So I am going back and forth on this one. I devoured this book in two days since I loved the main character so much however Charlie I just thought was kinda mean at some point and never really owned it and apologized. I loved the simpler venerable moments that they shared. I can understand the language choices around those moments being simpler to highlight the way that it is hard to articulate feelings sometimes. over all I also just wish there was more sweetness through out the story.

Thank you, Katherine Center, for writing the most perfect rom-com for rom-com lovers. I loved it so very much!

Very reliably Katherine Center, which basically equates to clean, closed-door romance with Hallmark Channel vibes. This one gets points for delving into the writing process and what "stories" mean in and for our lives. But otherwise, it's a predictable structure of rom-com conflict, banter, butterflies, misunderstandings, revelations, swooning, and a 3rd act brush with tragedy, followed by holding on to the person you love and getting your happily ever after. The formula can be very satisfying, and it works here. I genuinely enjoyed several scenes and - as with most Katherine Center books - could easily see this made into a movie.

I was a big fan of The Bodyguard and absolutely did not enjoy the miscommunication trope of Hello Stranger. This book lands somewhere between those two. I know that a lot of people think that 3 stars means that a book is bad, but that's true. This book is good, just not great.

The Rom-Commers follows two screenwriters--Emma and Charlie--who have had wildly divergent experiences. Charlie was a wunderkind whose first screenplay was picked up while he was in college, catapulting him into a stratosphere of fame that most could only dream of. Emma, on the other hand, had her entire life upended when her mother died, and her father was seriously injured, in a rock climbing accident. That accident left Emma at home, carrying for her father and piecing together writing gigs.

When Emma is given the opportunity to help re-write a truly atrocious rom-com written by her writing hero, Charlie, she jumps at the chance, only to learn that Charlie doesn't believe in romance or love, and he certainly isn't interested in polishing the script. Yet, as the two begin working together, Charlie's stance on love starts to falter, and Emma realizes that she might love Charlie for more than just his writing skills.

I should have loved this book, I love seeing a curmudgeonly writer change his whole tune on love (after all, Gus Everett is, and always will be, my favor MMC). Unfortunately, there's not enough growth, nor groveling, to save Charlie from the first impression that he gives (he is terrible to Emma at the start). The book is written in a single POV, which requires a real deft hand at making the reader catch the changes of the other character, and I suspect that dual POV would have made the growth in Charlie's character more obvious.

This likely will still be a popular summer read. It is a well-written, well-paced, quick read, with a meta perspective on love and romance (as an art form) built in.

* Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! *

I'm always thrilled to see a new Katherine Center book coming out and The Rom-Commers did not disappoint. Even though I know I will be crying at some point while reading the book - it is worth it every time. And a book about two screenwriters trying to rewrite a romantic comedy script together when they both clearly have two different views on love and rom-coms in general - made for a very entertaining book that I couldn't put down! Emma was an adorable ray of sunshine and it was so fun to see her push Charlie out of his comfort zone and even out of her own comfort zone after being a caretaker for her father for the previous ten years. Despite experiencing a lot of pain and loss - she is still incredibly optimistic and hopeful about love. Charlie definitely wasn't my favorite MMC right away - in trying to protect himself (and in his own view protecting Emma from getting hurt) his words were sometimes too hurtful. He was too often caught by Emma saying rude things about her to other people or belittling their relationship and connection. Katherine Center's novels always delve into heavy topics with grace and the right amount of humor. Her books have quickly become must-reads for me and The Rom-Commers was definitely one of my favorites so far (and I loved seeing Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguard in this book too!). Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel in advance.

The Rom Commers was a absolutely delightful read! Filled with witty banter that had me laughing out loud, real life hardships that I couldn’t help but appreciate and lots of good, old fashioned fun.

The story is about Emma Wheeler who is asked to help world famous screen writer Charlie Yates rewrite his truly terrible rom com script. Emma quickly realizes Charlie doesn’t believe in love and sets out to show him how wrong he is. This story is an ode to the romance genre as well as a beautiful reminder of the very real tensions of the good in life amidst the painful times we all face.

So witty, so funny, so full of love while staying firmly anchored in the real world where everything isn’t always sunshine and roses. I cannot recommend this enough.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martins press for giving me an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was amazing! I haven’t read a great romance in a while as all of the ones I read lately were just kinda ok but this one is a highlight. The grumpy x sunshine vibes were awesome, the setting in LA with Charlie and Emma being screenplay writers was something new for me and I just flew through this book. Unputdownable is the right word for this one.

For the characters, first Charlie is so nice and grouchy but so likeable at the same time. He is like a kid who starts to rediscover that the world can be a fun place. A great character and fun to read about. At times he can be annoying, but his counterpart Emma is a nice counterbalance to his grouchiness. She is stubborn and fun and likeable as well! I enjoyed how she just ‘puts on her teacher voice’ and changes peoples’ perceptions and lives a little at a time. She deeply cares for her dad and worries about everything and everyone she loves.

All in all I loved the dynamics between Charlie and Emma and have nothing to criticise about this book. As Katherine is a new to me author I cannot say how this one compares to her other books, but I would say if you like books by for example Emily Henry I could imagine this one would be perfect for you! 100% recommendation.

4.75

Katherine Center is one of my favorite romance writers. She knows how to write sweet low spice stories that grip you from the very beginning. I think this is my favorite of hers so far!

My first ever Kathrine Center book was The Bodyguard and I distinctly remember saying in my review that it was my first of her books and would not be my last. Since then, I’ve managed to read most of them. When I saw she’d written another one, I requested an ARC without even reading the description. No need—Katherine wrote it, so I’ll read it. You can officially consider me a super fan after this one. My word, these characters are a delight. The plot is just lovely. I enjoyed every bit of this book, devouring it like a dessert. If I’m not mistaken, this is the first time a returning character has reappeared and I surely hope it’s not the last! Officially, Kathrine Center has just become an auto-read author after this book. I can’t wait for the world to read this book!

I've loved all the books Katherine Center has put out thus far so was excited to have received this Arc.

With the title The Rom-Commers you can make some inferences how the book is going to play out. I'll say it gave me some surprises but I honestly loved every part of this book!


Thanks to NetGallery and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

First off thank you Katherine Center, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

Emma Wheeler is rom com expert who longing dreams to be a successful screenwriter. Unfortunately family circumstances have kept Emma from pursuing this dream. But all of that is about to change.

When Emma is offered the opportunity of a lifetime to ghostwrite with legendary screenwriter Charlie Yates, she is forced for the first time in 10 years to put herself first. For the next 6 weeks Emma is tasked to save Charlie’s dying script and maybe teach him a thing or two about love in the process.

I adored this story! It had all the things we love in Katherine’s writing with quick whit and emotional moments that keep us wanting more. I love a grumpy/sunshine story and Charlie was the perfect grumpy screenwriter and Emma is a ball of sunshine! The story moves flows very well and definitely has a rooting for Charlie and Emma the whole time. The backstory with Emma’s parents was a good side story and I LOVED Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguard making a cameo and the mention of his cute wife Hannah!

This was a great read and rom-com lovers will absolutely love it. The It Happened One Night reference might have been my favorite part. That movie is a treasure and always will be. Again huge thanks to Katherine, #netgalley, and the publisher for this book. I really loved it.

I was so excited to read this and absolutely loved the first 1/3 of it. But after that it just got a little too cringe for my liking. I love Katherine Centers writing, relatively short chapters and stories in general but this one just was not a fave of mine.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book!

I devoured this story. It was the ‘can’t go to sleep until you get to the end’ type of read for me. I love enemies to lovers + forced proximity and this really delivered on both. I thought the chemistry between the FMC and MMC was well developed. I loved the moments where they were completely honest and vulnerable with each other the most. It felt so cathartic. I never wanted them to step outside of their writing bubble in Charlie’s mansion.

I enjoyed the emotional family plot as well. I could connect to being a caretaker of a parent and the eldest of two sisters. I really appreciated how the author detailed the complexities of that family dynamic. It is NOT easy but it doesn’t have to be devoid of all joy.

The banter was great. The side characters served their purpose well. I loved all of the HEAs. The plot moved along well. I do think the last section lost a little momentum and then the ending felt rushed, but that it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. My only other critique was how overly critical people were to Emma. I was able to feel what was trying to be expressed and feel like it could’ve been dialed back a touch.

This was by far my favorite Katherine Center book! I also loved the character crossover from one of her other books. 4.5 ⭐️ rounded up

I LOVE that Katherine Center switched to ROMCOMS because WOW, these last few books have hit it out of the park. I will read every romance she writes now.

Katherine Center’s The Bodyguard was my surprise feel-good rom-com hit of 2022, and The Rom-Commers seems poised to be that for me in 2024. It’s set in the same world as The Bodyguard (we get some amazing Jack Stapleton appearances) and features a forced proximity romance between Charlie Yates, a successful screenwriter who has written the world’s worst romantic comedy script, and Emma Wheeler, the struggling writer/rom-com enthusiast who has been hired (against his will) to help him fix it.

Because it is a Katherine Center novel, there is, of course, a lot more going aside from a fun and banter-filled rom-com. Here, she explores how we choose to live our lives in the wake of personal tragedy and grief. I love the way Center is able to deftly balance these types of serious themes with light-hearted fun. She continues to be a top-notch writer and for whom I eagerly await her next release. The Rom-Commers is no exception and I can’t wait to see what she has in store next!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Once again Katherine Center brings the laughs, the feels, and the heartwarming moments. This book was so special to me. I adored The Rom-Commers.

Emma Wheeler just got the break of her life. After spending the past decade caring for her father, her sister is taking over temporarily so she can write a screenplay with Charlie Yates. Yes, that Charlie Yates. Things don’t go as planned when she arrives, but Emma is adamant about making it work.

Charlie Yates does not want to write a rom-com. It doesn’t matter if he has help or not, he doesn’t want to do it. But here comes Emma catapulting into his life and changing everything. I loved both Charlie and Emma so much. At the start, I was worried I wouldn’t feel the love between these two. It was a slower burn, but once I did- I really did.

Emma was such a relatable character to me. Optimistic, a caretaker, the oldest daughter. And Charlie… he was just a delight LOL I mean, not at first, but with time I loved him so much! I loved how he didn’t want to fall in love with Emma but couldn’t quite help himself. He was endearing and kind and honestly my favorite.

The Rom-Commers had me in tears a time or two, made me laugh out loud, was witty, smart, and a whole lot of fun. This will most assuredly make my top favorites list of 2024 and I highly recommend it!

Another win for Katherine Center!! This one had my laughing while feeling those perfect ups and downs that go with a perfect rom-com. All within a story that is all about writing a romantic comedy.

Emma is hilarious. She’s got that natural funny personality that makes you want to know more about her. And Charlie Yates wants to know more about her too. You won’t find spice in this one, but just the perfect amount of sweet.

I had ebook and audio, but listened mostly to audio. Great narrators that kept the story going for me when I had to multitask.

Perfect back porch read to have on hand as we get into summer!

Emma Wheeler, a romantic comedy lover and wanna be romantic-com screenwriter, is the stay at home caretaker for her father after a family accident during a vacation. She has put her life on hold to help her father and raise her younger sister but now, an opportunity of a lifetime has fallen into her lap, she is being asked to write a screenplay with her favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates! What ensues is such a cute, funny and adorable romantic comedy. The characters are great, the story is funny and relatable and you will love it, I know I did. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for a review.

Just like any Katherine center book, this was a delight. Except there’s no way a person can be that clueless. At the end how clueless she got about Charlie got annoying.

I was gifted a copy of this book from Net Galley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out June 11, 2024. I've read many Katherine Center's book amd this one felt different from her others. Not necessarily bad different, just different. More cutesy romantic than the rest. I enjoyed it and will continue to read this author.