TW: death of a parent, cancer, chronic health issues, grief,
I want to start this off by saying that I have loved every book I've ready by Katherine Center and anytime I see a new release, I HAVE to read it ASAP and this book did not disappoint.
Emma has always taken care of everyone and helped everyone follow their dreams, but along the way she forgot to allow herself the same joys. After an accident that kills her mom and seriously injures her dad, Emma takes over as primary caregiver to her fathers complex medical needs in order to keep him safe and allow for her sister to lead a full life without worry. Being passionate about happily ever afters, movies, and writing for for ever... the isolation she has kept herself in has allowed her to continue honing in on her craft and becoming quite good.
When the opportunity to work with her screen writing idol, Charlie Yates, becomes avaliable, Emma is pushed by her family to unleash her control on her dads care and travel across the country to work with Charlie. Their dynamic is complicated with Charlie not believing in happily ever afters and hating Rom-Coms and those being Emmas forte. Eventually they create a peaceful dynamic full of the best banter, homecooked meals, and productive days spent working out a rom-com screen play that is more than just good enough.
I absolutly loved Charlie and Emma's dynamic. Both pushed eachother to go outside of their comfort zones and make room for love in their lives. Their banter was funny and there were some seriously sad moments. From laughing to crying, this book had it all.

As always, Katherine Center writes a story with all the pain of real life phobias, loss, & responsibilities artfully crafted into a heartwarming narrative that will have you feeling ALL the feels. Perfect beach read! I loved this one as always by Katherine Center - shes awesome.

Infinity stars and alllll the feels for this book!! Katherine Center has absolutely mastered the art of lovable characters and witty banter and a healthy dose of hilarity/absurdity (guinea pig in a tabletop barn being serenaded by Queen tunes?!) in the face of tragedy and major life events and very relatable challenges/situations. The Rom-Commers is so very heartwarming and is exactly the type of book you’d want to pick up to pull yourself out of a rut, laugh out loud, and believe in the goodness and hope and joy of life again. Oh and there’s also a love story and a big happy ending and that’s like icing on top of the icing on a cake of an already beautiful and heartfelt story.

Well, Katherine Center is my new favorite romance author. I could not love this more. The banter! The romance! The stories of their past that shaped them into who they are.
I also have to say, as a person who lost my mother at the young age of 13 and really struggled with her death, Center writes about grief and loss in such a realistic way. I saw the same thing in Hello Stranger. It was nice to connect to a character who went though similar emotions that I went through.
Now I'll be reading all of Center's backlist books.
See more on my bookstagram - @bookish_starry_skies.

Thank you Netgalley, Katherine Center, and the publishers for this wonderful eARC.

I loved this book so much, I couldn’t put it down and read it in a day! This is the first book I’ve read from the author but it won’t be my last. I felt every emotion as I was reading and was literally laughing out loud at certain parts. I loved both of the main characters, Emma and Charlie, and the build of their relationship. I love how the book addressed adversity and trauma so realistically, considering the light and darkness that we face in life. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC.

— 4 ⚝

Katherine Center is a master weaver of nuanced stories that feel grounded in reality and have eye opening profundity. i dove in expecting a swoony, fun, summer rom-com that would make me laugh & shed a few tears. but i felt like I got so much more. There were so many funny moments that had me giggling repeatedly, clutching my chest & gasping for air. lots of tears were shed in the reading of this book. all the profundity resonated with me viscerally. i love the deeper themes of this book which were about choosing to hold on to hope even when times are dark and that life is full of tragedy but can also be full of love if you choose. a lot of the book reminded me of beach read because of the similar themes and also the fact that they are writing a rom-com together and are doing immersive research for it, which was DELIGHTFUL.

i also go into a katherine center book expecting fun and come out with that AND so many life lessons that internalize deeply which I now really look forward to. Although, the mmc’s rude behavior for majority of the book is slightly off-putting, I did warm up to him by the end & actually loved him too. There were so many instances where I was like Emma deserves better but by the end, Charlie rlly did come through! I LOVE emma’s character and wanted to hug her to me tightly and never let go. I deeply sympathized with her situation. she’s such a compassionate and pure character that i was moved to tears whenever she said something tender & vulnerable. but if you ask me who my favourite character is, it's CUTHBERT. obviously.

However, I feel like what happened at the 80% mark with her dad was a little bit overwhelming because it was extremely emotionally heavy and that's just not something that I enjoy in my rom-coms. while i did appreciate the emotional depth and layers that all the tragedy added to the story, it felt very out of place with the general vibe of rom-coms. I also think this felt more on the women’s fiction side than the romance side which is also how i typically feel with her books because i always expect more romantic moments and chemistry but it always feels focused on the fmc. I would have liked seeing them do more things together instead of being told that they did those things, like grocery shopping for instance. As much as I understand choosing the route of single pov, i genuinely think having the mmc’s pov would have added more to the story romantically by explaining his behaviors initially especially for readers who think by the time his motivation is explained it's too late to redeem him.

that said, despite my few qualms, i loved & enjoyed this journey so very much and genuinely see myself reading it again. i think about this book very frequently & it was the same after i read hello, stranger. I fully recommended giving this a shot. I think it’s worth it for the humour and the depth alone! the nuance of the book also makes it so very memorable & interesting & Emma is everything.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for an e-arc of this book. All thoughts are my own and not influenced in any way.

Katherine Center is a favorite author, so I was excited to read this new book! Overall, this was a fun, whitty read! I loved the banter of the main characters and Charlie's grumpiness! I loved the relatable inner dialogue of Emma! I loved the real discussion on life and love! I think the only thing I wanted was a little more! I wanted a little more story before the end! And at least one more kissing scene, because oh my heck! Enjoyable read overall! (Thank you Netgalley)

Katherine center did it again!!! This book is so fun! I couldn’t put it down.. this latest book might be my most favorite yet.

I’m waiting for another one of her books to be turned into a movie. This one would be perfect! Bring back the rom com era!

I’m disappointed :(. I’ve loved Katherine centre’s other works and the idea of a script writing romance seems so fun. It’s literally called the rom-commenrs which should’ve been a clue that it’s a romantic comedy and the humour just didn’t land for me. This is a case where I think me and the book weren’t meeting each other in the right place and I think so many other people are going to love this book. They’re going to sit on the beach and enjoy this.

This is my 3rd Katherine Center book and I absolutely adored it. I laughed a lot of times through out the book. I cried in the end because it was just beautiful. Emma and Charlie’s story was amazing. It was truly a journey of life and love. Highly recommend this light hearted book as a great summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center and Macmillan for the ARC. These opinions are my own.

I easily devoured this rom-com in only a couple days! In a fame-adjacent story (the bets kind of romcoms in my opinion), we follow two screenwriters as they work to write a screenplay together while dealing with a ton of heavy personal things as well. Their romance is a major part of the story, but it definitely isn't everything, and probably not even the main thing as we see our leads navigate chronic illness/injury and complicated family relationships and work-life balance. I loved everything about this one, and definitely have a new favorite Katherine Center book! This is truly the perfect summer read.

Charlie, a successful screenwriter, needs to write a rom-com. His problem? He wrote one but it’s bad. Very, very bad. He thinks romance is a Ponzi scheme and doesn’t believe in love.

He needs help. And fast. Enter Emma, an aspiring screenwriter who has been hired to re-write Charlie’s script.

Her problem? She’s the full-time caretaker for her dad, who was injured in an accident that took her mother’s life. But her sister steps in to help so Emma can fulfill her dream to write for Charlie, her writing hero. Dreams can come true.

Now her problem is how to thaw Charlie’s cold heart and make him believe in love and rom-coms.

In true Katherine Center form, this book has the perfect blend of romance and comedy, but with substance and depth. The witty banter gets me every time.

I closed the book with a full heart and a smile on my face.

I also loved the theme in defense of love and rom-coms, a theme the author continued in her note at the end of the book. Don’t miss it. Finding joy in adversity is another overriding theme that I loved.

I read a variety of genres and rom-coms will always have a place in my heart and on my shelves. Especially one written by this author. A well-done rom-com requires serious writing chops, and Katherine Center is among the best. She is able to write a story that has the perfect magical blend that captivates this reader.

My only regret is I now have to wait another year for a new Katherine Center book.

Don’t miss this one. A pure delight from start to finish! 5+ stars!

* I received a digital copy plus the audio version, via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

4.5 Stars! The Rom-Commers is Katherine Center's latest romance novel and it's a love letter to the genre! It showcases all the reasons we readers love our happy ever afters.

An award-winning screenwriter and a wannabe screenwriter are forced to draft a rom-com together. Charlie is only phoning this in to get a different script produced and he makes it clear he thinks rom-coms are terrible and unrealistic. Meanwhile, Emma is a die-hard fan of the genre and makes it her mission to show Charlie why he’s wrong.

Throughout her quest to write an incredible script, she explains to Charlie (and us readers) all the vast reasons that rom-coms are worth their weight in gold.

I loved the moments where Charlie "breaks the fourth walk" and talks to us, which mimics some TV shows and movies. It was a fun nod to the movie industry!

The chemistry between these two was a slow burn, as they grew more and more important to each other. While the love story was cute, the defense of romances was the true star and made this a fantastic read for anyone!

I loved this! The chemistry between the leads was impeccable and the stakes were clear from the beginning. The character development served as the heart of the story. I've already recommended this to several other readers.

This book made me fall in love again with Katherine Center. I finished the book about a week ago and I am still thinking about it. I loved Emma, I related so much to her- the want to have these big dreams and sacrifice them for the love of family. I didn’t want this book to end and I’m so happy that it ended the way it did. I cannot wait to tell everyone about this book

In The Rom-Commers, Katherine Center reminds the reader that a happily ever after in a book, just like in life is not just all sunshine and positivity, as no one can get away from hardships or even tragedy. Emma and Charlie come together as screen-writers, Emma tasked to help Charlie mould his rom-com screenplay into an actual rom-com. Both main characters come with baggage and imperfections, and the book deals with some heavier topics such as loss of a parent, cancer, health and grief. Center in her writing has a unique approach of talking directly to the reader, which admittedly might not be loved by all, but I felt it worked here.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed so many of Katherine Center’s previous books, so I was excited at the opportunity to read/listen to the latest release. The premise got my attention. However, that’s pretty much where the positive aspects ended. It bothered me that Emma was a doormat. She had no self esteem and there was just no romantic chemistry between Emma and Charlie.

I won’t give up on Katherine Center books, though. Several others, especiall Hello Stranger, were delightful reads. But don’t choose not to read this book on my review alone. There are plenty of reviewers who loved the book. So it may be just up your alley.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

This recipe worked in a way I hadn't anticipated. It's very predictable and very klutzy but I did just love Charlie's romantic brand, and his pure-hearted straight talk for Emma.

I still don't love centers choice to break the 4th wall in though if I didn't know it was habit it might have gone along with a novel about screenwriters writing.

Anyway, ate this up. In that read all rainy day and would not be mad about starting over way.

I am just so obsessed with this book! Emma and Charlie have been through the wringer! Emma left her life behind to take care of her dad after a terrible climbing accident and never got to fulfill her dreams of becoming a writer. Charlie has it all but has been stuck with writer's block since a bout with cancer which coincided with his wife leaving him. When their mutual agent Logan suggests they work together, Charlie is hesitant, but soon enough Emma and Charlie are vibing, but what happens once the script is finalized?

Let me start off by saying this is a slow burn. You aren't getting steam or smut here. But you will get a gorgeous love story. I really enjoyed the chemistry and comedy between Emma and Charlie. The pantry scene, and line-dancing moments were so perfect! I loved Emma's quirkiness and her selflessness. The way Charlie stubbornly came out of his shell for Emma was so wonderful! Katherine Center can write the phone book and I would love it! Tropes include grumpy sunshine characters, a whole lot of forced proximity, and a celebrity/normal person dynamic. I'm a sucker for a celebrity and normal person romance. You can only dream, right?

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 6/11!

The Rom-Commers is a love letter to the romance genre!

When two writers, Emma and Charlie team up together, it’s to rewrite a Rom-Com screenplay. Only, as luck would have it, one of them is a full-time believer in love, while the other is not, making the job almost impossible to complete. But when research finds them in unexpected, sometimes hilarious, sometimes tragic situations, Emma and Charlie are left to examine if love is truly “something you can choose to get good at,” or not.

The Rom-Commers is another home run for Katherine Center! I really enjoyed it!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an early book review copy of this book!

The Rom-Commers is being released June, 11th 2024-mark your calendar!