Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book, but well this was complete garbage. I am a huge Katherine Center fan but this was just not it. She really peaked at The Bodyguard and things have not been great since. There was no one to root for, the twist at the end was completely unbelievable. There was no language for all the sex and profanity at the beginning and it made no sense that she suddenly was a 'i swim every morning' person when she also never took her eyes off her father. The best part was her father's toast at the end of the book. This would have been a much better book if it was written by Courtney Walsh.

The Rom-Commers centers on Emma, an aspiring screenwriter who has spent the last decade of her life as the sole caretaker of her dad who requires full time care. Emma writes romantic comedies, and she’s really good at it but she is also well versed in giving up opportunities for herself to care for her family. The story begins when an opportunity comes calling that’s too good not to answer this time—to ghostwrite a romantic comedy for Charlie, her favorite screenwriter and a big name in Hollywood. But Charlie doesn’t believe in love and is only working on the rom com so that the producer requesting it will make another of Charlie’s screen plays.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved Emma but did not love the emotional whiplash she was put through with Charlie’s mixed signals (and though everything is eventually explained, it was still really hard and the miscommunication/misunderstanding went on too long). At no point did I pick this up thinking that it would have me sobbing but it did. This was a sweet and funny romance that packs several heartfelt and gut wrenching punches. It is beautiful and overall a happy story but like life, it also has several really sad parts. This is a topic that the book touches on at several points - you cannot escape the bad things in life but you do get to choose what you do in the face of them.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC!

Oh my goodness. This book. Look, if you love 2000s romcoms, then this is the book for you. When I say this book could be a movie, I’m not exaggerating. I could see the scenes unfurling in front of me and imagine the sweetest love story playing out on the big screen. It would obviously have a fantastic soundtrack, like How to lose a guy in ten days good.

If you’ve liked Katherine Center’s previous work, this book will be right up your alley. It’s a bit of women’s fiction with plenty of romantic tension. You will love the quirky, bold Emma. And the sweet, thoughtful Charlie Yates? He’s the romcom lead of your dreams.

Listen. You might be saying, “Hannah. I’ve read plenty of romcoms. Why this one?” And I’ll be telling you that people don’t make these books like this one anymore. This is classic. This is sweet. This is Center witty. This is what every romance movie of the 2010s and 2020s have been missing.

Just do yourself a favor and preorder it. Not just because it has adorable pink sprayed edges, but because it’s a story you need in your heart.

Thank you Netgalley, for a chance to read this book early.

I love this book so much. The storyline and characters were hilarious. Emma is a strong character who stands up for what she wants and who she is. Charlie is so oblivious at times that it is adorable.

Emma had dreams of being screen writer until she had to become the sole caregiver for her father. She selflessly placed her dreams on the shelf and did everything to care for her father. Until she gets the opportunity to cowrite a screen play with her favorite author. Her sister takes over the caregiving for their father and Emma flies to LA to meet her hero.
Hilarious banter ensues. The title definitely lives up. This rom-com is sweet, laugh out loud funny, but sometimes serious and heartwarming. If you liked her other works, you will love this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Katherine Center book and I adored ir. The family component? The slow burn? The real problems that both characters brought to the table as baggage? Close proximity? This had it all and I really enjoyed it and devoured it in 24 hours. If you are a fan of movies (i’m not) then you will also love the movie references!

✨Ｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ✨

The Rom-Commers 📚 by @katherinecenter

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thank you @stmartinspress @netgalley for this #advancedreaderscopy from one of my favorite authors, I was soo excited to get selected!

As for the book, I just finished reading it and just finished crying for probably the third time in the book 😂. I read this book in just a few days and didn't want to put it down. Katherine Center did what she always does so well: creates characters you love and that are authentic, throws in life lessons that make you think, and throws in moments that really make you cry along the way (at least for me 😂).

Emma put her life on hold to be the caretaker for her father after a tragic accident. Then Emma gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with one of her favorite screenwriters, Charlie Yates, on a rom-com. Along the way, Emma experiences some emotional/challenging situations and, through it all, tries to hold on to what she believes in: love.

Publication date: 6/11/24, definitely recommend!
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#justread #bookstack #booklovers #alwaysreading #readersofinstagram #bookreview #instareads #goodreads #bookworm #bookaddict #readersofig #bookreviewer #bookaddict #bookstagram

THE ROM-COMMERS was another winner by Katherine Center. I really enjoyed the banter between Charlie and Emma. Emma was such a unique character and I liked how she pushed Charlie to do things he wasn't sure he could do. Together, they made a perfect pair. This story made me laugh and smile which is what I love about this author's books. Overall, this was a fun book to read and listen to. The audiobook was exceptional!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) closer to pub date

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(3.5)

Emma Wheeler, aspiring screenwriter, gets a chance to rewrite a script for her idol, Charlie Yates. Leaving her caregiving duties to her sister, she heads to L.A. But Yates, cynical and dismissive, presents a challenge. As they clash over love's authenticity, Emma realizes her own story might just be the ultimate romantic comedy.

There were some fun moments and I definitely wanted to finish this book, but overall I wanted to like it more than I actually did. It was a slow start to the plot and a slow build to the romance. The premise of this book is fantastic! I mean a rom-com about a rom-com lover writing and rom-com with a rom-com sync? So fun! But the writing style didn’t live up to my expectations. It is fully “tell not show,” and maybe that’s on purpose? All the dialogue and minimal scene blocking definitely felt like a screenplay. If you like micro-tropes like birthday traditions, family caregiver, niche rom-com/writing references, you’ll smile throughout many scenes in this book ☺️ I’m glad I read this, it just didn’t fully hit the spot.

Thank you @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio @NetGalley for the eARC and ALC 💙 #netgalley

Perfect for you if you like:
Grumpy dialogue
References to writing rom-coms
Caregiver/family health obstacles

Similar to:
How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson
Beach Read by Emily Henry (open-door)
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood (YA, fade-to-black)

⛔️closed door romance (mild innuendo)
⚠️explicit language, previous loss of a parent, sick family member, talk of cancer

Katherine Center is the queen of feel good rom coms, so this book is very aptly named. A grumpy sunshine, forced proximity meets Hollywood screenwriters. I sometime felt like it could have used a little more tension or build up, but it was quick, cute, and perfect for a beach read!

Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to review this ARC! 4/5 for me, although Katherine Center is always an auto buy for me. Loved these characters, although the lack of communication at the end was low key frustrating. Still, we get a great story with this book and everyone should read it!

This latest by Katherine Center was delightful. It gave me all the warm, fuzzy rom com feelings and I devoured it in two days. I absolutely ADORED Emma and all of her selfless, anxious quirkiness. I wanted a tiny bit more from Charlie's character-- he felt a little too one-dimensional to me, but he did find some redemption towards the ending. I love a good close proximity trope, and adore the whole average-girl-meets-celebrity-fangirl-romance vibe! This novel is the must-have feel good summer beach read for 2024!

5/5 stars

I absolutely loved this book!! This book is like a warm hug as you get to know the characters, their struggles, growth, family and the ending is my absolute favorite!

This book is a bit of enemies to lovers, forced proximity and a tiny bit of friends to lovers. My favorite parts of this book was the friendship scenes, the grocery shopping, writing together and when they opened up to each other.

The Rom-Commers truly showed me what love is and how it's a big grand gesture but a reminder that it's in the everyday moments and it isn't all rainbows and roses but it's getting through the hard things together and being there for each other. Katherine Center covers some hard topics such as loss, tragedy, sickness and death and she does it with such grace and purpose in this book.

I have a few books left to read by this author and I can't wait to dig into her backlist!!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to St. Martins Press, Netgalley, and Katherine Center for an Advance copy of The Rom-Commers in exchange for an honest review. Emma (our MC) desperately dreams of being a screenwriter but her ultimate dream is to write Rom Coms. Luckily for her, a friend from her past calls her up to ask her to write a fantastic, award-winning rom com with Charlie Yates. As she heads out to LA, we find out that Charlie didnt know she was coming... chaos ensues but in the best way possible. It was so fun to watch these two work together, explore rom com topics, and just learn how to work together. As always, Center weaves a beautiful story that goes deeper then just a love story. I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next. If you're a rom com lover, this one needs to be on your summer reading list. You can pick up your own copy of June 25th, 2024!

What a joy! I loved both of these characters SO much and highlighted SO many funny or deeply touching parts in this galley. I do NOT like the cover at ALL. I loved her covers with the flowers on them. These cartoons really give a different vibe from the hard, moving, amazing story here.

Holy cow this was bad. I don't even know everyone. I love most of Center's stuff. But this was so boring and just chemistry free throughout that I kept going why and why throughout it. Also, I straight up started to loathe the main character, Emma Wheeler. She's a martyr and it was exhausting acting like no one could ever have a life and her sister had to give up everything. Shove off Emma. We finally do get tension (between Emma and her sister) but felt like everything was wrapped up too quickly.

"The Rom-Commers" follows Emma Wheeler who gets a once in a chance opportunity to save a script with famous screenwriter, Charlie Yates.

I refuse to even go beyond basics cause the book isn't worth my time. Look, you follow Emma to California and she meets Charlie. He's awful and then quickly reverses himself and then he and Emma "work" on a romance script. It would be funny how though Emma goes through the elements that are needed to make a great rom-com this book was cringe throughout. Emma comes onto Charlie multiple times, he rejects her multiple times. I guessed at the reason, but didn't care because Emma and Charlie have no chemistry. I am going to say this again. This book drags because I didn't care about the HEA which is not great when you are reading a romance. I was indifferent and then hoping it would not happen.

And Center takes too long to reveal things about Emma's father, her mother, etc. The whole book just took too long. I know it wasn't that long, but I felt it.

The flow was just bad. Emma's thoughts started to bug and I didn't care anymore what she said about anything.

The ending was a whatever.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Rom-Commers" and all opinions expressed are my own. I listened to the audiobook. Not one of my favorites by this author, I found the story just ok. I have really enjoyed her past books and I would say she is a go to author for me but this one just miss the mark.

I LOVED this book. It was exactly what I needed and an absolutely perfect story that I hope to someday see turned into a movie. If you want a fun, adorable, quick romantic story - choose this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the Advanced Reader Copy, in exchange for my honest review.

I have not been disappointed by a Katherine Center book thus far, and The Rom-Commers was exactly what I expected (in a good way.)

The story of an aspiring screenwriter, Emma, who gets the opportunity to work with her writer hero, Charlie. But Emma has spent the last ten years caring for her father, and putting her dreams to the sideline. Emma moves to LA to work with Charlie, re-writing a bad rom-com that he penned. Charlie may be a great screenwriter, but he is not an expert on rom-coms, and Emma definitely knows this genre. Can she get through to Charlie to embrace the rom-com and the possibility of love?

The book has a lot of what you would expect, but also what you want. It is definitely a bit of that rom-com cliché, but it is the comfort that you expect.

Katherine Center is a go-to author for me. And I loved the nod to The Bodyguard.

I would definitely recommend The Rom-Commers for your summer TBR.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press and Katherine Center for the ARC of this book! This was my first ever Katherine Center and if you have been around for a bit, you know my bestie LOVES Katherine Center's books and has been trying to get me to pick one up for AGES.

Well thanks to Netgalley, my besties dreams came true LOL

I have to say, I am not a romance reader, I generally am an eye-roller at "cliche" romance stories, and no I am not in any way calling this book cliche. I was actually surprisingly pleased by this book. This book made me feel things which if a book can make me feel emotions, it's a win for me.

I loved the budding relationship between Charlie and Emma and the emotional rollercoaster that this book took me on, really kept me wanting to find time to pick it back up and read again. I definitely have a different view on romance books, especially if they are written by Katherine Center.

Katherine Center does it again.

This novel, about a couple of screen writers, is in itself the perfect rom-com. The characters are real and relatable, the dialogue is honest and witty, and the story was a joy to read.

There's a reason this one already is at a 4.51 rating in Goodreads. Keep it up Katherine Center, will read literally anything you write!