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!

“A great rom-com… is just like sex. 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.” ***

Bwaaaaaaaaahahaha PERFECT

So… I’m a big dummy and hadn’t read any of Katherine Center’s books until now, even though I know they are beloved by a gazillion people. My only excuse is that it’s only been over the past year or so that I figured out that I deeply love rom-coms, and books like this are exactly why. There was great, legitimately hilarious banter, wacky situations, heartfelt moments — all of the things (except steam, which, honestly, felt like kind of a relief).

I have a lot of (fun!) catching up to do on Center’s books!

*** quote was taken from an uncorrected proof and may change prior to publication (but should not) ***

✨ ℬ𝑜𝑜𝓀 ℛ𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌 ✨
𝒯𝒽𝑒 ℛ𝑜𝓂-𝒞𝑜𝓂𝓂𝑒𝓇𝓈
ℬ𝓎: 𝒦𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝒞𝑒𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇
𝒫𝓊𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓈𝒽 𝒟𝒶𝓉𝑒: 𝒥𝓊𝓃𝑒 11, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

Just a tip: if you are going to read this book, start early in the day because you are not gonna want to put it down until it’s done!

Emma Wheeler is a struggling screen writer who put her career as well as her life on hold for the past ten years to care for her father after a tragic accident hit their family. When she has the opportunity to work with her idol, Charlie Yates, she can’t turn it down. Tasked with re-writing the awful script he’s written, Emma quickly realizes the biggest reason Charlie’s script is so bad is because he doesn’t believe in love or happy endings. What comes along is a journey of discovery for both Emma and Charlie.

WOW is all I have to say! From the first chapter, I was immediately hooked and knew this book was going to be great. Katherine’s writing style just draws you in and manages to touch your soul throughout her book. The main characters were so lovable. I completely adored the banter between Emma and Charlie. The friendships, family ties, and all the moving pieces made this story wonderful on all kinds of levels. This book is fun, lighthearted, and will make you believe in the power of love and how important it is to chase your dreams.

Thank you @netgalley & @stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange my honest review.

What an absolute delight of a book! A rom com within a rom com, what’s not to love?! I say this every time, but I have not read a Katherine Center book that I haven’t loved. This one might be my new favorite. 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. So many great quotes and gems to take away as well.

Katherine Center just never gets it wrong.
Her books are absolutely delicious. I'm not usually a romance reader. I usually either find them cheesy or ridiculous. But Katherine Center is an exception. Her books are intelligent, truly funny, and always, always satisfying.
Now, for THIS book. The characters are vivid and lovely. I really enjoyed all the conversation between Emma and Charlie about what makes a rom com a rom com.
And I loved the addition of Cuthbert, the guinea pig.
Absolute joy from the first page to the last. I read it one day. Which I don't recommend doing, because then it's over 😞. Make it last! Spread the joy out as long as you can!

This was my first Katherine Center book and it definitely won’t be my last. From the first chapter I was immediately hooked, there’s something about her writing that just draws you in. The characters were so lovable and I absolutely adored the banter between Emma and Charlie. This was the perfect read to pull me out of a book slump. Every time something exciting happened there was a twist I didn’t except later on. Thank you netgalley and St. Martins Press for allowing me to read this advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a unique plot! And true to Katherine Center, she writes book filled with so much character depth and life reflection that you wonder if you're reading a romance novel or witnessing/having a therapy session. I highlight so many passages of her books as I'm reading. Honestly I would've rated it 5-stars except I personally was absolutely appalled at one of the MC's decisions towards the end of the book that it made me want to throw it across the room and I had a hard time wrapping my head around how such an action could be forgivable...so 10/10 for eliciting strong emotions from me while reading.

This book is everything I was wanting, needing, and hoping it would be. Somehow this author manages to touch your very soul throughout her books. I don't know how, but the characters are so personable, it's as if you knew them. The story moves along at the perfect pace, the characters are absolutely adorable, yet relatable, and touching in so many ways. Whenever I'm done reading one of this author's books the characters stay with me, the storyline touches my heart, and I look forward to reading another book of hers. These books are like a warmth and smile to your heart. Needless to say, I loved this book. Emma and Charlie were completely adorable from beginning to end. The friendships, the family ties, all the moving pieces made this story just wonderful on so many levels. I would recommend this book to absolutely everyone, and honestly can't wait to re-read it. Wonderful, outstanding, and lovely book!

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 glowing stars

I laughed and balled my eyes out! I loved it. The last few releases haven’t been my fave. I can definitely say this will be an all time fave for me now. At first, I wasn’t too sure about this one, then bam, I was all about it. It was cute, sad, swoony. This one gave me all the feels.

Can’t wait to get my hands on this one for my shelves.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Publish date: June 11, 2024

This book was fantastic. I absolutely LOVE Katherine Center’s books. I would love to write a full review once St. Martin’s Press appropriately responds to the racist actions of their employee and commits to making their readers and reviewers or color comfortable continuing to support them as a company.

I adore all Katherine Center books! Seriously she can do no wrong.

This one is a play on rom- coms as the title suggests and was delivered in such a cute way. I adored the main character Emma and felt so invested in her story! I really enjoyed the banter with her and Charlie and also getting to see Jack from the Bodyguard again.

My only qualm was that there was a good amount of cheese in this one. I think it was fairly internal but sometimes I had to just go with it and not think too much. It is also perfect for people who don’t like 🌶️ in their books- there were a few kisses and that was it.

I will continue to read anything this woman writes! Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.