4.5 stars - I really enjoyed the Rom-Commers. The premise of the story has the leading lady and the leading man (and her writing idol) working together to revise his truly awful Rom Com script. So there are lots of nods to the trope and the mechanics of what makes a good one work and then also works those elements into the writers' interactions as she bit by charming bit wins him over. And of course, the story fulfills the ultimate promise of a great romance with a satisfactory HEA. The leading man was very sweet under his initial "don't believe in romance" exterior and it was nice to see the leading lady realize her potential and break free from guilt after all her dedication to her family. I also liked all the bonus love in the ending and epilog. But the ultimate testament to my enjoyment is that I am hunting down the author's blacklist since the other two books I've read by her (The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger) were also winners for me.

ARC courtesy of St Martin's via NetGalley release date June 6 2024. This is an unpaid review.

First of all, I inhaled this book!! I started reading it in the evening, stayed up too late reading, then woke up early and finished reading in the morning. I laughed, I cried, and I only wish I had more time with Emma and Charlie!

One of the things I appreciate so much about Center's books is that she writes real people with real issues and challenges. Both Emma and Charlie experienced a lot before they meet each other, and while it doesn't excuse some of the crappy behavior on Charlie's part in the beginning of the novel, as more and more is revealed about his history, it's more understandable the reasons he reacts the way he does.

Emma in particular grew throughout the novel, recognizing how life events shaped her behavior and taking steps to change for her own benefit. I appreciated how her relationships changed not only with Charlie but also with her family grew and evolved as she became more aware of her own stuff and the impact her actions were having.

One of the other things I found particularly delightful about this novel was the unabashed defense of the rom-com, and romance in general. Emma challenges Charlie about his beliefs about love and romance - namely that it has to be "real" in order for him to write about it effectively - in a delightful scene that I won't spoil any further.

Katherine Center became a quick favorite after reading “The Bodyguard” and I’ve since consumed almost all of her books. So when I learned that she was releasing a new book called “The Rom-Commers” I knew I would be hooked!

As an avid consumer of rom-com books and movies as I started the book I began to see how the book could play out and while occasionally what I thought would happen played out for the most part Katherine Center melts me on my toes. I would think the story was going one way and then she would surprise my so delightfully that I would gasp or laugh at the unpredictability of it all!

I was utterly charmed by both Charlie and Emma and seeing how they both grew and developed throughout the book. And I loved seeing the rom-com stereotypes being analyzed by both Charlie and Emma and then seeing those same stereotypes played out between them.

If you need a fun and happy book look no further than this one and run to your nearest bookstore/library!

Thanks to Katherine Center and St. Martins Press for allowing me to read an early access copy of this book!

I loved this book so much. I laughed, cried,, and felt pretty much the whole range of human emotion while reading. Katherine center is one of my favorite authors of all time and I will definitely be recommending this to everyone!

Thank you to Netgally for this ARC. I enjoyed this book. I read it pretty quickly, it’s easy to breeze through. I liked that the characters made me actually laugh at times. The book is dialogue heavy and I read it very fast speaking. I loved the development of the characters and that they really drive the plot.
With any forced proximity rom com book we always know how it’s going to end, but I think the author did a great job of still keeping the readers on our toes and surprising us.
It was also different to read a book where the narrator talks to the audience kind of breaking the fourth wall.

WOW. 3 hours. I sat and demolished this book in one sitting yesterday afternoon!

The Rom-Commers has all the things we have come to love and expect from Katherine Center! The banter, the flirtation, the hilarious dialogue, the real life struggles of family and work, and main characters that make you feel the feels!

Two writers are forced together to write a rom-com. Emma has been looking forward to working with her idol forever. Charlie just wants to get back in the game after life has thrown him curveballs. These two end up living together and exploring the elements that make rom-coms enjoyable. It's hilarious! Emma and Charlie also grow and learn to find happiness in the unexpected and kindness and healing from life's hurdles.

Read if you like:
♡ forced proximity
♡ hilarious banter
♡ opposites attract
♡ clean romance

Ages 16+ for some sexual references and mild profanity

Every single story that I read by Katherine Center is just…delectable. The characters are flawed but endearing, the romance is swoony, and there is humor, heartbreak, and profoundly beautiful (but hard) human truth.

When I finish her books, I just sit there and bask in the glow of it all with a stupid smile on my face - savoring it giddily. Maybe it’s just that she writes the prefect story *for me*, but I have a sneaking suspicion that she knows the secret to writing the perfect story, period.

Forget movies - her books are the ones I come back to and reread over and over again when I want to feel delighted, get out of a slump, and/or admire the execution of storytelling done really well. Emma and Charlie’s story, I know, will be no exception.

Rating: 5 ⭐️

I like Katherine Center because she writes romances that have a little extra "oomph" (and by that I mean they're smart and with emotional depth...not that they have a ton of extra bonus spicy scenes). Emma is recruited by a longtime friend to travel to L.A. to work with famous screenwriter Charlie Yates on his latest project. While Charlie is immensely talented at just about any genre, it seems that he's stumped by the rom-com, which just happens to be Emma's specialty. Emma and Charlie don't start off on the best foot but as they bring their script to life on the page, they grow closer to one another in real life.

This book is super enjoyable. The banter is there, the character growth is there, but I'm knocking off a star for how completely predictable it is. Even in a rom-com, I like a few things that catch me off guard (usually something I think Center does well) and I predicted every plot point in this one way too easily.

Side note: The cover is terrible. Why, with a character who is given two highly distinct outfits of a strawberry hoodie and a green tropical print dress, would you put her in neither on the cover?

Loved this book! 5 stars. A great story of forced proximity -what happens when a woman has failed-to-launch in life as a screenwriter is forced to pair up with one of Hollywood’s most successful screenwriters? Hijinks and witty repertoire of course. The book has some truly touching and funny moments.

Even though I delved into reading this knowing I’ve loved the last two Katherine Center books I’ve read -Hello Stranger and The Bodyguard- I also had a heavy level of skepticism this time around: would I be able to suspend belief and enjoy a book about people working in the entertainment industry in LA? I’ve lived in LA my whole life, grew up around the industry, have friends that are in the industry, and regularly get sidetracked by book details that aren’t right. But I only got minimally sidetracked here, which I would consider a success. Despite looking up certain locations in the book on maps to verify details (btw, the thing that happens on Mulholland Drive in the book is totally plausible, we really do tackle canyon and hillside driving like it’s no big deal), it was well researched enough that I didn’t get totally hung up on the small stuff. Look, there are holes -why couldn’t the MFC’s dad be taken places in a wheelchair- I was willing to believe that there were reasons that just weren’t explained because I was rooting for the main characters. And making you root for the main characters takes a tremendous amount of talent.

I loved the character development of Emma especially; how she wasn’t a wallflower, her perseverance, her awkwardness, and how she overcame the obstacles she put in her own way. I loved the build up of tension between her and the MMC, like you could see them falling for each other. Definitely was rooting for them to get their HEA.

The book also felt like it was written tongue in cheek about writers and their process. Even though KC isn’t a screenwriter, the process of writing scripts isn’t so different from writing a book from what I understand. I loved the habits, the banter between the writers, what felt like poking fun at neuroses and maybe stereotypes within the writing world. I’d love to see this made into a movie. A movie about a book about writing a movie, that would be very meta.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC. I have a feeling I’ll be reading it again. And again. And again.

Katherine Center does it again! She can do no wrong in my opinion.

This book hit allll of the rom-com notes for me. The witty banter, the opposites to friends to lovers storyline, the heart wrenching scenes and the as-it-should-be ending. I loved it all.

The Rom-Commers delivers everything I’ve grown to anticipate with Katherine Center’s books, and more. She gives us excellent characters, witty banter, and hilarious scenarios, while simultaneously guiding us through heavy topics and challenging situations in a beautiful, realistic, and hopeful light. The experience of reading this was so delightful. Emma and Charlie, their story, I just loved it all. My heart was all over the place, in the best way. She delivers so many emotions through her characters and writes in a way the reader can’t help but feel them too. I also really love her perspective and message about rom-coms and “happily ever afters.” The Rom-Commers, like many of her books, offers us all some hope, one Charlie Yates at a time. Another solid 5/5 stars for me!

Katherine Center has outdone herself with this one! The chemistry and tension between Emma and Charlie is masterful and the depth of the characters and the character development really helps drive the story and a deep connection between the reader and the protagonists. This book made me cry multiple times (which is not an easy feat) and stay up late into the night to find out how the story ends. The crossover with the Bodyguard was a fun nod that readers of Center's other books will appreciate.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for a Netgalley ARC in an exchange for an independent and honest review.

Emma Wheeler has been dreaming of becoming a screenwriter her entire life. She obsesses about every aspect of it. There's nothing she loves more than a wholesome, make you weak in the knees and feel all the feels rom-com that comes complete with the much coveted and non-negatable happy ending. Sadly, Emma's dreams were put on pause 10 years ago when her family was tragically changed forever, and she became the sole caregiver of her father, while she encouraged her younger sister to live out her dreams in college.

Emma lands the offer of a lifetime when her manager (and ex boyfriend) calls to inform her that Emma's all time favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates, was in major need of help rewriting his "apocalyptically shitty" attempt at a rom-com screenplay. And what's worse? Charlie doesn't believe in rom-coms, or love, or epic "make time stand still" kissing scenes. He's essentially only writing this move in order to get the green light on a different project he feels more passionately towards. Little does he know, Emma has made it her mission to make Charlie rewrite his view on rom-coms and love, and maybe hers too. In order to make Emma's dreams a reality, her younger sister steps in as caregiver for their father and Emma jets off to LA to have the summer adventure of a lifetime with her long time role model-THE Charlie Yates.

I've loved other Katherine Center novels before, but this one takes the cake-bar none! The witty banter between Emma and Charlie reads like a movie and feels so natural. It's as if the scenes play out before you. I honestly speed read this book in one night simply because I couldn't-and quite frankly didn't want to-put it down. Spoiler alert: I especially loved the sneak peek cameo from Jack Stapleton-a main character in her earlier novel "The Bodyguard."

Rom-Commers pulls at all the heart strings and spreads the feeling of genuine love and importance of family and just simply being appreciative for all that you have. Rom-Commers is set to release June 11th, 2024 and I expect it to be a must read "beach read" this summer. Mark your calendars! You're not going to want to put this one down.

Katherine Center is wonderful. Her books can be over-the-top, but I also love that about them. I didn't find this one quite as wonderful as Hello, Stranger, but it did make me cry. I wasn't clear on the medical possibility of mistaking bronchitis for lung cancer, which bothered me—and I didn't think "saving" Charlie was necessary and the message of the book could have been even stronger if Emma was happy to have him for as long as she could regardless.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! The range of emotions I felt with Emma and Charlie was so fun! I love how she includes medical conditions as part of the story line. And as always there is forgiveness for the characters, which makes it feel so real and relatable. Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC of this book.

Such a fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone.

When Emma is asked to come and ghost write a rom-com to fix a terrible script written by her favorite screen writer, she agrees, reluctantly. Emma leaves her responsibilities, including her role as full time caretaker for her father, and heads to LA, only to find that Charlie, her favorite writer of all time, never agreed to her help and has a high level of disdain for her choices. Emma makes it her goal to make this skeptic fall in love with love.

Katherine Center's books always find a way to make me cry, and this was no exception. The over all theme is that love is essential, and that finding the joy in life matters. This book was beautiful, and I absolutely recommend it to anyone in need of a reminder that sometimes there is a choice to find joy, even after tragedy.

I received a free copy from St Martin's Press through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center 4/5 ⭐️
Will be published June 11, 2024

This book was so cute! I decided to read it because I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked The Bodyguard by Katherine Center, and this book did not disappoint! I was looking for a rom com book, and as the title suggests, it’s exactly what I was looking for. There are some romances out there where the relationship feels forced and the characters should not be together- this is the opposite of that. It’s one of the few romance books I’ve read where I really think the main characters are perfect together! Truly such a fun read!

*I received this book as an ARC but the opinions are my own

"It's all about writing the very best story of your life. Not Just how you live it- but how you choose to tell it. "

I don't even know how to start with this review other than to say that this book is such a slow build. It's not a slow build story wise, but character wise. I didn't think i'd like this one as much as her other ones but god it snuck up on me. Katherine writes such tragic types of backstories but such hopeful amazing messages filled in between and this is no exception. Emma is the type of character I could relate to so much. Her older sister burden, her trauma, her love for romance and happy endings, I understood and I wanted all of that for her. Charlie was such a complex, cynical character and man he broke my heart. The way he loved Emma in the most selfless way had me bursting into tears throughout reading this book. I don't want to spoil too much, but I adore him. All this to say, I think this story will stay with me for a ong time. It has hilarious banter, notes of trauma and sacrifice, family, and most of all a very heartfelt love story. I definitely recommend it to everyone.
Thank you so much to Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The rom-commers is exactly what it promises to be based on title alone. Cheesy, cute and funny in the best kind of way. A quick, easy read that will leave you feeling light. Definitely enjoyed this one!

Thank you to the publisher for this gifted ARC