Katherine Center has become one of my new favorites. The Rom-Commers is emotional, funny, and just an enjoyable read. The audiobook is a fast listen, the narrator is fabulous, and once again her author note is almost as wonderful as the story itself. I love that the characters actually have time together to grow and develop, even if I did want to thunk Charlie on the forehead once or twice. If you love love stories, Hollywood drama, cameos from past novels (hello Jack Stapleton!), sisterhood, and writing/writers in general, read this book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for my audiobook to review. As always, no influence from that fact in any way.

3.5 stars

I do really enjoy reading Katherine Center’s books but find them to be either a hit or a miss. The Rom-Commers was actually both for me. The first half was definitely a hit! It was funny and the author did a great job of creating likeable characters. But the last half of the book was, unfortunately, a bit of a miss.

The story revolves around Emma, an unknown screenwriter who helps award-winning Charlie Yates write a Rom-Com. The banter between the two main characters was fun and I laughed out loud during a couple scenes. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, especially Emma’s father. While the book is meant to be light and funny, it did introduce an element of grief and mourning. I appreciated that this aspect of the book was portrayed in a very realistic way.

But then the book became a bit of a cliché. I found myself cringing during the last half, which just did not live up to the first half of the story. The ending was satisfying, if not a bit predictable.

The audiobook narrator was fantastic and really brought the characters to life.

I loved this book, which is exactly what I predicted. I love Katherine Center every time I read her books and this was another winner for me! I ate it up. Emma and Charlie are the absolute best! I love the way Ms. Center tells a story and this one was in no way predictable (at least not for me) and I was there for it all. These characters—Emma, Charlie even the supporting characters—were terrific, and I was completely hooked. There was just enough angst and sadness to offset the silliness and humor that I enjoyed so much. This would be a great movie! It made me laugh out loud, cry, and forget my responsibilities for the day. That my friends, is a win.
The Rom-Commers was perfect for me. This cozy, cute, and self-reflective novel delivered on all fronts. All in all a very satisfactory reading experience!
Last but not least, I listened to an audio version of this book and the performance of the audiobook was marvelous. For me, the timing was perfection. I clearly heard the anxiety, the fear, the confusion and ultimately the hope in the story. Of course, those feelings are in the written word as well, but I think this book comes across phenomenally well by the narrator.

4.25🌟
0🌶 (but mentions)
I know I've only read 2 Katherine center books but honestly I think she may be a new auto buy author because this hit hard.
➳Tropes
- Forced proximity
- Celebrity + ghost writer
- She was obsessed with his work before they met
- Grumpy x Sunshine
➳Plot
Charlie needs help writing his new film which is his first ever attempt at writing a rom com. His manager Logan sends Emma to help him because she is the expert on rom coms. Even though she hasn't been involved in huge blockbuster films Charlie reluctantly agrees to let her stay with him (after she basically roasted his attempt at a rom com). Then you just follow them the rest of the story and I loved it.
➳Characters
Charlie- Kind of a grumpy guy thinks simple living is the best kind of living until he meets Emma. Has lots of trauma.
Emma- A sunshine character who loves rom coms and will sacrifice her entire life to take care of someone. (her dad) She also has quite a bit of trauma.
➳Writing
Whenever I listen to something it's hard for me to judge the writing but lets just say my ears were enjoying what they were listening to.

Emma Wheeler gave up her dreams of being a screenwriter to be the sole caretaker for her father, as well as looking after and supporting her younger sister Sylvie. When she’s given the opportunity to write with her all time favorite screenwriters Charlie Yates, to help rewrite his most recent script for a romantic comedy, that is terrible!
All the characters were done perfectly! I loved the relationship between Emma and her father. I loved how Emma cared for her sister. I loved the banter between Emma and Charlie.
I LOVED this on audio. The narrator really brought the characters to life.
This is my favorite book from Katherine Center to date, and I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy.

Really enjoyed this one! Loved the friendship, character development, dialogue, and descriptions. Laughed out loud a few times but the plot also had a seriousness at times that makes you tear up. Definitely recommend!

I loved this narration of The Rom-Commers. The story came alive in my car and I laughed (and at times cried). I had previously read an advanced copy of the book and this audiobook made me fall in love with the characters even more. If you love Rom-Coms, this book is for you

This book will make you laugh and cry!
Emma dreams of being a screenwriter. Despite being super talented, her career has been on the backburner for the past 10 years while caring for her father. Her agent/friend sets her up with the gig of a lifetime-- to help Charlie (famous, talented screenwriter who is basically her idol) to write a rom-com (despite him not actually believing in love or happily ever after). I'm sure you can guess where things go from there...
I loved their grumpy-sunshine relationship, their witty banter, and Emma's voice--her stream of consciousness and occasional breaking of the fourth wall was a lot of fun. I thought the audiobook narrator did a great job bringing these characters to life. Lots of fun-totally recommend! 4.25* Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for early access in exchange for my honest opinions.

A fun, funny story with sweet family relationships and a good love connection.

What worked for me:
- mostly likable characters and a spunky main female lead that knew what she wanted
- professions of the main characters that were different and interesting
- lovable side characters
- a small connection to a previous book of hers (Jack Stapleton) was so fun!
- the audio has an extra chapter, told from the male lead's point of view and read by the author - It was "chef's kiss" perfection!

What didn't work for me:
- nothing

“It’s all about the details you notice and the joys you savor and the hope you refuse to give up on.” There are many great quotable lines in this book!

Emma and Charlie are both broken people who develop a friendship and eventual relationship through the common trope of forced proximity. The way the characters continue to carry baggage from past trauma leading to the eventual conflict led to me feeling a little frustrated and disappointed toward the end of the story. However, the earlier steps taken toward growth by each character and the banter between them kept me invested in the love story.

I love a story that includes lovable side-characters and this has a mix of easy to love and easy to hate side characters.
Emma’s father is a lovely example of overcoming and one of my favorite quotes from him: "Whatever story you tell yourself about your life, that's the one that'll be true."

I absolutely loved the audiobook and found it an easy and engaging listen. Patti Murin’s performance lends a lot to the story giving each character a distinctive voice.

A great big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I always find Katherine Center books so addicting! The premise of two writers working on a romcom was perfect. The plot had me hooked and I loved the dynamic between the two leads. I also appreciate how the book reminds you that your attitude in life can make or break your experiences. My only complaint is that there is a lot of internal narration; it would be nice if we could spend some of that page time with more bonding scenes between the leads. But overall it's a great book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

Also a shoutout to the audiobook narrator; I've listened to a few of her narrations and she always does a great job!

This was cute. I love Katherine Center. I like what Emma does for Charlie and how she changes him. I did not love the ending. Felt it was a bit of a bait and switch but I have a history with that subject matter so maybe that was part of it.

I liked the narration except for Logan. I didn’t like his accent.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Rom-Commers was a fun take on a typical romance. I loved how the FMC and MMC were screenwriters, as I haven’t read any books with that trope before. I loved the style in which the book was written! I felt that I was Emma’s best friend and she was telling me all about her trip. I felt connected to her and loved that the author did that. I also was becoming frustrated with the characters because they weren’t the flawless people you typically see in books- and I was happy about this! Charlie was doing something that someone would do, especially in his position, but I wish I could’ve shaken him by the shoulders and told him he was bonkers! I did feel bad for Emma with their situation- but as Emma herself pointed out, we all know that the couple so clearly mad for each other will end up with each other; otherwise, it is just unsatisfying. Katherine wrote an excellent book that made me emotional in the best ways. This was the first time I was tearing up while listening to an audiobook because their story was so beautiful!! The Rom-Commers is another great summer read, and I recommend reading it once it is released!
Emma would tell you what makes a rom-com good while foreshadowing the events of the book, which I found both creative and funny. The bonus chapter with Charlie was a great surprise, and I was pleased. The ONLY reason why I did not give this book five stars was because it was a tad repetitive but not storyline wise. The timing, story, and overall flow of the book was terrific! But, sometimes, I would hear the same sentence repeatedly when discussing other characters. I understand some fangirling was happening, but it was a bit much for me.
The narrator did a great job with this book, and I enjoyed her telling the story. She totally embodied Emma and made me more connected to the story. There were some scenes where I could just feel the emotions through the “page.” During a pivotal scene at the end, she even changes breathing patterns so you can feel the characters' emotions. Overall, this book is excellent, and I highly recommend it!

This was the first Katherine Center book I’ve ever read and to say I loved it is an understatement. I went into this book fully expecting to like it, but I did not expect to love it as much as I did. For starters—this book follows a struggling screenwriter who gets the chance of a lifetime to fly to Los Angeles and ghost write a rom-com screenplay for her favorite writer in the industry. Her expectations are quickly shattered when she realizes the man she’s been idolizing might not be as great a person as she imagined him to be. She realizes he has embarked on this journey to write a rom-com with no intention of the project ever getting anywhere, to get the project he really cares about off the ground—not only that, but the man doesn’t believe in love at all.

I don’t want to spoil a single thing about this book—because the journey it takes you on is truly beautiful and the underlying circumstances these characters go through: grief, illness, traumatic brain injury, disability, care-taking, guilt, but also friendship and camaraderie make for a remarkable story full of resilience, compassion, and love.

This book is the embodiment of a rom-com and I loved every second of it.

This was so sweet and lovely! I only cried 3.4 times (in a good way). I honestly love how imperfect Charlie’s character is. In a genre where the men are often written with no needs, I appreciate the complexity of an imperfect love interest who has flaws and depth.

Also, I really enjoyed the audio version of this! Audiobooks can be hit or miss, but I enjoyed this one and was so immersed that I may or may not have accidentally stayed up until 2am listening.

PHENOMENAL!!! Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for granting me access to this book AND audiobook as well in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, Katherine Center continues to amaze!! Undoubtedly, I've sung her praises before, and I'll happily do so again. Her books hold a special place in my heart, and her latest release solidifies its position as my all-time favorite among her works!! With each new release, she consistently exceeds expectations, showcasing her incredible talent!!

What truly captivates me about the author's books is her masterful handling of of deeply emotional and relatable topics, all while expertly balancing humor in lighter moments. The story wonderfully portrays the importance of resilience amidst life's struggles and the transformative power of finding JOY in the middle of adversity. 🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

Emma Wheeler dreams of being a successful screenwriter, but her aspirations are put on hold as she cares for her father. When she get the chance to rewrite a script for her idol, Charlie Yates, she jumps at the opportunity, moving to L.A. for the job. However, Charlie is resistant to collaborating with anyone, especially someone he views as a "failed, nobody screenwriter." Despite their differences, Emma is determined to prove herself and defend the importance of romantic comedies. As she and Charlie work together, they discover unexpected feelings and possibilities, challenging Emma's beliefs about love and storytelling. Will their real life romance defy Emma's rules and come true?

Center possesses a remarkable knack for pulling at your heartstrings, effortlessly drawing you into a deep affection for her characters. I found myself wholeheartedly rooting for the two beautifully flawed main protagonists, cherishing every moment spent immersed in the pages of the story. The rollercoaster of emotions evoked, from laughter to tears and everything in between, made for an unforgettable journey!

In summary, I absolutely adored this book and its one of my favorite rom-coms of the year!! I highly recommend and it deserves infinite stars!! ♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️💫💫💫💫💫

I always love to sprinkle a good rom-com in with not just the heavy books but the heaviness that often comes with life. I've grown to depend on Katherine Center to deliver just what I need at the right time. This will be a hit this summer when it releases and with good reason - Center has again written a fun but serious story about real people with real faults, real problems and real banter that can at times be laugh out loud funny but also pull at the heart strings. The audio was done very well with just enough drama and emotion without going overboard. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for both an early e-copy and audio book in exchange for my honest opinion. The Rom-Commers will be available on 6/11/24.

Emma Wheeler gets the opportunity of her career when she’s slated to help famous screenwriter Charlie Yates with his horrifically bad remake of a classic romcom. When she arrives, she discovers Charlie is a reluctant collaborator who doesn’t believe in romantic comedies and is only pursuing the project for an ulterior motive. From that moment, Emma is determined to change Charlie’s mind about love and romantic comedies and revise the screenplay to make it amazing. Katherine Center’s The Rom-Commers is everything that is wonderful about the best romantic comedies. Emma and Charlie’s awkward work banter, laugh-out-loud comedic moments, and evolving relationship are balanced well with more serious and touching moments. Center accomplishes this by keeping to the genre—it’s no doubt a romantic comedy—without succumbing to heavy-handed use of romcom plot devices. One message that really rang true in the novel is Center’s insistence that the stories you tell yourself about yourself are important and that you have a decision to make about what that story is.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spectacular!!!
Katherine Center just nails it again!!! I loved, loved, loved, loved "The Rom-Commers"!

Emma Wheeler is a screenplay writer. She loves romantic comedies and she is amazing at it. Too bad she is not famous. Her career is stagnant due to her personal family troubles. Emma has been the sole caretaker of her father who is unable to live by himself.
Emma chose him over her own career.
However, now her sister is coming back home after graduating and Emma gets the opportunity of a lifetime. She is asked to "fix" Charlie Yates's new rom-com. She just needs to leave home and fly to LA for six weeks to do it.
Emma has her work cut out for her. Charlie Yates doesn't want help with his rom-com.
He only wrote it to be able to get another project approved. He doesn't believe in rom-coms. He doesn't believe in love period.
Changing his mind is going to take all of Emma's time.

There was humor, lovable characters, and a cutsie romance. But the author also included some more serious elements that really gave the story depth. I was invested from page one, right up until the very end

A big thanks to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have only read one Katherine Center book previously (The Beginners Guide to Happiness) but all of her books have been sitting on my TBR for far too long. When I got the opportunity to listen to the audiobook of her latest release due out June 11th, I jumped at the chance, and wow, did I make the right decision on that one. I didn't just like this book, I LOVED this book.

Qᴜɪᴄᴋ ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: ᴇᴍᴍᴀ ɪꜱ ᴀ ꜱᴄʀᴇᴇɴ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ. ᴀɴ ᴜɴᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ꜱᴄʀᴇᴇɴ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱʜᴇʟᴠᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇʀ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʀᴀɢᴇᴅʏ ꜱᴛʀᴜᴄᴋ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ʟᴇꜰᴛ ʜᴇʀ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛᴇɴ ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ ɪɴ ᴛᴇxᴀꜱ. ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴜɴɪᴛʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ʜᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜱᴄʀᴇᴇɴ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ, ᴄʜᴀʀʟɪᴇ ʏᴀᴛᴇꜱ, ᴏɴ ᴀ ʀᴏᴍ-ᴄᴏᴍ ʜᴇ ᴍᴜꜱᴛ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ, ꜱʜᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇꜱ ʜᴇʀ ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ'ꜱ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜɴɢᴇʀ ꜱɪꜱᴛᴇʀ'ꜱ ʜᴀɴᴅꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ ꜰʟɪᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ʟ.ᴀ. ᴜɴꜰᴏʀᴛᴜɴᴀᴛᴇʟʏ, ꜱʜᴇ Qᴜɪᴄᴋʟʏ ʟᴇᴀʀɴꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴏᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴜɴɪᴛʏ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴀɴ ᴜᴘʜɪʟʟ ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴀꜱ ᴄʜᴀʀʟɪᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ, ʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʀᴏᴍ-ᴄᴏᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴʟʏ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ʜᴇʀ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪᴍ ꜰᴏʀ ꜱɪx ᴡᴇᴇᴋꜱ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ꜱᴛᴏᴘ ᴇᴍᴍᴀ - ᴀɴᴅ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀʟɪᴇ ᴍᴇᴇᴛꜱ ᴇᴍᴍᴀ, ʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴜᴘ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ꜰɪɢʜᴛ ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ.

Emma and Charlie have such great chemistry - their enemies-to-lovers turned to friends-to-lovers relationship had me hook, line, and sinker. This story is completely told from Emma's point of view but even through her eyes, I was able to understand Charlie and get a sense of how he works and his motivations as well. The writing and dialog is so good that the lack of spice did not bother me one bit. The tension and banter had me laughing and crying and holding my breath waiting for what came next.

Since I did listen to this on audio, I must talk about the performance by Patti Murin. This was my first solo performer, single POV audiobook and I was so enraptured by Patti. The accents and the different tones were on point that I never felt like something was missing. She truly captured every feeling and every moment with her performance. 10 out of 10.

Tropes & Elements:
➶ Enemies to Lovers
❤️ Friends to Lovers
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
💻 Working Relationship
🏡 Forced Proximity
😂 Banter

**This book also touches upon death of loved ones, grief, caretaking due to illness

My rating: 5 out of 5 ⭐️

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Katherine Center for the advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review!