This was a fun book! I thought that the plot was fun and believable, and I really liked the overall dialogue. My favorite parts were when the book's narrator broke the fourth wall and spoke to the reader directly. That added such a fun touch that had me literally LOLing at some points.

The reader of this audiobook was nice to listen to. She had good pacing and I liked her different voices. She sometimes sounded a little congested or something, but it was not bothersome. I would listen to her again!

I wanted to like this so much. The premise was very promising and Katherine Center always delivers a solid rom com with some trauma dumping mixed in, in the best way. But I did not have a good time and I fear I do not have anything nice to say…

Everyone sucked. The drama and trauma was too much. There was way too much fourth wall breaking. This was a mess.

I LOVE Katherine Center's books! With The Rom-commers, she has crafted another beautifully written, heartfelt, unforgettable love story.

Emma is an aspiring screenplay writer who has spent the last ten years caring for her dad 24/7 after his accident. She gets the chance to rewrite a rom-com screenplay with her writing idol, Charlie Yates. But, things are not straightforward, and Charlie doesn't believe in love or that love stories matter. Can Emma convince him?

This is a slow-burn, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story set against a Hollywood backdrop. I laughed several times and cried a few, too. Both MCs have been through some very difficult things in their lives, and Center approaches these deep topics in a way that feels authentic and relatable. Their growth and emotional journey had me totally invested. It is heart-wrenching at times, but Center balances those moments with humor and a hearty dose of swoony romance.

I loved the peeks into the world of writers, the inner workings of scriptwriting, and how grumpy Charlie and sunshine Emma worked together. I also loved the forced proximity, the banter, and the romantic tension between this couple.

There's also a fun easter egg from Center's book The Bodyguard!
This gem is the perfect summer read!

I alternated between the book and the audiobook, narrated by Patti Murin and by the author herself, who reads a fantastic bonus scene from Charlie's POV. Murin delivers a wonderful and nuanced performance. Something in her voice perfectly captures Emma's energy and spark.
Murin brought out the emotions of all the characters, the deeper moments, and the wit and humor of the dialogue. I listened at 1.5x speed, and everything was clear and easy to follow.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the free book and audiobook!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Rom-Commers
By: Katherine Center
Narrated by: Patti Murin
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Pub Date: 6/11/24
Another author who I wish could write faster! This was so good! I absolutely loved the bonus chapter that’s part of the audio read by Katherine herself!
Patti Murin narrates the main story. She has quickly become a favorite of mine. She truly becomes the character she’s reading.

Emma Wheeler is stuck. She has been her dad's sole caregiver for the last 10 years. After a tragic climbing accident that permanently disabled her dad and killed her mom she stepped up to take care of him. She sent her little sister to college and just kept going. When her agent and high school friend contacts her to ghost write for her absolute favorite screenwriter Charlie Yates Emma and her sister trade places and Emma heads to LA. What she quickly finds out is Charlie has the yips he hasn’t written anything in a long time and this romcom he’s trying to write is terrible. Can Emma work with the man she’s literally had a crush on for years? Can they write a good romcom when it would appear Charlie knows nothing about them?
Thanks to Macmillan Audio, Katherine Center and NetGalley for this ARC.

5/5
SWOON! All Hail Katherine Center, the absolute Queen of romance strikes again! This novel completely falls in line with the other amazing romance books that this author has brilliantly written and shared with the world. Emma and Charlie are such fantastic MCs with such wonderful chemistry, even if it shaky and one sided at best at the beginning. I must admit that I have a weakness for books about writing books and I truly loved the details in this one.
There was:
- Forced proximity
- Family intricacies
- Deep and complex characters
- Grumpy / Sunshine
- fantastic banter

Katherine Center is such a champion of this genre and for me is a must-read every time. You will laugh, you will cry, your heart will physically ache and by the end of this, your heart will be full to bursting. What more can you possibly ask for?...more books please!?! haha!

And the narration was SOOOOOO good! 10/10!

Thank you so much to Katherine Center and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this novel. All my opinions are freely given and 100% my own.

I devoured this book! You have a screenwriter writing a romcom, that happens to be a love cynic. What could go wrong? Well…what he wrote is trash and there is only one person that can fix it. Here comes Emma who loves love, but hasn’t been able to find it or put her career first since she has been taking care of her dad the past 10 years.

This book shows the insecurities of putting yourself out there and the questions you ask yourself or actions you do, when you think you are not worthy of love. Then has you laughing out loud in parts that people look in your direction to see what you are doing. I loved the banter between these two characters.

Katherine Center is a must buy for when I need a romantic comedy fix!

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of The Rom-Commers.

"Whatever story you tell yourself about your life, that's the one that'll be true."

This book came out of nowhere and I haven't been the same since. I loved this cast of characters, even if Charlie made me so annoyed sometimes. But that's the point. The author did an incredible job of making these characters so human it hurts. From Emma's anxiety and Googling symptoms in the middle of the night, to Charlie and his self deprecating attitude. Even Cuthbert and his grief of losing his brother. I have never felt more seen in the small moments of this incredible novel.

I've dealt with anxiety for as long as I can remember, and it was a breath of fresh air to see it represented on the pages in this way. I also "feather the corners of the pages" while I read and I have not one time seen or read about anyone else who does the same. That was a pleasant surprise.

From start to finish there wasn't a time I didn't want to be reading this book. This was my first book by Katherine Center and it won't be the last. The narrator was also incredible.

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

One thing about @katherinecenter books is that they always leave you with that feel good feeling. The Rom-Commers is no exception and a great light and fun read between some of the darker books I’d read in May.

-grumpy x Sunshine
-Forced Proximity
-A touch of Enemies to Lovers
-Complicated Families

Two writers working together to fix this movie script and testing out what makes a scene romantic? You know that’s a recipe for fun! I loved Emma right from the get go but Charlie had to grow on me a bit. He had a lot to work through but when he finally came out of his grumpy shell, I felt for him!

I started this one with the E-book and they switched back and forth with audio. I loved both versions!

The Rom-Commers comes out June 11! Thank you @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for my advanced copy!

This was a cute rom-com. I have to admit I liked Emma defining what makes a rom-com as it’s not something that I’ve been able to articulate. I did have moments with both of our main characters where I was a little disgusted by their choices/responses but overall I did like them both and thought their romance worked. I liked the barrier that almost broke them apart (even if it was pretty predictable). But predictable in a rom-com works for me. I will say I had a hard time with Emma staying despite all of the horrible things said about her and I don’t love that savior/martyr complex she seemed to have going on. I loved her father and sister but didn’t like most of the other side characters much. Emma is a screenwriter but due to circumstances she couldn't control she mostly is a teacher and caretaker for her father. Her ex-boyfriend and agent calls and tells her that her writing hero Charlie Yates needs someone to help him re-write a horrible romantic comedy screenplay and after much hesitation she heads to LA. Of course nothing goes as planned (what kind of rom-com has things going according to plan?) and some sparks and conflict fly between our main characters. I listened to the first quarter of this on audiobook and liked the narrator a lot. She really brought Emma to life. Of course with impatience (and a long flight) I switched to kindle and devoured the rest. Overall I gave it 4.5 stars rounded up because I just enjoyed it.

The Rom-Commers has been one of the biggest literary surprises for me this year. While the blurb sounded interesting, I figured it would be a fun beach type read to just sit back and enjoy. Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly an entertaining book, but it will also feel like your heart is being ripped out at times. Kudos to Center for writing such an engaging, emotional tale. I especially loved how the story disproved the nonromantic screenplay moments one hilarious encounter at a time. At this point, the line dancing scene and awards scene will live rent free in my head. I also appreciated how well Center handled the messy and occasionally ugly moments in life from harboring guilt to saying things you don’t mean in the heat of argument, to having your whole life change in an instant. I have a deep dislike for the third act breakup trope, but in a testament to Center’s writing, it felt necessary and well handled in The Rom-Commers to the point the story would’ve felt empty without it. Other tropes you’ll find in this story include enemies to friend to lovers, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, and great banter. If a romcom has great banter, it’s already a winner in my book. I read this book via audiobook, and the narrator, Patti Murin, was phenomenal. No joke, this is probably one of the best narrated romcoms I’ve listened to. I highly encourage checking out the audiobook for this.

A romcom about writing a romcom?!? I'm obsessed. Katherine Center is 100% an auto buy author for me but I simply couldn't wait for this one so I had to request some kind of advanced copy and I was lucky enough to receive both a digital ARC & ALC so I could listen and highlight a copy at the same time which is fast becoming my favorite way to read! (I of course also bought myself a physical copy for my bookshelves because I loved it, it's gorgeous and like I said she's an auto buy author so I'd already had it in my cart as soon as it was available for preorder😋)

ANYWHOOO, back to reviewing: it's an amazing, funny, heartfelt, touching, beautiful, emotional, perfect book! I laughed and cried, smiled and frowned and was frustrated at certain points: it really made me feel all the feels and I love that. I could vividly imagine each scene and character, the descriptions are topnotch and the characters are fully realized. I would just keep reading and listening to Emma & Charlie's story forever of I could. Patti Murin is a lively and engaging narrator, making the audio so easy to listen to and just a lovely experience. The story really flows so well and there's never an awkward/unintentional pause or break; the pacing is perfect and I definitely recommend this one to any audiobook lovers. Same goes for the physical book -- the writing is phenomenal and you'll feel pulled into the pages right away.

I love how the relationship between Emma and Charlie builds throughout the novel. They start off as a woman who's been taking care of her father for 10 years and put her dreams on hold because of that and her idol who is a famous screenwriter -- basically THE famous screenwriter that everyone would know -- and slowly move from reluctant partners, to friends, to more. Their banter is so fun and the way they complement each other and balance each other gives me butterflies. Everything about Emma is so big -- her personality, her dreams, even her hair and you she really pulls Charlie back into the world of the living and gets under his skin in the best way. She's funny and so real compared to his more subdued, disinterested vibes. And I like that while they're portrayed this way, Emma is really the one who's been living in a smaller world, not daring to leave her father alone even to go after her own dreams/desires, while Charlie is this larger than life, successful, rich, famous screenwriter who acts more like a cynical hermit that doesn't believe in love. This is a love story to moving on after grief and trauma -- for both of them. There's so much more I could say but I don't want to give anything away. I think any romance lover will adore this book and I highly recommend it to every single person who sees this review and is considering it -- you won't be disappointed.

*forced proximity
*screenwriter romance
*idol to enemy to lover
*slow burn
*JACK STAPLETON CAMEOS

CW: death of a parent, divorce, chronic illness.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ALC which I voluntarily listened to and reviewed via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Both formats will be available June 11th so keep an eye out at your favorite bookstores or pre-order or request from your library, whatever's your preferred way to get books! You won't want to miss this one. (:

As a big Katherine Center fan, this one did not disappoint. I loved the characters, their banter, their relationship, the tension. I listened and read this and both were amazing and I was always disappointed to have to stop... and even more disappointed when I finished it in 3 days. I was so invested in these characters and their lives. I felt actual emotions as if they were people that I really knew. I love that despite the ups and downs throughout the book, they always feel positive. Center has a way with words that makes you see the good in life and people - even when things don't seem so great. And this book was not exception to that. A must read for anyone who loves rom-coms!
Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

One of my first introductions to Bookstagram was a review for Katherine Center’s Hello Stranger last year. Fast forward to now — I’ve been part of this community for 10 months, and I have just read my first book by KC! 🙌🏼

The Rom-Commers is an ode to love and love stories. Center’s adoration and passion for this genre is abundantly clear. I laughed. I teared up. I fell in love…with romance. 🫶🏻

I felt it all in this emotional, hope-filled story. I binged this in a day and went to sleep with all the warm fuzzy feelings of a great book. The audio for this was amazing. I felt fully immersed, and the narration had me engaged the entire time.
𝘔𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 5⭐️

I have been dabbling in the romance genre over the last year. Thanks to The Rom-Commers, I’m now all-in! Give me all the swoony romance recs for this summer. 💞

Thank you @macmillanaudio for the gifted ALC! Opinions are my own.

Another sweet and wonderful book by one of my favorite writers! This is the first time I've listened to an audio book version of Katherine Center's novels and I absolutely loved the narrator. She is so amazing!! And Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguard makes an appearance here, isn't that great! Maybe I didn't fall in love with Emma and Charlie as I usually do with all of Center's characters (because they are just so real!!), but I still enjoyed watching/listening to them getting to know each other.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This was such an adorable book! I loved watching (well reading) Emma & Charlie fall in love. And I couldn’t keep myself from crying when Emma & her sister had their big fight.

This is the perfect book, especially if you’re a fan of her other book The Bodyguard (iykyk).

Emma Wheeler, an aspiring screenwriter, gets a chance to rewrite a script for her idol, Charlie Yates, while her sister takes over caring for their dad. Despite Charlie's disdain for her and romantic comedies, Emma is determined to prove their value, leading to an unexpected romance that changes everything.

Katherine Center is an auto-read author for me! However, I had mixed feelings about *The Rom-Commers*. The plot was sweet and had so much potential, but I wasn’t a big fan of Charlie. I empathized with Emma regarding her past and finally being able to pursue her dreams. It didn’t surprise me that she had more of a doormat personality since she had to start taking care of her dad and raising her younger sister at a young age. I liked seeing Emma’s growth throughout the story. Charlie, on the other hand, has to be one of the worst male main characters. He’s a textbook red flag. I hate that whatever he tells Emma is the opposite of what he means. There’s also a major twist at the end that I thought was incredibly messed up. Charlie continues to treat Emma poorly while secretly having a crush on her, but his words are what hurt the most. I couldn’t imagine them being together long after the epilogue due to the initial relationship they have. One part of the book I did enjoy was the cameo appearances of Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguard. Overall, The Rom-Commers had its moments, but it didn’t fully deliver for me.

I am so torn on this one! I'm a big fan of some other works by Center and was looking forward to reading this! I found the overall premise of two writers falling in love amidst their work enticing. But the execution didn't quite hit the mark for me. The lack of chemistry between the two main characters, Emma and Charlie, coupled with some cringe-worthy behaviors had me rolling my eyes. HOWEVER. For fellow fans of the 'regular degular girl gets the attention of hot and famous guy' trope then this is for you. The narration was great though.

THIS BOOK WAS 100% WORTH IT! 5 STARS WITHOUT A DOUBT!
Emma Wheeler is a screenwriter who has spent the last ten years taking caring of her father who sustained a traumatic brain injury following a climbing accident. Emma is given the opportunity of a lifetime to work with her favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates, but this opportunity requires her to go to California for six weeks. Emma is torn as she has been the sole caregiver for her father since his accident. Emma’s sister, Sylvie forfeits her internship to stay with their dad so Emma can take this opportunity. How does a famous screenwriter like Charlie Yates write such a terrible rom-com screenplay? Que Emma to help re-write this terrible screenplay and teach Charlie some lessons in the process.
As soon as I saw this on audiobook, I knew I had to listen to it. I loved how this book was written, and I couldn’t get enough of it! I totally binged this audiobook and I am not ashamed to admit it. It was like I was having a girl’s night with my best friend the whole time! The narrator, Patti Murin, was a perfect fit for Emma’s character and the overall story! Her reading was clear, and her inflections and commentary fit the story amazingly making it feel like she was having a conversation with me throughout the book. Throughout this book, I experienced lots of laughter, irritation, and tears. This was my first Katherine Center book but definitely won’t be my last. This book is available June 11th, perfect timing for your summer vacation reading list!
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advance audiobook and the opportunity to provide my honest opinion!

Catherine Center’s latest novel, The ROM Commers, is a delightful blend of romance, humor, and self-discovery. Set against the backdrop of a charming small town, the story follows Emma, a quirky and endearing protagonist who stumbles upon a mysterious community of romantics.

Center’s writing is whimsical and evocative, capturing the magic of unexpected connections and the power of love. The characters are vividly drawn, and their interactions feel genuine. As Emma navigates her way through secret societies, hidden letters, and heartwarming surprises, readers will be swept away by the sheer joy of it all.

Katherine Center you have done it again. Taken my heart and made it burst!!! I loved this book.

If you’re seeking a heartwarming escape with a touch of whimsy, The ROM Commers is a five-star read that will leave you smiling long after you’ve turned the last page.

There is a lot to love about this book. The idea of meeting and working with your personal writing hero Charlie Yates on a once in a lifetime script opportunity is fantastic! That said hero doesn’t have any idea you’re coming to work, oh and, stay with him, not so much. This is the start of the Rom Commers. The two protagonists, Emma & Charlie,share an agent/friend who schemes this starting scenario to “help” both. It does not go over well.
That said, the two leads are fun, there’s a lot of great dialogue, a passionate defense of not only love, but romance and romance writing, some cute moments, and a heartfelt story of loss, family, pain, and love.
My only tiny qualm was the story is completely in the hands of our female protagonist Emma, who, often treats us to third wall breaks and has a tendency to get the wrong idea instead of confronting people. Which, fine, is not a huge leap in storytelling, but occasionally I kind of wanted to yell at her. This audio came with a couple of delightful bonus extras. One being an additional scene of a crucial moment but told from Charlie’s point of view. That was something I kind of wished we could have had throughout. Maybe I’ve just gotten used to dual narrative storytelling since I’ve been working my way through several series of romance novels. Whatever the reason, I loved that. The other was a fantastic argument for all the merits of romance novels from the actual author. It was great! Overall, the Rom Commers was a delightful book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
**Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.**