The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My vacation read! I savored this book bit by bit, then sped read the last 30% on my first day back home (in bed with some vacation caught bug 🦠)

What I liked:
•Katherine Center promises us a happy ending, that’s not a spoiler, that’s her gift to us!
•But this book points out that a happy ending doesn’t mean you never experience pain. In fact, some sadness makes joy something to be even more grateful for!
•complicated family relationships feel very true to real life. I appreciate the messiness included in the story.
•not so obvious or traditional lessons in romance in this relationship.
•cameo appearance by Jack from The Bodyguard. (Question: which actor in real life most parallels Jack Stapleton? Ryan Gosling? Or old school Tom Cruise or Keanu Reeves? Who do you picture?)
•the humor! So much lightness mixed among heavy subjects. Again that’s real life.

What I didn’t like:
•I didn’t love the title. But I liked what it referenced.
•I’ll preface this with, my opinion changed after reading the acknowledgments. The author uses the 2nd person “you” frequently throughout this book. But in the acknowledgments she thanks “you, the readers…” which I took to mean “you” is a character in the book. Me the reader, is a main character in the book…😭. Well that’s how I interpreted it…let me know your thoughts!!

Another great book by this author! Thank you to @katherinecenter and @netgalley for the advanced copy! It will be released June 11, 2024.

Book 21 of 2024
Read April 14-25

Katherine Center is baaaack. She is an absolute must read/listen and always recommend kind of author for me and The Rom-Commers, out June 11th, is her latest but sadly not greatest. A romantic comedy written about writing a romantic… comedy. I’m ready to laugh and cry and believe in looooove. I did laugh. I did cry. The aging parent arc will get me every time. #noshame

But I have to admit- this was not my favorite story. Charlie Yates just didn’t do it for me. 😑 He was a dick. And I just didn’t LOVE Emma. She is messy. In the nicest way possible - she needs therapy.

Over all- it’s a quick read and I found it palatable enough to finish. If you’re a fan of KC, I feel confident you’ll likely enjoy it! If you’re new to KC - check her backlist while you wait for this release.

Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for granting me access to this book AND audiobook as well in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars.

Screen writer Emma Wheeler gets the opportunity of a lifetime to work with her favorite writer Charlie Yates on his romantic comedy script that needs to be rewritten. after years of putting everyone’s lives and careers before hers she moves to Los Angeles to work with him on her first big job . After some trial and tribulations her and yates are able to work together and end up being a good team and enjoy each others company which leads to their work relationship evolving .hes dealing with recovering from a sickness and divorce and all the trauma from that and she’s navigating the guilt of leaving her family behind that needs her .It’s all leads them to figure out how to work through those issues on top of their budding romance and their job to write a great romantic comedy even tho Charlie is unsure if he believes in the script or maybe even love . I read the whole thing in one sitting! I just couldn’t put it down. loved the banter between the two characters and the tie in of another one of Katherine’s books was just a cherry on top

I absolutely loved this book! I devoured it in one day. Katherine Center continues to be one of my favorite authors.

I loved the banter between Emma and Charlie. There were multiple times that I smiled reading this book. I loved that it wasn’t the classic miscommunication trope; Emma wasn’t scared to express how she felt. Nothing bothers me more in a book than when all the drama comes from partners just not talking to each other.

As soon as Charlie started coughing I had a bad feeling but I was so thankful it ended up being ok. I liked the characters too much; I wouldn’t have been able to handle a sad ending. I was pretty sure based on the conversations in the books this rom-com was going to have a happy ending but Katherine Center has been known to pull at my heartstrings before.

This book was fantastic!

It’s happened, my first read of 2024 that made me cry.

Not metaphorical tears, not eyes watering and immediately drying as the feeling passes. I’m talking water streaming out of these eye sockets, streaking over my cheeks, until eventually, my tongue tastes its salt as my face gives way to a giant grin.

I felt that one, two punch of emotional distress leading into emotional gratification.

I’m getting ahead of myself.

This book was remarkable. It was comfort, it was happiness, it was feeling seen and feeling encouraged to keep going. To face every hurdle head on.

And it was led by an incredible lead and her fantastic co-lead.

I loved Emma so wholeheartedly. I felt such a kinship with her; I so admired how she kept her composure when others looked down upon her. I so admired how she kept her dignity and pride against the sting of words aimed to hurt and offend her. I so admired when she knew when to say no and walk away. I loved how her confidence grew over the course of the story, and more than anything: I loved when she learned to place herself first.

Oh, Charlie! What a man! It took a bit for me to warm up to him, but with the kind of introduction he and Emma had, that hardly comes as a surprise. But wow, once I did warm up, I was all in on him. I loved how he learned to listen to Emma, how he made room for others opinions and how he started to let go of his cynicism and be honest with his feelings and his fears.

And the romance! A delicious slow burn! Every note hit just right! From the ever-building tension to all the teasing and to all the simple conversations between them.

Gosh, this whole book. I felt this book was tailor-made for me.

Of course, it wasn’t. But it so felt like it, so let me pretend!!!

The way Katherine Center captured loneliness, anxiety, and failure, hit home, so deeply.

Plus there’s the little things, the upbeat things, felt just for me! The Korean drama references (truly leading men like Ji Chang Wook indeed are the perfect models for perfect kissing, listen to Emma)! The little sister with Phi Beta Kappa honors; I wanted to reach into the book and give Sylvie the secret handshake I already forgot just to say, hey! me too!. I wanted to shake this entire book and scream Me too! I feel the same! I think the same! I’ve been through the same! I understand you!

And then there’s another impactful way this book felt like it was talking straight to me. In how it deals with illness. The Big C. Having a loved one who deals with its impact every day had me catching my breath when a certain reveal came along. I went from reading this book every second of free time I had during the day and night. Whether at work, home, or in bed knowing I needed sleep, but refusing to give in because I NEEDED to read this— I went from that persistent clamoring to keep reading, to standing up and walking away. I needed a moment to absorb its reveal. I needed to remember how to breathe.

Then I remembered something else.

This is Katherine Center and she always keeps one promise in her works: There will be happiness amongst all the strife.

(And she’ll never, ever run the main character over with a bus!)

So I marched myself back into the immersion of this book and that’s when I tasted the salt of my tears as the grin overtook my face.

Happiness arrived. Promises were kept. Love and hope matter always, and sorrow and hardships will inevitably shape us.

This is why I love romance books and romantic comedy films— it’s not about the ending. Not really. The happily ever after is going to happen. What matters is the journey there. How we deal with the emotional stops along the way, the hurdles we must witness our protagonists overcome, and, of course, those first kisses that give way to a burst of tickling butterflies. There will be sadness and tragedy, but there will also be happiness and victory.

It’s so comforting knowing the formula, as the book itself states: Sometimes clichés are clichés for a reason.

I don’t want a subversion of expectations!
I want the formula of seeing two characters fall in love and in happiness, despite all the struggles and angst, and make it to the end! I want to stand, sit, race beside them along every single step of the way. And I want to stop and enjoy every moment that makes up the entirety of this ride.

Because that’s what it’s all about— it’s about the how along the way.

I was enraptured by this story's every moment. I felt seen in ways I rarely do.

This book means everything to me.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an arc, I leave this honest review voluntarily.

Am I trying to make shoe warmers a thing after reading this… Yes. Yes I am. I loved this book so much! Meeting Katherine and learning some sweet line dancing moves from her had me enjoying it even more. I loved the character development and growth both main characters go through. I was cackling at the situations they found themselves in! It was also great to get a cameo from previous characters. Katherine Center has a way of pulling you into the world and not having you resurface until you’ve finished. I can’t wait to share The Rom-commers with all my bookish friends!

Another great story by Katherine Center. Screenwriter Emma gets the chance of a lifetime to rewrite a story with the infamous Charlie Yates (yes the same one who wrote The Destroyer which stared Jack Stapleton).

This story made me feel angry, elated, sad, worried, all the feels.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for an advanced copy. I definitely plan to purchase this when it releases!

So so so so cute! I really enjoyed this story! It had its heartbreaking moments but ultimately gave us the HEA we were hoping for.

I really loved the characters! Logan was the supportive scheming best friend we all need. Emma was sweet and hopeful but also down to Earth. She KNOWS the world is not full of sunshine and rainbows but chooses (most of the time) to not let it get her down. I may have said "you idiot" to Charlie a few times, but the poor guy just couldn't get out of his own way. And I loved to hate TJ with his awful nickname, dude bro attitude and sadly miscalculated confidence.

Fun story, fun characters, great banter - rom-com gold!

This was a cute, tender hearted read. While I ultimately felt like the “spark” between Emma and Charlie could have been a bit more amplified, I adored the plot and thought the ending was poignant, well paced, and truly beautifully written. One of my favorite aspects of Katherine Center’s writing is the way she marries the realities of life’s difficulties with the joy and hope of living and love, and The Rom Commers is no exception! I recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet, funny, romance with an excellent message and lovable characters.

I absolutely loved The Rom-Commers, which is my favorite book I've read of Katherine Center's. Not only were both of the character fabulous, but the use of the rom com within a rom com device was perfection.

It's such a cute concept! The woman is a non-famous, inexperienced writer. Man is an ultra-famous and experienced writer. Man and woman get set up to work together by a cunning friend to craft the ultimate rom-com script. The woman shows the man her passion for the power of connection and love with her writing, but the man wants to get something out there without any connection because he's not into that lovey-dovey stuff. The woman, Emma, is a wonderfully written character despite some of the naive things she says and does while working with the man, Charlie. I loved the pacing of the story, and I adored the quirkiness of the dialogue. I'm a sarcastic girly, so I loved it in this book-just the right amount of comic relief. I did not like the numerous times the word "like" was used. It drove me up the wall. I also scoffed at the airport scene towards the end of the book because it felt a little too unrealistic, but otherwise, it was a good book!

I was excited to read the most recent book from Katherine Center, as I have enjoyed her last two books. I enjoyed this book. It was very heartfelt, and brought in elements of mental health struggles. I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters. There is no spice, so I do wish that it had some to emphasize the connection. I do wish there was more emphasis on the initial connection development vs. time skip to doing research.

I related to this book because I have been a caretaker of someone with terminal illness, and have gone through the transition of living life again. I also have survived illness myself. I appreciate the delving into this, and felt that this was portrayed accurately.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it if you have enjoyed the author's other books.

The Good News: I enjoyed this more than Hello Stranger
The Bad News: I hated the characters

The Rom-Commers is a rom-com about a fledgling screenwriter hired to help rewrite a rom-com with one of her idols. However, her idol is a grumpy know-it-all-all, and needless to say, they clash. But as their working relationship develops, their feelings grow into love.

Let me tell you about the MC, Emma: She is her father’s caretaker, obsessed with rom-coms, and had dreams of being a screenwriter but put those aside because of trauma. She also has unruly red curly -hair that she puts up in a "pom-pom". In addition to having a sister and a best friend who is a big-time Hollywood agent, we don’t know much more about her except that she is self-righteous and feels sorry for herself.

Then there is Charlie Yates, a famous screenwriter known for being a gruff, grumpy a*sshole. He can write a brilliant script, but he can't grasp the concept of rom-coms. Besides being tall, having a defined jawline, being afraid of water, and having an ex-wife, not much else is revealed about Charlie except that he has also survived some trauma.

I didn’t love Emma, and just when I was starting to like her, she had a horrible fight with her sister. While Emma’s sister apologizes for her harsh words, Emma does not. I couldn’t get past her self-righteousness to care much about her relationship with Charlie at this point.

Charlie is annoying and rude, but under all the gruff, he also has a sweet side (eye roll). He does show a softer side towards the end, and his relationship with his guinea pig is sweet.

The two develop chemistry, but I needed more complexity and definition of their characters to be able to fully root for them.

What I actually enjoyed (yes, I actually liked something about this novel) is the take on romantic comedies, going back to the history of some timeless movies, and Emma teaching Charlie the history and the value behind rom-coms. I also liked the depressed guinea pig and Emma's father.

Although this wasn't a win, it does have some enjoyable parts. I just wish I could have loved the characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

I have grown to love Katherine Center's books and look forward to them more and more. This one was no exception. It was a story about a struggling screenwriter, Emma, who has put other areas of her life ahead of her career and gets the opportunity of a lifetime. She gets to write with her favorite screenwriter of all time, Charlie. Only Charlie does not want a partner to help him rewrite a script. They agree to work together and chaos and witty banter take over. I fell in love with both of these characters. The more I read the more this went from a basic romantic comedy of about three stars to one of my favorites from this author with a 4-4.5 star rating. I absolutely enjoyed my time in their world and would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a sweet love story.

Very endearing and cute. The characters each have a backstory that makes them more interesting. Not my favorite by her but enjoyable and great escape. Fast read!

Loved it! This is the Katherine Center I remember. I felt a bit wary after the just okay The Bodyguard, but Center is back on track with this book! The cover is adorable and feels very old-school rom-com chick-lit, like early 2000s books you'd find in airports. The vibes were everything. I'm currently struggling with 1st trimester morning sickness, and this was really exactly what the doctor ordered. I smiled a lot, felt happy, sad, hopeful, angry (maybe this is all just pregnancy hormones, but it helped my reading experience!) The plot, as one might expect from a romantic comedy, is somewhat contrived and unrealistic. Our MMC, Charlie Yates, never really redeemed himself, in my opinion. But it's just so cute. And I really enjoyed Emma's character. The characters definitely have some real-world problems and issues to muddle through, in a way that feels realistic without ever breaking the rom-com happy-go-lucky fog I really wanted from this book. It isn't perfect by any means, but I'm rating it based solely on my own enjoyment, and boy, did I enjoy this. I'm going to go read all of Center's backlog now, just to catch up. If you've ever liked a Katherine Center book, love old-school rom-coms, or just want a fun, happy read that you can take on vacation, pick this one up.

Thank you to Netgalley and Saint Martin's Publishing Group for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I accidentally read this all in one sitting.... at like 2 a.m..... that's it... that's whole review.

This book was full of charm and fun banter. It was sometimes a little too over-the-top, but I still smiled, laughed, and cried so those 5 stars were well earned.

This started off so well but by the end I was appalled by everyone's behavior? It just kept getting more ridculous .

I'm always excited to read anything from Katherine Center! She's such a fun author. This books was no different! Overall, I enjoyed the plot. I loved Emma, she was so relatable and funny. Charlie wasn't my favorite, his character felt so flat compared to Emma. I did enjoy the banter between the two, but otherwise felt like they lacked chemistry. Emma had so much depth to her back story, but Charlie's was lacking.

Not my favorite Katherine Center book, but I still enjoyed it.