Whenever I have the latest novel by Katherine Center in my hands, I just want to sink into a comfortable chair, shut out the rest of the world around me, and just curl up with her words. That to me is complete bliss.

The Rom-Commers was everything that I had hoped it would be. Another five-star read from one of my favorite authors. This novel had emotion, humor, romantic tension, and wonderful characters. Did I mention the romantic tension? Yes, well, that is my thing. The push and pull between the two main characters was everything that I adore. From beginning to end, this book stole my heart, and I didn’t care if I got it back.

How could a reader not love Emma Wheeler? Impossible! She was loyal, devoted, quirky, kind, and in need of a break – personally and career-wise. When she was offered the chance to help her all-time favorite screenwriter rewrite his romantic comedy, she was thrilled with the opportunity but filled with worry over leaving her primary obligation as caregiver for her dad. Even with her younger sister agreeing to come and care for their dad for the time that Emma would be away, she was still nervous to leave him.

As it turned out, Emma was not the only one with concerns. Charlie Yates just wanted to get this project done and over with. He didn’t write with anyone else, and romantic comedies were certainly not in his normal wheelhouse. This was a means to an end, and he just wanted to cross the finish line with something resembling a romance. Plain and simple. He certainly didn’t want to spend his days writing alongside of someone with very little experience.

Emma and Charlie had great banter. Their interactions throughout the book were golden. While Emma was a firm believer in love, Charlie had become much more cynical about the whole idea of love. Did I always like him? Nope. But as I mentioned, the push and pull, the will they-won’t they is basically what I live for in a romance book, so I was in my zone, feeling every little emotion right alongside of Emma.

Whenever I keep checking my Kindle to see how much time I have left in a novel, and dreading reaching that final page, I know I have found a winner. Katherine Center is one my favorite authors for a reason, and she never fails to put a smile on my face and deliver a story that finds a spot in my heart.

*5 Stars

How can every single book written by Katherine Center be an absolute banger?!?! Ugh seriously, so swoony, so PERFECT! I loved this story. I love her writing. & I love how you always fall head over heels for the characters. Most importantly, I love that her books always feature closed door romances. You get all the longing without the gross 🍆 talk lol

Thank you so much NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press & the wonderful Katherine Center for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange of my honest review! I truly enjoyed the realness of this book with the life issues Emma goes through between juggling her job, responsiblities, and dreams while trying to take care of her father. Emma gets a great opportunity to follow her dreams as a screenwriter, but along the way finds love and friendship.

I am generally not one for closed-door unless a romance really grips me. The Rom-Commers had me locked down. I literally cried- this was a totally in my feels book that was also really funny and cathartic.

Con- I am one of those people who don't love when they use someone's full name again and again. Unless the joke is REALLY funny, on the page it just doesn't play well and I get annoyed. He (Charlie Yates) was also a bit of a tool. I got past it but meh.

Pros- grief representation FTW! I had a very Silver Linings Playbook experience. It was raw and real and funny and I'm here for that kind of relatability that is also full of laughter and joy.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance copy of The Rom-Commers. This one is available for purchase today!

I’m a Katherine Center fan and have loved almost all of the works I’ve read by her (I have one or two on her backlist I believe), but this one wasn’t my favorite of hers. I really had trouble connecting with the male character, and found him to be too grumpy/over the top for me. At about 65% into the book, I was pretty surprised that I was still finding issues as to why these two were having such an issue communicating. I love Center’s writing style, and I never have an issue with her pacing, but I think these troupes just aren’t my favorite, so this one was a bit of a miss for me. I’ll definitely continue to read her future works because she’s been an author that I’ve given 5-stars to, and I know her work can mesh with my tastes.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for this honest review! Pub date was summer 2024, and you can pick this one up now!

I absolutely adored this one! My biggest complaint is that I can't get over how she never apologized to Sylvie for what hurtful things she said. I also can't get over how mean Charlie is for such a loooonnnggg period of time in the book.

I'm a sucker for Katherine Center, so I was ecstatic to receive an advanced copy of this title. No surprise that I loved this one! The way she writes female characters has always fascinated me - like they're real, normal girls that I would meet out on the streets of my hometown. I can't wait to see what she does next!

I love a good Katherine Center book. the banter and story line kept me reading.I really loved the depth of the story as well as the character development. highly recomend.

I love everything Katherine Center writes. There isn’t a book of hers that hasn’t been one of my top of the year. Needless to say, Katherine’s latest book, The Rom-Commers is one of my favourite books I have read this year.

The novel centers around Emma Wheeler, who has put her dreams on hold to care for her ailing father. When Emma gets a call to head to L.A. for a few weeks to work with famous screenwriter, Charlie Yates, the opportunity is too good to pass up. The writing gig is a bit unconventional, seeing as Emma has been hired to re-write an entire love story and Charlie is unaware that Emma has been hired to do so. What happens when romantic-at-heart and someone who supposedly doesn’t have a heart collide? Well, it’s pure Katherine Center magic!

✨ THE ROM-COMMERS ✨
Rating: 5 ⭐️ - I Loved It!

Are we looking at potentially my FAVORITE ROMANCE of the YEAR?! This one totally took me by surprise and I loved every second! HUGE TY for my ARC!

❤️ for my LOVERS of enemies to lovers, “writer” themed romcoms, BANTER like no other, laughing out loud, heartfelt stories!

❤️ the PLOT line was so much fun - two writers with undeniable chemistry, set off to write a rom-com?!

❤️ EMMA & CHARLIE - oh where do I BEGIN?

❤️ these VIBES were unmatched - I laughed & cried through this entire thing - through the heartfelt moments, sweet ones - this felt like everything we love about 2000’s rom-coms

❤️ this is an incredibly fast, BINGEABLE read!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC of the book.

Emma Wheeler has a dream to be a sucesseful screenwriter but family responsibilities prevent her from following her dream. One day Emma’s agent makes an offer that she cannot refuse: to work with Charlie Yates on a rom com screenplay. Emma takes a leap of faith by leaving her younger sister to take care of their dad and agrees to spend 6 weeks with her idol Charlie.

Katherine Center filled this book with humor, cuteness and pinch of sadness. It was really hard to put this book away as I wanted to stay longer with characters and see what cute funny situation they will end up.

I am not generally a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, but I AM a fan of Katherine Center. Still, I went into The Rom-Commers with a slight bit of apprehension. So I am pleased (but also not surprised) to announce I really enjoyed Ms. Center’s newest release!

This book had everything I enjoy in a story:
➤ A down-on-her-luck heroine who keeps persisting in the face of all her challenges
➤ A cantankerous (but secretly cinnamon roll) hero
➤ Heartbreaking situations that are balanced perfectly with plenty of humor

This was a totally feel-good story with a surprising amount of depth and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

There are two things about Katherine Center’s writing that are turning me into a big fan. First, she manages to take well-worn tropes but not have them travel completely into the oft-used cliched routes. And second, it takes a special author to bring the heart and heat to a story you wouldn’t mind recommending to your grandma. In a day when gratuitous steamy times in books is celebrated and closed-door is often viewed as second-class romance, I’m so thrilled to see Katherine Center getting the accolades and wide-spread attention she very rightly deserves.

And as I do with most of the books I thoroughly enjoy, I also listened to the audiobook. Patti Muran is quickly becoming a favorite narrator. Her comedic timing with dialog and her voice inflections totally level up every story she narrates!

* thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review
*thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review

Katherine Center has certainly found her voice, and it is seriously very funny, relatable and romantic. The Rom-Commers is a poignant love story about two emotionally damaged writers who have different opinions about what a love story should consist of as well as a love-hate relationship with the opposite sex. But, by reluctantly working together not only do they learn so much more about themselves, but each other and well, life.

Emma Wheeler is a writer. Unfortunately, not many people know this. You see, Emma is the primary caregiver of her father who was seriously injured years ago. Although she has a younger sister, she has chosen to take care of him so her sister can pursue her dreams. When Emma suddenly gets the opportunity of a lifetime to help a writer she has always admired work on a screenplay, a romcom no less, she says...no.

She feels like she can't leave her father in her sister's hands. She just knows something will happen. Her fear overpowers her ambition. But, when the two of them gang up on her she has no other choice but to go. How bad good it possibly be?

Charlie Yates is an every award winning writer. He has written many screenplays before, but never a romance. He thought he had done a great job, until he was told he hadn't. He decides he doesn't need any help and he will figure this out by himself. Until this woman named Emma knocks on his door.

Meanwhile, Emma realizes she has been bamboozled. The great Charlie Yates not only did not know she was coming, but had never read anything by her! Initially, she decides to go home, but after some thought, Charlie realizes he probably could use "a little" help and convinces Emma to stay for one week only. Fine by her!

As Emma begins to realize Charlie knows nothing about writing a romance story or about love or even about happiness, she realizes he's not exactly the man she had put on that pedastal. But why does he seem so damaged?

Emma decides she is going to stay as long as it takes to write the best romcom ever written. But convincing Charlie of what that looks like is not going so well. As they butt heads, they also each begin to see what they thought were flaws in each other, were really past traumas which were never resolved.

Will love conquer killing each other? We will see in this absolutely adorably smart, charmingly romantic novel, The Rom-Commers. You will want to stay and visit in Emma and Charlie's wonderfully awkward delightful world.

Thank you #NetGalley #St.MartinsPress #KatherineCenter #TheRom-Commers for the advanced copy.

Katherine Center is such a consistent writer. Her books are memorable and sweet. The closed-door romance is well-done. Readers looking for a lot of spice won't find it here, but there is a lot of heart. This book is laugh out loud funny and times and is reminiscent of Annabel Monaghan's Nora Goes Off Script-I couldn't think of a higher compliment if I tried. I look forward to sharing this one with readers.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader's copy of this title in exchange for my honest feedback.

I've enjoyed Katherine Center's books in the past, so I was very excited to see that she had a new book coming out! "The Rom-Commers" is centered around Emma, who has put off her dreams of writing screenplays (particularly in the romantic comedy genre) because of an accident that resulted in her mother's death and her father's disabilities. After her sister graduates from college, Emma finally has the chance to realize her dream when she's given the opportunity to help famous screenwriter Charlie Yates edit his screenplay. Unfortunately, upon meeting Charlie, he makes it very clear that he doesn't want her help. However, as the two spend more time together, they realize they have more in common with each other than they ever imagined.

While I typically enjoy the enemies-to-lovers and enclosed spaces trope, the chemistry/feelings between Emma and Charlie didn't feel authentic to me. I've also read several books recently with a similar co-writing storyline, so it didn't feel as fresh to me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I am a fantasy lover. First and for most I always go fantasy. But they can get heavy and I like to pop in a romance to cleans the pallet if you will. I have read several other books by Katherine Center and truly I loved them. This was no different. I find it so much fun. I love how the author makes the characters relatable and have just enough depth you quickly become invested and almost obsessed. I dont want to put the book down I want to keep reading it. I always have a moment of laughter and then soon a awe misty eyed feeling. This book was fun, cute and all the things you want in a cute rom com. I mean the title is truly very fitting. If this is your first book by this author. Its fun.

Absolutely loved it!!! Katherine Center nailed the romance in this book: it was swoony and full of the best banter!! I laughed out loud and even cried a bit… I think Emma’s dad needs his own book!!

4.5 I loved this book a lot more than expected. It was heartwrenching, witty, funny and just plain good.

I love Katherine Center books, this one though, for me, was a little slow and I couldn't finish loving the main characters. I tried my hardest but I had to go several times back because I got lost. I know this is an unpopular opinion, and believe me when I said that it hurts me making this review cause I really wanted to love it. I have to say that some parts were funny and I couldn't stop laughing, but other parts were like "wait, what just happened?" I will totally recommend this book if it is their first encounter with Katherine Center, cause it will get better from this book and I'm sure they will enjoy all her previous work.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin Press for this ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

This was cute! How could someone who loves rom-coms not love a book centred around writing one? While there was a little bit of chemistry between the two main characters, I would have liked more. Writing was fine (this had zero eye-rolls from me, and KC often features eye rolls for me). Cute Easter eggs from characters from previous books. Also, mentioning the power washing game was a super win, as a wife to someone now plays one fairly often. Overall, not a bad read.