Katherine Center always writes pleasant, fun rom-coms with a good balance of “real life problems” and character growth that I love, with a guaranteed happily ever after. Her manifesto on romances at the end of the audiobook is a perfect example of what she is bringing into the world. The narrator was excellent and I definitely enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for advance access to The Rom-Commers audiobook.
I'm a newer Katherine Center fan, so I was so excited to be chosen.

The Rom-Commers is a romantic comedy about two screenwriters who work together to write a romantic comedy. Charlie Yates is a grumpy, divorced screenwriting legend. Emma is an unknown screenwriter who lives in Texas and is her fathers care giver. They are brought together to rewrite an awful script Charlie wrote.

The story had me laughing, cringing (in a good way-pantry scene), and crying! You can't go wrong with Katherine Center books. Publication date is June 11th, and I highly recommend checking it out!

I devoured this story. It’s kind of left me speechless- mostly because it gives you so much to think about. I hated Charlie most of this book- I just couldn’t figure him out and why he was acting that way to Emma.

The last 10% of this book I began to understand him and also cried that last 10% as well. So much wisdom in this book. It really makes you think of all you have to be grateful for.

Thank you, Katherine Center, for making me think of all I have to be grateful for.

Thank you for the ALC for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this audiobook from Netgalley
Author: Katherine Center
Narrator: Patti Murin and an afterword by Katherine Center
Stars: 5
Genre: Rom-Com

I love this audiobook! This book is about two writers that work together over a six week period. He’s a full-of-himself, multi-award-winning, super famous jackass who has a jaded view of life. She’s a strong woman, caretaker, sister-as-mom, happy-but-full-of-worry martyr type that has assured herself that she can’t have a dream as reality kind of life.

They live in 2 different world, but they share a love language: writing.

Both are convinced they don’t want or need each other. Both are wrong.

Katherine center once again has made a rom com masterpiece and Patti Murin has narrated it to perfection.

I have two favorite quotes from this book. I don’t think they will take away from the story, so here they are:

“There is absolutely no way to predict the infinite random forces in the world any of our choices will expose us to, how paralyzing would it be to even try”

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

I hope this book becomes a movie. I highly recommend this to rom com lovers that are as smitten with the genre as I am.

4.5 rounded up

In this novel, we are introduced to Emma, an aspiring screenwriter who has been stalled in her career because she is the primary caretaker of her handicapped father. Following Emma’s little sister’s graduation, her best friend, who happens to be the agent of a celebrated screenwriter, orchestrates a collaboration between Emma and the award winning writer Charlie. Charlie, skeptical of love and struggling with a lackluster screenplay, finds himself at odds with Emma, who is determined to prove to him the magic of a truly captivating love story.

The Rom-Commers pulled me in from start with its delightful charm. The ensemble cast of characters truly stole my heart. The author's writing style effortlessly transported me into the heart of the story, making every scene come alive and helped me to feel the emotions of the characters. While there were a couple parts that felt a little “over the top” to me, the overall experience was nothing short of enchanting. This book was truly a love letter to all the romance lovers out there.

The Bodyguard still remains my favorite novel by Katherine Center but I did enjoy The Rom-Commers more than Things You Save in a Fire and Hello Stranger.

I did listen to this on audio and the narrator gets a 10/10 from me. She did an amazing job at bringing Emma’s character to life.

Thank you Macmillan audio and Netgalley for the ALC of this book!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook. I’m a huge Center fan. I did a dance when I got this book. This book was very different than some of my favorites of hers. This book is a story of writers getting together to write. Not my favorite type of story. It wasn’t bad and it had a lot of good moments and pieces in the book. As a whole though I wasn’t super entertained and the narrator was really monotone for me.

Katherine Center does it again! What a beautiful story about Emma and Charlie. I loved the book from the beginning and could not put it down. The ending had me in happy and sad tears. I loved this book so much. Highly recommend!

This was beautiful. Katherine Center really pushes home that it’s not about the ending. (A good rom com always gives you the happy ending you expect). The fun is in the journey.

Emma is a screenwriter who just can’t. She missed so many opportunities as she became the primary caretaker of her father. She has spent the last 10 years managing his Ménière’s disease. She watched his sodium intake. Kept track of his water intake. Sticky noted everything in color codes. In doing so, she gave her sister the gift of those 10 years to do whatever she wanted to pursue.

Emmas writing manager insists it’s her turn to take. He’s scored a job for her. To write with none other than her most favorite writer of all time, Charlie freaking Yates. Award winner for many sci-fi fictional movies. He’s been tasked with writing a rom com. His screen play is the abomination of all rom coms. He can’t even get the ending right.

Charlie doesn’t know it. But he needs Emma’s help.

I devoured the audiobook version of this. Not only was it funny, but the voice actor was perfect for the book. Her inflection brought Emma to life. Katherine has given us a character that I want to be friends with.

I laughed. I cried. My heart fluttered over and over again. I really felt it when Emma said “I don’t have anxiety, I just worry all the time.”

I’m so grateful for #netgalley , #macmillinpress and #katherineCenter for the audiobook ARC. I cannot wait to share this with others this June!

Amazing!!! I absolutely did not want this book to end. A famous screenwriter needs a little bit of help with a romance book… cue Emma, a lover of the genre. She moves to LA for a six week stint to act as a ghost writer to fix the screenplay.

Emma was absolutely charming. I adored her strength and humor, as well as her commitment to keeping her family safe and healthy. The prose was beautiful and there were some amazingly detailed scenes. The theme of love and what it feels like was palpable.

Charlie was such a reluctant grump - it was so fun to watch him evolve. There were definitely some heavy moments, including discussion of loss of a parent in the past. Overall, though this was a pleasure to read - SUPER sweet, and it absolutely made me feel the feels.!

The bonus chapter from Charlie’s POV was PERFECTION!
Narrated by Patti Murin - wonderful!!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and MacMillan audio for the chance to review this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is exactly the love story I was expecting about a book called The Rom-Commers lol

I won’t lie, Charlie was really grating on me with his refusal to show any affection toward Emma but the ending made up for everything. He did what he did for such noble reasons and I love him for it 🥹

I loved Emma’s character and the journey to happiness that she went on. From caretaker to figuring out that she deserves happiness too was perfect. and her family. The family aspect of the book felt so real and really tugged at my heart strings.

The narrator was amazing and as always, Katherine Center nailed it!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ARC audio of this book!

Smart, funny, and a little bit heartbreaking, this truly is a love letter to all of the rom com fans out there. I know there are readers who don't enjoy mixing angst or family drama with humor, but that is exactly what makes this such a nuanced, memorable read. It's a rom com first and foremost - our heroine quite literally schools the hero on the rules of the genre - but there's also pain and heartache underscoring so many of the interactions. I loved the combination of the jaded, grumpy, wildly successful hero with the perpetually sunshine heroine who has dealt with so much. Our hero has let a roadblock hold him back, and the heroine comes into his life like a wrecking ball. I loved the way she just absolutely knocked his world off its axis, all while bringing love and joy into his life. We only get her perspective, but it was easy to see the way he was smitten; a delightfully curmudgeon of a hero who slowly softens at the edges. It's rich and complex, entertaining and funny, and genuinely romantic. I loved it!

The story follows Emma, a woman who has been the sole caretaker for her father since an accident ten years ago. Her screenwriting career has been stalled ever since - at least until now. When the opportunity of a lifetime presents itself, her family encourages her to pursue it. Which is how Emma finds herself heading to LA to help her favorite screenwriter rewrite a truly terrible rom com. It's outside of Charlie's typical wheelhouse and he has no idea just how awful the script really is. The good news? Emma was made for this job, and she's determined to help turn things around and possibly jumpstart her career in the process. But meeting Charlie does not go as planned, and Emma soon finds herself temporarily living with her idol while trying to show him all of the ways he's gone wrong.

Center's romances tend to straddle the line of women's fiction, and that was true here as well. It's a multifaceted read that tackles a variety of difficult subjects, with both leads grappling with their own issues. I loved the forced proximity and the way that Charlie and Emma were in nearly every scene together once it got going, which allowed the romantic connection to grow and flourish. I adored watching Charlie slowly change his ways, and there was something so uplifting about a "broken" hero letting love into his life. It's a slow burn with very minimal heat, but it was incredibly romantic. There were SO many great callbacks to beloved rom coms of the past, and it was awesome to see how much Emma cares about the genre. I smiled, I laughed, I swooned, I shed a few tears, and I worried how they'd find their way together. Through it all, I was very, very emotionally connected, and I had such a fun time. This one's going to stay with me for quite awhile.

Audio note: The audio was solid! We only get Emma's perspective, so it's a single narrator, but Patti Murin gives an excellent performance. I loved her voice, which worked for both the comedic and the heartfelt moments, and the audio absolutely enhances the story. My only complaint would be that there were a few times when I couldn't tell who was speaking - her voice for Charlie wasn't all that different from her voice for Emma. There are no spicy scenes in this one, but there are a few heated interactions. I don't see why it wouldn't make a fantastic workday listen. The runtime (around 11 hours) was easy enough to binge over the course of a full day, and I stayed engaged the whole time. Definitely recommended in the format.

As light hearted and fluffy as you’d expect. If you don’t like Rom-Coms, and want something exceptionally deep, this probably isn’t for you - but based on the title, you know what you’re getting here. It’s meant to be light, warm and fuzzy feeling, and short. It’s a beach read, a weekend read, an escape-from-life read. Emma is a witty, intelligent aspiring writer with some familial angst, who gets unexpectedly paired with a slightly neurotic curmudgeon of a star screenwriter and hilarity ensues. I do wish there had been a smidge more substance to the plot, because there’s a LOT of build up, including an extremely lengthy description of a dress, but then it sort of feels like the author got the “wrap it up” signal from a teleprompter, but as a one-and-done this is a good book!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audio ARC.

This is the third Katherine Center book I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was funny, sweet, and loving. The banter back and forth between the characters was very witty. Everything you would want from a RomCom. So for those who have read Katherine Center, this is one worth picking up. For those of you who haven't read any books by this author, give her a shot. Definitely worth your time.

The Rom-Commers is a swoon-worthy romantic comedy that checks all the boxes for genre enthusiasts. With a delightful mix of familiar romance tropes—forced proximity, the classic grumpy man paired with a quirky woman, the journey from enemies to lovers, and the contrast between Hollywood and a small town —it's like hitting a bases-loaded home run in the world of rom-coms. This book is incredibly engaging, offering all the emotional highs and lows one expects, making it nearly impossible to put down. It truly delivers. Take this one to the beach!

🎧🎧 Book Review 🎧🎧 Dreams do come true! Emma gets the opportunity of a lifetime to relocate to Los Angeles to rewrite a screenplay with the screenwriter of all screenwriters, the epic Charlie Yates! Emma has always been a caretaker, looking after her younger sister and now her dad. Now it’s her time to stop sacrificing her goals and dream big! Nothing is going to stop her, not even cynical Charlie Yates. Emma’s perseverance moves this novel forward in such an amazing manner, leaving us to root for her all the way! Funny and heartwarming while tackling lots of big issues, Katherine Center produced a book as epic as a Charlie Yates screenplay! The Rom-Commers is a breezy, fun read…an absolute gem of an audiobook to listen to.

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be posted on Instagram ahead of publication

Thank you too NetGalley and MacMillan audio for an advanced audiobook copy. I was excited to get approved for the latest Katherine Center book. I have read four books from her, and I am sad to say that this is my least favorite. However, the audiobook narrator was excellent.

Emma longs to be a screenwriter - one who writes good romantic comedies, but she is committed to staying home with her father caring for him after a tragic accident. But then... (dah tah tah dah...drum roll!) she gets a call from her agent to work with a famous Hollywood screenwriter on a romantic comedy! The catch is that she needs to be in Hollywood for six weeks. She reluctantly hands over the care of their father to her younger sister and heads to Hollywood.

Of course there are bumps in the road when she gets there, but this is a romance novel. And there is always some humor in a Katherine Center romance novel! And real life issues that touch the readers heart and make it less superficial. Author Katherine Center is one I will keep reading and appreciate her clean love of writing quality romance novels.

My thanks to Net Galley and Macmillian Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

I flew through and thoroughly enjoyed this slow burn rom-com. Charlie and Emma are definitely a couple you'll want to root for. The banter was fun and funny and exquisitely done. Overall, this is very much a love letter to our beloved rom-coms. And the audiobook narration was absolute perfection. Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the free ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This started off real strong for me but as the story progressed it just didn’t live up to the hype I had for it.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Emma Wheeler. She is wanting to pursue her dream of becoming a big screenwriter and when an opportunity arises she is hesitant to take it, but she does and is on her way to make a dream come true!

I can’t say I liked the two main characters that much. I did in the beginning because Emma is so bubbly and cares for her family a lot. Family is a big thing for me and I love seeing those relationships in books. Charlie doesn’t want to be bothered and is weaseled into letting Emma “help” him with his script. I liked that their personalities were different. They also had a lot of growth they needed to go through and it means that their relationship is strained at times. It causes issues and it became too much at times. They were both selfish. I didn’t hate their romance, but it wasn’t as cute and fun as the other romances this author has written previously that I have read.

The ending climatic event wasn’t my favorite either. I think it was too much for everything else that had already happened.

Overall, this was good but it did leave me a bit disappointed.

This book was just what I needed. Emma and Charlie's tension could be cut through with a knife. It was clear to everyone but Charlie that they were in love, pretty early on. Charlie and Emma needed to work to write a RomCom in order for his other movie, his passion project, to be produced. Emma has always put her life on hold while taking care of her dad. Coming to LA to help out Charlie and his Terrible screenplay was a lot for her, and he didn't seem to want the help.
When he conceded and they started working together, Emma did teach him so much more about himself, love and what it looks like to be happy.
This book had a bit of a trigger for me with the Big C being mentioned, and it got a little scary there, but ultimately, this book turned out just like a good romcom should and gave me all the emotions getting there. 4.5 stars!
The audio was great, I loved it!
Thanks to Macmillian, Netgalley and Katherine Center for an early copy.