The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

This Grumpy/Sunshine, forced proximity, workplace romance is an adorably, cute, fast, summer read and I was hooked from the very start.

Another great book from Katherine Center.

Thank you Katherine Center, Netgalley and St Martins Press for the advanced reader’s copy (ARC), all thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars - This book was a rollercoaster of emotions in the best way. I may have been crying as much as I was smiling like a loon while reading this story.

The characters were unique and endearing and wildly lovable and frustrating. Two writers… the definitive grumpy sunshine pair… in a long term forced proximity situation… painful trauma in both of their pasts… created incredible chemistry. The banter! The friendship! The slow burn!

A little cameo from a beloved character from a past Katherine Center book was so fun! I definitely don’t want to say too much on the plot- just go read it! 🤣

This is definitely my new favorite Katherine Center book. And one I know I will come back to again.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read and review an advanced copy.

4.5 stars

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center was such an adorable - you guessed it - rom-com. I loved every minute of reading it and had a hard time putting it down because it was such a fun, fast read. At a time when I was really struggling to find something I was interested in and which could hold my attention, this was the perfect palate cleanser.

The characters stole my heart so quickly. Charlie and Emma both have this quirky, awkward energy like they’re aliens sent to earth and have to pretend to be humans that was both hilarious and so heartwarming. I find them both so adorable and so relatable which kept me devouring the book because I just wanted more of their combined energy in my life. Their chemistry and just the way they worked off of one another was my favourite part of The Rom-Commers and I’m completely obsessed with how the both of them somehow work together perfectly.

This book also had one thing I thought I would never see in a romance. That’s right: communication. Just when I was bracing myself for the angst of a couple in strife over not talking something over, lo and behold they talked and cleared the air. This was such a breath of fresh air and had me sighing with relief because it’s so rare.

This is definitely the kind of story that has me a bit melancholy upon finishing it. I was so invested in the story and the characters that having it come to an end is super bittersweet. I ended up falling for this book so much harder than I expected to and it has quickly become my favourite book by Katherine Center I’ve read so far. I very eagerly look forward to her next book because this one has exceeded my expectations.

*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

A cute, fast, summer read! Perfect for the beach and summer fun. A true love letter to the romance/romcon genre.

***TRIGGER WARNINGS: cancer and loss of a parent***

The Rom-Commers follows Emma who wants to be a screenwriter. But she is the sole caretaker for her dad. Her idol is Charlie Yates. Soon she gets a chance to help him rewrite one of his scripts. But she would have to move away from her dad for 6 weeks. She wasn’t going to go but her sister agrees to take care of their father while she is gone. Charlie doesn’t want to work with anyone and he doesn’t want to write a rom com. He doesn’t like them but is forced to right one. Emma is convinced she can work with Charlie and get him to like rom coms. While writing the script the two start to hit it off. Is this real love or is just for the script?

I was hooked with this book from the very start. I was a little nervous to read this one. I have read two other books by this author and thought one was just okay, and I thought the other was bad. This book is my favorite of hers that I have read. I am so happy I decided to give this author another chance. For a romance book it did lack a bit of romance so that is why I rated it the way I did. And I did wish there was more romance. But I really enjoyed this book. I liked how it dealt with some pretty serious topics and it did it in such a great way.

I just finished this delightful book and I have a big smile on my face. I fully heartedly agree with the concept that the quality of your life is all in how you tell it, your point of view and perception is what determines whether it is a happy life or miserable. Emma is so real and relatable. Charlie is such a grumpy perfect book boyfriend. This book pulled out all the feels, from tears to laughter. I loved it!

This is the best romance book I've read so far this year! The main character was extremely likeable and had a well developed storyline. While the relationship between the main characters was addicting, I enjoyed the family storyline on the side even more. I loved her relationship with her father and sister. I love romance novels that give the main characters something outside of the romance and this one doesn't disappoint. Will definitely be recommending to everyone!

I loved this book! It felt like I had a friendship with the main character and was just rooting for her the whole book. This book navigated family dynamics and caregiving while also chasing dreams and finding love, OF COURSE! It was just delightful and I kept finding myself thinking about what would happen next when I wasn’t reading. I loved it!!!

Just got back home from the candy shop with arm holds and legs fold and butt loads of the sweetest, spiciest, most delish candy to ever set foot on the palm of my tiny hands and surprise, surprise, it’s in NOVEL FORM.

This book brought distinct memories of a trauma I faced a mere 8 years ago and it goes like this:

In the midst of a shopping run at Target, my my fellow coworker/close friend, expresses with what cannot be masked as anything but disgust that my love for You’ve Got Mail as one of my top films is r-i-d-i-c-o-l-o-u-s.
“The movie is so cheesy” she says. “I cannot with that movie” she scoffs. “I would rather watch paint dry and lick my toes” she might as well have said. To say I felt attacked would be an understatement—but to Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks’ rescue, her full-on Monet of a boyfriend with the personality of a shriveled up raisin declared: “What? That movie is money.”

Was I in the Twilight Zone? You’re telling me I live in a world where my opinion aligns with a mean, skinny ogre over a dear friend who is as lovely as a bouquet of roses?

I lost a little faith in the human race that day. Some before that and a lot after that incident too. Mainly because, the general opinion was that rom-coms are SILLY movies for SILLY women with SILLY expectations.

Well call me Sally Seashell, but there’s no way in this seashore that I would ever simp over some sad, slimy slime-ball. My guy has gotta be as sexy as sweet in all departments. Okay? Okay.

Anyway, long-story-short, Katherine Center was already my fiction romance author hero but NOW she is my rom-com savior. The Rom-Commers is a love letter to all rom-commers that lovingly shouts: “rom-coms have been and will always be the sh**.” AND to all girlies and WHOEVER else has been a lover of rom-coms~~you are the OG baddy b**ches.

I am tired of typing now but I just wanted to say 1) I LOVE this book, 2) GO read this book, and 3) special thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the beautiful Katherine Center for blessing me with an ARC yet again. I am so so so excited to purchase this book on publishing day, weeee!

Format - EARC (Netgalley)

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 💋

Series- N/A

Troupes- Grumpy/Sunshine, forced proximity, workplace romance

Representation- parent caregivers

CW-

This is the third time I have absolutely devoured a Katherine Center novel. And my only complaints are that I want more of these two and also a little bit of spice would have been great but honesty I almost didn’t even miss it.

Katherines writing is serotonin to my brain and I just adore the way she tells a story. Charlie and Emma I think have taken the top spot in my Favorite characters from Center and I just want more of them. I loved the mutual pinning and banter, the way they feel into playing house like they were meant to be.

Charlie is definitely your classic grumpy yet marshmallow hero. Hard on the outside and soft and squishy on the inside. He has a great character growth while Emma forces him to at least pretend to believe in love.

Another great book I can easily see being turned into a movie! (Netflix get on it!)

Thank you Katherine Center, Netgalley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

I love everything about this book. I really do. Katherine Center writes flawed characters that you fall in love with. And even at their lowest points you understand exactly where they were coming from.

What's better than a rom-com lover, basically starring in her own rom-com?? Sat down to read this one and ending up finishing the whole thing in one sitting! Great characters, super cute story - definitely recommend.

4.5⭐️

Thank you to Katherine Center, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my copy of this book!

I absolutely adored this book. This is only my 3rd Katherine Center book and I think I need to dive into her backlist. This book follows Emma, an aspiring and talented screenwriter, who has put her career on hold to care for her father after an injury left him needed around the clock care. Emma gets a phone call from her high school friend about an opportunity to rewrite a terrible rom-com with Emma's favorite screenwriter of all time, Charlie Yates. It's an opportunity she can't turn down. But when Emma shows up, she finds out that Charlie doesn't want the help and doesn't think he needs it.

Emma is an optimist and believes in love and happily ever afters and rom-coms. Charlie is a cynic who doesn't believe in any of that. He is only writing this screenplay in order to get a movie he really wants made. Can Emma convince him to accept help, take this seriously and to eventually believe in love??

I loved Emma's character so much, I just wanted to be friends with her. I loved her sunny disposition and even though she was a fan of Charlie, she also told him the truth and stood up to him when needed.

Charlie was the perfect grump to Emma's sunshine. I love when the grumpy mmc is secretly a cinnamon roll and that is Charlie! The friendship these two developed was so good, and I loved how they slowly started to reveal themselves to each other.

I will say that I was not sure how Katherine was going to get to the HEA in this one, It was close to the end and I was certain she would not be able to pull it off, not only did she but she pulled together all of story in just a few pages and somehow it didn't feel rushed and it was perfect.

This book is definitely one to add to your summer TBR!

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5)

Emma Wheeler gave up her dream of being a screenwriter for being a full time caregiver to her father, who is physically challenged after an accident. But, she gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to not only meet her writing idol, Charlie Yates, but also help rewrite his romantic comedy script. She takes up the offer deciding to spend few weeks working with Charlie. What follows is the classic rom-com plot - a die hard romantic vs a romance cynic. Emma decides to win over the cynic and also undo his grumpiness.

To be honest, I was attracted by not only the plot but also the vibrant cover! Also, this review would be an unpopular opinion, because I see lot of high rated reviews all around. But, here’s my take!

It started out well, I liked the premise of the ‘meet-cute’ but I went in with a lot of expectations probably. Personally, I wasn’t blown away by Charlie Yates - yes he is grumpy, non-believer of romance, but I didn’t like how he was described as a middle aged man with lousy dressing sense, I did not see the appeal in his stained crumpled shirts or his corduroy pants. Also, inspite of his difficult health issues, I did not appreciate his rudeness. Emma’s character was set out well, her back story of how she came to be her father’s caretaker was so very emotional, I loved her sister, her father, but I wasn’t ‘in love’ with Emma as a FMC for some reason.

Something about the writing or exchange between these two felt weird to me. Yes, there were some great moments where I had a smile and they were cute, but on some occasions they went from a high to low. I couldn’t get over that feeling of expecting something will happen now, but then it mellowed down. Also, this was a slow burn closed door romance.

In the third act, other than Charlie’s monologue, most of things were predictable like a rom-com. It did pick up pace towards the end, thankfully. Overall, it is a good book and there were quirky or sweet moments too. Emma’s point of view on why she loves romance stories is something that will surely resonate with us.

What a cute Rom-Com! There are many things I enjoyed about this book. For one, I loved the characterization of Emma. Many times, books like this have shallow characters, but not with Katherine Center! I really liked Emma's backstory, and I felt like she was a believable and likeable character overall. I also really liked the inclusion of her father and the storyline there. I am removing two stars because I didn't really like Charlie... at all. I didn't think it was easy to identify with him, and I found him somewhat annoying overall. I also thought it was cheap for him to have the health scare for all of two pages towards the end of the book. Other than him, I would totally recommend this story over and over.

Sadly, this was a miss for me. I couldn't connect with any of the characters and I just don't agree with all the many 5-star reviews this book got. I say it probably wasn't for me as I LOVE all of Katherine Center's books. I look forward to her next big read.

This is the most Katherine Center book I've ever read and that is an emphatically good thing. The Rom-Commers is joyful, engaging, funny, and utterly lovely. I was able to read it in a day and it was an absolute mood booster. Can't wait to recommend this to my readers!

The Rom-Commers
⭐️⭐️

Obviously, I don’t enjoy posting negative reviews, but I’m all about honesty. I know this is two not so fabulous reviews in a row, but this also doesn’t happen very often.
I’ve read The Bodyguard (I LOVED) and I’ve read Hello Stranger (I enjoyed this too) so I was looking forward to this new book. Especially since I’ve seen many positive reviews about it and it has a high Goodreads rating. I wish I could say that I loved it, but there are a few things that didn’t work for me.
First, I thought the MMC was kind of rude. He was arrogant and he said some things about the FMCs work ethic that I would not have forgiven.
I also wasn’t obsessed with some of the writing, because portions were written like the FMC was talking directly to me.
However, my biggest issue came towards the end of the book. Unfortunately, I can’t say what it was because it’s a huge spoiler. The last view chapters really irritated me. It felt very unrealistic and ridiculous.
With that being said, I couldn’t stop reading because I was entertained. I respect the attempt and I still adore her other books. I also think this book is gorgeous. However, I just didn’t love it.

Read If You Like:
🎬screenwriters
🎬grumpy/sunshine
🎬forced proximity
🎬opposites attract
🎬they work together

I will start by saying that I am a huge Katherine Center fan so being approved for this ARC was completely amazing!! I have been hyped for this book since hearing of its release and it did not disappoint!! My favorite Center book yet!! This wasn’t a slow build - it got you right away when the FMC, Emma, gets a call from her ex and also manager, Logan, about an opportunity of a lifetime! Emma, the sole caretaker of her father with a TBI, flies to LA only to find out that the job wasn’t vetted. The banter in this book was TOP NOTCH! Charlie, the MMC, was quirky and grumpy. Of course he couldn’t resist Emma’s personality and slowly they grew to tolerate each other to rewrite an awful screenplay and transform it into the perfect Rom-Com! This book truly had it all, and the banter between the two characters was on point throughout the story. The secondary characters were also well written and the book kept my interest from beginning to end! 4.5 star rounded up to 5 because it held my interest for so long (which is difficult to do)!

Thank you @Netgalley, Katherine Center and St. Martin’s press for an ARC of The Rom-Commers in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this book in less than a day. I was absolutely hooked by Charlie and Emma the moment Logan hatched his plan to bring those two together.

Within the first few chapters I was already crying and laughing and decided I was in love with them and they just needed to figure their stuff out. Please jump at the chance to grab this from the shelf and read it. I loved every minute I got to spend with these beautiful characters and now I wanna go get a guinea pig or jump off the high dive because who doesn’t love the iconic Esther Williams?!

Well done Katherine — you nailed it with this one. 😍😍😍