As someone who adores smart and realistic rom-coms, this book felt like a dream come true. Emma and Charlie evolving romance felt natural and kept me eagerly turning the pages.. If you're looking for an escape that will leave you smiling, believing in the magic of love, this book is a must-read.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center is the queen of tying my heartstrings in a little knot of emotion and anticipation but then manipulating it into a sweet little bow at the end of the book. I love KC reads because you fall in love with the characters themselves - and in this story we get to see the characters fall in love with love. Of course there’s the standard little bit of sadness she includes in her stories, but like the book says, what’s happiness without a little sadness? I binged this little book filled with big hearts in a day and I highly recommend it to readers who want to laugh, smile, tear up, and “aww” at the end.

I won’t say that this is my fave KC book but it was very good! There was grief done so well and a lot of laughter. I’m not crazy about so much of the LA plot details but I did enjoy the overall story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I knew I would love this book! Writers coming together to write a rom com? Yes please. This is very grumpy meets sunshine and for the longest time I thought - will this be the first book where Katherine makes me not give a 4 or 5 star rating? BUT Katherine did not disappoint and I was left on a happy high. So cute. Sign me up for all KC’s books going forward.

I typically don't like celebrity novels, but this was a joy. This is the third novel I've read by Katherine Center, The Bodyguard, Hello Stranger, and now The Rom-Commers.
Things I liked: Charlie, Emma, the banter
Things I didn't like: All of the tragedies. Between Emma's mom dying, her dad's accident and subsequent caretaking, giving things up for Sylvie, Charlie's cancer, his wife leaving, the *almost* car incident, the pool accident, dad's newest accident, more familial strife, etc., by the time we got to Charlie's mistaken metastatic cancer, it felt really ludicrous. I felt that the more poignant parts of the story where the characters dive into their feelings would have been more impactful if there weren't SO many things going wrong at each turn. That said, the characters' levity helped keep it light and I still very much enjoyed the book and was rooting for the MCs to get together at the end. The epilogue was entirely too long, I skimmed.

Love me some Katherine Center so I full on fangirled when I got this arc in my inbox. Romance about romance? Yes, please! My only requests here include a pinch more banter and a heaping of spice.

This is one of the best books that I’ve ever read. I’ve been a fan of the author for a long time. This book had everything; laughter, joy, sadness. I love getting to know the characters and learning about them. Can’t wait for the next book.

In Katherine Center’s latest novel 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘮-𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴, Emma Yates is an unknown, unproduced screenwriter that makes a living by teaching community college English classes and taking freelance work from entertainment magazines. She’s talented, but she’s also devoted to her family—she is the primary caretaker for her father, and she has spent the bulk of her twenties looking after him and supporting her younger sister Sylvia’s high school and college education. But then she gets an opportunity to work with (for?) renowned screenwriter Charlie Yates, one of her heroes.

Though only in his mid-thirties, Charlie has written several critically acclaimed, publicly adored, and award-winning films. However, his latest script—a romantic comedy—is terrible, and Emma is summoned by their shared manager out to Hollywood to help him rewrite it. She manages the trip, but there are a few problems: 1) he’s skeptical of her abilities; 2) he doesn’t actually care about the project, it’s just a means to an end; and 3) he doesn’t believe in love.

What follows is what one would anticipate from this kind of set-up: a sort of workplace comedy between two people with clashing personalities and differing goals. Emma is chatty, caring, generous, and a little immature; Charlie is reserved, wary, mildly misanthropic, and very jaded. Emma wants to finally break into the industry, do the romantic comedy right, and get Charlie to believe both in the genre and in love itself; Charlie wants to get over his case of the yips, finish this writing favor for an acquaintance, and get his other project off the ground.

As expected with the genre it’s named after, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘮-𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 is filled with humorous scenarios, cute banter, and its share of outlandish plot twists and grand gestures. It’s a sweet, fun story, yet I struggled with it at times for a few reasons. First, Center’s occasionally choppy writing style continues to grate and break the flow of narration for me. And second, I found myself unable to 100% buy into Emma and Charlie’s romance due to their power imbalance—not only is he older, wealthier, more accomplished, and more respected, she is also a super-fan of his and occasionally (and awkwardly) vocal about it. It is an imbalance that’s shown throughout the book in certain exchanges between them and with other characters.

What saves the story for me is that Emma and Charlie do have some great banter, and there are several truly beautiful and poignant lines. Overall, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘮-𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 is an amusing and pleasant read. It’s not my favorite Katherine Center novel, but it’s still an entertaining one.

3.75 starts rounded up. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adore Katherine Center and the fact that I get ARCS from her makes me giddy. She just has a way of writing that gets you into a book so fast, and this story was no exception. I read it in 4 hours, only taking a break to eat dinner. 4.5/5 stars

It’s HOUR past my bedtime, but this book was so good. Katherine Center is an IMMEDIATE auto-buy author for me, and this one may be my favorite.

Talk about a slow burn, so beautifully done - not that u would expect anything less.

Emma and Charlie are made for each other. The way they instantly become so close, and have some much ease with being around each other. The angst and the banter is brilliant.

Emma is such a loving, sunshine of a person. She reminded me a lot of Katherine. A total joy, a love for writing and wanting everyone else to get this happy ending.

Charlie had a lot to work through, and I’m so glad he did! AND can we talk about that cancer scare - don’t do that to us!

Perfection, as always.

Thank you to Net Galley and St Martin’s for the advanced copy.

Alllll the stars! How does Katherine Cemter keep getting better?! I loved this SO much and I know I will reread it. The pining. The twists. The first kiss. So so good.

Well, no surprise here but Katherine Center has graced her readers with another perfect book. A beautiful love story with exploration of how intense grief can affect our lives. Highly recommended.

Katherine Center has killed it again! She keeps romances fresh yet deep, and knows how to weave humor into serious scenes. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“But it almost made me believe in love. And I don’t believe in anything.”

Words cannot begin to explain how wonderful and amazing this book is. Emma, a girl who has an entirely different life then I do somehow I completely related to her. While also relating to Charlie. This book is just absolutely amazing.

I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing about what it was. But knowing that @ wrote it I knew it was a must read for me!

Thank you to @ for the arc

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies—good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates—The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!—it’s a break too big to pass up.

Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone—much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script—it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter—even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules—and comes true?

THE ROM-COMMERS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. A Chef’s kiss of a romance novel. Emma was destined to be a screenwriter, although it isn’t her main source of income, it’s been her dream. But, she’s also the main caretaker for her disabled father. When the opportunity of a lifetime comes to write a rom-com screenplay with one of Hollywoods elite writers, her sister takes over dad duties and Emma goes to LA for 6 weeks to help re-write a rom-com that desperately needs her help. This is my 3rd Katherine Center novel, and I’m now a fangirl. This book has emotion, depth, humor, buildup. It was like reading a movie you’ve seen but never felt. It was what romance readers want, we know the ending but it’s how we get there. I simply adored it, couldn’t put it down. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC!

Last summer at her book signing event for HELLO STRANGER, @katherinecenter gave us the tiny little scoop that her next novel would have a Jack Stapleton cameo, and with that teeny little bit of info, I was SOLD!  And I’ve been waiting with bated breath ever since.  I was thrilled to be sent an early copy, and let me tell you that it lived up to my every expectation.  SO WORTH THE WAIT!!
 
This book has it all.  All the swoons.  All the hope.  All the joy.  All the laughter.  All the encouragement.  And all the love.  ALL the love. 
 
It’s her best one yet. 
 
How many stars can I give?  Are endless stars an option?  Let’s go with that.  Endless stars for my favorite author’s best book yet.

I started this book at 10pm and read until I finished at 2am. 5/5 stars, no notes, Katherine Center does it again! I cried… twice. Literally this book is beautiful, heartfelt, and funny. It’s a quick read with lots of dialogue. Never a dull moment.

Classic romantic comedy vibes, I could easily see this as a movie!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This review is not influenced in any way, It is a really lovely book!!

This is a storry about a woman named Emma who wants to be a screwnwriter and write Rom-Coms one day.. She has spent most of her time taking care of her Dad who needs around the clock supervision. .When given a chance to go to California to re-write a script for one of her favorite screeneriters, Charlie Yates, she is hesitant but finally accepts the job. What she doesn’t know is thaf Charlie doesn’t really want help from anyone at all. This story chronicles the relationship that forms between Charlie and Emma and the struggles and emotional rollercoasters that they face.
I enhoyed this book. It was a
page-turner and a quick read. I enjoyed the humor and one liners made throughout the book. Emma’s personality did start to annoy me halfway through the book because she held on to so many gridges. After reflecting upon this, I realized that it is really hard to forgive others if you can’t forgive yourself. Thanks NetGalley fir the advanced cooy of this book. I always recommend Katherine’s books.

I don't believe that Katherine Center can write a book I won't LOVE!

The Rom-Commers had all the feels, and witty-banter that had me laughing. Don't get me wrong, I teared-up too. This love story is told through the eyes of Emma, a wanna-be screenwriter. Emma has spent the last 10-years caring for her father after freak accident that Emma silently blames herself. She's serving her penance, giving-up ALL her ambitions to help her family.

Her best friend Logan is her biggest ally for her talent, and offers her the job of a lifetime in LA with her screenwriting hero, Charlie Yates. Emma is literally obsessed with the man as his photo adorns her bulletin board. Charlie doesn't know he needs Emma until she lands on his doorstep with Logan. Together, they set out to rewrite Yate's attempt at a RomCom. Center has written a RomCom about writing a RomCom. PERFECTION

Charlie's evolution from curmudgeon to adorable corduroy wearing, believing in love, boyfriend material was exultation. The way these two tackle the "research" for the script were spot on hilarious. For the record, falling into someone is a perfect meet-cute to a romance story, research proves it!

The scene stealer is the Guinea pig, Cuthbert, who needs serenaded and various posh homes for comfort. Mark this down on TBR for June 2024.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press

“There it is. The whole trick to life. Be aggressively, loudly, unapologetically grateful.” @katherinecenter if you write it I will read it!!!!!!

I have never read an arc so fast. I adore Katherine center’s books, and this is one of my favorites yet!!

Emma has been the full time caretaker of her dad for 10 years (who has Ménière’s disease!!! just like my dad!! ), but gets the opportunity of the life time to go write a script with her all time favorite screenwriter.. but they say don’t meet your heroes for a reason, right? Writing a romcom with your hero who might hate you, and who definitely does not believe in love— what could go wrong?

I laughed out loud, I cried (multiple times!!!), I fell in love with Charlie (who definitely was giving me some Gus Everett vibes!!) — I highly highly highly recommend this book!!!!