I adore all Katherine Center books! Seriously she can do no wrong.

This one is a play on rom- coms as the title suggests and was delivered in such a cute way. I adored the main character Emma and felt so invested in her story! I really enjoyed the banter with her and Charlie and also getting to see Jack from the Bodyguard again.

My only qualm was that there was a good amount of cheese in this one. I think it was fairly internal but sometimes I had to just go with it and not think too much. It is also perfect for people who don’t like 🌶️ in their books- there were a few kisses and that was it.

I will continue to read anything this woman writes! Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Solid 4.5 /5 stars for the always sensational Katherine Center.
As an aside right off the bat: seeing Jack Stapleton again was lovel.y.
I thought this was a really great deep dive into the world of rom-com script writing coupled with a quirky love story grumpy-sunshine trope. I LOVE a story that really focuses on a female leads career path, and Emma's journey in script writing was really fleshed out and layered with family trauma and the need to 'love' the rom-com motif. Charlie was such a great grumpy counterpoint with his own interlaced trauma around self-care that I found very believable. Their banter was deliciously full of chemistry and, as a big fan of closed-door steam, I thought this was the perfect slow burn story.
I think this requires a bit of suspension of belief, particularly around how Emma and Charlie get sucked into the close-proximity trope, but I really enjoyed it regardless. I've also always really enjoyed how Center's female leads almost break the fourth wall, like they're talking to a journal or a friend, but if thats not for you you may not love this.

Kathrine Center does it again…I don’t know of a single book of hers I haven’t given 5 ⭐️ to…

I love how this book tried to make romantic scenes not be romantic and then of course they ended up being hilariously romantic!

I laughed out loud reading this so many times my kids had to ask me what was so funny. 🤣

I can’t stop smiling after reading Katherine Center’s newest novel, The Rom-Commers. She has packed this book full of all the things I adore about a well written rom-com: plenty of witty banter and main characters who are adorably flawed and worthy of a happy ending. This book is lighthearted, fun, hopeful, and will make you believe in the power of love and the importance of chasing your dreams.

Emma Wheeler is a struggling screen writer who put her career - and life - on hold for the past ten years to care for her father after a tragic accident. When she has the opportunity to work with her idol, Charlie Yates, she can’t turn it down. Tasked with re-writing the awful script he’s written, Emma quickly realizes the biggest reason Charlie’s script is so bad is because he doesn’t believe in love or happy endings. What follows is a journey of discovery for both Emma and Charlie.

Katherine Center knows how to tug at a reader’s heartstrings. The Rom-Commers delivers on every level. I laughed, cried, and finished this book believing that dreams do come true. It gets all the ⭐️.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was the perfect read to cure my winter blues! Every word resonated so deeply within my heart and soul. I laughed and I cried. Katherine Center is a pro at stirring up your emotions then turning around and making you laugh with tears in your eyes. I loved the complex relationship between Emma and Charlie and the beauty of getting to experience their rollercoaster journey at the same time. The messages in this book about love and overcoming fear and tragedy were relative and inspiring. It was an all-around, feel-good novel with a beautiful story and a cast of endearing characters that I already miss. I have loved all of Center's books, so it's hard to choose a favorite, but I think she may have outdone herself with this one. This is sure to be a 2024 favorite. I highly recommend it and all of her other books as well!

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for granting me early digital access in exchange for my honest review!

This book was amazing. I would have read it in one go if I didn't have obligations like work and family. As it was, I sped through it over two days. I thought the caregiver role was unique, as it is not a typical storyline. Her dad sounds so awesome that I wish I knew him for real. I loved all the love, the three weddings, the sibling love, the love with the grandkid.

They were just such a sweet couple, even when they didn't know it yet.

As with pretty much every book I've read of Katherine Center's, I delved in and finished the book in one day!

Let's start with the characters. Emma is an unknown screenwriter and a lover of rom coms -- the type of person that would probably annoy you at a party with all of the facts and trivia and tidbits she knows about every Rom Com that has ever been made. She's been the full time caretaker of her father since a rock-climbing accident that left him with several life-altering medical issues. Charlie is the screenwriter she has fan-girled over for YEARS, and her best friend (high school boyfriend) has landed her a job working with him to fix a rom-com movie that Charlie does not even actually want to exist in this world. Charlie himself is moody, withdrawn, and also downright mean...but he does have qualities that bring him into a positive light as the story progresses (of course).

So, it's a rom-com book, which should be obvious. Therefore, it follows the exact path that you expect the plot to follow. It was a cute, falling in love story that had bright shiny moments and devastating lows -- everything you look for!

My star deduction comes from a few places that I can't exactly divulge because it would give away huge plot points. And, this is going to be awful, but I didn't realllllllyyy love either of the characters. They were fine, but just not to the point that I desperately needed to know what happened next. I think, because Charlie is so distant and trying so hard to keep Emma at arm's length, that their personal love story didn't get to develop in the best light. But, the banter was on point

All in all, I still recommend the novel to anyone who is a fan of Center, Rom-Coms, or grumpy sunshine romance!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me the opportunity to read this Advanced Reader Copy.

Another good read from Katherine center. A fun romantic comedy about two writers trying to write a romantic comedy!
When Emma is tricked by her old ex boyfriend into moving out to LA for a writing gig she is excited to be working for the famous writer Charlie Yates. Leaving the comfort of her family home and the caretaking of her injured dad to her younger sister Emma hopes the job is worth it. Charlie is being forced to write a romantic comedy in order for another of his plays to be produced. Charlie has never wanted to work with another writer but Emma finally wins him over. Misunderstandings between them and family drama at home for Emma keeps the plot moving along. The characters are likeable as they grow and change and the ending very satisfying.

The Rom-Commers might be Katherine Center’s best book. It was more com than rom. I laughed all the way through the book. The writing was so smart and perfect! Honestly this was one of the best romantic comedies I’ve ever read. It was that good! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I adored this book!! I really couldn’t put it down and read it in one sitting. The characters are wonderful and developed nicely. I was left guessing and wanting more! I loved reading this!

Like a decadent dessert, I wanted to savor every last bit of this heartwarming read. As readers have come to expect from Katherine Center, this Rom-com opens your heart and fills it to the brim with joy.
Emma is probably my favorite Center heroine yet. Her earnestness, her determination, her worrying, her snarky humor and her passion for romance all make her love-able. Charlie, though quite the opposite of Emma, is just as love-able even with his jaded, detached demeanor.
Making this story even more special is the way it’s told through Emma’s first person POV. We are privy to her inner dialogue and she also sprinkles in special conversations with the reader throughout the story. This tale is filled with witty banter, fantastic characters and SO MUCH heart. Very much recommended.
Thank you to the author and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read an early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The absolute best thing about a Katherine Center book is that it's a two for one- you'll get a marvelous story AND you'll get some amazing insight for living a joyful life. Who could ask for anything better?

The Rom-Commers follows Emma, a writer, as she helps her writing idol, Charlie, rewrite a romantic comedy script. There are many layers to this story that make this a complicated relationship. First, Charlie doesn't WANT another writer assisting him and isn't pleased to be in this situation. Emma has a complicated family situation where she has been a caregiver for ten years so she has anxiety about leaving her family for this job. The way the story develops and the relationship evolves is a masterpiece- exciting, funny, frustrating (in a good way), and sweet. And let me tell you, there is a spectacular scene all about movie kisses. SO GOOD!

The lesson in this book is so important- all about how to find joy no matter where you are in your journey.

All the stars!!!!!!!!!!!

One thing about me is that I love a romcoms. I have devoured most of Katherine Center's earlier books, so when I saw this title announced, I was eager to read it ASAP! I'll be honest with you - I read this entire book in two sittings on the same day ... I just couldn't help myself.

Our narrator in this book is Emma. She is a talented writer who absolutely loves movies, especially romantic comedies, but has never had the chance to work in Hollywood because she has spent the last ten years in Texas caring for her disabled father 24/7. Her ex-bf, who is now a big-time agent in LA, has reached out to her to see if she can assist one of his high-profile clients with a re-write of his a terrible rom-com script. Turns out the client is an adventure-sci fi movie writer that Emma is obsessed with!

With her younger sister caring for her dad, Emma sets out for LA and meets Charlie (Mr. Famous Screenplay Writer). He isn't what she expected, nor is the project, but they start working together anyway on the script and it is So. Much. Fun. Emma's inner dialogue and thoughts are funny, and I particularly loved when she SPOKE to the reader directly. It made it so different and fun. Emma was so relatable to me, with her favorite writing hoodie, her nervousness, sarcasm, and inner angst. And I have to mention Charlie's pet hamster!! I love that the author included that facet of him. It showed the soft side of Charlie and made him cute-r. Emma and Charlie have great chemistry, and the build-up, the dialogue, and the unsure-ness that is so very human was all just perfect.

One last thing I wanted to acknowledge was when Emma talked about how and why people gravitate to fiction. How we often turn to stories to help find what we are longing for, or deal with what we're struggling with. This concept resonated with me, and made me think about why I love reading. It was a little moment in the book that I thought was so well done.

This book comes out on June 11, 2024 and I encourage you to check it out! Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the delightful opportunity to read an ARC of this book and provide an honest review. All opinions here are my own.

Favorite Katherine Center book. Hands down.
Grieving? Caregiving? Writing? Older sister who puts her life and dreams on hold? Did Katherine Center take a peek into my life and say “that would make a great story”?
This was grumpy/sunshine done endearingly well. This was actually a story that I could not put down!

Katherine Center does it again! What a charming banter-filled hug of a book! One of my favorite of hers so far. I thought the flow worked well, and the relationship was very believable. I loved these characters and their growth. Highly recommend!

I love Katherine Center so much at this point I would even read her grocery list. I was super excited to score an early copy of her latest novel, The Rom-Commers. In true Center fashion, this book was heartwarming and amazing! It addresses difficult topics in a sensitive and realistic way. I loved the three main characters and the chemistry between each of them. The story was laugh out loud funny. As always, I would highly recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I engulfed this one in less than 12 hours, if that tells you anything for my love of anything written by Katherine Center.

Emma Wheeler, a full time caretaker for her father and filling the maternal role for her younger, college graduate sister, Sylvie. After giving up all her dreams to take care of those she loves the most, Emma gets the opportunity of a lifetime to work with her favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates, in helping to rewrite his abysmal rom com.

After a rough start, Charlie and Emma begin to work so well together, on and off the page.

I cried no less than five separate times (bittersweet tears, tears of happiness, and grieving tears) throughout the course of this book and loved every minute of it. Not only for the romance, but the beautiful and real Wheeler family.

Another excellent, incredibly lovely read from one of my favorites.

Thank you to SMP Romance and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

I adored Hello Stranger, and my review especially raved about the Author's Note and its full-throated cheerleading for the romance genre. In many ways, this entire book felt to me like it delivered on all the promise of that note. The Rom-Commers is a romance about romance and the entire rom-com genre. And thus, we get such great insight into the writing process and what makes romances so fabulous.

In this book, Emma Wheeler's agent matches her with multiple award-winning screenwriter, Charlie Yates. He's never written a romance and doesn't have much respect for the genre, so she will be his co-writer to help him deliver. And maybe make him believe in love along the way.

I laughed uproariously and had to share the dialogue with my family who also started laughing, no context necessary. We're still talking about some of the scenes. And reading them entirely from Emma's voice with her very conversational style made them even more fun.

But I also cried more than I have while reading in a long time. There's a storyline about Emma serving as the caregiver for her father, and it made me feel so seen. And I felt hope and joy. I'm not someone who often messages authors, but this book inspired me to write to Katherine Center to thank her, twice. And she was so sweet and gracious.

I can't say enough about how amazing this book is.

I apologize in advance because this is not going to come across as objective at all. Katherine Center has a talent for writing love stories. And yes, the main relationships in her stories are always fantastic. But “The Rom-Commers” is the most definite proof that her “love stories” are not just about falling in love, They are the love we have for our family, for our friends, and most importantly, the love we have for ourselves. This book in particular was an emotional one for me as I found myself gaining new perspective on a TBI of my own, like Emma’s father, but Center’s perfect telling of what it means to suffer from a chronic illness and inspire others to live life to the fullest anyway, to love every bit of life, was a lesson to anyone who’s experienced hardship in life, which is anyone. I could spend much more time breaking down this entire book and everything I loved about it but there simply isn’t enough space in the review. So for now, all I’ll say is that this is the romcom to make you love romcoms.

I'm unconditionally and irrevocably in love with well-made romcoms, and this one quickly became my favourite of all time.

I adored every aspect of this book—the characters, their relationship, the tension, and the banter. It's not only incredibly funny but also heartwarming, with just a touch of heartbreak.

This romcom is flawless, delivering everything I could ask for from this genre.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this ARC, I couldn't be more grateful.