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!!!!

Thank you SO much for giving me the chance to read Katherine's latest, fantastic book. I adore her, and her writing continues to improve with delicious plots and fantastic characters and wonderful details. There were moments in this book that felt a little slow (or maybe unrealistic) - but who cares? It was wonderful. I laughed out loud. I loved learning behind the scenes of writing. I cried. It was so good, and I finished it in 2 days.
Thank you again!!

I may have screamed with joy to get this today. Emma Wheeler dreams of being a famous screen writer. Now she gets a chance of making her dream a reality by getting to work with Charlie Yates. Charlie has been her idol for so long. This is a grumpy/sunshine romance with plenty of witter banter to keep you entertained. Charlie does not know what it takes to make a good rom-com so Emma sets out to educate him and help him believe in love again.

The guinea pig as a pet had me laughing in this book. Also all the research for the script and the grocery shopping. Charlie and Emma falling in love as they get to know each was beautiful to see unfold. I was happy to see Jack Stapleton make an appearances in this book. These books are such an emotional roller coaster but so well done. All the grand gestures that Charlie did for Emma to show his love for her and how he wanted to take care of her was so romantic.

Katherine is one of my drop everything and read it immediately authors. And this is exactly what I did last night. I read it from 830pm to midnight. I couldn't put it down. It was a fantastic read. It is about Emma who is a writer and lover of romantic comdies and Charlie is a famous screenwriter who knows nothing about romantic comedies. Can they teach eachother the skills they are each missing?

Fave quote:
"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 ones so deep, we don’t even really know we’re asking them— we look for answers in stories."

I agree with this quote. I had so many "relationships" and "Why did I do that?" moments before I found my person. I was always longing for something and would find or do the stupidest thing to ruin. I remember I was in a relationship and then my "friends" sabotaged it and they listened to something stupid "they" told him instead of asking me.

The main thing I was always searching for was love. The wanting to be that person to someone and being treated right.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for sending me the widget!

SAVE THIS SO YOU KNOW TO ORDER IT WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE!!!!!!!!!!

It is a closed door romance.
No spice at all.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Emma has been taking care of her father (who was injured in an accident) for the last 10 years. She has put here screenwriting dreams on hold in the mean time. She has been obsessing over the work of Charlie Yates (fabulous but eccentric). Charlie seems to have a bit of writers block and his manager thinks that Emma might be the solution ...

Update: Finished ... less than 36 hrs after downloading the advance review copy. Sigh. Loved it! I've laughed more with this book than with any other book since ... well ... Hello, Stranger. The after readers glow after this one is just so perfect! Sigh. Wise words by Emma's father are definitely ones to live by.

Update: At 50% at end of first day reading. I’ve laughed out loud more with Rom-Commers than anything I’ve read in many months. Love, love, love ... an appearances from a character from another Katherine Center book.

Just started, loving it already!

Thank you to publishers at St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance read. Publication date is June 11, 2024. Thank you for the opportunity to review the advance read copy in exchange for an honest review.

So happy!

Started it and finished in a sitting… I could NOT stop reading it!!! I’ve read several of Katherine Center’s books and I am confident this one is my favorite to date! Let me tell you why…

First, I am completely obsessed with Emma and her big heart, always willing to take care of others, always overthinking a little too. I loved that she didn’t let her insecurities keep her from achieving what she wanted, and she was so grounded by her family.

Next… Charlie! Oh lord, do I love Charlie. He was the right amount of grumpy and sweet, while being moody, mysterious, and romantic and thoughtful. All of that at the same time, sometimes within the same scenes.

Their chemistry was impeccable and had me giddy the entire time I was reading. The book was the right amount of lightness and real life, with the most exquisite romance written on page. One of my favorite reads ever!! Will be buying and recommending it to everyone I know!

P.S. Give me more Emma & Charlie please!!!

While historical fiction is my favorite book genre, romcoms are my favorite movie genre. I love everything about them so I was ecstatic to see Katherine Center’s new book is about that exactly.
Emma Wheeler’s dream job is screenwriting and her dream man is award winning screenwriter, Charlie Yates. She knows both are only dreams and not possibilities because she’s been her father’s sole caregiver for the last 10 years. When she has the chance to turn her dreams to reality by spending 6 weeks ghostwriting Charlie Yates’ latest screenplay, a romcom, she jumps at the opportunity. Emma has a lot to teach Charlie about romcoms, love, and happily ever afters, but is 6 weeks really enough time to change the heart of a cynic?
I loved everything about this book. I especially loved Mrs. Center’s unique style of writing in the first person with fourth wall breaks. You don’t see that too often in books, but I think it adds extra depth, fully incorporating the reader into the story.
I devoured this book in a smidge over 24 hours and laughed practically the entire time. Like every good romcom, though, this had a few heartbreaking moments in which I teared up.
I know romances and romcoms get a lot of flak for being predictable, but Emma says it best, “If you’re surprised by the ending, somebody wasn’t doing their job. We all know where it’s headed. The fun is how we get there.” Well, Mrs. Center certainly did her job. Admittedly, I’ve only read 3 of her books, but I’ve read enough to know that Mrs. Center is a must read author for me. I’ll be reading her backlists throughout this year. Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book. This hits the shelves on January 11th.

The Rom-Commers

"Read it. You will lose your mind with joy. It's a love letter to fun. And to love. And to you, I think."

Y'all. This one is it. I love all of Katherine Center's work, but this one takes the cake. It genuinely is a love letter to fun and love and joy and romance readers everywhere. I cannot emphasize enough how much I loved the business case for hope, love and joy that Center imbues in this work. With care and craft, Center shows us the power of writing your own story, and choosing how you see the world. As Center says, "It's all about the details you notice. And the joys you save. And the hope you refused to give up on."

This book brought me all of that joy and hope and love. I have butterflies and warm fuzzies and while there were some tears (I cry at everything, y'all), "Happiness is always better with a little bit of sadness."

In The Rom-Commers, we follow Emma, a curly-haired rom-com screenwriter who dedicates her life to being her father's caretaker. At a once in a lifetime opportunity, Emma takes on the task of helping her screenwriting celebrity crush, Charlie, write a rom-com and also learn to believe in love. There is banter, funny antics, a pet guinea pig named Cuthbert. There is also loss, grief, illness, and anxiety, woven in through the story in a realistic parallel to real life.

Check this book out. You do not want to miss it. If you need more convincing, there is:
- Banter
- Forced proximity
- Coworkers to lovers
- Line dancing with an Italian cowboy instructor
- A cameo from Jack Stapleton of The Bodyguard

Note: This is a standalone. You do not need to read The Bodyguard first, but I do recommend it to enjoy Jack and Hannah's story!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own. The Rom-Commers is on shelves June 11, 2024.

I so desperately wish I could give this 6 stars. I LOVE Katherine Center and this is no exception! Made me laugh, made me cry, and made a flight feel like it was over in an instant. She walks the delicate balance between depth and lightheartedness so masterfully and I am already anticipating my next reread of this book. Read this!!!

The thing I love most about a Katherine Center book is the feeling of warmth that emanates from every page. You know you’re in good hands, and she’s going to take you on a journey that will be filled with love, laughter, and so much wisdom.

I feel like if The Bodyguard was the book we all needed to just feel pure joy after 2020, then this is the book we needed as the world moves forward to remember that we can find joy in life even though it will never be perfect and we’ll all have our share of pain. A thing we all need to remember. ❤️

It was so fun to go on Emma and Charlie’s hijinks-filled journey to write a rom-com together. But like all the very best rom-coms, it was the heart and the struggle woven in that made this book an instant favorite for me. I don’t want to give too much away. You should just read their story for yourself. 😉

How thrilled was I to get a super early digital copy of @katherinecenter summer release? I may have squealed a little. If it’s not on your radar yet, let me be the first to tell you about The Rom-Commers, which is due out this summer!

✍️ In Katherine Center’s latest her FMC is a writer, but like most women she wears many hats which have prevented her from wholly pursuing her dream. After an accident a decade prior, she has become a caretaker to her father, supportive big sister and generally the keeper of all the things for her family. When she’s offered a chance to write a screenplay with a legendary writer who she has longtime admired from afar, she reluctantly sets everything aside and heads to LA. But upon her arrival, she finds things aren’t always what they seem.

☀️ Center does it again, in her smart, signature style. This is incredibly well-written, tugs at your heart, offers some legitimate laugh out loud moments all while being so original (not trope-y). She has the most relatable characters, those you just want to root for, and I just loved the story. I’m only sad it doesn’t come out sooner, because this was just the bit of sunshine I needed for a chilly winter night.

🥰 Thank you to @stmartinspress for sending me this early copy. I am so honored to have a first look at what will surely be one of my favorite reads this year.

I went through so many emotions in this book. I finished it in 1 sitting. An incredible beautiful complex story with so many beautiful elements in it.

Katherine never fails to blow my mind with her writing.

Charlie a famous screen writer has the jibs aka Writers block … ever since his life went to crap he hasn’t been able to write. An opportunity comes up where he needs to screen write a rom com. And his attempt is laughable. Worse than the word terrible.

Then there’s Emma- a screen writer to be. Who has spent the last 10yrs of her life filled with guilt and dropping everything to take care of her ill father. Until one day her best friend who decided 3 years later is actually her favourite screen writers manager offers her a job of a lifetime… except it doesn’t turn out how expected…

The way these 2 come together, and face their fears- literally and figuratively are so beautiful. The tension, the angst I can’t. It’s incredible. Their teamwork goes from nada to wow what a team. It’s absolute magic.

For a closed door romance this is so romantic and filled with so much feeling and giddiness. This may end up being my favourite book I’ve read of the month. And by far my favourite of Katherine’s

Thank you so much St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advanced in exchange for my honest opinion!