Another winner!

I was so excited to get the pre-pub version of this book, well, any book by this author! I liked it a lot, maybe a tiny bit less than some of the others, but that's kind of like comparing types of chocolate, am i right?

Emma has a lot on her responsibility list, first and foremost ensuring that her father has the best possible care she can provide, which means she has little life outside of that. She takes this responsibility so seriously that she doesn't even fully trust her own sister to do her part. So when she has an opportunity to do a screenplay with her favorite actor, Charlie Yates, she struggles with the decision. Once she meets Charlie and overhears some of his conversations, she has more reason to doubt.

I am definitely planning to continue reading anything this author publishes, and I hope she continues for a long time.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Anytime I see that Katherine Center has a new book coming out, I rush to get my hands on a copy. Her books are always, and I mean always, delightful reads. A little vacation for your mind. The Rom-Commers is no different. Fast-paced, fun, but you'll feel a range of emotions, too!

Charlie is a famous screenwriter. He's been tasked with writing the screenplay for a rom-com, which is way outside his comfort zone. He's completely mucked it up.

Emma dreams of being a screenwriter. Her life has been put on hold, though for the last ten years while she has been the caretaker for her father. But now it's her turn to follow her dreams and she's been given the chance of a lifetime.... Can she fix Charlie's rom-com and get her career off its feet?

Best read by a pool sipping on your favorite cold beverage! Check it out!

Katherine Center weaves classic rom-com tropes into a story that examines the genre as a whole in this fresh and delightful novel.

Emma Wheeler has put her life on hold to care for her father after an accident. With her screenwriting dreams on the back burner, an old friend turned Hollywood agent sends work her way when he can. When the opportunity to work alongside her screenwriting hero comes along, Emma cautiously jumps at the chance. But Hollywood’s glimmer isn’t always gold, and things– and people– aren’t always as they appear.

Center is excellent at balancing heavy and funny plot elements. Emma’s backstory, and her father’s injury, inject reality into an otherwise lighthearted plot. The humorous banter and heart-filled characters work in tandem with the heavier drama to keep the pace and tone just right.

Within that delicate balance of drama and rom-com, the portrayal of Emma’s grief is realistic. As the reader slowly learns the details of her father’s accident–and the impact that had on her and her sister’s lives, especially– Emma’s actions, worries, and choices make sense for her character.

It was delightful to see realistic writing life scenes as Emma and her co-writer, famed screenwriter Charlie Yates, as they find new and inventive ways to work– and not to work– together. I absolutely related to Emma’s lucky writing hoodie and the presence of snacks, and snack wrappers, as they wrote together.

Great character development is always present in Center’s novels, and this is no exception. From the main players to their secondary characters, every character that crosses the page is well developed and feels real. It’s especially delightful to get a glimpse at characters from Center’s last novel, The Bodyguard, pop in to certain scenes. I adore when authors have an interconnected universe for their books; it’s always delightful to see characters again.

Center offers an enchanting glimpse into behind the scenes Hollywood. From awards and mansions to hair-pulling over a laptop, the glitzy and the gritty live side by side on the page. The result leads readers through a drama-rom-com, with hijinks and heart, an engaging story from the first page to the last.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for a digital ARC such that I could share my honest opinion.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for early access to this adorable story!

Katherine Center books have a way of getting into my heart so quickly and this one was no different! I wanted to read it quickly to know what was going to happen but then made myself slow down to really savor the love that developed between Charlie and Emma. As a lover of rom-com movies, this book was right up my alley! This closed door story was still full of tension with longing looks, touches and hugs that left me blushing and smiling. I recommend this story to anyone who just wants to smile and loves a 90s/2000s rom com movie. The cast of additional characters (Emma's sister and dad especially) were such great pieces of this well rounded story too! 4 stars!

I have mixed feelings about this one. It took me a while to get into it, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. And the being unable to put it down does make me want to give this book at least 4.5 stars. But considering how long it took me to get into this one, I just can't do it.

That said, overall, I did enjoy my time with this book. If you're new to Katherine Center, then you should know that, in my opinion, her books are never straight romance. There's always something else that plays a much bigger part than the romance does. That being said, I do actually think the romance was a slightly bigger part of this story than the others I've read from her. Granted, self-discovery is still a MAJOR part of this story.

As happens for me with most single POV stories, I wish we had gotten Charlie's POV. But, I never questioned Charlie's feelings for Emma. I really enjoyed how their relationship developed over the course of the book. I loved the conversations they had and the banter they shared. The two of them really were adorable together.

Was this my favorite Katherine Center book? No, but I would still read whatever she comes out with next.

✔️ Opposites Attract
✔️ Forced Proximity
✔️ Workplace
✔️ It Happened One Night References
✔️ He Falls Hard
✔️ First Person Single POV

Five stars for this wonderful novel that I could not put down.

I absolutely adored this book. I loved the humor, the banter and the deeper truths that emerged about love, life and dealing with tragedy and loss. Yes, sure, it is a rom-com, but it is an unusual one in several ways. The writing is great and the story is uplifting. We all encounter obstacles and difficulties in life and sometimes the hardest thing to do is not to let them hold us back from being kind, allowing love to flourish and being grateful for life. But it's well worth striving for every day.

I am delighted that I finished this book on the very day it is being published. I am grateful to NetGalley, St. Martin's press, and the amazing author, Katherine Center, for allowing me to read an eARC of this superb book. I bet it will make a great rom-com movie someday.

In some ways, this was one of my more unique reading experiences. I'm honestly a little baffled by how much I enjoyed this book. The concept is fun and meta in a lot of ways (the mc has to teach the other character what a romance is--HEA included), but the main character, Emma, is not someone I would normally gravitate towards. Emma has given up everything in her life in order to take care of her father who was injured in a rockslide just after she had graduated from college. She also has taken over parenting her younger sister who she wants to make sure doesn't have to carry the same burdens. However, when an opportunity comes to assist her screenwriting hero in writing his own romcom, she finds a way to make it work.

Emma is quirky and adorkable and at first I was worried I would find her a bit immature and silly but somehow she got me to root for her. The romance is very cute and the two have great chemistry and banter. However, I'm not sure what it was, but I was unable to put this book down. I think ultimately the credit goes to Center who is able to crafts compulsively readable romances that are clever and funny while also being breezy and fun. You would think with all the trauma drama in this book that it would get rather intense and there are some bits that had me, mouth gaping. However, there are also some laugh out loud moments and the end of this book was impossible to put down.

Center has done it again! Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martins for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ms. Center does it again! While I mainly read thrillers, there are a few Contemporary Romance authors who automatically go into my TBR, and Katherine is one of them. This book was just what I needed and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.

Emma longs to be a screenwriter, she’s spent her life dissecting, consuming, and writing. The longing becomes reality when Emma's manager, Logan, presents her with the chance of a lifetime; to re-write a script for her hero, Charlie Yates. But there is an obstacle in the way as Emma has been the sole, full-time caretaker for her Dad. Thankfully, Emma’s younger sister steps in to help, forcing (allowing) Emma to move to L.A. for six weeks for her dream role. But there is a problem; Charlie was not consulted and he doesn’t want to write with anyone, especially “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Further complicating the situation, he has no interest in the script he is working on, it is just the stepping stone to get the green light on a different project. He is not emotionally invested at all, making this romantic comedy a total bomb.

Emma refuses to go down without a fight and she may convince Charlie that love isn't a scheme after all...

I love that the characters feel like real life friends; everything is relatable, down to their flaws. This book was a much needed escape and will now patiently wait for the next release!

Thank you a million times over to St. Martins Press, NetGalley, and Ms. Center for the ARC.

Emma has put her life on hold for the past ten years to take care of her Dad after a terrible accident left him unable to live alone. When she's not caring for her dad, she's living, breathing, and writing romcoms. When an opportunity arises to help her writing idol, Charlie Yates, rewrite a terrible script, she rearranges her life to make it happen. Little does she know that Charlie Yates hasn't even agreed to write with her and he doesn't exactly believe in love. Will she be able to convince him that love does exist and is worth writing about?

This was such a fun read! Emma and Charlie had such great back-and-forth banter. They have both gone through traumatic events in the past but they still learn to find joy amidst the hard parts of life. It was emotional at times but a really beautiful story!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Wow, I loved The Rom-Commers!

The Rom-Commers is classic Katherine Center. Our heroine, Emma, has been through the mud, but she’s ready to blossom. She’s a writer, caretaker, believer in rom-coms and she’s going to change that award-winning, grumpy screenwriter, Charlie’s, mind about rom-coms one way or another.

It’s beautifully written, sweetly romantic, achingly sad, endearingly funny - it’s a love letter to rom-coms. I highlighted so many phrases in defense of love, love stories and optimism to develop my mantra. There’s also line dancing. I’m only disappointed that it ended and that I have no more Katherine Center books to read for the first time. I can’t wait to re-read this and annotate the heck out of my book.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press for sending me an advanced e-copy. All opinions are my own.

My thoughts- Y’all Katherine Center has done it again! I’ve had a heavy couple of weeks, but this book was like balm for my soul and made me smile so much! ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣The Rom-Commers features Emma- who has spent her life obsessing over, studying and writing romantic comedies. Unfortunately, her career is on hold because she is the sole caregiver of her father. One day, she’s given the opportunity to re-write a script by her favorite screenwriter the famous Charlie Yates and reluctantly agrees when her younger sister promises to care for her dad. ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣What to expect: ⁣
⁣- grumpy x sunshine. ⁣
⁣- forced proximity. ⁣
⁣- opposite attract. ⁣
⁣- heavy illness and grief themes. ⁣
⁣- closed door romance. ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣I recommend this one to romance fans! My only complaint was that I wish it would have been a little spicier! Five stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of The Rom-Commers. This book is out today!

You need to read this book! It’s a wonderful story of family and finding oneself. The dialogue is snappy, the romance is fun. I’d love to spend a day just hanging out with Charlie and Emma. Yet another fantastic book by Katherine Center! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I finished this book in one sitting as soon — and did so as I could get my hands on it. The loss of sleep was most definitely worth it. Katherine Center has this style of writing romances that not only makes me fall in love with the characters and the story but also feel like I’ve learned something pertinent about life or grief or myself — or people in general.

The book features the very practical and smart Emma who has put her whole life on hold to take care of her sick father for 10 years (and her younger sister for some of that time, too) and hasn’t been able to actively pursue what she loves: writing screenplays. And she's really good at it — but she just hasn’t been able to catch a break because of her circumstances. When she gets the chance of a lifetime to work with Charlie Yates (yes, THE Charlie Yates, a screenwriter whose writing she’s been obsessed with for years), her family pushes her to take the opportunity, and she ventures out to the unknown world of Los Angeles. Emma’s obsession with CHARLIE YATES!! borders on excessive (yes, we get it, he’s a big deal!!), and he comes off a bit prickly at first. But we soon learn Charlie is actually very earnest and kind and really listens to what Emma has to say and wants to learn from her.

In pursuit of bettering a romantic comedy screenplay they’re working on together (a modern retelling of the classic "It Happened One Night"), they go through a rom-com crash course by doing things such as line dancing together and watching compilations of the best movie kisses. And of course, the latter part of the book involves them needing to kiss “for research.” They also manage to fall on top of each other accidentally multiple times — and it's actually as romantic as rom-coms make it seem.

Charlie is originally hard on Emma and just doesn’t understand why, with her talent, she hasn’t pursued screenwriting. But they come to understand each other as Emma explains about taking care of her father and as Charlie opens up about his health and relationship with his ex-wife. You see them start to fall for each other — sometimes coming in the form of Emma realizing her heart beats a lot faster around him, and his heart does, too.

I had a few nits with the plot in this one — such as with eavesdropping being used as a plot point three times, the third-act break-up, and the horrible contract Emma agreed to for writing the rom-com screenplay (my lawyer sister says it’s legally very ambiguous). But I still think this book is a five-star read and is one I’d recommend to just about anyone, especially for fans of other of Center's books. This one probably ranks third among my favorites of her's (I will never get over “Things You Save in a Fire” or the characters from “The Bodyguard,” who make a brief appearance in this book).

The title of the book comes from a line from Emma says to Charlie in frustration: “I’ll tell everybody I won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay for a rom-com so rom-commy it was called The Rom-Commers.” And there's the perfect title to the book.

At its core, the book at its core looked at how people respond to loss, the way they grieve, how we have to sometimes try to make the best out of really, really bad situations, and the importance of focusing on the little things every day and really appreciate them. In true Katherine Center fashion, this is a romance with a larger life lesson about trying to write the best version of your life possible — rom-com or not.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC of this book.

A rom-com novel about two writers adapting an old rom-com for a new audience. It sounded right up my alley, but it fell short.

Emma Wheeler has always dreamed of being a big screenwriter in Hollywood, but a family tragedy kept her from fully fulfilling her dream. When an ex, who happens to be her manager, offers her the chance to ghostwrite a screenplay for a rom-com with her dream writer, Emma takes the chance and travels to Hollywood. What her manager didn't say is that Charlie Yates has no idea Emma is coming to help him and Charlie prefers to work alone. After an unwelcome meeting, Charlie and Emma find common ground to work together.

The novel is full of so many rom-com tropes that it became to much for me. The plethora of tropes is what made it hard for me to read by the end. Emma's naivete also got on my nerves by the end of the book. I guess I'm a little more like Charlie than Emma. I really enjoyed Emma's family and would like to see more from them in the future. If you've read The Bodyguard, you'll notice a little cameo in the story. This isn't my favorite novel by Katherine Center, but I still look forward to reading what she'll come out with in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

Katherine Center is always an automatic read for me! She knows how to tell a story … Then comes a Rom-Com within a Rom-Com while they live out a Rom-Com!

This was a fun witty read. I read this book while at the gym, yes on the treadmill, and for that you have to find the right book! This kept me so engaged I forgot I was at the gym! Also, I had my own theory of how the book ended & I was surprisingly wrong. Add this to your beach bag today!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advance eARC copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Swipe for full synopsis 👉🏼
.
.

ARC Review

Emma, a want to be screen writer is paired up with Charlie, a very successful screen writer to rewrite Charlie's not to romantic (or comedic) rom-com. This grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, work place romance blossoms as the two writers work through their differences to rewrite a script.

Brief take away;
- grumpy/sunshine
- work place romance
- forced proximity
- egotistical MMC
- anxiety and disability rep

Trigger warnings for;
- illness/cancer
- grief/loss of parent

Emma took a step back from her dream of being a screen writer to take care of her sick dad. When the opportunity to work with her favorite screen writer, Charlie, to help him with his rom-com, it's an opportunity she can't pass up and her family won't let her. Charlie doesn't believe in love and just wants to get this out of the way quickly so he can get the green light on another project.

I absolutely adore Katherine Center's writing. Her books always make me feel warm and fuzzy inside and this one was no different. The connection between Emma and Charlie was slow to spark but once it did, they had great chemistry. This was the kind of book that gave me butterflies. The characters pasts are a big driving factor in their relationship and the story progression.

Big spoilers ahead!!

One thing that didn't sit well with me, was the last minute "solution" to Charlie's cancer. It felt very deus ex machina to me. It felt insensitive to real life people who are dealing with cancer. I'm sure they wished an incorrect scan would happen to them, but I'm not sure how likely that is to happen in real life. I wish she would have found a different and better way to deal with this. Even as simple as Charlie freaking out thinking he had cancer again, to be told it's okay you have bronchitis.

Overall, I very much enjoyed the book and characters.

Thank you to Netgalley, Katherine Center and St. Martin's Press for a copy in exchange for a review.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Rom-commers has a premise which is Hollywood and over the top in aspects, but it was a lot of fun. Emma is such a pure, passionate character. She is stellar at everything from her writing, to her teaching, to her care for her father and sister. Emma has also been excellent at protecting herself from bad relationships by not having any.

Her whole life is upended by the opportunity to write a screenplay with her personal favorite Charlie Yates. Emma is surprisingly blunt about things, well it is a business relationship. Charlie is more closed off, actual a bit of a gaslighter. He's not talented at rom-coms either.

Their routine of writing and trying out different aspects of his screenplay over six weeks are hilarious and heart-breaking as they get to know each other. It's hard for each of them, but they grow to be more supportive and protective of each other.

Emma misses her dad and worries that her sister will properly take care of him. Charlie is worried about his guinea pig and his five year cancer remission. It feels light and funny but there are serious issues and feelings supporting their connection in the background.

I enjoyed this and had some real feelings. I cared about the characters and worried for them and laughed at their antics and cheered for their triumphs.

Addictive, charming, and fun!

The Rom-Commers is an amusing, feel-good, enemies-to-lovers romance that takes you into the lives of both Emma Wheeler, a young aspiring screenwriter who has selflessly put her dreams on hold in order to provide round-the-clock care for her debilitated father until the opportunity of a lifetime leaves her once again contemplating more, and the broody, handsome Charlie Yates who has the career of his dreams writing action films for Hollywood until he’s required to write a dreaded rom-com and must reluctantly accept the help from a woman who may finally challenge his long-standing views on relationships and love.

The writing is light and tender. The characters are supportive, kind, and genuine. And the plot is an entertaining, alluring mix of life, love, family, friendship, guilt, grief, trauma, trust, responsibilities, happiness, self-reflection, tricky moments, undeniable attraction, and romance.

Overall, The Rom-Commers is another enchanting, optimistic, brilliant tale by Center that is the perfect blend of heart, hope, humour, and heat and is undoubtedly one of the must-read novels for summer 2024.

For ten years Emma has put her career and life on hold to care for her dad and sister. Now her sister is coming home, a college graduate and out of the blue Emma gets the call of a lifetime. Her high school boyfriend is asking for her help. She has six weeks to turn the dumpster fire that is, the biggest love cynic, but hottest hollywood screenwriters, first rom - com screenplay into something other than something for the rubbish bin. But when life starts imitating their art, Emma will have to decide to either let go of the career she has always wanted, or the family she has always cared for.

I absolutely gobbled up The Bodyguard. It was one of the highlights of my 2022 reading. Hello Stranger on the other hand, fell a little short for me. When Katherine Center's latest, The Rom - Commers, came available on Netgalley, I had to have it. It was time to know, was The Bodyguard or Hello Stranger the norm. Spoiler Alert : I think Katherine Center is my new favorite Rom - Commer.

You, like Emma, might think you know how the story is going to play out. Because all romance novels have the same structure to them, right? Wrong! Does Katherine Center re-write the romance novel? No. What she does do is give it more heart and emotional pull in a way that isn't cheesy, over the top, or unbelievable. Her characters come across the page and come to life. They could be anyone you meet walking down the street and that's why I think her novels are such a hit. They could easily be the life of someone you know.

"There's something about a kiss that brings opposites together. The wanting and the getting. The longing and the having. All those cacophonous emotions that usually collide against each other teaming up at last into a rare and exquisite harmony." - Emma

One of my favorite things about this book is the way that we get to see the best of humanity. Emma has been through the ringer in life and still has hope. She loves love and the wonder of falling in love, even if she hasn't experienced relationship love. Emma's love for her family is so strong that she self sabotages to ensure that their wants and needs are always in first place. Charlie is the worlds biggest love cynic, he doesn't really have any use for emotion at all and as the story evolves and we get a bigger picture of what makes Charlie, Charlie, we start to understand that he's just a little bit jaded and heartbroken but the feelings are all still there...he just buries them very very deep.

The Rom-Commers may be my favorite romance of the year so far. Honestly I will be going back to my shelves and reading every one of Ms. Center's books that have been waiting for me. Easily ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me.

**While doing some googling I learned that One of my favorite romances of 2020 was based on a Katherine Center novel. If you haven't checked out The Last Husband on Netflix...what are you waiting for?

"So it can't be where you're going that matters. It has to be how you get there. That's what I've decided. It's all about the details you notice. And the joys you savor. And the hope you refuse to give up on. It's all about writing the very best story of your life. Not just about how you live it—but how you choose to tell it"

Thank you @StMartinsPress and @Macmillan.audo for the gifted eARC/ALC of THE ROM-COMMERS!

Katherine Center has been one of my autobuy authors for years now. I adore her writing and her characters. Somehow she is able to write about painful life experiences and infuse them with joy and hope and love, aka a world I would like to live in.

Pick this one up if you like:
*Hilarious banter
*Inside jokes that repeat throughout the book
*Quirky MCs
*Books about movies and screenwriting
*Jack Stapleton ;)
*Life lessons
*Books about finding hope
*Ending that will make you cry

THE ROM-COMMERS is out today!

CW: Character with cancer, character with disabilities due to accident, death of a parent

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6557891684
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C8FIhITpIZd/