This was such a delightful, feel good story that was like 2/3 romcom and 1/3 self-help. The dad had such good advice! I was literally jotting down notes at a couple of points.

The FMC and MMC were both good characters. I really liked them separately and together, even if they were sometimes jerks. The plot maybe was a little illogical, but I just went with the flow. I really liked how the fourth wall was kind of broken ocasionally.

This is my third Katherine Center novel and I'm looking forward to making my way through all of them.

The narrator Patti Murin is also great. Maybe a weird comment, but I really like her tone of voice? Anyway, I've listened to her a couple of times before, but planning to make my way through her work as well.

Two lovely quotes:
"Be aggressively, loudly, unapologetically grateful.”
"Whatever story you tell yourself about your life, that's the one that will be true."

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors, so I was super excited to check out The Rom-Commers early!

Emma wants to be a screenwriter, but her dreams have been set aside to care for her father, who suffers from paralysis on one side of his body after an accident years ago. When she is hired to help star screenwriter Charlie Yates revamp his rom-com script, Emma is thrilled yet hesitant to leave her father in her younger sister’s care.

There were things I enjoyed here, and things that drove me bonkers. I loved the casual banter between Emma and Charlie, loved the concept of the story, and thought some of the physical comedy was funny. And I absolutely loved seeing the characters from The Bodyguard in small cameos!

However, the main characters were not my favorite. Charlie was kind of a douche instead of an amazing book boyfriend, talking trash about Emma time and again and then pushing her away in a ridiculous scenario. I was on Emma’s side until she got in a nasty fight with her younger sister, acting very martyr like and above everyone else. I felt like pretty much every character in the book needed a good therapist, and instead they all just decided to think happy thoughts and hope for the best. Panic attacks by our main character were basically brushed over with no real care or representation.

I’m very much in the minority on this one, as plenty of people are absolutely loving it. While this wasn’t my favorite by the author, I’ll still be excited to read whatever she writes next!

The audiobook was narrated by Patti Murin, who did a great job delivering the humorous banter. Her pacing kept the story moving along well.
Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

"The Rom-Commers" by Katherine Center is a delightful rom-com filled with witty banter and endearing characters. Center crafts a charming story of unlikely collaborators, Charlie and Emma, whose shared passion for storytelling leads them on a journey of self-discovery and love. However, while the novel is enjoyable with its humorous moments and heartfelt romance, it falls short in delivering a truly original plot. Despite its shortcomings, "The Rom-Commers" is a light and entertaining read, perfect for fans of the genre. With its blend of humor and heart, it earns a solid three out of five stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

I really loved this story for the first 75%. It was such a cute premise, the main characters had fun, flirty banter, and there were sweet, romantic gestures. It was giving me <i>Romantic Comedy</i> vibes, and I was here for it!

But what was that ending?! It was SO weird and awkward, and I was SO disappointed, because I wanted to love this book so much! I unfortunately lost interest when Charlie rejected Emma for the upteenth time after she confesses her feelings...and Emma came across as cringy and desperate with all of her begging. It just killed all of the chemistry. And then for everything to wrap up so nicely at the end with Charlie's secret after all the rejection and dishonesty, it just didn't work for me.

The Rom-Commers captured my attention from the get go and I gobbled it up in two days. I did the audio version and it felt like a friend filling me in on her life after having not been connected for a while. I enjoyed that aspect of the story telling. There were moments where you knew you were being told the story and others where you were watching the story unfold. Seamless transitions and the narration was good. There were times that the accent threw me off -- sounded more mid-western than Texas and where I wondered if the narrator had a cold (sounded stuffed up) BUT it totally worked during the parts of the book where tears were involved. It is a Rom-Com after all.

Emma's role as caretaker for her dad hit close to home in many ways, and that feeling of personal connection definitely drew me into the book in a deeper way. There are so many different themes within this story, without being crowded, that it will be easy for a vast number of readers to find a deep connection (sisters, grief, sacrifice, love, rejection, etc) within the book. This isn't to say that it's also just a nice little brain break where you can get lost in the story.

There were a few hooks that I figured out early, but maybe that's just because I read so many murder/mystery books. This didn't take away from the book though. The rom-com resolution scene was a bit over the top/unrealistic as compared to the rest of the story. You see it coming, you want it to happen, but would it really happen that way in real life?

This is my 3rd book by Katherine Center...and it was fun to have a cameo in The Rom-Commers from dreamy Jack Stapleton from The Bodyguards. Love a little surprise like that. Center has made her way on my go to list for books when I need a breather from madness and mayhem. Summer publish date is ideal for a beach/pool read, no doubt. The rom com is more complex that it seems and The Rom-Commers is an insightful look inside.

Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy. Loved the opportunity to get an early peek!

A new Katherine Center book?! Sign me up!

Emma wants to be a screenwriter but is the caretaker for her father after a rock climbing accident left him with health problems and killed her mom. Her best friend/ex from high school just got her her dream job co writing a script with her dream guy and everyone’s favorite screenwriter Charlie. He just wrote a romcom (not his usual genre) and it’s terrible. Hopefully together they can write a hit.

I was very excited to read this book. It’s probably more of a 3.5 star for me. I really enjoyed the first part, the fmc annoyed me a little but she got to the point of me actively cringing and hoping she would just stfu. 😆 she felt borderline problematic… I may be in the minority feeling this way… it definitely had some great parts and all full of a spectrum of feelings. I’m still a Katherine center fan and love her writing especially how every book I’ve read has a medical aspect and swoony moments.

Thanks to netgalley and st martins press and Macmillan audio for advanced reading copies.

I loved this book! Emma Wheeler, a talented screenwriter whose career never took off due to familial obligations, is offered the deal of a lifetime by her high school ex-boyfriend, now a manager. Charlie Yates, a successful Hollywood screenwriter and another one of Logan’s clients, has written a terrible rom-com. Logan tasks Emma with stepping in to assist Charlie in rewriting the story. This requires Emma to leave Texas for six weeks and her father, for whom she is a full-time caretaker. The two partner to rewrite Charlie’s script, and Emma takes on the challenge of converting Charlie into a believer in love. They say to never meet your heroes, but what follows is a delightful story filled with forced proximity and grumpy x sunshine banter.

I adored Charlie and Emma. Their banter and Patti Murin’s delivery had me laughing out loud. Patti Murin was an amazing narrator. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the fourth book I’ve read by Katherine Center, and once again, I LOVED it! I love that she includes her Texas roots in each of her stories, too. This book was definitely more emotional than the others I’ve read, so be prepared for the emotional rollercoaster. I listened to this story on audio, and highly recommend!

I judged a book by its cover and I was not wrong! This colorful romantic title came through in this story in the best ways. Thank you Macmillion Audio and Netgalley for this ARC Audio copy. First off the narration was excellent. I am so picky when it comes to narration - in my opinion it can make or break the audio book experience for me.

This is my first Katherine Center book and I really enjoyed it. This felt like a grown up story compared to some romantic comedies. The relationship between Charlie and Emma seemed like a true story plucked out of the hollywood writers wall, without the inappropriate scandals. Charlie starts out a bit rocky, but our MC Emma is a delight from the get go.

“Everybody’s a kid deep down. Use your teacher voice. I bet you’ll be surprised.”

Katherine Center is incredible. I did a virtual book club with her once. I have enjoyed all of her books… even though one.

Emma aspires to be a screen writer and is very good at it. In one second, Emma’s life changes forever. Her mom dies and her dad is permanently disabled in a tragic accident. Emma puts her dreams on hold.

Years later, Emma gets the opportunity of a lifetime to ghostwrite with one of the best celebrity screen writers ever. Reluctantly, Emma dives in…. literally… and moves to LA for a temporary writing assignment.

Being such a big Katherine Center fan, I struggled to give it a 3.5 rating (rounded to 4). She’s amazing. I feel guilty. I thought the plot and characters were above average and possibly even super great. Sadly, she butchered the sensitivity of the Cancer trigger. Living and breathing the family impact of a loved one with Cancer and loving your person so fiercely every single day made my stomach hurt a little finishing this book. I know I am in the minority and several books hit others with various triggers, but this one felt a little different for me. Very seldom are there false alarms. That’s all I’m going to say. I’m still a huge Katherine Center fan and there’s absolutely no animosity

✨ Genre: Romance
🧡 Steamy rating: Very Mild
🤬 Profanity: Mild
🎧 Method: Macmillan Audio Book
📚 2024 book count: 70

Triggers: Cancer, death of a parent, and traumatic brain injury

I LOVE Katherine Center and can confidently say this is my new favourite of hers! The characters, their development, the storyline… all perfect. Center writes character development like no other (aside from my queen Abby Jimenez). I fell into what was going to happen next and was rooting for the characters hard. A++ all around!

Thank you so much Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to get my hands on this ARC. I am so thankful!

Patti Murin + Katherine Center = PERFECTION.

I already read The Rom-Commers on e-book, but I had to request the audio because I love how Patti Murin embodies Katherine Center's characters. Each character is a distinct voice and her reading of the story naturally evokes the feelings of each scene. You won't regret listening to this audio!

What I loved about The Rom-Commers:
🧡 The fun and colorful cover!! Also helped me to visualize Emma and Charlie
💙 Two screenwriters makes for The PERFECT banter and dialogue!
💛 The meta conversations around rom-coms were so good!! I loved their research of rom-com ingredients 🥰
🧡 Learning how to forgive oneself and that guilt and fear shouldn’t keep us from chasing our dreams !!
💙 Just randomly bumping into celebrities at restaurants and coffee shops because it’s Los Angeles 🙌🏼
💛 There will be always be tragedy in life. Our goal is to LIVE in perspective from it.
🧡 Remembering the time I went line-dancing with friends in college, learned I was terrible at it but had so much fun anyway!!
💙 Emma’s saved collection of the best kisses of cinematic history
💛 Katherine Center is the CHAMPION for joy and fiction and romance.
🧡 A guinea pig named Cuthbert 🥹

And now I want to watch “It Happened One Night” !

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers' audiobook copy. All opinions are my own.

Okay, so this is my first Katherine Center novel and I’M OBSESSICA SIMPSON!!! I will definitely be reading more of her in the future. 5/5!!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ALC in exchange for my honest review!

MY SYNOPSIS
The Rom-Commers is a romantic comedy for the ages. Emma Wheeler, a quirky, aspiring, hopeless romantic screenwriter from Texas, is flown to LA to help Charlie Yates, a successful Hollywood screenwriter who doesn’t believe in love, re-write his version of a romcom script (of a fictional cult-romance movie). Oh, and the best part, Emma has had a huge crush on Charlie for like EVER.

MY REVIEW
The Rom-Commers has every necessary element in order to create the perfect rom-com read; it is creative, and had me laughing out loud, squealing, and crying… this book needs to be made into a movie ASAP. Center nailed the characters and humor with the perfect amount of reality and lightness.

The dynamic between Emma and Charlie is a lot of fun! The reader will immediately fall in love with Emma and her compassion for others, while Charlie will take a bit to love, but it’s not long before we find out how lovely he really is. That goes without saying, but I absolutely love Emma- currently going through withdrawal! Emma is so relatable and I was truly emersed in her entire life story, which I’m sure may can relate to. You will be rooting for her from page one. Patti Murin brought Emma to life and gave her such depth; Emma’s emotions and reactions (both good and bad) were palpable through my phone screen.

Center tells a story that pays homage to romance and romantic comedy; I was (am) charmed and cannot wait to read my next! I can honestly say I felt like I was watching a romantic comedy movie about two screenwriters writing a romantic comedy film. It was absolutely perfect in every way!

There is all of the forced proximity, grumpy x sunshine, and witty banter your romcom heart could dream of.

I just very recently read The Bodyguard and fell in love with the way Katherine Center writes! So when I was given the opportunity to listen to The Rom-Commers early, I was all in. And I just have to say I was so impressed! KC has a very conversational, down-to-earth-yet-not-at-all-cheesy way of writing that is so good and so refreshing! Seriously, she’s awesome, and this book was easily a 5⭐read. This solidifies Katherine Center as one of my must-read authors — that’s how much I enjoyed it. And a note on the audiobook itself: the narration was SO GOOD. I am in love with Emma and Charlie as humans, and I just love their love.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC copy and a chance to leave an honest review!

This book was so much fun!
Our main character Emma has spent her last 10 years taking care of her father who was injured in a rock slide that killed her mom. She longs to be a screen writer in LA, but taking care of her dad is her first priority. When her ex boyfriend Logan gives her the opportunity of a life time rewriting a rom-com screenplay with her favorite writer Charlie Yates, her family begs her to take it. Charlie seems to have given up on love. His screenplay doesn't even have a happily ever after! Can Emma change his perspective on his screenplay and maybe even his life?
I really liked Emma. She was so passionate about her family. Her father was her world (and he's such a great father) and her sister is her favorite person. She was also passionate about her work. She did her research and was ready for her break through. She was patient with trying to get Charlie to change his mind and she was sassy and funny. Charlie started out set in his ways, but really warmed up well after a while.
The plot moved along well. We really got to know the characters and I really felt for them when they were happy or sad. There was a lot of character growth for everyone and it was on a believable curve. The ending was wonderful, especially since it's a rom-com.
The narrator of the audiobook was great. She really felt like Emma to me and brought the entire story to life. It was so easy to listen to her.

I liked it, but wasn’t always itching to see what happened so I didn’t rate it as high as I have other contemporary romance books. I liked that the storyline was so different than what I had read, the way the author handled celebrities, cancer, and death. I thought she handled them all in a way that didn’t feel so heavy, but still felt important.

Emma Wheeler loves (like REALLY loves) rom-coms and is an aspiring screenwriter just getting by, wishing and hoping for a break in her career. She lives a noble, if predictable and somewhat lonely life, caretaking her lovely father who needs full time care. She longs to be a successful screenwriter. When an opportunity falls in her lap - a once in a lifetime chance - to rewrite an epically bad script - she desperately wants to make it work. It turns out it actually is her younger sister's turn to help their dad. Can Emma step out of her comfort zone and let go of full control over her dad's care long enough to seize her opportunity? Will it be worth it?

Emma leaves behind her home, routine and father to move to L.A. for six weeks to take the job. When she arrives she's surprised to find out her co-writer doesn't want her there, more does he actually care about the script. Even worse, he thinks love is a joke.

Katherine Center delivers another fantastic romance novel. Full of clever banter, witty and current pop culture references, lovable characters that you're really rooting for packaged up in an engaging, feel-good, plot.

Patti Murin gives a lively & relatable narration of this funny, clever romance. It was 5 stars all around for me.

Emma Wheeler, talented screenwriter and devoted daughter, has just about given up the fight between the two priorities in her life. Her father, injured 10 years before in a climbing accident that Emma carries secret guilt about, needs her constant attention and care in their modest Houston apartment. Or does he? An unexpected offer comes out of the blue from an old friend, now a very well-connected Hollywood agent, to work with top screenwriter Charlie Yates in LA on a script that needs…how shall Logan put it delicately… work.
Em is sorely tempted but who would help her dad? It takes her younger, just graduated from college sister, to give her the push she needs, offering to come home and take over for the 6 weeks the job will require. And so, Em sets off with equal parts fear, trepidation, and fangirling, because Charlie Yates is her screenwriter idol. That illusion lasts until she and Logan are at the doorstep of Charlie’s Beverly Hills mansion, and then bursts in his immediate and negative reaction. She didn’t see that coming, but then, neither did he from his side of the situation.
Enemies to lovers trope: check (double, triple check). Outstanding narration by Patti Murin, capturing all the humor, tension, pathos, and glee: check (infinite number of checks). Does Ms. Murin’s narration convey nuance and easily glide between the distinctive voices of the characters? Yes! Does it also reveal Ms. Center’s propensity for rhetorical questions? Yes (but by that point, I’m in, hook line and sinker, so.. so what?)
Katherine Center expertly ratchets up both the narrative tension and romantic entanglement in carefully plotted spirals that weave together so seamlessly that it truly takes a second reading (or listening) to go back and catch all the breadcrumbs that she’s dropped in. The happily ever after is a given trope for the genre – in this case, not only for the initially doomed remake screenplay for “It Happened One Night”, which Em bluntly tells Charlie is apocalyptically bad, but for Em and Charlie’s own relationship, which moves from antipathy to reluctant partnership, and then (carefully navigating the traumas that both have experienced in their lives), to a new understanding and a new relationship that survives some pretty rocky waters.
Highly, highly recommended.

4.5 stars rounded up.
Oh. My. Gosh. I enjoyed this romcom so much! I loved the snarky humor, the main female character, and I absolutely loved the epilogue. Emma, the main character, tells the story from her point of view, and we get every bit of detail and thought that she has. Occasionally, I feel like this can be boring in a novel, but not so with this one. The secondary characters in the story were really well defined, and I became just as interested in them as I was in Emma.
This story came to me by way of audiobook, and I felt that the narrator did a good job conveying feeling and character differences.

Pick this book up when it publishes June 11th. When you get to the epilogue, make sure you're paying attention to Emma's dad and the message he has about marriage. Stronger truth could not be told. ❤️
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the ALC, and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Enemies to lovers romance about two people writing a romantic comedy screenplay together sounded fun but omg this was bad. The main girl was so annoying (I guess having curly red hair is a personality trait??) and the main guy was just an asshole. Nothing about it was funny or charming, the author tried way too hard to make all the characters quirky. And to top it all off, one of the dumbest endings I’ve ever read. I hate finished it. Big fat nope from me!