Katherine Center is officially the patron saint of love stories and happily ever afters and defending the romance genre as equal to or surpassing all others. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, The Rom-Commers, from start to finish and it's one I can happily recommend to nearly every reader.

Emma Wheeler is a screenwriter - or at least she wants to be. Since becoming her father's full-time caretaker after he suffered a traumatic brain injury though, her dream has been deferred. Until, a crazy opportunity comes her way: go to LA for six weeks, and fix the romcom script of the preeminent screenwriter, Charlie Yates... who just so happens to be her muse (and a hater of love and romantic comedies).

The writing in this book however, does not need any fixing. The author makes you laugh and cry in equal measure, and brings Emma and Charlie to life. Emma is sunshine, despite being dealt a rough hand, and Charlie comes off as a grumpy butt, but slowly shares more about his past and why he doubts love. The supporting cast is just as much fun, and there's even a scene-stealing guinea pig and meeting Meryl Streep on a random Tuesday.

The whole time you just keep reading and knowing that Charlie is actually a good guy and he's just hiding his feelings, but you don't know why and you trust Katherine Center to give him his redemption arc and get us to our happily ever after that we all want in the end and she does it! (Spoiler alert, sorry). There's also an easter egg (shout out) to one of the author's other books that I did not catch until I was most of the way through the book, and then I squealed out loud with joy over the connection.

I loved Katherine Center's last two books - The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger. Her passion clearly shines through in everything she does and I greatly admire that. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. It was hard to listen to on audio. I did not connect with any of the characters and I feel there were a lot of pieces forced into the narrative that didn't need to be there. I recognize that it has great potential to appeal to other readers and I encourage other romance lovers to try this one! I look forward to Katherine Center's next book!

🎬 The Rom-Commers 🎬

By: Katherine Center

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️😇

I like to think what keeps humanity going when our lights start dimming and our spark starts to fizzle out is our hopes and dreams. The things that inspire us to not give up. The unfulfilled desires that makes our hearts go wild. That little hope sparks something in us that can be just enough to ignite that light that is just waiting to shine.

Meet Emma Wheeler. Her light shines so bright to all those who are blessed to have her in their life. She is kind, caring, patient, and loved by all. She has a talent for writing and she is one of those people who you just know is going to cause chaos (in a good way) in everything she does. But, when a devastatingly tragic accident leaves her as the sole caretaker of her father, her hopes and dreams become extinguished. But for Emma, that’s okay. Because Emma is the most chivalrous and compassionate person and taking care of her father far exceeds the life she could have possibly had as a writer.

While everyone in Emma’s life relies on her, who does Emma rely on? Rom-Coms of course! She is the queen of Rom-Coms. She has seen everyone movie, knows every actor, and knows all the lines. She has even wrote a few herself. But, of course those were just for her guilty pleasure.

Except her guilty little pleasure is true talent. And her best friend Logan knows just how talented she is. So when screen writer Charlie Yates, who is known for his macho movies, desperately needs help with his terribly atrocious attempt at a Rom-Com, Logan knows just who can help revive this lifeless and pathetic excuse of a screenplay.

But what happens when the queen of Rom-Coms is forced to work with a man who does not believe in love? Find out in this marvelously hilarious Rom-Com that is sure to spark something In you! A must summer read out June 11, 2024!

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced audiobook in exchange of an honest review.

What I loved:

the absolute best Rom-Com I’ve ever read. I hope this is made into a movie because it would be epic. If you are looking for the perfect summer read, this is it!

The comedy and banter was just the cutest. The author did a phenomenal job at writing a romance novel that had zero spice in it and never did it feel like it was lacking. So it’s appropriate for all ages which I absolutely love.

Perfect amount of grumpy meets sunshine. Sometimes the sunshine character is way too cheerful for me and I just adored Emma. Same for Charlie. He was not unbearably grumpy which was a breath of fresh air.

I loved that even though this was a rom com it still had some deep emotional moments that can be relatable to everyone.

All the little details. There was so much thought and love poured into this book that it just radiates off the pages.

What I disliked:

Nothing! Which is odd. I can usually find something that I would change about a book. I loved every moment of this book!

* actually that’s a lie. What happens to the poor little Peruvian character at the end…..🐹😂

I absolutely loved this audiobook! I felt the narrator read it well and kept my engaged. I was very much engrossed in the characters and their stories. I kept wanting to come back to listen to more. This was my first Katherine Center book, and I can’t wait to read more of hers. I highly recommend adding to your TBR!

I absolutely loved this audio book. For the last week I have listened to it in every spare moment I had. Katherine Center has done it again! I laughed, cried, and gasped in surprise while listening to this book. Pre order your copy now you will not be disappointed. The characters in this book are amazing you end up rooting for all of them. Emma Wheeler has put her life on hold for 10 years while caring for her Dad. She has been given a very unique opportunity to help jump start her writing career. Will her family be ok without her while she is gone will she be ok without them? Can Emma take this leap? Will she trust her younger sister with the responsibility to care for her Dad?
Patti Murin has narrated this beautifully I am looking forward to listening to other books she has narrated as well.
One last thing I would like to mention is the last part of the book that Katherine Center reads what she wrote about romance books and how many of us that read or write these books are looked down upon. Dont miss her reading her own words about the importance of this book genre.

Thank you so much to Netgelly and Macmillan Audio for letting me listen to an ARC of this beautiful story!

Huge huge HUGE shoutout to the narrator Patti Murin (one of my all time favorites) she really killed this, like she does always!!

I loved this book so much, since my dad passed away I find myself really drawn to stories that are colored by grief, and this one is right in my wheelhouse. The fear that you carry with you because you know that the worst thing has not only already happened, but can happen again at any moment. I not only loved this book, I needed to read it.

I’m giving the audio 4 stars I think I would have given the book 3 stars. I love Katherine Center’s writing and the way she can make me feel like I’m having a conversation with a friend and feeling their pain is always amazing. I like that we got a little cameo by Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguard. I love her one woman fight to defend the romance genre in her acknowledgements. I do have a few issues with this book that weren’t resolved.
1. The Ex-wife: why is he acting like he doesn’t know what love is or has never felt it… why when they are discussing love and he’s acting like he had to google it…. I’m confused because I think every person on the planet’s first question would have been… how did you feel about your wife when you married her!!?! He can’t stand her but… still lets her come over and take him to dinner and “make sure he’s ok?”? What?! This entire relationship is baffling.
2. The little sister comes off so ditsy and silly like she has no clue about how to care for the dad but is either an aspiring medical professional or is a medical professional. Because it says she is a nurse anesthetist at the end… so her undergrad would have been nursing…. She had a prestigious internship… get this… in medicine…. Yet she acts like she doesn’t know anything about her father’s sodium levels. I tried to suspend belief and think this is just the way Emma sees her from her POV not the truth because I’m doubting her genius.
3. Charlie is…. For lack of a better word…. A jerk. Like he tied her shoes and that’s what made her fall for him? He was mean 90% of the time. I think she developed feelings because it was like summer camp. Away from home and the only option. Why did Logan and Jack and the “mean ex-wife” not get this man in some therapy? Talk about hot and cold. “I don’t want this kiss to be for research… 5 min later… that was a mistake”
4. Dude has been out of the spotlight for 5 years… don’t get me started on how he’s had this long illustrious career by age 30. That the FMC has looked up too since she was young…. She’s 26… I thought this guy was like Spielberg at the beginning. And now he’s getting an award 5 years later where he gets to give a 20-30 min talk? What is going on?
Those things aside. While I did not enjoy it as much as The Bodyguard or Hello Stranger there were funny things in the book and heartstrings were tugged. The narrator was excellent.

I really love this author's writing because the relationships really feel realistic and unfold in a natural way. I'm not normally drawn to a closed bedroom romance, but I don't even miss the spice in a book when the characters and plot are written so well. I loved Emma and Charlie and how they were not perfect, but really brought out the best from each other. I really felt that this one unfolded like a movie in my head and I could see it working on the big screen for sure. I've read her other books, and I believe there are some cameos of other characters from other books, but to be honest I can't be sure as I often forget characters names after finishing the book. I also loved the guinea pig!! Also don't forget to read the author's note it really made me appreciate her writing even more.

Ok I'm off to watch It Happened One Night because the author spoke of it so highly I need to check it out.

Why did we have to read/hear Charlie Yates’ name that frequently? It was irritating. The main character felt like such a martyr and Charlie Yates was unpleasant. Also Emma complaining about her sister saying something devastatingly mean to her after she had just said something devastatingly mean to her sister? Hypocrite too. Ugh I don’t know. Hard to get into when I’m not a huge fan of the characters and the plot falls short.

Emma, a dedicated rom-com fan and writer, meets her (unlikely) match in the very famous, cynical, and ambitious Charlie when a friend connects the two to patch up Charlie’s terrible attempt at writing romance.

Truthfully, I’m not a huge fan of the normal woman and famous man meet and fall in love trope (and I’ve read several in the last year) so I had lower expectations for “The Rom-Commers” than I should have for how big of a fan I’ve been of Katherine Center’s other books. She always imbues her characters, even the minor ones, with so much warmth and humanity that I don’t know why I was surprised that I came to love every character in this book.

Would recommend to those interested in an extremely funny, not-spicy, rom-com with heartfelt characters.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes.

I enjoyed the bodyguard so I was excited to get this arc from NetGalley and Katherine Center. Unfortunately this book was a miss for me. The first half was fine. Cute, cliche romcom stuff that wasn’t groundbreaking but fun enough. Right at the 50% mark things went downhill fast. We had many instances of our main characters trying to convince each other to further their relationship when the other said no very clearly, multiple times. Then there was the toxic sister behavior. Blaming parents deaths on each other. Then the lack of realism about a false positive cancer diagnosis that was actually just bronchitis all over the phone?? And in our HEA epilogue talking about marriage our mmc said “I want you to belong to me”. Hard pass. I’m bummed that this was as bad as it turned out to be. It could have been cute!

My review is unfortunately that I am dnf-ing this book at 17%. Charlie as a character was such a vile asshole and I knew I wouldn't support any kind of redemption arc or love story with him. Emma was driving me crazy for refusing to stand-up for herself because she was so obsessed with Charlie Yates (can we please not call him this every time he's referenced, we get it). I was also having a hard time listening to this as an audiobook... all the voices except Emma's were really talking me out of the story. I do not share negative reviews like this on my platform, especially since I did not fully finish the book.

This was my first book by Katherine Center and I'm so glad I snatched up the audio ARC from Netgalley. This was an enjoyable, tame romance to enjoy while I waited my turn on Libby for the newest Emily Henry book. This had the same feel as an Emily Henry book, and reminded me a bit of Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld, only less steamy.
The story had all of the heart and loveable characters I look for in a literary romance. The romance tropes were there, not overdone, and there were only a handful of "you're kidding me" moments when the boundaries of reality were crossed. (For example, no hospital exists like the one described later in the book).
The narrator was also very good. I normally don't enjoy when the narration breaks the fourth wall, but it worked well here.
Overall, if you're looking for a romance that's a notch better than a Hallmark movie that won't embarrass you to recommend to your mom or your teenage+ daughter, as well as a romance-loving sister or friend, this one may do the trick!
Thanks to Netgalley for the free audio ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I LOVE that Katherine Center switched to ROMCOMS because WOW, these last few books have hit it out of the park. I will read every romance she writes now. I loved the narrators, also. So amazingly done.

5 stars

Once again Katherine Center brings the laughs, the feels, and the heartwarming moments. This book was so special to me. I adored The Rom-Commers.

Emma Wheeler just got the break of her life. After spending the past decade caring for her father, her sister is taking over temporarily so she can write a screenplay with Charlie Yates. Yes, that Charlie Yates. Things don’t go as planned when she arrives, but Emma is adamant about making it work.

Charlie Yates does not want to write a rom-com. It doesn’t matter if he has help or not, he doesn’t want to do it. But here comes Emma catapulting into his life and changing everything. I loved both Charlie and Emma so much. At the start, I was worried I wouldn’t feel the love between these two. It was a slower burn, but once I did- I really did.

Emma was such a relatable character to me. Optimistic, a caretaker, the oldest daughter. And Charlie… he was just a delight LOL I mean, not at first, but with time I loved him so much! I loved how he didn’t want to fall in love with Emma but couldn’t quite help himself. He was endearing and kind and honestly my favorite.

The Rom-Commers had me in tears a time or two, made me laugh out loud, was witty, smart, and a whole lot of fun. This will most assuredly make my top favorites list of 2024 and I highly recommend it!
Audio book source: Netgalley
Story Rating: 5 stars
Narrators: Patti Murin
Narration Rating: 5 stars
Genre: Romance
Length: 11h 21m

I love Katherine Center. Her books are always fun to read. I enjoyed the rom-commers, and like many of her other books, it has that feel good movie vibe.

Emma Wheeler has spent her like obsessing over becoming a screen writer, but when an accident within her family leaves her to be her dad’s caregiver, she puts her dreams and aspirations on hold to take care of him and her sister. When the opportunity rises, she takes a chance and goes for it, only things don’t always go as planned… sometimes they’re better!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the Advanced Readers copy in exchange for my honest review! I can’t wait for the book to be published in June so I can buy this beautiful cover for my shelf!

Katherine Center's books should be classified as narcotics. They always leave me on such a euphoric high, so blissfully happy and hopeful. I don't know how she does it.

Meet Emma, a writer who has spent the last ten years looking after her dad after a tragic accident. She gets the opportunity of a lifetime helping her idol, Charlie Yates, a dramatic screenwriter who has won all the awards. She has to help him with his rom-com, which is terrible. Let the shenanigans begin.

I love that Katherine Center wrote this whole book as a defence of romance and rom-coms. The characters are wonderful, and when they are together, it's absolute magic.

Thanks to Netgalley and St.Martin's press for the advanced reader copy. I look forward to June 11, to get a physical copy of this book, with it's absolutely gorgeous cover. I love this book and highly recommend it!

Edited to add that I have now listened to The Rom-Commers audiobook, and it's fantastic. Patti Murin does such a wonderful job narrating. Katherine Center's banter has a wonderful rhythm to it and Murin really emphasizes it and brings so much emotion to the whole story. It was a joy to listen to.

Thanks again to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy.

Another win for Katherine Center!! This one had my laughing while feeling those perfect ups and downs that go with a perfect rom-com. All within a story that is all about writing a romantic comedy.

Emma is hilarious. She’s got that natural funny personality that makes you want to know more about her. And Charlie Yates wants to know more about her too. You won’t find spice in this one, but just the perfect amount of sweet.

I had ebook and audio, but listened mostly to audio. Great narrators that kept the story going for me when I had to multitask.

Perfect back porch read to have on hand as we get into summer!

Five feel-good, happy vibe stars

The Rom-Commers is an uplifting story about Emma, who longs to live her dream after 10 years of caring for her father, and Charlie, the flourishing screen writer who doesn't believe in love. It made me laugh and had some truly heart-felt moments. I wouldn't so much say it was a grumpy-sunshine book, because Charlie wasn't really grumpy, but there was an aspect of that troupe. I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator, Patti Murin, did a great job. She is a go-to narrator for me. The editing on this one was off though, because I heard a lot of breathing that was a bit distracting.

~~What I liked~~
-The overall story. I LOVE Katherine Center books. She always does a great job of incorporating humor and heart into her books. The Rom-Commers is definitely in my top three of her books. It was such a good story and well-written.
-The romance. The development of the romance was slow, but realistic. It wasn't insta-lust and it felt very organic in the way it was developed in the book.
-The characters. All the characters were pretty relatable which always makes me enjoy the book more. Don't get me wrong, I love a strong, sexy, bold FMC, but it's also just as nice to see "normal" characters in books.


~~Things I didn't like~~
-I thought there were a few scenes that were a bit unrealistic or the way they were described had me a bit confused about what was happening. For example, when they meet celebrities in restaurants in public and seemingly go unnoticed by paparazzi.


Overall, this was a great book. I stayed up late to listen and woke up early to finish it. I will definitely be re-reading it and would recommend.

The narrator made this book. The way she did a different voice for Charlie and Logan, and could really convey Emma’s innocence.