This book was so good and the audio was on point. I am yet to read a book I don’t get drawn into and love by this author. Y’all need to read this one asap

I love a good cheesy rom-com, and boy did Katherine Center deliver! I loved how their adventures followed the bad-script and brought the whole experience to life for the characters. In fact, I found the characters to be quite lovable too! Sure, it's not believable and it's basically fanfiction, but it's adorable and easy to read and gives you those happy, bubbly feelings.

The narrator didn't necessarily stand out, but I don't think that was needed for this story. Thanks to NetGalley for providing the audiobook arc. I did purchase and read the hardcopy on my own, and enjoyed the reading experience more than the listening, but that's pretty typical for me.

This is now my favorite of Katherine's novels, it was absolutely perfect! The banter was perfect as always, and I LOVED how well she represented anxiety and grief. She took heavy subjects and transformed them in a way that we can all relate to. I wouldn't say this is an interconnected standalone, but there were cameos from other books, which I loved. I loved being in Emma's head throughout the entire thing, and especially loved the bonus chapter from Charlie's POV - it was such a great surprise! Patti Murin did a phenomenal job narrating this book as well! Emma is a very emotional character and she did a great job conveying that to the listener.

Posted on storygraph, goodreads, amazon, and instagram 6/13

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audible arc!!

3.5 Stars!

I loved the summary of this story, and I feel like most of the components are what make great romcoms! Emma getting her dream opportunity, and the whole plan being chaotic was my absolute favorite. However, I found it a little hard to relate to the characters. I didn't necessarily like Charlie. I thought he was rude to Emma for a majority of the story. When it's a romcom, I like a little of the beginning to be a mess, but eventually I want to feel the characters grow together. I didn't feel that with this one. As I said previously though, this story had a majority of the markers I love to see in a romcom. It just missed with me on the characters a bit!

The narrator of this story was phenomenal! I had no issues with that. You got the emotions, excitement, and the chaos all through their voice. I will be looking for more books narrated by them!

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the gifted ALC!

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
This book was SO cute! I love a good closed door romance and this definitely didn't disappoint. Katherine Center is so good at writing an emotionally charged romance with plenty of character depth and I just loved Emma and Charlie. I enjoyed the Hollywood aspect of the book as well and the cameos she included in the story. The relationship between Emma and her family was beautiful and added so much more to the book. If you are into a wholesome, closed door romance, then this is the book for you!

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸
Patti Murin is quickly becoming a favorite narrator for me and she did so good in the role as Emma. She became the character, with all of her emotions shining through in her voice. I listened at 1.6x speed and everything was clear and easy to understand. I definitely recommend the audio for this one!

Rating - 4.5 stars rounded off to 5

The sweetest ever rom-com!

Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

Synopsis -

Emma’s only dream in life is to be a screen-writer. She eats, sleeps and drinks rom-coms and has made it her whole world. But in reality, she’s been her dad’s caretaker for the past decade. Thanks to her high school friend Logan, she’s now got the chance of a life-time to co-write a rom-com script with Charlie Yates, the renowned screen-writer of Hollywood, who is also her writing role model! Emma has to move to L.A for 6 weeks, while Sylvie, her sister steps in for her dad. Will Emma finally get her happy ending?

Review -

Narrator Patti Murin was literally made for Emma’s character. She brought out her chipper, upbeat persona, the lively dialogues and self-deprecating humor so well. I instantly warmed to Emma and couldn’t wait to see how this writing gig with Charlie would work out for her.

Although Charlie is the perfect grumpy to Emma’s sunshine, it takes a while to get used to him. But soon after they begin their writing work, their camaraderie blossoms and the storyline really takes off without looking back. Oh how I loved their cute banter filled dialogues, witty sarcasm and silly yet heart-warming comical situations they get into! All this mixed with the inevitable attraction just makes us totally ‘swoon’.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙢-𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 has so much to offer about the significance of love, the simple joys of life, how we can push on to embrace the future, despite the tragedies/curveballs destiny throws at us and the most important of all - being grateful and finding happiness with what we have.

It was a treat to watch Emma transforming the cynic, loveless, hopeless and frenzied Charlie into a hopeful, optimistic and a saccharine romantic! How can she not find her true happy ending after giving it her best shot?

Read to experience the magic and go back to the basics of a rom-com with “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙢-𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨”!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing this audiobook advanced copy for review!

Emma Wheeler is an aspiring screenwriter, specializing in romcoms, but her career has been slow to start as she is the sole caretaker of her father. But when she is offered the chance to rewrite a romcom script for acclaimed screenwriter, Charlie Yates, the opportunity is too big to pass up. She lives in his house while they work on rewriting the script together and romcom antics ensue, on and off the page.

This was a fun listen! It is funny with some silly romcom situations that I definitely enjoyed. However, there were some aspects of the story that just weren’t my cup of tea.

More of a 3.5 star read but I rounded up to 4 because I did have fun. Overall very fun and enjoyable!

She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?

Katherine Center has done it again! The queen of romantic comedies is back with The Rom-Commers which tells the story of Emma Wheeler, who wants to be a screenwriter. When she’s hired to rewrite a script for the famous screenwriter, Charlie Yates, it’s her big break. But Charlie doesn’t want her help. When he reluctantly hires her hoping it will get his other movie produced, Emma is determined to make this movie great and to prove to Charlie love matters.

Center never fails to give me all the feels while reading her books, and this was no exception. I loved the banter between Emma and Charlie, and the grumpy/sunshine trope really worked. I enjoyed Emma’s snarkiness and how she challenged Charlie. I would have liked a little more chemistry between them though. Center always delivers such a spark between her main characters, and I just didn’t get that with this one.

Patti Murin narrated the audiobook which I really enjoyed. She sounded like I expected Emma to sound, and she really brought this story to life. I loved that the audiobook had an extra chapter from Charlie’s perspective because it helped to understand him more. I highly recommend listening to this one!

While this wasn’t my favorite Katherine Center book, I really enjoyed it. Emma was too much of a martyr for my liking when it came to taking care of her father. I did like that Charlie was flawed though and had a tough past which caused him not to believe in love. It was fun seeing some characters from The Bodyguard incorporated into this story, and the last few chapters of this book were amazing.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up!

You know those videos you see where they say, “Show us a book that you wish you could read again for the first time.” , well…. It’s this book! It has everything I love in a story! Humor, seriously!! The banter is unmatched! Tension, you’ll go from laughing, to tears, to contempt all in one chapter!
You think this is just some predictable “chick flick” book, but you’d be wrong! This book is like an onion, a beautiful, flavorful, perfect onion. It has layers that make this one of my now, all time favorite books!
You’ll follow Emma, who up until now has amazing talent & a dream but life has been in her way. She has been ok with that. But when her friend contacts her to potentially offer her what could be her big break, her family may have to force her to take the leap. Was this really all she thought it would be though? There is so much wrong with this opportunity, including her writing partner. He’s…..well….. for someone writing a romcom he’s not much for feelings, other than feeling annoyed I guess.
This roller coaster of a read was everything I’ve ever wanted in a book! Simply put, Katherine Center is artist of emotion and her medium is words.”

Emma gets the gig of a lifetime re-writing a screenplay for Charlie Yates and, it’s a chance too good to pass up. Unfortunately she’s the primary caretaker for her Dad who needs full-time care. She doesn’t want to leave her Dad with just anybody but she entrusts her sister with his care and head off to L.A. for six weeks. Charlie doesn’t want to work with her since she’s a “nobody” screenwriter. He shuns her but Emma fights to continue doing the writing and what happens is a sweet enemies to lovers story. Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a true delight of story! I enjoyed Emma, the female main character so much. I found her to be so personable. She was fiercely loyal to her family, but also eager to try new things. Charlie was the epitome of grumpy sunshine, and I loved his arc so much. I loved the juxtaposition of Emma teaching Charlie how to write a fantastic rom-com while living in a rom-com situation. I loved the side characters in the book, and had tears in my eyes when I was finished because of the relationship that Emma has with her father and sister. It was heart warming, fun, and I definitely enjoyed. I highly recommend the audiobook version, it kept me super entertained and helped me enjoy this book! I loved how the narrator really put a voice to Emma, and brought her story to life. This was my second book by Katherine Center and it fully cemented her as an auto-buy author. I look forward to more of her work!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced listeners copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

As a lover of rom-coms, this was delightful!
I recommend for anyone who likes reading about hope and love. I think this is my new favorite by Katherine Center! I laughed, I cried, and fell in love with love. I adored this story. I will be first in line if this gets made into a movie.

I fell in love with Emma from page one. Charlie was so grumpy that you know he’s got to be soft at the center. When Charlie, an acclaimed screen writer needs to write a rom com, he needs help. In comes Emma, a writer who never had her shot. The two have 6 weeks to revise the script, all while staying in Charlie’s Hollywood mansion.

🎧Patti Murin did a wonderful job bringing Emma’s story to life. The narration brought even more emotion to parts- both funny and sad.

Thank you again to the Macmillan Audio for the alc.

A rom com ABOUT a rom com? Say no more… I’m in!

I just loved this books premise and I’m always in awe of Center’s writing ability, style and finesse. I enjoy how she never strays from blending in tough topics and real life challenges into her romances as this one has main characters overcoming some past traumas and grief. She nails the balance of heart and humour and this one will certainly provide you with some giggling moments!

While I can’t stand the miscommunication trope and it will always make me cringe, with this one being a rom com about a rom com, we get enough enjoyable tropes to far outweigh it!

Read this one if you enjoy:
🙅🏻‍♀️Enemies to lovers
🏠Forced proximity
☀️Grumpy x sunshine

✨ ℝ𝔼𝕃𝔼𝔸𝕊𝔼 𝕎𝔼𝔼𝕂 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎✨

The Rom-Commers
Katherine Center

Thank you to @macmillianaudio ALC of this book to review.

Emma Wheeler is a screenplay writer that specializes in romcoms. After a tragic accident when she was a teen she lives at home in Texas to take care of her disabled father. Until the opportunity of a lifetime comes along. Emma has been offered a position to help famous screenplay writer Charlie Yates rewrite his romcom. Emma flies to California to meet him. However, he is less than thrilled to see her. He doesn’t need help on his screenplay… or so he says.

I have only read a few of Katherine Centers books but this was such a great read. I was immediately pulled into the storyline absolutely loving the caretaking side of Emma. I can really relate to such a strong family dynamic.

The relationship between Charlie and Emma was so cute, once they got past that not so great first meeting. Forced proximity is one of my favorite tropes and I enjoyed it in this story. Without the small daily tasks that they did together their connection might not have grown like it did.

I always say I need to read more of Katherine’s books. I love the depth of her characters.

Narration: If you can, definitely listen to this one on audio! Patti Murren and Katherine Center did such an amazing job. It definitely heightened the greatness of this book.

Emma has put her life on hold to take care of her dad. So, it takes some major talking from her best friend to talk her into going to L.A. to work with her favorite screen writer of all time, Charlie Yates. Charlie has written a terrible rom-com screenplay and it is up to Emma to get him on the right path. This does not go as planned! Charlie is definitely NOT up to working with anyone, especially a no name like Emma.

These two characters absolutely DO NOT like each other from the get go! And believe me…they tell it like it is! But, as you can guess, they do eventually work together and it is a fabulous collaboration! I loved these two!

And not to give anything away…there is one comment that Emma says to Charlie. And when she said it, I almost had to pull my car over, I was laughing so hard. She will not let him open his eyes, she tells him to use “echo location!” I guess the science nerd in me cracked up! Y’all must read this to get your laugh on!

The narrators, Katherine Center; Patti Murin, bring this book to life! Loved them both!

Need a wonderful romance that is quirky and laugh out loud funny…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

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!

First, a big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio Publishing for providing me with an advance listener copy of this delightful book.

"The Rom-Commers" by Katherine Center is a heartwarming and humorous tale about Emma Wheeler, an aspiring screenwriter who gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rewrite a script for her hero, Charlie Yates. Emma's excitement quickly turns to dismay when she discovers Charlie is not only dismissive of her talents but also cynical about love.

Center's storytelling shines as Emma navigates the challenges of working with a difficult partner and fighting for the integrity of romantic comedies. Emma's determination to prove that love stories matter, combined with her witty banter and growing chemistry with Charlie, makes for a captivating read.

The novel beautifully balances humor, romance, and the emotional depth of Emma's personal journey. "The Rom-Commers" is a delightful ode to the power of love and the magic of storytelling, reminding us that sometimes, life can be even more enchanting than fiction.

Dear Katherine Center,

A couple of years ago I listened to The Bodyguard and since then I’ve been a fan not only of your books but of Patti Murin’s narration too. There are perfect author/narrator pairings that happen every now and then and yours is one.

Emma Wheeler is a screenwriter who has not had much career success despite having a lot of talent. Her old high school boyfriend, Logan, is a big wig agent in LA and does his best to offer her opportunities. Emma is also full time carer to her (amazing) dad, who was injured in a rock fall ten years earlier, shortly after Emma graduated from high school. He had a traumatic brain injury and has ongoing hemiplegia and significant balance problems due to Meniere’s Disease. The deal was that Emma would look after her dad for 10 years and then her younger sister, Sylvie, would take over for a while. Sylvie has just graduated college and has been offered a fancy internship and so when Logan calls to tell Emma she has an opportunity to rewrite a screenplay with the one and only Charlie Yates and she needs to get to LA for the 6 weeks of the job, Emma feels she must say no. Even though Charlie Yates is THE Charlie Yates. A legend. Her screenwriting idol. Charlie Yates has all the awards and deserves them too. This is a dream opportunity for her but how can she leave her dad? And Sylvie has that internship.

But then Sylvie says “hey, guess what, I’ve told them I can’t do it – go to LA and I’ll stay and look after dad” and Emma’s excuse is gone.

When Emma first meets Charlie (Charlie Yates!!) it becomes obvious that Logan has gilded the lily a bit to get her there. It is true that the romantic comedy screenplay Charlie has written is terrible. So terrible they need to find a new word for terrible in fact. But Charlie has not agreed to Emma helping him fix it. Or staying in his house while she does. Logan has some ‘splainin’ to do.

Charlie does read some of Emma’s work that Logan has sent to him and she’s good – great in fact. He can see the talent she has leaping off the page. But he doesn’t need the rom com script to be good. It just needs to be passable. It’s part of a deal with a movie mogul’s mistress; he writes a remake of “It Happened One Night” for her to star in and the mogul will produce Charlie’s beloved mafia movie project.

Emma however has found her spine – she didn’t leave her dad and her sister didn’t give up an internship for nothing! If she’s going to stay and work on the script they have to do their best. She’s not going to half-ass it. Emma makes a deal with Charlie that they will do some research together – activities the characters do in the movie (line dancing is one) to assist their process and she passionately and articulately defends her favourite genre from his snobbery. Charlie’s original script does not end with the couple together. No happy ending! An abomination. Emma explains to Charlie that’s not how this works. He says it’s more “interesting” his way. She compares romance genre stories to sex. If sex ends without an orgasm is that more “interesting”? If sex ends with an orgasm are you disappointed? The “happy ending” of romance is a good thing Charlie! (This is a most excellent analogy. Well played ma’am.)

Charlie is a bit of a misanthrope, a little bit on the grumpy side, a little shy. His prodigious talent and bashful charm has let him get away with some unusual behaviour (taking a phone call while accepting an award for example) but something happened five years ago that changed everything. Charlie’s wife left him and Charlie was diagnosed with cancer. On the same day. He’s well now but, in Logan’s words, he’s got the “yips” and the words aren’t flowing like they used to.

But then he and Emma start writing together.

In Charlie’s original script there’s a scene where the guy falls on top of the girl and she gets a concussion. Charlie and Emma have a spirited discussion about whether this is in fact, romantic. Life imitates art and the listener gets to experience a bit of this very thing. Delicious.

I could have used more of Emma and Charlie writing together, more about the script doctoring they were doing, more about their research excursions. Instead, we see Emma’s and Charlie’s relationship developing through smaller things like grocery shopping together, Emma cooking, Charlie failing to cook. (It’s not that I didn’t want to listen to these things. I did. I just would have liked a little more about the movie.) It’s clear to the listener that they are falling for one another but the story is only told from Emma’s perspective and she’s not sure. Then she is. And then…

I was wondering there for a while whether you’d stick to the romance contract yourself. I suppose that’s one measure of a great story. The tension, the stakes and the risk. (Note to DA Readers – this is a romance, never fear. Sorry not sorry for spoiling that.) I did like how you defined the HEA. It’s a little more complicated than those three letters. But good. Still good.

Charlie is wonderful. He’s talented and fully supportive of Emma. He makes a decision that is understandable given all the circumstances. Emma makes a decision that is entirely within her character. Their banter is all the good things. Emma is also amazing. Funny and smart and generous.

There was some conflict between Emma and Sylvie late in the book and I did think Emma owed Sylvie an apology too. Harsh words were said by both of them. Very harsh. Oof.

I have this thing about books that are marketed as romantic comedies. Humour is subjective after all. And there are some things which are just not funny. Cancer – not funny. Traumatic brain injury. Not funny. You don’t play those things for laughs but from a reader/listener perspective, going into a book wanting and expecting laughs and fun and finding cancer and TBIs can be a deal breaker. So, even though there were parts of the book where I did laugh out loud (your humour really works for me and Patti Murin is just the icing on the cake when it comes to her delivery and comedic timing), I am not calling this a “rom com”. There are heavy topics in this book. There are serious challenges and high stakes. It’s a contemporary romance which has comedy in it. It’s not, IMO, a rom com. That’s my personal definition. It’s how I square that circle.

After I listened to The Bodyguard I went and looked for other Patti Murin narrations because I wanted to listen to more of her work. I have bought audiobooks purely because she is the narrator. I could listen to her read the phone book. (Great news though – some of her other performances are for Christina Lauren books – so Yahtzee!) She has a wide range of character voices, great timing, tone and pacing. She delivers all the emotions – sadness, fear, anger, confusion, longing, love. As well as humour. Audiobooks as a medium are transformational when done well. The narrator interprets the words first and delivers them to the listener. This book would be a good book on it’s own. A very good book. Probably a B+. But with Patti Murin’s narration? It’s an A. She brings something I could not have found on my own.

These days, when I read one of your books (I have glommed some; I’m saving others of your backlist for a rainy day when I need to pull a rabbit out of a hat) I hear Patti Murin reading the story to me and it’s almost – almost – as good as the real thing.

For the last three years, I’ve looked forward to your books and for the last three years I’ve been delighted by them.

Grade: A

Regards,
Kaetrin

Katherine Center’s newest book, The Rom-Commers is so much more than your typical romcom. In fact calling it a romcom almost feels wrong. It’s a humorous dramatic romance. How is that different from your typical romcom? There is an extra layer to the story, a deeper more serious aspect to the story that makes the characters and their actions feel so real. I finished The Rom-Commers completely believing this cast of characters could really exist out there somewhere. Every character was complex, fully developed, and I connected with them all. This is easily my favorite Katherine Center book and one I know I’ll return to again in the future so I can spend time with them again.

Emma Wheeler has always wanted to be a screenwriter. It’s been her dream to write romcoms. And the truth is, she good at it. But circumstances in her life have forced her to focus most of her attention at home, taking care of her father. But when the opportunity of a lifetime presents itself, the chance to work with Charlie Yates her all time favorite screenwriter, her family pushes her to take a chance and reach for her dream. Leaving her father in the care of her younger sister she ventures to Hollywood only to find out that her friend and agent hasn’t actually landed her the job he promised her. In fact Charlie had no clue she was coming, nor that she’d been told she would be living him with while they worked on fixing his first ever romcom screenplay. Worse yet, when he finally agrees to let her help, she discovers the reason his screenplay is so horrid is because he doesn’t know the first thing about romcoms. Heck, he doesn’t seem to know the first thing about love period. And in order to fix his screenplay she is going to have to educate him about both.

These characters were so incredibly endearing. You’ll instantly love Emma and feel for her when she gets torn down, again and again. Her upbeat attitude, love of romcom, love of love is so infectious. And as for Charlie. He’s quirky, guarded, damaged, and afraid to be vulnerable…though with good reason. It’s such a touching story. And I loved Katherine’s afterword, her defense of the importance of the romcom genre. I’m not sure how she tops this one, but I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. Patti Murin’s narration is impeccable. I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of the audio version of The Rom-Commers.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RA3EY3RUOVSJO/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

This book was a delight after my last heavy read and I've always found this author's books to be just the kind of fun read I need at times. The narrator did a fantastic job with voice inflection and emphasis on the humor. Emma and Charlie are such likeable characters. Both have been through very real heartbreak and disappointment. Charlie is wildly successful as a screenwriter but leads a lonely life with his pet guinea pig. (Yes, you have to love a hero with a guinea pig.) Emma has put her career and life on hold to take care of a disabled father and younger sister. These two characters are perfectly flawed and its clear to see from the beginning they need each other. The fun is in seeing them realize how perfect they are together. There's witty banter and sparks fly, but the author keeps things in check, and knowing that she does is why I always reach for one of her books. This will be one to reach for this summer.