I was fortunate to receive an early copy of The Rom-Commers thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. This is the first novel by Katherine Center that I've read and she has officially turned me into a rom-com convert!

The plot focuses on Emma, a screenwriter whose dream of going to Hollywood was foiled by a tragic family accident, which left her as the caretaker to her disabled father for the past decade. A high school friend turned movie executive offers Emma a once in a lifetime job of rewriting a bad rom-com for a famous, award winning male screenwriter. Charlie, who is divorced and has no interest in romance (in real life or film), has to produce this script in order to get another one his movies made. Some of the usual romance tropes are included in the book, such as forced proximity (Emma stays at Charlie's mansion while in LA) and grumpy x sunshine, but Center's witty banter, physical comedy, and descriptive visuals delivered this story in a totally fresh and quirky manner.

If you're usually skeptical of rom-coms because you find them too cheesy and predictable (especially as their cartoonish covers may suggest), TRUST ME when I say that this one is the exception to the rule. This book was so much more than a cliché romance novel. It was a touching tale of the inner conflict between family loyalty vs. chasing your dreams. Center's poignant writing made me alternate between tears of laughter and genuine empathy and sadness for these fictional characters, who she so aptly brought to life in my mind and heart. I'm sorry that it took me so long to give this author a chance, but I'm glad that I have found her and can't wait to read more of her work!

Ahhh, my first Katherine Center done and dusted and I’m not sure why I’ve waited so long because I loved it! Cute and fun with some deep and moving moments involving family trouble, health scares, and redemption, this had it all. I thought the banter between Charlie and Emma was realistic and not OTT which is something I tend to struggle with when it comes to romcoms so yay for that. This has made Center an auto-read author though and I couldn't be happier.

I laughed so hard I cried. But then I CRIED. For real. Emotional whiplash this whole book. I’ve never gone through such high and low human emotions while reading before. Well, recently anyways. This is her best book so far. I don’t want to spoil anything but truly cannot wait to own this and display it like an emotional warfare trophy in my bookcase.

Katherine Center does it again.

This book was phenomenal and might be my favorite Katherine Center book of all time and my favorite read of 2024. The story is hilarious, relatable, and so emotional. I did not want it to end.

The amount of thought and research Katherine puts into her writing is evident, and this book brought me so much joy. I cannot recommend it enough..

I absolutely LOVED this book. Emma is one of my favorite characters of all time. I loved everything about her. She was such a secure, kind, and strong female character. I aspire to be like her. The way Emma and Charlie slowly became close to one another and appreciate each other’s company was so much fun to read. The Rom-Commers is my favorite book read so far this year and I hope to reread it before it comes out this summer. Katherine Center is the queen of writing beautiful, happy, and feel-good love stories. I will never stop reading her books.

If Katherine Center writes it I'm going to read it! Another hit filled with utterly relatable characters you can't help empathize with as they struggle to find love, overcome life challenges and figure out a way to work together.

Jaded in love and life, best-selling screen writer Charlie has a severe case of writer's block and when his agent brings in Emma, an aspiring rom-com writer and huge fan of Charlie's the two clash in the worst way. With great banter and tons of emotional depth, this was another love letter to the romance genre and I was totally here for all of it!

Great on audio with a must listen author's note and bonus scene from Charlie's POV included at the end, this is a definite must read for Katherine Center fans! Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the privilege of reading an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: kissing only

CW: past death of a parent, cancer

The Rom-Commers was fun, funny, and sweet, with just the right amount of swoon! Emma and Charlie had a hilarious dynamic with a lot of heart. Watching their professional relationship bloom into something more, all while writing a rom-com (basically, the visual version of a romance novel!) made for a lovely read. I've never read a book by Katherine Center that I didn't enjoy, but this is one of my favorites!

The first thing I would say about this book is that one, get a box of tissues out and second, if you start this in the evening, get ready to read this one through the night. I started this book on a weekend morning when I was sick and was just lying in bed hoping to find a book that tugs my heart and gives me joy at the same time. I picked this one because I loved the book description and found it enticing. Once I started reading, I absolutely adored Emma and Charlie. My heart bled for the pain both of them had gone through until they met each other. After that, they just made me feel all the feels. I couldn’t put this down and even on a day when I had fever and was feeling absolutely horrible, this book brought joy into my day. Thank you so much, Katherine. I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

this is such a cute, tender, emotional, hilarious story! Emma & Charlie are such an opposites attract kinda coupling; they both have lead such different lives, leading to such different perspectives on life & love. Emma has such a sunshine personality, even with a life she really didn’t expect to be living, and she shows Charlie her perspective on human connection & romance & love. and Charlie’s grumpiness is built on some unfair & traumatic experiences, & with his professional success, has morphed into a shield against further emotional pain. Emma really shows Charlie how beautiful & unstoppable love is.

I feel like I have very wide ranging emotions abt this story. the repetitive “lying -> eavesdropping on the truth -> changing intentions” was a little onoxious to me (just bc it happened too many times). and the way Charlie spoke about Emma behind her back (that Emma overheard…many times) was also so cringey like you can be grumpy and still be respectful to another person yanno? but then I completely adored the way Emma showed how qualified & talented she was to be taking up the space she was in, I loved how she never backed down in an argument always standing up for what she believes. I loved how Charlie eventually shows his feelings for her, but I hated the way he treated her to get there….theres just SO MANY FEELINGS IM HAVING HERE!!! parts of the story were 2 stars, parts were 5 stars…i’m calling it even at 4 bc I can line-item rate this story :)

overall, another beautifully unique story from katherine center; adorable, irritating, lovely, deeply tender & lovely people. thank you for the arc :)

This was my first book by Katherine Center. I’m hooked and need to read every thing by her now.
The Rom-Commers was an incredible story. I was emotionally invested from the start. Emma is on a journey of giving up control of her father’s health and following her dreams. Charley and Emma are the perfect duo, I was rooting for them as soon and he picked her up off the street with her luggage.
The banter these two have is top notch!
Also I’m so glad Charley has bronchitis because I was getting so emotional during the video. Also his character development is everything and more! I’m so glad he was able to push past so many hurdles to please Emma. They both needed each other and never knew it.
This book was amazing and I’ll be recommending it to all my friends.

I had the pleasure of delving into the delightful world of "The Rom-Commers" by Katherine Center thanks to NetGalley. I can't thank them enough for the opportunity to read this witty and heartwarming book in exchange for my honest review.

Emma Wheeler, a struggling screenwriter, gets a dream job rewriting a terrible rom-com script for the legendary Charlie Yates. But Charlie has no faith in rom-coms and sees them as an emotional Ponzi scheme.

Despite the initial clash, Emma is determined to prove that love stories matter. And as they work together, sparks fly, not just on the page but also between them. However, Emma has always believed in the perfect meet-cute, while Charlie thinks love is a trap.

This book is a charming exploration of love, relationships, and the power of storytelling. Emma and Charlie's witty banter and undeniable chemistry kept me hooked from beginning to end. Center's writing is sharp, funny, and utterly swoon-worthy.

If you're a fan of rom-coms, this book is a must-read. It celebrates the genre while also delivering a fresh and unpredictable love story. It's the perfect escape for anyone who believes in the magic of love and the transformative power of a good story.

I can’t get enough Katherine Center! She was born to write! I adore all of her books. This book was amazing. The writing. The characters. The conflict. The angst. The journeys. It was all 5 stars! The emotional pull of this books wraps you up in your grandmother’s afghan and lets you forget all the real stuff for a while. I’m already ready for the next one. Huge thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

This was my first book by Katherine Center and I am obsessed!

The characters, the writing, the development - all of it. I stayed up way too late finishing the last 3 hours of this book as I just could not stop reading. If you like fun romances pick up this book! I am adding all of her other books to my wishlist!

5 stars, I wish I could give this book more!

I loved the premise of writers falling in love while writing a rom-com! The heroine was so endearing and the themes will definitely hit you in the feels in the best possible way. I love all of this author's characters and will read anything she puts on a page.

What an incredible book! I was hooked from the very first page and loved the dialogue between the main characters. Katherine Center always has writing that makes me laugh and feel connected to the characters. I was so sad when the book was over, the story was so good!

I can’t quite explain why, but I was hooked with Emma and Charlie’s story immediately. I loved their banter and the will they, won’t they of the relationship. I didn’t love the twist at the end, but I was still happy with the resolution.

This book. THIS BOOK - is the rom-com for rom-com-lovers. It’s the perfect encapsulation of everything that makes a rom-com so excellent, and it’s been done in perfect Katherine Center style.

My daughter had the stomach flu yesterday, and so I needed something comforting, fun, and distracting to sink into while we were snuggled up together on the couch all day. This book was the *perfect* fit - the kind of comforting, heart-bursting, life-affirming read I needed to escape with. I loved how Center wrote rom-com tropes into this plot in such a fourth-wall-breaking, self-aware way, while also still being the comforting, hilarious, and HEA-required plot line we’ve come to expect from a great romantic comedy. I inhaled it in just over a day, and I think this one is officially up there with Happiness for Beginners as an all-time fave. My gigantic thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read an early copy!

Katherine Center does it again! I squealed when I received an ARC of The Rom-Commers and it surpassed my expectations! This was a grumpy-meets-sunshine romance, and the main characters Emma and Charlie were adorable. I adored their love story and banter. This book was emotional, heartwrenching and hard not to love. Katherine Center fans will love this one! Just go read it!

My ALL-TIME favorite Katherine Center book. Holy emotions. This book had it all. Amazing banter, heartfelt characters, tragedy and HEA romance.

Emma was an aspiring screenwriter and got the once in a lifetime chance to ghost write for prestigious award-winning screenwriter, Charlie. He was her Hollywood crush and she couldn’t believe her luck. Only catch? She was going to need to move to LA for a few weeks and leave her disabled father who she’d been caring for for the last 10 years after a tragic camping accident that killed her mother.

Sister to the rescue, Sylvie came to help with Dad and Emma went to LA where she would soon find out that she wasn’t wanted. Charlie had no idea she was coming to help him write his Rom-Com nor did he want the help. He was grumpy as grumpy could be and Emma was accepting her fate and ready to go back home to her father.

Lo and behold, after some deep thinking, Charlie wanted the help after all. Emma and Charlie were picture perfect. The exact definition of Rom-Com. They grocery shopped together, cooked together, wrote their screenplay together, shared their deepest darkest thoughts with each other, etc.

But love wasn’t what Charlie was after. After all, he was dying of cancer. Charlie was an extremely troubled character who went through trauma after trauma when his mother left him after his near-drowning as a child and his (ex) wife left him after his cancer diagnosis. Emma saw the trauma and wanted to help him through it because she was in love.

This book PULLED at my heartstrings. I haven’t felt this way about a book in so long. The characters were amazing and so relatable. Katherine Center always represents medical trauma so accurately. I’m almost sure I uttered the same words as Sylvie when she saw the imaging of her father’s brain bleed when I saw the imaging of my own. How would they get it out? Only one way out, surgery. As I celebrate my 12th year as a stroke survivor this month, this seemed like an appropriate book to read! I highly, highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

The Rom-Commers was a sweet romance story that you can’t help but swoon over. Center is a master at the slow-build romance, and this is her best work to date! I really enjoyed Charlie and Emma as individuals; it really felt like they were each other’s missing piece. I would love to see these characters again in the future!

Thank you again for the ARC!