Member Reviews
This was not my favorite Katherine Center book, but I still really enjoyed it. The banter between the characters is top-notch and it was an interesting premise for a love story. Center does it again!
Another clever Katherine Center read! Center is a master at creating believable and relatable characters. Maybe the situations they find themselves in are more far fetched (duh, why else do we enjoy fiction?) but so much fun to root for! Emma deserves the big break she gets and is able to help Charlie see he deserves a break himself. I loved the writing references and the endearing friends/family characters in this story. I love it when characters see the best in each other and help the other see those amazing qualities too. What else can you ask from a Rom-Com?
I want to preface by saying, Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors. Her books are feel good, happy books and they always have the warm and fuzziest of endings, BUT this one fell SO flat for me. The fact that "Charlie Yates" was said about a million times throughout the novel, and it was beyond annoying. The romance between Charlie and Emma was not there for me, at all. I found myself not invested in their love story at all. While I related to Emma being the caregiver of her father, her actions were *TOO* extreme at times. Also, the moral was lost on me? It just didnt't hit me in my feels.
Emma is a writer who has experienced trauma and has put her life on hold to care for a parent.
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Charlie is an award-winning screenwriter who has been through the wringer (no spoilers!).
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They come together to rework Charlie’s hot mess of a screenplay for a rom-com movie. Y’all - I love these two. This book had me swooning, had me on the verge of tears, and had me beaming. Pool scene and Award show - I’m looking at you! I don’t want to spoil anything but where the Emma and Charlie get to - and the overarching theme of the book - is moving.
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So, all my romance readers, this one is for you. I love it, and so far, it’s my top romance of the year.
@katherinecenter I missed ordering a signed copy, but I’ll be grabbing one tomorrow. I hope your pub day/week/month is fantastic!
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The physical copy has sprayed pink edges. Do I need to say anything else? No, I rest my case.
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TW: death of a parent, divorce, and cancer
I absolutely love the premise of this book. An aspiring writer who gets the chance to work with her writing idol in Hollywood. I think it creates a great dynamic between the two. You immediately feel the chemistry with hopeful Emma, and grumpy Charlie. I love the author's comedic and warm writing style, while being able to show true tragedy, and make the audience hurt for her characters.
I love Katherine Center's books! She writes characters who are relatable, funny, and flawed
"The Rom-Commers" is a heartwarming romantic comedy that combines romance, humor and heartbreak. Emma Wheeler joins legendary screenwriter Charlie Yates to rewrite a rom-com script. The hardships that the characters experienced show how imperfect life is and then how our choices can make life wonderful.
Center’s writing explores love, friendship, family, and growth. "The Rom-Commers" tackles serious issues of loss, disability and emotional trauma without losing its lighthearted charm.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, KC and St Martin's Press for the eARC to read and review.
I enjoyed Katherine Center's last book, and was hoping for the same spark and surprise revelation, however this one just ever so slightly missed the mark. I enjoyed Emma and Charlie, as well as their journey, but some things at the end just seemed a little too convenient (even for a rom-com). Still, very enjoyable and a great summer read!
I absolutely loved this.
Like LOVED this. Yeah, first and foremost, it was a cute rom-com with great characters and believable chemistry. It was really the secondary plot, the plot of guilt and resentment inside a family, that elevated it. Such an enjoyable read with great scenes.
LOVED it.
This is the book I wish Nora Goes Off Script had been. As someone who works in the entertainment as a producer and screenwriter, The Rom-Commers felt very authentic to the Hollywood/writing experience, whereas the inaccuracies in NGOS made me want to hurl my Kindle across the room about ten times in the first five pages.
The Rom-Commers is delightful, a celebration of the romcom genre, with fun banter, quirky scenes, and characters that feel real and relatable (even for Hollywood types). Honestly it won me over when the FMC got a dressing-down for attempting to hand her script to a famous director in a cafe (a huge no-no). You can tell the writer did her research, which I appreciate.
Highly recommend!
This was so fantastic on audio (as per usual from Katherine Center books narrated by Patti Murin). I loved that he falls first, the family values, and the humor! This was such a love letter to romance readers and romcom movie lovers and I adored this. This was uplifting and tender hearted and I am so grateful to have gotten to read this story!
Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!
3.5 rounded to 4 stars
I usually adore Katherine Center books, but this one was just OK for me.
Emma adores Charlie Yates, a writer. He is her favorite author. When he writes a rom-com screenplay, it is awful, and her friend asks her to save the script. Charlie doesn't want help, but Emma moves into his Hollywood home to help with the rewrite. Emma must educate him on what a rom-com must feature. She also helps him face some of his fears, and of course, they are attracted to each other. Charlie also helps Emma's career.
Sweet romance.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for review copies, and @daniallreads magic giveaway winner picker for choosing me to win this beautiful finished copy!
One might think that reading a book called “The Romcommers” would be just a fun little easy read that skates right by your heart without shredding it into a million pieces. And one would be wrong, because while it has all the funny charm and humor that I love from Katherine, this book also packs several emotional punches. So much so that while listening to the last ~30% of the book, I sat and quietly sobbed on the couch (Brian was cautiously concerned until I told him it was just me being moved by the written word). There were thoughts that Emma voiced about grief, guilt, and holding together families in the aftermath that illuminated deep seeded feelings I didn’t realize I was carrying. There is still so much romance and swoon and my god Charlie should be on the Mount Rushmore of Men Written By Women. In short, this is my new favorite Katherine Center book and while I recommend asking about CWs to take care of yourself, it is a book I don’t think anyone should miss. If you’re an audio lover, Patti Murin is exceptional as always and you won’t be disappointed.
#MacAudio2024 #macmillanaudio #stmartinspress #katherinecenter #theromcommers #romance #womensfiction #fivestarreads
If you had told me a few years ago that I would be devouring Rom-Coms and loving them I would not have believed you. It's quite interesting to me that I am finding myself not only enjoying this genre but seeking it out.
The Rom-Commers has been my favorite Rom-Com to date! The characters are well developed and the story moves smoothly. The enemies to lovers troupe is becoming a fav and Katherine Center knows how to tell a story that will not only entertain you but you keep invested in the characters lives.
Emma Wheeler want to be a screenwriter. She dreams of it but she spends her days as the sole caretaker of her father. Her father is kind, loving and his caretaking regime is complex and Emma doesn't trust anyone to do it. So when an opportunity of a lifetime knocks at her door she is hesitant to take it. It's in L.A. and it's a chance to re-write a script with Charlie Yates a dream that is about to come true!
With plans in place Emma heads off to L.A. but she quickly finds out that Charlie doesn't really care about the script and he doesn't want her help! Charlie isn't a fan of rom-coms. Emma weasels her way but will the saying, "Never meet your heroes. They'll surely disappoint." be a lesson Emma learns.
The Rom-Commers is a fast read. You'll zip thought it in no time. The characters are lovable and cute! Charlie is a bit of a grouch but a delightful one! The banter is fun and entertaining. This book surpassed my expectations.
I was hooked on this story right from the start. Katherine Center is a favorite for me and her books are always so enjoyable. They are a perfect mix of all things you want in a Romance. They are always packed with so much emotion. I really couldn’t put this down.
Emma Wheeler is an aspiring screenwriter. When the opportunity of a lifetime arrises for her to work with the famous screenplay writer (and love of her life), Charlie Yates, she jumps at the opportunity. Charlie has written a romantic comedy that’s beyond terrible, and Emma is tasked with helping him re-write it and teach him a lesson or two about love along the way.
I absolutely adored Emma so much. She was sweet, funny and oh so lovable. A complete spitfire with an infectious personality. She was so much fun to read about and I feel she was the driving force of me not being able to put this read down.
On the other hand, Charlie wasn’t my favorite. He’s was extremely mean to Emma at times, when she didn’t deserve it. It was hard for me to warm up to him because of that. I understand he didn’t believe in love, but it was all so unnecessary for him to be THAT mean to Emma. In the end he did win me over with his sweetness and his grand gesture. I enjoyed watching him learning about true love. The ending felt a bit rushed to me, but even with all that is was still a 4 star read for me. I really liked it. It’s worth a read and I want to thank @smpromance and @netgalley for the ARC for my honest review.
Such a great book! Katherine Center is one of the best authors of today! There is nothing I love more than a great Rom-Com and all the commentary on the genre was such an innovative way to prove the importance of these stories. The characters were interesting, and their back stories were deep for this type of story. I found myself rooting for them the entire story. Loved it and would highly recommend!
What a stunning reading experience.
I found myself overtaken by the life of Emma, a caregiver for her dad and an aspiring screen-writer. She has major guilt for things out of her control and grief from those things too. She gets the chance to meet her idol Charlie, a famous screen writer whom she has had the biggest crush on.
He’s trying to get a screen play for a romcom picked up but is tragically unable to give a care about romance. Thats where Emma comes in.
Their journey to writing the Rom-Commers is so beautiful and heartfelt and I had the ride of my life with them. I was captivated by Katherine Center’s world building and truly cannot wait to pick up her next one!
Unfortunately, this was not for me. The plot felt nonexistent, the romance wasn't believable, and neither of the characters were likable. The main love interest felt rude and disingenuous, while the female love interest felt more starstruck than actually in love. And while I understand that this was a good representation of caretaker burnout, at times Emma also came across as mean and was framed to be a "not like other girls" girl rather than someone with an authentic experience.
There were too many conflicts and arguments in this book for my liking. I liked the caretaking aspects and the happy endings.
This author always delivers with witty dialogue and an interesting plot, supporting a story of romance, and once again, she delivers in spades. . Her books always makes me happy - I thoroughly enjoy reading them! Emma is a wannabe big-time script writer, but is stuck with mediocre jobs as her main focus is caring for her father. She’s put her life on hold while her younger sister Sylvie pursues her college degree. When her old high school boyfriend calls with an offer to her of moving to LA to help a well-known author with his oh-so-terrible script for a rom-com. As much as she tries to talk herself out of going, her sister and dad basically boot her out the door, believing this could be her big break. Only problem is - best-selling author Charlie Yates knows his rom-com script is terrible, but has not asked for help. Add to the mix is the fact that Charlie is Emma’s big crush. This sets up a situation with some hilarious dialogue, as Emma shreds his script to bits and Charlie stands by his belief that rom-coms are just silly. As they delve more into the script and Emma and Charlie work on rewrites, each opens up to the other of past hurts that affects them and their relationships today. Together they find a way to heal. I flew through this one in just a few days - her books always play out like a movie in my head. This is a perfect read for summer - highly recommend! Out now, highly recommend this one!
Read this book. Katherine Center writes such flawed but loveable characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. This is not a light romance but has so much depth to it as the characters deal with death, cancer, panic attacks, etc... that really drew me and had me emotionally invested. This is a story about love and about allowing yourself to be loved and I could not recommend this book more!