4.5

What a heartwarming, funny romance story that will just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

This was my first read by the author, and I can't wait to dive into her other books. This was a rom com book about rom coms and I couldn't stop swooning, seriously if you want a feel good, lighthearted, corky story with a beautiful life lesson, this is your book!!

Katherine Center does it again!! She somehow writes everyday, difficult situations and leaves you full with hope and joy. This story is hope-filled and delicious just like a good rom-com should be. The characters are captivating and our heroine Emma dazzles. Our brutally honest and often grumpy Charlie turns out to be an onion with deep layers. I laughed, I cried, I couldn’t put it down. These characters and this story will stick with me.

If Katherine Center writes it, I’m going to read it. And I’m going to mark and highlight and ruminate on every last word even the Acknowledgments.

Thank you so much to Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this audiobook! I enjoyed the narration and the familiarity of Patti Murin’s narration.

I loved this book! It had it all! I was rooting for the two main characters the whole time. Katherine Center knocked it out of the park with this one. I liked how she inserted one of her characters from one of her other books. That was a fun surprise.

The Rom-Commers is a new book about finding love while writing a screenplay about love. Emma writes rom-com screenplays and she gets to work her idol, Charlie Yates! Except that he is disappointing. While Emma knew Charlie didn’t write rom-coms, she was shocked that he didn’t believe in love or the script she was hired to help him rewrite. Charlie is sympathetic as he survived cancer, but his ex-wife left him. As they wrote this script together, they fell in love. Emma is the type of character that takes care of everyone, including her dad who suffered from a traumatic brain injury in an accident that killed her mom. Emma is very a-type, and Charlie didn’t deserve her.

This a story about writing a love story, but ultimately Charlie and Emma’s love story didn’t have the chemistry needed to feel authentic and genuine because there wasn’t enough small romantic moments between them. However, the writing was good, the characters were well written, and the story interesting. Stylistically, there was a lot of telling and not showing, which I think hindered the romance. There a lot of breaking the fourth wall where Emma talked to the reader. The narrator, Patti Murin, did a good job. 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4 stars on Goodreads. Thank you to Netgalley for an audio arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance audio copy of this title. This is a wonderful romance; Katherine Center writes from the heart without any trace of triteness. We meet Emma who has been the sole caretaker for her father for 10 years. Emma is a talented writer, but feels obligated to devote the majority of her time to caring for her dad. Emma's sister has recently graduated from college, and could take over, but Emma seems reluctant to let her do so.

When Emma gets a call from her friend, a Hollywood agent, to ghost screenwrite a Rom-Com, she initially defers. Her sister steps up to care for her dad, and off Emma goes to work with her writer-idol, Charlie, in Hollywood. Charlie is a bundle of anxiety, and has to be led kicking and screaming into the mindset of a Rom-Com. Emma drags him along, and they seem to be falling in love, until Charlie mysteriously pulls back. Emma is called back to Texas when her father has a medical emergency, and refuses any assistance Charlie offers.

Charlie credits Emma with a fantastic new Rom-Com script, and she is forced back to Hollywood to iron out details. While there, she discovers the reason for Charlie's reticence, learns to forgive herself from family burdens, and live her own life.

These are fully drawn characters with relatable feelings and neuroses, the family dynamics are truthfully written, and Center delivers a Romance novel that is sweet and enjoyable, without any trace of saccharine or unbelievability.

Another classic Katherine Center rom com that was a solid read. Center has a go-to formula-- a heroine with some sort of tragic backstory, a leading man who is a bit of a jerk, a whirlwind falling in love, a classic misunderstanding and a happily ever after. In the case of The Rom-Commers, Emma Wheeler is a writer who spends her days taking care of her father. Charlie Yates is a multi-award winning screenwriter who has written his first romcom-- and it needs help! Emma's longtime friend gets her in with the gig of being Charlie's ghost writer, and things follow the plot from there. The novel was enjoyable, and fans of Katherine Center will eat this one up! The audio was excellent as well!

An English teacher finally gets the chance of a life time to work with her favorite screenplay writer — and her chance to make a name for herself.

I always enjoy a book by Katherine Center — I’ve never regretted a read by her — nor did this book disappoint. I quite enjoy this authors style of romance story — fiction with a good dose of reality at the same time.

The characters are full of real struggles, worries, playfulness,chemistry and Witty banter .

The writing was great and the characters were likable overall — from time to time I questioned Charlie’s authenticity as his values and attitude changed a bit too quickly in my mind— I loved Emma and her quick witted lines .

I read the eARC in conjunction with the ALC this was my first time having both at the same time. The audiobook narration was wonderful — the voicing of the characters was good and it was great to have exclusive content from the author at the end of the audiobook . Personally, the audiobook helped me fly through the novel and brought more life to the words from the page.

4.5 stars for The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center and narrated by Patti Murin.

Why I loved this audiobook:
-- Great characters
-- Interesting take on a love story (the main characters teamed up to rewrite a horrible romance movie script)
-- Not just another romance trope... It's smart and funny
--Terrific narration!
-- Good length at 11 hours
-- Happy ending, as always

Special thanks to Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy of this audiobook via the NetGalley app.

This book was so cute and the banter between the characters was great. Such a perfect and entertaining rom-com. I needed a quick cute book to read right now.

I listen to the audio of this book and the Narrator, Patti Murin did such a wonderful job. She had the personalities of both characters down perfectly. Her voice was very much enjoyable to listen too.

I had big feelings while listening to this book. The first 75% had me smiling like a fool. There was some trauma and drama but the majority left you with a good ol' happy feeling. Contentment. After 75% your emotions go hey wire. I was mad, sad, happy, disappointed within the last chapters. For it to all end in a bang. And Yes, it does end with a happily ever after. This was the ultimate Rom-Com.

This story is about a women from Texas. Emma is an inspiring screenwriter, but more importantly she lives for love. Rom-coms are her complete life, obsession really. For the last 10 years she has been a caregiver to her Dad after a devastating accident. Her ex-boyfriend and agent sets her up on odd jobs but, are you sitting down, he offers the most craziest offer of a lifetime.

Cue, Charlie freaking Yates. He's handsome, charming, brilliant, amazingly cool in his corduroy pants and above all a talented screen writer. What's not to love, but the fact that Charlie doesn't get love.

This entire story is heart warming and filled with really good advice on life and love. You should really read this book!

Did I request the audiobook for a reread because of how much I love this book? I totally did. Patti Murin’s narration hs just so perfect for Center’s books and for Emma and her personality. I adored this book and just preordered a copy betI need a copy with pink spines for my shelf!

Since reading How to Walk Away, Katherine Center has been one of my favorite autobuy authors. If she writes it. I just read it and this was no different.

Despite the fact that this won’t be released until June, a group of friends and I dropped everything to read it. There is just something about Center’s writing that I just adore. Her characters are so relatable and have so much heart.

Emma goes to Hollywood to help her favorite screenwriter completely fix his latest play, a romcom which read nothing like a romcom. They had so many lessons that were sweet and absolutely hilarious. They had several moments that made me feel all the feels.

The caregiver storyline was a little heavier and broke my heart at times. I loved seeing Emma be able to have her own life as her sister found her niche.

Another amazing book by Katherine Center, I just love her books and couldn't put this one down. I laughed, cried and it stole my heart.

It's about two writers who have to rewrite a horrible love story and figure out how to work together without feeling for each other. Then life happens.

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute book! I really enjoyed
Charlie and Emma’s slow road to romance (which you know I’m not a slow burn fan but it worked in this one) i felt like this book was so much more than a cute romance. There was finding self, grief, sacrifices, and overcoming fears. There was no spice but honestly i didn’t even care. #the banter between them was hilarious, Emma was super quirky, sunshine and deserved all the amazing thing. And Charlie was a grump that needed the sunshine. I definitely recommend adding this to your summer TBR.

Thank you @netgalley for the free arc in exchange for my honest review!

4 stars

In a world where het romance can be so cliche, boring, and frequently misogynistic, Katherine Center keeps showing up as a shining star in that all-too-frequent dark landscape. This most recent effort is another treat from a now proven author.

It's really hard to not want to root for Emma. She's had to sacrifice a lot because of an injury that incapacitated her father in fundamental ways years ago. So that her younger sister could go out and realize her dreams, Emma has mostly forgone hers, and this has kept her opportunities and experiences - romantically and otherwise - limited. When she gets the chance to work on a dream project (sort of) with a dream partner, external forces push her to go against her usual choices and take the opportunity. Enter Charlie, another likeable, if curmudgeonly, character.

There's a subtlety to this love story that makes it feel fresh. It's not overblown or saccharine, and the result is a compelling, character driven connection that keeps readers engaged and entertained from cover to cover. There are some health-related rollercoaster rides in here that some readers may want to be aware of (since this is a genre for escapism and some of this content might feel a little to raw...like a thing a reader might be trying to escape FROM) at times.

Added props to the audiobook narration. I recommend this format when and where available. I'm already looking forward to Center's next release!

The rom-commers ! I highly recommend
I felt so much depth and understanding reading the ebook and audiobook! All that has occurred for the main character as a child to now as an adult !
Her fear to live life and the fact she didn’t truly live the life she deserved for so long because she served her family so well! The pure and perfect love she gives everyone through out this book !
Oh and is she so funny, some how innocent to some of her thoughts and understanding of things. Not in a “blonde” way but in the way she thinks the best of everyone until she doesn’t !

Emma a screen writer that has no career but care taking, is given and opportunity of a life time from he ex bf!? This novel is about love loss and the complete and utter truth of feeling pain and love and life all at once ! It’s about living and pushing ur boundaries when u are afraid it’s about how u can’t live and love with no repercussions of pain , just wow Katherine center ! Just wow

I will start by saying in the nicest way possible, I didn't love Katherine Center's last two books, which was a damn shame because I have adored her books for quite some time. I am very happy to announce that she has got me again! This book tugged on my heart strings, made me smile, and appreciate the beauty of the human experience. The concept was nothing groundbreaking: two screenwriters fall in love while they work on rewriting a romcom script gone terribly wrong. One is cynical and does not believe in love, and the other is a hopeless romantic. Had I seen the summary and it was written by anyone else, I probably wouldn't even have bothered requesting the advanced reader copy, but there is something very comforting about Katherine's books. She always creates a world where terrible and tragic things can happen, but the journey is very sweet, and you are left feeling hopeful.

Emma is her dad’s caregiver. Charlie is her screenwriting idol. With a crazy twist, they are thrown together to write a rom-com.

Katherine Center is a guarantee mushy, warm fuzzy, rom-com read. This is no exception. I absolutely devoured this one. Binged it. Didn’t want it to end.
And maybe it’s just because my current life has been tainted with grief and sadness but this one made me feel really griefy. Some aspects hit too close to home but with the promise of a happy ending I could persevere. I am glad I did. I got what I was looking for.
Should you pick this HEA up? Yes. Will you enjoy it? I feel pretty certain you will. Is it easy and predictable and sugary sweet? Yes.
I am thankful for this ALC from @netgalley and @macmillan.audio bc it pulled me out of a deep reading slump.

Spice level: 🌶️/5
Audiobook: 🎧🎧🎧🎧/5

I LOVE LOVE LOVED this JOY of a book!! Their chemistry was so great. I was rooting for them from the get go. I really enjoyed the strength of Emma. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind or do the right thing. I think we could all learn a thing or two from her. I loved how Charlie learned to love and to not be afraid of it and to muster the courage to do what was right and good and joyful.

It had a wonderful message of hope and joy and love. It makes me want to shout to the rooftops about how wonderful rom-coms are. Maybe if everyone read this book the world would be a happier place.

Also, y’all. Read the authors note. It was so great.

Katherine Center is an auto read, auto buy author for me. Her books always dig in deep and won’t let you go until the last page. And even then, they linger in your heart forevermore and I LOVE IT!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this ARC! 🥰

Emma dreams of being a screenwriter. She gets a chance to re-write a romcom script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates and moves to LA for six weeks. Charlie thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme, but Emma’s going to change his mind. It's very meta to read a romcom in which the characters are writing a romcom. It's a grumpy-sunshine situation and was such a slow burn that it I'm not sure you can even call it a romance? The book was unsuccessful in convincing me that these two characters like each other and have chemistry. The humor was completely cringe and had me feeling embarrassed for them instead of laughing. I would give this two stars personally, but looking at it objectively I'll raise it to three stars. As for the audio, Patti Murin did a great job and brought much-needed emotion and energy to the story.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook via NetGalley.

The Rom-Commers was a witty, banter filled romance, that unfortunately did not live up to the hype for me. Don't come at me, I love KC, but this one just did work for me for many reasons. It never truly grabbed me or kept my attention. It was such a slow burn for me. This is an unpopular opinion and I am highly aware.

Emma was honestly an annoying character, I couldn't relate to her at all. She made the dumbest decisions, tried to change a man that just did not care. She was so obsessed with him that it was borderline pathetic. Charlie was honestly horrible and mean, I did not like him at all. The chemistry between both of them I did not feel it at all.

I also felt like some things needed to be worked through by the characters and they never were. They just magically were “healed”, they needed more growth and it never happened. The romance aspect in this book truly did not work. I enjoyed the plot and the storyline of the screenplay development.

🎧 The narration by Katherine Center & Patti Murin was good, easy to follow. The emotions were felt through the pages and they were able to keep me listening even if I did not enjoy the book.

✨️ Thank you to @netgalley & @macmillanaudio for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.