Emma was a promising screenwriter who sacrificed probable success and ten years of her life to take care of her younger sister and her father who suffered a traumatic brain injury when she was a teen. She’s earned a living writing freelance movie reviews, but her former high school boyfriend-turned-talent manager continues to send her job prospects. When the opportunity to work as a ghostwriter for her favorite screenwriter Charlie Yates is offered, it’s a chance she is loath to pass up. He’s famous for “guy” films but is being forced to write a romantic comedy in order to get the green light for his next gangster film. He, like so many other “serious” writers, disdains the genre and, not surprisingly, is no good at writing them. Lucky for him, Emma’s an expert and she refuses to let him ruin “his career, the romantic comedy genre as a whole, and all our lives with this nuclear-waste-fueled dumpster fire of a screenplay.” If she can just get past his curmudgeonly appearance and grumpy demeanor (that makes him seem 20 years older than he is) and break down the walls he has built after being abandoned by both his mother and ex-wife, then she might be able to teach him a thing or two about what makes for a successful romance, that love is real (and not just in the movies), and that sacrifice and risk are worth it if you find the right person.

There’s so much to love about this story: the witty banter and snark (especially the frozen veggies on the bruised tailbone scene); the way Emma challenges Charlie, first by being brutally honest about how bad his first rom-com screenplay is and then by forcing him into immersion research on romance (something he’s committed to in his previous movies but resists for what he considers not worth the effort); the fact that she has a virtual museum of movies kisses on her laptop for Charlie to view with her, but still thinks real-life experience is better; how Emma and Charlie’s relationship is so obviously classic rom-com material, including everything from line dancing to literally falling into each other (which Emma insisted wasn’t the least bit romantic until it happened to her); and, finally, Emma’s take on happily-ever-after: “We act like ‘and they lived happily ever after’ is trying to con us into thinking that nothing bad ever happened to anyone ever again. But that’s never the way I read those words. I read them as ‘and they built a life together, and looked after each other, and made the absolute best of their lives.’” For fans of Center’s The Bodyguard, there is even a cameo from Jack Stapleton who is slated to star in the film. This is rom-com gold for fans of Christina Lauren and Abby Jimenez. Highly recommended!

This might be a record for me, but DNF @9%.

I had an absolute hatred for Emma almost immediately and I knew I couldn't go on. The way she was immediately portrayed as a martyr for taking care of her disabled dad and then immediately declined help when her sister stepped up to help like had previously been promised that rubbed me the wrong way.

I never actually made it to meeting Charlie, but a quick kindle search showed that his full name, first and Last, had already been mentioned 33 times by 9% into the book and I already hate him.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC to me!

Why do Katherine Center books always make me cry? Because somehow in someway they always hit something I needed. I adored the depth of this read. Emma and her struggles reminded and resonated with me on a whole new level. I also felt for Charlie even though his decisions annoyed me. My only thing I didn’t love was how LONG it took to get to the romance. The reason why I get, but I still wanted some butterflies 🦋. All in all, I adored the topics this one covered and KC will forever be an auto-buy for me.

I read Hello Stranger several months ago and fell in love with the story, but even more with @katherinecenter's author's note describing what makes romance so special: We romance readers aren't fluffy. We read romance to anticipate hope and bliss. In a world that has a lot of terrible things going on, this is powerful. (It's really hard to sum it up so just go read it)

The Rom Commers is Center's author's note turned into a novel in the best way. It was sweet, funny, emotional, and a joy to read. I loved the way it was written almost in the style of shows like "The Office," with occasional asides/"fourth-wall breaks" to keep the reader engaged and interested.

I don’t think Katherine Center knows how not to write a book that’s beloved. In true fashion, her latest romcom hit, is full of amazing characters & a sweet love story you root for!


Thank you so much, Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press.& NetGalley, for my copy to read & give my honest review!

This book did not disappoint.

Emma is a ghost screenwriter. She wanted to be a screenwriter, but then her dad had an injury and she had to become his caretaker. When she gets an offer to co-write with her favorite screenwriter (think, picture posted to her wall level of favorite), she can’t turn it down. But when she shows up, he turns out to be a little less than willing to work with somebody, let alone an unknown. His rom-com script is also the worst thing Emma has ever read, and she realizes it’s because he doesn’t believe in rom-coms or in love. So she decides it’s her job to prove him wrong on all accounts.

What I loved most about this book was how transparent it was. A lot of romance novels hinge on silly miscommunications that don’t get resolved or people believing that someone else thinks a certain way about them. Rom-Commers doesn’t stand on this trope. There are some miscommunications or overheard conversations, but Emma immediately confronts them. It still lends itself to conflict, but felt more realistic and complex which I greatly enjoyed.

Emma is a wonderfully written character as well. She is multidimensional with her history and strength, balanced by her passion and her weaknesses. Charlie, the screenwriter, is also a fun character. A lot of the time, Center will save the exposure of a trauma until the end of the story. In this book, she drops it all on you pretty quickly. It shows why Charlie is the way he is and why he might be hesitant, as opposed to Emma just being like “why is this guy being so difficult?!”

It was also fun getting some characters from previous novels in this one. I always enjoy when characters come back. This book made me smile and want to watch a ton of rom-coms, so I think it did its job.

Katherine Center does not miss. I will forever read her novels. If you like romance but sometimes feel they’re either too spicy or a little too fluffy for you, Center’s book might be more up your ally. There aren’t any spicy scenes and there is always a serious note to her stories. I can’t wait to read more of her books!

This was my first time reading Katherine Center and I really enjoyed her writing style. I tend to gravitate toward writers that use less adjectives and more nouns and verbs (aka fun dialogue and constant plot). I will definitely read more of her stuff!!

That being said, I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would because I didn't enjoy the main characters. They were bold and concrete in who they were but I didn't enjoy them together. These two very different individuals were constantly (purposefully) recreating romantic situations so of course they were going to be together. It felt forced and predictable.

I found myself wanting to know what was going on at Emma's dad's house with her sister and boyfriend.

This is a great beach/pool read if you are wanting some fun cheesy romance to spice up your summer!!

4 ⭐️

- grumpy x sunshine
- one of us is famous
- workplace romance
- forced proximity
- 🌶: none

tw/cw: death of a parent, paralysis, meniere’s disease, cancer, hypochondria, panic attacks, anxiety


This one was a classic Katherine Center romcom (borderline women's fiction) with no spice, deeper messages and meanings, and real life events and struggles. I adored Charlie and his growth throughout the story. I saw him open up his shell and heart to Emma and could truly see his feelings for her. However, with Emma, I felt like all I had to rely on was that she has been such a huge fan of Charlie, and the bit at the start where she describes that she finds him attractive. Sadly, I didn't feel Emma's love for Charlie as I did Charlie for Emma (and I was waiting for that moment to hit the whole book).

things I liked:
- Charlie (after he opened his shell & heart)
- the rep for meniere's disease
- THE GUINEA PIG!!!! (more books with them pls lol)
- overall messages & lessons always included in Katherine Center books

things I didn't like:
- I couldn't feel Emma's love for Charlie
- the storyline of Emma & her sister (no spoilers of course!! but I feel like Emma needed to apologize & she never did. It truly angered me)
- the continuous negative talk about her curly hair (as someone with curly hair at first it was relatable & whatever. but it continues as the book goes on. might as well say curly hair will always make you look messy & gross and sleek straight hair is better 🙄)
- moments/messages in the epilogue felt a little out of place and random

overall I enjoyed this book and recommend it if it interests you! But, I also see how it didn't work for others and the issues they had with it!


thank you NetGalley for the arc 💓

Another cute, romantic comedy from Katherine. The more of her books I read, the more I want to keep working on her backlist.

Emma is a screenwriter. Her friend sets her up to work with big name Charlie Yates, basically against Charlie’s will. In the beginning she didn’t even want to take the job, it meant leaving her disabled father behind and traveling to LA. Even though Charlie doesn’t really want her there, he allows her to stay. He needs her help fixing his rom-com screenplay that is just terrible. She’s a romantic at heart and is determined to teach him what true romance is.

There were moments when I wanted to strangle both characters, but I guess that was kind of the point. The story is about showing them grow, as individuals and as a couple.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copies of this book.

Romantic comedy is not my preferred genre but I am glad I read this one. Besides being an entertaining novel, I learned what a rom-com actually is and how it is plotted. There were also some interesting discussions about fiction. Emma notes that one can learn more about love from screenplays and movies than real life. She also notes we gravitate toward the stories we need in life. We look for answers to our questions in stories.

While I am not a fan of romantic comedy, I recommend this one. The development of the romance is fun and the novel itself is informative and thought provoking. Center is a good writer and I enjoyed this novel.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center might just be my favorite rom-com of the year! I absolutely loved this can’t-put-down-story (I actually couldn’t put it down and stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it) about aspiring screen writer Emma Wheeler who had to put her career on hold to be her father’s caretaker after he was in a horrible rock climbing accident. It might be Emma’s lucky break when the stars align and she’s given the opportunity to help rewrite a rom-com written by one of her all-time favorite screen writers, Charlie Yates AND her younger sister is able to stay with and care for their dad. For fans of Beach Read and Nora Goes Off Script.

I’m pretty sure that the constant up and down of emotions in this story have given me a stomach ulcer. It was incredibly stressful. I’m usually someone who enjoys experiencing a full spectrum of feelings but this just felt a bit like repetitive whiplash. This is the only thing keeping me from rating this 5 stars. Otherwise I found this story to be very enticing and I loved the unique premise. I found Charlie to be a unique and lovable character even when he wasn’t making the greatest decisions. Emma was frustrating more often than not but that just shows that she’s a thoroughly flawed character. Overall this wasn’t my favorite Katherine Center book, but it was a pleasant journey nonetheless.

Katherine Center has been popping up on my world for a while. I’m being recommended her books by everyone and everything. Friends are recommending, ads are recommending, bookstores are recommending. When I had the opportunity to get the advanced copy of this one, her newest book, it seemed like fate. I didn’t even read the plot, I requested it and let the fates guide me.

Thank you, fates, cause I really enjoyed this book! I am unashamed to say that I am absolutely the target audience for this book, and I was not disappointed. I thought the premise was a good one; two screenwriters coming together to fix a disastrous romance screenplay, with one believing in love and one pointedly not believing in it. That set up makes for some great comedy. I enjoyed the main characters a lot, Emma was what I like in a main - strong, opinionated, smart, and flawed. She wasn’t perfect and made mistakes, but that makes for more interesting reading. Charlie took me longer to warm up to, but I feel like that was on purpose, maybe? He’s a big shot screenwriter who doesn’t want to work with Emma cause he doesn’t actually care about the screenplay. Of course they are going to butt heads!

🎥 Hollywood Screenwriters
🌗 Opposites Attract
💗 Loves Love
🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Strong Family Dynamic
🏊‍♀️ Pools
🌹 HEA

I was so excited for this book after seeing so many amazing reviews on Goodreads and Instagram, but I'm sad to say that this book just wasn't for me.

I felt no chemistry between Charlie and Emma. I hated how C treated E, he was so deceiving, mean, and selfish. Emma was so enamored by Charlie she just ignored how awful he was and kept on hoping that he'd get nicer. I hated that she felt she was forced to take care of her dad, what happened with her mom, "Charlie Yates", and C's sickness. Overall, I really hated how toxic the main characters are.

Not my favorite KC book. I wanted to love this book, I just didn't. I HATED how Charlie talked about Emma. LIKE REALLY hated the complete tear down attacks on her characterandcircumstances...and she still wanted him?!?! ICK!!!

Pros:writing process insight

Cons: Charlie is an absusive douchebag. How can you talk so terribly about someone you are falling in love with?! Then there's the ending.....give me a break! 🫤

This might be my lowest rating ever!? You might want to pass on this one?

This is my first Katherine Center book, and it won't be my last. It was the perfect light read with substance. I enjoyed that the two main characters, Emma and Charlie, are screenwriters who are writing a rom-com while living their own rom-com. I was utterly charmed by this story and read it in one day. Highly recommend.

Thank you netgalley for this arc.

I love Katherine Center and this might be my favorite book she has ever written. Books about writers will always feel superior to me. This book follows the perfect romcom arc, I found myself giggling & kicking my feet.

What to expect:
-enemies to lovers
-forced proximity
-celebrities & LA setting
-medical diagnosis/challenges
-grief
-closed door romance
-love after loss

Big thank you to NetGalley for this ARC & giving me an opportunity to experience the joy this book brought me!

Thank you so much to @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for the ALC/ARC!

🩷 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🩷
This book was fantastic. Katherine Center’s stories are so heartfelt and well thought out, I wouldn’t be able to recommend this story enough! It left me feeling happy and hopeful at the end of it, and that’s a great feeling to get from a book!

I love that this story is about two screenwriters writing a romantic comedy story… a romcom story about romcom writers!! Emma is the romcom know all, amateur screenwriter. Charlie is the famous, well-known screenwriter who does Not write romance, and needs help writing a romance moving re-doing, It Happened One Night, that he got roped into writing.

Emma’s manager gets her the job of partnering with Charlie to write together. Charlie is not in favor of the situation and Emma is trying her best to work with him. Emma stays with Charlie, and slowly a fun relationship develops between the two of them. When real chemistry arises, and Emma wants to teach Charlie what a romance is all about in a romcom, feelings start to get involved!

I enjoyed Emma’s backstory here as being a caretaker for her father. Emma is a very take charge person but still has a lot to learn about herself. Charlie seems to have it all going for him on the outside, but has some internal struggles happening that Emma notices and empathizes with.

The ending of this book has such sweet and heartfelt moments that Katherine writes so wonderfully. She has easily become a go-to author I look forward to her books releasing.

Side note: I was supposed to see Katherine at her book tour in Indiana this past Thursday and half way there, my car broke down, so I couldn’t go! 😭 I was super disappointed because listening to Katherine would have been amazing, so I can’t wait to hopefully go in the future!!

🎧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🩷 RomComs
💚 Grumpy Sunshine
💜 Fun Banter
💛 Closed Door
🧡 Celebrity Romance/Screenwriters
💙 Forced Proximity/Roommates

This book captivated me from the VERY first page. Romantic, swoon worthy, with just enough conflict...the leads were adorable and the big scenes...straight out of rom coms. I could see them playing out on screen. I love that the leads are both screenwriters and the Hollywood setting added a fun dimension. Honestly, Katherine Center is a master of the rom com genre! This is my second book I have read and absolutely adored of hers.
Throw this one in the beach bag this summer. You'll be smiling as you tear through it in a day. It's impossible to put down.
Thanks #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Emma Wheeler had been on mission for last ten years taking care of her family. And then suddenly she gets an opportunity to write with Charlie Yates. He is her idol, most favorite writer! They meet with a clash…and fireworks 💥 ensue…

This book held my heart, attention in its pages. I just couldn’t put I down and so I put my life, sleep on hold.