Nice romance. Not as good as the Bodyguard, but Katherine writes interesting characters and I appreciate that.

This book was super cute and the perfect palate cleanser! I loved the plot of two writers working together to create the perfect rom-com. It had the makings of a quintessential Katherine Center with banter and a happily ever after.

What a delightful, classic rom-com. I fell in love with both Emma and Charlie and thought their situation was unique. I appreciated how this was a kissing only story, just wish it didn’t have so much language (otherwise I could recommend it to anyone.) Katherine Center continues to be one of my favorite writers who features characters with real life issues.

“So what you’re telling me is, you can take the imaginative leap to get on board with an alien from another galaxy that somehow managed to evolve a trunk that is functionally and visually identical to the elephants on earth, but you simply cannot fathom how two ordinary humans falling in love with each other??”

ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴍ-ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇʀꜱ
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Goodreads Rating: 4.43
Book Birthday: June 11, 2024

@katherinecenter is the newest author whose releases go straight to the top of my toppling TBR list! 📚

The biggest rom-com fan brought in to ‘fix’ the crime against nature that her award winning screen-writer crush has written and she discovers that not only does he have a vendetta against the genre, but he vehemently disbelieves in the existence of love.

ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴍ-ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇʀꜱ had it all. There was humor and the typical hyginx that comes with forced proximity, lovable secondary characters, and a sweet slow-burn romance.

But Center also portrays the importance of resilience amidst life’s struggles and the transformative power of finding JOY in the middle of adversity, bringing her signature depth to the story.

The deep message of the book realistically approaches life itself with its tragedies, losses, and messiness. But through those dark moments, there is always sunshine from the cracks to help you find your way, and eventually, you’re fine with your own path.

I stayed up until 2am finishing this @netgalley (thank you @stmartinspress ) and immediately started reading ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴀᴠᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ꜰɪʀᴇ because I wasnt done with her writing. And thank goodness I also have ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪꜱʜ ꜰᴏʀ on my shelf for when I need a fix!

This was a strong recommend for me to anyone who wants a sweet romance on their summer TBR.

Read if you like:

💕 Rom-Coms
🎬 Hollywood
❤️‍🔥 Enemies to Lovers
🏠 Under One Roof
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Family Drama

I kept starting this book and putting it down because I would find something more exciting to read. I don't know why this one didn't grab my attention like Katherine Center's other books, it may be because I'm a bit burnt out from main characters with family trauma. I put off my review hoping that maybe I would want to go back to it, but I haven't and it's been a few months now.

If you like more dramatic romances (I know, odd considering the title), this may be more up your alley than mine!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is everything you could want in a romantic comedy! Katherine Center’s The Rom-Commers is heartwarming, soul-searching, and full of hope. It’s beautifully written with captivating twists that took me by surprise, keeping me hooked from start to finish.

I especially loved Emma, the main character, who is a writer herself. She’s hoping for the break of a lifetime and takes a huge leap of faith—only to discover that what she thought was her big opportunity is something entirely different. Will this be the break she truly deserves, or will one of her favorite authors let her down?

It’s heartbreaking to see Emma’s world begin to crumble yet again, but Center does an incredible job of portraying her struggles with nuance and emotion. Despite everything, Emma’s resilience and determination stand out, making her journey all the more inspiring.

If you love stories about writers, books, and unexpected opportunities, this is for you! The Rom-Commers is an absolute must-read for fans of romantic comedies. With its exceptional writing and deeply captivating plot, it’s a story that will leave you with all the feels.

Thank you #NetGalley #stmartinspress #KatherineCenter for the advance copy. It was a pleasure to read & my review is strictly voluntary!

Eh this one was okay. I loved “The Bodyguard” and I have loved some of Katherine Center’s other books, so I was really excited to read this one and it just didn’t hit the mark in the way that I had hoped.

I didn’t feel that connected to either of the main characters. They both said and did some pretty mean things to each other or to others and I wasn’t a fan of that.

The story as a whole just wasn’t that memorable either. The plot had potential to be really great but it just missed on some points.

Emma also kept breaking the fourth wall which threw me off because who was she supposed to be talking to? Us?

One thing that I did love was how throughout this book and in the authors note the author talked about the romance genre, the power of the stories it can tell, and how society views it. There were some really great points that I hope to continue to be conversations.

Overall, I didn’t dislike this one and there were some fun moments that I enjoyed but I also didn’t love it.

THE ROM-COMMERS
Katherine Center, Author
Patti Murin and Katherine Center, Narrators

What happens when a struggling screenwriter wins the competition of a lifetime and gets to work with her favorite screenwriter of all time? Frustration and sparks follow. But things are never quite as you expect and that holds true here.

This book was both laugh-out-loud funny and spicy at the same time. I definitely give this book a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

This was my first Katherine Center book and I loved it! If you want a clean romance, this book is perfect.

A five star read, as usual from KC.
I hoard books from Katherine Center like little hugs I can keep in my pocket and pull out on a rainy day. Little dopamine boosts I have to ration because her books only come out once a year and I need to savor them.

I really loved Emma and Charlie, although by the end I wanted to shake him by the shoulders and tell him to stop breaking Emma's pure little heart. I also felt frustrated at times that Emma wouldn't stand up for herself more, but I also had to acknowledge that her character was really strong in her own way. Overall the characters were very life like. I felt like I experienced the excitement of going to LA and hob-nobbing with celebrities. Emma the self deprecating optimist with big feelings was easy to love and cheer for. I may-or-may-not have teared up when Emma watched Charlie's video in the hotel room...

My absolute favorite quote from this book:
"I had a theory that we gravitate toward the stories we need in life. Whatever we’re looking for- adventure, excitement, emotion, connection- we turn to stories that help us find it. Whatever questions we’re struggling with- sometimes questions so deep, we don’t even really know we’re asking them- we look for answers in stories.”

This is the second novel I've read by Katherine Center. What I've loved about both novels is that they catch my attention from the very beginning. There's no long wait for the plot to get moving. I find that Katherine Center's books are very easy to get through and offer a great mix of fun while still being heart warming.

One of my favorite authors. I'm not sure why, but this one was not my favorite. Still a good read, however!

This book was great! It had all of the aspects I love about a romance book, humor, relatability, real issues and a great love story. I found myself several times during it laughing and saying wow I love this story and these characters. 4.5/5 stars. Incredible!

Loved these flawed beautiful characters. Heartfelt and humorous, sad and joyful. Interesting look inside the industry.

The Rom-Commers is a must read for all romance readers! Katherine Center once delivers with this one. This book felt like a warm hug for romance readers.

I think I may have a new favorite Katherine Center book! I was so excited for the ARC of this book, and it didn't disappoint. I laughed and swooned all the way through it.

I absolutely adored this book!! I read it as well as listened to the audio version! This book is a comfort book and one of Katherine Center’s best! I hope she continues writing cute romance novels like this one!

Emma Wheeler dreams of being a screenwriter but has put her life and dreams on the back burner as she focuses on being her dad's caretaker and ensuring her little sister has everything she could want. She pretends to be happy with that until a once-in-a-lifetime chance to work with her favorite screenwriter on a rom-com in LA comes up and she has the chance to experience what could have been. Can she put her worries about her family behind her and focus on getting the most out of the experience? Meanwhile, famous screenwriter Charlie Yates is only writing a rom-com to appease a studio director's mistress and has no intention of making it. He doesn't want to work with Emma and he's determined to not believe in love or let Emma prove to him that there's value in rom-coms.

Katherine Center continues her streak of perfectly flawless rom-coms with a story that's full of heart, banter, and seriously funny moments. This one veered a little too close to my recent losses so it included a good cry a couple of times, but it delivers on all the feels one could expect from the best of the genre.
The characters are likable, relatable, and just flawed enough to be believable but still have that something, something that makes it feel like a fantasy. Their struggles are relatable and you can't help but empathize with them, but the situation they're in is too extreme to be realistic for the vast majority of readers and that's what makes it work.
I loved reading this and it solidifies Center as one of my favorite authors.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the read!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for opportunity to read this arc and provide my honest feedback.

This is a fast paced fun read! I loved the characters and flow of the story. The dialogue was on point, breaking the 4th wall was well done as well. I enjoyed the humor and storyline and didn’t realize I just flew through the book. (Stayed up until 4am to finish it). The book has the feels the tragic and the happy. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book

I really enjoy Katherine Center books and this was no exception. I know when I pick them up that they're going to be an enjoyable, sweet, cozy, romantic read from start to finish. I appreciate that, at the same time, they're not shallow and she doesn't shy away from putting hard, real-life things in her books. We get the happy ending that we want in our romances, but that's not all there is!

I had a lot of fun with The Rom-Commers and consumed most of it in 1 day! I loved that it was truly a romantic comedy... I could totally see this as a movie, it hits all the classic stuff you'd expect. I loved the banter between Emma and Charlie the whole time. I feel like the MC's conversations are really where a romance is made or broken and this one was really cute. I could relate at least somewhat to Emma and her preparedness and tendency towards worst-case-scenario thinking at times, so I think that helped me connect with the story even more.

I think the only thing holding this back from being a 5-star for me was that I wish there would have been some better resolution between Emma and her sister near the end.