"The Rom-Commers" was an amazing read! Emma is a screenwriter who has put aside most of her life to care for her father and younger sister. When she gets the chance to work on a story with the screenwriter she admires the most, she decides to take it. But things might not go as planned.
I loved Emma; she was so funny and complex (in a good way), and I loved her chemistry with Charlie. He could be a bit too much at times, but I liked him too. I really enjoyed the banter between them. I loved the way it is told as if you were a part of the story; you almost feel like you are there with them in the room.
It had me laughing out loud many times and also gave me teary eyes. It is a rom-com, for sure, but it is also a story about family, about grief, and about joy. It was a perfect combination of ingredients, and that made it one of my favorite reads of the last weeks and probably will be on my top 10 this year.
I deeply enjoyed it and I loved seeing Jack Stapleton again!

I LOVE KATHERINE CENTER and everything she writes!!

Emma Wheeler dreams of becoming a writer (specifically, a romance writer), but her dreams take a backseat when life throws her a curve ball. 10 years later, she is contacted by an ex-boyfriend with an offer that is too good to be true. And it turns out to be just that - too good to be true - because the legendary Charlie Yates didn't know anything about this offer (to help re-write a HORRIBLE effort at a romance screenplay). There are arguments and then truces followed by more arguments and agreements before the project eventually moves forward. Is it possible that love will happen both on and off the screen?

Highly recommend!

The Rom-Commers: the second book I've read by Katherine Center.

Okay, so... this book just didn't work for me.

(Spoilers ahead.)

Things that didn't work:
-the cover
-not finding myself invested in the story, even after reading 73%
-somehow, I didn't even know for certain what Emma's name was and needed to look it up
-many toxic male characters; I'll start with Logan, and end with Jablowmie
-readers are expected to A) trust Emma's judgement on Charlie and B) rationalize that Charlie is a good guy based on his less than stellar friendships!?
-I found the lack of Emma’s internal dialog concerning her dad alarming once she (quickly) settled in at Charlie’s. Being away from her dad didn't seem to bother Emma like it should have; I expected a moral struggle
-Emma, the queen of playing it safe, had a major and dangerous drunk escapade. WTF!? I have ISSUES with this scene
-playing house does not a romance/relationship make
-the phrase "soft pooch"
-timeline issues with Emma's dad's ICU stay
-overall, the relationship between Emma and Charlie seemed toxic, although I can't pinpoint why
-nothing was remotely funny

Things that did work:
-the dedication
-Emma's dad was a good guy
-the Author's Note and the love that Center feels for romance as a genre
-the Author's Note and Acknowledgements being narrated by Center

The audiobook narration was alright, although at times I noticed similar voices used for some characters.

In summery, I just wished I liked my second book from Center more!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

I enjoyed reading The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Every single one of Katherine Center’s books is a joy to read. The narrator of the audiobook makes it that much better. I loved reading about Emma and her struggles of becoming a screenwriter and taking care of her family. She has had so much heartbreak in her life that she doesn’t know how to move forward without the past trailing alongside her. When Emma gets the opportunity to work on an awful screenplay written by famous writer Charlie Yates, she jumps at the chance. The character development is outstanding as they both grew and changed together. The banter between Emma and Charlie was top notch. Charlie doesn’t believe in love and Emma is determined to show him what love is so they can effectively write the romcom together. I had a smile on my face and could not put this one down. I cannot wait for the next Katherine Center book!

Katherine Center does it again!

Meet Emma Wheeler. She is a 28 year old want to be writer trying to manage working, writing, and taking care of her dad full time. This has been her life the last 10 years. She has dreams of more, but she loves her family more than those dreams. When her sister moves back home after graduating college, Emma thinks she might have a little room to breathe with extra help in the house. Right as her sister is settling back in, Emma gets a call from her childhood best friend for a writing opportunity to redo a terrible, terrible script. There are a couple of catches. One it is in Los Angeles, so she will have to leave her dad. Second, the writing will be happening with her favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates.

Charles Yates is a Hollywood darling. Everything he writes becomes a hit. He even has enough awards to fill multiple drawers. But, Charlie has met his match in attempting to write a romantic comedy. To put it nicely, he sucks at it. The scene are cringy. The dialogue is all wrong. It needs to be burned and redone. Why is it so bad? Well, Charlie doesn't believe in love.

What happens next is 6 weeks of Emma teaching Charlie how to write things he doesn't know anything about. In typical Katherine Center fashion the characters are quirky and endearing. The backdrops in all of the scenes are perfect. Picture some near death experiences mixed with some line dancing a la an Italian hottie. Most of all, the dialogue, which I prefer to call banter is EPIC as usual. The sassiness of the main female characters is what has hooked me to Katherine's style of writing. They are witty, smart, funny, independent, fierce, and ultimately lovable. The male main characters, especially Charlie, are a wonderful mixture of grumpy mixed with Golden Retriever. I absolutely adored this book and devoured it so quickly. Highly, highly recommend!

I adored this book! It made me laugh (out loud), cry, get all warm and fuzzy, and ultimately was a satisfying romance with heft. The banter was fun and felt real, and the supporting characters were interesting additions. It falls squarely at the top of my Katherine Center hierarchy, and will take another strong contender to push it out. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy!

I'll start with saying I have absolutely LOVED some of Katherine Center's book in the past. This one did not reach any similar level of enjoyment for me in the same way. I think Center's style makes for a very easy, effervescent type of read. It has a fun edge and lightness to it. But this storyline was a struggle for me. Charlie doesn't show nearly enough angst or feelings towards Emma. There just felt something off about the whole plot and how things came together, that were a bit eye roll worthy. I wish there had been more, as the plot really doesn't have much going on at all. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Contemporary romance.
Emma Wheeler writes romance. She’s good at it. But her dreams, and financial needs have her longing to transition to script writing. Her agent pairs Emma up with Charlie Yates, who has written a truly awful romance. It’s up Emma to teach Charlie what makes a romance come alive for the audience. Charlie doesn’t care enough to fix his script but there’s something about the effervescent woman that captures his attention.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook version of this book. The narration is done by Katherine Center and Patti Murin. The performance is engaging, with emotions clearly heard and felt. There are distinct voices for Emma and Charlie that made their arguments come alive. I listened to this at my usual 1.5.
The audiobook was immersive and made visualizing the scenes easy. Pick your preferred format as this would be a toss up for me.
The audiobook includes a bonus scene from Charlie’s POV that my ecopy did not have.

There are some very harsh arguments between Emma and Charlie, and then Emma and her sister. Unforgivable comments. Yes, in hurt and from a frightened frame of mind, but really harsh and shocking that the words would be said out loud by Emma.
I don’t know that I would ever be able to forgive or forget.

The romance is bumpy and amusing at times and ultimately satisfying. The arguments shocked me out of reading at the time which is impressive writing. Too much so IMO for a romantic comedy. But I know I won’t forget this story because of the “too far” words. Does that make the rating go up or down?

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher.

Another winner!

I was so excited to get the pre-pub version of this book, well, any book by this author! I liked it a lot, maybe a tiny bit less than some of the others, but that's kind of like comparing types of chocolate, am i right?

Emma has a lot on her responsibility list, first and foremost ensuring that her father has the best possible care she can provide, which means she has little life outside of that. She takes this responsibility so seriously that she doesn't even fully trust her own sister to do her part. So when she has an opportunity to do a screenplay with her favorite actor, Charlie Yates, she struggles with the decision. Once she meets Charlie and overhears some of his conversations, she has more reason to doubt.

I am definitely planning to continue reading anything this author publishes, and I hope she continues for a long time.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Anytime I see that Katherine Center has a new book coming out, I rush to get my hands on a copy. Her books are always, and I mean always, delightful reads. A little vacation for your mind. The Rom-Commers is no different. Fast-paced, fun, but you'll feel a range of emotions, too!

Charlie is a famous screenwriter. He's been tasked with writing the screenplay for a rom-com, which is way outside his comfort zone. He's completely mucked it up.

Emma dreams of being a screenwriter. Her life has been put on hold, though for the last ten years while she has been the caretaker for her father. But now it's her turn to follow her dreams and she's been given the chance of a lifetime.... Can she fix Charlie's rom-com and get her career off its feet?

Best read by a pool sipping on your favorite cold beverage! Check it out!

Katherine Center weaves classic rom-com tropes into a story that examines the genre as a whole in this fresh and delightful novel.

Emma Wheeler has put her life on hold to care for her father after an accident. With her screenwriting dreams on the back burner, an old friend turned Hollywood agent sends work her way when he can. When the opportunity to work alongside her screenwriting hero comes along, Emma cautiously jumps at the chance. But Hollywood’s glimmer isn’t always gold, and things– and people– aren’t always as they appear.

Center is excellent at balancing heavy and funny plot elements. Emma’s backstory, and her father’s injury, inject reality into an otherwise lighthearted plot. The humorous banter and heart-filled characters work in tandem with the heavier drama to keep the pace and tone just right.

Within that delicate balance of drama and rom-com, the portrayal of Emma’s grief is realistic. As the reader slowly learns the details of her father’s accident–and the impact that had on her and her sister’s lives, especially– Emma’s actions, worries, and choices make sense for her character.

It was delightful to see realistic writing life scenes as Emma and her co-writer, famed screenwriter Charlie Yates, as they find new and inventive ways to work– and not to work– together. I absolutely related to Emma’s lucky writing hoodie and the presence of snacks, and snack wrappers, as they wrote together.

Great character development is always present in Center’s novels, and this is no exception. From the main players to their secondary characters, every character that crosses the page is well developed and feels real. It’s especially delightful to get a glimpse at characters from Center’s last novel, The Bodyguard, pop in to certain scenes. I adore when authors have an interconnected universe for their books; it’s always delightful to see characters again.

Center offers an enchanting glimpse into behind the scenes Hollywood. From awards and mansions to hair-pulling over a laptop, the glitzy and the gritty live side by side on the page. The result leads readers through a drama-rom-com, with hijinks and heart, an engaging story from the first page to the last.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for a digital ARC such that I could share my honest opinion.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for early access to this adorable story!

Katherine Center books have a way of getting into my heart so quickly and this one was no different! I wanted to read it quickly to know what was going to happen but then made myself slow down to really savor the love that developed between Charlie and Emma. As a lover of rom-com movies, this book was right up my alley! This closed door story was still full of tension with longing looks, touches and hugs that left me blushing and smiling. I recommend this story to anyone who just wants to smile and loves a 90s/2000s rom com movie. The cast of additional characters (Emma's sister and dad especially) were such great pieces of this well rounded story too! 4 stars!

I have mixed feelings about this one. It took me a while to get into it, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. And the being unable to put it down does make me want to give this book at least 4.5 stars. But considering how long it took me to get into this one, I just can't do it.

That said, overall, I did enjoy my time with this book. If you're new to Katherine Center, then you should know that, in my opinion, her books are never straight romance. There's always something else that plays a much bigger part than the romance does. That being said, I do actually think the romance was a slightly bigger part of this story than the others I've read from her. Granted, self-discovery is still a MAJOR part of this story.

As happens for me with most single POV stories, I wish we had gotten Charlie's POV. But, I never questioned Charlie's feelings for Emma. I really enjoyed how their relationship developed over the course of the book. I loved the conversations they had and the banter they shared. The two of them really were adorable together.

Was this my favorite Katherine Center book? No, but I would still read whatever she comes out with next.

✔️ Opposites Attract
✔️ Forced Proximity
✔️ Workplace
✔️ It Happened One Night References
✔️ He Falls Hard
✔️ First Person Single POV

Five stars for this wonderful novel that I could not put down.

I absolutely adored this book. I loved the humor, the banter and the deeper truths that emerged about love, life and dealing with tragedy and loss. Yes, sure, it is a rom-com, but it is an unusual one in several ways. The writing is great and the story is uplifting. We all encounter obstacles and difficulties in life and sometimes the hardest thing to do is not to let them hold us back from being kind, allowing love to flourish and being grateful for life. But it's well worth striving for every day.

I am delighted that I finished this book on the very day it is being published. I am grateful to NetGalley, St. Martin's press, and the amazing author, Katherine Center, for allowing me to read an eARC of this superb book. I bet it will make a great rom-com movie someday.

In some ways, this was one of my more unique reading experiences. I'm honestly a little baffled by how much I enjoyed this book. The concept is fun and meta in a lot of ways (the mc has to teach the other character what a romance is--HEA included), but the main character, Emma, is not someone I would normally gravitate towards. Emma has given up everything in her life in order to take care of her father who was injured in a rockslide just after she had graduated from college. She also has taken over parenting her younger sister who she wants to make sure doesn't have to carry the same burdens. However, when an opportunity comes to assist her screenwriting hero in writing his own romcom, she finds a way to make it work.

Emma is quirky and adorkable and at first I was worried I would find her a bit immature and silly but somehow she got me to root for her. The romance is very cute and the two have great chemistry and banter. However, I'm not sure what it was, but I was unable to put this book down. I think ultimately the credit goes to Center who is able to crafts compulsively readable romances that are clever and funny while also being breezy and fun. You would think with all the trauma drama in this book that it would get rather intense and there are some bits that had me, mouth gaping. However, there are also some laugh out loud moments and the end of this book was impossible to put down.

Center has done it again! Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martins for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ms. Center does it again! While I mainly read thrillers, there are a few Contemporary Romance authors who automatically go into my TBR, and Katherine is one of them. This book was just what I needed and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.

Emma longs to be a screenwriter, she’s spent her life dissecting, consuming, and writing. The longing becomes reality when Emma's manager, Logan, presents her with the chance of a lifetime; to re-write a script for her hero, Charlie Yates. But there is an obstacle in the way as Emma has been the sole, full-time caretaker for her Dad. Thankfully, Emma’s younger sister steps in to help, forcing (allowing) Emma to move to L.A. for six weeks for her dream role. But there is a problem; Charlie was not consulted and he doesn’t want to write with anyone, especially “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Further complicating the situation, he has no interest in the script he is working on, it is just the stepping stone to get the green light on a different project. He is not emotionally invested at all, making this romantic comedy a total bomb.

Emma refuses to go down without a fight and she may convince Charlie that love isn't a scheme after all...

I love that the characters feel like real life friends; everything is relatable, down to their flaws. This book was a much needed escape and will now patiently wait for the next release!

Thank you a million times over to St. Martins Press, NetGalley, and Ms. Center for the ARC.

Emma has put her life on hold for the past ten years to take care of her Dad after a terrible accident left him unable to live alone. When she's not caring for her dad, she's living, breathing, and writing romcoms. When an opportunity arises to help her writing idol, Charlie Yates, rewrite a terrible script, she rearranges her life to make it happen. Little does she know that Charlie Yates hasn't even agreed to write with her and he doesn't exactly believe in love. Will she be able to convince him that love does exist and is worth writing about?

This was such a fun read! Emma and Charlie had such great back-and-forth banter. They have both gone through traumatic events in the past but they still learn to find joy amidst the hard parts of life. It was emotional at times but a really beautiful story!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Wow, I loved The Rom-Commers!

The Rom-Commers is classic Katherine Center. Our heroine, Emma, has been through the mud, but she’s ready to blossom. She’s a writer, caretaker, believer in rom-coms and she’s going to change that award-winning, grumpy screenwriter, Charlie’s, mind about rom-coms one way or another.

It’s beautifully written, sweetly romantic, achingly sad, endearingly funny - it’s a love letter to rom-coms. I highlighted so many phrases in defense of love, love stories and optimism to develop my mantra. There’s also line dancing. I’m only disappointed that it ended and that I have no more Katherine Center books to read for the first time. I can’t wait to re-read this and annotate the heck out of my book.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press for sending me an advanced e-copy. All opinions are my own.

My thoughts- Y’all Katherine Center has done it again! I’ve had a heavy couple of weeks, but this book was like balm for my soul and made me smile so much! ⁣
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⁣The Rom-Commers features Emma- who has spent her life obsessing over, studying and writing romantic comedies. Unfortunately, her career is on hold because she is the sole caregiver of her father. One day, she’s given the opportunity to re-write a script by her favorite screenwriter the famous Charlie Yates and reluctantly agrees when her younger sister promises to care for her dad. ⁣
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⁣What to expect: ⁣
⁣- grumpy x sunshine. ⁣
⁣- forced proximity. ⁣
⁣- opposite attract. ⁣
⁣- heavy illness and grief themes. ⁣
⁣- closed door romance. ⁣
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⁣I recommend this one to romance fans! My only complaint was that I wish it would have been a little spicier! Five stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of The Rom-Commers. This book is out today!