Katherine Center's books always hit the right spot! Another win for her! I really enjoyed this romance. She writes the best banter and has the best storylines.

This is the story of Emma, a screenwriter hoping to make her big break but has been living the last 10 years choosing herself last. She lives in Texas, taking care of her father, who was injured in a rock climbing accident. She has also been filling in as mom for her younger sister after her mom passed away in the same rock climbing accident. When the offer comes to help her FAVORITE screenwriter ever to fix his rom-com, Emma has to make the hard decision to put herself first for once. However, once she gets there, Charlie Yates, the famous screenwriter, doesn't know she was hired to work on his script.

I thought Emma was so relatable and endearing. Charlie definitely have the grump angle going and they worked so well together. I had one minor issue with how Emma kept overhearing conversations but other than that, I really enjoyed this one. I did predict the third-act breakup reason but that's one perk to romances is that they are usually predictable. I also enjoyed all the fun scenes included, like the line-dancing and this made me miss the high-dive board that was at my pool growing up!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy. 4.5 rounded up! THis is a perfect summer read!

Thank you for the opportunity to review - this was really fun and I enjoyed the characters even though I figured I knew where it was going - but the tact with which the ending was handled really won me over!

The Rom-Commers is an ode to love and love stories. Center’s adoration and passion for this genre is abundantly clear. I laughed. I teared up. I fell in love…with romance. 🫶🏻

I felt it all in this emotional, hope-filled story. I binged this in a day and went to sleep with all the warm fuzzy feelings of a great book.

I have been dabbling in the romance genre over the last year. Thanks to The Rom-Commers, I’m now all-in! Give me all the swoony romance recs for this summer. 💞

This was such an adorable book! I loved watching (well reading) Emma & Charlie fall in love. And I couldn’t keep myself from crying when Emma & her sister had their big fight.

This is the perfect book, especially if you’re a fan of her other book The Bodyguard (iykyk).

Emma Wheeler, an aspiring screenwriter, gets a chance to rewrite a script for her idol, Charlie Yates, while her sister takes over caring for their dad. Despite Charlie's disdain for her and romantic comedies, Emma is determined to prove their value, leading to an unexpected romance that changes everything.

Katherine Center is an auto-read author for me! However, I had mixed feelings about *The Rom-Commers*. The plot was sweet and had so much potential, but I wasn’t a big fan of Charlie. I empathized with Emma regarding her past and finally being able to pursue her dreams. It didn’t surprise me that she had more of a doormat personality since she had to start taking care of her dad and raising her younger sister at a young age. I liked seeing Emma’s growth throughout the story. Charlie, on the other hand, has to be one of the worst male main characters. He’s a textbook red flag. I hate that whatever he tells Emma is the opposite of what he means. There’s also a major twist at the end that I thought was incredibly messed up. Charlie continues to treat Emma poorly while secretly having a crush on her, but his words are what hurt the most. I couldn’t imagine them being together long after the epilogue due to the initial relationship they have. One part of the book I did enjoy was the cameo appearances of Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguard. Overall, The Rom-Commers had its moments, but it didn’t fully deliver for me.

I am so torn on this one! I'm a big fan of some other works by Center and was looking forward to reading this! I found the overall premise of two writers falling in love amidst their work enticing. But the execution didn't quite hit the mark for me. The lack of chemistry between the two main characters, Emma and Charlie, coupled with some cringe-worthy behaviors had me rolling my eyes. HOWEVER. For fellow fans of the 'regular degular girl gets the attention of hot and famous guy' trope then this is for you.

4.5 ⭐️

The Rom-Commers was an absolute delight to read. The female single voice narration kept me coming back for more. It was the kind of story you get completely swallowed by and lose all time and place until suddenly you’re reading the epilogue.

Emma Wheeler is a wanna be screenwriter with a love of all things rom-com but life has handed her so many obstacles that her dreams haven’t quite come true. She has sacrificed her life, her career, her joy to take care of her disabled father who needs 24 hour monitoring. She’s sacrificed it all so her younger sister could live her dreams. She’s just going through the motions every day. Some might say Emma is even punishing herself. The accident that caused her father’s injuries also took her mother’s life and Emma carries around the blame.

Emma is given the opportunity to ghost write with famed screenwriter Charlie Yates. THE Charlie Yates whom she’s idolized and studied over the years. What do they say about meeting your idols? Charlie wants absolutely nothing to do with Emma or her assistance. But Emma is persistent and she knows rom-coms and Charlie eventually agrees to work with her. Charlie has had struggles of his own, a recent divorce, an illness and is also going through the motions of life but not really enjoying it.

As the two work together and get to know one another a true friendship develops. And suddenly Emma is feeling more but is Charlie? What is Charlie thinking or feeling? That’s where the single person narration hooks you in. You need to know Charlie’s feelings and motives and suddenly you’ve finished the book.

I loved all the literary and film references in this story. If you’re a lover of those things you will too. Charlie and Emma are great together and their banter is so fun to read. Emma epically calls him out several times. I also loved Emma’s dynamic with her dad and sister. This is a beautiful story of love, grief and loss and living for the moment.

Thanks to Katherine Center, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC opportunity.

Katherine Center has done it again. Giving us a sweet, romantic story about a rom-com lover and a man who hates them. I loved this book. Emma was a great narrator, and Charlie was a wonderful male lead. I loved both of them and their journey. I loved the Jack Stapleton cameos, but I wished we would have gotten to see Hannah as well.

If you want a beautiful story about two people who are trying to write about love but the real world keeps getting in their way, then this is the book for you.

Another great book by Katherine Center! I like how she touches on deeper topics while also retaining that light rom-com feel. This one specifically talks about illness, grief, and guilt. It’s about finding happiness in the things we have even when we think we may not deserve it. It’s about love and forgiveness and how we can’t control many things that happen to us but can still live happily after those bad things happen. All with a cute romance. I especially loved the ending & epilogue. Highly recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for gifting me an early copy in exchange for a review.

This is definitely one of my favorite books of 2024 and my perfect rom com💖 I was obsessed from the very beginning to the end, could not put it down.

The tension, the banter, the funny one-liners, the grumpy hero with a secret soft side, and the (non-irritating) quirky heroine absolutely made this book for me.

It was hilarious, and heartfelt, and sad, and swoon-worthy in all the best ways.

DNF at 40%

I went into reading with such high hopes as I’ve enjoyed some of Katherine Center’s other books. A few aspects of this story were cute/fine, but unfortunately weren’t enough to keep me reading. I had a really difficult time investing in the ‘romance’ between the two MCs and felt like the emotion was severely lacking. I also struggled to connect with them as characters, which is such an important element to me in my reading. Additionally, the breaking of the fourth wall in the storytelling also completely isolated me from the narrative.

While The Rom-Commers just wasn’t for me, I appreciate the opportunity for the ARC and extend my gratitude to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the E-ARC
Number of stars for this book: 10 000
Number of times I cried: 8
Number of times I giggled: 43

This book is pure magic. I giggled, kicked my feet, cried, and maybe will be getting a tattoo of a few of the last words in this book.

I will now be buying and reading all of Katherine Centers books. Her writing is phenomenal. She is hilarious in her writing.

Emma has had a hard life. Her big dream is to be a screenplay writer and she gets the opportunity to ghostwrite with her favorite author Charlie! Charlie is not exactly what she expected. He’s somewhat of a grumpy recluse.
Over the coarse of this book I fell in love with every single character. EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER. even the guinea pig.

I have also now learned that the grumpy sunshine trope is a favorite of mine.

Do yourself and your brain a favor and read this book RIGHT NOW!

“I would write a hundred happy endings for us if I could.”

TLDR: If you’re familiar with Katherine’s article romance genre, Love Stories Can Save the World, then it’s no surprise that this book is all of that rolled up into a beautiful story. If you love her work, you will no doubt love this one. If you haven’t read yet, let it be this one. It has so much humor and heart. It feels a little like a warm hug from the person you cherish the most.

I loved this gem of a book. I totally ignored my bedtime. I ended up a crying fool and then couldn’t sleep because I was thinking about life, tragedy, disappointment, hope, and love. I woke up the next morning with my eyes all swollen and I felt like I got hit by a bus but also, WORTH IT.

I loved both Emma and Charlie. She is a firecracker and her internal dialogue was so funny and relatable. Charlie is a grump who is far too practical for his own good. “The internet…” 🤭 (IYKYK) The entire cast of characters were just as wonderful. I was rooting for all of them. Well, not T.J. Heywood. I think it was Emma’s father who inspired me the most. “How did he stand beside a personal Grand Canyon of suffering and manage to feel . . . grateful?” I know people like that. I want to be that kind of person in my own suffering. Um, yeah, this is why I cried.

Tropes + things
screenwriters
famous MMC
grumpy x sunshine
unexpected roommates
anxiety/depression rep
family dynamics
slow burn
grief + healing

Thank you to Katherine for providing the physical copy for our traveling ARC and the publisher for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the two main characters and how they were both messy but good for each other. The biggest reason that I didn’t give it five stars is because I wanted a bit more in the development of their relationship. More pining, more tension, more build up, even more cute banter. I still would recommend this to a friend!

Back in the day, Emma used to date Logan and is currently giving Emma the job of a life time. He has told her to come to LA and write for the famous screenwriter Charlie Yates. She can't believe it. This is a dream come true, but she also can't leave her dad, who needs all around care since the hiking accident that killed Emma's mom and left her father in poor condition. As a family, it is decided that Emma is going to head to LA and Emma's younger sister will help take care of their dad.

When Emma gets to LA, she is introduced to Charlie Yates, who is not at all impressed. He doesn't care to re-write the romance movie since that's not his genre. He wants to work on a more important and serious movie, but this romance movie needs to be good in order for his passion project to go through.

While Logan and Charlie talk, Emma overhears that she doesn't even have the job. She was never offered a job and Logan lied to her. Charlie doesn't care about her or her opinions. He doesn't care to work with her or even acknowledge that she exists.

What will Emma do? Will she stay in LA and make a name for herself? Will she go back home and take care of her dad?

I enjoyed reading this book and I love the absolute cheese this book has to offer! I hope this becomes a movie as it's the perfect rom-com story!!

I really really enjoyed The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. The characters felt real, their emotions & reactions to one another were spot on. I loved the banter in this book. The slow burn was excellent. This was my first time reading a book by Katherine Center, and it makes me want to immediately dive into her backlist. Loved it!

3 stars - liked, would recommend
The Rom-Commers was a fun easy read even though it touched on some heavy topics.

Katherine Center has written another novel that just seems to sweep you off your feet and let you enjoy the ride and just watch two people fall in love with some laughs along the way. It was really easy to imagine how everything looked, and the book played out very easily as a movie (almost like a... Screenplay?!), and the spice rating is equivalent to a Hallmark movie.

I loved:
- Banter between Emma and Charlie
- secondary characters, especially Emma's dad, who is singularly inspiring and has some awesome quotes, and Logan, the meddliest meddler
- all the research scenes... Yes, they were cheesy but we want the Velveeta okay?!
- when someone is convinced and understands love (another angel gets its set of wings!)

I don't really know what I didn't love about the book, other than Charlie's hot and coldness towards Emma and her being kind of clueless about things but honestly... I would also take things at face value because 1) I'd like to protect my heart and 2) I don't have time for that.

It was another amazing Katherine Center book... Each one I read seems to be better than the one before.

Steam: 🔥
Heart Flutters: ❤️❤️

Let me tell you I DEVOURED this in 24 hours. I literally couldn’t stop. Between the dialogue and all the warm, fuzzy feelings, I never wanted to put it down.

✨ Read this book if you:
- are not afraid of the high-dive
- have a thing for men who can rock corduroy pants and rumpled Oxford shirts
- may or may not have a full, curated collection of dramatic kissing clips from around the world bookmarked on YouTube
- PERUVIAN LONG-HAIRED GUINEA PIGS (No, I will not provide further context.)

✨ My Thoughts: This is the perfect summer read if you want to sit on the beach with a smile on your face! This gave me immense Beach Read vibes, with writers working together whose preferred genres are polar opposites. This book is filled with the perfect banter between two lovable -but flawed- people. Our main character Emma is one you can’t help but root for, even if she doesn’t always make the best decisions. And Charlie Yates is the grumpy to her sunshine, who you can tell is just a big softy underneath. This dynamic is simply the best imo and Katherine Center is a master.

Speaking of Katherine Center, this is really putting up a fight for my favorite of hers! Things You Save in a Fire holds such a special place in my heart, and The Bodyguard was SO heartwarming. So The Rom Commers might join their ranks in a three-way tie!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy in exchange for my honest review!

Honestly yet another fantastic Katherine Center novel! I loved everything about Emma & Charlie's story... The dynamic, the banter, the chemistry! So freaking good.