This was such a fun listen! I flew through this one in a little more than a day. The narration was great. The story was great. Katherine Center has had some great releases, but this one might be my favorite to date! I also loved seeing some old characters from some of her previous books in this book. This one is a great read or listen for the summer, as well as for anyone who loves rom-coms.

This book. It has insight of why I love reading, story construction, hero worship, trusting others, selflessness and letting go of trauma. And yet it was hilarious and kept me chuckling throughout. I've already recommended it widely and I'm so excited for others to read it. It might be my newest favorite from Katherine Center.

#arc
#netgalley
#theromcommers

4 Stars

Katherine Center does it again: she makes us swoon while also feeling big feels in the most delightful and heartwarming of ways.

I'm. not normally a huge fan of Hollywood/Screenwriting/Actor tropes because its a world that I just don't idolize or connect with, but Katherine made me love not only Emma (our driven and classic eldest-child heroine), but her surly counterpart, Charlie (Hollywood's former big hit writing wonder-kid who is struggling).

Charlie doesn't want to admit he needs help from his polar opposite, Katherine, but he doesn't know the first thing about writing a rom-com ass he has always wrote the big and explosive blockbusters. But he really does need help, so Emma is persuaded by her agent to leave her ailing father and embark on a journey of finding herself again.

As Emma lives with Charlie and they start to push the professional envelope as she tries to prove to him the tropes of a rom-com, Emma can 't help but feel torn between herself and her goals, and that of the dutiful daughter who helps care for her father at the sacrifice of herself.

We navigate that tricky journey of balancing our life roles and learning to prioritize ourselves, all while falling for the person we maybe never saw coming in the first place.

If you enjoy listening to audiobooks, the narrators did a phenomenal job capturing the essence of not only the story, but each of our main character's POVs. I highly recommend as this is a dual POV and multiple narrator audiobook!

I truly loved this book and can't wait to see what Katherine delivers next!

I have mixed feelings about this book.

I loved the dialogue and witty dynamics throughout. I was fascinated from the start and stayed engaged until the acknowledgments. The FMC was adorable and hilarious. The MMC was just the perfect ratio of hard shell/squishy center. There was tension, steam and boundless humor! I also highlighted at least a dozen lines of solid wisdom. It was just a beautifully well-rounded story!

So why the mixed review? The characters were wildly immature in how they handled their attraction to each other. So much so, it kept pulling me out of the story. And the FMC repeated the MMC name at least 50 times. I am not normally picky about things like this, so it had to be a LOT to get my attention.

The voice actor is brilliantly talented and deserves a standing ovation for how well she differentiates specific voices. However, I began to wonder if the “immaturity” I felt from the characters actually came from the way they said certain things rather than what they were actually saying.

Overall. I’d call this a tender, endearing summer read that will take your heart from aching to bursting throughout!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the advanced recording.

Katherine Center has quickly become my go-to romance writer. I love her story arcs, characters, and unique (and often emotional!) plots and The Rom-Commers totally hit the mark for me.

The tension between Charlie and Emma was palpable and I loved that Center kept us waiting with bated breath until what felt like the final page to give us all what we wanted and needed! I usually like a little steam with my romance and this book didn't have that, but what it lacked in steam, it made up for in emotion. There was more than one occasion this novel brought me to tears!!

I was so invested in these characters and I particularly loved Emma's dad. He was so optimistic and positive and wise. I loved that his disability didn't set him back and that he was so supportive of his daughters.

I also really enjoyed the writer aspect of this novel. While I have read many books about novel writers, I appreciated that Emma and Charlie were working on a screenplay and that Center showed us the work and research that went into developing it.

While Emma and Charlie were so different and unique, they were still very relatable and I loved how well-developed each character was.

I listened to this novel on audio and enjoyed the narrator, Patti Murin. She has a good voice for audio and it didn't feel overacted but her inflection and added drama had me totally hooked.

Overall, I really loved this book and I highly recommend. Thank you St. Martin's Press, MacmIllan Audio, and NetGalley for the copy.

Oh, my heart! This has to be a top favorite Katherine Center novel for me. I laughed and cried and inhaled this book. It is so good! This one features a super grumpy, reclusive screenwriter who has written the worse rom-com. He needs help but doesn't want help. Unfortunately for Charlie, Emma has arrived to do just that....help Charlie improve his screenplay. This is the dream job for Emma with the dream writer. She has been such a fan....until she meets him. They decidedly do not hit it off. Emma has left her ailing father for the first time to travel to LA to work with Charlie for six weeks only to learn that he didn't ask for her and doesn't want her. They do end up working together but it is fraught from the start.

I think what is so fantastic about Charlie and Emma is how fully formed they are. There is wit, banter, and laughs but there are also real discussions and there is true depth to these two. It was a delight to see their relationship develop through their vulnerabilities. Emma is a lover of the rom-com and Charlie is very much not. Watching these two work through their very different feelings about the work they are doing was so much fun. I did a combination of print and audio and can highly recommend both. Patti Murin narrates this book. She is quickly becoming a top favorite narrator as she brings this book to life so well. I felt like I was in the room with Emma and Charlie as they worked through this screenplay. I smiled throughout this whole book and became a bit annoying telling all of my friends that they had to read this book right now! I will continue this trend by telling you....read it. Right now. You will not be sorry.

Katherine Center is a treasure. There’s not one book she’s written where I haven’t been charmed by the witty banter or impressed by her writing talent. She’s so good at hitting that sweet spot in the emotional tone of her stories, never letting the romance become too cloying or the more serious aspects of the story too depressing. She writes characters that are believable and not always at their best, but you’d still want to know them. She also has the extremely good fortune of Patti Murin narrating many of her books. Murin brings the characters to life perfectly!

Having said and meant EVERY word of that, I will say that just a tiny bit of the shine was missing for me with this latest book, and I can’t tell if it’s the book, a touch of genre burnout with rom-coms/romance lately or both. The writing was still as stellar, ALL the characters still as complicated and charming, the plot was unique and the humor was pitch-perfect. Honestly, it’s a rom-com lover’s dream! I did enjoy it - especially the humor and Murin’s narration. Even if I didn't LOVE it as much as her other books I've read, it's still a very good story!

If I had to pick the one thing that kept me from falling completely head over heels for this book, it would boil down to chemistry. Emma and Charlie were both great characters with a healthy mix of good and less desirable traits, and I laughed frequently at their sarcastic and funny banter, but for reasons that utterly elude me, I just didn’t feel that magical spark between them quite as much as with Center’s other literary couples. They made me smile and feel good in that “Aww, that was nice way”, rather than the “I’ll love this couple until the end of time!!” way. Emma’s story with her family was so touching and sweet, and I loved her dad and sister, Sylvie. If that was the story, this would be an easy 5 stars.

I recommend this to those who love a clean romance, fun, snappy banter, complicated characters, a great family story and, for audio lovers, some fabulous narration!

The Rom-Commers

Out: June 11

Thanks to Macmillan audio for the advanced audio copy!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (5 Stars)
Steam: just kissing

No spoiler review 👇🏻👇🏻

I was so pumped when I got an ARC of this book. I have read two other books by this author and have absolutely loved them, and this book is not different. This was such a great read! This book follows Emma and gets hired to co write a rom com with her favourite Hollywood writer..the only problem is he doesn’t want to write this movie. It’s fun, close proximity, banter filled and swoony! It is also full of emotion and a story that sucks you in. Katherine Center is one of my favourite authors, and I’m excited to read more from her in the future. This is the perfect read for the summer.

CW: death of family member (past), caregiving of family member, family accident, cancer, medical issues

Emma loves all things Rom Com. She watches the movies, reads the books and dreams of being a screenwriter writing her own love stories. She gets the chance to write with her favorite screenwriter Charlie Yates, but don’t they say you should never meet your heroes?

This book was lovely and I liked the behind the scenes details of Rom Coms. Emma is so excited, awkward and relatable. I love her fight for herself and how she wouldn't let anyone think less of her or her life choices. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great. She sounded much like I picture for Emma, upbeat and happy. It kept me entertained and coming back for more!

Thank you to Netgalley and Mcmillan Audio for the chance to review this book!

In the Rom-Commers by Katherine Center we have Emma who has given up living her own life to take care of her dad. He suffered a TBI in a rock slide ten years earlier when Emma was graduating from high-school. But, now she has an opportunity to work on a screen play with one of the best screen writers in Hollywood, Charlie. Charlie has written a romantic comedy titled, It Happened One Night. For anyone that knows anything about romantic comedies, It Happened One Night is THE OG romantic comedy. And, the Oscar award winning screenwriter has written a complete dud. Not only does it appear he has never seen the original movie, but he does not understand the premise of the romantic comedy at all. Emma, through the machinations of her high school bestie is brought out to Hollywood to help Charlie fix the screenplay. Only no one told Charlie. And, you see, Charlie has the yips and he has been unable to write for the past couple of years. I guess you would categorize it as enemies to lovers - only they aren’t really enemies, they are just two people that didn’t want to work together, until they do. There is forced proximity - Charlie has a huge house so it only makes sense that Emma stays with him, right?I love the character development in both Emma and Charlie. I always say I’m not a romance girly, but maybe I’m becoming one? This book was really well done and I absolutely loved it. 4.25 stars. Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for my advance copy of The Rom-Commers!

The Rom-Commers follows Emma, an aspiring TV writer and a romcom fan, as she works as a ghostwriter for her favorite writer, Charlie Yates, who has a severe writing block. While I enjoyed the plot overall and the fun banter between the characters, I had difficulty connecting with them since I thought Charlie was too harsh to Emma in several instances, taking me out of the story.

3.5 - This was a quick, fun romcom full of sweet moments and a touch of drama (both family and health-related). The story brings together two writers to create a romcom, but of course, one of them (the famous screenwriter whom she idolizes) hates the genre.

Characters

Emma: She's the classic eldest daughter who feels she has to handle everything alone (I can relate). Her writing career has been put on hold due to her family commitments, but she exudes a quiet confidence as she heads to LA. Emma is direct and anxious, which makes for an interesting mix. I really liked her.

Charlie: My first thought about him was, "this man has the emotional intelligence of a potato." While I still think this, the way he asks clarifying questions about feelings and social interactions gives off a slight neurodiverse vibe. Maybe he's just low on emotional intelligence and a bit of a toxic masculinity type. Either way, he's the typical grumpy guy who turns out to be a sweetheart, despite sometimes doing thoughtless things.

Overall: I enjoyed the writing style and narration. The scenes were vividly described without being over the top. The book is told from Emma's first-person perspective. It's a slow burn with no explicit content, and delightfully cheesy in the best way!

Katherine Center does it again. I can’t put into words how much I truly adore her writing and her characters. It’s so joyful and full of life. This was fantastic. There were a few things I could nitpick, but they didn’t detract from the storyline at all. I loved Emma and Charlie! And Emma’s dad stole the show at times for me. Also, the narrator was so wonderful to listen to. Lovely as always.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the ARC.

I wasn't sure about this one half way through, but the end was redeeming. The chemistry didn't feel as obvious as in Center's previous book, The Bodyguard.

This book was wonderful! I laughed, I cried, I loved all of the characters. Emma was a captivating FMC and I was rooting for her to have some semblance of adulthood. I loved how direct she was and also how much she fought for the people she loves.

I wish I was swooning for Charlie, but I wasn’t quite there. Emma and Charlie’s banter was great and I truly love a great enemies to lovers trope. This was my first Katherine Center book and I am so excited to read more.

For Readers Who Like:
- Beach reads
- Strong family bonds
- Forced proximity

Katherine Center is back with The Rom-Commers, a (meta) rom-com about two writers in forced proximity working on a screenplay. In this fun read, our main character Emma has put her career on the back-burner to take care of her injured father. When an opportunity arises to go to LA to work with one of her idols, she reluctantly takes it. However, when she gets there she finds that her hero, famous writer Charlie Yates, not only didn't know she was coming, but he does not ever work with people. Enemies to friends to lovers! Great banter! Fun and twisty plot!

This is by far my favorite book I have read by Center. The characters are great, and she manages to do tropes without making them seem tired. Fans of Beach Read will like the way it is a book about the stories we like. Highly recommend for romance fans!

It's clear from reading her books that Katherine Center loves love. This story is an ode to falling in love amid grief and worry, and realising it's OK to put yourself first. For a romance book, it feels more like it's about the characters' emotional journeys than the romance itself, but I didn't actually mind that, and enjoyed the ending.

Rating: 5 ⭐️
Pub Date: June 11, 2024
How I Read It: 🎧
Narrator: Patti Murin

Synopsis
Emma Wheeler dreams of becoming a screenwriter, but as the sole care-taker of her ill father, her dream life has been put on the back-burner. That is, until she gets a chance to work with her FAVORITE screenwriter, Charlie Yates. Emma hesitantly leaves for LA for six weeks, leaving her sister to care for her father. When she gets to LA, Charlie is not what she expected, and he doesn’t believe in love! How can you write a rom-com and not believe in love? Emma is determined to not only work with Charlie, but make him see that love is real.

My Thoughts
This book had me laughing out loud! It was so much fun! The banter in this book was right up my alley! The characters were so well written and enjoyable, and I loved Emma’s awkward moments in front of her screenwriting crush, Charlie! KC does such a great job of making you feel the connection and emotion between the two main characters; this book tugged on my heartstrings and nearly had me in happy tears at the end because it was a beautifully written love story.

Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a laugh-out-loud rom-com that will have people staring at you as you crack up, definitely pick this one up! You will not be disappointed! I listened to this in the audio version and I highly recommend it. The narrator was phenomenal and really made you feel each character’s emotions, making the book so enjoyable!

❗️Of Note
📝 Cancer

Themes:
💜 Rom-Com
🔥 Slow-burn

Ratings
Characters: 5 ⭐️
Pace: 5 ⭐️
Enjoyability: 5 ⭐️
Narrator: 5 ⭐️

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

I absolutely loved this hilarious, and heartfelt romance! This slow burn rom-com is filled with witty banter, awkward and hilarious situations, and a sweet and moving storyline with lots of heart. Emma Wheeler is a talented screenwriter who loves everything about romantic comedies. She has put her life on hold to care for her father. When she gets a call to cowrite a romcom with her screenwriter idol, her family makes her go. Charlie Yates is a successful screenwriter, but doesn't believe in love. He isn't happy to be working with Emma, but she is determined to make it work. Their time together starts off rocky, but I loved how Emma and Charlie slowly begin to attune to, and take care of each other. But they both have complications in their lives, and when that begins to be too much, will their new found relationship be strong enough to endure? This story was just perfect for me, and I was totally consumed by it from start to finish! I loved all of the awkward, hilarious, sweet, heartfelt and moving moments that had me laughing out loud, swooning, and cheering for Emma and Charlie's HEA. I am a huge fan of a great grand gesture and this one made me totally happy!
I have become a huge fan of voice actor, Patti Murin. I loved the way she developed and expressed these characters, and their struggles so intimately, making each character come alive, making me care for them, and cheer for their HEA. She did a fabulous job bringing this wonderful story to life!

Writing this as I just finished and I’m still so happy from the ending. With any rom-com there are some corny phrases spread throughout but I would and will recommend this one in a heartbeat. Five stars!