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?

Emma put her life and career on hold to care for her sweetheart-of-a-dad when tragedy struck. Now she
gets the opportunity of a lifetime to help re-write a rom-com screenplay with screenwriter Charlie Yates, Emma’s idol, but the job isn’t exactly as described.

I absolutely loved The Rom-Commers! I laughed, I cried, and my heart soared with joy! Hard to go wrong with Katherine Center. There’s always layers, with the characters and with the story. I don’t want to break everything down, because I feel it’s better to go in and experience all the lovely for yourself, but it’s a definite 5-Star recommend!

I alternately read and listened to an audio version of the story, and I can recommend either version. Patti Murrin narrates, and she acted her heart out, bringing out all the emotions, making each character come to life! So wonderful! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed

Of almost all of the books I’ve read I think Charlie has the biggest ego. At first he comes off as a jerk but under that is a very sweet complex guy. He is not the perfect guy and says the wrong things- often but I think all of that is what makes him a great character. Might be one of my favorite characters written in a while.

Emma is a good character and has her own issues but I feel like she was needed more to show Charlie the way and not the other way around.

Put the two together and we’ve got a great story…until the ballroom scene. It was cringey in my opinion. Everything besides that one scene I loved.

Katherine Center can always be depended on to give us beautiful, closed-door romances with a bit of angst. The Rom-Commers is no exception. She tackles everything from sacrifice in the name of love, abandonment issues, grief, and misplaced guilt to the worthiness of the romantic comedy genre and the challenges of working in the film industry in Los Angeles.

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!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Center, and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I love Katherine Center, and I could not wait to read this one! And just as I had hoped, it did not disappoint! This story and main characters just made me smile and I became so attached to them and even though I couldn't put this one down, I hated to see the story end! 5 star read for me!

First I would like to thanks St. Martin's Press for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the story of Emma Wheeler, freelance screen writer, who after getting call from her agent asking if she would move to L.A. to fix her favorite screenwriter's, Charlie Yates, romcom script. When she is pushed out of her house by her sister and dad, who needs full-time care, she arrives in L.A. and learns that not only did Charlie not know she was coming he refused to work with her. Charlie decides he will work with Emma, after she says how horrible his romcom script is, and she moves into his house then spends the first evening taking Charlie's script apart explaining why it's terrible. They start to get into a writing rhythm and Emma continues to push Charlie out of his comfort zone and forces him to reenact the bad scenes he wrote in his scrip to prove they are not romantic. While performing these reenactments lines start to blur and both Emma and Charlie are confused what is real and what is for the script. After something happens between Emma and Charlie and Emma's dad ends up in the hospital, Emma quits the project and returns home refusing to see Charlie again. Charlie flies to Houston to see Emma and wants to do everything to help her even when she continues to refuse any help from him.

What I loved:
- Banter, Charlie and Emma have amazing banter between the two of them and I love how they refuse to pull verbal punches when they speak
- Emma, she sacrificed her dreams to take care of her dad after the accident and she still is a great screenwriter who is willing to fight for what she wants even if it means continuing to sacrifice what she wants
- Rom Commers, the movie they end up writing together seems like such a fun story in itself since its a fictionalized version of their time together
- Charlie, even though he is very frustrating at times I love seeing the growth in him throughout the story and how when it comes to someone he loves he will do what he needs to to take care of them

Overall I really enjoyed this book and it was a great start to my summer reading journey. It has a great family story, fun characters, some unnecessary drama and a really sweet romance that you will root for throughout. If you are looking for a romantic comedy where the two main characters continuously spar, push each other to be better and have a great cast of side characters I would absolutely recommend you go pickup this book.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

I don’t think this author is for me, which is a surprise to me as she is a well loved author. This is my 3rd of her books and they all fall, unfortunately, in the just okay category.

It took me a while to figure out why I didn’t love this one but I think it’s a couple things. I did not like how the narrator talks to the reader, it took me out of the story and I found it distracting. It was also missing the hilarious banter I look for in my favourite romances. And the last thing that lost me was Charlie. I simply did not like him. Overall it felt long and I was eager to be done with it.

Not to say I will never read anything else by this author, but I do think 3 books is enough for me to say we don’t click.

If you’ve read this or love this author I’d love to hear all the reasons you love her! Convince me!

It sure does have a gorgeous cover. Thank you to @stmartinspress for my early copy. This one is out on Tuesday and I have no doubt I am in the minority and it will be popular.

Thank you NetGalley for the Audiobook ARC. I enjoyed this book but I just felt like not enough things were going on or that there was too much of a push and pull. I am someone who enjoys more instalove in romances personally. Overall the chemistry is great between the characters and the story is very entertaining. Just not my typical romance but I’m glad I could expand my tastes.

Unfortunately, Katherine Center's writing is not for me. I find it to be choppy, much too "tell-y," and generally very awkward and forced. The first page of this book was so jarring because the reader receives so much information in such a forced, unnatural way. The set-up of this, while fine in theory, was not well executed. Ultimately, I chose not to finish the book.

Looking for the perfect summer read? Might I recommend The Rom-Commers? It’s sweet and quirky and heartwarming.

@katherinecenter knows how to write banter and these MCs banter constantly.

Therefore, come for the banter, stay for the deep conversations on caregiving and grief.

Special thanks to SMP for the ARC.

Katherine Center drops another fabulous romantic comedy and this one is my favorite tropes- Enemies to Lovers. Emma Wheeler gets the opportunity of a lifetime to work with her absolute favorite screenwriter. However, he is not so excited to work with her. This book made me laugh out loud and brought tears to my eyes. It evoked all of my emotions. The banter between Emma and Charlie was perfection! If you are looking for a quick and easy read- this is the one! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this Advanced Reader