Loved the narrator for the audiobook.

Emma is an aspiring screenwriter and caretaker for her father. She gets a job rewriting a screenplay for a famous author - Charlie Yates. For the first time in years Emma leaves her responsibilities behind to move to LA and take a chance on herself. Emma and Charlie have many trials and tribulations during the writing process as they both carry baggage and trauma from their pasts with them. Can Emma convince Charlie that love stories matter? That they exist? Spoiler alert…she can! In classic Katherine Center style the characteristics learn so much about themselves throughout the book and you are there along for the ride cheering them on. You will be left with a warm fuzzy feeling that will linger after turning the last page.

“The job of a romcom is to give you a simulated feeling of falling in love” ❤️ and that’s exactly what this book did.

Hilarious and heartwarming! Emma was such a lovable character. She did everything for everyone and nothing for herself, it was so inspiring seeing her finally go after her dreams and get over the guilt she’d been carrying for so long. I loved the way she figured Charlie out so quickly and accepted his faults and quirks despite him being an asshole half the time.

It was “fucking funny!” Charlie was such an interesting character 😅 I still can’t believe he googled if he was in love with her! And the shared custody of the guinea pig 😂 definitely an interesting touch!

And the noteworthy quotes y’all 🥹😍 they had me swooning!
“I would write 100 happy endings for us if I could!”
“I think that you’re my favorite person I’ve ever met.”

It was an emotional roller coaster, from her dad’s health scare to Charlie’s so be forewarned, there were death of a loved one and sickness triggers in here.

I swooned at the fact that he changed his lucky charm 🥹 I mean, come on 😍😍😍

I feel like I came out of reading this with a new appreciation for my person ❤️
“Focus on everything they’re getting right, be grateful all the time, laugh the rest off” because at the end of the day that’s all we can do.

This book was excellent! I have read a few of Ms. Center’s books, but this one is by far my favorite. I really loved the interaction between Emma and Charlie.
Highly recommend this book for both the romance, comedy and sniping. I didn’t want to put it down after I started reading. It kept me engrossed and entertained.

The narration of this book was great. It was a very enjoyable listen.

Katherine Center's stories always bring humor and heart. While this story also incorporates family trauma, the banter between the characters is entertaining and I had a few laughs. There are so many quotes I would highlight if I had read the physical copy. As I'm currently grieving myself, there were many moments that resonated with me. The second half of the book gripped me more than the first.

The performance by the narrator was great and while I enjoyed this story, I didn't really connect to any of the characters or feel the chemistry (or love) between Emma and Charlie. Charlie was downright mean to Emma and she just took it with star-struck eyes. Of all the KC novels I've read and loved, this is probably my least favorite BUT I'd recommend it to rom-com lovers!

3.5 stars rounded up.

This book was really cute. An overall fun read! I enjoyed the references and cameo from The Bodyguard! I loved the dynamic between Emma and Charlie too. I highly recommend this one! 🩷⭐⭐⭐⭐

OBSESSED. I am obsessed. Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors, and this book is definitely going to be in my top 5 for the year. Listening to it on audio was incredible, the narrator doing the BEST job.

I love Emma, and her chattiness and willingness to believe the best in everyone. I love that she put others first, but still found time to write. I love that she meets her hero, makes a fool of herself, yet still finds the silver lining.

Charlie was mean. Really mean. But, I felt like it was him? Like it fit his character SO well and it was so believable because he's divorced, recently sick, and had just written a really (really) bad screenplay.

I am sad that the story is over, that there isn't more for me to listen to. The bonus chapter was incredible and I'm so glad it was from Charlies POV.

I can't wait to re-read and re-listen to this story over and over again.

If you are well versed in the Katherine Center universe of slightly awkward and neurotic, very funny love interests who are a little blind with how right they are for each other, then The Rom-Commers will be one more fun read to add to your TBR. To be fair, there are some serious issues at play here; Emma takes care of her father who suffers from Meniere’s as well as other complications, she still deals with the grief of losing her mother, Charlie has dealt with cancer and his wife divorced him, but all of this makes Center’s characters authentic and yet still utterly charming and lovable. There’s a fine line between comedy and tragedy in this book, but love is the great motivator that wins out.

I love a good famous-person/non-famous person trope. Emma’s fangirl reaction to getting to write with THE Charlie Yates, screenplay writer of her dreams, is much how I would imagine my own reaction to meeting one of my favorite writers—full on embarrassment. But even though he lives in a mansion and owns a ridiculous coffee maker no one’s allowed to touch, Charlie is way more normal than his drawer full of awards would have you believe. I love that it took a “nobody” writer like Emma to break Charlie just enough to bring him down to her level. The banter is excellent, the first kiss is SO SWOONY! and the diving board scene will live in my head as one of the funniest and simultaneously most tragic confessionals I’ve read.

I received both an ARC and an ALC and the ALC contained a bonus scene (that diving board scene I mentioned before) narrated by Katherine Center from Charlie’s POV. Patti Murin narrates the ALC and she IS Emma. Her voice perfectly captured Emma’s essence and her voice for Charlie was just as good. Some female narrators cannot do masculine voices, but Murin’s register is perfect for both. I received the ALC from Macmillan audio and the ARC from St. Martin’s Press. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Narrator Patti Murin brought this lovable novel to life. Katherine Center has long been a favorite author of mine and it was great to change it up and listen to one of her books instead of reading it in print.

I wasn't sure what to think of this novel in the first few chapters, I wasn't sure whether or not I would listen to it through the end, but I am glad I stuck with it! It turned into a beautiful and fun novel with a heartwarming ending. I was absolutely rooting for Emma and wanted to see her succeed in her career, as well as family life. She was a perfectly imperfect character.

Charlie was a bit more difficult to love, but he redeemed himself by the end of the book for me. I really liked the way Center built the novel without it feeling too cheesy or predictable of an ending.

This is another book in the long line of favorites of mine by Katherine Center, she did a nice job on this one.

I loved this book! The narrator was great! I love when authors narrate their own books. The relationship between the two main characters was so fun. I loved watching their story unravel. I enjoyed this book!

I'm OBSESSED with Katherine Center. I first discovered her through BOTM when I first joined several years ago, and her novels just never miss. They always leave me teary-eyed in the best ways and this one was no exception. I laughed, I cried, I swooned... I can't say anything bad about this book it was a balm to my heart and I think everyone should read it. EVERYONE! Even people who "don't like romance" (do they exist?). Anyway, I really hope it kills it on release day because she deserves it and this book has my heart.

Emma Wheeler is a screenwriter who just hasn’t been able to catch her big break as she has to care for her father. Her agent calls with the chance of a lifetime to work with her hero Charlie Yates. He’s written a horrible rom-com and needs help with the re-write. She turns her life upside down and jumps at the chance. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but this is a rom-com so you can imagine that things go awry and the two have to forge an understanding in more than one way.
Let me start by saying I rarely read romance. The last one I read was The Bodyguard by Katherine Center and I really enjoyed that one. This one, not so much. I really didn’t like Charlie or the way he treated Emma. I found Emma a bit annoying as she seems to gush over every celebrity. She has some real hero worship going on for Charlie. Emma also tends to repeat herself a lot when she’s excited, and there’s a lot of repeating what another character has said in disbelief.
This book seems to be getting very positive reviews so if you are a fan of romance there’s a good chance you will like this.
Huge thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this in exchange for an honest review.

I know it is only April, but this could be my favorite contemporary romance of the year. It was everything I wanted from A Katherine Center book and more.

In 2023, when I read Hello Stranger, Center's author's short essay regarding romance books resonated with me. Center begs the question, why are you even reading romance if not for the happily ever after? As a lifelong lover of romance books, I found it crazy that Center had to justify the predictability of romance books and their space in the world of literature.

With The Rom-Commers, Center has taken that essay and ran with it, creating a full-length novel celebrating romance in all forms, and it is perfection.

Emma is hopeful and resilient but has let her life pass her by due to the trauma surrounding the death of her mother and her father's medical issues. Charlie believes in hard work and going after what he wants, but he doesn't believe in love. Now forced to write a rom-com together, they might find a way to the joy they both deserve.

Charlie and Emma are by far my favorite characters that Center has ever written. I loved them from the first moment they were on the page together. The banter was fantastic. Their character growth was phenomenal. I lived and breathed for them the entire time I was reading this.

I adored this. The storyline worked perfectly for me. Center is just so damn good at balancing humor and trauma and hope and heartbreak.

Patti Murin once again delivers an excellent performance as the narrator.

I don't know how else to say I loved this. So, I will stop here. GO READ THIS BOOK!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I will begin the review by declaring my unabashed love for Katherine Center. I'm not sure if it's her adept and refreshing handling of the age old romance tropes or if it is the scope and scale of her research--whatever it is, I love everything she writes. From firefighting to public school teaching, she has tapped into different communities in ways that reflect a depth of understanding that not only contributes authenticity, but it also helps build characters who feel like they could be neighbors or colleagues or friends. As with everything else she has written, I found myself annoyed when I wasn't able to read as much as I wanted to. I resented people trying to talk to me because I WANTED TO READ! I had to know what happened between Charlie and Emma and how it happened. I was invested in everything! I was invested in the text but also in the narration. Patti Murin played both roles so perfectly. I can usually move between audio and print fairly seamlessly, but Patti's spin on the characters helped define them for me. The "voices" in my head could not match what she created on this auido version. I'm actually a little annoyed that I've already read it. This means I have ages to go before her next book hits the stands, and I'm desperately sad about that!

I listened to this on audio and it was fantastic! The author as always is witty and writes in such a realistic, down to earth way. The characters were flawed and relatable. I laughed out loud frequently and swooned at the end. This is everything we love in a Katherine Center book and quickly became a favorite.

What can I say? Katherine Center continues to be a favourite. Her characters are charming and likeable, with all their flaws. Always heartwarming and uplifting. Thank you for the chance to listen to well narrated audiobook.

Katherine Center has become one of my auto-buy authors and this book highlights all the reasons why. She creates such lovable and real characters. Like her other books, this novel is full of witty banter, authentic relationships, and a love story that will have you kicking your feet. I cannot recommend it highly enough. There are great tropes here: grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, and fake dating (sort of, they go on dates as "research").

I love how Katherine Center represents TBIs, disabilities, and chronic illnesses but she builds out full characters and does not boil them down to just their disability. For anyone who loves a good love story-- this book is for you. It is a love letter to romances. I love how Katherine Center argues for respecting the romance genre (read the authors note!)

Such a funny read. Even though it was predictable (which is the point of a Rom Com), I was still surprised by each new chapter. This book made me smile, and giggle, and warmed my heart and soul. As it was being narrated, I could see the characters and felt like I was watching this through the TV screen. I cannot wait for this book to come out.
Overall I give this book a 4.5 stars, and I will be reading it again

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6404357878


Thank you, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the pre-release audiobook.

This is my first Katherine Center book, and I loved it. This is a very sweet story of two screenwriters. One is very famous with a drawer full of awards (Charlie), and the other is not yet known with huge responsibilities holding her back from reaching her potential (Emma). They are challenged with re-writing a romantic comedy that is not in Charlie's wheelhouse but very much Emma's expertise. Before she can help him with the terrible screenplay he originally wrote, she must teach him what romance and love mean and feel like. He is not a willing student but she is determined to get through to him.

The experiences they share are not expected and this does not feel like a typical rom-com full of cliches. I LOVE the parts where Emma speaks directly to the reader as if she is sitting right across the table over coffee sharing a conversation. So charming!

I am definitely a Katherine Center fan now and will read her back-catalog ASAP! I highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of romantic comedies, and sweet romance.

I listened to the audiobook alongside the book. I thought it was well done and enhanced the reading experience.

Katherine Center did it again. She wrote an incredible love story set in devastating circumstances and still found a way to discover joy. What a gift.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this delightful audiobook.