Emma put her life and career on hold to care for her sweetheart-of-a-dad when tragedy struck. Now she
gets the opportunity of a lifetime to help re-write a rom-com screenplay with screenwriter Charlie Yates, Emma’s idol, but the job isn’t exactly as described.

I absolutely loved The Rom-Commers! I laughed, I cried, and my heart soared with joy! Hard to go wrong with Katherine Center. There’s always layers, with the characters and with the story. I don’t want to break everything down, because I feel it’s better to go in and experience all the lovely for yourself, but it’s a definite 5-Star recommend!

I alternately read and listened to an audio version of the story, and I can recommend either version. Patti Murrin narrates, and she acted her heart out, bringing out all the emotions, making each character come to life! So wonderful! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed

Of almost all of the books I’ve read I think Charlie has the biggest ego. At first he comes off as a jerk but under that is a very sweet complex guy. He is not the perfect guy and says the wrong things- often but I think all of that is what makes him a great character. Might be one of my favorite characters written in a while.

Emma is a good character and has her own issues but I feel like she was needed more to show Charlie the way and not the other way around.

Put the two together and we’ve got a great story…until the ballroom scene. It was cringey in my opinion. Everything besides that one scene I loved.

Katherine Center can always be depended on to give us beautiful, closed-door romances with a bit of angst. The Rom-Commers is no exception. She tackles everything from sacrifice in the name of love, abandonment issues, grief, and misplaced guilt to the worthiness of the romantic comedy genre and the challenges of working in the film industry in Los Angeles.

Emma was a promising screenwriter who sacrificed probable success and ten years of her life to take care of her younger sister and her father who suffered a traumatic brain injury when she was a teen. She’s earned a living writing freelance movie reviews, but her former high school boyfriend-turned-talent manager continues to send her job prospects. When the opportunity to work as a ghostwriter for her favorite screenwriter Charlie Yates is offered, it’s a chance she is loath to pass up. He’s famous for “guy” films but is being forced to write a romantic comedy in order to get the green light for his next gangster film. He, like so many other “serious” writers, disdains the genre and, not surprisingly, is no good at writing them. Lucky for him, Emma’s an expert and she refuses to let him ruin “his career, the romantic comedy genre as a whole, and all our lives with this nuclear-waste-fueled dumpster fire of a screenplay.” If she can just get past his curmudgeonly appearance and grumpy demeanor (that makes him seem 20 years older than he is) and break down the walls he has built after being abandoned by both his mother and ex-wife, then she might be able to teach him a thing or two about what makes for a successful romance, that love is real (and not just in the movies), and that sacrifice and risk are worth it if you find the right person.

There’s so much to love about this story: the witty banter and snark (especially the frozen veggies on the bruised tailbone scene); the way Emma challenges Charlie, first by being brutally honest about how bad his first rom-com screenplay is and then by forcing him into immersion research on romance (something he’s committed to in his previous movies but resists for what he considers not worth the effort); the fact that she has a virtual museum of movies kisses on her laptop for Charlie to view with her, but still thinks real-life experience is better; how Emma and Charlie’s relationship is so obviously classic rom-com material, including everything from line dancing to literally falling into each other (which Emma insisted wasn’t the least bit romantic until it happened to her); and, finally, Emma’s take on happily-ever-after: “We act like ‘and they lived happily ever after’ is trying to con us into thinking that nothing bad ever happened to anyone ever again. But that’s never the way I read those words. I read them as ‘and they built a life together, and looked after each other, and made the absolute best of their lives.’ For fans of Center’s The Bodyguard, there is even a cameo from Jack Stapleton who is slated to star in the film. This is rom-com gold for fans of Christina Lauren and Abby Jimenez. Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Center, and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I love Katherine Center, and I could not wait to read this one! And just as I had hoped, it did not disappoint! This story and main characters just made me smile and I became so attached to them and even though I couldn't put this one down, I hated to see the story end! 5 star read for me!

First I would like to thanks St. Martin's Press for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the story of Emma Wheeler, freelance screen writer, who after getting call from her agent asking if she would move to L.A. to fix her favorite screenwriter's, Charlie Yates, romcom script. When she is pushed out of her house by her sister and dad, who needs full-time care, she arrives in L.A. and learns that not only did Charlie not know she was coming he refused to work with her. Charlie decides he will work with Emma, after she says how horrible his romcom script is, and she moves into his house then spends the first evening taking Charlie's script apart explaining why it's terrible. They start to get into a writing rhythm and Emma continues to push Charlie out of his comfort zone and forces him to reenact the bad scenes he wrote in his scrip to prove they are not romantic. While performing these reenactments lines start to blur and both Emma and Charlie are confused what is real and what is for the script. After something happens between Emma and Charlie and Emma's dad ends up in the hospital, Emma quits the project and returns home refusing to see Charlie again. Charlie flies to Houston to see Emma and wants to do everything to help her even when she continues to refuse any help from him.

What I loved:
- Banter, Charlie and Emma have amazing banter between the two of them and I love how they refuse to pull verbal punches when they speak
- Emma, she sacrificed her dreams to take care of her dad after the accident and she still is a great screenwriter who is willing to fight for what she wants even if it means continuing to sacrifice what she wants
- Rom Commers, the movie they end up writing together seems like such a fun story in itself since its a fictionalized version of their time together
- Charlie, even though he is very frustrating at times I love seeing the growth in him throughout the story and how when it comes to someone he loves he will do what he needs to to take care of them

Overall I really enjoyed this book and it was a great start to my summer reading journey. It has a great family story, fun characters, some unnecessary drama and a really sweet romance that you will root for throughout. If you are looking for a romantic comedy where the two main characters continuously spar, push each other to be better and have a great cast of side characters I would absolutely recommend you go pickup this book.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

I don’t think this author is for me, which is a surprise to me as she is a well loved author. This is my 3rd of her books and they all fall, unfortunately, in the just okay category.

It took me a while to figure out why I didn’t love this one but I think it’s a couple things. I did not like how the narrator talks to the reader, it took me out of the story and I found it distracting. It was also missing the hilarious banter I look for in my favourite romances. And the last thing that lost me was Charlie. I simply did not like him. Overall it felt long and I was eager to be done with it.

Not to say I will never read anything else by this author, but I do think 3 books is enough for me to say we don’t click.

If you’ve read this or love this author I’d love to hear all the reasons you love her! Convince me!

It sure does have a gorgeous cover. Thank you to @stmartinspress for my early copy. This one is out on Tuesday and I have no doubt I am in the minority and it will be popular.

Thank you NetGalley for the Audiobook ARC. I enjoyed this book but I just felt like not enough things were going on or that there was too much of a push and pull. I am someone who enjoys more instalove in romances personally. Overall the chemistry is great between the characters and the story is very entertaining. Just not my typical romance but I’m glad I could expand my tastes.

Unfortunately, Katherine Center's writing is not for me. I find it to be choppy, much too "tell-y," and generally very awkward and forced. The first page of this book was so jarring because the reader receives so much information in such a forced, unnatural way. The set-up of this, while fine in theory, was not well executed. Ultimately, I chose not to finish the book.

Looking for the perfect summer read? Might I recommend The Rom-Commers? It’s sweet and quirky and heartwarming.

@katherinecenter knows how to write banter and these MCs banter constantly.

Therefore, come for the banter, stay for the deep conversations on caregiving and grief.

Special thanks to SMP for the ARC.

Katherine Center drops another fabulous romantic comedy and this one is my favorite tropes- Enemies to Lovers. Emma Wheeler gets the opportunity of a lifetime to work with her absolute favorite screenwriter. However, he is not so excited to work with her. This book made me laugh out loud and brought tears to my eyes. It evoked all of my emotions. The banter between Emma and Charlie was perfection! If you are looking for a quick and easy read- this is the one! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this Advanced Reader

The Rom-Commers is a delightful, fun romp into the world of writers of romantic comedies. Two writers come together—actually they clash with each other—as they try to salvage a screenplay. They each have their own agenda for getting the job done and its obvious they are not on the same page.

In true Katherine Center fashion, this story is full of conflict, humor, chemistry, and awkward situations. And oh, what a fun ride it was to witness it all. I loved everything about it. As with all of her other books, once I started reading, I didn't want to stop, the story and the characters were that entertaining.

I highly recommend The Rom-Commers. It's a wonderful beach read for the summer. Be sure to add it to your reading list.

Gah.
These two had me so damn emotional.

Emma gets the opportunity to work with her FAVORITE writer, unfortunately she doesn't know that he doesn't she's coming.
Charlie is a sweet guy, but doesn't like being vulnerable. Emma is the last thing he needs right now.

These two finally agree upon terms to rewrite Charlie's romantic comedy screenplay.
But Charlie doesn't believe in love and Emma doesn't want to half ass it.
She gets in his face, makes his face his fears. See the life he's missing out on.

I was so invested in the rewrite.
The heartbreak they've both dealt with in life, coming to the surface and each seeing that.

To see the layers peel back on each of these characters was so good.

I laughed. I cried. I yelled. I gasped.

This is the Katherine center I know and love!

4.5 ⭐

3.5. I was torn on if it should be a 3 or a 4 because of some things that happen in the story, but I decided to round up. My last read from Katherine was really disappointing, so I was desperately hoping that this would make me fall in love with her writing again AND I DID. I blazed through this in one day and reminded me so much of what I love about my fave reads from Katherine. I absolutely loved The Bodyguard and this is such a cute sort-ofcompanion novel to that. Seeing the Jack cameos were delightful. The Rom-Commers made me tear up, it made me smile. It touched upon tropes and had fun, silly moments that I love in both rom com books and rom com movies. Just truly a cute and endearing love letter to the genre. The main leads were both really strong here, and I enjoyed the banter. There were times when I wanted to hit Charlie in the head, but he more than made up for it in the end. And honestly, my emotional journey through this read meant to me that I connected with Emma because I felt everything she felt. The family drama, while in other stories, may have been too much for me, was done pretty well here. I absolutely adore Emma's dad.

I truly can't wait to see what Katherine gives us next.

I binged this book in two days and loved every second of it. Katherine Center writes such real characters and stories. I found myself relating to both Charlie and Emma, even with the very niche circumstances of this book. A must read!

I have such mixed thoughts about this one.

Both MCs have an incredible about of trauma they are working through and, as a result, their protective mechanisms cause them to keep others at a distance. For Emma it manifested as catastrophizing and a need to control everything about her life and her father's care. Things started to improve half-way through, but then at 80% Emma became a jerk again. The way she treated her sister was unwarranted. It was like all of the self-reflection and improvements she made didn't even occur.

For Charlie, his coping mechanism was the need to keep everyone around him at arms length. I enjoyed reading along as he discovered what romance was and there were some super cute moments where he really tried with Emma. But then he got THAT phone call and it all went down the drain.

Overall, I really wanted to love it, but it just didn't get there for me in the end. The last 10% was so emotional and so good but I think it took too long to get there and show us a more likable side to Emma and Charlie.

I have liked other releases from Katherine and I think I'll try her again with another release. The Rom-Commers just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Katherine Center for an early review copy. These are my honest thoughts.

Another Katherine Center book that fell flat, I wanted to like this book and hoped for it's redemption from Hello Stranger (which I had to DNF). But unfortunately for how the plot read out in the synopsis, I found both main characters incredibly insufferable and their 'relationship' even more so, Charlie was a bad person if we really want to get into it and constantly talked down and condescending to Emma (and not in a hot way).

4.5 ⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved it, and I went in with medium expectations. This one's about a screenplay writer who hasn't gotten her big break yet who ends up working with her writer hero and they obviously fall in love. It was funny and touching. I got a little teary frequently around the MC's grief. It just was really well done and Center kept the cheese factor in check with the ending. It was a great time with great banter and I'll be looking forward to her next!

I do wish the MC would have apologized to her sister too, but I will let it go. ;)

Perfect little summer romance read!

Emma Wheeler has been tasked with rewriting a rom-com written by none other than Charlie Yates, her favorite screen writer of all time. The problem is, his rom-com is terrible and he has no desire to make it good, just passable so he can get his dream project going. Emma is determined to make this great though and show the pessimistic Charlie that love stories matter.

This book! I absolutely loved every second of it! I received a digital arc awhile back but had the opportunity to listen to it instead, and the audio for this book is fantastic.

Emma was such a great character. She believes in love and has a real affinity for romantic stories. The way she convinces Charlie that love is real and that love stories matter makes me believe it even more than I already did. Charlie is a broody MMC with a great arc from being the arrogant pessimist to believing in love right alongside Emma.

In a not-so-traditional meet-cute, Emma and Charlie are tricked into working together and the tirade she goes on when she learns of it was such a great way for them to meet! This was one of my favorite scenes in the story and you just know it's going to (and it did!) lead to some great banter, angst, and ultimately triumph because what is a romance if it doesn't provide an HEA? Not a romance, that's for sure!

I found myself laughing out loud as well as emotional as the characters dealt with some very real-life issues (check content warnings or DM me if you'd like). This is the perfect summer read and my favorite book from @katherinecenter yet!

Thank you Macmillan Audio and St. Martins Press for the early review copies.

I love a book about books. I found that I didn't fully buy the male main character which took me out a bit, but in general still a fun read.

Always love this author. Very witty and keeps you wanting more. This book was a really easy to read and flowed nicely. Getting to rewrite history can be hard but I kept wanting more.