Thank you to @netgalley and @StMartinsPress for this ARC. Emma is her father's fulltime caregiver after an unfortunate accident. She gave up a promising future as a screenwriter to do so. Now Logan, her ex-boyfriend from high school, also a big time agent in LA, made me her an offer to be a ghostwriter to her personal writing god. Charlie Yates wrote his first rom-com and it is absolutely terrible. When Emma arrives to help re-write it, everyone but Logan is surprised. What happens next is pure magic. Super cute book! #Rom-Commers #KatherineCenter #June2024 #StMartinsPress

i think KC’s books are always so well thought out, the way she writes and develops the plots are so engaging and entertaining
emma was such a delightful character to read and i think her motivations and personality were perfectly done
i do have to point out that charlie was the typical grumpy mc that doesn’t care abt anyone and i was hoping for the moment where he finally let emma in and was fun or romantic, it wasn’t until 90% of the book we learn why he was like that but it didn’t feel satisfying or redeeming for his character bc as a reader we never got to see him be the man emma described as the man she loved and lighted up her world, he was always grumpy so… i wish he would’ve been developed further in a way that the readers understand him and we see what emma sees in him
for being called the rom commers we didn’t really get the swoony romance or the comedy i expected lol

A funny, wise and romantic story for everyone waiting for Katherine Center's next book -- you will not be disappointed. I'd also recommend this to readers who love Emily Henry. Emma loves rom-coms. She's read and seen them all, and she writes them as well. Unfortunately, she's never been successful, because she takes care of her disabled father. When and old friend offers her the opportunity to help a famous screenwriter rewrite his (very bad) rom-com script, she takes him up on it, mainly because the writer is Charlie Yates, who is her absolute favorite writer. The two have a tumultuous relationship from the start, and it continues all through this wonderful book, until of course, the Happily Ever After. I truly look forward to recommending this title.

Katherine Center can do no wrong! I’ve yet to read a book written by her that I don’t love! The raw emotions mixed with the perfect amount of humor is everything we needed and more.

I couldn’t put this book down (even into the late hours of the night). I laughed so hard while reading it that my husband went out and bought earplugs. Reading about writers contains its own kind of charm. If these characters were, I don’t know, doctors or firefighters or professors, I would not have believed the relentless witty banter full of illustrative metaphors and impossibly perfect diction to be possible, but because they were writers actively engaged in the act of writing romance script, Center had so much leeway to let the dialogue take center stage.
Recently, I have taken an interest in this whole idea that good novelists keep secrets from the reader throughout the course of a novel in order to keep intrigue and engagement strong. This novel is a perfect example of that. Even in the moments when Charlie, our male lead, came across as less than charming, I understood that it was for a reason that I was not yet privy to, but would eventually learn. Emma, as a narrator, is wildly likable, breaking the fourth wall (if that is even a term for novels) by switching into the second person to talk directly to the reader at surprising and endearing times. I loved Emma, her dialogue, her wild red curls, and everything else about her. I loved Charlie and his grumpy, accomplished, internally soft being. I can’t remember the last time I read something this utterly delightful.

This is another good book by Katherine Center that even intertwined characters from The Bodyguard. The storyline line had a good pacing that kept me engaged as a reader, but the last chapter and epilogue seemed rushed and forced to conclude everyone’s storyline. I wish the ending was extended a little longer.

3.5 ⭐️

The Rom-Commers is another lovely novel by Katherine Center following Emma. She is a screenwriter who hasn't been able to break into the field due to being the full-time caretaker for her father and his life-long health issues to ensure she is there to support her family. When her agent offers her an opportunity to work with her all-time favorite writer, Charlie Yates, her resolve breaks down (after some coercing from her family). She leaves across the country while her little sister takes on the job of caring for her father. Things didn't go to plan when she gets to LA and realized that Charlie had no clue about this plan to work on fixing the (shitty) rom-com script together.

Let me be honest: Charlie is an ass in the beginning. I kind of hate how much of a pedestal Emma had him on during their first few interactions, however, the two of them grew on me as they started to open up. Emma purposely pushed Charlie's buttons more than once and I love that. His reactions made him more bearable to me, but I never fully connected with them.

If Emma said his whole name 1 more fuckin time I will riot. I cannot.

As much as I grew to like the two main characters, I did not really care about the story. It was fun and interesting in concept, but the side characters were beyond annoying and I didn't care for really any of them. The more I think about this, the more I dislike aspects of the story. (3rd act breakup for literally no reason?????) It was a good ride, but if I wasn't listening to the audiobook I think it would've probably been a very possible DNF. (2.25X audio speed baby!!)

💝 forced proximity
💝 grumpy x sunshine
💝 celebrity x fan
💝 fast-paced, fun audiobook
💝 love and loss

cw: cancer, grief, past death of a parent

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center.

𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙢-𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Y’all… Read. This. Book!

I just adore Katherine Center! She could literally write a book on astrophysics and I would drop everything I’m doing to read it.

I loooved her book 𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧. It was easily one of my top reads of 2023. Am I still raving about it? Yep! Annnd here Center goes, yet again, making her way to the top of my 2024 favorites.

How do you become a favorite book of mine? Easy. Give me topics and characters that evoke all the emotions. If you can make me shed a tear, or quite literally laugh out loud, well, that’s just an extra star! And 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙢-𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 will give you alllll the feels!

Don’t even bother reading the blurb for this one… just grab a blanket, cup of warm (insert your beverage of choice) and cozy up with this read. You’re gonna love it! (If you enjoy audiobooks, Patti Murin did a fantastic job narrating! I highly recommend.)

One caveat: I’d suggest reading 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙤𝙙𝙮𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙 first. It’ll make the cameo appearance of a character from this novel just a little more fun!

Bravo Mrs. Center on another masterpiece!

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center follows the story of Emma and Charlie, two polar opposites whose lives intertwine. It was such a cute read, the romance aspect was there — the comedy aspect not as much. Which is what I think this novel was missing for me, as my expectations were “we’ll get some LOL, funny moments.” Overall I recommend this novel to all romance lovers, the story is unique, is a bit of a book within a book, and I loved the growth for Charlie and even Emma coming out of her shell, 3.5⭐️

Thank you to St. Martins Press for an advanced reader’s copy of this title via NetGalley.

*Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing an
ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tloved this book. Katherine center is always a must read for me, and this one held up to that standard. I didn't want the story to end!

If you're going for realistic and believable, this novel won't be your cup of tea. If, however, you get off on Katherine Center's quirky humor and unlikely accidents, flavored with Holly wood celebrities, then run right out and get your copy.

Emma Wheeler is a screenwriter who now teaches English at a community college. She is a redhead with wild, wiry curls who cares for a handicapped father. Her best friend from high school is now a successful Hollywood agent and so the tale begins. Before long, we meet some movie and TV greats like Meryl Streep and other disguised names you will recognize. Exactly how The Rom-Commers becomes a Rom-Com begins when Emma meets her idol, an award-winning screenwriter, Charlie. The pace and fun of this book helped to entertain me during a stressful time. That's what made it worth 4 Stars.

Center speeds off on her trademark love stories with missed signals, near-death accidents, close family ties and lots of humor. If you read her acknowledgments, as I did, you may find help for anxiety with a book recommendation. Both I and Emma did.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an early copy to review.

Quick synopsis: Emma Wheeler has always dreamed of being a rom-com screenwriter, but her life circumstances have kept her from that dream. Charlie Yates, on the other hand, is one of Hollywood’s most prolific screenwriters - but his rom-com script is the actual worst. Emma gets called in to help him rewrite the script, and the result will make or break both of their careers.

Thoughts: If you want a book that will make you both laugh out loud and reach for a box of tissues, Katherine Center is your girl. I don’t want to go into too much detail about this book because I feel like there is a lot that is best to uncover while you’re reading. The premise is a fantastic rom-com set up, and the follow through honestly went so much deeper than I anticipated. Katherine deals with a lot of difficult and emotional themes, but as always she does so in such an honest and realistic way with glimmers of hope throughout. This book should be on everyone’s summer reading list. A note on the audio: I did a little of both formats for this one, and I definitely loved it either way! If you’re an audiobook person, you’ll love Patti Murin’s narration - highly recommend!

Read this if you like:
🎞️ rom-coms
🎞️ Hollywood
🎞️ family & found family
🎞️ grumpy/sunshine
🎞️ forced proximity

4.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for the ARC! This book had it all. It had all the fixings that make a romance novel, truly epic. This book made me laugh out loud, get angry and cry. I loved watching Charlie and Emma fall in love on paper, their love story was beautiful and real. This book had a lot of moments that showed empathy, pain and joy. I found myself inhaling the characters, the story and being sad that it was all over. I truly loved this book and highly recommend it to those who feel like their love is a burden, who feel loss and pain deep in their hearts and for those who still want to believe that life can be beautiful.

This book is one that will stay with me, not only is it charming and funny and romantic, but it shares a strong message. 5 stars from me.

I’m a sucker for HEA’s and for rom-com’s so I knew I was going to love this book before I even started it. I received an ARC of both the ebook and audio so I listened & followed along. I finished both in a day because I just couldn’t put it down and thankfully I didn’t have to work early the next day.

This book is exactly what you’re expecting from the description. There’s no really huge twists or hidden Easter eggs. Which I appreciate, but also I do love a good twist. There was humor, memorable characters, and a sweet & charming romance with a solid layer of depth. This story is also about two people getting to a level self-discovery & realizing that they can “live their lives” & be happy. The author had me laughing, crying, and swearing at the characters (mainly Charlie Yate’s because, c’mon man..did you really have to be such a jerk?). There’s no spicy/steamy scenes in this, but to be honest I didn’t really miss them. I appreciated the flow of the story & the dual POV’s. As for the audiobook on its own, I enjoyed narration. Overall a solid 4 star read/listen that I will definitely be recommending to others.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, MacMillan Audio, and Katherine Center for the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed other books by this author but this one fell short for me. I didn’t like the characters and the interaction between Emma and Charlie. It wasn’t an almost DNF for me.
I appreciate the advanced copy from NetGalley and the publisher

I have read a number of Center's books and have always enjoyed them, and the Rom-Commers was no exception. I liked the characters. I liked the premise. I liked how they grew into a relationship with each other. And while there were no real surprises to how the book evolved, I wasn't expecting any. It was a quick read, and great for a holiday or when you need a pick me up story. Emma has a lot to deal with and romance seems to be her way to escape from the things that keep her tied to her home. At the same time, she has a very supportive family and seems to have a great relationship with them despite everything that she is carrying inside. Charlie is a bit of a butt, but he's a loveable butt. I spent most of the book picturing him as a younger Harrison Ford. Maybe that's me. Maybe that's who he's modelled on, well, without the whole writing of scripts bit.

The crossover with The Bodyguard was well done. Not forced which I appreciated, and not done in a way that would require you to have read the previous book in any way. You could simply read this and not even realize there is a crossover, which is how a good crossover should work.

If you are looking for a feel good romance or like romances that involve characters who are celebrities, this is a great pick. And if you have liked Center's books before, then that doubles the odds of you liking this one.

Perfection. Truly, The Rom-Commers is an instant rom-com classic. It is extremely rare for me to find a book "unputdownable", but I could not get this one out of my head and I read it in one day. I laughed, I cried. I was completely captivated from start to finish.

The Rom-Commers follows two screenwriters, Charlie and Emma. Charlie is a professional in the industry, and he must collaborate with Emma to rewrite his terrible rom-com script. The chemistry in The Rom-Commers is undeniable. And more than that, it felt REAL. The conversations between Emma and Charlie felt like conversations I would have with my own partner, from their banter to their arguments.

I HAVE NO NOTES! All I can do is gush about this book. This one will resonate with fans of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez. The Rom-Commers is without a doubt my new favorite Katherine Center book, and has cemented her as an auto-read author. I'll forever be chasing how Emma and Charlie made me feel.

The Rom-Commers had me happy crying, I mean this book is an absolute joy burst and a beautiful ode to the romance genre. Emma Wheeler wants to be a screenwriter but she’s also the sole-caretaker of her kind father, so her dreams have been on the back burner—that is until she gets a chance to re-write a rom-com script with her favorite writer Charlie Yates, her dream job. Only the script is awful and he doesn’t believe in love, so Emma makes it her mission to ignite this cynic’s belief in love. This story is quirky and fun and has so much heart and joy. There is a cancer subplot, as a trigger warning and grief about a parent loss. But the conversations are handled so well. Emma is amazing. She’s brave and honest to herself and strong. She has so much love in her and she is just such a gem. And I love how Charlie grows. I loved having this story through only Emma’s eyes and how she continuously breaks the fourth wall with the reader. It is inviting and warm and the story is of two flawed people remembering what love can feel like. It’s beautiful and hard and painful and happy, and just all the things. It feels like the perfect classic rom-com and I would’ve read hundreds of more pages of these wonderful characters. Katherine Center is an absolute joy to read, and this was just so good! I can’t stop raving about it!

First, thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This will release on June 11th. I’ve been a long time reader of Katherine Center and will pick up anything she writes. I did enjoy the premise of this one a lot. The idea of two screenwriters-one just getting started and one is Uber famous coming together to complete each other. I enjoyed this and it did exactly what it was supposed to do. There was something about it that fell flat for me in a way that none of her other books have. I think it may have been Charlie as a character. His characterization kind of seemed to change with the wind a bit. I did enjoy him more in the last 20% of the book. Overall, solid rom-com. Definitely worth the read as it was fun. There were a lot of great pieces of heartfelt writing I enjoyed a lot too.

QUOTES: “Because the more we can imagine our better selves, the more we can become them.”
“happiness is always better with a little bit of sadness.”
“You always say people falling on each other isn’t romantic—but then it always is.”

TROPES: coworkers, opposites attract, forced proximity, celebrity MC x non-famous MC

SONG: Fortnight by Taylor Swift (I love you, it’s ruining my life)