Katherine Center does it again! Grief, humor, love, and hope - all wrapped up on one delicious romance package. I read this one in under 6 hours...? So, needless to say, I found it difficult to put down.

rating: 5 STARS
genre: romance
format: ebook
release date: 6/11/2024

I think my absolute FAVORITE thing about this book was that it felt like Emma was just a friend talking to me and updating me on her day or her life. Her thoughts and feelings came across the page more like a conversation - or even a movie VoiceOver - than a book...and I really, really enjoyed that.

It made me think though: Are all books written kind of like a movie VoiceOver where you're in one character's head and I just didn't even notice? My exact notes reading this book: "Feels like a movie voice over...Actually - it reads a lot like e movie. With flashbacks and voiceovers and exposition - is this all books?" Food for thought.

On that note, it also kind of made me think of Jane Eyre in the way that the narrator speaks to you. "And reader, I married him." You get updates in Center's book that way - and, again, I loved it.

LASTLY, because this book is about screenwriters writing a romantic comedy, it's also a beautiful commentary on the romance genre and a love letter to romance readers. We often get a lot of hate for reading romance - "What's the point when you know how it ends?" The point is the journey , folks. And Center highlights that here.

Cannot recommend enough. Just read it.

Heart warming plot with likable characters. I enjoyed the behind the scenes Hollywood vibe along with the love of writing and words that permeated the book.

Katherine Center is one of my auto read authors, so I couldn’t wait to read her newest book! I unfortunately did not love this book as much as I hoped I would. I found this book to be so boring and all over the place. It didn’t even feel like she had written it herself, it didn’t feel like any of her other books.

What I did enjoy about the book was the growth between the characters. They changed so much throughout the book and it was so nice to see them grow. I also enjoyed their research dates for the script, I thought that was a good addition to the book. The pet guinea pig was such a funny part of the story as well. I know others loved this book, so it might just not have been for me! I recommend checking out others thoughts on it as well.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Rom-Commers
Katherine Center
Publication date: June 11, 2024

5/5 stars

I love anything and everything Katherine Center writes and this book was no exception. She takes all of her books to another level with depth and character development. I loved Emma and Charlie’s banter and the whole unique storyline. There is a cameo from The Bodyguard so it’s fun if you read that one first, but not required. I would love to see this one made into a movie! This is such a heartwarming story that I stayed up wait too late reading. Can’t wait for the next Katherine Center book!

Thank you Katherine Center, Netgalley and St. Martin’s press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Well Katherine Center has done it again and I think The Rom-Commers is my new favorite book by her. As an anxious older sister, I identified so much with Emma and her need for control and safety, so watching her spread her wings a bit and let go of the control reigns was so satisfying and heartwarming. The banter between Emma and Charlie was top notch and had me laughing out loud on several occasions. I just loved watching them fall in love and absolutely ate their story up!

I am so grateful for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. If I could give it a million stars, I would.

Let's start with the cover. I've seen a lot of hate towards it. If you've had the opportunity to devour this story, you will appreciate it in all its awkwardness.

The Rom-Commers is shamelessly my first Katherine Center read. (That will promptly be corrected). An excellent book has to have relatable and interesting characters. Everyone we meet in the Rom-Commers plays a huge part in this gripping story. I want to meet them all and feel I have through Center's character development.

The story! Oh my goodness. Emma really went through it and involved us readers through her many, many downs and high highs. I didn't want this book to end. Now, I'm level with a huge book hangover - the only cure is more Katherine Center!

Emma and Charlie are characters with complex, messy backgrounds that come together beautifully!

In the book, Emma talks about why people gravitate to fiction; people turn to stories to help find what they are longing for or to deal with struggles. Reading can be a form of escapism for many, and I loved seeing this concept being woven into a book 💞

Thank you Katherine Center and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is my favorite Katherine Center book! It’s so nice and compassionate, every character will hold onto your heart page after page. Emma is given the opportunity of a lifetime after spending what seems to be her lifetime taking care of everyone else. Emma makes the temporary move to LA to ghostwrite with her favorite author. He has written and abysmal rom com and Emma is there to help fix it. As she is teaching him the magic of love, she falls in deeper while Charlie Yates seems to be pulling further and further away. All the happily ever after that you didn’t know you needed right here!

This book deserves all the stars! I absolutely LOVED this book! This book made me feel all the feels. I laughed out loud, I cried, I swooned! I adored the main characters. It was just perfection. This book had it all!

"There it is. The whole trick to life. Be aggressively, loudly, unapologetically grateful."

This book is a warm hug in the form of a story.

I. Loved. It.

Katherine Center absolutely does not miss, and this is no exception. Will be purchasing a copy to keep on my shelf!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC by Katherine Center.

This was the perfect Romanic Comedy book. It had everything needed to make it a great quick read that you wish was longer just because you aren’t ready to move on from the characters. I love how the author has mastered the romanic comedy with depth. You hope it will have its happy ending but watch the characters endure and are not 100% sure. Can’t wait for her next book.

Wow! I'm so glad I read this story. It surprised me throughout the book. I love that the characters were flawed in a likeable way. The dynamic between Charlie and Emma was so charming. I wish we had a bit more from the character Logan, the potential was there.

I was feeling the tension, laughing along, and also in tears two or three times. It does not lack substance. I was cheering for them whole-heartedly. I 100% recommend this to readers who like a good rom-com, but also like stories of family love and self-love.

4.5 stars rounded up!!

Emma reminded me SO much of myself: curly red hair, typical oldest daughter taking care of everyone and determined (to a fault) to fix things for everyone else. And a sprinkle of anxiety. Bless her.

The only thing keeping this from a 5 star is the stubbornness between the 2 love interests causing the third act tension. Both of them could have benefitted from some quality trauma therapy.

But otherwise, my girl Katherine did it again! In the acknowledgements she says if we keep reading, she’ll keep writing. Well, I will absolutely keep reading!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Katherine Center does it again! I could not put this book down once i started it. The way that Katherine Center writes keeps you captivated from beginning to end. The banter between both Emma and Charlie is top notch.

Katherine Center has done it again. Her writing and characters quickly grab you and you don’t want the book to end.

A story to inspire those who never make time for themselves and always put others first. Emma Wheeler for the first time in 10 years gets to pursue her dream of becoming a screen writer when she pairs up with Charlie Yates, her writing god! A great journey following the two as they navigate past hurts and create hope for the future.

“Love is something you can practice. It’s something you can choose to get good at. And here’s how you do it. Appreciate your person.”

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book will release on June 11th, 2024.

This is so good so far- I’m only 30% in and I’m loving the story.

As a cellist, I immediately stopped reading to leave a note that a cello (or any orchestral instrument) does not have frets. “The fingers that used to work the frets on his cello” in chapter 12 doesn’t work. Cellos have a fingerboard and four strings. The fingerboard does not have frets, so the cellist has to be very specific in finger placement.

Hoping it was fixed! Thanks for a lovely story!

This was such a fun read! If there’s one thing you can count on Katherine Center for, it’s a book that will make you happy.

Emma is passionate about writing, especially romance screenplays. She hasn’t been able to pursue her dreams the way she wanted to since she has been the primary caretaker for her father. When an opportunity to write alongside her favorite screenwriter comes along, she knows this is a chance she can’t pass up. Only, the writer she was expecting to meet isn’t exactly who she thought he’d be.

Be sure to grab this book when it hits shelves! I adored Emma & Charlie and would love to see even more of their story. Katherine Centers last two books (The Bodyguard & Hello Stranger) have been 5 star reads, and while this one didn’t have me quite as hooked as those others, I still loved it and definitely recommend the read.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC!

RATING: 4/5 STARS

As a huge fan of rom-coms (both books and movies), this book was right up my alley! I love reading romance about celebrities, but the MMC Charlie being the FMC Emma's famous screenwriter hero was a premise I hadn't read before! I loved the initial storyline with Charlie and Emma having to work together on a script but coming in from totally opposite directions. The plot at the last 20% of the book landed a little over the top for me, but I did really like how the ending ultimately settled out. Emma was one of my favorite female characters I have read in romance - she was compassionate, understanding, and just really sweet (she actually overshadowed Charlie in my opinion)! Katherine Center doesn't disappoint and I will definitely add this book to my home library of her novels.

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75

There were a lot of gems in this book. Particularly, the way that Katherine writes the story and makes the reader feel like “we’re in the know” with how Emma shares things with us. There were also a lot of genuinely endearing moments throughout.

That said, I really did not like the way Charlie dealt with his feelings for Emma. And his feelings about cancer but that’s another thing. I think Emma deserved more honesty up front and instead of rejecting her without explanation many times that he needed to tell her why he didn’t think it was a good idea to start something even though he obviously loved her.

I also thought Logan was a bad friend and even worse manager and the wild way the arrangement came to be was a bit distracting.

The underlying themes of the book were really sweet, and I loved the ode to rom coms throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my review!

I laughed out loud, I cried, I felt all the feels. Katherine Center just gets better and better.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.