Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook arc of The Rom-Commers. Spoilers below!!

I have read and listened to a few Katherine Center books and I’ve liked them all, but this has definitely my favorite. I loved the 2 main characters! Emma was quirky yet sure of herself and what she needed to do in life, and non apologetic for her love of romances. She was a writer who chose to take care of her father after an accident left him needing care.

Charlie Yates is a very famous screenwriter with writers block. He is the grump in this grumpy/sunshine novel.

These two were flawed and funny and had chemistry right off the bat! I love how they met and how their relationship (professional and personal) grew with bumps along the way.

The narrator did a wonderful job. I was hooked from the start and it’s hard for my mind not to sometimes wander during audiobooks, but I would listen whenever I had the chance to sneak some of this in. One of my very few 5 star ratings this year, I highly recommend this book!

What an absolutely wonderful romance. I simply can't say enough good things about this book. It's like Christmas morning, birthdays and Valentine's Day all rolled into one! Pure delight!

I love Katherine Center’s books!! She knows how to weave a fun story that makes you feel happy while reading. This book filled me with joy as I listened to this audiobook. The narrator did a wonderful job with keeping me engaged while listening!!

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillianaudio for the opportunity to listen to this gem!!

I love writers who are writing about writing. Katherine Center is passionate about romance stories and her love of them comes through in this book. Emma Wheeler was destined to become a screenwriter until life got in the way. Instead of a very prestiges Warner Brothers opportunity a family tragedy has her being caretaker for her dad for the last ten years. Her high school best friend is now a successful agent and is able to send occasional writing work her way. Now he comes to her with the opportunity to work on a script with her personal hero Charlie Yates. Charlie is a multiple award winning screenwriting legend. But he doesn’t care about the rom-com he needs to write. He just needs to get it presentable so the studio will make his mafia movie. But he wasn’t counting on Emma busting into his world.

The story is told entirely from her POV (except for one bonus scene at the end of the book). It is opposites, living in forced proximity, working together. Lot’s of tropes at work here. Their banter is fun but Charlie continually shuts her down romantically. In fact, that was one of the things that bothered me in the story. Other than the one kiss he isn’t encouraging there to be more. Yes, they fall into domestic life but it wasn’t leading me to think will they or won't they. There is also the power and wealth imbalance. She has to deliver a final script to even be paid for her time. The fact he is her idol and can quote from his every script and interview also gives him too much power. She has effectively been sheltered for a decade. It is odd that she is so confident even when he turns her away continually. I felt I was given only a limited view of Charlie. I didn’t understand why he was so jaded or even his love of his shared custody guinea pig.

Of course this is a romance and I won't spoil how it reaches its HEA. There are a few side characters that add to the story but the bulk of the interaction is between the two MCs. It is clean for on page intimacy. I waffled between really enjoying the story to it being just okay. I listened to the audiobook with narration by Patti Murin whom I liked. I believe it is the author who reads the bonus chapter and ending notes. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook via NetGalley and I am leaving a voluntary review. (3.5 Stars)

4.5⭐️

When I think of the greatest champions of and advocates for love stories, Katherine Center is always at the top of my list. Center’s stories are so deeply human and while they touch on the pain and tragedy that inevitably arises in life, I love how the focus is on the immense joy, laughter, love, and hope that can be found in the midst of heartbreak and suffering. Her stories speak to our humanity and remind us of the goodness that is at our core… how love is woven into the fabric of our beings and how sharing stories of hope and joy is an act of bravery and should be celebrated.

Gosh, I can’t tell you how many times I teared up while reading this story. My heart ached over the tragedy and suffering these characters experienced, and while they have every right to allow the immense pain to eclipse their lives, they ultimately chose to tell their stories a different way. Emma and Charlie faced the unthinkable alone in their pasts, but together, decided to chase after a future full of light and gratitude.

The entire cast of characters was so endearing (with the exception of TJ), and I especially loved the seeing the interactions between Emma, Sylvie and their dad - how they encouraged, championed, and fiercely loved each other. Some of their conversations were heart-wrenching, but seeing the forgiveness and healing that took place was breathtaking.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to have read this story with both my eyes and ears, and I cannot recommend the audiobook enough. Patti Murin’s narration was superb and had me both laughing and in tears as she brought Emma and Charlie to life, but hearing Center read her author’s note was such a joy and an absolute delight!

Center’s beautiful, heartwarming storytelling will fill your heart with warm fuzzies and butterflies and leave you feeling all mushy and sunshiny inside… and all the other gooey cliches you can think of!

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center is another win! Emma is a romance writer who wants to be a screenwriter. But family duties have delayed her plans.

Charlie is one of her favorite screenwriters known for his fast-paced action movies. He's not a fan of rom coms, but is expected to write one. Emma is asked to help him rewrite the script. But he doesn't want to bother, as that's not his interest.

I appreciated that this book would be described as closed door for the romance. It could be one to listen to around younger ears without concern.

Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, for the advanced reader copy. These are my personal opinions.

Book Title: The Rom-Commers
Author: Katherine Center
Format: 🎧
Narrators: Patti Murin and Katherine Center
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Women’s Fiction. Romance
Pub Date: June 11, 2024
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 336

Aww although I am not a big romance fan I am a Katherine Center fan.

~BookPage calls Katherine Center “the reigning queen of comfort reads.”
I have enjoyed her laugh-and-cry out loud books.
She’s the New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels, including The Bodyguard, Hello Stranger, Things You Save in a Fire.

In this story Emma Wheeler a twenty something English teacher who wants to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies.
She’s also been the sole caretaker for her dad, who is only fifty-five but was in an accident that left him with Traumatic Brain injury” and paralyzed on one side.
Emma’s ex-boyfriend Logan is also her agent, and offers her the opportunity she has dreamed of that is to work on a rom-com with a Charlie Yates: the screenwriter she adores. She knows she has to turn it down as she has to care for her father. However, Sylvie her sister just graduated from college is willing to help to take care of her father and even her father wants Emma to take advantage of this amazing opportunity. SO she is off to Hollywood.

When she meets Charlie she discovers that he does not believe in HEA In fact, he swears he will never love anyone, (There is actually too much swearing going on in this story.
Even from sweet Emma).
Emma is out to show him that romance isn’t a bad thing.

I love a good audiobook and typically love Patti Murin’s performance of the characters.
I wanted to like Emma but I went back and forth on my feelings.

A lot of what I didn’t like was the nasty language and found it was getting in the way of my enjoyment of the story. The problem with an audiobook is that I cannot ‘unhear the nasty words. In a book I can somehow skip over them and often don’t remember them.

A positive for this audiobook is that Ms. Center does two bonus reads at the end of this story..
1. More from Charlie and
2. More from Ms. Center and her quest to give creditability to Love Stories.
BTW she has convinced me. Yes this non romance fan is okay with romance and HEA stories but excessive nasty language is still a ‘Nope’ to me.

I like Katherine Center and will read another in fact, I am going to give this story another chance by reading it.

Personal Note: I love to line dance and go to classes three times a week and attend as many dance events as I can so I just loved that Emma went to line-dance class.
Also was so pleased that in Katherine Center’s Acknowledgements (which is a story in itself) she gives thanks to her many supporters. I especially loved that she thanked line dance instructor Britt Beresik of Line Dance Houston for NOT shaming her in class. I know Britt and she is not only an excellent instructor and can teach anyone to dance but is also a great Choreographer!

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for granting me this early audio Galley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 11, 2024

Katherine Center can do no wrong.

Center has such an amazing way of making complex, lovable characters with so much humor and realness in their dialogue that you feel like you're seeing this all happen in real life as you're immersed in the book.

I felt a full range of emotions listening to this audiobook, and the epilogue was everything. It was a good dose of perspective that was just really well done. I already want to listen again.

I absolutely loved this book! I highly recommend the audio version. The banter was perfect! This book gave me all the emotions in the best way possible. I laughed out loud, had my heart warmed with little swoony moments, and got my heart broken over sad moments too. This book may be an ode to rom-coms but I feel like it perfectly describes life too - the ups and downs, the sacrifice at times for family and loved ones, and truly appreciating and loving yourself as well as your partner for exactly for who they are. This book is "a love letter to fun, to love, [and] to you." I can't wait to read more books by Katherine Center!

What a beautiful audiobook! I usually don't have such great experiences with audiobooks in the romance genre but this one definitely took me by surprise!

So, the plot revolves around Emma Wheeler, a screenwriter, has been focused on caring for her father due to his health issues, putting her career on hold. When offered a project to work with her favorite writer, Charlie Yates, she initially declines but eventually agrees after seeing the messy screenplay. However, upon arriving in Los Angeles, she discovers that Charlie is unaware of their planned collaboration.

Despite the rom-com potential, sometimes I found my connection to the characters a bit lacking. Charlie's rude behavior towards Emma was kind of off-putting, and he lacked redemption for his actions. Some parts of the story felt slow, making it a struggle to fully engage with the plot. However, I did enjoy most of this book so that was a win. Overall, not bad at all, the audiobook was excellent though!

Katherine Center has written her best rom com yet. I really enjoyed the story of Emma and Charlie and the way a family comes together for love. The narrator was excellent for the audiobook. I smiled throughout the entire book which I listened to in one day. It was so worth my time.
Thank you Netgalley for this audiobook.

I loved this book so much! I listened to it in less than 24 hours. I loved the banter between the characters and the plot of the story.

Katherine Center is a must-read author for me. She never lets me down. Her romance novels always bring joy to my reading life, even as she covers serious topics along the way. The Rom-Commers is no different - it was just delightful.

Emma Wheeler is an aspiring screenwriter but life got in the way of her taking advantage of a prestigious Hollywood internship. Specifically, she became her father’s caretaker and a mother-substitute for her younger sister, after a tragic accident. So she put her life on hold, while she continued to write without achieving any success in that area. But an old friend in LA is her manager and one day he hands Emma the opportunity of a lifetime - to write (actually re-write) a rom-com with her screenwriting idol, Charlie Yates, if she can come to LA from Texas. Apparently, Charlie is a masterful writer but this rom-com is a disaster and rom-coms are Emma’s specialty. So this is a rom-com about writing a rom-com! Very meta.

The whole sequence of events after Emma gets to LA is pretty hilarious, while also touching on Emma’s fear of the unknown, fear of rejection, and her fangirl idolization of Charlie and other Hollywood writers and actors. There’s a fun cameo appearance by Jack Stapleton, who we met in The Bodyguard - and Meryl Streep! We have a bunch of tropes: enemies-to-lovers and/or friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, grouchy-sunshine, etc., but Center somehow pulls it together in her expert way. Among the serious topics covered are: Meniere’s disease (I don’t think I’ve seen another book that covers this, a disease a friend of mine deals with); cancer; death of a parent; disabling injury; and more.

Do not miss this book if you like rom-coms at all!

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient, and allowed me to continue with the story even when I could not sit down and read - or when I could not listen. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Patti Murin, and the audiobook includes a short piece by the author (read by the author).

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors and The Rom-Commers is a new favorite book. She does romance so well, creating characters that you come to love and truly wish the best. Charlie and Emma feel so real and relatable. Silly foibles, sweet gestures, and chemistry that builds into genuine love blended with a storyline that always provides an interesting learning experience about something new equals a book that I will read over and over again. Or listen to over and over again. Because Patti Murin narrates the audiobook and she is amazing and I loved it.

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!