Katherine Center is a master at writing multidimensional characters, the kind you expect to meet tomorrow at the coffee shop or wave to as you walk through your neighborhood. I love the real-ness of the situations she creates; that even when they are really outside of what we will probably experience, they still seem possible.

If you are already a fan, this book is everything you love about and expect from Center's books. If you have never had her books, start now. Absolutely delightful!

The Rom-Commers is another perfect novel from Katherine Center. Like The Bodyguard and Hello, Stranger, you get a page-turning mix of humor, emotion, and serious chemistry between the characters. You'll love and hate almost every character at different points because she writes in a way that makes you care about each one. Like the rest of us, they're flawed humans who don't always say the right thing.

While this is a rom-com by every definition, be warned that there are also enough meaty topics to make it a stellar book club pick. The final chapters are especially lovely, with a perspective on grief that is likely to trigger some reflection.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher, but my love of Katherine Center and her books is real. I'm sure I'll buy a paper copy when it's released!

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It’s A Real Life Rom-Com 📚 🤍
As with all Katherine Center books, I loved it.
Emma, fully immersed in her filial duty taking care of her father, has let her screenwriting dreams fall to the wayside.
A call from her best friend with the chance of a lifetime working with the screenwriter she most looks up to, comes at a perfect time where she can actually make it work, and after 10 years, do something for herself.
But her first meeting with Charlie Yates goes so far off script that she’s dragging her broken suitcase and downloading the Uber app to head for the airport before they’ve even made official introductions.
But, a little hiccup in the story is good for the plot, right?
And maybe, just maybe, this will be the story she’s always wanted to write.
Thanks so much to @Netgalley for this ARC.
Definitely mark your calendars for this one out June 11th!

I would encourage you to stop what you are doing right now and read The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. Don’t let another moment go by that you have not read this story. This is probably my favorite book she has written and I am a BIG fan. Emma Wheeler has wanted to be a screen writer since forever. She is currently caring for her wonderful father who needs full time care. Charlie Yates is the screen writer that Emma has admired and read everything about for years. When she gets a chance to work with him her family scrambles to make it happen.

The Rom-Commers had all the feels, all fun, all the love, and all the amazing quotes that I love so much from a Katherine Center book. The themes of loving yourself, accepting what you cannot change, and realizing your attitude directs your day resonated deeply with me. I adored Emma’s inner dialogue, humor, and walking through the story with her. I want her to be my friend. Charlie was the hero I loved by the end of the story. The author’s writing and observations about life made this one of my favorite books of all time! I laughed, cried and was so sad when the story ended.

The Rom-Commers will be my favorite book of 2024. I very very very highly recommend it!
I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Each book I read by Katherine Center gets better and better; this is no exception! Emma and Charlie are both very complex characters that really add depth to the story. Emma breaks the fourth wall a few times and talks directly to the reader, which I found pretty charming. The story unfolded like a blooming flower with different challenges and triumphs woven throughout. It was enjoyable to read from beginning to end. There was also a cameo by someone you may recognize from The Bodyguard! This will be a perfect summer read when it comes out on June 11th. I will be purchasing a hard copy to reread by a warm body of water this summer!

Let me start out this review by saying that I love Katherine Center, how she talks about the romance genre, and I think A LOT of people are going to connect to this story and these characters.

And there was so much about this story that I loved! I highlighted so many quotes and sections and I loved Emma's takedown of Charlie when he's an asshole to her in the beginning. The banter in general was top notch! I also loved the multiple grand gestures at the end. I also think the portrayal of Emma as a caregiver (in particular her panic when something goes wrong and she isn't home) was well done and incredibly heartwrenching.

It's really hard for me to talk about this book without also spoiling a bit but I'm going to try. Ultimately one of the major plot points of this book just really didn't work for me and that is a very "me" thing given the work that I do and the connection I have with the disabled community. I know Katherine does a lot of research for her books, so I'm not exactly sure what happened here but there was at least one (somewhat minor) inaccuracy and a lot that didn't really seem to fit with the information provided about Emma's dad. My other major issue with this book is that I get really frustrated when characters martyr themselves and decide what's best for someone else without talking to them - and unfortunately both Charlie and Emma do this to a degree.

Ultimately this was enough to take me out of the book a bit and affect my personal enjoyment of it, even though I really think most readers will love this book and take a lot from it. I did read it in one evening, partially because I needed to know how the resolution would come about. I do still recommend this for

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for kindly sending me an ARC of this book!

I thought the book was charming. The banter between Emma and Charlie was believable and fun. I instantly fell in love with Charlie; it took me a bit to warm up to Emma because she initially seemed like such a martyr.

This was a fun read which made me laugh at some parts, and tear up at other points.. I'm a fan.

I was asked to review this book and, as usual, another great hit with Katherine Center. In this book, we get to follow Emma, who gets a chance to work on a script with a famous screenwriter, Charlie. What she finds during this process is that Charlie is anything but romantic, and his romantic script really misses the mark. Thus, Emma begins a project for herself to introduce Charlie to what a real romantic comedy would look like. Lots of humor, lots of great romance and chemistry with these characters. I always love a great opposites attract romance, and this one really hit the mark. This author just leaves you with a great feeling after all of her books, and this one was no exception. Bravo!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published June 11, 2024.

This is the 8th book I’ve read by this author, the Queen of Rom-Coms and happy endings.

I am a huge fan of Katherine Center as she just exudes joy! Even her writing progress chart that she shares on social media is colorful and happy as she crosses pages off in different colored markers. And her video background is bright flowers. Please come to Portland, Oregon some day on a book tour!

This book did not disappoint. It was a quick and enjoyable read! The funny dialogue, Emma’s dedication to her father, the emotional ups and downs I felt … ALL THE FEELS!

“The job of a rom-com is to give you a simulated feeling of falling in love.” But don’t be fooled. It’s not always a straight line that takes us there, and the author does a great job of introducing us to various obstacles that stand in the way. To me this just makes the story more realistic.

Favorite scenes include the discussion of choice of pen color (“Much like Coke versus Pepsi”), the making of the birthday donuts (“many biscuits gave their lives for this moment”), the conversation about “rewatchable” kisses (“Kisses so good, you’ll watch the movie again just for the kiss”).

My favorite quote: “Because love is something you can learn. Love is something you can practice. It’s something you can choose to get good at. And here’s how you do it. Appreciate your person.” ❤️

Perfection.

#KatherineCenter
#NetGalley

This was the absolute sweetest book! Emma and Charlie were both fantastic main characters. So well written. Read it in 24 hours! Pre-order now, you will not be disappointed!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy. It pains me to only give this 3 stars, but I really struggled with the main character, Emma. Her inner dialogue was so frustrating to me and she really lost me in the middle. I loved Charlie’s character though! In the end, I really enjoyed the premise, setting, and banter in this book, but the way Emma acted in the third act conflict really irked me. If you love Katherine Center definitely pick this up! She really does write fantastic stories, this one just wasn’t not my favorite of hers.

This may be my favorite Katherine Center of all time. I spent the last 1/4 of the book crying, both sad and happy tears. Like I just can’t stop. It was a perfect rom com, as the name would have you believe, full of characters with depth and tragedy and flaws. It was about grief and coming alive again. And I would read it over and over. Thank you for this gift Katherine - it’s all the stars all day long.

Katherine Center’s books always fill me with sunshine. Her characters, the dialogue, the banter, the emotions - they’re all so real and lovable. I truly have to force myself to slow down and savor her books because I devour them and then I’m sad they’re over. I love that these characters are flawed, their lives are not perfect, and they are always learning. They learn to stand up for themselves, to be brave, to be vulnerable, to apologize and to forgive…and we get to go along for the entire ride and feel it all with them. Treat yourself to this gem of a book and feel the sunshine for yourself.

Emma Wheeler longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, writing romantic comedies. 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—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 like rom coms, doesn’t want to write one with her and he doesn’t believe in love!
Emma is determined to change his mind not only on rom coma but to believe in love!
But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. What could possibly go wrong?
I recommend this highly entertaining read that had me right from the start, literally unputdownable. It had me laughing, it had me crying and rooting for the characters! Katherine Centre never disappoints in my book!

“Here’s another thing I accidentally figured out: happiness is always better with a little bit of sadness.” 🥺❤️

If that doesn’t sum up Katherine Center books, I don’t know what does! I was thrilled to be given access to an electronic ARC of The Rom-Commers (coming June 11th).

Once again she’s managed to write a book that unapologetically bursts with optimism while her lead characters are cloaked in tragedy. How does she accomplish this? With incredible character development. Witty, razor sharp, warm dialogue. And lead characters that break your heart with their backstories, but doggedly cling to hope and real connection.

I loved Emma’s commitment to her family, and their story was a particular stab to my heart 😭. The dialogue was pitch perfect (the lead characters are screenwriters). Lots of humor and grand gestures and awkwardness. The final quarter was full of tension and one poignant moment had me in tears again.

I’m not sure a Katherine Center book has ever lasted more than two days in my house without being binge-read. This one was no different.

Content: some cursing, multiple sexual references, but kisses only on the page.

✨Ｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ✨

The Rom-Commers 📚 by @katherinecenter

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Thank you @stmartinspress @netgalley for this #advancedreaderscopy from one of my favorite authors, I was soo excited to get selected!

As for the book, I just finished reading it and just finished crying for probably the third time in the book 😂 I read this book in just a few days and didn't want to put it down. Katherine Center did what she always does so well: creates characters you love and that are authentic, throws in life lessons that make you think, and throws in moments that really make you cry along the way (at least for me 😂).

Emma put her life on hold to be the caretaker for her father after a tragic accident. Then Emma gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with one of her favorite screenwriters, Charlie Yates, on a rom-com. Along the way, Emma experiences some emotional/challenging situations and, through it all, tries to hold on to what she believes in: love.

Publication date: 6/11/24, definitely recommend!
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#justread #bookstack #booklovers #alwaysreading #readersofinstagram #bookreview #instareads #goodreads #bookworm #bookaddict #readersofig #bookreviewer #bookaddict #bookstagram

Every time I read one of Katherine’s books, the first that comes to my mind is gratitude. I am always thankful for her writing, her dialogue, her characters, her stories, and the swirl of emotions that cause my heart to swoop and dive. And I’m so grateful for this book! First of all, Emma might be my favorite character of all of Katherine’s books. Emma is warm and caring and bright and insecure and courageous and stubborn and funny and snarky and obviously very complicated! Her inner dialogues and her occasional interactions with the reader are so much fun as well as being insightful! Her life was upended by a family tragedy, when she became a caregiver for her father, sacrificing her ambition to make sure her father and sister had what they needed. Now she has a chance to revive her wish to be a screenwriter—working with a man she idolizes. In comes Charlie, the screenwriter, who is brilliant but surly, a bit of a grump who wants nothing to do with Emma or the screenplay. This book sparkles with wit and humor, but the more you read the more layers are revealed in both Emma and Charlie: their fears, their grief, their inadequacies, their doubts, their pain, their hopes and ambitions. And I could FEEL all of those things. Their interactions were sublime, intimate, sometimes comical, sometimes frustrating, often raw and honest; but with each glance, each inadvertent touch, each argument, each kind and thoughtful gesture, the walls between them slowly come down and I was there for all of it. There are so many memorable scenes, and I highlighted so many passages! Did I mention that I cried? Full on sobbing and tears!! I also laughed and sighed and simply enjoyed my time with them, not wanting to say goodbye. It was also fun to be reacquainted with a character from another of Katherine’s books! This is a book and characters that I will cherish always.

K. Center at her best. The Rom Commers, published by St. Martins Press, is a full length, stand alone rom com.
I recommend this highly entertaining read that had me right from the start, literally unptdownable.

Blurb:
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, 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—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?

10*stars.
This was a sweet and very emotional love story. You can't help falling in love with these characters. As always this author brings you joy despite everything that happens and leaves you feeling like you got the best hug after reading this book. She never disappoints.

The ideal rom-com! Witty banter, realistic emotions, and lots of fun. 1/5 spice level. I’d definitely give this book to my rom-com loving friends! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.