Okay, now that I'm sitting down to actually review this book, I can no longer remember why I didn't bump my 4.5 rating up to 5 . . . so I'm just going to do that right now. There. Fixed. (To be clear, this is still a 4.5 until I can re-read, but it's living so pleasantly in my mind right now and I'm still laughing about the pool/drunk/dress scene.)

So this is a romance book about romances. Our main character, Emma, is a screenwriter, and she loves rom-coms. But her favorite screenwriter is phenom Charlie Yates, who has never written a rom-com in his life. But now he has to! In order to get his gangster movie made, first he has to write a vanity project script for his director's mistress. The script is supposed to be a rewrite of It Happened One Night and it is an utter and complete disaster, a terrible, terrible piece of writing. So Emma's agent (who is also Charlie's agent) finagles her the chance to co-write this rom-com with him. They butt heads immediately, and their bickering/banter was so good.

The plot of Emma trying to get Charlie to appreciate the joys of romance and rom-coms would have been enough on its own, but both characters have something deeper going on. Emma has been the caretaker of her disabled father for the past ten years and hasn't had the chance to actually try and become a professional writer, but the chance to work with Charlie is one she can't pass up (and one her family won't let her pass up). Charlie has his own stuff going on as well, which I won't spoil.

I just loved this so much. It's my favorite Katherine Center book, easy. I love the open-hearted defence/apologia to love stories. I love the characters. It was really frickin' funny. This one might end up being a stealth fave of the year. Highly recommend.

[4.5 stars, rounded up]

I had such high hopes for this since I've loved every other Katherine Center book, but this just wasn't it for me.

Charlie is so mean, and Emma just lets him treat her so badly. I love a good grumpy/sunshine trope, but Charlie is just mean. I know she couldn't have just made him be honest with Emma, but he didn't have to be as mean and condescending as he was.

Emma was better than Charlie, but I just wanted her to stand up for herself. Also, the way she talks to her sister in one scene (when you read it you'll know) is so awful. I understand that she gave up so much to take care of their dad, and why she felt like she needed to, but she was just as mean as Charlie to her sister.

There was some great banter and I felt like it could've been such a great book, but I just can't get over how terrible Charlie is, and his redemption is just not enough for me. The narrator might be one of my new favorites though! I could listen to her voice all day! The bonus audio only content by Katherine was fun, and I always love listening to authors read their own stories, even if it is only one scene and an author's note.

Thank you to NetGalley and McMillen Audio for the advanced copy! Overall 2.5/5 stars

A cute, funny, and smart romance novel. The aspiring writers among us (guilty!) will be especially charmed by the story of a writer meeting her screenwriting idol, who has fallen just a little bit from his lofty pedestal of late. Katherine Center has a unique voice. Her heroine is intelligent and appealing. Definitely interested in reading more of her work!

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. The narrator was wonderful and I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to read this book.

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!

I absolutely LOVED this book. I listened via audiobook and the narration was great. It’s a cute, feel good book and my new favorite by Katherine Center!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Katherine Center, & NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Katherine Center for my #gifted copy of The Rom-Commers!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐦-𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

★★★★★ (ALL★THE★STARS★)

Katherine Center is the author where you think there is no way the next book can beat the last book she wrote. Like no way possible. But then you read the next book…and you are just speechless. How does this woman continue to write the most amazing books with the most amazing characters. Time after time? It just doesn’t make any sense. Katherine Center, you have once again stolen my heart with this one. This one (along with ALL of the books written by Katherine Center) is a must read!

I want to start by saying that it took me a week to read this book. Not because I was not enjoying it or because I was too busy to read it. For reference, it usually takes me 1-2 days max to read a book this size (less if it’s an audiobook). It took me a week because I purposely spaced it out so that I could savor it for as long as possible. I knew I would only have one chance to read this book for the first time, and I am so glad I got to spend a full week with Emma and Charlie.

Emma Wheeler has always wanted to be a screenwriter and loves romantic comedies. She even won a huge contest. But she’s been the sole caretaker for her dad, who needs full-time care. But when she gets the chance to help Charlie Yates (YES, THE Charlie Yates), she finds a way adjust some things and gets her sisters to come home to help so she can spend six weeks in LA working with Charlie. Emma could not be more excited to work with Charlie, but when she arrives in LA, Charlie doesn’t seem too thrilled to be working with Emma. He doesn’t even care about the script, he’s just using it to get a different one green-lit. But Emma did not adjust her entire life for nothing, and she is committed to this rom-com. She is determined to convince Charlie that love stories matter, even if that means breaking some rules during the process.

No words will do this one justice. I literally ugly cried so many times while reading this book. And then snorted because I was laughing so hard. I loved Emma and Charlie. Loved them. It’s such a feel good book with so many good messages. While it’s complex, it had the perfect balance of lighthearted moments. Read this book. I promise you will not regret it.

🎧I feel like the luckiest person because not only did I get to read this one with my eyes, but I then got to listen to this one with my ears. I loved this one so much that I did a reread and I loved it even more the second time around. Patti Murin narrated this one and she was an absolute joy to listen to and I cannot recommend this one on audio enough. You are in for such a treat with Murin as the narrator. Seriously, pure perfection!

“𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭... 𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤. 𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫—𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧—𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡—𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩, 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦—𝐰𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬.”

🩷𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲
🩷𝐆𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐲 𝐱 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞
🩷𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
🩷𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫
🩷𝐀 𝐩𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐠
🩷𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
🩷𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡
🩷𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

**Posted on Instagram - Mini Review-on or around April 24th, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
Posted on Goodreads on June 7, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around June 7, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on June 11, 2024
**-will post on designated date

“The whole trick to life…Be aggressively, loudly, unapologetically grateful.”

Wow, I’m not even sure how to start this review…this book…it was everything I could have ever expected it to be and so much more! I am a huge Katherine Center fan! I love her style of writing, particularly the way she has the MC talk to the reader as if they were a character in the story, and how she incorporates incredible life lessons into her stories. I absolutely adored both The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger and didn’t think she’d be able to top them, but she definitely did with The Rom-Commers. Who knew a romcom about writing a romcom could be so heartwarming and uplifting?!

I made an instant connection with the characters on so many different levels. It is full of angst, witty banter, hilariously awkward moments, joy, life lessons, heartaches, tragedies, brokenness, healing, hope, forgiveness, the importance of human connection, and the true meaning of love…all wrapped up in one spectacular story.

This story got me in the heart and in the gut. Being a breast cancer survivor, Katherine perfectly put into words so many of the things I felt during my fight with cancer. This book was such a great reminder of all those feelings and thoughts I had during that time. We often forget to slow down and take a moment to notice and enjoy the little things in life. It is truly important to remember that life happens and tragedies will occur, but it is how you handle those battles and what you can learn from them to make you a better person. “It’s all about writing the very best story of your life. Not just how you live it–but how you choose to tell it.”

Patti Murin’s narration enhances the experience, bringing the characters to life with impeccable tones and inflections while creating a believable narration. Murin delivered a spectacular performance from start to finish.

I won’t say too much about the story for fear of spoiling the experience but trust me when I say it is a must read and I HIGHLY suggest reading it as soon as it comes out! This is probably one of the quickest and easiest reviews I have ever written because I loved this book so much! My only regret is not reading it sooner!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and Katherine Center for granting me early access to The Rom-Commers in exchange for an honest review.

Another really cute book featuring a rom-com writer. Emma is a screen writer, although without much to credit to her name when she is tasked with helping Charlie save his disaster of a rom-com. Over the course of their “research” for the screen play, they fall in love, but Charlie rejects her when he believes he is dying of lung cancer. Emma has her own troubled past with health scares, having lost her mom in a rock climbing accident, which also left her dad unable to care for himself. Charlie’s rejection stings, and Emma won’t let him in when her dad faces another near-death experience. But in the end, love wins.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Center writes the best romances! The relatable kind that makes you feel seen while also making you giggle and kick your feet. I listened to the audio, and the narrator did a smashing job of nailing the emotions here. I felt right along with Emma. And that bonus chapter! Perfection! The author's note, read by Katherine herself, was also full of insight into the romance genre, and I wholeheartedly agree with her. I think I found my new favorite KC book!

This book is a love letter to all of us romcom lovers, and I loved every single page! Emma is the QUEEN of romcoms, and when she's asked to help a very famous screenwriter, who just happens to be her favorite ever, rewrite his romantic comedy script, she thinks she's hit the jackpot. But you know what they say about meeting your hero... Charlie happens to be an anti-love, anti-feelings, grump. It's no wonder his romcom is atrocious (worse than terrible).

I had a really hard time connecting with characters of this one. ESPECIALLY CHARLIE. He was rude and condescending the entire time and it was just really hard to like him. There were a lot of bits that seemed like “filler” and were a bit boring and repetitive. I like the book enough to push through, but not enough to feel swoon.

Side note, it’s always weird to me when characters in fiction books “meet” real people. They met Meryl Streep in this book and it just weird in my opinion.

4.5 star Rom-Com

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin Press for the ALC.

Pub Date: 6-11-24

✨The Highlights✨

· Grumpy x Sunshine ☀️
· Roommates
· Closed Door 🚪
· Hollywood Setting 🎥
· Single POV

✨The Audio✨

I listened to the audio for this book and was over the moon with the execution. Patti Murin is a favorite of mine and she shines in this book. Her delivery, the way she hits those emotional beats – just perfection. Not to mention Katherine also read her outstanding autobiography note at the end and a bonus chapter which should not be missed!

✨The Feels✨

This book was a total swoon fest! It’s like a shout-out to all us rom-com fans who’ve had enough eye-rolls about our genre. Emma, the Rom-Com QUEEN, champions the genre in this book and I was here 👏🏻 for 👏🏻 all 👏🏻of 👏🏻 it. And the mix of laughs and feels in this book? Flawless. I went from giggles to tears and back again. And Charlie and Emma! Ahhh they are the cutest duo! The banter, the antics – it was everything. They were giving Nick and Jess from New Girl vibes at times (wait for that kiss scene y’all). Plus, they’ve got layers and real stuff they’re dealing with. I just loved every minute of watching them grow. Seriously, don’t miss out on this gem – it’s pure joy from cover to cover.

✨The Spoiler-Free Details✨

Emma Wheeler, a die-hard rom-com enthusiast, juggles her Hollywood dreams with caring for her dad until a chance to rewrite a script for her idol, Charlie Yates, thrusts her into the heart of La La Land. But Charlie, a skeptic of love and rom-coms, isn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet. Determined to prove him wrong, Emma dives into the world of love and laughter, sparking unexpected chemistry with Charlie along the way. As their on-screen romance starts to blur with reality, Emma must fight for her passion, her dreams, and possibly even her own happily ever after in this hilarious and heartwarming tale where writing a rom-com turns into a real-life love story.

✨The Sweet Treat✨
Biscuit donuts! In the book they use powdered sugar. I glazed mine pink & orange à la the book cover!

Katherine Center! Come through!! I still have not lifted my jaw from the floor! I love The Rom-Commers and it is absolutely one of my favorites of Katherine Center’s thus far.

In this story, we follow screenwriter Emma Wheeler as she gets the amazing opportunity to work with (and help save the reputation of) one of her favorite writers, Charlie-Freaking-Yates. But like they say, never meet your heroes…
The Rom-Commers is full of love, family and awkward moments that will leave you laughing out loud.

I personally read this one via audiobook, and I cannot tell you how much I loved the voice of Emma in this story. Patty Muirin was phenomenal. Every inflection given to Emma’s dialogue was perfect and on point. If you have the choice I highly suggest you listen to the audiobook.

The Rom-Commers definitely gets a 5/5 stars from me and I will be recommending it to anyone and everyone in my path.

While I love Katherine Center's writing, this was unfortunately not a smash hit for me.

Emma was a very sad main character. I had a hard time liking her and didn't find her quirky and charming... But more cringy and lame.

Charlie was pretty boring and I didn't understand the infatuation she had with him.

I thought the sister relationship was way too intense and strained, they didn't seem as close as they were conveyed.

The biggest issue I had with the book was the consent. Charlie kept telling her no and Emma just kept pushing. As a reader it began to feel awkward that she was trying so hard when he kept saying no. Even if he was obviously protecting himself and protecting her cause the vibes were there, he explicitly says no and she should have listened to him.

The writing itself was wonderful. The jokes landed. The pacing was great. The tone is always perfect from Katherine but this one just wasn't for me.

Coming next week to a bookstore near you The Rom-Commers is Katherine Centers’s latest. An auto read author for me, I was fortunate enough to get both the digital and audio arc. I highly recommend both formats.

The Rom-Commers is the story of Emma Wheeler, whom I connected to her right away, I think mostly because I have been a caretaker myself so I was able to feel what she was going through, how she put her life on hold. Then there is Charlie Yates, the cranky screen writer who is idolized by Emma, but has no desire to have her help. He is having issues with the rom/com he is writing (though he doesn't really know it...yet).

This was a great read, there was great banter, laugh out loud moments along with a serious side - as I have come to expect with this author. It was well written with real characters in real life situations. Definitely a book and author I recommend. Be sure to read the blurb, it gives more details into the story - if you want, I actually went in blind.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press for a digital arc and McMillan Audio for the audio arc.

As someone who makes a rom com movie bracket a yearly sport, I appreciate someone having the same fervor and passion for them as I do. And I feel as though Katherine Center was making a point of it, and I agree.

This was cute. The single POV didn't deter me from liking it as much as some single POV romances do. I think my only issue is that the character had some immature responses to things that kind of threw me. Not that folks aren't allowed to have immature responses to very valid feelings, just that they felt a little outlandish in comparison to what she had went through and dealt with. But that is a me thing.

I am always amazed at how Katherine Center somehow jedi mind tricks you into thinking sexy things have happened in her books and it still remains clean. This is no exception.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an early copy.

I love this author and have read every book she has written. I enjoyed listening and reading this one as well..mostly. Emma is a wonderful person who is gives up every dream she has to take care of her father and allow her sister to live her best life. A little overboard, yes, but guilt is a powerful motivator. When Logan, her old boyfriend offers her an incredible opportunity comes to work with her favorite writer she is over the moon with excitement for the experience and the financial gain. Her sister offers to help for the period while she is away and off she goes. Well, turns out Logans offer wasn’t what it seemed to be, Charlie Yates, the author she loved was a horrible human being and her sister disappointed her beyond belief. Yes, she does finally grow a backbone and self worth and get a truly wonderful happily ever after and I was thrilled for her, but the road there was at times really cringy for me. That said, I look forward to whatever comes next from this wonderful author.

Emma is a screenwriter who has yet to make it big, because she has been focusing on taking care of her dad for 10 years. Charlie Yates is ,THE Charlie Yates, big famous screenwriter and only Emma's idol. Emma is given the chance of a lifetime to work with THE Charlie Yates on screenplay. The only problems are; Charlie Yates is bad at writing RomComs and an asshole.

I thought this book was so so cute!

Emma is chaotic and all over the place and talks before she thinks often. I thought this fitting. As someone who spent the last 10 years of her life care taking for her father, this all makes complete sense to me. Care taking is hard and it is easy to lose yourself in making sure someone else stays alive. Her obsession over his numbers and health just screams; "I actually care!" (I work in the medical field and the amount of family members that take this good care of family is rare. This made me automatically drawn to her.)

I was on fence about Charlie for a good portion of the book. His actions said he cares while his mouth told a different story. I was glad to see self sacrifice on his part even if it was misplaced. The ending made up for his mixed signals.

This was a 4.5/5 star book for me!

Patti Murin was fabulous and had a great performance.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC!

Cute, funny, quirky, and heartfelt.

Emma Wheeler is an aspiring screenwriter, but her career was derailed after her father had a rock climbing accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury. She’s been his sole caretaker for 10 years and looked after her sister during that time too.

Her friend and agent, Logan, reaches out to her one day with an offer she can’t refuse: write a rom-com with legendary screenwriter Charlie Yates! She rearranges her life to go to California to work with him. But he’s not what she expected.

Katherine Center is an excellent storyteller, I can’t get enough of her rom-coms! This book made me laugh out loud, made me teary, and every emotion in between. I honestly did not want it to end.

I enjoyed the audiobook narrator too, she really acted the heck out of Emma’s character.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The perfect companion for a summer road trip and a great beach read, the audio-book version of THE ROM-COMMERS is engagingly narrated by Patti Murin, who brings to life the witty dialogue and banter that make this book shine. This is that summer novel that leaves you bereft when you finish, like you've just said goodbye to a good friend. THE ROM-COMMERS features characters who each have a strong sense of self that isn't dependent upon a romantic relationship (unlike too many other contemporary romances).

Both Charlie and Emma are script writers, and so it's not surprising that their dialogue sparkles, and the teasing banter between the two sounds like a classic Hollywood film script: snappy good fun. There are obstacles to Emma and Charlie's romance, but Katherine Center doesn't resort to the all-too-typical misunderstanding that could have been solved by any attempts at normal communication.

The best parts of the novel are the characters' disagreements and arguments: honest, refreshing, and real. Most similar in tone and pacing to Center's novel "The Bodyguard," this latest effort should attract new fans and abundantly satisfy loyal readers of her previous books.