Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.


The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center is yet another hit from this author, keeping her up there in my list of top authors.

This was my first Katherine Center book (but not the first one that has graced my bookshelves). This read has moved the rest of her books to the top of my TBR 😉

Quick Overview~
Emma Wheeler is a (good) screenwriter. Does anyone know her? Maybe not... I mean, that's what happens when you have to be the full time caretaker for your sick father. You give up your career so your sister doesn't have to. However, when her agent brings her the opportunity to rewrite a script with her favorite screenwriter, she couldn't possibly say no. It turns out that the reason Charlie Yates wrote this awful rom com screen play is because he doesn't believe in love. With 6 weeks to turn this shit show into something she can be proud of, can Emma convince Charlie that maybe love is something worth working towards?

Tropes include~
✅ Enemies to lovers
✅ Forced Proximity
✅ Opposites Attract

Opinions~
Emma is a down to Earth character that I could see living in the house next door. I will say her biggest flaw is the martyr thing she has going, which made it difficult to start the book.
Charlie is honestly a little insufferable for the first half of the book. However, his past trauma does make my heart hurt in a way that makes me want to wrap him up in a big hug and squeeze him forever.
The ending did make me want to pull my headphones out and drop them in the garbage disposal but I am a sucker for a book that makes me sob so.... just a fair warning.

Katherine Center is one of those authors that I know going in to her books, I am going to have a good time! Her books always have the perfect balance of heart, comedy, and romance. The Rom-Commers was no exception! Watching the romance blossom between the two main characters was a joy. And the great thing was, they were both flawed. They both had things to work through and very much worked through them on their own, but also together. I laughed out loud multiple times during this book, which I loved! This book really echoed the sentiment that life will never be perfect, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy what you have and celebrate the joy you have in the moment. I truly enjoyed this book :)

The Rom-Commers is a very cute romance between a rom-com obsessed writer who prioritized her family over opportunities to grow her career and an anti-romcom writer forced to write something he doesn’t believe in. Their manager pulls them together in a questionable way to help them both, and love blossoms almost immediately - albeit evident to the reader long before our MMC and FMC, in true rom-com fashion.

I enjoyed this book, but I didn’t find myself emotionally connected to the characters. The storyline was cute and the characters were likeable. Everyone loves a happy ending, and as expected, Katherine Center delivers. This is a 3 star read for me because I wish there was a little more depth to the FMC. I would love to see her grow, stand up for herself, and own her narrative more.

The narrator of the audio book is fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her bring this story to life.

I listened the audio of this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio!

Really enjoyed this one. I laughed out loud numerous times and have already recommended it to several friends! I appreciated the slow-burn romance and the complications they experienced. I also appreciated the character flaws and conflicts--all felt believable. Katherine Center is an auto-buy audiobook for me every year. Highly recommend!

Rating:3.5

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

I am a huge Katherine Center fan so I went in with huge anticipation. The book follows Emma who has always dreamed of being a screenwriter .However she has spent her life loving romantic movies and taking care of her father,Her life changes when she gets an opportunity to work with famous screenwriter Charlie Yates. I loved how the author didn't just give us a romance but dwelt on sibling relationships ,self doubt ,love and parent child relationship.

Someone please turn this into a movie! Katherine Center does it again with this one- I LOVED it. This one was witty, emotional, and just down-right comical. I absolutely loved the back story on the characters and the main characters themselves. It evolved really well and really might be my favorite book this year.

🌀Synopsis
Emma aha spend years putting her dreams on hold to take care of her disabled father. She loves him but also wants to follow her heart to become a screenwriter. When the opportunity arises to help a very famous screenwriter, who also happens to be her personal hero, she takes it!
Charlie Yates knows what he’s doing but not with love. He’s famous but broke up with his fiancé and now lives a pretty lonely life. Until Emma enters it.
When she proves herself helpful he decides to take her advice and the two start writing together. They work so well together that they also start having meals together and find each other very enjoyable. There is attraction there but both keep stifling it. When Charlie has a health scare he knows he needs to push Emma away for good but the two of them both struggle to go back to their old lives.

The perfect pull of heavy-light, heartbreaking-heartwarming, loving the characters-hating the characters. I couldn't wait to finish this one and see what happened in the end. As far as books about famous Hollywood writers, this one felt believable and real, and not out of touch with what everyday, non-famous couples in similar situations would do or feel. The characters felt so genuine, especially the dynamic between sisters. I could actually see this book turning into a made-for-TV movie landing on the Hallmark channel. This feel good rom-com is perfect for romance lovers who don't like a lot of graphic details, but still like to get butterflies in their stomach while reading a love story!

I really enjoyed this one! I was coming off of a couple of heavier reads and The Rom-Commers was exactly the medicine I needed. I listened to an ARC of the audiobook and honestly plan to read it again in print once it’s released. Katherine Center is, as always, reliably enjoyable and heartwarming. Hers are the books I reach for when I want to laugh and cry and smile but ultimately leave happier than I was before, and this one is no exception!

Here I am to be the meanie again. I ended up liking this book ok—it was aiight—unfortunately, it isn't going to get a glowing review. I hope the final cut is better than the arc.

The Rom-Commers had the potential to be a delightful rom-com, but it fell short. The lack of character development in the beginning of the story, paired with a bummer of a backstory, made me consider DNFing around 10% in. But I stuck with it and it picked up eventually.

Emma's infatuation with Charlie's work leads to a job opportunity alongside him, but the narrative takes a disappointing turn with Charlie's consistent mistreatment of Emma. Despite occasional humor and glimmers of romance, the story lacks the charm typical of rom-coms. It eventually turns in to a rom-com, but not a very sweet one.

Though I didn't love this book, I would still recommend it to some people. If you enjoyed some of Center's other work, like The Bodyguard, you may like this one, too. I'm hopeful the final published will have worked out some of its issues.

Unfortunately I have come to realize that Katherine Center's writing style is not for me. You may enjoy this if you like lighter romance books with some heavier hitting topics that aren't taken too seriously. I say that specifically because Center makes a lot of things feel lighter, that's not a bad thing I just at times felt like it came across as emotionally immature. That's not to say the author didn't do that on purpose, there certainly is a place in literature for that, people don't always want to read about responsible adults, they want to escape. This is a good book for that.

Katherine Center is never a miss. Nice balance of the light and the heavy.

“If you wait for other people to light you up, then I guess you are at the mercy of darkness.”

I was able to get an advanced copy of this book and so glad I did. This was the perfect laugh out loud story.

An unlikely pair is forced to live and work together for six weeks while doing research and learning that they have more in common than they first thought.

If you are looking for an easy and enjoyable read, this one is for you!

Everything Katherine Center writes is pure gold. This is no exception. I loved it so much. The narration was AMAZING, Patti Murin knocked it out of the park! I laughed, I cried, and it was just what my heart needed. I honestly don't know what else to say, I will go back to this again.
Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to listen and read this advanced copy.

This is my 3rd book by this author and every time I close the book I sigh with a book well-written! The story was delightful and full of some fun twists and amazing banter! The characters that are created are REAL to me - I want to meet them and interact with there crazy! I truly loved this storyline and thoroughly enjoyed the kissing scenes and need a whole Pinterest board of them! Ha! I really loved the narrator and especially the notes at the end!

For those who need to know - there is a lot of strong language in this book - this is my only problem with it!

Thank you to Net Galley for this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

The Rom-Comers by Katherine Center is full of wit and charm. I absolutely loved this modern clean adult romance.
Immediately, I loved the main character Emma Wheeler. She has paused most of her screen writer dreams to take care of her sick father for the last ten years. When she gets a chance to work with her absolutely favorite screen writer ever Charlie Yates she, with some pushing, jumps at the chance. Charlie however didn't know she was coming.
Charlie is cranky and doesn't believe in love or rom-coms. Emma decides to convince him that rom-coms are worth a shot.
This book is so funny and at times really moving. The relationship that developed from a coworker friends place to a romance was really sweet. I would really love to see this as an actual rom-com movie. This story definitely pulls from grumpy/sunshine tropes in the best way.
I loved it so much I started talking about it to my friends and they asked me if the characters were real people or if this was a book. I got a little attached.
The audiobook is great! Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for this audiobook. This review was given voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🎧

📚 Emma Wheeler's younger self had one goal: to become a successful screenwriter specializing in romantic comedies. After ten years of putting her life on hold, she gets a chance to work with her idol, Charlie Yates, on a big Hollywood script, it feels like a dream come true. But there's a catch: Charlie thinks romantic comedies are a joke, and he's only interested in getting his own project green-lit. It's up to Emma to show him that love is more than just a plot device.

🏙️ The story unfolds in Charlie's LA mansion, where Emma's enthusiasm and Charlie's cynicism collide. Emma's dedication to the craft and her quick wit keep the narrative lively and engaging. The back-and-forth was excellent.

🎭 The plot has its ups and downs. Emma's passion for romantic comedies is infectious, but the pacing sometimes felt slow. We spend a lot of time in Emma's head, which is hilarious but leaves less room for Charlie's development. His backstory is a bit thin, especially when his sometimes oblivious behavior felt inconsistent with his success.

💕 The chemistry between Emma and Charlie is undeniable. Their banter is sharp, and their interactions are filled with sparks. However, I wanted more steam. The romance is cute and slow, but there's still plenty of sweet and touching moments to enjoy.

🤝 The side characters are delightful, especially Logan Charlie's pet guinea pig.

✍️ Catherine Center's writing style is lighthearted, fun and full of passion. The narrator's performance captures Emma's quirky charm, though the portrayal of Charlie felt somewhat lacking. I guess I just prefer dual POV stories. Thank you Catherine for the bonus scene from Charlie's perspective!

📚 If you're into romantic comedies with a touch of Hollywood glamour, "The Rom-Commers" is worth a listen. It's filled with laughs, heartfelt moments and a message of hope and love that is just as magical as the movies.

#romcom #bookstagram #romanticcomedy #audiobooks #bookreviews #CatherineCenter #loveandlaughs #bookish #amreading

Thank you NetGalley and McMillan Audio for this ALC.

Who does Katherine Center thinks she is, making me cry over fictional characters? Spoiler, I bawled like a baby the last couple of chapters of this novel.

We all need to believe in love - no matter what that may look like. Love does not necessarily need to be romantic love, but takes its form in many different ways. The Rom-Commers, is just about that concept - we need love. Our lives would be, for lack of a better word, sad, without any form of love in it. We need people to care for, and to care for us. We are social beings and “socializing” is a basic need that must be met. The Rom-Com, Katherine Center, and The Rom-Commers reminds us of this. It gives us images of what love can look like, it reminds us how we can love better, and frankly maybe what does not work.

Was it cheesy? Would it be a rom-com if it was not? Were the characters perfect? No, they were perfectly imperfect, like we are. The story was so very engaging. I did not want it to end, but wanted it to, because I just had to know if Emma and Charlie would indeed, fall for each other, and have their “happy ending”. Center’s novel is witty, insightful, and yes, cute. It reminds us how we need our emotions, all of them, and how every happy story is riddled with events and memories that are hard to deal with. It reminds you to appreciate your own love story.

I loved it. This was an ALC, so this story would not be what it was without the outstanding performance. Patti Murin made me love Emma, Charlie, and their love story!

When Emma is offered a dream job to helping rewrite a script with her screenwriter hero Charlie Yates she reluctantly hand over dad caretaker duties to her younger sister. Arriving in LA she discovers that heros are not as one expects.
Charlie has no intentions of rewriting his romcom script with a 'nobody screenwriter'. It's perfect the way it is (it's REALLY not) and he only wrote it to get a different script produced.
Emma and Charlie start off on the wrong foot, butting heads as they navigate the rewrite. How will Emma convince Charlie that love stories are important? And will fiction become reality?
It's been a while since I've enjoyed a romcom as much as I did with The Rom-Commers. Narrator Patti Murin brings Katherine Center's book to life. Each character was wonderfully and perfectly voiced. Easy and fluid to listen too. What a fun audiobook!

I wish this was a movie too! This book was so cute I hate that I finished it. The characters all had baggage without it being whiney. Too many times in books do I see the baggage and feel like it is repeatedly mentioned for pity. Katherine Center was able to write in a way that I felt touched and not perturbed at the main characters and issues they have faced. I enjoyed everything about this book. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced preview.