While Katherine Center is one of my "automatic buy" authors, I couldn't help feeling disappointed with this story. Emma was such a wonderful, caring FMC & I loved reading about her family & their relationship. I could have read a whole story about her own re-self-discovery after suffering a childhood loss & caring for her father for ten years; I do not feel that Charlie Yates brought anything to the story. While I can get behind grumpy, pompous, arrogant MMC's, Charlie was just outright mean & I don't think these two belonged together. If this hadn't been a romance, it would have been a 5 star. I will continue to read all of Katherine Center's stories, this one just wasn't for me.

I loved the bodyguard and hello stranger, and while I enjoyed this one a lot too I liked those other two more. I struggled a lot with liking those two characters at the beginning. By the end I did like them and their relationship, but it took away to get there with worthwhile moments along the way. I'll read whatever romance this author writes

It's taken me a little bit to decide how I want to rate this book. I think it's falling at a 3.5 (rounded up to 4 for this review) for me which is right between I liked it and I *really* liked it.

I love Katherine's work. It's fun. It's fast paced. It's easy to read. The Rom-Commers is no different. I loved the concept and a lot of the story itself. There were just some things that weren't my favorite that knocked the book down a little bit for me. I'll put them at the bottom of this review, because they'll be spoilers and I don't want to ruin anything for anyone.

Overall, I enjoyed this one! Loved the surprise cameo from some of KC's other characters. Loved the way everything comes together. Loved the overall vibe. It's a solid book. Not my all time fav of hers, but definitely a good one!

The things I didn't love *spoilers*
-I feel like we just brush over some of the really rude things Charlie says (throughout the whole book) without much healing/closure from them. I get that the guy is scared, but that's not really an excuse.
-Emma said some awful things to her sister and for PAGES, goes on and on about how she can never forgive the one thing her sister said in response to being berated by her. Obviously, Emma forgives her and gets over it, but we never talk about all the things Emma said to trigger her sister into that response? That really bugged me.

This book was going to be a *really* liked it book for me but those two things made me pull back a little on it.

This story was so cute, hilarious, and captivating that I just couldn’t put it down. Emma and Charlie’s relationship is the kind of effortlessly funny, sweetly awkward tango that makes for the perfect romantic comedy. I absolutely loved their banter and how natural their chemistry was.

In true Katherine Center fashion, this book also deals with some very heavy emotions related to the characters' pasts. Center captured the internal struggles with grief, regret, and fear so well that I probably cried as much as I laughed over the course of this book. Truly powerful.

That said, I couldn’t help but crave more of those swoon-worthy, romantic moments where we could see their love fully bloom. And I wish Emma would’ve called Charlie out more on his less-than-stellar moments.

Still, the book is a gem. Katherine Center once again proves she’s a maestro of the rom-com genre. For anyone who needs a few more laughs and a lot more love in their life, “The Rom-Commers” is a must-read. It’s a heartfelt reminder of why we fall in love with love stories.

I have so many things to say about this book. First of all, it took me wayyyy longer than it should have to finish this (between late nights and nonstop work, it's been pretty hectic). Under normal circumstances, I probably would have devoured this book in a day (it was definitely that good).

The first book I've ever read by Katherine Center was Hello Stranger, and it was then that I knew I'd have to read more novels by her. Her writing is filled with so much heart and humor, so many emotions, that you just can't help but to smile and begin to believe in humanity again. Just for the record, I've always believed in love, but this novel sure did make me feel like I was learning to believe in it for the first time ever.

So, let's get to our main characters. Charlie is this adorable recluse of a writer who can't seem to get past his nerdy, shy, traumatized exterior. Emma, on the other hand, mitigates her trauma by being loud, overly enthusiastic, and a hopeless romantic. I have to say that based on these two very opposite characters, I end up leaning towards being more of an Emma (I'm completely loud and overly enthusiastic at times). Both of these characters had desires, goals, traumatic pasts (although I have to admit, Charlie's did seem a little lackluster), and something that completely shifted their character throughout the story.

With the plot, I have to say that the middle got a little tedious when all you get is the writing, the romantic angst, and lots of cooking and swimming. I will also have to say, though, that it was all worth it for a literal applause ending moment. This is what rom-coms are all about. When I tell you, I legitimately wanted to hop out of bed and give a standing ovation for that kiss when they finally end up together. It was just... amazing.

Onto the writing style. There were a few things that kind of bothered me throughout this novel. Emma often refers to moments as a, "when I look back at this moment now" kind of deal. It seriously took me out of the story every time she did that and bothered the heck out of me to no end. I would have enjoyed the story much more without that (and this is honestly where it probably lost half a star).

Spoilers ahead.

Alright, I, of course, have to talk about spoilers because there's a lot I want to say. There are some very specific things that irked me that I can't say in the regular review. There are also a few moments that made me smile so big my jaw hurt. So, this is my safe space to talk about it. There are plenty of spoilers, so you've been warned!!! Twice!

Below are a few bullet points of things that seriously irked me:

-Literally so happy that the "kiss for research" part didn't happen and Emma realized the predatory nature of her actions. Of course, Charlie was just pushing her away to "save her" and blah blah blah, but I would've beet so turned off by this book if she would've forced him to kiss her.

-Okay, now onto Charlie. Why the hell would you come home after a mysterious phone call, hug Emma, and then proceed to yell at her???? Like dude, I get your traumatic past, but you're acting like a baby.

-WHY THE HELL DID EMMA NEVER APOLOGIZE TO SLYVIE????? Like excuse me ma'am, you're supposed to be the older sister. The example. The nice one. How is it that Slyvie apologized for that awful thing she said at the end, but EMMA DOESN'T EVER APOLOGIZE FOR THE BAJILLION RUDE THINGS SHE SAID TO SLYVIE????? I'm really mad about this if you can't tell.

-Last thing. I was literally reading the scene where Emma is at the awards ceremony and Charlie sees her and their big epic kiss is about to be televised. But then they proceed to have a whole conversation for like ten minutes.... I honestly was just thinking about the audience the whole time and how they were probably wondering what the heck was going on before they finally kissed 😂. This was also one of my favorite scenes, to be fair, and it's the one that I literally wanted to give a standing ovation for. I just couldn't stop thinking about how long it took them to kiss hahaha.

Overall, this was an adorable book that I really, truly enjoyed. Emma and Charlie were so cute and awkward together and the whole story was genuinely beautiful. There were a few things that bothered me, but all in all this is a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars for me (rounded up to 5 for all the platforms that won't let you do half stars....). A quick thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book!!

The one rule of a writing a romcom, Emma tells Charlie, is that the two MCs have to end up together and have an HEA. And that's exactly what Charlie, who is decorated in awards for screen writing, did not write in his first draft of a romcom script. And that's where Emma comes in, an aspiring writer, who picked up her life from being the sole caretaker of her father, moves to LA, to help him.

Charlie has demons of his own that he is battling and the last thing he wants is a nobody writer to help him. He doesn't know what love is supposed to feel like. He not only can't write about it, but his personality towards it transfers on the page to his character to the reader, bringing a lack of swoony chemistry between the two. The forced proximity of these two brings lots of banter, but throughout the book I was telling myself I honestly could care less if they didn't end up together. I felt bad for Emma who was chasing this dream and left her sick father behind to help a man who didn't really deserve her help.

The overall story was decent to read, and as a small pet momma, I loved seeing a pet guinea pig and the delicate care that small pets need to survive. I think those were my favorite scenes. Will Emma and Charlie have an HEA? I guess you'll have to read to find out.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center 🧡
Standalone

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Adult • Romance
ARC Review
336 pages
🗓️ June 11th

🎬 romcom
🧡 workplace romance
🎬 close proximity
🧡 love denier
🎬 grumpy x sunshine
🧡 opposites attract

📌And maybe, in a way, I started wanting my fantasies about the future to stay fantasies. Right? Because if fantasies come true, they can’t be fantasies anymore.”

📌“I don’t have anxiety. I just worry all the time.” “I’m just gonna let those words echo around the room.”

📌“Don’t break his heart, okay? He’s much sweeter than he seems.”

📌“Here’s another thing I accidentally figured out: happiness is always better with a little bit of sadness.”

I could keep going. I highlighted so many quotes and scenes from this book that it’s easier to find the ones I didn’t. And you want to know why? Because this was the most perfect romcom you’ll read all year.

I laughed so much. I smiled even more. And I cried both from the laughter and from the inevitable pre-HEA heartbreak… this is a romcom after all. But most important than all of that, I think, is that I felt. I felt freely and constantly. I felt so hard and yet remained so light. The romcom effect as I like to call it.

I now NEED to go line dancing. I MUST. I WANT it so bad 😭

Thanks to this book I also realize that I LOVE LOVE LOVE that scene where someone close to the MMC tells the FMC “I’ve never seen him like this or look at someone like that.” My heart thanks you. Deeply😌

{Love is in the details. And I so noticed when he stopped messing up the mean lady’s title 🥹}

4.5 Stars

Katherine Center always writes grown up love stories and I am here for it. I absolutely loved Emma and Charlie. Charlie is a famous writer and Emma is aspiring to be one. When she gets a chance to help him with a Rom-com she is thrilled. Turns out Charlie is not a fan of Rom-coms and Emma is in for a challenge. This book gave me all the feels. I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Emma Wheeler is a struggling screenwriter who has put her career—and life—on hold for the past ten years to care for her father after a tragic accident. When she gets a chance to work with her idol, Charlie Yates, she can't turn it down. Tasked with re-writing his awful script, Emma quickly realizes that the most significant reason Charlie's script is so bad is because he doesn't believe in love or happy endings. What ensues is a heartwarming journey of discovery for both Emma and Charlie as they navigate their pasts and learn to embrace love and hope once more.

"The Rom-Commers." is packed with all the elements I adore in a well-written rom-com: plenty of witty banter and main characters who are adorably flawed and deserve a happy ending. This book is lighthearted, fun, and hopeful and will make you believe in the power of love and the importance of chasing your dreams. Katherine Center knows how to tug at a reader’s heartstrings, and "The Rom-Commers" delivers on every level.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Why I Chose It: I’ll read anything by Katherine Center

I’ve seen tons of glowing reviews for this one on booksta, so I feel like the minority here, but I didn’t love this one. I didn’t see the chemistry between the two characters; I thought some of their interactions were problematic. I didn’t find the characters endearing (except for the dad). The FMC was immature, insecure, and too much of a fangirl. The MMC was negative, gross to other people, and egotistical. Both main characters felt emotionally stunted.

In terms of the plot, I loved the premise. However, I felt like a lot of this book told not showed. It didn’t feel like a journey as much as it felt like being told what happened. Like now they are writing. Now they are eating. Now they are writing again.

I did love that the FMC occasionally broke the fourth wall. I thought that was interesting and a nice touch. I also found the ending to be more Center’s style that I was expecting - emotional, loving, people coming together.

Fans of grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, and books about self-growth will enjoy this one.

Audio narration was great for this! Love KC’s books - there are some common elements across all of her books, but she writes them so well! This was no exception. I adored Emma and Charlie and Emma’s family as well. I’ve been reading a lot of books with actors and screenwriters recently, but this was a fun and different look into that life.

thank you so much netgalley and st. martin’s press for the arc!! i loved this book so much wow katherine center has done it again! i would read her grocery lists honestly. the rom-commers was the perfect kicking your feet, i cannot put this book down romance! charlie yates is on my list of god tier fictional men because he had me SWOON!!! him and emma’s chemistry was electric- i loved the way center built up their relationship. my favourite part is that the guy fell first, truly one of my favourite tropes and i am a sucker for it! but having two screen writers come together to work on a rom-com when one of them is a romance expert and the other doesn’t believe in love- you will be gifted with an amazing romance story! both of our main characters were wonderful- emma is this radiant, hardworking, family centred angel that you want to give the biggest hug to. charlie is a little jaded and grumpy but is the biggest teddy bear in the world. both of them together brought out the best in the other. i know this book will be a must reread and i will be buying a physical copy once it’s released because i loved it so much!

This was my introduction into the work of Katherine Center, and let me start by saying that I get it. I get why her books are immensely popular! I honestly had been hesitant to pick up her books because of the hype around them, but wow, I was missing out. This was great and now I can't wait to check out her back list!

I went into this one completely blind, and at first, I was a little thrown off by the fact that Charlies Yates was the MMC. Let me explain, haha. When he was first mentioned (and the way he's talked about by Emma and Logan), I pictured like a grumpy, 60-year-old Clint Eastwood. So when I realized he was the MMC, I was a little confused, but then it's mentioned that he's 35, and I had to draw a new picture of him in my head. But that was fine, once we got into the dynamic between Charlie and Emma, he grew on me (a bit, I'll talk more about that later).

Every time I saw the name Emma Wheeler, I thought of the Freeform show, Baby Daddy (which is hilarious btw), and wondered if the author is a fan. I loved Emma as a character! I truly felt for her and how she had given up so much of herself and her life to care for her dad. The whole dynamic between Emma, her dad, and her sister Sylvie was beautiful. They were truly making the best of a heartbreaking situation and did it with so much grace and gratitude. It was commendable.

Now let's talk about Charlie, This is where I'm really struggling with how I feel about the book overall. I love a good grumpy sunshine trope, but I also feel that there's a fine line between grumpy and just downright rude and hurtful. At times, Charlie was extremely hurtful and toxic. I can certainly empathize with the fact that he had some pretty scary and disappointing things happening in his life, but at the end of the day, that still doesn't excuse bad behavior. I'm just not sure that there was enough growth and remorse from his end. I would have liked to have seen genuine acknowledgement of and remorse regarding his words and actions.

This one took me through SO many emotions, and I did shed a few tears. But I also laughed SO much. All that combined makes for the perfect rom com and despite my reservations about Charlie, I truly enjoyed reading this one!

Read if you enjoy:
- grumpy sunshine
- forced proximity
- found family
- closed door (though there are jokes/innuendos/references)
- opposites attract

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eArc! All opinions are my own!

Gosh, I do love a grumpy x sunshine. I laughed, I cried, I told my husband he doesn’t love me enough. You know you can write a good story when I give it five stars and there is NO SPICE! Emma and Charlie were perfect opposites who I couldn’t help but root for. I loved watching them try to grow their partnership and write a great script. Emma was everything I love in a FMC - spunky, unique and hard working. I loved how much she loved love and how much of a caretaker she was. Just read this one - I don’t think you will be disappointed!

Katherine Center is always an auto read and auto buy author for me. Her stories while usually easy to read often hit on heavier subjects but in such a positive and light way. They are just so joyful, I always find myself smiling when I am finished. The Rom-Commers was no different.

This was a fun story. A writer trying to get her big break, Emma Wheeler, is shocked when she gets the chance to work with her writing idol rewriting a romantic comedy. Charlie Yates, a famous screen writer, never writes with anyone, but is desperate because his romantic comedy script is terrible. They butt heads, believe in different things, but they only have six weeks to complete the script.

Charlie and Emma were by no means my favorite characters of Centers. But this was a fun, quick story that is perfect for summer.

“If you wait for other people to light you up, then I guess you’re at the mercy of darkness.”

Katherine Center is always an auto read and auto buy author for me. Her stories while usually easy to read often hit on heavier subjects but in such a positive and light way. They are just so joyful, I always find myself smiling when I am finished. The Rom-Commers was no different.

This was a fun story. A writer trying to get her big break, Emma Wheeler, is shocked when she gets the chance to work with her writing idol rewriting a romantic comedy. Charlie Yates, a famous screen writer, never writes with anyone, but is desperate because his romantic comedy script is terrible. They butt heads, believe in different things, but they only have six weeks to complete the script.

Charlie and Emma were by no means my favorite characters of Centers. But this was a fun, quick story that is perfect for summer.

“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.”

This book. Katherine Center has done it again! I think this is my new favorite of hers. I adored the two MC’s. The opposites attract/enemies to lovers -esque situation was soooo much fun. I loved the setting as well. This was such a fun, summer read, with a big splash of emotion that was just enough to make the story feel complete and to really make you fall in love with the characters. Also, this is the best book cover I’ve ever SEEN!!!!

I quite enjoyed this book! Emma is an aspiring screenwriter who is given the opportunity to rewrite a rom-com script with her screenwriting hero Charlie. After spending 10 years as caregiver for her father, 6 weeks away to work on the script is challenging for Emma, as is Charlie's attitude about rom-coms and love. He is not a fan. I thought Emma and Charlie had great chemistry and witty banter which I like in a romance. There is also personal growth in both characters. Fans of closed door romance should pick up this book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance digital copy.

A solid three star read for me. I enjoyed Emma’s wit as well as her relationship with her father and sister. The plot was also fun. But I wasn’t impressed with Charlie…he seemed downright mean sometimes and that’s not appealing to me. Overall, I liked it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy. The Rom-Commers follow Emma as she takes on the task of ghostwriting a manuscript with her idol, Charlie Yates. Emma has had a difficult life with many obstacles in her way, and this is her big chance. Who knows what may happen with whom. The Rom-Commers is not my first book by Katherine Center and it won’t be my last. Katherine Center has quickly become an auto buy author for me. Her books are feel good romances with heavier topics thrown in. Although The Rom-Commers is not my favorite of Center’s it is still very entertaining. I loved the appearance of a character from one of her previous books. I also loved the relationship between Emma and her father.