This little sweet story is dazzling. It has humor and love and all of the emotions. My only tiny complaint is that I wish, as with many stories in this genre, that the happy ending was more showing than telling especially with a focus on that love story we've been waiting so long for. I had the opportunity to read the ebook and audiobook, and I loved both, switching between them. The narrator, Patti Murin, was great!
Massive thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of both the ebook and audiobook!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Emma is an aspiring screenwriter whose career was derailed by personal tragedy—but things might be about to turn around when she is hired to fix a terrible rom-com script with her favorite writer, Charlie Yates.

This book is, first and foremost, a love letter to the genre of romance and I am HERE FOR IT. Watching Charlie come around to the importance of joyful stories was such a beautiful and meaningful character arc it genuinely made me cry, and the awards show scene was one of my favorite moments I’ve read in a book this year (or maybe ever).

Also, this book is DELIGHTFULLY funny. I found myself literally laughing out loud so many times (even though there are definitely some super sad moments and pretty big CWs as well, see below). The chemistry and banter between Emma and Charlie was SO good, and I was rooting for them SO HARD the whole way through.

Highly HIGHLY recommend this (ideally after THE BODYGUARD because there are some fun Easter eggs/cameos if you care about that sort of thing!)

CW: Cancer; death of parent; chronic illness/disability; medical content; grief; mild sexism

Katherine Center is always a must-read author for me. Her latest "The Rom-Commers" was such a fun read. I LOVED it!
Imagine being hired to rewrite a famous screenwriter's script? Emma, the new hire, loves Rom -Coms; Charlie does not. He definitely does not believe in love either.
A perfect set-up for conflict. May the sparks fly!

Will there be a time where I am not wowed by Katherine Center's books? I hope not. This book topped the list for me. Arguably one of my favorites of the year, and we're only halfway through.

It cannot be overstated how much I wish I could read this book again for the first time. It packed Center's usual punch of emotion (making me weep at multiple points), but it was also full of comical moments. The voice of the protagonist, Emma, was so full of life, witty, and entertaining. I always love the characters that Center creates because they are complex, flawed, and sometimes traumatized humans who have the ability to evolve and become better people as the story continues.

Everyone should give this one a read, just maybe save the last few chapters for when you're in private if you don't like publicly sobbing!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an e-arc!

Emma is a screenwriter- or at least desperately wants to be one. Instead, she’s pretty pre-occupied being her dad’s full time caregiver after a tragic hiking accident. Emma has been taking care of her dad for years, giving up her dreams, friendships, social life, and personal time. However, Emma loves her dad so much that she really doesn’t mind doing these things for him, especially since the thought of ever leaving him creates a lot of anxiety.

Emma has to come face to face with her fears one day when her old friend (and ex boyfriend) Logan reaches out to her about re-writing a script. Only, it’s not just any script- it’s a script for a rom-com for her favorite screenwriter in the world, Charlie Yates. Emma reads the script and can’t believe how terrible it is. Knowing that this awful script would be an injustice to the rom-com genre, Emma knows she has to write the script. However, there’s one huge issue- she would have to be in LA for several weeks to work with Charlie on the re-write.

Emma’s younger sister convinces her to go to LA and agrees to take care of their dad while she’s gone. Even though she’s nervous, Emma sets off to LA, having no clue what awaits her there.

Charlie, on the other hand, is less than thrilled when Emma arrives. He doesn’t want someone re-writing his script, a script that he knows is bad but doesn’t care about in any way. Emma is shocked to learn that Charlie doesn’t even believe in love, despite having been married before. Despite Charlie’s difficult attitude, Emma is determined to turn this script around for the sake of the genre- which means showing Charlie that love does exist in the process.

As Charlie and Emma spend more time together and get closer, feelings start to develop that are more than just professional. But how can two people have a love story when one doesn’t even believe in love?

This book was so cute, funny and enjoyable!! Charlie was frustrating to no end but a genuinely caring character, and Emma was so genuinely herself and brave about her feelings. Charlie and Emma were a great team in more ways than one, and what made this a 5 star for me (besides really enjoying the book) was the message that perhaps sadness makes the happiness better.
I loved the adventures that Charlie and Emma went on in their goal of improving the script, and I thought this was such a fun read for summer!

I enjoyed this book. I loved the banter and the humor. I liked that you could tell she did her research on many many topics and for that she has my respect. Katherine center is an auto buy author for me. Her writing is like talking to a friend. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

I love when the right book hits at the right moment. Enter The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center, picked up as I slid into the inevitable late-spring head cold mixed with a gloomy rainy day, and you have the recipe for a two-sitting read.

Center knows how to write banter and how to create realistic characters with “all the blemishes”. Emma is a sweet, anxious, self-critical writer who is accustomed to taking care of everyone around her and ignoring her own needs. Charlie is the rugged, dismissive, successful screenwriter who has sheltered himself from feeling emotions, pain or *gasp* love. Put the two of them in Charlie’s mansion, with a bit of pushing from their agent Logan, to rewrite Charlie’s terrible attempt at writing a rom-com, and watch the fireworks fly. Of course, throw in a couple of moments with Jack Stapleton and I am a very happy reader. I giggled out loud several times, and then surprised myself with some tears when Emma’s dad shared some of his own thoughts on love and forgiveness. Perfect book to boost my mood!

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The rom-commers is a delightfully entertaining story about a failed writer who is given a chance of a Iifetime opportunity to rewrite the screenplay for a rom com with her favorite writer. The only problem is that he knew nothing about this until she shows up on his doorstep. This meet-cute leads to a lot of witty banter and laugh out loud moments. I knew from the very first first page that I was going to love this book. The story is well written, the story arc flowed effortlessly and the characters were likable and relatable. The rom-commers had all of the elements of a great rom com. It made me laugh, cry, and swoon.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the earc in exchange for the honest review.

Katherine Center’s Rom-Commers is a delight! It’s a witty and self deprecating commentary on romance novels. As Emma is telling Charlie what romance novels are suppose to be like and what its readers expect, you feel seen - as in, yes, that’s exactly what I’m looking for….. and this book goves you that and more!

Katherine Center does it again. Her books are such a delight and this one is no different. Emma is quickly likeable. Charlie is rough around the edges, but Emma slowly wears away his layers. I love how Charlie was the seasoned writer, but Emma truly was the teacher in how to write a love story. I always love the depth of Katherine Center's characters; they have flaws, they are human, they are relatable, they are real but she always gives you a happy ending in the end. As I have with all her books I've read thus far, I get completely engrossed in them and have a hard time putting them down after starting. If you enjoy a good rom-com, playful banter and heartfelt conversations this one is for you!

Read if you like:
🎥 4th Wall Breaks
🌤️ Grumpy x Sunshine
💋 Just Kissing
🏠 Forced Proximity
💻 Coworkers to Lovers
🥺 Hard Topics Mixed In
💕 Learning the Value of Living Life & Love

I don’t know how to start out this review other than to say this was such an amazing romance that truly made me sooo happy and was exactly what I needed with the sunshine Emma brought to the story.

Also, the way the story is told to the reader made me LOVE it so much and loved the 4th wall break with this style of storytelling.

I really loved the opposites attract with Emma and Charlie and how she was so sparkling and full of so much sunshine to Charlie’s grumpy personality that doesn’t believe in love.

The story was a bit silly, ridiculous and I loved every second of it and it truly made me swoon and oh so happy which was exactly what I needed! And loved the author’s note so much too!

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I loved The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. The characters had great banter and an inconvenience to love back and forth. I enjoyed that their hardships brought them together and all of the side characters were a great addition to the trajectory of the plot.
I loved that Jack Stapleton was also in this book, I love a cross-book character mention.
Overall, this book was really good and is a great rom-com!

Last year’s Hello Stranger was a home run in my book, and I was thrilled to get my hands and ears on an ARC of The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center; thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press for the review copy!

Emma’s career as a unknown screenwriter gets blasted into the spotlight when she is handed the opportunity of a lifetime- to co-rewrite a rom-com screenplay with her idol * celebrity crush, Charlie Yates. There’s just… a few problems. 1, Emma must relinquish the full time care of her dad to her younger sister for the time she’s away. 2, Charlie doesn’t write with anyone, and he certainly doesn’t want to write with her. And 3, the screenplay is truly horrendous… almost as if the original writer doesn’t believe in romance or comedy!

It's a tale as old as time, folks. Grumpy meets sunshine, forced proximity, cue the montage of adorable and hilarious mini-adventures. Add in some family drama, mistakes, and one depressed hamster, and you’ve got The Rom-Commers. Center is certainly not the first or last author to rely on these themes in a romance novel, but she does them quite well. I flew through this book just as quickly as Hello Stranger. Romance readers take note- this book is very light on spice- I prefer romances this way, so this did not detract any points from my rating. I must admit that these MCs did not work as well for me as I hoped they would, however I do think that most chick lit readers will like this one for a light summer romance— Happy reading!

I was 60% into this book and I knew it would be five stars. Katherine Center could have completelky fumbled the ending, she didn't but it wouldn't have mattered. The swoony feelings from caretaker Charlie and the overwhelming need to applaud at everything that Emma did and said on every page made me LOVE this book.

Great love story (he falls first and HARD), great banter, very quick pace, lots of giddy and fun moments. Full of Center's signature charm and wit.

I'm pretty sure that it's my favorite Katherine Center book.

I could not put this one down. It was full of heart, love, drama, family, relationships and so much more. Emma was a fantastic FMC with so much spirit and was so interesting to get to know. Charlie was a great MMC to spar with Emma. This is along the lines of grumpy guy trope but it's written so well that I loved that angle. When I read the line, "If you wait for other people to light you up, then I guess you're at the mercy of darkness," it was a wow moment. And I felt like the theme of the book was summed up nicely with "There are endless human stories, but they all end the same way. So it can't be where you're going that matter, it has to be how you get there." Highly recommend reading this one!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

This was an easy read and would be great summer reading on the beach! It's predictable, like most other books in the genre, but it's still fun.

I thought The Bodyguard was my least favorite KC book but The Rom-commers takes the cake.

I couldn’t relate to both the main characterers and found them annoying. Most of the interactions between Emma & Charlie was too far-fetched. Like who does that? I felt there was no chemistry between the two.

I loved Katherine Center’s other books. Will definitely give the author another chance because I love her writing style. Sadly this book was not for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of my honest review.


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6489196529

DELIGHTFUL. I've only read one other KC book, and I wasn't a fan, but I've seen The Rom-Commers basically everywhere so when I saw the arc on NetGalley I had to check it out. Love it when the main conflict doesn't stem from miscommunication for once!

This was another great book by Katherine Center!! An inexperienced, but very talented screenwriter gets to work with her idol to write a rom com. She has always put others before herself and he’s very cynical about love and they set out to write the perfect screenplay. I fell in love with all the characters in this book. None of them are perfect, but that’s what makes them lovable. Our protagonist, Emma is a selfless and loving person who is dealing with grief and her self-proclaimed part in losing her mom. She’s also the main caretaker for her dad who is forever impaired due to an accident. Her family insists that she make herself a priority and move to LA to write a screenplay with her idol, Charlie. He’s a writer of action movies, but has been persuaded to give a rom com a try, but needs someone softer to help out. This book takes you through the relationship between Emma and Charlie, her feelings of guilt, his own reluctance to break down walls, and their mutual quest to finish the screenplay. The chemistry, the family love, and short chapters led me to flying through this book!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Katherine Center does it again💕

This is my fourth Katherine Center read, and she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I love how she makes her main characters adorably quirky and somehow incredibly down to earth and relatable. I love how she infuses humor and wit into her writing and dialogue. I haven’t necessarily noticed it in previous books, but I love how she draws the reader in and almost involves them in the story. And I love that her stories are not just romantic fluff, they are deep and sometimes sad and confront real, big issues.

As a romance and rom-com lover, I loved the premise of this book. I loved Emma, and I even loved Charlie (even though he was kind of a jerk at the beginning, he was really thoughtful and sweet on the inside). This was a super fun book full of classic romcom hijinks that will make you laugh and moving moments that may make you tear up. I can’t wait for my next Katherine Center read.💕

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Marten’s Press for an advanced copy of The Rom-Commers! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.