📕 The Rom-Commers
by Katherine Center
⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

A rom-com about a rom-com? What more can we ask for?

Emma has always put off her dreams for the sake of others. As she's been taking care of her father for the past decade, she now has a once in a lifetime chance to become a successful screenwriter as she gets offered to rewrite a rom-com script with her favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates! The problem is, Charlie's script is TERRIBLE!

The plot is definitely creative and inspiring, just like the main female character, Emma! I loved that girl so much! Watching her from accepting the job and persevering through all the cracks and bumps in her way made me want to be like her. She never gave up and I truly admire that.

Katherine Center's writing never disappoint. This book made me laugh and smile. I enjoyed the conversations between the characters, the funny banter and sarcasm they exchanged. I also really enjoyed the surprise of having a character from The Bodyguard showing up in this book.

Overall, this was definitely one of my top books read this year and I will be recommending it to any rom-com lovers and those who don't believe in love. 😉❤️ This rom-com might change your mind!

I enjoy reading Katherine Centers books, but I feel like this one was the best yet!

Emma loves to write romantic comedies. When she gets asked to write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie, she can’t believe it. She is OBSESSED with Charlie and his work. He tried to write a script for a new rom-com, however it is horrible. Emma must figure out a way to help Charlie fix his script, even though he dosent even believe in love.

I enjoyed this book very much! The tropes included in this book are: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and grumpy meets sunshine. Emma and Charlie go through a lot together, and their chemistry is great! Although there isn’t any spice in this book, I feel like it wasn’t necessarily needed.

Overall, this book was great and I would definitely recommend it! 4 ⭐️ from me!

Star Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐
Heat Rating: 1/5 🌶️
Audiobook: 4/5 🎧

What to Expect:
- Grumpy/Sunshine
- Forced Proximity
- Workplace Romance
- Hollywood Romance
- Temporary Roommates
- Quirky Characters
- Family Drama
- Past Trauma

Emma Wheeler is an aspiring screenwriter who is given the opportunity to help Charlie Yates rewrite a script for his upcoming romantic comedy. She is a huge fan of Charlie, so this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her. Unfortunately, this opportunity requires Emma to leave her father in her younger sister's hands while she is in LA for this job. After some miscommunication and bad first impressions, Emma helps Charlie turn his terrible script around. When Emma finds out Charlie doesn't believe in love, she works to make him see love and rom-coms are worth it.

I really enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Emma and Charlie. Emma is optimistic, hopeful and believes in true love. Charlie is successful in his field and has a tough exterior. His time in Hollywood and past disappointments have caused him to be jaded and not believe true love exists. The characters are interesting, well-developed, and have many layers; however I didn't always like them. The story did drag a bit, and sometimes I didn't feel much was happening, but the laugh-out-loud moments kept me reading. I liked the banter between Emma and Charlie and the development of their relationship. I also liked that this was not a typical rom-com and had some heavier topics. The Rom-Commers is my first read by Katherine Center. The author's note at the end of the book is a treat for readers. Overall, this was an enjoyable story, and I would recommend it to those who want a lighthearted story that will leave a smile on your face.

NARRATION:
Patti Murin did a wonderful job with this story. Her voice is very versatile and she did a great job portraying the characters. Murin perfectly conveyed the personalities of Emma and Charlie. Murin is expressive, and her inflection is perfect. I also enjoyed Katherine Center herself narrating a bonus scene. I highly recommend pairing the book with the audio for this story.

Thanks to Katherine Center, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted eARC and audiobook. Opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Katherine Center for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have a hard time with romance sometimes, I usually find that they're quite cheesy at times. This one however, I really enjoyed!

This book was a fun forced proximity, enemies to lovers story. The characters Emma and Charlie were so fun to read, and they had such fantastic banter and chemistry. Emma's backstory is so heartbreaking, and I love how she is able to deal with her past trauma in a healthy way.

I love that their isn't any spice in the book, it makes for a more enjoyable read for me. This is my first Katherine Center novel, and it certainly did not disappoint!

I so enjoyed listening to this novel! I binged it in one day, I was too excited to share in their journey to love, that I couldn't turn the story off!

Wow, just wow! I loved it, the perfect summer read for summer 2024!

the setup…
At heart, Emma Wheeler is a screenwriter but it takes a backseat to taking care of her beloved father. Her high school ex has her doing ghostwriting projects on the side in addition to a job that provides the health insurance and pays the bills. But then Logan presents her with her dream assignment: re-writing a script for Charlie Yates. He’s only the most famous of screenwriters and her idol. He’s also written the most awful romantic comedy and luckily that genre is in her “Wheel-house.” It’s six weeks in LA and she has to leave her father in her baby sister’s care…the first time in ten years.

the heart of the story…
If you’re a champion for the romance genre, this story arms you with every defense possible. Emma is an excellent writer but is confronted with a cynical Charlie who only needs the script to be “good enough” to get his true project accepted. From the onset, Emma is not only fighting for going all out for the best script possible but getting him to embrace and experience the art of romance. I loved their confrontations, her passion and his honesty. As you could expect, Charlie comes off that pedestal she’s put him on and he begins to respect Emma’s skills and her talent. The brewing romance between the two goes unspoken…until it demands to be heard.

the narration…
I’m a fan of Murin and she delivers in a big way with this story, especially the voice she gives Emma. The characters were brought to life so vividly and her pacing was perfect.

the bottom line…
I had high expectations for this story from the moment I read the description and was fearful my anticipation would lead me to disappointment. My worries were unfounded as Emma & Charlie are well designed characters who are clever and interesting, two people I became invested in almost immediately. I loved every one of their interactions: the humor, the serious and rough moments, the teeming emotions under the surface. And for fans of The Bodyguard, you’ll see characters from that story make appearances. It’s a testimony for all the wonderful romcoms out there, including this one. Loved it! 4.5 stars

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Katherine Center for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Emma and Charlie are tricked into working with each other to write a rom-com, but end up in a rom com worthy story of their own.

4.5/5 ⭐️

Honestly, I have to say this, I am notorious for rating romance novels low. I find them formulaic and sometimes boring. Sometimes I just wish the characters would say what they are thinking and put us all out of the misery of having to sit through pages and pages of nonsensical inner dialogue.

I am so happy to say that that is not true for The Rom-Commers. This book was a fun forced proximity/reluctant enemies(ish) to lovers, hilarious, swoon worthy, make your heart flip read. Emma and Charlie’s banter will take you by surprise and also be predictable in all the was a heart warming rom-com should be. I love a good no spice read as well! This is definitely a must read for the summer!

For me, it felt like this took off in the beginning 🚀 I absolutely loved the banter between the two main characters and I was definitely LOLing throughout the book. Narrator Patti Murin did such a great job 👏🏼 I loved how it was Emma’s POV but there were moments where she was talking to the audience and Murin did it seamlessly 🫶🏼

Emma has been taking care of her dad for the last 10 years and she gets an opportunity to go across the country for a dream job. That dream job just so happens to be working with Charlie Yates, who is a famous screenwriter but also pretty grumpy and against working with another writer. Charlie doesn’t really believe in love and Emma is there to help him write a better love story by teaching him about love. We’ve seen this storyline before but I still enjoyed it!

Towards the end, Emma stopped being herself to me… It was like she became hyper fixated on “getting” Charlie, regardless of their friendship and agreement and that actually bugged me. There’s one scene where I thought she was being absolutely childish, she did acknowledge that she was being an attention seeker but still! The end knocked off a star for me but I still thoroughly enjoyed this book 🫶🏼

Patti is such a great audiobook narrator and the team up between her and Katherine’s incredible writing is one of my greatest joys!

This is my second Kathrine Center book and I loved it just as much! The concept of writing a book about writing a rom com was super unique and I thought it was a fun spin. Not only just Emma teach Charlie how that looks, but it plays out in the book itself.

I have to admit that I was not a fan of Charlie in the beginning. He was so rude to Emma and yet she constantly tried to help him. She acted like his therapist at times, which was cute for the rom com but also just frustrating because Charlie treated her poorly time and time again.

I loved the family dynamic for Emma and thought it was a great addition to her life and backstory! As someone who lost their sister so close to going to college, I related to so many of the struggles that Emma faced.

All in all it was a cute, unique, fun and emotional book!

*Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Katherine Center does it again! I have never met a book from Katherine Center that I didn’t like! In this new release, we meet Emma and Charlie. Emma is a writer and is chosen to rewrite a romantic comedy for Charlie, a famous screenwriter. Charlie’s romantic comedy screenplay is so atrocious, Emily realizes that she has her work cut out for her! Charlie’s original script reveals to Emily that he knows nothing of what a love story *must* include. As the story unfolds, you can’t help but cheer for Emily and Charlie as they navigate personal challenges that may keep the script from being finished. I could not put this one down! I highly recommend it!

I also HIGHLY RECOMMEND reading the Author’s Note at the conclusion of the book! Katherin’e treatise on why we need love stores had me cheering “Yes, Yes, Yes!” as I read it in it’s entirety. Thank you Katherine Center for the gift of your books!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC that I received to review. The opinions in this review are my own.

First of all,I must say the narration was very well done for the audiobook.

This book is very well written with some heart wrenching moments that have taken place in both the FMC and MMC's lives. I ultimately ended up rooting for them both; however, they both sell themselves so short which ended up being so frustrating to me. I will say that with how well written it was even the frustrating moments made sense.

I definitely recommend reading/listening to this book when it is released on June 11th.

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. I also loved the narrator! Fantastic audio! 5⭐️

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

Unpopular opinion incoming. I want to start by saying that Katherine is an excellent author and I have enjoyed several of her other books

"The Rom-Commers" had an interesting premise but ultimately fell a little short for me. I wanted to love it, I really did but I just didn't.

The story begins with a clever ABBA shout out and features a unique dynamic between the main character and her high school boyfriend, Logan, who comes out as gay and becomes a Hollywood success. Despite this strong start and an amazing narrator, the plot unfolds very slowly.

The main character Emma is heavily defined by her role as a caregiver for her father, which adds depth but also slows the pacing. By the halfway point, I wrote a note that I found the book to be my least favorite by Katherine Center due to its slow pace and lack of a compelling dialogue.

I struggled to form an emotional connection with the characters, and the slow-burn romance with standard miscommunications didn't keep me invested. I found the last 10% of the book enjoyable and swoony but also a bit predictable. I'm just not sure if it was all worth the wait for me.

‘The Rom-Commers' has its moments, but it didn't engage me as much as I had hoped. I didn't find myself reaching for it or as fully absorbed as I had hoped. Although it may appeal to fans of slow-burn romances, it didn't live up to my expectations.
It was a good romance and cute book but not a great one for me and at 11 hours and 21 minutes I expected a lot.

I’m definitely in the minority though so if this is one you’re looking forward to I would say check it out.

@deannsdailydrop

Thank you NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and Katherine Center for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Center did it again !!!! My goodness. I listened to this book in 2 days ... I couldn't put it down.

Synopsis
Emma has gotten the opportunity to go out to CA and help ghost re-write a screen play by her favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates.

Emma was such a fun, quirky character who brings out the sunshine in everyone she meets. Like Charlie. Charlie was in a dark space when they first met but by the end, he was shining bright.

Their chemistry throughout the book was the chefs kiss. Their banter was a slow build and the best thing, it was not insta-love. It was a day by day build up.

Katherine. You are a genius. I can't wait to get my copy!!!!

Thank you macmillian audio!

The Rom Commers is a swoony, silly colleagues to lovers story that follows Hollywoods favorite screenwriter
and a writer turned caregiver fall in love.

This book was so fun - the cast of characters sets a tone of jovial goodness with a mix of deep and well fleshed out backstory’s that give each character a uniqueness and vibrancy that you don’t see often in books. Emma is one of my favorite characters I’ve read this year - her story arc of loss and forgiveness, along with her love story and fun quirks were captivating to read and I could absolutely relate to her unmanageable hair. Charlie is such a Hollywood hunk - with the biggest dork side thrown in for good measure. His background of illness mirrors Emma’s story of caregiving, and brought a new side to the plot that took the story from just a rom com to something much more meaningful.

This was my first novel by Katherine Center - and I can honestly say I fully understand the hype. The care with which she constructed every detail of the story is evident, and her handling of tough topics has a sincerity that reads clear off the page. I loved the intricate layers everyone has - even the Guinea pig!! - and the way she tied the book in a bow at the end was truly a master class in rom coms.

The audiobook narrator is perfect - she made the characters come to life and I really did hear Emma through her. I loved that at 2.0 speed I could clearly understand her words and inflections, and she did an incredible job nailing each emotional shift or funny punch line the chapters held. I would definitely listen to more books narrated by her.

Thank you to NetGalley and author Katherine Center for allowing me to read The Rom-Commers in exchange for honest review..
Charlie Yates is the greatest screenwriter of this century. Now he’s tried his hand at writing a romcom. It’s not very good.
Struggling writer, Emma Wheeler takes every job that her agent Logan sends her way to make ends meet. Not only is she a writer, but she is also a full-time caregiver for her father.
Logan is also Charlie’s agent and after reading his latest romcom screenplay he knows that it needs help. Enter Emma. Logan has arranged for Emma to help tweak Charlie’s latest work sadly it’s not that easy and order for this to work right Emma has to leave her home in Texas, and immerse herself in Charlie’s life in LA.
You’ll laugh out loud at the antics that these two get into and maybe even shed a tear as we learn both of their back stories.
Not only are we learning how to write a romcom we are reading it live as we make our way thru this story that will suck you in right away.
I rate The Rom-Commers 4⭐️

The Rom-Commers
By: Katherine Center
Narrated by: Katherine Center, Patti Murin
Macmillan Audio

Review:
The Rom-Commers is the most pleasurable and uplifting audiobook that I have listened to in 2024. Katherine Center poured joy directly into my heart with her themes of family loyalty, friendships, overcoming obstacles, writing, and romance.

Narrator Patti Murin's warm, appealing voice conveyed all of the humor and sentiment that Center intended for her readers. Murin's versatility and timing delivered exquisite portrayals of the entire cast of Center's well- developed characters. Listeners get to hear author Center's voice read a bonus scene, wonderful author's note, and acknowledgements.

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 added tenderness and compassion to the story. Charlie's back story did, as well.

Center's plot is a perfect mix 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!
Katherine Center writes for joy! I felt that emotion, along with so many more, throughout this audiobook.

I am honored to be a member of the 2024 Macmillan Audio Influencer Program. Thank you to both Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for a gifted advance listener's copy. My review is my own.

#MacAudio2024
#TheRomCommers #NetGalley #Katherine Center
# MacmillanAudio #PattiMurin

The Rom-Commers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Katherine Center

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies―good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates―The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!―it’s a break too big to pass up.

Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone―much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script―it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter―even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules―and comes true?

My Thoughts: This was such a wonderful book, I am HUGE Center fan and always excited when a new novel comes out every year. I am grateful to the publisher allowing me to review the books from Center the last few years, it has been a blessing. Center really blew it out of the park with this one. Emma was born to be a screenwriter, she has spent her life devoted to crafting her art and has won contests with her amazing screenwriting abilities. Ten years ago, her family suffered a tragic loss, as a result, her father requires full time care. Emma put her dreams on hold to take care of her father and allow her sister to follow her dreams. An opportunity presents itself when Charlie Yates, her most favorite author, needs a romance screenwriter. Her sister just graduated and steps in for caretaking duties so that Emma can go to L.A. for six weeks to do the project. They always say, when you meet your hero’s, they may disappoint you. Well, this is exactly the case. Charlie does not want to write with anyone, period, especially someone who has not been in the industry. Charlie does not care how this romance script comes across as it is just a means to get the script he really wants green lighted and will never see the light of day. Emma will stand up for herself and show Charlie that romance novels have their place in this world and that love matters. Will her dreams come true? Or will her heart get broken by her hero? This follows the tropes of enemies to lovers, forced proximity, celebrity, and sunshine/grumpy.

The story is narrated in a dual narration by Charlie and Emma. Emma is definitely sunshine, even though she is suffering with guilt from her parent’s accident ten years ago. She is brave, courageous, and kind. By contrast, Charlie is the grumpiest grump. He is also charming, sexy, and when you get through that tough exterior, he is very sweet and kind. Charlie and Emma’s story really pulled me in, immersed me with the characters, carried me on their journey, and kept me invested in their ending, or maybe their beginning. The characters were well developed with depth, witty banter, chemistry, authentic, they were balanced, and were intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, thought-provoking, funny, poignant, raw, endearing, steamy, and kept me engaged cover to cover.

Center does a stellar job at balancing literally laugh out loud moments with tender, pull on my heartstrings, moments. One moment you are crying, and the next you are laughing. Center just has this amazing ability to pull at your heartstrings in a way that is uplifting. The message of the book was truly amazing, that even though the worse of the worse tragedy, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and it is that light that we hang onto in faith for hope that things will get better.

TW: loss of a parent, Ménière’s disease, cancer, guilt, grief, and panic attacks. I had the digital and audio ARC versions. I loved the audio. The narrator, Patti Murin, was amazing. Her voice variation was right on point with the character distinction. Her voice was smooth and inviting, I was able to listen at 2x speed with no issues keeping up or sounding off. Murin really elevated the story to another level, and allowed the reader to be immersed in the characters. Center is one of my favorite romance authors, I do have a lot, but for Center, she is an auto-buy, or auto-request (on NetGalley). This was just an amazing read, definitely one of my top books for this year. I HIGHLY recommend this book to readers, go buy or borrow from your library today!!

Katherine Center’s books always make me think, and this was no exception.
She also makes me laugh & cry, and it’s a beautiful thing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
😘

💭 overall thoughts:
This was beautiful and deep, while also absolutely hilarious.

The way Emma felt about romcoms was such a love letter to the romance genre.

I adored Emma - her wit, her quirkiness, her ability to be unapologetically herself - a favorite heroine for sure.

Charlie was a tough character to love for a good part of the book, but his realness eventually had me falling for him as well.

They both come with a lot of baggage, and somehow seem to fit together, even though they’re quite opposite (at least on the surface).

Side note - absolutely adored the Bodyguard cameos 🥰

🎧 audio thoughts:
I adore Patti Murin, and her narration added so much for the story!

tropes + topics:
✍🏼 writers/workplace
🏠 temporary roommates
🌤️ grumpy sunshine
🔗 forced proximity
💖 single 1st person pov

*definitely has some heavier topics mentioned, check triggers if you have any.

✨ books with similar vibes:
♡ the Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, MacMillian Audio + NetGalley for advanced copies. All opinions are my own.