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!

I adore Katherine Center. If she were to publish material she wrote on a used napkin, I’d swoop that right up.

In all seriousness, I read The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger by her which I love. (They were 5-star reads for me too, so get on that if you haven’t read them!) With that said, I was beyond over the moon when I received an arc of The Rom-Commers. As with the other books I’ve read of hers, this one gets all the stars!

I can’t say how many times I laughed out loud 🫛🫛(IYKYK), earning me side-eye by those around me, or had those tear-jerky moments either… but those are the moments that make reading special… and The Rom-Commers is just that. It’s quick paced, so makes for a fast read, but so much fun! Enjoy it! “…it can’t be where you’re going that matters. It has to be how you get there. It’s all about the details you notice. And the joys you savior.”

Thank you #NetGalley and #stmartinspress for an arc of #theromcommers in exchange for an honest review.

There is no one in this world who writes a book like Katherine Center. Somehow all of her books are hits. And this one was up for the challenge.

I loved this book. The chemistry and the banter between Emma and Charlie was perfection. This book had everything I love in a Katherine Center book: depth, heart, and well-rounded characters.

I am a big fan, and will continue to be a big fan.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Center is in one of my must read authors. I know I’ll be entertained with her stories. Her latest was no exception. I studied Television and Film in college so this was a cute plot about working on a romantic comedy film with the screenwriter… add some giggles and banter and family issues and boom - the book was great! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center


Fainting. Canned doughnuts. Whipped cream dollops. Heart Attacks. "Dazzling!"

"Maybe Writing Was Our Love Language."

There is not a book that this beautiful author could write that I wouldn't read and wouldn't love!

Right out of the park, the family obligations send me into the valid responsibilities of the everyday, difficult life tasks due to very unfortunate and tragic happenstance. Then, just like that, the beginning unfolds in a way that steals your attention, refusing to let go.

This strong, funny, witty MC is striking and responsible -- too much, some would say, but all the best ones are. The sordid love story playing out, history unfurling before my eyes... I could have easily gobbled it up in one sitting if I had the endurance and strength not to fall asleep at night.

I don't think I've ever laughed harder. Rom-coms are supposed to be cheesy; there is cheesy cringe and a good kind of butterflies in my tummy cheesy. This was definitely the latter, whenever a trope would occur (the whole close proximity, the oops! I tripped and accidently tackled you resulting in a romantic embrace...although to be fair, this was more of a ouch! embrace)

Katherine Center has such a talent for laying out anxieties, fears, the working through hard time moments, and the really sad tragic parts make me wanna cry. Everything Emma recommended Charlie as a writer, she herself has done!

Make likable characters with tragic backstories? Check. Make the audience yearn for and cheer for the the main leads to get together by the end of the book? Check. Writing a believable issue that comes up where the romance almost dies and makes you really scared that your new new ship might not work out because of a hurdle or severe bump in the road? Also check.

Also, my favorite character in this entire book is Guthbert. No, I will not explain why this perfect character who enjoys power-washing video games is the greatest side character of all time.

You'll just have to read this masterpiece to find out. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“Happiness is always better with a little bit of sadness.”

This is the perfect rom-com with a grumpy sunshine trope. Emma, the FMC is extremely relatable. She puts her family first and is witty, charismatic, and most importantly, she believes in true love.

Synopsis: Emma is a writer who is given the opportunity to work with celebrity screenwriter Charles Yates, who she is a massive fan of. Her objective is to help rewrite Charlie’s rom-com (this man does not know how to write rom-coms), and he is extremely grumpy about it and rejects her assistance. Throughout the story we get amazing banter between Emma and Charlie, and we slowly start to see Charlie’s walls come down.

I love how unique this story is. I’ve read many rom-coms, but this one stands out to me because we get to see so much of the main characters’ personality. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and safe to say it will not be my last.

Some of my favorite scenes include:
- Charlie cooking for Emma’s birthday
- Charlie and Emma’s kiss for ‘research purposes’
- Charlie being afraid of water but Emma teasing him by going on the high dive
- The entire epilogue

This book will be published on June 11th, 2024!

It was such wonderful slow burn, full of banter, and fun and fleshed out characters. Katherine Center never seizes to amaze me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this upcoming book from one of my favorite authors! Once again Katherine Center does not disappoint! I was eagerly awaiting the books release and was very excited to be given the chance to read it early. Though I love all her books this one is bound to be a favorite! It reminded me a lot of the Bodyguard. I loved the characters, the story was fantastic, I laughed, I cried and just thoroughly enjoyed. I enjoyed how she breaks the fourth wall at times in the story as well. Overall a fantastic heartwarming read I'd definitely recommend to any rom-commers

Synopsis: Charlie is a famous screenwriter and Emma is an aspiring screenwriter, obsessed with Charlie’s work. When she is presented with the opportunity of a lifetime - to work with Charlie on his new rom-com, she can’t pass it up. Charlie doesn’t know a thing about love, let alone how to write a rom-com. Emma sets out to revive his script but to do that, she first has to get him to believe in love.
My thoughts: I say this everytime I read a new Katherine Center book, but omg, this one’s definitely my favorite. Her books are closed door romance and always pack so much more than just a love story. The standouts for me - family devotion and healing, hope, the perfect grumpy/sunshine duo, and of course, can’t forget the pet Guinea pig!! This book will make you feel all the emotions - it was hilarious, heartfelt, and swoon worthy all at the same time. The only thing that would make it better was some Charlie POV! I was dying to know what was going through his mind. Katherine, can we please get a dual POV romance one day soon?! 🤞🏻😍 anyways, if you love rom-coms, you will 10000% love this book so look out for it in June!!

If you are a Katherine Center fan then this book will not disappoint. It is funny and it made me cry. An emotional roller coaster, in a good way.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for my honest opinion

I loved this book -- parts of it are unrealistic and a little over the top, but it added to the whole rom-comness of it and it was overall so fun and sweet.

Emma has been the sole caretaker of her dad for the last ten years, after a tragic accident. As her sister graduates from college, Emma is offered a job re-writing a screenplay for a rom com by her very favorite screenwriter. As hard as it is for her to leave her dad, she decides to let her sister take over and moves to LA to work on the re-write.

Charlie is a very loved screenwriter who doesn't care a lot what people think. Initially he and Emma butt heads, but eventually they get in a rhythm of working together.

I loved both Emma and Charlie -- such good characters and their dynamic and banter was so good. I really enjoyed all the side characters too -- and loved seeing cameos by Jack. I loved Emma's family and especially her dad and his wisdom.

The tension and build-up in this book is great. This is my third book by Katherine Center and I will definitely be reading her older books, as well as any future book! I love her writing and characters so much.

There are a few things that felt over the top, but it didn't keep me from racing through the book and loving every minute of it. I loved the end too, it was so warm and cozy feeling.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

This book was beyond delightful! A rom com within a rom com, what’s not to love?! I loved the premise, every rom-commy situation, and all of the quirky, delightful characters.

I absolutely devoured this book, and it was just what I needed on a cold winter day. I liked that I knew where is was headed but did not see clearly how it would get there.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this one!