This book made me feel like a solid rom-com makes me feel. It made me feel happy, emotional, and warm. It wasn't just the possible relationship that made me feel this way. I liked the main character's other relationships. I liked her dad, her pseudo-agent, and her sister. They felt like real relationships that I might actually witness in the real world.

Yes, a few parts felt super unrealistic. A few parts were extra cheesy, but that's what a rom-com is. It's got feelings and makes you feel things.

No x-rated spice. I think people know that going into Katherine Center's books, but I feel like it should be mentioned.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this advanced reader copy. Unfortunately, I didn't get to it until it just got published.

One thing love about Katherine Center is how she breaks the fourth wall and writes to the reader. It creates such a different reading experience that I really love.

Last year I read The Bodyguard and adored it. That book was such a funny, cozy and light read that devoured. The Rom-Commers brought more depth and emotional discovery through the characters and I'm really glad more of that was added in. There are some real struggles brought up in this story that I loved navigating with the narrator.

Overall, highly recommend! Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I absolutely adore Katherine Center's books. She is an author that is an automatic read for me and always goes to the top of my TBR pile. The Rom-Commers did not disappoint. I absolutely fell in love with Emma & Charlie. The enemy-to-lovers trope is one that Katherine Center does so well. These complex characters each brought so much to the story and kept me reading nonstop from page 1. I highly recommend all of Katherine Center's books, especially The Rom-Commers.

Another cute rom com by Ms. Center. Traveling to LA to live her dream, and still staying true to her tragic life she left at home, main character gets her happy ending.

This was an absolutely perfect book! I loved the characters and the plot was perfect. It brought out so many emotions from me. I even struggled not to cry in a coffee shop while reading it.

Obsessed with this book. Katherine Center does it again, this might be my favorite of hers yet (I say that every time)! I adored the characters in this book and the banter and relationship between them felt so genuine and real, as did their problems and individual growth. I loved that the side characters were fleshed out and just as charming as the main two. Highly recommend this for fans of her previous works and for those looking for a heart-warming book that is truly a love letter to romantic comedies!!

I’ve always done Katherine Centers books via audiobook and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love how she writes and engages her stories. They’re always so fun and narrated so GOOD. Plot was definitely interesting and maybe because I’ve seen it done before recently. I wish there was more of a connection to Emma and Charlie’s relationship. But opposites clearly do attract though! I really appreciated Emma’s family care and attention with them, it felt too similar to similar to me *ouch*

This book truly was a love letter to rom-coms, maybe even Nancy Meyers should work on it lol.

This is the sixth book that I have read by Katherine Center, and as always, I found her writing in this book charming, heartwarming, and fun—albeit a little cheesy at times. There were some really sweet moments between Emma and Charlie. However, both characters made several decisions that made them and their relationship hard to root for at times. That being said, I loved the last several chapters of this book and the wisdom from Emma’s dad throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Katherine Center for allowing me to read this early!

After absolutely loving her past two books, this one just felt a little bit silly to me.

After being the primary caretaker of her father for the past ten years, Emma gets a huge break in her writing career and leaves him in the care of her little sister. The break comes in the form of a writing partnership with her idol, Charlie, the most popular screenwriter in Hollywood. He doesn't believe in love and just wants to get done with this rom-com that he's been tasked with writing. Emma isn't having it and sets out to prove that true love does exist.

Katherine Center's books usually go down quick and joyfully, but this one just annoyed me. The main character, Emma, was quirky to the extreme. She had a "not like other girls" vibe that I don't like. Her stream of thoughts read like a 14 year old in a 28 year old's body. Charlie didn't make much of an impression on me. He was stoic, but not in the usual romance book charming way. He was just flat. What I did like about this book was its manifesto on why rom-coms are the best. Because they are.

Listen, I know Katherine Center's books are not usually rooted in reality and that's what makes them fun. I mean, I loved the whole face blindness plot from her previous book with my whole heart. This one just didn't hit for me. The reviews are great though, so I'm going to say it's a me problem!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

The Rom-Commers was both exactly what I was expecting and better than anything I could have thought. The characters were easy to fall for, I was convinced of their chemistry from the start, and the entire book flowed very well. I could not stop reading and when I did have to put it down, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Emma was a great character to follow along with on her journey to find herself and her relationship that blossoms with Charlie was so swoon-worthy and easy to fall for.

I think Katherine Center enveloped grief and a feeling of moral responsibility very well. As an older sister, I felt very deeply for Emma's character and her internal struggle with her future and her responsibilities. As a huge fan of both literature and movies, reading from the point of view of a screen writer and the little quirks in her mind was so fun and made her commentary laugh-out-loud!

I will be recommending this to all my customers, and especially as a romance with no spice because sometimes it is difficult to sell romance-lovers on these type of books but I feel confident that everyone will fall in love with Emma and Charlie just as I did!

Absolutely fantastic!!!! I can't believe I waited to read this, it hit every emotion so well, and I absolutely adored both Emma and Charlie. This is truly a love letter to the romcom genre and how can you not love that?

The characters: Emma was so sweet and relatable. She falls a bit into the mary-sue category just in the fact that I think many readers will relate to her and her adoration for romcoms and the way she went to bat for the genre and what falling in love means to someone. Also, she was a very strong character that I would love to emulate for her ability to care for her father and sister despite the sacrifices it meant to her own dreams.

Charlie - this man is infuriating in the best ways possible. I wanted to shake him and get him to communicate, but also those small moments where him and Emma started to understand each other were so poignant and beautiful that I really can't be mad at him. Also this poor man needs some hugs, wow, there was some serious bad timing in his life.

The ending - everything you could ever want in a romcom. Romantic gestures, tear jerking moments, a kiss for all other kisses to be measured against. If you are an Emily Henry fan then this is the book for you, hands down.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an electronic advanced readers copy of this book.

Interested in a fun, well-written and engaging book, this might be the one for you. The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center is a wildly entertaining romantic comedy about Emma, a "failed" screenwriter who is taking care of her invalid father when she gets a call from her high school ex - who is now a well-connected screenwriting manager. Her idol, Charlie Yates, is in need of a ghostwriter - successful at other genres, he has tried to put together a romantic comedy which is quite terrible.

Flown out to LA, Emma discovers that Charlie hasn't even been notified that she would be helping him. They come to a grudging agreement to work on the script. Hard to tell much without spoilers, but I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for a fun book with witty dialogue and interesting characters. Fans of her other novels will find a fun cameo from a character in one of her other novels.

This is my second book from Katherine Center and I really adored it! The Rom-Commers was adorable, wholesome, and just everything you want in a fuzzy, contemporary romance. I loved seeing Emma face her guilt and trauma over her mother’s death and her father’s life changing injury. I appreciated the growth and compassion we see from Charlie and his character arc is one of my favs for a male love interest. The only reason I didn’t rate this 5 stars was because of Charlie’s reason for pushing Emma away. I kind of HATE the sort of spineless decision like that, where you take away someone’s choice and as someone who works in the medical field (specifically specializing in leukemias and lymphomas), the whole scenario wasn’t realistic in the slightest.
!!Minor spoiler!! You don’t get accidentally diagnosed with metastasized lung cancer, especially via x-ray. Bronchitis is not easily mistaken as cancer and that just blew my mind - there’s an entire internet out there where more research could’ve been done. The only chance you’re going to get incorrectly diagnosed with cancer is through a MASSIVE screwup where a completely different patient’s sample is ran under your identifiers OR you’re being treated by the most unqualified person in existence. The one niche area of expertise I have in completely screwed up the end for me. Google is free and could’ve easily given a more realistic scenario here. !!Minor spoiler over!!

Overall, I loved 95% of this book and think it should be on any romance lover’s must read list!

Synopsis:
Emma Wheeler has been caring for her disabled father for 10 years, putting a hold on her aspirations and life so her sister can complete her schooling and live a great life. Emma’s high school friend calls her with an opportunity of a lifetime, helping a famous screenwriter, Charlie Yates, rewrite his rom com. Thus, Emma’s sister takes over the care of their father while she ventures out to LA for 6 weeks in order to save a terrible script. When Emma learns that Charlie doesn’t actually care about this movie and doesn’t believe in love, she’s determined to take him under her wing and convince him that love stories matter.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

Title: The Rom-Commers
Author: Katherine Center
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: June 11, 2024

I received complimentary eARC and ALC copies from St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Brisk • Entertaining • Cliché

📖 S Y N O P S I S

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.

💭 T H O U G H T S

After not absolutely adoring The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger over the past two summers, I was determined to give Katherine Center one more shot. I was hoping for a return to her earlier writing style, unfortunately that didn't happen.

There is no denying Katherine Center knows how to write banter. However, the banter overtakes the narrative entirely. Neither main character is overly likeable, in fact, Charlie is down right mean at times. I didn't feel any chemistry between them, hence wasn't rooting for them to end up together.

I would have preferred more of a focus on Emma with her family - the caretaking, the grief, their relationship dynamics, the history. It was the scenes that included her father that really hooked my attention. Otherwise, I was overly invested in the story.

My main issue is how the whole cancer aspect was handled. It definitely knocked it down another rung. The book would have been fine without this plotline and I am not even sure what compelled the author to include it here. This whole part left an ick feeling, and was just a solid no from me.


The audiobook narrated by Patti Murin was fine. Nothing really stood out and I would have expected a different tone for Charlie's voice, but it read mostly in the same voice. I didn't necessairly notice as I was also reading with my eyeballs, but I can see how it would be an issue for someone solely listening. The bonus content and the author's note are a nice addition at the end.

There is no doubt in my mind The Rom-Commers will be one of the most popular titles this summer. However, it will not be a favourite of mine. It's evident to me Center has taken a more comedic approach to her writing than focusing on depth and development, which is what originally drew me to her books. This is the third straight release that wasn't for me, and so it's officially time for me to break up Katherine Center as a favourite author. Maybe I will still read more in the future, but they won't be on my most anticipated lists nor will they be a priority.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• The Bodyguard and/or Hello Stranger
• banter
• closed door romance

⚠️ CW: death, death of parent, grief, cancer, injury/injury detail, traumatic brain injury, medical content, medical trauma, chronic illness, car accident, cursing, alcohol, panic attacks/disorders,

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"You had to maximize joy when it fluttered into your life. You had to honor it. And savor it. And not stomp it to death by reminding everyone of everything you'd lost."

"I had a theory that we gravitate toward the stories we need in life. Whatever we are looking for- adventure, excitement, emotion, connection-we turn to stories that help us find it."

"Tragedy really is a given. There are endless human stories, but they all end the same way. So it can't be where you're going that matters. It have to be how you get there."

The Rom-Commers is a contemporary romance novel about a twenty-something aspiring screenwriter who is hired to fix the script of one of her idols.

Emma Wheeler has put most of her Hollywood aspirations on hold to care for her father after a devastating accident and diagnosis. But an old boyfriend finds her an opportunity to doctor the script of a famous screenwriter, Charlie Yates, who can’t nail the nuances of a romantic comedy. What begins as a reluctant co-writing venture ends up being so much more. However, Emma can’t step away from her family obligations forever, and Charlie is sending some serious mixed signals.

The Rom-Commers is a sweet and funny romance novel that is about more than just the couple. I found myself wanting to highlight so many paragraphs where the characters mused about love, life, death, and taking care of people.

Just a classic Katherine Center. The woman doesn’t miss! I loved the concept, I loved the writing, I loved the structure. It was wonderful start to finish, with a couple cameos from her books’ other leading pairs. This book will leave you happy and the journey Charlie and Emma go on in this book will leave you kicking your feet (and maybe shedding a tear or two).

p.s. Be sure to go to Katherine Center’s website and read the book’s author’s note - it’s fantastic.

Great romance about two scriptwriters thrown together to rewrite one of the scriptwriter’s lousy scripts. Of course the writer is a great scriptwriter usually and his partner is one on a not great trajectory and has always adored him from afar. The neat thing about the story is that it follows the prescription for the rom com they are working on. Brilliant and funny and oh, so fun to read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley for the E-ARC I loved this story. I loved it even more than The Bodyguard and let me tell you I loved that book. I just loved Emma and what can I say about Charlie except that we all have a little bit of Charlie in us. I dont want to say too much and give anything away but this book has all the feels and not even in a mushy way but in a total this could totally happen to me way. This book is a must read

Very cute and fun. I love stories that take place around the entertainment industry and found this to be surprisingly moving at times.

Katherine Center does it again – this is absolutely, hands down my favorite book she’s ever written. The Rom-Commers was just so absolutely delightful and perfect I don’t even know what else to say – I LOVED IT! Emma and Charlie are just big dumb dummies, who eventually figure it all out. But my heavens getting there with all the banter and “non-romantic” interactions that just somehow are the most romantic things in the world – it’s just sheer utter perfection. Who knew tying shoes could be so romantic?? The way I cackled and laughed out loud reading this book, and how it also deals with such heavy subjects (loss of a parent, health scares, etc) – it was just hands down one of my top reads of 2024. This should immediately be added to everyone’s TBR, do not pass go, do not collect $200, just read this book now! You will not regret doing so.

Can someone also call Netflix to get them to make this one into a movie – we really need it, like now!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Katherine Center and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book!