The Rom-Commers is an absolute joy to read! The storyline is all about love and finding your person with going through some hoops. There were definitely some twists and turns in this storyline but every one of them fit perfectly in the story. The connection between Emma and Charlie I loved so much! I also loved the background characters like Emma's family and Charlie's friends. The ending made me tear up in a good way and there were SO MANY parts that made me laugh! If you are looking for a book to make you laugh and cry this book is for you. I absolutely love Katherine Center's books and I cannot wait to read more of them!

Katherine Center never disappoints and her latest romance is as sweet and swoony as always. Emma and Charlie meet under forced circumstances but end up working together to finish his screenplay - a romcom. She is sunshine and love, albeit with heavy family issues that dictate many of her decisions. He is grumpy and cynical, determined to keep her at arms length. Witty banter, unexpected turns, perfect timing, and supportive family and friends surround Emma and Charlie as they write their own happy ever after - for the screenplay and for themselves. With a nod to the author’s previous novel, The Bodyguard, this book gives me the very best rom-com feels from first page to last. I absolutely loved it! All the stars!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This was another 5-star read from Katherine Center! The Rom-Commers was a fun look into the lives of two screenwriters, one famous, one not, who connect to one another through their writing. I loved the sunshine vs grump trope, the forced proximity, and how the author guided us through the MCs' personal struggles.

Did I stay up all night reading this book? Yes. Is it Katherine Center's fault? Also yes. For the past few years Katherine Center's books have been my go-to for a make you cry, make you laugh, make you believe in love read. And, as I predicted when I first read the blurb for "The Rom-Commers," this one is no exception.

In "The Rom-Commers" we meet Emma, a screenwriter who has sidelined her career in order to care for her father and Charlie, a screenwriter who is having a bit of writer's bl...(shh, don't say it). They find themselves working together to transform his floundering script for a remake of "It Happened One Night" and the plot develops from there.

What I love about Center's book is that romance is, yes, at the heart of the book, but in a way that does feel like we're peering into the everyday lives of these characters. They're trying to live and maintain their lives and the obstacles they face feel fully realized and well, normal. And I don't just mean the obstacles to their romance, although there are plenty of those, but the obstacles they're facing outside of that.

This is a wonderful addition to Center's work. I just recommend picking it up early in the day so you're not up all night hoping not to wake anyone with your sobs or laughter.

2.75 stars rounded up.

This is such a disappointment because I'm a huge fan of Katherine Center and it breaks my heart to say I just was not in love with her newest novel!
The Rom-Commers had potential to be a wonderfully written book about self-love, acceptance, forgiveness, and moving on after tragedy-as all Katherine Center's books are-, but fell short because of lack of chemistry and details.
I felt as if we skimmed over the best parts of the book; the parts where you feel the vulnerability of each character and the little things that bring them close: cooking together, writing together, going swimming together. These are the scenes I live for because you can feel the chemistry and intensity through their banter, dialogue, and body language, but it was completely missing!
Also, I did not appreciate Charlie's quips to Emma most of the times. I understand he didn't believe in love and his defense mechanism was total shutdown and pretending not to care, but couldn't Emma have stood up for herself sometimes? Fought back? Her manipulation tactics had me cringing (because I am a Charlie myself) and going, "Yeah, that would never happen!"
There was definitely more focus on Emma's relationship with her family. I empathized with how worried she was over her father and how she mothered her sister, but as superb as a family bond lesson is in a story, that is not the main reason I am reading a romance novel.
Frankly, The Rom-Commers did not live up to its name: There was barely any Rom, and the Com was lacking. It was a cute, slow, shallow romance, with a bunch life lessons thrown in at the end (that are crucial to acknowledge, but could have been executed better).

Read if:
-you don't mind shallow relationships
-you've always wanted to live in Hollywood
-you secretly love to power wash your house
-you have a pet guinea pig
-you need a quick pick-me-up

This has been my favorite Katherine Center book so far! I loved the banter, loved how Emma was highlighted so much for being a caretaker. The third act breakup had quite the twist I was not expecting. I would have loved an epilogue, but was overall pleased with the happy ending!

Katherine Center does it again. She creates the most interesting characters to fall in love. I am already partial to books with characters who are writers/writing/creative. And I actually enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine aspect. Although I think Emma did let Charlie dump all over her. I love Emma's passion and commitment to her family. I cried at the end when she fought with her sister. While I think Emma should have left Charlie's house multiple times and gone home, I admire her tenacity and determined-ness to change Charlie's mind about rom coms. And while the health of the characters seem to be on the line every other page, it's a nice reminder to the reader that happiness can be found in bad situations. And i was sweating bullets during the cliffs scene!

Katherine Center has done it again with The Rom-Commers. Emma and Charlie are screenplay writers. Emma is asked to help Charlie with his screenplay. The characters are real, the dialogue witty of course. This story will make you laugh and then cry. A wonderful slow burn romance. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. This is my own opinion.

Katherine Center has become one of my favorite authors, so when I received a copy of this book, I might have squealed and done a happy dance. When I heard there would be a reference to Jack Stapleton from her other book The Bodyguard, I was off-the-charts excited.

This book follows Emma, a rom-com screenwriter who has been assigned to work with THE Tyler Yates on his latest screenplay. What's the problem? Tyler Yates, world-famous and award-winning screenwriter, does not believe in romance, so Emma clearly has a big job ahead of her. As the two continue to work on the script, obviously sparks fly, and both Emma and Tyler have to figure out how to handle their past baggage.

There were so many conversations that stuck with me and made me feel all the emotions. I found myself crying to the point that my husband kept asking me if I was sure it was a rom-com book.

This is definitely my favorite book by Katherine Center, and it WILL be my favorite book of 2024.

Christina Nelson
7:27 AM (0 minutes ago)
to me

Well, Katherine Center does it yet again!
This cute and bubbly novel will have you smiling ear to ear right from the start and until the end. The tumultuous relation between Emma and Charlie is anything but!
Katherine defines what a Rom-comm is and fulfills in every way. Its "swoony, hopeful, delicious, rising feeling of anticipation as you look forward to the moment when the two leads who are clearly mad at for each other finally overcome all their obstacles, both internal and external." It was hard to put down and made me smile throughout the entire book, even during the "misunderstandings. " Whenever someone asks for an uplifting book, I always recommend Katherine Center. She has a way of making you feel happy and good even when all of the books deal with some kind of a crisis like a fire, or stress and loss. Katherine Center has Nailed how to make a Successful RomComm, and this book is a 5 star for me. Happy Reading! Due to be released in June of 2024. Pre-Order your copy today!

Katherine Center does it again! The one-liners, the laugh-out-loud humor, the witty dialogue…what a joy this book was to read! I loved stepping into Katherine Center’s world a bit with this book and learning the do’s and don’ts of writing a rom-com. Afterall, she is the queen of this genre! Her characters are so real and relatable, I never want her books to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was a funny, heartwarming and at times melancholy story of a writer who is a caretaker for her lovable father. She falls into assisting with a rewrite of a truly tragic rom-com by her screenwriting hero. Hilarity, a touch of miscommunication and love ensues. Like many of Katherine Center’s books, the characters feel more genuine and flawed then typical romances and deal with serious issues in their lives. The main character drove me crazy at times, but her choices made sense from her perspective and history. The side characters are also cute, especially the dad - he is a delight. Another winner by Center. 5⭐️

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Publishing date - 06/11/24
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this e-ARC. Katherine Center has done it again with her latest upcoming novel, “The Rom-Commers!” It’s a heartwarming story with a touch of humor! This story combines themes of love, family, friendship, heartache, growth, change, & grief. I could definitely see this one being made into a rom-com movie!

If you’re a fan of Katherine’s work definitely add this to your tbr list!

I also would LOVE to see a sequel made of this one!

Katherine Center delivers another perfect laugh out loud, feel-good, romance. If you loved ‘The Bodyguard’ as much as I did, you have to read this one!

Aspiring screen writer, Emma Wheeler, is presented with an opportunity that she cannot turn down. For six weeks, she can write a love story with famous screenwriter, Charlie Yates. What could go wrong in six weeks? This story could not be more perfect. I adored the witty banter between the main characters and the slow growth of their relationship.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It makes me sad to not rate this book higher since I'm such a big fan of Katherine Center's books, but The Rom-Commers just never truly hooked me. The book was surprisingly quite heavy at times and complicated grief and illness play large roles in the story. Please be sure to check CW's, especially if you're expecting a lighthearted read.

The premise was a fun (if slightly unbelievable) one and Center is a truly talented and gifted writer. Unfortunately, the story didn't 100% deliver the rom (romance) or com (comedy). I found the writing style (the narrator speaks directly to the reader at times) quite distracting and was bothered by the stereotypical descriptions of Los Angeles. I recognize that my viewpoint is likely skewed on this one though, since I have lived in Los Angeles my entire adult life. Neither character was particularly likeable and I didn't feel their supposed romantic chemistry. I also didn't like that so much of the story moved forward because of eavesdropping and/or deceit. The third act conflict may have been rooted in good intentions, but I'm never a fan when this particular method is employed to create drama. So much could have been avoided if these two had a mature and honest conversation. Emma and Charlie were both so emotionally stunted, that I feel that they would have been better off going to therapy versus starting a romantic relationship.

The book had some swoony and sweet moments though (I'm such a sucker for the caretaker trope!) and I loved the secondary characters. The Jack Stapleton cameos were also a fun treat. I appreciated the hopeful and uplifting message of the book, but sadly, The Rom-Commers just didn't fully work for me.

CW: round the clock care of a parent, parent that has suffered a traumatic brain injury resulting in hemiplegia and also has Meniere's disease, death of parent (past, rock climbing related), guilt, grief, soft tissue sarcoma, near accidental drowning (past), fear of water, parental abandonment (past), car accident/threats to safety (on page), fall and emergency surgery/threats to life (secondary character)

OW/OM drama: some ex wife drama and some jealousy about an OM

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

As a huge Katherine Center fan I was so excited about this one! While it wasn’t my absolute favorite of hers, I’ve rated all but 1 five stars before this one so the bar is pretty high! Emma and Charlie have a unique working relationship and I really enjoyed watching their relationship evolve. Emma was super relatable and I loved how unapologetically herself she was. The concept of writing a rom com while reading a rom com was unique and I loved that there were serious undertones in the book. I feel like Emma would be such a fun friend to have! There were so many cute swoony moments in this book too!

Katherine Center has done it again with her latest novel, "The Rom-Commers." It's a heartwarming story with a touch of humor that fans will enjoy.

The FMC, Emma Wheeler, is someone many readers can relate to—a person torn between career ambitions and family responsibilities. As the story unfolds, we see her grappling with these challenges and uncovering deeper layers of emotion along the way. You really feel for Emma and the way she views the world through the lens of a writer and a hopeless romantic, even if she doesn't have first-hand experience in the romance department.

Spoiler: she gets first-hand experience really quick! The chemistry between the FMC, Emma, and MMC, Charlie Yates. is a highlight, bringing plenty of laughs and entertainment. Center handles their evolving relationship with skill, adding warmth and charm to the narrative.

Another strength of the book is its unexpected plot twists, keeping readers engaged until the end. The book was good at 50%, but it was about that mark that it spilled over from good and hooked me in to where I HAD to finish the book to see how it was going to end. The ending did not disappoint!

Overall, "The Rom-Commers" is a feel-good read that's sure to leave a smile on your face, despite navigating through some harder topics.

One standout feature is the surprise appearance of characters from Center's previous book, Jack Stapleton and Hannah from "The Bodyguard". It was a nice treat to see these familiar faces pop up in the story. Ahhh, swoon!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me review this eARC for free in exchange for an honest review. I will be adding this one to my bookshelf when it published this summer.

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors but this one just didn't hit the same way for me. It leaned more towards women's fiction than Romance, which I was not expecting based on the title. I really wish there had been more focus on the relationship.

The Rom-Commers is what I would classify as a 'second chance at life' story. The two main characters are tossed together by a mutual friend under the guise of a professional opportunity. They are both in a crossroads in their lives - one is a writer/professor who has made her life very small due to her family responsibilities. The other, a famous, well-known screenwriter whose life has taken a nosedive the last few years. As a loyal, faithful Katherine Center reader, I'd rate this in the middle of her collection of works. It's a very fast read (there is a lot of dialogue) and there are some ups and downs emotionally. I didn't want to put it down but I also wasn't really invested in their chemistry and their impending HEA.
Thanks so much for the ARC!

I so badly wanted to love this one, but it missed the mark a bit for me. My biggest issue was that I felt like it was emotionally manipulative and that very much took me out of the story. I loved the concept of writers coming together for this script and the fun Hollywood tidbits but it didn't fix the issues I had with the book.