What can I say about this book? I enjoyed it. I really liked the characters. I connected with Emma so much. I used to be a caregiver to my mom until she passed away a few months ago. Some of this book ripped my heart into pieces. I have had so many of the same feelings Emma had. I cried with her multiple times. By the end of the book I was sobbing. It was a bit of a rough read for me....but I feel like I needed it. Even though Emma is a character in a book, I needed to "met" her. I could go on and on but I think people just need to experience this for themselves! I don't want to give too much away.

I really liked Emma and Charlie. I laughed at their banter. I listened as I read, and I thought the narrator did a fantastic job! If you are a Katherine Center fan I suggest reading this book, just be prepared to have your heart strings tugged. I can't wait for what Katerine comes up with next!


Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center, St, Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the copies in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the e-book of The Rom-Commers so much I requested the audiobook, and it did not disappoint! This was the first novel by Katherine Center that I've read and she has officially turned me into a rom-com convert!

The plot focuses on Emma, a screenwriter whose dream of going to Hollywood was foiled by a tragic family accident, which left her as the caretaker to her disabled father for the past decade. A high school friend turned movie executive offers Emma a once in a lifetime job of rewriting a bad rom-com for a famous, award winning male screenwriter. Charlie, who is divorced and has no interest in romance (in real life or film), has to produce this script in order to get another one his movies made. Some of the usual romance tropes are included in the book, such as forced proximity (Emma stays at Charlie's mansion while in LA) and grumpy x sunshine, but Center's witty banter, physical comedy, and descriptive visuals delivered this story in a totally fresh and quirky manner.

If you're usually skeptical of rom-coms because you find them too cheesy and predictable (especially as their cartoonish covers may suggest), TRUST ME when I say that this one is the exception to the rule. This book was so much more than a cliché romance novel. It was a touching tale of the inner conflict between family loyalty vs. chasing your dreams. Center's poignant writing made me alternate between tears of laughter and genuine empathy and sadness for these fictional characters, who she so aptly brought to life in my mind and heart. I'm sorry that it took me so long to give this author a chance, but I'm glad that I have found her and can't wait to read more of her work!

3.5 stars (rounded up in this case). This book is a slow burn, enemies to lovers story with some more serious topics in the book than expected. It was an enjoyable read, but I felt like I never really connected to Charlie’s character.

The narrator did a great job at narrating the book and distinguishing voices. The one person with the British accent was unexpected, but it was cool.

Also, what’s Charlie’s last name again? Just kidding—I don’t know if listening to the audiobook made me overly attentive to how many times it’s said, but I feel like I’ll never forget the name Charlie Yates.

I absolutely loved this book. This gave me the feels of those early 2000s rom-coms I’m dying to come back! The enemies to lovers, the banter the build-up just all, chefs kiss.👌🏻

The audio narrator did a great job and have no issues with their performance.

Five stars

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and contemporary romance is not my typical go-to genre so I didn’t know what to expect. I think the highest compliment I can give is to say that Katherine Center has made me a believer!

Emma is an aspiring rom-com screenwriter whose been taking care of her dad since he was badly injured ten years ago, putting her life on hold. When she’s offered the chance of a lifetime working with her hero, Charlie Yates, she’s beyond excited but hesitant to leave the care of her father to her younger sister who has recently graduated from college. Of course, she does leave and what transpires was a pure joy to read.

What I liked:

The writing style. The book is told from Emma’s perspective and is directed at the reader as though she’s talking to you. The wording is very visual. I could see this story play out as though I was watching a movie.

The characters. All of them. Emma is witty, clever and intuitive and Charlie is yes, a bit of a butt-head but he is open to listen to reason and able to acknowledge and communicate his feelings as his character develops. And, while there is one very unlikeable dude, he’s done is such a way that is still amusing.

The banter. The interaction between Emma and Charlie had me giggling throughout the book.

The highs and lows. I had goosebumps reading the kissing scene and was near to tears reading the scene where her dad was injured. This book made me feel the emotions the author wanted the reader to feel. And, I rooted for the couple the whole time.

No gratuitous sex scenes.

What I didn’t like:

There is one part, and you’ll know when you get to it, that just didn’t ring true for me. The prolonged obstinate reaction from a diabolically emotional and believable fight is completely opposite of how this character has been portrayed throughout the whole book.

Conclusion: I love this book! So much so, that I practically read it in one sitting. Like, I was mad to have to set it down to go to dinner and wait to finish the last 10%. It’s a fun and easy read that will leave you smiling. And, again, the writing is SUPERB!

Tha narrator did a great job. Her pacing and intonation was perfect.

I received an advanced digital copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

My full review is available on my site: https://karamaek.com/2024/06/01/charming-and-heartwarming-romantic-comedy-the-rom-commers-book-review/

Emma Wheeler’s dream is to have her Rom-Com, The Accidental Mermaid, made into a movie. But her full-time job as caretaker for her father has put that dream on hold.
Charlie Yates is a screen writer with a long catalogue of blockbuster movies filling his IMDB page and a drawer full of awards. But after a battle with cancer, he has the yips. He also happens to be Emma’s writing idol.
Logan is the best friend to Emma and agent to Charlie, who feels it is time to meddle and bring the two people he truly cares about most together to help them both find their voices again.

I found The Rom-Commers to be charming, funny, heartwarming, and an all around good time. I liked Emma, I loved that her family pushed her out of the nest to take on this adventure. I liked Charlie and found him to be someone looking to grow. In true Rom-Com fashion, there were places where I wanted to scream “Did you not hear what he just said to you?!” and “Oh, come on! Don’t be a dolt!” But there were also many, many times when I laughed out loud and found I was having a good time listening to this story.

The narrator had a voice that was easy to follow and her character differentiation was solid. The pacing was perfect, I was able to speed up to 1.25x without impacting the clarity of the words, this allows the listener to have options in pacing. At times the deep intake of breath was distracting, which I know does bother many people, but I was able to move passed this. I do recommend the audio version!

Okay, the book was as good (banter, slow-burn, enemies to lovers, oh, my!) as I’ve come to expect from this author, but can we also talk about Center’s Romance Isn’t Ridiculous Manifesto?

Gah! She might have opened my brain box and scooped out my own thoughts.

You, over there, reading Self-Help, or Literary Fiction.

Romance novels aren’t the less-worth genre.

Romance novels are not derisory.

Romance novels show growth and hope and redemption.

Romance novels for president.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for this comedically romantic ARC.

This book was full of emotions. There was a lot of funny and laugh out loud moments. There are always a decent amount of heart touching and emotional moments. I enjoyed my time with this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Center, and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC of The Rom-Commers.

I will first say that it’s rare for me to listen to audiobooks. I have started a few but have only finished one prior to The Rom-Commers. I can now say I have finished two. Katherine Center has put together such a funny, sweet, and compelling story that I never wanted to hit stop. The narrator also played a significant role in making the story what it was, bringing Emma to life for me. The flow of the story was impeccable, leaving me wanting more every time I hit play.

The Rom-Commers brings together Charlie, an uber-famous screenwriter, and Emma, a caretaker for her father who aspires to one day become an uber-famous screenwriter herself. Did I mention she has a photo of him on her inspiration board?

Charlie is a great writer, but he’s not so great at writing romcoms. This is where Emma steps in to show him how it's done, and perhaps teach him a thing or two about romance and love in the process.

If you are a fan of books by the likes of Emily Henry or Lucy Score, you will love this and Katherine Center’s work.

I received this book on NetGalley as an ARC.

I have loved Katherine Center’s writing since I first picked up The Bodyguard. It’s safe to say that this book is just as amazing. It shows real emotions and what it is like to go through loss, injury, sickness, and still find love. I love the side stories of the other characters and that some previous characters make an appearance. Highly suggest this book to anyone and everyone!

This is another absolute knock out of the park from Katherine! The Rom-Commers is hilarious, poignant, and thought-provoking with incredible depth. The characters are so real...flawed, but genuine and lovable. I absolutely adore Katherine's writing style. This is only my second read from her, but I think I've already reached auto-read territory.

Emma...Oh, man. What a load of responsibility on this girl's shoulders. It's no wonder that she settled into such a rigid lifestyle in order to survive. I loved seeing Emma spread her wings and actually get to do something completely for herself for once. I also enjoyed witnessing her realize her true worth as a writer.

Charlie...What a disheveled, hot mess of a man...but in the BEST way possible! I adored how completely Charlie fell for Emma and how he was so incredibly surprised by it all. It was so sweet getting to see him realize that love isn't just some silly fantasy...it's real and it's sacrifice and it's something to hold onto with everything you've got.

Things I loved...the banter between Emma and Charlie (the best I've read in a while), Logan (and all his ridiculousness), Emma's dad (what an absolute sweetheart), Cuthbert (IYKYN), all the twists and turns, some amazing quotes, the bonus chapter, Katherine's author note (❤️❤️❤️), and all of the normal, everyday things that meant so much more than they seemed to at first glance.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

I really enjoyed my time reading this one! This new novel from Katherine Center follows two screenwriters — an aspiring though self-proclaimed "failed" writer named Emma and an outrageously successful and highly awarded writer named Charlie — as they join forces to save Charlie's latest project from its current disastrous state. This is all I will leave you with as I think it's fun to go into this book not knowing too much!

In full transparency, I wasn't sure how I would feel about this one as it took me a while to feel connected to Emma and Charlie as characters. I feel like we got a lot of background on Emma right off the bat which meant a bit of slower start to the story for me (it was a lot of info without being given a reason to care about any of it), but once Emma and Charlie started working together I got sucked in and really came to enjoy their banter with one another other. It truly felt like reading about two characters who were matched in every way and it was fun to see them (rather accidentally) come to care for each other.

I was lucky enough to get to experience this story on audio and I cannot recommend the audiobook enough!!!! Patti Murin did such a phenomenal job with this narration and completely brought the story to life. I truly felt like I was watching a rom-com unfold in my head and she invoked Emma and Charlie's interactions with all the wit and deadpan that was implied on the page. For my fellow audiobook lovers, this one is a must!!!

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun and fast-paced yet sweet and heartfelt read this summer — this was incredibly bingeable and is perfect for reading in one sitting during a beach day. I also really recommend if you loved The Bodyguard by Katherine Center: not only did they have a similar energy, but there might be a cameo or two from some familiar faces! And if you are just generally a lover of rom-coms (books OR films!!!), you will probably find something to love here.

✨ Review ✨ The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center; Narrated by Katherine Center; Patti Murin

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, SMP, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

So I typically prefer my romances to be a little less G-rated, but this one was an exception. The book made me laugh and root for the characters and really just get sucked up into the story.

I loved the fun elements of the story - the high dive, TJ's nickname lol, Emma's awkwardness, the line dancing and other research they did, the love of Emma's family, and on and on.

The first 1/3 of the book was near perfection -- I loved how it set the story up, I loved how it paired comedy with the characters' grief, and so many things just made me laugh. The tension was A++

The second 2/3 of the book slowed down just a bit because I felt a little frustrated with the characters. I know people don't change over night but sometimes Charlie was really mean to Emma and Emma too unsure and forgiving. I appreciated the messiness but also wanted something a little more from it. I think also hearing Charlie's POV alongside Emma's might have shifted this a bit for me?

Average these together of 5 star x 1/3 + 4 stars x 2/3 gets my rating lol (too much math sorry)

🎧 I listened to most of this on audio BUT I think the jokes landed more via ebook for me, which might be why the first 1/3 ranked so much higher for me. Definitely a fun and quick summer listen!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.33)
Genre: f/m contemporary romance (closed door)
Setting: Los Angeles
Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
Pub Date: Jun 11 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ squeaky clean romances
⭕️ forced proximity with lots of banter
⭕️ guinea pigs
⭕️ tensions on the high dive
⭕️ instruments you can play with one hand

10 years ago there was an awful accident causing the Wheeler family life to change quickly. Emma Wheeler took control and made the best out of a crazy directional change in her life. Now her best friends calls her to partner up with her screenwriter idol and help him fix his awful screenplay. They have 6 weeks to fix the screenplay and maybe even have some time to fall in love.

I loved every single thing until the 3rd act break up and then Emma dealing with the other stuff near the end.

But prior to that I was eating this story up! I was laughing and smiling while walking around my job. Even talked to my coworkers about this book. Soo all in all, I would recommend this book but I can’t lie and say I didn’t want to throw this book around the 80% mark to the 95%.

Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Center and Macmillan.Audio for the ARC of this book

I love Katherine Center but this is her worst book. Wow. Emma and Charlie were both awful! There were multiple things that happened in the book that made me pause, open my chat with someone else who already read this to rant about it, and then go back to finish it. I’ll definitely keep reading her books but this was a huge flop for me.

The audiobook was good, the narrator did a great job. It was just the book that sucked.

The Rom-Commers was very enjoyable! I Love the characters and the family conflict. Charlie was to try something new...completely out of his comfort zone, but he needs Emma to inspire his new challenge! Such a sweet story.

Emma Wheeler is an aspiring screenwriter who spends most of her time taking care of her dad who's still recovering from an accident. Her life's on hold until her agent calls her with what could be a life-changing project. At first, she declines, but then she finds out it's a rewrite with her favorite screenwriter, Charlie Yates. This one is drastically different from his other work as it's a romance and it's a complete mess. She decides to take the chance and goes to Los Angeles to work with him.

This was my first Katherine Center book and I think that may have actually worked against me as I came in with high expectations from all the hype. I just never felt the spark with Emma and Charlie's chemistry. In fact, Charlie treats her terribly for a significant portion of the book. His "conflict" just gave me whiplash — I will leave it at that to avoid spoilers.

Also, I have decided clean romances are lame.

The audiobook element worked for me here. The narrator had a pretty solid voice for Emma and Charlie's was at least distinct. However, I cannot figure out why Logan has a British accent in the audiobook? This man went to high school in Texas.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Emma is a struggling writer and full time caregiver to her dad who gets a once in a lifetime chance to work with her favorite writer on a rom-com. It seems like a dream come true until she realizes he doesn't want to work with her and doesn't believe in love, but she's willing to put in the work to change his mind and maybe fall in love on the way. This a cute grumpy sunshine, Forced Proximity, workplace romance, with an obscure illness thrown in, Center's MO, that tackled the subjects of grief, loneliness, abandonment with tenderness and big dose of humor. There were some corny bits, but it made me smile. If you're looking for an emotional and heartwarming romance with no on page intimacy, this is a great option.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC.

Things I liked: Katherine Center & Patti Murin’s narration.

Things I loved:: this story. Charlie.

Thing I did not like: the high dive.

Katherine Center continues to be one of the great Rom-Commers. Her characters are adorable and awkward and real. The plots are cheesy perfection (I mean, it was a romcom about a romcom that they named romcom). And the happy ever afters are feet kicking in the air inducing. I was lucky enough to receive an audiobook arc of this new release, and I thought Patti Murin did such a great job of immersing me into the story. She truly captured the sheer awkwardness of both Emma and Charlie, and I loved how her inflection enhanced the dialogue between our two characters. The wit and banter had me laughing out loud so many times, and I loved getting Emma's inner monologues.

I highly recommend anything written by Katherine Center, audiobooks by Patti Murin, and The Rom-Commers.