in the past with his work but his entertainment agent, Logan, felt the love story wasn’t hitting high marks.

Charlie couldn’t stand that this young girl hired by Logan was going to tell him how to write. He called her an “unproduced, underachieving failed writer off the internet.” Understandably, she was insulted. How could two people be so different and be able to have a working relationship?

It’s entertaining from the start as Emma and Charlie figure out a way to work together and then appear like two love birds to all their friends except themselves. Both are great with putting words on paper but why is it so difficult to communicate verbally how they feel? That is the question which makes you rush through the pages.

This was fun to read even with two people who seemed so different. I like how Katherine Center plugs some type of health issue into the story. She did that with “Hello Stranger” which really made the book.

If you’ve seen movies such as Pretty Women, You’ve Got Mail and Something’s Gotta Give, you know exactly how a romantic comedy works. As they are writing, the author says that you have to feel the emotion and find out how the leading characters are going to make their way towards the ending. We know there are two sides of love. Is he the one? This will most likely become a movie one of these days and I’ll watch it like the others over and over again.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of June 11, 2024.

Delightful! Is it likely that one of the most famous screenwriters in the world would agree to rewrite his script with an unknown writer? I would argue no but I still adored the story and chemistry between Emma and Charlie. Still, it would have been nice to read some of Emma’s writing and understand more about why Charlie is so taken with her talent (and vice versa).

Overall, this is a fun, light read (even with the emotional backstories concerning health and parental death) and Charlie and Emma are great together.

Thank you very much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

I got a copy of this book from Net Galley because yes I did not have enough books to read already.

Honestly my issue with Katherine Center’s books stem from the fact that the first book I ever read of hers (How to Walk Away) was a five star favorite book of mine and I think that book is pretty different than anything else she’s written since and I’ve been chasing it ever since. If you generally like her books, you will like The Rom-Commers I think. I just like my books a little darker and less fluffy than most of her work.

I did appreciate how in general this book did not do too many strange physical slapstick moments that do not make sense and take me out of the story, I don’t know why but those tend to show up a lot in these books and then I’m stuck thinking “what? How did that happen, this is so odd” (Emily Henry does this so much).

This book also has a genuinely sad and interesting back story, points for that, I liked the characters perfectly well, and I loved the dedication to the rom-com as I also am a devoted fan of the rom-com, but points removed for the use of a character saying Wah-lah twice oh my god people it is VOILA.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
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This book is about a woman who gets the chance of a lifetime to co-write a rom-com script with her FAVORITE screenwriter ever. The problem is, the screenwriter doesn’t want her help and doesn’t want to write a rom-com.
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What I LOVED:
-Everything! 😂 Ok first of all, the plot was excellent! I loved how positive and upbeat Emma was despite her overactive anxious, and to contrast Charlie and her pessimistic self, it was the best ingredients for this entertaining plot!
-This book was laugh out loud hysterical. There were so many funny moments.
-There was also a lot of emotional moments that had me crying a LOT. My eyes were definitely puffy once I was done. I absolutely adore a book that can make me both laugh and cry.
-The ending was so fantastic. It was so sweet and so hopeful and my heart was full.
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5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Katherine Center can do no wrong in my book. I have a couple of her backlist that I still need to read but I think The Rom-Commers is my second favorite book of hers, Hello Stranger is still my favorite.

📚ᗷOOK ᖇᗴᐯIᗴᗯ 📚
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
𝔓𝔘𝔅 𝔇𝔄𝔗𝔈: 6:11:24

This was my second book by @katherinecenter and wow! It’s my favorite so far. This is my second 5 star read of the year. We’ve had bad weather days here in Louisiana which equals no school and work. So I was able to finish this very quickly. As a doctor I can always depend on the author to give me a zebra diagnosis (my medical ppl know) for a character that makes me giggle. I honestly have said i think that may have been on my boards 😂. If you’re looking for that book that gives you all the smiles after you finish it’s this one.
𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨:
✅humor. I laughed a lot in this one. Emma setting Charlie straight 🤣.
✅the cutest pet guinea pig.
✅2 adorable nerdy characters that will drive you nuts and make you swoon at the same time. Emma and Charlie are brilliant but completely opposites.
✅best dad award 🏆. Emma’s dad was my favorite character for so many reasons. Like too many to count 🥹.
✅the ending was all the warm fuzzies a reader could need 💗.
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 @netgalley 𝙖𝙣𝙙 @stmartinspress 𝙛𝙤𝙧
𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾. 𝘼𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣.

🏷️#theromcommers #katherinecenter #romance #romcom #cancer #cancersucks #hemipelgia #bookstagramfeature #bookstagtammer #books #read #ilovebooks

Simply put, Katherine Center writes books that make me HAPPY. I am not much of a romance reader, but at this point she's one of two romance authors I'll leap to read anything by (Casey McQuinston being the other). And this more than lived up to the high hopes I've come to have!

The Rom-Commers tells the story of Emma, an aspiring screenwriter who unexpectedly gets the opportunity to partner with her all-time favorite writer on a romance script he's VERY reluctantly agreed to take on. To paraphrase Taylor Swift, you can see the end as it begins - but to paraphrase Emma, our delightfully earnest protagonist, just because you know that great sex culminates in an orgasm doesn't make it any less worth having.

I laughed, I teared up, I devoured The Rom-Commers in one sitting. The story isn't all sunshine and roses, but it's *actively not cynical* and that's a trait I've come to admire. I love my dark and twisty novels, but I really appreciate how Center writes - and nails - an authentic ode to joy every single time.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely love Katherine Center books. All of them. The Rom-Commers was absolutely fabulous and probably one of my favorites of hers. The story of Emma and Charlies literally made me laugh out loud AND cry in one sitting. Oh - and I finished this book in one day. It was THAT good! 5 stars!

Katherine Center has done it again!!!! This is my new favorite book of hers. Have you ever read a book so good that you feel like something exciting has happened or you just got good news and then you remember your good mood is because of the book you’re reading? This book is did that to me. You know a love story is really good when you feel like you can’t stop smiling. You know the writer is REALLY good when they manage to get all of that emotion out of their reader with ZERO sex scenes. Like how?!? I didn’t realize until I was finished with the book, but I didn’t even miss the spice. The chemistry of these two characters was off the charts. Charlie is my new favorite male MC and I loved Emma too. I cannot wait for everyone to read this book this summer, I only wish it came out sooner!!!
Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for my ARC of this treasure! It comes out 6/11/24, mark your calendars! Better yet, pre-order this mood booster!

Ok - WHAT. This book was so good. I kept thinking as I was reading, "what is this feeling in my chest?" that I kept experiencing every time Charlie was with Emma, and then it hit me - BUTTERFLIES. This book, legit, gave me butterflies. In the best possible way. Charlie and Emma were the perfect grumpy/sunshine slow burn with laugh-out-loud banter. A very solid 4.5/5 stars. I would have loved a bit more spice, but also appreciate that everything else about this book made up for it being "PG-13".

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for the eARC of this book. I can't wait to recommend it to my friends.

I really liked this book! I have copy/pasted my review below as well as linking my Bookstagram post about it.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I was so happy to have already read an arc for it! Every book that I’ve read by Katherine Center has been feel good and fun! The Rom-Commers was heartfelt, entertaining, funny and a great comfort read! Ultimately, I did love Hello, Stranger more than this one. The miscommunication did get to me a bit, and believe if it had dual pov it would have been a 5 star read. Still, having a 4.5 star rated book is nothing to be sad about!

The Rom-Commers follows the story of Emma, who dreams of being a screenwriter but has spent the majority of her adult life taking care of her disabled dad. Therefore, her desires and dreams have been on hold. One day, she gets a job offer from ex-boyfriend/ friend Logan to rewrite a rom com script with award winning screenwriter Charlie. She reluctantly lets her sister Slyvie take care of her dad while accepting the job in Los Angeles working with Charlie. Initially, things don’t get off on the right foot as Charlie did not agree to rewrite his script. Charlie also doesn’t believe/ enjoy rom coms which is contrary to Emma’s personality. Charlie does change his mind and agrees to work with Emma. They take an immersive way of writing, by experiencing the parts in the script while writing. Soon, Charlie and Emma have to wonder if there can be a real life love story or is it just fiction?

Thank you St. Martin’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for the free advance reader copy in exchange for a review. The Rom-Commers will officially release on June 11 and recommend reading it when it does!

5 Stars. What a wonderful story! Katherine Center has created another beautiful book that tugs at your heartstrings. It’s a grumpy/sunshine trope but so much more! Emma Wheeler is a romance writer that has the amazing opportunity to work with her screenplay idol Charlie Yates to re-write one of his screenplays. The kicker is that Charlie wrote a romance, and it is horrible as he doesn’t believe in love/romance. Emma teaches Charlie about love stories (and love) in the process of re-writing the script. Lots of laughter and tears as you read this one.

Thank you to publishers at St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the arc. Thank you to Katherine Center for writing such a heartwarming story.

I read this book in one sitting and I had a giant smile on my face almost the whole time. It’s the perfect rom com, it’s classic Katherine Center and it’s up there now as one of my favorites of hers.

I adored Emma and the way she narrates the story, how she talks a little too much, how she is anticipating the next bad thing while being a ray of sunshine. I adored Charlie and his grumpy attitude, how he lets Emma in slowly, how he shows up. But most of all I adored their chemistry, they were perfect for each other. And I adored the way the story is told, learning about something new, the Guinea pig, the side characters and that amazing epilogue.

This book was exactly what I needed to read at the right moment and will be a book I reread and cherish.

Katherine Center knows how to write books that have amazing depth, character development, and are genuinely fun, feel good reads. The Rom-Commers is no exception!

I loved the entire premise - it has the perfect mix of grumpy/sunshine, tragic backstory, and hilarious moments. I loved the cameo of a certain actor and I’ll watch power washing with Cuthbert any day. This story is the perfect way to brighten your day!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I want to thank Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Katharine Center for my ARC copy of The Rom-commers in exchange for an honest review. According to Google, “The average time for men to fall in love is 88 days, while those same feelings of true love take women 134 days.” Just so you know this little Google fact will appear within the pages of this book. I ask you dear reader, how many times after you laugh out loud at a book does it take you to realize this is the book to beat in 2024 with only 18 days into the new year?

Favorite mini paragraph:

“I had a theory that we gravitate toward the stories we need in life. Whatever we’re longing for – adventure, excitement, emotion, connection – we turn to stories that help us find it. Whatever questions we’re struggling with – sometimes one so deep, we don’t even really know we’re asking them– we look for answers in stores.”

Ms. Center! I could not have said it better myself. There is soooooo much truth in those 54 words! Kudos to you!

My wishes:

I wanted more scenes with Logan popping in to check on Emma and Charlie and their progress revising the screenplay.
I wanted more scenes with Cuthbert, the guinea pig. There was something about him that reminded me of both Humphrey the Hamster and the guinea pig from Bedtime Stories. He definitely needed more page space and adventures.
I wanted Emma’s dad, sister and brother-in-law to come to LA and stay at Charlie’s mansion. I needed a scene that we could witness between Charlie and Emma’s dad and simply not hear a second hand conversation about birthday doughnuts.
I need Emma, who has not had a vacation in 10 years, to go to the beach. To Rodeo Drive. I needed her to have an actual scene with some rom-com queen like Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan.
I wish through the screenwriting process, that Emma would have had more of her rom com ideas show up in the screenplay vs just fixing Charlie disaster of a rom com screenplay

Rom Com Allusions

Loved the Pretty Woman allusion where Emma and Charlie were negotiating her consulting fee.
Loved Baz Luhrman’s Romeo and Juliet fish tank meeting scene allusion where Emma overhears Logan & Charlie talking.
Loved her own allusion to Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguard. He makes several appearances in this book if you are a Katharine Center fan.

Twinge Moments:
Just like in the movie, where the main character breaks the fourth wall, there are a couple of scenes where Emma breaks the fourth wall and addresses us, the reader. I am not sure that worked for me. I would have rather Ms. Center, find another way to address backstories. Maybe through flashbacks or a journal entry reflection. Or even maybe some other invention like Mrs. Whistletdown gossip column entry.

Bottomline, This book just resonated with me. I laughed out loud in so many places at the dialogue between Emma and Charlie. I teared up as Ms. Center was climbing us towards the climax. So far, this is my personal favorite read for 2024!

This was the cutest book by far from her. I have loved all her books and this one became my new favorite. I love how the characters felt real and how you felt their pain and happiness. I look forward to buying this book when it comes out and adding it to my collection.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-arc.

I really loved this book. Katherine Center is a brilliant writer and I just sucked in so easily.

Oooo it's so good!! Love Katherine Center and her stories, and this was no exception! Such a good read--enjoyed it all and would recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Katherine Center!