Katherine Center delivers another engaging romance with The Rom-Commers, a charming, funny, and heartfelt novel that plays with rom-com tropes while celebrating the magic of love stories. Emma Wheeler, an aspiring screenwriter, finally gets her big break—rewriting a script for her screenwriting idol, Charlie Yates. The only problem? Charlie is a grumpy cynic who doesn’t believe in love, let alone romantic comedies. As they work together, their creative battles and undeniable chemistry make for an entertaining and emotionally satisfying story.

I appreciated how the characters felt real and flawed, especially Charlie, who wasn’t the typical too-perfect male romantic lead. His grumpiness wasn’t just for show—it had depth, and Emma’s optimism challenged him in all the right ways. Their dynamic made the story fun to read, with plenty of witty banter and a slow-burn romance that felt natural.

That said, the obligatory third-act breakup and grand reunion felt a little cheesy, forced, and predictable, but honestly, that’s something I expect from most romance novels. Despite that, the journey was thoroughly enjoyable, and Center’s signature warmth and humor made it an easy book to love.

I gave this book 4 stars for its relatable characters, smart dialogue, and feel-good romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book. My review is voluntary and reflects my honest opinion.

the BEST romcoms are the ones that make me sob uncontrollably and feel the full spectrum of human emotions. perfect for anyone looking for that BEACH READ-size hole in their heart.

The Rom-Commers was my first Katherine Center book and it did not disappoint. I was a little hesitant when I saw the ~miscommunication~ trope listed but it never felt like the *sigh* miscommunication trope if you know what I mean. It didn’t get dragged out which was great.

The angst and banter in this book was *chef’s kiss* - I absolutely fell in love with Emma and Charlie as characters.

If you are looking for a fun and witty romcom definitely check this one out!

A love letter to rom-coms with all the wit, charm, and swoon-worthy moments you’d expect. Katherine Center once again proves she’s a master of feel-good fiction!

This book was a solid 5 star read for me until the third act breakup/conflict. When the author went there, it just really bothered me. Up until that point though I loved both the main characters and the screenplay writing microgenre. The banter between the two characters was palpable and funny, and the flaws were believable. The resolution of this was just not it for me.

loved the banter and the main characters relationship in general. some very heavy themes but i thought the way the were approached was very good.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was cute and had an interesting concept. The main issue for me was that the epilogue felt totally unnecessary and wrapped everything up into a way too cliche message about the meaning of life. I already got that message from the story itself and was annoyed that an enjoyable story turned into what felt like a lecture on what I was supposed to get from reading it. Also Emma is the CEO of doing CRAZY things for a job because why did she THROW her script at the director? If you can’t handle secondhand embarrassment, this is not the book for you. But it was a good time.

4.5 ⭐️

I think I just found a new auto-buy author! Obsessed is an understatement!

This was so fun, witty & well-written — I almost forgot I was reading a book because the FMC & MMC felt real (also, I wish I could watch their rom-com IRL)!

It was so refreshing to read a romance that had those real, everyday moments of showing love & affection… like noticing the simple little things in another person that make your heart flutter. So detailed and just… UGH, so good!!

Oh boy, I am truly going to have to hold myself back on this one to keep me from fully ripping this one to shreds. When I tell you that this book made me rethink every 1 star I have given recently because none of them messure up to the absolute ANGER I felt while reading this I mean it. In fact I would argue I'm underselling you. The only reason I didn't DNF this was because I had heard so many good things about this book and part of me just kept thinking it had to get better. No, it only got worse. I truly don't even know how I need to properly convey to you just how terrible this book is.
Let's start with our main character. Emma was unbearable. I genuinely think she was the devil, no exageration. At the start I didn't think she was that bad. I still didn't like her though. She flip-flopped between being the most egotistical person you have ever met and being the most insecure, whiny person you've ever met. I don't know how that possible. However, when it comes to the third act conflict, and what goes down in the storyline with her dad I truly do not know how to descibe her actions as anything else but just pure and uther evil. I also just felt so incredibly gaslit by this book as our main character faced 0 consequences, never apologised, nothing. In fact she was apologised to. It gave me such a massive ick. I'm also convinced she's a narcissist. That's not a term I throw around lightly. But the way she manages to make every single situation about herself and just throw a fucking temper tantrum when it isn't just makes it impossible to say anything else. I hated her so much. My eyes literally started producing tears out of pure anger. I don't think I've ever experienced that at a book.
Charlie wasn't much better, it's just that we are never in his head so it can never get just as bad. However, I still found him such an incompetent manchild who on top of that also just is misogynistic and elitist. There quite literally is a character in this book that is even more sexist and elitist and I'm 100% convined that is to not make Charlie seem as bad as he is. He also just was incredibly rude, and I couldn't. I don't know if it is because I absolutely DESPISE both of our leads but I just saw 0 chemistry. 99% of their conversations are them just arguing for arguments sake. I truly did not get it. I didn't see it. The fact that their first kiss happens after a major guilt trip also just doesn't really help. It's ironic that this book is about Emma fixing Charlie's rom-com script to make it actually into something romantic, because there just wasn't anything romantic in this book. I do not get it. I don't know how many times I can say that but I truly do not get it.
Also it is an incredibly minor thing about this book but it really pissed me but Charlie has a guinea pig whose brother recently died. Whenever this guinea pig gets mentioned it is mentioned how he has been utterly depressed since then, and never really eats. It is even mentioned that guinea pigs are such big herd animals. However, the extremely simple solution of GETTING ANOTHER GUINEA PIG is just never brought up. There are certain countries in which it is literally ILLEGAL to only get one guinea pig because they literally get so lonely they die, but no one ever comes up with the idea to get this poor animal a new friend. As mentioned before I know this is just such a small part of this book but it just perfectly examplifies to me just how frustrating the reading experience of this book was in general.

🎬Review - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5🎬

Emma Wheeler has been the sole caretaker for her dad, who needs full time care, since he was in a tragic accident a few years ago. While taking care of her dad, Emma’s dreams of being a full time screenwriter have taken a back seat.

That all changes when she gets a phone call from her agent, asking her to work on a screen play with Charlie Wheeler, a writer Emma has obsessed over for quite awhile.

The twist is, Emma has no idea that Charlie hasn’t agreed to have some help rewriting his terrible rom-com screen play. Can these two come together to make the screen play as successful as Emma knows it can be?

I loved Emma and Charlie so much. I love a good grumpy x sunshine and Katherine Center hit the nail on the head with this one. I also really enjoyed Emma’s family dynamic and seeing how much support she had from her sister and her dad.

✨Read if you like:
🎬Grumpy x sunshine
🎬Forced proximity
🎬Working romance
🎬Single POV
🎬Slowburn

⚠️TW: death of a parent

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine. Please, please, please, write a likeable FMC again. PLEASE. Emma was so whiny and exhausting. I needed to root for her, and all I was rooting for was the end of this book.

A really fun rom com. I loved all of the characters and the plot was good. I don't really have many comments about this one besides that I liked it. Will definitely be reading her next one! I was here for the vibes and the vibes were great.

LOVED this book. Fell in love with these characters and loved the back and forth they had and the way they pushed each other. One of my favorite Katherine Center books to date!

I love Katherine Center's sense of humor. The story was easy and fun. I did feel like neither main character appropriately addressed their internal arc so I have doubts on this being a happily ever after and more so a happily for now.
Also... the guinea pig Katherine?! Did you really have to do that to us?!

Emma wants to be a screenwriter but family circumstances have kept her in Houston as the primary caregiver for her Dad. When an unexpected opportunity arises for Emma to co-author a romcom movie script, she takes it, but the path is anything but smooth from the very beginning. Popular screenwriter Charlie Yates doesn’t work with other writers and didn’t know Emma was even coming to LA. He’s reluctant to co-write, doesn’t believe in love, and questions Emma’s commitment to writing due to her passing up past opportunities. So, things should go swimmingly, right? 

Emma has long held Charlie on a pedestal… but soon she begins to realize Charlie knows nothing about writing a romance story or about love or even about happiness. In fact he seems a bit damaged. She is determined to stay and write the script *and* get to know Charlie. As they butt heads, they also begin to see what they thought were flaws in each other, were really past traumas which were never resolved.

Katherine Center is the queen of writing fun characters with witty banter and this book is no different! While Charlie and Emma couldn’t be more different, they were such fun characters to get to know, flaws and all. What I actually appreciated most was that they actually communicated and talked about their issues (aka no miscommunication trope which I loathe!!!) and found growth from it! It was quite the charming book.

I love KC, so this one really disappointed me! I found the characters unlikeable and the romance cringe. Unfortunately, it just never came together for me or got any better. 2.5/5

I found The Rom -Commers to be an engaging and refreshing read. The romance moved at a pace that kept me rooting for Emma and Charlie to get together. The focus on Emma’s family, and how those relationships affected her romantic and professional life, resonated with me.
I would love to see this book adapted!!

Let me begin by stating that I have read Katherine's other books and that I always find something to love about her writing! When I first started reading Emma Wheeler's story, my heart was already hurting! ❤️ Her devotion to her father is admirable, but the chance to chase her long-lost dream? Very hard to resist! ✨ Working with her favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates, screams potential for humor, passion, and all the feels, and it was delivered!😍

With Katherine Center's trademark charm, clever repartee, and poignant moments, this romantic comedy is not to be missed! 🎥💞 I enjoyed seeing Emma’s journey unfold 🚀📚

It only took reading two of her books for Katherine Center to become a must read author for me. Her witty banter, intriguing plot lines, and heartfelt romance make it almost impossible to not devour each book in one sitting. The Rom-Commers had me laughing, crying, and utterly obsessed.

An enemies to lovers story with a touch of forced proximity and grumpy/sunshine, there were so many layers to like about Emma and Charlie’s story. Center knows how to pull readers in with an enchanting premise, and then hook them with the likability and charm of her characters. Mixed with the heart melting romance are also very real, and very difficult themes/moments, that are handled with care and definitely resonated with me.

The Rom-Commers was one of my favorite books of the year with a romance I was rooting for from the first page to the last. I can’t wait to read what Center publishes next.

What a fun meta take on a rom comm with layers of rom comminess woven throughout as Emma and Charlie fall into their own romantic traps.