RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center is about Emma who has spent the past decade revolving around her father, who needs around the clock care, as she gets asked by her friend from high school, to live with her idol and famous screenwriter, Charlie, and help him write a romantic comedy script.

This one was SOOO cute, and if it were a romantic comedy movie, it would be one set in the early 2000s, like one of the really good ones… How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days I’m looking at you!!!

What I loved most about this story was how it was told from Emma’s POV. Now usually, I’m a sucker for a double POV, but this story being told from Emma’s perspective was really special because I thought Emma was an incredible narrator. It truly felt like we were in her head, and living this story as her. This writing felt really talented.

I wasn’t a huge fan of Charlie if I’m being honest… he really redeemed himself in the end and I don’t want to “judge” him because of the clear struggles he was battling through this book, but he frustrated me at times!!

All in all, this was a really good book and would make an INCREDIBLE screen adaptation if done well.

Thank you Netgalley and SMP for a copy of an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

OUT ON 06/11/24

Katherine Center has done it again! I think I'm in for a fun and flirty story and instead I get that plus so much depth and heart!

What makes you belly over laughing?

For me it’s people who fart in public or people falling.

I know, I’m awful. We’re supposed to ask if they are ok if they fall or just politely walk away if someone farts but I mean come on man, I can’t do it. It’s hilarious.

If I fart or fall I promise, you can laugh.

Do you want to know what else had me bellied over laughing?

The Rom Commers

Would you look at what I just got my hands on !!!

I was late to the gate when it came to the Katherine Center, craze but once I got my hands on The Rom Commers, my fate was sealed…

I binge read the entire backlog and hung on her every word.

Katherine Center instantly became auto buy. She writes it, I’ll read it.

This jazzy little number right here will have your heart swelling and giggling out loud.

I get it now, Katherine Center is “lit”.

Five Stars

Check out this teaser :

She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?

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?

PS- when this book releases it’s going to have pink sprayed edges (Eek!!!!) I know! 😍

I think this was a very cute read. Some quotes really got me, and Emma was hilarious. I will have to be honest, though, and say that Charlie’s character confused me. He was grumpy, yet silly, and seemed very into his ex. He was a conundrum I couldn’t crack. I think some of the tropes became overplayed (like overhearing conversations) but I do think overall this was a fun read with enjoyable characters. I just wish there was more with Charlie and Emma’s relationship - it felt like it was missing something.

I don’t think I’ve given a rom-com a 5 star review in a very very long time but I just couldn’t hold back on this one. How often is the 6th book you’ve read by an author your favorite of all of her books? How often do you cry your eyes out while reading a rom-com? NEVER. It seems pretty fitting that Katharine Center has written the perfect rom-com about two writers writing a rom-com. Now they just have to make it into a movie. 🤪
The Rom-Commers tells the story of Emma, a struggling screenwriter, who’s been taking care of her sick father for 10 years. She finally gets her big break to ghostwrite a romantic comedy with Hollywood star screenwriter, Charlie Yates. The inevitable love story unfolds in the most un-inevitable way possible and the writing is so funny, heartbreaking and achingly beautiful. Even the 3rd act breakup isn’t cringe! As you can tell I loved this book. Go read it when it comes out!
Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t usually like romance novels/contemporary romance/rom-coms. Usually the characters annoy me. I’m not a fan of the tropes. And don’t get me wrong, I love love! <— this is why the tropes and misunderstandings annoy me.

ANYWAY… I loved this one. I love these characters. They’re so great and genuine and wonderful. There’s perfect moments. There’s some tragedy.. unexpectedly, I was in tears! Pulled at the heartstrings in the most perfect ways. Beautiful, heartwarming, heart-pounding. Highly recommend, even if rom-coms aren’t really your thing.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the eARC. I was pulled in from the first 20 pages. Finished in 4 days. Look for it this June!!

4.5 ⭐ because I'm weird and didn't like the epilogue. 😆 It was cheesier than I expected and after such an epic lovely book, I could have stopped at the ending. Ha! Still a 100% 4.5⭐ read! (Also, yes, I see the irony in me saying the epilogue was cheesy after reading this book and the arguments that occur between Charlie and Emma about Rom coms.)

Katherine Center always writes the best dialogue with the most bantery characters that you just want so badly to fall in love. The dedication to the romance genre is so clear and this book is like a love letter to "Romance" and "Rom-Coms." This could be the book that makes you a romance fan if you aren't yet! 😉

I cried literal tears while I read this book and didn't want to put it down. Loved it!

Thanks to netgalley for an ARC to review.

Katherine Center is a master rom-com writer, and it only fitting that she writes a book about rom-com writers! While tackling seriously heavy issues of guilt, cancer, death, divorce, and responsibility of taking care of loved ones, The Rom-Commers will have you laughing out loud and then crying the next minute. All emotions are on a roller-coaster ride of the ups and downs of both family and romantic relationships. With beloved tropes like forced proximity and sunshine and grumpy, our two script writers must learn what it means to trust, give second chances, and to keep living even through tragedy.

A page-turning delight! Snappy banter, witty repartee, shenanigans and pratfalls. A slow burn romance between two people with lots of emotional baggage who are clearly meant for each other. Rom-coms don't get better than this. Another winner from the always great Katherine Center.

I love Katherine Center, and her newest book did not disappoint! I loved the main characters and the screenwriting angle. She has so many great one liners and touching moments. One of my new favorites of hers! I read it in 7 hours, I could not put it down!

This is the best book that I have read in a while. It was laugh-out-loud funny at times while also bringing out tears. I loved the strong female lead,Emma, and that her relationship with Charlie developed over time in a really organic manner. I did not find any negatives with this book or things that I would change- it is truly perfect as is!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

The Rom-Commers 🎬

Mini Review ⬇️

ARC - Pub Date June 11th

I loved this one, it was an easy 5🌟 It had a bit of everything and was such a fun read. I think it’s my favourite KC book so far 😊

Things I loved :

🎥 THE ENTIRE STORY

🎞️ Laughed every time Emma’s broken suitcase was mentioned 🤣

🎬 "Kindness is a form of emotional courage" ♥️

Do yourself a favour and read this book 😊 You will not be disappointed.

Katherine Center has become an auto-buy author for me. I thoroughly enjoy her storylines and the incorporation of the unique and untried conflicting issues in her books. In this book, Emma (FMC) is a fantastic screenplay writer but she has not made herself flexible enough to put herself out there to be discovered. We know, in advance, that Emma didn’t work hard to become a known screenwriter because she has been taking care of her father, who was injured in a terrible accident that cost him some of his motor skills and the life of his wife, Emma’s mother. He also has a condition called Meniere’s Disease, which is a fun little inner ear issue that doesn’t help at all with his balance. I was surprised to find someone in a book with this condition as I’ve had it most of my life and it was not well known when I was first diagnosed. Represent! LOL…

Luckily, in high school, Emma dated someone, Logan, who became an agent in California. He believes in her and has pushed hard to get her stuff out there to be seen. An opportunity arises where Emma’s favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates, needs help with his latest project. He’s lost his “yip” or, rather, he has writer’s block. Emma’s sister, Sylvie, who had just emerged from getting her degree, took over the care of their father in order for Emma to fly to California to pursue this dream. So, Logan flies Emma to California and they show up on Charlie’s doorstep, unannounced (also unknown to Emma). Charlie doesn’t want her help and Emma feels humiliated. Eventually, Logan convinces them both to give it a shot so Emma moves in with Charlie for a while as they work on this rom-com project. So, your tropes are Forced Proximity, Workplace amor, and grumpy vs. sunshine.

It’s an adorable story with an unfortunate Guinea Pig 🙁 who’ll break your heart. I really want to see this made into a movie, or a Netflix show… either way… I need to see this!

4.5 stars

This is a winner of a romance novel. This is exactly the kind of rom com I’m always hoping and searching for. I loved the laugh out loud moments and the sweet moments equally. This is what makes a rom com. The banter the fun and wild and tender. All of it and it is all within these pages.

I’ve never read this author before but if this is how she writes a rom-com sign me up.

Is this Katherine Center's best book yet? I think it might be! So funny and so tender - I literally laughed aloud and shed actual tears while reading it.

The Rom-Commers is a winner! Heartwarming and sweet, the plot between the two writers was so on point. Grumpy Charlie and newcomer to the script writing scene, Emma, had great chemistry and witty banter. Closed door romance is hard to get right, but this worked from the start. Enough angst, trauma, family drama and emotional baggage to propel the plot, along with interesting side characters to spice things up. The story was told in a light tone so it rarely felt too heavy even with some difficult issues going on. I have read 3 other books from her, 2 didn't quite work for me, but this one and The Bodyguard were both 5 star reads.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I love Katherine Center books. Romance with characters who are nuanced with interesting backstories really pulls me in. Unfortunately for this installment, I never really liked the main protagonists. In particular, the man was frequently condescending, dismissive, and snobbish toward the woman. Multiple times he talked disparagingly about his supposed love interest behind her back. He was cruel and cold and the explanation for why just didn’t work for me. Most of the romance felt imagined or was described vaguely as having happened off page - daily swims, writing together, grocery shopping. Yawn. Their actual on page interactions were far from romantic, including two separate scenes where one of the main characters were drunk. I don’t know. This just didn’t feel like a typical Katherine Center novel and I’m super bummed about it. Maybe having Charlie have his own point of view chapters may have helped. Or just take out some of the earlier scenes where he’s a complete jerk to her and add in some more actual romantic scenes. I hated the two drunk scenes completely. I feel like Center is fairy tame when it comes to sex scenes and while there weren’t any in this, the almost sex scene where the female character is sloppy drunk and propositioning him was pretty gross and pathetic. The scene where he’s helping her undress and redress because she’s too drunk is gross. I would have said no too. In the age of consent, how can he say yes to someone so inebriated l? I did like their backstories (though his could have stood to be fleshed out more) and Emma’s family a lot.

My Take: 5 out of 5. My first 5 star read of the year and so well deserved, Pre - order this book, and have it be one of your top reads for the summer this year. i do not know if it is that great or if it was just perfect for me, but i devoured this read in a single Saturday and when I finished I can honestly say my heart was happy. It had completely fulfilled me. I had laughed, I had cried, i had gone through a roller coaster of emotions and I was awash in lovely HEA. It is so well written, the development of their relationship and their development as characters is just too good.

Why did I choose it: all of Katherine Center books are spectacular. They are great rom coms, to quote the title, but they always have just a little bit more depth than could have been expected, as well as truly engaging and real characters

Read this if you like(d): Of course any of Katherine Centers books or One more with Feeling. For lovers of enemies to lovers, lovers of rom com movies, especially of the Meg Ryan / Tom Hanks vein. Also if you are a fan of Nora Ephron, this is for you.

Emma has spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedy screenplays. Her biggest dream is to be a screenwriter. She's also been the sole caretaker for her father who requires full-time care. When she gets the opportunity to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates, she is overjoyed, knowing it's not an opportunity she can afford to pass up. Emma's younger sister steps up to take care of their father while Emma heads to L.A. for six weeks to re-write a romantic comedy with Charlie. The problem it turns out is that Charlie doesn't write with anyone AND his screenplay is absolutely horrible. To make things worse, he doesn't actually care about this script and wants it to be only passable to get a different one of his screenplays approved.

THE ROM-COMMERS is a story that snuck up on me and before I knew it, I was absolutely loving my reading experience, just like every other book I've read by Katherine Center to date.

All of the characters encountered in this story are vibrant, well-defined, relatable, and so fun to get to know. I absolutely adored the journey I got to take through Emma's POV as she takes on this new and exciting screenwriting opportunity. Emma is a main character who is so kind-hearted, strong, selfless, and relatable. I loved that she finally took a step to do something selfish and pushed through the obstacles placed before her to get to the good part. I adored Charlie as the MMC, he is absolutely a grouch but he has so much depth which the reader slowly gets to discover over the course of the book. I loved the banter shared between the two main characters - it was sassy at times with some of the best one-liners and was so much fun to read. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I wholly adored the many swoon-worthy scenes - all in the name of research.

The plot is well written and thoughtful; it encompasses themes of friendship, love, forgiveness, and joy. The story created within these pages is rife with emotion as difficult topics are addressed, all the while maintaining a lightheartedness at its core. I really enjoyed the epilogue which was truly more than I could have asked for but the best way to end this story!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.</i>

When Katherine Center releases a new book, I drop everything and read. The Rom-Commers is my new favorite. There’s something so satisfying about a book about writers. Our hero is a successful screenwriter in a slump who is thrown together with our heroine, a talented writer whose work hasn’t gotten the recognition it deserves. As with all romance novels, you know already know the ending. And with all of Center’s books, you know you’ll get lovable characters in unique circumstances who find each other against all odds. Sit down with The Rom-Commers and enjoy the ride.