I was really excited when katherine center announced that she was releasing a new book this year . Katherine center is one of my favorite authors .Last year, I discovered her books and became completely enamored with her writing. Her writing is simply riveting; it's simple to grasp, and she creates the most compelling characters.

I was really intrigued in this book after reading the synopsis , after all, who doesn't like enemies to lover ? I regret to inform you that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed her earlier works. The MMC was so mean that I could not stand him. Throughout, he referred to the FMC as a "failed writer."He was a jerk , there was nothing “grumpy” about him . It was awful to read about him as a character.

Naomi, the FMc, is incredible. She is witty, kind, and sympathetic. I was truly hoping for more from Emma. Sometimes I wanted her to stand up for herself . I know she tried to see the hood in everyone but girl you were mistreated by these people.

Their chemistry was nonexistent. For the first time ever, after reading this book, I found myself hoping that both characters would part ways . I believe therapy would have been a better fit for them than a relationship.

The side characters were more entertaining to me. While reading this book, I laughed a lot. I thought Emma and her father's bond was wonderful to read about.

The writing was okay , not extraordinary to me .

Thank you netgalley , St. Martin press for this Arc . This Arc was provided in exchange for my honest review .

Sometimes One Shot Really Can Change Everything. This is one of those tales where it should have been over from the very beginning - these two people are just *so* broken by their lives to this point that it *shouldn't* work...

And yet it does, because this is a romantic comedy and that is the very *purpose* of romantic comedies, to give the rest of us hope that something like this *can* work - even in our own completely broken states. And hell, *particularly* when the book is meta enough to actively make *that very same point* within its text. (Helped by the overall plot of... actively writing a romantic comedy movie. ;) )

Yes, some of the things that both characters do are horrible. Yes, perhaps some (or even much) of this tale doesn't or even can't happen in real life. Well, again as pointed out within the text here, neither can zombies or space aliens or some such... and yet people love those movies for somewhat similar reasons as to why they love romantic comedies.

So sit back and enjoy the ride and the feels. If you have to turn your brain off and enjoy the spectacle for sheer spectacle, *do that*. But don't criticize a book that many will truly love and find catharsis in over your own hangups. Particularly don't review bomb something just because "that can't really happen". *Particularly when one of the main issues in the book is exploring how reality doesn't really apply in romantic comedies, including this one.*

Overall a strong tale with complex and complicated characters, with a lot of laughs, some smiles, and even a few dusty room scenes to boot. Come in expecting to laugh and perhaps wet your eyes a bit, and you truly won't be disappointed here.

Very much recommended.

It has always been Emma Wheelers dream to be a screen writer. The rom-com is her area of expertise and where her heart lies. However life has dealt her a hand that has led her to spend most of her time caring for her father. That is until an opportunity of a lifetime drops into her lap. Not only the opportunity to work with her idol, Charlie Yates but to also be working on a rom-com. Problem is that Charlie doesn't work with others on his writing projects, he doesn't want Emma's help, and he is an insufferable ass who doesn't even believe in love. Once Emma reads the hot garbage that is Charlie's attempt at a rom-com she gets her sister on board to care for her father for six weeks so she can go attempt to salvage his manuscript. Emma has her work cut out for her not only is the manuscript a mess but Charlie is a mess as well. They are both coming at this project from opposing sides. Charlie just wants to hand over something passable in order to make the movie he wants. While Emma sees this as her chance and wants to put forth a manuscript that she can be proud of.

With a title like The Rom-Commers I was expecting there to be more levity in this than there was. Although Katherine Center is an excellent writer this was not my favorite by her. Charlie was rude, dismissive, and generally an unlikable character who constantly gave off mixed signals. While Emma was perpetually a bit of a door mat and excused behavior that I felt should have been addressed. I love how Katherine writes flawed characters that feel real but I really didn't connect with them in this instance the way I hoped to. This had a lot of heavy moments and did seem to drag a little. The ending however was powerful and moving with great insights. Even with this not being my favorite by the author I will still read anything Katherine Center writes.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Listen when I say this is my favorite Katherine Center I mean that! This book put me through the emotional wringer but was so healing at the same time!! Charlie and Emma were a true delight and they deserve all the joy!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this read. Katherine Center books never miss for me. I always am ready to read her books. I put this one off a bit to read it later as I had the ARC for a while. I wanted to have a time to enjoy it and I did.

My first Katherine Center book, and it did not disappoint!!

The Rom-Commers is about Emma and Charlie, two screenwriters who work together to re-write a script for a romantic comedy movie.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read! I really liked Center’s writing style.

This was a really sweet romance, but it had also had much deeper themes which I liked. It focuses on the realities of life with both the happy and the sad moments. This was really tied together in the last chapter, and it was so beautifully written and tugged at my heart strings. You’ll come away with many life lessons.

I think I really enjoyed this just due to the depth of the storyline. However, I wasn’t a huge fan of Charlie, and I didn’t like the way he treated Emma for the majority of the book. Yes, he did redeem himself a little bit near the end, but I think Emma could do better lol

I will definitely be checking out more of Katherine Center’s works.

WOW. Wow. wow.

I seriously have no words because Katherine never ceases to amaze me! Each of her books feels uniquely different but also still holds her very unique tone of writing.

Rom-commers is my favorite of hers to date. That being said, I honestly didn’t love the beginning. Some things felt far fetched. Such an Emma’s indecision of staying in LA, Charlie’s very rude comments to and behind Emma’s back. The fact that they actually ended up working together felt very much like a fictional thing. Which I guess is the point! So the first half I had my struggles with parts of the plot and then characters, but the last half was the redemption for me. It was BRILLIANT. I felt like I was watching a Nancy Meyer’s film. The theatrics, the miscommunication, the ending. I CRIED. How dare you, Center, make me feel so many dang feelings. Overall this was such a win. A win for me (thank you St. Martin’s Press!!), a win for all those who adore rom-coms, a win for those who have lost hope in love. I took so many personal notes for my own life and relationship, it felt like therapy. The best kind, where you laugh, you cry but you walk away just feeling a tad bit light and happier.

Will post link to review on pub date! Thank you for the advanced copy!

I love the setting of this novel and the general premise! I also really loved the FMC’s backstory and family history. It was so relatable and so heartbreaking! However, the male main character was hard to root for and I really think he needs to learn how to communicate. I didn’t love the way he treated her, even if he was trying to “protect” her. He was just a totally awful person. Fun read but she has better.

It’s no secret that I love Katherine Center’s books. She has this beautiful gift of storytelling that simply makes you fall in love with love. When I found out she was writing a grumpy sunshine book about writing, I couldn’t wait!!

I related so strongly to Emma and her caregiving relationship with her father. Her father is such a joy! You can definitely tell where Emma gets her sunshine personality from. I love how she finally took her opportunity to shine and jumped on the chance to write with her writer crush, Charlie.
Charlie really plays the stereotypical grump so well, but he also has a caring side, and I love seeing him slowly let his well constructed walls down. These two seemed made for each other, and I loved watching them grow together! This story was sweet, funny, emotional, and filled with so many heartwarming moments. I read The Rom-Commers a few months ago, and I am still swooning. This is quite possibly the perfect rom-com! 🩷

Also, did you know you could make easy homemade donuts from refrigerator biscuits, and they are absolutely delicious? 🍩 I have no idea how I never knew this, but I do know I will definitely be making them again, just like I know The Rom-Commers will definitely be one of my tops reads this year!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Whatever story you tell yourself about your life, that's the one that'll be true."

I read this in like, six hours and I regret NOTHING. Katherine Center has written another thoroughly enjoyable and deliciously eccentric love story.

Struggling screenwriter and steadfast caretaker Emma Wheeler gets the opportunity of a lifetime to help overhaul a truly terrible rom-com script with her ultimate writing inspiration -- only to find out that Charlie Yates, her idol, doesn't want help, and doesn't believe in love. The two embark on a mutually reluctant partnership to create a workable -- and truly romantic -- script. Then: WHOOPS FEELINGS!!!! It's so captivating, swoony, and laugh-out-loud funny. There's line dancing, guinea pigs, bags of frozen peas, pining, curly girl hair rep (preach!), and an accepted and applauded hate of douchebags in backwards baseball caps (*cough JABLOWMIE cough*).

It's also, true to Center's mastery, imbued with depth and thought-provoking discussions of grief, caretaking, forgiveness, illness, and gratitude. It's enjoyable and lovely. I laughed, I felt, I cried, and I had some ponder-my-own-life moments that I really appreciate as a reader.

The two things I didn't *love* were Emma's breaking of the fourth wall (too excessive and took me a bit out of the story), and how MEAN Charlie could be at times. I ultimately bought his redemption arc (and hey, I don't hate a grump character), but some of the things he said would have earned him a big ol' SLAP in the face if he were real. I hope he thoroughly apologized and groveled to Emma off page. Ha. And while I'm thinking about it, I guess I wouldn't have minded more detail/discussion on their screenplay(s) and certain things they worked on or fixed, since that was such a huge part of the story.

A big thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the e-ARC, and St. Martin's Press for the physical ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. THE ROM-COMMERS is out 6/11/24.

Thank you @stmartinspress for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
In Katherine Center’s newest novel, Emma is a writer from Texas who has spent the last ten years as the sole caregiver for her father. She is hired (begrudgingly) by Charlie, her favourite screenwriter on the planet, to move to Hollywood for six weeks to help get his new Rom-Com into better shape (from the disaster it started out as). Charlie is decisively not a Rom-Com fan, and Emma is determined to not only improve his script, but to change his mind on Rom-Coms as a genre overall. She employs a variety of tactics, including lived experience for some of the scenes in his movie, like reenacting the perfect Rom Com kiss.
This was an enjoyable read! I loved the banter and dynamic between Emma and Charlie, and the forced proximity of them living together while writing. I loved the routine they settled into. I was impressed with Emma’s confidence around him, especially considering she how she spent the last decade, within a five-mile radius of her Texas apartment. And I loved the Jack Stapleton cameos – including a very vital role he plays at one point!
In Katherine Center’s books, while they are Rom-Coms (like the title suggests), she alway goes deeper with her characters – giving them backstory and hard things they had to overcome, or are still in the process of overcoming. I think this makes for more well-rounded characters and a more interesting read.
Fans and newbies to Katherine Center’s books will love that this book dives into what makes a great Rom-Com, while being a Rom-Com.

Katherine Center knows what she's doing - The Rom-Commers is a binge-worthy book I'd definitely recommend you take to the beach this summer. It has all the great components you'd expect: witty banter, characters with heart and a plot with just the right amount of twists and turns.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and @katherinecenter for the opportunity to read this #advancedreadercopy in exchange for my #honestbookreview! This romcom is out June 11 so preorder now! 🩷

This was an absolutely charming story! It has some of my absolute favorite tropes: grumpy x sunshine, enemies to lovers, and forced proximity. This story had me tearing up, cringing, and swooning. Such a lovely personal growth journey as well as a romance. 💘

TWs: loss of a loved one, care for a loved one, mention of loss of a pet, survivors guilt, ab*ndonment, divorce, PTSD, cancer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ - 4.5/5

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and as expected it was amazing! I’m convinced she puts narcotics in her books just like Taylor Swift does in her songs. Once I start one, I can’t put it down and it’s all I can think about! I can always count on hopeful, emotional storylines, characters you can easily empathize with, and witty writing. This one especially broke my heart into a million pieces then put it back together and I loved how Jack from The Bodyguard was incorporated into the story. 5⭐️

I always jump at the chance to read Katherine Center’s books, and The Rom-Commers was no exception! I think we’ll be seeing this one all over this summer - it’s a great beach read! There’s a reason Katherine Center is one of my auto-buy authors - her books are adorable, have great dialogue, and always make me smile.

One thing I love about Katherine Center’s books is that her main characters always have well developed backstory and evolve on a journey throughout their romance. The Rom-Commers is no exception, and I found myself feeling invested in Emma’s story and growth as much as her romance with Charlie. I loved the fact that Emma and Charlie are screenwriters - such a fun profession to learn more about in the book!

Grab this one for a cute, quick beach read this summer - also, the hardcover has the prettiest sprayed edges! Thank you to @stmartinspress for the Advanced Copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

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🏷️ #katherinecenter #sprayededges #advancedreaderscopy #beachread #netgalley #romancenovels #romancereaders #bookreview #pubweek #stmartinspress

Katherine’s 2023 novel, was an absolute delight. She’s done that once again with The Rom-Commers.

Our FMC, Emma, has spent her adult life taking care of her father, navigating guilt she has, and writing romantic comedies while wishing to have success as a screenwriter.

Our MMC, Charlie, is a notable, famous screenwriter who needs assistance writing a romantic comedy so that he can get the script he wants to do, green-lit.

Immediately they get off on the wrong foot, but of course, simultaneously there is something there. The care they develop for each other is palpable.

Katherine writes such joyous and hopeful love stories with likeable leads.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the arc of this one.

Emma Wheeler has taken care of her dad for ten years. Then gets the chance to rewrite a script thanks to her previous boyfriend/friend Logan. It’s a rewrite with her favorite idol Charlie Yates. The original script is terrible and she lets him know it. They work together and come up with a new title “The Rom-Commers”. This is a great read and fantastic love story.

Though I'm not a big romance reader, I can't resist a Katherine Center book because they always have the perfect amount of witty banter, heartfelt moments, and likeable characters that draw you in. Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press for e-mailing me an advanced copy - pub day is 6/11/24!

I loved the storyline of this book! The contrast between Emma and Charlie's personalities was perfect for the grumpy/sunshine relationship the begin to build, and I enjoyed reading how each of them changed and grew through the experience. With sprinkled in moments that made me laugh and swoon, I think this one might move into the top KC book in my heart.

This is such a perfectly Katherine Center book. The main character is fantastic. I loved Emma’s character arc and could’ve read a whole lot more about her. I loved her family and can we get a follow up love story about her dad?!?!? Charlie had his quirks….i didn’t always love how he handled things but I loved their love. Highly recommended