Thank you St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this e-arc and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I primarily listened to The Rom-Commers and enjoyed the audiobook. I have listened to other Katherine Center books on audio and I enjoy her voice narrating. I am disappointed that I am an outlier here. I wanted to love this book because all of Katherine Center's books have been 4 stars and up for me, however, this book fell a little flat for me. I never really felt a true connection between Emma and Charlie. I had a hard time liking Charlie. He was a little too blunt, which came off rude. There were a couple of times I was mad that Emma even tolerated that. I think that tainted any of the ending being salvaged.

Overall, it was not my favorite romance book, however, it has glowing recommendations so I would suggest readers give it their shot!

"The Rom-Commers" is a contemporary romance novel that unfolds with the classic 'enemies to lovers' narrative. The protagonist, Emma Wheeler, an aspiring screenwriter, seizes a rare chance to revise a script for the esteemed Charlie Yates. This novel imparts a sense of optimism and underscores the transformative potential of love. It stands as a testament to Katherine Center's prowess as a storyteller and her talent for crafting characters that deeply connect with readers.

I would highly recommend "The Rom-Commers" to those who relish contemporary romance novels brimming with heartwarming tales and intricately developed characters. It promises to be an enchanting read that honors the enchantment of love stories in their myriad forms.

I was so wary of this after the ridiculousness of this author’s last release aka the face blindness book Hello Stanger. However, I had to give it a shot because I enjoyed The Bodyguard.

This one started off good and was so promising but the entire book is built on unresolved trauma that never really gets resolved… Unfortunately, the last third of this book really killed it for me. There was miscommunication, delusion, foolishness and cruelty. The ending left so much to be desired. The couple just could have ended up in such a better place (literally) and the romance in general kind of fell flat for me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for the ARC <3

This book will make laugh and cry. It will make you frustrated and also rooting for the main characters. I loved every minute of it.

I loved the overall romantic storyline but I loved the other life lesson bits too.

𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆.𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒕-𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒕.

I really love that so much. Life is hard and we all have tragic things happen but the tragedy doesn’t have to define us. YOU get to choose how you react and how you move forward. There was a lot of examples of this in this book and I appreciated them all. I loved that not everyone makes the best decisions and that hurtful words were said in anger because it’s real. And once again, it’s how you move forward that truly defines who you are.

Anyways, this was a wonderful book. To quote the book again, it was simple. Not easy, but simple. I highly recommend you read this 🫶🏻

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

I adored everything about this book!! No surprise, Katherine Center has done it again!!

It's a sparkling gem in the rom-com genre. It’s a tale of Emma Wheeler, a screenwriter with a heart set on bringing love to life through film. Her collaboration with Charlie Yates is a dance of wit and romance that captures the essence of romantic comedies. A must-read for anyone who believes in the magic of love stories and the power of a well-crafted happy ending. This book will make you laugh and leave you smiling long after the final page is turned.

🎧 Katherine Center herself along with Patti Murin (@pattimurin) are the narrators. This duo brings the story to life with their engaging voices, adding an extra layer of charm to the already delightful narrative. Whether you’re a long-time fan of Katherine Center’s work or new to her stories, the audiobook promises to be a treat for the ears.

The plot. the characters, the slow burn, the spice, gah this was everything! Quickly reminded me why I love Center so much. It really is diabolical we have to wait so long for a book.. Literally should be at least one a month! I love the her writing style, ideas, the banter and gah just everything.

Adorably clever!! A perfect original story with all the classic twists and turns of a romantic comedy!

What a spectacular read! I’ve picked up a few of Katherine Center’s really special books now and all have been just absolutely incredible. I can’t wait to read her back catalogue, especially those that are now on the screen (Netflix movies)!

No one else writes clean romance like she does - in such a way I don’t even miss the steam. The Rom-Commers is a very special story where a romance writer is brought in to help clean up a script by a famous, award winning writer who is only doing a rom-com for a favor to someone so he can get another movie made (one important to him), and he doesn’t care if it flops. Other people do care, which is why Emma is brought in. Charlie Yates, the famous, doesn’t work with anyone else so rejects all attempts, until Emma gets over the hero worship, short of being run out of Hollywood (after reorganizing her entire life of caretaking her very unwell father), and just tells him how awful the script is.

This opposites attract, close proximity, workplace romance with several fantastic surprises (trigger warnings to be heeded about illnesses!), cannot be missed. Center is a pro at writing very emotional journeys that really hit you in the feels without bringing on waterworks, and take us on beautiful adventures with plenty of laughs. I know this is my favourite of the few of her books I’ve read, but it’s a hard pick.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, and this is my honest feedback.

If Katherine Centers name is on it, I already know I’m going to love it. The Rom Commers was no exception! A sweet romance with a strong, independent female lead is exactly my kind of story. Well done, as usual!

How would you feel if the opportunity of a lifetime to boost up your career came in a neatly wrapped present, but life circumstances says you probably shouldn't take it? I'd say.. just take it! That's exactly what Emma Wheeler does when she's given a rare chance to ghostwrite for her screenwriter idol Charlie Yates in LA. But the moment she arrives at his doorstep, it all goes downhill and Emma then starts to feel guilty that she left her terminally ill father in Texas to chase a dream she's withheld for a decade. What starts out as an angry misunderstanding soon evolves to the weirdest yet happiest time of Emma's life, because she does end up helping to ghostwrite for Charlie. And proves him wrong in the best ways along the way.

This one really played out like it's title and made me feel like I was in a rom-com, most of the time. The ridiculous and funny banter but with that sentimental touch that Katherine Center does so well just made this book a hit for me. Also, I love how the author is always incorporating health knowledge into her stories, this one no less. The characters were all loveable one way or another, especially Emma's dad. The cameo of Jack and Hannah from The Bodyguard was a nice touch too.

Thank you St Martin's Press for providing a digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Academy award winning screenwriter Charlie Yates has written a rom-com, and it's really really bad. Emma Wheeler has been hired through their mutual manager to help Charlie improve it since she's also a writer and totally obsessed with rom-coms. She's also a mega fan of Charlie's, but quickly finds the reason he can't write a decent rom-com. Grumpy Charlie doesn't believe in the fairytale type of love that exists in romantic fiction. So Emma has to show Charlie that love stories are possible or their story won't end in happily ever after.

Things I liked
• forced proximity
• set in L.A.
• Cuthbert the guinea pig
• Hollywood references (including a Meryl Streep cameo)
• birthday donuts
• Emma's dad

The dialogue and romance were a little cheesy for me. I've felt that way about a couple other books by this author so I'm discovering that her books just aren't for me. But I can completely understand why others love and gave this one 5 stars. So I definitely still recommend reading this one if you've loved her other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Emma Wheeler had to give up a lot to take care of her father after a tragic accident. She doesn't regret it for a moment. When her favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates, desperately needs help doctoring his latest script - an out of his genre Rom Com - she cannot pass up not only the opportunity to work with him but to save everything that is sacred about the Romcom genre. The only catch, Charlie has not been informed that Emma has been hired to help him.

After he begrudgingly accepts the need for help, it turns out that Emma and Charlie make a great writing team. As they craft their script, they unknowingly find themselves within their very own romcom, but will they get their happily ever after?

I love everything that Katherine Center puts out into the world. I love the way she's able to bring these stories full of such heart to the page but also that grief and tragedy are just as much a part of life as happiness. It's how we choose to live through these moments that end up defining us.

It's clear at the beginning that Emma has devoted so much time to taking care of her father that she's lost a little bit of herself in the process. The prospective job in LA is both exciting and a little fish-out-of-water. But I like how she still exudes that confidence in her writing that it, seemingly, doesn't phase her.

This allows Emma and Charlie to go toe to toe quite often throughout the book which are some of the highlights. I appreciate the fact that, if nothing else, Emma has confidence in her writing and her knowledge/love of romcoms, to the point where Charlie - the admittedly more commercially experienced writer - is forced to take a step back and acknowledge that how talented she really is. We don't always know a person's situation. Just because Emma doesn't necessarily have the same writing resume as Charlie doesn't mean she doesn't equally know what she's talking about when it comes to crafting or reading a good script.

I loved how the book slowly moved through all these well-known romance book / movie tropes. It felt very meta. Our characters were like living in their very own romcom while writing a screenplay for a romcom in which they're trying to kind of dismantle yet also uphold the stereotypes of romcoms everywhere.

It sounds a little confusing, but it's so much fun, but also doesn't lean too far into to being over-the-top about it. Katherine Center knows how to balance and The Rom-Commers is a perfect balance of the fun with the serious.

The Rom-Commers continues Katherine Center's tradition of giving us heartfelt stories brimming with fun and romance that also tell an important message.

I love a good romcom so a romcom about writing a romcom??? Right up my alley! & maybe I’m still coming off the high of my own wedding, but I thought this was really cute 🥹 There were some sad parts and some parts I didn’t love, but overall, I really enjoyed it.

This is the third year in a row that I've read Katherine Center's summer release in advance of publication. It's been an excellent three years—I hope the trend will continue!

The Rom-Commers sports all of Center's trademark banter, relationships of all types, misunderstandings and miscommunications, nuggets of wisdom, and laugh-out-loud humor. By the end, I succumbed to gentle crying, which is not a typical response for me—I was just so invested in the story. In fact, upon review of my e-book highlights and notes in preparation for writing this review, it's clear that I so furiously gobbled up the book that I am already ready for a reread!

If you're a softy for a love story, rom-coms, or general fun, give yourself the treat of reading this book!

This unbiased review is based on an ARC supplied by the publisher—St. Martin's Press. Publication is expected June 11.

[EDITED upon completion of second reading, increasing to 4.5⭐]

I really do love Katherine Center novels and The Rom-Commers is just another to add to my list of books by this author that I love. While the premise was cheesy, I thoroughly enjoyed this fun romance. There was rivalry, misunderstandings, bickering and all other types of behaviour that are essential to this genre but it all worked seamlessly. I'd recommend this one for a fun romantic beach read!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love a good romantic comedy movie, and this book ranks right up there with all my favorites. I do believe The Rom-Commers has also become my favorite Katherine Center novel. It brought out so many emotions and also offered up little nuggets of life wisdom to ponder. Thanks so much to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

n Rom-Commers, a struggling writer whose life has been put on hold while she takes care of her father, gets hired to help a famous screenwriter fix his abysmal romantic comedy. I LOVED IT. It was a laugh, cry and laugh some more kind of book. So funny and huggable with perfectly timed witty banter but also with such real emotion and sadness. The grief and guilt were gut wrenching but the way the humor, love and joy were interwoven made the lows of the harder parts not seem so low. What a gem.

This is yet another wonderful, heartwarming, kicking-your-feet-the-whole-time read from Katherine Center. When I tell you I ADORED Charlie and Emma!!!

Katherine always writes relatable, flawed, raw characters and I always just want to hug them. Emma has been through it in her life, yet she's got her routine and her family, and she tries to keep a positive attitude through it all. Charlie is a superstar screenwriter who seems to have it all. When these two are thrust together to rewrite Charlie's awful rom-com screenplay while living at his house in LA--well, let's just say the forced proximity does its job!!! The man does not believe in love, people! And Emma LOVES rom-coms and believes in love, hope, and all the sunshine goodness that comes with those movies.

These two go from slight enemies to reluctant colleagues to friends to head over heels for each other and I loved every second!! As with the last few Katherine Center books I've read, there's some heavier subject matter and raw moments that make you feel for these characters and root for them.

As someone who also really loves a good rom-com, this one gave me all the feels!

Thank you to Katherine, SMP and NetGalley for the ARC!

Tell me about a time when a five star snuck up on you when you needed it. This, for me, was one of those times. I’m not a serial meet cute reader (though I love the genre and will pick up any book my friends gently nudge in my direction), but I LOVED the Rom-Commers. This was an auto-five star for me—I understand the hype.

Cracking open this beautiful little book was akin to opening an oven full of freshly baked homemade Snickerdoodles, warm and roiling with sugar. Turning the pages felt like cracking open the cookie, letting the sweet sensation of it drive me away from my usual evening’s ruminating. It was a lovely distraction, and it found me at the perfectly ripe time for a rom com. From cover to ending, I devoured this book in one sitting—and it was truly, delicious.

I’m not a serial rom com reader—but I’ll read anything Katherine Center writes. The prose, the characters, the twists-it was enough to keep my attention and sufficient to keep the book in my hands until the end…I couldn’t put it down!

Emma’s self-deprecating humor? Charlie’s love for her, so visceral on the page? Also, Cuthbert? CUTHBERT?

Some things I love about this book:
- The romance…yup, cheesy but true.
- A sweet little glimpse of the writing process (It felt like I was honestly inside the house with Emma and Charlie)
- The gentle, but insightful themes of grief, anxiety, and healing.
- Caregiver rep-YES! *All about this*

This must be a movie. Please make this a movie? Please?