This book was effervescent! By far my favorite Katherine Center book thus far. It was a story of grumpy/sunshine and familial ties and an homage to rom-coms and good people and big dreams and it was all just such a JOY to read. There was also grief and tragedy and illness, but it was all handled with such love and care, and the ultimate message was one of pure hope and abundance. I read the digital ARC first and listened to the audiobook a a couple months later, and it’s just as wonderful as I remembered. Patti Murin is a treasure of a narrator who nailed the characterization and brought the joy of this book to life. I especially loved the deleted chapters included at the end of the audiobook! I highly recommend this sparkly little book when you just want a pick-me-up and to read something good and joy-filled!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for gifting me with an ALC to review! All opinions are my own. It was such a delight!

Another romantic and wholesome story from the author who does them best.
The Rom-Commers is undeniably sweet.
Emma is a strong and selfless lead, who has spent years denying herself of luxuries like love (and a promising career as a screenwriter) in favor of caring for a family member who needs her full time attention.
Charlie is your stereotypical grump, who happens to be a prolific screenwriter. He’s been Emma’s hero forever, but he’s not exactly what she’d imagined he’d be like.
When they end up writing a rom-com together, they fall into many well-known tropes, as she uses them to prove to Charlie that romance can be a blockbuster success. And it helps that they’re kinda into to each other.
While their journey to falling for each other is cute, I knocked this book down a star because I feel like we were deprived of some of the actual “falling in love” parts. Unfortunately, Emma tells us about grocery store trips and little occurrences where there was flirting and fawning, but we didn’t get to live those moments on the page with her. It’s always frustrating when an author tells without showing, and there were many parts of this story where I felt like that happened. HOWEVER… the parts we did get (and there were plenty!!) were romantic and fun.
Because I received the audiobook, I wanted to be sure to praise Patti Murin, who has become one of my favorite audiobook narrators. She brings so much animation and life to these characters with her voice acting, and it made the experience all the more fun!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this complimentary audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

THIS WAS SO GOOD.
First the audio: The narrator was 10/10. Just the right amount of emotion and acting. I could listen to them all day.
The book: SO REFRESHING. It's ironic that this book is called the rom-commers because it isn't a traditional rom com at all. It's so much more. This is one of my favorites of the year.

This was an absolute delight. I think this is the same narrator who did Hello Stranger and she did such a good job. While the book itself has a lot of levity added to things that might otherwise be rather sad, the narrator took it to another level and really brought that humor to life. She made Emma such a fun and funny character without seeming ditzy or annoying. The story itself was fun too. Charlie and Emma's relationship developed organically and their friendship paved the way for a relationship that I felt would last even though we don't get much on-page where they are actually a couple. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of steam, but it wasn't missed too much since the way Emma and Charlie's relationship developed would've felt weird had their been a random steamy scene dropped in. However, the tension built and it was great. I was also laughing throughout this entire book and I didn't want to stop listening. Absolutely recommend this book, and if you like audiobooks, I'd go for it and make sure to listen through the author's note too.

Emma, an aspiring screenwriter is presented with the opportunity of a lifetime - to assist one of her favorite famous screenwriters, Charlie Yates, edit his romantic comedy screen play. She leaves her dad, who needs full-time care with her sister and heads to L.A. for 6-weeks to take on the challenge. When she gets there, Charlie is not happy and the screen play he's written is awful. Emma has her work cut out for her. Can she convince Charlie that romance is real or will it all end in disaster?

Katherine Center absolutely cannot write a bad book. I loved every second of this light-hearted, feel-good rom-com. Happy endings are the best endings and this book did not disappoint! The narration was great, making it a fun and easy listen. Five-stars! Go and get this book!

This book had some great scenes and some fun and emotion moments but I found the chemistry hard to connect with. I liked each character and the uniqueness of each of them but together they didn't really bring out the best in each other and that is hard for me. I think there were just too many things that were over the top and unrealistic for me... especially the ending :( The hiding of information is never a good thing in my book and makes the "break up/make up" drama hard to cheer for because one or both of the characters did it to themselves. Sadly i wanted to love this book but it fell flat for me so 3 stars is where this one ended with me.

The narration was great, love Patti Murin.

Side Note: There is a bonus scene at the end that is Charlie's POV. BUT..... it's narrated by the author! Why? I mean she isn't a bad reader but that is what she is, a reader not a performer and she did it in her normal voice which is probably better then her trying to do a male voice but why not let Patti Murin narrate it since we already have her male voice in our heads for Charlie. Not a great choice IMHO.

I was so excited to receive the audiobook ARC of this from NetGalley and MacMillan Audio. I just love Katherine Center books and knew this one would be great.

I’m going to give this one 4 stars, because I think it has so much potential for the majority of the rom com book lovers out there. I loved the characters and the premise, but I’m holding out on the 5th star, because this book was definitely not an escape for me. As someone who has a bit of hypochondria myself, it was just too heavy for me to completely enjoy. There were too many illnesses and issues (including A LOT about Cancer, which is a huge trigger for me). I just needed it to be more fluffy, but if you like rom com books that are a bit heavier, this one might be great for you.

Loved the narrator too!

I had already read the kindle arc and loved it!! So I wanted to see if the audio matched the voices in my head and yup! I was so happy with the narration. I loved every bit of the story again!

Perfection!!!

Adding my first review under


I can’t tell you how excited I was to get this arc, I devoured this book! I absolutely love Katherine Centers books they just make you feel so bubbly and happy!

When I was reading I looked down at the percentage and I was at 60% it just flew by playing like a movie in my head. I had to slow myself down so I can enjoy it because it doesn’t come out until July 2024

I laughed I giggled and I had anxiety just like Emma. The way anxiety is represented is really good and real.

Emma is a aspiring writer and she gets a part to help re-write a script with her favorite writer Charlie Yates! I loved that Jack Stapleton made an appearance!!! You’ve read about him I’m the Bodyguard another one of Katherine’s 5 star books!

It’s fun and a feel good book I highly recommend.

This was a fun and heartfelt romance that I devoured in one day. No cheesy steam, just genuine characters with complicated lives and relationships. Some parts were definitely predictable but overall it was really enjoyable and I would recommend to any fan of romance!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced read/listen of the Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. I am a fan of this author and couldn't wait to read it. She did not disappoint. This is the story of two very different screenwriters who come together to write a rom-com movie. Their journey together is filled with fun, but with very poignant moments. I loved the lessons learned and felt them myself. I am such a lover of romance stories. Love stories are the best!
PS: I listened to the audiobook of this story. The narrator was very good. Easy to listen to and perfect for the story.

I loved this book! It was so fun to see cameos from The Bodyguard and meet these new characters in the same world. I laughed, cried, and everything in between. Ji Chang Wook would approve of everything here!

Thank you Net Galley and Macmillian Audio for the advanced copy of this audiobook. Such a sweet and true Rom-Com type book about ghost writer working with a famous fiction writer to re-write his rom-com attempt. Lots of typical tension and struggles that are in all rom-coms but that is the purpose of the book. I have really enjoyed Katherine Center's books in the past and this one upholds her standards as well as the narrator does a wonderful job getting the feeling and desire to know the characters better. Look for this one coming out June 11, 2024!

Another clear winner from Katherine Center! Great narration and the story was beautifully written and pulled me in. An auto buy author for sure!

The Rom-Commers is a laugh-out-loud romance that also deals with heavy subject matter - death of a loved one, disability, sickness, and the emotions brought on by managing life throughout its toughest moments, I love a book that can make me feel a range of emotions, and this one has it all. The main character Emma is so unapologetically herself, and I related with many parts of her personality. My only hesitation on giving this 5 stars is that I wanted more depth to Charlie. I found myself craving chapters from his POV or just more explanation on his feelings and thoughts. Overall I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for Katherine Center's future books.

I listened to an ALC from Macmillan Audio on NetGalley and really enjoyed the narration.

Two screenwriters get together to write a rom com and fall in love - Emma Yates gets the chance of a lifetime to help rewrite her idol's, Charlie Yates, romantic comedy script. Emma is the full-time caregiver for her father, who requires full time care after an accident. Her sister takes over her duties to allow her the 6 weeks to pursue this opportunity and in that 6 weeks we get to follow Emma along as she tries to break through Charlie's disbelief in true love to create the screen play she envisions!

The narration and quirkiness of this book was great! I loved Emma's optimism in love, especially when she'd faced so much hardship, such a fun listen.

Oh, my word. This is slow-burn, angsty, forced proximity perfection. Easily is my top ten rom-com novels of all time. I stayed up until 4 am to finish this, a distinction only a few books have earned. This was my first Katherine Center book, something I’ll need to rectify ASAP.

Emma and Charlie are such good foils to one another. Emma is optimistic, even in the toughest of circumstances, a hopeless romantic, and yet relatively inexperienced when it comes to relationships. Charlie is completely jaded, burned so badly by his last relationship that he isn’t even sure that he understands what love is anymore.

Gah, Charlie. Sweet, love-dumb Charlie. (Knowing the number of days - swoon.) And Emma, finally given a chance to let loose and do something for herself after ten years of self-sacrifice. I love these characters so, so much.

Even though this is a slow-burn romance, the pacing is superb. At no point did the story drag, and the book actually contained multiple twists that I did not see coming, giving just the right amount of angst and pain amongst all of the rom-com goodness.

I received an advanced copy of the audiobook, which was very well performed. Zero complaints. I can’t wait until the book comes out so that I can get my hands on a physical copy to read. And highlight the heck out of it.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the advanced audiobook copy of this book.

This one was funny, heartwarming, and the perfect grumpy/sunshine rom com!

Emma catches a break and gets to write with superstar Charlie Yates. The man she ADORES! She quickly learns that he does not feel as lucky as she does and she soon realizes that maybe she shouldn't have flown across the country to work with this rude guy! But Emma Wheeler is NOT a quitter so she works with Charlie to improve his disastrous rom com script.

Charlie does not believe in love or doesn't think it really exists and we get to see how writing together just might change his thoughts on this!

Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. This was a cute and feel good story. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy this genre.

2.5 stars
No one can say I haven’t tried with Katherine Center’s books but I need to give it up. On the surface, I should have loved this book. There were moments where I actually did. Emma was such a great character. Some of her scenes were so emotionally compelling. All the feels! But our main male character, Charlie needed as much of a rewrite as his first draft script. He was a jerk at the beginning of the book and even when we were supposed to be melting for him over the course of the book, his secrets and lies in the last half just made it worse. How can you root for a couple to have a HEA when it’s non-stop toxic behavior?
Patti Murin’s narration was the best part of the book!!

I have read (and loved) all of Katherine Center’s books, and this one is no exception. One of the things that I like is that her female main characters are not typical, and what I have grown to expect from a lot of romance books. They tend to be made from a tougher mold, even if they are still discovering it themselves, and Emma is both of those things. An aspiring screenwriter, who has been a full time caregiver for her father since an accident when she was 18 - she puts all of her effort into making sure he is healthy, and not so much effort into herself or her career. She is presented with a temporary job in California that is too good to be true…literally.

I liked her spunkiness, the dialogue between the main characters, and a little touch of the unexpected. I really enjoy the way she describes things (the line dancing instructor stick out in my mind), There are so many unexpected comments/phrases/occurrences throughout the book.

The narrator did a good job of narrating, I enjoyed listening to her, didn’t notice anything distracting, or mispronounced words. She definitely added to the story, and didn’t take anything away, which is my definition of a solid narrator.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley; all opinions are my own.