This offered a pleasant escape into the world of light-hearted romance, a deviation from my normal mystery choice. While enjoyable, it didn’t quite capture my heart like some of Center’s other works. One standout element, however, was the impeccable narration in the audiobook version, Patti Murin is fantastic for this genre.

The plot follows a predictable trajectory common in romantic comedies, you pretty much know where the story’s headed—it’s your typical rom-com ride. However, Center deftly weaves in some heavier themes, adding depth to the narrative. Despite its predictability, the novel still manages to entertain and engage readers looking for a light-hearted escape.

This may not be my favorite from Katherine Center, it’s still a worthwhile read for fans of the genre, especially for those who appreciate some strong family dynamics with a sprinkle of drama and well-executed audiobook experience.

Emma's has been her father's caretaker for many years, completely setting aside her own dreams and aspirations. When the opportunity to work with one of the best screen writers comes about, she is pushed into trying out the job - helping a self proclaimed romance hater write a rom-com script. As they begin to work together disagreeing with everything, they both start to feel their relationship morphing into something different.

This was a cute closed door grumpy sunshine enemies to lovers romance. It's a slow burn and it's fun to watch Emma slowly convince Charlie how to write a romance. I appreciated the challenges that Emma had with her family and it made me want her to grow out of the constraints that she had. I especially loved her dad. I was surprised by Charlie's challenge and I liked the way the story ended. IT was a sweet story of two people overcoming some challenges in their lives and falling in love.

Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Fantastic audiobook. I wish Charlie had a make voice, but that didn’t ruin the listening experience for me. Loved the bonus scene and author’s note.
Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC audio

"It can't be where you're going that matters, it's how you get there" -

Katherine Center has always been one of those authors, if she releases a book, I have to have it. I was so excited I got to get an ARC of the audiobook version. Patti Murin does a great job on the narration, although the way she voiced Logan was very hard to listen to.

This is my least favorite book by this author. I found the characters very unlikeable. The need for certain characters to have their full name said out loud over and over and over again. Charlie Yates, Jack Stapleton. Although I did like the nod to Jack Stapleton from the Bodyguard, I wish there was a bit of an update on what was going on with him and Hannah, other than having his name repeated multiple times.

The entire time I was listening to this I waited for better character development of Charlie, Charlie Yates. As with every Katherine Center book, there is always an underlying moral to the entire story, that just felt like a big miss in this book. Emma's character acted like she was 16, came across very immature. I can understand this with how she has spent her adult life taking care of her father and watching someone she loved die. I felt like what happened could have been told better earlier in the book so you had a better understanding of why she acted the way she did. The main characters just lacked chemistry and it took until the last 25% of the book for their story to somewhat flesh out, before I felt like I could feel for the characters a little bit more.

The first half of the book just had too many cliche moments that you see in every Rom Com. I am sure it was meant to be that way since the title of this book is The Rom Commers, it was just too forced and didn't feel like something that would ever happen.

But as always, the last line of the book was a good one. Thankfully the book finally got there.

I love Katherine Center, but she has been rather hit or miss for me the last few times. Unfortunately, this was a miss, but I am very much in the minority. There are hundreds of rave reviews. This one just didn't work for me. It was a cute idea and definitely moments that made me laugh, but it didn't seem like there was enough "story." Some of the banter between characters seemed to go on far too long. I did enjoy the narration and, of course, Cuthbert.

🎧The Rom-Commers🎧
By: Katherine Center
Narrated By: Patti Murin
Review Score: 4 Stars

Boogie’s Bulletpoints
•I loved watching Emma and Charlie’s relationship evolve.

•There is a lot of heart in this story.

•It was fun to see a romantic comedy script evolve.

•No spoilers, but the last third of the book was so engaging, I could not put it down!

————————————————————————
The Rom-Commers was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and MacMillan Audio. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book!

Release Date: 6/11/24

I have a lot of mixed feelings on this book (which, truthfully, I tend to have a lot of when I read Center’s books).

I always love her characters and their evolution. That was no exception for Emma and Charlie.

Where I struggled with this book was the “believability” of it all. I am not saying it’s impossible, so no spoilers. But there were parts that just didnt seem like they could happen.

Regardless, I really enjoyed this book, and I know so many other people will love it too! It’s a great book for a beach read.

#bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #fivekeyfeels #audiobooks #audiobook #fiction #arcreview #netgalley #boogiesbulletpoints #theromcommers #katherinecenter #pattimurin

Another fabulous book from Katherine Center!
I really enjoyed Emma and Charlie, their witty banter, Emma’s family, and how Katherine tugs on your heartstrings while simultaneously making you smile ear to ear.
10/10 Recommend for romance lovers!
Thank you NetGalley for this audiobook ARC. The book hits shelves on 6/11/24.

I loved this rom-com! It’s a perfect summer beach read with a lovely balance of humor, romance, and surprising characters. I highly recommend this as an easy, light, enjoyable book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Rom-Commers is incredibly delightful, the perfect romantic comedy for people who read too many romantic comedies. The audiobook was so well narrated, it's one of the best I've listened to all year. I've read one other Katherine Center book and liked it, but this book was so wholesome, fun, and lovely, that I've been converted to a full on fan club.

Thank you Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Katherine Center for sending me an advanced copy of the audiobook for The Rom-Commers.

Emma Wheeler has always wanted to be a screenwriter but has had to put that dream on hold while she's cared for her father for the last 10 years. When she's given the opportunity to work with her writing idol, Charlie Yates, on his upcoming Rom-Com - her favorite genre - it's a dream come true. But, maybe it's too good to be true? She certainly has her work cut out for her when his screenplay is beyond terrible, and he has ZERO desire to work with her. But Emma’s not going without a fight! She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself.

What happens between the two is nothing less than an awkward, funny, and heartfelt relationship. These two nerds are so great, and their banter is hilarious. I loved this book so much! I was cheesing the whole time. It was so sweet and cute, while simultaneously being heartbreaking and incredibly frustrating in parts. I was literally crying in the gym listening to this book, both from the heartbreak and then the subsequent adorable and pure moments.

I highly recommend this book. June 11th can't come soon enough, I already want to reread it.

The Rom-Commers easily made my top 3 books for the year. Katherine Center has a way of telling stories that makes the classic "rom-com" believable and not like this only happens in a fairytale. If you enjoy romance and Hallmark movies then you will love this delightful story of two people that couldn't be more opposite at first glance, as they work together to write the rom-coms of all rom-coms.

The story of Emma and Charlie is filled with just the right amount of flirtation and unspoken love. For example, "Google symptoms of a heart attack" and many other situations tell of the mutual feelings for each other without ever saying it. Rubbing elbows with Hollywood A-listers is a fun added layer that left me wondering who the inspiration was for the characters. Oh, and spoiler alert there is a cameo from the beloved Jack Stapleton!

Patti Murin does a wonderful job narrating this audio book. Her voice is easy to listen to and she has just the right intensity of fluctuation between characters. The feelings of love, sadness, and frustration are easily conveyed with her storytelling. Be sure to keep listening when the book ends for a special message from Kathrine Center about romance books and rom-coms.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion.

Katherine Center is baaaack. She is an absolute must read/listen and always recommend kind of author for me and The Rom-Commers, out June 11th, is her latest but sadly not greatest. A romantic comedy written about writing a romantic… comedy. I’m ready to laugh and cry and believe in looooove. I did laugh. I did cry. The aging parent arc will get me every time. #noshame

But I have to admit- this was not my favorite story. Charlie Yates just didn’t do it for me. 😑 He was a dick. And I just didn’t LOVE Emma. She is messy. In the nicest way possible - she needs therapy.

Over all- it’s a quick read and I found it palatable enough to finish. If you’re a fan of KC, I feel confident you’ll likely enjoy it! If you’re new to KC - check her backlist while you wait for this release.

Thank you NetGalley, Katherine Center, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for granting me access to this book AND audiobook as well in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars.

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!