Absolutely loved this read. I am a sucker for characters with great banter and this book delivered! Emma and Charlie both showed great growth throughout the story and it was fun to see their relationship develop. A must read for all rom-com fans!

Katherine Center's books to me are like taking a big bite of cotton candy. Light, fluffy, sweet, and a special treat. As her main character in "The Rom-Commers" explains, people read and watch romances because they want to see a happy ending, and she understands that to the letter in all of her books I have read.

In "The Rom-Commers," I enjoyed following Emma to L.A. where she meets a young and famed scriptwriter who has no idea what makes a rom-com work, but has to write one as part of a deal that will allow him to eventually make the movie he really wants to make. Though he doesn't want Emma's help, whatsoever, they end up start a begrudging partnership that quickly unfolds in multiple layers.

"The Rom-Commers" is the kind of book you can easily speed through when you're in a funk and just need something to take your mind off the real world for a little while, with a spunky protagonist, a fun premise, and a cute annoyances-to-love romance.

Katherine Center does it again!! She somehow writes everyday, difficult situations and leaves you filled with hope and joy. This story is hope-filled and delicious just like a good rom-com should be. The characters are captivating and our heroine Emma dazzles. Our brutally honest and often grumpy Charlie turns out to be an onion with deep layers. I laughed, I cried, I couldn’t put it down. These characters and this story will stick with me.

If Katherine Center writes it, I’m going to read it. And I’m going to mark and highlight and ruminate on every last word even the Acknowledgments.

Thank you so much to Katherine Center, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this book!

This was my second Katherine Center book and it was so fun! This book follows Emma & Charlie - two screen writers who work together to co-write a romantic comedy. Center's writing is just so fast paced and intriguing and I picture her books as movies the whole time I read them.

The main issue I had with this book was the male main character, Charlie. He was such a jerk through the whole entire book, yet we're supposed to want Emma to fall in love with him anyway. Towards the end, he gets his positive character arc, but it just made the majority of the book hard to root for them as a couple.

Overall, this was such a fun and quick read even though it wasn't my favorite from Center!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced readers copy of The Rom-Commers

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. Emma is finally going to get her chance at writing a screen play. Her friend Logan has set it all up for her. One problem is she has to go to LA. The other problem is the writer she will be working with doesn’t want to write with her. Katherine Center has written another great story of love and romance. This was a light hearted quick read that everyone will enjoy. I do think the cover could be more inviting. But, don’t judge a book by its cover!

Katherine Center's books should be classified as narcotics. They always leave me on such a euphoric high, so blissfully happy and hopeful. I don't know how she does it.

Meet Emma, a writer who has spent the last ten years looking after her dad after a tragic accident. She gets the opportunity of a lifetime helping her idol, Charlie Yates, a dramatic screenwriter who has won all the awards. She has to help him with his rom-com, which is terrible. Let the shenanigans begin.

I love that Katherine Center wrote this whole book as a defence of romance and rom-coms. The characters are wonderful, and when they are together, it's absolute magic.

Thanks to Netgalley and St.Martin's press for the advanced reader copy. I look forward to June 11, to get a physical copy of this book, with it's absolutely gorgeous cover. I love this book and highly recommend it!

Emma, a gifted but unknown writer whose life revolves around caregiving for her disabled father, gets the opportunity of a lifetime to go out to LA and collaborate with Charlie, an award-winning screenwriter who certainly has his own demons and dark corners. Their unlikely partnership starts out rough and blooms into much more.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🚫

Katherine Center books are always unique. This book about writing was a bit on the nose in terms of talking about the industry. Some of it felt like insider baseball but I enjoyed those bits. Her characters are great and likable, even in their annoying traits.

My one criticism of this book was the use of three separate instances where Emma eavesdrops to her own peril. Using that device three times to drive the plot felt unnecessary.

I usually like a little bit of steam in my romcoms and this one was quite devoid of it, but it worked really well. This book built emotion better than many I’ve read lately.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy! This book publishes on June 11, 2024.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center focuses on two screenwriters attempting to fix a bad romcom screenplay. So, since there is some stuff here about writing, I feel I shouldn’t use cliches to describe it. However, I just can’t help it. I absolutely must say that I laughed out loud and had tears in my eyes at various points in the book. I also have to say that this is the best romcom I have read in a very long time. So, please forgive these lapses as I rhapsodize about this novel.

First, the book has so much heart. The reader roots for the main characters from the beginning. They are all good people. Second, beneath the swoons and banter, there are some life lessons here. For example, we know that a romcom, as well as life, will end the same way. “So, it can’t be where you’re going that matters. It has to be how you get there.” Also, “Love is something you can practice. It’s something you can choose to get good at.” And finally, humor is present throughout, even though the characters face some tough challenges. Human dignity and resilience prevails and there is so much joy.

Normally, if I think a romcom is fun and well-written, I give 4;stars because, well, you know, it’s just a romance. However, because this book checks all the boxes of a really good romcom, AND there is more here that the reader can carry into his or her own life, it earns 5 stars.

Katherine Center can do no wrong. Last year at this time I had never read her, and now I’ve read everything she’s written and am waiting impatiently for more. She’s one of those writers who delivers a happy ending, but she destroys you emotionally before you get there. Up there with Emily Henry and Kristan Higgins, she fools you with the sparkly covers and adorable banter, and before you know it, you are sobbing and it’s 3 a.m. Emma and Charlie’s story is sweet, sad, and beautiful. You should read it.

“I had a theory that we gravitate toward the stories we need in life. Whatever we’re longing for—adventure, excitement, emotion, connection—we turn to stories that help us find it.  Whatever questions we’re struggling with—sometimes ones so deep, we don’t even really know we’re asking them—we look for answers in stories.  Love stories had lifted me up, delighted me, and educated me on the power of human kindness for years. I knew a lot about love. A lot more, I bet, than all the people who took it for granted. So it was fine. I knew who I was.”

How does Katherine Center always seem to know the exact words I need to hear or need to express my own feelings. To say I love her books and her writing is a vast understatement. So I can’t tell you how excited I was to receive an early copy of her upcoming novel The Rom-Commers! (like fangirl excited!)

The Rom-Commers follows Emma, who dreams of being a screenwriter as gets her once in a lifetime opportunity to help re-write a rom-com script (her favorite type of story) with the famous screenwriter (and her own personal favorite writer) Charlie Yates. Once small problem. Charlie doesn’t want to do this project as he doesn’t believe in rom-coms or even in love for that matter. So how can she convince him that not only does the world want the typical romcom, but that love is real.

This book was everything. I was the perfect grumpy vs sunshine story full of witty banter. I was full of swoons, and laughter, and heavy moments, and love. It was a perfect example of a typical romcom and the joy they can bring to our lives because: “Real life doesn’t come with warnings.” “That’s why fiction is better than real life.”

Mark those calendars now, this one comes out June 11, 2024!

Thank you so much to @katherinecenter @stmartinspress @smpromance and @netgalley for this early copy of this wonderful story!

All of the stars to this book. This is my new favorite Katherine Center book, hands down. I received the ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and have already pre-ordered my copy. This book is nothing short of incredible. It has all the elements of a good rom-com, and if you aren’t sure what those are then you definitely need to read this book!

…and she does it again! A rom com about two screenwriters co-writing… a rom com. It’s meta as hell; and, in true Center fashion, it brought me pure joy (and in this case, a healthy cry). Full review to come closer to pub date.

Katherine Center never disappoints! After giving both The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger 5 stars, I had high hopes for this one. I had the best time reading this book. Fast paced, funny, heartfelt, I never wanted to put this book down.

The fmc, Emma, is an aspiring screenwriter who takes care of her dad full time. When offered the chance to work with her favorite screenwriter of all time, the mmc Charlie, she can’t pass it up.

I loved the banter between these two and how it really felt like there was a friendship there before a relationship. Emma was funny, relatable, and realistic, while Charlie was a little grumpy, had a cynical outlook on love, and fine to keep to himself. I loved watching Emma break through his walls and become the reason he believes in love.

Emma’s story with her family, mainly her dad, was incredibly heartbreaking and had me a little teary at points. The things she’s gone through and the things she still deals with really molded her into who she is / really contribute to her outlook on life. I love when a romance book has a deeper meaning / lesson underneath that contributes to the characters life and relationships.

It was fun to see them rewriting a screenplay together and watching their relationship start to develop because of that, but then become something more through regular day to day life. I just really enjoyed the whole story, the characters, the pacing, banter, family dynamics, getting to see Jack & Hannah again, you name it. I really loved this book.

My biggest and ONLY gripe: I could not figure out if I loved Charlie or not for the majority of this book. Half the time I enjoyed his character and was rooting for him and the other half I wanted to scream!! But then at the end when it all unravels and you get answers, he makes sense. His words and actions make sense. I just maybe wish he had communicated a bit more, but I understand why he didn’t.

All in all, another hit from Katherine Center! Thank you SMP for the arc.

Go ahead and do yourself a favor and grab this for your summer beach bag -- and then accidentally stay up wayyy too late to finish it that same night! Emma and Charlie's story gripped me from the start. This was what I have come to think of as classic Katherine Center --- a wonderful romantic love story filled with depth and comedy and a *few* moments where you need to suspend disbelief but it is worth it to be along for the ride. It was a joy to read and I will continue to pick up everything Katherine Center writes!

Another absolute gem from Katherine Center! I devoured this book in one day and do not regret it! I loved these witty, neurotic characters and how their love of writing led to love for eachother. 10/10 would recommend this book!

I've loved the last two of Katherine Center's books beyond compare. They were such joys to read, and while I did have a good time with The Rom-Commers, I'm not sure it hit me in the same way. While there were many things to love about this story, I couldn't help but think that there was something missing in the relationships that were presented. Sometimes it felt like the time jumps were moving too quickly, and others like it was too slow. This was still a fun story, but I'm not sure that it's Katherine Center's best work as of late.

The Rom-Commers is a big two-thumbs up for me. I enjoyed everything about the storyline and the characters and cannot wait for the audiobook to come out so I can experience it again!
In this fun rom-com about rom-coms, screenwriter Emma Wheeler takes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ghostwrite for her favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates. She packs up her lucky hoodie and her writing gear and heads to LA for her lucky break. Following true Katherine Center fashion, the reader is taken along on a journey of romantic ups and downs with Emma that only a true rom-com could provide. We all know what the outcome will be - happily ever after. But, as Center says - it's all about the anticipation and the hope you feel in process of getting to that happily every after.

Many thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the Advanced Readers Copy of The Rom-Commers.

Aspiring screenwriter, Emma Wheeler has sacrificed a lot to take care of her father after a tragic accident that left him half paralyzed and killed her mother. Her little sister’s dreams have always come before hers until she gets a job offer that she cannot refuse. She is hired to ghost write with her favorite author , Charlie Yates. The problem? Charlie Yates can’t stand rom-coms, doesn’t believe in love, and doesn’t work with ANYONE. Emma is determined to make him change his mind. Throughout the process, it looks like she might do just that.

This book was the easiest five stars I have ever given! Katherine Center absolutely KILLED IT with this one. Her writing style is just so wonderfully casual and light that you feel like you are actually in someone else’s head for a bit. The way she writes from Emma’s POV is incredibly charming. I loved her immediately.

The story itself is beautiful. Emma is working through the grief and guilt she feels after her parents’ accident. Charlie is struggling to see the good in life after his wife leaves him on the same day he is diagnosed with cancer. The emotion their stories bring to the table is just so raw and inspirational.

I 1000% recommend this book. Katherine Center is an absolute must-read author.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

This has about everything a romantic comedy should have. It made me laugh and tear up, it had you routing for the main characters and truly caring what happened to them. The Rom-Commers was such a wonderful book and was exactly the romance I was needing to read.

Emma Wheeler, a devoted daughter and aspiring rom-com writer, has tasked herself with caring for her disabled father following a tragic accident. When her best friend and former boyfriend, Logan, presents her with a life-changing opportunity, Emma takes a leap of faith, leaving her father in the care of her younger sister, Sylvie.

Enter Charlie Yates, a renowned screenwriter faced with an unusual challenge: to write a romantic comedy, a genre outside his comfort zone. Logan orchestrates a collaboration between Emma and Charlie, forcing them to work together on what could be the most epic rom-com ever. However, Charlie isn’t into the plan and is used to working solo, creating tension between the two.

I promise this story will tug at your heartstrings, with Emma’s father’s situation, flirty banter and moments of humor, even some dramatic and stressful moments that brought tears to my eyes. The Rom-Commers is packed with all my favorite tropes, including forced-proximity, grumpy v sunshine, and strangers-to-lovers, making it an easy 5 star read for me - my first of 2024!

The only gentle critique I have about this book is that at times, I noticed a few words that felt a bit like leafing through a thesaurus. Overall, though, 'The Rom-Commers' is a delightful journey that I'd gladly take again!