Feedback:
There was one part of the audio book towards the end where the TSA agent pulls the FMC aside and they were described as Black but I felt it was unnecessary and stuck out to me in a not so great way. Other than that, loved everything!


Review:
This fun Romcom about two writers writing a Rom-Com is so endearing and sweet. Katherine Center brings her signature style and leaves us with tons of uplifting quotes to keep in our pockets for a rainy day.

“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦.”

The MMC wasn’t really my cup of tea because I’m not a huge fan of Grumpy vs. Sunshine but KC wrote it in a subtle enough way that it didn’t have me hating him. Patti Murin did a fantastic job narrating this one!

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙘𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤 𝙖𝙧𝙘 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠!

THE ROM-COMMERS by Katherine Center was perfectly swoony, perfectly wacky, and perfectly hard-hitting. How this author manages to make this combination of adjectives work in one singular book, I will truly never know.

First off I wanna say thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me the arc of this book through netgalley.

This was my first book by Katherine Center and it was an absolute HIT. I got the audiobook, started it and finished it within about 2 days (honestly probably would've been sooner if I wasn't busy). Right off the bat, I had a good feeling about this book and I'm so glad it carried through the whole book. This book was a strong 5 stars without a doubt, the whole story just flowed so nicely and it had my attention throughout the whole thing.

moving onto the actual storyline: no words can describe how much I loved Emma and Charlie together but I will say THE WHIP LASH I experienced with them going back and forth, they like eachother, and then they don't, they do and they don't - it was alot but it was so worth it in the end. The vulnerability Charlie had when he shared his cancer story with Emma - tugged at the heart strings. They truly made a beautiful couple and an amazing story. They might've been strangers at first but the chemistry between them that developed throughout the story was just amazing.

The way Charlie swapped the script to be their story, changed the script so her name appears first, him sending Jack to sing for Emma's father, his final video to Emma - words cannot describe how much I loved this book truly.

"The reason I don't want to die is because I want more time with you" - Charlie
"I would write 100 happy endings for us if I could" - Charlie

needless to say, I really enjoyed this book. I'm so grateful for the chance to have it as a ARC and I will absolutely be recommending this to everyone.

thank you again!

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6381521936

Katherine Center does it again.

This novel, about a couple of screen writers, is in itself the perfect rom-com. The characters are real and relatable, the dialogue is honest and witty, and the story was a joy to read.

There's a reason this one already is at a 4.51 rating in Goodreads. Keep it up Katherine Center, will read literally anything you write!

A laugh out loud engaging romantic comedy. The writing was very clever and I couldn’t stop listening. I loved the concept of the behind the scenes writing a rom com. The characterization was done so well that I could imagine not only what they looked like, their mannerisms, and how they felt. It was great.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

📖 Short Synopsis:
Emma Wheeler, a talented but unknown rom-com writer balancing caregiving for her father, seizes a career-changing opportunity to rewrite a script for her idol, Charlie Yates. Relocating to L.A. for six weeks, Emma confronts Charlie's skepticism about love and rom-coms, aiming to prove their value and ignite an unexpected romance. Their collaboration not only challenges Charlie's beliefs but also leads to a transformative journey of self-discovery and a reevaluation of fiction versus reality.

💭 Thoughts
I loved listening to this book. Emma is caring and down to earth. She cares deeply for her family and would do anything to make sure that her father and her sister do not miss out on anything. I also really enjoyed Charlie's character. He was grumpy at the beginnign but as the story progressed he grew to be a very loveable character. I laughed so many times while listening and did not want to stop. I had my headphones in and listened to this story every chance that I had.

This was my first book by Katherine Center and it most definitely won't be my last.

📝 angst
📝 enemy to lovers
📝 opposites attract
📝 career vs personal life

Thank you9 to NetGalley for the advanced copy to listen and review this title in exchange for my honest feedback.

I loved The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. The characters had great banter and an inconvenience to love back and forth. I enjoyed that their hardships brought them together and all of the side characters were a great addition to the trajectory of the plot.
I loved that Jack Stapleton was also in this book, I love a cross-book character mention.
Overall, this book was really good and is a great rom-com!

This story follows Emma, who is working as a teacher in Texas taking care of her ill father while dreaming of becoming a screenwriter, when her ex boyfriend, a Hollywood agent, sets her up to help ghost write a romcom with his client, Charlie, a famous screenwriter. Charlie of course doesn’t believe in love and Emma very much does.

The setup was pretty similar to Emily Henry’s Beach Read one of my favorite books, and for the first half I was really loving the vibes, but at about 50% the two main characters were still mostly just bantering back and forth and not having any real deep conversations, there were a few revelations here and there but they both had trouble being honest with each other which was frustrating and, for me ,made it hard to root for them.

Overall this was an enjoyable story if you like romance with a little family drama as a side story I would recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the advance copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was so, so good! I might have a new fav author on my hands. This is book should go down in writers’ history as the handbook to banter. 🧑‍🍳💋 So. Good. This felt like a light story, the kind that makes your heart smile, while simultaneously navigating very real and heavy topics with grace. There’s such an effortlessness to Center’s writing in this book. I’m very impressed.

Patti Murin hit a home run, over the fence out of the park (semi “It Takes Two” quote here. Please don’t talk baseball with me. I’ll fail.) with this narration. She embodied this book. Incredible listen from start to finish.

I am absolutely going to dig into Center’s and Murin’s backlogs. I am an instant fan of both!

audiobook ARC: thank you NetGalley, Kathrine Center and Macmillan audio

As usual, Katherine Center does it again! Her books do not miss. Though I was a little skeptical at first - it gave e similar vibes to Book Lovers and i was not a huge fan of that. Also, she does a really good job of making the MMC unlikeable - too good. He was infuriating. But his redemption was good and even had me rooting for him in the end, Emma was a great FMC. She had her insecurities nand fears, but she let her priorities and her passion for others always win when it came to her decisions. The banter in this book was so cute, and I always truly enjoy the narrator engaging directly to the reader. As always, forever recommending Katherine Center and all of her books.

Also, her voice is made for narrating. Though it can go either way when it comes to aN author narrating their own books - she nailed it! They were here words and she did a great job bringing them to life.

This was adorable. I loved the set up, the characters, I loved that they actually got to know each other and it wasn't insta love. I loved the heartache of their time apart and that Jack Stapleton makes an appearance.

I loved this book it was so fun! Such a sweet book with great characters, a cute romance, and some good laughs. Katherine Center has done it again!

O my goodness! This book is the cutest! I absolutely loved listening to the audiobook! There were times I was laughing, times when I crying and so many times when I did not want to stop listening! This upcoming release by Katherine Center will be available June 11th, and is one I absolutely recommend!

When Emma Wheeler, lands her dream dream job to rewrite a romcom script with her absolute favorite writer Charlie Yates, it seems too good to be true... Which unfortunately is kind of true… When she shows up she learns Charlie isn’t quite on the same page and is not looking for a writing partner. What follows is a hilarious and heartwarming adventure through love, laughter, and the unpredictability of life.

With laugh-out-loud moments and genuine emotion, this book is a refreshing tale and a clean wholesome read! 🩷 The Rom-Commers is most definitely a must-read for anyone craving a delightful escape into the world of rom-coms!

I just reviewed The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. #NetGalley

Thank goodness for Katherine Center! Always an enjoyable story with interesting characters and not an ugly word or graphic moment in the whole book. It can be done well, yet it has become so rare that an author does it, so more and more love for Katherine Center. There is always a health/sickness aspect to her stories that I always find interesting. This was only the second Center book that I listened to rather than read a paper copy, and just like with the other one, it was a fun surprise to have a bonus chapter at the end and also that the audiobook includes the Author's Note (which note only makes me love KC more!)
Thank you to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for my ARC audio of this book

This was a super cute read. I loved Emma and Charlie. Their banter was wonderful. This story made me laugh out loud. The way their relationship developed was so sweet and believable. I would definitely recommend this to all my friends.

<b>Poor happy endings. They're so aggressively misunderstood.</b>

Take a wildly successful screenwriter and one who is not quite so successful but who firmly believes in Happy Ever Afters, and you have the recipe for Katherine Center's wonderful new book. Center mixed them up with some of my favorite tropes (enemies to lovers, forced proximity, grumpy sunshine, and competency porn) and ended up with a story that completely delighted me. And made me laugh out loud.

Now I do need to admit that Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors. She believes in love, but it’s not a sappy sort of love. It’s complex and brave, sometimes quirky, and often unexpected. Her heroines speak to the reader as if we’re her oldest and dearest friends, and she can’t wait to give us all the details of her love story. And I love that.

I was thrilled to get to read an advanced copy of <i>The Rom-Commers.</i> And yes, I read it twice. But in between I rewatched "It Happened One Night" and reread <i>The Bodyguard.</i> Jack Stapleton (the MMC of The Bodyguard) is a secondary character here and I wanted to refresh my memory of him and his story. I love it when authors allow their characters to guest star in other books! I first encountered it years ago with Laurie Colwin and Mary Wesley. And I'm just as charmed now when it happens as I was then.

I'm something of a foodie (I ran a commercial kitchen for quite a few years) and have to admit to never hearing about donuts made with canned biscuits. I was never particularly interested in air fryers but now I'm contemplating a purchase...

As always, Patti Murin's narration was perfection.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of the audiobook. My opinions are my own.

I am shocked by the number of 4 and 5-star ratings for this book. The adorable rom-com moments are offset by a ton of tragedy and medical trauma that made the book difficult for me to finish. It NEEDS to come with a trigger warning list, the biggest of which is the TRAUMATIC DEATH OF A PARENT. Smaller triggers include car accidents, cancer diagnoses, and panic attacks. I understand that well-rounded characters need challenges to overcome, but this book had way too many for my liking.

The male lead, Charlie, was also really rude during the first half of the novel. He sees himself as the best of the best, and treats the female lead, Emma, like she is nothing because she has not had any commercial success with her writing. This attitude is incredibly ironic, considering he had writer's block for HALF A DECADE before meeting our female MC. His apology for his initial treatment of her is lukewarm at best, and the majority of Emma's attraction towards Charlie hinges on her self-identifying as his #1 fan.

Overall, I would not recommend this book unless you can get over a massive amount of personal tragedy and/or are a fan of insta-love. I am only giving this audiobook three stars for the narration. Patti Murin is excellent, and I would gladly listen to anything else she does.

Let me start off my review by saying that I had very low expectations for this one. Not because of the book itself, but because I read “The Bodyguard” by Katherine Center last year and did not enjoy it. So, I cannot express how pleased I am to have found that I did not have the same experience reading “The Rom-Commers.”

I am so in love with this book. Sometimes I just stare at the cover and think “wow, I miss reading this.” Because “The Rom-Commers” is such a joyful, hilarious journey. I don’t throw this term around often, but I can proudly say that Charlie Yates is officially a book boyfriend! He’s so sweet under his gruff exterior, and the fact that Emma is such a clutz just lets his sweetness shine through.

As for the narration, while I don’t love the Patti Murin’s voice for Charlie, I do think she is perfect for Emma.

I can proudly say that this is my favorite book of the year so far! And side note: the cover of this novel is so vibrant and charming, which perfectly matches the tone of the novel.

Thank you so much to Katherine Center, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for sending me a copy of the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book!

I’ve been hearing so many good things about Katherine Center and I have been wanting to try her forever. When I saw the charming cover and title, The Rom-Commers, I knew the time was now.

The story and characters were rich and interesting. The plotting and pacing were perfect for me, lively but not rushed. The loving family and deep and long friendships were central to the story and gave a warm, comfortable vibe throughout.

This book made me laugh aloud multiple times and I cried hard at least once. I experienced a pleasant range of feels.

Great characters, complex relationships, full range of feels—five stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book gets all of the beautiful stars because it is just that good. Katherine Center has such a way with words and stories, characters and emotions, and I just love it so much.

Charlie and Emma, what can I even say about them? They’re perfect. I loved that they were both screenwriters but from such different levels of success. I loved the traumas of their pasts and how they each attributed to their similar but also so different stories.

The side characters bring a lot of flavor and interest to this book (to include the guinea pig). There is banter, there is angst, there is tension, there is chemistry, there is love, and there is heartbreaking sadness and heartwarming connection.

There is so much and even though I knew Katherine would break my heart at some point in this book, because she somehow always does… she also knows how to perfectly put it back together. And she did.

I can’t recommend this enough. It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s silly, and it’s sweet. You’ll laugh and cry and then laugh and cry some more. Every giggle and tear was worth it!