**Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press for my free ebook copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

My Rating: 4.5
This was my first and not last Katherine Center book!! This slowburner left me feeling all the happy warm fuzzy feelings. I laughed and cried. Emma and Charlie are quite the pair their banter was sweet. They are both lonely in their own lives for different reasons. Charlie is just jaded by love/friendship. Emma is stuck at home at all times caring for her dad, she never get to do what she wants to do. I loved how this once in a lifetime chance changed her life entirely, for the better. Like any good rom com...you see the ending coming from a mile away :)

4.25 out of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book. I felt like the pacing made sense, the banter was great and I truly see what was stopping the couple from getting together and it made sense. The tension between the characters was done so wonderfully any it left me anticipating their next move. The story had characters with depth and trauma to deal with and it left me with sadness and joy all at the same time.

I will say some trigger warnings may be in order. If you are a caregiver or have lost a parent this might be a difficult read for you so please proceed with caution.

It was a bit hard to get into at first but once I was in it, I was in it. I will definitely be reading more by Katherine Center in the future.

4.5/5 stars.

With a title like this, it better be a love letter to the romance genre. And it was.

Oh my god, I loved these characters. I can’t begin to tell you how much I loved Charlie and Emma, these two lovable, nerdy idiots. Katherine Center has such a gift for writing realistic broken characters who make each other whole. The tension was so realistic, and I loved all the wild hijinks.

So often you read a grumpy-sunshine book that falls into tropes. These two were delightful, with some of the best banter I’ve read in years. There were points where I literally kicked my feet.

Katherine Center is hit or miss for me, but this one was fun. Docking half a star because the twist at the end frustrated me quite a bit, and felt gratuitous.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for this ARC.

Again! I can not stress how amazing Katherine Center is! Every book snags me from the start. This one was no different.
I love how she ties characters from different story lines into her books.
As a self proclaimed movie junkie, the details of the screenwriting process was really fun to read. It was also fun how she utilized actual Hollywood big shots along with her own fictional characters.

I just like how there is enough drama to keep my attention, yet it’s not so over the top that it sounds implausible.

Just do yourself a favor and grab this and any other KC book you haven’t read. They are just good books. You won’t be sad…well maybe just a little teary bc something always tugs at the heartstrings, but definitely not disappointed that you read them!

Ohhhhhhh, okay. I’ll give it a five. It did, after all, make me laugh out loud quite often, as well as making me cry a time or two (or three or nine). I really really love Charlie and I grew to like Emma, though she bugged me with her self-righteousness a LOT! Like, how come she gets to completely trash her sister, like destroy her but then gets to be all butt hurt and expect an apology from her sister when she just says one thing. Bugged me.

But, in the end, I really dug the story and Charlie was enough to keep me moving through it. 💜📚

Katherine Center always knows how to write a terrific rom-com, so her latest novel seems meta in that way.

I really enjoyed it throughout and found myself getting teary-eyed at times. So many great characters with wonderful banter. The situation with Emma's dad was so harrowing, but I loved how good-natured he was despite everything that he had been going through. And I can understand Emma's guilt over the whole situation, as well. I felt frustrated for her in regard to working with Charlie, especially with how everything transpired initially and how long it took for Charlie to actually warm to her presence and allow her to help him write his rom-com. There was a lot going on there too, especially with him constantly running hot and cold and having other complications in his life that kept getting in the way of anything that could form between him and Emma.

The one thing that seemed strange to me was that the types of movies Charlie normally wrote weren't the types I could see Emma really being into, especially since her main focus was romantic comedies. His movies were anything but. However, she was clearly a huge fan long before she met him. It would be like me suddenly saying I'm obsessed with a science fiction author. However, this did not take away from my enjoyment of the novel at all. The will-they-won't-they roller coaster was making my head spin sometimes though.

You only have less than a month to wait for The Rom-Commers to hit shelves this summer and it is worth the wait for sure! Another gem from this beloved author.

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting suggestions:
Emma: Hannah Rose May
Charlie: Jack Reynor
Logan: Keiynan Lonsdale
Sylvie: Kirrilee Berger
Emma's dad: Aaron Eckhart
Salvador: Michael Cimino
T.J.: Devon Bostick

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TW: death of parent, traumatic brain injury, cancer

5⭐️

Here’s the 411:
🙌🏼Lovable FMC
👥Forced proximity
✨Grief, loss, illness
🌧️Grumpy MMC
🫶Strangers-to-lovers
📖Screenwriters
🩷Memorable quotes

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Katherine Center is THE QUEEN of the women’s fiction/romance genre. I DEVOUR EVERY book this woman writes and will CONTINUE to do so until she stops writing, upon which I will cry. A LOT.

Anyway,

The Rom-Commer’s is a colorful and candid novel about learning how to love life — with everything (and everyone) that comes with it. I smiled, cried, and laughed my way through this book…just like every other KC book I read, honestly. The Rom-Commer’s truly is a breath of fresh air in the romance genre, reminding us that love doesn’t have to be ornate displays overflowing with joy; it can be silly moments, sad moments when you’re forced to lean on one another, and mundane moments. It reminds us that to love is to choose: choose to be grateful, to be appreciative, to lean on and be leaned on. I digress. I just love this book too much.

Emma and Charlie are both wonderful characters. I adored my time with Emma and related to a lot of her struggles. Honestly, I related to Charlie’s as well. This book is so relatable.

There are so many amazing moments in this book between the characters. I won’t spoil anything, but I am smiling ear to ear just writing this review because I love this book.

I could go on and on so I’m just going to stop here and say this: everything about this book is perfect and you need it in your life. Because the thing about KC books is that they truly speak to the heart — mine especially◡̈

(Just a side-note because I can’t end this review without saying: CHARLIE🔥🔥🔥🥵🥵🥵)

READ THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY!

This was by far one of my best reads of 2024! The banter between Emma and Charlie was the greatest I’ve ever read and I was hooked from the second I started reading. Katherine Center always does such an amazing job of making the reader feel every emotion that her characters are and The Rom-Commers is no exception. 5⭐️ everyone must read!

3.5 stars

I adore how Katherine Center writes, it’s fun and I end up laughing and flying through the pages.

I did struggle with the female main character though. There were moments where she was unlikable, even when she knew she was being awful or wrong, she never accepted that she was wrong and apologized.

The ending was a tad too unbelievable for me, and everything wrapped up a little too nicely. I feel like most if not all the characters needed some therapy.

Katherine Center is on the tippy top of my must-read and must-buy author list. I highly anticipate every single book she comes out with and devour it the second I have access to. The premise for this one was SO cute. What book lover doesn't want to read about a romance that takes back between two authors? Now that the best premise ever is set, she did a great job developing the characters. I was majorly rooting for Charlie Yates.

That said, this was not my favorite Katherine Center book. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, but at about 30%, I did have to self-motivate myself to continue. I would still give it a solid 4 stars and recommend adding to your summer read!

Review posted on goodreads, all opinions are my own.

So this was my first book by the author and as a romance reader, it should have been exactly what I liked. It wasn’t bad. It had its humorous parts and the swoony parts…but it was so heavy on the “typical” romcom plot, it felt…overdone? A dime a dozen? Not sure how to explain it.

The writing was great, hence the rating, and I enjoyed the storytelling. I just wasn’t a fan of either MC and the love part of the story fell a bit flat compared to the plot, which I find weird for a romcom.

Regardless, I enjoyed it for the most part but I’m not sure I’ll be reading anything else by this author. I guess there’s a reason why I tend to prefer indie authors.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced review copy.

Emma has put her screen writing career on hold to be there for her father and sister. She now has an opportunity to make some good money quickly by helping the one screen writer she admires the most, Charlie who happens to have a case of the yips. Emma has six weeks to help Charlie write a rom-com but first she needs to teach him about falling in love. A very sweet and tender love story. Family and health play a big role. I didn't cry but I could see that happening.

This was my second book by Katherine Center and I'm definitely a fan of her already. I went with the audiobook that was narrated by Patti Murin. Her delivery was spot on. This one was full of laughs which I enjoyed. Such a fun book to read or listen to, but if you can grab the audiobook, it was excellent!

Out June 11.
Thank you to the publisher and Macmillan audio for the gifted copy and audiobook. All opinions are my own.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Romance, Rom-Com
Spice Level: Low (surprisingly—there's more on this in the upcoming comments)
Language: Peppering of swearing
Representation: Gay side character

This is the first book I've read by Katherine Center, which means I didn't know what to expect.

The Rom-Commers is genuinely funny. There were moments when I smiled and laughed. This is so much harder to achieve than to make me cry! So kudos to the author for creating fun and funny scenarios.

I don't think this is really a spoiler—I'm going to mention the content of a couple of jokes. So if you DON'T want a preview, here's your change to skip. ***SLIGHT SPOILER*** Here's my thoughts on the spice level: because of the orgasm jokes, I was expecting sex on the page. There is no spice on the page. Surprise! I actually prefer a sweet read, and this one isn't quite what I'd call sweet because of the swearing, but it's pretty darn close.
*THAT'S THE END OF THE SLIGHT SPOILER.*

What I liked:
- His grumpiness
- Her optimism
- The Bronco
- The winding road
- The writing trope of overcoming writer's block—the yips
- The PET!!! So funny and unexpected
- Overcoming personal obstacles
- The resolution was so satisfying because of the characters' growth

I think most most contemporary romance readers are going to enjoy this one. Give it a try, and tell me what you think!

This is going on my recommended list for romances.

Happy reading!

PS—I'm not a fan of the cover. IF it turns you off too, give the book a chance!!! I think you'll be glad you did.

A struggling screenwriter heads to LA for her one shot of writing a rom-com with her hero.

Emma Wheeler is obsessed with rom-coms. She’s spent a lifetime watching, studying, and writing them. But she’s yet to hit it big. As the sole caretaker for her father, there’s no time to cultivate a life of her own. When her now-successful-agent ex, offers her the opportunity of a lifetime—the chance to work with her screenwriting hero, Charlie Yates—it’s too good a break to pass up.

Emma’s sister steps up to care for her dad, while Emma heads to LA for six weeks, to help Charlie re-write a script. Nothing is as it seems, however, when she arrives. Charlie wants nothing to do with her and the opportunity seems to vanish in a blink. Before she leaves, she gives Charlie (who doesn’t believe in love!) a piece of her mind. And that does the trick…

Before too long, Emma is sitting across from Charlie Yates, writing a rom-com! Day after day, as they re-write Charlie’s script and unexpected sparks fly, they seem to be writing a romantic comedy of their own. After all, Emma needs to show Charlie that what love is really about… even as the line between fiction and reality blurs.

I absolutely loved this book! Center brings to life the enemies-to-lovers trope with a charming story of second chances, overcoming trauma, and finding love where/when you least expect. The narrative touts the perfect balance of humor and heart, enlivened by characters of which it’s a joy to root for.

Like always, this latest from Katherine Center is a wonderful, heart-filling delight to read!

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center is exactly as it sounds…the perfect rom-com!

Katherine Center has become an auto-buy author for me so when St Martin’s Press sent me an ARC, I got excited!

What I love most about Katherine Center’s novels is that they are like a big hug. She writes with witty banter and characters that have depth. The stories are always closed door but she writes with such vivid detail and emotion that you don’t even realize it.

The Rom-Commers is a story about Charlie Yates and Emma Wheeler. Charlie is a famous screenplay writer. Emma has been busy caring for her father but a friend gives her a chance to help Charlie re-write a romantic comedy he has written (that has room for improvement). When Emma gets to Charlie’s house though, she finds out he knows nothing about her coming to help him re-write the script. Now, Emma finds herself away from her sick father to help Charlie when he doesn’t even want her there.

As the novel progresses, the reader learns about Charlie and Emma’s past. Their funny banter and interactions with one another make the story witty but also heartwarming. The last 25% of this book made it a five-star read. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Take one struggling romantic comedy screenwriter (Emma Wheeler) and pair her with the screenwriter of her dreams (Charlie Yates) for a once in a lifetime opportunity and you get a quirky set up for a quite the rom-com.

Well this novel was very much an emotional roller coaster for me. Emma at a young age becomes the sole caretaker of her father after a serious accident as well as her younger sister. With her dreams on hold she does everything within her control to give their kind-hearted father the best possible life, even if it meant that she had to say no to opportunities that would have launched her career as a screenwriter.

As the current caretaker for both my parents who recently had back-to-back major surgeries as well as an adult brother who is on the spectrum, there were a lot of moments where I connected with what Emma had gone through. The putting aside of some of your dreams so you could take care of others who need you. And although I have sisters in my life, sadly none of them are like Sylvie.

The best parts of reading are those moments where a story intrinsically imprints itself on you. To be honest, I feel like this novel made me take a hard look at how I as much as I love my family and have become their primary caregiver, I am not a natural caregiver like Sylvie and fall into the camp of more of an Emma. I am glad she was able to in the end get a version of her own hopes and dreams and that Sylvie and her husband as well as their father ended up having an even better quality of life.

Now to the love story between Charlie and Emma. I loved the googling of things within their relationship, from Emma's fainting to her anxiety heart racing to their discussion of Charlie's heart being like a suicidal bird. And I loved that Emma was completely honest about how terrible (we need another word as it was worse than terrible) Charlie's romcom script was and how she had to teach him about all the things that make a romcom just that. Overall, as always Katherine Center has a way of writing the difficult parts of life but mixes in the beauty and joy that can also be found within it. One minute the reader is crying and within the next paragraph we are laughing. It is always such an adventure reading her novels.

I didn't want The Rom-Commers to end! I loved the chemistry between Charlie and Emma. The banter between those two was hilarious. Katherine Center did a wonderful job with Emma and Charlie's relationship arc. The slow burn was done perfectly. I liked that there was a deeper side plot to the story. I wasn't expecting this book to have heavy topics. I was impressed by Center's writing depth. I thought the writing was smooth and the pacing was spot-on. Having not cared for some of Katherine Center's other books, I was pleasantly surprised by this one! Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I love books that make me laugh and this one did. What a great story about dreams, family and love.

What happens when you fall in love with someone who does not believe in love? What happens when the writer that you think is the best doesn't want to work with you or even meet you? How do you trust anyone to look after a family member that you love?. The only way to find out the answers to these questions is to read this wonderful book.

My favorite way to finish books is to go back and forth between an audiobook and an ebook. So I read this one and listened. The narrators - Katherine Center and Patti Murin did a great job of making the story come to life. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 (Romance)
Release Date: June 11, 2024

Synopsis: Emma Wheeler is an excellent screenwriter that no one has ever heard of. When she gets a call from her ex-boyfriend/ agent, telling her that Charlie Yates, the prolific screenwriter needs help, she doesn’t know what to think. She has been at home in Texas for the last 10 years taking care of her sick dad, however, it’s her time to have an adventure and get her life back on track. Charlie needs to write this movie, but knows it’s terrible, but he never works with anyone. As Charlie accepts Emma’s help, they get to know each other and start to see other sides of each other. Will this lead to a rom-com of their own?

My Thoughts: This book was fantastic. I’m not always a huge fan of Katherine Center, but this book was great! I loved the two writers trying to write a rom-com and one of them not believing in it. They both had so much going on outside of their working relationship which I appreciated. I also don’t read a lot of closed door romances, but I really appreciated this one, their relationship really was mostly a working relationship and they accidentally fell in love. I will say there are some trigger warnings for health stuff both on and off the page - cancer and a sick parent.

If you love The Bodyguard by Katherine Center or other closed door romances, you’ll love this.