Thank you NetGalley for the eArc of The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center in exchange for my honest opinion.
Ever since reading The Bodyguard, Katherine Center has been an auto read author for me so I was excited about being accepted to read this one prerelease date. Unfortunately it was not my favorite.
This is about Emma, who is a writer but has had to pause her career to become a caregiver for her father. She has her sister take over when she is given the opportunity to rewrite a script with the famous Charlie Yates. It’s an opportunity that she cannot pass up but it wasn’t the experience she was expecting.
While the romance was progressing, I couldn’t understand how our female main character was falling for the love interest. With everything that was said and being pushed away so many times, I began to get frustrated with Emma for still pursuing Charlie. I couldn’t see how they had that connection to be together at the end of the story. So unfortunately it was not for me. I did appreciate the sweet message at the end of the book.
2.5 🌟

This book was so fun! I adored the characters so much; the dynamic between Emma and Charlie, their banter, their tension, their GROWTH! Another beautifully written book by Katherine Center. This one is definitely up there with The Bodyguard for me. I so look forward to rereading this book!!

Thank you, NetGalley, for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Quick Summary: An "I'm not crying, you are" wo-fi romance

My Review: The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center is a women's fiction novel. Its highly anticipated publication date is 6/11/24.

About the Book: Two writers with tragic histories are brought together for work. One writer views the opportunity as a dream come true, while the other views it as an unwanted burden. Little by little, as they learn to work together, they discover more about each other and about themselves. They explore new experiences and connect with real emotions that help them to realize that each journey brings growth, no matter how difficult it seems.

About the Characters/Conflict: The wonderful thing about this novel, as well as all of the Katherine Center novels, is that the characters are imperfect. They are messy and complicated, in a sense. They feel what they feel and stand on their own perceived truths. Much of what they have dealt with in their lives has shaped them and tainted (if you will) their sight. Their emotions or seeming lack thereof steer how they act, how they react, what they say, and how they engage. Because of the aforementioned, it oftentimes creates conflict and tension, which makes it all the more challenging to bridge relational gaps.

My Final Say: This is such an emo-rich story. It's not neat and precise; rather, it is untidy and heart-wrenching. It is haunting and humorous. It is up and down, back and forth, and just plain touching. The beauty in the story lies in the movement that happens in the lives of the leads and in the lives of the supporting characters. Each life is linked together in a most peculiar way. In the end, it all works.

Other: Lovers of stories with opposites coming together, with family healing from hurts, and with individuals growing in new directions will adore this novel. I would encourage readers to look beneath the surface level while reading this book.

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status/Level: 💛

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (St. Martin's Press), and to NetGalley. Thank you for making this work available in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Netgalley & St. Martins Press, for allowing me to read this eARC. I am a new fan of Katherine Center. Her writing is quite captivating and entertaining. I felt like I was watching a true romantic comedy movie while reading this. Her writing really comes to life and is so vivid. This book will make you laugh, and it will make you cry. Witty banter between characters is my favorite part of a rom-com book, and Katherine Center really knows how to write it. 4/5 star book for me. I will definitely be reading future books by this author. I highly recommend it to readers who are looking for a cute romantic comedy book that is lighthearted and a fun read.

The Rom-Commers
By: Katherine Center
St. Martin's Press
Romance, Women's Fiction
Pub Date: June 11, 2024

This book makes me wish for wild, curly red hair, instead of straight and brown. You will learn why when you read it! Katherine Center writes for joy! I felt that emotion, along with so many more in The Rom-Commers. The rom com style banter and professional/romantic vibes between want to be screenwriter, Emma from Texas, and famous screenwriter Charlie Yates in Los Angeles, kept me laughing. Emma's caretaking of her sweet father, now one of my all-time favorite characters, added tenderness and compassion to the story. So did Charlie's back story.

Center's plot is such a perfect blend of not only Emma and Charlie's relationship, but also that of Emma and her sister Sylvie, and both Emma and Sylvie with their father. Charlie's friendships and career are captivating! This book is the most overall enjoyable and uplifting book that I have read in 2024. It melted directly into my heart with its components of family loyalty, friendships, overcoming obstacles, writing, and romance.

I love and highly recommend this this book, along with every one of the seven books that I have read so far by Katherine Center.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for a gifted advance reader's copy. My review is my own.

#TheRomCommers #NetGalley #Katherine Center
#StMartinsPress

This book is perfection! A lot of reviews are calling it a love letter to the romantic comedy genre and that it is! It also has tension, banter, multi-dimensional characters, and love! At the same time Katherine Center balances some pretty heavy storylines. I can't say enough about how much I loved it so just go read it. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this eARC!

Looking for a heartwarming and hilarious read? Look no further!

"The Rom Commers" by Katherine Center follows Emma Wheeler, an aspiring screenwriter, as she gets the chance of a lifetime to rewrite a script for the legendary but cynical Charlie Yates. Emma's journey from caretaker to Hollywood dream-chaser is filled with humor, romance, and poignant moments, as she battles Charlie’s disbelief in love and proves that the best stories make us believe in happily ever after. With witty banter, unforgettable characters, and a perfect blend of comedy and heartfelt emotion, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good romance. Grab your copy today and fall in love with Emma and Charlie's story—it's a rom-com you'll want to revisit again and again!

4.5 stars! Thank you netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 Stars

In typical fashion, I found myself sometimes giggling, often swooning, and nearly always smiling. That's the joy of a Katherine Center novel and this book had it all - engaging banter, entertaining characters, and poignant backstories. And the swoon factor was top-notch.

I enjoyed Charlie, grumpy brusqueness, and all. Although, it made his occasional guilelessness feel out of character. I understood it regarding his aquaphobia, but not with some of his ineptness. Not a dealbreaker, but it felt odd. Emma was an entertaining heroine. I understood her relationships and control issues. Charlie and Emma together? All the swoon.

Unfortunately, I feel compelled to comment on a major issue I had. What’s up with breaking the fourth wall? Granted, I've never been a fan of the device. Once or twice I can deal with its use, as long as the rest of the story is immersive. Sadly, it was a consistent writing device in this one. I’ve read each of Katherine Center's books and I don’t remember it being used before. If it had, it was minimal. Each time Emma addressed the reader it took me out of the story. Every. Single. Time. I had to work on tamping down my annoyance as it continued.

Katherine Center remains one of my favorite authors and The Rom-Commers is still a gluttonously ingestible story. A fun experience overall, but maybe not my favorite by the author.

Audiobook Notes: I read and listened to the ebook and audio interchangeably. Patty Murin is a regular narrator of Katherine Center's books and does a great job bringing life to the characters with spot-on diction, expression, and inflections.

4.5/5

I always enjoy reading a Katherine Center book. They are silly, witty, funny, and so much fun to read. I have yet to be disappointed by her books and this one was no exception. I loved the main characters, Emma and Charlie, who had a rocky start at the beginning but managed to smooth things out by the end. There were moments that were emotional, and I could completely relate to Emma's situation as a caregiver having been a caregiver myself for my mom for nearly six years. With the help of her sister, Emma, a writer, after ten years of caring for her dad, finally gets a break in order to fly to Los Angeles to help Charlie, a handsome and famous Hollywood screenwriter, to assist him in rewriting a horrible rom-com screenplay that Charlie had written. What happens upon her arrival is amusing. The banter is excellent, and there were many laugh-out-loud moments. Some might say it's predictable but come on, it's a rom-com! I loved it!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the review copy.

The Rom-Commers by Kathering Center is absolutely unputdownable! I stayed up until one in the morning to finish this funny, poignant romantic comedy full of so many layered, fully developed, complex characters, hilarious dialogue, and of course, the requisite happy ending. This is the second book I've read by Katherine Center, and I am now a devotee! This is perfect read for fans of How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang and Beach Read by Emily Henry.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this lovely book!

God I loved this book. I’ve loved Katherine Center since I read The Bodyguard, and read everything previously written by her because of it. She just knows how to write humor and heart. It’s that simple. You can’t read one of her books and not feel really good. More hopeful about life.

Charlie is a misanthropic Hollywood screenwriter who has written a very terrible RomCom. In comes Emma, a bubbly, wild-haired RomCom aficionado. They are initially like oil and water, but they end up working and living together beautifully as she spends six weeks helping him re-write his RomCom. I loved learning about the writing process. I loved all of the RomCom lore. And Emma and Charlie were hilarious and just so charming. The two of them falling in love made me feel the way I do when I watch a RomCom: full of happy bubbles.

Highly highly recommend. It was life-giving.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: THE ROM-COMMERS 💌🎬

Author: Katherine Center
Genre: Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Content Warnings: Death of a parent, Cancer, Grief, Chronic Illness, Injury

📚 Emma is a screenwriter whose career just hasn’t taken off. When her friend Logan tells her about an opportunity to help famed screenwriter Charlie write his first rom-com script, she can’t resist. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. Emma packs her bags and heads to LA to find that Charlie may not be as keen on the idea as Logan made it seem… and he may not believe in love either.

💭 This was my first ever Katherine Center and it certainly won’t be my last. WOW! This book was full of heart, love, grief, and humor. I loved both Emma and Charlie and watching their story unfold. The Hollywood backdrop and screenwriter romance aspects were a 10/10. Also worth noting this is pretty much a closed door romance.

💌 Read this if you like romantic comedies, hollywood dramas, donuts, books about grief, sister relationships, guinea pigs, and Meryl Streep.

I have become the kind of fan of Katherine Center that I look so forward to her books knowing that I will delving into another good story with likable, realistic characters! And The Rom-Commers did not disappoint! In fact - it brought in another element for me that I was ready for…..a romance with humor, family drama, and comedy!! Who couldn’t like/love the characters Emma and Charlie?? As they grew from dislike (sometimes extreme) to their unlikely romance we hear their back-stories of disappointment, family secrets, and fear of life and love. As they write together to bring old-fashioned romance to the screen - we heartily cheer on their own romance that holds all the elements of what they are attempting to accomplish together on the written page. Their fall-outs, their growing understanding of each other, and their need to walk-away from letting each other down, will keep the reader invested in both their romance and their final story. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #TheRom-Commers

Katherine Center can do no wrong in my eyes. I devoured this book in a day, and wish I could have stayed in their world longer. Who doesn't love a crotchety MMC? Then along comes the girl who finally gets him to stop being so frustrated and angry with the world and open up his heart. I'm going to soak that story line up every single time.

Center does such a great job of creating characters that are extremely realistic, with flaws and back stories that fit the actions that take place. It's always frustrating when you're reading a story and think to yourself, "this character would never do that." I believed everything Emma and Charlie said and did. Even when I didn't agree with them, I understood it. That's a talent that not all writers have.

The slow burn love writing style works in her novels too. I might wish that the characters would move things along a little quicker (often lol), but I also appreciate that she always makes their love convincing, because the foundation has been laid.

I will always recommend her books!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This was the first book I’ve read by Katherine Center and I flew through the story. Up until the very end it was a four star read for me despite Charlie’s, at times, cruel comments and Emma’s somewhat annoying continued pursuit of a man who has expressed his disinterest. Without spoiling the ending, the conflict and its resolution were very frustrating to me to the point where I did not enjoy the book as much I was during the beginning and middle. With that being said, I enjoyed enough of the book to try some of her other works.

Emma Wheeler had planned to be a screenwriter, specializing in romantic comedies, but then tragedy struck. On a family vacation, she not only lost her mom, but her dad got so injured that he now requires around-the-clock care. So Emma gave up her dreams, and stayed home to care for her dad, because of course, family came first. Then, just as her sister graduates from college and is coming back home, Emma gets a call from her high school best friend. He has a script written by her idol Charlie Yates, and it needs serious work, and she would be the perfect person to turn this rom-com from a disaster into a hit. She only needs to fly out to L.A. for six weeks and collaborate with Charlie Yates. Charlie doesn't even care about the script - it is just a means to an end for him, He made a deal to write the rom-com, and in exchange he would get a green light on the mafia movie he wanted to write in the first place. What Emma doesn't know is that Charlie no longer believes in love, so Emma is going to have to convince him step by step that love is real, and love stories do matter.

The Queen of Rom-Coms herself has done it again with another magical story of redemption, friendship, hope, family and love. This book will have you hooked from the very first page. Whether you love romances, or are a romantic cynic such as myself, this book is for you. I highly recommend it!

Emma Wheeler is a screenwriter who writes the perfect rom coms. The problem? Emma is busy taking care of her Dad who needs 24/7 care and her scripts have not received the recognition they deserve. Until, she gets the opportunity of a life time! Help famous screenwriter, Charlie Yates re-write his first ever rom com. What could possibly go wrong? Well, Charlie doesn't want help especially from a "nobody screenwriter." But, Emma is desperate to help him re-write the atrocity of a love story he has created and change his mind about love in general.
Review:
4.5 stars
This was the first Katherine Center book I have read and I will say that it will NOT be the last. Wow! I loved this story. The comedy and wit of these characters is fantastic! I loved the way it was written. It felt like I was inside a movie being told and shown the scenes throughout the story. I felt emotional at times, I laughed, I smiled, I teared up, I got angry (just tell her!!!!). A story that entices all kinds of my emotions is a GREAT book! The Rom-Commers publishes on 6/11 and you will definitely want to pick this one up!
Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center, and St. Martin's Press for this ARC of The Rom-Commers in exchange for an honest review!

Emma Wheeler has always put others before herself. She gets the opportunity of a lifetime to help her favorite author Charlie Yates rewrite a romantic comedy script. Finally putting herself first she travels to LA to work with him. This was my first Katherine Center book and I really enjoyed it. I liked how the characters relationship grew and their banter was fun to read. This would be a great summer read.

Loved this one! So cute and easy to read with lots of character growth. My favorite Katherine center book I’ve read in a while!

**Review of "The Rom-Commers" by Katherine Center**

Reading "The Rom-Commers" by Katherine Center felt like stepping into a world full of playful banter and the classic grumpy/sunshine dynamic. The book’s charm lies in its humor and engaging dialogue, which kept me entertained and curious about what would happen next.

Emma, an optimistic writer, teams up with her idol, the moody Charlie Yates. The grumpy/sunshine trope comes through as Emma’s enthusiasm meets Charlie’s gruff exterior, creating moments that are both amusing and heartwarming. Their relationship’s evolution from contentious to collaborative had its delightful points.

However, Emma’s fangirling was sometimes a bit much, especially given Charlie’s often dismissive and rude behavior. It was hard not to cringe as she overlooked his insults, both to her face and behind her back. This dynamic, while interesting, sometimes made the characters feel a bit insufferable. Emma’s starry-eyed adoration and Charlie’s brusqueness created a tension that felt more frustrating than endearing at times.

While the book held my attention with its engaging premise and enjoyable tropes, the ending left me wanting more. The climax didn’t quite deliver the satisfying, triumphant “happily ever after” that I crave in a good rom-com. Additionally, Charlie’s character arc felt somewhat underdeveloped. His growth and transformation seemed rushed, lacking the depth needed to fully justify his change by the story’s end.

Despite these points, "The Rom-Commers" offers a fun escape into a world where opposites attract and the journey to love is paved with laughter and tension. It’s an entertaining read with memorable moments, even if the characters occasionally test your patience. If you enjoy banter, celebrity crushes, and the grumpy/sunshine trope, this book is worth a read.