It makes me so sad that this is the first Katherine Center book that I have picked up. I immediately need to read her back list!! I listened to this book in one sitting, I could not put this down. This truly had everything I love in my books. Fun, Loving, Humor, sassy female main characters, and broody male main characters. It was just such a fun loving book. Even though this seem like it is just a cutesy romance, there is a lot more emotional topics in this book that actually took me by surprise. I found myself laughing, tearing up, and being frustrated with out characters but all in the best way. I was invested in Charlie and Emma story from the get to and was rooting for them the entire time.

I cannot wait to read more of Katherine's book!

“𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥.”

Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Pub Date: 6/11/24

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I fell in love with Katherine Center’s writing with The Bodyguard. I couldn’t wait to dig into this one!

I found the main character likeable and witty. The banter between her and the male MC was realistic and adorable.
The love story was predictable. What I really liked about this story was the dealings with grief and loss. It truly made this rom-com unique.

#theromcommers

5/5 stars

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the advanced reading copy!

CW: parental death, illness/injury

SYNOPSIS -- Emma Wheeler's screenwriting plans may have been derailed for the last 10 years, but she still longs to make it big writing romcoms. When she gets the chance to write for her screenwriting idol, Charlie Yates, she takes a step back from caretaking for her sweet Dad, passing the reigns to her younger sister and moving to LA for six weeks. They say "don't meet your heroes," and maybe that's a good idea. When Emma shows up, Charlie refuses to work with her, refuses to care about the script, and refuses to believe in love. Despite all that, Emma digs in her heals and steels herself to convince Charlie of her worth as a writer and the worth of rom-coms in this world. When their rom-com becomes a little too.... real... Emma has to reconfigure her idea of reality and break some of her own rules to get there.

Ahhhhh she's done it again!!! I LOVED the premise and the story far exceeded my excitement for the synopsis. The characters were so dynamic and complex, and I loved them, despite feeling SO FRUSTRATED with their denial of their feelings for so long. The romance was cute and felt believable, in a way that not all romance authors can nail. Family was a big feature in this book, and I think this was really well done. Forced proximity like this is soooo fun and I loved Emma and Charlie's banter from the beginning. Katherine Center does an amazing job of weaving complicated themes into her work, and this one wound its way through grief and its complexity in a beautiful way.

PLUS there was a fun crossover with THE BODYGUARD, which I LOVED.

This book truly gave me the warm and fuzzies all the way through: from page 1 to Katherine Center's acknowledgements at the end. I love her writing style, her characters and her plots. I will read anything this woman writes!!

I love Katherine Center books. In this one, Emma Wheeler has always wanted to become a screen writer. But life doesn’t always work out the way you think. When her mom passed away, Emma took on the sole caretaking responsibilities for her father, and her younger sister got to go off to college. Her ex boyfriend and friend Logan, calls her about a job helping Charlie Yates re-write an awful romantic comedy screen play – but this will take her away from home for 6 weeks, and live with Charlie in LA. Charlie, however, doesn’t want to write with anyone, let alone a failed screen writer like Emma. He doesn’t like romantic comedies and he doesn’t believe in love. Emma is determined to show him she knows what she is talking about, even if that includes making him kiss her to prove a point.

This one really was so cute. Charlie was the perfect grumpy sunshine character. You could slowly see his walls cracking, and I loved it. The hints of his ability to really care about someone were there the whole time. I really loved Emma. She was like a ray of sunshine, but not to the point where she was annoying. She stood her ground and was very determined, even when Charlie was less than nice to her.

Center writes these characters’ scenes together perfectly. From strangers, to less strangers, to housemates, to friends – each of the scenes were written for a reason, and it was evident to the reader that it was important for their story together. Honestly, I could see this being made into a movie! It’s got all the elements of a perfect rom-com.

Now that Katherine Center is a must read author for me, if you haven’t already read her books, you must try her out!

I was excited to receive an advance copy of this book and could hardly wait to start reading it! Because I have read other books by this author, I knew it would be fun to read with likeable characters.

For the past several years, Emma has been the full-time caregiver for her dad because he was permanently injured in an accident and her mom died. She regularly sacrifices what she wants so her little sister Sylvie can live her dreams, but they switch places when Emma receives an unbelievable job offer. Sylvie cancels her internship to stay with their dad so Emma can go to L.A. for the chance of a lifetime to work with a famous screenwriter she has a crush on and help him rewrite a flawed rom-com screenplay. Her childhood best friend and former boyfriend is his manager and got her the job. The problem is Charlie has writer’s block, doesn’t want her help, and doesn’t believe in romance.

There are some serious issues addressed, but overall the book was very funny, and some parts even made me laugh out loud. The tension leading to the kiss was perfect, but the wet dress scene was way too much. I think the book would have been much better without it. I love the dad’s advice at the end and the bonus chapter in the audiobook. You can’t go wrong with a book by Katherine Center, the writing and characters are excellent. This would be 5 stars if it wasn’t for the language and the dress scene.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for a digital ARC and Macmillan Audio for an audio ARC via NetGalley to use for my review.

This was my first Katherine Center book. I own her both The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger, but have yet to get to them, and I’m absolutely kicking myself now for not having read her writing sooner. The Rom-Commers was EXCELLENT.

I was immediately enchanted by Emma, despite her clearly being under a lot of pressure and responsibility. The way she describes her dad and sister is so sweet and charming and I loved the family right away.
Emma is also FUNNY and I love her relationships with everyone in this book, especially Charlie.
Charlie was the perfect grump to Emma’s sunshine. Their banter and growing relationship was so cute.

There are definitely sweet moments in this book, but it’s not your typical romcom with nothing but swoons and giddy feet kicking. Things get hard and heavy with several health diagnoses, accidents, losses, etc., and I really appreciated how realistically these topics were covered. It excellently highlighted the overall theme of this book, which I took to be that life will not always be sunshine and rainbows, but making the most of what you have and the good things in life is still important.
A few times I was frustrated by Emma and Charlie, but the ending was absolutely swoon worthy and I loved the way everything pulled together for not only them, but Emma’s whole family.

I’m definitely running to my shelves to pick up Katherine Center’s other books now, I was so charmed by The Rom-Commers!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for this ARC.
Publication date 6/11/24

They say never meet your heroes, but Emma is meeting hers, uber-successful screenwriter Charlie, and she’s tasked with helping him rewrite his truly terrible rom-com. Will they end up writing a love story of their own?

Yeah, obviously. And it has all the hallmarks of a great rom-com. The banter is bantering, the hjinks are hijinksing. The only thing keeping it from perfection in my view is that Charlie is just too much of an asshole at the start. Celebrity men behaving atrociously at industry events and getting away with it is a huge pet peeve of mine. I don’t find it charming and deducted a star accordingly.

But I really loved Emma and found her backstory and family subplot incredibly moving.

"The Rom-Commers" by Katherine Center is an enchanting and heartwarming tale that beautifully captures the essence of romantic comedies while delivering a fresh and compelling narrative. The protagonist, Emma Wheeler, is an immensely relatable character whose dreams of becoming a successful screenwriter are both inspiring and poignant. Center masterfully weaves Emma's personal struggles and ambitions with the world of screenwriting, creating a story that is as much about self-discovery and resilience as it is about love. Emma’s journey, from her dedication to her father to the exhilarating opportunity to work with her idol, Charlie Yates, is depicted with such authenticity and charm that it’s impossible not to root for her.

The novel's appeal is further enhanced by Center’s sharp, witty writing and her ability to craft characters that feel genuine and deeply human. The dynamic between Emma and Charlie is electric, filled with clever banter and heartfelt moments that will leave readers smiling long after they turn the last page. "The Rom-Commers" is a delightful read that deftly balances humor and emotion, making it a standout in the romantic comedy genre. Katherine Center has delivered a five-star gem that not only celebrates the magic of rom-coms but also reminds us of the importance of pursuing our dreams and the unexpected paths that lead us to true happiness.

I loved this book! Emma is a struggling screenwriter who put her career aside to take care of her father after he had a life-altering accident ten years ago. She given the job to help the esteemed screenwriter Charlie Yates rewrite his script for a new rom-com. Charlie is known for his prolific skills as a screenwriter, creating scripts for blockbuster after blockbuster…except this script is atrocious. But when she arrives, she soon realizes that Charlie doesn’t want her help. Emma and Charlie’s banter is so enjoyable and witty!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC, in exchange for my honest review.

The Rom-Commers is the newest romance by Katherine Center. In this book, Emma (an aspiring screenwriter) heads to LA to help her screenwriting idol (Charlie Yates) rewrite his latest screenplay which is his first (and a terrible start) in the world of the rom-com. Things start off very rocky as Emma's friend, agent, and former boyfriend set up this job without actual approval from Charlie. Needless to say, there are many ups and downs throughout the story.

This is probably my new favorite Katherine Center book! I love the banter between characters and I feel like I'm getting to know them which I don't always find is the case in some of the other romance books I've read. As is the case in most romances, I guessed the end, but I think that's also part of the appeal of this genre. This will make a perfect summer beach read!

Katherine Center always delivers. The Rom-Commers is no exception. Every new book instantly becomes a favorite. There's just something about the stories that she crafts that are an absolute delight. I always look forward to a Katherine Center release. If you haven't read her books yet, give them a try.

Reading Katherine Center’s newest book has become a favorite summer tradition for me. Her books center on such believably real characters in such lovely, dreamy, and sincerely funny circumstances. The Rom-Commers checked all of those boxes for me.

Emma Wheeler’s life is dominated by two things: (1) caring for her family, particularly her father, after a tragic accident that changed their lives forever, and (2) screenwriting. Well, screenwriting rom-coms.

Emma has made choices that have affected her career and her freedom to make sure that her younger sister has every option she could dream of as she emerges from college and to keep her father safe, which means 24-7 care.

So, when she’s unexpectedly given a chance to ghost write (and overhaul) a rom-com screenplay by her idol, Charlie Yates, she’s both exhilarated and reluctant: her sister has an internship opportunity that Emma doesn’t want her to pass up, and she can’t leave her dad.

This situation, right from the beginning, is communicated with such vividness that I felt every facet of Emma’s agonizing choice: follow the dream that she’s pushed down for so long or keep to the narrow path that she’s carved out for herself.

It takes a push from her family—and her high school ex-boyfriend, Logan, now a successful Hollywood agent—to get Emma on the plane to meet and work with Charlie Yates.

And then she finds out that (despite what Logan told her!) Charlie doesn’t want a ghost writer and doesn’t even know that she’s coming.

This premise spins out in satisfying ways. Of course, Emma ends up co-writing with Charlie, schooling him on the merits of the rom-coms that he so scorns and giving him a very honest take on the problems she sees with his draft. Their working relationship has ups and downs, misunderstandings and miscommunications both deliberate and not, and the ways that their romantic relationships develop in parallel to their screenplay are delightful.

But it’s the characters that are the standout here, the ways that Emma and Charlie (and Emma’s dad and sister) force themselves to work toward happiness again and again, work toward believing in and living with love.

I always appreciate reading Center’s acknowledgments, where she shares the inspirations for each story and the books and research that informed her novels. Her dedication to and advocacy for romance is a beautiful thing, and it’s borne out, again and again, in her books.

The Rom-Commers is a beautiful tribute to rom-coms and to writing and to movies, and it’s a wonderful novel about the ways we have to believe in and put effort into pursuing love. It’s a book that will satisfy Center’s readers, old and new.

(3.5/5 stars) I don't know how Katherine Center managed to write a romance novel about two relatively unlikeable characters that still managed to make me tear up on an airplane but here we are?! This is very much a book where both MCs would deeply benefit from going to therapy, but honestly I still decently enjoyed it as a read. I think it would have been much better if it had been a dual POV, because I feel like if we'd been able to get into Charlie's head instead of Emma therapizing him to rationalize how truly mean he was to her(!!) he might have been a more likeable character. And the way Emma kept staying around despite how mean he was? It's giving I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) by Taylor Swift.

Okay, I've talked myself into rounding down to a 3 because it doesn't feel right to give this one the same number of stars I gave The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger. Will I still pick up Katherine Center every time she puts out a new book? Probably. This one just disappointed me a bit.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. If you like fluffy stories, pick this up. If you are a die hard KC fan, you’ll love this. For me, I enjoyed it until I didn’t. Around 89%, I wanted to throw the book. That is almost exactly what I said about last year’s KC book, Hello Stranger.

It was fun to see Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguard make a couple of appearances. But overall, KC is not the author for me and The Rom-Commers confirmed that for me.

Thank you to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the advanced e-copy of #theromcommers . This book publishes on June 11, 2024

📝🍓The Rom-Commers 🍓📝

✍️: Katherine Center
✨:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📱: E-ARC thanks to @stmartinspress & @katherinecenter
🗓️: Publishes June 11, 2024!

✨my thoughts✨
Katherine Center is the QUEEEEEEEEN of sweet, funny, perfect little rom coms! Her newest book is no exception. This book had me laughing out loud more than once! It’s everything you want out of a rom-com, some angsty animosity, close proximity, sweet and lovable side characters, I just adored Emma & Charlie & I know you will too! This story was very meta, a rom-com about two people writing a rom-com. but it was so fun to be a part of the making of a story, to watch as Emma slowly chipped away at Charlie's walls, and to watch them come together like you know they will but somehow are squealing with delight as it unfolds anyways!!

Have you read Katherine Center? Do you have a favorite?!

I love Center's writing and this was no exception — this book is a love letter to the romance genre. Emma is an aspiring screenwriter, but caretaking duties have been her priority. When she gets a chance to write a script with famous screenwriter Charlie Yates, she takes it, only to realize he doesn't believe in love or care about the script.

I loved Emma and Charlie — they were authentic characters navigating complicated personal situations, and I loved the shift from enemies to friends to lovers throughout the book thanks to a bit of forced proximity. It's a charming and funny read about love and life and finding joy through the hard parts.

Highly recommend picking it up if you're a fan of romcoms!

I was beyond THRILLED to be honored with an eARC of this! I absolutely LOVED it! It is full of all the witty, juicy banter we love from Katherine. I admire her way of building the characters and overlapping comedy and the romance to it. In this case the comedy rings loud which is so fitting with the title. Also a definite beach read for the summer! Seriously buy it and stuff it in the bag!

What to expect:
⭐ Past & Present Storytelling to tell the big picture of their journeys
⭐️ Overlapping story lines his & hers
⭐ Enemies to lovers that becomes co-workers to lovers
⭐ Forced Proximity
⭐️ LA Vibes
⭐️ Screenwriting a Rom Com (hence the books name!)
⭐ Loss of parent + healing from the grief
⭐ Care giving a parent and putting life goals on the back burner

Other things I loved about this that are so true to Katherines writing style, is she adds romance, anticipation, tension, and heat without taking it to a spicy/smutty place. I like that the story builds over the course of the pages. That we learn about the characters, where they have been, what they are struggling with, the other secondary characters and how they also fit in to the full story. She has a way of putting romance in without it being the focus. Instead the focus is the journey the people take separately and together. And that journey isn't just focused on the main two characters its ALL the characters. In this case that included Emmas Sister + Her eventual husband, Emmas Dad, as well as Charlies Ex-Wife, and both of their managers Logan. Oh and an additional secondary/third character set is a cameo from two of Bodyguard characters (Jack + Hannah) don't worry if you haven't read them!

Honestly if you haven't read even ONE of her books this should be the first one you grab! It was delightful!

So much gratitude and thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital review copy of this delightful book! I can't wait for her to share it with everyone!

Emma is a romance writer who lives as a full time caretaker for her dad. At the start of the book she is feisty and loyal and I liked her strong confidence in herself. Her friend Logan gets her the opportunity of a lifetime to work with Hollywood writing royalty Charlie Yates, to help rewrite a really bad romcom. Charlies doesn't want to work with Emma and insults her and her talent but she won’t back down to her idol screenwriter and doesn’t cower. She is strong and she knows her value even when he basically calls her a failed nobody.

Charlie really isn't as big of a gruff as he initially comes off, and once he gets to know Emma he softens up to her and together they start to rewrite the screenplay at the same time she teaches him all about the ingredients it takes to make a good romcom.

While it was overall a cute story premise, the love story portion felt rushed and I didn’t really see how they fell in love besides you knew they hung out and ate dinner together and fell into a routine. There was also a lot of miscommunication, a very typical clique for a romcom, in the form of overheard conversations: her overhearing him and Logan at the house, her overhearing Charlie and Logan in the public bathroom and she overhearing Charlie and his Ex-wife at the house. All those times, Charlie is knocking down or diminishing Emma, because he secretly likes her and doesn't want anyone to know? Then afterwards she gets upset, (Fair!) then forgives him after he butters her up and tries to explain himself. She started loyal and feisty but then she flip flopped with her actions and decisions.

Charlie is clearly conflicted. He clearly likes her but for some mysterious reason can’t be with her since he pushes her away repeatedly and that's when she decides to pursue him aggressively. It came off as kinda desperate and not romantic.

The third act situation with her father was a tough one to read. Her sister is taking care of the dad while she's in LA and after an incident involving her dad, she berates her sister and accuses her of almost killing him and then the sister says something snarky back and Emma has the audacity to get upset and ice out her sister? Then, the sister was the one who had to apologize but Emma didn't need to as well for all the mean things she said too? It was an accident and the only reason she accepts the apology is because her sister is getting married. She does it begrudgingly.

She pushed everyone away and always thinks she knows best. Maybe she should do some self reflection and take some advice from her very wise dad. She was a bitter grudge holding Betty by the end. Where was the kick ass, take no pensioners Emma at the start of the story? She started off strong and then lost all confidence. By the end I wasn’t even sure I liked her that much.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for sharing this book’s digital advanced review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book through a digital ARC from NetGalley
Author: Katherine Center
Genre: Romance
Troupe: Grumpy Sunshine, Forced Proximity, Miscommunication

Katherine Center has always written books that I look forward to reading because they are a good break from the heavier books I tend to read. The Rom-Commers is a light, fun read that didn't disappoint. The plot was a bit far-fetched but had me invested with little effort and left me happy when I was finished.

📖 The Details
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

⏱️ Quick Summary
Emma gets an offer for the job of a lifetime to write a rom-com (her fave) with her screenwriting hero. She has to sacrifice a lot to make it work (caring for her disabled father, leaving her sister and job behind), and then her hero Charlie Yates turns out to rude and a romance-hater.

💁‍♀️ My Take
KC has a formula, and it works. I enjoyed this one - the characters were interesting, the story was unique, the conversations felt real. But it still fell a bit flat for me, especially compared to her other books. I questioned some (ok, most) of the decisions Emma made, and I was super annoyed with Charlie for being kind of a dick. Overall it was a pretty quick and easy read that checked all the rom-com boxes for me. Would recommend for a light beach read or palate cleanser. 3.5 stars! ⭐️