I've heard great things about Katherine Center books but hadn't read any. Maybe I shouldn't have started with this one. It just didn't grab me, so I didn't finish. I'm sure others will enjoy it.

Katherine Center always hooks me and reels me in with her fun romances! This time her story is about two writers thrown together to write a rom-com screenplay. The Rom-Commers is a great escape from reality and I couldn’t stop listening to the audiobook! Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review an advance copy of this delightful audiobook!

Katherine Center does it again! A beautiful story with a badass female main character with emotional depth, flaws and humor!
Read this if you love force proximity and writers working together.

I received an Arc audiobook of The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. This was a cute and fun romance. If you are looking for a romance book without the spice this is a perfect choice.

Emma is an inspiring screenwriter who has put her dreams on hold to take care of her father who needs a full-time caretaker. She spends her free time studying and writing romantic comedies. Then, she is asked to re-write a script for Charlie Yates, the writer she is in love with! But how can she chase her lifelong dream, and leave her dad?

Her younger sister steps up and offers to stay with their dad so Emma can go to LA and live out her dream. Once she lands in LA she finds out Charlie isn’t interested in re-writing the script, especially with a “nobody screenwriter”. Emma decides she won’t waste this opportunity, and she will convince him that love stories do exist.

I enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator helped the emotions Emma felt come to life. The MMC Charlie at times was frustrating, but as the story progressed I could understand why. I feel like both characters grew throughout the story. I felt a desire to connect to both, and couldn’t put the book down. There were many funny and cute moments. I appreciated that this book was what the title said, a Rom-Com book. This reminded me of a lifetime/hallmark movie. 4.25 ⭐️ for me!

I really enjoyed The Bodyguard so I was really looking forward to this one by Katherine Center. Parts of it I really enjoyed - the research of what would work for the screenplay, and small of the small moments where we really saw Emma and Charlie become vulnerable with each other. But this one just wasn’t for me. I felt like the characters needed more growth. Charlie and Emma both equally.

This one feels like it borders between a romance and the women’s fiction category.

Additionally, I feel there was a real missed opportunity to address caregiver stress and burnout, and lack of resources, even more so since it was such a central theme to this story. Some of the language around this was a bit disheartening as well.

Thanks to the publisher for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

ʙ ᴏ ᴏ ᴋ • ʀ ᴇ ᴠ ɪ ᴇ ᴡ

📖 The Rom-Commers
✍🏻 @katherinecenter
⭐️ 4
🫶🏻 ARC #28 of 2024
📚 73/100

I loved this book!

🫠 he doesn’t believe in love/romance
📌 “coworkers”
👊🏻 kinda enemies to lovers
💔 loss / hurt
🥹 HEA

I adored these characters. I found them both to have their own specific problems, traumas, and dilemmas. Wow, the miscommunication/emotional outburst wasn’t my favorite. I absolutely understand it, and overall think it fit into the book. I’m so grateful fun to have gotten an ARC from @netgalley @macmillan.audio and @katherinecenter ♥️

This audio was fantastic!!! Truly one of my favs and thought it was done well. So thankful to have gotten the ebook and audio!!

On recommendation I read Hello Stranger and was hooked. I’ve read everything written by Katherine Center since. Her balance of romance and the realities of the imperfections of everyday life in her books is refreshing. Patti Murin did an excellent job with her narration of this book. This book had me laughing, crying and heaving big sighs. Emma and Charlie were so good for each other. To quote Ms. Center, they chose to be the best versions of themselves in the face of it all. I couldn’t wait for this book to come out . I’m so grateful I received this free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Fantastic - wonderful characters, an interesting situation, sizzling chemistry, and a ton of angst in their personal lives – this story had everything that I wanted and more! Katherine Center has a way of creating characters that you want to spend time with and you feel like you are right there, experiencing all their highs and lows along with them. And it’s not just Emma and Charlie, who are both perfectly flawed and loveable, but their families, too – even the sister who comes off as selfish but wins you over in the end. I loved everything about this and can’t wait to read the rest of her books.

PURE KATHERINE CENTER MAGIC!!!!! I absolutely loved The Romcommers!! This beautiful story had everything I love about Katherine Center novels and more: swoony moments, hilarious banter, and beautiful truths that make you want to frame every page on your wall. Katherine has such a gift for not only proving the necessity of the romance genre with her wonderful stories, but also teaching us all to hope in the middle of a dark and stormy world. I will always be so grateful for her and her stories. And this audiobook is incredible!! (Plus there’s a bonus scene narrated by Katherine at the end which I LOVED!)

Patti Murin could read the phone book and I’d happily listen to her. I love that she is a frequent collaborator with Katherine Center. Patti brings all the best parts of Katherine’s books to life. It’s so easy to feel absorbed into the story and feel all of the emotions that were written into the pages. Patti is back in her finest form with this one and it is a joy to listen to.

Katherine Center has a way of writing stories that will have her characters facing very hard, very real struggles but done in a way that allows the reader to find the beauty in the struggle. There is always hope and the belief that there WILL be a light at the end of the tunnel even in the darkest moments the characters may face. I realize part of that is the promise of the genre (which I know Katherine is steadfastly committed to) but it’s also a very well-honed skill of hers. The heavy things never feel quite as heavy in a Katherine Center book.

Emma is a talented screenwriter who has never been able to seize opportunities that have been presented to her. She has been her father’s primary caretaker for the past decade and has consistently put his needs ahead of her wants. When the chance of a lifetime lands at her feet to rewrite a truly terrible attempt at a romcom written by her screenwriting idol, Charlie Yates, it’s too good to pass up. Charlie is a divorced cynic who no longer believes in love and simply wants to get his Mafia movie made, which hinges on delivering the romcom script. Emma, wanting to deliver something she is proud of and not just ‘passable’, has to convince Charlie that love is real and romance isn’t dead. They’re both in for some surprises and getting caught up in the line between fiction and reality.

Emma is an incredibly admirable character. She has big dreams, but she has willingly put herself on the back burner for her dad. She doesn’t seem to harbor any resentment over her decisions and it truly feels like if taken back in time she would gladly make the same choice over and over again. Her relationship with her dad is beautiful. That’s not to say it has been easy. His health challenges make life hard for both of them, and she is confined to a very insular life, whether she resents it or not. Seeing her get a shot at her dreams and take that chance by the horns despite all the obstacles she faces throughout is endearing. It was so easy to root for her and want all the best things in life for her. It also made the hurt that much more visceral when it felt like the things she wanted were being stripped away one by one. I felt like I was right beside her on the roller coaster journey she was being taken on.

Charlie is a complicated man. He’s pretty emotionally stunted and, for a screenwriter, really struggles with using his words. There’s something inherently tender in him though that makes you want to protect him even as you want to shake him. His actions regularly contradict his words in thoughtful ways and executed through both covert and overt methods. Both warmed my heart. He’s a tough nut to crack, but what’s inside is a soft and melty center.

Charlie and Emma have both had to face some truly horrific circumstances in their lives and it heavily influences how they handle different situations that arise. The path to their happiness is heart-wrenching and not without fear, but there is beauty in the road they have to take to get there despite everything. The light is there and feels warmer in the end because of the obstacles that had to be overcome along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The Rom-Commers is such a delight!! I loved every second of it, especially the bits with Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguard;)

I was weary at first because I’m not crazy about the grumpy x sunshine trope, but after the first day Charlie turned into such a sweet lovable dork. Emma and I both fell for him so quickly haha!

I loved how KC handled grief and moving on. She really is a masterful writer.

The Rom-Commers is a love letter to rom coms, found family, new adventures, and the magic that happens when you find the perfect team.

I devoured this book in a day, switching between the audio and the ebook. Everyone was just so lovable and I was so rooting for everyone’s success!!


Note to the publishers: I’ll post this review to Goodreads today and to all the sites listed in my bio the week leading up to publication day. I’ll likely add more to this review as well!

Emma has always wanted to be a screenwriter, and especially for romcoms. She has spent her life obsessing over them and even writing her own. But she’s also the sole caretaker of her sweet dad who needs full-time care and after his injuries, she definitely put any of her dreams on hold. But when the offer of a lifetime ends up being dropped into her lap and her father and sister push for her to go, she kind of can’t resist!

Charlie is a famous screenwriter who decided to write a romcom…but it’s horrible, like truly awful. Emma gets hired on as the ghost writer to help him fix his script. But the only problem is Charlie doesn’t want to write with someone. Now they’re having to work together and she has to teach him about romcoms, and romances in general, along the way. We get a lot of forced proximity with them working and living together while working on the writing together. Both have trauma and things in their past to work through and they definitely grow closer as they’re together.

I have enjoyed most of this author’s books so not to say this wasn’t another solidly written one, it just isn’t one of my favorites by her. At times the story dragged and I wasn’t super into some of the plot points or things the hero would say or do. He was kind of cold and just rude with the way he talked about her to others, that she overheard multiple times. He’s very closed up while she’s trying to help him and opens up to him. Sure he has some reasons for things, but I just didn’t think he deserved her. Celeb characters in stories don’t always hold my interest and the mentions/sightings of real life celebs in the story I could have done without. All in all this one was okay, just not a favorite for me from this author.

I received an audio ALC from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley, all thoughts in this review are my own.

A Katherine Center book is guaranteed to be a sweet, clean, feel-good romcom with depth. This one is no different. I was lucky to get my hands on it months before it was released and read it in one sitting without stopping.

I absolutely loved this book! If you looked up the definition of rom-com in the dictionary, this book would be it! The characters are so much fun but they are also complicated and have flaws like everyone does. There are some serious elements in this book, but they don’t take away from the story, in fact they add to it. If you are looking for a fast paced, laugh out loud romance, definitely check this out!

Read this if you like:
•fantastic banter
•laughing out loud
•workplace romance
•opposites attract

This book was such a joy to read. I laughed, I teared up, I was swooning. Emma & Charlie are so great. Both of them have pasts that make them cautious for the future but oh my goodness this book was fun. Please preorder immediately!

Thank you MACMILLIAN audio for ALC

OH MY GOSH this is my favorite Katherine Center book to date! I loved it so much, I read it in one day because I couldn’t stop!

"A great rom-com is just like sex, if you're surprised by the ending, someone wasn't doing their job. We all know where this is heading, the fun is how we get there."

"If you wait for other people to light you up, then I guess you are at the mercy of darkness."

This whole book felt like a genuine love letter to rom-com's as a whole. Emma Wheeler has spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies, but as the sole caretaker for her dad, her dreams to become a screenwriter have been on hold. That is until she gets an opportunity to re-write a script for Charlie Yates, the uber famous screenwriter, who she happens to be obsessed with.

This gave me all the feelings & had so much of what I love in a romance- forced proximity, slow-burn, character growth, banter, longing, tension you could eat with a spoon, SHIMMER. & a beautiful message on how precious life can be & the importance of the story we tell ourselves. I was a puddle of tears at times & kicking my feet giddy at others.

Definitely my favorite Katherine Center book so far!!! I can't wait to see what she does next.

The audiobook was so well done, Patti Murin is quickly becoming one of my favorite audiobook narrators. Anything she does, I want to listen to. The voices in this book were 10/10.

I am going to start this out with, this book was not for me. I have read several other books by Katherine Center and for some reason I found the main characters in this book insufferable. Emma, drove me crazy. She was pushy, petty, and unlikable - maybe part of that was the narrator's voice acting for her. I didn't like Charlie either. I wanted to like him, wanted to root for them. Yet, I cannot and would not. At the end of the novel, I wanted them to separate and move on with their lives. They were not a good match. No matter how nice Charlie's nose was.

So, sorry... this one just wasn't for me. I may not listen to another audiobook by this narrator either. Maybe if I read it myself, I would have a different opinion.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC. It just wasn't for me. I really have liked Katherine Center in the past, so will give her another chance with her next novel. Maybe not with audio.

Katherine Center knows how to write a rom-com. Her books are relatable and have depth. They are captivating and entertaining. This book was a delight. The characters feel like people you know. You are invested and rooting for them. Creative story lines.

If Katherine Center writes it I'm going to read it! Another hit filled with utterly relatable characters you can't help empathize with as they struggle to find love, overcome life challenges and figure out a way to work together.

Jaded in love and life, best-selling screen writer Charlie has a severe case of writer's block and when his agent brings in Emma, an aspiring rom-com writer and huge fan of Charlie's the two clash in the worst way. With great banter and tons of emotional depth, this was another love letter to the romance genre and I was totally here for all of it!

Great on audio with a must listen author's note and bonus scene from Charlie's POV included at the end, this is a definite must read for Katherine Center fans! Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the privilege of reading an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: kissing only

CW: past death of a parent, cancer